17 August 2010: “Freely you have received ...”

In the preceding meditation we found wonderful encouragements for the exercise of zeal. Let us try now to understand well the spirit that should animate our zeal and render it fruitful.

It is no other than the spirit of our vocation. The more we excel in it, the more successful and pleasing will our zeal be to God.

The first requirement for an apostolic person is the spirit of poverty, a detachment from material goods. “Freely you have received”, says Jesus Christ, “freely give”. (Mt 10:8)

Men desire that in helping them seek their holiness our only motive is supernatural, aiming at the good of their souls. If they suspect our aim at vainglory, they will withdraw their confidence.

In doing apostolate do we have a temporal advantage chiefly in mind? Is our vanity rather than the glory of God what stimulates us in study, in teaching, in doing apostolate? If it bothers us when others succeed better than we do or when our work is in matters the world belittles; or when we are ignored, then it is so.

We ought to excel also in the spirit of mortification and sacrifice. The exercise of zeal requires it. Great patience, courage, and generosity are necessary in doing our work and instructing others in the course of our apostolate, in spiritual direction.

Happy is the person who devotes himself to acquiring the spirit of mortification. His zeal will be ardent, ingenious, persevering, and even heroic if need be.

Miserable, on the other hand, is he who has not learned to mortify and sacrifice himself. His zeal will be weak and languishing, and there is great fear that many souls will perish eternally from his fault.

Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp507-8

Christ Works Through Christians

Incorporated to Christ through baptism and as children of God, we participate in Christ and his mission. In truly identifying ourselves with Christ, we continue his task on earth: bringing God to men and our fellow men to God -- all steeped in prayer for them and ourselves.

Baptism allows us to partake of Christ’s priesthood. The supernatural reality of the common priesthood of all the faithful does not impede our remaining ordinary people, with the outlook proper to lay people living in the world but with a Christian soul. St Josemaria Escrivá spoke of their combining a ‘lay outlook’ and ‘priestly soul’.

Those faithful called to the ministerial priesthood (deacons on up) partake of Christ’s priestly mission in a way essentially distinct from what they had before, simply as faithful. But the apostolic charge is the same, universal, something in which all Christians are involved.

This universality is a direct result of our divine filiation. Being children of God transforms us into something that goes far beyond our being people who merely put up with each other. Listen to what Christ says, “We are friends who, like him, give our lives for each other when heroism is needed and throughout our ordinary lives.” (cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 750)

Apostolic concern stems from Christ’s interest in each and every soul. Therefore, the apostolate of giving doctrine usually has to be, as it were, capillary, spreading from one to another, from each believer to his immediate companion. The children of God care about all souls, because every soul is important. (Ibid, op cit, 943)

As children of God we cannot turn our backs on those who still do not know Christ. Holiness is not something exclusive, since holiness cannot be separated from winning others for God. (cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 145)

Since a Christian is God’s child, his apostolic desires will expand till they are as fruitful as Christ’s. He is the vine, we are the branches. We will yield fruit in him and glory to his Father and our Father God to the extent we are united to Jesus.

A clear sign of our living God’s very life in Christ is the apostolic results accompanying children of God. This fruit turns into joy when Christ’s words are fulfilled: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.” (Jn 15:18)

Ref: Francis Fernandez-Carvajal and Peter Beteta, “Children of God”, 1997, pp124-5

Our heart is made to love God

St Augustine’s words at the beginning of his “Confessions” still hold true today-- “You have made us, Lord, for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” (“Confessions”, 1, 1, 1) And God facilitates this encounter, for he, too seeks out each one of us through countless graces and a Fatherly care full of consideration and love.

The Saint further writes, “The human race lies grievously ill, not of a bodily sickness, but because of its sins. It lies like a great sick man throughout the whole of the world, from East to West. In order to cure this dying man, the omnipotent Doctor came down. He humbled himself so as to take on mortal flesh.” (Ibid, “Sermon 87”, 13)

A church in a little German village which was virtually destroyed during the Second World War, had a very old crucifix, to which the townspeople had great devotion. On rebuilding the church, they found among the ruins this magnificent carving of the crucified Christ without its arms. They could not decide what to do.

Some favored restoring it with new arms, others thought a replica would be better. Finally, after much deliberation, they decided to put the carving where it had always stood in front of the altar, just as it had been found, but with the inscription, ‘You are my arms’ ... It can be seen today above the altar. (cf F Carvajal, “Lukewarmness -- The Devil in Disguise”, 1992)

We are God’s arms in the world because He has willed to need men. We should turn to the powerful intercession of Saint Joseph, magnificent teacher of interior life. We ask him, who lived beside Jesus for so many years, to teach us to love Jesus and to talk to him trustingly all days of our life.

Mary, our Mother will intercede with St Joseph for us.

Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:13-15; 18

Philip the Fair gained on this day a signal victory over the Flemings, in the year 1304, after commending himself to Our Lady of Chartres. Out of gratitude for this favor, he gave to it in perpetuity the land and lordship of Barres, founded a daily mass forever, and left to this church all the accoutrements which he wore on that day of victory. This feast is kept in the Church of Notre Dame, at Paris, on the following day, the 18th, and the office is double. — Sebastien Rouillard, c. 6. “Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar (http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)

Philip the Fair, King of France, wins a battle after asking the aid of Our Lady of Chartres. 1304. Not construed as endorsement of this greedy king who persecuted the Knights Templar to confiscate their wealth. [See Jul 13; Aug 6, 17; Dec 22, 31.] (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)

Philip the Fair gained a miraculous victory over the Flemings in 1304 through the intercession of Our Lady of Chartres. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)

‘Madonna della Trapani’. Sicily, Italy. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)