December 6th Fast

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JMJ

"Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields,'Come and have your meal immediately'? Would he not be more likely to say, 'Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards'? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do say,'We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.'" (Luke 17:7-10)

When Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem with the unborn Savior that first Christmas night, there were many hardships to be endured, but surely the most difficult to suffer was the callousness of others who were apathetic to their needs.   Pointed cruelty was not aimed at this poor couple, but simple and silent disregard.  The people they encountered could be not bothered with them, and either through indifference or indolence, they were quietly ignored.  No complaint arose from Mary's lips, no cry of frustration from Joseph's tongue; instead, only pity for those who were unaware of the treasure they forewent in refusing to serve the Divine Gift come down from Heaven.

In meditating upon Our Lord's birth, one may imagine that he would be with the shepherds to adore Him "at midnight, in piercing cold."  He imagines what small service he could render the Holy Babe; what comfort he could give His Blessed Mother and humble foster father.   But like St. Catherine of Siena, who was forced to serve as a servant in her large household, one can serve the Holy Family by imagining those he encounters (especially his own family) as the Blessed Three of Bethlehem.

One who is a servant of a king, considers himself blessed to perform any service, no matter how laborious or unseemly.  He is quick to respond to a request and does not languidly loiter.  Fatigue and feelings are set aside as fidelity to duty readily dominates. He is humbled when he reflects that His sovereign has entrusted him with a responsibility to execute his tasks faithfully.  He expects no other reward than the great privilege of being a member of the King's household.  So, we too, as servants of the King may be mindful that the services we are asked to render Him, as evidenced through our daily duties, are the ways we can offer succor to him and Our Lady and St. Joseph.  Through the guise of drudgery or inconvenience, we attend to Our Master and say,"we are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty."

November 1st Feast of All Saints

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JMJ

"For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.  From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance." (2 Tim 4:6-8)

Each morning one is prepared with sound resolutions and the zeal to practice the accompanying virtues that are required for them.  Unfortunately, as the day drags on, his store of patience is slowly depleted, and with it, his reserves of persevearance quickly run dry.  By the day's end, he is often exhausted from taxing battles- physical, mental, and spiritual. The respite he seeks is within reach, when still another implores his attention.  Perhaps it is something small, but at that moment, when so little of his stamina remains, a seemingly innocuous request looms large and burdensome.

He considers the matter briefly, hearing his ego opine incessantly,"It is too much!" His cup is nearly empty, only the pitiful dregs remain; cannot he savor these last few drops for himself? Or must he give them up too? Though he has freely sacrificed himself all the day, or week, or month, or year, there is a present need that can only be filled by his love, and no other.  There is solace in the knowledge that only he is needed, if not comfort in the outpouring of his spirit.

The total gift of self, compelled by one's vocation, is, as St. Paul wisely said:"being poured out like a libation." It is a complete emptying of one's store of energy, in all facets of life.  The intensity of the demand requires a constant replenishment of the needed graces to sacrifice generously and joyfully, not begrudgingly and resentfully. These graces come through the Sacraments, but also by frequent prayer throughout the day- continual contact with the one who supplies all our needs.  In particular, we should implore our dear Mother in Heaven, who greatly desires us to ask for graces through her intercession. For what Mother does not wish her child to succeed and finish the race well?

September 6th Fast

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JMJ

“In my long experience very often I had to be convinced of this great truth; that it is easier to become angry than to restrain oneself and easier to threaten a boy than to persuade him. Yes, it is more fitting to be persistent in punishing our own impatience and pride than to correct the boys. We must be firm but kind, and be patient with them.” 

St John Bosco

An oft-heard parental reaction after the embarrassing or unusual antics of a child is bewilderment and questioning to the origins of their offspring ("I don't where he came from") as if the mere fact that the child shares the same blood as the parent should assure him the same predictable and manageable personality. Frequently, parents forget that God did not give them a possession to control, but a soul to teach. A little one is not entrusted to the care of another to be a boast if brilliant and a property to managed if unruly; no, his spirit must be cultivated to be fruitful in good works, tended to with diligence and patience.

Too easily, those in authority (parents, teachers, or otherwise) use nature as an excuse to relieve them of the responsibility to direct a seeking soul- be they young or old- and so orphan their charge, leaving them bereft of the necessary tools of wholesome maturation.  Frustration and fatigue often trample patience and zeal, thereby leading to wearisome resignation.  Pride rears its ugly head in the struggle, for sometimes one's exasperation emanates from the embarrassing realization of his own ineptitude or laudable witness.

How to go about the task of teaching then? Through perseverance and prayer, God will grant the necessary graces to succeed in this praiseworthy endeavor. Our Father does not expect the talent to be buried and neglected, but invested and returned with interest.  One must invest his attention, his emotion, his energy, his sacrifices to till the soil of a hungry soul. All this must be done with firm yet gentle determination for the training of a soul is a high calling indeed.

". . . proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching." (2 Tim 4)

August 2nd Fast

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JMJ

"At times, the weakest point in our spiritual life is more than twelve miles down!  We want to see what this is. We want, without putting ourselves under a microscope, to take better precautions, so that God's house, which is each of us, does not fall when the rain beats against it or the earthquake comes. We need to ask: "What caused this? If I lapse into a sudden moodiness or indulge miasmic sensitiveness, is there perhaps a resentment or self-pity I have never resolved twelve miles beneath that epicenter? If I quake with anger over something that even I myself can see, later on, is really such a small thing, what is twelve miles below that epicenter? Where is the real trouble? The real trouble is that I have not exercised self-control in little things."

(Mother Mary Francis, P.C.C.) 

One of the frustrations that may accompany one's journey to holiness results from the periodic lapses into a particular fault he struggles with.  Though he conquers his defect at times, the inconsistency of his victories reveals that his resolution to eradicate this fault was only superficial, failing to find and eliminate the source of the problem.

So, one struggles to bridle his tongue and is flabbergasted when this wild colt frequently breaks from the loosely held reins. Yet, it is not his need to talk that prevents his self-discipline but the prideful attachment to his opinions, witticisms, and accomplishments being heard.  Another is astonished at his impulsive and tempestuous outbursts but upon examination, he understands that they emanate from a stubborn refusal to patiently accept inconvenient interruptions that are really God's unexpected will in daily life. Still another, who employs himself in constant distraction, realizes that this attachment to noise is symptomatic of an unaddressed anxiety and restlessness.

The remedy in correcting these "quakes" in one's behavior lies first in humbly acknowledging the deeper attachments that trigger the first rumblings.  After excavating below the fault, one can then resolutely exercise a watchfulness for occasions when he is most likely to stumble.  This vigilance is not meant to produce scrupulosity, but rather affords one the opportunity to practice the opposing virtue, strengthening self-control by building up a store of little victories.  A particular examen, as promoted by St. Ignatius Loyola, is very helpful in this regard.  Above all, though, victory can be only gained through the graces received by perseverance in prayer and reception of the Sacraments.

July 5th Fast

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JMJ

"We human beings will do nothing without looking for a reward.  God is so munificent that we can do nothing harmless without being rewarded. We should understand that the most generous of acts, hidden, apparently seconded only by greater sufferings or persecution, is rewarded in such a manner, were it only at the end of a century, that [we will realize our] loss of self has resulted in the finding of self in God, where all is joy and vigor, though the body be but a skeleton of severities. The work is attempted for God, with all its renunciations, weariness, incurred scorn, floutings of one's personal tastes and sensibilities, is never anything but a self-interested proceeding-its goal is heaven.

The great God is so good a Master as this; and He has made it impossible for us to lose by suffering for Him. . .Let us understand clearly. . . that there can be no question of pride or complacency, but only humble thanksgiving . . . that we can do so little for the gift that will be given to us by God, who rushes His rewards upon us for the least loving act on on our part, or causes us to wait patiently for still greater treasure. It is not that we are not sublime when true to Him in entire obedience, but that He is so faithful, that the more we think we are doing for Him, the less we should imagine that we are to be pitied."

(Servant of God Rose Hawthorne) 

June 7th Fast

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JMJ

"My Child, do not be curious. Do not trouble yourself with idle cares. What matters this or that to you? Follow Me. What is it to you if a man is such and such, if another does or says this or that? You will not have to answer for others, but you will have to give an account of yourself. Why, then, do you meddle in their affairs?"

(Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis)

God has placed a natural desire for knowledge and truth in our hearts so as to propel man to seek Christ, the Truth and man's ultimate end.  Unfortunately, this legitimate and healthy need to seek true knowledge can sometimes take unnecessary detours in the attractive but empty pursuit of useless and sometimes harmful information which emanates from an unquenchable curiosity.

The tantalizing effects of the unknown are used as a lure of the devil to satisfy one's spiritual and intellectual appetite with the tasty morsels of gossip and saccharine trivialities, rather than a hearty diet of truth, goodness, and beauty.  Technology readily feeds into an unbridled curiosity, seductively inviting one to various vacuous pleasures: idleness, gossip, voyeurism, jealousy, lust, etc.  The rotten fruit of this shiftless activity is pride as one's ego relishes the discovery of that which was hidden from him.  In contrast, the gaining of true knowledge produces the celestial fruit of humility, which is cultivated in the man who increasingly recognizes his nothingness compared to the Almighty Father he is coming to know better. 

Learning to mortify one's curiosity is a praiseworthy and necessary task to tackle.  One must learn to be content with questions unasked and unanswered, and grow accustomed to the silence of the ears, eyes, and tongue which accompany a peaceful heart that is content with the unknown.

May 3 Fast

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JMJ

"The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together.  . . Because when harmony prevails the children are raised well, the household is kept in order, and neighbors, friends, and relatives praise the result. Great benefits, both for families and states are thus produced. When it is otherwise, however, everything is thrown into confusion and turned upside-down."

(St. John Chrysostom)

Ironically, when society pushes the notion of egalitarian marriages- where all aspects of family life are shared, irregardless of the particular gifts God has accorded to each sex- chaos ensues amidst a power struggle.  Often, one spouse eventually dominates because a soft tyranny is preferable to the disorder that resulted from the previous state of affairs.  Marriage is not a division of labor, but a unification of heart (wife) and head (husband).  To deny the feminine genius* of the wife and to ignore the natural headship of the husband is akin to a builder tossing aside the blueprints of the architect, and deciding on his own design.

Men and women do not follow this blueprint blindly; rather, when a spouse humbly recognizes his own deficiency and perceives the wisdom of the other in a particular matter, he makes an act of the will, displaying his confident assurance that God has endowed the other with the necessary graces and gifts to fulfill his vocation and irreplaceable role in family life.

In this month of May, we turn to the Blessed Mother for her guidance and example. She- who could have claimed authority by virtue of her position (as Mother of God) and nature (as conceived without sin)- humbly yet actively submitted to St. Joseph's authority.  If the Seed of Wisdom could defer to another, surely we could mortify our pride, and relinquish our controlling grasp so as to contribute to the harmony of a peaceful home.

*term coined by St. John Paul II

April 5th Fast

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JMJ

"When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed over. Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it [in] clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there, facing the tomb." (Mt 27: 57-61)

Suffering is woven into the fabric of life. A Christian is not different because he admits this fact but rather because he understands its redemptive quality. Sometimes, the weight of the cross can be lightened with the knowledge that a particular suffering endured has a definitive and even a joyful coda as is the case of a woman in labor, cited by Our Lord Himself. Other times, the presence of the cross, though difficult, is still readily accepted because carrying it ensures the security of one's loved ones, as occurs with a father who daily undertakes a stressful job in order to provide for his family. 

However, there are other crosses born which have no foreseeable finale nor do they appear to be necessitated by a temporal gain.  Those suffering are burdened with the fear of an unknowable conclusion and the frustration that their suffering is for nought.

The day of Our Blessed Lord's death was not called "Good"- except by His Mother- until Easter Sunday morning.  The hearts that were heavy with grief as they buried His Sacred Body could imagine no alleviation of the sorrow that now overwhelmed them. They, his faithful followers could not understand why His Passion had to be suffered; mired in the temporal, they forgot the eternal, until Easter Sunday when His Victory over death gave meaning to His suffering and placed hope in the cross for all ages to come.

Easter Sunday does not always come so quickly after one's Good Friday; in fact, it will not be fully realized until one reaches the heavenly shores.  It is only then that the tapestry of his life, woven with the many strands of suffering, will be revealed as the perfect plan of God.  Until that time, Our Father asks us to patiently remain by the tomb, as the women did, and wait with trustful hearts, confident of the glorious hope that will assuredly be fulfilled.

March 1st Fast

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JMJ

"[The Church] knows, too, that were a season for doing penance left to our choice, we should never do it. Were any month in the twelve optional, we should put off till the last weeks of the year, and then find ourselves unavoidably hindered. She comes, therefore, to our help, and appoints as her principal season of penance, six weeks in the spring, in memory of our Lord's fast of forty days, in union with His bitter Passion and Death . . . If we are wise we shall go beyond what is of obligation, not content ourselves with mere obedience to the Church's laws to fasting and abstinence, but supplement by voluntary endeavor what she enjoins." (Mother Mary Loyola)

Every Lent is a merciful opportunity to regain the proper order in our hearts that is necessary to clearly see the the beauty and wisdom of doing God's will.  Though a temporary season, its fruits are not meant to be thus.  One's perspective in regards to this time greatly determines becomes the "seed sown on rocky ground,  who hears the word and receives it at once with joy but has not root and lasts only for a time." or the "seed sown on rich soil who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold." (Mt. 13:20-21, 23)

This period of penance can be viewed through various lenses. Some consider it as simply obligatory, something to be endured by fulfilling only the necessary requirements, while others embrace it as another project of vanity, utilizing its means for selfish ends.  Undertaking Lent with resentful feelings or prideful designs will produce a harvest that is as barren as the intentions themselves.

But if one understands these six weeks as a time of renewal, and purification through the penitential means the Church encourages, he will find his heart firmly rooted to the rich soil of grace.  Stripped of all unnecessary pleasures, desiring of a closer union with Christ, one delights in the often ignored joys that Our Father mercifully provides.  Though it may be difficult to relinquish habitual attachments, one must confidently trust that the serenity of that comes with  firmly clinging to the poverty and humility of Our Lord will abundantly reward him for his perseverance in this struggle.

"All this means a call to effort and self-sacrifice. We must not, we will not hang back. 'Now is the acceptable time, now are the days of salvation." Who knows whether another Lent will be granted to us? Scripture speaks of the time of death as one when all men will wish to have done more penance. Why prepare fruitless regrets for that awful time! God is willing- more than willing- is most desirous to give us now all the grace we need. Let us win from Him by fervent prayer the special blessing that belongs to a fervent Lent." (Mother Mary Loyola)

February 1 Fast

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JMJ

"Whenever you give your wife advice always begin by telling her how much you love her. Nothing will persuade her so well to admit the wisdom of your words as the assurance that you are speaking with sincere affection." 

(Homily of St. John Chrysostom) 

When one enters into his vocation, he must confidently trust that God has given him the means- and spouse, as in the case of marriage- to grow in the virtues needed to achieve his purpose here on earth: sanctity. 

Why then, does one bristle when fraternal correction or advice is offered by those who only desire their eternal happiness?  Maybe it is because of the natural embarrassment that is suffered when a hidden fault is highlighted.  Still, the deeper reason is that it strikes the entrenched pride which one pretends to deny still abides in his soul.  

How quickly the fortress of defense is raised upon hearing unpleasant but truthful words! Truly, it matters not whether advice is given or correction is said with great tenderness for even the softest words are like tiny barbs to an overly sensitive soul.  Though difficult to accept these small humiliations, one must see these occasions with the eyes of faith, refusing to hold fast to his will and instead, see God's gentle admonishments and merciful will through the words of others. 

January 4th Fast

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JMJ

"How happy would we be, if we believed what these dear souls believe: that they possess God in the Sacraments, and that He remains in their churches and is carried to them when they are sick! Oh my! When they carry the Blessed Sacrament under my window, while I feel the loneliness and sadness of my case, I cannot stop the tears at the thought. My God, how happy would I be. . . if I could find you in the Church as they do. . . how many things I would say to You in the sorrows of my heart and the sins of my life!"

 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton writing a few months before her conversion

The Gift of the most Holy Eucharist is the greatest and yet most neglected treasure that Christ has given us.  As He thirsted for souls from the cross, so He hungers for us from the tabernacle.  He pities the ignorant, who know nothing of this wondrous Sacrament, but is saddened by the informed, who believe in the Real Presence yet fail to drink from the "wellspring of salvation".

The first Christians sacrificed life and limb to receive and defend their God; and now, is it so much to sacrifice sleep and convenience to receive the source of all life?  Is it a lack of faith which prevents so many from taking advantage of the daily banquet He sets before us? Or perhaps it is a deadening of desire.  Though not all can receive Him daily, due to the current circumstances of life, there are many that could and do not because the mantra of excuses drowns out the feeble voices of attempt.

But be heartened and encouraged! Christ yearns for us in this Sacrament of Love, both in the the Sacrifice of the Mass and Adoration.  He longs to shower souls with the graces necessary to live a holy life.  God will not be outdone in generosity; therefore, whatever we sacrifice in order to attend Holy Mass or keep Him company in Adoration, God will reward us many times over as pours out His abundant Life.  

"If, in the presence of this mystery, reason experiences its limits, the heart, enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit, clearly sees the response that is demanded, and bows low in adoration and unbounded love." (Ecclesia de Eucharistia)