St Paul wrote to the Christians of Ephesus: “I beg you to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, with forbearing for one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (cf “The Navarre Bible, Captivity Epistles”)
He lists the virtues: humility, gentleness, longanimity; various manifestations of charity, the bond of unity in the Church. “The temple of the King is not ruined, or cracked or divided: the cement of the living stones is charity.” (St Augustine, “Commentary on Psalm 44”)
Charity unites, pride separates. The first Christians showed their love for the Church through a charity which overcame all barriers.
One of the earliest Apologists, in the second century, described the behaviour of the first Christians as follows: “they love one another, they do not despise widows and they rescue orphans from those who treat them with violence; and he who has, gives unbegrudgingly to him who has not.” (Aristides, “Apology”, XV, 5-7)
However, the greatest charity was directed towards strengthening the brethren in the faith. The ‘Acts of the Martyrs’ recount in almost every page specific details of this concern for fidelity of the others. Truly “it was Love that enabled them to make their way through that corrupt pagan world”. (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 172) Love for the brethren and the pagans.
Let us have recourse to our Mother Mary. “May she, the Mother of love and unity, bind us closely, in order that, like the first community born from the Cenacle, we may be ‘one heart and one soul’. May she, the ‘Mother of Unity’, in whose womb the Son of God was united to humanity, inaugurating mystically the nuptial union of the Lord with all men, help us to be ‘one’ and to become instruments of unity, among Christians and among all men.” (John Paul II, “Homily”, 24 March 1980)
Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:352-4
Communion of the Saints -- If you feel the communion of saints -- if you live it -- you’ll gladly be a man of penance. And you will realize that penance is “joy in spite of hardship”, and you will feel yourself “allied” to all the penitent souls that have been, that are, and that ever will be. (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 548)
The Apostolate -- Unity. Unity and submission. What do I want with the loose parts of a clock -- even though they are finely wrought -- if they can’t tell me the time? (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 962)
Presence of God
Make it a habit to raise your heart to God, in acts of thanksgiving, many times a day. Because he gives you this and that ... Because someone has despised you ... Because you don’t have what you need, or because you do have it.
And because he made his Mother, who is also your Mother, so beautiful. Because he created the sun and the moon and this animal or that plant. Because he made that man eloquent and you left slow of speech. ...
Thank him for everything, because everything is good.
Ref: Cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 504
Our Lord appears to St Peter
“Peter ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths laid there; then went away wondering to himself at what had come to pass.” (Lk 24:12). Fear and hope, joy and sorrow, love and contrition, contended within his heart. What an example for us!
"Often we are alone, working or travelling. In such situations, like St Peter, let us occupy ourself with some mystery of faith, or recall our morning prayer, thereby favorably preparing our heart and mind for the reception of divine grace.
“And he was seen by Cephas.” (1 Cor 15:5) St Paul leaves no doubt that St Peter was the first of the apostles favored by the apparition of their Divine Master.
St John, the beloved disciple, had stood beneath the cross and received the last sigh of his Redeemer. However, he was not favored, but Peter, who had publicly denied him.
We may believe that this appearance was accompanied by the most tender and reassuring words to convince the penitent apostle of his Lord’s full forgiveness for the past.
What conclusion should we draw from our Lord’s behavior to St Peter?
That God pardons as God -- ie, “entirely”, without “reserve or remembrance of the past”. He loves and even caresses the sinner, as if he had never offended him. “For the gifts of God are without repentance.” (Rom 11:29)
No doubt our Lord’s motive in thus first appearing to St Peter was, among others, to restore him in the opinion of the rest, and to preserve his authority as the chief of apostles. We see that St Peter’s testimony was at once received by his brethren, when they affirmed, “The Lord is risen indeed and had appeared to Simon” (Lk 24:34).
Thus he fulfilled the mission his Divine Master confided to him, “And you, being once converted, strengthen your brethren” (Lk 22:32). How good is the Lord to all of us.
Let us praise him and conform ourselves to his example. When it is our duty to correct anyone to whom respect is due, let us keep his position in mind.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp210-212
The use of holy water to conquer the devil
“You ask me why I always recommend, with such insistence, the daily use of holy water. I could give you many reasons. But there could be none better than that of the Saint of Avila: ‘From nothing do evil spirits flee more precipitately, never to return, than from holy water.’” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 572)
John Paul II exhorts us, when we pray, to think more about the last petition of the “Our Father: Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from Evil -- from the Evil One. Do not let us give in, Lord, to the infidelity towards which the one who has been unfaithful right from the beginning entices us.” (“General Audience”, 13 August 1986)
The best way to show that we want to replace the devil’s ‘non serviam’ with our personal ‘Serviam: I will serve you, Lord’, is by a special effort to improve in our faithfulness to what we know God wants of us.
Ref: Cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:36
Supernatural Life -- If you lose the supernatural meaning of your life, your charity will be philanthropy; your purity, decency; your mortification, stupidity; your discipline, a lash; and all your works, fruitless. (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 279)
• In the year 1011, the Blessed Virgin gave the white habit to the blessed Alberic instead of the black which he wore. — See his Life. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Our Lady gave Blessed Alberic the white habit. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Kieff. Russia. 1010. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
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