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| 22nd Week in Ordinary Time B/1 |
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or Refugee-Migrant Sunday |
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because of the name of Christ may have their human
rights, equality and religious freedom recognized, in order to be able
to live and profess their own faith freely." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday of the seventeenth week in Ordinary Time
(August 1) Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and
doctor of the Church (1696-1787)
Moral theology,
Vatican II said, should be more thoroughly
nourished by Scripture, and show the nobility of the Christian vocation of
the faithful and their obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the
life of the world. Alphonsus, declared patron of moral
theologians by Pius XII in 1950, would rejoice in that statement. In his
day, Alphonsus fought for the liberation of moral theology from the rigidity
of Jansenism. His moral theology, which went through 60 editions in the
century following him, concentrated on the practical and concrete problems
of pastors and confessors. If a certain legalism and minimalism crept into
moral theology, it should not be attributed to this model of moderation and
gentleness. At the University of Naples he received, at the age of 16, a
doctorate in both canon and civil law by acclamation, but soon gave up the
practice of law for apostolic activity. He was ordained a priest and
concentrated his pastoral efforts on popular (parish) missions, hearing
confessions, forming Christian groups. He founded the Redemptorist
congregation in 1732. It was an association of priests and brothers living a
common life, dedicated to the imitation of Christ, and working mainly in
popular missions for peasants in rural areas. Almost as an omen of what was
to come later, he found himself deserted, after a while, by all his original
companions except one lay brother. But the congregation managed to survive
and was formally approved 17 years later, though its troubles were not over.
Alphonsus’ great pastoral reforms were in the pulpit and
confessional—replacing the pompous oratory of the time with simplicity, and
the rigorism of Jansenism with kindness. His great fame as a writer has
somewhat eclipsed the fact that for 26 years he travelled up and down the
Kingdom of Naples, preaching popular missions. He was made bishop (after
trying to reject the honor) at 66 and at once instituted a thorough reform
of his diocese. His greatest sorrows came toward the end of his life,
involving changes to the Rule and the temporary break-up of branches of the
Order. At 71 he was afflicted with
rheumatic pains which left incurable bending of his neck. He suffered a final 18 months of “dark night” scruples, fears,
temptations against every article of faith and every virtue, interspersed
with intervals of light and relief, when ecstasies were frequent. Alphonsus
is best known for his moral theology, but he also wrote well in the field of
spiritual and dogmatic theology. His Glories of Mary is one of the great
works on that subject, and his book Visits to the Blessed Sacrament went
through 40 editions in his lifetime, greatly influencing the practice of
this devotion in the Church.
Someone once remarked, after a sermon by Alphonsus, "It is a
pleasure to listen to your sermons; you forget yourself and preach Jesus
Christ." (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Leviticus 25:1, 8-17; Psalm
67:2-3, 5, 7-8; Matthew 14:1-12
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said
to his attendants, This is John the Baptist; he has risen
from the dead!
That is why miraculous powers are at work in him. Now Herod had arrested
John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother
Philip's wife, for John had been saying to him: It is not lawful for you to
have her. Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people,
because they considered him a prophet. On Herod's birthday the daughter of
Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an
oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, Give
me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist. The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request
be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a
platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. John's
disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told
Jesus. (Matthew 14: 1-12)
The gift of personal freedom
A principal founder
of the modern socialist movement was Robert Owen (1771–1858). One of the
intellectual pillars of his thought was his notion that no one is
responsible for his own actions, because his whole character is formed
independently of himself. People are products of their environment. To a
greater or lesser extent many have this notion that absolutely speaking man
is not truly free. Man is subject to his environment — and let us for the
purposes of this
brief reflection take the term “environment” as including
not only exterior circumstances but also factors interior to himself. In
this understanding, one’s hereditary characteristics, one’s inner impulses,
one’s family and social setting, all these interior and exterior elements
will make up the “environment” which forms one’s character and, therefore,
which shapes one’s action. The result of this notion is the serious
lessening of personal responsibility for one’s actions. Now, there is no
doubt that one’s environment, comprehensively understood in this way, can
indeed profoundly affect one’s character and actions especially if one
freely allows one’s “environment” to have this effect. For example, a person
sees that he or she has an inner tendency to anger or theft or perhaps
homosexual activity, and simply says, “Oh, well, that is how I am!” — meaning, that is how I am made
— and makes little attempt to struggle
against those tendencies. Responsibility is transferred to one’s
“environment”. Moreover, because of a meagre sense of personal
responsibility for one’s actions, a person can be careless of incitements to
sin and wrongdoing coming from one’s immediate environment. What we might
call the occasions of sin are not taken seriously because one’s sense of
personal responsibility for what one is then led to do is very weak. The
occasions one finds oneself in can prompt a person to sin, and once in that
occasion of sin a person can — and culpably — lack all readiness to resist
the temptation.
For instance, friendships with immoral persons can constitute occasions of
sin for which one will then be responsible. In our Gospel today we have an
instructive situation presented to us. John the Baptist has reproved Herod
for taking Herodias to be his wife, when it was prohibited by Jewish Law.
Herodias was filled with hate for John and Herod himself wished to do away
with John but his fame as a prophet deterred him. He feared the people. We
learn from another Gospel that Herod was also in superstitious awe at John
and was drawn to listen to him. The result was that Herodias who wished to
kill John was unable to effect her design. Now, what was it that brought
John to his end? It was an occasion that suddenly arose and in which Herod
suddenly found himself enmeshed. He did not find it in himself to resist the
occasion of serious sin and he fell. The result was a most heinous sin that
brought to an end the prophetic mission of the greatest of the prophets
prior to Christ. Herod threw a birthday party for himself and invited his
leading guests. The daughter of Herodias danced, delighted them all, and
prompted Herod in a moment of boisterous and rash bravado to promise
anything she asked for. He was playing the big man. Out the girl skipped to
her mother, and back she came with the request. Pertly, she asked for the
life of John the Baptist. We read that “The king was distressed, but because
of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted
and had John beheaded in the prison” (Matthew 14:
1-12). He was in a situation — an environment, we might put it
— that constituted an occasion of serious sin. The thought of his guests, or
rather the thought of his appearing to be less of the big man than he had
intended, was so powerful a thought that it could not be resisted. He
allowed himself to be in a situation where he succumbed to his environment.
He freely, though without much thought, placed himself in a situation to
which because of his moral weakness he was unequal. He freely placed himself
in an occasion of sin and he fell.
Let us be very aware of our capacity to choose and of our responsibility to
choose at every point what is good. On this hinges the greatness or the ruin
of man. Broadly speaking, we make ourselves. Broadly speaking, other things
do not make us. The drama of life is the drama of the adherence of our will
to what is morally good. We are called to make a great choice, to renew that
choice daily, and to live consistently according to it. That choice is for
God and his holy will and we must resist everything that might deflect us
from that path. In the use we make of our freedom let us be like John the
Baptist and at every point be very unlike Herod.
(E.J.Tyler)
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Be a child. Even more so. But don't stop at the show-off stage: have you
ever seen anything sillier than the little fellow playing the man, or a
grown man acting like a baby?
A child, with God: and just because of that, very much a man in everything
else. Ah! and drop those lap-dog manners.
(The Way, no.858)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE
INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Fifth Chapter THE
BASIS OF FIRM PEACE OF HEART AND TRUE PROGRESS
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, I have said: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, do I give unto you."
All men desire peace but all do not care for the things that go to make true
peace. My peace is with the humble and meek of heart: your peace will be in
much patience. If you hear Me and follow My voice, you will be able to enjoy
much peace.
(Continuing)
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The principle under consideration is this: that, whereas God is
one, and His will one, and His purpose one, and His work one; whereas all He
is and does is absolutely perfect and complete, independent of time and
place, and sovereign over creation,
whether inanimate or living, yet that in
His actual dealings with this world that is, in all in which we see His
Providence (in that
man is imperfect, and has a will of his own, and lives
in time, and is moved by circumstances), He seems to work by a process, by
means and ends, by steps, by victories hardly gained, and failures repaired,
and sacrifices ventured. Thus it is only when we view His dispensations at a
distance, as the Angels do, that we see their harmony and their unity;
whereas Scripture, anticipating the end from the beginning, places at their
very head and first point of origination all that belongs to them
respectively in their fullness.
We find some exemplification of this principle in the call of
Abraham. In every age of the world it has held good that the just shall live
by faith; yet it was determined in the deep counsels of God, that for a
while this truth should be partially obscured, as far as His revelations
went; that man should live by sight, miracles and worldly ordinances taking
the place of silent providences and spiritual services. In the latter times
of the Jewish Law the original doctrine was brought to light, and when the
Divine Object of faith was born into the world, it was authoritatively set
forth by His Apostles as the basis of all acceptable worship. But observe,
it had been already anticipated in the instance of Abraham; the evangelical
covenant, which was not to be preached till near two thousand years
afterwards, was revealed and transacted in his person. “Abraham believed
God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” [Romans 4: 3] “Abraham
rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad.” [John 8: 56] Nay, in
the commanded sacrifice of his beloved son, was shadowed out the true Lamb
which God had provided for a burnt offering. Thus in the call of the
Patriarch, in whose Seed all nations of the earth should be blessed, the
great outlines of the Gospel were anticipated … that he was justified by
faith, that he trusted in God’s power to raise the dead, that he looked
forward to the day of Christ, and that he was vouchsafed a vision of the
Atoning Sacrifice on Calvary.
John Henry Newman, from ‘The Glory of the Christian Church’ (1834)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time B
Prayers this week:
God, come to my
help. Lord, quickly give me assistance. You are the one who helps me and
sets me free: Lord, do not be long in coming.
(Psalm 69: 2. 6)
Father of everlasting goodness, our origin and guide, be close to us
and hear the prayers of all who praise you. Forgive our sins and
restore us to life. Keep us safe in your love.
We ask this
through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
(August 2) St. Eusebius of Vercelli (283?-371)
Someone has said that if there had been no Arian heresy it would be very
difficult to write the lives of many early saints. Eusebius
is
another of the defenders of the Church during one of its most trying
periods. Born on the isle of Sardinia, he became a member of the Roman
clergy and is the first recorded bishop of Vercelli in Piedmont. He is also
the first to link the monastic life with that of the clergy, establishing a
community of his diocesan clergy on the principle that the best way to
sanctify his people was to have them see a clergy formed in solid virtue and
living in community. He was sent by Pope Liberius to persuade the emperor to
call a council to settle Catholic-Arian troubles. When it was called at
Milan, Eusebius went reluctantly, sensing that the Arian block would have
its way, although the Catholics were more numerous. He refused to go along
with the condemnation of Athanasius; instead, he laid the Nicene Creed on
the table and insisted that all sign it before taking up any other matter.
The emperor put pressure on him, but Eusebius insisted on Athanasius’
innocence and reminded the emperor that secular force should not be used to
influence Church decisions. At first the emperor threatened to kill him, but
later sent him into exile in Palestine. There the Arians dragged him through
the streets and shut him up in a little room, releasing him only after his
four-day hunger strike. They resumed their harassment shortly after. His
exile continued in Asia Minor and Egypt, until the new emperor permitted him
to be welcomed back to his see in Vercelli. He attended the Council of
Alexandria with Athanasius and approved the leniency shown to bishops who
had wavered. He also worked with St. Hilary of Poitiers (January 13)against
the Arians. He died peacefully in his own diocese at an advanced age.
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15; Psalm
78:3-4, 23-25, 54; Ephes 4:17, 20-24; John 6:24-35
Once the crowd realised that neither
Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to
Capernaum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the
lake, they asked him, Rabbi, when did you get here? Jesus answered, I
tell
you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs
but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that
spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will
give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. Then they
asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered, The
work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. So they asked him,
What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?
What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is
written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' Jesus said to them, I tell
you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but
it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of
God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Sir, they
said, from now on give us this bread. Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of
life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me
will never be thirsty. (John 6:24-35)
The supreme self-gift
Across the sweep of all created things we
see the pattern of one thing being given up for the sustenance and benefit
of another. One animal is preyed upon by another and that animal in its turn
is preyed upon by yet another. The grass of the fields itself is fodder for
the animals that tread it — so it too lives to sustain other living things.
The very oxygen it serves to produce is given over for the life of other
living things. The animals are harnessed by man for his sustenance and the
produce of
the earth is harvested that it might sustain his life and
leisure. He himself is called to sacrifice his energies and even his life
for the sake of those he loves and for those for whom he is responsible.
There appears to be a pattern pervading all creation, a law governing the
life of the universe. All things are drawn to be “food” or sustenance for
something or someone else. From the highest to the lowest things both
animate and inanimate are called knowingly or unknowingly to be sacrificed
for the sake of other things. What are we to make of this? Inasmuch as what
a free agent does comes forth from himself and so reflects himself, this
pattern in creation of being sacrificed for the sake of the other is surely
the imprint of the character of the Creator. The Creator is suggested by the
works of his hand to be self-sacrificing. This natural revelation of God is
profoundly and strikingly confirmed by the revelation brought to man by
Jesus Christ. Christ revealed that God is a trinity of persons eternally in
communion with one another, eternally given over one to the other in an
ineffable mutual sacrifice of love. The Father is given to the Son, the Son
to the Father and the union thus effected is the divine Person of the
Spirit. This divine love is reflected everywhere in the law of the universe
— a law of sacrifice one for the other. True happiness comes from great
giving, rather than from great receiving. But there is a further revelation
that involves this mighty pattern of love issuing from the heart of God. It
is the revelation of the Holy Eucharist. In it the God Incarnate gives
himself to us to be our food.
In our Gospel today the people ask of Jesus what sign will he do to enable
them to believe in him. In the desert Moses had given bread from heaven to
their fathers to eat. Our Lord responds that the true bread from heaven
comes from the Father and this bread is the one who has come down from
heaven. He himself is that heavenly bread and he, as this bread, sustains
the world. “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives
life to the world. Sir, they said, from now on give us this bread. Then
Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go
hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty”
(John 6:24-35). Our Lord is speaking of
the Holy Eucharist which he would institute at the Last Supper. The Holy
Eucharist constitutes his principal — though not exclusive — mode of
presence within his Church till the end of time, when he will come again in
glory to judge the living and the dead. The Eucharist makes the person of
Christ and his sacrifice of himself for mankind present in the Church’s
midst. In the Eucharist Christ gives himself to be our continuing
sustenance. God the Son made man gives himself to be our food. In this
ongoing act of self-giving Christ fulfils in a supreme way the deepest law
of creation and indeed of God himself, which is to be self-sacrificing.
Jesus gives himself to us in the Eucharist and endows us with a share in his
own divine life. When we receive Christ in Holy Communion our union with him
and with his body the Church is deepened. Our share in the life of grace
which we received at Baptism and Confirmation is preserved and increased.
Our love for neighbour, the emphatic law of Christ, is profoundly sustained.
Holy Communion, the heavenly bread which is nothing other than the living
Christ in all his fullness, strengthens us in charity, wipes away venial
sins and serves to preserve us from mortal sin in the future. There is this
condition, of course, that we cooperate with the grace thus received. Most
especially does Holy Communion avail when received at our last moments,
enabling us to leave this earth with the risen Jesus abiding in our hearts.
Let us appreciate the wonder of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, in which
Christ makes himself as sacrificed present for his faithful, and in which
he, as sacrificed, gives himself to each of his faithful. In him we receive
every heavenly blessing. The supreme moment of this is when participating in
the celebration of Holy Mass, and when receiving the Eucharistic Jesus in
Holy Communion. Let us love to receive Holy Communion and always do so in
the state of grace and with a lively faith. The Eucharist takes us to
holiness and to heaven.
(E.J.Tyler)
Further reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church,
no. 1391-1401; 1424-1425.
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Sometimes we feel inclined to act as little children. What we do then has a
wonderful value in God's eyes and, so long as we don't let routine creep in,
our 'little' actions will indeed be fruitful with the unfailing fruitfulness
of Love.
(The Way, no.859)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL
CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Fifth Chapter
THE BASIS OF FIRM PEACE OF HEART AND TRUE PROGRESS
THE DISCIPLE
What, then, shall I do, Lord?
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
Watch yourself in all things, in what you do and what you say. Direct your
every intention toward pleasing Me alone, and desire nothing outside of Me.
Do not be rash in judging the deeds and words of others, and do not entangle
yourself in affairs that are not your own. Thus, it will come about that you
will be disturbed little and seldom.
(Continuing)
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In this 1838 sermon ‘The State of Salvation’, drawing on the Letter
to the Ephesians, John Henry Newman
emphasises the distinctiveness of the Christian life: in it, the baptised
are brought into a completely new relationship with God, and granted ‘every
spiritual blessing’ [Eph. 1: 3]:
“Put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in
true righteousness and holiness.” [Eph. 4:24 RSV] These words express very
strongly a doctrine which is to be found in every part of the New Testament,
that the Gospel covenant is the means
of introducing us into a state of life
so different from that in which we were born, and should otherwise continue,
that it may not unfitly be called a new creation. As that which is created
differs from what is not yet created, so the Christian differs from the
natural man. He is brought into a new world, and, as being in that new
world, is invested with powers and privileges which he absolutely had not in
the way of nature. By nature his will is enslaved to sin … peace, hope,
love, faith, purity, he has not; nothing of heaven is in him [...]
But in Christ all these blessings are given: the will and the power; the
heart and the knowledge; the light of faith, and the obedience of faith. As
far as a being can be changed without losing his identity, as far as it is
sense to say that an existing being can be new created, so far has man this
gift when the grace of the Gospel has its perfect work and its maturity of
fruit in him. [...]
Hence, in the text, the Apostle speaks of the spiritual state which Christ
has bought for us, as being a “new creature in righteousness and true
holiness.” Elsewhere he says, “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature;
old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” [2 Cor. 5:
17] Elsewhere, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” [Romans 12:
2] Elsewhere, “Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” [Col.
3: 3] Elsewhere, “We are buried with Him by baptism into death; that, like
as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
also should walk in newness of life.” [Romans 6: 4] [...]
There ought to be no difficulty in our views about it so far as this: that
there is a certain new state, and that a state of salvation; and that Christ
came to bring into it all whom He had chosen out of the world. Christ “gave
Himself for our sins (says St. Paul), that He might deliver us from the
present evil world.” [Gal. 1: 4] He “hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” [Col. 1:
13] He came “to gather together in one the children of God, which are
scattered abroad.” [John 11: 52] “As many as received Him, to them gave He
power to become the sons of God.” [John 1: 12]
John Henry Newman, ‘The State of Salvation’ (1838)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Monday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time
Prayers this week:
God, come to my help. Lord, quickly give me assistance. You are the one who
helps me and sets me free: Lord, do not be long in coming.
(Psalm 69: 2. 6)
Father of
everlasting goodness, our origin and guide, be close to us and hear the prayers
of all who praise you. Forgive our sins and restore us to life. Keep us safe in
your love.
We ask
this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one
God for ever and ever.
(August 3) St. Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868)
Born in La Mure d'Isère in southeastern France, Peter Julian's faith journey
drew him from being a priest in the Diocese of
Grenoble
(1834) to joining the Marists (1839) to founding the Congregation of the Blessed
Sacrament (1856). In addition to those changes, Peter Julian coped with poverty,
his father's initial opposition to Peter's vocation, serious illness, a
Jansenistic striving for inner perfection and the difficulties of getting
diocesan and later papal approval for his new religious community. His years as
a Marist, including service as a provincial leader, saw the deepening of his
Eucharistic devotion, especially through his preaching of Forty Hours in many
parishes. Inspired at first by the idea of reparation for indifference to the
Eucharist, Peter Julian was eventually attracted to a more positive spirituality
of Christ-centered love. Members of the men's community, which Peter founded,
alternated between an active apostolic life and contemplating Jesus in the
Eucharist. He and Marguerite Guillot founded the women's Congregation of the
Servants of the Blessed Sacrament. Peter Julian Eymard was beatified in 1925 and
canonized in 1962, one day after Vatican II's first session ended.
“The Eucharist is the life of the people. The Eucharist gives them a centre
of life. All can come together without the barriers of race or language in order
to celebrate the feast days of the Church. It gives them a law of life, that of
charity, of which it is the source; thus it forges between them a common bond, a
Christian kinship” (Peter Julian Eymard). (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today:
Numbers 11:4b-15; Psalm 81:12-17; Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus heard what had
happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this,
the crowds followed him
on
foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion
on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him
and said, This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds
away, so that they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food. Jesus
replied, They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat. We have
here only five loaves of bread and two fish, they answered. Bring them here to
me, he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the
five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke
the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to
the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve
basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was
about five thousand men, besides women and children.
(Matthew 14:13-21)
Religion not an opiate
There was a famous catchcry
coined in the nineteenth century. It was Karl Marx’s statement that “Religion is
the opiate of the people”- Die Religion... ist das Opium des Volkes (in
the Introduction to his 1843 work, A Contribution to the critique of
Hegel's Philosophy of Right). Marx immediately adds that “The abolition
of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real
happiness.” This phrase, “the opium of the people,” which Marx applied to
religion, had its forerunner in the
Marquis
de Sade's work, Juliette, published in 1797. In the book Juliette
accuses King Ferdinand of encouraging the opium of ignorance among his people:
“This opium you feed your people, so that, drugged, they do not feel their
hurts, inflicted by you”, she says to him. Marx understood religion to be an
opiate for the masses that deadens the pain of a world which is not being
attended to because of interest in the pie in the sky, which is heaven. The true
pie, he considered, is on this earth. Religion is an illusory distraction
impeding man’s enjoyment of the true realities of life: health, education,
equality for all, and so forth. If the true needs of man are to be attained then
man must get away from religion and deal directly with life’s realities, and
they are to be found in this material world. Marx can be seen as part of the
modern secular naturalism. The supernatural is rejected as unreal. All that
really exists is this world. This philosophical assumption has many roots but
one thing that can immediately be said about it is that it is not an assumption
characteristically held by mankind. Man is characteristically a supernaturalist,
which is to say he characteristically is at home in his belief in the
supernatural. The modern period (i.e., the last few centuries of growing Western
secularism) is in a sense an aberration. The history of religion, culture and
anthropology shows man to be typically and instinctively religious. He does not
want to forego religion in order to seek merely the things of this world.
This introduces us to what
our Lord tells his disciples in today’s Gospel passage. The crowds have pursued
our Lord out of the towns to a deserted place to hear him, to be with him, and
to have their sick healed. There they were, in that solitary place and it was
approaching evening. As our Lord’s disciples say to him, “This is a remote
place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so that they can go
to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Could we not see in that request
an unintended forerunner of the modern secular position? Send the crowds away,
away from their focus on religion, so as to obtain themselves some food. Forget
the chimera of God and religion and attend to the real needs of man! Put away
the opium and look with clear eyes on the hard facts of this world and its
needs. Of course, nothing could have been further from the sense intended by our
Lord’s disciples than this, but the words they used remind us of modern man’s
Naturalism of which Marx's thought was one powerful expression. The answer came
from Christ: “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat”
(Matthew 14:13-21). Man ought never turn
away from God in order to gain whatever he needs. It is precisely in God that
his true needs will be discerned, and it is in God that his gaining of them will
best be prosecuted. In Christ will man find every heavenly blessing and as a
sign of this our Lord immediately proceeds to work his miracle of the feeding of
the five thousand with the handful of food. Our Lord was in no way intending to
suggest that we — let alone his own disciples — ought neglect their material
needs and blithely expect them to be provided by God. He is saying, though, that
all who are burdened and weary ought come to him and live in him. He is also
saying that our material needs and the needs of this world are to be understood
and sought within the framework of faith in God and in Christ. As our Lord says
elsewhere, seek first the kingdom of God (which includes the demands of our
daily work) and these things will be granted to you.
In all our daily work, in
all the very concrete and material responsibilities with which God in his
providence has entrusted us, in all our efforts to build and improve society and
bring its material benefits to all, let us live constantly in Christ. We are
called to live in him just as he lives in the Father, and by living in him we
live in the Father and in the Holy Spirit. This we do in our daily life in the
world. It is in this way that Naturalism becomes Supernaturalism. The natural is
transformed by a supernatural perspective. The world is made beautiful precisely
when God is recognized as its Lord. It begins to be ugly when God is divorced
from the world because he is deemed to be a mere opiate..
(E.J.Tyler)
If you wish to read the thoughts of this week, click here
If you wish to read the thoughts of the previous months, click here
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Before
God, who is eternal, you are much more a child than, before you, the tiniest
toddler.
And besides being a child, you are a child of God. — Don't forget it.
(The Way,
no.860)
If you wish to read some classic spiritual writers, click here
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Fifth Chapter THE BASIS OF FIRM
PEACE OF HEART AND TRUE PROGRESS
THE DISCIPLE
What, then, shall I do, Lord?
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
Yet, never to experience any disturbance or to suffer any hurt in heart or body
does not belong to this present life, but rather to the state of eternal rest.
Do not think, therefore, that you have found true peace if you feel no
depression, or that all is well because you suffer no opposition. Do not think
that all is perfect if everything happens just as you wish. And do not imagine
yourself great or consider yourself especially beloved if you are filled with
great devotion and sweetness. For the true lover of virtue is not known by these
things, nor do the progress and perfection of a man consist in them.
(Continuing)
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Men
cannot believe their own time is an especially wicked time; for, with Scripture
unstudied and hearts untrained in holiness, they have no standard to compare it
with. They take warning from no troubles or perplexities, which rather carry
them away to search out the earthly causes of them, and the possible remedies.
They consider them as conditions of this world, necessary results of this or
that state of society.
(JHN, from the sermon ‘Secrecy and
Suddenness of Divine Visitations’ 1831)
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Tuesday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time
Prayers this week:
God, come
to my help. Lord, quickly give me assistance. You are the one who helps
me and sets me free: Lord, do not be long in coming. (Psalm 69: 2. 6)
Father of everlasting goodness, our origin and guide, be close
to us and hear the prayers of all who praise you. Forgive our sins and
restore us to life. Keep us safe in your love.
We ask
this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
(August 4) Saint John Mary Vianney, priest (1786-1859)
A man with vision overcomes obstacles and performs deeds that seem impossible.
John Vianney was a man with vision: He wanted to become a priest. But he
had to overcome his meager formal schooling, which inadequately prepared
him for 
seminary studies. His failure to comprehend Latin lectures forced
him to discontinue. But his vision of being a priest urged him to seek private
tutoring. After a lengthy battle with the books, John was ordained. Situations
calling for “impossible” deeds followed him everywhere. As pastor of the
parish at Ars, John encountered people who were indifferent and quite comfortable
with their style of living. His vision led him through severe fasts and short
nights of sleep. (Some devils can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.)
With Catherine Lassagne and Benedicta Lardet, he established La Providence,
a home for girls. Only a man of vision could have such trust that God would
provide for the spiritual and material needs of all those who came to make
La Providence their home. His work as a confessor is John Vianney’s most
remarkable accomplishment. In the winter months he was to spend 11 to 12
hours daily reconciling people with God. In the summer months this time was
increased to 16 hours. Unless a man was dedicated to his vision of a priestly
vocation, he could not have endured this giving of self day after day. Many
people look forward to retirement and taking it easy, doing the things they
always wanted to do but never had the time. But John Vianney had no thoughts
of retirement. As his fame spread, more hours were consumed in serving God’s
people. Even the few hours he would allow himself for sleep were disturbed
frequently by the devil. Who, but a man with vision, could keep going with
ever-increasing strength? In 1929, Pope Pius XI named him the patron of parish
priests worldwide.
Recommending liturgical prayer, John Vianney would say, “Private prayer
is like straw scattered here and there: If you set it on fire it makes a
lot of little flames. But gather these straws into a bundle and light them,
and you get a mighty fire, rising like a column into the sky; public prayer
is like that.” (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture: Numbers 12:1-13; Psalm 51:3-7, 12-13; Matthew 14:22-36 or
Mt 15:1-2, 10-14
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of
him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed
them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came,
he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from
land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
During the fourth
watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the
disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. It's a ghost,
they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: Take
courage! It is I. Don't be afraid. Lord, if it's you, Peter replied, tell
me to come to you on the water. Come, he said. Then Peter got down out of
the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But when he saw the
wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me! Immediately
Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. You of little faith, he said,
why did you doubt? And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Truly you are the
Son of God.
When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of
that place recognised Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just
touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
(Matthew
14:22-36)
Courage! It is I!
There have been some terrible times in human history, just as there are some
terrible times in the lives of individuals. There have been vast and merciless
invasions of helpless populations with death and destruction enveloping the
peoples in their wake. One can think of the tremendous Mongol invasions led
especially by Genghis Khan. Wars upon wars have erupted between nations bringing
untold suffering to countless people. One only has to think of the two great
world wars of the twentieth century, but every century has its numerous wars.
The twenty five years following the outbreak of the French Revolution constituted
a protracted European war that only came to its fitful close at Waterloo.
There have been terrible plagues. One only has to think of the Black Death
peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Man seemed to be helpless before
it. There have been great natural disasters, such as sudden tidal waves that
have engulfed populations. One may think of the great 2004 tsunami in the
Indian Ocean which is reputed to have killed some 300,000 people, having
released the energy of perhaps 23000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. Bush fires
have destroyed people and vast swathes of property. In one sense humanity
seems to be on a craft in a mighty ocean, battling the elements generally with
success but with wave upon wave menacing the crew with disaster. There are
moments, days, weeks of calm and even of glorious sunshine and weather. But
then out of nowhere there suddenly comes the hurricane or the swelling power
of the mighty sea and all seems lost. The boat is flung high and submerges
and many are lost, but then, lo! It emerges again and continues on its precarious
way having to expect more of the same in the future. What is the meaning
of it? Why is so much awry? It is almost evident that the world with its
order has come forth from the hand of a mighty Orderer, and yet it is also
evident that disorder has struck like a bolt of lightning at the tree originally
planted. More seriously for man, he discovers himself to be plagued with
a profound disorder of the heart, a disorder at the root of his spirit. Is
there any deliverance from all this?
Our Gospel passage today offers us what might be called an image of the human
predicament. The disciples are out in the boat. At the end of a day of serving
the people with our Lord, they set out on the lake to cross to the other
side, and Jesus remained behind. Perhaps he remained behind in case the people,
seeing him departing with his disciples, had attempted to follow him. He
remained behind on the mountain at prayer during the night. There on the
lake a considerable distance from land the disciples were battling a heavy
sea with the wind against them. Perhaps the wind and the storm was preventing
any progress and for this reason they were still on the lake. From the land
Christ was watching. They were very much in his mind, just as all of humanity
and every person in its stream is constantly in the mind of Christ the Lord
of history. There he stands, watching as he continues his prayer to his heavenly
Father. Then he moves — stepping into the sea and on its surging surface
making his way calmly and steadily towards his disciples. Perhaps it had
been a full moon. It is the fourth watch and so the darkness of the night
was receding and perhaps dawn was beginning to break and all the while the
sea was pounding, heaving, blowing and driving. The craft was in desperate
plight but the great reality was that Christ was there. That is the point
of this Gospel passage. Christ was there. Christ is always there. He is always
at hand, near to embattled man. At every point of man’s turbulent history,
Christ is at hand. The harsh and menacing sea is a symbol of the grinning
and crackling Sin that is the grand cause of evil in the world. Sin will
have no mercy, if it gets its way, and behind Sin is the satanic one who
was a liar and a murderer from the beginning. But there is Someone much greater
always at hand, and that is Jesus Christ who is in the midst of the storm,
saying to each of us and to all mankind, Take courage! It is I!
(Matthew 14:22-36) Let us take
our Gospel passage today as a snapshot of human history and its real Epicentre.
That Epicentre is Jesus, the Lord of lords.
Whatever happens in life cannot dislodge the grand presence of the Saviour,
Jesus Christ the same now and forever. As St Paul writes, nothing, nothing
at all, can separate us from the love of God made present in Jesus Christ.
So then, let us take our stand with Jesus and, smiling as we stand by his
side, let us face the winds and the sea knowing that if we follow in his footsteps
doing the will of our heavenly Father as best we can, all will ultimately
be well. As St Thomas More said as he ascended the scaffold, though I lose
my head, I’ll come to no harm!
(E.J.Tyler)
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Child, enkindle in your heart an ardent desire to make up for the excesses
of your grown-up life.
(The Way, no.861)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Fifth Chapter THE BASIS OF FIRM PEACE OF HEART AND TRUE PROGRESS
THE DISCIPLE
In what do they consist, Lord?
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
They consist in offering yourself with all your heart to the divine will,
not seeking what is yours either in small matters or great ones, either in
temporal or eternal things, so that you will preserve equanimity and give
thanks in both prosperity and adversity, seeing all things in their proper
light.
(Continuing)
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To understand that we have souls, is to feel
our separation from things visible, our independence of them, our distinct
existence in ourselves, our individuality, our power of acting for ourselves
this way or that way, our accountableness for what we do. These are the great
truths which lie wrapped up indeed even in a child’s mind.
(JHN, from the sermon ‘The Immortality of the Soul’ 1833)
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Wednesday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time
Prayers this week:
God,
come to my help. Lord, quickly give me assistance. You are the one who helps me
and sets me free: Lord, do not be long in coming.
(Psalm
69: 2. 6)
Father of
everlasting goodness, our origin and guide, be close to us and hear the prayers
of all who praise you. Forgive our sins and restore us to life. Keep us safe in
your love.
We ask this
through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God
for ever and ever.
(August 5) Dedication of St. Mary Major Basilica
First raised at the order of Pope Liberius in the mid-fourth century, the
Liberian basilica was rebuilt by Pope Sixtus III
shortly
after the Council of Ephesus affirmed Mary’s title as Mother of God in 431.
Rededicated at that time to the Mother of God, St. Mary Major is the largest
church in the world honoring God through Mary. Standing atop one of Rome’s seven
hills, the Esquiline, it has survived many restorations without losing its
character as an early Roman basilica. Its interior retains three naves divided
by colonnades in the style of Constantine’s era. Fifth-century mosaics on its
walls testify to its antiquity. St. Mary Major is one of the four Roman
basilicas known as patriarchal cathedrals in memory of the first centers of the
Church. St. John Lateran represents Rome, the See of Peter; St. Paul Outside the
Walls, the See of Alexandria, allegedly the see presided over by Mark; St.
Peter’s,
the See of Constantinople; and St. Mary’s, the See of Antioch, where Mary is
supposed to have spent most of her life. One legend, unreported before the year
1000, gives another name to this feast: Our Lady of the Snows. According to that
story, a wealthy Roman couple pledged their fortune to the Mother of God. In
affirmation, she produced a miraculous summer snowfall and told them to build a
church on the site. The legend was long celebrated by releasing a shower of
white rose petals from the basilica’s dome every August 5. Theological debate
over Christ’s nature as God and man reached fever pitch in Constantinople in the
early fifth century. The chaplain of Bishop Nestorius began preaching against
the title Theotokos, “Mother of God,” insisting that the Virgin was mother only
of the human Jesus. Nestorius agreed, decreeing that Mary would henceforth be
named “Mother of Christ” in his see. The people of Constantinople virtually
revolted against their bishop’s refutation of a cherished belief. When the
Council of Ephesus refuted Nestorius, believers took to the streets,
enthusiastically chanting, “Theotokos! Theotokos!” (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture: Nm
13:1-2, 25–14:1, 26a-29a, 34-35; Ps 106:6-7ab, 13-14, 21-23; Matt 15: 21-28
Leaving that place, Jesus
withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity
came to him,
crying
out, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly
from demon-possession. Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him
and urged him, Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us. He answered, I
was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. The woman came and knelt before him.
Lord, help me! she said. He replied, It is not right to take the children's
bread and toss it to their dogs. Yes, Lord, she said, but even the dogs eat the
crumbs that fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered, Woman, you have
great faith! Your request is granted. And her daughter was healed from that very
hour.
(Matthew 15: 21-28)
Truth and Tolerance
One of the features of
monotheistic religion which has attracted the attention of many scholars in
recent decades is what they choose to name as its intolerance. That is to say,
monotheism is deemed to be intolerant of other religions. For this reason we
find many who do not regard the arrival of missionaries of monotheism (say,
Christian — be they Catholic or Protestant) as good for the society they wish to
address. Now, this antagonism against a belief in one
only
God can itself be due to a fundamental relativism that is intolerant of any
position which insists on objective truth. But let us set that brief critique
aside and accept that the Christian, say, can indeed be intolerant. By that I
mean that he can think that the divine and supernatural Revelation with which he is blessed is
the only way God has revealed himself and that the only legitimate
religious faith is a formal faith in this Revelation. He can think that all
other religions are scarcely more than projections of the fallen nature of man.
There is, he thinks, little or nothing to be said for them and they are hardly
worthy of respect even though one would not be so uncivil as to say this to a
person’s face. Of course, this position in its broad outline need be in no way
peculiar to, say, a Christian. It can be very characteristic of a Muslim and
there are notoriously intolerant Muslims. There is no god but Allah, and so — as
the world once witnessed the Islamic Taliban doing during their occupation of Afganistan
— the ancient and revered statues of Buddha were smashed to pieces.
Again, there can be many intolerant and anti-Christian Hindus, and many scholars
maintain that ultimately Hinduism is monotheistic. Monotheism as represented by
some of its adherents can indeed be intolerant as can anyone of any persuasion.
Is there a way out of such an impasse, granted that, in the case of the
Christian, one knows that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and that he
is the only way to the Father? Is truth necessarily intolerant?
Christ is indeed the only way
to the Father, but people who do not know or accept this can be on the way to
understanding it. That is to say, different people will be at different stages
on the path to accepting the fullness of this saving truth. Where they are at
in their partial apprehension of the truth ought therefore be respected. Let us consider our Gospel passage today
(Matthew 15: 21-28) which portrays the
encounter between Christ and a pagan. She was a Canaanite woman of obscure
religious beliefs and certainly not an adherent of the faith of the House of
Israel. We may presume she was scarcely familiar with the inspired Scriptures
except by hearsay and that her notion of the coming Messiah was hazy at best — as was, let us remember, that of many in Israel. But she evoked from our Lord
very high praise. Her faith was great. All through his public ministry he was
seeking faith in himself. He frequently inveighed against Israel for its lack of
faith. We remember how he pronounced on his own town of Nazareth for its lack of
faith. Take a count and observe how often our Lord commended people for their
great faith: there are not many who showed “great faith”. There was the
centurion, presumably a pagan, who expressed himself as unworthy to have Christ
under his roof. All that was needed was to say the word and his servant would be
healed. Our Lord was amazed and said he had not seen such faith in all Israel.
Here in our Gospel passage our Lord addresses the Canaanite woman and tells her
that her faith is great. She was not of the House of Israel. This surely reminds
us that the Spirit of God hovers and stirs over the waters, as we read in the
first chapter of Genesis. God is at work in the heart of the world and among the
peoples. There is such a thing as natural revelation: God reveals himself to an
extent in nature. The world is the work of his hands and though it has been defaced by
sin it still speaks of him. God makes himself heard in the work of his hands and
he leads people to faith in him, such as that faith might be. The Canaanite
woman came to Christ from out of her paganism with a faith of sorts such that
Christ commended her greatly for it. Let us be disposed to esteem the religious
faith of others. Indeed, God may be readying them for a great faith in Jesus the
only Saviour.
Let us who are in Christ hold
fast to the saving truth that God has granted to us and understand by Christ’s
own example that the mighty Spirit of God is leading the peoples along the path
of truth too. Their grasp of the truth may be mixed with much error, but such too was the
case of the Canaanite woman. She had not been evangelized. She had not been
instructed in the Way, as the Acts of the Apostles puts it. She had heard bits
and pieces, and the Spirit of God was helping her and led her to great faith.
Let us respect what God is doing in the hearts of those who do not believe.
(E.J.Tyler)
If you wish to read the thoughts of this week, click here
If you wish to read the thoughts of the previous months, click here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Silly child, the day you hide some part of your soul from your Director, you
will cease to be a child, for you will have lost your simplicity.
(The Way,
no.862)
If you wish to read some classic spiritual writers, click here
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Fifth Chapter THE BASIS OF FIRM
PEACE OF HEART AND TRUE PROGRESS
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
If you become so brave and long-suffering in hope that you can prepare your
heart to suffer still more even when all inward consolation is withdrawn, and if
you do not justify yourself as though you ought not be made to suffer such great
things, but acknowledge Me to be just in all My works and praise My holy name --
then you will walk in the true and right path of peace, then you may have sure
hope of seeing My face again in joy. If you attain to complete contempt of self,
then know that you will enjoy an abundance of peace, as much as is possible in
this earthly life.
(Concluded)
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The
human mind … may be regarded from two principal points of view, as intellectual
and as moral. … The perfection of the intellect is called ability and talent;
the perfection of our moral nature is virtue. And it is our great misfortune
here, and our trial, that, as things are found in the world, the two are
separated, and independent of each other; that, where power of intellect is,
there need not be virtue; and that where right, and goodness, and moral
greatness are, there need not be talent.
(JHN, from the sermon ‘Intellect, the
Instrument of Religious Training ‘ 1856)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Thursday of the
eighteenth week in Ordinary Time
Entrance Antiphon Ps 70 (69): 2, 6
O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me! You are my rescuer,
my help; O Lord, do not delay.
Collect
Draw near to your servants, O Lord, and answer their prayers with unceasing
kindness, that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide, you may
restore what you have created and keep safe what you have restored. Through our
Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
click centre arrow
Scripture today: Jeremiah 31: 31-34;
Psalm 50; Matthew 16: 13-23
When Jesus came to the region of
Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is?
They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others,
Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But what about you? he
asked.
Who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God. Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not
revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are
Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not
overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven. Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was
the Christ. From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he
must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief
priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day
be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Never, Lord! he
said. This shall never happen to you! Jesus turned and said to Peter, Get behind
me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the things
of God, but the things of men. (Matthew 16: 13-23)
Kingdom and
Church There are two realities specifically
mentioned by our Lord in our Gospel passage from St Matthew. There is the
kingdom of heaven and its keys, and there is Christ’s “church” (or “assembly”).
In his Gospel, Matthew reports our Lord referring to the “kingdom of the
heavens” (basileía tōn ouranōn)
over
thirty times before this lone reference to his building “his church” (Matthew
16:18), and some twenty times following it. In Matthew, usually the “kingdom” is
the “kingdom of heaven,” though at times it is just the “kingdom,” or the
“kingdom of God”, or the “kingdom of their Father.” Christ does not speak of
himself building the kingdom of heaven ― the kingdom seems to be there, long
promised, and he makes it known, present, available, accessible. It is, of
course, God and his rule, his sway, his dominion ― with the wonderful promises
that its establishment on earth will bring. Christ will clearly be the King in
this Kingdom and he is in the business of establishing and extending it. In the
Gospel of St Mark, the expression our Lord uses is more commonly “the kingdom of
God” or “the kingdom” (some twenty times), and Luke too ranges between “kingdom
of God” and “kingdom” (over forty times). In the Gospel of St John, it is the
“kingdom” (some five times). In the rest of the New Testament the “kingdom” is
referred to over forty times. That is to say, Matthew has the expression “the
kingdom” more than any other New Testament writer, and in his case it is
typically “the kingdom of heaven” rather than “the kingdom of God” or even just
“the kingdom.” I suspect that, inasmuch as Matthew is the most
Scripturally-minded of the Gospels, and inasmuch as it is accepted that in the
first instance he wrote it for an Aramaic-Hebrew readership, his use of “the
kingdom of heaven” is the most likely expression to have been commonly on our
Lord’s lips. But what Matthew also reports, and which the other Gospels do not,
is our Lord’s references to “my church” (mou tēn ekklēsían). There are
plenty of references to the “church” in the rest of the New Testament outside of
the Gospels, but among the Gospels it is special to Matthew.
There is one other reference to “the church” (ekklēsía) in Matthew ― and
there it is more clearly meant as “the assembly” or “congregation.” Christ
directs that if someone among them is incorrigible, then he may be expelled from
the “assembly” (Matthew 18:17). It is simply “the church” and not, as in Matthew
16, “my church.” It is plain that our Lord did not speak very much of his
“Church” and when he did, it seems to have been with his disciples, whereas he
spoke publicly of the “kingdom of heaven.” That is why our Gospel text today
(Matthew 16: 13-23) is a critical text, and
is precious among the four Gospels. It comes at the end of an extensive public
ministry and many conflicts with those who will engineer his death. Immediately
after, our Lord begins to speak of his Passion and Resurrection, and of the
doctrine of the Cross ― to be followed by the Transfiguration. The business of
the kingdom becomes very concrete in our passage today. We learn that Christ
will “build” his church. He has announced far and wide the imminence of the
kingdom of heaven, for which all aspired. But how in the concrete will people
access it? There will be a “church,” a gathering, an “assembly.” Christ will
build it. The verb “I will build” (oikodomēsō) suggests something like
building a house. The "house," of course, could be as in the "House" of Israel
that had been chosen, convoked and built by God to hear his word and to live as
he commands. Jesus will build and arrange his "House" and it is directly
related to the “kingdom of heaven.” The keys to the kingdom of heaven will be
lodged in his “church” and they will be in the hands of Simon. To Simon has been
granted the faith and the readiness to bear witness to it. He now receives an
appointment from Christ. He will be the Rock on which Christ will build his
Church, and to him will be given the keys whereby a person may enter the kingdom
of heaven. This is an extraordinary appointment, surely, but one that is very
concrete and identifiable. Those desirous of entering the kingdom will know, in
due course, exactly what to do. They must approach Simon, and the Apostles
gathered around him, and ask that he open the door, for he has the keys ― as do
the Twelve in union with him. But also Simon, now the Rock, may bind and loose,
and whatever he binds or loosens, will be regarded as such in heaven. He has
immense spiritual authority.
This is a precious Scriptural passage, and immensely revelatory of the divine
plan regarding the “kingdom of heaven,” or the “kingdom of God.” Christ’s
“church” is placed at the forefront of entry into the promised kingdom, and
there are high officers administering the kingdom here on earth. Such is the
will of God. It is, then, critical that each person desirous of following Jesus
Christ closely ask, where is Christ’s “church” now, and in whose hands are the
“keys”? Who is the successor of Simon the Rock? Who holds the keys? Who has the
authority to bind and loose? Our inspired passage today shows that Christ’s
“church” is central to “the kingdom of heaven.”
(E.J.Tyler)
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to index for this month---------------------------Back to
index to Liturgical Days---------
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord B
(August 6) Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
All three Synoptic Gospels tell the story of the
Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-9; Luke 9:28-36). With remarkable
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agreement,
all three place the event shortly after Peter’s confession of faith that
Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus’ first prediction of his passion and death.
Peter’s eagerness to erect tents or booths on the spot suggests it occurred
during the Jewish weeklong, fall Feast of Booths. In spite of the texts’
agreement, it is difficult to reconstruct the disciples’ experience,
according to Scripture scholars, because the Gospels draw heavily on Old
Testament descriptions of the Sinai encounter with God and prophetic visions
of the Son of Man. Certainly Peter, James and John had a glimpse of Jesus’
divinity strong enough to strike fear into their hearts. Such an experience
defies description, so they drew on familiar religious language to describe
it. And certainly Jesus warned them that his glory and his suffering were to
be inextricably connected — a theme John highlights throughout his Gospel.
Tradition names Mt. Tabor as the site of the revelation. A church first
raised there in the fourth century was dedicated on August 6. A feast in
honour of the Transfiguration was celebrated in the Eastern Church from
about that time. Western observance began in some localities about the
eighth century. On July 22, 1456, Crusaders defeated the Turks at Belgrade.
News of the victory reached Rome on August 6, and Pope Callistus III placed
the feast on the Roman calendar the following year.
“At his Transfiguration Christ showed his disciples the splendour
of his beauty, to which he will shape and color those who are his: ‘He will
reform our lowness configured to the body of his glory’” (Philippians 3:21)
(St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae).
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Ps
97:1-2, 5-6, 9; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Mark 9:2-10
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a
high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was
transfigured before
them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world
could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were
talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be
here. Let us put up three shelters— one for you, one for Moses and one for
Elijah. (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud
appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: This is my
Son, whom I love. Listen to him! Suddenly, when they looked round, they no
longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the
mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until
the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves,
discussing what rising from the dead meant. (Mark
9:2-10)
Listen to him!
One of the many advantages of a broad
education is that one is able thereby to put a thing in a wider context and
notice its significance. If you have studied Shakespeare and appreciate his
dramatic genius, you are in a better position to judge the significance of
an ordinary work of drama. If you are familiar with the history of
philosophy you are in a better position to judge the significance of
philosophical positions that are evident in everyday conversation and life.
If you are familiar with the religions of the world and their
histories you
are in a better position to judge a claim that, say, the founder of a
particular religion is a true and even the supreme prophet of God. Let us
take our Gospel scene today and attempt to put it into a broader context.
Jesus takes with him the three whom years later St Paul will call “the
pillars” of the infant Church and leads them up a “high mountain where they
were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.” Surely one is
immediately reminded of that great event many centuries before when Moses
went up the mountain of Sinai and was granted an encounter with Yahweh God.
The people were left below and Moses went up alone. Jesus goes up not alone
but with him those who represent the Church he was about to establish within
his new covenant. Moses returned with a veil covering his face for it glowed
because of the encounter. Christ’s whole person is transfigured. Our Gospel
today from Mark speaks of his clothes becoming so white that it dazzled. One
thinks of the sun. St Matthew tells us (17:2) that his very face “shone like
the sun.” St Luke informs us that this happened while Christ prayed and that
the appearance of his face changed (9:29). His face, then, displayed a
special glory. No other figure of the Old Testament was suddenly seen by key
witnesses to be shown in a glory comparable to this. What other figure in
the history of religion was transfigured in similar fashion? Mahomet?
Buddha? Obviously not.
For the witnesses of this event it was
absolutely unforgettable. In the Second Letter of St Peter of some decades
later the inspired author refers to this event (2 Peter 1: 17-18). The event
had passed into the consciousness of the infant Church. Christ “received
from God the Father honour and glory” on this occasion. We read that there
came to Christ “such a voice from the magnificent glory”, and it — this
voice — declared, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The
witnesses to this, the Letter states (1:16), were witnesses to the very
“majesty” of “our Lord Jesus Christ”. It was his majesty they saw being
revealed. For all the drama and spectacle of the theophany of Mount Sinai
some twelve hundred years before, Moses himself was not its focus. Yahweh
God and his commandments were its focus. But here in our Gospel passage
today, Jesus Christ is its focus. And there is more. The divine voice points
to him as the very Son of God. This is my Son whom I love. This is the order
of majesty that the disciples witness, and the voice from the cloud
instructs all to listen to him. He is the Teacher of God to whom the world
must listen. Moreover, the greatest figures of the Old Testament appear
before him talking of his passing he will soon accomplish. Moses and Elijah
— Moses representing the divine Law received on Sinai, and Elijah
representing the prophetic tradition — both appear showing forth the central
position occupied by Jesus Christ in the entire plan of God for the world.
Jesus Christ, the marvel of mankind! Jesus Christ the gift of God to the
world! And yet, his true glory being thus manifested we then see him
returned to his human simplicity, in all his gracious ordinariness.
“Suddenly, when they looked round, they no longer saw anyone with them
except Jesus” (Mark 9:2-10). Christ now
had the greatest of works to do. It was to die for the salvation of the
world. No one in all of history presumed to have such a mission. Christ was
born in order to lay down his life so that the entire world would have the
means of being free of its inexorable burden of sin. He was the Lamb through
whom victory would come.
Let us place ourselves in this scene among those privileged disciples and
gaze on this wondrous man, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Son of the
Father who now speaks. This is my Son whom I love. Listen to him! Let us
listen to him, then, listening as one who intends to obey. If you love me,
our Lord said, you will keep my commandments. Let us turn to Mary his
mother, and listen again to her instruction to the steward at the wedding
feast of Cana. Do whatever he tells you. Nothing more could please the
Father than that we listen to Jesus and do whatever he tells us.
(E.J.Tyler)
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Child, when you really are one, you will be all-powerful.
(The Way, no.863)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE
INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Sixth Chapter
THE EXCELLENCE OF A FREE MIND, GAINED THROUGH PRAYER RATHER THAN BY STUDY
THE DISCIPLE
IT IS the mark of a perfect man, Lord, never to let his mind relax in
attention to heavenly things, and to pass through many cares as though he
had none; not as an indolent man does, but having by the certain prerogative
of a free mind no disorderly affection for any created being.
(Continuing)
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It is the widow and the fatherless, the infirm, the helpless, the devoted,
bound together in prayer, who are the strength of the Church.
(JHN, from the sermon ‘The Good Part of Mary’ 1834)
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Friday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time
(August 7) St. Cajetan (1480-1557)
Like most of us, Cajetan seemed headed for an “ordinary” life—first as a
lawyer, then as a priest engaged in the work of the Roman Curia. His life
took a characteristic turn when he joined the Oratory of Divine Love in
Rome, a group devoted to piety and charity, shortly after his ordination at
36. When he was 42 he founded a hospital for incurables at Venice. At
Vicenza, he joined a “disreputable” religious community that consisted only
of men of the lowest stations of life—and was roundly censured by his
friends, who thought his action was a reflection on his family. He sought
out the sick and poor of the town and served them. The greatest need of the
time was the reformation of a Church that was “sick in head and members.”
Cajetan and three friends decided that the best road to reformation lay in
reviving the spirit and zeal of the clergy. (One of them later became Paul
IV.) Together they founded a congregation known as the Theatines (from Teate
[Chieti] where their first superior-bishop had his see). They managed to
escape to Venice after their house in Rome was wrecked when Charles V’s
troops sacked Rome in 1527. The Theatines were outstanding among the
Catholic reform movements that took shape before the Protestant Reformation.
He founded a monte de pieta (“mountain [or fund] of piety”) in Naples—one of
many charitable, nonprofit credit organizations that lent money on the
security of pawned objects. The purpose was to help the poor and protect
them against usurers. Cajetan’s little organization ultimately became the
Bank of Naples, with great changes in policy.
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Deuteronomy 4:32-40; Psalm
77:12-16 and 21; Matthew 16:24-28
Jesus said to his disciples, If
anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he
gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in
exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's
glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what
he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste
death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
(Matthew 16:24-28)
Give all to him!
One wonders what would have been the
upshot for Buddhism had Buddha been crucified. Consider what would have been
the future of the new religion in Arabia in the seventh century had Mahomet
been crucified a mere three years into his career of initiating Islam. Is it
imaginable that Mahomet would have chosen to allow himself to be crucified
by his enemies, and have said that this was of the essence of his mission in
life? Mahomet had a body of teaching as have many great religious founders,
but is it conceivable that
he might have seen himself as having the mission
of taking away the sins of the world? All this is unimaginable. Questions
like these help us to perceive the radical originality of the Christian
religion. The person of Christ is radically original in that this Man Jesus
claimed to be divine and backed up his claim not only with an original
revelation but with miracles that have not been equalled. Did Mahomet ever
cast out a demon, let alone very many of them? Did Buddha or Mahomet or
Zoroaster ever raise a person to life from the dead? Did any of them stride
across the surface of a turbulent inland Sea? Did any of them calm a raging
storm at a mere word? Can we imagine one of these great founders going forth
to accept death willingly as being central to his mission, having stated how
long he would be dead and buried, and promising to rise from the dead and to
come back to speak to his disciples? Christ actually fulfilled his promise.
By his own power he came back from the dead as he promised. Can we imagine
any one of them speaking of God as Christ did? The man Christ claimed to be
God — not God the Father, but God the Son. His enemies understood this. Who
on earth would or could have imagined the doctrine of the Trinity, of there
being only one God but three divine persons each of whom is this one only
God? The person of Christ was radically original in the history of mankind,
his mission was radically original, and his teaching was radically original.
Who is on a par with him in sheer holiness? There has never been anyone like
Jesus of Nazareth. The glory of the Christian is to have discovered the
person of Jesus Christ.
This discovery must be translated
into action. The tragedy of the Christian is not to have thrown in his lot
with Jesus Christ to such an extent that he loses everything except Christ
in the process. What is truly tragic is when he does not throw in his lot
with Jesus Christ at all, and so keeps everything except him. He is a
nominal Christian, a Christian by name, keeping to what he and the world
perceives to be the safe side of things. I remember one boy who hoped to be
a priest some day. He had a favourite uncle who was always cheerful and good
to him. He liked, admired and loved his uncle. His uncle heard of his
ambition some day to be a priest and he immediately tried to dissuade him of
it. He told him it would be a waste of his life. A true waste. The good
things of life would be lost — family, career, possessions, and the kind of
achievements that matter. The boy went on to be a priest and was forever
grateful to God for his calling. He always remembered his uncle’s advice and
the worldliness that it manifested. He always retained his affection for his
favourite uncle too, but that advice given to him in his youth was always a
reminder of what the following of Christ does not mean. It does not mean
keeping back what Christ is asking for. In our Gospel today Christ asks for
total dedication to his person and his teaching. “Jesus said to his
disciples, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up
his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a
man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man
give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-28).
There is no one comparable to Jesus Christ and for this reason he asks for a
dedication no other religious teacher has ever asked for. He asks that we
love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and that we express
this by obeying his commands. We are to love and obey him just as we would
God.
What will help us in this great
project of being a true Christian is the thought of the judgment of God. The
day will come when life will be over and we shall appear before the judgment
of God. Listen to what Christ says of this judgment, both the individual and
the general judgment. “The Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory
with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he
has done.” Life is short and eternity is long. The key to a blessed eternity
is the generous following of the person of Christ. So then, now I begin!
(E.J.Tyler)
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Being children you will have no cares: children quickly forget what troubles
them and return to their games. With abandonment, therefore, you will not
have to worry, since you will rest in the Father.
(The Way, no.864)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Sixth Chapter THE EXCELLENCE OF A
FREE MIND, GAINED THROUGH PRAYER RATHER THAN BY STUDY
THE DISCIPLE
Keep me, I beg You, most merciful God, from the cares of this life, lest I
be too much entangled in them. Keep me from many necessities of the body,
lest I be ensnared by pleasure. Keep me from all darkness of mind, lest I be
broken by troubles and overcome. I do not ask deliverance from those things
which worldly vanity desires so eagerly, but from those miseries which, by
the common curse of humankind, oppress the soul of Your servant in
punishment and keep him from entering into the liberty of spirit as often as
he would.
(Continuing)
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Let us … thank God that He has not put us into an evil world, or subjected
us to a cruel master, but has given us a continual record of His own
perfections in all that lies around us.
(JHN, from the sermon ‘Present Blessings’ 1839)
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Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop (Australia, August 8)
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Mt 25:34, 36, 40 Come, you blessed of my
Father, says the Lord: I was sick, and you visited me. Amen, I say to you:
whatever you did for one of the least of my brethren, you did it for me.
Collect O
God, source of all goodness, who have shown us in Saint Mary a woman of faith
living by the power of the Cross, teach us, we pray, by her example to live the
gospel in changing times and to respect and defend the human dignity of all in
our land. Through our Lord.
Blessed Mary
MacKillop 1842 — 1909 (in Australia)
On January 15, 1842 Mary MacKillop was born of Scottish
parents, Alexander MacKillop and Flora MacDonald in Fitzroy, Victoria. This
was
less than seven years after Faulkner sailed up the Yarra, when Elizabeth
Street was a deep gully and Lonsdale Street was still virgin bush. A plaque
in the footpath now marks the place of her birth in Brunswick Street,
Fitzroy. Mary, the eldest of eight children, was well educated by her father
who spent some years studying for the priesthood in Rome but through ill
health had returned to his native Scotland until 1835 when he migrated to
Australia with his parents. Unfortunately, he lacked financial awareness, so
the family was often without a home of their own, depending on friends and
relatives and frequently
separated
from one another. From the age of sixteen, Mary earned her living and
greatly supported her family, as a governess, as a clerk for Sands and Kenny
(now Sands and MacDougall), and as a teacher at the Portland school. While
acting as a governess to her uncle's children at Penola, Mary met Father
Julian Tenison Woods who, with a parish of 22,000 square miles/56,000 square
kilometres, needed help in the religious education of children in the
outback. At the time Mary's family depended on her income so she was not
free to follow her dream. However, in 1866, greatly inspired and encouraged
by Father Woods, Mary opened the first Saint Joseph's School in a disused
stable in Penola. Young women came to join Mary, and so the Congregation of
the Sisters of St Joseph was begun. In 1867, Mary was asked by Bishop Shiel
to come to Adelaide to start a school. From there, the Sisters spread, in
groups to small outback settlements and large cities around Australia, New
Zealand, and now in Peru, Brazil and refugee camps of Uganda and Thailand.
Mary and these early Sisters, together with other Religious Orders and Lay
Teachers of the time, had a profound influence on the forming of Catholic
Education as we have come to know and experience it today. She also opened
Orphanages,
Providences to care for the homeless and destitute both young and old, and
Refuges for ex-prisoners and ex-prostitutes who wished to make a fresh start
in life. Throughout her life, Mary met with opposition from people outside
the Church and even from some of those within it. In the most difficult of
times she consistently refused to attack those who wrongly accused her and
undermined her work, but continued in the way she believed God was calling
her and was always ready to forgive those who wronged her. Throughout her
life Mary suffered ill health. She died on August 8, 1909 in the convent in
Mount Street, North Sydney where her tomb is now enshrined. Since then the
Congregation has grown and now numbers about 1200, working mainly in
Australia and New Zealand but also scattered singly or in small groups
around the world. The "Brown Joeys" may be seen in big city schools, on
dusty bush tracks, in modern hospitals, in caravans, working with the
"little ones" of God — the homeless, the new migrant, the Aboriginal, the
lonely and the unwanted, in direct care and in advocacy, in standing with
and in speaking with. In their endeavours to reverence the human dignity of
others and to change unjust structures, the Sisters and those many others
who also share the Mary MacKillop spirit continue the work which she began.
This great Australian woman inspired great dedication to God's work in the
then new colonies. In today's world, she stands as an example of great
courage and trust in her living out of God's loving and compassionate care
of those in need.
Click here for more
information on Blessed Mary MacKillop
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Saturday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time
St. Dominic (1170-1221) (In the
universal calendar:)
If he hadn’t taken a trip with his bishop, Dominic would probably have
remained within the structure of contemplative life; after the trip,
1170-1221.jpg)
he
spent the rest of his life being a contemplative in active apostolic work.
Born in old Castile, Spain, he was trained for the priesthood by a
priest-uncle, studied the arts and theology, and became a canon of the
cathedral at Osma, where there was an attempt to revive the apostolic common
life of the Acts of the Apostles. On a journey through France with his
bishop, he came face to face with the then virulent Albigensian heresy at
Languedoc. The Albigensians (Cathari, “the pure”) held to two principles—one
good, one evil—in the world. All matter is evil—hence they denied the
Incarnation and sacraments. On the same principle they abstained from
procreation and took a minimum of food and drink. The inner circle led what
must he called a heroic life of purity and asceticism not shared by ordinary
followers. Dominic sensed the need for the Church to combat this heresy, and
was commissioned to be part of the preaching crusade against it. He saw
immediately why the preaching was not succeeding: the ordinary people
admired and followed the ascetical heroes of the Albigenses. Understandably,
they were not impressed by the Catholic preachers who travelled with horse
and retinues, stayed at the best inns and had servants. Dominic therefore,
with three Cistercians, began itinerant preaching according to the gospel
ideal. He continued this work for 10 years, being successful with the
ordinary people but not with the leaders. His fellow preachers gradually
became a community, and in 1215 he founded a religious house at Toulouse,
the beginning of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). His ideal, and that of
his Order, was to link organically a life with God, study and prayer in all
forms, with a ministry of salvation to people by the word of God. His ideal:
contemplata tradere: “to pass on the fruits of contemplation” or “to
speak only of God or with God. “ (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Deuteronomy 6:4-13; Psalm
18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 47 and 51; Matthew 17:14-20
When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.
Lord, have mercy on my son, he said. He has seizures and is suffering
greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to
your disciples, but they could not heal him. O unbelieving and perverse
generation, Jesus replied, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I
put up with you? Bring the boy here to me. Jesus rebuked the demon, and it
came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples
came to Jesus in private and asked, Why couldn't we drive it out? He
replied, Because you have so little faith. (Matthew
17:14-20)
Ask him for it!
One of the baffling things in man’s life of religion is the
response of God to prayer. At all times man has appealed to the powers above
for aid in his hour of need. At times exactly what he requests comes his
way, but at times it does not. What then is the use of praying for something,
when his receiving what he requested could well be simply a fortunate
coincidence? What really is the use of asking God for what we need? Now, let
us notice this. In the case of many who do not get precisely what they asked
for in prayer, their
faith in the power of prayer does not diminish.
Secondly though, their experience is that while their requests are not
always granted in the precise form in which they are presented, often they
are. For instance, they pray and they find what they had lost, be it a coin,
a key, an important document or whatever. They pray and the important job
they were seeking is offered them. Or again, there is a matter of great
anxiety and there seems to be no way out of the terrible impasse. The one in
this terrible perplexity prays and prays to God for help. The crisis comes
and goes with suffering in its wake, but by hindsight he comes to see that
the hand of the Lord was with him, and it took him through to a happy
situation he did not envisage. The Lord has answered his prayer without his
having noticed this being done. But of course, this is not always the case.
A person with an incurable illness goes with his relatives to Lourdes in
France with the hope of being granted a cure. After all, other cures have
been granted. Though he admits to having received benefits from his devout
pilgrimage to Lourdes, he is not cured of his cancer. The long and the short
of it is that, as all believers know, while Christ urges us to pray for what
we need and to pray persistently, a mere asking does not ensure that we
shall receive precisely what we ask for. Such is the problem of prayer.
What are we to say about this? Firstly, we must always remember that Christ
repeatedly and insistently urges us to pray for what we need. If we believe
that he is our Redeemer and our God, we must believe in his word on this
point as on any point. If in effect we do not believe him on this, what does
this say of our understanding of his person? Ask and you will receive, he
says. Obviously this cannot mean that a mere verbal asking will bring the
desired result. This would be the shortest way to the practice of magic one
could think of. It must involve a deeply prayerful attitude of soul. What
Christ is insisting on in these words — that if we ask we shall receive
— is the
importance of faith. We must truly believe in the power and the goodness of
Christ to hear our prayer. If we pray for something without that faith in
Christ then, to begin with, we shall quickly give up on our petition.
Secondly, if we pray without that faith, we shall not be praying with the
inner dependence on God which the prayer of petition requires. We shall lack
reverence in our prayer. Consider our Gospel scene today in which “a man
approached Jesus and knelt before him. Lord, have mercy on my son, he said.
He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or
into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal
him” (Matthew 17:14-20). The man
approached Jesus and knelt before him. He showed him very great reverence
and respect, presenting his impossible need in all humility and yet
confident of his goodness and power. Now, is there any instance in the
Gospel of a request being refused when these dispositions are present?
Rarely. However, consider one request presented to our Lord by three persons
who loved him greatly. The mother of the sons of James and John came to our
Lord with her sons and bowed low. What is it you want me to do for you,
Jesus asked. Place these boys of mine at your right and left when you come
in glory. “You do not know what you are asking,” our Lord said. In any case
these places are for those to whom my Father has allotted them. That is
instructive. Our Lord did not tell her she should not have asked for this,
but in its precise form it was not granted. God has his plans and he knows
best.
The ways of God are inscrutable but what is abundantly clear is that Christ
our Lord insistently and unambiguously asks us to ask God for what we need.
As Cardinal Newman once said, God generally hears our prayers by the route
of extension: he extends nature’s ordinary course and his Providence nudges
in a certain direction. God does not normally suspend the laws of nature he
himself has established. However, we ought be constantly asking God to help
us in all we need. More, when we feel drawn to it and when before God we
think it would be in accord with his will, we ought boldly pray even for a
miracle. Miracles are granted and they have been confirmed by the Church. St
Alphonsus Ligouri writes that the reason why we do not receive more from God
is that we do not ask for more. Let us then in all our needs turn to Christ as did the man in our
Gospel today.
(E.J.Tyler)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Child, each day offer him... even your frailties.
(The Way, no.865)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE
INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Sixth Chapter
THE EXCELLENCE OF A FREE MIND, GAINED THROUGH PRAYER RATHER THAN BY STUDY
THE DISCIPLE
My God, Sweetness beyond words, make bitter all the carnal comfort that
draws me from love of the eternal and lures me to its evil self by the sight
of some delightful good in the present. Let it not overcome me, my God. Let
not flesh and blood conquer me. Let not the world and its brief glory
deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness. Give me courage to
resist, patience to endure, and constancy to persevere. Give me the soothing
unction of Your spirit rather than all the consolations of the world, and in
place of carnal love, infuse into me the love of Your name.
(Continuing)
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The martyrs, the confessors of the Church, bishops, evangelists, doctors,
preachers, monks, hermits, ascetical teachers,—have they not, one and all,
as their histories show, lived on the very name of Jesus, as food, as
medicine, as fragrance, as light, as life from the dead?
(JHN, from the sermon ‘Waiting for Christ’ 1856)
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Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time B
Prayers this week:
Lord, be true to
your covenant, forget not the life of your poor ones for ever. Rise up, O
God, and defe nd your cause; do not ignore the shouts of your enemies. (Psalm 73: 20.19.22.23)
Almighty and ever-living God, your Spirit made us your children,
confident to call you Father. Increase your Spirit within us and bring us to
our promised inheritance.
We ask
this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
(August 9) St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith
Stein) (1891-1942)
A brilliant philosopher who stopped believing in God when she was 14, Edith
Stein was so captivated by reading the autobiography of Teresa of Avila
(October 15) that she began a spiritual journey that led to her
Baptism
in 1922. Twelve years later she imitated Teresa
by
becoming a Carmelite, taking the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Born
into a prominent Jewish family in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland), Edith
abandoned Judaism in her teens. As a student at the University of Göttingen,
she became fascinated by phenomenology, an approach to philosophy. Excelling
as a protégé of Edmund Husserl, one of the leading phenomenologists, Edith
earned a doctorate in philosophy in 1916. She continued as a university
teacher until 1922 when she moved to a Dominican school in Speyer; her
appointment as lecturer at the Educational Institute of Munich ended under
pressure from the Nazis. After living in the Cologne Carmel (1934-38), she
moved to the Carmelite monastery in Echt, Netherlands. The Nazis occupied
that country in 1940. In retaliation for being denounced by the Dutch
bishops, the Nazis arrested all Dutch Jews who had become Christians. Teresa
Benedicta and her sister Rosa, also a Catholic, died in a gas chamber in
Auschwitz on August 9, 1942. Pope John Paul II beatified Teresa Benedicta in
1987 and canonized her 12 years later.
The writings of Edith Stein fill 17 volumes, many of which have
been translated into English. A woman of integrity, she followed the truth
wherever it led her. After becoming a Catholic, Edith continued to honor her
mother’s Jewish faith. Sister Josephine Koeppel, O.C.D. , translator of
several of Edith’s books, sums up this saint with the phrase, “Learn to live
at God’s hands.” (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: 1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm
34:2-9; Ephesians 4:30—5:2; John 6:41-51
At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, I am the bread
that came down from heaven. They said, Is this not Jesus,
the son of Joseph,
whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from
heaven'? Stop grumbling among yourselves, Jesus answered. No-one can come to
me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the
last day. It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.'
Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. No-one
has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the
Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the
bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.
But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and
not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of
this bread, he will live for ever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give
for the life of the world. (John 6:41-51)
The pledge of future glory
I am sure we could say that
anyone who claimed that he would not die would be laughed out of court.
Everyone dies — and this ordinary and common certitude seems to be based on
the fact that no-one mankind knows of has escaped death. The certitude that
death will come to me would seem to be based on likeness. Because I am like
— that is, the same type of being as — all those other human beings who have
died, I am sure I too shall die. I am like them in living, so I have no
doubt that I shall be like them in
dying. It is fundamentally an
overwhelming probability that constitutes a certitude. While we have no idea
how we shall die because we see that our fellow human beings die in all
sorts of ways, we are absolutely certain that like them we shall die. The
case is somewhat different with what happens after death. While we see
without exception that everyone dies, we see nothing of what happens to them
after death. Most people believe that life continues after death and
generally this belief is based on religion or a philosophy. Normally it is
based on religious faith, but even here the spectrum of belief is enormous
and radically varied. If one’s view of the Afterlife were to be based on the
voice of mankind or some form of common consent (for it cannot be based on
observation) one would be left impossibly confused. There is the varied
picture coming from the indigenous religions. There is the range of
testimony coming from ancient religions such as those of Greece, Egypt and
Rome. There are the expectations entertained by, say, Zoroastrianism and the
Norse religions. There are the great world religions which include the
reincarnation beliefs of Buddhism. We could not possibly canvass here the
views of mankind on life after death, except to say that generally man
believes in his survival after this life has come to its close. His main,
though not exclusive, source for this belief is his religious faith — varied
as that is. In view of the capital importance of the question of what
happens after we die, it is a fair question to ask what is the foundation of
our personal belief.
The Christian has a clear and explicit answer to this question. The reason
why he believes in the Afterlife is that it has been historically revealed
by God. To an increasing extent it was revealed prior to the coming of
Christ and then he, Christ, revealed it with incomparable clarity. No one in
the entire sweep of the Scriptures has given such a clear revelation of the
divine Judgment and of its consequences in Heaven or Hell as has Jesus
Christ. Here I speak of his teaching. But even more importantly, there is
the unique fact of his personal example. By this I mean that inasmuch as he
rose from the dead and appeared in his real body as glorified, we have the
surest basis possible for belief in an Afterlife and the knowledge of what
this involves. It involves sharing in Christ’s risen life in glory. This
utterly transforms the sombre fear of death that necessarily hangs like a
dark pall over the life and thought of mankind. Death has been transformed
by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We now know what is ahead of
us with palpable clarity. Where Christ has gone we hope to follow. But there
is a pivotal consideration here, and it concerns what we must do for all
this to happen. It will not happen automatically — as do some things. Death
occurs automatically. We have no choice about that. It is a universal
pattern and we shall be part of it. There is something else that
“automatically” happens. It is that the divine Judgement will follow death.
We must pass that Test if we are to share with Christ in his glory. Now,
what must we do on our part to share the life of Christ in glory? “Your
forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the
bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the
living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he
will live for ever” (John 6:41-51). In
the first instance this means truly believing in Jesus, accepting his word,
and obeying his commandments. Secondly it means living by his word on the
holy Eucharist. “This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of
the world”.
The Eucharist is Christ’s pledge to us of future glory. It fills us with
every grace and heavenly blessing. The Eucharist is Christ in all his risen
fullness. It fortifies us for our pilgrimage in this life and gives us a
longing to be with Jesus in heaven. It unites us here on earth now to him
who is at the right hand of the Father, to the Church in heaven including
the Virgin Mary and all the angels and saints in heaven. The holy Eucharist
is our pledge of future glory, a wonderful downpayment of the abundant
treasure that is to come to those who live and die in Jesus.
(E.J.Tyler)
Further reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church,
no. 1402-1405
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Good child: offer him the work of those labourers who do not know him; offer
him the natural joy of those poor little ones who are brought up in pagan
schools.
(The Way, no.866)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL
CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Sixth Chapter
THE EXCELLENCE OF A FREE MIND, GAINED THROUGH PRAYER RATHER THAN BY STUDY
THE DISCIPLE
Behold, eating, drinking, clothing, and other necessities that sustain the
body are burdensome to the fervent soul. Grant me the grace to use such
comforts temperately and not to become entangled in too great a desire for
them. It is not lawful to cast them aside completely, for nature must be
sustained, but Your holy law forbids us to demand superfluous things and
things that are simply for pleasure, else the flesh would rebel against the
spirit. In these matters, I beg, let Your hand guide and direct me, so that
I may not overstep the law in any way.
(Continuing)
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The fault, then, which we must guard against
in receiving such Divine intimations, is the ambition of being wiser than
what is written; of employing the Reason, not in carrying out what is told
us, but in impugning it; not in support, but in prejudice of Faith.
Brilliant as are
such
exhibitions of its powers, they bear no fruit.
(John Henry Newman, from the University
sermon ‘The Theory of developments in Religious Doctrine’ (1843)
---------------------------
In this extract from a prayer of
Cardinal Newman’s, he speaks to Christ
about the meaning of the gift of Holy Communion:
Thou didst know well that nothing else would support our
immortal natures, our frail hearts, but Thyself; and so Thou didst take a
human flesh and blood, that they, as being the flesh and blood of God, might
be our life.
O what an awful thought! Thou dealest otherwise with others, but, as to me,
the flesh and blood of God is my sole life. I shall perish without it; yet
shall I not perish with it and by it? How can I raise myself to such an act
as to feed upon God? O my God, I am in a strait—shall I go forward, or shall
I go back? I will go forward: I will go to meet Thee. I will open my mouth,
and receive Thy gift. I do so with great awe and fear, but what else can I
do? to whom should I go but to Thee? Who can save me but Thou? Who can
cleanse me but Thou? Who can make me overcome myself but Thou? Who can raise
my body from the grave but Thou? Therefore I come to Thee in all these my
necessities, in fear, but in faith.
(JHN, Meditations and Devotions)
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Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr (d. 258?) (August 10)
(August 10) Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr (d. 258?)
The esteem in which the Church holds Lawrence is seen in the fact that
today’s celebration ranks as a feast. We know very little about
his life. He
is one of those whose martyrdom made a deep and lasting impression on the
early Church. Celebration of his feast day spread rapidly. He was a Roman
deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II. Four days after this pope was put to death,
Lawrence and four clerics suffered martyrdom, probably during the
persecution of the Emperor Valerian. Legendary details of his death were
known to Damasus, Prudentius, Ambrose and Augustine. The church built over
his tomb became one of the seven principal churches in Rome and a favorite
place for Roman pilgrimages. A well-known legend has persisted from earliest
times. As deacon in Rome, Lawrence was charged with the responsibility for
the material goods of the Church, and the distribution of alms to the poor.
When Lawrence knew he would be arrested like the pope, he sought out the
poor, widows and orphans of Rome and gave them all the money he had on hand,
selling even the sacred vessels to increase the sum. When the prefect of
Rome heard of this, he imagined that the Christians must have considerable
treasure. He sent for Lawrence and said, “You Christians say we are cruel to
you, but that is not what I have in mind. I am told that your priests offer
in gold, that the sacred blood is received in silver cups, that you have
golden candlesticks at your evening services. Now, your doctrine says you
must render to Caesar what is his. Bring these treasures—the emperor needs
them to maintain his forces. God does not cause money to be counted: He
brought none of it into the world with him—only words. Give me the money,
therefore, and be rich in words.” Lawrence replied that the Church was
indeed rich. “I will show you a valuable part. But give me time to set
everything in order and make an inventory.” After three days he gathered a
great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed persons
and put them in rows. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These
are the treasure of the Church.” The prefect was so angry he told Lawrence
that he would indeed have his wish to die—but it would be by inches. He had
a great gridiron prepared, with coals beneath it, and had Lawrence’s body
placed on it. After the martyr had suffered the pain for a long time, the
legend concludes, he made his famous cheerful remark, “It is well done. Turn
me over!” (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; Psalm
112:1-2, 5-9; John 12:24-26
I tell you the truth, unless a grain
of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain. But
if it dies, it produces much fruit. The man who loves his life will lose it,
while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal
life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will
be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.
(John 12:24-26)
Dying with
Christ I
make a passing observation. It is that the bent of our Lord’s human
intellect seems to have been towards analogies rather than, say,
philosophical abstraction. Compare the character of his discourses with
those of, say, a Greek philosopher. Our Lord characteristically used images,
examples, comparisons drawn from life and the world. He likes to point to
the many patterns in the world and, in showing their similarity to patterns
in religion, explains his doctrine. His teaching abounds in stories and
parables which of course
makes
his teaching accessible both to the common man and to the savant. For
example, take the image our Lord employs in our Gospel passage today. “I
tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it
remains only a single grain. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.” Our
Lord points to a pattern in nature with which all are familiar: the grain of
wheat passing away and then budding anew in much fruit. Our Lord uses this
very natural feature of the world as an analogy or likeness of something far
more significant, which is the generosity which must mark the life of the
Christian. His life must be like the grain of wheat that “falls in to the
ground and dies.” The analogy illustrates the dying to self of the genuine
Christian and his rising to a new life in Christ. We see what happens when
the grain of wheat dies. So too we can expect that much fruit will be borne
if we die to self in our following of Christ. The analogy serves as an
illustration and as a kind of proof. I have often thought that this teaching
is also a key to understanding the meaning of this pattern we see everywhere
in nature. Life is taken away and other things benefit. One living thing is
preyed upon by another and the fruit of this is that the cycle of life
continues. It is a reflection of a marvellous law that itself comes forth
from the heart of God, that whatever exists is called to give up itself for
the other.
In our Gospel passage today our Lord
gives us the key not only to seeing much fruit come forth from our efforts,
but good fruit, fruit that will bring eternal life, fruit that will please
God. A great artist spends his talents ephemerally and conducts his private
life in a manner that constitutes what in many respects the Gospel calls
scandal. He achieves “much fruit,” but it is not what pleases God. That is
to say, there is a critically important element in our Lord’s use of his
analogy, and it is his reference to his own example. “Whoever serves me must
follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour
the one who serves me” (John 12:24-26).
In other words, it is our Lord’s own example that is the reference point for
understanding the analogy of the grain of wheat that dies. Much good fruit
will come provided that in our dying we die with Christ. This is important
for the fact is that many in history and in the experience of the common man
sacrifice themselves utterly for their ideals. They lay down their lives for
their goals and very often as a result of this great sacrifice of themselves
their goals are indeed achieved. The question is, though, in what spirit did
they do this, and what was the moral value of the goal for which they
sacrificed themselves. Great harm can come from great self-sacrifice. The
suicide bomber sacrifices his life and numerous innocent people are blown to
pieces. It is not sufficient merely to imitate the grain of wheat that dies.
Nor is it sufficient for “much fruit” to come forth from this
self-sacrifice. The question remains, in what spirit did I do this, and what
exactly was my goal. For it to be the truly good fruit which God wishes to
see come forth from my life I must follow Christ in his self-sacrifice.
Where I am, he says, my servant will also be. My Father will honour the one
who serves me. We must work hard for our goals in life, even to the point of
self-sacrifice. But this is only if our goals are in accord with the will of
God, and pursued in union with Christ. Let this mind be in you that was in
Christ Jesus, St Paul writes.
Christ is the key to understanding
the very course and constitution of the world. The love he showed is the
revelation of the Father and his love is the revelation of the true meaning
of all life and creation. The works of God, when we have the key to it,
reflect the teaching and example of Christ who is the master Teacher of
mankind. On the mountain the voice of the Father was heard: This is my Son
whom I love. Listen to him. He sacrificed himself for us. As St Paul writes,
Christ loved me and gave himself for me. Let us resolve to follow in his
footsteps, then!
(E.J.Tyler)
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Children have nothing of their own, everything belongs to their father...,
and your Father always knows best how to manage your affairs.
(The Way, no.867)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Seventh Chapter
SELF-LOVE IS THE GREATEST HINDRANCE TO THE HIGHEST GOOD
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, you should give all for all, and in no way belong to yourself. You
must know that self-love is more harmful to you than anything else in the
world. In proportion to the love and affection you have for a thing, it will
cling to you more or less. If your love is pure, simple, and well ordered,
you will not be a slave to anything. Do not covet what you may not have. Do
not possess anything that can hinder you or rob you of freedom.
(Continuing)
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One aspect of Revelation must not be allowed to exclude or to obscure
another.
(JHN, from An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine 1845)
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Monday of the
nineteenth week in Ordinary Time B-2
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Ps 74 (73): 20,
19, 22, 23 Look to your covenant, O Lord, and
forget not the life of your poor ones for ever. Arise, O God, and defend your
cause, and forget not the cries of those who seek you.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our
Father, bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts the spirit of adoption as
your sons and daughters, that we may merit to enter into the inheritance which
you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns
with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
click centre arrow
Scripture today: Ezechiel 1; 2-5.24-28;
Psalm 148; Matthew 17:22-27
As Jesus and his disciples were
gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over
to men, and they will kill
him,
and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief.
When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of
the temple tax approached Peter and
said, “Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes,” he said. When he came
into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your
opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?
From their subjects or from foreigners?” When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus
said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go
to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its
mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for
me and for you.” (Matthew 17:22-27)
Sons of the
King Our Gospel text would seem to consist of two
distinct events, perhaps unconnected in a formal sense. There is our Lord’s
prophecy of his Passion, Death and Resurrection, and there is the incident
concerning the temple tax. On an earlier occasion at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew
16:13), Our Lord told his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem, to
suffer grievously, to be put to death and on the third day to rise again. This
first prophecy came after Peter’s magnificent profession of faith in Jesus as
the Messiah
and
Son of God. Christ signalled his building of his Church, and his appointment of
Simon as its Rock and as the holder of the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven
(Matthew 16:13-20). He then went on to make his first prophecy of the Passion
(Matthew 16: 21-23). The second prophecy of the Passion, Death and Resurrection
is said by St Matthew to have occurred “one day when they were together in
Galilee” (Matthew 17:21). He places it in his text after the Transfiguration and
his healing of the epileptic demoniac (Matthew 17: 1-20). The first prophecy
evoked protests from Simon Peter. This second one caused a great sadness among
his disciples ( Matthew 17: 23). But then we are told of a distinct incident -
it happened “when they reached Capernaum” (Matthew 17: 24). The collectors of
the half-shekel tax for the upkeep of the Temple approached Peter and asked if
his master paid the tax? Peter answered without any hesitation that he certainly
did - indicating to us that Jesus Christ was a dutiful member of the people of
God, doing all that was recommended and expected. He paid the temple tax, and we
must presume, of course, that he paid the civil tax to the Roman authorities. He
would have done these things as he was growing up, as would Joseph his
foster-father. He rendered to Caesar what belonged to Caesar. Christ instilled a
due obedience to civil authority. We see in both St Paul’s Letters and in 1
Peter the directive to obey civil authorities. In 1 Peter, St Peter directs his
readers “For the sake of the Lord, (to) accept the authority of every social
institution: the emperor, as the supreme authority, and the governors..” (1
Peter 2:13-14).
But what is the meaning of our scene today? Yes, Peter replies to the Temple
official, his master does pay the Temple tax, and then he went into the house to
speak to our Lord about it. Before he could raise the matter, our Lord raised it
with him - perhaps our Lord had seen the conversation going on outside, or it
could have been one of the many instances in the Gospels of his divine
prescience. Yes, we pay our taxes, Simon, but I ask you, do sons/subjects pay
such things? No! Now, we are “sons” of “the kingdom”! Our Lord is using the
occasion to stress the unique dignity of his own Self and the Kingdom of which
he was King. Our Lord is turning the incident into a kind of parable or sign of
something far greater, which, though, is immersed in the things of this world.
As Messiah and King of the Kingdom of Heaven, his dignity transcends those who
have, say, the privilege of not paying a tax. We have a further point being made
by our Lord. Not only is he the “Son” in his Father’s “Kingdom,” but he stresses
here his unity with Simon Peter. Christ will share his dignity with Simon.
“Jesus said to him, ‘Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend
them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open
its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them
for me and for you’” (Matthew 17:22-27).
Christ shares his lot with Simon. He has called Simon to a special friendship
with him and to a sharing in his mission. In the earlier occasion of Simon’s
profession of faith, our Lord signalled his sharing of privileges with Simon
Peter. Here he also refers in a kind of allegory to his sharing of life and
privileges with Simon Peter - and through him with all of us. We are all “sons”
of the “king.” Our dignity as members of Jesus Christ surpasses that of the
children of this world who may or may not have temporal privileges and
exemptions. As St Peter writes, “You are slaves of no one except God, so behave
like free men” (1 Peter 2: 16). But, with Jesus Christ, we are immersed in the
world so as to save it in union with him.
Let us place ourselves in this simple Gospel scene. On the one hand we have our
Lord’s solemn prediction of his Passion, Death and Resurrection. On the other
hand we have this simple incident of the Temple tax. Our Lord refers to the
altogether special dignity of those who belong to the Kingdom of Heaven, those
who by their faith and by baptism are in him who is the Son. Simon Peter enjoys
a special communion with Jesus Christ and a special office to act in his name.
But he is also our representative, in that like him, we are blessed with a
special dignity of being sons and daughters of the Father, sharing in the life
of Jesus Christ. Let us live this to the full, then!
(E.J.Tyler)
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Tuesday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time
(August 11) St. Clare (1194-1253)
One of the more sugary movies made about Francis of Assisi pictures Clare as
a golden-haired beauty floating through sun-drenched fields, a sort of
one-woman counterpart to the new Franciscan Order. The beginning of her
religious life was indeed movie material.
Having
refused to marry at 15, she was moved by the dynamic preaching of Francis.
He became her lifelong friend and spiritual guide. At 18, she escaped one
night from her father’s home, was met on the road by friars carrying
torches, and in the poor little chapel called the Portiuncula received a
rough woolen habit, exchanged her jewelled belt for a common rope with knots
in it, and sacrificed the long tresses to Francis’ scissors. He placed her
in a Benedictine convent which her father and uncles immediately stormed in
rage. She clung to the altar of the church, threw aside her veil to show her
cropped hair and remained adamant. End of movie material. Sixteen days later
her sister Agnes joined her. Others came. They lived a simple life of great
poverty, austerity and complete seclusion from the world, according to a
Rule which Francis gave them as a Second Order (Poor Clares). Francis
obliged her under obedience at age 21 to accept the office of abbess, one
she exercised until her death. The nuns went barefoot, slept on the ground,
ate no meat and observed almost complete silence. (Later Clare, like
Francis, persuaded her sisters to moderate this rigor: “Our bodies are not
made of brass.”) The greatest emphasis, of course, was on gospel poverty.
They possessed no property, even in common, subsisting on daily
contributions. When even the pope tried to persuade her to mitigate this
practice, she showed her characteristic firmness: “I need to be absolved
from my sins, but I do not wish to be absolved from the obligation of
following Jesus Christ.” Contemporary accounts glow with admiration of her
life in the convent of San Damiano in Assisi. She served the sick, waited on
table, washed the feet of the begging nuns. She came from prayer, it was
said, with her face so shining it dazzled those about her. She suffered
serious illness for the last 27 years of her life. Her influence was such
that popes, cardinals and bishops often came to consult her—she never left
the walls of San Damiano.
Francis always remained her great friend and inspiration. She
was always obedient to his will and to the great ideal of gospel life which
he was making real. A well-known story concerns her prayer and trust. She
had the Blessed Sacrament placed on the walls of the convent when it faced
attack by invading Saracens. “Does it please you, O God, to deliver into the
hands of these beasts the defenseless children I have nourished with your
love? I beseech you, dear Lord, protect these whom I am now unable to
protect.” To her sisters she said, “Don’t be afraid. Trust in Jesus.” The
Saracens fled. (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Deut
32:3-4ab, 7, 8, 9 and 12; Matthew 18:1-5, 10-14
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven? He called a little child and had him
stand among
them. And he said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like
little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore,
whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes
me. See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell
you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders
away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the
one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is
happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander
off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these
little ones should be lost.
(Matthew 18:1-5, 10,
12-14)
Small is beautiful
Animals afford
unending fascination. Witness the unfading popularity of nature
documentaries and the success of Sir David Attenborough’s natural history
films. But notice too one element in this: the astounding beauty not only of
grand scenes and powerful animal life but of the tiniest creatures too. The
tiniest marine life, the unnoticed life of the desert steppes, all have
their beauty and their fascination. Or again, take some dog show: all sorts
of dogs are paraded before the judge. There are large and powerful dogs,
medium sized dogs that can perform unusual feats, sheep dogs with amazing
prowess in getting sheep to do their bidding. Yet which dog wins the prize?
It is a small Scottish Terrier. Its perfect proportions and style of
movement gives it the edge on all the others that dominate the scene and
draw more of the attention of the audience than it does. Moreover, the
Scottish Terrier has itself no impression of its being the winner of the contest.
It is content with what it is and in that setting, at least, has no urge to
be the “top dog.” Now, take the human scene. How many humans commonly desire
to be, as we may put it, “the top dog.” Much of human history can be
accounted for by the powerful desire to be “the top dog.” It can be said to
be endemic and one can scarcely imagine a modern society running on a
different basis. I remember one politician who subsequently became the
leader of his political party. He observed that parliamentary life is a zoo. He
was saying that the life of parliament was run on the law of dog eats dog,
on the law of the jungle, on the only survivor being the fittest. Of course,
there is a place in life for a spirit of competition but this has to be
sanctified and turned in the direction of genuine service. Even apart from
the drive to dominate in one's work, it is commonly assumed that it is work that is large
and noticeable and that occupies the largest portion of the stage which is
the best and most admirable. Not so. As the economist Fritz Schumacher wrote
in 1973 in his well-known book (Small is Beautiful), it is the small that is (or rather can be)
beautiful.
I have been referring to the desire which throbs at the heart of creation to
be great. All things desire, in their way, to be great. By this I mean that
there is a quest for perfection evident everywhere in creation. Things
manifest a thrust towards fulfilment, an undying impulse to attain their
best. This reaches its apogee in the human being and in human society, where
the great surging ocean of humanity beats with its aspiration for the best.
Man desires perfection. He wishes to be great and this is a God-given
impulse implanted in his nature. The critical question is, in what does true
greatness consist and how is man to attain it? It cannot mean being “the top
dog” — the example of the tiniest marine life in all its beauty shows this,
as does the Scottish Terrier that wins the show. As Schumacher wrote (in
reference to human work) “small is beautiful.” What then does it mean to be
great and excellent, and is this within the reach of the little person, the
humble and ordinary individual who does not have anything like the talents
of his fellows? On one occasion the mother of James and John came to Jesus
with her two sons and asked that he place them one at his right and the
other at his left in his Kingdom. She wanted them to be at the top. He said
they did not know what they were asking. It meant drinking his cup — and in
any case the top places were the business of his heavenly Father. Above all
it means drinking Christ’s cup — imitating him in his self-abasement and
self-sacrifice in the service of others. So too in our Gospel passage today.
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven?” Who is it who is great, even in the kingdom of
heaven? Our Lord’s answer is the opposite of that of the world. “He called a
little child and had him stand among them. And he said: I tell you the
truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this
child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”
(Matthew 18:1-5). We must serve and serve in humility if we wish
to attain that greatness God has planned for us. Christ is the model of true
greatness.
St Paul writes that Christ, though he had the form and glory of God, gave it
all up and became as we men are, and humbler still, even to death on a
cross. And so God raised him on high, above all others. Our Lord said that
the one who humbles himself will be exalted and the one who exalts himself
will be humbled. Christ holds the key to human greatness and this is, in
him, within the reach of all. We shall be great to the extent that we are
humble in our obedient service of God and others. It will be a hidden
greatness, hidden from the world, but in full view of God.
(E.J.Tyler)
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Be small, very small. No more than two years old, three at the most. For
older children are little rascals who already want to deceive their
parents
with bare-faced lies.
It is because they have the inclination to sin, — fomes peccati — but
they lack the experience of evil, which will teach them the science of
sinning and show them how to lend an appearance of truth to the falseness of
their deceits.
They have lost their simplicity, and without simplicity it is impossible to
be a child before God.
(The Way, no.868)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE
INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Seventh Chapter
SELF-LOVE IS THE GREATEST HINDRANCE TO THE HIGHEST GOOD
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
It is strange that you do not commit yourself to Me with your whole heart,
together with all that you can desire or possess. Why are you consumed with
foolish sorrow? Why are you wearied with unnecessary care? Be resigned to My
will and you will suffer no loss.
(Continuing)
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[God] does not repel us from His Presence till we have prepared some
offering to bring before Him, or have made some good progress in the way of
life. No; He has begun His dealings with us with special, spontaneous acts
of mercy.
(JHN, from the sermon ‘Attendance on Holy Communion’ (1842)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Wednesday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time
(August 12) St. Louis of Toulouse (1274-1297)
When he died at the age of 23, Louis was already a
Franciscan, a bishop and a saint! Louis’s parents were Charles II of Naples
and Sicily and Mary, daughter of the King of Hungary. Louis was related to
St. Louis IX on his father’s side and to Elizabeth of Hungary on his
mother’s side. Louis showed early signs of attachment to prayer and to the
corporal works of mercy. As a child he used to take food from the castle to
feed the poor. When he was 14, Louis and two of his brothers were taken as
hostages to the king of Aragon’s court as part of a political deal involving
Louis’s father. At the court Louis was tutored by Franciscan friars under
whom he made great progress both in his studies and in the spiritual life.
Like St. Francis he developed a special love for those afflicted with
leprosy. While he was still a hostage, Louis decided to renounce his royal
title and become a priest. When he was 20, he was allowed to leave the king
of Aragon’s court. He renounced his title in favour of his brother Robert
and was ordained the next year. Very shortly after, he was appointed bishop
of Toulouse, but the pope agreed to Louis’s request to become a Franciscan
first. The Franciscan spirit pervaded Louis. "Jesus Christ is all my riches;
he alone is sufficient for me," Louis kept repeating. Even as a bishop he
wore the Franciscan habit and sometimes begged. He assigned a friar to offer
him correction — in public if necessary — and the friar did his job. Louis’s
service to the Diocese of Toulouse was richly blessed. In no time he was
considered a saint. Louis set aside 75 percent of his income as bishop to
feed the poor and maintain churches. Each day he fed 25 poor people at his
table. Louis was canonized in 1317 by Pope John XXII, one of his former
teachers.
"All the faithful were edified by the fervour of his devout
celebration of Mass, the efficacy of his deep humility, his tender
compassion, his upright life, the harmonious congruity in all his actions,
words and bearing. Who without wonderment could look upon a most charming
young man, the son of so mighty a king, outstanding for his generosity,
raised to such dignity, renowned for his influence, preeminent for humility,
living a life of such mortification, endowed with such wisdom, clothed in so
poor a habit yet renowned for the charm of his discourse and a shining
example of upright life?" (contemporary biography). (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm
66:1-3a, 5 and 8, 16-17; Matthew 18:15-20
If your brother sins against you, go
and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you,
you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two
others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of
two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the
church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you
would a pagan or a tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about
anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For
where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.
(Matthew 18:15-20)
Show him his fault
Notice a feature of social and
national life: the freedom to criticise and the prevalence of criticism. In
any democracy it is taken as a basic principle that criticism must be
allowed. A free press is insisted on as a basic right of a democratic
society because it is able freely to correct faults and wrongs being
perpetrated in the society or in the world at large. Without that criticism
broadcast before all, evils remain unnoticed and can thus proceed
uncorrected. With that criticism, legitimate opposition to the evil can be
galvanized and perceived evils can be corrected. Again, a kernel of the
modern democracy is the presence in its parliament of an Opposition. The
function of a parliamentary Opposition is to criticise and correct. It
criticises policies of the sitting Government, it freely expresses its
corrections and with the aid of media publicity hopes to win the agreement
of the population at large. The expression of correction is a basic
necessity if evil is to be resisted and if good is to flourish. A
fundamental institution of the democratic state is the ballot and this too
is a form of correction. The population is able to express and enforce
corrections of perceived evils by its ballot. All of society depends on the
presence of the power to correct. Within a family it is evident that — though there can be abuses
— parents must correct their children. All know
that if there is no correction given, the child will be at the mercy of his
impulses not only as a child but much more seriously as an adult. Parents
too need to be corrected at times and it is a further question who is to
express the correction. Within schools education requires the freedom to
correct. Alternatively, take a society in which criticism and correction is
not allowed — and there are many such societies. The press is supervised and
becomes virtually a mouthpiece of the dictatorship. No Opposition is allowed
in the institutions of government. Schools become a form of indoctrination
and churches are suppressed. All correction or criticism is put down. It is
obvious to ordinary reflection that such a situation is profoundly unhealthy
and a seed-bed of great evils.
Of course, correction can be given
in bad faith and for a variety of self-serving motives, so there has to be
discrimination in evaluating criticism both when it is given and when it is
received. But the value and importance of correction is what any reasonable
person ought be able to see and act upon. Well now, what does Jesus Christ,
the Son of God made man, have to say about all this? Does Christ speak of
the giving and receiving of correction which ordinary reflection shows to be
fundamental for the health of individuals and societies? Yes, and he intends
his confirmation of it to apply not only to society but to the inner life of
the Church. “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault,
just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother
over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that
'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three
witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if
he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a
tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-20). Now,
— and this is my point — this confirmation by Christ ought lead the
Christian to be ready to give and receive correction above all in the spirit
of Christ. The spirit of the world is very different from that of Christ.
The criticism so natural to the world is a criticism without love, and in
particular without the love of Christ. Generally this means giving it
without love and resisting it when it is correction of oneself. It is a
criticism that seeks to dominate and injure and it is lacking in
self-criticism. The challenge for the Christian in the world is to imbue his
secular environment with the spirit of Christ, and this includes that
necessary component of his environment which is criticism and correction. It
too must be evangelized. The Christian in the media should strive to correct
as would Christ. The Christian in parliament should act in Opposition with
the spirit of Christ. Correction within the life of the Church ought be
imbued with the spirit and example of Christ. That is to say, it ought be
imbued with Christ-like love.
In our Gospel passage today our Lord
directs his disciples to correct the one who sins against another within the
life of the Church. Correction there as everywhere is necessary for the
flourishing of the Church, for the flourishing of the Church’s members, and
for the flourishing of the one who is in need of correction. The distinctive
thing is the spirit with which this is to be done. It is to be done with the
spirit of Christ, full of self-denying love. Imagine our Christian families,
schools and life within the Church were this to be done! Imagine if
correction were to be given only in the spirit of Christ and not in the
spirit of the world!
(E.J.Tyler)
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But child, why do you insist on walking on stilts?
(The Way, no.869)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL
CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Seventh Chapter
SELF-LOVE IS THE GREATEST HINDRANCE TO THE HIGHEST GOOD
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
If you seek this or that, if you wish to be in this place or that place, to
have more ease and pleasure, you will never rest or be free from care, for
some defect is found in everything and everywhere someone will vex you. To
obtain and multiply earthly goods, then, will not help you, but to despise
them and root them out of your heart will aid. This, understand, is true not
only of money and wealth, but also of ambition for honour and desire for
empty praise, all of which will pass away with this world.
(Continuing)
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There must be something wrong among us; when our defenders recommend the
Church on the mere plea of its activity, its popularity, and its visible
usefulness.
(JHN, from the sermon ‘The Good Part of Mary’ 1834)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Thursday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time
(August 13) Saints Pontian and Hippolytus (d. 235)
Two men died for the faith after harsh treatment and
exhaustion in the mines of Sardinia. One had been pope for five years, the
other an antipope for 18. They died reconciled.
Pontian. Pontian
was a Roman who served as pope from 230 to 235. During his reign he held a
synod which confirmed the
excommunication of the great theologian Origen in
Alexandria. Pontian was banished to exile by the Roman emperor in 235, and
resigned so that a successor could be elected in Rome. He was sent to the
“unhealthy” island of Sardinia, where he died of harsh treatment in 235.
With him was Hippolytus (see below) with whom he was reconciled. The bodies
of both martyrs were brought back to Rome and buried with solemn rites as
martyrs.
Hippolytus.
As a presbyter in Rome, Hippolytus (the name means “a horse turned loose”)
was at first “holier than the Church.” He censured the pope for not coming
down hard enough on a certain heresy—calling him a tool in the hands of one
Callistus, a deacon—and coming close to advocating the opposite heresy
himself. When Callistus was elected pope, Hippolytus accused him of being
too lenient with penitents, and had
himself elected antipope by a group of
followers. He felt that the Church must be composed of pure souls
uncompromisingly separated from the world, and evidently thought that his
group fitted the description. He remained in schism through the reigns of
three popes. In 235 he was also banished to the island of Sardinia. Shortly
before or after this event, he was reconciled to the Church, and died with
Pope Pontian in exile. Hippolytus was a rigorist, a vehement and
intransigent man for whom even orthodox doctrine and practice were not
purified enough. He is, nevertheless, the most important theologian and
prolific religious writer before the age of Constantine. His writings are
the fullest source of our knowledge of the Roman liturgy and the structure
of the Church in the second and third centuries. His works include many
Scripture commentaries, polemics against heresies and a history of the
world. A marble statue, dating from the third century, representing the
saint sitting in a chair, was found in 1551. On one side is inscribed his
table for computing the date of Easter, on the other a list of how the
system works out until the year 224. Pope John XXIII installed the statue in
the Vatican library.
“Christ, like a skillful physician, understands the
weakness of men. He loves to teach the ignorant and the erring he turns
again to his own true way. He is easily found by those who live by faith;
and to those of pure eye and holy heart, who desire to knock at the door, he
opens immediately. He does not disdain the barbarian, nor does he set the
eunuch aside as no man. He does not hate the female on account of the
woman’s act of disobedience in the beginning, nor does he reject the male on
account of the man’s transgression. But he seeks all, and desires to save
all, wishing to make all the children of God, and calling all the saints
unto one perfect man” (Hippolytus, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist).
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Joshua 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17;
Psalm 114:1-6; Matthew 18:21–19:1
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,
Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up
to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but
seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who
wanted to
settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a
man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not
able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and
all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees
before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back
everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and
let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow-
servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke
him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. His fellow- servant fell to
his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But
he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he
could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were
greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had
happened. Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he
said, 'I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow- servant just as I had on you?'
In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he
should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each
of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. When Jesus had
finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of
Judea to the other side of the Jordan. (Matthew
18:21–19:1)
Forgive from the heart
It is almost proverbial
that the perennial problem for man is evil and suffering. Not only is it his
abiding burden through the centuries but it can threaten his religion.
Because of the evil he endures he can come to doubt that God is good, or
that God is powerful, or even that God exists. Now, there is not much we can
do about the fact of evil and therefore suffering in the world, in the sense
that it is impossible to rid the world and our lives of evil and suffering.
It will vary according to our circumstances, our
time and
our place and on a
host of other factors. But it cannot be altogether avoided — this is the
plain fact of mankind’s experience. He cannot avoid having to suffer and
having to experience evil in one form or another. It is a beautiful world,
but at the same time it is an ugly world. The great variable in this fact of
life is man’s response to evil and suffering. In wartime one man goes
through hell on earth, as we might say, and emerges a bitter and forever
sullen man. He comes home from the war having lost his religious faith. His
companion in the very same division and in the very same marches goes
through the same hell on earth, and emerges grateful, compassionate, more
deeply religious than ever. Suffering has ruined the one, and purified the
other. All must suffer. This is a simple fact of empirical experience,
however we account for it philosophically. Yet one comes forth from it a
better person while the other definitely a worse one. Obviously many things
will account for this radical difference, but I suggest that a powerful
factor is the issue of forgiveness. The man who learns the art of forgiving
emerges the victor from the encounter with evil and suffering. The man who
cannot forgive is left in defeat. He has lost the battle of life while the
other has won it. There is another fact of experience, and it is that the
sooner we learn the art of forgiveness the easier it is to gain the victory.
We must not linger and dally in the company of bitterness at injury.
Bitterness is not a friend but an enemy. We must be up and doing — decisively expelling it from our hearts.
All this is to say that ordinary human reflection shows that a key to
happiness is the capacity and the readiness to forgive. There is another
side to this too: another key to happiness is the capacity and the readiness
to acknowledge fault and to ask forgiveness for injuries inflicted. But here
in this reflection we are considering the readiness to forgive. It is a key to human happiness
because, as I have observed, an encounter with evil and suffering is in any case unavoidable in
life. Now, what does our Lord say about this? He teaches that it is a key to
happiness not only in this world but in the next. Our Lord gives no quarter.
We must forgive, no matter how great the evil that has been suffered. In our
Gospel today the servant of the king refused to forgive his fellow servant
his debt — a not inconsiderable debt, being the equivalent of between two
and three month’s wages. The king heard of it and condemned him to jail and
torture. Then our Lord gives his teaching: “This is how my heavenly Father
will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart”
(Matthew 18:21–19:1). There is no
advantage from any point of view to refusing to forgive and to hanging on to
grudges and resentments. It will bring suffering in this life and more
suffering in the next. It does no good at all. It adds to the surging ocean
of evil in the world and it inflicts serious harm on ourselves. What is the
answer to the thought of injustice and suffering that others have inflicted
on oneself in the past or present? As our Lord says in the parable of
today’s Gospel, the first thing we ought think of is how unjust we have been
to God by our sins and neglect of him. The servant came before the king with
a debt of ten thousand talents — an immense sum of money and absolutely
beyond his capacity to pay. He appealed to the king for mercy — reminding us
that we should constantly do the same before God — and the king absolved him
of his entire debt. This is the fundamental reality of our existence, and we
ought remember it when the thought of our hurts crowd and clamour in our
memories. Let us be filled with gratitude to God and at the same time
compassion for those who, fallen like ourselves as they are, cause us
injury.
At various points in his teaching our Lord insists that we shall be forgiven
to the extent that we forgive others. Let us pray for the grace and the
wisdom to forgive. It ought be a life-long ambition. St Paul writes in one
of his Letters that we ought cultivate the mind of Christ. Our goal ought be
to forgive absolutely everyone such that by the time we come to our last
breath we have forgiven everyone from the heart. Let us aim to go to our
Maker and our Judge with not a single resentment remaining in our hearts,
with not a single person unforgiven.
(E.J.Tyler)
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Don't try to be grown-up. A child, always a child, even when you are dying
of old age. When a child stumbles and falls, nobody is surprised; his father
promptly lifts him up.
When the person who stumbles and falls is older, the immediate reaction is
one of laughter. Sometimes this first impulse passes and the laughter gives
way to pity. But older people have to get up by themselves.
Your sad experience of each day is full of stumbles and falls. — What would
become of you if you were not continually more of a child?
Don't want to be grown-up. Be a child; and when you stumble, may you be
lifted by the hand of your Father-God.
(The Way, no.870)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL
CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Seventh Chapter
SELF-LOVE IS THE GREATEST HINDRANCE TO THE HIGHEST GOOD
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
The place matters little if the spirit of fervour is not there; nor will
peace be lasting if it is sought from the outside; if your heart has no true
foundation, that is, if you are not founded in Me, you may change, but you
will not better yourself. For when occasion arises and is accepted, you will
find that from which you fled and worse.
(Continuing)
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By a Priest, in a Christian sense, is meant an appointed channel by which
the peculiar Gospel blessings are conveyed to mankind, one who has power to
apply to individuals those gifts which Christ has promised us generally as
the fruit of His mediation.
(JHN, from the sermon ‘The Christian Ministry’ 1834)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Friday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time
(August 14) Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest and
martyr (1894-1941)
“I don’t know what’s going to become of you!” How many parents have
said that? Maximilian Mary Kolbe’s reaction was, “I prayed very hard to Our
Lady to tell me what would happen to me. She appeared, holding in her hands
two crowns, one white, one red. She
asked
if I would like to have them—one was for purity, the other for martyrdom. I
said, ‘I choose both.’ She smiled and disappeared.” After that he was not
the same. He entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans in
Lvív (then Poland, now Ukraine), near his birthplace, and at 16 became a
novice. Though he later achieved doctorates in philosophy and theology, he
was deeply interested in science, even drawing plans for rocket ships.
Ordained at 24, he saw religious indifference as the deadliest poison of the
day. His mission was to combat it. He had already founded the Militia of the
Immaculata, whose aim was to fight evil with the witness of the good life,
prayer, work and suffering. He dreamed of and then founded Knight of the
Immaculata,, a religious magazine under Mary’s protection to preach the Good
News to all
nations.
For the work of publication he established a “City of the Immaculata”—Niepokalanow—which
housed 700 of his Franciscan brothers. He later founded one in Nagasaki,
Japan. Both the Militia and the magazine ultimately reached the one-million
mark in members and subscribers. His love of God was daily filtered through
devotion to Mary. In 1939 the Nazi panzers overran Poland with deadly speed.
Niepokalanow was severely bombed. Kolbe and his friars were arrested, then
released in less than three months, on the feast of the Immaculate
Conception. In 1941 he was arrested again. The Nazis’ purpose was to
liquidate the select ones, the leaders. The end came quickly, in Auschwitz
three months later, after terrible beatings and humiliations. A prisoner had
escaped. The commandant announced that 10 men would die. He relished walking
along the ranks. “This one. That one.” As they were being marched away to
the starvation bunkers, Number 16670 dared to step from the line. “I would
like to take that man’s place. He has a wife and children.” “Who are you?”
“A priest.” No name, no mention of fame. Silence. The commandant,
dumbfounded, perhaps with a fleeting thought of history, kicked Sergeant
Francis Gajowniczek out of line and ordered Father Kolbe to go with the
nine. In the “block of death” they were ordered to strip, and their slow
starvation began in darkness. But there was no screaming—the prisoners sang.
By the eve of the Assumption four were left alive. The jailer came to finish
Kolbe off as he sat in a corner praying. He lifted his fleshless arm to
receive the bite of the hypodermic needle. It was filled with carbolic acid.
They burned his body with all the others. He was beatified in 1971 and
canonized in 1982.
“Courage, my sons. Don’t you see that we are leaving on a mission?
They pay our fare in the bargain. What a piece of good luck! The thing to do
now is to pray well in order to win as many souls as possible. Let us, then,
tell the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us
anything she wishes” (Maximilian Mary Kolbe, when first arrested).
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Joshua 24:1-13; Psalm
136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22 and 24; Matthew 19:3-12
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, Is it lawful for a man
to divorce his wife for any and every reason? Haven't you
read, he replied,
that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female', and said,
'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his
wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but
one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. Why then,
they asked, did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of
divorce and send her away? Jesus replied, Moses permitted you to divorce
your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the
beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital
unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery. The disciples
said to him, If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is
better not to marry. Jesus replied, Not everyone can accept this word, but
only those to whom it has been given. Some are celibate from birth, while
some do not marry by force of circumstances. Still others choose not to
marry for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who
can." (Matthew 19:3-12)
Self-donation the calling of all
There is much in visible
creation that reflects the calling of man. For instance, man is called
freely to give himself for the sake of others. His highest and noblest
moments are when for a truly worthy reason he sacrifices his life for the
sake of another. The voice of mankind agrees that love is man’s true calling
and love is self-sacrificing. How is this reflected in the rest of visible
creation? Do we not see everywhere a pattern of one thing being given up or
being taken for the sake of something else? The produce of
the fields is eaten by
various animals that they might live and those animals themselves are preyed
upon by other animals or man in order that those predators might live. Life
and being is given up for the sake of the other, and this general law
observable in creation is seen to reach its height in the good and noble man
who freely spends himself for others — and this itself reflects the life of
God who is Love. For man, this natural vocation to self-sacrificing love is
part of his natural yearning for communion with another — the most common
(though not exclusive) expression of which is marriage. The man and the
woman give themselves to one another in a permanent union of love and if
this flourishes by self-donation and sacrifice it constitutes their greatest
fulfilment in life. There is a nuptial character to the human soul and this
nuptial dimension is found to be stamped on all things. The animal kingdom
is impelled towards a union that results in new life, and so too with all of
life. We can even see something of this imprint on non-sentient reality. It
is clearly a reflection of a nuptial life of self-donation within God
himself, revealed by Jesus Christ. From all eternity the Father and the Son
are united in an ineffable love in the Holy Spirit. Everywhere we see built
into the structure of visible creation what we might call a reflection of
the nuptial life of God the Creator. Nuptial and self-sacrificing love is
the ultimate law of reality and is the route to a flourishing fulfilment.
Man’s dignity consists in recognizing this natural law and freely committing
himself to living according to it.
In the concrete, this means living according to the teaching of Christ. For
by far the greater part of humanity, this calling to communion and
self-donation is expressed in the communion of marriage. This is an
irrevocable self-donation to the other in which each has equal dignity. It
is one-to-one, absolute, irrevocable, unbreakable. It is a reflection of the
nuptial life of God in which the Father is forever the Son’s possession and
the Son is forever the Father’s possession in so ineffable a union as to
constitute the divine Spirit. It is indissoluble. It is this which is
reflected in the self-donation of Jesus Christ to his body the Church.
Christ loved us and gave himself for us, his Church. It was a nuptial act on
his part and its expression is Calvary. Thus the Church became his spouse,
and he the Bridegroom. The bond is unbreakable, and is one-to-one. It
reflects the life of the most holy Trinity, and every Christian marriage is
called to reflect the nuptial bond between Christ and his Church, which
itself reflects the nuptial bond within the holy Trinity itself. How can
this be possibly lived? It can be lived by the power of grace, the grace of
the Holy Spirit who is given to the bride and the bridegroom in the
Sacrament of matrimony. The divine Spirit, the Spirit of the Father and of
the Son is bestowed on the husband and wife and binds them in a union which
reflects the union within the Holy Trinity. His grace thereafter throbs
within the life of their love, building it up and shaping it in the likeness
of the love of Christ for his Church. Their calling is to reflect this love
and to be an instrument of its work in the world. Now, as our Lord says in
our Gospel, not all are called to the precise form of self-donation that is
matrimony. Some choose to renounce marriage for the sake of the kingdom of
heaven. They give themselves to Christ directly and immediately and for love
of Christ they live out in apostolic service this self-donation. Thus they
reflect the life of the Holy Trinity after the manner of Christ himself.
Let us ponder the grandeur of the vision and calling outlined by Jesus
Christ in our Gospel today (Matthew 19:3-12).
Our Lord holds out to the married couple the calling to live a life that
reflects his love for his spouse the Church, and the inner life of the Holy
Trinity. Our Lord even holds out a loftier ideal still: to set aside even
marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, which is to say for the sake
of Christ and a share in his mission. It is a higher form of communion and
self-donation, one that reflects even more exactly the life of self-donation
lived by Christ. Let us be up and doing, then!
(E.J.Tyler)
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Child, abandonment demands docility.
(The Way, no.871)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL
CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Seventh Chapter
SELF-LOVE IS THE GREATEST HINDRANCE TO THE HIGHEST GOOD
A PRAYER FOR CLEANSING THE HEART AND OBTAINING
HEAVENLY WISDOM
Strengthen me by the grace of Your holy spirit, O God. Give me the power to
be strengthened inwardly and to empty my heart of all vain
care and anxiety,
so that I may not be drawn away by many desires, whether for precious things
or mean ones. Let me look upon everything as passing, and upon myself as
soon to pass away with them, because there is nothing lasting under the sun,
where all is vanity and affliction of spirit. How wise is he who thinks
thus!
Give me, Lord, heavenly wisdom to learn above all else to seek and find You,
to enjoy and love You more than anything, and to consider other things as
they are, as Your wisdom has ordered them. Grant me prudence to avoid the
flatterer and to bear patiently with him who disagrees with me. For it is
great wisdom not to be moved by the sound of words, nor to give ear to the
wicked, flattering siren. Then, I shall walk safely in the way I have begun.
(Concluded)
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My Lord and my God, my God and my all, give me Thyself and nothing else.
(JHN, from Meditations and Devotions 1893)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Saturday of the
nineteenth week in Ordinary Time B-2
click centre arrow
Scripture today: Ezechiel
18:1-10.13.30-32; Psalm 50; Matthew 19:13-15
Then
little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and
pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, Let
the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of
heaven belongs to such as these. When he had placed his hands on them, he went
on from there. (Matthew 19:13-15)
The little ones
An unshaven man, of dishevelled face, hair and clothes, accompanied by his dog
on a lead, slowly makes his way along a main street in the city hub of Sydney.
People hurry past, coming towards and passing him, or overtaking him from
behind. Many quickly glance at him, and then cast their eyes ahead to their
destination. No-one gives him a moment’s thought - not deliberately, but they
are all busy and he does not attract any notice. He is a no-body. He thinks this
too because he has long been treated as a no-body
by
almost everyone, even the members of his own family. He has rarely received
special attention. He has seldom felt appreciated or respected. If he ever were,
so new would the experience be that he would be quickly confused. He has come to
live in his own world, listlessly killing time from day to day without any
purpose. He is neglected by others and by himself. In all this, he might be
something of an extreme, perhaps, but there are many persons who scarcely feel
the touch of any individual appreciation. Few really care for them. There are
those whose marriages have never worked, and they live out their days in a
twilight of inner and outer neglect. Not appreciated, the general impression
they gain is that the world is unregarding of them, and though they compensate
for this in various ways, nevertheless life for them remains unfulfilled. Cases
such as these are of course not the norm. Most get along with some happiness and
appreciation, but I regard them as emblematic. They represent a problem that
most human beings experience to a greater or lesser extent: lack of
appreciation, lack of notice, lack of the love for which they have been made. We
are made to love and to be loved, and this world cannot provide this to the
extent that we instinctively wish. I was once in an aeroplane and one of the
passengers was a state politician. Just as we began to descend, the politician
stood up, turned around and faced the body of passengers. There he stood in
front of all for about five or ten minutes with a friend - simply to be seen. He
was noticed, and he made sure he was noticed. Many people are not noticed much.
They are just small fry.
I suspect that great numbers of people do not think that, well, if there is a
God, he notices them. So they don’t think of him much. It is very common among
religions involving a high god who initiated the course of the world, that this
high god is understood to have withdrawn from the scene. I suspect that this, in
part, is a reflection of the common experience of being unnoticed and unvalued.
The decisive factor in a vital and living religion is the subject’s sense of
being touched personally by the Deity. The subject senses a particular, personal
providence - not just a general one exercised over the course of the world. When
Rudolf Otto described the authentic religious experience in terms of a
mysterium tremendum et fascinans, it necessarily entailed an interaction
between the mysterium - the Numinous - and the subject in his personal
individuality. All this is to say that man cries out to be loved at the core of
his Self, that Self that is rarely known adequately by his fellow-creature. Man
longs to be loved, appreciated and valued, for the Creator has made him loveable
and valuable. Now, the distinctive thing about divine revelation is that it is
the revelation of a God who loves the nobody. He loves the small fry. He loves
the one whom nobody cares about. He loves the one whom people want to get out of
the way and stop taking up other people’s time. He loves the little person. He
loves the neglected. The greatest task of the one who accepts the Good News of
the Gospel, the religion revealed by Jesus Christ, is to take to heart the fact
that God is love. Christ loved me, St Paul writes, and gave himself up for me.
He did that for me. I may not be important to anyone else. I may be important
only to the extent that I am useful to them. I may be as nothing when among the
crowd, especially when, say, a politician is standing in full view. But I am
everything to God. Jesus Christ died for me as if I were the only person in the
world. This is one of the implications of our Gospel passage today
(Matthew 19:13-15), in which Christ insists
on the little children being brought to him. Their mothers were a nuisance to
the disciples who were concerned for the convenience of their beloved Master.
Let them come to me, Christ insisted with love. These little ones truly
mattered, and they were made to feel it.
It
would be a good idea for each of us to look on ourselves as little children in
God’s sight. If we think we do not matter much to others or to society and the
world, well, neither did those children. But they were very important to Jesus
Christ the Son of God made man, and he is the most important person in the
world. He notices us always and loves us always. He wants us near him and he
wants to give us his blessing. If we look on ourselves as little children before
him and do his bidding, having trust in his care however much the world might
disregard us, then ours will be the Kingdom of heaven. It is to such as these
that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs, he said.
(E.J.Tyler)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Vigil Mass of the Assumption
of The Virgin Mary (August
15)
Entrance Antiphon
Glorious things are spoken of you, O Mary, who today were exalted above the
choirs of Angels into eternal triumph with Christ.
Collect O
God, who, looking on the lowliness of the Blessed Virgin Mary, raised her to
this grace, that your Only Begotten Son was born of her according to the flesh
and that she was crowned this day with surpassing glory, grant through her
prayers, that, saved by the mystery of your redemption, we may merit to be
exalted by you on high. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
(August 15) The Assumption into heaven of the
Virgin Mary
On November 1, 1950, Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary
to be a dogma of faith: “We pronounce, declare and define it to be a
divinely revealed dogma that the immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin
Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was
assumed
body and soul to heavenly glory.” The pope proclaimed this dogma only after
a broad consultation of bishops, theologians and laity. There were few
dissenting voices. What the pope solemnly declared was already a common
belief in the Catholic Church. We find homilies on the Assumption going back
to the sixth century. In following centuries the Eastern Churches held
steadily to the doctrine, but some authors in the West were hesitant.
However, by the thirteenth century there was universal agreement. The feast
was celebrated under various names (Commemoration, Dormition, Passing,
Assumption) from at least the fifth or sixth century. Scripture does not
give an account of Mary’s Assumption into heaven. Nevertheless, Revelation
12 speaks of a woman who is caught up in the battle between good and evil.
Many see this woman as God’s people. Since Mary best embodies the
people of
both Old and New Testament, her Assumption can be seen as an exemplification
of the woman’s victory. Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 15:20 Paul speaks of
Christ’s resurrection as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Since Mary is closely associated with all the mysteries of
Jesus’ life, it is not surprising that the Holy Spirit has led the Church to
belief in Mary’s share in his glorification. So close was she to Jesus on
earth, she must be with him body and soul in heaven. In the light of the
Assumption of Mary, it is easy to pray her Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55) with
new meaning. In her glory she proclaims the greatness of the Lord and finds
joy in God her saviour. God has done marvels to her and she leads others to
recognize God’s holiness. She is the lowly handmaid who deeply reverenced
her God and has been raised to the heights. From her position of strength
she will help the lowly and the poor find justice on earth and she will
challenge the rich and powerful to distrust wealth and power as a source of
happiness.
“In the bodily and spiritual glory which she possesses in heaven,
the Mother of Jesus continues in this present world as the image and first
flowering of the Church as she is to be perfected in the world to come.
Likewise, Mary shines forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come
(cf. 2 Peter 3:10), as a sign of certain hope and comfort for the pilgrim
People of God” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 68).
(AmericanCatholic.org)
click centre arrow
Scripture today: 1 Chronicles 15:
3-4.15-16;16:1-2; Psalm 131; 1 Corinthians 15:
34-37; Luke 11: 27-28
As
Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, Blessed is the
mother who gave you birth and nursed you. He replied, Blessed rather are those
who hear the word of God and obey it. (Luke 11: 27-28)
Mary
It is helpful to notice the use of the
word “blessed” in the Gospel of St Luke. In our Gospel passage today, the word
recurs in each of the two verses. A woman in the crowd speaks of one who is
blessed, and our Lord in reply himself speaks of those who are blessed. So
important is the word that in St Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount begins with a
statement of those who are “blessed” or “fortunate” (makarios) (beatus
- Vulgate Latin). They are those who enjoy the blessings of life in the Kingdom,
which, of course, is
ultimately
none other than union with Christ. St Luke, who speaks of the “kingdom of
heaven” as the “kingdom of God” and from whose Gospel our passage today is
drawn, also gives a version of the “beatitudes” (Luke 6:20-26). “Blessed” are
the poor, for instance, because yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed” also are
you who are hungry, you who weep now, you when people hate you on account of the
Son of Man. True blessedness consists not simply in being rich in this world,
but in being rich in “the kingdom of God.” As a matter of fact, the word
makarios is used just slightly more in Luke than in Matthew, whose main use
of it is for the Beatitudes. In St Matthew, our Lord does use it, importantly,
also of Simon Peter who is “blessed” for having the faith to recognize and
profess him as the Christ, the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:17). So also
“the disciples” (as distinct from “the crowds”) are “blessed,” for they see and
hear Jesus Christ with the understanding of the heart (Matthew 13: 15-16). But
our passage today is taken from the Gospel of St Luke. Who, then, in Luke’s
Gospel, is “blessed”? In St Luke’s Gospel is there any living individual pointed
to as being “blessed”? The “disciples” who see what they see - namely, Christ -
are “blessed” (Luke 10:23-24). But the first use of the word in the Gospel of St
Luke is for Mary the mother of the Lord. Elizabeth, speaking as one filled with
the Holy Spirit (Luke 1: 41), proclaims Mary as “blessed” (makaria - beata)
for having believed that the word of the Lord would be fulfilled (1:45). In his
public ministry, Christ continually asked for faith in his word. Mary was the
“servant of the Lord” who accepted and obeyed the word of the Lord (Luke 1:38).
Accordingly, as Elizabeth said, she is the “blessed” one.
When Elizabeth proclaims
Mary as “blessed,” it is important to note this point about Mary’s obedient
faith. She is “praised” among women, and “praised” is the fruit of her womb - so
she is and will be renowned for being the Mother of the Lord. But she is
“blessed” for having believed in the word of the Lord (Luke 1: 42-45). When we
turn to our Gospel passage today from Luke, we notice that when the woman in the
crowd sings the praises of the mother of Jesus - “blessed” (makaria) is
the one who bore you and who nursed you, our Lord corrects the proclamation.
“Blessed rather/indeed the ones who hear and keep the word of God” (Luke 11:
28). His own mother is among those who hear the word of God and keep it -
reminding the reader of the Gospel that Mary the Mother of our Saviour is a
member of the Church, one of us. She is among those who are “blessed” for having
heard the word of God and kept it. Luke, who had shown the Holy Spirit
proclaiming (through the mouth of Elizabeth) the blessedness of Mary for having
believed, here situates her within the community of disciples of Jesus Christ.
So then, she is their pre-eminent and faultless member, and her first and
foremost claim to blessedness is her obedient faith. She shows the Church the
way of holiness, as the Church’s foremost disciple and exemplar of faith. She,
as the Angel had said to her, is full of grace, and the Lord is with her in
every sense (Luke 1:28). Mary enjoyed the stupendous gift of being Mother of the
Son of God made man, together with the gift of unsullied holiness from the first
instant of her conception. But on her part, she was especially “blessed” for
having heard the word of God and put it into practice with the utmost fidelity.
Placing together the testimony of Elizabeth and the word of Christ in our
passage today (Luke 11: 27-28), it is especially Mary’s personal fidelity which
shines through in Scripture. She was sinless because never failing in her
obedient faith. Being sinless by the gift of divine grace and by her own total
co-operation, she was preserved from the corruption and ravages of death.
Assumed glorious into heaven body and soul, she took her place as the
Queen-mother, mother of Christ and mother of the Church. She is our perfect
mother, the new Eve, mother of all the living.
Blessed mother! Christ wishes us to
address our heavenly Father, the ineffable Father, as Abba! Father, dear Father!
How confidently ought we address our heavenly Mother, then! Let us use the
titles accorded her by holy Scripture: Hail Mary! Full of grace, the Lord is
with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Let
us repeat these praises often, daily. Let us pray to her for her help - she is
the help of Christians. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at
the hour of our death. It must be pleasing to God to love her dearly.
(E.J.Tyler)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
The Assumption into heaven of the Virgin Mary (August 15)
Scripture: Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Ps
45:10-12, 16; 1 Cor 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56
At that time Mary got ready and
hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered
Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's
greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the
Holy Spirit. In a loud
voice
she exclaimed: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you
will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come
to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my
womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has
said to her will be accomplished! And Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the
humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me
blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He
has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are
proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their
thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good
things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants for ever, even as
he said to our fathers. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months
and then returned home. (Luke 1:39-56)
True heroism
Decades ago the popular comic characters
Tarzan, Superman, The Phantom, Batman had great appeal. They were modern
mythical characters, imaginary heroes, we might say. The hero has always had
an important place in culture ever since, say, Ulysses in Homer’s great
epics, the Odyssey and the Illiad. In the early
nineteenth century the German philosopher Hegel gave a central role to the
“hero” in a society’s culture and in 1841 Thomas Carlyle’s On Heroes
and Hero Worship and the Heroic in History also
gave a
key function to heroes and great men in history. His heroes were military
and political figures and he accorded to them a decisive influence in
history. By contrast, in the same decade Marx published his Das
Kapital (1848) and he placed the emphasis not on heroes but on
massive social forces, especially the class struggle. Carlyle, while seeing
the hero as fundamental in history, insisted that the hero will be flawed.
His heroism lies in his creative energy in the face of difficulties, not in
his moral perfection. For instance, Carlyle saw Napoleon Bonaparte as being
among his pantheon of heroes, but Napoleon was in so many respects a
ruthless killer. For instance, in his stormy meeting with Metternich on June
26, 1813 Bonaparte threatened the Austrian with his armies, shouting that “a
man such as I am cares little for the life of a million men.” Carlyle’s
image of the hero excludes heroism from the ordinary man who lacks obvious
influence. Moreover, it fails to place moral excellence at its centre. But ah! such
is not the teaching of the greatest of heroes, Jesus Christ. As Christ
taught, the hero is, rather, the one who strives for moral perfection and in
a measure attains it. The truest hero is the saint, however obscure he may
be. Be you perfect, he teaches, as my heavenly Father is perfect! Matt
Talbot, reformed alcoholic who died with a mere handful present at his
funeral, was a hero because a saint. His battle was against sin and by God’s
grace he won. He was a hero in the most important struggle of all, the one
facing everyone and all humanity, the struggle for holiness.
Now, apart from Christ himself, who was the greatest of heroes because the
greatest of saints? It was his own mother, the virgin Mary. She was
humanity’s most gifted individual in the order of grace and she was
humanity’s most virtuous in the order of fidelity to grace. We read in the
Gospel of St Luke that the Angel Gabriel stood before Mary and with profound
respect and joy addressed her as one full of grace, most highly favoured by
God. The Lord was with her. There was nothing about her that was separated
from the Lord. He stood before her as the emissary of the Lord to ask her
agreement with the greatest step God was about to take, to become man. She
was to be his mother. That was the plan of God and, virgin as she was and
would ever be, she totally assented to the divine will. Be it unto me as you
have said, she replied. Her heroism consisted in her absolute faith and
obedience. Humble, lowly, obscure, ordinary in her course, she was the hero
of the ages in the sight of God, and unbeknown to the world, was the actor
that turned the tide. Through her the Redeemer entered the world and
defeated the Enemy. As we read in today’s Gospel
(Luke 1:39-56), she was blessed among women and blessed is the
fruit of her womb. Anyone is honoured to have the mother of the Lord come to
visit. Let us pray that this great Mother will come to us and be with us as
we seek to pursue the same path of holiness that she trod to perfection, a
path requiring a heroism of every day amid the ordinary duties of life. From
the cross Christ gave to us a Mother — behold your mother, he said to his
beloved disciple. Behold your son, he told his mother. Ever since that gift
the Church and her children have had a wondrous mother, a true hero for
their help. She is the one who, after Christ, we can admire and love most.
By her example and her motherly intercession before God she can help us to
follow Christ along the path of heroism, a heroism that is obscure, hidden,
yet attainable for the ordinary man and woman by the power of grace. It is
grace that enables us to be heroes in the moral order.
Today we think of God taking up into heaven the earthly mother of his divine
Son our Lord Jesus Christ. At the end of her mortal life Mary the mother of
the Lord was taken body and soul into heaven to share in the glory of her
risen son. This was the direct upshot of her utterly sinless life. No sin
ever touched her, from the first moment of her conception to the last moment
of her life. What a wonder! What a hero is our heavenly Mother! What a
wondrous reflection of her divine son! She did this by cooperating with the
all-powerful grace of God. We are sinners all, but we have the calling to be
transformed by grace into the likeness of Christ. Let us act on this, then!
(E.J.Tyler)
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Don't forget that our Lord has a special love for little children and those
who become as little children.
(The Way, no.872)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE
INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Eighth Chapter
STRENGTH AGAINST SLANDER
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, do not take it to heart if some people think badly of you and say
unpleasant things about you. You ought to think worse things of yourself and
to believe that no one is weaker than yourself. Moreover, if you walk in the
spirit you will pay little heed to fleeting words. It is no small prudence
to remain silent in evil times, to turn inwardly to Me, and not to be
disturbed by human opinions. Do not let your peace depend on the words of
men. Their thinking well or badly of you does not make you different from
what you are. Where are true peace and glory? Are they not in Me? He who
neither cares to please men nor fears to displease them will enjoy great
peace, for all unrest and distraction of the senses arise out of disorderly
love and vain fear.
(Concluded)
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It is then the duty and the privilege of all disciples of our glorified
Saviour, to be exalted and transfigured with Him; to live in heaven in their
thoughts, motives, aims, desires, likings, prayers, praises, intercessions,
even while they are in the flesh; to look like other men, to be busy like
other men, to be passed over in the crowd of men, or even to be scorned or
oppressed, as other men may be, but the while to have a secret channel of
communication with the Most High, a gift the world knows not of; to have
their life hid with Christ in God.
(JHN, From the sermon ‘Rising with Christ’ 1836/7)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time B
(August 16) St. Stephen of Hungary (975-1038)
The Church is universal, but its expression is always affected—for good or
ill—by local culture. There are no “generic” Christians; there are Mexican
Christians, Polish Christians, Filipino Christians. This fact is evident in the
life
of
Stephen, national hero and spiritual patron
of
Hungary. Born a pagan, he was baptized around the age of 10, together with his
father, chief of the Magyars, a group who migrated to the Danube area in the
ninth century. At 20 he married Gisela, sister to the future emperor, St. Henry.
When he succeeded his father, Stephen adopted a policy of Christianization of
the country for both political and religious reasons. He suppressed a series of
revolts by pagan nobles and welded the Magyars into a strong national group. He
sent to Rome to get ecclesiastical organization—and also to ask the pope to
confer the title of king upon him. He was crowned on Christmas day in 1001.
Stephen established a system of tithes to support churches and pastors and to
relieve the poor. Out of every 10 towns one had to build a church and support a
priest. He abolished pagan customs with a certain amount of violence, and
commanded all to marry, except clergy and religious. He was easily accessible to
all, especially the poor. In 1031 his son Emeric died, and the rest of his days
were embittered by controversy over his successor. His nephews attempted to kill
him. He died in 1038 and was canonized, along with his son, in 1083.
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 34:2-7;
Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58
Jesus said, I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of
this bread, he will live for ever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for
the life of the world. Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves,
How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Jesus said to them, I tell you the
truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have
no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and
I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is
real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in
him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the
one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down
from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread
will live for ever. (John 6:51-58)
Summit and Source
Grand gifts are promised
to man in divine revelation. God called Abraham to leave his homeland and go to
the land God would give him. He would be blessed. Further, through him all the
nations of the earth would be blessed. God sent Moses back to Egypt to with the
promise that he would take his chosen people out of slavery to a promised land — to the land promised to their father Abraham. God promised David that his throne
would never end and the prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah through
whom
all that God promised would be fulfilled. Those attuned to divine revelation had
much to look forward to, and finally the Messiah came. He came announcing God’s
Kingdom, the Kingdom of heaven. He had come that men would have life and have it
in abundance. But now, while this paints a wonderful panorama, a vast glow of
expectation, how in the concrete are these blessings to be attained? How
specifically does God make these blessings available? Our Gospel today answers
these very specific and practical questions. It is the very person of Christ who
is the concrete source and locale of the divine blessings and promises of God to
man. It is on him we gaze, it is him whom we approach, it is to him we reach
out, and it is him whom we touch in order to receive the saving blessings
promised in divine revelation. The person of Christ is the bearer of every
heavenly blessing which God intends to bestow on man. As St Paul writes, in
Christ is every heavenly blessing. For this reason our Lord says, Come to me.
Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest. As
he announces to the crowds in our Gospel today, and so to all of us, “I am the
living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will
live for ever.” Further, this Bread from heaven is sacrificed for us. “This
bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Our Lord’s words in this passage make the grand promises of God very, very
specific. He, Jesus Christ, is my heavenly Bread who has been sacrificed for me.
If he is my Bread from heaven, if he is my heavenly Food which is given to me so
that I might live for ever, how am I to partake of him? Yes, of course I partake
of him and enter into union with him by hearing his word and putting it into
practice. As he said on one occasion, here are my mother and my brothers.
Whoever does the will of God is my mother and my sister and my brother. He who
loves me will keep my commandments, he said elsewhere. At the Last Supper he
told his disciples that if anyone loves me he will keep my word and that I and
the Father will come to him and make our home with him. But our Lord means
something far more extraordinary than this, because he says that his flesh is
the Bread from heaven and all who eat of this Bread will live forever. The
people clearly understand for they immediately respond, “How can this man give
us his flesh to eat?” On this occasion our Lord does not address their question
of how he will give his flesh to be eaten. He simply announces with emphasis
that it is so. It is not a metaphor. It is no mere symbol, for “my flesh is real
food and my blood is real drink.” The Greek is “aleethees” (true, real
food).
Christ is emphatic, “I tell you the truth (Ameen), unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at
the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink”
(John 6:51-58). Whoever heard of such a
thing? No prophet or founder of any religion in the history of the world laid
out before everyone such an amazing means of attaining divine life. We must eat
the flesh of Jesus Christ and drink his blood to share in his divine life.
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as
the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds
on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven.”
It was at the Last Supper that our Lord showed how he would do this. He would
give himself to us sacramentally under the appearances of bread and wine. It is
in the holy Eucharist that we eat his flesh and drink his blood. The Eucharist
is the living Jesus and for this reason it is the summit and the source of all
Christian life. Being Christ himself, it contains the whole spiritual good of
the Church and of each of her members. Our sharing in the divine life and the
unity of the Church are expressed and brought about by the Eucharist. Through it
we are united with those in heaven and we have a foretaste of what awaits us
there. So, let us love the Eucharist with all our heart.
(E.J.Tyler)
Further reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church,
no.1324-1327 (The Eucharist)
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Paradoxes of a little soul. When Jesus sends you what people call 'good luck',
feel sorrow in your heart at the thought of his goodness and your wickedness.
When Jesus sends you what people call 'bad luck', be glad in your heart, for he
always gives you what is best and then is the beautiful moment to love the
Cross.
(The Way, no.873)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Ninth Chapter HOW
WE MUST CALL UPON AND BLESS THE LORD WHEN TROUBLE PRESSES
THE DISCIPLE
BLESSED be Your name forever, O Lord, Who have willed that this temptation and
trouble come upon me. I cannot escape it, yet I must fly to You that You may
help me and turn it to my good. Now I am troubled, Lord, and my heart is not at
rest, for I am greatly afflicted by this present suffering.
(Continuing)
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On the 15th August, or in many places on the following Sunday, the Church keeps
the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, commemorating the Catholic doctrine that Mary was received into
heaven body and soul. In his ‘Meditations on the Litany of Loreto’,
John Henry Newman reflects on the title of
the ‘Morning Star’ attributed to Our Lady, and suggests that it reflects in
a special way this supreme privilege that Christ has given her:
What is the nearest approach in the way of symbols, in this world of sight and
sense, to represent to us the glories of that higher world
which
is beyond our bodily perceptions? What are the truest tokens and promises here,
poor though they may be, of what one day we hope to see hereafter, as being
beautiful and rare? Whatever they may be, surely the Blessed Mother of God may
claim them as her own. And so it is; two of them are ascribed to her as her
titles, in her Litany—the stars above, and flowers below. She is at once the
Rosa Mystica and the Stella Matutina. And of these two, both of them well suited
to her, the Morning Star becomes her best, and that for three reasons.
First, the rose belongs to this earth, but the star is placed in high heaven.
Mary now has no part in this nether world. No change, no violence from fire,
water, earth, or air, affects the stars above; and they show themselves, ever
bright and marvellous, in all regions of this globe, and to all the tribes of
men.
And next, the rose has but a short life; its decay is as sure as it was graceful
and fragrant in its noon. But Mary, like the stars, abides for ever, as lustrous
now as she was on the day of her Assumption; as pure and perfect, when her Son
comes to judgment, as she is now.
Lastly, it is Mary’s prerogative to be the Morning Star, which heralds in the
sun. She does not shine for herself, or from herself, but she is the reflection
of her and our Redeemer, and she glorifies Him. When she appears in the
darkness, we know that He is close at hand. He is Alpha and Omega, the First and
the Last, the Beginning and the End. Behold He comes quickly, and His reward is
with Him, to render to everyone according to his works. “Surely I come quickly.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” [Rev. 22: 20]
(John Henry Newman, Meditations
and Devotions of the Late Cardinal Newman (1893) Part 1, ‘Meditations on
the Litany of Loreto, for the Month of May’, Section 4, ‘The Assumption’, p.
76-77)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Monday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time
(August 17) St. Jeanne (of the Cross) Delanou (1666-1736)
An
encounter with a shabby old woman many dismissed as insane prompted St. Jeanne to
dedicate her life to the poor. For Jeanne, who
1666-1736.jpg)
had a reputation as a businesswoman
intent on monetary success, this was a significant conversion. Born in 1666 in
Anjou, France, Jeanne worked in the family business—a small shop near a religious
shrine—from an early age. After her parents’ death she took over the shop
herself. She quickly became known for her greediness and insensitivity to the
beggars who often came seeking help. During the Pentecost season in 1698, Jeanne
had two mystic experiences. The first was a vision, the second a series of pious
comments by Frances Souchet, the widowed pilgrim from Rennes mentioned above.
The two events altered Jeanne's outlook. Jeanne, who
had always been devout, even scrupulous, became a new person. She began caring
for needy children. Then the poor, elderly and sick came to her. Over time she
closed the family business so she could devote herself fully to good works and
penance. Using funds raised from generous benefactors she had met in business,
she founded and furnished three orphanages. She attracted followers, and in 1704
a small group of them founded the Sisters of Saint Anne of Providence of Samur. It was then she took the religious name of Jeanne of the
Cross. By the time of her death in 1736 she had founded 12 religious houses,
hospices and schools. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1982.
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Judges 2:11-19; Psalm
106:34-37, 39-40, 43ab and 44; Matthew 19:16-22
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked,
Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life? Why do you ask me about
what is good? Jesus replied. There is only One who is good. If you want to enter
life, obey the commandments. Which ones? the man enquired. Jesus replied, 'Do
not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,
honour your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbour as yourself.' All these
I have kept, the young man said. What do I still lack? Jesus answered, If you
want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. When the young man heard this, he
went away sad, because he had great wealth.
(Matthew 19:16-22)
Christ and moral perfection
I think we could say that during
the Mediaeval period Christendom was established. The Catholic faith
constituted the soul of European culture and in a sense created Europe. While
Constantine decreed the Christian religion to be the official religion of the
Roman Empire, the old paganism still contended for its place in ordinary life
but without official sanction. With the crash of the Empire under the weight of
barbarian invasions the Church began the gradual work of converting the
conquering populations. The
ascendancy of Charlemagne marked a milestone in this
process and Europe gradually became Catholic, witnessing the spectacle in the
eleventh century of a Successor of St Peter (Pope St Gregory VII)
excommunicating the Holy Roman Emperor (Henry IV) and divesting him of his civil
authority till he repented. The point is that the Christian faith had become the
warp and woof of the European outlook and culture. Morality was essentially
religious in the sense that it would never have been questioned that to be good
one must be a good Christian. The God of revelation was perceived as the
foundation of human morality. As the centuries advanced this foundation of
morality gradually dismantled. By the eighteenth century it was commonly
insisted that reason — deemed to be the yardstick of reality — supported no more
than belief in a Creator. Therefore the foundation of morality was not revealed
religion but natural religion. The good man was religious but not necessarily a
believer. This process of erosion continued and in our secular day religion is
divorced from morality. It is taken as evident that one can be morally good
without being religious. Indeed, there is a strong suspicion that being
religious lessens one’s moral goodness for it is accused of being the seed-bed
of intolerance, imprudence and other moral defects. The balanced and objective
man is the agnostic. We have come a long way and I suspect that we must now
start by plumbing the sense of moral obligation. Most allow that man senses that
he must be good. What exactly is perceived here? Perhaps man dimly perceives a
personal Obliger behind the moral obligation. If this is so, he can begin by
admitting that in its nature his conscience is religious, and that it can
perceive a religious foundation in the requirement to be good.
Well now, what does our Gospel today suggest about this? Our scene begins with a
man coming to Jesus with a simple question: “What good thing must I do to gain
eternal life?” Morality — i.e., being good — is profoundly linked to religion. The
judgment of God pivots on my being good, and my being good pivots on my action,
however it be that I act. I act in various ways. I act interiorly in my
conscious and consented thoughts, in my conscious desires, in my intentions, in
my words and in my deeds. In all these deliberate acts I am choosing what is
good or what is not good, and in that moral choice I am forging my moral
character. I am becoming more or less of a man depending on my choices for or
against what is good. Religion is the context of my choice in that I know that
my future happiness depends on the judgment of God, and it is in view of God and
what pleases him that I strive to be good. Behind the man’s question to Jesus
was the conviction that morality is intimately connected with religion and
indeed is founded on it. He would not have come to Jesus asking how to be good
were it not for the fact that God’s judgment required of him that he be good.
The polestar of his conscience was God and his will. Christ in his answer
confirms this: “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments. Which ones?
the man enquired. Jesus replied, 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not
steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother,' and 'love
your neighbour as yourself'.” Christ would have regarded as an absurdity any
talk of being good while deliberately setting God aside. But there is a further
and most revealing point in Christ’s words in this passage. The young man
replies that he has been good according to this criteria since his youth. What
more did he lack? For a lack he obviously felt. Christ then tells him how to be
perfect, which includes being perfectly good. “If you want to be perfect, go,
sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven. Then come, follow me”
(Matthew 19:16-22).
That is to say, the perfection of moral goodness is to be found in following
Jesus Christ. The Christian revelation is the ground of the perfection of
morality. Not only is God the true source of morality, but Christ is the source
of moral perfection. The conscience of man is to be understood ultimately as
pointing to Christ. In his great response to Gladstone in 1875, John Henry
Newman described the conscience as “the aboriginal vicar of Christ” (Letter to
the Duke of Norfolk). Our conscience is implanted in us by God to call us to be
good and to do good. That call finds its most authentic note in the call of
Christ: If you wish to be perfect, come, follow me. The source of moral
perfection is union with Christ and the path to it consists in the loving
following of him.
(E.J.Tyler)
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Daring child, cry out: What love was Teresa's! What zeal was Xavier's! What a
wonderful man was Saint Paul! Ah, Jesus, well I... I love you more than Paul,
Xavier and Teresa!
(The Way, no.874)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Ninth Chapter HOW WE MUST
CALL UPON AND BLESS THE LORD WHEN TROUBLE PRESSES
THE DISCIPLE
Beloved Father, what shall I say? I am straitened in harsh ways. Save me from
this hour to which, however, I am come that You may be glorified when I am
deeply humbled and freed by You. May it please You, then, to deliver me, Lord,
for what can I, poor wretch that I am, do or where can I go without You? Give me
patience, Lord, even now. Help me, my God, and I will not be afraid however much
I may be distressed.
(Continuing)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now there was this cardinal distinction between Christianity and the religions
and philosophies by which it was surrounded, nay even the Judaism of the day,
that it referred all truth and revelation to one source, and that the Supreme
and Only God.
(JHN, from An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine 1845)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Tuesday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time
(August 18) St. Jane Frances de
Chantal (1562-1641)
Jane Frances was wife, mother, nun and founder of a religious community. Her
mother died when Jane was 18 months old, and her father, head of parliament at
Dijon, France, became the main influence on her education. She developed into
a woman of
beauty and refinement, lively and cheerful in temperament. At 21
she married Baron de Chantal, by whom she had six children, three of whom died
in infancy. At her castle she restored the custom of daily Mass, and was
seriously engaged in various charitable works. Jane's husband was killed after
seven years of marriage, and she sank into deep dejection for four months at
her family home. Her father-in-law threatened to disinherit her children if
she did not return to his home. He was then 75, vain, fierce and extravagant.
Jane Frances managed to remain cheerful in spite of him and his insolent
housekeeper. When she was 32, she met St. Francis de Sales (October 24), who
became her spiritual director, softening some of the severities imposed by her
former director. She wanted to become a nun but he persuaded her to defer this
decision. She took a vow to remain unmarried and to obey her director. After
three years Francis told her of his plan to found an institute of women which
would be a haven for those whose health, age or other considerations barred
them from entering the already established communities. There would be no
cloister, and they would be free to undertake spiritual and corporal works of
mercy. They were primarily intended to exemplify the virtues of Mary at the
Visitation (hence their name, the Visitation nuns): humility and meekness. The
usual opposition to women in active ministry arose and Francis de Sales was
obliged to make it a cloistered community following the Rule of St. Augustine.
Francis wrote his famous Treatise on the Love of God for them. The
congregation (three women) began when Jane Frances was 45. She underwent great
sufferings: Francis de Sales died; her son was killed; a plague ravaged
France; her daughter-in-law and son-in-law died. She encouraged the local
authorities to make great efforts for the victims of the plague and she put
all her convent’s resources at the disposal of the sick. During a part of her
religious life, she had to undergo great trials of the spirit—interior
anguish, darkness and spiritual dryness. She died while on a visitation of
convents of the community.
St. Vincent de Paul (September 27) said of Jane Frances: "She was full of
faith, yet all her life had been tormented by thoughts against it. While
apparently enjoying the peace and easiness of mind of souls who have reached a
high state of virtue, she suffered such interior trials that she often told me
her mind was so filled with all sorts of temptations and abominations that she
had to strive not to look within herself...But for all that suffering her face
never lost its serenity, nor did she once relax in the fidelity God asked of
her. And so I regard her as one of the holiest souls I have ever met on this
earth" (Butler’s Lives of the Saints). (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Judges 6:11-24a; Psalm 85: 9, 11-14; Matthew 19:23-30
Then Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you the truth, it
is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of God. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly
astonished and asked, Who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said,
With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Peter
answered him, We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be
for us? Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all
things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed
me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And
everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or
children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will
inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are
last will be first. (Matthew 19:23-30)
On material wealth There are many
genres in literature and language. There is poetry, drama, straightforward discourse,
prose, and so on. Within each of these genres there is variety of expression.
For instance a person in ordinary conversation could say, Please leave
immediately! Or he could say, Get lost! In the latter expression he does not
mean what he says literally. It is an expression — stronger in form than the
former, but one that employs analogy. The analogy is that between being out of
sight and being actually lost (and so, out of
sight). The expression, Get
lost! in this context does not convey the notion of actually getting lost.
Rather it makes it emphatically clear to the person that he must leave
immediately. We see our Lord also using stark analogies to give emphasis to
his meaning. For instance, he says that if your eye should lead you to sin,
pluck it out. He means that under no circumstances are you to allow your gaze
to lead you to sin. Ordinary common sense (i.e., reason) and the Church’s
Tradition indicate that the Scriptural text is not to be interpreted
literally, and in any case it would contradict the sense of other parts of
Scripture. In our Gospel today (Matthew 19:23-30)
our Lord says that "it is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of God." Our Lord is using an analogy to drive home the
special danger and difficulty that the possession of wealth brings in respect
to attaining all that God plans for us. A full entry into the Kingdom means,
concretely, entry into a personal relationship with Jesus and a genuine
following of him in discipleship. It means union with him and sharing in his
divine life with all that this entails. It means subjecting oneself to the
lordship of God by being the friend and disciple of Jesus Christ. It means
accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord of one’s life. This is the path to that
perfection to which we naturally aspire and which God intends. This
wholehearted love for Jesus is a demanding goal, but the possession of an
abundance of material goods makes it much more difficult. This is because our
heart can so easily be attached to those goods, making its full attachment to
God difficult or even impossible.
The context of our Lord’s teaching on material possessions is the encounter he had with the very good rich young man (Matthew 19: 16-22). The young man wanted to do all he could to attain life everlasting. He wanted entry into the Kingdom of Heaven and he asked our Lord what he must do. "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments," our Lord replied, and he proceeded to remind him what those commandments were. The young man responded by saying he had indeed kept these commandments — what more need he do? He aspired to perfection, a perfection in the fulfilment of God’s will, a full and perfect entry into the Kingdom of God. At this our Lord immediately revealed the way ahead. Get rid of your abundant possessions — sell them and give them to the poor — and "afterwards, come back and follow me." So there was the way for the young man to attain the perfection he yearned for, but what happened? At this he turned away and left our Lord, sad in his soul. There is no hint at all that he lost his soul, but there is every suggestion that he never attained the perfection that our Lord held out to him. The reason was that he had many possessions, implying that his heart cleaved to them and as a result was never given totally to God. It was very difficult indeed for him to enter fully and perfectly into the Kingdom of God, and in the event had proved impossible. Behind his question to our Lord, what more need I do? was his sense that his heart had a long way to go before it was given perfectly to God and his holy will. Christ’s invitation and his response revealed the reason for this: it was his attachment to material goods, an attachment nourished by his possession of so many of them. He was like a camel trying to get through the eye of a needle. His bulk was too great because of the attachments of his heart. He lacked poverty of spirit and the threat to this was the possession of an abundance of goods. What we must do in respect to all our possessions, be they many or few, is be poor in spirit and use them for the greater glory of God.
There have been saints who have abandoned all their goods
for love of Christ. There have been other saints not called to this concrete
step. For instance, St Thomas More owned an impressive home at Chelsea in
London and even something of a zoo. But in all this he increasingly lived in
and for God, and his heart grew in detachment from anything which was an
obstacle to his doing and accepting the will of God. Our goal in life is the
total love of God in Christ and this will involve fighting against all that
might draw our hearts away from him to created things. As our Lord says in
today’s Gospel, this will bring a hundred times as much in this life and
eternal life in the next.
(E.J.Tyler)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget, silly child, that Love has made you
all-powerful.
(The Way, no.875)
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Continuing
The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Twenty-Ninth Chapter HOW WE MUST CALL UPON AND BLESS THE LORD WHEN TROUBLE PRESSES THE DISCIPLE
But here, in the midst of these troubles, what shall I say?
Your will be done, Lord. I have richly deserved to be troubled and distressed.
But I must bear it. Would that I could do so patiently, until the storm passes
and calm returns! Yet Your almighty hand can take this temptation from me, or
lighten its attack so that I do not altogether sink beneath it, as You, my
God, my Mercy, have very often done for me before. And the more difficult my
plight, the easier for You is this change of the right hand of the Most High.
(Concluded)
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Worship, indeed, being the act of our devotional nature,
strives hard to emancipate itself from theological restraints.
(JHN, from the ’Preface to the Third Edition’ of Lectures on the Prophetical Office of the Church (1877)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Wednesday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time
(August 19) St. John Eudes (1601-1680)
How little we know where God’s grace will lead. Born on a
farm in northern France, John died at 79 in the next “county” or department.
In that time he was a religious, a parish missionary, founder of two
religious communities and a great promoter of the devotion to the Sacred
Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He joined the religious community of
the Oratorians and was ordained a
priest at 24. During severe plagues in
1627 and 1631, he volunteered to care for the stricken in his own diocese.
Lest he infect his fellow religious, he lived in a huge cask in the middle
of a field during the plague. At age 32, John became a parish missionary.
His gifts as preacher and confessor won him great popularity. He preached
over 100 parish missions, some lasting from several weeks to several months.
In his concern with the spiritual improvement of the clergy, he realized
that the greatest need was for seminaries. He had permission from his
general superior, the bishop and even Cardinal Richelieu to begin this work,
but the succeeding general superior disapproved. After prayer and counsel,
John decided it was best to leave the religious community. The same year he
founded a new one, ultimately called the Eudists (Congregation of Jesus and
Mary), devoted to the formation of the clergy by conducting diocesan
seminaries. The new venture, while approved by individual bishops, met with
immediate opposition, especially from Jansenists and some of his former
associates. John founded several seminaries in Normandy, but was unable to
get approval from Rome (partly, it was said, because he did not use the most
tactful approach). In his parish mission work, John was disturbed by the sad
condition of prostitutes who sought to escape their miserable life.
Temporary shelters were found but arrangements were not satisfactory. A
certain Madeleine Lamy, who had cared for several of the women, one day said
to him, “Where are you off to now? To some church, I suppose, where you’ll
gaze at the images and think yourself pious. And all the time what is really
wanted of you is a decent house for these poor creatures.” The words, and
the laughter of those present, struck deeply within him. The result was
another new religious community, called the Sisters of Charity of the
Refuge. He is probably best known for the central theme of his writings:
Jesus as the source of holiness, Mary as the model of the Christian life.
His devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary led
Pius XI to declare him the father of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of
Jesus and Mary.
“Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form
Jesus in ourselves, to make his spirit, his devotion, his affections, his
desires and his disposition live and reign there. All our religious
exercises should be directed to this end. It is the work which God has given
us to do unceasingly” (St. John Eudes, The Life and Reign of Jesus in
Christian Souls). (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Judges 9:6-15; Psalm
21:2-7; Matthew 20:1-16
For the kingdom of heaven is like a
landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his
vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into
his vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in
the market-place
doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I
will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. He went out again about the
sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh
hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why
have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' 'Because no-one has
hired us,' they answered. He said to them, 'You also go and work in my
vineyard.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones
hired and going on to the first.' The workers who were hired about the
eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were
hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also
received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against
the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they
said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the
work and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am
not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your
pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave
you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you
envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first
will be last. (Matthew 20:1-16)
Come to my vineyard!
A young person who does not seem to have any purpose in
life. Another who tries this, and then tries that, and now seems to be
drifting. A third who cannot seem to settle. Various people about whom all
it could be said is that their life has stalled. These are snapshots all,
and of people who for one reason or another are, we can only say, idle. Some
people, through sheer sloth, are characteristically idle. On the other hand
there are many who do not wish to be idle, but they have experienced no
“call”, we might say, that arouses them to action. Nothing has yet struck a
chord in them that gives a melody and genuine interest to the life they are
facing.
Whatever they do leaves them unengaged. We might say that they are
among those portrayed in the various stages of our Lord’s parable today
(Matthew 20:1-16): at the third hour,
and at the sixth hour, and at the ninth hour and even at the eleventh hour,
the master of the vineyard went and found people idle. No one has hired us,
they said in explanation — which we might interpret as meaning that nothing
in life had yet engaged their hearts. The great psychiatrist and author,
Victor Frankl, noticing that some survived the horrors of a concentration
camp while others were utterly ruined by it, concluded that the pivotal
element was the possession of a sense of meaning. They had made sense of
life and whatever life brought they had something to live for. Their hearts
were not empty and idle. At the core of their life they were engaged. Jesus
Christ, living and glorious, is ever trying to engage the heart of every man
and woman. Before he ascended into heaven he charged his disciples to go to
the whole world and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them and
teaching them all he had commanded them. He would be with them in this grand
endeavour. He, unseen but present and working in his body the Church, would
be going from dawn to dark through the ages of history inviting all who were
standing idle in life. His invitation would be that they work in his
vineyard — that they be disciples in their turn, working for the Master.
However, there are many who, though busy about their lives and with a sense
of meaning, are busy with what is ultimately of little worth. Victor
Frankl’s observation could be regarded as simplistic if it is taken to mean
that all that matters is having a sense of meaning — whatever that meaning
may be. It is true that having a “sense of meaning” will engage the heart
and enable a person to withstand upsets and tragedies. At least it could do
this. But even more importantly, there remains the question of the objective
truth of the meaning a person sees in things. Has a person gained not merely
some meaning to life, something to live for, something that brings him
happiness, but the true meaning of things? There are many who are
passionately committed to what they perceive as the meaning of things. From
their point of view their life has a tremendous meaning. It enables them to
withstand as much suffering as very many missionaries who are passionate and
on fire with love for God. But the meaning they see in life and reality is a
phantom, profoundly erroneous, and in proportion to their commitment to it
there flows not good but harm. Their life is not idle, but it might just as
well have been for the good they do. Indeed they do far less good and far
more harm than they would have, had they been entirely idle due to a lack of
a sense of meaning. They are committed to making money or achieving social
status or gaining personal power. That is the meaning of their lives.
Perhaps they are now passionately committed to a religious belief that draws
them into despising others and even into to harm and terror. It is not
enough to have a sense of meaning in life, nor simply to have something to
live for. It is not enough to be busy in life. Man must attain the objective
truth and find his meaning in that. Nor, even, is it sufficient that he be
“convinced” he has the truth — no, he must make it his business actually to
attain it. He must make sure he is not — however sincerely — in error about
it. Truth is not relative to me — it is objective. The terrorist is sure he
has the truth, but he is profoundly in error. To all, to those with little
meaning in life and to those whose lives are full of “meaning,” Christ
extends his call — come to me, to my vineyard!
Christ calls each person, whether idle or caught up in ephemeral interests,
to come and follow him with love into the vineyard of his service. He comes
to issue his invitation at various hours, to various people, at various
stages — be it at the third, sixth, ninth, or the eleventh hour. He is the
ultimate Truth, and all that is objectively true finds its ultimate
foundation in him. To attain the knowledge and the love of Christ is to have
reached the foundation and the end. The Ultimate in life, the Absolute in
the world, the Meaning of things, is an historical person. That person is
Jesus Christ, alive, risen and glorious. He who sees me sees the Father! Let
us hear that call ourselves, and bring that call to others.
(E.J.Tyler)
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Child, don't lose your loving habit of 'storming' Tabernacles.
(The Way, no.876)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL
CONSOLATION
The Thirtieth Chapter THE QUEST
OF DIVINE HELP AND CONFIDENCE IN REGAINING GRACE
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, I am the Lord Who gives strength in the day of trouble. Come to Me
when all is not well with you. Your tardiness in turning to prayer is the
greatest obstacle to heavenly consolation, for before you pray earnestly to
Me you first seek many comforts and take pleasure in outward things. Thus,
all things are of little profit to you until you realize that I am the one
Who saves those who trust in Me, and that outside of Me there is no
worth-while help, or any useful counsel or lasting remedy.
(Continuing)
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Whenever men are able to act at all, there is the chance of extreme and
intemperate action; and therefore, when there is exercise of mind, there is
the chance of wayward or mistaken exercise. Liberty of thought is in itself
a good; but it gives an opening to false liberty.
(JHN, from the Apologia pro Vita Sua 1865 Edition)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Thursday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time
(August 20) Saint Bernard, abbot and doctor of the
Church (1091-1153)
Man of the century! Woman of the century! You see such terms applied to so many
today—“golfer of the century,” “composer of the century,” “right tackle of the
century”—that the line no longer has any punch. But the “man of the twelfth
century,” without doubt or
controversy,
has to be Bernard of Clairvaux. Adviser of popes, preacher of the Second
Crusade, defender of the faith, healer of a schism, reformer of a monastic
Order, Scripture scholar, theologian and eloquent preacher: any one of these
titles would distinguish an ordinary man. Yet Bernard was all of these—and he
still retained a burning desire to return to the hidden monastic life of his
younger days. In the year 1111, at the age of 20, Bernard left his home to join
the monastic community of Citeaux. His five brothers, two uncles and some 30
young friends followed him into the monastery. Within four years a dying
community had recovered enough vitality to establish a new house in the nearby
valley of Wormwoods, with Bernard as abbot. The zealous young man was quite
demanding, though more on himself than others. A slight breakdown of health
taught him to be more patient and understanding. The valley was soon renamed
Clairvaux, the valley of light. His ability as arbitrator and counsellor became
widely known. More and more he was lured away from the monastery to settle
long-standing disputes. On several of these occasions he apparently stepped on
some sensitive toes in Rome. Bernard was completely dedicated to the primacy of
the Roman See. But to a letter of warning from Rome he replied that the good
fathers in Rome had enough to do to keep the Church in one piece. If any matters
arose that warranted their interest, he would be the first to let them know.
Shortly thereafter it was Bernard who intervened in a full-blown schism and
settled it in favour of the Roman pontiff against the antipope. The Holy See
prevailed on Bernard to preach the Second Crusade throughout Europe. His
eloquence was so overwhelming that a great army was assembled and the success of
the crusade seemed assured. The ideals of the men and their leaders, however,
were not those of Abbot Bernard, and the project ended as a complete military
and moral disaster. Bernard felt responsible in some way for the degenerative
effects of the crusade. This heavy burden possibly hastened his death, which
came August 20, 1153.
“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon
Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your
heart. And that you may more surely obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect
not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray;
while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind,
you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under
her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not
grow weary; if she shows you favour, you shall reach the goal” (St. Bernard).
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Judges 11:29-39a; Psalm 40: 5,
7-10; Matthew 22:1-14
Jesus spoke to them again in parables,
saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for
his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to
tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he sent some more
servants and
said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen
and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the
wedding banquet.' But they paid no attention and went off— one to his field,
another to his business. The rest seized his servants, ill-treated them and
killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those
murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding
banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street
corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' So the servants went out
into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad,
and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see
the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. Friend,'
he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was
speechless. Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw
him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.' For many are invited, but few are chosen.
(Matthew 22:1-14)
God’s calls
A student determines to make
good progress at school because he has ambitions. He has set his heart on this
or that career and he is determined “to make it.” So he applies himself and
succeeds, gaining a good place at university in the tertiary school of his
choice. He goes on from there to a profession and enters business or some other
career path. He marries, has a few children, and has plans and hopes for them.
At the end of his life’s run, he has been quite successful. Now, what has been
the essential dynamic of his life?
In his case it has been the pursuit of some
chosen goals. His life has been something he himself has built up and defined.
Other calls and beckonings he has set aside as not being commensurate with what
he himself has preferred and chosen. His life has been, as we might put it
colloquially, “his thing,” and he has got there. Of course, there are many
others who also have chosen their paths but have not got there. Still, in their
case too the fundamental pattern has been the pursuit of personally chosen goals
that have appeared desirable. But there is another kind of life with a different
dynamic. The other person could even be a friend of the first I have just been
describing. In his case, life has been not so much the pursuit of attractive and
chosen goals, as the response to calls. He does not contemplate and then select
his own future, rather he sees it opening up before him as an invitation. In one
form or another, it is the sense of being called which is fundamental. He feels
a vague invitation to serve others generously — perhaps in a specific profession
or business or whatever. But the essential thing is that his life unfolds as a
response to a higher invitation, a calling. He seems to be drawn forward from
without rather than determining his life from within. His disposition seems to
be to be open and responsive to invitations, summonses, appeals, invitations — in a word, to calls. Fundamentally his life is a vocation rather than just a
career, even though like his career-minded friend he too is a doctor, an
engineer, politician, businessman, teacher or whatever.
In our Gospel today, our Lord describes in parable form what is going on in life
from God’s point of view. He is continually extending calls. Life is shown by
our Lord’s parable to consist of a call, a vocation, an invitation, a summons.
It is not just a personally chosen career. We read that “The kingdom of heaven
is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants
to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they
refused to come.” God has a glorious prospect in mind for us, but what will
bring this to nought is our imperviousness to his invitations. Our own chosen
goals, our own preferred career, in a word our own “thing,” will bring God’s
plan down in our regard. Notice the reaction of those in the parable to whom the
invitation was extended. They refused to come. A further invitation was sent.
“But they paid no attention and went off— one to his field, another to his
business. The rest seized his servants, ill-treated them and killed them”
(Matthew 22:1-14). They had their own agendas in life. There was a fundamental
resistance to invitations. In the first book of Samuel (chapter 3) we read that
the boy “Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was.
The Lord called to Samuel, who answered. “Here I am.” Not understanding what had
really happened, Samuel “ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, you called me.’ ‘I did
not call you,’ Eli said.” Once again God called Samuel, and Samuel immediately
responded. It was soon understood that God was calling Samuel. We read that
“Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, not permitting any word of his to be
without effect.” Samuel’s life was the living out of a vocation, and he was open
to the calls of the Lord and he obeyed them. Our Lord’s parable in the Gospel of
today makes it clear that the life of each one of us is a call, an invitation, a
vocation. We must not allow it to become a mere career. It is a call to holiness
of life and a share in the mission of Jesus Christ, lived out in the ordinary
duties which the providence of God gives us to do.
Let us think of the wedding banquet to which God has invited each of us, the
wedding banquet of heaven which shall last forever. Our attaining that prize
depends on our hearing the call of God in life and living according to it. He
wants us all there, but we must be found wearing the wedding garments. Let us
not be found speechless at the end, and cast outside. The true career, the
greatest adventure, is to hear the call of God and respond to it with
generosity.
(E.J.Tyler)
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When I call you 'good child' don't think I imagine you timid or bashful. If you
are not manly and normal, instead of being an apostle you will be a caricature
that causes laughter.
(The Way, no.877)
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Continuing
The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Thirtieth Chapter
THE QUEST OF DIVINE HELP AND CONFIDENCE IN REGAINING GRACE
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
But now, after the tempest, take courage, grow strong once more in the light of
My mercies; for I am near, says the Lord, to restore all things not only to the
full but with abundance and above measure. Is anything difficult for Me? Or
shall I be as one who promises and does not act? Where is your faith? Stand firm
and persevere. Be a man of endurance and courage, and consolation will come to
you in due time. Wait for Me; wait -- and I will come to heal you.
It is only a temptation that troubles you, a vain fear that terrifies you.
(Continuing)
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Love of heaven is the only way to heaven.
(JHN, from the sermon ‘Miracles no Remedy for Unbelief’ 1830)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Friday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time
(August 21) Saint Pius X, pope (1835-1914)
Pope Pius X is perhaps best remembered for his encouragement of the
frequent reception of Holy Communion, especially by children.
The
second of 10 children in a poor Italian family, Joseph Sarto became Pius X at
68, one of the twentieth century’s greatest popes. Ever mindful of his humble
origin, he stated, “I was born poor, I lived poor, I will die poor.” He was
embarrassed by some of the pomp of the papal court. “Look how they have dressed
me up,” he said in tears to an old friend. To another, “It is a penance to be
forced to accept all these practices. They lead me around surrounded by soldiers
like Jesus when he was seized in Gethsemani.” Interested in politics, he
encouraged Italian Catholics to become more politically involved. One of his
first papal acts was to end the supposed right of governments to interfere by
veto in papal elections—a practice that reduced the freedom of the conclave
which had elected him. In 1905, when France renounced its agreement with the
Holy See and threatened confiscation of Church property if governmental control
of Church affairs were not granted, Pius X courageously rejected the demand.
While he did not author a famous social encyclical as his predecessor had done,
he denounced the ill treatment of indigenous peoples on the plantations of Peru,
sent a relief commission to Messina after an earthquake and sheltered refugees
at his own expense. On the eleventh anniversary of his election as pope, Europe
was plunged into World War I. Pius had foreseen it, but it killed him. “This is
the last affliction the Lord will visit on me. I would gladly give my life to
save my poor children from this ghastly scourge.” He died a few weeks after the
war began. He was canonized in 1954.
Describing Pius X, a historian wrote that he was “a man of God who knew
the unhappiness of the world and the hardships of life, and in the greatness of
his heart wanted to comfort everyone.” (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22;
Psalm 146:5-10; Matthew 22:34-40
Hearing
that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them,
an expert in the law, tested him with this question: Teacher, which is the
greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and
greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as
yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
(Matthew 22:34-40)
A religion of love
It is always difficult to pinpoint the
spirit of a particular religion, and then to compare it with other religions.
Whatever is suggested will be contested. However, let us attempt to bring out
the spirit of the Christian religion and let us begin with a comparison. What can
we say of the spirit of, say, Islam? Clearly, it claims to have submission as
its distinctive note. There is no god but Allah, and true religion involves submission to
his absolute authority.
Allah possesses
all power
and all of life and worship is to be devoted to him
alone. Submission and surrender to Allah, the all-high and only God, is the chord which
the religion of Mahomet especially strikes. Now, of course, both Judaism and
Christianity would hardly disagree with the requirement of submission and
surrender, as baldly stated. Differences
emerge in the detail and in the particular emphasis — quite apart from the
obvious differences in sheer doctrine about God. Islam stresses the absolute sovereignty
of God and man’s profound submission to him. Now, it would seem to many
observers that, despite the assertions of Islam, Allah is different from Yahweh
(the God of Judaeo-Christian revelation) in that Allah appears — in a sense
— to be
“higher” than Yahweh. What do I mean by “higher”? I mean simply that Yahweh is closer to his
chosen people. That is, he is less distant. He, the transcendent Yahweh, dwells
with them. Allah, the transcendent One, does not. Allah is the supreme and
merciful Power. Yahweh is the Bridegroom and Father of his people. I observe
these differences in emphasis merely as an introduction to the teaching of our
Lord in today’s Gospel. What is his stress, and the stress he gives to the teaching
of revelation contained in the Old Testament? Of course, in his teaching Christ
insists on submission to God and this submission is shown in obedience to his
commands. Man must submit to God’s will. But in the question of God’s commands,
in our Gospel today our Lord sums up the entire teaching of the Law and the
Prophets as being a command to love. We submit to God, of course, but by a life
of love, and we show our love by submitting to his commands. The distinctive
note of the Christian religion, which as our Lord’s words show interpret and
build on the religion of the Old Testament, is one of love.
I suspect that the absolute emphasis on love as the supreme note of religion is
distinctive to Christianity. It is seen to be revealed more and more within the
Old Testament, especially in the prophets, but it finds its full revelation in
the person of Jesus Christ. In him we have the spectacle of a religion focussed
on one Man as its object of love and worship. The Christian is called to love
Jesus as he does the one and only God. Jesus occupies the place in the life of
the Christian that Allah does in the life of the Muslim. This is because Jesus
is God. He is Yahweh God become man — not the Father, nor the Holy Spirit, but
the Son, each of whom is the one and only Yahweh God. But notice this. While
Islam insists on absolute submission before the almighty and merciful Power,
Jesus Christ invites his disciples — and all are called to be his disciples
— to
be his personal friends. The Christian is called to an intimate friendship with
the person of Jesus, a life of love, the love between friends. Jesus is almighty
God, but in him God has deigned to lower himself to the level of man by becoming
man. As man, God calls us to his friendship. We are called to an intimacy with
God which is hardly characteristic of the religions of the world. It is a strong
and increasing feature of the religion of the Old Testament, inasmuch as the one
God dwells with his chosen people in all fidelity as not merely their Lord but
as their Husband. It is this religion of love which our Lord highlights and
defines in his response to the question put to him in today’s Gospel
(Matthew 22:34-40). However, it is in him,
in Jesus Christ, that this revelation comes into full and dominant view. I have
not called you servants, Christ said to his disciples. He did not come to call
them merely to that life of profound submission characteristic of a servant. He
called them to be his friends. I have called you friends, he said. They were to
be his friends and collaborators in his mission of redemption to the world. The
command of the Old Testament to love God with all our heart and our neighbour as
ourself is revealed as having its focus in him.
A magnificent revelation is presented to man in the person and
teaching of Jesus Christ. How could it possibly come from merely human insight
or reasoning? God has revealed himself as being love, and this love shows itself
in unlimited power and mercy. At the heart of all that is, there is Love. Love
is the ultimate fact. It is not any kind of love, but the love that has been
revealed in the Old Testament, and fully and definitively revealed in Jesus
Christ. He asks us to love him, and in him the Father and the Spirit, with all
our hearts, and one another as he has loved us. Let us, with the grace of God,
take up our calling and run with it to the end.
(E.J.Tyler)
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Good child, say to Jesus many times each day: I love you, I love you, I love
you...
(The Way, no.878)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL
CONSOLATION
The Thirtieth Chapter THE QUEST OF
DIVINE HELP AND CONFIDENCE IN REGAINING GRACE
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
Of what use is anxiety about the future? Does it bring you anything but trouble
upon trouble? Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. It is foolish and
useless to be either grieved or happy about future things which perhaps may
never happen. But it is human to be deluded by such imaginations, and the sign
of a weak soul to be led on by suggestions of the enemy. For he does not care
whether he overcomes you by love of the present or fear of the future.
(Continuing)
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All of us who live in this mortal life, have our troubles. You have your
troubles, but when you are in trouble, and the waves seem to mount high, and to
be soon to overwhelm you, make an act of faith, an act of hope, in your God and
Saviour.
(JHN, from the sermon ‘The Omnipotence of God the Reason for Faith and Hope’
1848)
---------------Back
to index for this month---------------------------Back to
index to Liturgical Days---------
Saturday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time
(August 22) The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But Mary’s queenship has
roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that
Mary’s
Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation,
Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the
mysteries
of Mary’s life, Mary is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share
in Jesus’ kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of
the king has great influence in court. In the fourth century St. Ephrem called
Mary “Lady” and “Queen” and Church fathers and doctors continued to use the
title. Hymns of the eleventh to thirteenth centuries address Mary as queen:
“Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.” The Dominican
rosary and the Franciscan crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary’s litany
celebrate her queenship. The feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption and
is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his encyclical To the
Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is
Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’
redemptive work, because of her pre-eminent perfection and because of her
intercessory power.
“Let the entire body of the faithful pour forth persevering prayer
to the Mother of God and Mother of men. Let them implore that she who aided the
beginnings of the Church by her prayers may now, exalted as she is in heaven
above all the saints and angels, intercede with her Son in the fellowship of all
the saints. May she do so until all the peoples of the human family, whether
they are honoured with the name of Christian or whether they still do not know
their Saviour, are happily gathered together in peace and harmony into the one
People of God, for the glory of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity” (Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church, 69). (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17;
Psalm 128:1b-5; Matthew 23:1-12
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: The teachers of the law and
the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them
and do everything they
tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach.
They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are
not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to
see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
they love the place of honour at banquets and the most important seats in the
synagogues; they love to be greeted in the market-places and to have men call
them 'Rabbi'. But you are not to be called 'Rabbi', for you have only one Master
and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father', for you have
one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher', for you
have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For
whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be
exalted. (Matthew 23: 1-12)
Exaltation
There is a tension
between man’s moral practice and his moral sense that we are all aware of. For
instance, in his practice man strongly tends towards self-exaltation. As we
think of the rise and fall of dominions in history, or the pattern of wars and
various conflicts in human society, or the clash of personalities in various
contexts be they the family circle, the workplace, or wherever, self-exaltation
is obviously a prominent and ever-recurring factor. In the thought of Friedrich
Nietzsche (1844-1900), the will to power has a
central place in the universe,
and in particular in humankind. Schopenhauer (1788-1860) had regarded the entire
universe and everything in it as driven by a primordial will to live. Nietzsche,
however, challenged Schopenhauer's thesis and urged that people and animals
really want not so much life as power. Life is for the promotion of one’s power,
and people and animals risk their lives for the sake of gaining power. Nietzsche
looked to the Greek heroes and masters who wanted power and glory, and in his
writings he mentions the frequent Greek theme of agon or contest. Strangely,
Nietzsche’s unfortunate writings have been influential in postmodern thought,
and one result of his emphasis on the will to power is that this drive to gain
power, so obvious in fallen man, has been given a certain moral legitimacy.
There is no doubt that the “will to power” accounts for much of man’s moral
practice, but it scarcely needs the backing of a Nietzsche to perceive this. Man
seeks power in order to be greater and higher. He wants to be the ‘top dog,’ as
it is often expressed. That having been said, man’s moral sense has no
difficulty in seeing that this desire for self-exaltation, so recurrent and
influential in his life, is morally illegitimate. Self-exaltation ought not be
the driving factor in his life and in the life of society. He can see this and,
if it is exposed in his life, it shames him and causes remorse. It is an
instance of what St Paul says in the Letter to the Romans, that “I do not do
what I want to do but what I hate” (7:15).
Man’s natural conscience is capable of seeing that self-exaltation as the motive
of action is morally wrong. Whatever be the religion or the philosophy of a
prudent and moral person, he will not approve of actions that are driven by
self-exaltation. We could say that this is the voice of nature and mankind — and
being the voice of nature and mankind, it is the voice of the Author of nature
and mankind, God. It is also the voice of God as it is revealed in his
historical revelation, and more specifically in the person of Jesus Christ his
divine Son. In fact, God’s revelation reveals that at the heart of the universe
and of being, there is a law of self-abnegation. The tendency towards
self-exaltation is a sign of a great decay and deterioration. The truly
life-filled law is that of self-abasement. St Paul writes that the Son of God
possessed the very glory of God, but he did not cling to this, instead he
emptied himself of it and became as men are, and indeed humbler still even to
death on a cross. God’s path was one not of self-exaltation but of
self-abasement. True glory consists in, and is attained by, the denial of self
out of love for the Other, God.
In the life and death and teaching of Jesus Christ there is revealed the life
and nature of God. God is humble, not proud. Come to me, our Lord says, and
learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. He is the image of the
unseen God, and he said to his disciples that he who sees me sees the Father.
He, meek and humble as he is, is the only way to the Father. In our Gospel today
our Lord makes all this very explicit. “The greatest among you will be your
servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself
will be exalted” (Matthew 23: 1-12). Jesus
Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and he teaches and shows humility and
lowliness, not self-exaltation. He teaches humble service, not the desire to be
served. So then, we must learn as quickly as possible that the way of Christ,
cutting right across the path naturally taken (but not approved of) by man, is
to be the daily path of life. We are to follow in his footsteps the way of
self-abnegation, not the way of self-exaltation.
Let us recognize the natural tendency of our practice. It is towards exalting
ourselves. Let us also recognize that this is wrong. Let us look to Christ and
to his teaching, which holds up the path of humility before God and others,
exalting God and others in God. Our Lord humbled himself even to death on a
cross, and for this God raised him high, above all other names. He teaches the
path to true glory, that glory that is found in him.
(E.J.Tyler)
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When you feel oppressed by your weaknesses don't let yourself be sad. Glory in
your infirmities, like Saint Paul, for children need not fear being laughed at
when they imitate great men.
(The Way, no.879)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Thirtieth Chapter THE
QUEST OF DIVINE HELP AND CONFIDENCE IN REGAINING GRACE
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
Let not your heart be troubled, therefore, nor let it be afraid. Believe in Me
and trust in My mercy. When you think you are far from Me, then often I am very
near you. When you judge that almost all is lost, then very often you are in the
way of gaining great merit.
(Continuing)
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Life is not long enough for proving everything; we are obliged to take a great
many things upon the credit of others.
(JHN, from Lectures on the Present Position of Catholics in England
(1851)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Twenty first Sunday in Ordinary Time B
(August 23) St. Rose of Lima (1586-1617)
The first canonized saint of the New World has one
characteristic of all saints—the suffering of opposition—and another
characteristic which is more for admiration than for imitation—excessive
practice of mortification. She was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima,
Peru,
at a time when South America was in its first century of evangelization. She
seems to have taken Catherine of Siena (April 29) as a model, in spite of the
objections and ridicule of parents and friends. The saints have so great a love
of God that what seems bizarre to us, and is indeed sometimes imprudent, is
simply a logical carrying out of a conviction that anything that might endanger
a loving relationship with God must be rooted out. So, because her beauty was so
often admired, Rose used to rub her face with pepper to produce disfiguring
blotches. Later, she wore a thick circlet of silver on her head, studded on the
inside, like a crown of thorns. When her parents fell into financial trouble,
she worked in the garden all day and sewed at night. Ten years of struggle
against her parents began when they tried to make Rose marry. They refused to
let her enter a convent, and out of obedience she continued her life of penance
and solitude at home as a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. So deep was
her desire to live the life of Christ that she spent most of her time at home in
solitude. During the last few years of her life, Rose set up a room in the house
where she cared for homeless children, the elderly and the sick. This was a
beginning of social services in Peru. Though secluded in life and activity, she
was brought to the attention of Inquisition interrogators, who could only say
that she was influenced by grace.
What might have been a merely eccentric life was transfigured from
the inside. If we remember some unusual penances, we should also remember the
greatest thing about Rose: a love of God so ardent that it withstood ridicule
from without, violent temptation and lengthy periods of sickness. When she died
at 31, the city turned out for her funeral. Prominent men took turns carrying
her coffin. (AmericanCatholic.org)
Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b; Ps 34:2-3,
16-21; Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32; John 6:60-69
On hearing Jesus’s teaching, many of his
disciples said, This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it? Aware that his
disciples were
grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, Does this offend you?
What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the
flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are
life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus had known from the
beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to
say, This is why I told you that no-one can come to me unless the Father has
enabled him. From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer
followed him. You do not want to leave too, do you? Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.
(John 6:60-69)
Sinning against faith
One of the features of the modern mind that has often been
commented on is its estimation of the importance of sin. Sin — an offence
against God whom we do not see — is typically regarded as of little importance.
Wrongdoing — an offence against others in society whom we do see — is regarded
as very important. Sin is seen as a religious and therefore private matter, wrongdoing as a social
matter. This difference is especially evident in the attitude to secret sins.
Inasmuch as God is not seen and the divine sanctions for sin generally take
effect in the future, the seriousness of secret sins can easily be ignored. Thus
it is that sin can so easily be considered as of little importance. But if only
its parallel with wrongdoing could be borne in mind! Crimes are, of course,
generally committed in secret and the perpetrator, acting in secret, takes their
seriousness lightly. But when they come to light and the perpetrator is
apprehended and brought to justice, the full horror of the wrongdoing — say,
drug dealing — may then
become evident to him. It could mean the best part of a lifetime in gaol or even
in some countries capital punishment with all the sorrow this entails. A life is
ruined and protracted misery is brought to the family of the wrongdoer. The
sanctions bring home the seriousness of the act of wrongdoing. Of course, all
genuine wrongdoing is sinful — meaning by this that true offences against people
and society are also offences against God. But even if it is forgotten that
wrongdoing is sinful, the thought of the sanctions which wrongdoing attracts
from society when brought to light ought remind a person of the sanctions that
sin will most certainly attract from God. Small offences against society bring
sanctions, so will small offences against God bring their sanctions. The thought
of these
divine sanctions helps man to preserve a sense of the seriousness of all sin. Man
must preserve in his heart a detestation for sin, including all venial sin. The
essential thing is to determine never to offend God. Let this consideration
serve as an introduction to the sin our Lord refers to in today’s Gospel,
sinning against faith.
Our Lord alludes to one fundamental offence against God in our Gospel today
which in our secular and agnostic culture can very easily be dismissed as not of
great importance. It is in relation to our acceptance in faith of whatever God
has revealed. Our Gospel passage describes the response of the people to our
Lord’s declaration of the doctrine of the Eucharist. He had stated publicly in
the synagogue of Capernaum that his flesh was to be eaten and his blood drunk if
one were to share in eternal life. It was the test of faith par excellence and
our Lord laid it down. He was looking for true disciples who would accept his
word. He did not explain how this was to be done. This would be revealed at the
Last Supper. At this point he simply revealed that his flesh would be given as
real food and his blood as real drink. Union with him would come from eating his
flesh and drinking his blood. We read that “this time many of his disciples
turned back and no longer followed him.” What our Lord had taught was too much,
they decided, and so they abandoned him, going back to their homes and refusing
to follow him further. Our Lord turned to the Twelve and asked if they too
intended to leave, and Peter gave his magnificent response: “Lord, to whom shall
we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the
Holy One of God.” But immediately following our passage today our Lord obliquely reveals the terrible character of
rejecting his teaching. “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a
devil!” he says. St John adds by way of explanation, “He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the
Twelve, was later to betray him” (John 6: 60-69).
Judas, who had been chosen by Christ himself, had, it seems, secretly in his
heart rejected Christ’s teaching and with it Christ himself. He was on the path
of secret and unrepented sin, and its sanctions are implied in our Lord’s
description of him as a devil. Let us be reminded of the imperative of our
Christian faith and of the sin that is involved in allowing it to weaken, let
alone knowingly to reject it.
The Church professes the one faith that was received from the one Lord and that
was passed on by the one Apostolic Tradition. She confesses one God, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, and points to one way of salvation in Jesus Christ our
Redeemer. We believe all that is contained in the Word of God, handed down or
written, and which is taught by the Church as divinely revealed. Let us embrace
this faith, live by it in every way we can, and never sin against God by
allowing it to fade in our hearts, let alone be abandoned by us in any of its
precious and saving aspects.
(E.J.Tyler)
Further Reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church,
no.172-175
(One Faith)
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Don't let your imperfections and defects, nor even your more serious falls,
separate you from God. A weak child, if he is wise, tries to keep near his
Father.
(The Way, no.880)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Thirtieth Chapter THE QUEST OF
DIVINE HELP AND CONFIDENCE IN REGAINING GRACE
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
All is not lost when things go contrary to your wishes. You ought not judge
according to present feelings, nor give in to any trouble whenever it comes, or
take it as though all hope of escape were lost. And do not consider yourself
forsaken if I send some temporary hardship, or withdraw the consolation you
desire. For this is the way to the kingdom of heaven, and without doubt it is
better for you and the rest of My servants to be tried in adversities than to
have all things as you wish. I know your secret thoughts, and I know that it is
profitable for your salvation to be left sometimes in despondency lest perhaps
you be puffed up by success and fancy yourself to be what you are not.
(Continuing)
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In his insightful 1839 sermon ‘Unreal words’,
John Henry Newman argues that it’s dangerous
talking about religious truths that we have not personally understood and
‘realised’ in experience. Religion doesn’t end with learning doctrines, but has
its culmination in a making those doctrines a reality in the way that we live:
It is not an easy thing to learn that new language which Christ has brought us.
He has interpreted all things for us in a new way; He has
brought
us a religion which sheds a new light on all that happens. Try to learn this
language. Do not get it by rote, or speak it as a thing of course. Try to
understand what you say. Time is short, eternity is long; God is great, man is
weak; he stands between heaven and hell; Christ is his Saviour; Christ has
suffered for him. The Holy Ghost sanctifies him; repentance purifies him, faith
justifies, works save. These are solemn truths, which need not be actually
spoken, except in the way of creed or of teaching; but which must be laid up in
the heart. That a thing is true, is no reason that it should be said, but that
it should be done; that it should be acted upon; that it should be made our own
inwardly.
Let us avoid talking, of whatever kind; whether mere empty talking, or
censorious talking, or idle profession, or descanting upon Gospel doctrines, or
the affectation of philosophy, or the pretence of eloquence. Let us guard
against frivolity, love of display, love of being talked about, love of
singularity, love of seeming original. Let us aim at meaning what we say, and
saying what we mean; let us aim at knowing when we understand a truth, and when
we do not. When we do not, let us take it on faith, and let us profess to do so.
Let us receive the truth in reverence, and pray God to give us a good will, and
divine light, and spiritual strength, that it may bear fruit within us.
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
(August 24)
Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
Monday
of the twenty first week in Ordinary Time (2009)
(August 24) Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
In the New Testament, Bartholomew is mentioned only in the lists of the
apostles. Some scholars identify him with Nathanael, a man of
Cana
in Galilee who was summoned to Jesus by Philip. Jesus paid him a great
compliment: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (John
1:47b). When Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus said, “I saw you under
the fig tree” (John 1:48b). Whatever amazing revelation this involved, it
brought Nathanael to exclaim, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King
of Israel” (John 1:49b). But Jesus countered with, “Do you believe because I
told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than
this” (John 1:50b). Nathanael did see greater things. He was one of those to
whom Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection
(see John 21:1-14). They had been fishing all night without success. In the
morning, they saw someone standing on the shore though no one knew it was Jesus.
He told them to cast their net again, and they made so great a catch that they
could not haul the net in. Then John cried out to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When
they brought the boat to shore, they found a fire burning, with some fish laid
on it and some bread. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they had
caught, and invited them to come and eat their meal. John relates that although
they knew it was Jesus, none of the apostles presumed to inquire who he was.
This, John notes, was the third time Jesus appeared to the apostles.
(AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: Revelation 21:9b-14; Psalm
145:10-13, 17-18; John 1:45-51
Philip found Nathanael and told him, We
have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets
also wrote— Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nazareth! Can anything good
come from there? Nathanael asked. Come and see, said Philip. When Jesus saw
Nathanael approaching, he said of him, Here is a true Israelite, in whom there
is nothing false. How do you know me? Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, I saw you
while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you. Then Nathanael
declared, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel. Jesus said,
You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig-tree. You shall see
greater things than that. He then added, I tell you the truth, you shall see
heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
(John 1:45-51)
The path of faith
One of the notable features of the public ministry of Jesus
Christ is that, once John the Baptist’s testimony was heard, it does not seem to
have been difficult to discern that Jesus was the Messiah. In the Gospel of St
John, from which our Gospel passage today is drawn, we read that as he watched
Jesus walk by, John the Baptist said, “There is the Lamb of God!” Two of John’s
disciples were with him when he said this, and thereupon they followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and invited them to come with him to where
he was staying, which
they did. They came away from that meeting absolutely convinced he was the
Messiah. One of the two was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. We read that “the
first thing he did was seek out and tell his brother Simon, ‘We have found the
Messiah’.” He brought him to Jesus, and the implication of the text is that
Simon too became absolutely convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. Another
remarkable instance of this is one which is mentioned merely in passing in the
Gospel of John. It is the call of Philip (1:43). We simply read that “the next
day he ... came upon Philip. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him.” That is all.
Today’s Gospel passage implies that Philip quickly attained faith in Jesus as
Messiah. We read that “Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the
one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote— Jesus
of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (1:45). Like Andrew, Philip was also apostolic:
he immediately brought others to this faith. He invited Nathanael to “Come and
see.” Encountering Jesus and hearing from him that he had seen him “under the
fig tree,” Nathanael for his part attained a remarkable faith in a matter of
moments. “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (1:49). It
is clear that the figure and person of Jesus, from an objective point of view,
is absolutely persuasive. Further, the person of Jesus is accompanied by the
divinely-granted evidences in his favour. Faith in Jesus Christ is not difficult
to attain.
But it is also clear from the Gospels that these same disciples who had
discovered Jesus so quickly had a long way to go. They required a divine
purification in both commitment and understanding. Their conceptions of the
mission of the Messiah had in them much that was purely human. We read that on
one occasion the mother of James and John approached Jesus with her sons to ask
of him a favour. She and they wanted for them the top places — to his right and
to his left — in his kingdom. They were getting in with this request before the
others, and the others were angry with them for doing so. They were all very
limited in their understanding of the kingdom of God. Christ had to instruct
them repeatedly and at length, and it was only after he had risen from the dead
that the place of his sufferings in his messianic mission dawned on them. Even
then, we read in the Acts of the Apostles (1:6), they expected a temporal and
political liberation. Their commitment to our Lord also had to be purified,
passing through the sight of his being abandoned by many of his disciples (John
6:66), his being attacked and rejected by the religious leaders, and then the
devastation of his passion and death. One of their number failed and turned
away. He was called as were the others, and we must presume he began convinced,
like the others, that Jesus was the Messiah. He too had to be purified in
understanding and commitment, but, unwilling, he gradually turned from Christ.
Nor do I see that this failure was impossible for others among them. At the Last
Supper, Christ told Peter that Satan had sought to put him through a severe
test, but that he had prayed for him, and that after his coming fall he would
turn back and strengthen his brothers. All this is to say that, though in the
plan of God faith in Jesus is not difficult to attain, much distance has still
to be traversed during life. This same faith, a gift from heaven that is freely
given, God himself must purify for it to attain its end. It is one thing to
begin with Jesus. It is a further thing to go with him faithfully to the very
end.
Our Lord’s words to Nathanael are instructive. “You believe because I told you I
saw you under the fig-tree. You shall see greater things than that.”
(John 1:45-51). Nathanael has a great faith,
but, as we would put it colloquially, much water has yet to pass under the
bridge. Nathanael will see grander things yet. He will see much which will
purify and test his faith, and once purified and tested, will take him with
Jesus along the path of suffering to glory. For our part, let us every day
proceed with ever-growing generosity along the path of faith in Jesus Christ.
(E.J.Tyler)
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Don't worry if you become annoyed when you do those little things he asks of
you. Eventually you will smile...
Have you never seen how reluctantly a little child gives his father — who is
only teasing him, — the sweet which he has in his hand? But he gives it: love
has conquered.
(The Way, no. 881)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Thirtieth Chapter THE
QUEST OF DIVINE HELP AND CONFIDENCE IN REGAINING GRACE
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
What I have given, I can take away and restore when it pleases Me. What I give
remains Mine, and thus when I take it away I take nothing that is yours, for
every good gift and every perfect gift is Mine.
If I send you trouble and adversity, do not fret or let your heart be downcast.
I can raise you quickly up again and turn all your sorrow into joy. I am no less
just and worthy of great praise when I deal with you in this way.
(Continuing)
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Mary must surpass
all the saints; the very fact that certain privileges are known to have been
theirs persuades us, almost from the necessity of the case, that she had the
same and higher.
(JHN, from the discourse ‘On the
Fitness of the Glories of Mary’ 1849)
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Monday of the twenty-first week in Ordinary Time B-2
click centre arrow
Scripture today:
2 Thessalonians 1: 1-5.11-12; Psalm 95; Matthew
23:13-22
Jesus said to the
crowds and to his disciples: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven
before
men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to
enter. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and
land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves. “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears
by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple,
one is obligated.’ Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that
made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means
nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’ You
blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears
by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven
swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.”
(Matthew
23:13-22)
Personal
Influence
One of the striking things about various species of animals
is the bond that they can develop with man. I remember reading of how a family
had been picnicking near a river and for just a few moments the parents left
their infant, for all seemed safe. Suddenly out from the river came a crocodile
making straight for the infant. The child would have been taken had not the
family dog lunged savagely at the crocodile, distracting it, drawing it to turn
to its combat with the dog, and taking the dog instead. The
dog
had a powerful bond with the family, lost its life because of it ― and that bond
saved the child’s life. There is a deep bonding throughout the universe, with
one thing related to the other at this or that level. It is all a reflection, an
imprint, from the creative hand of the God who is an ineffably bonded trinity of
Persons. But now, this instinctive social bond we see in human nature. We are
profoundly dependent on others, and we need their good will, their good opinion,
their respect. If we do not receive it, we are profoundly pained. Not only does
this human respect constitute an important factor in what we do, for we are very
reluctant to do anything which might lead to the loss of it, but it means that
what we do has an effect on others. We cannot avoid the fact of mutual influence
in human life. Whichever way we choose to go, we shall influence someone to
follow along that direction. This bonding and consequent influence is a law of
human living, and the entire phenomenon has to be carefully considered by
everyone. I remember at the start of my priestly formation, we were warned time
and again against the danger of “human respect,” which is to say, the effect of
one’s natural desire for the good opinion of others ― especially others who
cared little for God and his law. Conversely, though, it means that each person
must have a careful eye to the influence that he may be having on others simply
by virtue of example. What we do is seen, and being seen, we can influence. What
we say is heard, and being heard, we can influence. What we are, inevitably has
an effect on the direction of the world of our own little sphere of life, and
that will amount to an influence.
In our Gospel today our Lord condemns the Pharisees
for the direction that their influence gave to the lives of others. Some others
were being lost because of the influence of some Pharisees. “Woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as
yourselves. “Woe to you, blind guides...” (Matthew 23:13-22). Too few of us
consider the direction of our influence on others, which is to say, the
direction others will take as a result of the influence we might be exerting on
them. We may think that our influence is meagre, but we do not know, and in any
case even a meagre influence can count for good or for bad. An adult draws a
young person into some evil deed with him. Long after, the memory of that evil
deed remains in him, though now grown up. A time comes and he is spiritually
weak and drifting. The evil deed is still remembered, and he succumbs to the
influence of its memory. In fact he draws others into it, just as he was drawn
into it, and the cycle of evil goes on and is multiplied. We must have an eye to
example. Moreover, we ought not underestimate the influence of good example. An
example from history ― it occurred during the Second World War, in an infamous
concentration camp. There was an escape of many prisoners, and the German
officialdom determined on reprisals as a deterrent. Several were to be shot, and
one who was arbitrarily selected broke down in uncontrollable grief, shouting
out that he was leaving a wife and children. But no, he had to go. Suddenly,
from the ranks of the prisoners, one quietly stepped forward, and spoke to the
selecting officer ― he wished to take the man’s place. Who are you? the officer
asked. Father Maximilian Kolbe, was the answer ― and the offer was quietly
accepted. That priest had a history of heroic dedication, and years after his
execution, was canonized. But imagine the effect of his example on his fellow
prisoners, and the effect of his example on the generations to come because of
his canonization by the Church! His example will lead others to Heaven.
Let us be very aware that as we are, so shall we act
and speak. As we act and speak, so shall we influence. As we influence, the
world will improve or decline. We are our brother’s keeper. We must be sure that
at our judgment there is no-one who is eternally lost because of our bad
example. Rather, let us do all we can to ensure that because of the direction we
choose to take each day, others will live forever with God in heaven.
(E.J.Tyler)
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to index for this month---------------------------Back to
index to Liturgical Days---------
Tuesday of the twenty first week in Ordinary Time
(August 25) St. Louis of France (1214-1270)
At his coronation as king of France, Louis bound
himself by oath to behave as God’s anointed, as the father of his people and
feudal
lord
of the King of Peace. Other kings had done the same, of course. Louis was
different in that he actually interpreted his kingly duties in
the
light of faith. After the violence of two previous reigns, he brought peace and
justice. He was crowned king at 12, at his father’s death. His mother, Blanche
of Castile, ruled during his minority. When he was 19, (and his bride 12) he was
married to Marguerite of Provence. It was a loving marriage, though was not
without challenge. They had 11 children. Louis “took the cross” for a Crusade
when he was 30. His army seized Damietta on the Nile but not long after,
weakened by dysentery and without support, they were surrounded and captured.
Louis obtained the release of the army by giving up the city of Damietta in
addition to paying a ransom. He stayed in Syria four years.
He deserves credit for extending justice in civil
administration. He drew up regulations for his officials which became the first
of a series of reform laws. He replaced trial by battle with a form of
examination of witnesses and encouraged the beginning of using written records
in court. Louis was devoted to his people, founding hospitals, visiting the sick
and, like his patron St. Francis, caring even for people with leprosy. (He is
one of the patrons of the Secular Franciscan Order.) Louis united France—lords
and townsfolk, peasants and priests and knights—by the force of his personality
and holiness. For many years the nation was at peace. Every day Louis had 13
special guests from among the poor to eat with him, and a large number of poor
were served meals near his palace. During Advent and Lent, all who presented
themselves were given a meal, and Louis often served them in person. He kept
lists of needy people, whom he regularly relieved, in every province of his
dominion. Disturbed by new Muslim advances in Syria, he led another crusade in
1267, at the age of 41. His crusade was diverted to Tunis for his brother’s
sake. The army was decimated by disease within a month, and Louis himself died
on foreign soil at the age of 44. He was canonized 27 years later.
Louis was strong-willed, strong-minded. His word was trusted utterly, and
his courage in action was remarkable. What is most remarkable was his sense of
respect for anyone with whom he dealt, especially the “humble folk of the Lord.”
To care for his people he built cathedrals, churches, libraries, hospitals and
orphanages. He dealt with princes honestly and equitably. He hoped to be treated
the same way by the King of Kings, to whom he gave his life, his family and his
country. (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Psalm
139:1-6; Matthew 23:23-26
Jesus said, Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
give a tenth of your spices— mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the
more important matters of the law— justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should
have practised the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You
strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Woe to you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside
they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the
inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
(Matthew 23:23-26)
True religion
In the modern day it is still unusual to
hear a person say that he does not believe in God. People generally believe in
God, even if their ideas of God are at times hazy or even totally distorted.
Still, if we happen to hear a person calmly say he is not “a believer,” we are
not shocked. Nor are we shocked if he tells us that he does not believe in
Christ. My impression is that many parliamentarians of Christian countries are
not convinced Christian believers, and the legislation that is allowed seems to
confirm this.
Many
are secular-minded men and women, agnostic when it comes to religious belief.
The shades of unbelief in modern society are varied, ranging from indifference
to positive atheism. When we turn to those who do have a religion and in
particular to those who profess belief in Christianity, as with unbelief there
is a great variety. There are those who are profoundly religious, and who
dedicate their lives to God and to the person of Jesus Christ. There are also
many non-Christians who are deeply religious. There are also those who pray at
times, but who do not engage in many public acts of religion such as regular
Sunday worship. There are also those who, we might even say, perform all the
ceremonies so as to keep on good terms with the powers above, but whose hearts
are largely elsewhere. It has perhaps been this category that has been the most
common in the history of mankind’s various religions. The ceremonies are
maintained, and the institutions of religion supported, in case the alliance
between the gods and man breaks down. Religion is viewed as an indispensable
precaution. The gods must be satisfied and placated. This is done through the
observance of the ceremonies. This attitude can border on magic, with the world
around — on which man depends every day — being understood as depending on man’s
observance of the appointed rituals. It all suggests that the practice of
religion ranges widely in quality and motivation. In our Gospel today
(Matthew 23:23-26) our Lord indicts many
teachers — even teachers! — of the religion revealed by God as having very mixed
motives. They are hypocrites, he says, and they are blind.
What does our Lord expect of us in religion? In the first place he expects a
humble attention to the will of God. What has God revealed? What has he said to
us? In his condemnation of the religion of at least many of the “teachers of the
law and the Pharisees,” our Lord faults their neglect of the truly important
obligations of God’s law. He does not condemn the practices themselves which
they concentrated on, but he does disallow the importance being given them. The
important things were “justice, mercy and faithfulness.” He tells them that it
is this which they ought be practising, “without neglecting the former” — namely, giving “a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cumin.” He also implies
that the principal reason for this neglect of the important obligations of the
law of God and their concentration on trivialities was self-seeking. They wished
to be regarded as religious and they sought this recognition by punctiliously
observing practices that would be seen by others. So then, let us learn our
lesson from the Teacher of mankind in all matters concerning God and our
relationship with him. Be on guard against mixed motives in our practice of
religion. Be on guard against missing the important things in our religion. We
can easily be mistaken as to what God wants of us and rest satisfied in what is
at best a very mediocre and ill-advised religious life. Especially important it
is that we listen carefully to the voice of Christ himself, who is the Word of
God become flesh among us. This means attention to his word in the Scriptures,
and attention to his living word being proclaimed in the course of history by
the Church, which is his body. We must make it our business to know well the
word as it comes to us in the Scriptures and in the living Tradition of the
Church of which Christ is the Head. When in a papal Encyclical — to give but one
example — the Church formally teaches in Christ’s name on the subject of
integral human development in society and among nations, do we make it our
business to study this pronouncement carefully?
My point is that we must endeavour to have a humble and enlightened knowledge of
the will of God. We must strive to know the doctrine of Christ as the Scriptures
and the Church teach it. If we do not make this effort, we shall surely go
astray and become blind — and worse — even somewhat of a hypocrite. Let this
mind be in you, St Paul writes, that was in Christ Jesus. Let us then put on the
mind of Christ day by day and so live as to give honour and glory to God.
(E.J.Tyler)
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When you want to do things well, really well, it's then you do them worst.
Humble yourself before Jesus, saying to him: don't you see
how I do everything
badly? Well, if you don't help me very much, I'll do it all even worse I
Take pity on your child: you see, I want to write a big page each day in the
book of my life. But, I'm so clumsy!; and if the Master doesn't guide my hand,
instead of graceful strokes my pen leaves behind blots and scrawls that can't be
shown to anyone.
From now on, Jesus, we'll always do the writing together.
(The Way, no.882)
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE
INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Thirtieth Chapter THE QUEST OF
DIVINE HELP AND CONFIDENCE IN REGAINING GRACE
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
If you think aright and view things in their true light, you should never be so
dejected and saddened by adversity, but rather rejoice and give thanks,
considering it a matter of special joy that I afflict you with sorrow and do not
spare you. "As the Father has loved Me, so also I love you," I said to My
disciples, and I certainly did not send them out to temporal joys but rather to
great struggles, not to honours but to contempt, not to idleness, but to
labours, not to rest but to bring forth much fruit in patience. Do you, My
child, remember these words.
(Concluded)
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The kingdom of Christ, though not of this world, yet is in the world, and has a
visible, material, social shape.
(JHN, from ‘Milman’s view of Christianity’ (1841)
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Wednesday of the twenty first week in Ordinary Time
(August 26) St. Joseph Calasanz (1556-1648)
(Picture: Joseph Calasanz' last
Communion, by Goya)
From Aragon, where he was born in 1556, to Rome, where he died 92
years later, fortune alternately smiled and frowned on the work
of
Joseph Calasanz. A priest with university training in canon law and theology,
respected for his wisdom and administrative expertise, he put aside his career
because he was deeply concerned with the need for education of poor children.
When he was unable to get other institutes to undertake this apostolate at Rome,
he and several companions personally provided a free school for deprived
children. So overwhelming was the response that there was a constant need for
larger facilities to house their effort. Soon Pope Clement VIII gave support to
the school, and this aid continued under Pope Paul V. Other schools were opened;
other men were attracted to the work and in 1621 the community (for so the
teachers lived) was recognized as a religious community, the Clerks Regular of
Religious Schools (Piarists or Scolopi). Not long after, Joseph was appointed
superior for life. A combination of various prejudices and political ambition
and maneuvering caused the institute much turmoil. Some did not favour educating
the poor, for education would leave the poor dissatisfied with their lowly tasks
for society! Others were shocked that some of the Piarists were sent for
instruction to Galileo (a friend of Joseph) as superior, thus dividing the
members into opposite camps. Repeatedly investigated by papal commissions,
Joseph was demoted; when the struggle within the institute persisted, the
Piarists were suppressed. Only after Joseph’s death were they formally
recognized as a religious community.
No one knew better than Joseph the need for the work he was doing;
no one knew better than he how baseless were the charges brought against him.
Yet if he were to work within the Church, he realized that he must submit to its
authority, that he must accept a setback if he was unable to convince authorized
investigators. While the prejudice, the scheming, and the ignorance of men often
keep the truth from emerging for a long period of time, Joseph was convinced,
even under suppression, that his institute would again be recognized and
authorized. With this trust he joined exceptional patience and a genuine spirit
of forgiveness. (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Psalm
139:7-12ab; Matthew 23:27-32
Jesus said, Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the
inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on
the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of
hypocrisy and wickedness. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the
righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we
would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So
you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who
murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your
forefathers! (Matthew 23:27-32)
Sin One of the most influential of
British philosophers — although the influence of his philosophical writings only
began to tell some decades after his death — was David Hume (1711-1776 ). He
stated that morality is a subjective feeling rather than an objective feature of
situations themselves. This unfortunate conclusion was based on his assumption
that everything we know is directly observable by the senses. He then looked at
situations which were taken to be morally wrong and he tried to identify the
moral quality which the senses
directly observed. He decided that the vice in
question could not, as such, be found as an observable fact. The quality of vice
cannot be seen, touched or directly perceived by the reason. All one can
perceive are the facts of what happened and how it happened. There is nothing
moral in simple states of affairs. There is no “ought” in what “is.” The moral
goodness or evil of something, then, is basically a subjective reaction, a
reading into the action of a personal sentiment of approval or disapproval. What
causes these feelings of approval or disapproval is the thought of the utility
or otherwise of the action. Hume’s notion of morality was in fair measure shared
by his friend Adam Smith, and both were somewhat indebted in their moral theory
to Francis Hutcheson. In their works these men contributed to the breakdown of
the natural conviction that morality is absolutely objective and that when a
person chooses to do what is objectively moral or immoral, he truly becomes good
or bad as the case may be. This is a major problem of our time, for the moral
life of individuals is now taken, to a greater or lesser extent, as being a
purely subjective issue — like religion. Laws are enforced, and hence wrongdoing
is condemned, but personal morality is a subjective issue. A person who is
consciously or unconsciously influenced by these assumptions will discount the
natural promptings of his conscience and will receive divine revelation with
scepticism. For Conscience insists, and God has revealed, that morality is very
objective and very real indeed.
Consider the vigour with which our Lord, the Son of God made man, the One
through whom all exists, pronounces on the moral condition of the teachers of
the law and the Pharisees he is addressing. There is nothing subjective about
morality. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the
inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on
the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of
hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:27-32).
Just as the tomb which looks handsome to the observer is in fact the exterior of
what is full of decay “and everything unclean,” so is the hypocritical and
wicked teacher of the law and Pharisee our Lord is addressing. Within, he is
dead and full of decay. Those firm words of Jesus Christ remind sceptical modern
man that the supremely important quality of anything he does is not its utility
or style, but its moral quality. Whatever he does must be moral. It is totally
inadequate to think that it is “okay” to do whatever is possible. In fact,
action taken ought only be action that “should” be taken. It is absolutely wrong
to think that one can do whatever one can do — or get away with. Our Lord’s
words also suggest something full of philosophical significance. In describing
immoral men as dead of heart and as whitewashed tombs, our Lord is reminding us
that the very existence of things — their very being — is in some sense
profoundly wounded by immorality and sin. A profound blow is struck at the
flourishing of being and life when the moral law is violated. The moral realm is
an intimate dimension of the realm of being itself. This consideration helps us
to appreciate the Original Fall of man when he disobeyed the command of God. He
ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and his very nature was set
on the path of death. He needed a Redeemer to enable him to flourish again with
a new life.
Let us take to heart our Lord’s dire warnings against sin. The wages of sin, St
Paul writes, are death. If we sin and do not repent of our sin, however we may
appear on the outside, within we shall be whitewashed tombs. Our hearts will be
full of decay and all that is unclean. Abiding in the presence of the all-holy
God in such a condition will be impossible. It is imperative that we be cleansed
of sin, that we renounce it, and that we combat it every day. In its place we
must bring friendship with Jesus and living according to his commandments. Thus
will life flourish and reign.
(E.J.Tyler)
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My clumsiness, Beloved, is so great, so very great that even when I wish to
caress I cause pain. Refine the manners of my soul: within the sturdy manliness
of this life of childhood, give me — I want you to give me — the gentleness and
affection that children show towards their parents in their intimate outpourings
of love.
(The Way, no.883)
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Continuing
The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Thirty-First Chapter TO FIND THE
CREATOR, FORSAKE ALL CREATURES
THE DISCIPLE
O LORD, I am in sore need still of greater grace if I am to arrive at the point
where no man and no created thing can be an obstacle to me. For as long as
anything holds me back, I cannot freely fly to You. He that said "Oh that I had
wings like a dove, that I might fly away and be at rest!"[35] desired to fly
freely to You. Who is more at rest than he who aims at nothing but God? And who
more free than the man who desires nothing on earth?
(Continuing)
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I grant that I do assume certain first principles as the starting points from
which my convictions proceed, and I don’t see who can arrive at any conviction
without making assumptions. I assume that there is a truth in religion, and that
it is attainable by us: that there is a God, to whom we can approve ourselves
and to whom we are responsible.
(JHN, from a letter to John Rickards Mozley, April 1st 1875
---------------Back to index for this month---------------------------Back to index to Liturgical Days---------
Thursday of the twenty first week in Ordinary Time
(August 27) St. Monica (322?-387)
The circumstances of St. Monica’s life could have made her a
nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law and a despairing parent, yet she did not
give way to any of these temptations. Although she was a Christian, her parents
gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived
in
her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features,
but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a
cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius criticized his wife
because of her charity and piety, but always respected her. Monica’s prayers and
example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband
died in 371, one year after his baptism. Monica had at least three children who
survived infancy. The oldest, Augustine, is the most famous. At the time of his
father’s death, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was
distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy and was
living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her
house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return
to the faith. From that time on she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting
for him. In fact, she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted. When he
was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach rhetoric. Monica was determined
to go along. One night he told his mother that he was going to the dock to say
goodbye to a friend. Instead, he set sail for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when
she learned of
Augustine’s
trick, but she still followed him. She arrived in Rome only to find that he had
left for Milan. Although travel was difficult, Monica pursued him to Milan. In
Milan, Augustine came under the influence of the bishop, St. Ambrose, who also
became Monica’s spiritual director. She accepted his advice in everything and
had the humility to give up some practices that had become second nature to her
(see Quote, below). Monica became a leader of the devout women in Milan as she
had been in Tagaste. She continued her prayers for Augustine during his years of
instruction. At Easter, 387, St. Ambrose baptized Augustine and several of his
friends. Soon after, his party left for Africa. Although no one else was aware
of it, Monica knew her life was near the end. She told Augustine, “Son, nothing
in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for
me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now
fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered severely for nine days
before her death. Almost all we know about St. Monica is in the writings of St.
Augustine, especially his Confessions.
When Monica moved from North Africa to Milan, she found religious
practices new to her and also that some of her former customs, such as a
Saturday fast, were not common there. She asked St. Ambrose which customs she
should follow. His classic reply was: “When I am here, I do not fast on
Saturday, but I fast when I am in Rome; do the same and always follow the custom
and discipline of the Church as it is observed in the particular locality in
which you find yourself.” (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13; Psalm
90:3-5a, 12-14 and 17; Matthew 24:42-51
Jesus said, Therefore keep watch,
because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If
the owner of the
house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he
would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you
also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not
expect him. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put
in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper
time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he
returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying
away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow- servants and to eat
and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he
does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces
and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24: 42-51)
Watch!
One of the reasons for the so-called recklessness of youth is that during
the time of youth a person typically assumes that he can come to little harm.
This is an assumption arising from the seeming security he has enjoyed to that
point. He has yet to learn the fragility of life and of all things in life. In
fact, to understand this well involves a life-long learning curve. We exist, but
we need not exist, and that we do exist is something given to us. There was a
time when we were not, and we come to appreciate that we now are. We also come
to
see that the existence we enjoy and which obviously does not have its origin
in our own wish can, irrespective of our own wish, be easily lost. That is to
say, my being is temporal. Mine is not simply being, but being in time. I can
grow in being, increasing in qualities and features that involve a flourishing
of my being — and I can shed and put away those features which hinder my
flourishing. Alternatively, I can slide along a path that diminishes and
corrupts my being. I can grow or I can decline and it is evident from what I see
around me that at any point I can be snuffed out of my temporal course. In fact,
the time will certainly come when my temporal course will end and I shall pass
away from the scene. In fact, everything we see around us will run its course
and pass away. It could flourish or it could fail to flourish, but it will most
certainly pass away. All things of our direct experience are essentially
transient and temporal. We are radically insecure and however careful we are to
ensure and protect health and life, nothing whatever can take away our radical
vulnerability. The entire universe throbs with an existence that cannot be
regarded as necessary. That it is, is a fact, but it need not have been a fact.
That it is and what it is, is a gift to it from beyond itself — its existence
comes from the great Beyond whom we call God. That it continues to exist depends
constantly on Him. But we, who are the crown of the universe, are able to
understand that our existence hangs on a mere thread.
All of this can be seen by ordinary reflection. But our Lord insists that we
bear it constantly in mind. We must be on guard and ready lest our end suddenly
come. While the prudent and reflective man understands that his life is fragile
and that he must take precautions to protect it, it is a further matter to be
prepared for what will assuredly happen after death. Our Lord, as he does
repeatedly throughout the Gospels, warns us of the judgement of God which will
follow. Life is fragile and, however long it seems, it is actually short. Then
will come the judgement of God. It is especially in view of this, our Lord
insists, that we ought bear in mind the absolute vulnerability of our being.
Absolutely speaking, we cannot tell when the temporal life which has been
granted to us will come to its end. The fact is, it could come very suddenly.
Even if it does not come suddenly, it could come with too little time for us to
prepare as we would like. So we must so live as always to be ready. Ready for
what? We must so live as always to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man. In
the Gospel passage today, our Lord is especially concerned for those who live in
such a way as not to be ready. Suppose, our Lord says, “that servant is wicked
and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins
to beat his fellow- servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of
that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is
not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the
hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
(Matthew 24: 42-51). Every day we ought so
live that were the master suddenly to arrive, we would be ready and he would
find us at our employment — the employment in life that he has assigned to us.
All that matters in life, in this fragile and radically vulnerable life, this
life that is essentially temporal, is that we be at our work of doing the will
of God and doing it with love. One wonders how great must be the number of those
who are caught absolutely unprepared. Let that not be our case!
Life is very short and very vulnerable. It has to be this way because we are not
God. God is the one necessary being who subsists of himself and necessarily. His
very nature is to be. It is not of our nature to be — rather it is for us to
depend for our being on the One who must be. The long and the short of this is
that we must use the moments of life that are granted to us to grow in the life
that matters, life in and with God. As St Paul wrote, for me to live is Christ.
Let us entrust our life to Jesus — God, Man, our Saviour. He and he alone is our
true life.
(E.J.Tyler)
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You are full of weaknesses. Each day you see them more clearly. But don't let
them frighten you. He well knows you can't yield more
fruit.
Your involuntary falls — a child's falls — show your Father-God that he must
take more care and your Mother Mary that she must never let you go from her
loving hand. Each day as our Lord picks you up from the ground, take advantage
of it, embrace him with all your strength and lay your wearied head on his open
breast so that you will be carried away by the beating of his most lovable
Heart.
(The Way, no.884)
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Continuing
The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL CONSOLATION
The Thirty-First Chapter TO
FIND THE CREATOR, FORSAKE ALL CREATURES
THE DISCIPLE
It is well, then, to pass over all creation, perfectly to abandon self, and to
see in ecstasy of mind that You, the Creator of all, have no likeness among all
Your creatures, and that unless a man be freed from all creatures, he cannot
attend freely to the Divine. The reason why so few contemplative persons are
found, is that so few know how to separate themselves entirely from what is
transitory and created.
(Continuing)
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The same doctrine is contained all through Scripture; in which God’s mercies are
again and again promised to works, sometimes of one kind, sometimes of another,
though in all cases as acts and representatives of faith. For instance, Solomon
speaks of alms-giving as justifying: “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged.”
[Proverbs 16: 6] … Our Lord also, “Rather give alms of such things as ye have,
and behold all things are clean unto you.” [Luke 11: 41].
(JHN, from Lectures on the Doctrine of Justification (1838)
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Friday of the twenty first week in Ordinary Time
(August 28) Saint Augustine, bishop and doctor of the
Church
A Christian at 33, a priest at 36, a bishop at 41: many people are
familiar with the biographical sketch of Augustine of Hippo, sinner
turned
saint. But really to get to know the man is a rewarding experience. There
quickly surfaces the intensity with which he lived his life, whether his path
led away from or toward God. The tears of his mother, the instructions of
Ambrose and, most of all, God himself speaking to him in the Scriptures
redirected Augustine’s love of life to a life of love. Having been so deeply
immersed in creature-pride of life in his early days and having drunk deeply of
its bitter dregs, it is not surprising that Augustine should have turned, with a
holy fierceness, against the many demon-thrusts rampant in his day. His times
were truly decadent—politically, socially, morally. He was both feared and
loved, like the Master. The perennial criticism levelled against him: a
fundamental rigorism. In his day, he providentially fulfilled the office of
prophet. Like Jeremiah and other greats, he was hard-pressed but could not keep
quiet. “I say to myself, I will not mention him,/I will speak in his name no
more./But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,/imprisoned in my
bones;/I grow weary holding it in,/I cannot endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9).
“Too late have I loved you, O Beauty of ancient days, yet
ever new! Too late I loved you! And behold, you were within, and I abroad, and
there I searched for you; I was deformed, plunging amid those fair forms, which
you had made. You were with me, but I was not with you. Things held me far from
you—things which, if they were not in you, were not at all. You called, and
shouted, and burst my deafness. You flashed and shone, and scattered my
blindness. You breathed odours and I drew in breath—and I pant for you. I
tasted, and I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and I burned for your peace”
(St. Augustine, Confessions). (AmericanCatholic.org)
Scripture today: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8;
Psalm 97:1 and 2b, 5-6, 10-12; Matthew 25:1-13
At that time the kingdom of heaven
will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the
bridegroom. Five of them were
foolish
and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any
oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and
fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out
to meet him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The
foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are
going out.' 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and
you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But
while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The
virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door
was shut. Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door
for us!' But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' Therefore
keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
(Matthew
25:1-13)
On Revelation
There are a number of things which
Jesus Christ revealed which cannot be understood by the human mind. I am not
sure that this was even claimed by other religious founders. For instance,
is there anything which Buddha is said to have taught which is beyond human
comprehension and which must — if it is to be accepted at all — be accepted
on his authority alone? I do not think so: all he taught on how suffering
was to be removed can be followed. In fact, he advised people not to accept
his words on blind faith, but to decide for
themselves
whether his teachings are right or wrong, then follow them. For its part,
Islam insists that Allah, the one and only God, is beyond comprehension. But
I think that much, if not all of the Islamic concept of God — exalted as it
is — can be followed by human reason. Indeed, when it comes to mysteries,
Islam decided that parts of what they consider to be the previously revealed
scriptures, the Tawrat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospels), became
distorted — either in interpretation, in text, or both. It looks as if it is
precisely mystery which Islam is here rejecting — especially in
Christianity. For his part, the Christian would doubt — with respect — that there is, in the
last analysis, much of sheer mystery in Islam. The case is altogether
different with Jesus Christ. Although the acceptance of his divine authority
can be justified, and the non-contradictory character of his teachings can
be demonstrated, there are many things he revealed which are absolutely
beyond our ken. Christ revealed many high mysteries. He did so, not to
titillate our intellectual curiosity, but to open to us the plan of God for
our eternal happiness. I and the Father are one, he taught. He who sees me,
sees the Father. And yet, the Father is greater than I. All that the Father
has is mine. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats
my flesh and drinks my blood, lives in me and I in him. Many other examples
could be given of revealed mystery from the text of the Scriptures and from
the defined Tradition of the Church.
At the same time, the Christian
revelation does not consist simply of mysteries beyond the mind of man. What
our Lord says in our Gospel today is a case in point. Christ came to open to
us the Kingdom of Heaven — which is nothing other than union with him and
all that this entails. But what does entry to this Kingdom depend on? It
depends, among other things, on the very prudent virtue of being always
cognisant of our fundamentally tenuous hold on life and existence. At an
instant the precious gift of life can be torn from our grasp. We do not hold
on to life as a personal possession. It is constantly conveyed to us as a
gift. The moment the gift is withdrawn, our hold on it is lost. Once life
ceases, the judgment of God is upon us. In an instant we can pass from the
height of life’s achievements to the profound poverty of rendering an
account of everything to the all-seeing divine Gaze. If we accept the fact
of a divine judgment (and various religions do not, such as Buddhism), then
ordinary human prudence would dictate a constant readiness lest that awful
moment suddenly spring. Well, this is just what our Lord takes great pains
to instil. In several of his parables he insists that we exercise this human
prudence. Today’s parable is about the foolish virgins and the prudent ones
(Matthew 25:1-13). The foolish ones were
not admitted by the bridegroom, whereas the prudent ones were. The latter
were ready for his sudden arrival, and the former were not. The Christian
religion which is founded on the revealed word of Jesus Christ, man and God,
involves mysteries beyond our human understanding and also things that man
by his natural powers can recognize. It is a supernatural revelation — one
beyond nature — and in various of its parts it is one which the natural
light of the human mind will also sanction. After all, nature as coming from
the hand of the Creator, itself — after its fashion — serves as a word from
God. What this also means is that the full embrace of the Christian faith
involves the acceptance, in faith, of the word of Christ and the full
application of our natural understanding.
Let us listen to the word of Christ
with all our powers of both faith and understanding. Let us allow his word
to reveal to us the high mysteries of his own person, of the triune God, and
of the Redemption. But let it also light up all that nature and human
prudence and understanding will suggest and sanction. Let us accept it as
the light and guide of our life in all its aspects, thus taking us from this
earthly course to our homeland in heaven.
(E.J.Tyler)
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One
pinprick. And another. And another. Suffer them! Don't you see you are so small
that in your life — in your way — you can only offer him those little crosses?
Besides, just think: one pinprick and another, one cross on top of another,...
what a huge pile!
When all is said and done, child, you have learned to do one really big thing:
to Love.
(The Way, no.885)
If you wish to read some classic spiritual writers, click here
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Continuing The Imitation of Christ
BOOK THREE INTERNAL
CONSOLATION
The Thirty-First Chapter TO
FIND THE CREATOR, FORSAKE ALL CREATURES
THE DISCIPLE
For this, indeed, great grace is needed, grace that will raise the soul and
lift it up above itself. Unless a man be elevated in spirit, free from all
creatures, and completely united to God, all his knowledge and possessions
are of little moment. He who considers anything great except the one,
immense, eternal good will long be little and lie grovelling on the earth.
Whatever is not God is nothing and must be accounted as nothing.
(Continuing)
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Hippo has ceased to
be an episcopal city; but its great Teacher [S. Augustine], though dead, yet
speaks; his voice is gone out into all lands, and his words unto the ends of the
world. He needs no dwelling-place, whose home is the Catholic Church; he fears
no barbarian or heretical desolation, whose creed is destined to last unto the
end.
(JHN, from ‘The Church of the Fathers’ (1840)
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Saturday of the
twenty-first week in Ordinary Time B-2
Scripture today: 1 Corinthians 1:
26-31; Psalm 32; Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus told his disciples this parable: A
man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted his property to them.
To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one
talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who
had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained
five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man
who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his
master's money. After a
long
time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The
man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said,
'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master
replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a
few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your
master's happiness!' The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said,
'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' His master
replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a
few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your
master's happiness!' Then the man who had received the one talent came.
'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have
not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and
went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where
I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you
should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I
would have received it back with interest. 'Take the talent from him and give it
to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and
he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken
from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matthew
25:14-30)
The one talent
One of the most obvious things in creation
is difference. There is an amazing number of species of plant life, and in the
Amazon jungles they are still discovering species. It is the same with fish and
animals ― the species are striking in their difference and number, and it is
regarded by most as a tragedy if a species dies out. Whether it is the
magnificent rhino or tiger, or some tiny insect ― the differences are precious,
and each has its valued place in the tapestry of Nature. There is a remarkable
range of differences among
human
beings too, not only in natural qualities such as size, colour and physical
appearance, but in the privileges they enjoy. You have the young man born into a
royal family. His opportunities for personal development are all there for the
asking, and he has the chance in life of doing a great deal of good if he so
chooses. Yet there are countless others who by comparison have minimal
privileges. The wedding of the royal is an international event, while the
wedding of the ordinary young man a few suburbs away in London is scarcely an
event at all. It is like comparing the magnificent lyre-bird with the sparrow.
God so disposes his creation that there are countless differences in the works
of his hands. The Son of God begins his ministry, and invites certain persons,
certain disciples, to be his chosen Apostles. Why they, and not others? They are
privileged with an exalted vocation of being companions of Jesus Christ, while
the others are physically at a distance from him. Even within the Twelve, Christ
chooses three to be his more special companions ― Peter, James, John ― and in St
Paul’s Letter we read that they were counted the pillars. Even within those
three, John is “the beloved disciple” and he leans back on the breast of Jesus
Christ and asks who the traitor is, and Christ tells him. In the history of the
Church, there are great saints, and there are numerous unknown members of the
Church making their way through life with far more moderate spiritual gifts. St
Thomas Aquinas tells us somewhere that each Angel is its own species. So while
in the material world there are a great number of species, each species having
numerous members, in the Angelic world each Angel is its own species. There are
countless differences in creation.
The danger is that envy can set in. I
suspect that a great proportion of wars and revolutions have their origin in
envy. Pilate saw that the chief priests and scribes had handed Jesus over to him
out of envy. We have, I suggest, an excellent example in John the Baptist. His
disciples came to him and told him that people were now going to Jesus. He said,
“No one can lay hold on anything unless it is given him from above. ... I am not
the Messiah..” (John 3:26). Each has his gift and his work in life. That is to
say, whoever we are, each of us counts. None of us is simply swept under the
carpet, not mattering much. We all matter. This brings us to our Gospel passage
today (Matthew 25:14-30). We all matter so
much, that if we neglect our work in life, no matter how modest and out of the
sight and applause of men, we shall be judged for it. A “man going on a journey
called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five
talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each
according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.” You might think that if
the man given the one talent was neglectful, well, in the total scheme of
things, that would not matter much ― as long as the man given the five or the
one given the two made good use of the master’s investment in him. In ordinary
life, this is how we tend to think ― the little people can get along doing what
they like, but as long as the important ones do a good job, then all will be
well. But no. In his parable today, our Lord makes it clear that if the little
person is slothful and does not make good use of his master’s money, then his
neglect will be viewed by the master with the utmost seriousness. Every little
person counts. Imagine the impact on the world if every single member of the
Church was acutely conscious of his or her calling to work with Christ for the
evangelization of the world. Every baptized person is called to share in the
friendship of Jesus Christ, and to participate in his mission of bringing that
divine friendship to the world. The little people matter. It was the crowds whom
the chief priests feared. It was the crowds who also called for Christ’s death.
Cardinal Newman composed a reflection
that is applicable to all: “God has created me to do Him some definite service.
He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have
my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the
next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not
created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel
of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do
but keep His commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can
never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in
perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve
Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my
friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my
spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.” Let all
of us little people make take this reflection to heart.
(E.J.Tyler)
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