24 March 2010: Our Lady of the Dove

‘Nuestra Señora de la Paloma’ -- This devotion celebrates the mystery of the Incarnation. In her image, the doctrine of the virgin birth is presaged by presence of the symbolic dove, representing the Holy Spirit; and lilies and roses, symbols of her purity. She is crowned by cherubs as the ‘Virgin of virgins’. (Fr Charles Belmonte, “Aba Ginoong Maria”, 1990, p27)

Barabbas compared with, and preferred to, Jesus

“So after they have gathered, Pilate said, ‘You have a custom that I should release one unto you at the Pasch. Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’” (Mt 27:17)

Pilate had declared the innocence of Jesus. It was against his conscience to condemn him; but self-interest prevails to gratify the Jews, or lose favor before Cæsar. Conscience and interest put Pilate in a dilemma.

He offered the people their choice between a hated criminal and the Saviour, whom till then they had reverenced so much. But his efforts proved futile. Always shirking from doing his duty and after some more futile attempts, he completed his evil work by condemning the innocent. He thus lost his own soul.

How true are our Lord’s words -- ‘No man can serve two masters!’ It is impossible to steer a course between God and the world. We cannot hover between virtue and vice, even if the misdeed may be trivial. An unjust friendship, though based on good motives, may cause us qualms of conscience.

Our good sense and spiritual director advise us to be decisive and abandon it. But we answer, ‘No, you expect too much; but I will be more careful for the future. My case is special.’ This delusion of self-love leads nowhere.

Let us try to understand how much Jesus was insulted. Pilate placed him on a level with the greatest criminal in prison. To his surprise, the people unanimously demanded: “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Lk 23:18)

Pilate’s wife warned him against getting involved in the passion of the Jews towards Jesus, an extraordinary grace granted Pilate at the critical moment-- debating between doing a great act of justice, which would have won his salvation, and an atrocious crime. He fell into disgrace and was banished; finally, killed himself.

Most interpreters believe that the uneasiness of Pilate’s wife was an inspiration of grace which obtained her salvation. The Greeks honor her as St Claudia Procula.

How many times and in how many ways have our guardian angels and directors warned and tried to strengthen us; when our passions dominate and darken our judgment; and we were vacillating between good and evil? These warnings were extraordinary graces. Did we correspond?

Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp133-6

Conversion, God’s Gift to the Church

The Church converts to Christ to renew the consciousness and certainty of all His gifts, with which she was endowed by him through the Cross and Resurrection. Christ is at the same time the Church’s Redeemer and her Spouse. As Redeemer and Spouse, Christ established the Church among weak, sinful and fallible men; but he established her at the same time strong, holy and infallible not through the work of men.

Believing in the Church’s strength is believing in that power which “in weakness reaches perfection” (2 Cor 12:9).

Believing in the Church’s holiness means believing in that gift which makes us heirs of the divine holiness.

Believing in the Church’s infallibility means believing in Christ’s gift which permits fallible men to infallibly proclaim and confess the truth revealed for our salvation.

The Church of our time -- this critical epoch -- ought to have particular certainty regarding Christ’s gift, the gift of strength, the gift of holiness, the gift of infallibility.

The more she is conscious of the weakness, sinfulness, fallibility of man, the more she should maintain her certainty of those gifts, coming from Her Redeemer and Her Spouse.

Ref: cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, pp133-4

Love of God

God expects from each one of us an unconditional response to his love for us. Our love for God is shown in numerous little incidents of each day. We love God through our work done well, how we live our family life, our social interactions, the use we make of our leisure time. Everything can be converted into a deed of love.

“While we carry out as perfectly as we can (with all our mistakes and limitations) the tasks allotted to us by our situation and duties, our soul longs to escape. It is drawn towards God like iron drawn by a magnet. One begins to love Jesus in a more effective way, with the sweet and gentle surprise of his encounter.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 296)

“... all sorts of setbacks are encountered as difficult by those who do not love; those who do love, on the contrary, find them trivial and easily manageable. There is no suffering, however cruel or violent it may be, which is not made bearable or even reduced to nothing by love.” (St Augustine, “Sermon 70”)

Our love for God has to be supreme and absolute. Within this love all the noble loves of the earth are found, according to each one’s vocation and with naturalness. “It would not be fair to say ‘either God or man’. They ought to love ‘God and man’ ... In other words, love for God is certainly dominant, but is not exclusive. ...” (John Paul I, ‘General Audience’, 27 September 1978)

Love for God is necessarily shown in love for others; in the way we live charity with whoever are with us everyday. “In this they will know you are my disciples ...” (Jn 13:35)

In refined dealings with others; in mutual respect. In thinking favorably of others, in helping in little things at home or at work, in a loving and appropriate fraternal correction, in prayer for the one who needs it most ...

Let us ask Our Lady to teach us to respond to the love of her Son, so that we may also know how to love, with deeds, her other children who are our brothers.

Ref: cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:148-150

Eve of the Annunciation of Our Lady, instituted by Gregory XI. On this day, Our Lady kept the Passover at Jerusalem, in the year of Our Lord 49. Balingham, Metaphrastes. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)

Vigil of the Annunciation (Instituted by Pope Gregory XI). (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)