Peter, as he declared aloud his love for Jesus, was afraid. Will his perseverance hold should a great temptation come like what had caused his fall? His doubt was agonizing. Jesus graciously comforted him by the assurance that he would be generous and faithful.
“Very truly, I say to you, when you shall be old, you shall stretch out your hands, and another shall lead you where you would not wish to go. He said this to signify by what kind of death he should glorify God.” (Jn 21:18) By the death of the cross for the sake of justice: martyrdom.
This was the reward given to the Apostle for his love; and by this martyrdom he was to glorify the great rank and dignity to which he had been raised. In the crosses that God sends us we should see only the proofs of his love, and the means of repaying him.
Jesus, after having assured St Peter that he should be faithful unto death, walked forward and said to him, “Follow me” (Jn 21:19). Why did our Lord give the apostle, who was ready for martyrdom, a command so easy to obey?
To show him (and now, us) that to be faithful in great things, we must be habitually faithful in little ones; and that to be able to make painful and heroic sacrifices, we must have the habit of making easy ones.
What, in fact, he had taught before his passion, when he said, “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that which is greater” (cf Mt 25:21, 23).
Everyday experience confirms the truth of this doctrine. Those who are habitually faithful to their norms never fall into great errors. In times of great trial they remain faithful even to martyrdom. This grace of martyrdom was the reward of their fidelity in little things, and of the constant mortification which it implies.
Before they were martyrs for the faith, they were martyrs to their norms, even to its smallest details. This is the meaning of that beautiful antiphon— ‘Behold the saints, how great torments they have all suffered, that they might securely attain the palm of martyrdom.’
“Peter, turning about, saw that disciple whom Jesus loved following, and he said, ‘Lord and what shall this man do?’ Jesus said, ‘I will have him remain till I come, what is that to you? Follow me.’” (Jn 21:20-22)
It is a common temptation to meddle in the affairs of others — to judge or wrongly interpret their words and actions. Should this temptation come to us, recall what Jesus said to St Peter, ‘What is it to you?’ We will not be made to account for others, but only ourself.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp251-3
` ` ` MAY DEVOTIONS ` ` `
The birth of Our Lord
“Jesus Christ, God-man. This is one of the ‘mighty works of God’, which we should reflect upon and thank him for. He has come to bring ‘peace on earth to men of good will’, to all who want to unite their wills to the holy will of God -- not just the rich, not just the poor, but everyone: all the brethren. We are brothers in Jesus, children of God, brothers of Christ. His Mother is our Mother.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 12)
Let us offer our Mother: ‘Jesus himself when we receive him in Holy Communion.’
Ref: Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias (Eds), “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, p306
Some marvels of the Rosary
It would hardly be possible to put into words how much Our Lady thinks of the Holy Rosary and of how she vastly prefers it to all other devotions. Neither can I sufficiently express how highly she regards whoever work to preach the devotion, to establish and spread it; nor on the other hand how firmly she punishes whoever work against it.
Throughout his life, St Dominic always heartily praised Our Lady, preached her greatness and inspired everybody to honor her by saying the Rosary. As a reward he received countless graces from her. Exercising her great power as Queen of Heaven she crowned his labors with many miracles and prodigies.
Almighty God always granted him what he asked through Our Lady. The greatest honor was that she helped him crush the Albigensian heresy; and made him the founder of a great religious order.
As for Blessed Alan de la Roche who restored the devotion to the Rosary, he received many privileges from Our Lady. She graciously appeared to him several times to teach him how to work out his salvation, to become a good priest and perfect religious, and how to pattern himself on Our Lord.
She taught him to say the Rosary, explaining its value and the fruits to be gained by it; and gave him a great and glorious privilege: the honor of being called her new spouse. As a token of her chaste love she placed a ring upon his finger and a necklace made of her own hair about his neck and gave him a Rosary.
Father Triteme Carthagena and Martin of Navarre (both very learned men) and others as well have spoken of him in terms of the highest praise. Blessed Alan died at Zunolle in Flanders on 8 September, 1475, after having brought over one hundred-thousand people into the Confraternity of the Rosary.
“We are well aware of the Rosary’s powerful efficacy to obtain the material aid of the Blessed Virgin. Although there is more than one way of praying to obtain this aid, we nevertheless consider the Rosary the most suitable and most fruitful means.” Encyclical, “Ingruentium malorum” of Pope Pius XII, 19 September 1951 (In Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, 1984, p48)
Ref: Cf St Louis de Montfort, “The Secret of the Rosary”, 1954, 27-8
• In the year 1203, the learned Justus Lipsius gave his silver pen to the Church of Our Lady of Haut, in Hainault, where it is still seen hanging before the high altar. — See his Life. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• The scholar Justus Lipsius donates his silver pen to the Church of Our Lady of Haut. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• The learned Justus Lipsius gave his silver pen to the Church of Our Lady of Haut. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• “Madonna della Pompeii”. Italy. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of Pompeii. (www.divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm; (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
• Our Lady of the Defenseless (Madrid). Moveable feast -- 2nd Sunday in May. (www.starharbor.com/santiago/m feasts.html)
• Our Lady of the Defenseless. Madrid, Spain. Moveable feast -- 2nd Sunday in May. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of Grace. Celebrated by Hieronymites. Moveable feast -- 2nd Sunday in May. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Pontoise / “Notre-Dame de Pontoise” / “Notre-Dame de la Santé” (Our Lady of Health). Pontoise, France: Originally constructed in 1177, this church is now a Basilica. Beginning in 1640, the inhabitants of the city began an annual procession in Mary's honor, and placed a statue of Mary at each entrance to the village. The ceremony was credited with ending the village's frequent pestilence. Song. History of the church's miraculous statue of Mary. Society for restoration of the church's historic organ. Moveable feast -- 2nd Sunday in May. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of Beautiful Love. (“Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia”, 1991, p630)
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