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."