The Pentecost Novena, itself, can be found here.
"O most blessed Light divine, shine within these hearts of yours, and our inmost being fill." - From the Veni Sancte Spiritus, Sequence for Pentecost
The theme of light has been with us throughout the entire Liturgical Year, and it has been steadily advancing. At Christmas, we welcomed Christ, the Light of the World, as He was born in the dead of night. On Easter morning, we rejoiced in His Resurrection, which by tradition is held to have occurred at the dawn of Sunday. But now, at Pentecost, we will welcome the Divine Light of the Holy Spirit once the day has already advanced! For it was at the third hour, nine in the morning, that the Holy Spirit descended upon our Lady and the Apostles in the Upper Room (Acts 2:15). How can we not help but see the comparison this bears to our own spiritual lives?
The first welcomings of the Lord into our lives are always done in darkness; we don't know what He has planned for us, we don't know how it will change our lives. And why is this? We may say it is to humble us. Just as He was born in humility in a stable in Bethlehem, so He wishes a humble birth in us. And if we welcome Him this shall ultimately lead to a death, a death to self, but this death makes room for the new life we are about to live! And it is Christ Who shall now live in us where we no longer live for our own self!
It is then that we are to be vessels to the world. Once we have undergone our own interior conversion, for we cannot convert others unless we be ourselves first converted. Once the Lord shines within our own hearts, once the night is far gone from them and the day is advancing, then we shall advance to bring the light further into the world!
But let us remember the most necessary action we must keep in order to reach that stage, and it is prayer. Only through prayer can we be assured the Holy Spirit shall come to dwell within our souls and remain there. It is in prayer, in communion with the Divine Light, that our eyes and hearts are opened for Him to enter. Prayer is as it were an extinguishing of the shadows and opening of the drapes! The more authentically we pray, the more the Light can fill us!
The Apostles were at prayer when they first received the outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 2:1), and they did not cease to pray especially after they began their mission. Indeed, prayer was one of the most important things they did (Acts 2:46)! Prayer is the means not only for the light to enter the soul, but without prayer is, as it were the supernatural means whereby we prevent the night from coming. This is not to say there will not be dark times for us, dark nights of the soul as St. John of the Cross referred to them, but it means during those times we shall still have the light, for even the night has the light of the moon and the stars.
In these days leading up to the great Solemnity of Pentecost, let us pray that the Divine Light may come more fully to shine within our souls. For then, not only shall we be enlightened but we shall be the means whereby Christ will enlighten all those around us! May one of our prayers these days be that of Blessed John Henry Newman:
"Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly, that my life may only be a radiance of Yours. Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus! Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine, so to shine as to be a light to other; the light, O Jesus will be all from You; none of it will be mine; it will be you, shining on others through me. Let me thus praise You the way you love best, by shining on those around me. Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You. Amen."
Showing posts with label Saints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saints. Show all posts
Monday, May 18, 2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Feast of St. Mark: Meditation on the Entrance Antiphon
"Go into all the world, and proclaim the Gospel to every creature, alleluia." - Entrance Antiphon for the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist
The four Gospels are the cornerstones of our Faith, for in them is contained most especially the teachings of Jesus Christ, Who is the Cornerstone. It is to symbolize this, that the celebrations of the Evangelists are placed throughout the Liturgical Year, for the Church first sings the praises of St. John on December 27, then the praises of St. Mark today, April 25, followed by St. Matthew on September 23, and St. Luke on October 18. Yet we may here notice an interesting feature, i.e. the Summer Season is lacking an Evangelist. This, however, is not the case, for the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul occurs on June 29, and we may say two of the Gospels are ultimately tied to them on account of St. Mark being tied to St. Peter and St. Luke being tied to St. Paul.
This feature of the Liturgical Year ties in well with our Entrance Antiphon for today, for the four seasons each having the feast of an Evangelist (if we, admittedly, somewhat liberally interpret it as stated above) symbolize the going forth of the Good News to the four corners of the earth. Yet we cannot overlook the second part of the Antiphon, "proclaim the Gospel to every creature." We must admit this sounds odd to our ears, but we should not interpret it in the literal sense. Instead, we must see it as a command of our Lord to not exclude anyone from the Gospel, or in another sense, that His Church is for all peoples and nations.
Indeed, this feature is reflected in the composition of the four Gospels themselves. When we look at the intended readership for each Gospel, we see all peoples therein. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel for the Jewish people, in order to show them Jesus was the promised Messiah and the fulfillment of the Law and Prophecies. St. Luke wrote his Gospel primarily for a Greek audience, for it touches upon philosophical matters, which their ears would be most interested to hear, yet we may also say, in a wider sense, it was written for all Gentiles, who long for something beyond this world. St. John's Gospel is written for all peoples, but to bring them in contact with the Divine, for it presents a very sublime treatise on the eternity of the Son of God.
Yet, as today is the Feast of St. Mark, it is his Gospel we are primarily concerned with, and its relation to the Entrance Antiphon. This Gospel was directed to Christians in the city of Rome, who were facing persecution, for by the time of composition the wrath of the emperors was beginning to descend on the Christians. It is important, however, to note an important feature for us in this. As it was written both to the people of Rome and to a suffering people, it is very much a Gospel for us.
Let us look first at it being written to the people of Rome. The fullness of Christianity resides in the Church of Rome and those local churches in union with Her. It is no coincidence that the Gospel to the people of Rome was chosen for one of the four Gospels in the Canon of Holy Scripture. Looking at Luke and Matthew's Gospels we see the union of Gentiles and Jews, we must look at the union between John and Mark to see the union of the world and the Divine. As John brings the mind into contemplation of higher things out of the world, so Mark brings the mind to contemplation of higher things, but within the world. Rome was the center of the world of the Apostles; therefore, a Gospel to Rome was a Gospel to the entire world.
This is even more evident if we look at the second feature of the addressees of the Gospel - persecuted and suffering Christians. We are all, or should all, be familiar with this feature of the life of a Christian, especially in this day and age. From the denial of religious liberties in America and Europe to the genocide of Christians in the Middle East, from the simple daily struggles of living the Faith in an ever increasing secularized world to the risk of being martyred for the display of a crucifix, Mark's Gospel presents a portrait of Jesus and a Church that we can relate to.
For these reasons then, Mark's Gospel, based especially on the teachings of St. Peter, that great Apostle of Faith, is a wonderful fulfillment of the Entrance Antiphon, which were his own words. We know every living creature is subject to suffering. Even if by some miracle it may go its entire life in bliss without illness, it must face the final great suffering of death. Even our Lady was not excepted from suffering! This, then, is the great message of the Gospel of Mark, not to fear suffering, but to embrace it, even to relish it! This is the message which need go out to all the world and be told to every creature!
St. Mark, in his Gospel, follows the words of the Entrance Antiphon with these verses:
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my [Jesus] name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover (Mark 16:16-18)."
We must understand this promise of Christ, not literally, though it did literally occur with many of the Apostles and in the early Church, and even continues in our own day, but we should understand this ultimately as a promise of deliverance from suffering. Though Christians may face trials and persecutions, they will not be harmed by them, for the Christian lives in the world, but is not of the world. Through our Baptism, which we celebrate during this Easter Season which the Feast of St. Mark always occurs in, we have been born into the new life of grace. This has saved our souls from the eternal death which they deserved because of sin and the nature inherited from Adam and Eve.
Through Baptism, the demons who tormented and owned our souls have been dispossessed of their property, we are able to walk amongst the world without being harmed by it with Christ as our shield, and, though men may attack us and even kill us for the Faith, we remain unharmed in the end for our soul thus inherits eternal life! The new life we have inherited has transcended us beyond nations and peoples, for as St. Paul says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28)." This new tongue we speak, therefore, is the prayer of the Spirit of God, Who teaches us to pray as Jesus promised (Romans 8:26), for all pray in and through the same Spirit. Thus, all pray in the same tongue.
But we must also look at the final promise of Jesus - that the sick will be healed through the laying on of hands. Here we have a direct command of our Lord for the Anointing of the Sick, for the laying on of hands is an integral part of the rite, but this may also be applied to Reconciliation. During the absolution the Priest's hand is raised up in blessing to absolve us from sin! These two Sacraments, the Sacraments of Healing, deliver the soul back into the life of grace, even if it be completely lost through mortal sin. They bring the soul to the eternal life and salvation!
This is the portrait of Jesus which St. Mark paints for us in his Gospel. This is the Jesus St. Peter would be so in love with, for he knew the merciful salvation of the Savior so much, since he had sinned against him so profusely in his three denials. This image of our Lord is one which all the Church needs to encounter today especially, perhaps even more so than in the early persecutions the Church underwent. In that era, the eyewitnesses to the events of our Lord were still around to assure everyone. Now it is purely through Faith that we must suffer all the trials of this age! Yet we need have no fear, for Jesus reigns over the entire earth! If we are ever plagued with doubt that He is with us in our sufferings, we have only to look at the countless martyrs of the ages, for it is only through grace they could go to their deaths with cries of "Hosanna!" and "Alleluia!" on their lips. We have only to look at the two thousand year preservation of the Church to see the Lord sustains Her, for as St. Mark ends his Gospel:
"So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them [the Eleven], was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen (Mark 16:19-20)."
The four Gospels are the cornerstones of our Faith, for in them is contained most especially the teachings of Jesus Christ, Who is the Cornerstone. It is to symbolize this, that the celebrations of the Evangelists are placed throughout the Liturgical Year, for the Church first sings the praises of St. John on December 27, then the praises of St. Mark today, April 25, followed by St. Matthew on September 23, and St. Luke on October 18. Yet we may here notice an interesting feature, i.e. the Summer Season is lacking an Evangelist. This, however, is not the case, for the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul occurs on June 29, and we may say two of the Gospels are ultimately tied to them on account of St. Mark being tied to St. Peter and St. Luke being tied to St. Paul.
This feature of the Liturgical Year ties in well with our Entrance Antiphon for today, for the four seasons each having the feast of an Evangelist (if we, admittedly, somewhat liberally interpret it as stated above) symbolize the going forth of the Good News to the four corners of the earth. Yet we cannot overlook the second part of the Antiphon, "proclaim the Gospel to every creature." We must admit this sounds odd to our ears, but we should not interpret it in the literal sense. Instead, we must see it as a command of our Lord to not exclude anyone from the Gospel, or in another sense, that His Church is for all peoples and nations.
Indeed, this feature is reflected in the composition of the four Gospels themselves. When we look at the intended readership for each Gospel, we see all peoples therein. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel for the Jewish people, in order to show them Jesus was the promised Messiah and the fulfillment of the Law and Prophecies. St. Luke wrote his Gospel primarily for a Greek audience, for it touches upon philosophical matters, which their ears would be most interested to hear, yet we may also say, in a wider sense, it was written for all Gentiles, who long for something beyond this world. St. John's Gospel is written for all peoples, but to bring them in contact with the Divine, for it presents a very sublime treatise on the eternity of the Son of God.
Yet, as today is the Feast of St. Mark, it is his Gospel we are primarily concerned with, and its relation to the Entrance Antiphon. This Gospel was directed to Christians in the city of Rome, who were facing persecution, for by the time of composition the wrath of the emperors was beginning to descend on the Christians. It is important, however, to note an important feature for us in this. As it was written both to the people of Rome and to a suffering people, it is very much a Gospel for us.
Let us look first at it being written to the people of Rome. The fullness of Christianity resides in the Church of Rome and those local churches in union with Her. It is no coincidence that the Gospel to the people of Rome was chosen for one of the four Gospels in the Canon of Holy Scripture. Looking at Luke and Matthew's Gospels we see the union of Gentiles and Jews, we must look at the union between John and Mark to see the union of the world and the Divine. As John brings the mind into contemplation of higher things out of the world, so Mark brings the mind to contemplation of higher things, but within the world. Rome was the center of the world of the Apostles; therefore, a Gospel to Rome was a Gospel to the entire world.
This is even more evident if we look at the second feature of the addressees of the Gospel - persecuted and suffering Christians. We are all, or should all, be familiar with this feature of the life of a Christian, especially in this day and age. From the denial of religious liberties in America and Europe to the genocide of Christians in the Middle East, from the simple daily struggles of living the Faith in an ever increasing secularized world to the risk of being martyred for the display of a crucifix, Mark's Gospel presents a portrait of Jesus and a Church that we can relate to.
For these reasons then, Mark's Gospel, based especially on the teachings of St. Peter, that great Apostle of Faith, is a wonderful fulfillment of the Entrance Antiphon, which were his own words. We know every living creature is subject to suffering. Even if by some miracle it may go its entire life in bliss without illness, it must face the final great suffering of death. Even our Lady was not excepted from suffering! This, then, is the great message of the Gospel of Mark, not to fear suffering, but to embrace it, even to relish it! This is the message which need go out to all the world and be told to every creature!
St. Mark, in his Gospel, follows the words of the Entrance Antiphon with these verses:
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my [Jesus] name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover (Mark 16:16-18)."
We must understand this promise of Christ, not literally, though it did literally occur with many of the Apostles and in the early Church, and even continues in our own day, but we should understand this ultimately as a promise of deliverance from suffering. Though Christians may face trials and persecutions, they will not be harmed by them, for the Christian lives in the world, but is not of the world. Through our Baptism, which we celebrate during this Easter Season which the Feast of St. Mark always occurs in, we have been born into the new life of grace. This has saved our souls from the eternal death which they deserved because of sin and the nature inherited from Adam and Eve.
Through Baptism, the demons who tormented and owned our souls have been dispossessed of their property, we are able to walk amongst the world without being harmed by it with Christ as our shield, and, though men may attack us and even kill us for the Faith, we remain unharmed in the end for our soul thus inherits eternal life! The new life we have inherited has transcended us beyond nations and peoples, for as St. Paul says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28)." This new tongue we speak, therefore, is the prayer of the Spirit of God, Who teaches us to pray as Jesus promised (Romans 8:26), for all pray in and through the same Spirit. Thus, all pray in the same tongue.
But we must also look at the final promise of Jesus - that the sick will be healed through the laying on of hands. Here we have a direct command of our Lord for the Anointing of the Sick, for the laying on of hands is an integral part of the rite, but this may also be applied to Reconciliation. During the absolution the Priest's hand is raised up in blessing to absolve us from sin! These two Sacraments, the Sacraments of Healing, deliver the soul back into the life of grace, even if it be completely lost through mortal sin. They bring the soul to the eternal life and salvation!
This is the portrait of Jesus which St. Mark paints for us in his Gospel. This is the Jesus St. Peter would be so in love with, for he knew the merciful salvation of the Savior so much, since he had sinned against him so profusely in his three denials. This image of our Lord is one which all the Church needs to encounter today especially, perhaps even more so than in the early persecutions the Church underwent. In that era, the eyewitnesses to the events of our Lord were still around to assure everyone. Now it is purely through Faith that we must suffer all the trials of this age! Yet we need have no fear, for Jesus reigns over the entire earth! If we are ever plagued with doubt that He is with us in our sufferings, we have only to look at the countless martyrs of the ages, for it is only through grace they could go to their deaths with cries of "Hosanna!" and "Alleluia!" on their lips. We have only to look at the two thousand year preservation of the Church to see the Lord sustains Her, for as St. Mark ends his Gospel:
"So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them [the Eleven], was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen (Mark 16:19-20)."
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Solemnity of St. Joseph: Meditation on the Entrance Antiphon
"Behold a faithful and prudent steward, whom the Lord set over his household." - Entrance Antiphon for the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary
Today all Lenten penances are forgotten (except the suspension of the Alleluia), and Holy Mother Church rejoices in that glorious and faithful man, who is spoken of and praised in the Scriptures, even though he himself never speaks. We, the Faithful of the Church, praise the Patron and Guardian of the Universal Church, St. Joseph, the Husband of Blessed Mary, ever-Virgin, and the Foster-Father of Christ!
However, even in the midst of all the joy the memory of this saint brings to our hearts, the Church would still have us remember the season we are in, the season of Lent. While we cannot speak for the life of St. Joseph outside of the Scriptures, the little glimpses we get within the Scriptures show us a life of sorrows for this great saint, yet they are filled with some of the greatest consolations received in history.
St. Joseph, who feared himself unworthy to be the spouse of our most pure Lady when she had conceived of God, was granted the privilege of being the very Foster-Father of God the Son. St. Joseph, who was not able to give his wife a suitable location for the birth of her Child, was able to be present at the very birth of Divine Majesty. St. Joseph, who had to flee into Egypt by night leaving his entire trade and live in exile to escape the wrath of Herod, was the one who guarded and sustained the Giver of all Life. St. Joseph, who was forced to pay the ransom of a poor man for the presentation of our Lord, was richer than all men in that his home was always sanctified by our Lord and Lady’s presence. And St. Joseph, who worked by the sweat of his brow to pay the penalty of Adam, although those he sweated for were free of this penalty, was able to die the sweetest death, in the arms of his greatest loves, Jesus and Mary.
How can our hearts not be moved at the virtue of this holy man?! How can we not desire to imitate him, not account of the rewards he received, but because of the love with which he served his foster-son and wife?
It was because of his holiness that he was set over the household of the Lord, and we may truly say he was set over the household of the Lord since the Gospel tells us Jesus was obedient to Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:51). When Joseph is first spoken of in the Gospel of St. Matthew, he is said to be, "a just man and unwilling to put her [Mary] to shame (Matthew 1:19)." We may make note here, that charity and holiness are always to be found together, for a person who is not filled with charity is not in union with God, as St. John tells us in 1 John 4:8. Likewise, he who is not in union with God cannot be filled with the theological virtue of charity, since it depends on holiness and sanctifying grace. Joseph’s love for Mary is evident here. While he fears God and does not think himself worthy for the exalted task, he is unwilling to let his wife be harmed in any way.
May we not also say that we see herein his prudence? For he carefully thinks how to preserve Mary’s integrity, yet at the message of the angel, he abandons all his plans to be obedient. Great prudence is exercised in this, for Joseph practices discernment in trying to figure out the best course of action for a just man to take. He deems himself unworthy of the task, and in humility he is correct, for there is no one who would be worthy to minister before God as Joseph would be called to. Although he may not have fully understood that Mary’s child was God, he would have known Mary’s integrity and purity and thus have known that the child must be from God, bearing a special and unique nature. And humility, when united with prudence will not attempt a task for honor, nor will it undertake a task it knows it cannot fulfill, unless the aid of God be assured.
We of course know that the aid of God was assured in this, for the angel told Joseph that God would be with him and to not be afraid (Matthew 1:20-21). This brings us to the other virtue of St. Joseph extolled in the Entrance Antiphon – his faithfulness. Joseph was faithful in all things to the will of the Lord, he was a descendent of the line of David the King in all things, not just blood. The Office of Readings today uses the first reading from the Book of Hebrews where the author recounts the faithfulness of some of the Patriarchs, especially Abraham. Abraham believed the Lord could work miracles through him, and in this sense Joseph is like him. The difference is that all of the Old Testament figures did not experience on earth what they longed for. Joseph, however, did experience what he longed for, he held the very Son of God in his arms! He saw Him born, He made sure Jesus was obedient to the Law of Moses in His Circumcision and His Presentation in the Temple (Luke 2).
But even though Joseph saw these things, his ordinary eyes saw but the normal circumcision and presentation of a male child. For this reason we may say his faith was even greater than that of the Patriarchs and Prophets, for they believed on account of signs and wonders! Joseph, however, saw with the eyes of faith past the physical order. He did not see the later miracles of Jesus, but only the Divine Humility, yet he believed. For this reason, we may call him our new father in faith, for just as Abraham was the father in faith of the Israelites, so Joseph is the Father in Faith of the Church, Who sees not wonders with the physical senses, but sees even greater wonders with the eyes of Faith!
And it is on account of Joseph’s great prudence and faith that the Lord was pleased to choose a kingly honor on him which surpassed that of his ancestor David. David commanded the entire Kingdom of Israel, and they were obedient to him; those who were not were subjected to him. Joseph, however, was given command of God’s Only-Begotten Son. Joseph’s request was the command of our Divine Lord!
These virtues of faith and prudence, then, are the admirable marks of Christian leadership, civil and ecclesiastical, male or female, domestic or public. These are the stewards whom God places in authority. As our Lady sings in the Magnificat, “He [the Lord] has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree (Luke 1:52),” and our Lord says in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).” Anyone to whom the Lord has given the role of governing must have a prudent mind and faithful heart. They must draw their strength from the Lord and must give careful consideration to their actions. The ultimate test of their prudence and faithfulness, however, will be, as it was for St. Joseph their charity and humility.
It is for his admirable and astounding exercise of these virtues that Blessed Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph to be the Patron of the Universal Church, and it is providential that His Holiness, Pope Francis, was inaugurated to the Office of the Supreme Pontiff on this solemnity. The episcopal office is the greatest office where St. Joseph’s virtues need to be imitated, for the bishops are given governance over unseen mysteries. They must be faithful to the Lord in all their affairs; they must be prudent in their conduct, for they are examples to all. Lastly, the test for every bishop will of course be their charity towards all the members of the Church, especially the poor, and their humility, for they, like our Lord, have been appointed to serve (Mark 10:45), as the Pope styles himself the Servant of the servants of God.
On this feast of St. Joseph, let us then pray for the entire Church, especially her leaders, and most especially the Pope himself, Francis. May they always exercise great faithfulness and prudence, with perfect charity and humility. Then, at long last, when they have completed their course of stewardship to the household they have been appointed to, may they die a happy death as St. Joseph did, in the arms of Jesus and Mary!
Friday, December 12, 2014
Mary Immaculate, Clothed in the Jeweled Dress of Love
"I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bride adorned with her jewels." - Introductory Antiphon for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
These words, taken from the Prophet Isaiah, are most appropriately applied to our Lady, who, "was redeemed from the moment of her conception (Catechism of the Catholic Church 491)." Her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, in the creation of her soul, endowed her with every blessing, so that she may possess, "The 'splendor of an entirely unique holiness (CCC 492).'" Of all God's creation, Mary is the most glorious work. In the order of nature, she is lower than the angels, yet by the supernatural grace of God, she has been exalted above them to the pinnacle of the glory which a creature can attain.
For this reason, the words of the Psalm of the Prophet Isaiah, used for the Introductory Antiphon of the Mass of the Immaculate Conception may be most appropriately applied to our Lady. God is truly the joy of her soul, for He dwells in her most perfectly. Mary, throughout her life, by a singular grace of God, perfectly reflected the image of God present in humans. From the first moment of her existence she was clothed with, "a robe of salvation," namely the grace of being preserved from the taint of Original Sin, through the Redemption won by Christ her Divine Son on the Cross. The, "mantle of justice," she wears is the perfection of virtues within her; within her soul there is no vice presence. Rather, she was always whole in her virtue and, thus, she was completely righteous and just before God.
For the above mentioned reasons, Mary is compared to, "a bride adorned with her jewels." There is no day that a woman wishes to be more beautiful than on her wedding day. However, it is not just through makeup and a white dress that she looks for this beauty, but she wishes to compliment her natural beauty and the beauty of the dress through the accessories of jewelry. Mary may be likened unto this, even though as a poor Israelite it is unlikely she was ever decked in jewels in her natural life. However, in regard to her soul, it was decked with the finest jewels God could provide, i.e. supernatural virtues.
We must now, in this regard make differentiation between grace and nature, something St. Thomas Aquinas was always most careful in doing, for our correct understanding of the Faith can rest upon these distinctions. Nature is what a creature possesses in itself and can do on its own power, given it by God at creation. Thus, to exercise prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude do not necessarily require a supernatural grace for God, for men possess this ability in themselves, by the nature God has given to them. To contemplate God is something man can do on his own power, but to believe in the Triune God and contemplate God in His Inner Nature may only come through a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, and therefore surpasses nature. The great axiom in regards to this is, "Gratia non destruit naturam sed perficit - Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it."
Through this principle we must see that Mary was not in any way less human because of God's working in her; she was not made something higher than a human, rather her humanity was perfected through the supernatural grace of God. She was raised to a supreme dignity through grace, second only to the dignity of God Himself.
In this manner, then, Mary is said to be decked with jewels, for while on earth she possessed, from the first moment of her conception, the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity to the fullest degree she was capable, and now in Heaven possesses the virtue of love of God, and consequently, participates in the Divine Life of the Trinity, in a way surpassing all others of God's creation. Her possession of faith, hope, and charity truly complemented the beauty of her soul. Let us consider this briefly.
In regards to faith, Mary was never hesitating in her belief in God, nor His ability to accomplish His word. When we are first presented with the woman, who is hailed as, "full of grace (Luke 1:28)," she does not doubt for an instant that God will make her mother, without in any way violating the purity of her virginity. Mary already knew and believed the truth spoken by the angel Gabriel, "With God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37)," and was thus able to commit herself fully to God with the words, "Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. - Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38)."
But our contemplation of Mary's faith cannot be limited to the Annunciation, for it is presented to us throughout her earthly life. She did not hesitate to flee with Joseph and the child Jesus into Egypt when Herod killed all the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-15), nor did she hesitate to implore her Son to work His first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana, and she did not doubt He would grant her request (John 2:1-5). Even when it came to His Passion, she did not implore Him to end His, and her, sufferings, but instead trusted in the Divine plan. Indeed she stood at the foot of the Cross (John 19:25)! By Tradition we are also told that from His death until His Resurrection, the Church was kept alive solely in the heart of Mary, who alone kept faith in the salvation promised by God. Finally, it was Mary who nourished the faith of the early Church (Acts 1:14), until she was assumed into Heaven, where she now sees God face to face.
Now in regards to hope, Mary is no less beautiful. Why did she willingly suffer all that she did, especially in the participation with the Passion of her Divine Son? The answer is simple: she believed it would bring about the salvation of the world, but also her salvation, even though she was conceived without sin. We must not forget, it was only on account of the saving death of her Son that she was able to be cleansed from sin from the first moment of her conception. Her hope was entirely placed in God, as she sings in her Magnificat, "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Luke 1:47, emphasis added)." She trusted fully that nothing, not even death, would thwart the promise that her Son, Jesus, was, "set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against," and that a sword would pierce her soul as well (Luke 2:34-35), i.e. that He was the, "horn of salvation," for Israel (Luke 1:69).
In her hope Mary also offers us a model since it was on account of the virtue of hope, which she was so magnificently graced with, that she was able to suffer perfectly in accord with Jesus. As I said, she was united completely with the suffering of Christ, which was the means through which our salvation came about. To the extent that her sufferings were united to the suffering of Christ, she was graced with the fruits of the Redemption. Of course, Mary was perfectly united, and was consequently perfectly graced with the highest graces of Redemption. This applies to us as well; to the extent that we unite our sufferings to Christ, we will share in the fruits of redemption, as our Lady does.
The crowing jewel of Mary's soul, however, was her charity. Attestations to this are found throughout the Gospels and the Tradition of the Church. Immediately after the Annunciation, we have the relation of her going to assist Elizabeth in her pregnancy (Luke 1:39-40, 56). Even though she had just been informed that she was to be the mother of God, her thoughts went to charity towards another. The same can be said for her attention at the Wedding Feast of Cana, where she feared the spouses would be embarrassed by the lack of wine, and therefore requested Jesus' intervention (John 2:1-11).
Her love of God continued throughout her life. She was always near her Son in his travels (John 2:12; Luke 8:19). When she was separated from Him she was greatly distressed (Luke 2:48); spiritual union was not enough for her. Nevertheless, her love for Jesus, induced her to consent to spend years with St. John the Apostle after the Ascension of Jesus to care for the infant Church.
This love has not ceased now that she is in eternal glory, for charity remains (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith and hope are not in Heaven, for we see face to face and have achieved our rest, but love for God is perfect there and without end. And through this love for the Trinity, we love all God's creation. Thus, because Mary possesses the greatest love for God of all creation, she also possesses the greatest love for all creation. Let us take refuge in under the mantle of Immaculate Mary then, for of all the advocates we have before God, none can equal the splendid glory of Mary in the jeweled dress of her love.
These words, taken from the Prophet Isaiah, are most appropriately applied to our Lady, who, "was redeemed from the moment of her conception (Catechism of the Catholic Church 491)." Her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, in the creation of her soul, endowed her with every blessing, so that she may possess, "The 'splendor of an entirely unique holiness (CCC 492).'" Of all God's creation, Mary is the most glorious work. In the order of nature, she is lower than the angels, yet by the supernatural grace of God, she has been exalted above them to the pinnacle of the glory which a creature can attain.
For this reason, the words of the Psalm of the Prophet Isaiah, used for the Introductory Antiphon of the Mass of the Immaculate Conception may be most appropriately applied to our Lady. God is truly the joy of her soul, for He dwells in her most perfectly. Mary, throughout her life, by a singular grace of God, perfectly reflected the image of God present in humans. From the first moment of her existence she was clothed with, "a robe of salvation," namely the grace of being preserved from the taint of Original Sin, through the Redemption won by Christ her Divine Son on the Cross. The, "mantle of justice," she wears is the perfection of virtues within her; within her soul there is no vice presence. Rather, she was always whole in her virtue and, thus, she was completely righteous and just before God.
For the above mentioned reasons, Mary is compared to, "a bride adorned with her jewels." There is no day that a woman wishes to be more beautiful than on her wedding day. However, it is not just through makeup and a white dress that she looks for this beauty, but she wishes to compliment her natural beauty and the beauty of the dress through the accessories of jewelry. Mary may be likened unto this, even though as a poor Israelite it is unlikely she was ever decked in jewels in her natural life. However, in regard to her soul, it was decked with the finest jewels God could provide, i.e. supernatural virtues.
We must now, in this regard make differentiation between grace and nature, something St. Thomas Aquinas was always most careful in doing, for our correct understanding of the Faith can rest upon these distinctions. Nature is what a creature possesses in itself and can do on its own power, given it by God at creation. Thus, to exercise prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude do not necessarily require a supernatural grace for God, for men possess this ability in themselves, by the nature God has given to them. To contemplate God is something man can do on his own power, but to believe in the Triune God and contemplate God in His Inner Nature may only come through a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, and therefore surpasses nature. The great axiom in regards to this is, "Gratia non destruit naturam sed perficit - Grace does not destroy nature, it perfects it."
Through this principle we must see that Mary was not in any way less human because of God's working in her; she was not made something higher than a human, rather her humanity was perfected through the supernatural grace of God. She was raised to a supreme dignity through grace, second only to the dignity of God Himself.
In this manner, then, Mary is said to be decked with jewels, for while on earth she possessed, from the first moment of her conception, the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity to the fullest degree she was capable, and now in Heaven possesses the virtue of love of God, and consequently, participates in the Divine Life of the Trinity, in a way surpassing all others of God's creation. Her possession of faith, hope, and charity truly complemented the beauty of her soul. Let us consider this briefly.
In regards to faith, Mary was never hesitating in her belief in God, nor His ability to accomplish His word. When we are first presented with the woman, who is hailed as, "full of grace (Luke 1:28)," she does not doubt for an instant that God will make her mother, without in any way violating the purity of her virginity. Mary already knew and believed the truth spoken by the angel Gabriel, "With God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37)," and was thus able to commit herself fully to God with the words, "Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. - Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38)."
But our contemplation of Mary's faith cannot be limited to the Annunciation, for it is presented to us throughout her earthly life. She did not hesitate to flee with Joseph and the child Jesus into Egypt when Herod killed all the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-15), nor did she hesitate to implore her Son to work His first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana, and she did not doubt He would grant her request (John 2:1-5). Even when it came to His Passion, she did not implore Him to end His, and her, sufferings, but instead trusted in the Divine plan. Indeed she stood at the foot of the Cross (John 19:25)! By Tradition we are also told that from His death until His Resurrection, the Church was kept alive solely in the heart of Mary, who alone kept faith in the salvation promised by God. Finally, it was Mary who nourished the faith of the early Church (Acts 1:14), until she was assumed into Heaven, where she now sees God face to face.
Now in regards to hope, Mary is no less beautiful. Why did she willingly suffer all that she did, especially in the participation with the Passion of her Divine Son? The answer is simple: she believed it would bring about the salvation of the world, but also her salvation, even though she was conceived without sin. We must not forget, it was only on account of the saving death of her Son that she was able to be cleansed from sin from the first moment of her conception. Her hope was entirely placed in God, as she sings in her Magnificat, "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Luke 1:47, emphasis added)." She trusted fully that nothing, not even death, would thwart the promise that her Son, Jesus, was, "set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against," and that a sword would pierce her soul as well (Luke 2:34-35), i.e. that He was the, "horn of salvation," for Israel (Luke 1:69).
In her hope Mary also offers us a model since it was on account of the virtue of hope, which she was so magnificently graced with, that she was able to suffer perfectly in accord with Jesus. As I said, she was united completely with the suffering of Christ, which was the means through which our salvation came about. To the extent that her sufferings were united to the suffering of Christ, she was graced with the fruits of the Redemption. Of course, Mary was perfectly united, and was consequently perfectly graced with the highest graces of Redemption. This applies to us as well; to the extent that we unite our sufferings to Christ, we will share in the fruits of redemption, as our Lady does.
The crowing jewel of Mary's soul, however, was her charity. Attestations to this are found throughout the Gospels and the Tradition of the Church. Immediately after the Annunciation, we have the relation of her going to assist Elizabeth in her pregnancy (Luke 1:39-40, 56). Even though she had just been informed that she was to be the mother of God, her thoughts went to charity towards another. The same can be said for her attention at the Wedding Feast of Cana, where she feared the spouses would be embarrassed by the lack of wine, and therefore requested Jesus' intervention (John 2:1-11).
Her love of God continued throughout her life. She was always near her Son in his travels (John 2:12; Luke 8:19). When she was separated from Him she was greatly distressed (Luke 2:48); spiritual union was not enough for her. Nevertheless, her love for Jesus, induced her to consent to spend years with St. John the Apostle after the Ascension of Jesus to care for the infant Church.
This love has not ceased now that she is in eternal glory, for charity remains (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith and hope are not in Heaven, for we see face to face and have achieved our rest, but love for God is perfect there and without end. And through this love for the Trinity, we love all God's creation. Thus, because Mary possesses the greatest love for God of all creation, she also possesses the greatest love for all creation. Let us take refuge in under the mantle of Immaculate Mary then, for of all the advocates we have before God, none can equal the splendid glory of Mary in the jeweled dress of her love.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
A Triduum of the Church: The Church Triumphant
"We don't choose the saints, they choose us." - Anonymous
Today's solemnity, All Saints' Day, has a relatively interesting history in the Church. Originally, the feast was meant to commemorate all of the unknown martyrs, since they were the first saints whose feasts were commemorated in the early Church. This led to the title for the Pantheon when it was converted into a Church, Santa Maria ad Martyres, Saint Mary of the Martyrs. It was essentially given to the Queen of All Saints. Eventually, this feast was extended to commemorate all of the Saints, both those known and unknown.
We rejoice in the entire Church Triumphant, who now behold God face to face in the Beatific Vision. They provide us with a constant example of holiness and the blessing of their prayers. As the preface for today states, "Towards her [the heavenly Jerusalem], we eagerly hasten as pilgrims advancing by faith, rejoicing in the glory bestowed upon those exalted members of the Church through whom you give us, in our frailty, both strength and good example." Yesterday we considered ourselves as part of the pilgrim Church on earth, but that is simply a temporary state. The Church Triumphant is permanent and will last for all time. It is our end goal, and those holy men and women who have already attained to its glory are truly our brothers and sisters!
As we form one family then, it is their great joy to aid and support us, and it is our duty to maintain a relationship with them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
"'. . . The union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods (955).'"
The saints aid us in a most wonderful way by their constant prayers and intercessions for us. Because they are perfectly united to God they are able to pray to Him in a way we cannot, and He gives a generous hearing to them. The Catechism teaches this through the words:
"'Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness. . . . (T)hey do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus. . . . So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped (956).'"
We do well then when we offer all our prayers through the saints, especially through the Queen of All Saints, Mary. However, as was said above, though, they also provide us with examples of holiness and other spiritual goods. While it is true that some of their examples are more to be impressed at rather than emulated, such as St. John Vianney's only eating a boiled potato for lunch every day or the stylites who sat on a pole as penance throughout the days, there are those who also provide us with means to holiness we can follow. I think especially of the "Little Way," of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, who teaches us to offer everything to Christ, even our most little sufferings, as a path to sanctification. There is also the Introduction to the Devout Life of St. Francis de Sales, which contains within it a method for living out the Universal Call to Holiness, spoken of by the Second Vatican Council.
This also leads me to speak of the other spiritual goods left to us by the saints. One of these are the writings of the doctors of the Church. Of the 35 doctors, there is a plenitude of teachings and various writings which we may use to grow in our knowledge of God. There are the theological works of the Fathers of the Church, such as St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, and and St. John Chrysostom, as well as the climax of theological works in the Scholastics such as the preeminent St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Bonaventure and St. Anselm. There are those who wrote such beautiful meditations that we can never cease to be inspired by the reading of them, such as St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Alphonsus Liguori. Let us also remember the mystical works, especially of the Carmelite Doctors St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. And of course there are the spiritual direction writings of the above mentioned St. Francis de Sales and St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
Nevertheless, the spiritual goods they leave us are not just writings which help us grow closer to God, but outstanding witness which inspire us to follow Jesus in carrying our crosses. I think first of the Holy Martyrs. There are the numerous ones of the early Church, such as St. Stephen, St. Lawrence, and St. Irenaeus, and the most beloved virgin martyrs of the time, St. Cecilia, St. Agnes, St. Agatha, and St. Lucy. Of course, there are many martyrs throughout the ages as well. I recall the North American Martyrs, St. Boniface, and St. Charles Lwanga and his companions. And there are the martyrs of especially recent times, St. Maria Goretti and St. Maximillian Kolbe. All of the martyrs show us how highly we should prize our love of Christ. We should always be willing to lay down our lives for Him!
However, if it is holiness of life we wish to see, there are no better examples than the holy virgins of the Church, along with the holy men and women. For love of the Eucharist, let us consider St. Clare and St. John Vianney, and let us imitate their love. There are the women, such as St. Jane Francis de Chantel and St. Bernadette who consecrated their lives wholly to God. Although we do not follow them in their total consecration, let us imitate their commitment. There are the men who gave everything to follow God's will, such as St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius of Loyola. From them we may learn to always put God's will first. Or let us consider the men and women of the Old Testament in their trust of God. There is holy Job, who said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21)," or Esther who entrusted her task to the Lord God and then did what she had to, in trust the Lord would bring it to a happy issue (Esther 14). And of course there are Abraham, who trusted the Lord would remain faithful to His promise, and the mother of the seven children in the Book of Maccabees.
Ultimately though, from the saints we should learn love - love for God and neighbor. Let us look at the prime examples of those Biblical saints, the holy Apostles, who left everything and ultimately laid down their lives for Christ. St. Peter, who so often failed in his love, but never despaired, and ultimately was crucified for his love. St. Paul loved Jesus so much he never ceased to have His name upon his lips. St. John is called the beloved Disciple because of his love for Christ, and it is he who tells of of the love God has for us (1 John). However, we would be remiss if we neglect to look at the holy women of the time of Christ, who faithfully followed Him. There is St. Mary Magdalene, who clung faithfully to Christ after being brought to new life by Him. There is St. Veronica, who wiped the face of Jesus during His Passion.
And, of course, let us not forget to mention the saints who were most close to our Lord. There is St. Joseph, who raised Him, and died a happy death in His arms, as we should hope to do. There is St. John the Baptist, who always pointed not to Himself, but to Christ. And lastly, there is the saint of Saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is Queen of the Angels and Saints on account of her love. All of the great saints entrusted themselves to her. Let us follow in their example so that we may become great saints as well in the Heavenly Jerusalem.
There are so many other saints I could mention, St. Pius X, St. Tarcisius, St. John Bosco, but all of them have one thing in common, and that is their love for Jesus Christ being the one thing that shown forth in their lives. This is what we must also do.
I started the beginning of this post with the quote that the saints choose us, not the other way around. This is because from eternity, in His most mysterious plan, God choose them for us, in order to bring us to Heaven. The Church both on earth and in Heaven is a family, then, because of the providential guidance we receive, and the glory we give Christ through them. The love for Christ our King is the binding force of this. We begin the month of November with the feast of All Saints, and we will close it with Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, because through the saints we are led to Jesus Christ our King!
Let us close with this quote from the Catechism:
"It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself (495)."
Today's solemnity, All Saints' Day, has a relatively interesting history in the Church. Originally, the feast was meant to commemorate all of the unknown martyrs, since they were the first saints whose feasts were commemorated in the early Church. This led to the title for the Pantheon when it was converted into a Church, Santa Maria ad Martyres, Saint Mary of the Martyrs. It was essentially given to the Queen of All Saints. Eventually, this feast was extended to commemorate all of the Saints, both those known and unknown.
We rejoice in the entire Church Triumphant, who now behold God face to face in the Beatific Vision. They provide us with a constant example of holiness and the blessing of their prayers. As the preface for today states, "Towards her [the heavenly Jerusalem], we eagerly hasten as pilgrims advancing by faith, rejoicing in the glory bestowed upon those exalted members of the Church through whom you give us, in our frailty, both strength and good example." Yesterday we considered ourselves as part of the pilgrim Church on earth, but that is simply a temporary state. The Church Triumphant is permanent and will last for all time. It is our end goal, and those holy men and women who have already attained to its glory are truly our brothers and sisters!
As we form one family then, it is their great joy to aid and support us, and it is our duty to maintain a relationship with them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
"'. . . The union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods (955).'"
The saints aid us in a most wonderful way by their constant prayers and intercessions for us. Because they are perfectly united to God they are able to pray to Him in a way we cannot, and He gives a generous hearing to them. The Catechism teaches this through the words:
"'Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness. . . . (T)hey do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus. . . . So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped (956).'"
We do well then when we offer all our prayers through the saints, especially through the Queen of All Saints, Mary. However, as was said above, though, they also provide us with examples of holiness and other spiritual goods. While it is true that some of their examples are more to be impressed at rather than emulated, such as St. John Vianney's only eating a boiled potato for lunch every day or the stylites who sat on a pole as penance throughout the days, there are those who also provide us with means to holiness we can follow. I think especially of the "Little Way," of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, who teaches us to offer everything to Christ, even our most little sufferings, as a path to sanctification. There is also the Introduction to the Devout Life of St. Francis de Sales, which contains within it a method for living out the Universal Call to Holiness, spoken of by the Second Vatican Council.
This also leads me to speak of the other spiritual goods left to us by the saints. One of these are the writings of the doctors of the Church. Of the 35 doctors, there is a plenitude of teachings and various writings which we may use to grow in our knowledge of God. There are the theological works of the Fathers of the Church, such as St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, and and St. John Chrysostom, as well as the climax of theological works in the Scholastics such as the preeminent St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Bonaventure and St. Anselm. There are those who wrote such beautiful meditations that we can never cease to be inspired by the reading of them, such as St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Alphonsus Liguori. Let us also remember the mystical works, especially of the Carmelite Doctors St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. And of course there are the spiritual direction writings of the above mentioned St. Francis de Sales and St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
Nevertheless, the spiritual goods they leave us are not just writings which help us grow closer to God, but outstanding witness which inspire us to follow Jesus in carrying our crosses. I think first of the Holy Martyrs. There are the numerous ones of the early Church, such as St. Stephen, St. Lawrence, and St. Irenaeus, and the most beloved virgin martyrs of the time, St. Cecilia, St. Agnes, St. Agatha, and St. Lucy. Of course, there are many martyrs throughout the ages as well. I recall the North American Martyrs, St. Boniface, and St. Charles Lwanga and his companions. And there are the martyrs of especially recent times, St. Maria Goretti and St. Maximillian Kolbe. All of the martyrs show us how highly we should prize our love of Christ. We should always be willing to lay down our lives for Him!
However, if it is holiness of life we wish to see, there are no better examples than the holy virgins of the Church, along with the holy men and women. For love of the Eucharist, let us consider St. Clare and St. John Vianney, and let us imitate their love. There are the women, such as St. Jane Francis de Chantel and St. Bernadette who consecrated their lives wholly to God. Although we do not follow them in their total consecration, let us imitate their commitment. There are the men who gave everything to follow God's will, such as St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius of Loyola. From them we may learn to always put God's will first. Or let us consider the men and women of the Old Testament in their trust of God. There is holy Job, who said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21)," or Esther who entrusted her task to the Lord God and then did what she had to, in trust the Lord would bring it to a happy issue (Esther 14). And of course there are Abraham, who trusted the Lord would remain faithful to His promise, and the mother of the seven children in the Book of Maccabees.
Ultimately though, from the saints we should learn love - love for God and neighbor. Let us look at the prime examples of those Biblical saints, the holy Apostles, who left everything and ultimately laid down their lives for Christ. St. Peter, who so often failed in his love, but never despaired, and ultimately was crucified for his love. St. Paul loved Jesus so much he never ceased to have His name upon his lips. St. John is called the beloved Disciple because of his love for Christ, and it is he who tells of of the love God has for us (1 John). However, we would be remiss if we neglect to look at the holy women of the time of Christ, who faithfully followed Him. There is St. Mary Magdalene, who clung faithfully to Christ after being brought to new life by Him. There is St. Veronica, who wiped the face of Jesus during His Passion.
And, of course, let us not forget to mention the saints who were most close to our Lord. There is St. Joseph, who raised Him, and died a happy death in His arms, as we should hope to do. There is St. John the Baptist, who always pointed not to Himself, but to Christ. And lastly, there is the saint of Saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is Queen of the Angels and Saints on account of her love. All of the great saints entrusted themselves to her. Let us follow in their example so that we may become great saints as well in the Heavenly Jerusalem.
There are so many other saints I could mention, St. Pius X, St. Tarcisius, St. John Bosco, but all of them have one thing in common, and that is their love for Jesus Christ being the one thing that shown forth in their lives. This is what we must also do.
I started the beginning of this post with the quote that the saints choose us, not the other way around. This is because from eternity, in His most mysterious plan, God choose them for us, in order to bring us to Heaven. The Church both on earth and in Heaven is a family, then, because of the providential guidance we receive, and the glory we give Christ through them. The love for Christ our King is the binding force of this. We begin the month of November with the feast of All Saints, and we will close it with Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, because through the saints we are led to Jesus Christ our King!
Let us close with this quote from the Catechism:
"It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself (495)."
Friday, October 17, 2014
The Greatest Thing a Man Can Do for a Woman
"The greatest thing a man can do for a woman is to lead him closer to God than to himself."
Many may think this an incredibly strange quote to choose for the celebration of the feast of St. Teresa of Avila. She was many things - a Carmelite nun, a mystic, a reformer, a doctor of the Church, and most importantly, a saint - but she was never a married woman.
Well that's not entirely true, especially in the Carmelite understanding of things. She was a spouse of Christ, as all the women who consecrate themselves to God are. And this understanding was something St. Teresa of Avila carried with her her entire life. Her one thought was on her spouse, Jesus Christ; as the Entrance Antiphon for Mass today proclaims, "Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God; my soul is thirsting for God, the living God (Psalm 42:2-3)." Teresa's one desire was to be perfectly united with God, and often, in her mystical experiences, she underwent this union.
From this, I believe we can draw a comparison to the married life of a man and a woman. As I have often stated, through the Eucharist, our souls are wedded to God, which is what Heaven will be, i.e. the union with God. Within this life, this union is symbolized in many ways, and we prepare for it. Through the consecration of her virginity, St. Teresa symbolized this union, which would be realized for her in Heaven. In marriage, a man and a woman symbolize this union as mirroring the relationship Christ has to His Church, and prepare each other for it through the mutual sanctification of each other. The difference, however, in the symbolism is this; the nun already here below begins what will be realized in Heaven. A married couple, on the other hand, only mirror Christ and His Church through the Sacrament. Their marriage to each other will cease and death, and they will be wedded to Christ in Heaven.
The Liturgy of the Hours for the Common of Virgins has this important thing to say in regards to virgins, "The virgin - indeed, any unmarried woman - is concerned with things of The Lord, in pursuit of holiness in body and spirit (1 Corinthians 7:34)." This was the great gift of St. Teresa, she kept her heart focused specifically on Jesus Christ. She desired to love Him perfectly; indeed this is the title of one of her great works - The Way of Perfection. Her love for the Eucharist was extreme, as was her willingness to embrace suffering for the sake of Christ.
Here then, is the way in which we may tie in the married couple to Teresa. Jesus, her husband, always led her closer to Himself. A husband, then, should always lead his wife closer to Jesus Christ. And this he may do in two ways, by being the head of the family, and by striving to make himself an image of Jesus Christ. In the Office of Readings today, St. Teresa says:
"If we expect to please him [Jesus] and receive an abundance of his graces, God desires that these graces must come to us from the hands of his most sacred humanity, in which God takes delight . . . .
All blessings come to us through our Lord. He will teach us, for in beholding his life we find that he is the best example . . . .
Let us consider the glorious Saint Paul: it seems that no other name fell from his lips than that of Jesus, because the name of Jesus was fixed and embedded in his heart (Second Reading from the Office of Readings for Teresa of Avila)."
I find St. Teresa's focus on the humanity of our Lord particularly interesting. She lays stress on how by becoming man, Jesus has given us an example to follow. And although this holds true for both men and women, nevertheless I believe there is something a husband particularly can gleam from this.
Christ is both Head of the Church and perfect man. As I stated, the Sacrament of Marriage mirrors Christ's relationship to His Church and Body, the husband symbolizing Christ and the woman symbolizing the Body, and together they form one domestic church. The husband will then function as the head of the family. This does not mean he dominates; let us look a the physical body for some enlightenment on this issue.
Within the physical body, the head is what provides for the needs of the rest of the body, four of the five senses reside here. The head might be called, "the command center," in that it is to the brain that all data travels and disseminates to the rest of the body. The head does not make all decisions authoritatively, however. Let us compare this now to the husband. As head of the family, he is to make sure the family has all that it needs. It doesn't imply the woman never works, for indeed the rest of the body works, nor does it determine who's the "bread-earner." Instead it merely means that the husband bears a responsibility to make sure the needs of the family are provided for.
This duty of course, must be born out of love. Remember the words of St. Paul, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word...(Ephesians 5:25-26)." Christ ultimately gave His Bride, the Church the ultimate sacrifice, i.e. the Sacrifice of the Cross. This is because this is what She needed. We needed His death to ransom us from sin. Likewise the husband must give himself completely, in love, to his wife and family.
The other comparison I drew to the head of the body is that the head functions as a sort of command center. The brain does not make all the decisions completely on its own. Rather, it knows what is needed because it is involved with the body and comes up with a way to provide it. Essentially this is the same point as the previous. The husband must be so involved with his family that he knows their needs and desires. In this way, through dialogue, he will be able to determine the best means for obtaining the end. Therefore, the needs of the family will be provided for.
To tie everything back in to the original quote, however, I find it useful to consider Christ as perfect man. He set us an example to be followed. By conforming oneself to Christ, one is brought closer to Him, but is also able to lead others to Him as well. Thus, by a close proximity to Jesus Christ, the husband will be able to lead his wife to Jesus Christ. If he is an example of love, his wife will be able to draw close to Christ through him, for he will be a living image of Jesus.
This should bring no jealously to the man, however, for the sanctification of his spouse is what any true and loving husband would desire for his bride, just as Christ desired it for His bride, Teresa, and ultimately for His Bride, the Church!
Many may think this an incredibly strange quote to choose for the celebration of the feast of St. Teresa of Avila. She was many things - a Carmelite nun, a mystic, a reformer, a doctor of the Church, and most importantly, a saint - but she was never a married woman.
Well that's not entirely true, especially in the Carmelite understanding of things. She was a spouse of Christ, as all the women who consecrate themselves to God are. And this understanding was something St. Teresa of Avila carried with her her entire life. Her one thought was on her spouse, Jesus Christ; as the Entrance Antiphon for Mass today proclaims, "Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God; my soul is thirsting for God, the living God (Psalm 42:2-3)." Teresa's one desire was to be perfectly united with God, and often, in her mystical experiences, she underwent this union.
From this, I believe we can draw a comparison to the married life of a man and a woman. As I have often stated, through the Eucharist, our souls are wedded to God, which is what Heaven will be, i.e. the union with God. Within this life, this union is symbolized in many ways, and we prepare for it. Through the consecration of her virginity, St. Teresa symbolized this union, which would be realized for her in Heaven. In marriage, a man and a woman symbolize this union as mirroring the relationship Christ has to His Church, and prepare each other for it through the mutual sanctification of each other. The difference, however, in the symbolism is this; the nun already here below begins what will be realized in Heaven. A married couple, on the other hand, only mirror Christ and His Church through the Sacrament. Their marriage to each other will cease and death, and they will be wedded to Christ in Heaven.
The Liturgy of the Hours for the Common of Virgins has this important thing to say in regards to virgins, "The virgin - indeed, any unmarried woman - is concerned with things of The Lord, in pursuit of holiness in body and spirit (1 Corinthians 7:34)." This was the great gift of St. Teresa, she kept her heart focused specifically on Jesus Christ. She desired to love Him perfectly; indeed this is the title of one of her great works - The Way of Perfection. Her love for the Eucharist was extreme, as was her willingness to embrace suffering for the sake of Christ.
Here then, is the way in which we may tie in the married couple to Teresa. Jesus, her husband, always led her closer to Himself. A husband, then, should always lead his wife closer to Jesus Christ. And this he may do in two ways, by being the head of the family, and by striving to make himself an image of Jesus Christ. In the Office of Readings today, St. Teresa says:
"If we expect to please him [Jesus] and receive an abundance of his graces, God desires that these graces must come to us from the hands of his most sacred humanity, in which God takes delight . . . .
All blessings come to us through our Lord. He will teach us, for in beholding his life we find that he is the best example . . . .
Let us consider the glorious Saint Paul: it seems that no other name fell from his lips than that of Jesus, because the name of Jesus was fixed and embedded in his heart (Second Reading from the Office of Readings for Teresa of Avila)."
I find St. Teresa's focus on the humanity of our Lord particularly interesting. She lays stress on how by becoming man, Jesus has given us an example to follow. And although this holds true for both men and women, nevertheless I believe there is something a husband particularly can gleam from this.
Christ is both Head of the Church and perfect man. As I stated, the Sacrament of Marriage mirrors Christ's relationship to His Church and Body, the husband symbolizing Christ and the woman symbolizing the Body, and together they form one domestic church. The husband will then function as the head of the family. This does not mean he dominates; let us look a the physical body for some enlightenment on this issue.
Within the physical body, the head is what provides for the needs of the rest of the body, four of the five senses reside here. The head might be called, "the command center," in that it is to the brain that all data travels and disseminates to the rest of the body. The head does not make all decisions authoritatively, however. Let us compare this now to the husband. As head of the family, he is to make sure the family has all that it needs. It doesn't imply the woman never works, for indeed the rest of the body works, nor does it determine who's the "bread-earner." Instead it merely means that the husband bears a responsibility to make sure the needs of the family are provided for.
This duty of course, must be born out of love. Remember the words of St. Paul, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word...(Ephesians 5:25-26)." Christ ultimately gave His Bride, the Church the ultimate sacrifice, i.e. the Sacrifice of the Cross. This is because this is what She needed. We needed His death to ransom us from sin. Likewise the husband must give himself completely, in love, to his wife and family.
The other comparison I drew to the head of the body is that the head functions as a sort of command center. The brain does not make all the decisions completely on its own. Rather, it knows what is needed because it is involved with the body and comes up with a way to provide it. Essentially this is the same point as the previous. The husband must be so involved with his family that he knows their needs and desires. In this way, through dialogue, he will be able to determine the best means for obtaining the end. Therefore, the needs of the family will be provided for.
To tie everything back in to the original quote, however, I find it useful to consider Christ as perfect man. He set us an example to be followed. By conforming oneself to Christ, one is brought closer to Him, but is also able to lead others to Him as well. Thus, by a close proximity to Jesus Christ, the husband will be able to lead his wife to Jesus Christ. If he is an example of love, his wife will be able to draw close to Christ through him, for he will be a living image of Jesus.
This should bring no jealously to the man, however, for the sanctification of his spouse is what any true and loving husband would desire for his bride, just as Christ desired it for His bride, Teresa, and ultimately for His Bride, the Church!
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
The Servants of God
Servus servorum Dei - the servant of the servants of God. This title is perhaps the most important one which the pope carries, and I would be willing to go out on a limb and say the dearest to the heart of the popes, at least in recent times. And this title was first used by the saint whom we celebrate today, Pope St. Gregory the Great. Raised to the Chair of Peter on September 3, 590, he instituted a series of reforms, which restored the Church of his time, which had suffered greatly after the Sacking of Rome. In regards to his liturgical reforms, we may say he is the one who directly began the Roman/Latin Rite, and it is from him that Gregorian Chant gets its name, since he is the one who standardized the form of it in the liturgies. Additionally, he is known for his extensive writings, his reforms of the Roman Curia, his compassion for the poor and the alms he gave them, as well being the first to send missionaries to England.
From the very brief account, we can imagine, perhaps, why Gregory instantly gained the title of "Great," after his death. However, my account of his life never mentioned the true and ultimate reason for this title, namely because all his actions were rooted in God. The Second Reading in today's Office of Readings is taken from St. Gregory's homily on Ezekiel, and within it Gregory speaks of how difficult his task is. He says:
"With my mind divided and torn to pieces by so many problems, how can I meditate or preach wholeheartedly without neglecting the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel? Moreover, in my position I must often communicate with worldly men . . . . And because I too am weak, I find myself drawn little by little into idle conversation, and I begin to talk freely about matters which once I would have avoided . . . . So who am I to be a watchman, for I do not stand on the mountain of action but lie down in the valley of weakness? Truly the all-powerful Creator and Redeemer of mankind can give me in spite of my weaknesses a higher life and effective speech; because I love him, I do not spare myself in speaking of him."
Pope St. Gregory acknowledged his own weakness. He did not want to be pope, for he feared he would lose his life of prayer, and thus his eternal soul. Nevertheless, he answered the call of God with trust in the goodness of the Lord, and for this was indeed given, in spite of his weaknesses, effective speech and eternal blessedness. The call which he answered though was not simply to be pope, but to fulfill what our Lord says in the Gospel of today's feast, "I am among you as the one who serves (Luke 22:27)," and, "Let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant (Luke 22:26)."
Pope St. Gregory the Great is "great," because he was a servant. He placed his life at the service of the Gospel, and at the service of all the people of God. Thus, he took upon himself the title, "servant of the servants of God." However, we must not simply let this be a title of the pope, for we are contained within this name; we are the servants of God.
Now the quality of a servant is defined not only by doing what his master expresses, but by his ability to anticipate the needs and desires of his master. So it must be with our relationship of service to God, and even more so with the pope's relationship of service to all the Church. Our Master, Christ, has graciously made known His will to us. He has given it in the Beatitudes and the Commandments, but how it plays out in our day to day lives requires discernment. Through prayer, we will be able to not only carry out the express will of Christ, but anticipate how our actions will provide for the needs of the Church and of the whole world.
St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." How true this is, and how much St. Gregory must have known Christ, for as St. Bede the Venerable proclaims in his hymn in honor of St. Gregory the Great:
"The depths the Sacred Books contain
you [St. Gregory] could both fathom and explain;
The Spirit of all truth indeed
Enlightened you in hours of need."
His writings on the Sacred Scriptures are extensive, and it is from them that he not only drew his teachings, but that he was able to discern his own decisions and code of conduct. Thus, we may see the importance of the reading of Sacred Scripture.
For this reason, then, the Church has placed the sacred texts at the heart of Her liturgies. The Gregorian chant, given us by Gregory is at its finest when it is used to sound forth the Scriptures in the liturgical antiphons. Through these, our hearts are moved to God, in all our various emotions. The chanting of the psalms and canticles throughout the day give us a means whereby we may praise our Divine Master, but also be instructed by Him. The reading of Scripture and its explanation prepare us for the Sacraments of the Church, which enlighten our minds and bring us closer to God. Through the Sacraments we are made able to be servants of God.
Let us then, like Pope St. Gregory the Great, be great, not simply by our actions, but by being firmly grounded in the Scriptures, especially as given us by the Liturgy. There, we will encounter our Divine Master, and not only learn His will, but be given grace, through the Spirit (which is always pictured in the form of a dove resting by Gregory's ear in art), to be servants of God to the world.
From the very brief account, we can imagine, perhaps, why Gregory instantly gained the title of "Great," after his death. However, my account of his life never mentioned the true and ultimate reason for this title, namely because all his actions were rooted in God. The Second Reading in today's Office of Readings is taken from St. Gregory's homily on Ezekiel, and within it Gregory speaks of how difficult his task is. He says:
"With my mind divided and torn to pieces by so many problems, how can I meditate or preach wholeheartedly without neglecting the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel? Moreover, in my position I must often communicate with worldly men . . . . And because I too am weak, I find myself drawn little by little into idle conversation, and I begin to talk freely about matters which once I would have avoided . . . . So who am I to be a watchman, for I do not stand on the mountain of action but lie down in the valley of weakness? Truly the all-powerful Creator and Redeemer of mankind can give me in spite of my weaknesses a higher life and effective speech; because I love him, I do not spare myself in speaking of him."
Pope St. Gregory acknowledged his own weakness. He did not want to be pope, for he feared he would lose his life of prayer, and thus his eternal soul. Nevertheless, he answered the call of God with trust in the goodness of the Lord, and for this was indeed given, in spite of his weaknesses, effective speech and eternal blessedness. The call which he answered though was not simply to be pope, but to fulfill what our Lord says in the Gospel of today's feast, "I am among you as the one who serves (Luke 22:27)," and, "Let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant (Luke 22:26)."
Pope St. Gregory the Great is "great," because he was a servant. He placed his life at the service of the Gospel, and at the service of all the people of God. Thus, he took upon himself the title, "servant of the servants of God." However, we must not simply let this be a title of the pope, for we are contained within this name; we are the servants of God.
Now the quality of a servant is defined not only by doing what his master expresses, but by his ability to anticipate the needs and desires of his master. So it must be with our relationship of service to God, and even more so with the pope's relationship of service to all the Church. Our Master, Christ, has graciously made known His will to us. He has given it in the Beatitudes and the Commandments, but how it plays out in our day to day lives requires discernment. Through prayer, we will be able to not only carry out the express will of Christ, but anticipate how our actions will provide for the needs of the Church and of the whole world.
St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." How true this is, and how much St. Gregory must have known Christ, for as St. Bede the Venerable proclaims in his hymn in honor of St. Gregory the Great:
"The depths the Sacred Books contain
you [St. Gregory] could both fathom and explain;
The Spirit of all truth indeed
Enlightened you in hours of need."
His writings on the Sacred Scriptures are extensive, and it is from them that he not only drew his teachings, but that he was able to discern his own decisions and code of conduct. Thus, we may see the importance of the reading of Sacred Scripture.
For this reason, then, the Church has placed the sacred texts at the heart of Her liturgies. The Gregorian chant, given us by Gregory is at its finest when it is used to sound forth the Scriptures in the liturgical antiphons. Through these, our hearts are moved to God, in all our various emotions. The chanting of the psalms and canticles throughout the day give us a means whereby we may praise our Divine Master, but also be instructed by Him. The reading of Scripture and its explanation prepare us for the Sacraments of the Church, which enlighten our minds and bring us closer to God. Through the Sacraments we are made able to be servants of God.
Let us then, like Pope St. Gregory the Great, be great, not simply by our actions, but by being firmly grounded in the Scriptures, especially as given us by the Liturgy. There, we will encounter our Divine Master, and not only learn His will, but be given grace, through the Spirit (which is always pictured in the form of a dove resting by Gregory's ear in art), to be servants of God to the world.
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