1 March 2013 2nd Week of Lent -- Friday Jesus enters the Garden of Olives Jesus walks resolutely with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives where there was a garden called Gethsemane. He entered and told his disciples, “Sit here while I go yonder and pray. Pray that you may not fall into temptation”. (Mk 14:32; Lk 22:39-40) “And he takes Peter and James and John with him, and he began to fear.” (Mk 14:33) Why did Jesus select these three disciples to be with him at the time of the great mysteries of his agony? The Gospel is silent. We may presume that since they saw his glory and happiness at the Transfiguration on Mount Thabor, it was his will that they should witness also his humiliation and agony on the Mount of Olives. Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp82-4 Affliction of the Soul of Jesus “My soul is sorrowful, even unto death.” (Mk 14:33) He was overwhelmed with physical sufferings and mental agony of one who suffers a violent death. What caused this deep sorrow? 1) The repulsive sight of the sins of men which his Father had laid on him. He had offered himself as the Victim of universal expiation. 2) The vivid and detailed torments, all the insults, he had to undergo. Finally, the terrible thought that his death will be in vain to a vast number of men who would remain hardened in sin. How did Jesus respond to this extreme loneliness of his soul? First, he asks his three chosen disciples to share his sorrow, and watch with him. Then he resorted to prayer. Thus he acted as man, to be our model. Jesus chose to begin his Passion with this total suffering of his soul because he willed to give his heavenly Father a complete satisfaction; and to us a proof of inifinite love. Man had sinned by misusing the faculties of his soul before he misused his senses. We thus learn what we may do and ought to do in our interior troubles: we may seek relief in telling a pious and discreet friend; but since what we need is supernatural strength, we ‘ought’ to pray and listen to God. Ref: Cf Practical Meditations by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp85-6 Friendship: Its deep christian sense A Christian must have a great heart. A Christian’s dealings with his fellowmen should be a generous outpouring of supernatural affection, overcoming a tendency to egoism. We pray that Our Lord enlarge our hearts; that He help us to offer our sincere friendship to more people; that He may move us to do apostolate with everyone, regardless of their response, even if we must often submerge our ego, or set aside our personal preferences. Part and parcel of a loyal friendship is making a positive effort. We will maintain this attitude through a constant friendship with Jesus Christ, “to understand the convictions of our friends, even though we may never come to share them or accept them” (St Josemaria Escrivá, Furrow, 746) if they are irreconcilable with our Christian convictions. Assisted by grace, we will show charity towards those who do not behave as children of God; but rather offend Him, because “no sinner, as a sinner, is worthy of love; but every man, as a man, is lovable by God” (St Augustine, “On Christian Doctrine”, 1:27). They all remain as children of God, capable of conversion and attaining eternal life. When our friends lack formation or are ignorant in doctrinal matters, display character defects, or even seem indifferent to such things, we must not get discouraged. These failings are urgent signs that reveal a greater need of spiritual help, an invitation to intensify our concern. After all a friend is a person who always wills the good of the other. If at some time we suffer through particularly painful rebuffs in our efforts to befriend people in the course of our apostolate, we should ask for Our Lady’s help. Very often we have contemplated her at the foot of the Cross, enduring the infamous things done to her Son; and many of those offences came from us. We must resolve to get close to those relatives, friends and acquaintances who are most in need. Let us ask Our Lady for the necessary graces to realize it. Ref: Cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:343-5 Unity of Christians is a Gift of God ‘This week of prayer’ comes around again punctually, to arouse the consciences of Christians to examine themselves under God’s eyes on the question of regaining full unity. As a gift of God, we must, therefore, ask for it intensely from the Lord. The fact that Christians of various confessions join in common prayer assumes special significance. Christians are rediscovering with increasing lucidity how partial but true communion already exists, and, before God and with His help, they are moving toward unity. They are moving toward that goal by beginning with prayer to the Lord, to Him who purifies and liberates, who redeems and unites. We must be very attentive and make sure prayer does not lose that power of turning things upside down. It ought to shake the consciences of all about the division of Christians, ‘which openly contradicts the will of Christ, provides a stumbling block to the world, and inflicts damage on the most holy cause of proclaiming the good news to every creature’. We ask You, O Lord, for the gifts of Your Spirit so that we can enter into the depths of the truth, whole and entire. Teach us to overcome divisions. Send Us Your Spirit to lead all your children to full unity, in full charity, in obedience to Your will. Amen. Ref: Cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, p62 Lourdes: The twelfth apparition ‘Monday.’ The crowd, again about 1,500 people to see Bernadette, made it hard to reach the spring when she was in ecstasy. During this apparition, a strange event, later popularly known as the “Benediction of the Rosary”, took place. Bernadette’s sick friend had given her a rosary and begged her to use it during the ecstasy. Although Bernadette brought her own rosary, she took out her friend’s but then immediately put it back into her pocket. Her hand emerged with the other rosary and held it out towards the niche. Later she explained that “Aquero” told her to use her usual rosary and to hold it up. Seeing her raised hand, the onlookers all started to imitate her, lifting their rosaries with the hope of obtaining the Virgin’s blessing. Ref: G Menotti, “Lourdes”, p10 • Establishment of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, by Sixtus IV, in 1476, and a grant of indulgences to those who attend the offices of the church or Mass.—(T. iv. Conciliorum.) “Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar (http://www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Establishment: Feast of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Sixtus IV, 1476. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html) • Feast of the Immaculate Conception established by Pope Sixtus IV. 1476. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Madonna della Croce. Crema, Italy. 1873. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady Della Croce, Crema, Italy (1873). (http://www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)