14 March 2013 4th Week of Lent -- Thursday Jesus delivered to Pontius Pilate “It was early morning.” (Jn 18:28) The whole Sanhedrin took formal action against Jesus, that they might put him to death. The unjust judges hastily and eagerly awoke before daybreak, and assembled. Their only motive was to carry out their plan for putting an innocent Victim to death. What diligence in committing a terrible crime! We ought to blush with shame at how much more earnestly these wicked men were in doing evil than we often are in doing good. “And they brought him bound, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate ...” (Mk 15:2) The Jews, our Lord’s own people delivered him to the Gentiles. He had poured so many blessings on them and who had cried out in wonder, “He has done all things well: He has made both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.” (Mk 7:37) Their great treachery and ingratitude brought more humiliation and grief to Our Lord! Every heart gets indignant at this treacherous ingratitude of the Jews; but are not many Christians equally as wicked? By sacrilegious Communion, they deliver Jesus to the evil one reigning over their hearts. By their sins, they daily return evil for good to that loving Saviour who gave them a thousand times more graces and favors than he did to the Jews. “They did not enter Pilate’s headquarters, to avoid ritual defilement and be able to eat the Passover.” (Jn 18:28) How astonishing were the false consciences and blindness of these men! Well instructed in their religion, yet they demurred about an illegal act by entering the house of a heathen; not afraid to indulge their envy and hatred by conspiring against the life of an innocent man. Are there people who scrupulously observe trivial matters and either neglect or seldom attend to essential ones? Faithful to certain self-chosen pious practices, but do not mind omitting their obligations? Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp117-9 The Return to the Father’s House Lent is the time for a particularly loving meeting on our Father’s part with each and every one of us, so that even the most prodigal son may still take account of the waste he has perpetrated, call his sin by its name, and finally make his way with complete sincerity back to God, to the Father’s house. The way is through ‘examination of conscience, repentance, and resolve to improve; need for confession’ arises in him. Our reconciliation with God, the return to the Father’s house, is accomplished through Christ. His suffering and death on the cross stand between every human conscience, every human sin, and the Father’s boundless Love. Such Love is prompt to raise and pardon; nothing else than Mercy. In personal conversion, in repentance, in firm resolve to reform, and finally in confession, each of us agrees to perform a personal spiritual labor. This labor is an extension and prolonged reverberation of the labor of salvation which our Redeemer undertook. As the Apostle of reconciliation with God said: “For your sakes God made him who did not know sin, to be sin, so that in him we might become the very holiness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21) So let us undertake our labor of conversion and penitence for Him, with Him and in Him. Unless we undertake it, we are not worthy of the name of Christ; we are not worthy of the inheritance of the Redemption. Ref: Cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, p137 Getting involved in the lives of others People who witness our behaviour may say: ‘What right do you have to interfere in the lives of others? Who gave you permission to talk about Christ, his doctrine, his sweet demands?’ We may even wonder: Who’s asking me to get involved? Our ‘reply would be’ -- “Christ himself is telling me, is begging me.” ‘The harvest is plentiful enough, but the labourers are few. You must ask the Lord to whom the harvest belongs to send labourers out for the harvesting.’ (Mt 9:37-8) “Don’t take the easy way out. Don’t say, ‘I’m no good at this sort of thing; there are others who can do it; it isn’t my line’.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 272) The Church encourages, and in fact requires, us to make Christ known. “Young people should become the first to carry on the apostolate directly to other young persons, concentrating their apostolic efforts within their own circle ... Children also have their own work to do. According to their ability, they are true living witnesses of Christ among their companions.” (Second Vatican Council, “Apostolicam Actuositatem”, 12) Everybody: young, old, sick, jobless or successful -- all of us must be apostles (‘sent’) to make Christ known by word and deed. God tells us: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel” (cf Mk 16:15). God sends us! Love for Christ leads us to love those around us. Our vocation impels us to think of others, not to fear sacrifices which mean love with deeds. The intensity of this will is a gauge of our sincerity and commitment. If at any time we feel no concern for souls, then our charity had grown cold. If their estrangement from God left us unmoved and their spiritual needs did not provoke a reaction in our own soul, indeed we are apathetic. The apostolate is not an adjunct to the normal activity of the Christian. It is the Christian life itself. Ref: Cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:454-5 • Our Lady de la Breche, at Chartres, where a procession takes place every year, in thanksgiving for Our Lady’s having delivered the city, when besieged by heretics, in the year 1568. It was during this siege that not a cannon or musket ball fired by the besiegers at the image of Our Lady, placed. upon the Drouaise gate, struck it, although the marks of them are still seen two or three inches from it.—(Sebastien Rouillard, Parthenie, o. 3.) “Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar (http://www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Our Lady of the Breach (Chartres, France). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html) • Our Lady of the Breach (Notre Dame de la Breche). Chartres, France. 1568. Picture of the church. • Our Lady de la Breche, Chartres, France (1568) (http://www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html) • Our Lady Of Kostrama (Russia). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)