26 May 2012: The Gift of Fear

God grants two remedies for all our temptations and trials: “Love and fear ... Love will make us quicken our steps, while fear will make us look where we are setting our feet so that we shall not fall.” (St Theresa, “The Way of Perfection”, 40, 1) Worldly fear (cf MM Philipon, “The Gifts of the Holy Spirit”, Madrid) refers to physical evil or social disadvantages in life. We tend to flee from all earthly inconveniences; or abandon Christ and his Church on fearing fidelity to a Christian way of life can cause any hardship. Then comes ‘human respect’ which spawns countless surrenders and betrayal. Servile fear is good. For many who are far from God, fear of the punishment of hell can be the first step toward conversion, the beginning of love. (cf Sir 25:12) Although fear should not be the main motive of the Christian, oftentimes, it will be a great defence against temptation and attractions of evil. “He who fears is not perfected in love” (Jn 4:18) because the true Christian acts through love and is created to love. The holy fear of God, a gift of the Holy Spirit, is what dwelt, with the other gifts, in the most holy Soul of Christ and which also filled the Most Blessed Virgin. It is a consequence of the gift of wisdom and is its outward sign. (St Thomas, “Summa Theologiae”, II-II; 45, 1 and 3) This filial fear is proper to children who feel protected by their Father whom they do not wish to offend. Its results are twofold: an immense respect for God’s majesty and a great horror of sin. This gift enables holy souls to admit their nothingness before God. We may repeat as an aspiration St Josemaria Escrivá’s words: “I am worth nothing, I have nothing, I can do nothing, I know nothing, I am nothing, nothing at all!” (Quoted by A Vazquez de Prada, “The Founder of Opus Dei”, Madrid) Concurrently, he realized the infinite greatness of knowing oneself and of being a child of God. The gift of fear inclines us to understand that sin is the root cause of moral evils which divide and ravage society. (John Paul II, “Letter” presenting the “Instrumentum laboris” of the VI Synod of Bishops, 25 January 1983) It leads us also to hate deliberate venial sin; and to vigorously react against the first symptoms of lukewarmness, carelessness or mediocrity. Love and fear must be our constant companions. “When love banishes fear, fear itself is changed into love.” (St Gregory of Nyssa, “Homily 15”) Then the soul understands better its infinite separation from God and its condition as a child of God. A loss of this holy fear of God weakens or removes the sense of sin. Tepidity sets in; the soul neglects God. In the Gospel, Christ repeatedly said: “‘Do not fear ... do not be afraid’. ... rather fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.” (Mt 10:28) “We are called to fortitude at the same time to fear of God, that comes of love, a filial fear. ... only when this fear sinks into our hearts can we be really strong with the strength of the apostles, the martyrs and the confessors.” (John Paul II, “Address to the new Cardinals”, 30 April 1979) The gift of fear is rooted in humility and like it, has an affinity with the virtue of temperance. We use human goods moderately, secondary to our supernatural end. Sin is often traced to the disordered search for sense pleasures or for material things. Here, this gift is active, purifying and keeping the heart solely for God. The gift of fear is primarily a struggle against sin. All the other gifts help in this specific mission: the insight bestowed by the gifts of understanding and wisdom about the greatness of God and the true meaning of sin; the gift of counsel maintains one in a relentless battle against evil. (cf MM Philipon, “The Gifts of the Holy Spirit”, Madrid) “Love and fear of God! These are two strong castles whence we can wage war on the world and on the devils.” (St Theresa, “The Way of Perfection”, 40, 2) Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us recognize our faults sincerely and feel true sorrow for them. May God make us react: “My eyes shed streams of tears, because men do not keep thy law.” (Ps 118:136) Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:573-8 ` ` ` MAY DEVOTIONS ` ` ` Mary is the Way to Jesus “Mary does the immense favor of bringing to the cross, of placing face to face with the example of the Son of God, those who come close to her and contemplate her life. It is in this confrontation that Christian life is decided. And here Mary intercedes for us so that our behavior may lead us to a reconciliation of the younger brother (you and me) with the firstborn Son of the Father. “Many conversions, many decisions to give oneself to the service of God have been preceded by an encounter with Mary. Our Lady has encouraged us to look for God, to desire to change, to lead a new life.” Ref: St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 149 Let us offer our Mother: ‘If we have a friend or if there is a child who does not yet know how to say the Rosary, let us teach the way.’ Ref: Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias (Eds), “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, pp312-3 Young saints who greatly loved Mary We really love Mary if we do something ‘constantly’ to please her. We are not required to do great things to show our devotion. Simple acts of devotion suffice, like saluting an image of ‘Mary’, bringing flowers to her altar, wearing Mary’s scapular, naming one of our girls ‘Mary’, doing little acts of mortification in her honor. When St John Berchmans, a young Jesuit novice, was lying on his deathbed, his superior came to his room and said: “My dear brother, you are at the point of appearing before God; before leaving us, I beg of you to tell us what special devotion we ought to practice in honor of Our Blessed Lady, that we may obtain her protection every day of our life, and in particular at the hour of our death.” The dying saint answered: “Any devotion you choose; but let it be constant!” St Aloysius Gonzaga made a vow of virginity at the age of nine and kept it throughout his life, because he was so devoted to Mary Most Holy. St Therese of Lisieux said: “We do well to speak of Mary’s prerogatives, but we must not stop at that. We must make her loved.” Ref: Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, 1984, p35 St Philip Neri, priest In his parish was a daily communicant who usually left the church soon after receiving Holy Communion. One day Fr Philip had an altar server accompany this person with a lighted candle until she reached home. Surprised, she returned and asked the priest the reason for this ‘courtesy’. The priest explained that until the Sacred Host was completely dissolved in her stomach (~10 minutes), she was in reality a tabernacle. In deference to the Holy Eucharist, the lighted candle was to inform everybody of this truth of faith. (cf Fr Bel R San Luis, SVD, “Word Alive”, “Manila Daily Bulletin”) · “Mary, Mother of God and my tender Mother, pray to Jesus for me.” -- St Philip Neri (In Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, 1984, p23) • Dedication of Our Lady of Vaucelles, in the diocese of Cambray by Samson, Archbishop of Rheims. This abbey, of the order of Citeaux, was founded in the year 1132. — Cistercian Chronicle. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Our Lady of Vaucelles (France). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • “Notre-Dame de Vaucelles”. Cambrai, France. Built in 1140. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Caravaggio (Italy, 1432). (www.divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm; (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (http://mariedenazareth.com) • “Madonna della Caravaggio”. Italy. 1432. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)