SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY # 334

"And if thy brother sin against thee, go, shew him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican. Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matt. 18:15-18)

THE AUTHORITY OF THE APOSTLES: Our Lord gave the power of binding and loosing to the other apostles also; but as He had already made peter the foundation-rock of the Church and the key-bearer of the kingdom of heaven, it is clear that the other apostles (and their successors) must exercise this power in unity with Peter (the Papal See), and in subjection to him.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

Reflection #3

God Deserves to Be Loved
Above Everything

Saint Teresa says that it is a great favor that God bestows upon a soul when He calls it to love Him. Let us then love Him, since we are called to this love, and let us love Him as He desires to be loved. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart." (Matthew 22:37). The Venerable Luis de Puente felt ashamed at saying to God: "O Lord, I love Thee above everything; I love Thee more than all creatures, more than all riches, than all honors, than all earthly pleasures," for it seemed to him that it was like saying: "My God, I love Thee more than straw and smoke and mire."
But God is satisfied when we love Him above all things. Therefore, at least let us say to Him: "Yes, O Lord, I love Thee more than all the honors of the world, more than all its riches, more than all my relations and friends; I love Thee more than health, more than my good name, more than knowledge, more than all my comforts; in a word, I love Thee more than everything I possess--more than myself."
And let us still further say: "O Lord, I value Thy graces and Thy gifts; but more than all Thy gifts, I love Thyself, who alone art Infinite Goodness and a Good infinitely amiable and surpassing every other good. And, therefore, O my God, whatever Thou mayest give me besides Thyself, which is not Thyself, is not sufficient for me; if Thou givest me Thyself, Thou alone art sufficient for me. Let others seek what they will, I will seek nothing but Thee alone, my love, my all. In Thee alone I find all that I can seek or desire."
The sacred Spouse said that among all things, she had chosen to love her beloved: "My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands." (Canticle of Canticles 5:10). And whom, then, shall we choose to love? Among all our friends of this world, where can we find a friend more worthy of love and more faithful than God; and who has loved us more than God? Let us pray, then, and let us pray constantly: "O Lord, draw me after Thee," for if Thou dost not draw me after Thee, I cannot come to Thee.
O Jesus, my Savior, when will it be that, stripped of every other affection, I shall desire and seek for nothing but Thee! I would gladly detach myself from everything, but certain importunate affections often enter my heart and draw me away from Thee. Do Thou then, by Thy powerful hand, detach me from them and make Thyself the only object of all my affections and all my thoughts.
St. Augustine says that he who has God has everthing, and he who has not God has nothing. What does it profit a rich man to possess many treasures of gold and jewels, if he has not God? What does it profit a monarch to have many kingdoms, if he has not the grace of God? What does it profit a man of many letters to understand many sciences and languages, if he knows not how to love his God? What does it profit a general to command an entire army, if he lives the slave of the devil and far from God? When David was already king, but in a state of sin, he walked in his gardens, he went to his sports and to other pleasures, but all creatures seemed to say to him: "Whereis thy God? Wouldst thou seek in us thy happiness? Go, find God, whom thou hast left, for He alone can give thee contentment." And therefore David confessed that in the midst of all his pleasures he found no peace and wept night and day, with the thought that he was without God. "My tears have been my bread day and night, whilst it is said to me daily: Where is thy God?" (Psalms 41:4).
In the midst of the miseries and troubles of this world, who can console us better than Jesus Christ? Therefore He says to us: "Come to Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you." (Matthew 11:28). Oh the folly of worldlings! One single tear shed through sorrow for our sins gives more consolation, one aspiration, "My God!" uttered with love by a soul in the state of grace, is worth more than a thousand festivals, a thousand plays, a thousand banquets, in giving contentment to a heart that loves the world. I say again, Oh, folly--and a folly which will be past remedy--when there comes that death in which it is night, as the Gospel says: "The night cometh, when no man can work." (John 9:4). Wherefore, Our Lord warns us to walk while the light favors us; for if the night overtakes us, we shall not be able to do anything. Therefore, let God alone be all our treasure, all our love; and let all our desire be to please God, who will not suffer us to conquer Him in love. He rewards a hundredfold everything that is done to give Him pleasure.

Then silence, wicked world! depart;
Seek not esteem or love of mine;
Another Lover owns my heart;
His charms are greater far than thine.

O my God, and my only Good, be Thou the ruling power in my soul; and as in love I prefer Thee before all things, so do Thou make me in all things prefer Thy pleasure to any satisfaction of my own. O my Jesus, I trust in Thy Blood, that during the rest of my life I shall love nothing but Thee upon this earth, so that I may come one day to possess Thee forever in the kingdom of the Blessed.
O holy Virgin, succor me with thy powerful prayers, and take me to kiss thy feet in Paradise.
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)

Mark Mallett Continues His Writings:

Times of the Trumpets - Part III

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Artist Unknown

MORE letters continue to come in from reader’s whose Marian statues have a broken left hand. Some can explain why their statue broke, while others cannot. But perhaps that is not the point. I think what is significant is that it is always a hand.

TIME OF GRACE

I have written elsewhere of the significance of the period we live in: a "time of grace," as it has been called. While I believe that this period’s "final countdown" began with the message of Mercy given to St. Faustina, the "time of grace" could conceivably be traced to the apparition of Our Lady to St. Catherine Labouré, whose remains are incorrupt to this day.

The Marian message to the modern world begins in seed form in the revelations of Our Lady of Grace at Rue du Bac, and then expands in specificity and concretization throughout the twentieth century and on into our own time. It is important to remember that this Marian message maintains its fundamental unity as one message from one Mother. —Dr. Mark Miravalle, Private Revelation—Discerning With the Church; p. 52

It is significant that she is called "Our Lady of Grace" at the beginning of this Marian era. During one apparition, Mary appeared to St. Catherine with rays of light—grace—pouring forth from her hands. Our Lady then asked that St. Catherine have a medal struck in that image, promising that,

All who wear it will receive great graces; it should be worn around the neck. Great graces will be given to those who wear it with confidence. —Our Lady of Grace

"With confidence," that is, faith in God—Jesus Christ—which is the central message of the Gospel. It wouldn’t be the first time that God has chosen to use objects to be instruments of grace (see Acts 19:11-12). However, the point here is that those graces are not coming from a piece of metal, but pouring forth from the Cross and through Our Lady’s hands.

This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation . . . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 969

All this is to say, could these accounts of hands broken from Marian statues be a warning that the time of grace is expiring? If we consider all the social and environmental upheaval in the world, it may in fact be one more sign that great change is about to burst upon an unsuspecting world.

ALWAYS WITH US

If Mary is in fact "stepping back," know that she would would never walk away from her children! I believe more than ever that she will be with her "little remnant" to the very end, for Jesus her Son promised us the very same:

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Matt 28:20)

It might also be that the missing hands indicate that Mary is increasingly unable to give the graces she longs to give, because more and more souls are turning away from God. There may be other significant interpretations, but at the least we should realize that the time of divine Mercy is drawing to a close and the time of His Justice approaches. Therefore, isn’t it totally consistent with her pure and loving heart that she desires to warn us in any way she can?

Where Christ is, so is Mary. Is she not also part of His mystical Body? How much more so since He took His very flesh from her womb! They are united in a very special way, and her role, as the Church teaches, did not cease with the Assumption, but will continue until the last of her children enters the gates of Heaven.

I know my Protestant brothers and sisters will struggle with this seeming emphasis on Mary rather than Jesus. But let me repeat…

Far from "stealing Christ’s thunder"

Mary is the lightning

which illuminates The Way.

FILLING OUR LAMPS

This time of grace we live in, I believe, is the time of "filling our lamps" with oil. As I wrote in The Smoldering Candle, the light of Jesus is being extinguished in the world, but growing brighter and brighter in the hearts of those who are remaining faithful (whether or not they may feel this sensibly.) There will come a time when this grace will not be available, at least in the "ordinary" sense; when Mary’s special presence will be withdrawn, and the Time of Mercy will collide with the Day of Justice.

At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. (Matt 25:6-9)

The deceiver is at work now as never before, distracting and tempting the Body of Christ so that they will not be about the work of filling their lamps with oil: the oil of prayer, repentance, and faith. O beloved, how dangerous are these days! We should not take them lightly! Be sure you are one of the "wise" ones.

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

TRUMPETS

The trumpets have sounded, and the warning has gone forth over the whole earth:

Repent and believe the Good News, for the time is short!

I just received this letter from a young reader:

I am an altar server in highschool. One day after I went home from Mass (8/16/08, 6:00 PM), I went in my room to say a Rosary but stopped short because I heard an unusual noise. It sounded like a ram’s horn. Then I heard a fairly loud voice, very beautiful but very shrill, like an opera singer’s voice. This voice sounded like it was proclaiming something. Our Lord had me recognise this voice as an angel’s voice. The ram’s horn went on and on by itself for a few minutes, and then I heard mournful and repetitive singing (while the horn was going in the background). Now, I do not have mental problems or anything of the sort, and do not hear voices in my head. I also test the spirits, as my mother and the Holy Bible teaches. My room was the only place where I could hear this singing, so I told my mother what I heard and she went in my room to see if she could hear it, too. Sure enough, she could hear the singing as well. I have heard the angels every day since then. I heard the horn only a few days more after that day and now it is gone.

Out of the mouths of babes.

Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matt 25:13)

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. —Words inscribed on the Miraculous Medal

Published in: DAILY JOURNAL, TIME OF GRACE | on September 5th, 2008 |

HAPPY FEAST DAY
BLESSED TERESA OF CALCUTTA

[MaryVitamin] Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Feast Day

http://www.michaeljournal.org/teresa.htm

Topic:  The Marian devotion of Mother Teresa

Feast Day September 5^th

 

Quote:

"The following quotation is taken from a general letter Mother Teresa wrote on the day of her death:

'Stand near Our Lady to listen to the thirst of Jesus and to answer with your whole heart.'"

Thirsting for God, A Yearbook of Prayers, Meditations, and Anecdotes Mother Teresa (Servant Publications: 2000), 134.

 

Meditation:

"The Missionaries of Charity's mission is to 'quench the infinite thirst of Jesus on the cross for love and souls' by  'laboring at the salvation and sanctification of the poorest of the poor.'" (from: http://www.mother-teresa.us/)

 

In her writings, Bl. Teresa of Calcutta shows her devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary:

"Like Mary, let us never be ashamed to do humble work. Like her, let us always accept the cross in whatever way it comes."

 

"Humility of the heart of Mary, fill my heart. Teach me, as you taught Jesus, to be meek and humble so to glorify the Father."

 Thirsting for God, A Yearbook of Prayers, Meditations, and Anecdotes Mother Teresa (Servant Publications: 2000), 160.

Resolution:

In each of her convent chapels, Mother Teresa wrote the words "I thirst" next to the crucifix. In passing the crucifix, I will remember the devotion of St. Teresa of Calcutta to slake the thirst of Christ for souls and I will pray to stand near Mary at the foot of the cross and to pray for the conversion of souls.

 

Marian Vow:

Mother Teresa sums up the meaning of the Marian vow in these words,

"Mary, my dearest Mother, give me your heart so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate, so full of Love and Humility, that I may receive Jesus as You did -- and go in haste to give Him to others"

(from:  http://www.catholic.net/hope_healing/template_channel.phtml?channel_id=22)

 

I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

Thanks be to God for graces received.

 

Related sites: Castle of the Immaculate & AirMaria

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SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY # 333

"And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. "And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire." (Matt. 18:8-9)

HELL is an everlasting fire.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

Reflection 2

We Are Pilgrims on Earth

As long as we are in this life, we are so many pilgrims wandering upon the earth, far from our true country, which is Heaven, where God awaits us, that we may rejoice forever in beholding His beautiful countenance. "While we are in the body," writes the Apostle, "we are absent from the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:6). If then we love God, we ought to have a continual desire to leave this place of exile by being separated from the body, that we may go and behold Him. It was for this that St. Paul ever sighed, as he goes on to say: "We are confident, and have a good will to be absent rather from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Before the Redemption, the way to God was closed for us miserable sons of Adam; but Jesus Christ, by His death, has obtained for us the grace of having it in our power to become the sons of God. ["But as many as received Him, He gave them power to be made the sons of God." (John 1:12)] And thus He has opened to us the gates by which we can have access, as children, to God our Father.
On this account St. Paul says: "Now, therefore , you are no more strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow-citizens with the saints and the domestics of God," (Ephesians 2:19), so that, while we are in the grace of God, we enjoy the citizenship of Paradise and belong to the household of God. St. Augustine says: "Nature corrupted by sin produces citizens of an earthly city and vessels of wrath; but grace, which frees our nature from sin, makes us citizens of a heavenly country and vessels of mercy."
This made David say: "I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not Thy commandments from me." (Psalms 118:19). O Lord, I am a pilgrim upon this earth; teach me to keep Thy precepts, which are the road by which I may reach my country in Heaven. It is not surprising that the wicked should wish to live forever in this world, for they justly fear that they will pass from the pains of this life to the eternal and far more terrible pains of Hell; but how can he who loves God, and has a moral certainty that he is in the state of grace, desire to go on living in this vale of tears--in continual bitterness, in anxieties of conscience, in peril of being condemned? How can he help sighing to depart speedily to unite himself to God in a blessed eternity, where there is no longer any danger of losing Him? Oh how the souls who love God continually, as long as they live, groan and cry out with David: "Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged!" (Psalms 119:5). Unhappy is he who must continue to live a long time in this world, in the midst of so many perils to his salvation! Therefore it is that the Saints have continually had this prayer upon their lips: "Thy kingdom come"; quickly, O Lord, quickly take us to Thy kingdom. Let us make speed, then, as the Apostle exhorts us, to enter that country where we shall find perfect peace and contentment: "Let us hasten therefore to enter that rest." (Hebrews 4:11). Let us hasten, I say, with desire, and not cease to press onwards, till we are safe in that blessed harbor of rest which God prepares for them that love Him.
He that runs in a race, says St. John Chrysostom, pays no heed to the spectators, but only to the crown of victory; he stops not, but the nearer he approaches the goal, the quicker he runs. Therefore, the Saint concludes that the longer we have lived, the more we should hasten by good works to secure the prize, so that our only prayer for relief in the troubles and trials which we endure in this life ought to be this: "Thy kingdom come." Lord, may Thy kingdom speedily come, where, united eternally to Thee and loving Thee face to face with all our powers, we shall no longer have fear or danger of losing Thee.
And when we find ourselves afflicted by trials or despised by the world, let us comfort ourselves with the great reward which God prepares for those who suffer for the love of Him: "Be glad in that day and rejoice, for behold, your reward is great in heaven." (Luke 6:23). St. Cyprian says that with good reason our Lord wills that we should rejoice in labors and persecutions, because then the true soldiers of God are tried and crowns are distributed to those who are faithful.

Behold, O my God, my heart is ready; behold me prepared for every cross which Thou shalt send me. No, I desire not delights or pleasures in this life; he who has offended Thee and deserves Hell merits not pleasures. I am ready to suffer all the infirmities and adversities which Thou dost send me; I am ready to embrace all the contempt of men. I am content, if so it please Thee, to be deprived of all bodily and spiritual consolations; it is enough if Thou dost not deprive me of Thyself and of loving Thee forever. I deserve not this, but I hope for it, through the blood that Thou hast shed for me. I love Thee, O my God, my Love, my All. I shall live forever, and I hope I shall love Thee forever; and my paradise will ever be to rejoice in Thine infinite bliss, for Thou dost truly merit it because of Thine infinite goodness.
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)

It is always the Mother who leads us to Jesus

VATICAN - AVE MARIA by Mgr Luciano Alimandi -

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life?" (Mt 16, 24).

The Lord Jesus never forces anyone to follow Him and so he says: "If anyone…". But for those who do heed his call, he sets precise conditions of which the finality is to reach the Supreme Good, that is God.

It is as if He were saying, in other words: to have Me, you must renounce self, to have God, you must renounce everything which is contrary or opposed to Him, starting with your own selfishness! These words may seem "demanding" to those who refuse to see the extraordinary "gain" which comes from this renunciation. This "gain" is God himself: His Life, His Love, His eternity! No little thing!

The most perfect example of selflessness, after Christ himself, is without a doubt Mary, his Mother, who shows with her whole life the lofty heights to which God "raised" her; Mary who made herself the lowliest of all creatures, who "lowered" herself to become the humblest of all.

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI speaks of her being "emptied of self": "The Mother of the Head is also the Mother of all the Church; she is, so to speak, totally emptied of herself; she has given herself entirely to Christ and with him is given as a gift to us all. Indeed, the more the human person gives himself, the more he finds himself. " (Benedict XVI, homily 8 December 2005).

"To lose one's life" is, according to the logic of the Gospel, to "find it": "to empty oneself" in order to give oneself to Jesus, is to truly become His disciple. The Lord is not content with discipleship which fails to bring about a change. He desires "all" of us, in order to give us "all" of Himself.

"You see before you the Lord's servant." (Lk 1, 38). This was the programme of Our Lady's "self-emptying". A servant belongs not to self, because he or she is entirely at the service of another person. The Blessed Virgin Mary consecrated herself entirely to the Will of God, she chose to "lose" "self", to 'lose' her life; this she did, year in, year out, minute by minute, choosing to belong to God, rather than to herself. Her words in reply to the angel who announced the birth of the Son of God, the Most High, "But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?" (Lk 1, 34), are the key to understanding to whom she belonged: I belong to God, and to Him alone!

The Church on September 8th celebrates the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was born and, in a way, the Son was also mystically born with her, since Mary carried in her soul a fullness of grace which stemmed from the One who was to be born of Her. She had been sublimely redeemed, "preserved" from sin "in view" of the merits of the Redeemer. This is why she is referred to as the Dawn which precedes the rising Sun.

Just as the light of dawn is a reflection of the Sun, so too the grace in Mary is the reflection of Christ's Grace, which goes before Him and comes after Him. In a profound comment on the birth of Mary, Saint Andrew of Crete says the feast reveals to us the summary of the benefits of Christ and the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God. "This is the unveiling of the mystery, this is nature made new, God and man and the deification of the human nature assumed by God. But so radiant, so glorious a visitation of God to men needed some prelude of joy to introduce to us the great gift of salvation. The present feast is such: the prelude is the birth of the Mother of God and the concluding act is the union which is destined between the Word and human nature. A virgin is now born and suckled and moulded, and is made ready to be Mother of God, the king of all for ever" (From the second reading of the Office for 8 September, by Saint Andrew of Crete).

The heart of the believer can only burst into praise of Mary's sublime greatness and sing with love and veneration:

" Hail, O Mother of the Star Without Setting!
Hail, O Radiance of the Mystical Day!
Hail, O you who quenched the flame of error!
Hail, O Light of those who search the Trinity!
Hail, O you who unthroned the Enemy of Men!
Hail, O you who showed forth Christ the Lord, Lover of Mankind!
Hail, O you who cleansed us from the stain of pagan worship!
Hail, O you who saved us from the mire of evil deeds!
Hail, O you who made cease the cult of fire!
Hail, O you who guide the faithful toward wisdom!
Hail, O you, Delight of all the Nations!
Hail, O Bride and Maiden ever-pure!
(From the 5th century Akathistos liturgical hymn).

(Agenzia Fides ; righe 62, parole 830)

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY # 332

" See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."
(Matt. 18:10)

THE VALUE OF A SOUL: "A human soul is so precious that, as each one enters into being, an angel is given to it to be its guardian" (St. Jerome).

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

Saint Alphonsus de Liguori
1696-1787 A.D.

St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote many books and is a Doctor of the Church. Everything he did was for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Starting today I'm going to post chapters of his wonderful work titled 'Devout Reflections on Spiritual Subjects,' published in 1773. Amazingly, these writings will touch our hearts in the way St. Alphonsus wanted: to bring us closer to God in the Hearts of Jesus & Mary! Enjoy!

Reflection 1

On the Thought of Eternity

Saint Augustine used to call the thought of eternity "The Great Thought." This thought made the Saints count all the treasures and grandeurs of this life as nothing more than straw, mire, smoke and dung. This thought has driven so many anchorites [hermits] to hide themselves in deserts and caves, and so many noble youths, and even kings and emperors, to shut themselves up in cloisters. This thought has given courage to so many martyrs to endure racks and iron nails and red-hot gridirons and even being burned alive.
No, we are not created for this earth. The end for which God has placed us in the world is this, that by our good works we may merit eternal life. "The end [is] life everlasting." (Romans 6:22). And therefore St. Eucherius used to say that the only affair that we should attend to in this life is eternity, that is, to gain for ourselves a happy eternity and escape a miserable one. "The business for which we work is eternity." If we make sure of success in this business, we shall be happy forever; if we fail in it, we shall be forever miserable.
Happy is he who lives with eternity always in view, with a lively faith that he must shortly die and enter into eternity. "The just man liveth by faith," says the Apostle. (Galatians 3:11). It is faith that makes the just live in the grace of God and that gives life to their souls by detaching them from earthly affections and reminding them of the eternal goods which God holds out to those who love Him.
St. Teresa used to say that all sins had their origin in an absence of faith. Therefore, in order to overcome our passions and temptations, we must frequently revive our faith by saying: "I believe in the life everlasting." I believe that after this life, which for me will quickly finish, there is an eternal life, either full of delights of full of torments, which will be my lot according to my merits or demerits.
St. Augustine also was accustomed to say that a man who believes in eternity and yet is not converted to God has lost either his reason or his faith. "O eternity!" these are his words, "he that meditates upon thee and repents not, either has no faith, or if he has faith, he has no heart." In reference to this, St. John Chrysostom relates that the Gentiles, when they saw Christians committing sin, called them either liars or fools. "Woe to sinners who enter into an eternity which is to them unknown because they would not reflect upon it," exclaims St. Caearius; and then he adds: "But alas, O double woe, they enter it and never come forth!" Wretched beings! For them the gates of Hell open only to admit them, not to release them.
St. Teresa used to repeat to her spiritual daughters: "My children, one soul, one eternity!" She meant to say: My children, we have but one soul, and if that is lost, all is lost; and once lost, it is lost forever. In a word, upon that last breath which we draw in dying depends our being either happy forever, or forever in dispair. If the eternity of the next life--if Paradise, if Hell--were mere opinions of lierary men and things of doubtful reality, even then we ought to take every care to live well and not run the risk of losing our soul forever. But no, for these things are not doubtful; they are certainties; they are truths of faith, much more certain than the things which we see with the eyes of the body.
Let us, then, pray to Our Lord to give us more faith, saying with the Apostles: "Lord, increase our faith!" For, if we are not strong in faith, we may become worse than Luther or Calvin. On the contrary, one thought of lively faith in the eternity that awaits us may make us saints.
St. Gregory says that they who meditate on eternity are neither puffed up by prosperity, nor cast down by adversity because, as they desire nothing in the world, so they fear nothing from the world.
When it happens to us to suffer any infirmities or persecutions, let us remember the Hell which we have deserved by our sins. When we do this, every cross will seem to us light, and we shall thank the Lord and say: It is "the mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed." (Lamentations 3:22). Let us say with David, "Unless the Lord had been my helper, my soul had almost dwelt in hell." (Psalms 93:17). If God had not shown me mercy, I should have already been in Hell, even from the time in which I first offended Him by a grievious sin. Through my own fault I was already lost; it is Thou, O God of mercy, that hast stretched out Thy hand and hast drawn me forth from Hell, "Thou hast delivered my soul, that it should not perish." (Isaias 38:17).
O my God, Thou knowest well how often I have deserved Hell; but notwithstanding this, Thou dost command me to hope, and I will hope. My sins terrify me, but Thy death and Thy promise of pardon to him who repents encourage me. "A contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." (Psalms 50:19). I have despised Thee in times past, but now I love Thee above all things, and grieve more than for any other evil that I have offended Thee. O my Jesus, have pity on me.
Mary, Mother of God, intercede for me.
[Public domain]

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY # 331

" See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."
(Matt. 18:10)

GUARDIAN ANGELS: In the Old Testament we came across repeated examples which confirm the Catholic doctrine about guardian angels. In the chapter we have just read we learn from our Lord's own lips that children have guardian angels, who are their advocates before God. Although our guardian angels are invisible to our eyes, they themselves are ever gazing on the Face of God. "Whithersoever the angels be sent, and wheresoever they are, they never cease to live in Him who is to be found everywhere, even in God, the Vision of whom makes their heaven and their joy" (St. Thomas Aquinas).

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

Responses to Mark Mallett's Last Entry

Times of the Trumpets - Part II

I received several letters in response to my last meditation. As usual, God speaks through the Body. Here is what some readers have to say:

…As I prayed the Precious Blood prayers, I was led to open the Bible at random, crying out to the Lord with all my heart… What I opened to, left me speechless. It was prophetic to me and I took it in as Our Lord’s response:

Go not forth into the field, nor walk on the road; for the enemy has a sword, terror is on every side. (Jeremiah 6:25)

And in my heart that night, I felt it was Russia, coming up from the North… the Trumpet was blowing… this was Our Lord’s response. Then, just now, I read what you just wrote… I cannot see that as a "coincidence" but as a sign from Our Lord…

From another reader:

I too have a small statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje. It was the first one made back in 1987 or about that time. My brother gave it to me. She is all white. I found her hand broken off also this past month… I don’t know how or when this happened; the hand is laying at her feet on the dresser in the bed room. As Our Lady has been saying all these years, "With prayer and fasting, we can stop wars………… are we listening??

And writes another:

I also have a small statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje that I brought back last year. A couple of months later, I dropped it and her left hand came off. I glued it back on and it came off again. Several times I’ve tried to re-glue it and it won’t stay on. I kept it like that and have the hand behind the statue where it’s displayed.

In a stirring letter, one reader wrote:

Would the Blessed Mother ever not come to our aid? In praying the Memorare this morning – “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided…” I stopped at these words with a very strong and tremendous sense that our Mother is standing back. And immediately I felt her grief in my heart. The grief of a mother who sees her children fall and get terribly hurt – but who can’t do anything to stop it. More than ever I feel that a great time of change is near – and that mercy will soon meet with justice.

From another reader:

The left hand of my little Medjugorje statue of Mary has broken off some time back. I had not thought of [her hand] as being withdrawn, but the more I observe relationships around me… I have seen people become vicious in attempts to manipulate and destroy each other’s character. I can just see the evil surging around me. Is this a small microcosm of the war?

A couple of nights ago, we had quite a wind storm here in the middle of the night and I knew it would blow papers off my desk in the other room, but I didn’t get up and close the window. In the morning the only papers that blew off were right in front of my bedroom door, both facing toward the bedroom. One was a picture of Mary that I had torn out of an ad… under her picture were the words "Listen to your Mother" The other one also torn out of a magazine was of Mary with the words from John "Do what he tells you." In the Liturgy of the Hours that morning were the words "Listen & understand the instructions he has given you."

DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU

That last letter perhaps describes best what I feel the Lord is saying to us today.

I have given you instructions. I have told you what is necessary. Do this, and you will live.

To "live" refers not to our mortal life, which is passing like a leaf in the wind. Rather our spiritual life. How many Catholics get up each morning, fill their stomachs, drive in air-conditioned cars, watch big screen TV’s at night, and go to sleep on a comfortable pillow…. and yet their souls are hungry, cold, alone, and dying for the consolation of God? We will only find Him if we look for Him. This takes effort. It takes perseverance. It means walking at times in utter darkness, blind faith, pure faith, all faith. But I will not give up. Rather, I will offer to Him again my whole mind, body, soul, and strength. I will pick myself up again, go before Him in the Tabernacle and say, "Jesus, have mercy on me. Please, please, have mercy on me. I am yours. Do with me as You will."

Ah, this is faith! This is Christianity where the rubber meets the road. Religion in the raw: putting trust in Him when my mind and my flesh are completely in rebellion! It is to such souls that Jesus comes when they call, and He says with burning love for that soul:

Peace be with you. My peace I leave you. Be not afraid. My Mercy is an endless well from which the humble may draw.

And even then, my soul cannot seem to hear Him. And so I cling to those words by faith. Hope. Love.

LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER

And so then, let us do what our Mother has asked of us (for she only tells us to do that which her Son has already asked of us in one way or the other.) What has our Mother asked? Pray… but not just babbling or empty words. Pray from the heart. Turn from sin. Go to confession at least once a month. Seek Jesus in the Eucharist as often as you can. Forgive those who have injured you. Pray the Rosary.

Begin again. Begin again. Begin again. God lives in the eternal; when you begin again and turn your heart toward Him with renewed effort, that loving act enters eternity, and thus it covers over a multitude of sins and failings, past, present, and perhaps even future (1 Pet 4:8).

We have entered an extraordinary time of temptation to fall asleep. Our Mother has given us Heaven’s "secrets" to combat this spiritual slumber through prayer, conversion, peace, fasting, and the Sacraments. Simple things which only the childlike will do. And to such as these does the Kingdom of Heaven belong.

The trumpets are blaring:

Quickly! Quickly! Listen to your Mother!

Published in: DAILY JOURNAL, THE GREAT TRIALS | on September 2nd, 2008 |

Tuesday	September 2, 2008

Our Lady

STOP! LOOK! LOVE!

Mirjana arrived at 8:45 a.m., after spending hours before in her home preparing in prayer for her encounter with Our Lady.

Crowds of pilgrims from all over the world began gathering outside the building around 3:30 a.m., where Mirjana would have her apparition for the 2nd of the month for the day of non-believers. The gate opened about 5:20 a.m. and pilgrims rushed in to find the best spot possible to get a glimpse of Heaven on Mirjana’s face. The Rosary began about 7:45 a.m. The Joyful and Luminous Mysteries were prayed in many languages in preparation of receiving Our Lady. There was great anticipation among the pilgrims awaiting Our Lady’s message. Our Lady had given such a beautiful message in August with Motherly words of encouragement. Pilgrims prayed, hoping Our Lady would continue to help us on our walk towards holiness.

Mirjana arrived at about 8:45 a.m. and as she came in, greeting the priests nearby, including a bishop from Italy. The two decades of the Glorious Mysteries were prayed before Our Lady appeared. Our Lady appeared to Mirjana a few minutes before 9:00 a.m. and the apparition lasted about 6 minutes. Mirjana spoke to Our Lady throughout the apparition. She nodded her head many times and a few times was seen shaking her head no. Tears could be seen on Mirjana’s face. At least three times, Mirjana leaned forward towards Our Lady, as if to get closer to hear what She was telling her. When Our Lady left, Mirjana leaned very far back, watching Our Lady ascend back into Heaven. She then bowed her head in prayer, with tears falling down her face.

Mirjana can be seen here with tears in her eyes, as she speaks to Our Lady.

The following is the September 2, 2008 message of Our Lady to Mirjana for Non-believers:

“Dear children, today, with my Motherly heart, I call you gathered around me to love your neighbor. My children, stop. Look in the eyes of your brother and see Jesus, my Son. If you see joy, rejoice with him. If there is pain in the eyes of your brother, with your tenderness and goodness, cast it away, because without love you are lost. Only love is effective; it works miracles. Love will give you unity in my Son and the victory of my heart. Therefore, my children, love.

Our Lady blessed all those who were present and all of the religious articles. Once again She called us to pray for our shepherds.

The Second of the Month messages are anticipated more and more by an increasingly growing number of people. Our Lady often starts with the word “today” following the words, “Dear Children.” This is to let us know that everything, no matter the circumstances, can change beginning at this moment, “today,” when we apply the words of Our Lady immediately into our lives and actions.

This picture was taken right at the moment that Our Lady was leaving. Mirjana leaned very far back to watch Our Lady as She ascended back to Heaven.

Last week, the Community of Caritas began a 54-day Rosary Novena for love of each other in the community, for tenderness to ever be present with each other, for the children to love each other, growing in love, kindness and charity for each other. We know we cannot hope to live Our Lady’s life without love, that victory over everything only comes through love. Caritas’ name is Latin for “love and charity.” We cannot fulfill our mission without love and it is for love that we have committed ourselves to serve Our Lady, Her way of life and to transmit Her way, by witness, to others. Without love, we cannot have the victory of this being achieved. We cannot have the achievement, without our loving each other first. Our 54-day Rosary Novena is maintenance for us to uphold the principles of love that has made the Community of Caritas a powerful witness and voice to others around the world. But without love, what can we achieve? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Seeing Our Lady’s message today shows what following Our Lady will do for you. What is on Her heart, She will inspire in our hearts, even before we can see the physical words of what She inspires through the Holy Spirit. It is a joy to feel an impulse, act upon it, and then see Our Lady confirm in a message that She was inciting the action all along. It means to live seamlessly where Heaven and earth have a porthole between each other, direct from Heaven to earth. Our Lady wants you to structure your beliefs, your way, your daily life so that it is seamless, that between Heaven and earth there is an open line of communication, grace, and action on our part, and Heaven responding to our responding. Love in your family, love among those you deal with, gives you victory among those who do not love, who are in pain as non-believers. This includes Christians who have non-belief in them. That could be members of your own family, your neighbor, your brother. Our Lady once gave a message in the Bedroom of Apparitions at Caritas in which She said,

December 3, 1988

“Dear children, I give you my love, so you give it to others.”

And another one in the Bedroom:

November 30, 1988

“I wish that all your life be love, only love. Everything that you do, do it with love. In every little thing, see Jesus and His example. You also do as Jesus did. He died out of love for you…”

Our Lady was giving principles of love She wanted incorporated more fully into the family home, and then into the future community not yet in existence. It is what has made Caritas what it is and it is what will make you what Our Lady wants of you, so you will manifest to all you meet in your life these principles of love by your witness. When Our Lady wanted to teach this principle to the parish of Medjugorje to prepare them for the time She would make them a witness to the whole world She said,

December 13, 1984

“Dear children, you know that the season of joy is getting closer, but without love you will achieve nothing. So first of all, begin to love your own family, everyone in the parish, and then you’ll be able to love and accept all who are coming over here. Now let these seven days be a week when you need to learn to love. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

In the Love of Our Lady,
A Friend of Medjugorje

P. S. Look on the site tomorrow for Part II concerning Mirjana’s message today.

Just moments after the apparition, the crowd awaits Our Lady’s words as Mirjana writes down the message down.

A multitude of pilgrims leaving after being in Our Lady’s presence. Our Lady has touched each of them in a special way, as She calls us all to love our brothers.

There will be a broadcast tonight, Tuesday September 2 here on mej.com’s Radio WAVE. See chart below for your local times, and Click Here to Open the Radio WAVE Player to Listen to the Live Show

Your Time Zone	Online Air Time
Eastern Time	8:00 PM - Tuesday (September 2)
Central Time	7:00 PM - Tuesday
Mountain Time	6:00 PM - Tuesday
Pacific Time	5:00 PM - Tuesday
Hawaii Time	3:00 PM - Tuesday
Brazil Time	10:00 PM - Tuesdayy
Sydney, Australia	12:00 PM - Wednesday (September 3)
Seoul	9:00 AM - Wednesday
Beijing, Singapore	8:00 AM - Wednesday
Calcutta	7:30 AM - Wednesday
Baghdad, Moscow	4:00 AM - Wednesday
Jerusalem, Athens, Cairo	3:00 AM - Wednesday
Warsaw, Paris, Prague, Rome, Berlin, Medjugorje	2:00 AM - Wednesday
London, Dublin	1:00 AM - Wednesday

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SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY # 330

"But whoso shall cause one of these little ones which believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh!" (Matt. 18:6-7)

THE PROXIMATE OCCASIONS OF SIN: Sin is the greatest of all evils. It is a far greater evil than the most miserable death. Therefore a Christian, if he wishes to guard his soul against mortal sin, must carefully avoid the proximate occasions of sin; for no sacrifice on our part can be too great, if it serves to save our souls.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

[MaryVitamin] St. Teresa Margaret Redi

The

Incorrupt Body of 

St. Teresa Margaret

Mary Vitamin for September 1st

 

Topic: The Carmelite St. Teresa Margaret Redi (Feast day September 1^st)

 

Quote:

St. Teresa  Margaret's spiritual director (Father Ildefonse) said of her,

"Repeatedly during the day she would offer the Precious Blood of Jesus to the Father to thank His divine Majesty for all the benefits which He had granted to us. She did this especially while assisting at Mass."

Margaret Rowe, God is Love Saint Teresa Margaret: Her Life (ICS Publications: 2003), 109.

 

Meditation:

Although St. Teresa Margaret Redi may not be the most familiar name among saints, she is held in very high esteem by the cloistered members of the order reformed by  St. Teresa of Jesus. The Carmelites know and love this saint for her heroic practice of hiddeness and for her ardent love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. Teresa Redi entered the Carmelites at the age of 17 already well practiced in the spiritual life. Her prayer life was genuine. Her mortifications were generous. Her humility  and honesty sublime.

 

"Father Ildefonse later said of Teresa Margaret: 'She regarded the Sacred Heart as the center of love whence the divine Word has loved us from all eternity. She considered that this devotion was to love our Lord incessantly, in return for His love. She desired to have the Sacred Heart added to her name, understanding by that to be unwilling to live and breathe except by loving Him with all her strength. This is the signification which I find she gave to this devotion, making it consist completely in returning her love."

Margaret Rowe, God is Love Saint Teresa Margaret: Her Life (ICS Publications: 2003), 110.

 

Resolution:

This hidden Carmelite saint, wearing the holy habit of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel practiced frequent acts of thanksgiving to God. Today, in imitation of this Marian saint, I will cultivate a spirit of gratitude and offer the Father the Precious Blood of Jesus. (St. Teresa Redi's motto was "God is love.")

 

Marian Vow:

Pope Pius XII

"In order that favors in greater abundance may flow on all Christians, nay, on the whole human race, from the devotion to the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, let the faithful see to it that to this devotion the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of God is closely joined. For, by God's Will, in carrying out the work of human Redemption the Blessed Virgin Mary was inseparably linked with Christ in such a manner that our salvation sprang from the love and the sufferings of Jesus Christ to which the love and sorrows of His Mother were intimately united. It is, then, entirely fitting that the Christian people—who received the divine life from Christ through Mary—after they have paid their debt of honor to the Sacred Heart of Jesus should also offer to the most loving Heart of their heavenly Mother the corresponding acts of piety affection, gratitude and expiation. Entirely in keeping with this most sweet and wise disposition of divine Providence is the memorable act of consecration by which We Ourselves solemnly dedicated Holy Church and the whole world to the spotless Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary."

HAURIETIS AQUAS (On Devotion To The Sacred Heart) #124

May 15, 1956

 

I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

Thanks be to God for graces received.

 

Related sites: Castle of the Immaculate & AirMaria

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Times of the Trumpets

Blow the trumpet through the land, summon the recruits!… Bear the standard to Zion, seek refuge without delay!… I cannot keep silent, for I have heard the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. (Jeremiah 4:5-6, 19)

THIS spring, my heart began to anticipate an event which would occur this July or August of 2008. This anticipation was accompanied by a word: "War."

THE SECOND SEAL

In the Seven Year Trial series, it seemed to me that the second to seventh seals remain to be broken, at least on a new level––the Second Seal being a rider upon a red horse:

Another horse came out, a red one. Its rider was given power to take peace away from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And he was given a huge sword. (Rev 6:4)

When I heard about Russia’s invasion of Georgia, something turned over in my heart. While only time will tell, there is something new in this confrontation… a face of Russia which was once hidden, but is now showing itself again. Are we headed down the dark path toward war, that is, a global war? As I prepared to write this meditation, I received a letter from a woman I have quoted here before who has a proven prophetic gift. We had not discussed this topic previously. She had a dream or vision as follows:

In the dream I saw a red or (sorrel) horse. He was lifting his head and appeared very spirited. In the dream I was standing and looking up and I saw horses in the air or sky. They were corralled together (but there was no fence). The red or sorrel horse was in front with the others behind him (and as I said, he was very spirited, throwing his head etc.). I saw the other horses but I recall nothing about them, not even their color. They seemed to be watching the red horse. The focus was on the red horse. In the dream I wondered as I looked at him… and then this came…this is the red horse of Revelation. End of dream…

Evil I bring from the north, and great destruction. Up comes the lion from his lair, the destroyer of nations has set out, has left his place… See! like storm clouds he advances, like a hurricane his chariots… (Jeremiah 4:7, 13)

THE WINDS OF CHANGE

As I write this, Hurricane Gustav is barreling down upon the Gulf of the United States toward Louisiana. Three years ago, another hurricane passed through there: Katrina. Fr. Kyle Dave’s parish in Violet, Louisiana was flooded by the tidal surge from that storm. He came to stay here in Canada with me until his bishop reassigned him. During that stay, the Lord unexpectedly gave to us the seed form of the words written on this website. We called them "The Petals" because the sense was that those words were going to begin to unfold. As I have written, I believe this is the Year of the Unfolding, and those words are now unfolding rapidly.

Events are coming in wave after wave, closer and closer together like labor pains. As I write this, millions are fleeing floods in India. That would have been a huge story just ten years ago. Now it is simply one of many dramatic headlines which include bombings in several regions, tensions between the U.S. and Russia, an earthquake in China, an impending economic collapse, and of course, Hurricane Gustav (and tropical storm Hanna following closely behind). That’s just in a day’s news!

Once again, Fr. Kyle is fleeing the coming storm. He has been in regular contact having left the state to a safer region. Just a short time ago, he wrote me this letter which I print here with his permission:

My Beloved Brother,

From the looks of the tropics and everything else that we have been watching and discerning, it is my deep sense and conviction that the trumpets are beginning to blow. May the Lord in mercy and love grant us the grace to stand erect in this present time of judgment. It is upon us! God love and bless you. I will keep you in my prayers too. We must stay awake and be prepared, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The Bastion has been prepared as we have been equipped with every grace and blessing to put on the Lord Jesus Christ so as to not make any provisions for the desires of the flesh.

Watching & Praying in Christ,

Fr. Kyle

OUR MOTHER STANDING ASIDE?

Recently in our home, a small statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje was damaged. Her left hand broke off. When I saw it sitting on the kitchen counter, immediately I was struck with the words, "Our Lady is withdrawing her hand." That is, she has been interceding for us, standing in the gap like Queen Esther, abating the wrath of the King. But can Our Lady bear to see the continuing blasphemy and rebellion which is destroying many souls in the process?

Perhaps it was just me projecting my own thoughts upon the Queen of Heaven. But then yesterday, a blogger posted a picture of Our Lady of Medjugorje whose left hand was recently broken, just like our statue (see photo above). Coincidence?

If the Petals are beginning to unfold now in their fullness, it is a merciful judgment. Merciful because the cost of the growing lawlessness can be measured in souls. The Day of Mercy is coming, perhaps sooner than we think. A day in which the Word of God will light all of humanity’s hearts. A day of hope. A day of decision…

Return, O faithless sons, and I will heal your faithlessness… If you wish to return, O Israel, says the Lord, return to me. (Jeremiah 3:22, 4:1)

From Mark Mallett

Published in: DAILY JOURNAL, THE GREAT TRIALS | on August 31st, 2008 |

On the Reality of Evil

"It Is Not 'Optional' for Christians to Take Up the Cross"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 31, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today before reciting the midday Angelus with several thousand people gathered in the courtyard of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Today, too, the apostle Peter is in the foreground of the Gospel reading. But while last Sunday we admired his straightforward faith in Jesus, whom he proclaimed Messiah and Son of God, this time, in the episode that immediately follows, he displays a faith that is still immature and too much influenced by the "mentality of this world" (cf. Romans 12:2).

When, in fact, Jesus begins to speak openly about the fate that awaits him in Jerusalem, when he says that he must suffer much, be killed and rise again, Peter protests, saying: "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you" (Matthew 16:22).

It is evident that the Master and the disciple follow two opposed ways of thinking. Peter, according to a human logic, is convinced that God would never allow his Son to end his mission dying on the cross. Jesus, on the contrary, knows that the Father, in his great love for men, sent him to give his life for them, and if this means the passion and the cross, it is right that such should happen.

On the other hand, he knows that the resurrection will be the last word. Peter's protest, though spoken in good faith and out of sincere love of the Master, sounds to Jesus like temptation, an invitation to save himself, while it is only in losing his life that his life will be returned to him eternally for all of us.

If to save us the Son of God had to suffer and die crucified, it certainly was not because of a cruel design of the heavenly Father. The cause of it is the gravity of the sickness of which he must cure us: an evil so serious and deadly that it will require all of his blood. In fact, it is with his death and resurrection that Jesus defeated sin and death, reestablishing the lordship of God.

But the battle is not over: Evil exists and resists in every generation, even in our own. What are the horrors of war, violence visited on the innocent, the misery and injustice that persecutes the weak, if not the opposition of evil to the Kingdom of God? And how does one respond to such evil if not with the unarmed love that defeats hatred, life that does not fear death? This is the mysterious power that Jesus used at the cost of not being understood and of being abandoned by many of his followers.

Dear brothers and sisters, to complete the work of salvation, the Redeemer continues to draw to himself and his mission men and women who are ready to take up the cross and follow him. Just as with Christ, it is not "optional" for Christians to take up the cross; it is rather a mission to be embraced out of love.

In our present world, where the forces that divide and destroy seem to prevail, Christ does not cease to propose his clear invitation to all: Whosoever wants to be my disciple, he must renounce his selfishness and carry the cross with me.

Let us invoke of the Holy Virgin, who was the first to follow Jesus and followed him to the way of the cross. May she help us to follow the Lord with decisiveness so as to experience from this point on, and in trial too, the glory of the resurrection.

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY # 329

"But whoso shall cause one of these little ones which believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh!" (Matt. 18:6-7)

GIVING SCANDAL IS A TERRIBLE SIN: He who induces or forces others to sin, acts the part of a very devil, and draws damnation on himself [unless he truly repents. Editor Deacon John].

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)