November 6th Fast

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JMJ

"Everyone has troubles. The only thing to do is to resign oneself to the will of God and courageously take up one's cross daily." 

(St. Zelie Martin)

The Cross: it sets apart the faithful and steadfast Christian from the fearful and erstwhile disciple.   The latter avoids it assiduously, foregoing freedom for security, shielding himself from potential harm, even at the cost of sealing himself off from potential and abundant bliss.

Fear of suffering suffocates the soul and enfeebles the body.  Fortitude- courage in the face of hardship and oppression- heartens the weary soul and strengthens one's resolve to "take [his] share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (2 Tim 2:3). The disciple who practices fortitude draws his strength from his reliance on God's inexhaustible mercy and grace; whereas his cowering counterpart exhausts his endurance from his dependence on himself.

One who clings to fear may protect himself from harmful wounds by fortifying the heart's defenses from any potential inflictions that may occur, but as it chooses security over vulnerability, the soul closes in on itself: pain cannot penetrate but now neither can love.

The valiant soul understands that though vulnerability may expose the heart to the cruel pangs of sorrow, it is only through this abject humility and openness that a limitless love can be fully received and serenely embraced.

October 2nd Fast

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"In the past, it was necessary to  work, to search, to make an effort in order to discover truth. Today, it is enough to go on the Internet to have access to an impressive quantity of data. We are spared the trouble of reflecting and passing a critical judgment. Modern man has lost the notion of the long term. Man behaves only as a consumer. There is an urgent need to acquire interior maturity and a greater awareness of our responsibility."

(Robert Cardinal Sarah)

Modern society provides the means to obtain vast amounts of information, simply and quickly.  And yet, it is ironic that in an age when data is readily available and absorbed, sincere knowledge and comprehension of the truth still prove elusive, if not more so than in times past. 

Prior to the technological revolution, man was forced to engage in an arduous search for truth.  Devoid of modern conveniences, his time was limited, therefore his discernment was more keen, blessedly bereft of worthless inanities which would only derail his quest.  Reflection was an integral part of his journey, a constant companion that allowed him to ruminate over the words he read, leading to the discovery of their meaning and significance.

It is in man's nature to search for truth, for he yearns for God, the source and summit of all knowledge itself.  Unfortunately, as with all pure desires, in the eagerness to attain his aim immediately and effortlessly, man reaches to pluck the lowest hanging fruit, satisfying his need but only temporarily.  He continues to search, but becomes all the more restless, as he allows no time for "reflection and passing critical judgment."

Man must fight the tendency to amass a trove of trivial information for it is just as foolish as if he would amass unnecessary material goods.  Instead, one must reject the insignificant stature of modern man: the insatiable consumer, who is greedy to possess, and pridefully flaunts his data collection before others. Rather, the dignity that is worthy of a Christian reveals one who is a grateful recipient of the truths he laboriously discovers, humble in the realization of his littleness and ignorance, in awe of the beauty and goodness that illuminates his reading upon daily reflection.

September 4th Fast

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JMJ

"In your relations with one another, clothe yourselves with humility, because God 'is stern with the arrogant but to the humble He shows kindness.' Bow humbly under God's mighty hand, so that in due time he may lift you high.  Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:5b-7)

Family life, i.e. living in community, presents tremendous opportunities to grow in virtue, but only if viewed in the knowledge that all persons and outside occurrences are placed before one for the benefit of his salvation.  In this light, inconveniences and annoyances are no longer perpetrators of volatility and frustration, but rather reminders of the necessary self-surrender to God's salvific action in one's life.  In community life, one's faults are laid bare for all to see; will he humbly accept his lowliness and failings or tersely defend himself by thoughts of the (real or supposed) ingratitude that others show him? When pride pervades actions, it begets resentment when services are not recognized and admired. Yet, when humility infuses service, it bears the fruit of sincere selflessness, sacrifice that is untainted by any desire for recompense, emotional or otherwise.  

August 7th Fast

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"The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober for prayers. Above all let your love for one another be intense because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining.  As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace." 

(1 Peter 4:8)

Why do men expend so much energy and frustration bemoaning circumstances outside their control yet exert so little zeal in governing the passions that lie within their reach? One complains of lawlessness that abounds but fails to acknowledge and rectify his own disregard for God's law.  How quick he is to mourn the loss of thoughtful discourse but is sadly slow to rein in his own impetuous and uncharitable words. Though he longs for the time when society promoted thriftiness and industry he apparently is indifferent to the calcified state he allows his soul to sink to when he wastes precious time on inane distractions.  Lamenting his lack of influence on the moral fabric of the culture he overlooks his significant influence on the moral beings within his own home.

A Christian is called to be a sign of contradiction; and so, he must both surrender to God's providence in the course of external events and seize responsibility for his own internal affairs.  This paradox provides peace but not without the difficulties involved in the accomplishment of both tasks.  

To refrain from useless anxiety requires physical and spiritual endurance: constant prayer and intentional acts of trust. Worry and speculation are deceptive comforts, offering a false security that tells one that he must be safe if he is engaged in these occupations; yet like the mythical Hydra whose heads multiplied with each decapitation, the worrier discovers more anxieties, and less peace, as he tries to feebly combat uncontrollable factors.  

Self-discipline demands an equal amount of exertion as it can be a fatiguing process.  Once a fault is humbly acknowledged, heightened vigilance accompanied by increased prayer and determined perseverance are necessary to overcome it. 

When once a person resolves to simultaneously abandon his life to divine providence and master his obdurate self, he finds relief in the knowledge that extraneous circumstance are in God's hands, and not his- he shuns despair and clings to trust. Simultaneously, he discovers great confidence in the knowledge that, because Christ redeemed him he is no longer a slave to his former self and can master his passionate nature.   He realizes his immense influence of those nearest him, recognizing that just as his deficiency of virtue was negatively reflected in those closest to him, so now his surplus of virtue is positively illuminated by those same persons within his sphere. 

July 3 Fast

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JMJ

"I have met many generous families that are deeply rooted in their Christian faith. . . They remind me of the Christians who, in the twilight years of the Roman Empire, kept watch over the flickering flame of civilization. I want to encourage them. I want to tell them: Your mission is not to save a dying world. No civilization has the promises of eternal life. Your mission is to live out with fidelity and without compromise the faith you received from Christ. In that way, even without realizing it, you will save the heritage of centuries of faith. Do not be afraid because of your small numbers! It is not a matter of winning elections or influencing opinions. It is a matter of living the Gospel. Not thinking of it as a utopia, but experiencing it concretely. Faith is like a fire. A person himself must be on fire in order to transmit it. Watch over this sacred fire! May it be your heat in the depths of the winter in the West. When a fire illumines the night, people gradually gather around it. That must be your hope."

(Cardinal Robert Sarah)

    As the moral foundations of society slowly erode, it is tempting to lapse into a state of hopelessness and frustration. The only logic left is the natural conclusion of nihilism that is a consequence of decades of a culture untethered to the truth.  Cardinal Sarah likens modern man to a "dead leaf detached from the tree, at the mercy of every gust of wind." In contrast, the Christian is like the stubborn oak who, nourished by the roots that it give it life, endures despite the godless gales that fiercely blow.

Throughout the history of salvation, it is the small company of faithful followers that kindles the flames of faith. As Isaiah prophesied:

"For out of Jerusalem shall come a remnant, and from Mount Zion, survivors." (2 Kings 19:31)

And just as the roots remain hidden under the soil, so too, the faithful remnant has often persisted while hidden from sight.  When Rome was overrun by excesses of every kind, domestic churches held secret worshippers; fledgling Christian communities evangelized through their silent witness, furtively spreading the Gospel.  Over a millennia later, in the Far East of the globe, another clandestine community in Japan, for fear of persecution, passed on this treasured inheritance for 250 years - generations of safeguarding the faith without ever encountering a priest.  And when Nazism suffocated the streets of Krakow, a future saint and pope fought the power of evil, not through vociferous or armed resistance, but through the secret preservation of his culture (in acted plays) and faith (in the "Living Rosary" ).

The mission of the faithful does not hinge on whatever politics dominate the landscape. The goal remains the same: to save the souls of ourselves and of our families.  Like the roots receive warmth from the earth during the winter months, the steadfast domestic church can enjoy the warmth that emanates from a life lived firmly rooted in truth, goodness and beauty.  

June 5th Fast

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JMJ

"Our world is dominated by fear. It is paralyzed by this feeling exuded by the devil that isolates persons. Each one prefers to live in sadness and solitude rather than to agree to depend on someone else's love." (Robert Cardinal Sarah) 

The devil thrives on fear and so constantly sows the seeds of discord: in marriages, families, society, and the Church.  Division among the faithful is his greatest ally as he assiduously schemes to snatch souls from Christ.  A clever tactician, the Evil One amplifies fears, encourages anxiety and paralyzes one into a panic which is far from a trustful surrender to Divine Providence.  Yet, it is not enough for him to simply prey on the weak and worry-prone, for to disperse the disciples he must use his subtle attacks on the proud as well.  Knowing fear will not deter their confidence, Satan instead ensnares his catch by planting the strangling weeds of anger and bitterness, choking the charity that once blossomed in one's heart.  Convincing himself that his anger is righteous and his bitterness justified, these souls contribute to the communal dissonance by their resentment towards their fearful fellows. Anxiety eats away at the former, and anger destroys the latter.

In order to combat this discord, one may turn to the words of St. Paul from Ephesians:

"Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones."(Ep. 11-18)

The devil seeks to divide and conquer but Christ will unite and save.  It is imperative to cloak ourselves with the mantle of mercy, choosing to exhibit a joyful witness of hope, untainted by the cynicism and bitterness of complaint.  

"True charity consists in putting up with all one's neighbor's faults, never being surprised by his weakness, and being inspired by the least of his virtues." (St. Therese of Lisieux) 

May 1 Fast

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JMJ

"It is tender, that is, full of confidence in her, like a child's confidence in his loving mother. This confidence makes the soul have recourse to her in all its bodily and mental necessities, with much simplicity, trust and tenderness. . . 

This devotion to Our Lady is holy: that is to say, it leads the soul to avoid sin and imitate the virtues of the Blessed Virgin, particularly her profound humility, her lively faith, her blind obedience, her continual prayer, her universal mortification, her divine purity, her ardent charity, her heroic patience, her angelic sweetness and her divine wisdom. These are the ten principal virtues of the most holy Virgin." 

(True Devotion, St. Louis de Montfort)

Separation from a loved one either deepens or dulls desire.  The oft-quoted cliche that "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is not a steadfast rule; rather it is absence that reveals either sincere fidelity or hidden apathy.  When separation is unavoidable, one's true devotion is shown by how he fills the void during the indefinite wait for the return of the Beloved.  An interminable interval can invite anxiety and idleness, but unlike the foolish virgins in the parable, one must prepare himself for the return of the bridegroom since He will come at an unexpected hour.  Rather than fill the void with empty diversions, one can increase his prayer and fasting to sharpen his hunger to once again receive His Beloved.

It is here that one can look to Our Lady's example as she waited with eager expectation for the coming of the Messiah.  Mary did not wait in sloth and indolence, but in fervent prayer and industry; for even had she known that she would be asked to be the Mother of the Messiah, she would have still performed the same mundane daily tasks with diligence and patience. As Our Lord sanctified work by laboring himself; so too, Our Lady ennobled the role of a handmaid by her ardent desire to serve, even those who were not graced as she was. 

Let us turn to Our Lady during this, her month, asking her help to imitate her so that like Venerable Teresita Quevado, we may say to Mary: "Let all who look at me, see you."

April 3rd Fast

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JMJ

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

Who abides in the shadow of the Almighty,

Will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;

My God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the deadly pestilence;

He will cover you with His pinions,

And under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

Nor the arrow that flies by day,

Nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

Nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

Ten thousand at your right hand;

But it will not come near you.

You will only look with your eyes

And see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your refuge,

The Most High your habitation,

No evil shall befall you,

No scourge come near your tent.

For He will give His angels charge over you

To guard you in all your ways.

On their hands they will bear you up,

Less you dash your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the adder

The young lion and the serpent

You will trample under foot.

Because He cleaves to me in love,

I will deliver him;

I will protect Him, because He knows my name.

When He calls to me, I will answer Him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

And show him my salvation.

(Psalm 91) 

There are intense periods that exist in the course of one's lifetime that have definitive beginnings and endings: a stressful project for work, pregnancy and subsequent labor, a grueling training, an arduous school term, etc. Despite the toil and difficulties that arise from these situations, their characteristic finiteness enable the sufferer to endure any hardships with persevearance, encouraged by the knowledge that their labors will soon produce tangible fruit.  

However, there are other intervals that may confront a person-i.e. long illness, a job loss, or perhaps the discernment of one's vocation- whose very indeterminate nature severely tests his patience, generating anxiety and frustration as he fumbles his way through the unknown darkness before him. After Our Lord died on Good Friday, the Apostles similarly faced an uncertain future, bereft of the Light that illuminated the World, plunged into the darkness that blanketed the earth.  

But Christians have the blessed knowledge that the Apostles did not; that the time of suffering did end, and Our Lord gloriously did rise on Easter Sunday.  So too, the duration of any trial, despite its indefiniteness, will reach its conclusion    eventually.  And often, when one looks back at his trial, he will see that it was the preparatory climb to the summit he has finally gained.  To endure this present cross, then, he must recognize it as a merciful opportunity, one to be seized for fruitful growth and not wasted with useless worry.  Trust and have confidence in the Saving Sacrifice of the Cross! 

"O Blood and Water  

which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus 

as a Fountain of Mercy, I Trust in You." 

March 6 Fast

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JMJ

" We find some people who think that to fast well during the holy season of Lent it is enough to abstain from eating some prohibited food. But this thought is too gross to enter into the hearts of religious, for it is to you I speak, as well as persons dedicated to Our Lord. We know very well that it is not enough to fast exteriorly if we do not also fast interiorly and if we do not accompany the fast of the body with that of the spirit. . . Since sin entered the world through the mouth, the mouth must do penance by being deprived of foods prohibited and forbidden by the Church, abstaining from them for the space of forty days. But this glorious saint [Bernard] adds that, as it is not our mouth alone which has sinned, but also our other senses, our fast must be general and entire, that is, all the members of our body must fast. For if we have offended God through the eyes, through the ears, through the tongue, and through our other senses, why should we not make them fast as well?" 

(St. Francis de Sales)

One of the unfortunate consequences of modern technology is the absence of natural pauses in communication, whether spoken (as in a conversation) or written (as in the wait of a letter).  Silence has become awkward rather than welcome, and rapidity of response valued rather than eschewed. Lent offers an opportunity to reclaim a silent space by exhorting the faithful to perform penance for the ravenous senses that constantly yearn for attention and satisfaction.  

Silencing the senses not only acts as a penance for past offenses, but can hopefully serve as a natural bridle to curb the appetites that so often assuage one's passionate nature. Impulsiveness can be transformed into patience but only if one willfully commits to quelling the corrosive cravings of his heart: serving silently rather than complaining loudly; abasing (rather than defending) himself in the face of criticism; welcoming an interruption, rather than exploding at one; mortifying his curiosity rather than indulging it. A selfish soul destroys peace for the sake of self-preservation, but a thoughtful heart humiliates itself for the sake of peace.  

"To treat of fasting and of what is required to fast well, we must, at the start, understand that of itself fasting is not a virtue. The good and the bad, as well as Christians and pagans, observe it. The ancient philosophers observed it and recommended it. They were not virtuous for that reason, nor did they practice virtue in fasting. Oh, no, fasting is a virtue only when it is accompanied by conditions which render it pleasing to God."

(St. Francis de Sales) 

February 7th Fast

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JMJ

"If I wait for an opportune moment to do something truly great, how many times will such occasions actually present themselves?  No, I will seize the occasions that present themselves every day. I must accomplish ordinary actions, in an extraordinary way."

(Venerable Francis-Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận)

What differentiates the Christian from the secularist? It is this: a Christian's life must be determined by his desire for holiness, his hope in heaven.  One makes his actions extraordinary, not be neglecting his responsibilities, but by realizing the potential for sanctity through them.  A faithful follower of Jesus Christ allows his daily activities to be transformed through the willing acceptance of God's grace, using it to elevate his day from the secular to the sacred.  

And so, an invitation for gossip in conversation becomes an opportunity for silence and restraint.  An unbearable wait does not correspond to a frivolous phone search, but instead allows for some time for mental prayer.  An occasion of vexatious inconvenience is now seen as an occasion of charity.  And the barrage of daily demands leads not to a begrudging meting out but to a patient self-giving.

"Jesus, I will not wait, I will live in the present moment, filling it to the brim with love." 

January 3rd Fast

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JMJ

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.  Whoever loses his life, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves Me." (Jn 12:24-26)

The beginning of a New Year is a special period of grace that God mercifully allows once again shed the old self and take on the new.  It is imperative to prayerfully examine one's conscience, and not simply allow the first few days of the year to come and go like the lazy tide.  Hopes may be high for annual resolutions, but if they are not accompanied by decisive action and an earnest desire for conversion, they continue to remain unattainable.  A resolution must not be wistful but willful.  It is realistic, rooted to the ground by the humble acknowledgment of a fault, and the eager desire to correct it.  The Church wisely dedicates the first of the year to the Blessed Mother, and who better than a mother can gently advise her children as to how they must improve.  She knows a contrite heart, and looks kindly on a willing spirit; ask her help, and through her hands, beg for His grace.