There are some who sin through frailty, or through the force of some violent passion. They desire to break these chains of death; if their prayer is constant, they will be heard.
-St. Alphonsus
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Meditation for October 10, Little Vanities
Little vanities can easily slip in, especially concerning one's appearance. Woman, even in religion, is never completely indifferent to the arrangement of pleats, to the hang of her habit, to the tucks in her bonnet or guimpe.
Perfection in dress is to be desired, but certainly no exaggerated care for insignificant details.
If in the world so many women and young girls make themselves ridiculous by constantly looking at themselves in the mirror, let me not as a religious fall into a fault of the same kind, profiting by every window or polished surface to examine myself on the sly.
It is related that the Blessed Villana of Florence loved to mirror herself. One day God permitted her to see in the glass, above her own face, the horns of a grinning demon; she understood and stopped contemplating herself.
St. Francis Borgia, who was permitted to see the queen of Spain in the corruption of the coffin, was so struck by the somber work of death upon the features of the sovereign that he renounced the world and entered the Society of Jesus, vowing himself henceforth to the pursuit of that which would never perish or lose its beauty.
Formerly monks kept a skull in their cells; no other mirror was permitted.
Father Lyonnard, co-founder of the Religious of the Agonizing Heart [1] and particularly known for his beautiful book on the Apostolate of suffering [2], sent to his religious, in answer to their request for his portrait, a square piece of paper on which he had written: Nothingness, Sin, Soon a Corpse.
[1] La vie de Mere Marie-Madeleine, la fondatrice (Apostolat de la Priere, Toulouse).
[2] La Pere Lyonnard, d'Apres son memorial (Apostolat de Ia Priere, Toulouse).
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Perfection in dress is to be desired, but certainly no exaggerated care for insignificant details.
If in the world so many women and young girls make themselves ridiculous by constantly looking at themselves in the mirror, let me not as a religious fall into a fault of the same kind, profiting by every window or polished surface to examine myself on the sly.
It is related that the Blessed Villana of Florence loved to mirror herself. One day God permitted her to see in the glass, above her own face, the horns of a grinning demon; she understood and stopped contemplating herself.
St. Francis Borgia, who was permitted to see the queen of Spain in the corruption of the coffin, was so struck by the somber work of death upon the features of the sovereign that he renounced the world and entered the Society of Jesus, vowing himself henceforth to the pursuit of that which would never perish or lose its beauty.
Formerly monks kept a skull in their cells; no other mirror was permitted.
Father Lyonnard, co-founder of the Religious of the Agonizing Heart [1] and particularly known for his beautiful book on the Apostolate of suffering [2], sent to his religious, in answer to their request for his portrait, a square piece of paper on which he had written: Nothingness, Sin, Soon a Corpse.
[1] La vie de Mere Marie-Madeleine, la fondatrice (Apostolat de la Priere, Toulouse).
[2] La Pere Lyonnard, d'Apres son memorial (Apostolat de Ia Priere, Toulouse).
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Religious words such as 'God, Lord' banned by Architect of the U.S. Capitol
From an AFA Email:
According to U.S. Representative Marilyn Musgrave, our nation's legislators are now prohibited from using references to God in certificates of authenticity accompanying flags flown over the Capitol and bought by constituents. Such references include: "under God" in the pledge, "God bless you," or "in the year of our Lord, 2007." Never before has this official prohibition been leveled.
Architect of the Capitol Steven Ayers said he has removed the words because reference to God and the Lord may offend some Americans. He now prohibits them from being placed on official documents such as flag certificates.
Musgrave was astonished when she flew a flag over the U.S. Capitol building as a tribute to a senior citizen, and the accompanying certificate she received was edited with all religious references removed.
The congresswoman was more astounded when, upon further investigation, she discovered the certificate was censored by order of The Architect of the Capitol, an unelected very low-level official who manages the flag office.
Responding to a request for a flag flown over the United States Capitol in honor of a World War II veteran's 81st birthday, the congresswoman ordered the flag and a certificate to state: "This flag was flown for Mr. John Doe on the occasion of his 81st birthday, the eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord, 2007. Thank you, Grandpa, for showing me what it is to be a true patriot -- to love God, family, and country. We love you!"
When the flag and certificate came back from the flag office, each reference to the Lord and God were removed. A group of lawmakers confronted architect Stephen Ayers seeking to find where he had the authority to restrict their freedom of speech and religious expression. Ayers refused to give the lawmakers a clear justification of his authority to delete the religious references. For more information: "Capitol flag policy assailed" (Washington Times).
Take Action! Forward this to your family and friends.
Take Action
* Send an e-mail to your representative and two senators. Ask them to put a stop to this nonsense. A low-level employee should not have the authority to ban the use of religious words.
* Forward this to your family and friends and ask them to send an e-mail to their representatives and senators.
No more sin, "Blessed Are the Shack-Ups"
The June 2007 issue of U.S. Catholic magazine contains an article titled "A Betrothal Proposal." It is written by Michael J. Lawler and Gail S. Risch, who are described as "two respected family ministry researchers" at the "Center for Marriage and Family at Creighton University, Nebraska, where they also teach theology." The article's headline asks, "Are cohabiting Catholics always ‘living in sin'?" Lawler and Risch's answer has two parts: (1) not always, and (2) let's change the rules so that they never are...Fornication's not a sin?...Life's great!, isn't it?
This article by James F. Csank can be read at New Oxford Review here.
Gospel for Tuesday, 27th Week in Ordinary Time
Optional Memorial of St. Denis, bishop and martyr and companions, martyrs; St. John Leonardi, priest
Old Calendar: St. John Leonardi, confessor; Saints Denis, Rusticus and Eleutherius, martys
From: Luke 10:38-42
Martha and Mary Welcome Our Lord
[38] Now as they went on their way, He (Jesus) entered a village; and a woman named Martha received Him into her house. [39] And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. [40] But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." [41] But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; [42] one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good position, which shall not be taken away from her."
___________________________
Commentary:
38-42. Our Lord was heading for Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) and His journey took Him through Bethany, the village where Lazarus, Martha and Mary lived--a family for whom He had a special affection, as we see in other passages of the Gospel (cf. John 11:1-14; 12:1-9).
St. Augustine comments on this scene as follows: "Martha, who was arranging and preparing the Lord's meal, was busy doing many things, whereas Mary preferred to find her meal in what the Lord was saying. In a way she deserted her sister, who was very busy, and sat herself down at Jesus' feet and just listened to His words. She was faithfully obeying what the Psalm said: `Be still and know that I am God' (Psalm 46:10). Martha was getting annoyed, Mary was feasting; the former coping with many things, the latter concentrating on one. Both occupations were good" ("Sermon", 103).
Martha has come to be, as it were, the symbol of the active life, and Mary that of the contemplative life. However, for most Christians, called as they are to sanctify themselves in the middle of the world, action and contemplation cannot be regarded as two opposite ways of practising the Christian faith: an active life forgetful of union withGod is useless and barren; but an apparent life of prayer which shows no concern for apostolate and the sanctification of ordinary things also fails to please God. The key lies in being able to combine these two lives, without either harming the other. Close union between action and contemplation can be achieved in very different ways, depending on the specific vocation each person is given by God.
Far from being an obstacle, work should be a means and an occasion for a close relationship with our Lord, which is the most important thing in our life.
Following this teaching of the Lord, the ordinary Christian should strive to attain an integrated life--an intense life of piety and external activity, orientated towards God, practised out of love for Him and with an upright intention, which expresses itself in apostolate, in everyday work, in doing the duties of one's state in life. "You must understand now more clearly that God is calling you to serve Him IN AND FROM the ordinary, material and secular activities of human life. He waits for us every day, in the laboratory, in the operating room, in the army barracks, in the university chair, in the factory, in the workshop, in the fields, in the home and in all the immense panorama of work. Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each of you to discover it [...]. There is no other way. Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find Him. That is why I can tell you that our age needs to give back to matter and to the most trivial occurrences and situations their noble and original meaning. It needs to restore them to the service of the Kingdom of God, to spiritualize them, turning them into a means and an occasion for a continuous meeting with Jesus Christ" ([St] J. Escriva, "Conversations", 114).
___________________________
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.
Old Calendar: St. John Leonardi, confessor; Saints Denis, Rusticus and Eleutherius, martys
From: Luke 10:38-42
Martha and Mary Welcome Our Lord
[38] Now as they went on their way, He (Jesus) entered a village; and a woman named Martha received Him into her house. [39] And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. [40] But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." [41] But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; [42] one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good position, which shall not be taken away from her."
___________________________
Commentary:
38-42. Our Lord was heading for Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) and His journey took Him through Bethany, the village where Lazarus, Martha and Mary lived--a family for whom He had a special affection, as we see in other passages of the Gospel (cf. John 11:1-14; 12:1-9).
St. Augustine comments on this scene as follows: "Martha, who was arranging and preparing the Lord's meal, was busy doing many things, whereas Mary preferred to find her meal in what the Lord was saying. In a way she deserted her sister, who was very busy, and sat herself down at Jesus' feet and just listened to His words. She was faithfully obeying what the Psalm said: `Be still and know that I am God' (Psalm 46:10). Martha was getting annoyed, Mary was feasting; the former coping with many things, the latter concentrating on one. Both occupations were good" ("Sermon", 103).
Martha has come to be, as it were, the symbol of the active life, and Mary that of the contemplative life. However, for most Christians, called as they are to sanctify themselves in the middle of the world, action and contemplation cannot be regarded as two opposite ways of practising the Christian faith: an active life forgetful of union withGod is useless and barren; but an apparent life of prayer which shows no concern for apostolate and the sanctification of ordinary things also fails to please God. The key lies in being able to combine these two lives, without either harming the other. Close union between action and contemplation can be achieved in very different ways, depending on the specific vocation each person is given by God.
Far from being an obstacle, work should be a means and an occasion for a close relationship with our Lord, which is the most important thing in our life.
Following this teaching of the Lord, the ordinary Christian should strive to attain an integrated life--an intense life of piety and external activity, orientated towards God, practised out of love for Him and with an upright intention, which expresses itself in apostolate, in everyday work, in doing the duties of one's state in life. "You must understand now more clearly that God is calling you to serve Him IN AND FROM the ordinary, material and secular activities of human life. He waits for us every day, in the laboratory, in the operating room, in the army barracks, in the university chair, in the factory, in the workshop, in the fields, in the home and in all the immense panorama of work. Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each of you to discover it [...]. There is no other way. Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find Him. That is why I can tell you that our age needs to give back to matter and to the most trivial occurrences and situations their noble and original meaning. It needs to restore them to the service of the Kingdom of God, to spiritualize them, turning them into a means and an occasion for a continuous meeting with Jesus Christ" ([St] J. Escriva, "Conversations", 114).
___________________________
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, October 08, 2007
Thoughts and Counsels - October 9
Every time that some unexpected event befalls us, be it affliction, or be it spiritual or corporal consolation, we should endeavor to receive it with equanimity of spirit, since all comes from the hand of God.
-St. Vincent de Paul
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
-St. Vincent de Paul
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Meditation for October 9, Where Are You?
Where art thou when thou art absent from thyself? - asks the Imitation of Christ (Bk. ii, Chap. v).
Indeed, where am I?
I esteem myself so little that I am never so happy as when I am away from myself. I act as if there were no longer someone dwelling within me - Someone really worth while.
Is everything outside my interior dwelling, where God lives, so much more interesting that I give it precedence over my Sacred Guest?
This reversal of values is a strange way of manifesting appreciation for the genuine in life; to that which has no value, I attach great importance, for the supreme good I show no appreciation.
The Ancient Fathers did not hesitate to give advice along these lines, for example:
As soon as your exterior duties cease, enter within yourself. Imitate the priest: when he has to keep the chalice uncovered he does not hesitate to do so, but as soon as he no longer has a reason for keeping it uncovered, he replaces the pall.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Indeed, where am I?
I esteem myself so little that I am never so happy as when I am away from myself. I act as if there were no longer someone dwelling within me - Someone really worth while.
Is everything outside my interior dwelling, where God lives, so much more interesting that I give it precedence over my Sacred Guest?
This reversal of values is a strange way of manifesting appreciation for the genuine in life; to that which has no value, I attach great importance, for the supreme good I show no appreciation.
The Ancient Fathers did not hesitate to give advice along these lines, for example:
If you aspire to the interior life, learn to separate yourself from theSays the Imitation again, Attend wholly to thyself.
things which do not count.
In silence and tranquillity of soul the interior soul progresses.
You will advance so much more in divine intimacy if you concern yourself less with exterior friendships and distractions.
Close your door, that of your soul even more than that of your cell, upon your interior; keep company with Him who never leaves you and whom you perhaps abandon.
As soon as your exterior duties cease, enter within yourself. Imitate the priest: when he has to keep the chalice uncovered he does not hesitate to do so, but as soon as he no longer has a reason for keeping it uncovered, he replaces the pall.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
In San Diego, parishioners, priests asked to pay a share
Priests in the Diocese of San Diego are being asked to donate a month's salary as part of a campaign to help fund the recent $198.1 million settlement to childhood sexual abuse victims...
In addition, letters will be sent to the 1 million Roman Catholics in San Diego and Imperial counties asking them to make “a generous contribution,” according to [Bishop Robert] Brom's memo. The packets are to be mailed no later than Oct. 26 and will include letters from Brom and the pastor of that person's parish, along with a return envelope.
Confraternity Concurs with Communion Policy
For Immediate Release:
The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, a national association of 600 priests and deacons, publicly endorses the decision and rationale of Archbishop Raymond Burke (St. Louis, MO) to deny Holy Communion to politicians who obstinately and openly support abortion or euthanasia. We respectfully urge all his brother bishops to universally and decisively support this initiative at the upcoming annual Fall General Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November.Source.
We agree that a regrettable situation exists where great scandal is given to the faithful by fellow Catholics holding or running for public office in government who also declare and give formal and/or material cooperation to grave evil. Abortion and euthanasia directly and intentionally target the innocent unborn or the terminally ill and seek to end their lives. These “are crimes which no human law can make ratified,” said Pope John Paul the Great in Evangelium Vitae, as quoted by Archbishop Burke in his recent article in Periodica De Re Canonica. The obligation to refuse Holy Communion to someone publicly unworthy or unable to receive is a most serious matter for it affects both the individual and the entire mystical body of Christ.
Canon 915 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law explicitly states that those “who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to holy communion.” Giving consent to an evil act is de facto formal cooperation in evil and is as much a mortal sin as the person who commits the physical act itself. Those who support abortion are as guilty of sin as those who have or perform abortions. Equally culpable are persons who may classify themselves as being ‘personally opposed to abortion’ but who also provide necessary assistance for the evil to occur. This is clearly understood as material cooperation in evil. Immediate or direct material cooperation in evil is always a mortal sin. Hence, individuals who refrain from giving formal cooperation are nonetheless still guilty of grave sin when they provide necessary material cooperation, such as the politician who votes for legislation enabling others to commit the evil of abortion or euthanasia. They are no different than the person who knowingly and willingly drives the woman to the abortion clinic or the nurse who directly assists the doctor performing the evil deed.
We furthermore applaud Archbishop Burke’s consistent stand to defend life, especially when the most innocent and defenseless are in jeopardy. We also commend him for equally applying the injunction against giving Communion to notorious abortion and euthanasia supporters regardless of their political party affiliation. Whether democrat, republican or independent; whether a member of the executive, legislative or judicial branches; all public officials who publicly support, promote or give assistance to others to commit evil are cooperators in that evil. When he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, clearly stated in his 2004 letter to the USCCB (“Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion”) that “not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia.” Therefore, “there may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia.” He also states in that same letter that the minister of Holy Communion “must refuse to distribute it” to “a Catholic politician [who] consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws.”
It is an erroneous and specious argument to say that denying Holy Communion causes equal or more scandal to the faithful. Some Catholics may indeed consider it a judgmental act or one void of pastoral charity and compassion. Recall the parable in Matthew 22:2-14 where the man is physically removed from the banquet for not wearing a wedding garment. Some might consider it unfair treatment since he was not one of the originally invited guests who refused to come, rather, he was asked at the last minute. Yet the gospel shows there is no excuse. The man was ‘speechless’ since it is presumed everyone had a wedding garment and to show up, even unexpectedly, without wearing proper attire, was an insult to the host. Catholic politicians have no excuse, either. If they openly support abortion and/or euthanasia, even though they claim to be ‘personally opposed’, they are in fact publicly unworthy to receive Holy Communion due to their cooperation in evil. Greater scandal is given when bishops, priests, and deacons do not protect the sanctity and dignity of the Most Blessed Sacrament by allowing public persons notoriously known for their positions which directly violate the Divine and Moral Laws.
October 7th, 2007 (Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary)
The Secret Angelus Messages of Pope Benedict (Chiesa)
They're secret in the sense that the media ignore them for what they mainly are: the explanation of the Gospel of that day's Mass. Apart from those present, almost no one knows this.
Here is a sample of them: the last seven "little homilies" from the pope on Sundays at noon.
by Sandro Magister
Here is a sample of them: the last seven "little homilies" from the pope on Sundays at noon.
by Sandro Magister
Gospel for Monday, 27th Week in Ordinary Time
Old Calendar: St. Bridget of Sweden, widow; Sts. Sergius, Bacchus, Marcellus and Apuleius, martyrs
From: Luke 10:25-37
Parable of the Good Samaritan
[25] And behold, a lawyer stood up to put Him (Jesus) to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" [26] He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" [27] And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind: and your neighbor as yourself." [28] And He said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." [29] But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" [30] Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. [31] Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. [32] So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, [34] and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. [35] And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, "Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' [36] Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" [37] He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
_____________________________
Commentary:
25-28. Our Lord's teaching is that the way to attain eternal life is through faithful fulfillment of the Law of God. The Ten Commandments, which God gave Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:1-17), express the natural law in a clear and concrete way. It is part of Christian teaching that the natural law exists, that it is a participation by rational creatures in the Eternal Law and that it is impressed on the conscience of every man when he is created by God (cf. Leo XIII, "Libertas Praestantissimum"). Obviously, therefore, the natural law, expressed in the Ten Commandments, cannot change or become outdated, for it is not dependent on man's will or on changing circumstances.
In this passage, Jesus praises and accepts the summary of the Law given by the Jewish scribe. This reply, taken from Deuteronomy (6:4ff), was a prayer which the Jews used to say frequently. Our Lord gives the very same reply when He is asked which is the principal commandment of the Law and concludes His answer by saying, "On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:40; cf. also Romans 13:8-9; Galatians 5:14).
There is a hierarchy and order in these two commandments constituting the double precept of charity: before everything and above everything comes loving God in Himself; in the second place, and as a consequence of the first commandment, comes loving one's neighbor, for God explicitly requires us to do so (1 John 4:21; cf. notes on Matthew 22:34-40 and 22:37-38).
This passage of the Gospel also included another basic doctrine: the Law of God is not something negative--"Do not do this"--but something completely positive--love. Holiness, to which all baptized people are called, does not consist in not sinning, but in loving, in doing positive things, in bearing fruit in the form of love of God. When our Lord describes for us the Last Judgment He stresses this positive aspect of the Law of God (Matthew 25:31-46). The reward of eternal life will be given to those who do good.
27. "Yes, our only occupation here on earth is that of loving God--that is, to start doing what we will be doing for all eternity. Why must we love God? Well, because our happiness consists in love of God; it can consist in nothing else. So, if we do not love God, we will always be unhappy; and if we wish to enjoy any consolation and relief in our pains, we will attain it only by recourse to love of God. If you want to be convinced of this, go and find the happiest man according to the world; if he does not love God, you will find that in fact he is an unhappy man. And, on the contrary, if you discover the man most unhappy in the eyes of the world, you will see that because he loves God he is happy in every way. Oh my God!, open the eyes of our souls, and we will seek our happiness where we truly can find it" (St. John Mary Vianney, "Selected Sermons", Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost).
29-37. In this moving parable, which only St. Luke gives us, our Lord explains very graphically who our neighbor is and how we should show charity towards him, even if he is our enemy.
Following other Fathers, St. Augustine ("De Verbis Domini Sermones", 37) identifies the Good Samaritan with our Lord, and the waylaid man with Adam, the source and symbol of all fallen mankind. Moved by compassion and piety, He comes down to earth to cure man's wounds, making them His own (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 3:5). In fact, we often see Jesus being moved by man's suffering (cf. Matthew 9:36; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13). And St. John says: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:9-11).
This parable leaves no doubt about who our neighbor is--anyone (without distinction of race or relationship) who needs our help; nor about how we should love him--by taking pity on him, being compassionate towards his spiritual and corporal needs; and it is not just a matter of having the right feelings towards him; we must do something, we must generously serve him.
Christians, who are disciples of Christ, should share His love and compassion, never distancing themselves from others' needs. One way to express love for one's neighbor is perform the "works of mercy", which get their name from the fact that they are not duties in justice. There are fourteen such works, seven spiritual and seven corporal. The spiritual are: To convert the sinner; To instruct the ignorant; To counsel the doubtful; To comfort the sorrowful; To bear wrongs patiently; To forgive injuries; To pray for the living and the dead. The corporal works are: To feed the hungry; To give drink to the thirsty; To clothe the naked; To shelter the homeless; To visit the sick; To visit the imprisoned; To bury the dead.
31-32. Very probably one reason why our Lord used this parable was to correct one of the excesses of false piety common among His contemporaries. According to the Law of Moses, contact with dead bodies involved legal impurity, from which one was cleansed by various ablutions (cf. Numbers 19:11-22; Leviticus 21:1-4, 11-12). These regulations were not meant to prevent people from helping the injured; they were designed for reasons of hygiene and respect for the dead. The aberration of the priest and the Levite in this parable consisted in this: they did not know for sure whether the man who had been assaulted was dead or not, and they preferred to apply a wrong interpretation of a secondary, ritualistic precept of the Law rather than obey the more important commandment of loving one's neighbor and giving him whatever help one can.
___________________________
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.
From: Luke 10:25-37
Parable of the Good Samaritan
[25] And behold, a lawyer stood up to put Him (Jesus) to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" [26] He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" [27] And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind: and your neighbor as yourself." [28] And He said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." [29] But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" [30] Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. [31] Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. [32] So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, [34] and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. [35] And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, "Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' [36] Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" [37] He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
_____________________________
Commentary:
25-28. Our Lord's teaching is that the way to attain eternal life is through faithful fulfillment of the Law of God. The Ten Commandments, which God gave Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:1-17), express the natural law in a clear and concrete way. It is part of Christian teaching that the natural law exists, that it is a participation by rational creatures in the Eternal Law and that it is impressed on the conscience of every man when he is created by God (cf. Leo XIII, "Libertas Praestantissimum"). Obviously, therefore, the natural law, expressed in the Ten Commandments, cannot change or become outdated, for it is not dependent on man's will or on changing circumstances.
In this passage, Jesus praises and accepts the summary of the Law given by the Jewish scribe. This reply, taken from Deuteronomy (6:4ff), was a prayer which the Jews used to say frequently. Our Lord gives the very same reply when He is asked which is the principal commandment of the Law and concludes His answer by saying, "On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:40; cf. also Romans 13:8-9; Galatians 5:14).
There is a hierarchy and order in these two commandments constituting the double precept of charity: before everything and above everything comes loving God in Himself; in the second place, and as a consequence of the first commandment, comes loving one's neighbor, for God explicitly requires us to do so (1 John 4:21; cf. notes on Matthew 22:34-40 and 22:37-38).
This passage of the Gospel also included another basic doctrine: the Law of God is not something negative--"Do not do this"--but something completely positive--love. Holiness, to which all baptized people are called, does not consist in not sinning, but in loving, in doing positive things, in bearing fruit in the form of love of God. When our Lord describes for us the Last Judgment He stresses this positive aspect of the Law of God (Matthew 25:31-46). The reward of eternal life will be given to those who do good.
27. "Yes, our only occupation here on earth is that of loving God--that is, to start doing what we will be doing for all eternity. Why must we love God? Well, because our happiness consists in love of God; it can consist in nothing else. So, if we do not love God, we will always be unhappy; and if we wish to enjoy any consolation and relief in our pains, we will attain it only by recourse to love of God. If you want to be convinced of this, go and find the happiest man according to the world; if he does not love God, you will find that in fact he is an unhappy man. And, on the contrary, if you discover the man most unhappy in the eyes of the world, you will see that because he loves God he is happy in every way. Oh my God!, open the eyes of our souls, and we will seek our happiness where we truly can find it" (St. John Mary Vianney, "Selected Sermons", Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost).
29-37. In this moving parable, which only St. Luke gives us, our Lord explains very graphically who our neighbor is and how we should show charity towards him, even if he is our enemy.
Following other Fathers, St. Augustine ("De Verbis Domini Sermones", 37) identifies the Good Samaritan with our Lord, and the waylaid man with Adam, the source and symbol of all fallen mankind. Moved by compassion and piety, He comes down to earth to cure man's wounds, making them His own (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 3:5). In fact, we often see Jesus being moved by man's suffering (cf. Matthew 9:36; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13). And St. John says: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:9-11).
This parable leaves no doubt about who our neighbor is--anyone (without distinction of race or relationship) who needs our help; nor about how we should love him--by taking pity on him, being compassionate towards his spiritual and corporal needs; and it is not just a matter of having the right feelings towards him; we must do something, we must generously serve him.
Christians, who are disciples of Christ, should share His love and compassion, never distancing themselves from others' needs. One way to express love for one's neighbor is perform the "works of mercy", which get their name from the fact that they are not duties in justice. There are fourteen such works, seven spiritual and seven corporal. The spiritual are: To convert the sinner; To instruct the ignorant; To counsel the doubtful; To comfort the sorrowful; To bear wrongs patiently; To forgive injuries; To pray for the living and the dead. The corporal works are: To feed the hungry; To give drink to the thirsty; To clothe the naked; To shelter the homeless; To visit the sick; To visit the imprisoned; To bury the dead.
31-32. Very probably one reason why our Lord used this parable was to correct one of the excesses of false piety common among His contemporaries. According to the Law of Moses, contact with dead bodies involved legal impurity, from which one was cleansed by various ablutions (cf. Numbers 19:11-22; Leviticus 21:1-4, 11-12). These regulations were not meant to prevent people from helping the injured; they were designed for reasons of hygiene and respect for the dead. The aberration of the priest and the Levite in this parable consisted in this: they did not know for sure whether the man who had been assaulted was dead or not, and they preferred to apply a wrong interpretation of a secondary, ritualistic precept of the Law rather than obey the more important commandment of loving one's neighbor and giving him whatever help one can.
___________________________
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, October 07, 2007
Thoughts and Counsels - October 8
We should grieve to see no account made of time, which is so precious; to see it employed so badly, so uselessly, for it can never be recalled.
-Bl. Henry Suso
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
-Bl. Henry Suso
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Meditation for October 8, On Combating One's Faults
Was St. Theresa, the Reformer of the Carmelites, joking or was she giving serious advice, the day she said to her religious, "O my daughters, I know well that you cannot live without sinning, but at least do not always commit the same sins, so that they do not become more deeply enrooted"?
These simple words include three lessons:
The first, which St. Theresa often expressed, is that life upon earth involves trials and temptations, and without a very special grace, such as was given to Mary, one cannot remain a considerable time in the service of God without some fall. "It is inevitable," said the Saint, "that we commit faults here below; we are women after all," and again, "We cannot claim to be angels since that is not our nature at all." This is surely a manifestation of her good sense, which it would profit souls inclined to excessive theorizing to consider.
But if Theresa accepted this fact as inevitable, she supposed that the soul struggled, forcing itself finally to triumph. Constant defeat in the same points is explained by the fact that nature remains identical; the fruits of that nature therefore must be alike.
But there is also this other truth to consider, that in combating weakly, one falls indefinitely into the same faults. Increased valor would force the enemy to vary his grounds of attack a little more. The great and lamentable result of constantly recurring faults is the creation of habits.
A fault committed renders a weakness of the same order easier the next time. I will watch over myself attentively, not tolerating any negligence; but I will be particularly vigilant in regard to faults that spring from my predominant weakness and that are consequently most likely to reappear.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
These simple words include three lessons:
The first, which St. Theresa often expressed, is that life upon earth involves trials and temptations, and without a very special grace, such as was given to Mary, one cannot remain a considerable time in the service of God without some fall. "It is inevitable," said the Saint, "that we commit faults here below; we are women after all," and again, "We cannot claim to be angels since that is not our nature at all." This is surely a manifestation of her good sense, which it would profit souls inclined to excessive theorizing to consider.
But if Theresa accepted this fact as inevitable, she supposed that the soul struggled, forcing itself finally to triumph. Constant defeat in the same points is explained by the fact that nature remains identical; the fruits of that nature therefore must be alike.
But there is also this other truth to consider, that in combating weakly, one falls indefinitely into the same faults. Increased valor would force the enemy to vary his grounds of attack a little more. The great and lamentable result of constantly recurring faults is the creation of habits.
A fault committed renders a weakness of the same order easier the next time. I will watch over myself attentively, not tolerating any negligence; but I will be particularly vigilant in regard to faults that spring from my predominant weakness and that are consequently most likely to reappear.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Amice, Alb, and Cincture
Chapter 13
This is a continuation from Chapter 12. Vestments of the Liturgy.
Bear in mind that this was composed in 1939, well before the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and some rubrics and requirements may have been modified...Other changes may be noted accordingly. Nevertheless, some may find the history fascinating.
__________________
XIII - Amice, Alb, and Cincture
Before a priest or a bishop begins to vest for the celebration of the Mass, he washes his hands and asks God for the grace of purity with the prayer:
Its utilitarian purpose is rather difficult to determine. Some writers believe that it was introduced as a covering to hide the bare throat of the celebrant, or as a kerchief to protect the fabric of the chasuble from perspiration. There is evidence, too, that it originated as a muffler to be worn by those, who, in the interest of Church music, found it necessary to protect their throats against cold and drafts, so that their voices might be clear for the singing of chants and antiphons. In this connection it is regarded as a symbol of "due restraint of the voice" and self-control over speech. The amice did not develop into a liturgical vestment until the year 800.
WEARING THE AMICE: By the twelfth century the amice was worn not only around the neck and shoulders but also over the head. At the beginning of the Mass, however, it was allowed to fall back on the shoulders so as to form a collar for the protection of the chasuble.
In many of the older religious orders whose members wear a religious habit with a cowl or hood, the amice is still worn after the fashion of the Middle Ages. It is put on over the hood and worn until after the priest reaches the altar. On leaving the sanctuary the hood is again pulled up over the head; thus in coming and going the amice serves as a head covering. Such priests use the hood and amice where the secular priests wear a biretta.
A ceremonial survival of this practice remains in the manner in which the priest puts on the amice, which according to rubrical directions is first placed on the head before it is adjusted about the neck and shoulders. The rite is carried out still further in the vesting prayer in which the vestment is called a "helmet of salvation" which protects against the attacks of the devil. Commenting on the amice as a "protective garment" one writer says:
It corresponds to the white linen tunic which was part of the ordinary attire of the Romans during the time of the apostles. The soldiers and the working men wore a short tunic that came only to the knees, but the philosophers, the professional and richer classes, the kings, magistrates, and priests, wore the "tunica talaris," a long gown which lent grace and dignity to their bearing. Its use by these classes gave the long tunic a certain sacredness and majesty, and it was only natural that this robe of honor found its place in the liturgy. The tunic is the parent garment of the alb, the rochet, and the surplice.
USE AND SYMBOLISM: It is impossible to determine just when the alb began to be considered as a strictly liturgical vestment. Formerly it was worn at all religious functions, but since the twelfth century the alb is little used outside the time of Mass. The cotta or surplice has been substituted for Benediction, the administering of the sacraments, the giving of blessings, and for other functions.
The symbolical meaning of the aib is based on its color and material, and is expressed by the prayer which the priest recites when putting it on:
The alb should be a reminder of the words of Christ: "He that shall overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels" (Apoc. III, 5).
ORNAMENTATION OF THE ALB: The ornamentation of the early albs consisted of a deep border near the bottom of the skirt and a similar decoration at the neck and on the bottom of the sleeves. During the Middle Ages oblong patches of colored embroidery, called "apparels," were sewn on the bottom of the alb at the front and back and also at the wrists.
Lace-trimmed albs began to appear during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The Church was the first patron of the lace industry in Europe and many of the finest examples of tne lace of that period are in the form of decorated albs. The lace-worked linen alb of St. Francis of Assisi, which is said to have been made by St. Clare and her nuns, is now preserved in the convent of St. Clare at Assisi.
The famous lace and linen alb worn by Pope Boniface VIII is one of the treasures of the Sistine Chapel. It should be borne in mind that many lace-trimmed articles made for church use in these early times and much admired for their historic and artistic interest, would not be approved for use in the sanctuary today. The present tendency is towards the all-linen alb, ornamented with a band of colored embroidery somewhat after the fashion of the Middle Ages.
THE CINCTURE: The cincture, so named from the Latin "cingulum," has come down to us with the alb and is the proper name for the girdle with which it is drawn up and held in place at the waist. The cincture is merely a simple cord decorated at the ends with tassels.
It was adopted as an article of liturgical dress during the ninth century. There is no ruling in regard to the material of the cincture. It may be of silk, wool, or cotton, but pure linen is preferable. The color is usually white, but the cincture may follow the color of the vestments, except that black may not be used.
The cincture or girdle has been an accessory to dress since the earliest times. Since it was customary to wear loose garments, either short or long, it was necessary to draw or "girt" them about the waist in order to have greater freedom of movement. A rapid traveler was referred to as "a well girt-up traveler." To "girt up the loins," an expression which is frequently found in the Scriptures, meant to "prepare for work," "to be on the watch," or "to be ready for combat." It was also a symbol of strength. The absence or removal of the girdle indicated ease or the unwillingness or inability to work. Ovid, the Roman poet, refers to himself as having been "born to ungirt ease."
When a priest puts on the cincture he is, in reality, making ready for combat against a foe. The foe is sin. In order to fight sin, he must be pure and strong. The girdle typifies priestly chastity. This meaning is clearly suggested in the vesting prayer:
__________________________
Adapted from Altar and Sanctuary, An Exposition of the Externals of the Mass
by Angela A. Glendenin (© 1939)
Published by the Catholic Action Committee
The Catholic Action Series of Discussion Club Textbooks
This is a continuation from Chapter 12. Vestments of the Liturgy.
Bear in mind that this was composed in 1939, well before the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and some rubrics and requirements may have been modified...Other changes may be noted accordingly. Nevertheless, some may find the history fascinating.
__________________
XIII - Amice, Alb, and Cincture
Before a priest or a bishop begins to vest for the celebration of the Mass, he washes his hands and asks God for the grace of purity with the prayer:
"Give virtue, O Lord, unto my hands, that every stain may be wiped away: that I may be enabled to serve Thee without defilement of mind or body."Then making the sign of the cross he takes the white linen vestment called the amice, kisses it, puts it on his head and lets it drop to his shoulders with the words:
"Place, O Lord, the helmet of salvation upon my head, that I may overcome the assaults of the devil."THE AMICE: In our second lesson on church linens we learned that the amice is a square or oblong piece of linen which is provided with strings and ornamented with a cross. The name "amictus" from "amicire" suggests a garment, a covering, or the literal idea of "wrapping around."
Its utilitarian purpose is rather difficult to determine. Some writers believe that it was introduced as a covering to hide the bare throat of the celebrant, or as a kerchief to protect the fabric of the chasuble from perspiration. There is evidence, too, that it originated as a muffler to be worn by those, who, in the interest of Church music, found it necessary to protect their throats against cold and drafts, so that their voices might be clear for the singing of chants and antiphons. In this connection it is regarded as a symbol of "due restraint of the voice" and self-control over speech. The amice did not develop into a liturgical vestment until the year 800.
WEARING THE AMICE: By the twelfth century the amice was worn not only around the neck and shoulders but also over the head. At the beginning of the Mass, however, it was allowed to fall back on the shoulders so as to form a collar for the protection of the chasuble.
In many of the older religious orders whose members wear a religious habit with a cowl or hood, the amice is still worn after the fashion of the Middle Ages. It is put on over the hood and worn until after the priest reaches the altar. On leaving the sanctuary the hood is again pulled up over the head; thus in coming and going the amice serves as a head covering. Such priests use the hood and amice where the secular priests wear a biretta.
A ceremonial survival of this practice remains in the manner in which the priest puts on the amice, which according to rubrical directions is first placed on the head before it is adjusted about the neck and shoulders. The rite is carried out still further in the vesting prayer in which the vestment is called a "helmet of salvation" which protects against the attacks of the devil. Commenting on the amice as a "protective garment" one writer says:
"As soon, therefore, as the priest has put the amice on his head, neck and shoulders, he should close up all entrance to everything foreign, preserve a holy silence and a profound recollection, carefully guard his eyes, with a reverent deportment approach the altar, and perform his sacred functions, as the mystical language of the amice admonishes him to do." *THE ALB: The alb takes its name from the Latin word "albus," meaning white. It is a liturgical garment which from the beginning was a wide, white linen robe, full of folds, reaching to the feet and covering the entire body.
It corresponds to the white linen tunic which was part of the ordinary attire of the Romans during the time of the apostles. The soldiers and the working men wore a short tunic that came only to the knees, but the philosophers, the professional and richer classes, the kings, magistrates, and priests, wore the "tunica talaris," a long gown which lent grace and dignity to their bearing. Its use by these classes gave the long tunic a certain sacredness and majesty, and it was only natural that this robe of honor found its place in the liturgy. The tunic is the parent garment of the alb, the rochet, and the surplice.
USE AND SYMBOLISM: It is impossible to determine just when the alb began to be considered as a strictly liturgical vestment. Formerly it was worn at all religious functions, but since the twelfth century the alb is little used outside the time of Mass. The cotta or surplice has been substituted for Benediction, the administering of the sacraments, the giving of blessings, and for other functions.
The symbolical meaning of the aib is based on its color and material, and is expressed by the prayer which the priest recites when putting it on:
"Cleanse me, O Lord, and purify my heart, that being made white in the blood of the Lamb, I may have the fruition of everlasting joys."Linen acquires its purity and brilliant whiteness by repeated washings and bleaching in the sun and rain. The same is true in regard to the whiteness and brilliancy of the purity of life. It is only by labor, mortification, and the overcoming of self that we may hope to make our souls pleasing in the sight of God.
The alb should be a reminder of the words of Christ: "He that shall overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels" (Apoc. III, 5).
ORNAMENTATION OF THE ALB: The ornamentation of the early albs consisted of a deep border near the bottom of the skirt and a similar decoration at the neck and on the bottom of the sleeves. During the Middle Ages oblong patches of colored embroidery, called "apparels," were sewn on the bottom of the alb at the front and back and also at the wrists.
Lace-trimmed albs began to appear during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The Church was the first patron of the lace industry in Europe and many of the finest examples of tne lace of that period are in the form of decorated albs. The lace-worked linen alb of St. Francis of Assisi, which is said to have been made by St. Clare and her nuns, is now preserved in the convent of St. Clare at Assisi.
The famous lace and linen alb worn by Pope Boniface VIII is one of the treasures of the Sistine Chapel. It should be borne in mind that many lace-trimmed articles made for church use in these early times and much admired for their historic and artistic interest, would not be approved for use in the sanctuary today. The present tendency is towards the all-linen alb, ornamented with a band of colored embroidery somewhat after the fashion of the Middle Ages.
THE CINCTURE: The cincture, so named from the Latin "cingulum," has come down to us with the alb and is the proper name for the girdle with which it is drawn up and held in place at the waist. The cincture is merely a simple cord decorated at the ends with tassels.
It was adopted as an article of liturgical dress during the ninth century. There is no ruling in regard to the material of the cincture. It may be of silk, wool, or cotton, but pure linen is preferable. The color is usually white, but the cincture may follow the color of the vestments, except that black may not be used.
The cincture or girdle has been an accessory to dress since the earliest times. Since it was customary to wear loose garments, either short or long, it was necessary to draw or "girt" them about the waist in order to have greater freedom of movement. A rapid traveler was referred to as "a well girt-up traveler." To "girt up the loins," an expression which is frequently found in the Scriptures, meant to "prepare for work," "to be on the watch," or "to be ready for combat." It was also a symbol of strength. The absence or removal of the girdle indicated ease or the unwillingness or inability to work. Ovid, the Roman poet, refers to himself as having been "born to ungirt ease."
When a priest puts on the cincture he is, in reality, making ready for combat against a foe. The foe is sin. In order to fight sin, he must be pure and strong. The girdle typifies priestly chastity. This meaning is clearly suggested in the vesting prayer:
"Gird me, O Lord, with the girdle of purity and extinguish in my loins the desire of lust: so that the virtue of continence and chastity may ever abide within me."* Gihr. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Page 277.
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Questions_________________________
What ceremony does a priest or a bishop perform before vesting for Mass? How does he put on the amice? What is the vesting prayer? What is the amice? What does its name suggest? What explanations are given as to its original purpose?
How was the amice worn in the twelfth century? How do members of some religious orders wear the amice today? What do secular priests wear on their heads on entering and leaving the sanctuary? How do the rubrics and the vesting prayer suggest that the amice is a head covering? How does a writer comment on the symbolism of the amice?
From what Latin word does the alb take its name? Describe the tunic. How was it worn by the Romans of the lower and upper classes? Why did it find a place in the liturgy? What other vestments developed from the Roman tunic?
To what ceremony has the use of the alb been confined since the twelfth century? In what ceremonies is the surplice used? On what is the symbolism of the alb based? What is the vesting prayer? How is linen bleached and purified? What promise did Christ make to those "clothed in white garments"?
How were the early albs ornamented? What were the "apparels"? When did lace-trimmed albs first appear? Name two historic lace-trimmed albs. What is the present-day tendency toward the decoration of the alb?
With what vestment is the cincture associated? Describe the cincture. Of what materials may it be made and what are the rules in regard to colors? Why was the girdle so necessary in the dress of ancient times? What was meant by the expression "to girt up the loins"? What virtues does the cincture symbolize? What is the vesting prayer for the cincture?
Adapted from Altar and Sanctuary, An Exposition of the Externals of the Mass
by Angela A. Glendenin (© 1939)
Published by the Catholic Action Committee
The Catholic Action Series of Discussion Club Textbooks
The more things change, the more they stay the same...
What does this refer to and when did it occur?
Some exerpts as a clue:
But this article is over 30 years olds - written a little over 10 years after Vatican Council II.
Here's the answer:
For the article, click here.
Some exerpts as a clue:
The anti-intellectual, anti-rational tone of the proceedings was spiritually suffocating.So what was it that these disgruntled, hysterical malcontents demand?
With a shock it dawned on me that I was witnessing a new, alarming, growing phenomenon in the Catholic Church. A movement of Catholic "Know-Nothings" was making a play for power in the Catholic Church.
And their first move was to discredit their Church before the world by mounting a witch hunt against her, supposedly to uncover her injustices, her subversive political activity and her disloyalty to the ideals of her Master.
In reality this witch hunt was meant to harass and weaken the entire ecclesiastical structure. These agitated Catholics revealed themselves fully at the conference.
They were ignorant of Catholic dogma, morals, canon law, philosophy, culture and history. But the most dismal aspect of their ignorance was that they did not give a tinker's damn about it. Indeed they gloried in their ignorance!
Their contempt for truth was demonstrated every time they tittered against papal teachings and the age-old doctrines of their Church.
Their contempt for justice and moral balance was demonstrated when they demanded that the Church change her doctrines on artificial contraception, abortion, the right to national defense, the right to private property, the right to reasonable profit.
Their contempt for authority — divine and human — was demonstrated when they shouted against laws reasonably restraining the use of liberty, when they rejected the divine plan for salvation, when they resented such metaphysical and physical differences as God established in the diverse vocations, sexes and services for the salvation of man.
Nor were these exalted souls really interested in "liberty and justice for all."
The following are some of the conference's mad demands which the Catholic Church simply cannot grant without ceasing immediately to be the true Church of Christ.Sadly, this sounds as if it could have been written today.
If she granted them, she would become a Church of the world, a snake pit of radicals.
She would become a center of doctrinal, moral, chaotic disorder and psychoneurotic distress.
The radicals demanded:1) Divorced, remarried couples to receive Holy Communion while still living in adulterous unions.
2) Ordained women priests and bishops.
3) Women given the power to preach the Gospel with authority.
4) A reversal on the doctrine of artificial birth control.
5) A mitigation of the doctrine on abortion.
6) A teaching approving Marxism, Socialism and pacifism as doctrinally true and morally good practice.
7) A denial of the right to property and to reasonable profit.
8) The creation of a new Church, democratic, non-hierarchical in structure, a classless church.
But this article is over 30 years olds - written a little over 10 years after Vatican Council II.
Here's the answer:
These are the observations of Reverend Vincent P. Miceli, who participated, as a delegate, in the 1976 "Call to Action" conference held in Detroit and sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as a culmination of the Church's Bicentennial celebration.I came across this doing additional research while re-reading Fr. Miceli's book "Women Priests & Other Fantasies".
It was written for Homiletic & Pastoral Review, March 1977
For the article, click here.
Some Recent Letters to the Editor re: Archbishop Burke
Below are five Letters to the Editor (Post-Dispatch)
And the archbishop was asked questions concerning his article, "The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion to Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin" in the publication, Periodica De Re Canonica. "Reporters" provoked the Guiliani questions in an effort to see how Archbishop Burke would react. They've wrongly assumed that he was promoting some candidates over others.
The media tries to manufacture 'news', especially that type which is controversial...they do a grave disservice to the public and should be held accountable.
Source of the Letters to the Editor.
Archbishop and politicans: Is it his duty to speak out?Thumbs Up for TG! He nails it!
The Post-Dispatch recently printed a question asking if readers "agreed" with Archbishop Raymond Burke's comments regarding withholding holy communion from politicians who, by their demonstrated actions, are public mortal sinners. Asking whether Catholics "agree" with any basic moral teachings and laws of the church is an affront to Catholicism and reflects an anti-Catholic bias. The question posed by the Post-Dispatch apparently is directed to Catholics since non-Catholics are free to form their own opinions, which are irrelevant to the situation anyway since they do not adhere to the Catholic faith.
Archbishop Burke is not stating a personal opinion. The archbishop, who is a canon lawyer, merely is doing his duty as a shepherd by stating important Catholic doctrine in keeping with the church's magisterium. The Catholic Church never was meant to be a democracy. Therefore, basic doctrines of the church are not open to any individual's disagreements. The question of whether or not one "agrees" with the archbishop should not be asked and is not open to discussion. Dissenters are de-facto non-Catholics and are free to leave the church quietly and quickly.
Thomas S. Gates
Chesterfield
Include all sinnersClueless...Attempting to respond to people like this is an exercise in futiliy...
Is it possible that Archbishop Raymond Burke has introduced a partial pro-life theology? When will he deny communion to all who support the culture of death that exists in the current White House?
In recent years, we have witnessed the deaths of thousands in the Iraq war, based on fraud and deceit, the torture of prisoners, our soldiers fighting a war with inadequate body and vehicle armor, death by starvation in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and the numerous deaths of our police officers because of the repeal of a ban on the assault weapons.
President James Madison once referenced the "indolence in the clergy." A century later, Mark Twain mused: "Do I seem to be preaching? I only do it because the clergy seem to be on vacation." Let us pray that the solemn silence of Archbishop Burke is not due to indolence.
Donald Lundgren
Osage Beach, Mo.
Speaking outOnly a fool would rely on Maguire...she's like the one who would grab an anchor of a sinking ship hoping to be saved...
Archbishop Raymond Burke is a pastor and administrator of the Catholic Church. He is not a theologian.
As Daniel C. Maguire has written, "He needs to study and teach the works of Sts. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. St. Thomas Aquinas said, the 'wise legislator' is imitating God who, though all powerful and supremely good, tolerates certain evils lest greater evils ensue."
Archbishop Burke must stop harassing Catholic candidates. He needs to get "religion out of politics and get politics out of religion," as was said in Rex Humbard's obituary.
I do not hear him speaking out on the war, the veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program or the homeless.
Ann Marie Barry
Greendale
The courage of his convictionsA man who sees this situation clearly...
The Oct. 3 front page asked readers if they agree with Archbishop Raymond Burke's position on denying communion to Catholics whose political actions defy church doctrine. As a former Catholic, I only can admire Archbishop Burke for having the courage of his convictions.
Contrary to today's spineless, politically correct culture, which condemns objective truth and standards of any kind as intolerant and discriminatory, the Roman Catholic Church stands for something (at least in the case of Archbishop Burke.)
The old adage "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything" epitomizes today's politically correct secular culture that stands for anything and everything but truth and is, therefore, corrupt to the core and getting worse every day.
Archbishop Burke will be labeled as intolerant, bigoted, self-righteous, hypocritical and the other standard liberal labels reserved for those politically incorrect conservatives whom liberals love to hate. The phony separation-of-church-and-state argument will be applied to him. If it's any consolation to the archbishop, we evangelical Christians respect his stand and his integrity.
David Floyd
Maryland Heights
Soul of the issueOne might conclude that Guiliani is living in a sinful relationship due to his numerous divorces, but this could be an erroneous presumption. Few would know of his status in the Church if it has not been made public. And again, while it may be probable that he cannot be a practicing Catholic because of his marital status, we should recognize that his views and support of abortion are public and very well known.
Shouldn't Rudolph Giuliani's stand on abortion be a moot point? I mean, he is a twice-divorced and thrice-married Catholic. Last time I checked my catechism, that was grounds for withholding the sacrament. I wish that Archbishop Raymond Burke would focus on the whole picture of Catholicism rather than just life. There isn't a qualification put on mortal sins that says one is worse than the other. A public figure leading a lifestyle that is contrary to the church is just as bad as a public figure espousing beliefs that are contrary. Unless I am mistaken, abortion and remarriage both land you in Hell (unless the sins are reconciled). So why not say that his remarriage (sans annulment) and his pro-choice beliefs would cause him to be denied the sacrament?
I guess it could be concern over clouding the issue. But isn't the issue the soul? It is. And the soul is harmed by all sin. The world is in crisis over the loss of the sanctity of marriage. So is the Catholic Church. Why not castigate the man for receiving communion while in a state of sin? Mortal sin at that? No one is perfect, but the church should try to get us closer in all ways.
I agree with the archbishop's position. I wish that the Catholic Church as a whole would be as brazen about the other moral issues of our time. Life always should be paramount, but other issues involving sin also should be recognized.
Patrick Erstmann
St. Louis
And the archbishop was asked questions concerning his article, "The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion to Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin" in the publication, Periodica De Re Canonica. "Reporters" provoked the Guiliani questions in an effort to see how Archbishop Burke would react. They've wrongly assumed that he was promoting some candidates over others.
The media tries to manufacture 'news', especially that type which is controversial...they do a grave disservice to the public and should be held accountable.
Source of the Letters to the Editor.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Gospel for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is superseded by the Sunday liturgy
From: Luke 17:5-10
The Power of Faith
[5] The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith! [6] And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, `Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea', and it would obey you.
Humble Service
[7] "Will any of you, who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down at table'? [8] Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? [9] Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? [10] So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"
_____________________
Commentary:
1-3. Our Lord condemns scandal, that is, "any saying, action or omission which constitute for another an occasion of sin" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 417). Jesus is teaching two things here: the first is that scandal will "in fact" happen; the second, that it is a grave sin, as shown by the punishment it earns.
The reason why it is so serious a sin is that it "tends to destroy God's greatest work, that of Redemption, through souls being lost; it kills one's neighbor's soul by taking away the life of grace, which is more precious than the life of the body, and it is the cause of a multitude of sins. This is why God threatens with the most severe punishment those who cause others to stumble" ("ibid"., 418). See [the notes on] Matthew 18:6-7; 18-8; 18:10.
"Take heed to yourselves": a serious warning, meaning that we should not be a cause of scandal to others nor should we be influenced by the bad example others give us.
People who enjoy authority of any kind (parents, teachers, politicians, writers, artists, etc.) can more easily be a cause of scandal. We need to be on the alert in this respect in view of our Lord's warning, "Take heed to yourselves."
2. Millstones were circular in shape with a large hole in the center. Our Lord's description, therefore, was very graphic: it meant that the person's head just fitted through the hole and then he could not get the stone off.
3-4. In order to be a Christian one must always, genuinely, forgive others. Also, one has to correct an erring brother to help him change his behavior. But fraternal correction should always be done in a very refined way, full of charity; otherwise we would humiliate the person who has committed the fault, whereas we should not humiliate him but help him to be better.
Forgiving offenses--which is something we should always do--should not be confused with giving up rights which have been justly violated. One can claim rights without any kind of hatred being implied; and sometimes charity and justice require us to exercise our rights. "Let's not confuse the rights of the office you hold with your rights as a person. The former can never be waived" ([St] . Escriva, "The Way", 407).
Sincere forgiveness leads us to forget the particular offense and to extend the hand of friendship, which in turn helps the offender to repent.
The Christian vocation is a calling to holiness, but one of its essential requirements is that we show apostolic concern for the spiritual welfare of others: Christianity cannot be practiced in an isolated, selfish way. Thus, "if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).
5. "Increase our faith!": a good ejaculatory prayer for every Christian. "Omnia possibilia sunt credenti". Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.' The words are Christ's. How is it that you don't say to Him with the Apostles: `"adauge nobis fidem"! increase my faith!'?" ("The Way", 588).
6. "I'm not one for miracles. I have told you that in the Holy Gospel I can find more than enough to confirm my faith. But I can't help pitying those Christians--pious people, `apostles' many of them--who smile at the idea of extraordinary ways, of supernatural events. I feel the urge to tell them: Yes, this is still the age of miracles: we too would work them if we had faith!" ("The Way", 583).
7-10. Jesus is not approving this master's abusive and arbitrary behavior: He is using an example very familiar to His audience to show the attitude a person should have towards his Creator: everything, from our very existence to the eternal happiness promised us, is one huge gift from God. Man is always in debt to God; no matter what service he renders Him he can never adequately repay the gifts God has given him. There is no sense in a creature adopting a proud attitude towards God. What Jesus teaches us here we see being put into practice by our Lady, who replied to God's messenger (the Archangel Gabriel), "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord" (Luke 1:38).
___________________________
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.
From: Luke 17:5-10
The Power of Faith
[5] The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith! [6] And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, `Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea', and it would obey you.
Humble Service
[7] "Will any of you, who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down at table'? [8] Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? [9] Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? [10] So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"
_____________________
Commentary:
1-3. Our Lord condemns scandal, that is, "any saying, action or omission which constitute for another an occasion of sin" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 417). Jesus is teaching two things here: the first is that scandal will "in fact" happen; the second, that it is a grave sin, as shown by the punishment it earns.
The reason why it is so serious a sin is that it "tends to destroy God's greatest work, that of Redemption, through souls being lost; it kills one's neighbor's soul by taking away the life of grace, which is more precious than the life of the body, and it is the cause of a multitude of sins. This is why God threatens with the most severe punishment those who cause others to stumble" ("ibid"., 418). See [the notes on] Matthew 18:6-7; 18-8; 18:10.
"Take heed to yourselves": a serious warning, meaning that we should not be a cause of scandal to others nor should we be influenced by the bad example others give us.
People who enjoy authority of any kind (parents, teachers, politicians, writers, artists, etc.) can more easily be a cause of scandal. We need to be on the alert in this respect in view of our Lord's warning, "Take heed to yourselves."
2. Millstones were circular in shape with a large hole in the center. Our Lord's description, therefore, was very graphic: it meant that the person's head just fitted through the hole and then he could not get the stone off.
3-4. In order to be a Christian one must always, genuinely, forgive others. Also, one has to correct an erring brother to help him change his behavior. But fraternal correction should always be done in a very refined way, full of charity; otherwise we would humiliate the person who has committed the fault, whereas we should not humiliate him but help him to be better.
Forgiving offenses--which is something we should always do--should not be confused with giving up rights which have been justly violated. One can claim rights without any kind of hatred being implied; and sometimes charity and justice require us to exercise our rights. "Let's not confuse the rights of the office you hold with your rights as a person. The former can never be waived" ([St] . Escriva, "The Way", 407).
Sincere forgiveness leads us to forget the particular offense and to extend the hand of friendship, which in turn helps the offender to repent.
The Christian vocation is a calling to holiness, but one of its essential requirements is that we show apostolic concern for the spiritual welfare of others: Christianity cannot be practiced in an isolated, selfish way. Thus, "if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).
5. "Increase our faith!": a good ejaculatory prayer for every Christian. "Omnia possibilia sunt credenti". Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.' The words are Christ's. How is it that you don't say to Him with the Apostles: `"adauge nobis fidem"! increase my faith!'?" ("The Way", 588).
6. "I'm not one for miracles. I have told you that in the Holy Gospel I can find more than enough to confirm my faith. But I can't help pitying those Christians--pious people, `apostles' many of them--who smile at the idea of extraordinary ways, of supernatural events. I feel the urge to tell them: Yes, this is still the age of miracles: we too would work them if we had faith!" ("The Way", 583).
7-10. Jesus is not approving this master's abusive and arbitrary behavior: He is using an example very familiar to His audience to show the attitude a person should have towards his Creator: everything, from our very existence to the eternal happiness promised us, is one huge gift from God. Man is always in debt to God; no matter what service he renders Him he can never adequately repay the gifts God has given him. There is no sense in a creature adopting a proud attitude towards God. What Jesus teaches us here we see being put into practice by our Lady, who replied to God's messenger (the Archangel Gabriel), "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord" (Luke 1:38).
___________________________
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.
Thoughts and Counsels - October 7
If it was necessary that Christ should suffer and so enter by the cross into the kingdom of His Father, no friend of God should shrink from suffering.
-Ven. John Tauler
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
-Ven. John Tauler
_________________________
From Mary, Help of Christians
Part VI, Thoughts and Counsels of the Saints for Every Day of the Year
Compiled by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, OFM (© 1909, Benziger Brothers)
Meditation for October 7, The Rosary
What a magnificent compendium of our faith is the rosary!
With Mary I come quite close to Jesus, at the very heart of Christianity; and successively with the Aves, the mysteries unfold; the great scenes of the Gospel appear.
In the Joyful Mysteries I consider the Savior sanctifying souls by His very Presence; in His Conception; in His Birth; in His Presentation in the Temple; and finally as He was found in the Temple at the age of twelve.
In the Sorrowful Mysteries the whole redemption is portrayed before me - the Agony, the Scourging, the Thorns and the Cross of Jesus.
In the Glorious Mysteries I see the great proof of Christ's Divinity in His Resurrection, and the hope of heaven shining on the horizon. Then, as the vesper hymns relate, Mary appears to me in the fires of the Holy Ghost, in the majesty and splendor of the Kingdom, Mary the Queen, brilliant with glory.
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
With Mary I come quite close to Jesus, at the very heart of Christianity; and successively with the Aves, the mysteries unfold; the great scenes of the Gospel appear.
In the Joyful Mysteries I consider the Savior sanctifying souls by His very Presence; in His Conception; in His Birth; in His Presentation in the Temple; and finally as He was found in the Temple at the age of twelve.
In the Sorrowful Mysteries the whole redemption is portrayed before me - the Agony, the Scourging, the Thorns and the Cross of Jesus.
In the Glorious Mysteries I see the great proof of Christ's Divinity in His Resurrection, and the hope of heaven shining on the horizon. Then, as the vesper hymns relate, Mary appears to me in the fires of the Holy Ghost, in the majesty and splendor of the Kingdom, Mary the Queen, brilliant with glory.
"I wish, O Blessed Mary, when I say my rosary, to try to participate more intimately in the mystery that each decade commemorates.Above all, from my devotion to the rosary I draw this thought. There is no separation or break between the recitation of the Aves and the passing of the beads; that is symbolical; as my days roll by I want to mingle prayer with them. I do not want a life in two sections; external occupations will not break my life of union cultivated in exercises of piety, properly so called, but only lessen its intensity.
If I could only live it as you lived it!
Give me your faith, your love. Enlarge my soul to the dimensions of yours. Grant that with every Ave my lips pronounce, my heart may be reunited to your heart. Mary, O Mary, I greet you, I bless you, I love you. . . Ave. . . Maria."
_________________
Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)
Gospel for Saturday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time
Optional Memorial of St. Bruno, priest;
Bl. Marie Rose Durocher, virgin
Old Calendar: St. Bruno, confessor
From: Luke 10:17-24
The Seventy Return From Their Mission
[17] The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!" [18] And He (Jesus) said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. [19] Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. [20] Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in Heaven."
Jesus Gives Thanks
[21] In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was Thy gracious will. [22] All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."
[23] Then turning to the disciples He said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! [24] For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
________________________
Commentary:
20. Our Lord corrects His disciples, making them see that the right reason for rejoicing lies in hope of reaching Heaven, not in the power to do miracles which He gave them for their mission. As He said on another occasion, "On that day many will say to Me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast our demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers'" (Matthew 7:22-23). In other words, in the eyes of God doing His holy will at all times is more important than working miracles.
21. This passage of the Gospel is usually called our Lord's "hymn of joy" and is also found in St. Matthew (11:25-27). It is one of those moments when Jesus rejoices to see humble people understanding and accepting the word of God.
Our Lord also reveals one of the effects of humility--spiritual childhood. For example, in another passage He says: "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:3). But spiritual childhood does not involve weakness, softness or ignorance: "I have often meditated on this life of spiritual childhood, which is not incompatible with fortitude, because it demands a strong will, proven maturity, an open and firm character [...]. To become children we must renounce our pride and self-sufficiency, recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves. We must realize that we need grace, and the help of God our Father to find our way and keep it. To be little, you have to abandon yourself as children do, believe as children, beg as children beg" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 10 and 143).
22. "This statement is a wonderful help to our faith," St. Ambrose comments, "because when you read `all' you realize that Christ is all-powerful, that He is not inferior to the Father, or less perfect than He; when you read `have been delivered to me', you confess that Christ is the Son, to whom everything belongs by right of being one in substance [with the Father] and not by grace of gift" ("Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.").
Here we see Christ as almighty Lord and God, consubstantial with the Father, and the only one capable of revealing who the Father is. At the same time, we can recognize the divine nature of Jesus only if the Father gives us the grace of faith--as He did to St. Peter (cf. Matthew 16:17).
23-24. Obviously, seeing Jesus with one's own eyes was a wonderful thing for people who believed in him. However, our Lord will say to Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John 20:29). St. Peter, for his part, tells us: "Without having seen Him you love Him; though you do not see Him you believe in Him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8-9).
___________________________
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.
Bl. Marie Rose Durocher, virgin
Old Calendar: St. Bruno, confessor
From: Luke 10:17-24
The Seventy Return From Their Mission
[17] The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!" [18] And He (Jesus) said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. [19] Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. [20] Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in Heaven."
Jesus Gives Thanks
[21] In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was Thy gracious will. [22] All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."
[23] Then turning to the disciples He said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! [24] For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
________________________
Commentary:
20. Our Lord corrects His disciples, making them see that the right reason for rejoicing lies in hope of reaching Heaven, not in the power to do miracles which He gave them for their mission. As He said on another occasion, "On that day many will say to Me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast our demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers'" (Matthew 7:22-23). In other words, in the eyes of God doing His holy will at all times is more important than working miracles.
21. This passage of the Gospel is usually called our Lord's "hymn of joy" and is also found in St. Matthew (11:25-27). It is one of those moments when Jesus rejoices to see humble people understanding and accepting the word of God.
Our Lord also reveals one of the effects of humility--spiritual childhood. For example, in another passage He says: "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:3). But spiritual childhood does not involve weakness, softness or ignorance: "I have often meditated on this life of spiritual childhood, which is not incompatible with fortitude, because it demands a strong will, proven maturity, an open and firm character [...]. To become children we must renounce our pride and self-sufficiency, recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves. We must realize that we need grace, and the help of God our Father to find our way and keep it. To be little, you have to abandon yourself as children do, believe as children, beg as children beg" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 10 and 143).
22. "This statement is a wonderful help to our faith," St. Ambrose comments, "because when you read `all' you realize that Christ is all-powerful, that He is not inferior to the Father, or less perfect than He; when you read `have been delivered to me', you confess that Christ is the Son, to whom everything belongs by right of being one in substance [with the Father] and not by grace of gift" ("Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.").
Here we see Christ as almighty Lord and God, consubstantial with the Father, and the only one capable of revealing who the Father is. At the same time, we can recognize the divine nature of Jesus only if the Father gives us the grace of faith--as He did to St. Peter (cf. Matthew 16:17).
23-24. Obviously, seeing Jesus with one's own eyes was a wonderful thing for people who believed in him. However, our Lord will say to Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John 20:29). St. Peter, for his part, tells us: "Without having seen Him you love Him; though you do not see Him you believe in Him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8-9).
___________________________
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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