May 7th Fast

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JMJ

"Let nothing disturb you,  Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing;God alone suffices. " 

St. Teresa of Avila 

The culture of consumerism so pollutes the atmosphere that man finds himself perpetually dissatisfied; he hungers for more, only to find his desire never fulfilled, his thirst never slaked. Like Tantalus in the Greek myth, he always grasps but never gains.  

The faithful follower of Christ may think he is immune to this habitual inclination since he knows like St. Augustine  that "our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord."  And yet, his restive soul is still not at peace because he stubbornly clings to childish wants and demands rather than yielding his will in childlike trust and acceptance.   For a child is satisfied with little, content to simply have his basic needs met by one who tenderly loves him.  A little one does not dwell on adversity nor is hindered by humiliations, but rests peacefully in the security of a devoted family. Time holds no meaning for him and so he joyfully delights in every moment, revealing by his innocent laugh how he grateful he is to be alive.  When one becomes like a child again, he is not only satisfied by the essentials, but learns to cast off the spirit of gluttony by embracing the spirit of gratitude.

 The beautiful month of May always invites the Christian to reflect on the many virtues of Our dear Mother Mary.  The Divine Plan was not detailed in advance, but rather unfolded before her eyes. Yet, through every hardship, one can imagine that she would console St. Joseph and herself by saying, "At least we have Him with us." Does every disciple think the same when tribulation- be it large or small- comes?  Is one content with the necessities, grateful for the small comforts given by the Father of Mercies? Or is he always frustrated by sufferings, impeded by inconveniences, perturbed because circumstances cannot be just so? 

Undaunted by the sorrows she endured, Mary possessed a grateful disposition and a childlike trust  in God's providence. Though she experienced excruciating pain, her heart was filled with profound peace, as it clung to Him who satisfied all her needs.

"Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.  

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,  and he delivered them from their distress, 

He led them by a straight way, till they reached a city to dwell in. 

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men! 

For He satisfies him who is thirsty, and the hungry He fills with good things." 

(Ps. 108: 4-9)

April 2nd, Good Friday Fast

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"Bernard of Clairvaux coined the marvelous expression: Impassibilis est Deus, sed non incompassibilis—God cannot suffer, but he can suffer with. Man is worth so much to God that he himself became man in order to suffer with man in an utterly real way—in flesh and blood—as is revealed to us in the account of Jesus's Passion. Hence in all human suffering we are joined by one who experiences and carries that suffering with us; hence con-solatio is present in all suffering, the consolation of God's compassionate love—and so the star of hope rises. . the capacity to suffer for the sake of the truth is the measure of humanity. Yet this capacity to suffer depends on the type and extent of the hope that we bear within us and build upon. The saints were able to make the great journey of human existence in the way that Christ had done before them, because they were brimming with great hope."

(Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict XVI) 

    One of the preeminent virtues that can be found in the lives of the saints is not only the ability to suffer patiently, but to do so while selflessly caring for the needs of others.  St. Maximilian Kolbe- a man already weakened by a long battle with tuberculosis- was forcibly huddled with nine other men in a starvation bunker in Auschwitz, where he encouraged his fellow sufferers with hymns and hopeful exhortations, ministering to the last until he was left to die alone.  St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who endured many severe trials- dire poverty following the loss of her beloved husband, abandonment by friends and family after her conversion- selflessly mothered her fledgling community, even while inwardly grieving the loss of her two daughters, whom she buried while struggling to secure a firm foundation for her Sisters of Charity.  And St. Zelie Martin- sufferer of frequent migraines and later breast cancer- so refused to allow her physical ailments and personal losses (that of 4 small children) to prevent her from using up all her strength in service to her family and Our Lord that she was finally forced to relinquish her cherished practice of attending daily Mass because her fading strength would not allow her to open the door of the church.

    This desire to set aside one's own sorrows in order to empty oneself out for another finds its source of strength and hope in the Cross of Christ.  In his encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict XVI says:

"Truth and justice must stand above my comfort and physical well-being, or else my life itself becomes a lie.  In the end, even the 'yes' to love is a source of suffering, because love always requires expropriations of my 'I', in which I allow myself to be pruned and wounded. Love simply cannot exist without this painful renunciation of myself, for otherwise it becomes pure selfishness and thereby ceases to be love."

    As the first and best disciple of her Son, Our Lady exemplifies this total gift of self, even as the sword of sorrow plunged deep into her soul.  How great must have been her need to be consoled, in the midst of her agony, as she watched her beloved Son, her tender boy, being defiled, humiliated, and mercilessly torn apart? But as her Son consoled his followers despite his excruciating pain, so too she would accept her vocation to comfort and console her newly adopted children- given to her by Christ on the Cross- despite the agonizing pain that pierced her heart.  How bravely she once again gave her fiat to Her Son when she heard those words,"Woman behold your son." How courageously she persevered in her motherly role, even as she felt the second painful separation from her Son as he later ascended into heaven.  

If the will to win can drive the athlete to ignore all pain in the pursuit of earthly glory, surely the will to love can motivate the faithful Christian to overcome all physical and emotional pain in the pursuit of heavenly glory? For it is a decision of the will, not a passing fancy of the heart, to set aside the personal sorrows that dwell deep therein, in order to encourage and comfort those without.  Yet though this generous soul may forego the need for human consolation in the pursuit of truly loving another, he must remember that God will never abandon him, and will be comfort him in the hidden solitude of his soul:

"The Latin word con-solatio, “consolation”, expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude. . . Hence in all human suffering we are joined by one who experiences and carries that suffering with us; hence con-solatio is present in all suffering, the consolation of God's compassionate love—and so the star of hope rises."

 

March 5th Fast

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"Let us allow ourselves to be filled with St. Joseph's silence! In a world that is often too noisy, that encourages neither recollection nor listening to God's voice, we are in such need of it."

(Pope Benedict XVI)

   In the age of social media, the clamor for attention is like the deafening thunder of a towering waterfall.  The insatiable desire to indulge one's ego is displayed through the broadcasting of all personal details and opinions, illustrated in words or images. Less one thinks himself innocent of the charge of virtual grandstanding because he refrains from those platforms, and haughtily separate himself from his blabbering brethren, he should consider how often he uses subtle devices to attract notice.  God has bestowed the tremendous gifts of reason and speech upon man, but unfortunately if the former is neglected when employing the latter, man acts no better than the cackling hens who fill the barnyard with their cacophony.

"O, that a guard were set over my mouth, and a seal of prudence upon my lips that it may keep me from falling so that my tongue may not destroy me!" (Sir. 22:27)

Though the sharing of even the seemingly trivial may seem harmless, the urge to do so is a symptom of a larger disease that plagues the discontented and insecure soul.  Modern man refuses to forego any opportunity to publicize himself. No witty remark is left unsaid. Every opinion is erudite and so must be pronounced. Complaints and daily frustrations are chronicled rather than concealed.  Altruism may be done in secret but must be subtly alluded to so the doer receives his deserved acknowledgement. 

In contrast to this morass of vanity and self-pity, stands the truly humble man who sincerely desires to remain hidden. St. Joseph, the Just Man, is aptly given this title for the virtue of justice demands that one gives others what is due them, and St. Joseph foremost gave God what was due Him- his faithful service and adoration- and trusted that God in His providence would give him and the Holy Family what was necessary for them. The dear husband of Our Lady, provides the essential witness of silent and selfless servitude.  

St. Joseph was granted guardianship of the Messiah and His Mother, but not knowledge of how God's plan would unfold.  He, of all people, had reason to complain when sufferings came. Why did God not protect the Holy Infant from the harshest elements: born in abject poverty, hunted by a ravenous dictator, ostracized in a foreign land. Why did Mary, the woman he loved so tenderly, have to endure humiliations when she was the Mother of the Savior? Precedence for grumbling about God's designs certainly can be found in abundance when perusing the lives of the Patriarchs and Prophets.  And yet, St. Joseph remains ever the steadfast servant: eager to carry out God's will, despite the hardship he and his loved ones must endure.

Modern man abhors hiddenness, but St. Joseph embraces it.  The former clings to his complaints while the latter courageously eschews the temptation to self-pity. Attracting attention to indulge one's self takes little effort but the restraint which cultivates humility demands the tremendous strength of St. Joseph. Pray to St. Joseph! Desire to be like him!

“Devotion to St. Joseph is one of the choicest graces that God can give to a soul, for it is tantamount to revealing the entire treasury of our Lord’s graces. When God wishes to raise a soul to greater heights, he unites it to St. Joseph by giving it a strong love for the good saint."

    (St. Peter Julian Eymard)

February 5th Fast

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"Among these devout people, those who suffer afflictions are not much over-concerned about their sufferings and never lose courage." 

(St. Francis deSales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part I, no.18)

Due to the facility and immediacy that modern advances have afforded mankind, true drudgery has all but vanished and suffering- a reality that civilization historically was forced to accept- is easily avoided.  Yet, with the ease of comfort comes the frustration of inconvenience; behind the banishment of ills, lurks a paralysis induced by the cross.  

Because past generations were inured to adversity from an early age, their shoulders were gradually strengthened to bear the burdens that inevitably appeared, but their hearts were also opened to the hope that their sacrifices could be united to the salvific act of Christ's Cross.  Certainly many were hardened by enduring misfortunes, but others were buoyed by the knowledge that their suffering was temporary and their reward eternal.

Though the advent of modern convenience and medicine brought a welcome exponential growth in the quality of life, it also brought a new ignorance to the experience of suffering.  Sorrows were now rare but so too was the capability to endure them. Therefore, when inescapable afflictions came, perseverance was found wanting in most: fear replaced fortitude and repulsion replaced resignation.  When disdain for trials has been ingrained since youth, it is very difficult, indeed, to expect anything but cowardice when confronted with the cross.

Yet fear of the cross comes from him, who despises it more than anyone. In the legend of St. Christopher, the devil trembles and recoils from the mere sight of the cross, revealing to St. Christopher its awesome power.  Though a noble soul rarely knows the reasons for a present trial, he does understand that even if the only purpose is for his sanctification, that is reason enough to endure hardship.  One may understandably beg for relief - for even the saints did that- but also prays for the grace to accept the cross he must carry.  Even in their pain, these generous souls offer to God their gratitude that He has given them to means to obtain graces, the strength to bear their burden, and the instrument to grow closer to Him, whom they desire so much. 

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.