THIRTY FIRST MEDITATION FOR LENT

And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying and saying: "My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt." (Matt. 26:39)

Jesus Christ had passionately desired to give His Blood for the salvation of men, and He has given proofs of His desire a hundred times: "I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized," said He, "and how am I straitened until it be accomplished." (Luke 12:50). It is not then death which terrifies Him and renders this chalice so bitter, but the ingratitude of those men who refuse to profit by His death. "I have desired, Eternal Father, and I desire more than ever to deliver these slaves, but I have never desired to make people ungrateful. The outrages which I am going to receive from My enemies do not terrify Me, but the contempt which I foresee that My own children will have for Me afflicts Me. The blindness of the former touches My heart with sorrow." Jesus Christ passionately desired the coming of the time for the institution of the Blessed Sacrament of the altar, but the abuse and contempt with which people were to treat this august Sacrament were for Him a great cause of sadness, and the principle reason that made Him cry out: "My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me." (Matt. 26:39). Truly, this chalice must have been very bitter, but do we know that it depends on us to remove this bitter chalice from Him? As it is we ourselves who by our contempt and our indignities have caused Him all this bitterness, it is we who present Him with this chalice. It depends on me, then, O my Savior, to sweeten this chalice by my homage, and shall it be said that I will refuse to do so?

[From 'The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus' by Fr. John Croiset, SJ]

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #529

But Peter sat without in the court. And there came to him a servant maid, saying: "Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied before them all, saying: "I know not what thou sayest." And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him; and she saith to them that were there: "This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied with an oath: "I know not the man." And after a little while, they came that stood by and said to Peter: "Surely thou also art one of them. For even thy speech doth discover thee." Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which he had said: "Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice." And going forth, he wept bitterly. (Matt. 26:69-75)


The following circumstances may serve as A PARTIAL EXCUSE FOR PETER. He was thoroughly exhausted, excited, confused, and half out of his mind with sorrow at the events of that terrible night. Moreover, from the moment he joined the company of his Master's fierce enemies, he was in a very real danger of death. Finally, he did not sin from malice, but from weakness and panic; and he did not lose his faith, although he outwardly denied it.


[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]

(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

FROM MARK MALLETT:

The Pope: Thermometer of Apostasy

POPE BENEDICT XVI

FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION

HAVING traveled and preached in over 40 American states and nearly all of Canada’s provinces, I have been afforded a wide-ranging glimpse of the Church on this continent. I have met many wonderful lay people, deeply committed priests, and devoted and reverent religious. But they have become so few in number that I am beginning to hear the words of Jesus in a new and startling way:

When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?(Luke 18:8)

It is said that if you throw a frog into boiling water, it will jump out. But if you slowly heat the water, it will remain in the pot and boil to death. The Church in many parts of the world is beginning to reach the boiling point. If you want to know how the hot the water is, watch the attack upon Peter.

THE ATTACK ON BENEDICT

It is unprecedented in our times to see the kind of criticism leveled against the Holy Father. Calls for Pope Benedict to step down, to retire, to be impeached, etc., are rising not only in number but in intensity of anger. Newspaper columns, comedians, and regular news shows feature guests and commentaries which are shockingly rude and vulgar. The Holy Father recently commented on the pain which personal attacks have caused him, particularly from those within the Church. Common respect and courtesy are becoming, it seems, a thing of the past—and the "frog" seems oblivious.

There will be terrifying times in the last days. People will be self-centered and lovers of money, proud, haughty, abusive… irreligious, callous, implacable, slanderous, licentious, brutal, hating what is good… as they make a pretense of religion but deny its power. (2 Tim 3:1-5)

Some news services have even cited an anonymous source within the Vatican curia who is calling this papacy "a disaster." Yes, if you are an apostate, then Pope Benedict is a disaster. If you are a radical feminist, he is an obstacle. If you are a moral relativist, a liberal theologian, or a lukewarm coward, then indeed, this Pope is a big problem. For he continues to shout from the rooftops the truth which sets us free. Whether it is guaranteeing the sanctity of marriage in North America or exposing the condom-lie in Africa, this Pope has been untiring in teaching the truth. But this truth, like a Smoldering Candle, is quickly disappearing:

In our days, when in vast areas of the world the faith is in danger of dying out like a flame which no longer has fuel, the overriding priority is to make God present in this world and to show men and women the way to God. Not just any god, but the God who spoke on Sinai; to that God whose face we recognize in a love which presses "to the end" (cf. Jn 13:1)—in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. The real problem at this moment of our history is that God is disappearing from the human horizon, and, with the dimming of the light which comes from God, humanity is losing its bearings, with increasingly evident destructive effects. —Letter of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to All the Bishops of the World, March 10, 2009; Catholic Online

JUDAS…

I mentioned recently how American seer, Mary Reilly, saw in a vision who the next Pope would be (Cardinal Ratzinger). In that same vision, she saw behind him a figure in shadow—a man dressed in a black cassock and black biretta with a pom-pom on top, who suddenly turned into a scorpion. Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich had similar visions of this dark figure:

I was taken to Rome where the Holy Father, plunged in affliction, is still concealed in order to elude dangerous exigencies. His chief reason for lying concealed is because he can trust so few… The little black man in Rome*, whom I often see so often, has many working for him without their clearly knowing for what end. He has his agents in the new black church also. If the Pope leaves Rome, the enemies of the Church will get the upper hand… I saw them intercepting or turning away the roads that led to the Pope. When they did succeed in getting a Bishop according to their liking, I saw that he had been intruded contrary to the will of the Holy Father; consequently, he possessed no legitimate authority… I saw the Holy Father very prayerful and Godfearing, his figure perfect, through worn out by old age and manifold sufferings, his head sunk on his breast as if in sleep. He often fainted away and seemed to be dying. I often saw him supported by apparitions during his prayer, and then his head was upright. —Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774–1824 A.D.); The Life and Revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich; message from April 12th, 1820, Vol II, p. 290, 303, 310; *n.b. "black" here does not mean skin color, per se, but "sinister."

Blessed Anne seems to have perfectly described Pope John Paul II. If so, her vision of an illegitimately elected leader—"the little black man in Rome" or someone he appoints—may be on the horizon. Her vision continues:

I saw enlightened Protestants, plans formed for the blending of religious creeds, the suppression of papal authority… I saw no Pope, but a bishop prostrate before the High Altar. In this vision I saw the Church bombarded by other vessels… It was threatened on all sides… They built a large, extravagant church which was to embrace all creeds with equal rights… but in place of an altar were only abominations and desolation. Such was the new church to be… —Ibid. Vol. II, p. 346, 349, 353

EXILE

This dark Revolution in the Church and the world has been prophesied by several saints and proven mystics in which the Holy Father will go into exile.

Religion shall be persecuted, and priests massacred. Churches shall be closed, but only for a short time. The Holy Father shall be obliged to leave Rome. —Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, Catholic Prophecy, Yves Dupont, Tan Books, p. 45

A direct attack on the papacy was foreseen by his predecessor, Pope Pius X:

I saw one of my successors taking to flight over the bodies of his brethren. He will take refuge in disguise somewhere; after a short retirement [exile] he will die a cruel death. The present wickedness of the world is only the beginning of the sorrows which must take place before the end of the world. —POPE PIUS X, Catholic Prophecy, p. 22

The Holy Father knows there are wolves within his ranks. In a statement that was both unexpected and possibly prophetic, Pope Benedict said in his inaugural homily:

Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, April 24, 2005, St. Peter’s Square, Homily

SHEPHERDLESS

As I wrote in A Black Pope?, we will always be guided by "the rock," Peter. Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against him and the Church. But that does not mean that the Church will not be temporarily shepherdless at some point, and that an illegitimately elected bishop could rise in his place. But there will never be a legitimate pontiff who will lead the flock into heresy. That is Christ’s guarantee.

In the meantime, we can gauge the apostasy in the Church by reading the level of antagonism against the Supreme Pontiff. A moment will come when a pope will be driven into exile. The precursor to this is clergy who have fallen into apostasy:

Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered… (Zech 13:7)

So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd… As I live, says the Lord GOD, because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd; and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep; therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and put a stop to their feeding the sheep; no longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. (Ezekiel 34:5, 8-12)

At times one gets the impression that our society needs to have at least one group to which no tolerance may be shown; which one can easily attack and hate. And should someone dare to approach them—in this case the Pope—he too loses any right to tolerance; he too can be treated hatefully, without misgiving or restraint. —Letter of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to All the Bishops of the World, March 10, 2009; Catholic Online

FURTHER READING:

• The Exile of the Holy Father and Revelation: The Seven Year Trial—Part V

• The Great Scattering

• Do You Know His Voice?

• My Sheep Will Know My Voice in the Storm

Published in: DAILY JOURNAL, SIGNS | on March 25th, 2009 |

THIRTIETH MEDITATION FOR LENT

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not?" (Matt. 23:37)

What shall that unhappy people reply to this reproach? But what shall we ourselves reply when it shall be made to us? The very figure which Jesus Christ uses shows forth our ingratitude more clearly because it expresses the great love of Jesus Christ in our regard. Our amiable Savior has left us Himself in the Blessed Sacrament in order that we may find at every moment a powerful Protector, a Physician, a Father. He is unceasingly in the midst of us because He wishes to have us always near Him. But does not coldness and neglect on the part of the greatest number of Christians oblige Him to say to us: "My poor children, how many times have I wished to gather you, as a hen doth gather her chickens, and you have gone away! You would not! Are you astonished if you are so long afflicted, so often conquered and so dangerously wounded? It is for this reason that there are so many among you who are sick and languid and that several sleep the sleep of death." Shall I be insensible henceforth, O my amiable Savior, both to the loving reproach which Thou dost make to me, and to the contempt with which I have hitherto treated It?

[From 'The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus' by Fr. John Croiset, SJ]

[MaryVitamin] The Third Dolor

Mary Vitamin for March 26th

 

Topic: The Third Dolor,  the Loss of Jesus in the Temple

 

Quote:

Her tranquility in the midst of that perturbing darkness which came down like deep night upon her soul and yet perturbed her not, was the effect of her intense humility.

Father Faber, The Foot of the Cross, (Tan Books), 186.

 

Meditation:

St. Claude de La Colombiere

You must overcome everything by humility and simplicity … after having closely examined the thing, it seems to me that all wisdom is enclosed in these two virtues. Once you have entered into the true practice of them, you are no longer subject to inconstancy but […], you enjoy such peace and tranquility nothing can disturb you.

The Spiritual Direction of Saint Claude de la Colombiere, (Ignatius Press) 81.

 

Resolution:

I will let Our Lady lead me through the dark times as though She is leading me through the streets of Jerusalem looking for Jesus. I will imitate Her composure and Her peace. If I can imitate her peace of soul, I will know that I am practicing humility. I will not be leaning on myself, but abandoned to the Will of God.

 

Marian Vow:

The characteristic elements of M.I.M. spirituality are:

Quintessentially Marian ('marianita'), because rooted in total consecration to and total possession by the Immaculate to be her docile instrument, and still more to be her property and possession (SK 1160).

Marian Seraphic Pathways, Statues Article 6

 

I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

Thanks be to God for graces received.

 

Related site: Castle of the Immaculate & AirMaria

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Blessings+
Deacon John

Sent from: Mount Dora FL United States.

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #528

But Peter sat without in the court. And there came to him a servant maid, saying: "Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied before them all, saying: "I know not what thou sayest." And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him; and she saith to them that were there: "This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied with an oath: "I know not the man." And after a little while, they came that stood by and said to Peter: "Surely thou also art one of them. For even thy speech doth discover thee." Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which he had said: "Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice." And going forth, he wept bitterly. (Matt. 26:69-75)

PETER'S SIN WAS A VERY GRIEVOUS ONE: Out of fear of man, Peter lied three times, and denied his faith; and the third time he even swore falsely. The sin of Peter grew, and became more grievous each time he committed it. At his first denial, he simply said of our Lord: "I know Him not." The second time, he asserted: "I know not the Man," thus repudiating as a disgrace and connection with Jesus; and the third time he confirmed this assertion by an oath. He contemptuously called his Lord and Master "the Man," acting as if he did not even know His Name! And this was the same Peter who, but a few hours before, had declared that he was ready to lay down his life for his Lord!

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]

(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

Centennial of the Birth of Blessed Francisco Marto, the Little Shepherd of Fatima

Centennial of the Birth of Blessed Francisco Marto

The Shrine of Fatima started celebrating on June 10, 2008, the second day of the Children´s Pilgrimage to Fatima (always held on June 9/10),  the Centennial of the Birth of Francisco Marto, the Little Shepherd of Fatima, born on June 11, 1908; and intends to conclude these celebrations on June 2009, also at the time of the next Children´s Pilgrimage.

The commemorations in memory of the Blessed Little Shepherd will last a year.

Francisco was beatified, together with his sister, the little Jacinta Marto, on May 13, 2000, by Pope John Paul II.

 

Blessed Francisco Marto (1908-1919, a few biographic lines by Fr. Luciano Cristino

Francisco Marto was born on June 11, 1908, in Aljustrel, parish of Fatima, and was baptized on June 20.

He was a child of Manuel Pedro Marto and Olímpia de Jesus, brother of Jacinta Marto (1910-1920) and cousin of Lúcia de Jesus (1907-2005), the three little shepherds, to whom, in the Spring, Summer and Fall of 1916, and Angel appeared in 'Loca do Cabeço' (hilltop grotto); also Our Lady of the Rosary on the 13th of May, June, July, September and October of 1917, in Cova da Iria (Iria's Hole) and on August 19,1917, in the place of Valinhos.

He got ill on December 23, 1918, after having contracted the pneumonic flu, and died on April 4, 1919, after having gone to Confession and received Holy Communion. He was buried in Fatima's parochial cemetery on April 5. The local Pastor wrote on an attachment to the parochial process, dated April 18, ordered, in October 1917, by the Archbishop of Mytilene and sent on April 28, 1919, to the Patriarchate of Lisbon: "Francisco – the seer – died at 22h00, this April 4th, victim of a prolonged 5-month illness of pneumonic flu, after having received the sacraments with great lucidity and devotion. He confirmed to have seen a Lady in Cova da Iria and Valinhos". His mortal remains were exhumed from his grave on February 17, 1952, and translated on March 13 of the same year to the Basilica of Fatima, where they were entombed on the right side of the transept.

His process of beatification, together with that of his sister Jacinta, was begun on April 30 of that same year of 1952. However only on August 3, 1979 it was sent to the Congregation for the Cause of Saints and opened on December 20th of the same year. In April 1981 their virtues were judged to have been heroic and, therefore, they could now be beatified and canonized, despite the fact that the children were not martyrs. The decree on the heroic virtues of the two little shepherds was signed by Pope John Paul II on May 13, 1989 and the title of venerable granted to them.

On June 28, 1999, the decree of the Congregation for the Cause of the Saints regarding the miracle attributed to Francisco and Jacinta in favor of Maria Emília Santos was promulgated in the presence of the Pope.

***

From the homily of Pope John Paul II of May 13, 2000:

"Francisco, one of three privileged children, used to exclaim: «We were burning in that light which is God and were not consumed. How is God? We can't say. This really is something we are not able to express in words»".

"What most impressed and absorbed Blessed Francisco was God in that immense light which penetrated the heart of the three. However only to him God revealed Himself «so sad», as he used to say. One night his father heard him moaning and asked him why he was crying. The child replied: «I was thinking about Jesus Who is so sad because of the sins committed against Him». He lives motivated by the only desire – so revealing of the way children think – of «consoling and cheering up Jesus»".

Children of Medjugorje Message of March 25, 2009

MESSAGE of MARCH 25, 2009

"Dear children!  In this time of spring, when everything is awakening from the winter sleep, you also awaken your souls with prayer so that they may be ready to receive the light of the risen Jesus. Little children, may He draw you closer to His Heart so that you may become open to eternal life.  I pray for you and intercede before the Most High for your sincere conversion. Thank you for having responded to my call."

WOULD YOU LIKE HELP WITH YOUR FASTING THIS LENT?  Click HERE to order Sr Emmanuel's CD on Fasting from our store!

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TWENTY NINTH MEDITATION FOR LENT

"This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, in vain do they worship me. . ." (Mark 7:6-8)

The honors which were given to Jesus Christ must have been very insincere. The heart must have had little share in those praises which were given to Him from time to time since all these acts of homage ended in making Him suffer the greatest outrages and in seeing Him expire on the Cross. To how many tepid Christians can Jesus Christ make this mournful reproach? Does not want of modesty in the Church, lack of reverence before the Blessed Sacrament, repugnance to this Heavenly Nourishment, which are, alas, so common, show that our homage does not come from the bottom of our hearts? We have the exterior trappings of devotion but where is our sincerity? Ah! my Savior, how can my heart be so near Thine and not be inflamed by Thy love?

[From 'The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus' by Fr. John Croiset, SJ]

The Fire of His Love "I Take You to Such Heights" by Rita Ring, January 3, 1994

Image by *Katch* via Flickr

I Take You to Such Heights

January 3, 1994

I come, you wait. You wait to know My ways, but while you are eager for My knowledge, you develop this love that is between us.

My ways I impart to you here in these messages. Cling to Me and I will take you to such heights that you never dreamed possible. I am Jesus, Son of God, and I, Jesus, come to be with you. I love you so much!

Do not fume or fret for anything that happens in your life. Turn all your trust over to Me. I am there in all that happens to you.

I am your God and I love you. Come close to Me and turn it all over.

http://www.sofc.org

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[MaryVitamin] The Annunciation/Incarnation

Mary Vitamin for March 25^th

 

Topic: The Annunication/Incarnation

 

Quote:

St. Bernard

"The angel awaits thy reply and we also, O Lady, on whom the sentence of condemnation weighs so heavily, await the word of mercy; we who are already condemned to death."

St. Alphonsus di Liguori, The Glories of Mary, (Tan Books: 1978), 322.

 

Meditation:

Caryll Houselander

"It is in Our Lady that God fell in love with humanity. It is upon her that the Dove descended, and the love of God for Humanity culminated in the conception of Christ in the human race. Our Lady said yes for the human race. Each one of us must echo that yes for our own lives. We are all asked if we will surrender what we are, our humanity, our flesh and blood, to the Holy Spirit and allow Christ to fill the emptiness formed by the particular shape of our life. The surrender that is asked of us includes complete and absolute trust; it must be like Our Lady's surrender, without condition and without reservation."

 The Reed of God, (Christian Classics), 10 & 13.

 

Resolution:

In honor of the feast of the Annunciation, I will make a special effort to say the Angelus and say it well. I will ask for the grace to surrender myself completely and with absolute trust  to Christ in imitation of Our Lady.

 

Marian Vow:

St. Maximilian Kolbe

"And no word takes flesh, no perfection or virtue is incarnated or realized in anyone, but through the love of God for the Immaculata. As Christ became her own, the Source of grace, so too to her belongs the dispensing of graces. Every grace is the fruit of the life of the Blessed Trinity, the Father, begets the Son before all eternity and the Holy Spirit proceeds from Them both. Thus in the same way all perfection in every order descends upon the earth. Every grace proceeds from the Father who from all eternity begot the Son and through the Son and the Holy  Spirit who by this grace in the Immaculata and through her, forms souls in the image of the first-born God-Man."

Will To Love, (Marytown Press: 1998), 44.

 

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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Blessings+
Deacon John

Image via Wikipedia

Special Fides News Service

25 March 2009



“Blessed are the pure in heart.” (Mt 5:8)


Mary’s Virginity and its Significance for our Times

Virginity of Faith

Virginity of the Mind

Virginity of the Heart

Virginity of the Body

Growing in Love



Some time ago a firm producing detergents advertised a product with the slogan: “The strength of purity permeates everything.” Listening to that advertisement, a Christian would not just think of clean clothes, but he might be reminded of a deeper meaning of purity. In a world often soiled with lies, sullied by greed, violence and licentiousness, a person of pure heart, honesty and unassuming character is a powerful force indeed. Our world is in need of purity. We Christians have the mission to open up our minds to truth and to be honest in everything, letting our passions be ruled by the Spirit of truth and love. There, the Virgin Mary is our model.

In the charism of the "Spiritual Family, The Work," virginity is of great importance - in the comprehensive sense, virginity of faith, of mind, of heart, and of body. Some members of the Body of Christ are chosen by the Lord to practice chastity in celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom. God’s grace gives them the strength to renounce marriage and to give the full power of their love to Christ while devoting themselves to the Kingdom of Heaven in the world. All Christians, however, are called to live virginity of faith, of heart and of mind, and are to live the virtue of chastity in accordance with their own state of life. What does that mean? Does such a vocation have meaning in our world today? Looking to Mary, Mother of God and Ever-Virgin, we hope to answer these questions.

Virginity of Faith

Saint Luke, the Evangelist, tells us of a woman, who was fascinated by Jesus Christ. Struck by what he said and moved by the miracles he worked, she spontaneously thought of his mother, exclai­ming: “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” (Lk 11:27). She admired his mother for having given birth to such a son, of having nurtured him and of having brought him up. The Lord, however, pointed out to her the true greatness of Mary, when he answered, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Lk11: 28). It was certainly an honor for Mary, that the Son of God took flesh in her womb. Yet her true greatness lay in that she opened her heart to the Word of God. Mary is the first one to whom that beatitude applies. She, more than any other human being, listened to God, bringing His word to fruition in her life. Therefore Saint Augustine says of her: “Mary is more blessed because she embraces faith in Christ than because she conceives the flesh of Christ.” (De virg. 3). Mary’s faith was “unadulterated by any doubt” (LG 63). In her heart there were no mental reservation, no fear, and no inner proviso towards God.

All of us should desire to be open to God like Mary. To have virginity of faith means to accept the message of the Gospel unconditionally as it is proclaimed by the Church and ought to be practiced in our lives. There may be moments in our lives, in which we might want to say: “I do not understand that. The Church just demands too much. I think differently in that matter.” But if in those moments we remain open hearted, in conscience, to the truth, we will come closer to God and find peace in our hearts. Truth makes us free and is the warrant of true happiness. Many today seem to think that you can be a good Catholic, even if you do not accept certain doctrines of faith and of moral law. They claim that their own under­standing and their own conscience is the last resort in making moral decisions. Virginal faith, however, listens to God. It is a faith that has become loving trust in God, knowing that He cannot deceive us.

There will always be truths of faith, which cannot be reconciled with the spirit of the age. Many believers in today’s pluralistic society, for instance, have difficulties in acknowledging that Christ Jesus is uniquely different from the founders of other religions, and accepting that our faith is not just one of the many ways to God, but the only true way. Others, for example, take offence at the teaching of the Church, that artificial insemination and fertilization outside the womb of the mother are to be considered morally unacceptable, as these are not in agreement with the order of love and of procreation willed by God and therefore not permissible. To love the Lord im­plies to be ready to accept in gratitude the teaching of the Church in its undiluted entirety. Virginal faith has the strength to say with St Paul: “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth” (2 Cor 13:8).

Virginity of the Mind

The dialogue between the archangel Gabriel and the virgin from Nazareth gives us a glimpse of Mary’s thinking. We recognize how in her, reason and faith worked together. When God’s messenger announced that she should give birth to a son whom she was to name Jesus (see Lk 1:30-33), she asked: “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Lk 1:34).[1] Her question shows first of all that Mary did not merely accept passively the message of the angel. Faith does not replace human thinking, but challenges it, widening its scope, and opening it to the mind and plans of God. Believing Christians use their reason to serve in the work of salvation. When Mary heard the words of the angel, she was confronted with the seemingly contradictory difficulty of a twofold vocation. She felt the inner call to a virginal life, yet the angel informed her that she would give birth to a son. Her pure and believing mind is manifested by her reaction. She did not reject the announcement of the archangel, she did not say, this is impossible, she only asked: “How shall this be, since I have no husband?”[2] This "how," gives us a glimpse of her virginal thinking. She did not react with the no of disbelief, but in her believing request: how she opened up to the work of God in her. The angel met her difficulty by pointing out that, beyond any human expectation, Elisabeth had in her old age conceived a child. This reminder of the fact that God can do what seems humanly impossible was enough for the humble handmaid in Nazareth. She offered herself unreservedly to God and to His plan for mankind.

Mary’s thinking was simple and deep. Her mind was neither naive nor complicated. She was not caught up in thinking about herself, but her self was fully open towards God’s plan for her. Mother Julia writes about her: “Mary is completely free from that conceitedness, which manifests itself in constant self-analysis and tends to produce a split personality and mental confusion. There is nothing in her, which does not bring forth life, nothing that has not come to ma­turity; on the contrary: the whole of her wonderful and immensely great vocation to be the Mother of God, as well as all her co-opera­tion as bride and mother in God’s plan of Redemption, is based on the inviolate and virginal fidelity of her pure and Immaculate Heart, on her lifelong attitude of being in all simplicity a child of God.”

From Mary we can learn to unmask the “father of lies” (Jn 8:44). She helps us to avoid lame excuses, pretensions or half-truths, not to let pride or jealousy rule us and not to fall into a lack of trust in God. To have a virginal mind implies that we watch what we think, not permitting our thoughts to run wild. St. Paul invites us to “destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor 10:4-5). There are true and good thoughts opening up new worlds for us and keeping us orientated towards God, our highest good. But there are also dangerous thoughts, which undermine our faith and loyalty to the Church, or endanger our love for our spouse or for the vocation to priesthood or to consecrated life. As St Paul feared that the thoughts of the Christians in Corinth “will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:3).
Virginity of mind requires one humbly to fix one’s mind continually upon God and His truth. Persons of such a mind are open to every inspiration of truth touching them. They are honest and pure in their intentions, in their words and in their deeds. They listen to the voice of their conscience and use their intellect, will and feeling in the service of the kingdom of God. If we are such persons, we receive God’s wisdom and may count on His help and His blessing.

Virginity of the Heart

Ever since the first sin of Eve and Adam, the heart of man has been divided. Sin disrupts our inner harmony, our being one with God, with ourselves, and with others. With Mary it was different, she was free from original sin and from any personal sin. Her whole life belonged to God. When the Lord called her, she offered herself to Him unconditionally. At no moment in her life would she have revised her assent or not have lived it to the full. She helps us to attain to a pure and full self-surrender to God.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel: “No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Lk 16:13). Thus the Lord warns us against any kind of idol-worship, of compromise and of dishonesty. The world needs men and women, who let the light of the Gospel illuminate and govern their lives, and not half-hearted Christians. The world today needs true and trust­worthy witnesses. We are dishonest, if we expect others to live a vir­tuous life but do not strive for virtue ourselves; if we criticize the faults of others but do not work continuously at our own character; if we accuse others of wrongdoing but find excuses for our own sins. If parents pray that their children will be graced with a strong faith, they must not put obstacles in their paths, should God call them to the priesthood or religious life.

To guard the virginity of our hearts, we have to struggle against the desires of the flesh and senses. Here clear eyes and a healthy discipline of our emotions, feelings and imaginations help us, as does our rejecting of any pleasure in unclean thoughts, which would lead us astray from God’s commandments (cf. CCC 2520). Also impor­tant is a healthy modesty, which protects the intimate centre of the person and her/his mystery. It encourages “patience and moderation in loving relationships”, and invites the choice of decent clothing and of appropriate discretion and reserve (cf. CCC 2521/2).

Mother Julia writes in a prayer to Mary: “You have accomplished everything God expected of you.” This should be our desire: to accomplish what God expects of us - with joy and the full self-giving of a virginal heart.

Virginity of the Body

From the beginning the Church confessed that Mary conceived in her womb the Son of God by the working of the Holy Spirit, and without the involvement of any man. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church confirms, “Mary’s virginity manifests God’s abso­lute initiative in the Incarnation” (CCC 503) and “Jesus is the new Adam, who inaugurates the new creation” (CCC 504).The Son of the Virgin Mary comes from God and all, who want to become his brothers and sisters, have to be born anew, from above. “Participation in the divine life arises ‘not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God’ (Jn 1:13)” (CCC 505).
In our society we are widely confronted today with a strong and even unhealthy over-stress on sexuality. The alleged hostility of earlier times against the body is to be overcome and the ecstasy of love, especially in its sexual dimension, is to be fully tested and consumed. But in this way the human body is not respected in its God-willed dignity. Pope Benedict XVI writes in his encyclical letter Deus Caritas est: “the contemporary way of exalting the body is deceptive. Eros, reduced to pure ‘sex’ has become a commodity, a mere ‘thing’ to be bought and sold, or rather, man himself becomes a commodity. This is hardly man’s great ‘yes’ to the body” (5). The human person who is body and soul can only then attain true happiness and genuine love, if he is ready to go on “a path of ascent, renunciation, purification and healing” (5). The virtue leading us along this path is chastity. It helps us so that we do not let sexual passions rule us, but integrate sexuality into our lives in a mature way, as a precious gift of the Creator which belongs to our being man or being woman. What does this mean in practical life?

Every baptised person is called to chastity. For a married couple this implies that they remain united with one another in genuine love and keep faithful to one another, until death separates them. They are called to give themselves to one another “in holiness and honour, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Thes 4:4). This implies that in responsible parenthood they may make use of the natural methods of birth-control towards the possible conception of a child and even against it, should they have serious reasons within God’s commands. However, they deliberately re­nounce contraceptives, as demanded in the encyclical Humanae Vitae by Pope Paul VI. When acting in this way, they will become aware how their love for one another becomes stronger and more sincere. Such couples are a true encouragement for young, single people, be they unmarried or widowed, to live continent lives. By their example and by their witness they can help couples preparing for matrimony with God’s grace to remain chaste until they marry.

Young people may find help in groups and movements like 'True Love Waits,' which encourage them to develop an intimate friendship with Jesus and to pledge virginity before marriage. Consecration to Mary, a custom maintained or re-awakened in some places, is also a great help for the young who want to live up joyfully to the virtue of virginity. Nowadays, when the media, school and even kindergarten are flooded with often one-sided information on sexuality, parents need to be vigilant in the formation of their (even young) children to help them at the right time.

The witness of Christians, who live lives of celibacy and virginal love, is needed more than ever. In every age the Lord has chosen men and women who have voluntarily renounced, “for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19:12) the great good of marriage to give their love fully to Christ committing themselves to spiritual fatherhood and motherhood for the good of their fellowmen. Their life is a gift of God for the Church and a strong sign for the world, that cannot be overlooked. If priests and religious live their vocation in joy, then they have great influence on the people around them and give evidence, as it were, that in Christ true and lasting happiness are to be found.

Growing in Love

Our Lady encourages us in whatever vocation we have. The beatitude “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Mt 5:8) came to fulfilment in the Virgin and Mother of God: In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we find this explained: “‘Pure in heart’ refers to those who have attuned their intellects and wills to the demands of God’s holiness, chiefly in three areas: charity; chastity or sexual rectitude; love of truth and orthodoxy of faith. There is a connexion between the purity of heart, of body and of faith” (CCC 2518).

Mary can and will help us as we strive to remain pure in heart or to regain that purity. We shall then be able to adore God in spirit and in truth and to see His goodness on the face of Jesus Christ. To see God forever we will need a pure heart. Already here and now it enables us to see the world in the light of God, to recognize the image of the Creator in others, and “to perceive the human body - ours and our neighbours - as a temple of the Holy Spirit, a manifestation of divine beauty” (CCC 2519).

Mary wants to help to trans­form us into people who love. The virginity of her faith, her mind, her heart and her body invite us to surrender fully to God’s love as she has done, always growing in love until we breathe our last. Mary’s life is a gift of God’s mercy to mankind. With Mother Julia we want to ask her: “Make my soul ever more thirsty for your love.”

The Holy Father writes in his encyclical letter on Christian love, that we should look to Mary and ask her to help us: “Mary has truly become the Mother of all believers. Men and women of every time and place have recourse to her motherly kindness and her virginal purity and grace, in all their needs and aspirations, their joys and sorrows, their moments of loneliness and their common endeavours. They constantly experience the gift of her goodness and the unfailing love which she pours out from the depths of her heart. … Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light, Jesus your Son - the Son of God. You abandoned yourself completely to God’s call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to him. Teach us to know and to love him, so that we can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world” (Deus Caritas est 42).

Imagine Our Lady's Joy at the Annunciation

(March 25)

Imagine the joy in the Heart of Mother Mary, as She is told that She was chosen to be the Mother of the long-awaited Messiah, the Savior and Redeemer of the world! Imagine what bliss to know that the Lord of all things was dwelling in Her womb! Our Lady always wanted to be the 'Handmaid of the Lord' (Luke 1:35) in His holy house (temple), but now She is told that She will be that Temple, housing the Lord of lords, the King of kings!

Imagine the smile that came upon Our Lady's lips as She accepting this role and dignity of being the Mother of the Redeemer! We could look at numerous paintings and sculptures of this moment of joy, but let the Holy Spirit stir your imagination and contemplate that beautiful smile on the holy face of Mother Mary. We could do this by devoutly praying and meditating on the first decade of the Franciscan Crown: "The Immaculate Virgin Mary joyfully conceived Jesus by the Holy Ghost."

Imagine Our Lady, alone in that small, simple room at Nazareth. As Her usual custom, She was praying to God the Father to send the Promised One, who would save His chosen people; and that She would love to serve as a handmaid. the woman who would be chosen to be His Mother. With Her eyes closed, suddenly She feels a presence near Her. Startled, as She opens Her eyes, She sees an Angel, who is smiling at Her. But this is no ordinary Angel, it is the Archangel Gabriel, who has been sent by Almighty God with the most important message since the beginning of the world!

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." (Luke 1:28)

Imagine how sweet and full of respect those words of salutation were! Imagine what humble thoughts are racing through Our Lady's mind as She listens and questions this holy apparition! "How can this be, since I know not man," (Luke 1:34) She exclaims, Her Heart pounding with excitement.

"The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee." (Luke 1:35)

Imagine Our Lady's dignity as She responds like a Queen, full of joy, the joy of all ages. Mary gives Her Fiat: "Be it done unto me according to thy word." (Luke 1:38) Immediately Christ becomes present in her womb, as three drops of Her Immaculate blood leave Most Pure Heart, descending into Her womb, where instantly the Holy Spirit conceives the Body, Blood and Soul of Christ Jesus, and hypostatically joins the divinity; True God and True Man!

Imagine and contemplate that the God whom the universe cannot contain is housed in that tabernacle of flesh, Mother Mary's tiny womb! This is the chosen time, longed for by the Holy Angels; the chosen people Israel; and by the Blessed Trinity Itself! Now the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us! (John 1:14)

Imagine the bliss Mary experienced as She received this tremendous honor. She was now True Mother of God, and the Holy One beneath Her Heart is the Lord of heaven and earth, Son of God and Redeemer; True light of the world! Let us share in Our Lady's bliss, especially when we receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, exclaiming with Her: "Now He is here, right here within me. And He is my Jesus, to love and cherish. O God, what joy and bliss is mine!"

Deacon John

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #527

But Peter sat without in the court. And there came to him a servant maid, saying: "Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied before them all, saying: "I know not what thou sayest." And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him; and she saith to them that were there: "This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied with an oath: "I know not the man." And after a little while, they came that stood by and said to Peter: "Surely thou also art one of them. For even thy speech doth discover thee." Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which he had said: "Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice." And going forth, he wept bitterly. (Matt. 26:69-75)

OUR BLESSED LORD'S OMNISCIENCE: When, the evening before, our Lord said to His disciples: "All of you shall be scandalized in Me this night," Peter would not admit the possibility of such a thing in his case: "Although all shall be scandalized," he protested, "I will never be scandalized!" In spite of his protest, our Lord then distinctly told him: "To-day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice;" and so it came to pass. He knew before hand precisely how many times, and exactly what hours Peter would deny Him; and, though He could not possibly have seen with His eyes at the time, what was happening in the outer court of the High Priest's house, He knew exactly what was occurring. Our Blessed Lord proved Himself to be Omniscient, i. e. God.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]

(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)