Oct 13 Fri - Understanding for people, along with loyalty to God

 

Oct 13 Fri
The spirit which God wants for us consists of
‘holy intransigence’ for error,
together with ‘holy tolerance’ for people.

St. Josemaría: "Some men have also sown cockle, as in the Gospel parable, and propagated false teachings which poison minds and cause rebellion, sometimes even violent rebellion, against Christ and his holy Church."

"Faced with all this, how should a child of God react? Should we ask our Lord, like the sons of thunder, to send fire on earth to consume sinners? Or perhaps lament continually, like a bird of ill omen or a doomsayer?"

"You well know that this is not our spirit because it is not our Lord's: ‘the Son of Man has come to save men's lives, not to destroy them’. I like to translate this verse freely by saying we must drown evil in an abundance of good. Our first obligation is to spread doctrine, while loving all souls."

"You also know my rule of thumb to practice this spirit: holy intransigence for error and holy tolerance for people, who may be mistaken. You need, however, to teach many people to practice this doctrine, because it's not difficult to find those who confuse intransigence with bullheadedness, and tolerance with abdicating rights or compromising the truth."

"We, Christians, do not hold the legacy of Christ's truth as our personal property to dispose of it at whim; rather, it is safeguarded by the Church. It belongs to God, and his Church keeps it, and we have no right to cede, cut back or give way in what is not ours."

We cannot yield in anything that pertains to the deposit of faith entrusted by Christ to the Church, for the simple reason that "it's the truth, and the truth does not admit of compromise. But together with holy intransigence, the spirit of the Work of God asks of you a constant tolerance, which is also holy. Being faithful to the truth, accurate in doctrine, defending the faith, does not mean having a sad attitude, nor should it be accompanied by a desire to destroy those who are mistaken."

"Perhaps some do act in this way, but it can't be our way. We can never be like that poor deranged fellow who, applying Scripture his own way, ‘blessed’ his enemies by calling down upon them fire and brimstone and stormy winds."

"We don't want anyone to be destroyed. Holy intransigence isn't a rude and surly intolerance. Nor is it ‘holy’ unless it is accompanied by holy tolerance."

Let us ask Our Lady to help us sow abundant understanding for people, along with loyalty to God.

 

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Oct 12 Thu - Persevere confidently in prayer.

 

 

Oct 12 Thu
It is believed that the Apostle Saint James was assigned to preach the Gospel in the Roman province of Hispania (Spain). After some time preaching, there were no converts. In Saragossa, by the bank of the river Ebro, he was praying, downcast for the lack of results. Then, Our Lady –still alive presumably in Ephesus– heard his prayer, and appeared to him on a stone pillar, offered him consolation, and promised him that the true Faith will not disappear from that land. Quite so; later on, people of that land brought the seed of the Faith to our shores.

We have to pray even though it may seem that God is not listening to our plea. When our Lord seems to be hiding, and our petition seems to go unanswered, that is the time to cry out more resolutely and urgently, like the Canaanite woman who, faced with the Master's apparent coldness, persisted in her request with the humble reply: “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table.”

Humble, confident, constant petition. “Everything has its time. Our Lord knows perfectly well what our needs are, yet he wants us to ask with the same persistence as the people in the Gospel: ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean;’ Domine, ut videam, ‘Lord, that I may see.’ Ask the same way they did: they asked him for everything. I won't say that man's life should be spent in nothing but asking, for there are times when one sees the need to abandon oneself, and one ceases to ask, but later on, one comes back to it.”

“Nowadays, I ask a lot. I keep on asking. After having abandoned myself in God's hands for years, I now consider it better to ask.”

Our Lord always gives in to those who approach him with the desire to please him. His heart is moved when we place in his hands all our needs, desires, and worries. Before the insistent supplication of the Canaanite woman his apparent initial coldness changes to open admiration. "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.

Christ is always close by, although at times we don't see him. He is continually listening to us, and lovingly watching us, in spite of the fact that we may not "feel" anything.

We ought, therefore, to persevere confidently in our prayer. The more difficulty we experience in obtaining what we desire, the more firmly we must believe that God will grant it to us. “And when we are assaulted by the violent temptation of discouragement, opposition, struggle, tribulation, a new dark night of the soul, the Psalmist places on our lips and in our minds these words: "I am with you in the time of trial."

 

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Oct 11 Wed - Faith.To believe in Jesus is to become a child of God

 

Oct 11 Wed
Faith. To believe in Jesus is to become a child of God. The Second Vatican Council teaches us that “only the light of faith, and meditation on the Word of God, can enable us to find always and everywhere the God ‘in whom we live, and move, and have our being;’ only thus can we seek his Will in everything, see Christ in all, whether acquaintances or strangers, and make sound judgements on the true meaning and value of earthly things.”

Faith gives us the true measure of the things of this earth, of people, and events. Everything makes sense when viewed in the context of the divine plan.

Saint Josemaría says: “There are only two possible ways of living on this earth: either we live a supernatural life, or else an animal life. And a child of God … can only live the life of God, a supernatural life. What does it profit someone to have all the riches of the earth, all the extravagances of a satiated heart, all the aspirations of mind and will? What is it worth if it all comes to an end, if it all crumbles away, if everything in this world is mere stage scenery, if afterwards there is eternity for ever, for ever, for ever?”

Faith, hope and charity grow together. “Let us grow in hope, thereby strengthening our faith which is truly that which gives substance to our hopes, which convinces us of things we cannot see. Let us grow in this virtue, let us beg our Lord to increase his charity in us; after all, one can only really trust that which one loves with all one's might. And it is certainly worthwhile to love our Lord.”

Men lie when they say "for ever" in temporal affairs. It is only completely true when referring to the next life; and that is how you have to live, with a faith which makes you taste the honey of heavenly sweetness, when thinking about heaven, which is indeed for ever.

And your flesh? No, it will rot away. Your ambitions? No, they're too small. Your selfishness? No, it's worthless. You have to serve God and love him, in faith, for ever!

Yet the spiritual life is not separate from ordinary life. All our daily activities need to be filled with faith, hope and charity; there is no other recipe for effectiveness, and happiness. 

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Oct 10 Tue - Psalm 2 (1) - God never breaks his promises.

 

Oct 10 Tue
Psalm 2 (1)
God never breaks his promises.
"Why do the nations conspire,
and the peoples plot in vain?"
The words of the Psalm can give us optimism today. Our failings are not really important if we consider that the Almighty is with us, and that he is always faithful to his promises. What do enemies from outside matter?
"He who sits in the heavens laughs. All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord abides forever."

The history of the people of Israel is a clear proof of God's loyalty. When Adam and Eve sinned, God gave them back some hope, with the promise of a Redeemer. A just man, Abraham, fell heir to this promise. And one night, God appeared to him, saying: "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed the Lord.

God listens to the prayer of his people. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." When Jesus Christ founded his Church, he promised Peter that the powers of death shall not prevail against it. And God is faithful: "Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens."

Jesus Christ promised a Paraclete, the Consoler. And from the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has been present in his Church, and in every “living” member of her. Our life is full of trust, because we are God's children - "You are my son." Also, because he has promised us his help - "I am with you always, till the close of the age.” And because God always keeps his promises – “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

The awareness of our divine filiation forms the basis of our spiritual life as God's children. Saint Josemaría: "This characteristic feature of our spirit, was born with the Work, and it took shape in 1931. In humanly very difficult moments, when I felt nonetheless certain of the impossible – what you now see has come true – I felt God bringing to flower the tender invocation, Abba! Pater! in my heart and on my lips, with imperative strength."

 

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Oct 9 Mon - Reading the New Testament

 

Oct 9 Mon
Reading the New Testament helps you to get to know our Lord better every day.
Knowing Jesus better makes it easier to love him.
Being able to love Christ, to be with him, and then to look at yourself in Christ enables you to be better every day.
And to love Christ is to assure your happiness.

Our zeal to know Christ better each day springs from our love for him. We love our Lord, and therefore want to know him: hence we meditate, we pray, and read the Gospel.

Christian life consists of falling in love with Christ, becoming identified with him. Jesus has lived among us and does so still. We contemplate each step of his earthly life: his birth in Bethlehem, his hidden life, his preaching throughout Palestine, his healing of the sick in body and soul, his proof of love on the Cross, his Resurrection and glorious Ascension into heaven. We see him with the Apostles, how he chooses them and instructs them in the mysteries of God's kingdom.

Saint Josemaría wrote: "You have often joined me as awe-struck spectators, as participants in these scenes. Right from the start, I taught you – who are also apostles, chosen by Jesus with preferential love – to get inside the Gospel story, and then live fraternally like the first Twelve."

How often we gain fresh insight while contemplating a Gospel passage we have already considered many times! Our reading of the Gospel should be marked by eagerness to learn, and to improve. It should be prayerful and reflective, and so influence our whole day. Sometimes a single word or gesture of our Lord helps us to have greater presence of God.

To meditate on the Gospel means to look attentively at Jesus in eagerness to imitate him. We seek to conform our life to his, to make his words and feelings our own, by the help of grace

Here is the goal of our sanctity. The struggle to achieve holiness is not centered on the fight against sin, although this will always be necessary. Rather it is a growing identification with Christ, begun now by sanctifying grace and brought to fullness in the glory of heaven.

We have to love what Christ loves and reject what he rejects, reproducing his life in our own.

Like our Mother Mary, who kept all these things in her heart, we want the example of Christ's life to accompany us at all times. “Remain with us, Lord!” "How sad it would be if you and I were not able to ‘detain’ Jesus who is passing by. What a shame not to ask him to stay!”

 

 

Oct 8 Sun - This world is like a vineyard entrusted by God to some farmers

 

Oct 8 Sun
This world is like a vineyard entrusted by God to some farmers to cultivate it, and gather the fruit in each season. As the owner went away, the tenants ended up thinking to be owners. All those sent by God to ask for an account were ill-treated and even murdered. Finally, the Son is sent, and him they killed with the illusion of being the only owners.

This is also our sin, often. We believe that our life is totally ours, and that we can decide our future without following any divine indication. Some see God, our Father, not as the guarantor of our well-being but as one who impedes or makes it difficultly our happiness.

Human beings tend to turn these things into gods: power, money, material success, sex... God wants to free us from this idolatry. And to be in God's hands, is a consolation because his hands are affectionate as those of a mother.

Often, we think: Nobody has to tell me what I should do or avoid! I am in charge of my life! And then we eliminate anything that implies effort.

Let's remove this tendency to cut off God and the Church from us. “Let us learn to obey, let us learn to serve. There is no better service than giving ourselves freely, being useful to others. When we feel pride swell up within us, making us think we are supermen, the time has come to say ‘no’. Our only triumph should be the triumph of humility. The joy which comes from forgetting about ourselves is the best proof of love.” (St Josemaría)

To give fruit! This is what the Lord wants from us:
To serve the Lord with joy, precisely in the place we are. If only we forget about ourselves, and try to make the others’ life pleasant with small services.
To strive that nobody feels alone.
To know the preferences of the others, with naturalness, speaking about their favorite topics.
To yield with elegance, and even with sense of humor, when friction comes up, without giving excessive importance to it

All these and so many things more are possible when we do not live dominated by egoism.
We are not the owners of our life but its stewards. If we live thus, “the peace of God, which goes beyond all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

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Oct 7 Sat - Apostolate of friendship and confidence

 

Oct 7 Sat
Jesus teaches us how to do the apostolate of friendship and confidence.
"And he called the twelve together ... and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God." Strengthened by the Master's grace and instructions, the Apostles went forth to spread the Gospel. And the Church continues their mission until the end of time.

As Christians, we all share in the mission to evangelize, and to do so, with our specific God-given apostolic means.
"I have called you friends, for I have made known to you all that I have heard from my Father. God has called us to bring his teaching to every corner of the world, to open up the divine pathways of the earth, and make Christ known to so many who as yet know nothing of him. And, in willing to have us in his Work, he has also given us an apostolic way of working that moves us to be understanding, to be forgiving, practicing attentive charity towards all souls."

Jesus is our Model. To reproduce his life in ours is to be holy and effective. Christ himself taught us by his example to have many friends. We want to make them friends of his, to save them.

"What is more, St Josemaría wrote, Our Lord wishes to make use of us – of our dealings with others, of our God-given capacity to love and be loved – so that he can continue making friends on earth."

A necessary condition for carrying out apostolic work is that our friendship be deep. We have to take a real interest in our friends' problems, working alongside them, sharing in their activities and interests, setting aside time for our friends, while overlooking the small annoyances that any relationship entails.

Thus, we will be "teaching by the example, carrying out a constant, humble, silent, but most effective work, whose fruits cannot easily be reflected by statistics."
When friendship is genuine, it soon engenders trust. How easy it is to open our heart to a person who truly loves and understands us!

If we live our apostolic dedication, as Christ showed us, we will have many people who will like to follow us, in every sector of society. "For you are a Christ-bearer, and you should carry him in your heart, in your mind, in your word, in your example."
"Our aim is to ensure that there are many souls dedicated to God's service in the middle of the world. It's time to take stock. How many of these have you brought?"

Let us ask our Lady, Queen of the apostles, to spur us on to have many friends, to be apostles, among those around us.

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Oct 6 Fri - Insist, whether you are welcome or not.

 

Oct 6 Fri
Insist, whether you are welcome or not.
"The straying sheep you have not recover; the lost sheep you have not sought." Sometimes, the sheep are insolent. The shepherd seeks out the straying sheep, but because they have wandered away, they are lost.

Then, the sheep claim that they do not belong to the Shepherd. “Why do you want us? Why do you seek us?” they ask, as if their straying and being lost were not the very reason for our wanting them, and seeking them out.
“If I have gone astray,” one says, “if I am lost, why do you still want me?”
– You have gone astray, that is why I want to recall you. You have been lost; I want to find you.

“But I want to go away,” he says: “I want to be lost.”
– So, you want to go astray and be lost? Thank God that I do not wish this for you.
You tell me that I am unwelcome. But I hear the Apostle saying: "Preach the word; insist upon it, whether you are welcome and unwelcome."
Welcome by whom? Unwelcome by whom? By all means, welcome by those who desire the truth; unwelcome by those who do not.

If I am unwelcome, I will tell you: “You want to go astray, you want to be lost; but I do not want this for you.” And the One whom I fear does not desire this.

If I were to let you go, consider his reproach: "The straying sheep you have not recovered; the lost sheep you have not sought." Shall I fear you, rather than Him? "Remember, we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ."

I will try to bring back those who went astray; I shall seek the lost. Whether difficult or easy. And should the thorns of the forests tear at me when I seek them, I shall force myself to push through; I shall put down all barriers. So far as the God whom I fear grants me the strength, I shall search everywhere.

I shall recover those who went astray; I shall seek those about to be lost. If you do not want me to suffer, do not go astray, do not get lost.
It is not only that I fear you getting lost. No, I am also afraid that I may neglect you, and get lost.

I shall face strong obstacles. Consider the passage: "And what was strong you have destroyed." If I neglect the straying and the lost, the strong faithful sheep will also try to go away, and get lost.
St Augustine, Sermon On Pastors

 

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Oct 5 Thu Scott Hahn - about Communion

 

Oct 5 Thu
Scott Hahn: Here’s a question about Communion that I was asked today, and then my response:
“Dr. Hahn, I'm in a relationship with a woman who often joins me at Mass for the vigil on Saturday, and then we go to her Methodist church on Sunday morning. She keeps asking me why she can’t receive communion at my church, but I can at hers? How do I answer? Thanks.”

– Evan, I’d like to address your question by sharing how my own understanding of Eucharistic communion developed over several years of study and prayer, as an evangelical protestant, that led me to become a Catholic.

Basically, there were three distinct stages: First: when I converted to Christ as an evangelical Christian. Second, when I became a protestant pastor. Third, when my study of Scripture and the early Church Fathers led me to the truth about Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist — and I became a Catholic.

1. As a bible-believing evangelical (at a non-denominational fellowship), I saw the Lord's Supper and communion as a profound symbol of God's love, like a divine embrace or a warm hug.

2. In becoming a minister, I came to see it as something even more sacred, like a tender loving kiss from our Lord, which is how mainline protestants generally see it.

3. Having discovered the Catholic faith, I came to see how the gift of the Eucharist is more closely analogous to the intimacy of the spouses, by which Christ, the divine Bridegroom, unites Himself — body and blood — to His beloved bride, the Church, for the purpose of consummating and renewing His 'one-flesh' covenant as a life-giving mystery with us (Eph. 5:31-32).

So, for me, in the first two stages, inviting 'non-members' to share communion was not a big deal nor an insurmountable problem. However, in the Catholic tradition, where it is seen as comparable to spousal intimacy, it is fitting and necessary to make a public act and a personal commitment to identify myself with the Catholic Church, which I profess to be the true bride of Christ. Incidentally, this perspective is reflected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1617:
"The entire Christian life bears the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church. Already Baptism, the entry into the People of God, is a nuptial mystery; it is, so to speak, the nuptial bath, which precedes the wedding feast, the Eucharist. Christian marriage in its turn becomes an efficacious sign, the sacrament of the covenant of Christ and the Church. Since it signifies and communicates grace, marriage between baptized persons is a true sacrament of the New Covenant."

In retrospect, I can see why non-Catholics view our practice as a form of spiritual exclusivity; whereas for the Church Fathers, it's simply a matter of covenant integrity and marital fidelity.

Image: Last Supper by Francisco Ribalta (1565–1628). The painting includes the chalice, in the Cathedral of Valencia, thought to be the one Lord used, the Holy Grail, allegedly. Later on, was enriched. 

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Oct 4 Wed - Detachment from the material means we use.

 

Oct 4 Wed
Detachment from the material means we use.
Our life unfolds in the midst of the world and, like our Lord, we too have to use material means, which are good because they are God's handiwork. However, we have to be detached from these things; nothing should lead us astray from our goal, for as St Paul says: "all are yours; and you are Christ's; and Christ is God's."

Detachment is not only for monks or nuns; it is for all…adapting it to every particular circumstance. With God's help, we should live in the world without being worldly, freely making use of the world's goods, gracefully and with self-mastery, but using them to serve God and souls.

We must therefore love poverty, and show it in countless ways in our daily lives: by fleeing from excessive comfort, or the tendency to get by with the minimum effort; by choosing the worst for ourselves; by taking care of the instruments we use in our work; and by giving up anything we feel our heart becoming attached to.

"No one can be surprised that Opus Dei needs material means for its work. Since its supernatural task of sanctification is carried out among people and for people, the Work must also use ... a minimum of material means. But Saint Josemaría urged: I want you to be determined to stay completely detached from all earthly things, and to handle them only to the extent that they are for God's service and that the Work asks you to do so."

If we are using material means for God's glory, we should use them with detachment and not complain if ever they are absent, cheerfully accepting the consequences. It sometimes hurt…

"While using the means to secure what's needed, may my children be cheerful if ever they have to suffer want!" Therefore, we should have great trust in God, be at peace and tranquil, but we shouldn't lose our sense of responsibility in financial matters. As Saint Josemaría said: "Since our vocation unfolds in the middle of the world, as ordinary citizens, our poverty does not consist in managing to survive from alms: rather, the professional work we each do supplies our material needs."
 
Intense work is a consequence of our lay mentality and our concern to support a large and poor family. Any responsible father or mother does everything necessary to provide for the family.

We ask our Lord and his Blessed Mother for the grace to have our heart free, not tied to earthly things. Our freedom is shown both in our detachment from material possessions, and in our efforts to find the means for the apostolate, for the good of souls.

 

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Oct 3 Tue - Envy

 

Oct 3 Tue
The early workers of the vineyard were envious of the late comers. Envy is a certain sadness which one entertains seeing another’s well-being, thinking that one’s own excellence is in consequence lessened. “I’m sad because you are happy,” or “I’m happy because you are sad.”

If not eliminated, envy leads to hatred, to curse the other, to desire his death or other evil. From envy there spring hatred, grumble, slander, joy at the misfortunes of a neighbor, and sadness at his prosperity.

Envy also produces resentment. People grow envious over somebody’s qualities, such as intelligence, talent, or charm. They envy the other’s height, physique, sex appeal, strength, or other physical attributes. They can even wax envious over other’s spiritual qualities, such as their faith, their hope, or their charity. And so, they reduce the other’s merit, or exaggerate his defects.

The paradox is that envy hurts only the envious person; it does not harm the other. It is like a worm that eats out the heart of the envious man.

But what is the source of envy? – Satan. The Book of Wisdom says that it was “through the envy of the devil that death entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it” (Wis 2:24). That’s a dash of cold water, isn’t it? When we give in to envy, we are aligning ourselves with the devil against God, and all those whom God loves.

To fight envy we must foster charity, appreciating the qualities of the others. But, above all, we human beings have to give glory to God consciously, by a free decision of our will.

How is a humble man? – He is not the prisoner of any passion. Neither anger nor vainglory nor envy nor resentment can trouble him. And what is greater than a person free from these passions?

The proud man, in contrast, is ruled by all of them, like a worm squirming in the mud. Envy and anger constantly torment his soul. Who, then, is greater, the one who is above his passions or the one who is their slave?
 
Yet if the winds of temptation rise, if you are in the midst of the reefs and shoals of tribulation, fix your gaze on the star, call upon Mary. If you are tossed by the waves of pride, of detraction, of ambition or envy, look at the star, call upon Mary. If the billows of anger, of envy or lust batter the tiny ship of your soul, look at Mary. Let her name be always on your lips and the thought of her always in your heart. And in order to obtain the benefits of her intercession, do not turn away from the example of her virtue.

 

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Oct 2 - The Guardian Angels

 

Oct 2 Mon
Speaking of devotion to the holy guardian angels, Saint Josemaría said: "For years I have experienced the constant, immediate help of the guardian angel, even in the smallest material details."

As the ally of our sanctification, our guardian angel constantly helps us. "You seem amazed because your guardian angel has done so many obvious favors for you. But you shouldn't be: that's why our Lord has placed him at your side." He makes up for our ignorance and neglect, and encourages us in the difficulties of each day.

Our life is spent in the middle of the world, at work, and in our daily occupations. We are constantly dealing with our colleagues, our friends and the many others to whom we want to bring the good aroma of Christ, characteristic of a Christian life. Without our angel's company, our mission would be much more difficult. "You say there are many occasions of going astray in such surroundings? That's true, but aren't there many guardian angels as well?"

The presence of the guardian angel gives a supernatural tone to our activity. "If you would remember the presence of your guardian angel and those of your neighbors, you would avoid many of the foolish things you let slip into your conversations."

In moments of temptation, we should go to our guardian angel. For he will not permit you to be tempted beyond your strength, but will bear you up in his hands so that you may get over the obstacles.... Whenever you foresee any temptation or trial, call on the guide, the protector that God has given you for moments of need and affliction.... May you never go away from his hands, forgetting that he holds you up, lest even greater harm befall you.

Our guardian angel will always assist us on our journey towards God. He looks upon the face of God, and will present to Him our prayers, our good desires, our needs. “How joyfully the holy guardian angels must have obeyed that soul who said to them: ‘Holy angels, I call upon you, like the Spouse of the Canticle of Canticles, to tell Him that I am dying with love’."

The guardian angels are also powerful collaborators in our apostolate. They share our zeal for bringing souls to God. The guardian angel of a friend is our accomplice as well, since he ardently wishes to save the person entrusted to his care. "You should try to win over the guardian angel of the person you want to draw close to God, because the guardian angel is always a great ‘accomplice.’ I know some truly beautiful cases."

As usual, we ask with renewed conviction, "My immaculate mother, St Joseph, my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me."

 

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