“It was early morning.” (Jn 18:28) The whole Sanhedrin took formal action against Jesus, that they might put him to death. The unjust judges hastily and eagerly awoke before daybreak, and assembled. Their only motive was to carry out their plan for putting an innocent Victim to death. What diligence in committing a terrible crime!
We ought to blush with shame at how much more earnestly these wicked men were in doing evil than we often are in doing good. “And they brought him bound, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate ...” (Mk 15:2)
The Jews, our Lord’s own people delivered him to the Gentiles. He had poured so many blessings on them and who had cried out in wonder, “He has done all things well: He has made both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.” (Mk 7:37) Their great treachery and ingratitude brought more humiliation and grief to Our Lord!
Every heart gets indignant at this treacherous ingratitude of the Jews; but are not many Christians equally as wicked? By sacrilegious Communion [such as receiving the Holy Eucharist while in a state of mortal sin], they deliver Jesus to the evil one reigning over their hearts. By their sins, they daily return evil for good to that loving Saviour who gave them a thousand times more graces and favors than he did to the Jews.
“They did not enter Pilate’s headquarters, to avoid ritual defilement and be able to eat the Passover.” (Jn 18:28) How astonishing were the false consciences and blindness of these men! Well instructed in their religion, yet they demurred about an illegal act by entering the house of a heathen; not afraid to indulge their envy and hatred by conspiring against the life of an innocent man.
Are there people who scrupulously observe trivial matters and either neglect or seldom attend to essential ones? Faithful to certain self-chosen pious practices, but do not mind omitting their obligations?
Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp117-9
The Charity of Good Example
Penitence is synonymous with conversion. Conversion means overcoming everything contrary to the dignity of the children of God; it is a sincere return to the heavenly Father, who is infinitely good and merciful. ...
This return is the fruit of an act of love. It will be more expressive and pleasing to him the more it is accompanied by the sacrifice of something necessary and, above all, of superfluous things.
A very vast range of acts is open to our initiative, from assiduous, generous doing of our daily duties to humble, joyful acceptance of annoying disappointments which can be endured in the course of the day, up to renunciation of something very pleasant in order to be able to succor someone in a state of need.
But ‘the charity of good example’ is above all, most pleasing to the Lord. Good example is required by the fact that we belong to a family of faithful whose members are independent; but still need help and support from the others.
Good example does not affect only exterior action but goes deep and builds up the most precious and most active gifts in the other, namely, adherence to one’s own Christian vocation.
All these things are difficult to put into practice, for our weak powers need a supplement of energies. Where can we find them?
Let us recall the words of the Divine Savior: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:5) We must turn to him. You know, anyhow, that Christ is to be found in the personal dialogue of ‘prayer’, particularly in the ‘reality of the sacraments’.
We reconcile ourselves to God and the brethren through the Sacrament of Penance; we receive Christ in the Eucharist, which sustains our weak and wavering wills.
Ref: cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, p153
Sincerity against deliberate venial sin
“The restoration of ‘a proper sense of sin’ is the first step that must be taken in facing the grave spiritual crisis looming over man today.” (cf John Paul II, “Reconciliatio et Poenitentia”, 18) In a determined fight against venial sin, one must recognize it as an offence against God which delays and can prevent union with him.
We must call it by its name, ... without reducing its transcendental importance for a soul truly wishing to go to God. Flashes of anger, promptings of envy or sensuality not immediately rejected; a desire to be the centre of attention; not being concerned with anyone but oneself; and acts of piety routinely performed are ‘venial sins’.
We ought to ask the Holy Spirit to help us sincerely recognize our faults and sins, to have a sensitive conscience which seeks pardon and does not look for ways to justify our errors.
The saints have clearly understood, in the light of love and of faith, that a single sin -- especially mortal, but venial, too -- is a disorder greater than any natural catastrophe “for the goodness of grace in one single person is greater than the material good of the entire universe”. (St Thomas, “Summa Theologiae”, I-II, q113, a)
A committed fight to banish all sin from our lives demands that we show Our Lord love and readiness to correspond with his grace. “How sad you make me feel when you are not sorry for your venial sins! For until you are, you will not begin to live a real interior life." (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 330)
“However small the sins you confess may be, always have sincere sorrow for them with a firm resolution to correct them in the future. Many who confess their venial sins out of custom and concern for order, but without thought of amendment, remain burdened with them for their whole lives and thus lose many spiritual benefits and advantages.” (St Francis de Sales, "Introduction to the Devout Life", II, 19)
The Virgin Mary, ‘Refuge of sinners’, will help us to have a refined conscience, to love Christ and all men, to be sincere with ourselves: in Confession, to recount our weaknesses and to be prompt in repenting for them.
Ref: cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:103-6
Our Lady of the Fountain, at Constantinople, built by the Emperor Leo in the year 460, in thanksgiving for the apparition of the Blessed Virgin to him, near a spring to which he was charitable leading a blind man, when he was merely a common soldier; and the fact that she foretold he would be emperor. — Nicephorus, lib. xv., c. 15. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)
Our Lady of the Fountain (Constantinople, 460) (http://www/divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
Our Lady of the Fountain. ('Panaghia Krena', 'Panayia tis Vrysis', 'Kyra-Vrysiani'). Constantinople. 460. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
'La Virgen de la Fuente' / 'Notre Dame de la Fontaine'. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
Chapel in Chièvres, France: "Legend: A miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary was tied to a tree near this fountain. Chapel was built on spot by Eve de Chièvres, and became a 'sanctuary of grace' where still-born babies were presented in hope a last breath of life would allow them to enter heaven. Chapel was torn down and rebuilt several times, last being in 1890s in a neo-gothic style popular at the time." (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
Church on Greek Island of Chios. Monastery on Greek Island of Sifnos. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
Hermitage in Aragon, Spain. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
Shrine in Caravaggio, Italy, built as a result of a woman's vision of Mary on 16 May 1432. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
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