Mental Prayer Meditation Helps
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, help me see how good works make me a better member of your Mystical Body.
The Idea: We strengthen our muscles by exercise. We learn how to work a problem by working it. We learn how to keep house by practice. We learn to swim by swimming. We learn to live the Christ-life by living it. And by living it we increase it in our souls. My duty as a member of the Mystical Body is to see to it that I am a healthy, smooth-working, cooperative part so that the whole body is not lamed because of me. But what work shall I do? I've meditated on it many and many a time. Basically the question is: what is my vocation? I contribute to the health and vitality of the Mystical Christ by living out my vocation in life as perfectly as I can. Perhaps I have not yet decided what my permanent vocation in life shall be. But even my present duties are an important part of the Mystical Body. If I am doing the work that I should be doing as a student, as a worker uniting my efforts to those of the whole Body...if I am helping my neighbor when I can and should...if I am trying to show forth Christ in my life, then I am doing "good works" and growing in grace, strengthening Christ's life in me.
My Personal Application: Am I a useful member of the Mystical Body of Christ? Am I willing to do what Christ the Head of the Mystical Body wants me to do? Am I thinking of my vocation in life in terms of service to Christ and my fellowmen?
I Speak to Christ: Lord, never let me be a lame and useless member disfiguring your Mystical Body.
Thought for Today: I am Christ to the men of my times.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Gospel for Saturday, 2nd Week of Easter
From: John 6:16-21
Jesus Walks on the Water
[16] When evening came, His (Jesus') disciples went down to the sea, [17] got into the boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. [18] The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing. [19] When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, [20] but He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." [21] Then they were glad to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
_______________________
Commentary:
16-21. It seems the disciples were disconcerted because darkness had fallen, the sea was getting rough and Jesus had still not appeared. But our Lord does not abandon them; when they had been rowing for some five kilometers (three miles), He arrives unexpectedly, walking on the water--to strengthen their faith, which was still weak.
In meditating on this episode Christian tradition has seen the boat as symbolizing the Church, which will have to cope with many difficulties and which our Lord has promised to help all through the centuries (cf. Matthew 28:20); the Church, therefore, will always remain firm. St. Thomas Aquinas comments: "The wind symbolizes the temptations and persecution the Church will suffer due to lack of love. For, as St. Augustine says, when love grows cold, the sea become rougher and the boat begins to founder. Yet the wind, the storm, the waves and the darkness will fail to put it off course and wreck it" ("Commentary on St. John, in loc.").
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Jesus Walks on the Water
[16] When evening came, His (Jesus') disciples went down to the sea, [17] got into the boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. [18] The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing. [19] When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, [20] but He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." [21] Then they were glad to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
_______________________
Commentary:
16-21. It seems the disciples were disconcerted because darkness had fallen, the sea was getting rough and Jesus had still not appeared. But our Lord does not abandon them; when they had been rowing for some five kilometers (three miles), He arrives unexpectedly, walking on the water--to strengthen their faith, which was still weak.
In meditating on this episode Christian tradition has seen the boat as symbolizing the Church, which will have to cope with many difficulties and which our Lord has promised to help all through the centuries (cf. Matthew 28:20); the Church, therefore, will always remain firm. St. Thomas Aquinas comments: "The wind symbolizes the temptations and persecution the Church will suffer due to lack of love. For, as St. Augustine says, when love grows cold, the sea become rougher and the boat begins to founder. Yet the wind, the storm, the waves and the darkness will fail to put it off course and wreck it" ("Commentary on St. John, in loc.").
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Mental Prayer for April 21 - Increasing the New Life
Mental Prayer Meditation Helps
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, help me to see the role of Communion in my life as a member of the Mystical Body.
The Idea: Christ is the source of the supernatural life that is sanctifying grace. Through His merits we get it at baptism, through His representative we have it restored in confession if it is lost through mortal sin.
How do we increase it? By receiving the sacraments, by prayer (especially taking part in the supreme prayer, the Mass), and by good works. The most common way and the best way to increase sanctifying grace in our souls is by attending Mass and receiving Communion. The closer we get to Christ, the more we get to know Him, the more He becomes a real person to us, the more sanctifying grace we will have and the more useful we will be as members of the Mystical Christ. And where can we get closer to Christ than in the Mass and Communion?
My Personal Application: Christ is a real person. Like other real persons He can be known better and better. If I really want to know Christ better, the best thing to do is to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion as often as I can and keep asking Christ to make Himself better known to me. Gradually my life will become more and more like Christ's as I become a stronger member of Christ's Mystical Body. Do I have this goal in mind when I attend Mass and receive Communion?
I Speak to Christ: Lord, it is so easy to let routine take over at Mass and Communion. Help me make use of these wonderful gifts so that I can increase my share of sanctifying grace, become more like you in my life, and thus show you forth more perfectly as a member of your Mystical Body.
Thought for Today: I am Christ to the men of my times.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, help me to see the role of Communion in my life as a member of the Mystical Body.
The Idea: Christ is the source of the supernatural life that is sanctifying grace. Through His merits we get it at baptism, through His representative we have it restored in confession if it is lost through mortal sin.
How do we increase it? By receiving the sacraments, by prayer (especially taking part in the supreme prayer, the Mass), and by good works. The most common way and the best way to increase sanctifying grace in our souls is by attending Mass and receiving Communion. The closer we get to Christ, the more we get to know Him, the more He becomes a real person to us, the more sanctifying grace we will have and the more useful we will be as members of the Mystical Christ. And where can we get closer to Christ than in the Mass and Communion?
My Personal Application: Christ is a real person. Like other real persons He can be known better and better. If I really want to know Christ better, the best thing to do is to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion as often as I can and keep asking Christ to make Himself better known to me. Gradually my life will become more and more like Christ's as I become a stronger member of Christ's Mystical Body. Do I have this goal in mind when I attend Mass and receive Communion?
I Speak to Christ: Lord, it is so easy to let routine take over at Mass and Communion. Help me make use of these wonderful gifts so that I can increase my share of sanctifying grace, become more like you in my life, and thus show you forth more perfectly as a member of your Mystical Body.
Thought for Today: I am Christ to the men of my times.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Mexico City's Bishops Set a Standard
This just in:
Judie Brown, author of Saving Those Damned Catholics, praises Mexico City leaders and their effort in stopping a pro-abortion proposal that is currently before Mexico City lawmakers. Mrs. Brown believes that America needs to have this sort of leadership among our prominent Catholic figures. Mrs. Brown is available for interviews by contacting Hayley McConnell at hmcconnell@sbpublicaffairs.com.
Judie Brown, author of Saving Those Damned Catholics, praises Mexico City leaders and their effort in stopping a pro-abortion proposal that is currently before Mexico City lawmakers. Mrs. Brown believes that America needs to have this sort of leadership among our prominent Catholic figures. Mrs. Brown is available for interviews by contacting Hayley McConnell at hmcconnell@sbpublicaffairs.com.
The media does not frequently report on the positive actions of a nation’s Catholic bishops. Mexico may be the exception. Mexico City’s Catholic leaders have collected more than 32,000 signatures in an effort to place a referendum before the people of Mexico’s capital city opposing a pro-abortion proposal currently before the lawmakers who run Mexico City. Legislators are scheduled to vote on the measure on April 24th. Because the law is expected to pass, a law which would permit surgical abortions during the first 3 months of a preborn child’s life, the Catholic Church in Mexico is working hard to undo the law by whatever legal means is available to them.We still hope and pray that U.S. Bishops might find similar courage and leadership qualities!
The Archdiocese of Mexico City has already announced that any Catholic legislator who votes in favor of the pro-abortion law will be automatically excommunicated from the Church. The Catholic Church is prepared, if they must, to challenge this law, if it passes, in Court if all else fails. (my emphasis)
In the United States of America such bold action is rare. Public threats of excommunication and promises of legal action all the way to Court if needed are so infrequent I cannot recall a time when America’s Catholic Bishops were united in such a brave undertaking. Perhaps the American Bishops will take a lesson from Mexico City’s hierarchy. One can always hope.
Judie Brown is President of American Life League and the author of Saving Those Damned Catholics (Xlibris, 2007).
John Allen: The Latin Mass document is coming
Thanks, John, for the update...We've been sleeping for the past few months.
WARNING - The above link takes you to the National Catholic Distorter!!!
WARNING - The above link takes you to the National Catholic Distorter!!!
Womyn Led Liturgy at St Cronan's Again, and more...
From the latest Sts. Clare and Francis Ecumenical "Catholic" Church weekly newsletter, we read that St Cronan's Parish is still the host of:
WOMAN-LED LITURGIESA woman "deacon" will offer a "reflection" - and at what is presumed to be a Catholic parish. How quaint! But again, this isn't all...This coming Tuesday, St Cronan's will be hosting this:
Catholic Action Network sponsors a monthly opportunity for Catholic women (especially those called to ordination) to lead prayer. Our next gathering will be this Saturday, April 21st, 9:00 am at St. Cronan's Parish, 1202 S Boyle Ave. Deacon Jessica Rowley, of Sts. Clare and Francis Ecumenical Catholic Community, will offer a reflection. Please feel free to join us!
Scripture ReflectionOne wonders if they'll be discussing appropriate responses to the inherent problems with looking at scripture from a distorted GLBT perspective divorced from the Church or will they, perhaps, be promoting ideas at odds with the Gospel and the Church?
from LGBT perspectives
Tuesday 4/24 -- 7:00p
Parish Center Meeting Room
Archbishop OKs centralized accounting plan for parishes
The Archdiocese of St. Louis is beginning shared accounting in parishes that either request or require it.
"I express my hope that the Centralized Accounting Service will help parishes and other archdiocesan institutions follow accounting practices in accord with the requirements of civil and canon law," Archbishop Raymond L. Burke wrote in a letter to priests of the archdiocese.
He noted that the service will ensure that "the trust which is fundamental to our life in the Church and our practice of good stewardship of the Church’s temporal goods will be safeguarded and strengthened."
The service is being implemented after extensive consultation the archbishop did with the Priests Council, deans, the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council and others.
I noticed this statement in the article:
Current bookkeepers will have an opportunity to interview for the positions in centralized accounting. "As best we can, we want to staff these positions with people already doing it in parishes," Deacon Chauvin said.Does this mean there is no longer a need for these people at the parish itself?
Observations of the SCOTUS Abortion Ruling by 'First Things'
The Supreme Court’s abortion jurisprudence remains a singular embarrassment. That fact is well known by, and infuriating to, Roe’s sophisticated supporters and foes alike. Despite what NARAL, Planned Parenthood, as well as their sisters, their cousins, and their aunts say for public consumption, they are well aware that the right to abortion is not now, and never has been, etched into constitutional stone. It rests, and always has rested, on the flimsiest of legal rationales, and on studied avoidance of the facts of life before birth. No matter how hard it has tried — and God knows, it has tried — the Supreme Court has been unable to escape the inevitable consequences of these failures.
Legislation to Guarantee "Right" to Infanticide Introduced
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Two [morally bankrupt] US lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday aimed at codifying a woman's right toAs with many "news" organizations today, they are incapable of even getting the facts correct. It was not the U.S. Supreme Court which banned "partial birth abortions" but Congress - our legislators passed the law which was then signed by the President. The Supreme Court merely upheld the constitutionality of the law.terminate a pregnancymurder unborn babies, one day after the Supreme Court banned a controversial late-term abortion procedure.
The proposed law would codify abortion rights for the first time, said Democratic Representative Jerrold Nadler, who joined the effort launched by Senator Barbara Boxer.These people are diseased and sick and are, in all likelihood, spiritually dead and incapable of reasoned thought; nonetheless, they are in much need of prayer. Their eternal souls are at grave risk.
Gospel for Friday, 2nd Week of Easter
From: John 6:1-15
The Miracle of the Loaves and Fish
[1] After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. [2] And a multitude followed Him, because they saw the signs which He did on those who were diseased. [3] Jesus went up into the hills, and there sat down with His disciples. [4] Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. [5] Lifting up His eyes, then, seeing that a multitude was coming to Him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" [6] This He said to test them, for He Himself knew what He would do. [7] Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." [8] One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, [9] "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" [10] Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so men sat down, in number about five thousand. [11] Jesus then took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. [12] And when they had eaten their fill, He told His disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." [13] So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. [14] When the people saw the sign which He had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!" [15] Perceiving then that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus withdrew again to the hills by Himself.
________________________
Commentary:
1. This is the second lake formed by the river Jordan. It is sometimes described in the Gospels as the "Lake of Gennesaret" (Luke 5:1), because that is the name of the area on the north-eastern bank of the lake, and sometimes as the "Sea of Galilee" (Matthew 4:18; 15:29; Mark 1:16; 7:31), after the region in which it is located. St. John also calls it the "Sea of Tiberias" (cf. 21:1), after the city of that name which Herod Antipas founded and named after the Emperor Tiberius. InJesus' time there were a number of towns on the shore of this lake--Tiberias, Magdala, Capernaum, Bethsaida, etc.--and the shore was often the setting for His preaching.
2. Although St. John refers to only seven miracles and does not mention others which are reported in the Synoptics, in this verse and more expressly at the end of the Gospel (20:30; 21:25) he says that the Lord worked many miracles; the reason why the evangelist, under God's inspiration, chose these seven must surely be because they best suited His purpose--to highlight certain facets of the mystery of Christ. He now goes on to recount the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish, a miracle directly connected with the discourses at Capernaum in which Jesus presents Himself as "the bread of life" (6:35, 48).
4. St. John's Gospel often mentions Jewish feasts when referring to events in our Lord's public ministry--as in the case here (cf. "The Dates of the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ", in the "The Navarre Bible: St. Mark", pp. 49ff, and "Introduction to the Gospel according to St. John", pp. 13ff above).
Shortly before this Passover Jesus works the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish, which prefigures the Christian Easter and the mystery of the Blessed Eucharist, as He Himself explains in the discourse, beginning at verse 26 in which He promises Himself as nourishment for our souls.
5-9. Jesus is sensitive to people's material and spiritual needs. Here we see Him take the initiative to satisfy the hunger of the crowd of people who have been following Him.
Through these conversations and the miracle He is going to work, Jesus also teaches His disciples to trust in Him whenever they meet up with difficulties in their apostolic endeavors in the future: they should engage in them using whatever resources they have--even if they are plainly inadequate, as was the case with the five loaves and two fish. He will supply what is lacking. In the Christian life we must put what we have at the service of our Lord, even if we do not think it amounts to very much. He can make meager resources productive.
"We must, then, have faith and not be dispirited. We must not be stopped by any kind of human calculation. To overcome the obstacles we have to throw ourselves into the task so that the very effort we make will open up new paths" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 160).
10. The evangelist gives us an apparently unimportant piece of information: "there was much grass in the place." This indicates that the miracle took place in the height of the Palestinian spring, very near the Passover, as mentioned in verse 4. There are very few bigmeadows in Palestine; even today there is one on the eastern bank of the Lake of Gennesaret, called El-Batihah, where five thousand people could fit seated: it may have been the site of this miracle.
11. The account of the miracle begins with almost the very same words as those which the Synoptics and St. Paul use to describe the institution of the Eucharist (cf. Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:25). This indicates that the miracle, in addition to being an _expression of Jesus' mercy towards the needy, is a symbol of the Blessed Eucharist, about which our Lord will speak a little later on (cf. John 6:26-59).
12-13. The profusion of detail shows how accurate this narrative is--the names of the Apostles who address our Lord (verses 5,8), the fact that they were barley loaves (verse 9), the boy who provided the wherewithal (verse 9) and, finally, Jesus telling them to gather up the leftovers.
This miracle shows Jesus' divine power over matter, and His largesse recalls the abundance of messianic benefits which the prophets had foretold (cf. Jeremiah 31:14).
Christ's instruction to pick up the leftovers teaches us that material resources are gifts of God and should not be wasted: they should be used in a spirit of poverty (cf. note on Mark 6:42). In this connection Paul VI pointed out that "after liberally feeding the crowds, the Lord told His disciples to gather up what was left over, lest anything should be lost (cf. John 6:12). What an excellent lesson in thrift--in the finest and fullest meaning of the term--for our age, given as it is to wastefulness! It carries with it the condemnation of a whole concept of society wherein consumption tends to become an end in itself, with contempt for the needy, and to the detriment, ultimately, of those very people who believed themselves to be its beneficiaries, having become incapable of perceiving that man is called to a higher destiny" ([Pope] Paul VI, "Address to Participants at the World Food Conference", 9 November 1974).
14-15. The faith which the miracle causes in the hearts of these people is still very imperfect: they recognize Him as the Messiah promised in the Old Testament (cf. Deuteronomy 18:15), but they are thinking in terms of an earthly, political messianism; they want to make Him king because they think the Messiah's function is to free them from Roman domination.
Our Lord, who later on (verses 26-27) will explain the true meaning of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish, simply goes away, to avoid the people proclaiming Him for what He is not. In His dialogue with Pilate (cf. John 18:36) He will explain that His kingship "is not of this world": "The Gospels clearly show that for Jesus anything that would alter His mission as the Servant of Yahweh was a temptation (cf. Matthew 4:8: Luke 4:5). He does not accept the position of those who mixed the things of God with merely political attitudes (cf. Matthew 22:21; Mark 12:17; John 18:36). [...] The perspective of His mission is much deeper. It consists in complete salvation through transforming, peacemaking, pardoning, and reconciling love. There is no doubt, moreover, that all this makes many demands on the Christian who wishes truly to serve his least brethren, the poor, the needy, the outcast; in a word, all those who in their lives reflect the sorrowing face of the Lord (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 8)" ([Pope] John Paul II, "Opening Address to the Third General Conference of Latin American Bishops", 28 January 1979).
Christianity, therefore, must not be confused with any social or political ideology, however excellent. "I do not approve of committed Christians in the world forming a political-religious movement. That would be madness, even if it were motivated by a desire to spread the spirit of Christ in all the activities of men. What we have to do is put God in the heart of every single person, no matter who he is. Let us try to speak then in such a way that every Christian is able to bear witness to the faith he professes by example and word in his own circumstances, which are determined alike by his place in the Church and in civil life, as well as by ongoing events.
"By the very fact of being a man, a Christian has a full right to live in the world. If he lets Christ live and reign in his heart, he will feel--quite noticeably--the saving effectiveness of our Lord in everything he does" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 183).
_____________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
The Miracle of the Loaves and Fish
[1] After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. [2] And a multitude followed Him, because they saw the signs which He did on those who were diseased. [3] Jesus went up into the hills, and there sat down with His disciples. [4] Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. [5] Lifting up His eyes, then, seeing that a multitude was coming to Him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" [6] This He said to test them, for He Himself knew what He would do. [7] Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." [8] One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, [9] "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" [10] Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so men sat down, in number about five thousand. [11] Jesus then took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. [12] And when they had eaten their fill, He told His disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." [13] So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. [14] When the people saw the sign which He had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!" [15] Perceiving then that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus withdrew again to the hills by Himself.
________________________
Commentary:
1. This is the second lake formed by the river Jordan. It is sometimes described in the Gospels as the "Lake of Gennesaret" (Luke 5:1), because that is the name of the area on the north-eastern bank of the lake, and sometimes as the "Sea of Galilee" (Matthew 4:18; 15:29; Mark 1:16; 7:31), after the region in which it is located. St. John also calls it the "Sea of Tiberias" (cf. 21:1), after the city of that name which Herod Antipas founded and named after the Emperor Tiberius. InJesus' time there were a number of towns on the shore of this lake--Tiberias, Magdala, Capernaum, Bethsaida, etc.--and the shore was often the setting for His preaching.
2. Although St. John refers to only seven miracles and does not mention others which are reported in the Synoptics, in this verse and more expressly at the end of the Gospel (20:30; 21:25) he says that the Lord worked many miracles; the reason why the evangelist, under God's inspiration, chose these seven must surely be because they best suited His purpose--to highlight certain facets of the mystery of Christ. He now goes on to recount the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish, a miracle directly connected with the discourses at Capernaum in which Jesus presents Himself as "the bread of life" (6:35, 48).
4. St. John's Gospel often mentions Jewish feasts when referring to events in our Lord's public ministry--as in the case here (cf. "The Dates of the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ", in the "The Navarre Bible: St. Mark", pp. 49ff, and "Introduction to the Gospel according to St. John", pp. 13ff above).
Shortly before this Passover Jesus works the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish, which prefigures the Christian Easter and the mystery of the Blessed Eucharist, as He Himself explains in the discourse, beginning at verse 26 in which He promises Himself as nourishment for our souls.
5-9. Jesus is sensitive to people's material and spiritual needs. Here we see Him take the initiative to satisfy the hunger of the crowd of people who have been following Him.
Through these conversations and the miracle He is going to work, Jesus also teaches His disciples to trust in Him whenever they meet up with difficulties in their apostolic endeavors in the future: they should engage in them using whatever resources they have--even if they are plainly inadequate, as was the case with the five loaves and two fish. He will supply what is lacking. In the Christian life we must put what we have at the service of our Lord, even if we do not think it amounts to very much. He can make meager resources productive.
"We must, then, have faith and not be dispirited. We must not be stopped by any kind of human calculation. To overcome the obstacles we have to throw ourselves into the task so that the very effort we make will open up new paths" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 160).
10. The evangelist gives us an apparently unimportant piece of information: "there was much grass in the place." This indicates that the miracle took place in the height of the Palestinian spring, very near the Passover, as mentioned in verse 4. There are very few bigmeadows in Palestine; even today there is one on the eastern bank of the Lake of Gennesaret, called El-Batihah, where five thousand people could fit seated: it may have been the site of this miracle.
11. The account of the miracle begins with almost the very same words as those which the Synoptics and St. Paul use to describe the institution of the Eucharist (cf. Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:25). This indicates that the miracle, in addition to being an _expression of Jesus' mercy towards the needy, is a symbol of the Blessed Eucharist, about which our Lord will speak a little later on (cf. John 6:26-59).
12-13. The profusion of detail shows how accurate this narrative is--the names of the Apostles who address our Lord (verses 5,8), the fact that they were barley loaves (verse 9), the boy who provided the wherewithal (verse 9) and, finally, Jesus telling them to gather up the leftovers.
This miracle shows Jesus' divine power over matter, and His largesse recalls the abundance of messianic benefits which the prophets had foretold (cf. Jeremiah 31:14).
Christ's instruction to pick up the leftovers teaches us that material resources are gifts of God and should not be wasted: they should be used in a spirit of poverty (cf. note on Mark 6:42). In this connection Paul VI pointed out that "after liberally feeding the crowds, the Lord told His disciples to gather up what was left over, lest anything should be lost (cf. John 6:12). What an excellent lesson in thrift--in the finest and fullest meaning of the term--for our age, given as it is to wastefulness! It carries with it the condemnation of a whole concept of society wherein consumption tends to become an end in itself, with contempt for the needy, and to the detriment, ultimately, of those very people who believed themselves to be its beneficiaries, having become incapable of perceiving that man is called to a higher destiny" ([Pope] Paul VI, "Address to Participants at the World Food Conference", 9 November 1974).
14-15. The faith which the miracle causes in the hearts of these people is still very imperfect: they recognize Him as the Messiah promised in the Old Testament (cf. Deuteronomy 18:15), but they are thinking in terms of an earthly, political messianism; they want to make Him king because they think the Messiah's function is to free them from Roman domination.
Our Lord, who later on (verses 26-27) will explain the true meaning of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish, simply goes away, to avoid the people proclaiming Him for what He is not. In His dialogue with Pilate (cf. John 18:36) He will explain that His kingship "is not of this world": "The Gospels clearly show that for Jesus anything that would alter His mission as the Servant of Yahweh was a temptation (cf. Matthew 4:8: Luke 4:5). He does not accept the position of those who mixed the things of God with merely political attitudes (cf. Matthew 22:21; Mark 12:17; John 18:36). [...] The perspective of His mission is much deeper. It consists in complete salvation through transforming, peacemaking, pardoning, and reconciling love. There is no doubt, moreover, that all this makes many demands on the Christian who wishes truly to serve his least brethren, the poor, the needy, the outcast; in a word, all those who in their lives reflect the sorrowing face of the Lord (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 8)" ([Pope] John Paul II, "Opening Address to the Third General Conference of Latin American Bishops", 28 January 1979).
Christianity, therefore, must not be confused with any social or political ideology, however excellent. "I do not approve of committed Christians in the world forming a political-religious movement. That would be madness, even if it were motivated by a desire to spread the spirit of Christ in all the activities of men. What we have to do is put God in the heart of every single person, no matter who he is. Let us try to speak then in such a way that every Christian is able to bear witness to the faith he professes by example and word in his own circumstances, which are determined alike by his place in the Church and in civil life, as well as by ongoing events.
"By the very fact of being a man, a Christian has a full right to live in the world. If he lets Christ live and reign in his heart, he will feel--quite noticeably--the saving effectiveness of our Lord in everything he does" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 183).
_____________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Mental Prayer for April 20 - Coming to Life Again
Mental Prayer Meditation Helps
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, help me see the need for contrition and confession and the grace to use them when I need them.
The Idea: The dead branch and the withered rose blossom cannot come to life again except in the imagination. But the soul in mortal sin - can it come to life again? Does God give it another chance to take its place and do its work in the Mystical Christ? - the work of sharing in the life of sanctifying grace and showing forth Christ to all men.
We know that God does give it another chance. He has told us many times and in many different ways that He forgives our sins and gives us His life again. Sorrow, contrition, and confession are the ordinary way we can get the Christ-life again after we have sinned. When the priest acting as Christ Himself says, "I absolve you," the soul that was dead comes to life, stands straight and proud, ready with the life of Christ to take up its work as a living member of the Mystical Body.
My Personal Application: Some Catholics are afraid of the confessional because they see only the unpleasant side of having to confess their failures to a human being, even though he is acting as Christ. They fail to see the deeper meaning, the deeper result. We normally feel stronger and healthier after going to confession. That is only an indication of what happens inside the soul that has been restored to sanctifying grace. How do I regard confession?
I Speak to God: Lord, help me to realize that confession not only helps the soul in mortal sin but also all other men, for that soul is once again a live member of Christ's Mystical Body.
Thought for Today: I am Christ to the men of my times.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, help me see the need for contrition and confession and the grace to use them when I need them.
The Idea: The dead branch and the withered rose blossom cannot come to life again except in the imagination. But the soul in mortal sin - can it come to life again? Does God give it another chance to take its place and do its work in the Mystical Christ? - the work of sharing in the life of sanctifying grace and showing forth Christ to all men.
We know that God does give it another chance. He has told us many times and in many different ways that He forgives our sins and gives us His life again. Sorrow, contrition, and confession are the ordinary way we can get the Christ-life again after we have sinned. When the priest acting as Christ Himself says, "I absolve you," the soul that was dead comes to life, stands straight and proud, ready with the life of Christ to take up its work as a living member of the Mystical Body.
My Personal Application: Some Catholics are afraid of the confessional because they see only the unpleasant side of having to confess their failures to a human being, even though he is acting as Christ. They fail to see the deeper meaning, the deeper result. We normally feel stronger and healthier after going to confession. That is only an indication of what happens inside the soul that has been restored to sanctifying grace. How do I regard confession?
I Speak to God: Lord, help me to realize that confession not only helps the soul in mortal sin but also all other men, for that soul is once again a live member of Christ's Mystical Body.
Thought for Today: I am Christ to the men of my times.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Creator of partial-birth abortion was a "Catholic" from California
Altar boy gone bad
Dr. James T. McMahon, the physician credited with developing the procedure now called “partial birth abortion,” was owner of the now defunct Eve Surgery Center in Los Angeles, an abortion clinic. McMahon, a former altar boy, died in 1995 from a brain aneurysm – and, though unrepentant until the end, was nonetheless given a Catholic funeral and buried at Holy Martyrs Field in Holy Cross Cemetery, owned by the Los Angeles archdiocese.
McMahon, who began performing abortions in California in 1972, called himself the “pioneer of partial birth abortion.”. . .
“McMahon ... developed his own method [of]...intrauterine cranial decompression...”
Wishful thinking?
For Catholics, women’s ordination may be here sooner than you think
Such is the title of a Kansas City Star article by Phyllis Zagano. Zagano is senior research-associate-in-residence in the religion department of Hofstra University and author of Holy Saturday: An Argument for the Restoration of the Female Diaconate in the Catholic Church.
Such is the title of a Kansas City Star article by Phyllis Zagano. Zagano is senior research-associate-in-residence in the religion department of Hofstra University and author of Holy Saturday: An Argument for the Restoration of the Female Diaconate in the Catholic Church.
... I still think Pope Benedict XVI is moving toward ordaining Catholic women.And there it is! This "ministry" would be the diaconate, (priesthood will take a bit more time as does all incrementalism)....and if one pays "close attention" to the Holy Father's words, he might "see" that the pope is really sending subliminal messages of his future actions to those who have been given special knowledge...Why it's so plain to see now!
Three times in the last year or so, the pope’s comments leaned in that direction. The telltale words are “governance” and “ministry.” Each is technically reserved to the ordained.
* * *
A year ago, a Rome priest publicly asked Benedict if women could be included formally in Church governance and ministry. Surprisingly, Benedict said yes. He said so again on German television last August.
...[The Pope] reminded the crowd that Thomas Aquinas called Mary Magdalene the “apostle to the apostles.” She did, after all, announce Jesus’ Resurrection.Fact? Not as most understand "fact"...This is something widely misunderstood...all in an effort to promote women's "ordination"...
* * *
Benedict did not use the word “diaconate” (the ministry of deacons), but he leans in that direction, coinciding with the historical record of women’s ministry. Women once were deacons. That is a historical fact.
And what if women deacons ministering in charity could preach each Sunday? Would not the church hear more about the way the gospel functions in the real world, here and now, in the 21st century?Maybe Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding "Bishop" of Episcopal Church in the United States of America, could provide the answers to these intriguing questions...
Gospel for Thursday, 2nd Week of Easter
From: John 3:31-36
The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
(Jesus said to Nicodemus,) [31] "He who comes from above is above all; he who is on the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; He who comes from Heaven is above all. [32] He bears witness to what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony; [33] he who receives His testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. [34] For He whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that He gives the Spirit; [35] the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. [36] He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him."
_____________________
Commentary:
31-36. This paragraph shows us Christ's divinity, His relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the share those have in God's eternal life who believe in Jesus Christ. Outside of faith there is no life nor any room for hope.
______________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
(Jesus said to Nicodemus,) [31] "He who comes from above is above all; he who is on the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; He who comes from Heaven is above all. [32] He bears witness to what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony; [33] he who receives His testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. [34] For He whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that He gives the Spirit; [35] the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. [36] He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him."
_____________________
Commentary:
31-36. This paragraph shows us Christ's divinity, His relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the share those have in God's eternal life who believe in Jesus Christ. Outside of faith there is no life nor any room for hope.
______________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Mental Prayer for April 19, Death of the New Life
Mental Prayer Meditation Helps
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, help me see what sin does to this new life of sanctifying grace.
The Idea: Picture a tree with a dead branch. Or a rose bush with a withered flower. The tree and the rose bush are alive; the branch and the flower are dead. They are not cut off; they still hang there. But they are dead, and the whole tree and the whole bush are disfigured because those dead parts are still there.
Now suppose that before my eyes the branch sprouts green leaves, and the rose becomes soft and red. What has happened? They have come to life again. The life of the tree and the rose bush is once again in touch with them and is making them alive and beautiful... Christ told us that He is the vine and we are the branches. We can be dead branches? How? By mortal sin, which breaks our Contact with the source of our supernatural life, our life of sanctifying grace, Christ. Sin kills Christ's life in us and we become dead branches. Sin puts a block between Christ and us.
My Personal Application: On the surface sin can seem so ordinary, so commonplace. We can't always see that deep down in our souls mortal sin kills the supernatural life that Christ lived and died to bring to us. Have I been letting the surface appearance deceive me about the real nature of sin? Am I forgetting that in being separated from Christ by sin I am no longer presenting the image of Christ to the world?
I Speak to God: Lord, never, never let me forget what sin does to my life and the life of my fellowmen by cutting off the source of all supernatural life - you.
Thought for Today: I am Christ to the men of my times.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, help me see what sin does to this new life of sanctifying grace.
The Idea: Picture a tree with a dead branch. Or a rose bush with a withered flower. The tree and the rose bush are alive; the branch and the flower are dead. They are not cut off; they still hang there. But they are dead, and the whole tree and the whole bush are disfigured because those dead parts are still there.
Now suppose that before my eyes the branch sprouts green leaves, and the rose becomes soft and red. What has happened? They have come to life again. The life of the tree and the rose bush is once again in touch with them and is making them alive and beautiful... Christ told us that He is the vine and we are the branches. We can be dead branches? How? By mortal sin, which breaks our Contact with the source of our supernatural life, our life of sanctifying grace, Christ. Sin kills Christ's life in us and we become dead branches. Sin puts a block between Christ and us.
My Personal Application: On the surface sin can seem so ordinary, so commonplace. We can't always see that deep down in our souls mortal sin kills the supernatural life that Christ lived and died to bring to us. Have I been letting the surface appearance deceive me about the real nature of sin? Am I forgetting that in being separated from Christ by sin I am no longer presenting the image of Christ to the world?
I Speak to God: Lord, never, never let me forget what sin does to my life and the life of my fellowmen by cutting off the source of all supernatural life - you.
Thought for Today: I am Christ to the men of my times.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Partial Birth Abortion!
Great news!
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court upheld the nationwide ban on a controversial abortion procedure Wednesday, handing abortion opponents the long- awaited victory they expected from a more conservative bench.
The 5-4 ruling said the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law in 2003 does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.
Reminder for April 22-Solemn High Mass
St Francis de Sales Oratory at 10:00am
2653 Ohio Avenue
St Louis
Solemn High Mass in the presence of His Grace, The Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis. The Mass will be celebrated by the Very Rev. Msgr. R. Michael Schmitz, Vicar General and Provincial Superior for the United States. Archbishop Burke will be the Homilist.
Gospel for Wednesday, 2nd Week of Easter
From: John 3:16-21
The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
(Jesus said to Nicodemus,) [16] "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish buthave eternal life. [17] For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. [18] He who believes in Him is not condemned; He who does not believe is condemned already, because He had not believed in the name of the only Son of God. [19] And this is the judgment, that the light has come into world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. [21] But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God."
__________________________
Commentary:
16-21. These words, so charged with meaning, summarize how Christ's death is the supreme sign of God's love for men (cf. the section on charity in the "Introduction to the Gospel according to John": pp. 31ff above). "`For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son' for its salvation. All our religion is a revelation of God's kindness, mercy and love for us. `God is love' (1 John 4:16), that is, love poured forth unsparingly. All is summed up in this supreme truth, which explains and illuminates everything. The story of Jesus must be seen in this light. `(He) loved me', St. Paul writes. Each of us can and must repeat it for himself--`He loved me, and gave Himself for me' (Galatians 2:20)" ([Pope] Paul VI, "Homily on Corpus Christi", 13 June 1976).
Christ's self-surrender is a pressing call to respond to His great love for us: "If it is true that God has created us, that He has redeemed us, that He loves us so much that He has given up His only-begotten Son for us (John 3:16), that He waits for us--every day!--as eagerly as the father of the prodigal son did (cf. Luke 15:11-32), how can we doubt that He wants us to respond to Him with all our love? The strange thing would be not to talk to God, to draw away and forget Him, and busy ourselves in activities which are closed to the constant promptings of His grace" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 251).
"Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. This [...] is why Christ the Redeemer `fully reveals man to himself'. If we may use the _expression, this is the human dimension of the mystery of the Redemption. In this dimension man finds again the greatness, dignity and value that belong to his humanity. [...] The one who wishes to understand himself thoroughly [...] must, with his unrest and uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into Him with all his own self, he must `appropriate' and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself. If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of adoration of God but also of deep wonder at himself.
How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he `gained so great a Redeemer', ("Roman Missal, Exultet" at Easter Vigil), and if God `gave His only Son' in order that man `should not perish but have eternal life'. [...]
`Increasingly contemplating the whole of Christ's mystery, the Church knows with all the certainty of faith that the Redemption that took place through the Cross has definitively restored his dignity to man and given back meaning to his life in the world, a meaning that was lost to a considerable extent because of sin. And for that reason, the Redemption was accomplished in the paschal mystery, leading through the Cross and death to Resurrection" ([Pope] John Paul II, "Redemptor Hominis", 10).
Jesus demands that we have faith in Him as a first prerequisite to sharing in His love. Faith brings us out of darkness into the light, and sets us on the road to salvation. "He who does not believe is condemned already" (verse 18).
"The words of Christ are at once words of judgment and grace, of life and death. For it is only by putting to death that which is old that we can come to newness of life. Now, although this refers primarily to people, it is also true of various worldly goods which bear the mark both of man's sin and the blessing of God. [...] No one is freed from sin by himself or by his own efforts, no one is raised above himself or completely delivered from his own weakness, solitude or slavery; all have need of Christ, who is the model, master, liberator, savior, and giver of life. Even in the secular history of mankind the Gospel has acted as a leaven in the interests of liberty and progress, and it always offers itself as a leaven with regard to brotherhood, unity and peace" (Vatican II, "Ad Gentes", 8).
_______________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
(Jesus said to Nicodemus,) [16] "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish buthave eternal life. [17] For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. [18] He who believes in Him is not condemned; He who does not believe is condemned already, because He had not believed in the name of the only Son of God. [19] And this is the judgment, that the light has come into world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. [21] But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God."
__________________________
Commentary:
16-21. These words, so charged with meaning, summarize how Christ's death is the supreme sign of God's love for men (cf. the section on charity in the "Introduction to the Gospel according to John": pp. 31ff above). "`For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son' for its salvation. All our religion is a revelation of God's kindness, mercy and love for us. `God is love' (1 John 4:16), that is, love poured forth unsparingly. All is summed up in this supreme truth, which explains and illuminates everything. The story of Jesus must be seen in this light. `(He) loved me', St. Paul writes. Each of us can and must repeat it for himself--`He loved me, and gave Himself for me' (Galatians 2:20)" ([Pope] Paul VI, "Homily on Corpus Christi", 13 June 1976).
Christ's self-surrender is a pressing call to respond to His great love for us: "If it is true that God has created us, that He has redeemed us, that He loves us so much that He has given up His only-begotten Son for us (John 3:16), that He waits for us--every day!--as eagerly as the father of the prodigal son did (cf. Luke 15:11-32), how can we doubt that He wants us to respond to Him with all our love? The strange thing would be not to talk to God, to draw away and forget Him, and busy ourselves in activities which are closed to the constant promptings of His grace" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 251).
"Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. This [...] is why Christ the Redeemer `fully reveals man to himself'. If we may use the _expression, this is the human dimension of the mystery of the Redemption. In this dimension man finds again the greatness, dignity and value that belong to his humanity. [...] The one who wishes to understand himself thoroughly [...] must, with his unrest and uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into Him with all his own self, he must `appropriate' and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself. If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of adoration of God but also of deep wonder at himself.
How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he `gained so great a Redeemer', ("Roman Missal, Exultet" at Easter Vigil), and if God `gave His only Son' in order that man `should not perish but have eternal life'. [...]
`Increasingly contemplating the whole of Christ's mystery, the Church knows with all the certainty of faith that the Redemption that took place through the Cross has definitively restored his dignity to man and given back meaning to his life in the world, a meaning that was lost to a considerable extent because of sin. And for that reason, the Redemption was accomplished in the paschal mystery, leading through the Cross and death to Resurrection" ([Pope] John Paul II, "Redemptor Hominis", 10).
Jesus demands that we have faith in Him as a first prerequisite to sharing in His love. Faith brings us out of darkness into the light, and sets us on the road to salvation. "He who does not believe is condemned already" (verse 18).
"The words of Christ are at once words of judgment and grace, of life and death. For it is only by putting to death that which is old that we can come to newness of life. Now, although this refers primarily to people, it is also true of various worldly goods which bear the mark both of man's sin and the blessing of God. [...] No one is freed from sin by himself or by his own efforts, no one is raised above himself or completely delivered from his own weakness, solitude or slavery; all have need of Christ, who is the model, master, liberator, savior, and giver of life. Even in the secular history of mankind the Gospel has acted as a leaven in the interests of liberty and progress, and it always offers itself as a leaven with regard to brotherhood, unity and peace" (Vatican II, "Ad Gentes", 8).
_______________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Mental Prayer for April 18, New Birth Into a New Life
Mental Prayer Meditation Helps
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, help me realize better what baptism has meant for me and what it can mean for others.
The Idea: How did I get this wonderful life of sanctifying grace, this life that brings hope to life? Did I eat something that gave it to me? Did I work for it, find it, ask for it? Was I born with it? How did I get it? God gave it to me as a free gift. When? At baptism, when the priest poured water on my head and said, "I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." At that moment I was reborn. I had a new life, the life of sanctifying grace, the life that Christ brought to me through His life and death. A moment before I was dead, dead with original sin. Afterwards I was a new person, a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, an adopted son of God, a sharer in the life of the Holy Trinity.
My Personal Application: Do I ever stop and think about my new life - how precious it is, how important it is that I take care of it by trying
to live ever more closely united with its source, Christ? Do I ever stop to think how much that new life would mean to the lives of so many, many of my fellowmen? Have I ever stopped to think that some of these men might get this life only if they are led to it by seeing Christ in me?
I Speak to God: Lord, never let me stop thinking that I must be another Christ - for my own sake and for the sake of my fellowmen.
Thought for Today: I am Christ to the men of my times.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, help me realize better what baptism has meant for me and what it can mean for others.
The Idea: How did I get this wonderful life of sanctifying grace, this life that brings hope to life? Did I eat something that gave it to me? Did I work for it, find it, ask for it? Was I born with it? How did I get it? God gave it to me as a free gift. When? At baptism, when the priest poured water on my head and said, "I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." At that moment I was reborn. I had a new life, the life of sanctifying grace, the life that Christ brought to me through His life and death. A moment before I was dead, dead with original sin. Afterwards I was a new person, a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, an adopted son of God, a sharer in the life of the Holy Trinity.
My Personal Application: Do I ever stop and think about my new life - how precious it is, how important it is that I take care of it by trying
to live ever more closely united with its source, Christ? Do I ever stop to think how much that new life would mean to the lives of so many, many of my fellowmen? Have I ever stopped to think that some of these men might get this life only if they are led to it by seeing Christ in me?
I Speak to God: Lord, never let me stop thinking that I must be another Christ - for my own sake and for the sake of my fellowmen.
Thought for Today: I am Christ to the men of my times.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
More Magical Moments With Our Bishops
From the March 2007 Issue of New Oxford Review:
Magicians practice sleight of hand or misdirection as part of their stock-in-trade. So does the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The adoption of the USCCB document "Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care" at the bishops' annual fall meeting held in Baltimore from November 13-16, 2006, is a case in point.Thanks to Randy Engel for providing this article via email.
How the USCCB was able to pull off yet another amazing feat of prestidigitation on behalf of the Homosexual Collective within the U.S. Church is the main theme of this article. But first, some background on the origins and content of the bishops' Guidelines.
While much of the background on the Guidelines remains shrouded in bureaucratic mystery, we do know that the document on homosexual ministries originated with the USCCB Committee on Doctrine sometime in late 2002.
"Gay"-friendly Archbishop William Levada of San Francisco , the modern city of Sodom , was elected Chairman of the Committee on Doctrine at the November 2002 meeting of the USCCB. He is credited with being the main architect of the Guidelines and with shepherding them successfully through the intricate labyrinth of the bishops' bureaucracy. Although Levada resigned his office in August 2005 to accept his new appointment to the Roman Curia as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he continued to exercise control over the final content and direction of the Guidelines from behind the scenes.
Bishop Arthur Serratelli of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J., is the new USCCB Chairman of the Committee on Doctrine. A champion of consensus in the Bernardin-mode, instead of confrontation, he was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Newark , N.J. , by "gay"-friendly Theodore Cardinal McCarrick in July 2000. He served under Archbishop John Myers of Newark until McCarrick secured the Diocese of Paterson for him.
When the Doctrine Committee is not in session, its day-to-day activities are handled by the Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices. From 2001 to 2003, Msgr. John Strynkowski, a priest of the Brooklyn Diocese and the former Rector of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception on Long Island , N.Y. , headed the Secretariat. A more "gay"-friendly cleric would be hard to find. While serving as Executive Director of the Secretariat, Strynkowski also acted as the representative of the USCCB to the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries (NACDLGM).
NACDLGM was co-founded by Fr. James Schexnayder. He was one of three priests who helped draft the USCCB's disastrous 1997 pro-"gay" document, "Always Our Children." This Berkeley-based "ministry" preaches the gospel of "sexual integration" whereby a homosexual can be a practicing Catholic and a "gay" or lesbian at the same time. Its overall goal is to build de facto "gay"-affirming congregations and develop a new and innovative "gay" and lesbian ecclesiology.
Msgr. Strynkowski was the keynote speaker at a NACDLGM-sponsored one-day conference held on May 31, 2003, at the notorious St. Bernadette Parish in Severn , Md. This "inclusive" parish features numerous "gay" ministries, including Teen Haven, a mentoring program for homosexual youth, ages 14 to 18, led by "gays." After Msgr. Strynkowski returned to the Brooklyn Diocese and secured a plum assignment as Rector of St. James Cathedral Basilica, he continued to defend NACDLGM. In 2005 he was a speaker at the organization's annual convention in Brooklyn . He also arranged for NACDLGM to hold its closing Mass at St. James, but public outrage caused the cancelation of the Mass.
The Introduction to the Guidelines explains the ostensible purpose of the document: to provide guidance to bishops in evaluating Church-sponsored homosexual ministries and to provide direction and assistance to those engaged in this ministry. The document justifies such ministries on the basis that homosexuals are a persecuted class subject to "scorn, hatred, and even violence." "Purification of negative thoughts or feelings" is demanded of those who minister to homosexuals. A "welcoming stance of Chris tian love" is required of Church "leadership and the community" because "more than a few" homosexuals feel "unwelcome and rejected."
In flat language, homosexual acts and inclinations are described as being disordered because they "cannot fulfill the natural ends of human sexuality" that find their expression in marital love and the procreation and education of children. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune (Nov. 13, 2006), Francis Cardinal George, Vice President of the USCCB and a consultant to the Committee on Doctrine, confessed that the Committee tried to "find a language that does not betray the teachings of the church, but will perhaps express it in ways that are not so offensive" to homosexuals.
In accordance with the overall false equality of the document, we are instructed that everyone, not just homosexuals, is in need of "training in virtue" and needs to strive for "growth in holiness." There is no suggestion that homosexuals, like all persons ensnared in the web of sexual perversion who strive for normality, face special problems and require specialized care and instruction that normal men and women do not.
The section of the Guidelines on therapy for homosexual inclinations falsely states that there is "no scientific consensus" on the cause of homosexuality, and then proceeds to damn with faint praise the idea of therapeutic intervention for homosexuals. The document requires no moral obligation on the part of persons with homosexual inclinations to attempt therapy. Catholics who seek to overcome their homosexuality are told to walk -- don't run -- to a therapist or counselor, if they so wish.
The section on pastoral care for homosexuals urges their "full and active participation" in the life of the parish. Public self-outing by homosexuals in the parish environment is discouraged, but private disclosures of one's homosexual "tendencies" may provide "spiritual and emotional help."
Bishops are told they bear the primary responsibility for monitoring individuals and groups engaged in homosexual ministry to make sure they are faithful to Church teachings. Here and throughout the document, the alleged plight of homosexuals as victims of unjust discrimination and violence is reiterated. Catechetical instruction and parish social justice offices are cited as useful tools in the all-out war to remove any trace of anti-"gay" sentiment found among rank-and-file Church members.
The paragraph on the baptism of children in "gay" or lesbian households is a heart-stopper. After pointing out that the Church "does not support" any form of same-sex "marriages" or civil unions between cohabiting homosexual couples or the adoption of children by homosexual couples, the Guidelines state that the Church "does not refuse" to baptize children in the care of homosexual couples, providing there is "well founded hope that the children will be brought up in the Catholic religion." But unless the child is at the point of death, prudence would dictate that cohabiting homosexual partners be advised that, given the unnatural and immoral nature of their relationship, Baptism is to be deferred (cf. Canon 868 §1, n.2), either temporarily or indefinitely, until such time as the relationship is severed and the legal guardians of the child agree to live in accordance with God's laws and the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.
This section on pastoral care ends with a call for expanded pastoral and counseling services to homosexuals, especially to adolescents struggling with same-sex attraction, and to families with homosexual members. A plea for "respectful dialogue" between those who minister on the Church's behalf and homosexual persons concludes the document, followed by thanks to, and an expression of confidence in, "our brothers and sisters who have labored so patiently and faithfully in pastoral ministry and outreach to persons with a homosexual inclination," because they have frequently done so "under adverse and difficult conditions." As such, "they have set an example for this important service to the Church."
Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane , Wash. , USCCB President, announced to the assembly of bishops on November 13, 2006, that there was a procedural "oversight" on the part of the Committee on Doctrine in connection with the document that needed to be rectified before the bishops could take up the agenda item the following day. He explained that, contrary to the rules and regulations of the USCCB, the Committee on Doctrine never actually polled the American bishops as to whether or not they approved, at least in principle, of the study on homosexual ministries. This meant that the Committee on Doctrine conducted a highly controversial study on "gay" ministries in the Church for four years without the majority of bishops knowing that such a study was underway, and without their explicit approval.
Predictably, when faced with this fait accompli, the bishops gave their belated approval by a voice vote to the drafting of the document they would be debating and voting on the next day. By the end of the day's afternoon session, a large number of amendments to the document had been submitted to the Doctrine Committee for consideration, most of which were cosmetic in nature.
The debate began on November 14, 2006. Bishop Serratelli, Chairman of the Committee on Doctrine, led the charge in support of the document. He was backed by Francis Cardinal George of Chicago, Justin Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia , Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco , Bishop Kevin Bo land of Savannah , Ga. , Retired Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Sullivan of Brooklyn, and Auxiliary Bishop Peter Rosazza of Hartford , Conn.
The opposition forces were lead by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Neb., Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, and Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Ore., the former Vicar General of Lincoln under Bruskewitz. [my emphasis]
Bishop Vasa made a bold move to return the document back to the Committee on Doctrine for further study and revision. His main complaint was directed at the document's lack of accurate information on medical and psychological advances in the understanding and treatment of homosexuality. The motion failed.
Archbishop Burke rose to introduce an amendment that would explicitly recognize the work of Courage and Encourage as models for ministry to homosexuals who are striving for normality and living a virtuous life. Opponents of the Burke amendment, including Chairman Serratelli, argued that by singling out these two groups for special commendation, other groups ministering to homosexuals would feel slighted. The motion failed by a vote of 121 to 105. A motion to cite the work of Courage and Encourage in a footnote to the Guidelines passed.
The final vote on the Guidelines was 194 in favor, 37 against, with one abstention.
To be fair, chances were slim to none that a document from the powerful USCCB Committee on Doctrine, crafted in large part by Archbishop (now Cardinal) Levada, the current Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the second most powerful office at the Vatican, was going to get sent back to committee, much less voted down by the American bishops. After all, "gay" ministries (Courage and Encourage are not included in the definition of "gay" ministries) have been around for more than 30 years -- 37 years if we include the notorious Dignity, the model for all future "gay" ministries.
Yet the Guidelines provide no background or objective analysis of the impact "gay" ministries have had on the life of the Church. Still more remarkable, not a single bishop asked the Chairman of the Committee on Doctrine to produce this critical information as part of the discussion on the document. The assumption that "gay" ministries, in principle, are good and should continue to be supported by the American bishops was never challenged. The document's proponents were happy to quibble with the scant opposition over text rather than focus on the moral destruction these "ministries" have wrought on Catholic parishes, the diocesan priesthood, and religious life. Most "gay" ministries are about this:
- "Gay" ministries are "inclusive" -- that is, they cater to a wide range of sexual perverts in addition to sodomites and lesbians. These include bisexuals, transsexuals, transgendered persons, transvestites, sadomasochists, and others.
- "Gay" ministries subvert authentic Church teachings on faith and morals.
- "Gay" ministries recruit -- like the Army -- especially among vulnerable teens. They give a new meaning to "youth outreach."
- "Gay" ministries exploit parish resources, financial and otherwise.
- "Gay" ministries have access to corridors of power in the U.S. Church, including the USCCB -- access that is routinely denied to opponents of the Homosexual Collective, such as Roman Catholic Faithful.
- "Gay" ministries, especially at the leadership level, do not provide programs for chaste living.
- "Gay" ministries systematically strip parishioners of every vestige of natural revulsion the normal person experiences when initially confronted by sexual perversion. Alexander Pope captured the dangers of "gay" ministries when he wrote:
Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.
The U.S. bishops do not need these Guidelines. They need a step-by-step manual on how to defund and dismantle "gay" ministries. And this, dear reader, is something the USCCB will never provide.
###
Randy Engel is author of The Rite of Sodomy: Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church. The book is available online at www.riteofsodomy.com; by mail from NEP, P.O. Box 356, Export, PA 15632; or by phone at 724- 327-7379.
Gospel for Tuesday, 2nd Week of Easter
From: John 3:7b-15
The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
(Jesus said to Nicodemus,) [7b] "You must be born anew. [8] The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes and whether it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit." [9] Nicodemus said to Him, "How can this be?" [10] Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? [11] Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. [12] If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you Heavenly things? [13] No one has ascended into Heaven but He who descended from Heaven, the Son of Man. [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life."
____________________
Commentary:
3-8. Nicodemus' first question shows that he still has doubts about Jesus (is He a prophet, is He the Messiah?); and our Lord replies to him in a completely unexpected way: Nicodemus presumed He would say something about His mission and, instead, He reveals to him an astonishing truth: one must be born again, in a spiritual birth, by water and the Spirit; a whole new world opens up before Nicodemus.
Our Lord's words also paint a limitless horizon for the spiritual advancement of any Christian who willingly lets himself or herself be led by divine grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are infused at Baptism and enhanced by the Sacraments. As well as opening his soul to God, the Christian also needs to keep at bay his selfish appetites and the inclinations of pride, if he is to understand what God is teaching him in his soul: "Therefore must the soul be stripped of all things created, and of its own actions and abilities - namely, of its understanding, perception and feelings - so that, when all that is unlike God and unconformed to Him is cast out, the soul may receive the likeness of God; and nothing will then remain in it that is not the will of God and it will thus be transformed in God. Wherefore, although it is true that, as we have said, God is ever in the soul, giving it, and through His presence conserving within it, its natural being, yet He does not always communicate supernatural being to it. For this is communicated only by love and grace, which not all souls possess; and all those that posses it have it not in the same degree; for some have attained more degrees of love and others fewer. Wherefore God communicates Himself most to that soul that has progressed farthest in love; namely, that has its will in closest conformity with the will of God. And the soul that has attained complete conformity and likeness of will is totally united and transformed in God supernaturally" (St. John of the Cross, "Ascent of Mount Carmel", book II, chap. 5).
Jesus speaks very forcefully about man's new condition: it is no longer a question of being born of the flesh, of the line of Abraham (cf. Jn 1:13), but of being reborn through the action of the Holy Spirit, by means of water. This is our Lord's first reference to Christian Baptism, confirming John the Baptist's prophecy (cf. Mt 3:11; Jn 1:33) that He had come to institute a baptism with the Holy Spirit.
"Nicodemus had not yet savored this Spirit and this life. [...]. He knew but one birth, which is from Adam and Eve; that which is from God and the Church, he did not know; he knew only the paternity which engenders to death; he did not yet know the paternity which engenders to life. [...]. Whereas there are two births, he knew only of one. One is of earth, the other is of Heaven; one is of the flesh, the other of the Spirit; one of mortality, the other of eternity; one of male and female, the other of God and the Church. But the two are each unique; neither one nor the other can be repeated" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 11, 6).
Our Lord speaks of the wonderful effects the Holy Spirit produces in the soul of the baptized. Just as with the wind - when it blows we realize its presence, we hear it whistling, but we do not know where it came from, or where it will end up - so with the Holy Spirit, the Divine "Breath" ("pneuma") given us in Baptism: we do not know how He comes to penetrate our heart but He makes His presence felt by the change in the conduct of whoever receives Him.
10-12. Even though Nicodemus finds them puzzling, Jesus confirms that His words still stand, and He explains that He speaks about the things of Heaven because that is where He comes from, and to make Himself understood He uses earthly comparisons and images. Even so, this language will fail to convince those who adopt an attitude of disbelief.
St. John Chrysostom comments: "It was was with reason that He said not: `You do not understand,' but: `You do not believe.' When a person baulks and does not readily accept things which it is possible for the mind to receive, he may with reason be accused of stupidity; when he does not accept things which it is not possible to grasp by reason but only by faith, the charge is no longer that of stupidity, but of incredulity" ("Hom. on St. John", 27, 1).
13. This is a formal declaration of the divinity of Jesus. No one has gone up into Heaven and, therefore, no one can have perfect knowledge of God's secrets, except God Himself who became man and came down from Heaven--Jesus, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son of Man foretold in the Old Testament (cf. Dan 7:13), to whom has been given eternal Lordship over all peoples.
The Word does not stop being God on becoming man: even when He is on earth as man, He is in Heaven as God. It is only after the Resurrection and the Ascension that Christ is in Heaven as man also.
13. This is a formal declaration of the divinity of Jesus. No one has gone up into Heaven and, therefore, no one can have perfect knowledge of God's secrets, except God Himself who became man and came down from Heaven--Jesus, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son of Man foretold in the Old Testament (cf. Daniel 7:13), to whom has been given eternal lordship over all peoples.
The Word does not stop being God on becoming man: even when He is on earth as man, He is in Heaven as God. It is only after the Resurrection and the Ascension that Christ is in Heaven as man also.
14-15. The bronze serpent which Moses set up on a pole was established by God to cure those who had been bitten by the poisonous serpents in the desert (cf. Numbers 21:8-9). Jesus compares this with His crucifixion, to show the value of His being raised up on the cross: those who look on Him with faith can obtain salvation. We could say that the good thief was the first to experience the saving power of Christ on the cross: he saw the crucified Jesus, the King of Israel, the Messiah, and was immediately promised that he would be in Paradise that very day (cf. Luke 23:39-43).
The Son of God took on our human nature to make known the hidden mystery of God's own life (cf. Mark 4:11; John 1:18; 3:1-13; Ephesians 3:9) and to free from sin and death those who look at Him with faith and love and who accept the cross of every day.
The faith of which our Lord speaks is not just intellectual acceptance of the truths He has taught: it involves recognizing Him as Son of God (cf. 1 John 5:1), sharing His very life (cf. John 1:12) and surrendering ourselves out of love and therefore becoming like Him (cf. John 10:27; 1 John 3:2). But this faith is a gift of God (cf. John 3:3, 5-8), and we should ask Him to strengthen it and increase it as the Apostles did: Lord "increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5). While faith is a supernatural, free gift, it is also a virtue, a good habit, which a person can practise and thereby develop: so the Christian, who already has the divine gift of faith, needs with the help of grace to make explicit acts of faith in order to make this virtue grow.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
(Jesus said to Nicodemus,) [7b] "You must be born anew. [8] The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes and whether it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit." [9] Nicodemus said to Him, "How can this be?" [10] Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? [11] Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. [12] If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you Heavenly things? [13] No one has ascended into Heaven but He who descended from Heaven, the Son of Man. [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life."
____________________
Commentary:
3-8. Nicodemus' first question shows that he still has doubts about Jesus (is He a prophet, is He the Messiah?); and our Lord replies to him in a completely unexpected way: Nicodemus presumed He would say something about His mission and, instead, He reveals to him an astonishing truth: one must be born again, in a spiritual birth, by water and the Spirit; a whole new world opens up before Nicodemus.
Our Lord's words also paint a limitless horizon for the spiritual advancement of any Christian who willingly lets himself or herself be led by divine grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are infused at Baptism and enhanced by the Sacraments. As well as opening his soul to God, the Christian also needs to keep at bay his selfish appetites and the inclinations of pride, if he is to understand what God is teaching him in his soul: "Therefore must the soul be stripped of all things created, and of its own actions and abilities - namely, of its understanding, perception and feelings - so that, when all that is unlike God and unconformed to Him is cast out, the soul may receive the likeness of God; and nothing will then remain in it that is not the will of God and it will thus be transformed in God. Wherefore, although it is true that, as we have said, God is ever in the soul, giving it, and through His presence conserving within it, its natural being, yet He does not always communicate supernatural being to it. For this is communicated only by love and grace, which not all souls possess; and all those that posses it have it not in the same degree; for some have attained more degrees of love and others fewer. Wherefore God communicates Himself most to that soul that has progressed farthest in love; namely, that has its will in closest conformity with the will of God. And the soul that has attained complete conformity and likeness of will is totally united and transformed in God supernaturally" (St. John of the Cross, "Ascent of Mount Carmel", book II, chap. 5).
Jesus speaks very forcefully about man's new condition: it is no longer a question of being born of the flesh, of the line of Abraham (cf. Jn 1:13), but of being reborn through the action of the Holy Spirit, by means of water. This is our Lord's first reference to Christian Baptism, confirming John the Baptist's prophecy (cf. Mt 3:11; Jn 1:33) that He had come to institute a baptism with the Holy Spirit.
"Nicodemus had not yet savored this Spirit and this life. [...]. He knew but one birth, which is from Adam and Eve; that which is from God and the Church, he did not know; he knew only the paternity which engenders to death; he did not yet know the paternity which engenders to life. [...]. Whereas there are two births, he knew only of one. One is of earth, the other is of Heaven; one is of the flesh, the other of the Spirit; one of mortality, the other of eternity; one of male and female, the other of God and the Church. But the two are each unique; neither one nor the other can be repeated" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 11, 6).
Our Lord speaks of the wonderful effects the Holy Spirit produces in the soul of the baptized. Just as with the wind - when it blows we realize its presence, we hear it whistling, but we do not know where it came from, or where it will end up - so with the Holy Spirit, the Divine "Breath" ("pneuma") given us in Baptism: we do not know how He comes to penetrate our heart but He makes His presence felt by the change in the conduct of whoever receives Him.
10-12. Even though Nicodemus finds them puzzling, Jesus confirms that His words still stand, and He explains that He speaks about the things of Heaven because that is where He comes from, and to make Himself understood He uses earthly comparisons and images. Even so, this language will fail to convince those who adopt an attitude of disbelief.
St. John Chrysostom comments: "It was was with reason that He said not: `You do not understand,' but: `You do not believe.' When a person baulks and does not readily accept things which it is possible for the mind to receive, he may with reason be accused of stupidity; when he does not accept things which it is not possible to grasp by reason but only by faith, the charge is no longer that of stupidity, but of incredulity" ("Hom. on St. John", 27, 1).
13. This is a formal declaration of the divinity of Jesus. No one has gone up into Heaven and, therefore, no one can have perfect knowledge of God's secrets, except God Himself who became man and came down from Heaven--Jesus, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son of Man foretold in the Old Testament (cf. Dan 7:13), to whom has been given eternal Lordship over all peoples.
The Word does not stop being God on becoming man: even when He is on earth as man, He is in Heaven as God. It is only after the Resurrection and the Ascension that Christ is in Heaven as man also.
13. This is a formal declaration of the divinity of Jesus. No one has gone up into Heaven and, therefore, no one can have perfect knowledge of God's secrets, except God Himself who became man and came down from Heaven--Jesus, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son of Man foretold in the Old Testament (cf. Daniel 7:13), to whom has been given eternal lordship over all peoples.
The Word does not stop being God on becoming man: even when He is on earth as man, He is in Heaven as God. It is only after the Resurrection and the Ascension that Christ is in Heaven as man also.
14-15. The bronze serpent which Moses set up on a pole was established by God to cure those who had been bitten by the poisonous serpents in the desert (cf. Numbers 21:8-9). Jesus compares this with His crucifixion, to show the value of His being raised up on the cross: those who look on Him with faith can obtain salvation. We could say that the good thief was the first to experience the saving power of Christ on the cross: he saw the crucified Jesus, the King of Israel, the Messiah, and was immediately promised that he would be in Paradise that very day (cf. Luke 23:39-43).
The Son of God took on our human nature to make known the hidden mystery of God's own life (cf. Mark 4:11; John 1:18; 3:1-13; Ephesians 3:9) and to free from sin and death those who look at Him with faith and love and who accept the cross of every day.
The faith of which our Lord speaks is not just intellectual acceptance of the truths He has taught: it involves recognizing Him as Son of God (cf. 1 John 5:1), sharing His very life (cf. John 1:12) and surrendering ourselves out of love and therefore becoming like Him (cf. John 10:27; 1 John 3:2). But this faith is a gift of God (cf. John 3:3, 5-8), and we should ask Him to strengthen it and increase it as the Apostles did: Lord "increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5). While faith is a supernatural, free gift, it is also a virtue, a good habit, which a person can practise and thereby develop: so the Christian, who already has the divine gift of faith, needs with the help of grace to make explicit acts of faith in order to make this virtue grow.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Mental Prayer for April 17-On Reading
Mental Prayer Meditation Helps
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, to develop myself as I should by reading.
The Idea: Have you met George yet? He's just a pup now, but by your feeding him he will become a strong, welt-trained hunting dog. S-T-R-E-T-C-H your imagination a little. George stands for your mind. You must develop it, feed it well. Let's look at George's diet.
Do I feed him at all? That pup will never grow up by nibbling scraps of garbage and nothing more. He needs daily food. Do I do some reading?
Do I feed him only trivial things? George will never grow up on pie, cakes, soda, chips, and candy. Do I ever go beyond TV and movies?
Do I ever poison him? What do you think of a master who poisons his dog? Do I ever poison my mind with bad reading... suggestive scenes, pictures, cartoons?
Do I give him the substantials? You know - the regular fare, so much each day. Do I read what I am supposed to read, and try to digest it - make it my own? And give George a little steak too! Treat your mind to a a really good book, a great author, something you don't have to read. For real strength, George also needs vitamins. Do you nourish your mind with good religious reading... a book, a pamphlet, magazines?
There he is. George is yours. You take care of the pup. He will develop slowly... if you feed him well. If not, he will turn tail and run when you hunt souls.
I Speak to God: Lord, help me honestly to checkup and improve my reading. My mind is important to me, and to my apostolate.
Thought for Today: I'll begin some spiritual reading... continue tomorrow... and the next day too!
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Lord, to develop myself as I should by reading.
The Idea: Have you met George yet? He's just a pup now, but by your feeding him he will become a strong, welt-trained hunting dog. S-T-R-E-T-C-H your imagination a little. George stands for your mind. You must develop it, feed it well. Let's look at George's diet.
Do I feed him at all? That pup will never grow up by nibbling scraps of garbage and nothing more. He needs daily food. Do I do some reading?
Do I feed him only trivial things? George will never grow up on pie, cakes, soda, chips, and candy. Do I ever go beyond TV and movies?
Do I ever poison him? What do you think of a master who poisons his dog? Do I ever poison my mind with bad reading... suggestive scenes, pictures, cartoons?
Do I give him the substantials? You know - the regular fare, so much each day. Do I read what I am supposed to read, and try to digest it - make it my own? And give George a little steak too! Treat your mind to a a really good book, a great author, something you don't have to read. For real strength, George also needs vitamins. Do you nourish your mind with good religious reading... a book, a pamphlet, magazines?
There he is. George is yours. You take care of the pup. He will develop slowly... if you feed him well. If not, he will turn tail and run when you hunt souls.
I Speak to God: Lord, help me honestly to checkup and improve my reading. My mind is important to me, and to my apostolate.
Thought for Today: I'll begin some spiritual reading... continue tomorrow... and the next day too!
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Pennsylvania Bishop Rejects Tridentine Mass
He [Bishop Adamec of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown] said the Tridentine rite is only a concession to the Lefebvrites, and there is no need for it here because that situation does not exist here. Adamec said a Latin Mass could be made available [referring to the Novus Ordo with some Latin], but if the Tridentine rite is offered, it is a different rite, and you have to go back to the old forms of spirituality that went with it. He also said you have to go back to the old forms of sacraments, fasting and other aspects.
“Jesus of Nazareth” at the Bookstore
The book most beloved of its author has been released in various languages. Joseph Ratzinger has worked on it for many years, and he’s now preparing its sequel. It’s also a fundamental text for understanding this pontificate
by Sandro Magister
by Sandro Magister
Gospel for Monday, 2nd Week of Easter
From: John 3:1-8
The Visit of Nicodemus
[1] Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these things that You do, unless God is with Him." [3] Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." [4] Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" [5] Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.' [8] The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes and whether it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."
_________________________
Commentary:
1-21. Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem (cf. John 7:50). He must also have been an educated man, probably a scribe or teacher of the Law: Jesus addresses him as a "teacher of Israel". He would have been what is called an intellectual--a person who reasons things out, for whom the search for truth is a basic part of life. He was, naturally, much influenced by the Jewish intellectual climate of his time. However, if divine things are to be understood, reason is not enough: a person must be humble. The first thing Christ is going to do in His conversation with Nicodemus is to highlight the need for this virtue; that is why He does not immediately answer his questions: instead, He shows him how far he is from true wisdom: "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?" Nicodemus needs to recognize that, despite all his studies, he is still ignorant of the things of God. As St. Thomas Aquinas comments: "The Lord does not reprove him to offend him but rather because Nicodemus still relies on his own learning; therefore He desired, by having him experience this humiliation, to make him a fit dwelling-place for the Holy Spirit" ("Commentary on St. John, in loc."). From the way the conversation develops Nicodemus obviously takes this step of humility and sits before Jesus as disciple before master. Then our Lord reveals to him the mysteries of faith. From this moment onwards Nicodemus will be much wiser than all those colleagues of his who have not taken this step.
Human knowledge, on whatever scale, is something minute compared with the truths--simple to state but extremely profound--of the articles of faith (cf. Ephesians 3:15-19; 1 Corinthians 2:9). Divine truths need to be received with the simplicity of a child (without which we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven); then, they can be meditated on right through one's life and studied with a sense of awe, aware that divine things are always far above our heads.
1-2. Throughout this intimate dialogue, Nicodemus behaves with great refinement: he addresses Jesus with respect and calls Him Rabbi, Master. He had probably been impressed by Christ's miracles and preaching and wanted to know more. The way he reacts to our Lord's teaching is not yet very supernatural, but he is noble and upright. His visiting Jesus by night, for fear of the Jews (cf. John 19:39) is very understandable, given his position as a member of the Sanhedrin: but he takes the risk and goes to see Jesus.
When the Pharisees tried to arrest Jesus (John 7:32), failing to do so because he had such support among the people, Nicodemus energetically opposed the injustice of condemning a man without giving him a hearing; he also showed no fear, at the most difficult time of all, by honoring the dead body of the Lord (John 19:39).
3-8. Nicodemus' first question shows that he still has doubts about Jesus (is He a prophet, is He the Messiah?); and our Lord replies to him in a completely unexpected way: Nicodemus presumed He would say something about His mission and, instead, He reveals to him an astonishing truth: one must be born again, in a spiritual birth, by water and the Spirit; a whole new world opens up before Nicodemus.
Our Lord's words also paint a limitless horizon for the spiritual advancement of any Christian who willingly lets himself or herself be led by divine grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are infused at Baptism and enhanced by the Sacraments. As well as opening his soul to God, the Christian also needs to keep at bay his selfish appetites and the inclinations of pride, if he is to understand what God is teaching him in his soul: "therefore must the soul be stripped of all things created, and of its own actions and abilities--namely, of its understanding, perception and feelings--so that, when all that is unlike God and unconformed to Him is cast out, the soul may receive the likeness of God; and nothing will then remain in it that is not the will of God and it will thus be transformed in God. Wherefore, although it is true that, as we have said, God is ever in the soul, giving it, and through His presence conserving within it, its natural being, yet He does not always communicate supernatural being to it. For this is communicated only by love and grace, which not all souls possess; and all those that posses it have it not in the same degree; for some have attained more degrees of love and others fewer. Wherefore God communicates Himself most to that soul that has progressed farthest in love; namely, that has its will in closest conformity with the will of God. And the soul that has attained complete conformity and likeness of will is totally united and transformed in God supernaturally" (St. John of the Cross, "Ascent of Mount Carmel", Book II, Chapter 5).
Jesus speaks very forcefully about man's new condition: it is no longer a question of being born of the flesh, of the line of Abraham (cf. John 1:13), but of being reborn through the action of the Holy Spirit, by means of water. This is our Lord's first reference to Christian Baptism, confirming John the Baptist's prophecy (cf. Matthew 3:11; John 1:33) that He had come to institute a baptism with the Holy Spirit.
"Nicodemus had not yet savored this Spirit and this life. [...] He knew but one birth, which is from Adam and Eve; that which is from God and the Church, he did not know; he knew only the paternity which engenders to death; he did not yet know the paternity which engenders to life. [...] Whereas there are two births, he knew only of one. One is of earth, the other is of Heaven; one is of the flesh, the other of the Spirit; one of mortality, the other of eternity; one of male and female, the other of God and the Church. But the two are each unique; neither one nor the other can be repeated" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang"., 11, 6).
Our Lord speaks of the wonderful effects the Holy Spirit produces in the soul of the baptized. Just as with the wind--when it blows we realize its presence, we hear it whistling, but we do not know where it came from, or where it will end up--so with the Holy Spirit, the Divine "Breath" ("pneuma") given us in Baptism: we do not know how He comes to penetrate our heart but He makes His presence felt by the change in the conduct of whoever receives Him.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
The Visit of Nicodemus
[1] Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these things that You do, unless God is with Him." [3] Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." [4] Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" [5] Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.' [8] The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes and whether it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."
_________________________
Commentary:
1-21. Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem (cf. John 7:50). He must also have been an educated man, probably a scribe or teacher of the Law: Jesus addresses him as a "teacher of Israel". He would have been what is called an intellectual--a person who reasons things out, for whom the search for truth is a basic part of life. He was, naturally, much influenced by the Jewish intellectual climate of his time. However, if divine things are to be understood, reason is not enough: a person must be humble. The first thing Christ is going to do in His conversation with Nicodemus is to highlight the need for this virtue; that is why He does not immediately answer his questions: instead, He shows him how far he is from true wisdom: "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?" Nicodemus needs to recognize that, despite all his studies, he is still ignorant of the things of God. As St. Thomas Aquinas comments: "The Lord does not reprove him to offend him but rather because Nicodemus still relies on his own learning; therefore He desired, by having him experience this humiliation, to make him a fit dwelling-place for the Holy Spirit" ("Commentary on St. John, in loc."). From the way the conversation develops Nicodemus obviously takes this step of humility and sits before Jesus as disciple before master. Then our Lord reveals to him the mysteries of faith. From this moment onwards Nicodemus will be much wiser than all those colleagues of his who have not taken this step.
Human knowledge, on whatever scale, is something minute compared with the truths--simple to state but extremely profound--of the articles of faith (cf. Ephesians 3:15-19; 1 Corinthians 2:9). Divine truths need to be received with the simplicity of a child (without which we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven); then, they can be meditated on right through one's life and studied with a sense of awe, aware that divine things are always far above our heads.
1-2. Throughout this intimate dialogue, Nicodemus behaves with great refinement: he addresses Jesus with respect and calls Him Rabbi, Master. He had probably been impressed by Christ's miracles and preaching and wanted to know more. The way he reacts to our Lord's teaching is not yet very supernatural, but he is noble and upright. His visiting Jesus by night, for fear of the Jews (cf. John 19:39) is very understandable, given his position as a member of the Sanhedrin: but he takes the risk and goes to see Jesus.
When the Pharisees tried to arrest Jesus (John 7:32), failing to do so because he had such support among the people, Nicodemus energetically opposed the injustice of condemning a man without giving him a hearing; he also showed no fear, at the most difficult time of all, by honoring the dead body of the Lord (John 19:39).
3-8. Nicodemus' first question shows that he still has doubts about Jesus (is He a prophet, is He the Messiah?); and our Lord replies to him in a completely unexpected way: Nicodemus presumed He would say something about His mission and, instead, He reveals to him an astonishing truth: one must be born again, in a spiritual birth, by water and the Spirit; a whole new world opens up before Nicodemus.
Our Lord's words also paint a limitless horizon for the spiritual advancement of any Christian who willingly lets himself or herself be led by divine grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are infused at Baptism and enhanced by the Sacraments. As well as opening his soul to God, the Christian also needs to keep at bay his selfish appetites and the inclinations of pride, if he is to understand what God is teaching him in his soul: "therefore must the soul be stripped of all things created, and of its own actions and abilities--namely, of its understanding, perception and feelings--so that, when all that is unlike God and unconformed to Him is cast out, the soul may receive the likeness of God; and nothing will then remain in it that is not the will of God and it will thus be transformed in God. Wherefore, although it is true that, as we have said, God is ever in the soul, giving it, and through His presence conserving within it, its natural being, yet He does not always communicate supernatural being to it. For this is communicated only by love and grace, which not all souls possess; and all those that posses it have it not in the same degree; for some have attained more degrees of love and others fewer. Wherefore God communicates Himself most to that soul that has progressed farthest in love; namely, that has its will in closest conformity with the will of God. And the soul that has attained complete conformity and likeness of will is totally united and transformed in God supernaturally" (St. John of the Cross, "Ascent of Mount Carmel", Book II, Chapter 5).
Jesus speaks very forcefully about man's new condition: it is no longer a question of being born of the flesh, of the line of Abraham (cf. John 1:13), but of being reborn through the action of the Holy Spirit, by means of water. This is our Lord's first reference to Christian Baptism, confirming John the Baptist's prophecy (cf. Matthew 3:11; John 1:33) that He had come to institute a baptism with the Holy Spirit.
"Nicodemus had not yet savored this Spirit and this life. [...] He knew but one birth, which is from Adam and Eve; that which is from God and the Church, he did not know; he knew only the paternity which engenders to death; he did not yet know the paternity which engenders to life. [...] Whereas there are two births, he knew only of one. One is of earth, the other is of Heaven; one is of the flesh, the other of the Spirit; one of mortality, the other of eternity; one of male and female, the other of God and the Church. But the two are each unique; neither one nor the other can be repeated" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang"., 11, 6).
Our Lord speaks of the wonderful effects the Holy Spirit produces in the soul of the baptized. Just as with the wind--when it blows we realize its presence, we hear it whistling, but we do not know where it came from, or where it will end up--so with the Holy Spirit, the Divine "Breath" ("pneuma") given us in Baptism: we do not know how He comes to penetrate our heart but He makes His presence felt by the change in the conduct of whoever receives Him.
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Mental Prayer for April 16 - "Modern Living Demands It"
Mental Prayer Meditation Helps
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Sacred Heart of Jesus, teach me to recognize and choose your values rather than the world's.
The Idea: Nearly two thousand years ago, St. John wrote that "all that the world has to offer is the cravings that arise from our fallen nature, the cravings that arise from what we see, and a vain display in one's mode of life." Today advertisers argue:
Satisfy your senses: "Let's put leisure where work is."... "It's smoother." ... "Give yourself a treat."... "Is it comfort you want?" ... "Your heart will quicken when you see..."
Strain for wealth: "You can't afford to be without."... "Modem living demands it."... "The biggest car in its class."... "A must for your family."... "Everyone is buying..."
Show your success: "All eyes are on you."... "He's a success; he drives a ----."... "Be proud in your new suit."... "These men are presidents of their companies."... "The man of distinction."
My Personal Application: Advertising helps to form and suggest America's standards. And Christ's?
Satisfy your senses? "Unless a man take up his cross daily he cannot be my disciple."
Strain for wealth? "What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his immortal soul?"
Show your success? "Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart."
Christ says: satisfy your conscience, strain for spiritual wealth, show humility. Use God's goods, yes; but use them reasonably.
I Speak to God: Talk over the "Grace I Ask" above.
Thought for Today: "Modem living demands it" - to be close to Christ and His Church.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Sacred Heart of Jesus, teach me to recognize and choose your values rather than the world's.
The Idea: Nearly two thousand years ago, St. John wrote that "all that the world has to offer is the cravings that arise from our fallen nature, the cravings that arise from what we see, and a vain display in one's mode of life." Today advertisers argue:
Satisfy your senses: "Let's put leisure where work is."... "It's smoother." ... "Give yourself a treat."... "Is it comfort you want?" ... "Your heart will quicken when you see..."
Strain for wealth: "You can't afford to be without."... "Modem living demands it."... "The biggest car in its class."... "A must for your family."... "Everyone is buying..."
Show your success: "All eyes are on you."... "He's a success; he drives a ----."... "Be proud in your new suit."... "These men are presidents of their companies."... "The man of distinction."
My Personal Application: Advertising helps to form and suggest America's standards. And Christ's?
Satisfy your senses? "Unless a man take up his cross daily he cannot be my disciple."
Strain for wealth? "What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his immortal soul?"
Show your success? "Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart."
Christ says: satisfy your conscience, strain for spiritual wealth, show humility. Use God's goods, yes; but use them reasonably.
I Speak to God: Talk over the "Grace I Ask" above.
Thought for Today: "Modem living demands it" - to be close to Christ and His Church.
________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
Gospel for Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday)
From: John 20:19-31
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
[19] On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." [20] When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. [21] Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you." [22] And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
[24] Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe."
[26] Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." [27] Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing." [28] Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and my God!" [29] Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
[30] Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; [31] but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
_____________________
Commentary:
19-20. Jesus appears to the Apostles on the evening of the day of which He rose. He presents Himself in their midst without any need for the doors to be opened, by using the qualities of His glorified body; but in order to dispel any impression that He is only a spirit He shows them His hands and His side: there is no longer any doubt about its being Jesus Himself, about His being truly risen from the dead. He greets them twice using the words of greeting customary among the Jews, with the same tenderness as He previously used put into this salutation. These friendly words dispel the fear and shame the Apostles must have been feeling at behaving so disloyally during His passion: He has created the normal atmosphere of intimacy, and now He will endow them with transcendental powers.
21. Pope Leo XIII explained how Christ transferred His own mission to the Apostles: "What did He wish in regard to the Church founded, or about to be founded? This: to transmit to it the same mission and the same mandate which He had received from the Father, that they should be perpetuated. This He clearly resolved to do: this He actually did. `As the Father hath sent Me, even so I send you' (John 20:21). `As Thou didst send Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world' (John 17:18). [...] When about to ascend into Heaven, He sends His Apostles in virtue of the same power by which He had been sent from the Father; and He charges them to spread abroad and propagate His teachings (cf. Matthew 28:18), so that those obeying the Apostles might be saved, and those disobeying should perish (cf. Mark 16:16). [...] Hence He commands that the teaching of the Apostles should be religiously accepted and piously kept as if it were His own: `He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me' (Luke 10:16). Wherefore the Apostles are ambassadors of Christ as He is the ambassador of the Father" ([Pope] Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum"). In this mission the bishops are the successors of the Apostles: "Christ sent the Apostles as He Himself had been sent by the Father, and then through the Apostles made their successors, the bishops, sharers in His consecration and mission. The function of the bishops' ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree to priests so that they might be appointed in the order of the priesthood and be co-workers of the episcopal order for the proper fulfillment of the apostolic mission that had been entrusted to it by Christ" (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 2).
22-23. The Church has always understood--and has in fact defined--that Jesus Christ here conferred on the Apostles authority to forgive sins, a power which is exercised in the Sacrament of Penance. "The Lord then especially instituted the Sacrament of Penance when, after being risen from the dead, He breathed upon His disciples and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit...' The consensus of all the Fathers has always acknowledged that by this action so sublime and words so clear the power of forgiving and retaining sins was given to the Apostles and their lawful successors for reconciling the faithful who have fallen after Baptism" (Council of Trent, "De Paenitentia", Chapter 1).
The Sacrament of Penance is the most sublime __expression of God's love and mercy towards men, described so vividly in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son (cf. Luke 15:11-32). The Lord always awaits us, with His arms wide open, waiting for us to repent--and then He will forgive us and restore us to the dignity of being His sons.
The Popes have consistently recommended Christians to have regular recourse to this Sacrament: "For a constant and speedy advancement in the path of virtue we highly recommend the pious practice of frequent Confession, introduced by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; for by this means we grow in a true knowledge of ourselves and in Christian humility, bad habits are uprooted, spiritual negligence and apathy are prevented, the conscience is purified and the will strengthened, salutary spiritual direction is obtained, and grace is increased by the efficacy of the Sacrament itself" ([Pope] Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis").
24-28. Thomas' doubting moves our Lord to give him special proof that His risen body is quite real. By so doing He bolsters the faith of those who would later on find faith in Him. "Surely you do not think", [Pope] St. Gregory the Great comments, "that is was a pure accident that the chosen disciple was missing; who on his return was told about the appearance and on hearing about it doubted; doubting, so that he might touch and believe by touching? It was not an accident; God arranged that it should happen. His clemency acted in this wonderful way so that through the doubting disciple touching the wounds in His Master's body, our own wounds of incredulity might be healed. [...] And so the disciple, doubting and touching, was changed into a witness of the truth of the Resurrection" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 26, 7).
Thomas' reply is not simply an exclamation: it is an assertion, an admirable act of faith in the divinity of Christ: "My Lord and my God!" These words are an ejaculatory prayer often used by Christians, especially as an act of faith in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Eucharist.
29. [Pope] St. Gregory the Great explains these words of our Lord as follows: "By St. Paul saying `faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen' (Hebrews 11:1), it becomes clear that faith has to do with things which are not seen, for those which are seen are no longer the object of faith, but rather of experience. Well then, why is Thomas told, when he saw and touched, `Because you have seen, you have believed?' Because he saw one thing, and believed another. It is certain that mortal man cannot see divinity; therefore, he saw the man and recognized Him as God, saying, `My Lord and my God.' In conclusion: seeing, he believed, because contemplating that real man he exclaimed that He was God, whom he could not see" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 27, 8).
Like everyone else Thomas needed the grace of God to believe, but in addition to this grace he was given an exceptional proof; his faith would have had more merit had he accepted the testimony of the other Apostles. Revealed truths are normally transmitted by word, by the testimony of other people who, sent by Christ and aided by the Holy Spirit, preach the deposit of faith (cf. Mark 16:15-16). "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes from the preaching of Christ" (Romans 10:17). The preaching of the Gospel, therefore, carries with it sufficient guarantees of credibility, and by accepting that preaching man "offers the full submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals, willingly assenting to the revelation given" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 5).
"What follows pleases us greatly: `Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.' For undoubtedly it is we who are meant, who confess with our soul Him whom we have not seen in the flesh. It refers to us, provided we live in accordance with the faith, for only he truly believes who practices what the believes" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 26, 9).
30-31. This is a kind of first epilogue or conclusion to the Gospel of St. John. The more common opinion is that he added Chapter 21 later, which covers such important events as the triple confession of St. Peter, confirmation of his primacy and our Lord's prophecy about the death of the beloved disciple. These verses sum up the inspired writer's whole purpose in writing his Gospel--to have men believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ announced by the prophets in the Old Testament, the Son of God, so that by believing this saving truth, which is the core of Revelation, they might already begin to partake of eternal life (cf. John 1:12, 2:23; 3:18; 14:13; 15:16; 16:23-26).
___________________________
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
[19] On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." [20] When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. [21] Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you." [22] And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
[24] Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in His side, I will not believe."
[26] Eight days later, His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." [27] Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing." [28] Thomas answered Him, "My Lord and my God!" [29] Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
[30] Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; [31] but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
_____________________
Commentary:
19-20. Jesus appears to the Apostles on the evening of the day of which He rose. He presents Himself in their midst without any need for the doors to be opened, by using the qualities of His glorified body; but in order to dispel any impression that He is only a spirit He shows them His hands and His side: there is no longer any doubt about its being Jesus Himself, about His being truly risen from the dead. He greets them twice using the words of greeting customary among the Jews, with the same tenderness as He previously used put into this salutation. These friendly words dispel the fear and shame the Apostles must have been feeling at behaving so disloyally during His passion: He has created the normal atmosphere of intimacy, and now He will endow them with transcendental powers.
21. Pope Leo XIII explained how Christ transferred His own mission to the Apostles: "What did He wish in regard to the Church founded, or about to be founded? This: to transmit to it the same mission and the same mandate which He had received from the Father, that they should be perpetuated. This He clearly resolved to do: this He actually did. `As the Father hath sent Me, even so I send you' (John 20:21). `As Thou didst send Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world' (John 17:18). [...] When about to ascend into Heaven, He sends His Apostles in virtue of the same power by which He had been sent from the Father; and He charges them to spread abroad and propagate His teachings (cf. Matthew 28:18), so that those obeying the Apostles might be saved, and those disobeying should perish (cf. Mark 16:16). [...] Hence He commands that the teaching of the Apostles should be religiously accepted and piously kept as if it were His own: `He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me' (Luke 10:16). Wherefore the Apostles are ambassadors of Christ as He is the ambassador of the Father" ([Pope] Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum"). In this mission the bishops are the successors of the Apostles: "Christ sent the Apostles as He Himself had been sent by the Father, and then through the Apostles made their successors, the bishops, sharers in His consecration and mission. The function of the bishops' ministry was handed over in a subordinate degree to priests so that they might be appointed in the order of the priesthood and be co-workers of the episcopal order for the proper fulfillment of the apostolic mission that had been entrusted to it by Christ" (Vatican II, "Presbyterorum Ordinis", 2).
22-23. The Church has always understood--and has in fact defined--that Jesus Christ here conferred on the Apostles authority to forgive sins, a power which is exercised in the Sacrament of Penance. "The Lord then especially instituted the Sacrament of Penance when, after being risen from the dead, He breathed upon His disciples and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit...' The consensus of all the Fathers has always acknowledged that by this action so sublime and words so clear the power of forgiving and retaining sins was given to the Apostles and their lawful successors for reconciling the faithful who have fallen after Baptism" (Council of Trent, "De Paenitentia", Chapter 1).
The Sacrament of Penance is the most sublime __expression of God's love and mercy towards men, described so vividly in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son (cf. Luke 15:11-32). The Lord always awaits us, with His arms wide open, waiting for us to repent--and then He will forgive us and restore us to the dignity of being His sons.
The Popes have consistently recommended Christians to have regular recourse to this Sacrament: "For a constant and speedy advancement in the path of virtue we highly recommend the pious practice of frequent Confession, introduced by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; for by this means we grow in a true knowledge of ourselves and in Christian humility, bad habits are uprooted, spiritual negligence and apathy are prevented, the conscience is purified and the will strengthened, salutary spiritual direction is obtained, and grace is increased by the efficacy of the Sacrament itself" ([Pope] Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis").
24-28. Thomas' doubting moves our Lord to give him special proof that His risen body is quite real. By so doing He bolsters the faith of those who would later on find faith in Him. "Surely you do not think", [Pope] St. Gregory the Great comments, "that is was a pure accident that the chosen disciple was missing; who on his return was told about the appearance and on hearing about it doubted; doubting, so that he might touch and believe by touching? It was not an accident; God arranged that it should happen. His clemency acted in this wonderful way so that through the doubting disciple touching the wounds in His Master's body, our own wounds of incredulity might be healed. [...] And so the disciple, doubting and touching, was changed into a witness of the truth of the Resurrection" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 26, 7).
Thomas' reply is not simply an exclamation: it is an assertion, an admirable act of faith in the divinity of Christ: "My Lord and my God!" These words are an ejaculatory prayer often used by Christians, especially as an act of faith in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Eucharist.
29. [Pope] St. Gregory the Great explains these words of our Lord as follows: "By St. Paul saying `faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen' (Hebrews 11:1), it becomes clear that faith has to do with things which are not seen, for those which are seen are no longer the object of faith, but rather of experience. Well then, why is Thomas told, when he saw and touched, `Because you have seen, you have believed?' Because he saw one thing, and believed another. It is certain that mortal man cannot see divinity; therefore, he saw the man and recognized Him as God, saying, `My Lord and my God.' In conclusion: seeing, he believed, because contemplating that real man he exclaimed that He was God, whom he could not see" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 27, 8).
Like everyone else Thomas needed the grace of God to believe, but in addition to this grace he was given an exceptional proof; his faith would have had more merit had he accepted the testimony of the other Apostles. Revealed truths are normally transmitted by word, by the testimony of other people who, sent by Christ and aided by the Holy Spirit, preach the deposit of faith (cf. Mark 16:15-16). "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes from the preaching of Christ" (Romans 10:17). The preaching of the Gospel, therefore, carries with it sufficient guarantees of credibility, and by accepting that preaching man "offers the full submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals, willingly assenting to the revelation given" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 5).
"What follows pleases us greatly: `Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.' For undoubtedly it is we who are meant, who confess with our soul Him whom we have not seen in the flesh. It refers to us, provided we live in accordance with the faith, for only he truly believes who practices what the believes" ("In Evangelia Homiliae", 26, 9).
30-31. This is a kind of first epilogue or conclusion to the Gospel of St. John. The more common opinion is that he added Chapter 21 later, which covers such important events as the triple confession of St. Peter, confirmation of his primacy and our Lord's prophecy about the death of the beloved disciple. These verses sum up the inspired writer's whole purpose in writing his Gospel--to have men believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ announced by the prophets in the Old Testament, the Son of God, so that by believing this saving truth, which is the core of Revelation, they might already begin to partake of eternal life (cf. John 1:12, 2:23; 3:18; 14:13; 15:16; 16:23-26).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.
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