12 June 2013 Jesus Beckons to Suffering Souls Isaiah clearly prophesied how Jesus would bear our sufferings and carry our sorrows. It was essential that Christ should completely become like his brethren so he could be a compassionate and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of his people. Since Christ himself has suffered and has been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. (cf Heb 2:17-8) Near the heart of Jesus, we understand that suffering is the presence of God in the soul. Divine action is direct in suffering. Each sorrow is like a kiss of Christ on our soul. Jesus lovingly embraced the life-giving cross. ‘Those whom I love most’, he said to St Angela de Foligno, ‘eat nearest to me at my table. ... partake of the same bread of tribulation and drink from the same cup of the chalice of my Passion’. Our Lord sends us sufferings always for our greatest good; he never sends it without giving us at the same time the strength to bear it and draw profit from it. “My grace is enough for you”, he told St Paul (2 Cor 12:9). At the height of our sorrow, we can say with the great Apostle of the Gentiles: “... we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (cf Rom 8:37). Ref: Cf Fr M Guzman, “Encounters With Christ”, 1990, pp106-7 Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner God gave us the passion of anger as part of our human nature. Like other human passions, anger has lawful purposes. It is an instrument of charity, moving us to defend the weak and the helpless; a weapon against sin and against all institutions which propagate sin. Misuse makes anger sinful. Fr Leo Trese advises us to ask ourselves these questions as a test for righteous anger: Am I angry because God’s rights have been violated and the good of others have been threatened? Or am I angry simply because I have been personally offended? The former is righteous anger, the latter is not. Parents, especially, should appreciate times when anger is a virtue. A parent who would view his or her child’s misbehavior without any show of anger would be unjust to the child as well as unjust to God. For often, children will not realize the seriousness of their misconduct unless the parent shows anger. Parental anger at such a time is righteous. The angry parent must hate the sin and love the sinner. The parent who is angry because of the child’s disobedience should be really angry about the disobedience. The anger here is a sign of love for the child, concern for the child’s good. This reasonable anger should disappear as soon as the child’s behavior changes. Ref: Cf Fr M Guzman, “Encounters With Christ”, 1990, p30 The weight of the Cross When we feel the weight of the Cross, our Lord invites us to go to him. “Come, not to give an account ... don’t be afraid to hear talk of a yoke, because it is gentle; don’t be afraid if I speak of burden, because it is light. (St John Chrysostom, “Homilies on St Matthew”, 37, 2) By the side of Christ, all the struggles of life become lovable. Sacrifice and sorrow borne with Christ is neither bitter nor crushing, but rather in accord with our will. “Everything hard is made bearable through love. What can love not do? Look how people in love work: they do not feel what they suffer, they increase their efforts as the difficulties increase.” (cf St Augustine, “Sermon 96”, 1) Unity with God through whatever adversity, is a grace that God is always ready to grant us. However, like all grace, it demands the use of our free response. We must not reject the means that God places within our reach. We must be particularly prepared to open our hearts in spiritual guidance, if on some occasion the Cross gets unusually heavy. “A gentle wind is not the same as a hurricane. Anyone can resist the first: it is child’s play, a parody of struggle. Gladly you bore small contradictions, shortages and little worries. And you enjoyed the interior peace of thinking: now I am really working for God, ... here we have the Cross ... But now, my poor son, the hurricane has come, and you feel you are being shaken by a force that could uproot century-old trees. You feel this from without and within. But you must remain confident, for your Faith and your Love cannot be uprooted, nor can you be blown from your way, if you remain with the ‘head’, if you maintain unity.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 411) Our Lord awaits us in the Tabernacle, to encourage us always, and to inform us that the heaviest part of the Cross has been carried by him on the road to Calvary. Beside him we learn how to carry peacefully and serenely what seemed most difficult and demanding. “Everything may collapse and fail. Events may turn out contrary to what was expected and great adversity may come. But nothing is to be gained by being perturbed. Furthermore, remember the confident prayer of the prophet: ‘The Lord is our judge, the Lord gives us our laws, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.’ Say it devoutly every day, so that your behaviour may agree with the designs of Providence, which governs us for our own good.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 855) From the persecution suffered by the first Christians there arose new conversions in unexpected places. From the difficulties and obstacles Our Lord permits in our lives innumerable apostolic fruits are born. Our love becomes more refined and strong, and our soul emerges purified if we manage to bear these trials peacefully and united to Christ. Let us say to Our Lord we want to seek him in all the circumstances of our life: of profession, age, health or environment -- whether favorable or not and amidst whatever difficulties we may have come up against. “In the hour of rejection at the Cross, the Virgin Mary is there by her Son, willing to go through the same fate. Let us lose our fear of behaving like responsible Christians when the environment in which we move is not easy. She will help us.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 977) Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:403-4 • The chronicle records that on this day, Our Lady appeared to St Herman of the Premonstratensian order, and gave him a lock of her hair. — See his Life in Surius. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Our Lady appeared to St Herman and gave a ringlet of Her hair. (www.starharbor.com/santiago/m feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • Apparition of Our Lady to St. Herman, France (13th Century). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)