September 2nd Fast

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JMJ

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."

(St. Teresa of Calcutta)

In his letter to the Hebrews St. Paul says that:

". .  we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin."

In subjecting Himself to human nature Christ subjected Himself to human weakness, notably fatigue. Demands were constantly being put upon Our Lord by the crowds who followed Him; even when He sought to go off by Himself, the crowds persisted in seeking Him.  Yet, though the Gospels may mention that Our Lord was tired, they never state that He was weary of being bothered. His love was inexhaustible.

In daily living, one can easily become tired: physically, mentally, or emotionally.  Fatigue and exhaustion are common complaints following strenuous efforts to provide for one's family.  Or perhaps it is the frustrations of dealing with an obdurate child or a colicky newborn that allows weariness to creep in.  Or maybe it is the emotional strain of a tragic situation that drains one's energy.

One grows tired of patiently carrying his cross, and feels that he has loved his family in so many unseen ways, and unnoticed sacrifices.  It is tempting to resent any extra demands- little as they may be- placed upon him.  But here is when true heroism must shine forth.  Rather than begrudging more pleadings to be loved by those around him, he must selflessly embrace these extra opportunities, even though they may come at a great cost to his own personal comfort.

August 5th Fast

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JMJ

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up a mountain to pray.  While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.  And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.  As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  But he did not know what he was saying.  While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.  Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.  They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen. (Lk 9: 28B-36)

One's life is often filled with numerous joys: brief foretastes of the beauty of Paradise.  Like Mary Magdalene on Easter morning, one firmly clings to Our Lord in these moments of profound happiness.  It is easy to be like the three apostles on Tabor not wishing to descend from the glories that delight to the drudgeries that await below.  Yet, Christ gently reminds us that those rewards cannot be attained without the toil of self-sacrifice, and the sweat of patient endurance.  

The cross cannot be avoided but must be accepted.  To refuse it would be to reject the very faith that one professes to follow so devoutly.  It is important to be mindful that Christ saved his harshest rebuke for the leader of His apostles, not when Peter denied him but when he denied the cross:

"From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, 'God forbid, Lord!  No such then shall ever happen to you." 'He turned and said to Peter,'Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle to me.  You are not thinking as God does but as human beings do.'  Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.'"  (Mt 16:21-25)

But Christ does not abandon one as in a desert, bereft of comforts in the midst of difficulties.  Knowing the endurance needed to persevere through trials, He readily supplies us with consolations.  These are the reserves to be drawn upon to strengthen our resolve. When the cross feels too burdensome, and the sacrifice required appears to exact too heavy a payment, one must return to his treasure of consolations to remind him of God's great love, and then allow these merciful glimpses of heavenly beauty to spur him onward.

July 1st Fast

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JMJ

"The Son of God had announced to his disciples that they would never be at peace on this earth.  The only way to win this great combat is union with God. . . The only true rock for the baptized is prayer and the encounter with Jesus Christ.  Men whose strength is in prayer are unsinkable."

(Cardinal Robert Sarah, God or Nothing)

In Rumer Godden's book, In this House of Brede, the nuns at a Benedictine monastery are unexpectedly presented with a burdensome debt load.  In a quandary as to the resolution to this financial conundrum, one of the nuns regrettably states that selling part of the monastery grounds is the only feasible solution.  The Abbess reluctantly concedes to this proposal despite the strong objections from an older sister who reminds her fellow Benedictines that they must place their trust in prayer, for are not their lives dedicated to this ever flowing fountain of grace?  She is patronized but not heeded; yet, she is vindicated in the end when it is not the practical plan that saves the monastery but a miraculous discovery that brings the nuns the necessary amount to erase their debt.

What does one do when confronted with tragic news, an undesirable situation, or even just a daily annoyance that perpetually piques his inner abode? After practical possibilities are exhausted, where does he put his energies?  Sometimes one plays the victim who is maligned by unfair circumstances, he licks his wounds by complaining or excusing irritable behavior.  Perhaps, he finds relief from his frustrations by indulging in impatient or even angry outbursts.  Or, it could be that constant chatter and thinly veiled gossip serves as his release.  Other times, he seeks solace in mindless activity, relying on technology to help desensitize his anxious heart.

One bemoans a particular evil in the world or a source of sorrow in his personal life but instead of running to his heavenly Father to plead for resolution, he allows angst to morph into purposeless anxiety that only causes more pain and brings no peace.  Yet, nothing is gained by the continual clatter of the tongue, nor the bitter thoughts that the brooder allows to marinate in his mind.  

Our fast-paced and noise-filled world does not place a high value on patience so it unsurprisingly scoffs at the importance of prayer and quietude.  Prayer and fasting appear fruitless because they do not frequently yield quick results.  They are antithetical to the immediacy of our comfort-seeking society.  However, it is precisely this contradiction that makes them the antidote to the ills we face.  One must not retreat to noise and pleasures to drown out worries that plague him; rather, he must seek refuge and solace in the solitude of prayer and the patient practice of penance.

In the play, A Man for All Seasons, Cardinal Wolsey pointedly asks Sir Thomas More what he is going to do about the fact that Henry VIII needs a son for an heir, (insinuating that More must agree that a divorce is necessary for this desired outcome).  More replies that he prays for it daily, to which Wolsey cynically responds,"Are you going to pray for a miracle?" More readily assents,"There are precedents."

"Sometimes, in front of happenings in the world, our nation or even the Church, the results of our prayer might tempt us to become discouraged. Like Sisyphus in the Greek myth: condemned to roll a large boulder uphill, only to see it roll down again as soon as he had reached the top. Pope Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est encourages us : 'People who pray are not wasting their time, even though the situation appears desperate and seems to call for action alone.'" (Cardinal Sarah)

Feast of the Sacred Heart Fast

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JMJ

"Petty tyrannies of egoism. While true love leads to a noble and lofty identity of interests, self-love, on the other hand, makes this conformity consist in the complete submission and subordination of one party to the particular tastes or dislikes of the other.  Yet self-love takes such little notice of this that if it wishes to make a gift or give pleasure, it will consult its own personal preferences rather than the tastes of the person to be pleased. An exchange of views which broaden the horizons of both parties gives way to arguments when the peremptory decrees of tyrannical self-love are quickly imposed. Yet, in the beginning, the scratch seems to be of no importance.  The humility of the Heart of Jesus teaches you to dominate that pride which seeks always to prevail, even in minor disagreements, whereas to give in would be considerable victory over egoism." (Pope Pius XII)

The unity of the family, founded on the stable union of the spouses is essential to its strength against the constant attacks from the Evil One who strives to destroy and divide all that God has joined together.  The devil is constantly seeking to place obstacles between spouses; to create tension and foment dissension.  

The easiest and most effective means that he uses is to quickly assuage one's ego when his pride is slightly wounded.  One thinks that the Deceiver only uses base appeals to tempt a man to sin, but many times he cleverly pads one's pride with a deluge of thoughts of his own sacrifices, denials, etc. to direct his love to self rather than to the other.  One begrudges his abundant yieldings, and, in so doing, distances himself from his loved one.  Clinging stubbornly to one's own desires placates his pride, but it only entrenches division in a relationship.

How can one fight against this attachment to self?  By first understanding that to surrender to God's will shows true courage while obstinately cleaving to self-love is really only cowardice.  True love mirrors the love of the Sacred Heart.  No matter how many times Our Lord was inconvenienced, interrupted in prayer and solitude, bombarded with requests, and later showered with insults, and tortures, He never tired of serving those He loved.  True love is inexhaustible; it does not number the sacrifices made, because every situation is approached, not with the thought of, "How can this be accomplished with the least inconvenience to myself?" but rather, "How can this be done with the greatest patience and love for the other?"  

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.

May 6th Fast

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JMJ

"When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold, your son.'  Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into His home.'"

Our dear, heavenly mother was one of the greatest gifts Our Lord gave us.   Unfortunately, one frequently forgets about Mary by relegating her to an unreachable shelf, like a lifeless statue that is admired, but can never be truly loved.   Christ did not give us a distant, and lofty lady, but a sincere, and merciful woman. Certainly she is a heavenly queen; yet, she is also very much an earthly mother. 

It is easy to paint a romantic picture in our minds of the Holy Family, and therefore dismiss any understanding Mary might have for the problems in our lives.  Yet, she dealt with joys and sorrows just as we do.  She endured the insecurity, and instability that follows a sudden move when they left Bethlehem for Egypt.  Our Lady knew the fatigue of a long day, doing the daily chores that required much physical effort.  She daily practiced patience in being obedient to God's will for she accepted what she didn't always understand, and did not try to suit situations to her own preferences and plans. 

She felt the uncertainty of what the future portended for her innocent Son in a world full of evil men.  Mary knew the love of a wife for her husband, she shared his trials and triumphs, and deeply felt the loss of her beloved spouse when Joseph died.  She shared the humiliations of her Son, not just on Good Friday, but throughout His ministry when he was mocked and misunderstood for His teaching.  She endured the infidelities of her Son's closest companions as keenly as He did, himself.  Our Lady suffered greatly with Our Lord during His Passion, rejoiced at His Resurrection, and longed once again for Him when they separated at His Ascension. 

No, our Mother is not an untouchable Queen set to be an idol before us, but a real, flesh and blood woman given to us to cherish and take solace from.  She is the noble woman who goes among her people. As the Litany of Loreto so beautifully says, she is the:

Health of the sick,

Refuge of sinners,

Comforter of the afflicted,

Help of Christians

Mary wants to share the secret to her glory: it is the joy of knowing and being with Jesus.  She was a perfect disciple, not only because she was immaculately conceived, but because she had a servant's heart like her Son.  She desired to do God's will always, to give herself to others first, and now she gives herself to us.  Our Blessed Lady is indeed a gentle woman with a compassionate heart, she desires our love, as any mother does, and longs to bring us to eternal happiness with her Son.

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