12 March 2013 4th Week of Lent -- Tuesday Jesus mocked by the soldiers and servants of Caiphas Caiphas, triumphant at having condemned Jesus, retired for the day. He left his captive to the insolence of his servants and soldiers who immediately dragged him into an underground prison for criminals. The hatred they knew their masters had for Jesus fired them up. They tried to outdo one another in ridicule, scorn, blasphemy, and curses on him. This horror lasted all night. Try to imagine our Lord’s suffering and humiliation; and our difficulties will be nothing. The days we spent among vulgar, ungrateful, and ill-tempered people will be less unbearable. “Then did they spit on his face.” (Mt 27:30) If this were not in the Gospel, we could not believe that men could be so brutal and cruel. Or that God made man could have allowed and borne such an insult. But our Lord allowed it repeatedly, silently, as Isaiah had prophesied: ‘I have not turned away my face from them that spat upon me.’ And yet men often complain and long to take revenge when injured even if they deserve it. We ought to fall at the feet of Jesus and cry out with St Bernard, ‘What, shall my Master and King be insulted and spat upon by his vilest subjects, and shall I be honored, who have deserved for my sins to be cast with the refuse of the human race to the bottom of hell? No, never! Let me rather be forgotten and despised, that I may obtain mercy in eternity.’ In grief and silence we will contemplate the King of Glory seated on a block of wood -- blindfolded, hands bound, surrounded by coarse, half-intoxicated men, who alternately strike him on the face and cry out, “Prophesy, who is it that struck thee?” (Mk 14:65; Mt 26:58) When we meditate on the three degrees of humility [read 5 September], we resolve that we be despised and thought nothing of by the world with our Master, rather than be esteemed and highly exalted before men. Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp110-111 St Peter’s threefold denial “Now when Peter was in the court below, there came one of the maid-servants of the high priest, and when she had seen Peter warming himself, stared at him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus of Nazareth’. But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him’.” (Lk 22:58) Peter, having recovered from his terror in the garden, followed Jesus but stayed afar. Earlier he had boasted of his steadfast fidelity. His weakness truly great, grievous indeed was his fall. St Peter’s fall shows us the weakness of human nature, and makes us tremble. Every effect has a cause. The Fathers give four reasons for his fall -- 1) he was presumptuous of his own strength; 2) he had neglected prayer and vigil with his Master; 3) he was rash in exposing himself to temptation; and 4) he indulged tepidity and idle curiosity. Our past falls and false steps can easily be traced to one or other of these causes. “And again he denied with an oath: ‘I know not the man’.” (Mt 26:72) As the danger increased, St Peter’s fear grew stronger, and he fell lower still. His first denial had been a cowardly falsehood; but his second was a perjury. His sins came fast and became more and more deadly. Correcting one mistake with another? Once we yield to our passions, human respect, gluttony, curiosity, anger, sensuality, or any other sin, we shall soon drift farther. We must not say, ‘I will do what I wish for this once, and then I shall be at rest’; or, ‘I will go thus far in what is wrong, but no farther’. The passions are like fire which never says, ‘It is enough’. St Augustine, speaking from experience, said so. “... after one hour, one of the servants said to him, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with him? Surely you also are one of them?’ But he began to curse and swear, saying, ‘I know not this man of whom you speak’.” (cf Mk 14:71) The Apostle’s fearsome fall was rapid. In less than two hours he thrice denied his Lord. Twice he perjured himself; and finally confirmed his false-swearing by a fearful curse on himself. What shame and grief he gave to his Master’s heart who, that very instant standing nearby, was enduring cruel insults for love of him! Why did our Lord permit him, who was to become the head of the Church, to fall so low? And why was it recorded in the Gospel for the whole world to know? The Fathers give three reasons -- 1) so that St Peter and his successors, the chief pastors of the Church, should excel in humility, and have a deep sympathy for the weakness of their people; 2) so that the world, perceiving the weak foundation the Catholic Church is built on, should recognize that it is indeed the work of God, not of men, and that its existence is a wonder and a marvel; and 3) as a warning to men, that, no matter to what height of sanctity they have attained, they are still very weak, and need continuing divine grace. Let us exalt the wisdom of Divine Providence! Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp112-5 Indulgenced Aspirations to the Blessed Virgin 1) Mary. 2) Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me. 3) Mary our hope, have pity on us. 4) Holy Mary, deliver us from the pains of hell. Ref: Very Rev Charles J Callan, OP, STM and Very Rev John A McHugh, OP, STM, “Blessed Be God”, 1925, p436 Our Lady Love our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle. And the enemy will gain nothing by those perversities that seem to boil up continually within you, trying to engulf in their fragrant corruption the high ideals, those sublime commands that Christ himself has placed in your heart. ‘Serviam!’ -- “I will serve!” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 493) • Our Lady of Miracles, in the cloister of St. Maur des Fosses, near Paris. It is said that this image was found made when the sculptor, named, Rumold, was about to begin it.—(Du Breuil, Theatre des Antiquites, lib. iv.) “Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar (http://www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Our Lady of Miracles. St. Maur des Fosses. France. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Miracles, St. Maur des Fosses, France. (http://www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html) • Our Lady of Miracles. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)