21 May 2010: The Gift of Fear

God grants two remedies for all our temptations and trials: “Love and fear ... Love will make us quicken our steps, while fear will make us look where we are setting our feet so that we shall not fall.” (St Theresa, “The Way of Perfection”, 40, 1)

Worldly fear (cf MM Philipon, “The Gifts of the Holy Spirit”, Madrid) refers to physical evil or social disadvantages in life. We tend to flee from all earthly inconveniences; or abandon Christ and his Church on fearing fidelity to a Christian way of life can cause any hardship. Then comes ‘human respect’ which spawns countless surrenders and betrayal.

Servile fear is good. For many who are far from God, fear of the punishment of hell can be the first step toward conversion, the beginning of love. (cf Sir 25:12) Although fear should not be the main motive of the Christian, oftentimes, it will be a great defence against temptation and attractions of evil.

“He who fears is not perfected in love” (Jn 4:18) because the true Christian acts through love and is created to love. The holy fear of God, a gift of the Holy Spirit, is what dwelt, with the other gifts, in the most holy Soul of Christ and which also filled the Most Blessed Virgin. It is a consequence of the gift of wisdom and is its outward sign. (St Thomas, “Summa Theologiae”, II-II; 45, 1 and 3)

This filial fear is proper to children who feel protected by their Father whom they do not wish to offend. Its results are twofold: an immense respect for God’s majesty and a great horror of sin. This gift enables holy souls to admit their nothingness before God.

We may repeat as an aspiration St Josemaria Escriva’s words: “I am worth nothing, I have nothing, I can do nothing, I know nothing, I am nothing, nothing at all!” (Quoted by A Vazquez de Prada, “The Founder of Opus Dei”, Madrid) Concurrently, he realized the infinite greatness of knowing oneself and of being a child of God.

The gift of fear inclines us to understand that sin is the root cause of moral evils which divide and ravage society. (John Paul II, “Letter” presenting the “Instrumentum laboris” of the VI Synod of Bishops, 25 January 1983) It leads us also to hate deliberate venial sin; and to vigorously react against the first symptoms of lukewarmness, carelessness or mediocrity.

Love and fear must be our constant companions. “When love banishes fear, fear itself is changed into love.” (St Gregory of Nyssa, “Homily 15”) Then the soul understands better its infinite separation from God and its condition as a child of God. A loss of this holy fear of God weakens or removes the sense of sin. Tepidity sets in; the soul neglects God.

In the Gospel, Christ repeatedly said: “‘Do not fear ... do not be afraid’. ... rather fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell” (Mt 10:28). “We are called to fortitude at the same time to fear of God, that comes of love, a filial fear. ... only when this fear sinks into our hearts can we be really strong with the strength of the apostles, the martyrs and the confessors.” (John Paul II, “Address to the new Cardinals”, 30 April 1979)

The gift of fear is rooted in humility and like it, has an affinity with the virtue of temperance. We use human goods moderately, secondary to our supernatural end. Sin is often traced to the disordered search for sense pleasures or for material things. Here, this gift is active, purifying and keeping the heart solely for God.

The gift of fear is primarily a struggle against sin. All the other gifts help in this specific mission: the insight bestowed by the gifts of understanding and wisdom about the greatness of God and the true meaning of sin; the gift of counsel maintains one in a relentless battle against evil. (cf MM Philipon, Op cit)

“Love and fear of God! These are two strong castles whence we can wage war on the world and on the devils.” (St Theresa, Op cit, 40, 2) Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us recognize our faults sincerely and feel true sorrow for them. May God make us react: “My eyes shed streams of tears, because men do not keep thy law.” (Ps 118:136)

Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:573-8

` ` ` MAY DEVOTIONS ` ` `

Mary’s Prayer

“Let us ask the Blessed Virgin to make us contemplatives, to teach us to recognize the constant calls from God at the door of our heart. Let us ask her now: 'Our Mother, you brought to earth Jesus, who reveals the love of our Father God. Help us to recognize him in the midst of the cares of each day. Stir up our mind and will so that we may listen to the voice of God, to the calls of grace.'” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 174)

Let us offer our Mother: ‘A visit to Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.’

Ref: Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias (Eds), “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, p311

The Rosary points the way to perfection

What is Christian life? It is the life of man, enlightened by the knowledge of God, based upon the holy fear of God, upheld by the hope of a reward, and completely vivified by the love of God. Our Blessed Mother, through the Rosary, teaches us to travel and to advance along the path of Christian perfection by unfolding before our eyes pictures of joy, sorrow, and glory.

It is impossible to live without pure and real joy. This reality of internal joy is shown by the Blessed Mother in the joyful mysteries. By meditating on these mysteries, we come to realize that our faith is a source of joy.

We realize moreover that this joy is not subject to events of the external world, but vital and perennial.

Ref: Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, 1984, p54

The Rosary: Weapon for Peace

The Rosary is the wonder weapon. At Lepanto in 1571, it sank ships. In 1955, it removed the Russians from Catholic Austria. In 1962, it prevented the Communist takeover of Brazil. In the 1980’s, it has been documented that the bloodless revolution which removed Ferdinand Marcos from power in the Philippines was largely attributed to the praying of the Rosary.

THE ROSARY IS THE WEAPON THAT CAN BRING PEACE TO THE WORLD. (Our Lady explicitly said this at Fatima.)

Ref: Rev Albert J Shannon, “The POWER of the ROSARY”, 1990, pp39-40

Our Lady of Sweat, at Salerno, in Italy. It is said that this Madonna sweated blood and water in the year 1611, as a presage of a great conflagration which happened on the following day. — P. Spinelli, Tractatus de exemplis et miraculis, last chapter.(“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)

Our Lady of Vladimir (Russia, 1115) and Our Lady of Sweat, Salerno, Italy (1611).
(http://www.divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm); (http://www.starharbor.com/santiago/m feasts.html); (MaryLinks Calendar.htm)

Our Lady of Vladimir. Russia. 1115. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html);
(maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)

Our Lady of Sweat. Salerno, Italy. 1611. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)

Ten Day Devotion to the Holy Spirit

Introductory Prayer

Come, O Holy Spirit! Enlighten my understanding in order to know your commands; strengthen my heart against the snares of the enemy; enkindle my will ... I have heard your voice, and I do not want to harden my heart and resist, saying, “Later ... tomorrow.” ‘Nunc coepi!’ Right now! Lest there be no tomorrow for me.

O Spirit of truth and of wisdom, Spirit of understanding and of counsel, Spirit of joy and of peace! I want whatever you want; I want because you want; I want as you want; I want whenever you want ...

Ref: St Josemaria Escrivà, “Prayer to the Holy Spirit”. In Postulation for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization, “Historical Registry of the Founder of Opus Dei” 20172, p145.

Consideration -- Decenary to the Holy Spirit: 9th Day

Obtaining the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

On the eve of this great feast, let us renew our fervor that we may not lose its fruits. Recall and put in practice with redoubled ardor, all the means that may tend to that end. The first of these is recollection which produces peace in the soul and union with God. The Apostles, though in the midst of people, were not of the world. They taught silence and solitude.

If we cannot be silent this day, away from worldly distractions -- let us try to avoid all causes of dissipation eg, over-eagerness at work, trivial conversations.

Let us carefully guard our senses and strictly observe the rules of modesty and silence, that we may be “interior men, closely united to God, lending, but not giving, ourselves to exterior things” (“Imitation of Christ”).

Prayer is the second indispensable means to obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles may feel excused from it since Jesus Christ ‘assured’ them that the Holy Spirit would come with all his gifts. Still, they prayed earnestly. They knew that though God bestows his gifts liberally and by his free grace, they must be also the fruits of persevering prayer.

Let us recall the past days, and examine if there has been any relaxation in our prayers. Our inconstancy makes it very probable. If we find it to be so, let us try today to compensate by redoubled fervor. Avoid saying that our numerous occupations today will hinder us from praying much.

Holy Scripture says, ‘Let nothing hinder you from praying always’. We do not pray with our hands, but with our hearts. Let your external occupations be accompanied by frequent raisings of your heart towards God, and they will be changed into prayers. We may thus pray all day long without interruption.

There is a third means which adds greatly to the efficacy of the two preceding. We must take special notice of it on this last day of the novena. This means is the intercession of our Lady, of whom the world’s Redeemer was born, and ‘through whose intercession’, says St Bernard, ‘God grants all our petitions’.

Let us, then, today fix our eyes upon our glorious and powerful Mother. Let us ask her with great confidence to unite her prayers to ours, as she did on this day to those of the Apostles and disciples.

To obtain for us, as she did for them, a copious outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we should do well to insert her name in all our aspirations; and we shall do this more readily as Saturday is always consecrated to her honor.

Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp289-91

Mary, God-bearer

The Spirit, who made Mary an incomparable masterpiece, at the same time continually teaches and educates the Church to venerate the Virgin (cf Second Vatican Council, “Lumen Gentium”, 53). This must give rise to a Marian religious instruction and piety free from defect or excess.

Mary has an indispensable place in the economy of salvation. She was the one ‘to render Christ our brother’ (St Francis). Her free and loving collaboration with the Spirit makes her a model of every relationship with the Sanctifying Holy Spirit. ...

And if Mary collaborates with the Spirit so ... must the Church docilely make itself available to him to become the ‘mother of saints and martyrs’. This is true for the Church as a whole and also for every individual Christian. For Jesus to be born in every soul and continue the mystery of the ‘Theotokos’ (God-bearer), the Creator must be in the very hearts of his creatures and the divine Spirit must overshadow them. ...

Let us reread the beautiful prayer by St Ildephonsus of Toledo: “I pray, I pray, O Holy Virgin, that I should have Jesus by that same Spirit by which you engendered Jesus. May my soul receive Jesus, by the work of that Spirit through whom your flesh conceived Jesus himself. ... May I love Jesus in that same Spirit in whom you worship him as Lord and contemplate him as Son.” (“On the Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary”, Theological-Historical Commission, “The Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life”, p12, 1997.)

Ref: Theological-Historical Commission, op cit, pp88-90

Prayer of the heart

Your soul’s inclination is very simple and what is simple is best. It turns straight to God, and so you must follow it unfailingly and gently, without effort or eagerness either to keep it or recapture it when your perception of it is gone, otherwise you would be claiming God’s gifts as your own.

Distractions and dryness are fairly frequent in this type of prayer. Yet, endured with patience and self-abandonment, these are themselves excellent prayers. Moreover, though these distractions and aridity be painful, they do not hinder that sustained desire to pray that is found in the depths of the heart. Heartfelt prayer is no other than this.

If you have been using this excellent form of prayer for a whole year, possibly two, a book will not help you. If, however, these periods of helplessness and aridity last for (say) seven or eight consecutive days, by all means take a book, but read it with frequent pauses.

Again, if you find that such reading further distracts or troubles you interiorly, break it off and seek to remain in God’s presence in silent peace, so far as you are able.

You must not be surprised -- still less must you be perturbed -- if what has moved you in the past moves you no longer: such vicissitudes must be endured interiorly as changes of weather and season are endured exteriorly. Not to expect them is to show a singular lack of experience.

Resolutions are rarely used in this kind of prayer. Yet much more good comes of it than of resolutions made during meditation.

Ref: “The Fire of Divine Love: Readings from Jean-Pierre de Caussade”, Edited by Robert Llewelyn, 1995, p84

Concluding Prayer

Holy and divine Spirit! Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, your spouse, bring the fullness of your gifts into our hearts. Comforted and strengthened by you, may we live according to your Will and may we die praising your infinite mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Ref: Fr James Socias, et al (Editors), “Daily Roman Missal”, 1989, p2080

Fruitfulness -- Rectitude of intention consists in seeking “only and in all things” the glory of God. (St Josemaria Escrivá, "The Forge", 921)

Struggle -- Humility and obedience are the indispensable conditions for acquiring good doctrine. (St Josemaria Escrivá, op cit, 132)