If we turn to Sacred Scripture we will see that humility is absolutely necessary when we are making ready to listen to God. “Where there is humility, there is wisdom.” (Prov 11:2)
Humility means looking at ourselves as we really are, honestly and without excuses. And when we realize we are worth hardly anything, we can then open ourselves to God’s greatness: there, our greatness lies.
How well our Lady, Jesus’ Holy Mother, understood this! She, the most exalted of all God’s creatures that have existed or ever will exist upon this earth!
Mary glorifies the power of our Lord, who “has put down the mighty from their thrones and has exalted the lowly” (Lk 1:52). And she sings of how this divine providence has once again been fulfilled in her: “because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid, henceforth all generations shall me blessed” (cf Lk 1:48).
Mary becomes transformed in holiness in the depths of her most pure heart on seeing the humility of God: “the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.” (Lk 1:35)
The Blessed Virgin’s humility is a consequence of that unfathomable depth of grace which comes into operation with the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity in the womb of his ever Immaculate Mother.
Ref: Cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 96
Fear of Death Today
Generations of men achieved progress with great difficulty, waste, energies, expense. However, it contains ‘a potent coefficient of death’ within its complexity; conceals a gigantic ‘potential for death’ in itself. Is it necessary to test this for oneself in society, conscious of possibilities of destruction in the military and nuclear arsenals?
Man of today is therefore, afraid. The superpowers possess those arsenals but are afraid. This ‘fear is justified. ... men are slaying other men abundantly already today!’
They kill in homes, offices, universities. Men armed with modern weapons kill defenseless and innocent people.
Together with this gigantic material progress, have we also reached the point of ‘wiping out man himself, who is such a fundamental and elementary Value?’
Ref: Cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, pp99-100
Faithfulness in everyday things
Judas betrays Jesus with a show of friendship. He had allowed his love for the Lord to grow cold. What remained is the mere external appearance of discipleship.
His life of loving surrender to God had become a farce. More than once he must have thought it would have been better not to have followed the Lord at all.
Now the miracles, the cures, the happy moments with the Master, his friendship with the other apostles are forgotten. He is now a man who has lost his way, out of touch, capable of committing the madness which for us will be difficult to understand.
This act has been preceded by increasingly greater acts of disloyalty; the final result of a long, interior process.
In contrast, perseverance is doing the daily small things with faith; supported by the humility of beginning again when weakness makes us go astray.
“A house is not destroyed by a momentary impulse. ... often because of an old defect in its construction. Sometimes prolonged neglect permits water to get in, drop by drop. With time one tiny crack becomes larger, causing considerable damage. In the end, the rain pours in. The result is ruin.” (cf Cassian, “Conferences”, 6)
To persevere in our vocation is to respond to our Lord’s repeated calls despite the obstacles and difficulties and, sometimes, acts of cowardice and even defeats. As we contemplate these scenes let us examine our faithfulness in the details of our vocation.
Is there any hint of a double life? Am I faithful to my duties? Do I make sure my relationship with the Lord is sincere? Do I avoid becoming attached to material things -- being drawn to the ‘thirty pieces of silver’?
The Christian betrays Jesus by mortal sin. All sin, even venial sin, is inextricably and mysteriously related to the passion of the Lord.
Our life is an affirmation or negation of Christ. But even after the most serious offences He is always ready to take us back into his friendship. Judas rejected the hand the Lord held out to him; his life was now ruined.
Ref: Cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:241-3
Jesus accused and examined at the tribunal of Caiphas
“... the chief priests and the whole council sought false witnesses against Jesus, that they might put him to death; and they found none.” (Mt 26:59-60)
Our Lord’s life was so holy his sworn enemies, despite many witnesses against him, false ones included, could find nothing to accuse him of, not even the shadow of sin, or an imperfection.
“The high priest stood up and said, ‘Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?’” (Mt 26:62) “But Jesus held his peace.” (Mk 14:61)
Wonderful indeed was this silence of our Lord. His honor, reputation, and life were in peril. He could so easily defend and acquit himself; but remained silent. He left his defence in the hands of his Father.
How different we are! Falsely accused, he was silent. We, who glory in being his disciples, cannot stand a reproof that we know we deserve, or a kind observation, without becoming defensive. Sometimes even at the expense of truth.
“The high priest said to him, ‘I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are Christ, the Son of the living God’.” (Mt 26:63)
“Jesus replied, ‘You have said so’.” (Mt 26:64)
Here is a valuable lesson -- as long as our Lord’s own person was concerned, he kept silence; but when it was a question of his Father’s glory, the salvation of souls, or a point of faith, he spoke, and confessed the truth freely though he knew it would cost him his life.
When to speak and when to be silent requires thought, a calm mind, and great firmness of character. Have we sometimes sacrificed truth by keeping silence?
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp104-5
Responsibility
“There is no prudence in appointing untried men to important posts of direction just to see how it works out. It would be like risking the common good on a lucky dip.”
Ref: St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 969
• Apparition of Our Lady to St Bonet, Bishop of Clermont in Auvergne, whom she ordered to say mass one night when he had remained in the church to pray. The saint leaning against a pillar, as if to hide himself, the stone became soft and made the place for him, which is seen to this day. But the Blessed Virgin having obliged him to officiate, she left him when mass was over, the chasuble which had been brought him by angels to celebrate in. The heavenly present is still to be seen at Clermont, where it is preserved with great care. — See his Life in Surius, Jan. 15. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Apparition of Our Lady to St Bonet (7th Century). (www/divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Apparition of Our Lady to St. Bonet. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Hope (Italy, 1755). (http://mariedenazareth.com)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment