Recall the past. Quickly review the commandments of God and the Church, the obligations of our commitments, assignments that have been confided to us. How would we see our sins if we saw these sins as God sees them?
For a single mortal sin, Adam and his posterity were condemned to death. For one venial sin, three great friends of God, Moses, David, and Ezechias, were severely punished.
I have committed so many sins and have forgotten them. What could I expect? God forgets nothing; will leave nothing unpunished, even the fault of an ‘idle word’. We have many motives, then, for real and continual penance. In this time of Lent we shall receive special graces which will make it easier.
Each mortal sin is a threefold injury to God. Its malice is infinite because his Majesty is infinite. By ‘insubordination’ and ‘rebellion’: God commands, we do not obey. By ‘contempt’: we prefer a fleeting and vile enjoyment, often disgraceful to God and His laws. By ‘ingratitude’: we use his very gifts to offend and insult him.
Each venial sin is also a threefold injury; a slighter kind certainly. Still its malice is great. The praises of all humanity could not relieve the injury to God by one venial sin. And our past sins contained such malice. Faith and reason teach us that this malice is proportional to the grace we have received.
This thought ought to overwhelm me with shame -- the times in my life when, in union with the cruel Jews, I cried out, “Let him be crucified!” (Lk 23:21); and, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Lk 23:18) Not this man, but my passion. There have been times when, in union with the murderers, I ran the nails into my Saviour’s hands and feet.
I have done this every time I committed a mortal sin. And for every venial sin, I have added fresh suffering to the open wounds of Jesus.
Thoughts like these armed the holy penitents of the desert against themselves. Let us imitate them during these holy days of universal penance and expiation.
Ref: cf Practical Meditations by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp108-9
Getting involved in the lives of others
People who witness our behaviour may say: ‘What right do you have to interfere in the lives of others? Who gave you permission to talk about Christ, his doctrine, his sweet demands?’ We may even wonder: Who’s asking me to get involved? Our ‘reply would be’ --
"Christ himself is telling me, is begging me." "The harvest is plentiful enough, but the labourers are few. You must ask the Lord to whom the harvest belongs to send labourers out for the harvesting." (Mt 9:37-8) Don’t take the easy way out. Don’t say, "I’m no good at this sort of thing; there are others who can do it; it isn’t my line.” (cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 272)
The Church encourages, and in fact requires, us to make Christ known. “Young people should become the first to carry on the apostolate directly to other young persons, concentrating their apostolic efforts within their own circle ... Children also have their own work to do. According to their ability, they are true living witnesses of Christ among their companions.” (Second Vatican Council, “Apostolicam Actuositatem”, 12)
Everybody: young, old, sick, jobless or successful -- all of us must be apostles (‘sent’) to make Christ known by word and deed. God tells us: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” (cf Mk 16:15) God sends us!
Love for Christ leads us to love those around us. Our vocation impels us to think of others, not to fear sacrifices which mean love with deeds. The intensity of this will is a gauge of our sincerity and commitment.
If at any time we feel no concern for souls, then our charity had grown cold. If their estrangement from God left us unmoved and their spiritual needs did not provoke a reaction in our own soul, indeed we are apathetic. The apostolate is not an adjunct to the normal activity of the Christian. It is the Christian life itself.
Ref: cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:454-5
Who Is My Neighbor?
Do you remember? Was it not with the parable of the 'Good Samaritan' that Jesus answered a question put by a doctor of the Law? The doctor had just quoted the Law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” (Lk 10:27)
The 'Good Samaritan' is Christ. It is he who comes to us first, making us his neighbor, to succor us, heal us, save us. But if there be still some distance between God and us, that depends only on us, on the obstacles which we put up against such rapprochement.
The sin in our hearts, the injustices we commit, the hatred and divisions which we nourish -- all these things cause us not to love God yet with all our souls, with all our strength. The season of Lent is the privileged time for purification and penitence, for letting the Lord make us his neighbor and save us with his love.
The second commandment is like the first (cf Mt 22:39) and forms one whole with it. We must love others with the same love which God pours into our hearts and with which he himself loves us. Here, too, what obstacles stand in the way of making the other our neighbor: we do not love God and our brethren enough.
Why still so many difficulties, raised against leaving the important but insufficient stage of reflections, declarations and professions, to become emigrants with emigrants, refugees with refugees, poor with those lacking everything?
Ref: cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, pp146-7
Indulgenced Aspirations to the Blessed Virgin
1) ‘Mary.’ 2) ‘Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.’ 3) ‘Mary our hope, have pity on us.’ 4) ‘Holy Mary, deliver us from the pains of hell.’
Ref: Very Rev Charles J Callan, OP, STM and Very Rev John A McHugh, OP, STM, “Blessed Be God”, 1925, p436
Our Lady of Miracles, in the cloister of St Maur des Fosses, near Paris. It is said that this image was found made when the sculptor, named, Rumold, was about to begin it. — Du Breuil, Theatre des Antiquites, lib. iv. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com); (http://www/divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm) (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
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