August 3rd Fast

+

JMJ

" There is cause for rejoicing here.  You may for a time have to suffer the distress of many trials; but this is so that your faith, which is more precious than the passing splendor of fire-tried gold, may by its genuineness lead to praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ appears.  Although you have never seen Him, you love Him, and without seeing you now believe in Him, and rejoice with inexpressible joy touched with glory because you are achieving faith's goal, your salvation."  (1 Peter 1:6-9)

How do we view our lives? Do we take a natural view which tells us to seek pleasure, comfort, security, and to avoid any pain?  It is tempting to immediately deny that we take this perspective but then one recalls how little he denies himself, how much his mind is filled worldly anxieties, and how often he is disappointed and perplexed with the daily frustrations of life.  


We must daily be mindful of our supernatural calling.  All has been given to us with our salvation in mind.  How miserable those must be who believe only this world?  Suffering would be inexplicable if our true was home was not in heaven.  But because it is, we must never despair of the trials, be they great or small, that God sends us.  Each occasion to sacrifice, is an occasion to love; not something to be dreaded, not another thing to be burdened by.  Christ was burdened by our sins, but carried the Cross with the tremendous strength of His Love.  Let us carry out our sacrifices with the strength of our love.  


When we find it difficult, it will be well to be mindful of what is greater worth to us: a small pleasure derived for a moment or the small sacrifice that shows our Lord how much we desire the eternal salvation of ourselves, our spouse, our children, our friends.  

July 6th Fast

+

JMJ

"During the past fifty years, coupled with what was often a weak reaction on the part of decent people, there has been a conspiracy of evil practices, propagating themselves in books and illustrations, in theaters and radio programs, in styles and clubs and on the beaches, trying to work their way into the hearts of the family and society, and doing their worst damage among the youth, even among those of the tenderest years in whom the possession of virtue is a natural inheritance.

Dearly beloved youth, young men and women, who are the special object of the love of Jesus and of us, tell me, are you resolved to resist firmly, with the help of divine grace, against every attempt made to violate your chastity? ...

...Finally, all of you who are intently listening to our words, know that above the unhealthy marshes and filth of the world, stretches an immense heaven of beauty. It is the heaven which fascinated little Maria; the heaven to which she longed to ascend by the only road that leads there, which is, religion, the love of Christ, and the heroic observance of his Commandments." 

(Homily of Pope Pius XII for the Canonization of St. Maria Goretti, June 24, 1950)

Today is the feast of St. Maria Goretti. She was a young girl of twelve who was impoverished in worldly goods but had an abundance of spiritual wealth and strength.  Violently attacked by a lust-filled neighbor, she valiantly fought off her offender, but later died of the fourteen stab wounds inlficted upon her.  She chose the death of her body rather than the death of her soul.

As we fast for marriage today, we should recall this martyr of purity.  It is not just a goal for the youth to preserve their purity and innocence.  There is not one of us today who would say,"I wish I was less innocent; I am glad I was exposed to such and such."  Rather, we say," Why did I read that?  Why did I watch that? What benefit did I gain from losing that small bit of my innocence?"  The devil works in subtle ways, and carefully chips away at our purity and innocence but making us believe we need to know about this or that or that we need to be able to combat evil by knowing about its sources.

But what if we want to preserve purity and innocence in ourselves and our children, we must not just fend off attacks but also actively strengthen our fortresses by enriching our lives with the knowledge of He who is most pure, and most innocent.  As St. Maria Goretti did, we must flee all things that will tarnish our purity, and seek all things that will fortify it. 

Lilies, symbol of purity

Independence Day

+

JMJ

Happy 4th of July!  Praise God for the gift His Most Divine Son!  Praise God for the gift of our country!   Today is a day of thanksgiving and celebration, but one for serious reflection as well, especially for us as Christians.  In the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers famously asserted our fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Unfortunately, the first two rights have been severely under attack for some time.  The forces behind the war on the unborn, disabled, and elderly seek the erosion of our right to life.  And the recent HHS mandate and healthcare ruling are only the latest offenses in a long line of egregious violations of our right to liberty.  Yet, the third right enumerated in the Declaration, the right to the pursuit of happiness, has not and cannot ever be taken away.  Because the pursuit of happiness does not mean the pursuit of wealth, or comfort, or security.  It means that God has given each man the right to the pursuit of true happiness: eternal beatification in heaven.  And no person, or government can take away this right, this desire that is innate in all of us: to be perfectly happy in the arms of Our Loving God.

During these unsettling times, we must take comfort in Our Lord's exhortation, "Be not afraid!"  Paul in his letter to Romans also give us encouraging words:

"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. . .  because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.  We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we are ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we are saved.  Now hope that is seen is not hope.  For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for patience."  (Rom. 8: 18, 21-25)

 Let us pray for our country today that God's mercy may turn men's hearts back to His ways.  But let us be aware that His merciful hand may use us an instruments for the conversions of others.  Recall the early Christian martyrs and how their witness brought many into the fold.  We must pray for ourselves and our children that we may receive the courage to defend our Lord, and to die rather than deny Him.  Embrace the Hope of Heaven! And remember the words of St. Josephine Bakhita, a former slave who found her true Master, : 

 “I am definitively loved and whatever happens to me—I am awaited by this Love.  And so my life is good.”

June 1st Fast

+

JMJ

 "Yet, owing to the efforts of the archenemy of mankind, there are persons who, thanklessly casting away so many other blessings of redemption, despise also or utterly ignore the restoration of marriage to its original perfection. It is a reproach to some of the ancients that they showed themselves the enemies of marriage in many ways; but in our own age, much more pernicious is the sin of those who would fain pervert utterly the nature of marriage, perfect though it is, and complete in all its details and parts. The chief reason why they act in this way is because very many, imbued with the maxims of a false philosophy and corrupted in morals, judge nothing so unbearable as submission and obedience; and strive with all their might to bring about that not only individual men, but families, also-indeed, human society itself-may in haughty pride despise the sovereignty of God."  (Arcanum Divinae, On Christian Marriage, no. 16, Pope Leo XIII, 1880)  

The current crisis in marriage has certainly been abetted by elements by our contemporary society, like contraception, and no-fault divorce.  Though these things place great obstacles in marriage, they would not be resorted to unless first there were selfish motives to begin with.  Unless first, man sought to control his own destiny as Adam first did in the garden; as Lucifer did: "Non serviam", "I will not serve."  How often to we hear this false proposition that it is in man's nature to rebel?  Submission and obedience are anachronistic phrases that have no meaning for today.  And yet, man will be submissive to something.  If he is not submissive to God's will, he will be a slave to his own.


 Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman.  In contrast to a contract which requires the exchange of goods, a covenant demands the exchanges of persons: a total gift of self.  Yet, one cannot completely give to the other, unless he completely denies himself first.  And in denying himself, he refuses to submit to his own will, and agrees to submit to God's will revealed in the vocation to marriage.  This submission requires a humble and freely given obedience.  A submission that is instinctive; and an obedience that is not burdensome.


It is no surprise that the spouse of the Holy Spirit, readily gave her fiat to God, the Father referring to herself as a servant:

"Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word." (Lk. 1:38)

 She said her yes as quickly, and lovingly as a devoted attendant in the King's chamber would have. Might we do the same?  We may believe that we gladly submit to God's will, but do we submit to our spouse?  To our family's needs?  In our vocations, in our everyday lives, we are called to submit to God's will, but this is revealed through others.  This humble obedience, and willing submission is not a romantic notion but a difficult Truth that must be lived out constantly and consistently.  Tempted in the Garden of Olives, Our Savior Himself struggled:

"Father if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." (Lk. 22:42)

Yet, through Christ's obedience we are all saved and have the grace to obey as well:

"For as by one's man disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous." (Rom. 5:19)

When we live this Truth, when we submit to His will, we acknowledge God's sovereignty over our lives.  We also reveal our trust in His loving plan for us.  God Bless you and be with you in your fast today!

May 4th Fast

+

JMJ

"Any surrender of oneself to God that does not completely lay aside, from the moment of accepting the divine will, all thought and hope of retracing one's steps is false down to its very roots.  To give oneself to God and at the same time to cherish plans, dreams, or projects, however vaguely or theoretically or dimly, which are outside the way one has chosen, is not to give oneself to God at all.  It is too much like looking back when one has put one's hand to the plough; it is like looking out of the corner of our eye at a future we might have chosen if God had not come to us with His all encompassing demands."

(Fr. Frederico Suarez, Mary of Nazareth, p.53)

     Surrender to our vocation, to the path God has called us to, must be complete and continuous if we are ever to attain happiness and peace.  After hearing the path that God has chosen for her, Mary responded:

"Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word.  And the angel departed from her." (Lk.1:38)

It is easy to romanticize the Annunciation, meditating upon Mary's beautiful words of submission, but forgetting the complete abandonment to God's will that those words meant.  The power to control one's life is a desire that stems from the sin of pride.   The surrender of this control is the great gift that emanates from the virtue of humility.  Though this surrender appears to be weak to the worldly, it reveals a great strength and wisdom.  It recognizes the true source of strength and power. By relying solely on God, one knows that His Creator will surely guide Him to what he was created for: eternal happiness. 

Complete surrender is not possible without continuous self-sacrifice and denial.  Mary could not have completely received our Lord in her body without first completely emptying her own self. Father Luis Lorda said in the Virtues of Holiness:

"Self-sacrifice is the fuel one must burn to keep a home warm." (p.63)

 The more we empty our hearts of self-love, the more God will fill them with His Love.  We can then more readily love others with His abundant Love. Our love is tainted by the impurities of selfishness, but His Love is spotless, pure and praiseworthy. Our fast tomorrow must spur us on to sacrificing in other ways, to bring to peace to our hearts and to our homes.   St. Theresa of Avila said:

". . . For this body of ours has one fault: the more you indulge it, the more things it discovers to be essential to it." (The Way of Perfection, 11, 3) 

Nothing can be more essential to our lives, our marriages, our families, than to keep the peace of Christ.  Let us strive ardently to completely surrender to His Love, holding nothing back.  God bless you!