“Now it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews.” (Jn 20:19) “... while they were speaking of these things (the apparition at Emmaus), Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be to you. It is I; fear not’.” (Lk 24:36)
Consider the situation when Jesus appeared to the Apostles and disciples-- when they were assembled in recollection and retirement, strongly united by the ties of brotherly love, speaking together of him, desiring to see him, and watchful against their enemies.
If we wish God to communicate to us, we must-- 1) preserve peace and union with our brethren; 2) be habitually recollected, thinking only of God; 3) learn aspirations by which to invite him; 4) love to speak of the things of God; and 5) watch over our senses.
Our Lord, seeing his disciples’ faces, said, “‘Why are you troubled, why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, it is I .... Touch me and see; for a ghost has no flesh and bones as you see me.’ After he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. The disciples were joyful on seeing the Lord.” (cf Lk 24:38-41)
Their vanishing fears and perplexities were replaced with feelings of complete joy and confidence. The effects of the presence of God within the soul and the certain marks of the Holy Spirit are peace, calmness, and holy joy. These fill the heart, detach it from creatures, and make us properly appreciate the happiness of giving one’s self to God.
“While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said, ‘Have you here anything to eat?’ They offered him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.” (Lk 24:41-3)
Consider here our Lord’s goodness by condescending to an action which seems unworthy of his glorified body. His motive is to fully convince his followers of his resurrection, the glorious truth upon which the Gospel rests, what they were to preach to the whole world.
Let us learn from our Lord’s example not to be disgusted, however humiliating and repugnant to nature, in what is demanded of us in serving our neighbors. Let us try to inspire in them, in ourselves, too a lively faith in the resurrection to encourage us in all the trials of life.
Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp222-4
The fruits of difficulties
After the martyrdom of St Stephen there arose a persecution against the Christians of Jerusalem which caused them to scatter throughout other areas of the Middle East (Acts 8:1-8) Providence made use of that circumstance to carry the seed of the faith to other places which otherwise would have taken longer to get to know Christ.
Our Lord always has more complete plans. What seemed the end of the primitive Church in fact led to its strengthening and expansion. So those who persecuted the Church, whose objective was to stifle the recently-born seed of faith, were the indirect cause why so many more people, otherwise unreachable because of their dwelling in faraway places, got to know the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
The Christians expressed their apostolic spirit during times of peace, which were the majority, and in times of calumny and persecution. They never ceased to announce the Good News which they had in their hearts, convinced the doctrine of Jesus Christ is the only one that can make this world a more just and humane place.
Trials and difficulties can differ considerably. Some may be due to a materialist and anti-christian environment which opposes Christ’s reign in the world: calumnies, professional discrimination, anti-Catholic fanaticism. Or Our Lord permits sickness, financial disaster, failures, fruitless apostolic enterprise after much effort or lack of understanding.
Whatever, we should understand that God is very close to us. He helps us, with more graces, to mature in virtue and to bear fruit in the apostolate. God wants to purify us like gold in the furnace, cleansing our soul of its dross, leaving it more refined and valuable.
Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:399-400
The Seed of Joy in Suffering
In the perspective of redemption, Christ’s passion is oriented toward the resurrection. Human beings, too are thus associated with the mystery of the cross in order to share joyfully in the mystery of the resurrection.
Thus, Jesus did not hesitate to proclaim the blessedness of those who suffer: “Blest too are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled.” (Mt 5:4) ... This blessedness can only be understood if one admits that human life is not limited to the time spent on earth, but is wholly directed to perfect joy and fulness of joy in the hereafter.
Earthly suffering, when accepted in love, is like a bitter kernel containing the seed of new life, the treasure of divine glory to be given man in eternity. Although the sight of a world burdened with evil and misfortunes of every sort is often so wretched, nevertheless the hope of a better world of love and grace is hidden within it.
It is hope that is nourished on Christ’s promise. With this support, those who suffer united with him already experience in this life a joy that can seem humanly unexplainable. Heaven in fact begins on earth, beatitude is anticipated in the beatitudes. “In holy people”, St Thomas Aquinas said, “there is a beginning of future happiness”.
Ref: John Paul II, “Breakfast with the Pope”, 1995, 21
Our Lady -- “What an extraordinary lesson each one of the teachings of the New Testament contains. The Master, before ascending to the right hand of the Father, told his disciples: Go and preach to all nations, and they had remained full of peace. But they still had doubts: they did not know what to do, and they gathered around Mary, ‘Queen of Apostles’, so as to become zealous preachers of the Truth which will save the world.” (cf St Josemaria Escrivá, "Furrow", 232)
Dedication of Our Lady of Reparation, at Florence, by Eugenius IV, in the year 1436. — Balingham on the Calendar. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)
Our Lady of Bonaria, Island of Sardinia (1370). Declared Patroness of Sardinia in 1908. (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
'Madonna della Bonaria'. Sardinia, Italy. 1370. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
Our Lady of Bonaria (Sardinia). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
Mary declared Patroness of Sardinia, 1908. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment