25 June 2010: The Zeal of the Heart of Jesus

Zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls is but the love of God running over from our own hearts upon others, desiring to win them to God and to see them united with us in heaven. The measure of our love is, therefore, the measure of our zeal. What, therefore, must have been the zeal of that adorable Heart, which loved both God and man with an ineffable love!

Here is a faint allegory: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed!” (Lk 12:49-51) That is, until I have consummated the sacrifice I so ardently desire.

To procure the glory of God and the salvation of souls was always the most ardent desire of the saints, because they were full of the love of God. We find proof of this in almost every psalm of the holy King David.

‘For the zeal of Thy house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon me ... My eyes have sent forth springs of water, because they have not kept Thy law ... Let all peoples give praise to Thee.’

If we cherish similar sentiments in our hearts, we, too shall find a thousand means of exercising our zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Ref:cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp331-2

A wise and docile Heart

The Heart of the Virgin of Nazareth who, on the message of Angel Gabriel, answered with the salvific ‘Fiat’, is a wise and docile heart, a gift from God. It is ordained to the perfect fulfillment of the divine Will.

The Fathers of the Church had written that Mary, the Virgin-keeper of the Word, recalls the figure of the Daughter of Zion. In fact, in those episodes, the Mother of Jesus appears “like a real ‘daughter of Sion’ who sums up exemplarily in herself the faith of Israel”. On the light of the biblical-liturgical reflection, the heart of the ‘wise Virgin’ appears like --

-- The ‘place’ where the question of understanding and summarizing the apparently contradictory exigencies of God arises before the surprising and inscrutable plan of God; where one experiences the mystery of ‘commotion’, of ‘astonishment’, of ‘amazement’, of ‘incomprehension’;

-- The coffer where the Mother keeps the words and events concerning her Son; what others said of Him: Angel Gabriel; Elizabeth, the shepherds; Simeon; what Jesus at twelve-years old said of Himself ...;

-- The ‘place of comparison’ between prophecy and fulfillment, between expectation and possession; and

-- The thankful and faithful ‘memory’ of Christ’s infancy, that the Virgin will then transmit to the Church.

In reference to Wisdom, the Heart of Jesus and the heart of Mary are closely united, beating in unison. Christ is the eternal Wisdom, Mary, receiving it in the bosom of her heart. Love has become the 'Seat of Wisdom'.

In Christ’s Heart: all treasures of wisdom and science are hidden; in the Virgin’s heart, the words of Jesus that are spirit and life are kept.

The Virginal Heart is pure, transparent, capable of seeing God’, undivided in her gift to God yet solidly united with His people; solicitous to the needs of Man, his brothers and sons. A heart that has a particular relation to the Word of God. The Heart-good-soil where the seeds of God’s word bear fruit in a marvelous way.

A humble and poor heart in the image of the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit ...’ A trustful heart according to the spirituality of the ‘poor of the Lord’ who places all its confidence in God. A maternal Heart. Virginal Mother of the Son of God and Mother of all the sons of God, ... now glorified in heaven.

Ref: cf I Calabuig, in “Alliance of the Two Hearts”, pp126-9

The Communal Dimension of Confirmation

This particular significance of Confirmation for strengthening in us the ‘inner man’, along the threefold line of faith, hope and charity, makes easy to see how, by direct consequence, this also has great significance for “building up the community of the Church, as the Body of Christ”.

Due attention must also be given to this second significance, because it enables us to grasp the communitarian dimension, properly, the ecclesial dimension, going beyond the individual dimension, of the reinforcing action of the Spirit.

St Paul talked of this action, and of distribution on the Spirit’s part of his charisma ‘for the common good’. Is it not true that the vast, and today also very relevant, theme of the apostolate, and specially that of the laity, must be set in that elevated perspective?

If “to teach is given a particular manifestation of the Spirit for the common benefit,” how could a Christian feel indifferent to, or be relieved of, the task of building up the Church? The requirement of the lay apostolate derives from that and is defined as a dutiful response to the gifts received.

I think in this regard -- but I will only make a simple reference here -- that it would be good to take up that Council text which presents the ministry incumbent on each member of the Church as a “noble pledge to labor,” on the biblical and theological foundations of our engrafting into the mystical Body of Christ through Baptism, and the strength received from the Spirit ‘through Confirmation’.

“For exercise of this apostolate the Holy Spirit also imparts particular gifts to the faithful”, whence the obligation correlatively derives to operate and cooperate in “edification of the whole body in charity”.

Ref: cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, p224-5

Our Lady -- “Our Mother, our hope! How safe and sure we are when we keep close to you, even when everything around us is quivering and shaking.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Forge”, 474)

In the year 431, the Council of Ephesus declared that the Blessed Virgin must be called ‘Mother of God’. — Acts of Council. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)

Council of Ephesus declares Mary, Mother of God, "Theotokos". 341. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)

Council of Ephesus declared Mary to be the Mother of God (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)

Divine Motherhood of Our Lady declared at the Council of Ephesus (431). (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)

Divine Motherhood of Our Lady. (http://www.divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm); (http://www.starharbor.com/santiago/m feasts.html); (MaryLinks Calendar.htm)

Declared at the Council of Ephesus in 431(http://www.divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm); (http://www.starharbor.com/santiago/m feasts.html)

Our Lady Queen of Peace. (http://www.divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)