LENT, REPENTANCE & REPARATION

We are half way through Lent! This is a good time to reflect on our sins and weaknesses, a time of repentance for the many ways we rebel against God on a daily basis!

It's a time of self-denial and sacrifice in reparation for the many ways we fall short and offend God. A time to fast and abstain from some of the creature comforts and luxuries of our time, while focusing on the scourging, Passion and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on a crude cross! If you were offered the opportunity of taking Jesus' place on the cross, would you willingly accept the scourging, Passion and cruel crucifixion? Would you? Could you? Here was the Son of God, who never sinned, yet He willingly allowed Himself to be brutally beaten, scourged, humiliated and crucified for our sins, just so that we may be united with God the Father in Heaven!

And so dear brother and sisters, let us focus on the seriousness of our sins, how God hates sin, the consequences of sin, how to avoid sin. A three letter word that is seldom mentioned anymore in our "politically correct" and "people friendly" "gathering places" for fear of upsetting anyone!

"For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin."
[Eccl. 7:20]. "For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity." [Prov. 24:16].

IT WAS I WHO CRUCIFIED CHRIST

"For the word of the Cross is folly to
those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of
God." [1 Cor. 1:18].

After all, not a single atheist was involved in the trial and death of Jesus Christ. No atheist beat up St. Paul, crucified St. Peter, or tossed St. Lawrence on the griddle to roast. The people who did these things were all vibrantly "spiritual" people, filled with a certain piety and deeply affirming of their own sort of "religious values." This is why St. Paul tells us to walk, not as unwise, but as wise.

Wisdom, in Scripture, is more than bearded guys saying "deep things." It encompasses savvy and the quickness of wit required to size up every situation quickly. we need to ask if our culture is becoming more Christ-like or merely becoming more spiritual? If it's only the latter, we'd best be on our toes. After all, the devil is a spirit too. Today, ask God for the gift of discernment to help you be wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove.
[Adapted from Christian Action News, March 2007]

Meditation 47

THE HOLY INNOCENTS

For your part adore God's judgments and orders whenever, and sometimes when you least expect it, suffering comes to try God's children.

Mary full of joy had gone to the Temple absorbed in the delightful contemplation of Her Son. That joy was increased when Simeon revealed Jesus as the Light and Salvation of mankind. But suddenly when inebriated by this divine joy, the Sword of Sorrow was trust into Her Heart. Poor Mother! Now She does not see in Jesus only Her lovely Son; She sees in Him a victim marked for the sacrifice, the Lamb of God who is going to be immolated for the salvation of the world. Approach Mary and whisper a word of consolation. Promise Her never to increase Her sorrows with your sins. Try to alleviate the wound made by Her sword of sorrow by atonement and amendment, by love.

This passage of the Gospel is the first fulfillment of Simeon's prophecy. Just a few days or perhaps even only a few hours have elapsed and Jesus begins publicly to appear as a sign of contradiction. Herod seeks to put Him to death. The sword of sorrow strikes the Heart of Mary and tortures Her soul. Let us devote our meditation to this important passage.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

VATICAN - Prayers for Lent - Act of Contrition (I)

Vatican City (Fides Service) - The formula of the Act of Contrition may vary a little according to the language. The Catechism of the Catholic Church in English gives the follow text:

“O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.”

Despite slight differences in the various languages the contents are the same, seven elements set in three parts: acknowledgment of sin and contrition because it offends God; recognition that God is all good and deserving of love and created us out of love; promise with the help of God’s grace never to offend him with sin in the future and to avoid occasions of sin.

The first Act of Contrition we find in the Gospel of Saint Luke. It is Jesus himself who teaches it to his disciples when he tells them the parable of the Prodigal Son: “When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were eating but no one would let him have them. Then he came to his senses and said, "How many of my father's hired men have all the food they want and more, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired men. "So he left the place and went back to his father» (Luke 15, 14-20).

« I will leave this place and go to my father … So he left the place and went back to his father »: he realises his unhappy state and decides to ‘turn around’ and go back to his father. This ‘turning around’ is an act of “conversion”: acknowledging our fault, stop, ask forgiveness and resolve to change direction and walk the path of life.

(to be continued)

(J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 15/3/2007, righe 31, parole 411)

Links:
See the Act of Contrition in various languages
http://www.fides.org/ita/approfondire/preghiere/altre/atto_dolore.doc

SIMEON'S PROPHECIES ABOUT MARY

4. Unalleviated Sorrow.
Think, lastly, that nothing on earth could alleviate the pain of this piercing sword. Neither time that cures all nor hope which can always lull us into the thought that perhaps it will not happen. But it was God's will that it must happen and She knew that fulfillment was inevitable. That is why every day that passed, far from healing the wound, would rather rub it the more, since the moment of tremendous sacrifice was very day drawing nearer.

Yet, inspite of this, far from being frightened, She would day by day generously strengthen Her desire that the dreadful moment should arrive, not only because such was the Will of God, but also for our own salvation and welfare. Her sorrow is great but Her charity and love is greater still. The more She suffers for us, the more Her love grows for us.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

VATICAN - Prayers for Lent - Acts of Faith, Hope, Charity and Sorrow (2)

Vatican City (Fides Service) - One often sees even very young children at Sunday Mass, in the arms of the mother as she receives communion. From their mother and father children learn to know, love and believe in Jesus, they learn that sin displeases Jesus and that we must try to avoid it. They learn to speak to Jesus and ask his forgiveness, to long to see Him in heaven and to pray for His grace to love brothers and sisters, neighbors and everyone as God loves them.

From their mothers many children learn night prayers, Acts of Faith, Hope Charity and Sorrow and then “goodnight Jesus, goodnight Mother in heaven”.

I still use the night prayers I learned as a child from my mother: three Hail Marys, the Memorare, the Prayer to St Michael, Acts of Faith, Hope Charity and Sorrow and the Act of Adoration of the children of Fatima, the prayer to my Guardian Angel and the prayer to St Joseph.

Sad to say today these prayers are forgotten by many and the younger generations have never heard of them…

It is time to become again like children and desire ‘pure spiritual milk’ so we may grow in faith (1st Letter of Peter). We must not be ashamed to resume these prayers, to teach them to our children. They are important for growing in our faith, becoming mature Christians.

At Fatima, Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco, aged 9, 7, and 6, learned two prayers from Our Lady and from the Angel, two prayers which reassume the four Acts mentioned above:

«My God I believe, adore, hope and love you. I ask you to forgive all those who do not believe, adore, hope and love you .
«O Good Jesus forgive us our sins, preserve us from the fires of Hell, take all souls to heaven especially those most in need your mercy.»

(to be continued)
(J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/3/2007, righe 33, parole 494)

Links:
Prayer
http://www.fides.org/ita/approfondire/preghiere/altre/atto_dolore.doc

SIMEON'S PROPHECIES ABOUT MARY

3. Relentless Sorrow.
A foreseen and unescapable evil can embitter all our joys. The patient who has been given up by the doctors is never without anguish, no matter if there are painless moments. The very fact that there is no cure, that he is doomed to death renders him joyless and sad. If we do not tremble at the thought of death, it is because we persuade ourselves that death is not so near; it is something far-off.

But that was not the case with Mary. Good Friday was always present to Her mind. And therefore all Her joys, all the sweetness of the presence of Jesus would always be tainted with this remembrance. Watch Her in Bethlehem, in Nazareth, in Egypt. Picture in your mind any of those tender moments between Mother and Son. And when you see Mary in ecstasy before the charming beauty of Jesus, when she is enjoying His presence, realize how the dark remembrance of those fateful words, the sword of the prophecy is cutting into Her heart. Always the remembrance, the words, the sword of Simeon.

And it will always be so: whenever She pressed Him against Her heart, whenever She combed His beautiful hair, when serving Him at table, when watching the delicate traits of that most beautiful face, when absorbing the shining light of those eyes, when admiring those rosy cheeks of the Infant Jesus, She would suddenly shudder with horror. All that beauty would one day be defiled by spittle, by buffets and scourges, by thorns and nails, which would barbarously torture Her adorable Son.

And so day after day, night after night, Her imagination is tortured by the vision of such horrible scenes.

Learn also to sacrifice yourself generously if Jesus so wants it. Be ready to renounce even spiritual enjoyments as did Mary throughout Her life.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

SIMEON'S PROPHECIES ABOUT MARY

2. Deep Sorrow.
Consider that this pain was more intense in as much as it had been foreseen. If God had hidden the sword and the sorrow from Mary and had let it come unexpectedly at the very moment of Calvary, she would at least have spent thirty three years in relative tranquility enjoying without fear the presence of Her Son. But God wanted Mary to imitate Her Son also in this.

Jesus had not only to suffer on the Cross. The redemption was started in Bethlehem. And therefore from the Crib to the Cross there passed no moment without suffering. Such was also to be the case with Mary. Thus the sword of sorrow pierced Her heart this very day. At no moment of Her life will the sword be withdrawn.

As the sins of men were to be an endless chain, is there any wonder, then, that the sufferings of Jesus and Mary should also be constant and unbroken? Think often of this: they never stop suffering because men never stop sinning.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

Meditation 46

SIMEON'S PROPHECIES ABOUT MARY

1. The Sword of Sorrow.
To Mary Simeon added this frightening expression: And for Thine own soul also He will have a sword to pierce it.

Thus in prophecy is described the share of sufferings and sorrows which Mary must bear with Her Son. A sword of sorrow will constantly pierce Her heart through and through.

Already on the day of Her annunciation Our Lady, on hearing the proposal of the Archangel, was made to understand the terrible sufferings that would accompany Her dignity of Mother of God. Nevertheless, courageous and generous, She uttered the fiat by which She accepted whatever the Lord would be pleased to send Her. What would She now feel on seeing how soon that fiat was to be accomplished. The sword of sorrow was seen by Her not as something in the vague future, in some far-off distance. No, it was already beginning to pierce Her soul with cruel pain. Accompany that sword into the heart of Mary. Through that same wound enter the most intimate recesses of that Most Pure Heart and try to fathom the intensity of Her tremendous sorrow.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

VATICAN - Prayers for Lent - Acts Faith, Hope, Charity and Sorrow (I)

Vatican City (Fides Service) - “Quasi modo geniti infantes: rationabiles, sine dolo lac concupiscite” (1 Peter 2,2) (“Like new-born babies all your longing should be for milk-the unadulterated spiritual milk-which will help you to grow up to salvation).

This antiphon of the 2nd Sunday of Easter (Introit) refers especially to newly baptised who received the white vestment at Baptism during the Easter Vigil and took it off on following Saturday and were encouraged by the Church to desire spiritual milk in order to grow in the faith. Saint Peter is thinking of what Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God. “'Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. In truth I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.'” (Mk 10, 15).

Jesus says his followers must become like a little child. When his disciples wondered who will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, (Mt 18, 1) Jesus “called a little child to him whom he set among them. Then he said, - 'In truth I tell you, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 18, 2-4).

He wished to teach them to have faith in the Father as a child has faith in his parents: “'See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven” (Mt 18, 10).

A child is nourished by his mother’s milk. He learns to speak usually in his mother’s tongue. Mother's are usually the ones who teach their children to pray, to pronounce the name of Jesus, to blow a kiss to Jesus, to pronounce the name of Mary, to recite the Hail Mary, the Our Father, the first prayers of their new life in Christ. They grow in body and spirit drawing the energy for physical and spiritual growth from the body and heart of the mother.

(to be continued) (J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 13/3/2007; righe 27, parole 425)

THE VATICAN ANNOUNCED
TODAY PLANS FOR TV NETWORK!

From Rome we hear that the Vatican will launch its first television network by the end of the year. It will be called H2O and will broadcast news and original entertainment in seven languages. At this time details are sketchy, but I will add more to this story as it comes my way. One thing I know is that I hope it will be available on the Internet. I'm sure my local cable company won't carry it. We're lucky to have EWTN and they moved that channel away from the local listings, so it's harder to find for new people to watch.

SIMEON'S PROPHECIES

4. A Sign of Contradiction.
Finally Simeon adds that the Child is a sign which men will refuse to acknowledge. In front of Jesus there is no middle way. Either we are with Him or we are against Him. This phenomenon can be observed from His very birth. Shepherds and Magi adore Him but Herod seeks His death. His presence dispels indifference. It excites either love or hatred; either devotion or rancor.

The Church with her experience dating back twenty centuries confirms this truth. There have always been faithful disciples who followed Him even to death and there have also been those who with implacable hatred slandered and persecuted Him. How many souls love Jesus; how many miserable creatures live only to insult Him.

Be persuaded that there are no half ways with Jesus. No middle road. Either with Him or against Him. Out then with all those tepidities and compromises! Hold fast to Him. Promise Him love and eternal loyalty. Ask Our Lady that these sentiments may never change, and endeavor to make of your life an endless act of love towards Jesus.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

SIMEON'S PROPHECIES

3. The Prophecy.
It was at that moment that Simeon, filled with the Holy Spirit turned towards Mary and said: Behold, Your Child is destined to bring about the fall of many and the rise of many in Israel; to be a sign which men will refuse to acknowledge. What an impression these words must cause in the heart of Our Lady! She pondered them over trying to comprehend their deep and mysterious meaning, for She was aware that they had been dictated by God Himself. You also must try to understand the full meaning of these words: Jesus, cause of fall and of rise, of ruin and of salvation for many. That is to say, from now henceforth this Child will be the ultimate reason of the salvation, or the condemnation, of mankind. Whoever is saved is saved through Jesus; whoever is lost is lost for going against Jesus.

He is, therefore, salvation and life for those who want it. He calls all, seeks all, invites all. He dies and sheds His blood for all. He founds His Church and enriches it with those sacraments that are fountain springs of life and of salvation for the benefit of all. He is, therefore, the only Savior of the world.

All those souls who have sanctified themselves and reached the glorious possession of Heaven have done so through Jesus. No one could have achieved that by himself. But on the contrary, whoever persists in rejecting the Blood of Jesus will be irreparably lost.

Enter into the heart of Mary and try to imagine what happened within Her while She listened to those words. All of a sudden Our Mother's heart saw all that Jesus was doing and was about to do for the sake of men. She saw Him bleed on the Cross; She saw Him die for us. She also saw a great number of men refusing to avail themselves of the merits and grace of Jesus. She saw them trampling in His Blood. She saw how that Blood would eternally call vengeance against them and weigh heavily on their rebellious heads.

For your part, thank Jesus and ask Him to be not the occasion of your fall but your salvation. try also to feel the pain and sorrow that Our Lady experienced at the sight of those souls who refuse to avail themselves of the Redemption.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

"What's the matter for you? You never listen to me!"

The Holy Father gave an inspiring message during the Angelus prayer today! I was hoping to hear the same at Mass today but didn't. Here's the report from Catholic News Agency:

VATICAN CITY, March 11 (CNA) - Thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square on a sunny Spring-like day to hear the words of Pope Benedict XVI at his weekly Angelus address. The Holy Father examined the mortality of all men and reminded those present that true conversion is the only path to conquering evil and death.

The Holy Father focused on Jesus' comments about two current events of his time, one involving the unjust death of a few Galileans at the hands of Pontius Pilate, the other a disaster in which several people in Siloam were crushed under a falling building.

Jesus asked those around him, "Do you think those Galileans were the worst sinners in all of Galilee…or that those 18 people were the most blameworthy of all the inhabitants of Jerusalem? (Lk 13:2,4)" Jesus’ answer to both questions, the Pope pointed out, is the same: "No, I say to you, if you do not convert you will perish in the same way. (Lk 13: 3,5)"

"This, then, is the point that Jesus wants to make to his listeners: the necessity of conversion,” the Pope said.

"True wisdom is understanding the precariousness of life and assuming an attitude of responsibility." That is, he clarified, "doing penance and improving our lives."

Cautioning all those listening to his words, the Pope added that all must undertake such penance and conversion, "otherwise, we will perish, we will all perish in the same way."

According to Pope Benedict, this conversion takes place not only on the personal level, but applies to all society as well. "In effect, people and societies that live without ever questioning themselves about these things have the same final destiny: total ruin."

"Conversion, then, though it will not preserve us from problems, will allow us to confront them in a different way," he added. Concretely, this means that conversion "allows us to conquer evil with good, if not always in a material sense, then certainly on the spiritual level."

Before closing with a Marian prayer, the Pope synthesized his address, reemphasizing for all present that "conversion conquers evil at its root, which is sin, even if it does not always avoid its consequences."

In his closing prayer, the Pope asked Mary to "accompany us and sustain us on our Lenten journey so that all Christians may rediscover the greatness and the beauty of conversion."

Amen to that, Holy Father! May Mother Mary carry us in Her arms to the Risen
Jesus!
Deacon John

SIMEON'S PROPHECIES

2. The Revelation.
That day finally arrived. Enlightened by a heavenly light, Simeon recognized the Woman, hidden though She was in the crowd. He knew Her to be the Mother of the Savior. In the Child She was holding in Her arms he saw the promised Messias. Note that it is through Mary that you recognize Jesus. through the Mother to the Son. Always the same procedure. Never Jesus without Mary. Then Simeon comes forward and asks the Mother to lend him Her Son. With what fervor would he look at Him and press Him against his heart, whilst remaining absorbed in contemplation, carried away by joy and love! Contemplate that holy old man holding in his arms the One Who sustains the whole of creation. How well spent must he have considered his life of austerity and sanctity for the joy of that moment! He holds himself very well paid with that alone. And it was then that, carried away, he intoned the sublime canticle of thanksgiving to the Lord, the Nunc dimittis: Ruler of all, now do Thou let Thy servant go in peace according to Thy word, for my won eyes have seen that saving power of Thine which Thou has prepared in the sight of all nations.

After Simeon has seen Mary and has held Jesus in his arms he wants nothing more in this world. He knows there is nothing else to be compared to this happiness. Everything will now be tiresome and boring. Earth holds nothing more for him; he just longs for death.

And you who daily see, and touch, and are fed on Jesus, how is it that you can still relish other things?, nor have you yet died to all other things, yourself included, in order to live only of, and for, Him?

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

Meditation 45

SIMEON'S PROPHECIES

1. Simeon.
Simeon, says the Gospel, was a just, God-fearing man. he was awaiting the consolation of Israel. By the sanctity of his life he had prepared himself to become worthy of seeing and knowing the Messias. The Holy Spirit had made known to him that he would not die without seeing the Redeemer. This promise urged him to become a saint. Why do not the promises of Jesus work the same effect in you? Do you not know that it is through sanctity of life that you can possess Jesus and Mary in life, in death, in eternity? What else do you want? What other blessing could you covet? Why, then, do you not decide as Simeon did to become a saint, so that you also may deserve the happiness to hold Jesus in your arms and know His Holy Mother?

THE PRESENTATION OF THE CHILD

4. Jesus Ransomed.
Lastly, consider that the final part of the ceremony was the ransom. Jesus is ransomed by His Mother, not just for Herself, that She may just rejoice in Her Son, but in order to rear Him and bring Him up as our servant and slave, in as much as one day His life will have to be surrendered for us. There is no moment, therefore, on Our Lady's life at which we can find any trace of selfishness in Her actions or in those of Her divine Son. It is all pure and disinterested love with no selfish aims but just with a view to the welfare of others.

Well did She know that all the travails inherent to the rearing of the Divine Child were not for Her benefit but just for us. Yet She is always ready to work in order to give us that great treasure, Her Son. How grateful should we feel towards Jesus and Mary! How much our ever present selfishness has to learn! Always seek God and the welfare of your neighbor, never seek yourself. This is your ideal.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

No Mistake: “In God We Trust” Off the Face of $1 Presidential Coins

ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan today requested that the American public avoid using the newly minted coins not because of a minting error, but because the Presidential $1 Coin Act, enacted into law in 2005 requires the government to remove “In God We Trust” from the face of the coin and put it on the edge.

Many Americans believed that the lack of our National Motto “In God We Trust” on the face of the $1 Presidential coin was merely a minting error. That was because earlier in the week the Mint acknowledged that it discovered an unspecified number of the newly minted coins had the National Motto missing - by mistake. What the Thomas More Law Center takes issue with is the fact that the Mint has relegated “In God We Trust” to the virtually unreadable edge of the coin.

In a correctly minted coin, the motto “In God We Trust” appears to be merely scratches on the edge, that is, unless one looks for it with a magnifying glass.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center, tested the new coin and found that 9 out of 10 people could not find the National Motto, even when asked to look for it. Thompson again encouraged Americans not to use the coin. “It is astounding that Congress has effectively done what atheist litigants have been unsuccessfully trying to do for years -- erase all reference to God from our money,” said Thompson.

Said Thompson, “The past Presidents pictured on these coins would be insulted by the decision of Congress to remove the motto by making it almost invisible. I find it remarkable that the Mint said it made a mistake in not printing the national motto anywhere on thousands of these Presidential Coins. But even when they are not making this mistake, the Mint is still printing 300,000,000 coins where it is almost impossible to read the national motto on the slim edge of the coins.”

The Treasury Departments previous two attempts at issuing dollar coins were disastrous. Despite the government’s fanfare, the public hated both coins, and 97 percent of them are no longer in circulation. 74 percent of Americans cannot remember the last time that they used a dollar coin.

The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life through education, litigation, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org.

St. Francis meditating on Sister Death

VATICAN - AVE MARIA -

Mary and ‘our dear Sister Death’

Rev. Luciano Alimandi

Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Season of Lent is particularly appropriate for meditating on the “Novissima” or “newest things” (Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell), especially on death, not only on the significance of death in general, but on our own death. In that hour, known only to God, earthly time will stop for ever, our time will have run out: we will enter a “time” in which we will have moved out of space in order to enter eternal beatitude!

Why is the thought of death often something foreign when instead it should be kept in mind always and especially at times of personal reflection, when we examine our life? We reflect on everything except that hour, indeed it is not even considered, it is ‘forbidden’. Life is given to us to live to the full, death must not be considered as “outside” life. Each us treads an earthly path which has a beginning and an end: birth and death. Visiting the cemetery - called in some languages ‘the campo santo or sacred field’ and stopping in front of a grave we read two dates, and the most important is the second, the date of our ‘take-off’, the date when we are ‘born to eternal life”. This mysterious day should be considered much more often, and not only as the last stage, but as the most decisive stage for which we must prepare conscientiously. That destination draws nearer every day and when the time comes to cross the threshold it will be better for each of us to present ourselves with the pure white robe of eternal life.

Unfortunately the world associates the thought of death only with the purely natural event; for the world at this point there exists only the earth, nothing more. With its false ideology the world pushes death away, as far as possible, convinced that death robs man of everything giving nothing in exchange. The world has always referred to death as an encounter with nothing.

This is the reasoning of the world, the mental prison of the non believer, but for Christians death is not an absurdity, it is not meeting nothing, but rather entering eternal life. In many ways the pagan strives to exorcise the thought and reality of death; but should a believer, one who knows he is on the way to Easter, avoid thinking of death, as if this reality could be a cause of anguish? Certainly not! We are all in need of serious conversion, to replace this earthly mentality with a supernatural mentality, by clinging with our whole self to the unswerving truth that the hour of death is the time of the greatest visitation: God Himself will visit us! How many earthly illusions would cease to we if we were to think about our death!

Our Lord has marked the hour, the day and the place of this special encounter on the calendar. Each of our names is written on His hand, the agenda of eternal life. In that hour, as Jesus promised, He will come in person to fetch us that we may be with Him (cfr. Jn 14, 3). How sweet and consoling then, despite our fear, should be thought of death for a Christian; it is not falling into the abyss of nullity but rather letting oneself float with total confidence on the boundless ocean of God’s loving mercy.

How can we prepare best for our death? Above all with sincere daily conversion. Lent is a good time for this and the Blessed Virgin Mary is our companion on this journey, this great Exodus towards the promised land: Paradise. Every time we recite the Hail Mary we ask Our Lady to do something very important, we ask her to pray “now and at the hour of our death”. When we pray the Rosary there comes to mind and reappears on the horizon of our daily reflection not death but rather the consoling joy of Mary’s presence, because we can be certain that the Lord’s Mother will ensure that “our dear Sister Death” will not find us unprepared for God’s great visit. How embarrassing it would be for us if a greatly honoured guest invited to lunch were to arrive to find the table bare and nothing to eat!

So we must prepare in time for God’s final visit, the day of that special banquet when Our Lord will be our guest. A well loved Italian hymn “When I knock at your door”, says: “Lord… I will have fruits to bring, baskets of grief, bunches of love. I will have loved many people, I will have friends to see again and friends for whom to pray”! When the Lord knocks at our door, His Mother will be there to welcome her Risen Son, and who better than Mary to present us : “here is the child you entrusted to me from the Cross!”

(Agenzia Fides 7/3/2007; righe 59, parole 811)

THE PRESENTATION OF THE CHILD

3. Mediation of Mary.
In this mystery you can see stressed the universal mediation of Mary. Jesus had taken human flesh in Mary's bosom. Jesus will be immolated on the Cross in union with Mary. She will stand by the Cross till the end. Now, in this presentation there is something else. Jesus wants to be brought to the sacrifice and offered up by Mary. In other words, it is Our Lady, so to say, who is here the priest, She it is who takes the Holy Host in Her hands for immolation. She is the altar of the sacrifice. Her heart and Her arms are the sacred stone on which the Divine Victim, Her own Son, is being immolated. Is not this cooperation of Mary in the work of redemption something truly magnificent? Must not we be filled with confidence on seeing Her so closely linked to God in the Redemption, the greatest work of God?

Follow Our Lady's footsteps by achieving your immolation within your heart. Root out and destroy whatever is not pleasing to Her, so that nothing inordinate remains in you.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]

THE PRESENTATION OF THE CHILD

2. The Sacrifice of Mary.
But above all the temple is the place of sacrifice par excellence. Mary goes there to offer to God the most beautiful, the most painful of Her sacrifices.
According to the Law, all the first-born were to be offered to the Lord and then had to be ransomed by payment of five sickles of silver.

Jesus and Mary do not hold themselves exempt from this Law but submit to its exact fulfillment. Jesus is offered up to His Eternal father and is then ransomed by His Mother. Such is the sublime simplicity of this mystery. But it is all a mystery of sacrifice. Never forget: sacrifice and Jesus are inseparable. The Child offers Himself voluntarily to His Father as a victim of expiation, repeating on that occasion the words of the psalm: The holocausts of animals are no longer pleasing to Thee. So behold I came. Here I am.

But this sacrifice was not His alone. His Mother also is there. She offers the Divine Child, a sacrifice to the eternal Father.

Recall the sacrifice of Abraham ready to immolate his son to fulfill the Holy Will of God. Some say that this order was given to the father and not to the mother because the latter would have been incapable of performing such sacrifice. But now it is the Mother who fully conscious and well aware of what She is doing, fully understanding the meaning and depth of the ceremony, offers Her Son as a sacrifice, later to be consummated. This is the self same offertory of the First mass said by Christ on the Cross. On the day of His passion and death how many times would not Mary recall the far-off day of the Child's presentation!

The Eternal Father was well pleased to accept the offering and was not content as in the case of Abraham with a mere intention. He demanded its exact fulfillment to the very end. How great was the generosity and the love of Mary and of Jesus!

Thank them for this offering since it is to them that we owe our salvation. Any you also readily offer yourself up for any sacrifice, whatever it may be. Offer yourself up as a victim of expiation and love, and rejoice if God, pleased to receive your offering, accepts your immolation. Both in promising as well as in fulfilling be generous in your promises to Jesus and Mary.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]