26 May 2013 Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Sunday after Pentecost Let us recall all we owe to the love of the Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity. “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. ...” (“The Apostle’s Creed” in “Handbook of Prayers”, Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias [eds], 1988, p65) The Holy Trinity is the greatest of all mysteries. The feast is the complement and gathering up into one all feasts of the ecclesiastical year. A mystery beyond our comprehension, the finite being incapable of understanding the infinite; but we must adore it with deepest humility, most tender love, and most lively gratitude. It is the source of all good to us. Omnipotence, and the work of creation, which implies omnipotence, is the special attribute of the Father, the first principal from which the two other Persons proceed. To him, then, I owe my existence, my preservation, and all that has conduced to my preservation. Without him I should always have remained nothing. God saw from all eternity, in the nothingness out of which we were created, millions of possible beings, who would have served him better than we have done, and glorified him more. Why, then, has he created us instead? Out of a gratuitous love of predilection. ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.’ This love has preserved us from so many dangers in which others have perished. We enjoy so many favors both of nature and grace. Love begets love. What return have we made to so loving and generous a God and Father? Perhaps we have loved him so little and served him grudgingly. The love of God the Son for us has been manifested in a still more striking manner, ie, by that of ‘redemption’, which has not only ransomed us from slavery and death; but reinstated us in all our primitive rights. Suppose the son of a king should offer his life for a criminal? This is what the Son of God has done for each one of us. “He debased himself” (cf Phil 2:7-8), taking the form of a slave, becoming obedient unto death, even death of the cross. St Paul concludes, ‘That they also who live may not now live to themselves, but unto him who died for them’. Have we given this proof of our love and gratitude to him? The love of the Holy Spirit manifests itself in our sanctification and adoption. He sanctified us in our Baptism, purifying our soul from all stain, filling it with divine charity, and all prerogatives of sanctifying grace which raise us to the dignity of adopted sons and heirs of God, and co-heirs of Jesus Christ. “The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to us.” For the “Spirit himself gives testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God; and if sons, heirs also, heirs indeed of God and joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom 8:16-7). He has also sanctified us in our Confirmation, and in partaking of the other Sacraments. How many undeserved benefits have I received and even despite my great unworthiness! ‘What shall I render to the Lord’, to the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity, ‘for all the things that he has rendered to me?’ Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp308-10 The intercession of Mary Let us close these thoughts with an old prayer: ‘Hail, Mary, daughter of God the Father; hail, Mary, Mother of God the Son; hail, Mary, Spouse of God the Holy Spirit. Hail, Mary, temple and sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity, conceived without stain of original sin from the very first instant of your virginal being. Greater than you, only God!’ Through Mary’s intercession and personal relationship with each of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity, we can acquire a deeper knowledge of the richness of this mystery which is understandable only through a life of prayer. Through her we will find the strength to correspond to what God wants to share with us. Ref: J P Debicki, “The Blessed Trinity”, Scepter Booklets, 18 Sign of Peace At Mass, the priest asks Jesus not to look upon our sins, but to grant us the Peace He promised to the Apostles: ‘Peace I leave with you; My Peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.’ We join the priest and respond, ‘Amen’. St Anthony in a Homily said: “The Resurrection of Christ is the source of lasting peace. His place must always be in the center of our hearts.” “Jesus came and stood in their midst. ‘Peace be with you’, He said. Then He showed His Hands and His Side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” (cf Jn 20:19-21) “The Latin for peace is ‘Pax,’ a three-letter word that symbolizes the Triune and one God (the Holy Trinity). The letter ‘P’ stands for ‘Pater’, ‘Father’; the letter ‘a’, first letter of the alphabet stands for the first-born, the Son of God; ‘x’, a consonant made up of two sounds ‘k’ and ‘s’, stands for the Holy Spirit [or ‘X’ “The Great Unknown”, in St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 173-87], proceeding from both the Father and the Son.” Ref: St Anthony’s Sermons, “Seek First His Kingdom”, in Bob and Penny Lord, “Miracles of the Eucharist”, Vol. II:305-6 The Fruit of the Redemption Is the New Creature The Redemption is a “new creation” because by reason of sin, man fell from his “original justice”. He broke the Alliance with God. Consequently, he suffered incapacity to build communion with others in the truth of self-giving. We must deepen our consciousness of sin, the indispensable starting point for personal participation in the mystery of the Redemption. The Redemption worked by Christ brought man back to “the dignity of his first origins”. In Christ, the second and true Adam, the new humanity takes its origin. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old order has passed away; now all is new!” (2 Cor 5:17) A change in the very essence of the human person who has been redeemed brings man back to the fulness of his being as ‘God’s image’ (cf Gen 1:27). Ref: Cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, 1984, p268 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”) Miraculous operations of the Holy Spirit Simultaneously with the appearance of tongues, the Apostles were all filled with the Holy Spirit and transformed into very different men. From being timid, proud, vacillating, and slaves of their passions, they suddenly became marvels of knowledge, strength, humility, constancy, and holiness; purified from all stain of sin, confirmed in sanctifying grace. What their Divine Master had not chosen to do himself in the course of three years was accomplished by the Holy Spirit in one moment, and without any effort on their part. These miracles continue, though less sensibly, in the hearts of whoever are docile to his inspirations, especially when the Sacraments are received worthily. We receive them frequently, and yet we complain of being so little illuminated in divine things -- so weak, ready to fall under temptation, constantly relapsing into the same faults and imperfections; almost always in a state of tepidity. Is the fault entirely in ourselves -- negligent or want of fervor in receiving the Sacraments? The Apostles first used the gifts of understanding and of tongues to proclaim the glory and greatness of God. To make Jesus, his Divine Son, known, loved, glorified, and obeyed by their zeal and eloquent words. This language of the Holy Spirit is opposed to the language of the world which is generally employed to speak of ourselves and praise our works, seeking thereby to obtain esteem and admiration for ourselves. Are we influenced by the Spirit of God, or by the spirit of the world and of vainglory? If we take pleasure in speaking of God; if we seek to bring the lost sheep into the true Church, and to make known the religion of Jesus Christ, we speak the language of the Holy Spirit. If, however, we speak only of ourselves, we may conclude that he does not dwell in our hearts, since it is ‘out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks’ [Mt 12:34]. The zeal of the Apostles quickly brought enemies. The wicked turned them into ridicule, the Scribes calumniated them. The rulers of the people had them cast into prison and beaten; even threatened with death if they dared to preach again in the name of Jesus. Not alarmed nor discouraged, the Apostles persisted with greater zeal to preach Jesus and the Resurrection. Their only answer: “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) If we act in like manner, we shall meet the same treatment: unjustly accused, calumniated, persecuted. But we must not be discouraged nor conform to the world’s praise or blame; but according to God’s law and the directions of our spiritual guides. Thus, we shall be secure from error. Our zeal will be discreet, faithful, and blessed with success. Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp299-30 ` ` ` 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.” (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 · “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)