29 December 2012 Return of the shepherds and their zeal The shepherds, having adored their Saviour and laid their simple offerings at His feet, “returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Lk 2:16). Such was the effect of that divine love the shepherds had acquired at the manger. Jesus was in their hearts and on their lips. They wanted to make Him known and loved by all the world; they eagerly spoke of Him to all whom they met, begging them also to go and adore their Messiah. Love had made them into apostles. If Jesus is in our hearts, He will also be often on our lips. He has told us, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”. (Mt 12:34) Animated by His love, and with zeal for His glory, we will endeavor to make Him loved and served as much as we can by all the world. We shall be watchful and ingenious in seizing on every occasion to attain this great end. “And all who heard wondered.” (Lk 2:18) Men, certainly the Jews of Bethlehem, are indifferent to their story -- the Messiah born in a stable, the appearance, words, and songs of angels! They would have run to the stable to adore their Saviour, competed for the honor of lodging Him, of having Him with them. But they did nothing! “But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.” (Lk 2:19) Her conduct is a singular contrast to that of the Jews. She meditated on them all day. This treasure of precious teaching was passed on later to the disciples and Apostles. St Luke is believed to have learned from her details about the Incarnation, adoration of the shepherds; the visitation and purification. Our dear Mother teaches us how we ought to profit by our meditations, recalling to mind throughout the day the good thoughts and inspirations; reviving in our hearts the affections which proceeded from them. Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp821-3 The duty of Christians in human society The Child we have been contemplating in the crib during the past few days is the Redeemer of everyone. He has come to give us eternal life, which we can anticipate in this life; to be fully possessed after death. He became man to call sinners (cf Lk 5:32), to save what was lost (cf Lk 19:10), to make divine life known to all (cf Mk 10:45). Our Lord will be content with us if we strive for a more just world wherever we may be. Justice and peace in the world must be centered on God; if not, man reverts to his original state of slavery, open to oppression by his fellow creatures. (SCDF, “Instruction on Christian freedom and liberation”, 39, 22 March 1986) By our apostolate to make our places more Christian, they also turn more human where Christ can be more easily known and loved. Sincerely living the virtue of justice will lead us to pray for leaders of government, business, social services, etc whose expertise will help solve the major social and human problems. “Even if we achieve a reasonable distribution of wealth and a harmonious organisation of society, there will still be the sufferings of illness, misunderstanding, loneliness, death of loved ones, experience of our own limitations.” (cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 168) Justice is enriched and complemented by mercy. Strict justice “can lead to denial and an extinction of itself if no allowance is made for love to form human life” (John Paul II, Encyclical, “Dives in misericordia”, 12); and result “in a system of oppression of the weaker by the stronger or in an arena of permanent struggle of the one against the other” (John Paul II, Encyclical, “Dives in misericordia”, 14). Justice and mercy mutually sustain and fortify each other. “Justice alone is never enough to solve the great problems of mankind. When justice alone is done, don’t be surprised if people are hurt. The dignity of man, who is a son of God, requires much more.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 172) Charity without justice would simply be an attempt to numb one’s conscience. Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 1:261-7 ‘Mother of good counsel. Pray for us.’ Rectitude of intention ‘God can read men’s hearts.’ We should strive to correct our intention many times each day. We must reject temptation to vanity and vain-glory which might cheapen our total dedication to God’s service. All our actions should be oriented to the greater glory of God. If we are completely dedicated to serving God we will ignore the idle criticism of what we do. We want to please God more than anyone else. Our Mother Mary will teach us how to live entirely for God’s glory. “Don’t ever lose the supernatural point of view. Correct your intention as the course of a ship is corrected on the high seas -- by looking at the star, by looking at Mary. Then you will always be sure of reaching harbor.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Forge”, 749) Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 5:411-2 The Apostolate of the Believing Laity It will be necessary to confirm once again, that the growth of affirmation of the laity’s Christian identity does not diminish or limit its possibilities. Rather does it define, nourish and add power to this presence and to this specific and original task entrusted by the Church to her sons and daughters in the various fields of personal, professional and social activity. The Gospel itself urges us to share every one of man’s situations and conditions, with a passionate love for everything to do with his condition of being a creature of God’s, “made in the divine image” (Gen 1:27); and sharing in the divine descent through the grace of Christ. The Second Vatican Council rightly emphasized that the Catholic laity is to impregnate and transform the entire texture of human society with the values of the Gospel, with the announcement of a Christian anthropology, deriving from these values. No human activity is extraneous to responsible evangelizing task of the laity: life testimony and evangelizing effort for the Christian families; vast world of work; field of politics, culture, of intellectuals, scientists, educators and artists. Ref: Cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, pp313-4 • Our Lady of Spire, in Germany. St Bernard entering this church on the 29th of December 1146, was honorably received there by the canons, who conducted him to the choir, singing the “Salva Regina.” At the close of the antiphon, St Bernard saluted the image of the Blessed Virgin in these terms: “O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria!” and it is said that she answered: “Salve Bernarde!” The words of this saint to the image are seen engraved in a circle on the pavement of the church, on the same spot where he pronounced them, and have since been added to the “Salve Regina” which was composed in the year 1040, by Herman, surnamed Contractus, a Benedictine monk. — Angelus Manrique, annals of the Cistercians, year 1146, c. 10, etc. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Our Lady of Spire, Germany (1146). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html); (http://mariedenazareth.com) • “Unsere Dame von Spire”. Germany. 1146. ... (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)