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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
Posted on 04/14/2014 9:14:25 PM PDT by Salvation
April 15, 2014
Reading 1 Is 49:1-6
Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15 and 17
R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Gospel Jn 13:21-33, 36-38
Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus’ side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him,
“Master, who is it?”
Jesus answered,
“It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.”
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
“Buy what we need for the feast,”
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.
When he had left, Jesus said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you.”
Simon Peter said to him, “Master, where are you going?”
Jesus answered him,
“Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later.”
Peter said to him,
“Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you.”
Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times.”
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
Feast Day: April 15
Blessed Damien of Molokai
Feast Day: April 15
Born: 1840 :: Died: 1889
Joseph "Jeff" de Veuster was the son of Belgian farmers. He and his brother, Pamphile, grew to be strong and healthy young lads working on the family farm. Everybody liked Jeff because he was good-natured and generous.
When they were old enough, both brothers became missionaries and joined the congregation of the Sacred Hearts. These missionaries were responsible for the Catholic faith on the Hawaiian Islands. Jeff chose the name "Damien."
More missionaries were needed in the kingdom of Hawaii. In 1863, a group of Sacred Hearts priests and brothers were chosen to go. Pamphile, Damien's brother, was selected. But just before the departure date, Pamphile had typhoid fever and he had to give up his dream of being a missionary.
Brother Damien, still studying to become a priest, asked if he could take Pamphile's place. The father general agreed to let Damien go instead. He went home to his family for a loving farewell. Then he took the ship from Belgium to Hawaii, a journey of eighteen weeks.
Damien finished his studies and was ordained a priest in Hawaii. He spent eight years among the people of three districts, traveling on horseback and by canoe. The people loved this tall, generous priest. He used the little money he could raise to build chapels. He and volunteer parishioners built the chapels themselves.
But the most incredible part of Damien's life was about to begin. The bishop asked for a volunteer priest to go to the island of Molokai. Just the name of this place struck the people with fear and dread. They knew that the part of the island called Kalawao was the "living graveyard" of people dying of leprosy.
There was so much that people did not know about leprosy and they were so frightened they too would get the disease, that lepers were mostly left alone to take care of themselves. It was a hopeless situation. There was no priest, nobody to keep law and order on Molokai and no health-care facilities.
The Hawaiian government sent some food and medical supplies, but it was not enough for the people there. And there was no system to make sure everybody on Molokai received what was distributed.
Father Damien went to Molokai. Faced with the poverty, corruption and despair, even Damien was shocked. But he made up his mind that for him there was no turning back. The people desperately needed help.
He went to Honolulu to deal with the health authorities. They told him that he could not travel back and forth to Molokai or he could spread the disease. Actually they didn't want him on Molokai because he was creating too many problems for them.
So Damien had to make a choice: if he went back to Molokai, he could never leave. The health authorities didn't know Damien. He chose to stay on Molokai.
He worked hard for eighteen years and with the help of the lepers and generous volunteers, Molokai was transformed. The word Molokai took on a whole different meaning. It became an island of Christian love.
Damien organized burial details and funeral services, so that death might have some dignity. He taught the people how to grow crops and feed themselves better. He organized a choir, and got persons to sing who had not sung in years. He gave them medical attention.
There was already a small chapel on the island but it soon proved too small. So with the help of patients he built a larger one, which soon overflowed every Sunday. Father Damien in the end became a leper himself. He died on April 15, 1889, at the age of forty-nine and was buried there. He was proclaimed "blessed" by Pope John Paul II in 1994.
Reflection: Blessed Damien showed amazing courage and generosity, even giving up his life for others. As a Christian, how do I show love and support to those around me?
Catholic
Almanac:
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Tuesday, April 15 |
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Liturgical Color: Violet |
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Why is the Mass sometimes referred to as a "worship service"?
A worship service is in the first place a service that God performs for us, and only then is it our service offered to God. God gives himself to us under the form of holy signs - so that we might do the same: give ourselves unreservedly to him.
Jesus is there in Word and sacrament - God is present. That is the first and most important thing about every liturgy. Only then do we enter the picture. Jesus sacrifices his life for us so that we might offer to him the spiritual sacrifice of our life. In the Eucharist, Christ gives himself to us, so that we might give ourselves to him. Thus we take part in the redeeming and transforming sacrifice of Christ. Our little life is burst open and led into the kingdom of God. God can live his life in our lives. (YOUCAT question 140)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (1145-1192) and other references here.
Part 2: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (1066 - 1690)
Section 1: The Sacramental Economy (1076 - 1209)
Chapter 2: The Sacramental Celebration of the Paschal Mystery (1135 - 1209)
Article 1: Celebrating the Church's Liturgy (1136 - 1199)
II. HOW IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED? ⇡
Signs and symbols ⇡
A sacramental celebration is woven from signs and symbols. In keeping with the divine pedagogy of salvation, their meaning is rooted in the work of creation and in human culture, specified by the events of the Old Covenant and fully revealed in the person and work of Christ.
Signs of the human world. In human life, signs and symbols occupy an important place. As a being at once body and spirit, man expresses and perceives spiritual realities through physical signs and symbols. As a social being, man needs signs and symbols to communicate with others, through language, gestures, and actions. The same holds true for his relationship with God.
God speaks to man through the visible creation. The material cosmos is so presented to man's intelligence that he can read there traces of its Creator.16 Light and darkness, wind and fire, water and earth, the tree and its fruit speak of God and symbolize both his greatness and his nearness.
16.
Cf. Wis 13:1; Rom 1:19 f.; Acts 14:17.
Inasmuch as they are creatures, these perceptible realities can become means of expressing the action of God who sanctifies men, and the action of men who offer worship to God. The same is true of signs and symbols taken from the social life of man: washing and anointing, breaking bread and sharing the cup can express the sanctifying presence of God and man's gratitude toward his Creator.
The great religions of mankind witness, often impressively, to this cosmic and symbolic meaning of religious rites. The liturgy of the Church presupposes, integrates and sanctifies elements from creation and human culture, conferring on them the dignity of signs of grace, of the new creation in Jesus Christ.
Signs of the covenant. The Chosen People received from God distinctive signs and symbols that marked its liturgical life. These are no longer solely celebrations of cosmic cycles and social gestures, but signs of the covenant, symbols of God's mighty deeds for his people. Among these liturgical signs from the Old Covenant are circumcision, anointing and consecration of kings and priests, laying on of hands, sacrifices, and above all the Passover. The Church sees in these signs a prefiguring of the sacraments of the New Covenant.
Signs taken up by Christ. In his preaching the Lord Jesus often makes use of the signs of creation to make known the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.17 He performs healings and illustrates his preaching with physical signs or symbolic gestures.18 He gives new meaning to the deeds and signs of the Old Covenant, above all to the Exodus and the Passover,19 for he himself is the meaning of all these signs.
17.
Cf. Lk 8:10.
18.
Cf. Jn 9:6; Mk 7:33 ff.; 8:22 ff.
19.
Cf. Lk 9:31; 22:7-20.
Sacramental signs. Since Pentecost, it is through the sacramental signs of his Church that the Holy Spirit carries on the work of sanctification. The sacraments of the Church do not abolish but purify and integrate all the richness of the signs and symbols of the cosmos and of social life. Further, they fulfill the types and figures of the Old Covenant, signify and make actively present the salvation wrought by Christ, and prefigure and anticipate the glory of heaven.
Words and actions ⇡
A sacramental celebration is a meeting of God's children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit; this meeting takes the form of a dialogue, through actions and words. Admittedly, the symbolic actions are already a language, but the Word of God and the response of faith have to accompany and give life to them, so that the seed of the Kingdom can bear its fruit in good soil. The liturgical actions signify what the Word of God expresses: both his free initiative and his people's response of faith.
The liturgy of the Word is an integral part of sacramental celebrations. To nourish the faith of believers, the signs which accompany the Word of God should be emphasized: the book of the Word (a lectionary or a book of the Gospels), its veneration (procession, incense, candles), the place of its proclamation (lectern or ambo), its audible and intelligible reading, the minister's homily which extends its proclamation, and the responses of the assembly (acclamations, meditation psalms, litanies, and profession of faith).
The liturgical word and action are inseparable both insofar as they are signs and instruction and insofar as they accomplish what they signify. When the Holy Spirit awakens faith, he not only gives an understanding of the Word of God, but through the sacraments also makes present the "wonders" of God which it proclaims. The Spirit makes present and communicates the Father's work, fulfilled by the beloved Son.
Singing and music ⇡
"The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of solemn liturgy."20 The composition and singing of inspired psalms, often accompanied by musical instruments, were already closely linked to the liturgical celebrations of the Old Covenant. The Church continues and develops this tradition: "Address ... one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart." "He who sings prays twice."21
20.
SC 112.
21.
Eph 5:19; St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 72,1:PL 36,914; cf. Col 3:16.
Song and music fulfill their function as signs in a manner all the more significant when they are "more closely connected ... with the liturgical action,"22 according to three principal criteria: beauty expressive of prayer, the unanimous participation of the assembly at the designated moments, and the solemn character of the celebration. In this way they participate in the purpose of the liturgical words and actions: the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful:23 How I wept, deeply moved by your hymns, songs, and the voices that echoed through your Church! What emotion I experienced in them! Those sounds flowed into my ears distilling the truth in my heart. A feeling of devotion surged within me, and tears streamed down my face — tears that did me good.24
22.
SC 112 § 3.
23.
Cf. SC 112.
24.
St. Augustine, Conf. 9,6,14:PL 32,769-770.
The harmony of signs (song, music, words, and actions) is all the more expressive and fruitful when expressed in the cultural richness of the People of God who celebrate.25 Hence "religious singing by the faithful is to be intelligently fostered so that in devotions and sacred exercises as well as in liturgical services," in conformity with the Church's norms, "the voices of the faithful may be heard." But "the texts intended to be sung must always be in conformity with Catholic doctrine. Indeed they should be drawn chiefly from the Sacred Scripture and from liturgical sources."26
25.
Cf. SC 119.
26.
SC 118; 121.
Holy images ⇡
The sacred image, the liturgical icon, principally represents Christ. It cannot represent the invisible and incomprehensible God, but the incarnation of the Son of God has ushered in a new "economy" of images: Previously God, who has neither a body nor a face, absolutely could not be represented by an image. But now that he has made himself visible in the flesh and has lived with men, I can make an image of what I have seen of God ... and contemplate the glory of the Lord, his face unveiled.27
27.
St. John Damascene, De imag. 1,16:PG 96:1245-1248.
Christian iconography expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates by words. Image and word illuminate each other: We declare that we preserve intact all the written and unwritten traditions of the Church which have been entrusted to us. One of these traditions consists in the production of representational artwork, which accords with the history of the preaching of the Gospel. For it confirms that the incarnation of the Word of God was real and not imaginary, and to our benefit as well, for realities that illustrate each other undoubtedly reflect each other's meaning.28
28.
Council of Nicaea II (787): COD 111.
All the signs in the liturgical celebrations are related to Christ: as are sacred images of the holy Mother of God and of the saints as well. They truly signify Christ, who is glorified in them. They make manifest the "cloud of witnesses"29 who continue to participate in the salvation of the world and to whom we are united, above all in sacramental celebrations. Through their icons, it is man "in the image of God," finally transfigured "into his likeness,"30 who is revealed to our faith. So too are the angels, who also are recapitulated in Christ: Following the divinely inspired teaching of our holy Fathers and the tradition of the Catholic Church (for we know that this tradition comes from the Holy Spirit who dwells in her) we rightly define with full certainty and correctness that, like the figure of the precious and life-giving cross, venerable and holy images of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ, our inviolate Lady, the holy Mother of God, and the venerated angels, all the saints and the just, whether painted or made of mosaic or another suitable material, are to be exhibited in the holy churches of God, on sacred vessels and vestments, walls and panels, in houses and on streets.31
29.
30.
31.
Council of Nicaea II: DS 600.
"The beauty of the images moves me to contemplation, as a meadow delights the eyes and subtly infuses the soul with the glory of God."32 Similarly, the contemplation of sacred icons, united with meditation on the Word of God and the singing of liturgical hymns, enters into the harmony of the signs of celebration so that the mystery celebrated is imprinted in the heart's memory and is then expressed in the new life of the faithful.
32.
St. John Damascene, De imag. 1,27:PG 94,1268A,B.
III. WHEN IS THE LITURGY CELEBRATED? ⇡
Liturgical seasons ⇡
"Holy Mother Church believes that she should celebrate the saving work of her divine Spouse in a sacred commemoration on certain days throughout the course of the year. Once each week, on the day which she has called the Lord's Day, she keeps the memory of the Lord's resurrection. She also celebrates it once every year, together with his blessed Passion, at Easter, that most solemn of all feasts. In the course of the year, moreover, she unfolds the whole mystery of Christ. ... Thus recalling the mysteries of the redemption, she opens up to the faithful the riches of her Lord's powers and merits, so that these are in some way made present in every age; the faithful lay hold of them and are filled with saving grace."33
33.
SC 102.
From the time of the Mosaic law, the People of God have observed fixed feasts, beginning with Passover, to commemorate the astonishing actions of the Savior God, to give him thanks for them, to perpetuate their remembrance, and to teach new generations to conform their conduct to them. In the age of the Church, between the Passover of Christ already accomplished once for all, and its consummation in the kingdom of God, the liturgy celebrated on fixed days bears the imprint of the newness of the mystery of Christ.
Daily Readings for:April 15, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: Almighty ever-living God, grant us so to celebrate the mysteries of the Lord's Passion that we may merit to receive your pardon. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
ACTIVITIES
o Holy Week in the Catholic Tradition
o Housecleaning for Holy Week I
o Housecleaning for Holy Week II
o Lent Hymn: Open, O Hard and Sinful Heart!
o Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week in the Home
o Music for Lent and Easter: St. Matthew Passion by Bach
o The Passover Meal: 1. Introduction
PRAYERS
o Prayer for Tuesday of Holy Week
o Prayer for Palm Sunday and Holy Week
o Family Evening Prayer for Holy Week
· Lent: April 15th
· Tuesday of Holy Week
Old Calendar: Tuesday of Holy Week
"False witnesses have stood up against me, and my enemies threaten violence; Lord, do not surrender me into their power!" Our Lord calls upon His heavenly Father to shield Him against His enemies. In God's providence, however, the Cross of Christ was destined to be a sign of glory and not an emblem of shame: from that Cross came victory over Satan, from it came life, resurrection and salvation: "It behooves us to glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, by whom we are saved and delivered."
On the Cross Our Lord expiated our avarice by His extreme poverty, our sensuality by His most bitter sufferings, our pride by His profound humiliations, our disobedience by His most perfect submission to the Will of God. Embracing us with His extended arms He draws us into the path which He has trod and which alone leads to life eternal. — Cathedral Daily Missal
Meditation
Today, again, our Savior sets out in the morning for Jerusalem. His intention is to repair to the temple, and continue His yesterday's teachings. It is evident that His mission on earth is fast drawing to its close. He says to His disciples: "You know that after two days shall be the Pasch, and the Son of Man shall be delivered up to be crucified."
On the road from Bethania to Jerusalem, the disciples are surprised at seeing the fig-tree, which their divine Master had yesterday cursed, now dead. Addressing himself to Jesus, Peter says: "Rabbi, behold, the fig-tree, which Thou didst curse, is withered away." In order to teach us that the whole of material nature is subservient to the will of God, Jesus replies: "Have the faith of God. Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain: Be thou removed and cast into the sea! and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe that whatsoever he saith shall be done, it shall be done unto him."
Having entered the city, Jesus directs His steps towards the temple. No sooner has He entered, than the chief priests, the scribes, and the ancients of the people, accost Him with these words: "By what authority dost Thou do these things and who has given Thee this authority, that Thou shouldst do these things?" We shall find our Lord's answer given in the Gospel. Our object is to mention the leading events of the last days of our Redeemer on earth; the holy volume will supply the details.
As on the two preceding days, Jesus leaves the city towards evening: He passes over Mount Olivet, and returns to Bethania, where He finds His blessed Mother and His devoted friends.
— The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.
The Station today is at the church of St. Prisca. Saint Prisca was baptized by Saint Peter when she was thirteen. She was thrown to the lions by Claudius (41-54), but the lion only licked her feet. She was then beheaded. Her home was made into a church by Pope Saint Eutychianus (275-283), who placed her remains under the high altar. It was probably one of the first gathering places for Christians in Rome.
Daily Marriage Tip for April 15, 2014:
“Marriage…is to be a school for nurturing gratitude.” (USCCB, Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan) How do you foster gratitude in your marriage? Try coming up with three things every night to be grateful for. Add them to a “gratitude journal” and count your blessings!
Tuesday of Holy Week
It is too little … (Isaiah 49:6)
“It’s just not enough. It’s not big enough, not awesome enough.” That must be what God thinks when he looks at us and our expectations. Your vision is too narrow! Your dreams are too small! I want to do so much more!
When God sent the Messiah, it wasn’t enough for him to restore the Jews as his chosen people. He didn’t want just to reestablish a monarchy in Israel, no matter how godly it might be. No, he wanted his Messiah to be a light to all nations and to bring every person back to God!
The events we commemorate during Holy Week are not just historical events that took place in some small part of the world ages ago. They have a huge impact on the world—and on each one of us. Jesus died to transform us, not just to fix us up or make us slightly better versions of ourselves. He died so that the very foundations of our lives could be altered.
It can be hard to believe sometimes, but it’s true: God has a massive, exciting, glorious plan for your life! To borrow a technological image, he doesn’t want to come up with a “software patch” to solve your problems. He wants to update you to “version 2.0.” He wants to take your entire nature and fill it to overflowing with his grace so that people will see something different in you. He wants to make you a light to the nations!
As the events of Holy Week are set in motion, allow God to broaden your vision. Let him show you how big his plan is, how wide and broad is his desire to save everyone—and save them completely! And then let him make that transformation a reality in your own life. As you prepare to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection, let him bury the old “you” and raise a brand new “you” to life.
“Lord, I believe that you can do something big in my life this Easter! I don’t want to settle for a little bit of change or a small victory. Broaden my vision so that I can perceive how you want to use me to build your kingdom!”
Psalm 71:1-6, 15, 17; John 13:21-33, 36-38
Christ’s First Mandate to His Priests
Monday, 14 April 2014 19:00
The first thing I asked of my priests, my newly-ordained apostles,
and of these, the three closest to My Heart,
was to watch and pray with Me.
I did not send them out immediately,
nor did I entrust them with any priestly task apart from keeping watch with Me in prayer,
lest they fall in the hour of trial.
I wanted them close to Me to console Me,
to comfort Me in My agony
by their union with My prayer of obedience and abandonment to the Father.
This was their first priestly action,
their first mandate as priests of the New Covenant:
not to preach, not to teach, not to heal, nor even to baptize,
but to watch and pray with Me.
I wanted them to understand by this
that unless a priest keeps watch and perseveres in prayer,
all else will be in vain.
He will dispense the substance of My mysteries,
but without the sweetness of a heavenly unction,
without the fire and light of a personal experience of My Divine Friendship.
This is why I beg My priests to become adorers:
to begin to keep watch and pray close to Me in he Sacrament of My Love.
If you could have heard the urgency and sorrow of My plea to Peter, James, and John!
I did not merely ask them to watch and pray,
I begged them to do so.
I needed their prayer at that hour,
just as I need the prayer of all My priests
in this final hour that is coming, and that is already upon my Church.
Only the prayer of My priests,
made in union with the prayer of My Heart to the Father,
will be able to preserve and console My Church in the darkness that lies ahead.
I beg for the prayer of My priests,
for a prayer of adoration, of reparation, and of supplication.
I ask them for a prayer that is sincere and persevering,
for a prayer that will become in their hearts
a ceaseless murmur rising to the Father as a spiritual offering.
When will my priests begin to pray as I have asked them for so long
– lo, all these centuries — to pray?
I want priests who will watch and pray with Me.
I need such priests.
Without their prayer, my mystic agony will be prolonged
and be without consolation
from the friends whom I have chosen to abide with Me
in the trials that will soon beset My Church, my poor, frail Bride.
The crisis in My priesthood will continue
and will even grow worse unless My priests — the chosen friends of My Heart –
forsake this passing world’s vanities and empty pursuits
to become adorers in spirit and in truth.
I pleaded with My apostles to watch and pray; and they slept.
Still do I plead with my priests to watch and to pray,
and still they sleep,
even at this hour when My Church invites them to stay with Me,
to linger close to My real presence,
and not to forsake Me in the darkness and terror of this night.
Where are My priests?
I wait for them.
I call to them.
I desire that they leave all else
to offer Me their companionship, their presence, their wordless love, and their tears.
Those who are responding to My plea,
and to the first mandate given to My Apostles, are still too few.
Offer yourself so that others may find their way to My altars
and learn that there is no sweetness, no comfort, and no presence
like the sweetness, the comfort, and the presence
that I offer them in the Most Holy Sacrament,
which they themselves consecrate for My Church.
Share . . . this desire of My Heart for priests who will keep watch close to My altars,
and abide in My presence,
even if this means forsaking things that are, in themselves, innocent, and good, and gratifying.
The hour is late.
Soon there will be no time left
to offer Me the prayer and companionship
that I have always sought and still seek from my priests.
I say this not to cause panic or fright,
but because priests must begin to realize
that what I asked of My Apostles in Gethsemani perdures
– and it is My request, here and now –
and it is no less urgent today than it was in that awful night in Gethsemani.
Let them begin to carry out the first request I made to My priests,
the first mandate I gave them: to watch and to pray.
Only then will they live to see the splendour of My glory on the day of My return.
From In Sinu Iesu, The Journal of a Priest
The Night of My Agony and Betrayal
Monday, 14 April 2014 19:11
I am close to you now,
and you are close to Me in the Sacrament of My Love.
I accept your presence here tonight
as an offering of friendship and reparation
for the sake of all My priests, your brothers.
Tonight I look for them.
I wait for each one to seek Me out.
I continue to hope that My chosen ones,
even those who have allowed their hearts to grow hard against Me,
will be converted tonight
and find their way to My tabernacles where I wait for them.
There are graces destined for My priests
in this the night of My agony and of My betrayal
that are not given at any other time.
I am bound tonight.
I have already been taken,
and My captors led Me away as a lamb to the slaughter.
I am silent but My Heart watches and waits for My priests.
If only they would come to Me, I would undo the bonds that hold them in slavery.
I would give them light in the spiritual darknesses that oppress them.
I would speak to them words of comfort and of compassion.
Your being with Me tonight
allows Me to touch the souls of many priests who have stayed away from Me.
You are here only because My grace has worked within you,
changing your heart,
and drawing you into the grace of My abiding friendship.
What I have done in My infinite mercy for you,
I would do for every one of My priests.
I am about to renew the priesthood of My Church in holiness.
I am very close to cleansing My priests of the impurities that defile them.
Soon, very soon, I will pour out graces of spiritual healing upon all My priests.
I will separate those who will accept the gift of My Divine Friendship
from those who will harden their hearts against Me.
To the first I will give a radiant holiness
like that of John and of My apostles in the beginnings.
From the others I will take away even what they think they have.
It must be so.
I want the priests of My Church clean in heart
and faithful in responding to the immense love
with which I have loved each one of them
and chosen each one for Myself
and for the realization of the designs of My Heart.
Those who do not live in My friendship betray Me and impede My work.
They detract from the beauty of holiness
that I would see shine in My Church.
I weep over their hardness of heart
and My Immaculate Mother, their sorrowing Mother, weeps with Me over them.
The renewal of My priesthood in the Church
will begin from the fire of love that blazes in the Sacrament of My Body and Blood.
I call all priests to seek My Eucharistic Face and to abide in My presence.
I want all My priests to discover My open Heart,
My living Heart beating with Love for them,
and pouring forth a purifying stream of Blood and of Water for their holiness,
and for the life of the world.
I summon all My priests into My Eucharistic presence.
They must learn that in My company is the fullness of joy.
They must discover in the Sacrament of My Love
the sweetness and strength of My Divine Friendship.
Many, so many, have forsaken Me in the Sacrament of My Love,
but I will not forsake a single priest who comes to Me in the Sacrament of My Love.
There I wait for My priests.
There I offer them My Divine Embrace.
There I would draw them to My open Side,
and through the wound in My Side, into the sanctuary of My Sacred Heart.
Adore Me for the sake of your brother priests who do not adore Me.
Let Me give you what I would give each of them.
Accept My Love.
Receive the gift of My Divine Friendship.
Make My Eucharistic Presence the very heart of your life
and the centre to which you return
for warmth, for healing, for comfort, and for light.
Seek My Eucharistic Face, and invite others to do the same.
In the light of My Eucharistic Face great things take place in souls.
You have only to present yourself before Me,
and the light of My Countenance,
veiled in the Sacrament of My Love,
begins at once to work in your soul.
From In Sinu Iesu, The Journal of a Priest
| Peter’s Collision Course | ||
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John 13:21-33, 36-38 Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, "Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus´ side. So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus´ chest and said to him, "Master, who is it?" Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it." So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After he took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly." Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or to give something to the poor. So he took the morsel and left at once. And it was night. When he had left, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ´Where I go you cannot come,´ so now I say it to you.” Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later." Peter said to him, "Master, why can´t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times." Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I wish to accompany you closely on the road to Calvary. If I were to contemplate you more often as you hang scourged and bloody upon the cross, I’m certain I would be able to rest in your love and base my actions on that one truth. I know that you have loved me with an eternal love: you have proven it there on the wood of the cross. So I long to respond with gratitude, peace and the firm determination to spread your love to everyone. Petition: Lord, help me to see and avoid the pitfalls of pride. 1. Trusts in Christ’s Love: Peter loves Jesus. Jesus is his best friend. Peter would do anything for him. Like us, it distresses Peter to think he might be separated from Jesus. He feels the strength of his love and doesn’t hesitate to proclaim that he is willing to die for Jesus. He means it. That same night in the Garden of Gethsemane, he will draw a rusty old sword and face a cohort of professional soldiers all by himself. With a mighty stroke (not much of a swordsman, but brave…), he will nick the ear of the High Priest’s servant. There really is love there and a serious intention to make sacrifices for Jesus’ sake. But like us, there is something he still lacks. At times I may feel so ready to take on anything for love of Christ. But as soon as the “anything” comes, I experience my weakness. There’s even the risk of giving into discouragement at my failures. 2. Making Poor Choices: We know that Peter can make a bad decision because he has done it often enough in the past. Five minutes after being named head of the apostles, he is advising Jesus to abandon the Father’s plan, a plan that involves going to Jerusalem to suffer and die. Jesus reacts strongly, totally rejecting this insinuation: No one comes between him and the Father’s will. Peter has made a big mistake, and Jesus makes that clear: “Stumbling block,” “Satan,” “You think not as God thinks but as man” (Cf. Matthew 16:23). And this was only one in a series of mistakes; the Gospels list more. Part of Peter’s appeal is that he is so much like us. We make lots of mistakes every day. Like Peter, we think not as God, but as men. Yet as we know, Peter will succeed in the end to become humble and to serve his Lord steadfastly. 3. Misjudgment of Situations: Peter is complacent. He thinks he understands the situation. Everything is going well. The people have finally acclaimed Jesus as Messiah. The chief priests, scribes and Pharisees are upset but powerless. They attempt to debate Jesus and show him up every day, but always end up bested by Jesus. It seems like it won’t be long now before Jesus has everyone convinced that he is the Messiah and from that point on, it should be clear sailing. Peter is about to be blindsided, but he doesn’t realize it. The only solution for him is to do what Jesus is urging him to do, but he doesn’t realize that. In spite of his respect for Jesus, he is still sure that he knows what it best for himself. I am convinced that my life must be rooted in prayer and union with God? Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, like Peter I have fallen many times. Every time it was because I put my trust in myself rather than in you. Help me to listen to your inspirations and your inner promptings to prayer. Only with humility will I be able to avoid falls in the future. Please help me obtain it, Lord. Resolution: I will start everything I do today with a prayer, offering its fruits up to God. When I finish each activity, I will give thanks to Christ, my friend, for all the help he has given me. I will offer him my successes and ask him to forgive my failings. |
April 15, 2014
It is a mystery that Christ chose Judas as one of his disciples even if he knew that Judas was to betray him. Knowing the plan of salvation that his Father had for all mankind which had to pass through the cross, Jesus accepted Judas to be among the Twelve.
As the disciples asked Jesus in the other accounts of this gospel, “Is it I, Lord?” when he foretold the betrayal, we also need to ask Jesus, “Is it I, Lord?” for we can betray Christ like Judas or deny him like Peter. Every time we are used as the devil’s tool to carry out his works, such as greed, promiscuity, slander – an endless list – we betray Christ. The devil easily deceives us with his empty promises but Christ has already overcome him so we can call on him to defend us. When we do betray or deny Christ, let us be like Peter who had a deep sorrow for his sins and be assured of Christ’s endless mercy.
Lest we betray Him with a kiss
Tuesday, 15 April 2014 18:39
The Call to Holiness
My monastic vocation, as it has developed and matured over the years, is intimately bound up with the lives of my brother priests and with their desire for holiness. The Wednesday of Holy Week invites me to meditate on one priest’s abject failure, on one priest’s sordid betrayal of Our Lord, on one priest’s headlong plunge into the darkness of despair. You all know this priest. His name was Judas Iscariot.
Saint Benedict himself makes an explicit reference to Judas in Chapter LX of the Holy Rule: Of Priests Who May Wish to Dwell in the Monastery. He puts to every priest who knocks at the door of the cloister the question that Our Lord put to Judas in Gethsemani: Dixitque illi Jesus: Amice, ad quid venisti? — And Jesus said to him, Whereto art thou come? (Matthew 26:50)
What I am about to share applies not only to priests; it applies, in some way, to everyone. Each of us is called to live in the friendship of Jesus. Each of us is called to holiness. Each of us is called to become nothing less than a saint.
Mysterium Iniquitatis
The Wednesday of Holy Week is designated Spy Wednesday: this because it commemorates Judas Iscariot’s conspiracy to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. The betrayal of Jesus by Judas –his friend, his chosen one, his priest– continues to astonish and grieve us. Why did Our Lord allow such an evil? Why did He not stop Judas, confront him with the horror of his sin, and pull him back from the abyss of iniquity about to open beneath his feet? What a mystery it is that Our Lord should so respect the free will of a man, even when that man’s choices are misguided; motivated by the desire for power, or money, or pleasure; or manipulated by Satan, the father of lies!
What Happened?
Consider, for a moment, what might have happened, had Judas taken the risk of stepping out of his isolation, of reaching out to another. Why did Judas end the way he did? How did he go from giving up everything to follow Jesus, to betraying Him for a miserable thirty pieces of silver?
The Sickness of Our Secrets
The beginning of Judas’ downfall was his secrecy. In the beginning of his discipleship, Judas Iscariot was, perhaps, more open, sharing with Jesus his thoughts, his dreams, his desires, and his fears. And then, little by little, Judas became disillusioned and jaded. He withdrew into himself. He dissimulated his temptations, his fears, his struggles, and his failures.
Something very similar happens when a soul stops going to confession, or confesses too infrequently, or puts off going to confession. One becomes accustomed to living with the sickness of one’s secrets. One adjusts to living with them, and they poison us. This is something that the Church has always known. How important it is to lay bare our souls to a trusted spiritual father, to admit not only our sins, but also our temptations and our struggles. This act of humility disarms Satan, and renders him powerless. Only pride, and the secrecy that comes from pride and seeks to dissimulate sin, gives the Evil One a foothold in us.
Judas Stopped Conversing with Jesus
Judas must have stopped conversing with Jesus in a personal way. Certainly he continued talking to Jesus superficially, but mostly about business. He was, after all, responsible for administering the common fund of the Twelve. He stopped relating to Jesus in a personal way, as one trusting friend talks to another, heart to heart.
It is very telling that in Saint John’s Gospel, Judas speaks rather caustically about expenses. He sounds calculating and disgruntled. “Why,” he asked, “was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (Jn 12:5) Judas had become all business. There was little love left in his heart. He was concerned about running a successful operation in worldly terms, but in his heart a viper was hid, and it was about to sting him with its deadly poison.
Had He Turned to Jesus
If only Judas had gone to Jesus and said, “Master, I need to talk to Thee. I want to open my heart to Thee. I am troubled, and tempted, and on the verge of committing a very great evil. Save me, lest I perish. Hold me fast, my Jesus, and do not let me go. I trust in Thy love for me. I believe in Thy mercy. I remember what Thou didst say one day: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me; and him who comes to Me I will not cast out” (Jn 6:37).
It is never too late to stop and open one’s heart to Jesus in the intimate conversation that we call prayer. The worst betrayals, the most heinous crimes, and the living death of mortal sin begin their gestation when we forsake prayer, when we stop conversing with Jesus, or only deal with Him when we are obliged to do so by convention or routine. Then, there is no more friendship with Him. There is only business. And so the heart grows hard and cold.
He Could Have Turned to Mary
Judas had another recourse, but he was too proud to make use of it. He could have gone to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Even before the words of Our Lord to Saint John from the Cross, “Behold, thy mother” (Jn 19:27), Mary was a true mother to each of the Apostles. She knew them as any mother knows her children, and she loved them, even with their weaknesses and repeated failures to believe in her Son, to hope in Him, and to love Him. Any one of the twelve could have gone to Mary at any time for counsel, for comfort, for encouragement, and for a mother’s blessing. She loved each of them because her Son loved them, and chose them, and called them to leave all things and follow Him.
Judas could have gone to Mary and said, “Mother, behold, my life is filled with wicked desires, with anger, and jealousy, and pride. Mother, I am ashamed to confess this to thee, but I am losing confidence in thy Son. I cannot accept His way of doing things. I am hardening my heart against His teachings. Mother, help me! And Mary, moved by an immense compassion, would have caressed his cheek, and opened her hands in prayer over his head. Mary was then, and remains even now for us, the Mediatrix of All Graces, the Mother of Mercy, the Refuge of Sinners, our life, our sweetness, and above all, our hope in this valley of tears. She would not have condemned Judas. She would not have been angry with him. She would have felt an immense pity for him, the pity of a mother for a wayward child. Mary could have saved him from the terrible fate that awaited him. But Judas did not seek her out. And so Mary would weep for him bitterly.
One can go to Mary at any moment, with any temptation, any weakness, and any sin. Our Lady hates sin, but loves poor sinners. She is disgusted by evil, but is merciful towards those held in its grip. She is repulsed by vice, but full of compassion for those who struggle to become free of it. Seeing us in our sins, she weeps over us, allowing her tears to soften and purify our hearts. Turn to her and she will crush the head of the serpent who plots our ruin. It is enough to look at her image with confidence, enough to say her blessed name, “Mary, Mary!”
He Could Have Opened Up to Peter
Judas could have gone to Peter. Peter had already emerged as the spokesman of the Twelve. Judas could have said to Peter, “Peter, my brother, tonight, let us get together for a glass of wine and a plate of figs. I need to talk. I am confused, troubled, restless. Hear me out. Help me.” Peter was often outspoken, and impetuous, but he had a tender side as well. He was capable of compassion. Peter would have listened to Judas. He may have argued with him, as one brother argues with another. He may have reproved him as Padre Pio so often reproved his penitents in order to win them back. But the simple fact of opening up to Peter might have saved Judas. Instead, Judas chose to live with his secret. In the end, it would kill Jesus and cause Judas to hang himself.
It a dangerous thing to hold on to one’s secrets, to entertain an inner life populated by demons and noisy with their evil suggestions. There is a solution: it is enough to go to one who represents Jesus, one who so knows the Heart of the Master that he can speak on His behalf and pull us back from the precipice.
He Could Have Asked John to Intercede for Him
Judas could have gone to John. John was Jesus’ beloved friend, the one with whom He shared all the secrets of His Sacred Heart, the friend in whose company He found comfort and solace, the friend who would remain with Him even on Golgotha, the friend to whom He would entrust His All-Holy Mother. John was, and is, a powerful intercessor with the Heart of Jesus. Had Judas gone to John and exposed his temptations, John would have spoken to him of the gentleness of the Master, of the love of His Heart, of His readiness to forgive. And John, interceding, would have gone to Jesus, to speak to Him on Judas’ behalf.
But Judas could not bring himself to do this. Out of pride certainly, out of jealousy perhaps. And so he went his dark way into the night of betrayal and death.
The Mercy of God
Judas remains a tragic mystery. Had he renounced his sin, or had he repented after it, he might have become one of the shining trophies of Divine Mercy in the early Church. Instead he went his dark way, keeping his secrets, and refusing to reach out to Jesus, to Mary, to Peter, to John or to any one of the company of faithful disciples who might have been able to grab hold of his hand and pull him back from the infernal pit.
The very act of reaching out is an expression of humility, and humility opens the floodgates of Divine Mercy. Apart from an abiding trust in the Mercy of God, one cannot have but a tragic destiny. Merciful Jesus, save us, lest we, like Judas, betray Thee with a kiss!
Language: English | Español
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| 21. | When Jesus had said these things, he was troubled in spirit; and he testified, and said: Amen, amen I say to you, one of you shall betray me. | Cum hæc dixisset Jesus, turbatus est spiritu : et protestatus est, et dixit : Amen, amen dico vobis, quia unus ex vobis tradet me. | ταυτα ειπων ο ιησους εταραχθη τω πνευματι και εμαρτυρησεν και ειπεν αμην αμην λεγω υμιν οτι εις εξ υμων παραδωσει με |
| 22. | The disciples therefore looked one upon another, doubting of whom he spoke. | Aspiciebant ergo ad invicem discipuli, hæsitantes de quo diceret. | εβλεπον ουν εις αλληλους οι μαθηται απορουμενοι περι τινος λεγει |
| 23. | Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. | Erat ergo recumbens unus ex discipulis ejus in sinu Jesu, quem diligebat Jesus. | ην δε ανακειμενος εις των μαθητων αυτου εν τω κολπω του ιησου ον ηγαπα ο ιησους |
| 24. | Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him: Who is it of whom he speaketh? | Innuit ergo huic Simon Petrus, et dixit ei : Quis est, de quo dicit ? | νευει ουν τουτω σιμων πετρος πυθεσθαι τις αν ειη περι ου λεγει |
| 25. | He therefore, leaning on the breast of Jesus, saith to him: Lord, who is it? | Itaque cum recubuisset ille supra pectus Jesu, dicit ei : Domine, quis est ? | επιπεσων δε εκεινος ουτως επι το στηθος του ιησου λεγει αυτω κυριε τις εστιν |
| 26. | Jesus answered: He it is to whom I shall reach bread dipped. And when he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. | Respondit Jesus : Ille est cui ego intinctum panem porrexero. Et cum intinxisset panem, dedit Judæ Simonis Iscariotæ. | αποκρινεται ο ιησους εκεινος εστιν ω εγω βαψας το ψωμιον επιδωσω και εμβαψας το ψωμιον διδωσιν ιουδα σιμωνος ισκαριωτη |
| 27. | And after the morsel, Satan entered into him. And Jesus said to him: That which thou dost, do quickly. | Et post buccellam, introivit in eum Satanas. Et dixit ei Jesus : Quod facis, fac citius. | και μετα το ψωμιον τοτε εισηλθεν εις εκεινον ο σατανας λεγει ουν αυτω ο ιησους ο ποιεις ποιησον ταχιον |
| 28. | Now no man at the table knew to what purpose he said this unto him. | Hoc autem nemo scivit discumbentium ad quid dixerit ei. | τουτο δε ουδεις εγνω των ανακειμενων προς τι ειπεν αυτω |
| 29. | For some thought, because Judas had the purse, that Jesus had said to him: Buy those things which we have need of for the festival day: or that he should give something to the poor. | Quidam enim putabant, quia loculos habebat Judas, quod dixisset ei Jesus : Eme ea quæ opus sunt nobis ad diem festum : aut egenis ut aliquid daret. | τινες γαρ εδοκουν επει το γλωσσοκομον ειχεν ο ιουδας οτι λεγει αυτω ο ιησους αγορασον ων χρειαν εχομεν εις την εορτην η τοις πτωχοις ινα τι δω |
| 30. | He therefore having received the morsel, went out immediately. And it was night. | Cum ergo accepisset ille buccellam, exivit continuo. Erat autem nox. | λαβων ουν το ψωμιον εκεινος ευθεως εξηλθεν ην δε νυξ |
| 31. | When he therefore was gone out, Jesus said: Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. | Cum ergo exisset, dixit Jesus : Nunc clarificatus est Filius hominis, et Deus clarificatus est in eo. | οτε εξηλθεν λεγει ο ιησους νυν εδοξασθη ο υιος του ανθρωπου και ο θεος εδοξασθη εν αυτω |
| 32. | If God be glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself; and immediately will he glorify him. | Si Deus clarificatus est in eo, et Deus clarificabit eum in semetipso : et continuo clarificabit eum. | ει ο θεος εδοξασθη εν αυτω και ο θεος δοξασει αυτον εν εαυτω και ευθυς δοξασει αυτον |
| 33. | Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You shall seek me; and as I said to the Jews: Whither I go you cannot come; so I say to you now. | Filioli, adhuc modicum vobiscum sum. Quæretis me ; et sicut dixi Judæis, quo ego vado, vos non potestis venire : et vobis dico modo. | τεκνια ετι μικρον μεθ υμων ειμι ζητησετε με και καθως ειπον τοις ιουδαιοις οτι οπου υπαγω εγω υμεις ου δυνασθε ελθειν και υμιν λεγω αρτι |
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| 36. | Simon Peter saith to him: Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered: Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow hereafter. | Dicit ei Simon Petrus : Domine, quo vadis ? Respondit Jesus : Quo ego vado non potes me modo sequi : sequeris autem postea. | λεγει αυτω σιμων πετρος κυριε που υπαγεις απεκριθη αυτω ο ιησους οπου υπαγω ου δυνασαι μοι νυν ακολουθησαι υστερον δε ακολουθησεις μοι |
| 37. | Peter saith to him: Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thee. | Dicit ei Petrus : Quare non possum te sequi modo? animam meam pro te ponam. | λεγει αυτω πετρος κυριε δια τι ου δυναμαι σοι ακολουθησαι αρτι την ψυχην μου υπερ σου θησω |
| 38. | Jesus answered him: Wilt thou lay down thy life for me? Amen, amen I say to thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou deny me thrice. | Respondit ei Jesus : Animam tuam pro me pones ? amen, amen dico tibi : non cantabit gallus, donec ter me neges. | απεκριθη αυτω ο ιησους την ψυχην σου υπερ εμου θησεις αμην αμην λεγω σοι ου μη αλεκτωρ φωνηση εως ου απαρνηση με τρις |
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