Jesus Christ performed the first miracle to prove his divine mission for the sake of a suffering and well-known father in Galilee. “There was a certain ruler, whose son lay ill at Capernaum. Having heard that Jesus has come into Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.” (Jn 4:46-7)
‘Sorrow’ brought this ruler to Jesus and was the instrument of his salvation. He delayed going to Jesus.
His hope of obtaining his son’s cure was due to a very imperfect faith. He did not believe that Jesus could cure from a distance (~100 kms away). Jesus, therefore, reproved him: “Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not.” (Jn 4:48)
The father humbly received this reproach. Still he reiterated his request with respectful confidence: “Lord, come down before my son dies.” His dispositions indicated a more perfect faith and earned the favor of Jesus.
“Go your way; your son lives. The man believed the word that Jesus said to him, and went his way.” (Jn 4:49-50)
Jesus treats us as he did to this ruler. If he seems to deny what we ask or to delay granting it, he wants us to value it more or to give us an opportunity of practising patience, resignation, faith and confidence.
We must never stop asking what we want. He will give it on time.
His servants met him and reported, “that his son lived, that yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him” (Jn 4:53). The hour Jesus said to him ‘Your son lives’.
The father and his whole house believed. Jesus granted a perfect cure to the child as he bestowed on his father and the whole household ‘the gift of faith’, final perseverance and eternal salvation.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp383-5
Jesus raises to life the daughter of Jairus
Jairus, a certain ruler, came up and adored Jesus, saying, “My daughter is dying; come lay your hand on her that she may be safe and live” (Mk 5:23). This prayer so pleased Jesus that it brought several miracles. Why?
1) It was ‘humble’ and ‘reverent’ as both the words and the supplicant show;
2) ‘earnest’ and ‘pleading’, coming from the heart of an afflicted father; and
3) ‘simple’ and ‘childlike’.
Jairus makes his request without any superfluous words; and trusts on the mercy of Jesus, to the tenderness of his heart.
As Jairus turned home with Jesus who had ‘immediately’ granted his prayer, someone came saying, “Thy daughter is dead; why trouble the Master any further?” (Mk 5:35).
Jairus turned to Jesus, and said, “Lord, my daughter is now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live” (Mt 9:18). Jesus answered, “Fear not; believe only, and she shall be safe” (Lk 8:50).
When Jesus reached the house, he went in and taking the girl by the hand, cried out, "Little girl, arise.” (Mark, 5:42; Luke, 8:55) Her spirit returned, and she rose immediately.
Jesus bid them give her food to eat. Her parents were astonished.
Do our prayers always breathe with humility, this exterior and interior reverence worthy of God’s majesty? Are they earnest, coming from the heart which feels the misery and know that it is beyond remedy?
Let us admire and imitate the ‘constancy’ of faith and confidence of this Jewish ruler. The least difficulty often suffices to discourage us. The confidence of Jairus increased where ours would be shaken.
Imitate also the ‘promptitude’ of Jesus in responding; and render ‘at once’ any service demanded of us. “He who gives quickly, gives doubly.” (‘Proverb’) We lose the merit of our good actions if we perform them grudgingly.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp406-8
Prayer Detects God’s Presence in Our Souls
Prayer is so important that Jesus himself tells us: “Pray constantly” (Lk 21:36). He wants us to pray to his Father, as he himself did.
The Gospel tells us that Jesus prayed all night before choosing his Apostles (cf Lk 6:12). And later on, in his passion, at the height of his suffering, Christ “prayed with all the greater intensity” (Lk 22:44).
Jesus not only gave us the example of prayer, he actually ‘taught us how to pray’. One of the most beautiful scenes of the Gospel shows Jesus gathered with his disciples, teaching them to pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Jesus was showing his disciples the value of praising God: the importance of God’s name, his Kingdom and his Holy will.
At the same time Jesus was telling them -- “Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive the wrong we have done as we forgive those who wrong us. Subject us not to the trial but deliver us from the evil one.” (cf Mt 6:9-13; Lk 11:2-4)
It is through prayer that Jesus leads us to his Father.
It is in prayer that the Holy Spirit transforms our lives.
It is in prayer that we come to know God: to detect his presence in our souls, to hear his voice speaking through our consciences, and to treasure his gift to us of personal responsibility for our lives and for our world.
It is through prayer that we can ‘clearly focus our attention on the person of Jesus Christ’ and see the total relevance of his teaching for our lives. We begin to see things his way.
Ref: Cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, pp261-2
Prayers for the dying
O my God, I offer Thee all the holy Masses which will be said this day throughout the whole world for poor sinners who are now in their death agony and who will die this day. May the Precious Blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ obtain for them mercy. Amen.
O most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I pray by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Thy Immaculate Mother, wash in Thy Blood the sinners of the whole world now in their agony, and are to die this day. Heart of Jesus, once in agony, have mercy on the dying. Amen
Ref: Very Rev Charles J Callan, OP, STM and Very Rev John A McHugh, OP, STM, Blessed Be God, 1925, p471
• Our Lady “des Champs”, at Paris, anciently dedicated to Ceres. St Denis, after exorcising the evil sprits, consecrated it to Our Lady. A picture of the Blessed Virgin is still to be seen here, on a small stone, a foot square, which was made after that which St Denis brought to France. This house, which is a Benedictine priory, was afterwards occupied by the Carmelites, who were received there in the year 1604, and founded by Catharine, Princess of Longueville. It was the first occupied by those nuns in France; Mother Anne of Jesus, the associate of St Teresa, was its first superior. — Du Breuil, Theatre des Antiquites, lib. ii. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
THE SEVEN SUNDAYS DEVOTION TO ST. JOSEPH
Honors the seven joys and seven sorrows of St Joseph.
(Ref: “Handbook of Prayers”, Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias [Eds], 1988, pp321-3)
“What must Joseph have been, how grace must have worked through him, that he should be able to fulfill this task of the human upbringing of the Son of God.
“For Jesus must have resembled Joseph: in his way of working, in the features of his character, in his way of speaking. Jesus’ realism, his eye for detail, the way he sat at table and broke bread, his preference for using everyday situations to give doctrine -- all this reflects his childhood and the influence of Joseph.
“It’s not possible to ignore this sublime mystery: Jesus who is man, who speaks with the accent of a particular district of Israel, who resembles a carpenter called Joseph, is the Son of God.”
Ref: St Josemaria Escrivà, “In Joseph’s Workshop” in “Christ is passing by”, 40
4. The fourth sorrow and joy of St Joseph
His sorrow when he heard the prophecy of Simeon; his joy when he learned that many will be saved through the sufferings of Jesus.
“As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see, this child: he is destined for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected -- and a sword will pierce your own soul too -- so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare’.” (Lk 2:34)
“Joseph is surprised and astonished. God gradually reveals his plans to him and he tries to understand them. As with everyone who wishes to follow Jesus closely, he soon discovers that here is no laggard’s pace, no room for the halfhearted. God always asks more: his ways are not the ways of men. St Joseph, more than anyone else before or since, learned from Jesus to be alert to recognize God’s wonders, to have his mind and heart awake.”
Ref: St Josemaria Escrivà, “In Joseph’s Workshop”, 54
• Our Lady of Long Fields, Madrid, Spain (1261).
• Our Lady of the Fields, Paris, France, consecrated by St Denis (250). (www.divine will.org/feastofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of the Fields. Paris. St Denis. (250). (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of the Fields (Paris). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Blessed Virgin of Meschecia (Russia, 1492). (http://mariedenazareth.com)
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