Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
The Problem with Gibson's Passion
[This article sums up what was wrong, theologically (or more specifically, soteriologically*), with Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. For the full article click here.]
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DEFINITION
soteriology : theology dealing with salvation especially as effected by Jesus Christ.
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The Journal of Religion and Film
"An Orthodox Perspective on Gibson’s The Passion of Christ"
By Rev. Oliver Herbel
...
The soteriology expressed in Gibson’s movie is, from an Orthodox Christian perspective, questionable at best. What is that soteriology? Well, let me lay it out as best I can. The question at hand is whether Jesus can live a sinless life all the way until the very end. The viewer is introduced to this during the scene in the Garden of Gethsemene, where Satan tempts Jesus by saying the burden is too much and that no one can live sinlessly. To be fair, Satan is speaking of two burdens—that of living and dying sinlessly and that of bearing the sins of everyone. From here, we are led through Jesus’ beatings and torture all the way to the cross. Satan and Mary watch this play out before their very eyes. Finally, and it takes nearly the entire movie to get to this point, Jesus dies. Once he breathes his last, we are shown Satan screaming.
This is where the errant soteriology expresses itself most fully. Satan is not screaming because Jesus is the Christ harrowing hell. Had that been the case, then the earthquake that occurred at his death would have included the opening of the tombs of those who had fallen asleep. Rather, Satan is screaming because Jesus endured what he endured without sinning. Once he breathes his last, it is over. The Son of God need not take on death, really. There is no reason. Jesus has done what he needed to do—he has lived the sinless life (and, if we remember Satan’s words in the garden, somehow bore the sins of the world).
According to this soteriology, the only thing one can reflect upon, when contemplating one’s salvation, is the beating Jesus takes. Therefore, it should not surprise us that Gibson elevates the level of those beatings well beyond what we can find in the Gospel accounts.8 Yes, the Gospels speak of Jesus the Christ as the Lamb who is slaughtered, but Gibson’s movie seems pressed to express a Gospel where Jesus is able to suffer more than anyone else. Somehow, by suffering more than anyone else, without sinning, he becomes the savior.
In such a scheme, the resurrection becomes an unnecessary afterthought—sort of a flip cinematic expression of “you can’t keep a good God down.” In fact, I would be surprised if the resurrection received more than 20 seconds of movie time. It certainly did not include an earthquake scene paralleling the one at the cross.9 Gibson’s error, therefore, is separating the cross and the resurrection as though they are two separate events in the temporal biography of the Christ.
Biblically speaking, this cannot be done. The cross means nothing without the light of the resurrection and the resurrection means nothing if it is not shining through a man with eternal scarring on his hands, feet, and side. Matthew’s Gospel does not divide them. Immediately following Matthew 27.53, cited above, Matthew says, “and after his resurrection, they came out of the tombs, went into the holy city and were manifested to many.”
Orthodox soteriology proclaims that Jesus’ suffering and death have meaning because he took on our fallenness and transformed and healed our humanity. He took on our sin and death and through them both defeated Satan, resulting in a victory over sin, death, and the devil. The cross and the resurrection are one overarching salvific event and are not to be divided. Perhaps that is the great irony. If one seeks to separate the significance of the cross from the resurrection, the death of Christ loses its salvific significance.
...
-----
DEFINITION
soteriology : theology dealing with salvation especially as effected by Jesus Christ.
-----
The Journal of Religion and Film
"An Orthodox Perspective on Gibson’s The Passion of Christ"
By Rev. Oliver Herbel
...
The soteriology expressed in Gibson’s movie is, from an Orthodox Christian perspective, questionable at best. What is that soteriology? Well, let me lay it out as best I can. The question at hand is whether Jesus can live a sinless life all the way until the very end. The viewer is introduced to this during the scene in the Garden of Gethsemene, where Satan tempts Jesus by saying the burden is too much and that no one can live sinlessly. To be fair, Satan is speaking of two burdens—that of living and dying sinlessly and that of bearing the sins of everyone. From here, we are led through Jesus’ beatings and torture all the way to the cross. Satan and Mary watch this play out before their very eyes. Finally, and it takes nearly the entire movie to get to this point, Jesus dies. Once he breathes his last, we are shown Satan screaming.
This is where the errant soteriology expresses itself most fully. Satan is not screaming because Jesus is the Christ harrowing hell. Had that been the case, then the earthquake that occurred at his death would have included the opening of the tombs of those who had fallen asleep. Rather, Satan is screaming because Jesus endured what he endured without sinning. Once he breathes his last, it is over. The Son of God need not take on death, really. There is no reason. Jesus has done what he needed to do—he has lived the sinless life (and, if we remember Satan’s words in the garden, somehow bore the sins of the world).
According to this soteriology, the only thing one can reflect upon, when contemplating one’s salvation, is the beating Jesus takes. Therefore, it should not surprise us that Gibson elevates the level of those beatings well beyond what we can find in the Gospel accounts.8 Yes, the Gospels speak of Jesus the Christ as the Lamb who is slaughtered, but Gibson’s movie seems pressed to express a Gospel where Jesus is able to suffer more than anyone else. Somehow, by suffering more than anyone else, without sinning, he becomes the savior.
In such a scheme, the resurrection becomes an unnecessary afterthought—sort of a flip cinematic expression of “you can’t keep a good God down.” In fact, I would be surprised if the resurrection received more than 20 seconds of movie time. It certainly did not include an earthquake scene paralleling the one at the cross.9 Gibson’s error, therefore, is separating the cross and the resurrection as though they are two separate events in the temporal biography of the Christ.
Biblically speaking, this cannot be done. The cross means nothing without the light of the resurrection and the resurrection means nothing if it is not shining through a man with eternal scarring on his hands, feet, and side. Matthew’s Gospel does not divide them. Immediately following Matthew 27.53, cited above, Matthew says, “and after his resurrection, they came out of the tombs, went into the holy city and were manifested to many.”
Orthodox soteriology proclaims that Jesus’ suffering and death have meaning because he took on our fallenness and transformed and healed our humanity. He took on our sin and death and through them both defeated Satan, resulting in a victory over sin, death, and the devil. The cross and the resurrection are one overarching salvific event and are not to be divided. Perhaps that is the great irony. If one seeks to separate the significance of the cross from the resurrection, the death of Christ loses its salvific significance.
...
Friday, August 19, 2005
On the attributes of God
[from The Forgotten God by Most Reverend Francis Clement Kelley, D.D., Ph.D., LL.D, Litt.D., Bishop of Oklahoma City and Tulsa; published in New York by The Bruce Publishing Co., copyright 1932; pages 12-21, 22-32, 45-55.]
We call God's perfections His attributes, for attributes are the essential qualities of being, and a perfect being can have only perfect attributes. God' s attributes, then, are His perfections. He has them in unity, in simplicity, in unchangeableness, in eternity, in immensity, in intelligence, in will, and in love.
God possesses His perfections in unity. Reason denies that there can be two infinite beings. Here paganism, groping toward the truth, failed to grasp the full purport of it. Two gods means one independent of the other or one subject to the other. In the first case one would be limited by the power of the other and neither could be infinite; while in the second, one would depend on the other, leaving the second omnipotent and unlimited since there cannot be more than one infinite. In man's ideals there is a symbol of this unity. All our struggles are toward the goal of unity. There is nothing we lament more than disunion and consequent disorder in human affairs. Every battle field of history was made bloody by disunion. Every movement of mercy and charity is an attempted plunge forward toward the goal of unity. The family, the state, the nation, all show man's universal longing for unity. All that is good in man struggles toward the eternal goodness which is unity itself and which we call God.
The Simplicity of God.
When we speak of the beauty of simplicity we testify to this attribute of Him. In spite of the fact that we are living in a mechanical age, we never lose sight of the truth that complexity is danger and simplicity safety. We fear complicated things because we know that the farther we get away from simplicity the greater the chance of going wrong. It is the complicated structure of the human body that opens the door to disease and death. Simplicity is a goal of life. God is simple because He is not composed of parts. He is spiritual, and simplicity belongs to the spiritual order. God could not have parts. If He had, each part would be infinite and there would be a multiplicity of infinite perfections, which means a multiplicity of gods, for each perfect attribute would be itself God and the essential unity of God could not then exist. So when we say that God is the perfect virtue, the perfect love, the perfect justice, the perfect wisdom, we are thinking of Him as creatures think and speak. God is not divided. He possesses all perfections yet none separately. There is no literal eye of God nor hand of God. His infinity compasses all things. His acts are manifestations of a never-ending yet unchangeable activity.
The Infinity of God.
God is infinite, that is, God has no bounds -- in anything. Can the mind of man reach such a conception of God? It cannot. God alone can know Himself perfectly. But we can, by an appeal to the imagination as well as to the intellect, at least know what infinity is not. It is not, first of all, anything that we can fully understand. It is not that which has limits, and all things we know have limits. Infinity, then, is that which is outside all bonds while still remaining within them. We feel the infinity in transcendent beauty, in vastness, in depth, in the kingdom of the imagination. But no words could describe what we feel. Why? Because no words or combination of words can go outside the kingdom of words. The infinite is in that kingdom but is not bound by its limitations.
To us God manifests His perfections in Creation. That creation is awe-inspiring in its smallest details. The scientist could exhaust his life in the study of God's creation and know at the end that he had only begun to know something about the simple mollusk. Each step higher opens up to him new wonders, and before life, even in its lowest form, is reached, the scientist is on the heights of sublimity. Yet he still "sees through a glass darkly." He has not reached intellectual man, nor the angelic spirits who are a step beyond man upward to God. Add the unseen spirit creation to the seen material creation and still infinity could make new material and spiritual creations, each greater than the one which preceded it, go on forever raising them higher and higher, and yet never arrive at the end of infinity's power, wonders, beauty, and glory. Only an effort to raise created things to the level of its own greatness is beyond infinity's power. God can do all things that are in accord with His nature; but it is not in accord with His nature that He could have an equal.
The Immensity of God.
Another attribute of God, also treated separately because the mind of man apprehends only through separating and dividing, is His immensity. God is not only everywhere and contained in all things but all things are lost in Him. One of the questions oftenest asked of parents by children is in reference to the presence of God in all that they see around them. "Is He right here now, Mother?" "Is He outside playing with Bill?" "Does He go with me to school?" "How can God be everywhere at the same time?" Different parents answer in different ways. The philosopher says that "God's immensity is the boundless diffusion of the divine essence." God cannot change. He could not be in one place and later on in another for, if He could, He would thus acquire relations to time and space that He did not have before. He acquires nothing because He possesses all in perfection. By diffusion of the divine essence He sustains all things, watches over all things, is the law of all things. His presence is actual and substantial. But He is present in a special way also in His grace to us. There is a special presence of God in the souls of all intelligent beings through what is known as sufficient grace; which means the power given us while we live on earth to turn to Him. The means to make that grace effective is cooperation.
The substantial presence of God in all things does not defile Him because of defilements in them. This presence of God has been well compared to the light of the sun which falls on and permeates all kinds of things, even those that are foul, while remaining ever pure, bright, and beneficial. Nothing, then, can change God. He loses nothing by our evil conduct. He gains nothing by our good conduct. It is not God but we ourselves who are affected by virtue or vice. Virtue brings us nearer to Him. Vice drags us away from Him. It pleases God when all things are in conformity with His law and thus on their way to an eternal destiny in Himself. But that pleasure makes no change in God. There is in Him only steady, all-pervading divine love for goodness; as well as steady, all-pervading divine hatred for evil.
The Immutability of God.
All this is explained by another attribute of God -- His immutability or unchangeableness. When we know His infinity we know His immutability. Change means either a gain or a loss, but the infinite can neither gain nor lose. If God had anything to gain, there would then be something He once did not possess; which would be to say that once He was not the infinite, therefore not God. If God could lose anything, the Infinite could descend from His throne and become finite. He would not then be God. Here again we find a symbol of God in a human ideal. We speak of the stable, unchanging things with admiration. There is sublimity for us even in what only appears unchangeable. The sturdy man who can be relied upon is, in a feeble way, like "the everlasting mountains," a symbol of the unchangeable God. Thus in the changing world we seek stability, and we can find it only in God. It is not in man. The stars do not shine on certain nights only, but on all nights. It is the atmospheric conditions around the earth that sometimes obscures their light. In the same way, it has been pointed out, do we change in reference to God; but His action is always the same. Our actions are dictated by changing thoughts, changing emotions, changing conditions. "They shall perish but Thou shalt continue; and they shall grow old as a garment, as a vesture Thou shalt change them and they shall be changed. But Thou art always the same."
Men blame the Roman Catholic Church for her unchangeable doctrines They say we need constant restatements of truth, restatements even of our attitude to God, that the advance of human knowledge, new discoveries of science, new light on social problems, require a constant revamping of our religious convictions. They are wrong. Truth is like God. Nothing can change it. It was never young and never can it grow old. The truth that was is the truth that is and ever will be. A fine picture by which to grasp and under- stand this was presented long ago by the great Lacordaire from his pulpit in Notre Dame of Paris: 'What a weighty privilege; a doctrine immutable, when everything upon earth changes! -- a doctrine which men hold in their hands, which poor old men guard under the key of their cabinet, and which, without any other defense, resists the course of time, the dreams of sages, the designs of kings, the fall of empires, always one, constant, identical with itself! All ages, jealous of a glory which disdained their own, have tried their strength against it. They have come one after the other to the door of the Vatican. They have knocked there with buskin and boot; and the doctrine has appeared under the frail and wasted form of some old man of threescore years and ten and has said:
- What do you desire of me?
- Change.
- I never change.
- But everything is changed in this world; astronomy has changed, chemistry has changed, philosophy has changed, the empire has changed: Why are you always the same?
- Because I come from God, and because God is always the same.
- But know that we are the masters, we have a million of men under arms, we shall draw the sword; the sword which breaks down thrones is well able to cut off the head of an old man, and tear up the leaves of a book.
- Do so; blood is the aroma in which I recover my youthful vigor.
- Well, then, here is half of my purple, make a sacrifice to peace, and let us share
together.
- Keep thy purple, O Ceasar, tomorrow they will bury thee in it, and we will chant over thee the Alleluja and De Profundis which never change.
"I appeal to your memory. Are not these facts? What do all the publications, spiritual and otherwise, which are printed, incessantly reproach us with? Will you then never change, race of granite? Will you never make any concessions to unity and peace? Can you not sacrifice something to us .... Gild at least the end of the gibbet which you call a cross!"
"They speak thus. The cross looks down upon them, it smiles, it weeps, it waits for them. How should we change? Immutability is the sacred root of unity; it is our crown, the fact impossible to explain, impossible to destroy; the pearl which must be bought at any price, without which everything is but a shadow and of transient duration, by which time touches eternity. Neither life nor death will take it from our hands: Empires of the world, do with it as ye will"
The Omniscience of God.
One of the commonest excuses made by man for sin is based upon his mistaken notions about another attribute of God -- His omniscience. It runs thus: As God knows all things, He knew that we would sin and even what our sins would be. How, then, can man avoid what God surely knew beforehand he would do? Is not the omniscience of God really a decree that man must sin, since His foreknowledge is equivalent to fate? And does not His foreknowledge of the loss of souls make it inpossible that a just God should have created man at all? The answer to that objection is found in God's attribute of eternity. What is it? Listen closely.
The Eternity of God.
Time cannot measure eternity, for time can use only such rule of measurement as time
possesses. Time can only multiply inches by inches and produce feet, multiply feet by feet and produce miles, multiply miles by miles and produce leagues. But in even an unending period of such measuring nothing could be produced but time. The sum of times or numbers never arrives at eternity. Eternity has no relation to time, for time is a created thing. Eternity is not merely the length of the life of God. Eternity is God. By no possibility of newer and greater measurements could we ever make the poorest comparison between time and eternity. We can think only in time, therefore are our thoughts limited and changeable. Eternity actually is the opposite of time. It is the life of God. It has no past, for with God nothing really ever has been. It has no future, for with God nothing really ever will be. All with Him is present. He is what is. God endowed man with free will because He intended man to be the noblest work of His creative hand. That gift raised man to the dignity of an intellectual being. Had God given man only instinct, man would never have been worthy of being united to Him. To make man higher than the beasts and give him an immortal soul, free will was necessary. It is not correct to say that God foresaw our abuse of free will for He sees us abuse it, since His range of vision covers, at one glance, the past, present, and future which make up the division of time.
All this, you say, "is beyond the power of human intelligence to grasp." That I readily admit. If it were within the power of human intelligence to reach a full and complete understanding of the attributes of God, the human intelligence would be infinite, since only infinite intelligence can know the infinite.
All we can know of God in this world is the manifestation He gives us of Himself through His creation and His revelation. When "knowledge shall be done away with," and in its place shall come the beatific vision, our happiness, the happiness of intelligent and spiritual beings, shall be in our expanded and eternally expanding vision of God; a vision that may go far beyond the wonders of this creation into other creations now hidden from our eyes and understanding. It was the grasping of this truth that made saints. On Francis of Assisi it burst with sudden splendor, drawing away the pampered and pleasure-loving youth from a world he had adorned and adored, while making him love it in a new and better way. Francis could then apostrophize the sun, not as the pagans did when they gave it divine honors, but as one faint ray of the splendor of God. He could call the birds and beasts his brothers, because they, too, came from the creative hand of God and would, in a way He had marked out for them, go back to Him. Francis could blame his body, which he called Brother Ass, for holding his thoughts down to earth when they longed to soar above its wants and appetites, Francis could love pain in anticipation of the joy to come out of it; could welcome death not as the scourge of life, but as the gateway to life's garden of reality.
Lift up your hearts, men of good will, lift them up in confidence that a hand is waiting to receive them. Burn your self-love in the censer of sacrifice. And even as the bitter grains of incense when thus burnt change into cloudlike perfumes, so let your pride be burned to ashes that the smoke of it may rise to the Omnipotent for the honor and glory of His name.
The Infinite Goodness of God.
The universe is full of symbol that speak to us of God and His perfections. Were we not told to see Him "in the works of His hands"?
"Seek ye Him that maketh Arcturus and Orion, and that turneth darkness into morning, and that changeth day into night; that calleth the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth."
Through the whole weave of the marvelous poetry that is the Psalms, there runs the golden thread of nature's singing in praise of her Maker. But such symbols are not found alone in nature's outstanding beauties and grandeurs. They are in the smallest things that our hands touch, our ears hear, our nostrils smell, and our eyes see. I look at the light on my desk, which gently but surely diffuses itself over the enclosed space that is my room, and in that diffusion I see the symbol of the divine goodness diffusing itself over the vast known and unknown spaces of creation. It is the property of goodness, as it is the property of light, thus to diffuse itself. Eternal goodness eternally gives. We again glimpse that truth through the symbol of good example, the greatest of preachers, producing far-reaching results without using the magic of words.
But such symbols are imperfect. The light exhausts itself and must be renewed. The lamp of human goodness must be replenished constantly from the current of God's grace, supplied by that inexhaustible and never-stopping dynamo of Himself. Only divine goodness has perfect diffusion.
Nothing can escape the goodness of God sent out over the whole of creation and thus
indirectly reaching all created things. Not even sin and sinners escape that beneficent general diffusion of the goodness of God, for sin walks the earth which divine goodness made and preserves; and sinners use the intelligence and faculties with which the same divine goodness has endowed all men. Even when sinners strike at God it is with the rod of freedom given by Him; while the very power they use comes from the life of which divine goodness is the author. Like the radio message that swiftly flies through the air lane, the goodness of God sends forth its blessings everywhere; but in particular to those who tune in to receive them.
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THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
We call God's perfections His attributes, for attributes are the essential qualities of being, and a perfect being can have only perfect attributes. God' s attributes, then, are His perfections. He has them in unity, in simplicity, in unchangeableness, in eternity, in immensity, in intelligence, in will, and in love.
God possesses His perfections in unity. Reason denies that there can be two infinite beings. Here paganism, groping toward the truth, failed to grasp the full purport of it. Two gods means one independent of the other or one subject to the other. In the first case one would be limited by the power of the other and neither could be infinite; while in the second, one would depend on the other, leaving the second omnipotent and unlimited since there cannot be more than one infinite. In man's ideals there is a symbol of this unity. All our struggles are toward the goal of unity. There is nothing we lament more than disunion and consequent disorder in human affairs. Every battle field of history was made bloody by disunion. Every movement of mercy and charity is an attempted plunge forward toward the goal of unity. The family, the state, the nation, all show man's universal longing for unity. All that is good in man struggles toward the eternal goodness which is unity itself and which we call God.
The Simplicity of God.
When we speak of the beauty of simplicity we testify to this attribute of Him. In spite of the fact that we are living in a mechanical age, we never lose sight of the truth that complexity is danger and simplicity safety. We fear complicated things because we know that the farther we get away from simplicity the greater the chance of going wrong. It is the complicated structure of the human body that opens the door to disease and death. Simplicity is a goal of life. God is simple because He is not composed of parts. He is spiritual, and simplicity belongs to the spiritual order. God could not have parts. If He had, each part would be infinite and there would be a multiplicity of infinite perfections, which means a multiplicity of gods, for each perfect attribute would be itself God and the essential unity of God could not then exist. So when we say that God is the perfect virtue, the perfect love, the perfect justice, the perfect wisdom, we are thinking of Him as creatures think and speak. God is not divided. He possesses all perfections yet none separately. There is no literal eye of God nor hand of God. His infinity compasses all things. His acts are manifestations of a never-ending yet unchangeable activity.
The Infinity of God.
God is infinite, that is, God has no bounds -- in anything. Can the mind of man reach such a conception of God? It cannot. God alone can know Himself perfectly. But we can, by an appeal to the imagination as well as to the intellect, at least know what infinity is not. It is not, first of all, anything that we can fully understand. It is not that which has limits, and all things we know have limits. Infinity, then, is that which is outside all bonds while still remaining within them. We feel the infinity in transcendent beauty, in vastness, in depth, in the kingdom of the imagination. But no words could describe what we feel. Why? Because no words or combination of words can go outside the kingdom of words. The infinite is in that kingdom but is not bound by its limitations.
To us God manifests His perfections in Creation. That creation is awe-inspiring in its smallest details. The scientist could exhaust his life in the study of God's creation and know at the end that he had only begun to know something about the simple mollusk. Each step higher opens up to him new wonders, and before life, even in its lowest form, is reached, the scientist is on the heights of sublimity. Yet he still "sees through a glass darkly." He has not reached intellectual man, nor the angelic spirits who are a step beyond man upward to God. Add the unseen spirit creation to the seen material creation and still infinity could make new material and spiritual creations, each greater than the one which preceded it, go on forever raising them higher and higher, and yet never arrive at the end of infinity's power, wonders, beauty, and glory. Only an effort to raise created things to the level of its own greatness is beyond infinity's power. God can do all things that are in accord with His nature; but it is not in accord with His nature that He could have an equal.
The Immensity of God.
Another attribute of God, also treated separately because the mind of man apprehends only through separating and dividing, is His immensity. God is not only everywhere and contained in all things but all things are lost in Him. One of the questions oftenest asked of parents by children is in reference to the presence of God in all that they see around them. "Is He right here now, Mother?" "Is He outside playing with Bill?" "Does He go with me to school?" "How can God be everywhere at the same time?" Different parents answer in different ways. The philosopher says that "God's immensity is the boundless diffusion of the divine essence." God cannot change. He could not be in one place and later on in another for, if He could, He would thus acquire relations to time and space that He did not have before. He acquires nothing because He possesses all in perfection. By diffusion of the divine essence He sustains all things, watches over all things, is the law of all things. His presence is actual and substantial. But He is present in a special way also in His grace to us. There is a special presence of God in the souls of all intelligent beings through what is known as sufficient grace; which means the power given us while we live on earth to turn to Him. The means to make that grace effective is cooperation.
The substantial presence of God in all things does not defile Him because of defilements in them. This presence of God has been well compared to the light of the sun which falls on and permeates all kinds of things, even those that are foul, while remaining ever pure, bright, and beneficial. Nothing, then, can change God. He loses nothing by our evil conduct. He gains nothing by our good conduct. It is not God but we ourselves who are affected by virtue or vice. Virtue brings us nearer to Him. Vice drags us away from Him. It pleases God when all things are in conformity with His law and thus on their way to an eternal destiny in Himself. But that pleasure makes no change in God. There is in Him only steady, all-pervading divine love for goodness; as well as steady, all-pervading divine hatred for evil.
The Immutability of God.
All this is explained by another attribute of God -- His immutability or unchangeableness. When we know His infinity we know His immutability. Change means either a gain or a loss, but the infinite can neither gain nor lose. If God had anything to gain, there would then be something He once did not possess; which would be to say that once He was not the infinite, therefore not God. If God could lose anything, the Infinite could descend from His throne and become finite. He would not then be God. Here again we find a symbol of God in a human ideal. We speak of the stable, unchanging things with admiration. There is sublimity for us even in what only appears unchangeable. The sturdy man who can be relied upon is, in a feeble way, like "the everlasting mountains," a symbol of the unchangeable God. Thus in the changing world we seek stability, and we can find it only in God. It is not in man. The stars do not shine on certain nights only, but on all nights. It is the atmospheric conditions around the earth that sometimes obscures their light. In the same way, it has been pointed out, do we change in reference to God; but His action is always the same. Our actions are dictated by changing thoughts, changing emotions, changing conditions. "They shall perish but Thou shalt continue; and they shall grow old as a garment, as a vesture Thou shalt change them and they shall be changed. But Thou art always the same."
Men blame the Roman Catholic Church for her unchangeable doctrines They say we need constant restatements of truth, restatements even of our attitude to God, that the advance of human knowledge, new discoveries of science, new light on social problems, require a constant revamping of our religious convictions. They are wrong. Truth is like God. Nothing can change it. It was never young and never can it grow old. The truth that was is the truth that is and ever will be. A fine picture by which to grasp and under- stand this was presented long ago by the great Lacordaire from his pulpit in Notre Dame of Paris: 'What a weighty privilege; a doctrine immutable, when everything upon earth changes! -- a doctrine which men hold in their hands, which poor old men guard under the key of their cabinet, and which, without any other defense, resists the course of time, the dreams of sages, the designs of kings, the fall of empires, always one, constant, identical with itself! All ages, jealous of a glory which disdained their own, have tried their strength against it. They have come one after the other to the door of the Vatican. They have knocked there with buskin and boot; and the doctrine has appeared under the frail and wasted form of some old man of threescore years and ten and has said:
- What do you desire of me?
- Change.
- I never change.
- But everything is changed in this world; astronomy has changed, chemistry has changed, philosophy has changed, the empire has changed: Why are you always the same?
- Because I come from God, and because God is always the same.
- But know that we are the masters, we have a million of men under arms, we shall draw the sword; the sword which breaks down thrones is well able to cut off the head of an old man, and tear up the leaves of a book.
- Do so; blood is the aroma in which I recover my youthful vigor.
- Well, then, here is half of my purple, make a sacrifice to peace, and let us share
together.
- Keep thy purple, O Ceasar, tomorrow they will bury thee in it, and we will chant over thee the Alleluja and De Profundis which never change.
"I appeal to your memory. Are not these facts? What do all the publications, spiritual and otherwise, which are printed, incessantly reproach us with? Will you then never change, race of granite? Will you never make any concessions to unity and peace? Can you not sacrifice something to us .... Gild at least the end of the gibbet which you call a cross!"
"They speak thus. The cross looks down upon them, it smiles, it weeps, it waits for them. How should we change? Immutability is the sacred root of unity; it is our crown, the fact impossible to explain, impossible to destroy; the pearl which must be bought at any price, without which everything is but a shadow and of transient duration, by which time touches eternity. Neither life nor death will take it from our hands: Empires of the world, do with it as ye will"
The Omniscience of God.
One of the commonest excuses made by man for sin is based upon his mistaken notions about another attribute of God -- His omniscience. It runs thus: As God knows all things, He knew that we would sin and even what our sins would be. How, then, can man avoid what God surely knew beforehand he would do? Is not the omniscience of God really a decree that man must sin, since His foreknowledge is equivalent to fate? And does not His foreknowledge of the loss of souls make it inpossible that a just God should have created man at all? The answer to that objection is found in God's attribute of eternity. What is it? Listen closely.
The Eternity of God.
Time cannot measure eternity, for time can use only such rule of measurement as time
possesses. Time can only multiply inches by inches and produce feet, multiply feet by feet and produce miles, multiply miles by miles and produce leagues. But in even an unending period of such measuring nothing could be produced but time. The sum of times or numbers never arrives at eternity. Eternity has no relation to time, for time is a created thing. Eternity is not merely the length of the life of God. Eternity is God. By no possibility of newer and greater measurements could we ever make the poorest comparison between time and eternity. We can think only in time, therefore are our thoughts limited and changeable. Eternity actually is the opposite of time. It is the life of God. It has no past, for with God nothing really ever has been. It has no future, for with God nothing really ever will be. All with Him is present. He is what is. God endowed man with free will because He intended man to be the noblest work of His creative hand. That gift raised man to the dignity of an intellectual being. Had God given man only instinct, man would never have been worthy of being united to Him. To make man higher than the beasts and give him an immortal soul, free will was necessary. It is not correct to say that God foresaw our abuse of free will for He sees us abuse it, since His range of vision covers, at one glance, the past, present, and future which make up the division of time.
All this, you say, "is beyond the power of human intelligence to grasp." That I readily admit. If it were within the power of human intelligence to reach a full and complete understanding of the attributes of God, the human intelligence would be infinite, since only infinite intelligence can know the infinite.
All we can know of God in this world is the manifestation He gives us of Himself through His creation and His revelation. When "knowledge shall be done away with," and in its place shall come the beatific vision, our happiness, the happiness of intelligent and spiritual beings, shall be in our expanded and eternally expanding vision of God; a vision that may go far beyond the wonders of this creation into other creations now hidden from our eyes and understanding. It was the grasping of this truth that made saints. On Francis of Assisi it burst with sudden splendor, drawing away the pampered and pleasure-loving youth from a world he had adorned and adored, while making him love it in a new and better way. Francis could then apostrophize the sun, not as the pagans did when they gave it divine honors, but as one faint ray of the splendor of God. He could call the birds and beasts his brothers, because they, too, came from the creative hand of God and would, in a way He had marked out for them, go back to Him. Francis could blame his body, which he called Brother Ass, for holding his thoughts down to earth when they longed to soar above its wants and appetites, Francis could love pain in anticipation of the joy to come out of it; could welcome death not as the scourge of life, but as the gateway to life's garden of reality.
Lift up your hearts, men of good will, lift them up in confidence that a hand is waiting to receive them. Burn your self-love in the censer of sacrifice. And even as the bitter grains of incense when thus burnt change into cloudlike perfumes, so let your pride be burned to ashes that the smoke of it may rise to the Omnipotent for the honor and glory of His name.
The Infinite Goodness of God.
The universe is full of symbol that speak to us of God and His perfections. Were we not told to see Him "in the works of His hands"?
"Seek ye Him that maketh Arcturus and Orion, and that turneth darkness into morning, and that changeth day into night; that calleth the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth."
Through the whole weave of the marvelous poetry that is the Psalms, there runs the golden thread of nature's singing in praise of her Maker. But such symbols are not found alone in nature's outstanding beauties and grandeurs. They are in the smallest things that our hands touch, our ears hear, our nostrils smell, and our eyes see. I look at the light on my desk, which gently but surely diffuses itself over the enclosed space that is my room, and in that diffusion I see the symbol of the divine goodness diffusing itself over the vast known and unknown spaces of creation. It is the property of goodness, as it is the property of light, thus to diffuse itself. Eternal goodness eternally gives. We again glimpse that truth through the symbol of good example, the greatest of preachers, producing far-reaching results without using the magic of words.
But such symbols are imperfect. The light exhausts itself and must be renewed. The lamp of human goodness must be replenished constantly from the current of God's grace, supplied by that inexhaustible and never-stopping dynamo of Himself. Only divine goodness has perfect diffusion.
Nothing can escape the goodness of God sent out over the whole of creation and thus
indirectly reaching all created things. Not even sin and sinners escape that beneficent general diffusion of the goodness of God, for sin walks the earth which divine goodness made and preserves; and sinners use the intelligence and faculties with which the same divine goodness has endowed all men. Even when sinners strike at God it is with the rod of freedom given by Him; while the very power they use comes from the life of which divine goodness is the author. Like the radio message that swiftly flies through the air lane, the goodness of God sends forth its blessings everywhere; but in particular to those who tune in to receive them.
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Saturday, August 13, 2005
Sayings of the Desert Fathers
[excerpts from the book by Benedicta Ward, The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks, published by Penguin, 2003.]
2. Pambo said to Antony, 'What shall I do?' Antony said, 'Do not trust your own righteousness. Do not go on sorrowing over a deed that is past. Keep your tongue and your belly under control.'
7. Mark asked Arsenius, 'It is right, isn't it, to have nothing unnecessary in one's cell? I saw a brother who had a few cabbages, and he was rooting them out.' Arsenius said, 'It is right, but each should do what is right for his way of life. If he is not strong enough to endure without the cabbages, he will plant them again.'
9. Joseph of Thebes said, 'Three things are seen to be honourable by God. The first is when temptations come on someone who is weak, and are accepted thankfully. The second is when every action is pure before God, mixed with no human motive. The third is when a disciple remains obedient to a spiritual father, and gives up all his self-will.'
9. A brother once came to Poemen and said to him, 'What am I to do, abba? I am wretched with lust. I went to Hybistion, and he told me: "You must not let this passion live in you any longer."' Poemen said to him, 'Hybistion lives like the angels in heaven, and he does not know about these things. But you and I are full of lust. If the monk controls his stomach and his tongue, and stays in solitude, he can trust that he is not yet lost.'
12. A brother was obsessed by lust and it was like a fire burning day and night in his heart. But he struggled on, not examining the temptation nor consenting to it. After a long time, the fire left him, extinguished by his perseverance.
34. A brother asked a hermit, 'What am I to do, abba? I do nothing like a monk. I eat, drink, and sleep as I like, I am much troubled by vile thoughts, I shift from task to task, and my mind wanders everywhere.' The hermit answered, 'Stay in your cell, and do what you can without anxiety. It is not much that you do now, yet it is the same as when Antony did mighty things in the desert. I trust God that whoever stays in his cell for God's sake, and guards his conscience, will be found where Antony is.'
91. A brother asked a hermit, 'What shall I do, for I am troubled by many temptations, and I do not know how to resist them?' He said, 'Do not fight against them all at once, but against one of them. All temptations of monks have a single source. You must consider what kind of root of temptation you have, and fight against that and in this way all the other temptations will also be defeated.'
92. A hermit said this about evil thoughts, 'I beg you, my brothers, control your thoughts as you control your sins.'
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2. Pambo said to Antony, 'What shall I do?' Antony said, 'Do not trust your own righteousness. Do not go on sorrowing over a deed that is past. Keep your tongue and your belly under control.'
7. Mark asked Arsenius, 'It is right, isn't it, to have nothing unnecessary in one's cell? I saw a brother who had a few cabbages, and he was rooting them out.' Arsenius said, 'It is right, but each should do what is right for his way of life. If he is not strong enough to endure without the cabbages, he will plant them again.'
9. Joseph of Thebes said, 'Three things are seen to be honourable by God. The first is when temptations come on someone who is weak, and are accepted thankfully. The second is when every action is pure before God, mixed with no human motive. The third is when a disciple remains obedient to a spiritual father, and gives up all his self-will.'
9. A brother once came to Poemen and said to him, 'What am I to do, abba? I am wretched with lust. I went to Hybistion, and he told me: "You must not let this passion live in you any longer."' Poemen said to him, 'Hybistion lives like the angels in heaven, and he does not know about these things. But you and I are full of lust. If the monk controls his stomach and his tongue, and stays in solitude, he can trust that he is not yet lost.'
12. A brother was obsessed by lust and it was like a fire burning day and night in his heart. But he struggled on, not examining the temptation nor consenting to it. After a long time, the fire left him, extinguished by his perseverance.
34. A brother asked a hermit, 'What am I to do, abba? I do nothing like a monk. I eat, drink, and sleep as I like, I am much troubled by vile thoughts, I shift from task to task, and my mind wanders everywhere.' The hermit answered, 'Stay in your cell, and do what you can without anxiety. It is not much that you do now, yet it is the same as when Antony did mighty things in the desert. I trust God that whoever stays in his cell for God's sake, and guards his conscience, will be found where Antony is.'
91. A brother asked a hermit, 'What shall I do, for I am troubled by many temptations, and I do not know how to resist them?' He said, 'Do not fight against them all at once, but against one of them. All temptations of monks have a single source. You must consider what kind of root of temptation you have, and fight against that and in this way all the other temptations will also be defeated.'
92. A hermit said this about evil thoughts, 'I beg you, my brothers, control your thoughts as you control your sins.'
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Monday, July 18, 2005
Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
7. Fear of God
6. Piety
5. Knowledge
4. Fortitude
3. Counsel
2. Understanding
1. Wisdom
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Fr. Goeschel's reflections on the seven gifts.
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[excerpted from the Catholic Encyclopedia.]
... enumerated by Isaias (11:2-3), where the prophet sees and describes them in the Messiah. They are the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety (godliness), and fear of the Lord.
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PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.
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Purity of Thought
[copied from http://www.copticcentre.com/article12.html]
The Purity Of Thought
by H.H. POPE SHENOUDA III (Coptic)
A chaste and pure person should be pure in body and soul, in his thoughts, senses, feelings, and even in his dreams and imagination. A man should give careful attention to the purity of his thoughts as his thought also belongs to God. As we take care of the purity of our hearts in order that God may dwell in them, so we must take care of our minds too. The divinely inspired Holy Bible says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your strength." (Mark 12:30)
A person who lets his heart be occupied with sin gives proof that God does not live in his heart, as thoughts arise from the inside of the heart.
The Holy Bible says, "A good man produces good from the store of good within himself; and an evil man from evil within produces evil." (Matthew 12:35)
Law does not take your thoughts into account, but God judges you according to your thoughts. Hence, conscience is stronger and deeper than the law, for the person who takes care not to commit a sin by thought will find it difficult to do wrong in deed or action. Thus the purity of thought becomes a means for the purity of the human being as a whole.
If you wish to have a pure mind, keep far away from the means that cause the corruption of thought. Keep away from all things that bring to your mind a sinful thought. Such thoughts may come as a result of unsound readings, wicked things that are heard, or due to a sinful environment, bad company or wicked friendship. An evil thought may arise from another evil thought. Keep away from all this so as to keep your thoughts pure.
Evil thoughts may arise from desires or evil lusts within the heart. In fact, desires and thoughts co-operate; each of the two may be a cause and a result. An evil thought may bring about a wicked lust, and a wicked lust may give birth to a wicked thought. On many occasions your thoughts may be expressive of your desires. Try to clear out your heart from evil desires, then your thoughts will consequently be purified.
Thoughts and lusts may give rise to dreams or imaginations, as you may dream of the thing that you think of, or that you long for. In this way a man may sometimes be responsible for his dreams; and in as much as a man's heart and thoughts are purified, so will his dreams be purified. If you dream of something against your thoughts and desires, you may be disturbed and wake up quickly, and you will not be able to continue your dream for a long period.
On some occasions, evil thoughts may merely be a fight on the part of the devil against you, to disturb the quietness of your heart and destroy your inner peace. Not all evil thoughts are wars from the devils; there is a great difference between the war of thoughts and falling by thought. In case of an evil thought that is merely a fight from the devil, your heart will revolt against this thought and you will try with all your determination to drive it away, get rid of it and not accept it at all. In case of falling by thought however, a man will be contented with the wicked thought or will be enjoying it; he may even try to keep harbouring this thought for a long time, and he may be annoyed if something occurs to break it up.
My advice to you is to oppose wicked thoughts and escape from them. If an evil thought attacks you, try to occupy your mind with something else or run away from it. You may think of something else that is deeper so as to divert the course of your thinking. You may occupy yourself with the reading of something interesting so that your thoughts may be diverted from that wicked issue to the topic of reading. You may pray in secret and raise your heart to God to keep the evil thought away from you; and if all these methods are not effective, you may occupy yourself with some manual work or talk with anybody to drive away the thought.
Be cautious not to yield to the wicked thought as this is treachery against God on your part, and association with enemies. Your escape from the thought as soon as it comes to your mind is much easier than your attempt to run away from it after you have kept it for a certain period because as long as the thought continues in your mind, it will exercise its mastery over you and will subject your will to its attraction, until you become a slave to it and fulfill its desire.
If the thought continues with you, it may be changed into an emotion, a desire, or a lust; it may develop into an attempt at fulfillment, and thus you may be degraded from a sin of thought to a sin of action.
An evil thought may come as a result of idleness according to the saying, "The mind of an idle person is a convenient place of work for the devil". A btisy person controls his thoughts, he directs them according to the kind of occupation in which he works. A hardworking student directs his thoughts in the way of his studies; a scientist is occupied with science, an athlete with physical exercises, a monastic with worship; but a person who spends his time in idleness will have his mind exposed to evil thoughts- he does not control his thoughts but his thoughts direct him.
My advice to you is to take the first step; you should orient your thoughts and not let them take advantage of you and direct you. Thought can be a weapon in your hand and it can be a weapon against you; let it be your friend and not your enemy. You should know that the greatest and most useful projects were originally an idea, and all great humanitarian deeds began as an idea.
We may need experts whom we invite from distant or nearby countries to obtain ideas from them. Let your ideas be a treasure for yourself and for others. Let your thoughts be a blessing for the society in which you live.
If you cannot make your thoughts a source of benefit for yourself and for others, at least do not let them be a cause for the loss of your eternity and the purity of your heart. Do not wait until the evil thought comes to your mind and you find it difficult to resist, but you should take the initiative and occupy your mind with righteous subjects. Try to possess a treasure of holy meditations and divine thoughts, a treasure of feelings of love towards God, so that your mind may be ashamed of those thoughts and feelings if the devil wishes to defile it or let it fall.
Be always occupied with what is beneficial and keep in mind that God reads and examines your thoughts. Therefore, you should be ashamed of yourself whenever you give way to sinful thinking. And if you fall into evil thought, do not despair and keep up that thought, but you should rise quickly and redress your thoughts.
May God be with you, granting you purity of thought as a holy gift.
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[copied from http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb56.htm]
The Pauline Doctrine of Purity as Life According to the Spirit
by Pope John Paul II
Prayer to obtain purity in thought, word and deed: "O Lord, Father and God of my life...remove from me evil desire, let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me" (Sir 23:4-6).
1. At our meeting some weeks ago, we concentrated our attention on the passage in the First Letter to the Corinthians in which St. Paul calls the human body "a temple of the Holy Spirit." He writes: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:19-20). "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?" (1 Cor 6:15). The Apostle points out the mystery of the redemption of the body, carried out by Christ, as a source of a special moral duty which commits the Christian to purity. This is what Paul himself defines elsewhere as the necessity of "controlling his own body in holiness and honor" (1 Thess 4:4).
Piety serves purity
2. However, we would not completely discover the riches of the thought contained in the Pauline texts, if we did not note that the mystery of redemption bears fruit in man also in a charismatic way. According to the Apostle's words, the Holy Spirit enters the human body as his own "temple," dwells there and operates together with his spiritual gifts. Among these gifts, known in the history of spirituality as the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (cf. Is 11:2, according to the Septuagint and the Vulgate), the one most congenial to the virtue of purity seems to be the gift of piety (eusebeia, donum pietatis).(1) If purity prepares man to "control his own body in holiness and honor" (1 Th 4:3-5), piety, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit, seems to serve purity in a particular way. It makes the human subject sensitive to that dignity which is characteristic of the human body by virtue of the mystery of creation and redemption. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you.... You are not your own" (1 Cor 6:19). Thanks to the gift of piety, Paul's words acquire the eloquence of an experience of the nuptial meaning of the body and of the freedom of the gift connected with it, in which the profound aspect of purity and its organic link with love is revealed.
Fruit of the Spirit's indwelling
3. Although control of one's body in holiness and honor is acquired through abstention from immorality—and this way is indispensable—yet it always bears fruit in deeper experience of that love, which was inscribed from the beginning, according to the image and likeness of God himself, in the whole human being and so also in his body. Therefore, St. Paul ends his argumentation in chapter six of the First Letter to the Corinthians with a significant exhortation: "So glorify God in your body" (v. 20). Purity as the virtue is the capacity of controlling one's body in holiness and honor. Together with the gift of piety, as the fruit of the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in the temple of the body, purity brings about in the body such a fullness of dignity in interpersonal relations that God himself is thereby glorified. Purity is the glory of the human body before God. It is God's glory in the human body, through which masculinity and femininity are manifested. From purity springs that extraordinary beauty which permeates every sphere of men's common life and makes it possible to express in it simplicity and depth, cordiality and the unrepeatable authenticity of personal trust. (There will perhaps be an opportunity later to deal with this subject more fully. The connection of purity with love and also the connection of purity in love with that gift of the Holy Spirit, piety, is a part of the theology of the body which is little known, but which deserves particular study. That will be possible in the course of the analysis concerning the sacramentality of marriage.)
In the Old Testament
4. And now a brief reference to the Old Testament. The Pauline doctrine about purity, understood as life according to the Spirit, seems to indicate a certain continuity with regard to the Wisdom books of the Old Testament. For example, we find there the following prayer to obtain purity in thought, word and deed: "O Lord, Father and God of my life...remove from me evil desire, let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me" (Sir 23:4-6). Purity is, in fact, the condition for finding wisdom and following it, as we read in the same book: "I directed my soul to her [that is, to Wisdom], and through purification I found her" (Sir 51:20). We could also consider the text of the Book of Wisdom (8:21), known by the liturgy in the Vulgate version: "Scivi quoniam aliter non possum esse continens, nisi Deus det; et hoc ipsum erat sapientiae, scire, cuius esset hoc donum."(2)
According to this concept, it is not so much purity that is a condition for wisdom, but wisdom that is a condition for purity, as for a special gift of God. It seems that already in the above-mentioned Wisdom texts the double meaning of purity takes shape: as a virtue and as a gift. The virtue is in the service of wisdom, and wisdom is a preparation to receive the gift that comes from God. This gift strengthens the virtue and makes it possible to enjoy, in wisdom, the fruits of a behavior and life that are pure.
The sight of God
5. Just as Christ, in his beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount which referred to the "pure in heart," highlights the "sight of God," the fruit of purity, and in an eschatological perspective, so Paul in his turn sheds light on its diffusion in the dimensions of temporality, when he writes: "To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds..." (Tit 1:15f.). These words can also refer both to the general and to the specific meaning of purity, as to the characteristic note of all moral good. For the Pauline concept of purity, in the sense spoken of in the First Letter to the Thessalonians (4:3-5) and the First Letter to the Corinthians (6:13-20), that is, in the sense of life according to the Spirit, the anthropology of rebirth in the Holy Spirit (cf. also Jn 3:5ff.) seems to be fundamental—as can be seen from these considerations of ours as a whole. It grows from roots set in the reality of the redemption of the body, carried out by Christ—redemption, whose ultimate expression is the resurrection. There are profound reasons for connecting the whole theme of purity with the words of the Gospel, in which Christ referred to the resurrection (and that will be the subject of the further stage of our considerations). Here we have mainly linked it with the ethos of the redemption of the body.
Appeal to the heart
6. The way of understanding and presenting purity—inherited from the tradition of the Old Testament and characteristic of the Wisdom Books—was certainly an indirect, but nonetheless real, preparation for the Pauline doctrine about purity understood as life according to the Spirit. That way unquestionably helped many listeners of the Sermon on the Mount to understand Christ's words when, explaining the commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," he appealed to the human heart. In this way our reflections as a whole have been able to show, at least to a certain extent, how rich and profound the doctrine on purity is in its biblical and evangelical sources themselves.
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NOTES
1) In the Greco-Roman period eusebeia or pietas generally referred to the veneration of the gods (as "devotion"), but it still kept its broader original meaning of respect for vital structures.
Eusebeia defined the mutual behavior of relatives, relations between husband and wife, and also the attitude due by the legions toward Caesar or by slaves to their masters.
In the New Testament, only the later writings apply eusebeia to Christians; in the older writings this term characterizes "good pagans" (Acts 10:2, 7; 17:23).
And so the Greek eusebeia, as also the donum pietatis, while they certainly refer to divine veneration, have a wide basis in the connotation of interpersonal relations (cf. W. Foerster, art. eusebeia, "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament", Vol. 7, ed. G. Kittel, G. Bromley [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971], pp. 177-182).
2) This version of the Vulgate, retained by the Neo-Vulgate and by the liturgy, quoted several times by Augustine (De S. Virg., par. 43; Confess. VI, 11; X, 29; Serm. CLX, 7), changes, however, the meaning of the original Greek, which can be translated as follows: "Knowing that I would not have obtained it [Wisdom] otherwise, if God had not granted it to me....
The Purity Of Thought
by H.H. POPE SHENOUDA III (Coptic)
A chaste and pure person should be pure in body and soul, in his thoughts, senses, feelings, and even in his dreams and imagination. A man should give careful attention to the purity of his thoughts as his thought also belongs to God. As we take care of the purity of our hearts in order that God may dwell in them, so we must take care of our minds too. The divinely inspired Holy Bible says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your strength." (Mark 12:30)
A person who lets his heart be occupied with sin gives proof that God does not live in his heart, as thoughts arise from the inside of the heart.
The Holy Bible says, "A good man produces good from the store of good within himself; and an evil man from evil within produces evil." (Matthew 12:35)
Law does not take your thoughts into account, but God judges you according to your thoughts. Hence, conscience is stronger and deeper than the law, for the person who takes care not to commit a sin by thought will find it difficult to do wrong in deed or action. Thus the purity of thought becomes a means for the purity of the human being as a whole.
If you wish to have a pure mind, keep far away from the means that cause the corruption of thought. Keep away from all things that bring to your mind a sinful thought. Such thoughts may come as a result of unsound readings, wicked things that are heard, or due to a sinful environment, bad company or wicked friendship. An evil thought may arise from another evil thought. Keep away from all this so as to keep your thoughts pure.
Evil thoughts may arise from desires or evil lusts within the heart. In fact, desires and thoughts co-operate; each of the two may be a cause and a result. An evil thought may bring about a wicked lust, and a wicked lust may give birth to a wicked thought. On many occasions your thoughts may be expressive of your desires. Try to clear out your heart from evil desires, then your thoughts will consequently be purified.
Thoughts and lusts may give rise to dreams or imaginations, as you may dream of the thing that you think of, or that you long for. In this way a man may sometimes be responsible for his dreams; and in as much as a man's heart and thoughts are purified, so will his dreams be purified. If you dream of something against your thoughts and desires, you may be disturbed and wake up quickly, and you will not be able to continue your dream for a long period.
On some occasions, evil thoughts may merely be a fight on the part of the devil against you, to disturb the quietness of your heart and destroy your inner peace. Not all evil thoughts are wars from the devils; there is a great difference between the war of thoughts and falling by thought. In case of an evil thought that is merely a fight from the devil, your heart will revolt against this thought and you will try with all your determination to drive it away, get rid of it and not accept it at all. In case of falling by thought however, a man will be contented with the wicked thought or will be enjoying it; he may even try to keep harbouring this thought for a long time, and he may be annoyed if something occurs to break it up.
My advice to you is to oppose wicked thoughts and escape from them. If an evil thought attacks you, try to occupy your mind with something else or run away from it. You may think of something else that is deeper so as to divert the course of your thinking. You may occupy yourself with the reading of something interesting so that your thoughts may be diverted from that wicked issue to the topic of reading. You may pray in secret and raise your heart to God to keep the evil thought away from you; and if all these methods are not effective, you may occupy yourself with some manual work or talk with anybody to drive away the thought.
Be cautious not to yield to the wicked thought as this is treachery against God on your part, and association with enemies. Your escape from the thought as soon as it comes to your mind is much easier than your attempt to run away from it after you have kept it for a certain period because as long as the thought continues in your mind, it will exercise its mastery over you and will subject your will to its attraction, until you become a slave to it and fulfill its desire.
If the thought continues with you, it may be changed into an emotion, a desire, or a lust; it may develop into an attempt at fulfillment, and thus you may be degraded from a sin of thought to a sin of action.
An evil thought may come as a result of idleness according to the saying, "The mind of an idle person is a convenient place of work for the devil". A btisy person controls his thoughts, he directs them according to the kind of occupation in which he works. A hardworking student directs his thoughts in the way of his studies; a scientist is occupied with science, an athlete with physical exercises, a monastic with worship; but a person who spends his time in idleness will have his mind exposed to evil thoughts- he does not control his thoughts but his thoughts direct him.
My advice to you is to take the first step; you should orient your thoughts and not let them take advantage of you and direct you. Thought can be a weapon in your hand and it can be a weapon against you; let it be your friend and not your enemy. You should know that the greatest and most useful projects were originally an idea, and all great humanitarian deeds began as an idea.
We may need experts whom we invite from distant or nearby countries to obtain ideas from them. Let your ideas be a treasure for yourself and for others. Let your thoughts be a blessing for the society in which you live.
If you cannot make your thoughts a source of benefit for yourself and for others, at least do not let them be a cause for the loss of your eternity and the purity of your heart. Do not wait until the evil thought comes to your mind and you find it difficult to resist, but you should take the initiative and occupy your mind with righteous subjects. Try to possess a treasure of holy meditations and divine thoughts, a treasure of feelings of love towards God, so that your mind may be ashamed of those thoughts and feelings if the devil wishes to defile it or let it fall.
Be always occupied with what is beneficial and keep in mind that God reads and examines your thoughts. Therefore, you should be ashamed of yourself whenever you give way to sinful thinking. And if you fall into evil thought, do not despair and keep up that thought, but you should rise quickly and redress your thoughts.
May God be with you, granting you purity of thought as a holy gift.
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[copied from http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb56.htm]
by Pope John Paul II
Prayer to obtain purity in thought, word and deed: "O Lord, Father and God of my life...remove from me evil desire, let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me" (Sir 23:4-6).
1. At our meeting some weeks ago, we concentrated our attention on the passage in the First Letter to the Corinthians in which St. Paul calls the human body "a temple of the Holy Spirit." He writes: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:19-20). "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?" (1 Cor 6:15). The Apostle points out the mystery of the redemption of the body, carried out by Christ, as a source of a special moral duty which commits the Christian to purity. This is what Paul himself defines elsewhere as the necessity of "controlling his own body in holiness and honor" (1 Thess 4:4).
Piety serves purity
2. However, we would not completely discover the riches of the thought contained in the Pauline texts, if we did not note that the mystery of redemption bears fruit in man also in a charismatic way. According to the Apostle's words, the Holy Spirit enters the human body as his own "temple," dwells there and operates together with his spiritual gifts. Among these gifts, known in the history of spirituality as the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (cf. Is 11:2, according to the Septuagint and the Vulgate), the one most congenial to the virtue of purity seems to be the gift of piety (eusebeia, donum pietatis).(1) If purity prepares man to "control his own body in holiness and honor" (1 Th 4:3-5), piety, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit, seems to serve purity in a particular way. It makes the human subject sensitive to that dignity which is characteristic of the human body by virtue of the mystery of creation and redemption. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you.... You are not your own" (1 Cor 6:19). Thanks to the gift of piety, Paul's words acquire the eloquence of an experience of the nuptial meaning of the body and of the freedom of the gift connected with it, in which the profound aspect of purity and its organic link with love is revealed.
Fruit of the Spirit's indwelling
3. Although control of one's body in holiness and honor is acquired through abstention from immorality—and this way is indispensable—yet it always bears fruit in deeper experience of that love, which was inscribed from the beginning, according to the image and likeness of God himself, in the whole human being and so also in his body. Therefore, St. Paul ends his argumentation in chapter six of the First Letter to the Corinthians with a significant exhortation: "So glorify God in your body" (v. 20). Purity as the virtue is the capacity of controlling one's body in holiness and honor. Together with the gift of piety, as the fruit of the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in the temple of the body, purity brings about in the body such a fullness of dignity in interpersonal relations that God himself is thereby glorified. Purity is the glory of the human body before God. It is God's glory in the human body, through which masculinity and femininity are manifested. From purity springs that extraordinary beauty which permeates every sphere of men's common life and makes it possible to express in it simplicity and depth, cordiality and the unrepeatable authenticity of personal trust. (There will perhaps be an opportunity later to deal with this subject more fully. The connection of purity with love and also the connection of purity in love with that gift of the Holy Spirit, piety, is a part of the theology of the body which is little known, but which deserves particular study. That will be possible in the course of the analysis concerning the sacramentality of marriage.)
In the Old Testament
4. And now a brief reference to the Old Testament. The Pauline doctrine about purity, understood as life according to the Spirit, seems to indicate a certain continuity with regard to the Wisdom books of the Old Testament. For example, we find there the following prayer to obtain purity in thought, word and deed: "O Lord, Father and God of my life...remove from me evil desire, let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me" (Sir 23:4-6). Purity is, in fact, the condition for finding wisdom and following it, as we read in the same book: "I directed my soul to her [that is, to Wisdom], and through purification I found her" (Sir 51:20). We could also consider the text of the Book of Wisdom (8:21), known by the liturgy in the Vulgate version: "Scivi quoniam aliter non possum esse continens, nisi Deus det; et hoc ipsum erat sapientiae, scire, cuius esset hoc donum."(2)
According to this concept, it is not so much purity that is a condition for wisdom, but wisdom that is a condition for purity, as for a special gift of God. It seems that already in the above-mentioned Wisdom texts the double meaning of purity takes shape: as a virtue and as a gift. The virtue is in the service of wisdom, and wisdom is a preparation to receive the gift that comes from God. This gift strengthens the virtue and makes it possible to enjoy, in wisdom, the fruits of a behavior and life that are pure.
The sight of God
5. Just as Christ, in his beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount which referred to the "pure in heart," highlights the "sight of God," the fruit of purity, and in an eschatological perspective, so Paul in his turn sheds light on its diffusion in the dimensions of temporality, when he writes: "To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds..." (Tit 1:15f.). These words can also refer both to the general and to the specific meaning of purity, as to the characteristic note of all moral good. For the Pauline concept of purity, in the sense spoken of in the First Letter to the Thessalonians (4:3-5) and the First Letter to the Corinthians (6:13-20), that is, in the sense of life according to the Spirit, the anthropology of rebirth in the Holy Spirit (cf. also Jn 3:5ff.) seems to be fundamental—as can be seen from these considerations of ours as a whole. It grows from roots set in the reality of the redemption of the body, carried out by Christ—redemption, whose ultimate expression is the resurrection. There are profound reasons for connecting the whole theme of purity with the words of the Gospel, in which Christ referred to the resurrection (and that will be the subject of the further stage of our considerations). Here we have mainly linked it with the ethos of the redemption of the body.
Appeal to the heart
6. The way of understanding and presenting purity—inherited from the tradition of the Old Testament and characteristic of the Wisdom Books—was certainly an indirect, but nonetheless real, preparation for the Pauline doctrine about purity understood as life according to the Spirit. That way unquestionably helped many listeners of the Sermon on the Mount to understand Christ's words when, explaining the commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," he appealed to the human heart. In this way our reflections as a whole have been able to show, at least to a certain extent, how rich and profound the doctrine on purity is in its biblical and evangelical sources themselves.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES
1) In the Greco-Roman period eusebeia or pietas generally referred to the veneration of the gods (as "devotion"), but it still kept its broader original meaning of respect for vital structures.
Eusebeia defined the mutual behavior of relatives, relations between husband and wife, and also the attitude due by the legions toward Caesar or by slaves to their masters.
In the New Testament, only the later writings apply eusebeia to Christians; in the older writings this term characterizes "good pagans" (Acts 10:2, 7; 17:23).
And so the Greek eusebeia, as also the donum pietatis, while they certainly refer to divine veneration, have a wide basis in the connotation of interpersonal relations (cf. W. Foerster, art. eusebeia, "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament", Vol. 7, ed. G. Kittel, G. Bromley [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971], pp. 177-182).
2) This version of the Vulgate, retained by the Neo-Vulgate and by the liturgy, quoted several times by Augustine (De S. Virg., par. 43; Confess. VI, 11; X, 29; Serm. CLX, 7), changes, however, the meaning of the original Greek, which can be translated as follows: "Knowing that I would not have obtained it [Wisdom] otherwise, if God had not granted it to me....
Friday, July 15, 2005
Divine Mercy in my soul . . .
Excerpts from the diary of St. Faustina
Our Lord spoke these words to Sister Maria Faustina:
"You will prepare the world for My final coming.(429)
"Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy."(301)
"... when a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it is immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with a trust let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. These souls have a right of priority to My compassionate Heart, they have first access to My mercy. Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness."(1541)
"In return for my blessings, I get ingratitude. In return for My Love, I get forgetfulness and indifference. My Heart cannot bear this."(1537)
"Speak to the world about My mercy ... It is a sign for the end times. After it will come the Day of Justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fountain of My mercy.(848)
"Tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near.(965)
"I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of sinners. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation.(1160)
"Before the Day of Justice, I am sending the Day of Mercy.(1588)
"He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice.(1146).
. . . read more from the diary of St. Faustina
---------
Our Lord spoke these words to Sister Maria Faustina:
"You will prepare the world for My final coming.(429)
"Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy."(301)
"... when a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it is immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with a trust let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. These souls have a right of priority to My compassionate Heart, they have first access to My mercy. Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness."(1541)
"In return for my blessings, I get ingratitude. In return for My Love, I get forgetfulness and indifference. My Heart cannot bear this."(1537)
"Speak to the world about My mercy ... It is a sign for the end times. After it will come the Day of Justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fountain of My mercy.(848)
"Tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near.(965)
"I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of sinners. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation.(1160)
"Before the Day of Justice, I am sending the Day of Mercy.(1588)
"He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice.(1146).
. . . read more from the diary of St. Faustina
---------
The 7 Virtues
Prudence.
Temperance. Justice. Fortitude.
The three theological virtues:
Faith : belief in God, trust in God, and loyalty to God.
Hope : trust ; to cherish a desire with anticipation ; to expect with confidence.
Charity : benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity ; generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering.
An intellectual virtue and one of the four cardinal virtues:
Prudence : the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason.
The moral virtues, and three of the four cardinal virtues:
Temperance : restraint; moderation in action, thought, or feeling ; habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions.
Justice : righteousness ; conformity to truth, fact, law, or reason ; the quality of being just, impartial, or fair.
Fortitude : strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.
(Definitions provided by Merriam-Webster Online.)
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Monday, July 11, 2005
On the 15 Prayers of St. Birgitta
Compiled here is information about, and references to, the 15 Prayers of St. Birgitta:
---------------
[from http://www.marypages.com/BrigittaEnglish.htm]
These prayers are approved by Pope Pius IX.
. . .
St. Bridget (Birgitta) is known for the revelations she received on the wounds and passion of Jesus, known as the "15 Prayers of St. Bridget".
. . .
Saint Bridget prayed for a long time to know how many blows Our Lord suffered during His terrible Passion. Rewarding her patience, one day He appeared to her and said: "I received 5475 blows upon My Body. If you wish to honor each of them in some way pray the following prayers each day for a whole year. When the year is over, you will have honored each one of My Wounds." Our Lord gave many promises to those who recite these prayers. Many people have done this and benefited greatly.
. . .
Our Lord grants these promises to all who devoutly recite the 15 Saint Brigit Prayers every day for a year: I will deliver 15 souls of his lineage from purgatory; 15 souls of his lineage will be confirmed and preserved in grace; 15 sinners of his lineage will be converted; Whoever recites these Prayers will attain the first degree of perfection; 15 days before his death, I will give him My Precious Body in order that he may escape eternal starvation, I will give him my Precious Blood to drink lest he thirst eternally; 15 days before his death he will feel a deep contrition for all his sins and will have a perfect knowledge of them; I will place before him the sign of My Victorious Cross for his help and defense against the attacks of his enemies; Before his death I shall come with My Dearest Beloved Mother; I shall graciously receive his soul, and will lead him into eternal joys; And having led it there I shall give him a special draught from the fountain of My Deity, something I will not do for those who have not recited My Prayers; Let it be known that whoever may have been living in a state of mortal sin for 30 years, but who will recite devoutly, or have the intention to recite these Prayers, I the Lord will forgive him all his sins; I shall protect him from strong temptations; I shall preserve and guard his five senses; I shall preserve him from a sudden death; His soul will be delivered from eternal death; He will obtain all he asks for from God and the Blessed Virgin; If he has lived all his life doing his own will and he is to die the next day, his life will be prolonged; Every time one recites these Prayers he gains 100 days indulgence; He is assured of being joined to the supreme Choir of Angels; Whoever teaches these prayers to another will have continual joy and merit which will last throughout eternity; There where these Prayers are being said or will be said in the future, God is present with His Grace.
---------------
[from http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Marble/8229/english.htm ]
The Fifteen Prayers revealed by Our Lord to Saint Bridget of Sweden: "I received 5480 blows on My Body. If you wish to honor them in some way, say 15 Our Fathers and 15 Hail Marys with the following Prayers (which He taught her) for a whole year. When the year is up, you will have honored each one of My Wounds." . . .
These prayers are published under sanction of the Decree of November 18, 1986, published in the Acts Apostolicae Sedis, Vol. 58, No. 16 of December 29, 1966.
PRAYERS approved by Pope Pius IX Magnificent Prormses to Saint Bridget of Sweden
Pope Benedict XV expressed himself as follows on the Revelations of St. Bridget: "The approbation of such revelations implies nothing more than, after mature examination, it is permissible to publish them for the unit of the faithful. Though they don't merit the same credence as the truths of religion, one can, however, believe them out of human faith, conforming to the rules of prudence by which they are probable, and supported by sufficient motives that one might believe in them piously."
(Les Petits Bollandistes, tome XII)
The 14th of June 1303, at the moment Bridget was born, Benedict, the curate of Rasbo, prayed for the happy deliverance of Ingeborde. Suddenly he found himself enveloped by a luminous cloud out of which Our Lady appeared: "A child has been born at Birger; her voice will be heard by the entire world." Sagii, die XXIV Aprilis 1903
Imprimatur F. J. GIRARD, V.G. These Prayers and these Promises have been copied from a book printed in Toulouse in 1740 and published by the P. Adrien Parvilliers of the Company of Jesus, Apostolic Missionary of the Holy Land, with approbation, permission and recommendation to disbribute them.
Parents and teachers who will read them to young infants for at least one year will assure their being preserved for life from any grave accident which would involve the loss of one of their five senses.
Pope Pius IX took cognizance of these Prayers with the prologue; he approved them May 31, 1862, recognizing them as true and for the good of souls.
This sentence of Pope Pius IX has been confirmed by the realization of the promises by all persons who have recited the prayers and by numerous supernatural facts by which God wanted to make known their exact truth. A collection of small books, these prayers among them, was approved by the Great Congress of Malines on August 22, 1863.
Question - Must one recite the Prayers everyday without interruption to obtain the privileges?
Answer - One should miss saying them as few times as possible; but if for a serious reason one is obliged to miss them, one doesn't lose the privileges attached to them, as long as one recites 5480 Prayers during the year. One must say them with devotion and concentrate on the words one pronounces.
These prayers can serve as the Way of the Cross.
Visitors to the Church of St. Paul at Rome can see the crucifix, above the Tabernacle in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, scupltured by Pierre Cavallini, before which St. Bridget knelt when she received these 15 Prayers from Our Lord. The following inscription is placed in the church to commemorate the event: "Pendentis, Pendente Dei verba accepit aure accipit et verbum corde Brigitta Deum. Anno Jubilei MCCCL."
---------------
[from The Catholic Encyclopedia: Primer : Early Printed Primers. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12425a.htm ]
Early Printed Primers
A very large number of editions of the Primer came from the press before Henry VIII threw off his allegiance to the pope. Such books containing the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin and the Vigiliae Mortuorum with miscellaneous private devotions were common enough everywhere throughout Europe and were generally known as "Horae". But the English name, the name commonly used when these books were spoken of in English, was "Primer". Though Caxton himself is known to have printed four editions, and there are probably more of his that have perished, while his successors multiplied editions rapidly, the English printers were unequal to supply the demand. A vast number were produced "secundum usum Sarum" by the presses of Paris, Rouen, and elsewhere, many of them exceedingly beautiful in their typography and ornamentation, and a considerable number printed on vellum. Besides the constant elements already specified, these books commonly contain some other minor offices, e.g., that of the Passion, that of the Angels, etc., and a vast number of commemorations of individual saints. The beginnings of the four Gospels are also often found with the Athanasian and other creeds, and prayers for Confession and Communion. An almost invariable adjunct, either in Latin or English, was the fifteen prayers attributed to St. Bridget and known as "the fifteen O's",
---------------
[from the book The Amazing Secrets of the Souls in Purgatory: an interview with Maria Simma by Sr. Emmanuel of Medjugorje, c1997 Queenship Publishing Company.]
[p.23] (Regarding the need to pray for souls in Purgatory . . . )
I recommend strongly as well the prayers of St. Bridget which are most recommended for the poor souls.
Let me add something important: the souls in Purgatory can no longer do anything for themselves; they are totally helpless. If the living do not pray for them, they are totally abandoned. Therefore, it is very important to realize the immense power, the incredible power that each one of us has in his hands to relieve these souls who suffer.
---------------
---------------
[from http://www.marypages.com/BrigittaEnglish.htm]
These prayers are approved by Pope Pius IX.
. . .
St. Bridget (Birgitta) is known for the revelations she received on the wounds and passion of Jesus, known as the "15 Prayers of St. Bridget".
. . .
Saint Bridget prayed for a long time to know how many blows Our Lord suffered during His terrible Passion. Rewarding her patience, one day He appeared to her and said: "I received 5475 blows upon My Body. If you wish to honor each of them in some way pray the following prayers each day for a whole year. When the year is over, you will have honored each one of My Wounds." Our Lord gave many promises to those who recite these prayers. Many people have done this and benefited greatly.
. . .
Our Lord grants these promises to all who devoutly recite the 15 Saint Brigit Prayers every day for a year: I will deliver 15 souls of his lineage from purgatory; 15 souls of his lineage will be confirmed and preserved in grace; 15 sinners of his lineage will be converted; Whoever recites these Prayers will attain the first degree of perfection; 15 days before his death, I will give him My Precious Body in order that he may escape eternal starvation, I will give him my Precious Blood to drink lest he thirst eternally; 15 days before his death he will feel a deep contrition for all his sins and will have a perfect knowledge of them; I will place before him the sign of My Victorious Cross for his help and defense against the attacks of his enemies; Before his death I shall come with My Dearest Beloved Mother; I shall graciously receive his soul, and will lead him into eternal joys; And having led it there I shall give him a special draught from the fountain of My Deity, something I will not do for those who have not recited My Prayers; Let it be known that whoever may have been living in a state of mortal sin for 30 years, but who will recite devoutly, or have the intention to recite these Prayers, I the Lord will forgive him all his sins; I shall protect him from strong temptations; I shall preserve and guard his five senses; I shall preserve him from a sudden death; His soul will be delivered from eternal death; He will obtain all he asks for from God and the Blessed Virgin; If he has lived all his life doing his own will and he is to die the next day, his life will be prolonged; Every time one recites these Prayers he gains 100 days indulgence; He is assured of being joined to the supreme Choir of Angels; Whoever teaches these prayers to another will have continual joy and merit which will last throughout eternity; There where these Prayers are being said or will be said in the future, God is present with His Grace.
---------------
[from http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Marble/8229/english.htm ]
The Fifteen Prayers revealed by Our Lord to Saint Bridget of Sweden: "I received 5480 blows on My Body. If you wish to honor them in some way, say 15 Our Fathers and 15 Hail Marys with the following Prayers (which He taught her) for a whole year. When the year is up, you will have honored each one of My Wounds." . . .
These prayers are published under sanction of the Decree of November 18, 1986, published in the Acts Apostolicae Sedis, Vol. 58, No. 16 of December 29, 1966.
PRAYERS approved by Pope Pius IX Magnificent Prormses to Saint Bridget of Sweden
Pope Benedict XV expressed himself as follows on the Revelations of St. Bridget: "The approbation of such revelations implies nothing more than, after mature examination, it is permissible to publish them for the unit of the faithful. Though they don't merit the same credence as the truths of religion, one can, however, believe them out of human faith, conforming to the rules of prudence by which they are probable, and supported by sufficient motives that one might believe in them piously."
(Les Petits Bollandistes, tome XII)
The 14th of June 1303, at the moment Bridget was born, Benedict, the curate of Rasbo, prayed for the happy deliverance of Ingeborde. Suddenly he found himself enveloped by a luminous cloud out of which Our Lady appeared: "A child has been born at Birger; her voice will be heard by the entire world." Sagii, die XXIV Aprilis 1903
Imprimatur F. J. GIRARD, V.G. These Prayers and these Promises have been copied from a book printed in Toulouse in 1740 and published by the P. Adrien Parvilliers of the Company of Jesus, Apostolic Missionary of the Holy Land, with approbation, permission and recommendation to disbribute them.
Parents and teachers who will read them to young infants for at least one year will assure their being preserved for life from any grave accident which would involve the loss of one of their five senses.
Pope Pius IX took cognizance of these Prayers with the prologue; he approved them May 31, 1862, recognizing them as true and for the good of souls.
This sentence of Pope Pius IX has been confirmed by the realization of the promises by all persons who have recited the prayers and by numerous supernatural facts by which God wanted to make known their exact truth. A collection of small books, these prayers among them, was approved by the Great Congress of Malines on August 22, 1863.
Question - Must one recite the Prayers everyday without interruption to obtain the privileges?
Answer - One should miss saying them as few times as possible; but if for a serious reason one is obliged to miss them, one doesn't lose the privileges attached to them, as long as one recites 5480 Prayers during the year. One must say them with devotion and concentrate on the words one pronounces.
These prayers can serve as the Way of the Cross.
Visitors to the Church of St. Paul at Rome can see the crucifix, above the Tabernacle in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, scupltured by Pierre Cavallini, before which St. Bridget knelt when she received these 15 Prayers from Our Lord. The following inscription is placed in the church to commemorate the event: "Pendentis, Pendente Dei verba accepit aure accipit et verbum corde Brigitta Deum. Anno Jubilei MCCCL."
---------------
[from The Catholic Encyclopedia: Primer : Early Printed Primers. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12425a.htm ]
Early Printed Primers
A very large number of editions of the Primer came from the press before Henry VIII threw off his allegiance to the pope. Such books containing the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin and the Vigiliae Mortuorum with miscellaneous private devotions were common enough everywhere throughout Europe and were generally known as "Horae". But the English name, the name commonly used when these books were spoken of in English, was "Primer". Though Caxton himself is known to have printed four editions, and there are probably more of his that have perished, while his successors multiplied editions rapidly, the English printers were unequal to supply the demand. A vast number were produced "secundum usum Sarum" by the presses of Paris, Rouen, and elsewhere, many of them exceedingly beautiful in their typography and ornamentation, and a considerable number printed on vellum. Besides the constant elements already specified, these books commonly contain some other minor offices, e.g., that of the Passion, that of the Angels, etc., and a vast number of commemorations of individual saints. The beginnings of the four Gospels are also often found with the Athanasian and other creeds, and prayers for Confession and Communion. An almost invariable adjunct, either in Latin or English, was the fifteen prayers attributed to St. Bridget and known as "the fifteen O's",
---------------
[from the book The Amazing Secrets of the Souls in Purgatory: an interview with Maria Simma by Sr. Emmanuel of Medjugorje, c1997 Queenship Publishing Company.]
[p.23] (Regarding the need to pray for souls in Purgatory . . . )
I recommend strongly as well the prayers of St. Bridget which are most recommended for the poor souls.
Let me add something important: the souls in Purgatory can no longer do anything for themselves; they are totally helpless. If the living do not pray for them, they are totally abandoned. Therefore, it is very important to realize the immense power, the incredible power that each one of us has in his hands to relieve these souls who suffer.
---------------
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us
excerpts from Fatima in Lucia's Own Words by Sister Mary Lucia Santos, published by Postulation Centre, Fatima, Portugal; distributed by Ravengate Press, Cambridge, MA. Imprimatur: 1976. Edited by Fr. Louis Kondor, SVD. Translated by Dominican Nuns of Perpetual Rosary.
--------
[p.59]
A Mysterious Presage in 1915
Around midday, we ate our lunch. After this I invited my companions [--Jacinta and Francisco--] to pray the Rosary with me, to which they eagerly agreed. We had hardly begun when, there before our eyes we saw a figure poised in the air above the trees; it looked like a statue made of snow, rendered almost transparent by the rays of the sun.
"What is that?", asked my companions, quite frightened.
"I don't know!"
We went on praying, with our eyes fixed on the figure before us, and as we finished our prayer, the figure disappeared.
. . .
Apparitions of the Angel in 1916
. . .
[p.62-65]
. . . a strong wind began to shake the trees. We looked up, startled to see what was happening, for the day was unusually calm. Then we saw coming towards us, above the olive trees, the figure I have already spoken about. Jacinta and Francisco had never seen it before, nor had I ever mentioned it to them. As it drew closer, we were able to distinguish its features. It was a young man, about fourteen or fifteen years old, whiter than snow, transparent as crystal when the sun shines through it, and of great beauty. On reaching us, he said:
"Do not be afraid I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me."
Kneeling on the ground, he bowed down until his forehead touched the ground, and made us repeat these words three times:
"My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You."
Then rising, he said: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."
His words engraved themselves so deeply on our minds that we could never forget them. From then on, we used to spend long periods of time, prostrate like the Angel, repeating his words, until sometimes we fell, exhausted. . . .
Some time passed, and summer came, when we had to go home for siesta. One day, we were playing on the stone slabs of the well down at the bottom of the garden belonging to my parents . . . Suddenly, we saw beside us the same figure, or rather Angel, as it seemed to me.
"What are you doing?", he asked. "Pray, pray very much! The most holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Most High."
"How are we to make sacrifices?", I asked.
"Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners. You will thus draw down peace upon your country. I am its Angel Guardian, the Angel of Portugal. Above all, accept and bear with submission, the suffering which the Lord will send you."
A considerable amount of time elapsed, when one day we went to pasture our sheep on a property belonging to my parents, . . . . After our lunch, we decided to go and pray in the hollow among the rocks . . . .
As soon as we arrived there, we knelt down, with our foreheads touching the ground, and began to repeat the prayer of the Angel:
"My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You..." I don't know how many times we had repeated this prayer, when an extraordinary light shone upon us. We sprang up to see what was happening, and beheld the Angel. He was holding a chalice in his left hand, with the Host suspended above it, from which some drops of blood fell into the chalice. Leaving the chalice suspended in the air, the Angel knelt down beside us and made us repeat three times:
"Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And, through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners."
Then, rising, he took the chalice and the Host in his hands. He gave the Sacred Host to me, and shared the Blood from the chalice between Jacinta and Francisco, saying as he did so:
"Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men! Make reparation for their crimes and console your God."
Once again, he prostrated on the ground and repeated with us, three times more, the same prayer "Most Holy Trinity...", and then disappeared.
We remained a long time in this position, repeating the same words over and over again. When at last we stood up, we noticed that it was already dark, and therefore time to return home.
. . .
[p.67- ]
Apparitions of Our Lady [1917]
I will not delay now describing the Apparition of May 13th [1917]. . . . Our Lady spoke to us that day. After having promised to take us to heaven, she asked:
"Are you willing to offer yourselves to God to bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and of supplication for the conversion of sinners?"
"Yes, we are willing", was our reply.
"Then, you are going to have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort."
The 13th of June, feast of St. Anthony, . . .
. . .
[p.108-109]
The Vision of Hell
. . .
Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror.
We then looked up at Our Lady, who said to us so kindly and so sadly:
"You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war [World War I] is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI 8. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign 9 given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father.
"To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world."
. . . .
8. Lucia has again explicitly confirmed the name of Pope Pius XI. To the objection that the Second World War, 1939-1944, actually started during the Pontificate of Pius XII, she replied that in fact the war began with the occupation of Austria in 1938.
9. Lucia presumed that the "extraordinary" aurora borealis during the night of 25th to 26th of January, 1938, was the sign given by God to announce the imminence of war.
---------------------------
--------
[p.59]
A Mysterious Presage in 1915
Around midday, we ate our lunch. After this I invited my companions [--Jacinta and Francisco--] to pray the Rosary with me, to which they eagerly agreed. We had hardly begun when, there before our eyes we saw a figure poised in the air above the trees; it looked like a statue made of snow, rendered almost transparent by the rays of the sun.
"What is that?", asked my companions, quite frightened.
"I don't know!"
We went on praying, with our eyes fixed on the figure before us, and as we finished our prayer, the figure disappeared.
. . .
Apparitions of the Angel in 1916
. . .
[p.62-65]
. . . a strong wind began to shake the trees. We looked up, startled to see what was happening, for the day was unusually calm. Then we saw coming towards us, above the olive trees, the figure I have already spoken about. Jacinta and Francisco had never seen it before, nor had I ever mentioned it to them. As it drew closer, we were able to distinguish its features. It was a young man, about fourteen or fifteen years old, whiter than snow, transparent as crystal when the sun shines through it, and of great beauty. On reaching us, he said:
"Do not be afraid I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me."
Kneeling on the ground, he bowed down until his forehead touched the ground, and made us repeat these words three times:
"My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You."
Then rising, he said: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."
His words engraved themselves so deeply on our minds that we could never forget them. From then on, we used to spend long periods of time, prostrate like the Angel, repeating his words, until sometimes we fell, exhausted. . . .
Some time passed, and summer came, when we had to go home for siesta. One day, we were playing on the stone slabs of the well down at the bottom of the garden belonging to my parents . . . Suddenly, we saw beside us the same figure, or rather Angel, as it seemed to me.
"What are you doing?", he asked. "Pray, pray very much! The most holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Most High."
"How are we to make sacrifices?", I asked.
"Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners. You will thus draw down peace upon your country. I am its Angel Guardian, the Angel of Portugal. Above all, accept and bear with submission, the suffering which the Lord will send you."
A considerable amount of time elapsed, when one day we went to pasture our sheep on a property belonging to my parents, . . . . After our lunch, we decided to go and pray in the hollow among the rocks . . . .
As soon as we arrived there, we knelt down, with our foreheads touching the ground, and began to repeat the prayer of the Angel:
"My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You..." I don't know how many times we had repeated this prayer, when an extraordinary light shone upon us. We sprang up to see what was happening, and beheld the Angel. He was holding a chalice in his left hand, with the Host suspended above it, from which some drops of blood fell into the chalice. Leaving the chalice suspended in the air, the Angel knelt down beside us and made us repeat three times:
"Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And, through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners."
Then, rising, he took the chalice and the Host in his hands. He gave the Sacred Host to me, and shared the Blood from the chalice between Jacinta and Francisco, saying as he did so:
"Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men! Make reparation for their crimes and console your God."
Once again, he prostrated on the ground and repeated with us, three times more, the same prayer "Most Holy Trinity...", and then disappeared.
We remained a long time in this position, repeating the same words over and over again. When at last we stood up, we noticed that it was already dark, and therefore time to return home.
. . .
[p.67- ]
Apparitions of Our Lady [1917]
I will not delay now describing the Apparition of May 13th [1917]. . . . Our Lady spoke to us that day. After having promised to take us to heaven, she asked:
"Are you willing to offer yourselves to God to bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and of supplication for the conversion of sinners?"
"Yes, we are willing", was our reply.
"Then, you are going to have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort."
The 13th of June, feast of St. Anthony, . . .
. . .
[p.108-109]
The Vision of Hell
. . .
Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror.
We then looked up at Our Lady, who said to us so kindly and so sadly:
"You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war [World War I] is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI 8. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign 9 given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father.
"To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world."
. . . .
8. Lucia has again explicitly confirmed the name of Pope Pius XI. To the objection that the Second World War, 1939-1944, actually started during the Pontificate of Pius XII, she replied that in fact the war began with the occupation of Austria in 1938.
9. Lucia presumed that the "extraordinary" aurora borealis during the night of 25th to 26th of January, 1938, was the sign given by God to announce the imminence of war.
---------------------------
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Evil Friendship
[copied from Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales; *with some passages copied from the translation by John K. Ryan.]
Part III.
CHAPTER XVII.
On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship.
FOREMOST among the soul's affections is love. Love is the ruler of every motion of the heart; drawing all to itself, and making us like to that we love. Beware, then, my daughter, of harbouring any evil affection, or you too will become evil. And friendship is the most dangerous of all affections, because any other love may exist without much mental communication, but as friendship is founded thereon, it is hardly possible to be closely bound by its ties to any one without sharing in his qualities.
...
Friendship varies according to these communications, and they vary according to that which people have to communicate. If men share false and vain things, their friendship will be false and vain; if that which is good and true, their friendship will be good and true, and the better that which is the staple of the bond, so much the better will the friendship be. That honey is best which is culled from the choicest flowers, and so friendship built upon the highest and purest intercommunion is the best. And just as a certain kind of honey brought from Pontus is poisonous, being made from aconite, so that those who eat it lose their senses, so the friendship which is based on *the communication of false and vicious things is altogether false and vicious.
Mere sensual intercourse is not worthy of the name of friendship; and were there nothing more in married love it would not deserve to bear the name; but inasmuch as that involves the participation of life, industry, possessions, affections, and an unalterable fidelity, marriage, when rightly understood, is a very real and holy friendship.
Whatever is founded on mere sensuality, vanity, or frivolity, is unworthy to be called friendship. ...
CHAPTER XVIII.
On Frivolous Attachments.
SUCH foolish attachments between man and woman without any matrimonial intentions as are called amourettes,--mere abortions, or rather phantoms of friendship,--must not, idle and empty as they are, profane the name of friendship or love. Yet such frivolous, contemptible attractions often snare the hearts of both men and women, and although they may end in downright sin, there is no such intention on the part of their victims, who consciously do but yield to foolish trifling and toying. Some such have no object beyond the actual indulgence of a passing inclination; others are excited by vanity, which takes pleasure in captivating hearts; some are stimulated by a combination of both these motives. But all such friendships are evil, hollow, and vain; evil, in that they often lead to sinful deeds, and draw the heart from God, and from the husband or wife who is its lawful owner; hollow, in that they are baseless and without root; vain, in that neither gain, honour, nor satisfaction can come from such. On the contrary, nothing comes of them but a loss of time and credit, and unreasoning excitement, mistrust, jealousy, and perturbation.
... God desires to have us only for the sake of our soul, or the soul through our will, and our will for love's sake. Surely we have not by any means a sufficient store of love to offer God, and yet in our madness and folly we lavish and waste it on vain frivolous objects, as though we had enough and to spare. Our Dear Lord, Who demands nought save our love in return for our creation, preservation and redemption, will require a strict account of the senseless way in which we have frittered and wasted it. If He will call us to account for idle words, how will it be with respect to idle, foolish, pernicious friendships? ...
CHAPTER XIX.
Of Real Friendship.
*Love everyone, Philothea, with a great, charitable love, but have no friendship except for those that communicate with you in the things of virtue. The more exquisite the virtues that are the matter of your communications, the more perfect shall your friendship also be. If your communication is based on science it is praiseworthy, still more if it arises from a participation in goodness, prudence, justice and the like; but if the bond of your mutual liking be charity, devotion and Christian perfection, God knows how very precious a friendship it is! Precious because it comes from God, because it tends to God, because God is the link that binds you, because it will last for ever in Him. Truly it is a blessed thing to love on earth as we hope to love in Heaven, and to begin that friendship here which is to endure for ever there.
I am not now speaking of simple charity, a love due to all mankind, but of that spiritual friendship which binds souls together, leading them to share devotions and spiritual interests, so as to have but one mind between them. Such as these may well cry out, "Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity!" Even so, for the "precious ointment" of devotion trickles continually from one heart to the other, so that truly we may say that to such friendship the Lord promises His Blessing and life for evermore.
To my mind all other friendship is but as a shadow with respect to this, its links mere fragile glass compared to the golden bond of true devotion. Do you form no other friendships. I say "form," because you have no right to cast aside or neglect the natural bonds which draw you to relations, connexions, benefactors or neighbours. My rules apply to those you deliberately choose to make. There are some who will tell you that you should avoid all special affection or friendship, as likely to engross the heart, distract the mind, excite jealousy, and what not. But they are confusing things. They have read in the works of saintly and devout writers that individual friendships and special intimacies are a great hindrance in the religious life, and therefore they suppose it to be the same with all the world, which is not at all the case. Whereas in a well-regulated community every one's aim is true devotion, there is no need for individual intercourse, which might exceed due limits;--in the world those who aim at a devout life require to be united one with another by a holy friendship, which excites, stimulates and encourages them in well-doing. Just as men traversing a plain have no need to hold one another up, as they have who are amid slippery mountain paths, so religious do not need the stay of individual friendships; but those who are living in the world require such for strength and comfort amid the difficulties which beset them. In the world all have not one aim, one mind, and therefore we must take to us congenial friends, nor is there any undue partiality in such attachments, which are but as the separation of good from evil, the sheep from the goats, the bee from the drone--a necessary separation.
No one can deny that our Dear Lord loved St. John, Lazarus, Martha, Magdalene, with a specially tender friendship, since we are told so in Holy Scripture; and we know that St. Peter dearly loved St. Mark and St. Petronilla, as St. Paul did Timothy and Thecla. St. Gregory Nazianzen boasts continually of his friendship with the great St. Basil, of which he says: "It seemed as though with two bodies we had but one soul, and if we may not believe those who say that all things are in all else, at least one must affirm that we were two in one, and one in two--the only object that both had being to grow in holiness, and to mould our present life to our future hopes, thereby forsaking this mortal world before our death." And St. Augustine says that St. Ambrose loved St. Monica by reason of her many virtues, and that she in return loved him as an Angel of God.
What need to affirm so unquestionable a fact! St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Gregory, St. Bernard, and all the most notable servants of God, have had special friendships, which in nowise hindered their perfection. St. Paul, in describing evil men, says that they were "without natural affection," i.e. without friendship. And St. Thomas, in common with other philosophers, acknowledges that friendship is a virtue, and he certainly means individual friendships, because he says that we cannot bestow perfect friendship on many persons. So we see that the highest grace does not lie in being without friendships, but in having none which are not good, holy and true.
CHAPTER XX.
Of the Difference between True and False Friendship.
TAKE notice, my child, that the honey of Heraclyum, which is so poisonous, altogether resembles that which is wholesome, and there is great danger of mistaking one for the other, or of mixing them, for the virtue of one would not counteract the harmfulness of the other. We must be on our guard not to be deceived in making friendships, especially between persons of the opposite sexes, for not unfrequently Satan deludes those who love one another. They may begin with a virtuous affection, but if discretion be lacking, frivolity will creep in, and then sensuality, till their love becomes carnal: even in spiritual love there is a danger if people are not on the watch, although it is not so easy to be deluded therein, inasmuch as the very purity and transparency of spiritual affection shows Satan's stains more promptly. Consequently, when he seeks to interpose, he does it stealthily, and strives to insinuate impurity almost imperceptibly.
You may distinguish between worldly friendship and that which is good and holy, just as one distinguishes that poisonous honey from what is good--it is sweeter to the taste than ordinary honey, owing to the aconite infused;-- and so worldly friendship is profuse in honeyed words, passionate endearments, commendations of beauty and sensual charms, while true friendship speaks a simple honest language, lauding nought save the Grace of God, its one only foundation.
That strange honey causes giddiness; and so false friendship upsets the mind, makes its victim to totter in the ways of purity and devotion, inducing affected, mincing looks, sensual caresses, inordinate sighings, petty complaints of not being loved, slight but questionable familiarities, gallantries, embraces, and the like, which are sure precursors of evil; whereas true friendship is modest and straightforward in every glance, loving and pure in caresses, has no sighs save for Heaven, no complaints save that God is not loved sufficiently. That honey confuses the sight, and worldly friendship confuses the judgment, so that men think themselves right while doing evil, and assume their excuses and pretexts to be valid reasoning. They fear the light and love darkness; but true friendship is clear-sighted, and hides nothing--rather seeks to be seen of good men. Lastly, this poisonous honey leaves an exceeding bitter taste behind; and so false friendship turns to evil desires, upbraidings, slander, deceit, sorrow, confusion and jealousies, too often ending in downright sin; but pure friendship is always the same--modest, courteous and loving--knowing no change save an increasingly pure and perfect union, a type of the blessed friendships of Heaven. ...
CHAPTER XXI.
Remedies against Evil Friendships.
HOW are you to meet the swarm of foolish attachments, triflings, and undesirable inclinations which beset you? By turning sharply away, and thoroughly renouncing such vanities, flying to the Saviour's Cross, and clasping His Crown of thorns to your heart, so that these little foxes may not spoil your vines. Beware of entering into any manner of treaty with the Enemy; do not delude yourself by listening to him while intending to reject him. For God's Sake, my daughter, be firm on all such occasions; the heart and ear are closely allied, and just as you would vainly seek to check the downward course of a mountain torrent, so difficult will you find it to keep the smooth words which enter in at the ear from finding their way down into the heart. Alcmeon says (what indeed Aristotle denies) that the goat breathes through its ears, not its nostrils. I know not whether this be so, but one thing I know, that our heart breathes through the ear, and that while it exhales its own thoughts through the mouth, it inhales those of others by the ear. Let us then carefully guard our ears against evil words which would speedily infect the heart. Never hearken to any indiscreet conversation whatsoever--never mind if you seem rude and uncourteous in rejecting all such. Always bear in mind that you have dedicated your heart to God, and offered your love to Him; so that it were sacrilege to deprive Him of one particle thereof. Do you rather renew the offering continually by fresh resolutions, entrenching yourself therein as in a fortress;--cry out to God, He will succour you, and His Love will shelter you, so that all your love may be kept for Him only.
*If you are already entangled in the nets of these foolish loves, O God! how difficult will it be to extricate yourself from them! Place yourself before His Divine Majesty, acknowledge in His presence the excess of your misery, fraility and vanity. Then, with the greatest effort your heart is capable of, detest these loves once entered into; abjure the vain profession you have made of them; renounce all the promises received, and with a great and absolute will determine in your heart and resolve nevermore to enter into these games and deeds of love.
If you can remove from the object of your unworthy affection, it is most desirable to do so. He who has been bitten by a viper cannot heal his wound in the presence of another suffering from the like injury, and so one bitten with a false fancy will not shake it off while near to his fellow-victim. Change of scene is very helpful in quieting the excitement and restlessness of sorrow or love. St. Ambrose tells a story in his Second Book on Penitence, of a young man, who coming home after a long journey quite cured of a foolish attachment, met the unworthy object of his former passion, who stopped him, saying, "Do you not know me, I am still myself?" "That may be," was the answer, "but I am not myself:"--so thoroughly and happily was he changed by absence. And St. Augustine tells us how, after the death of his dear friend, he soothed his grief by leaving Tagaste and going to Carthage.
But what is he to do, who cannot try this remedy? To such I would say, abstain from all private intercourse, all tender glances and smiles, and from every kind of communication which can feed the unholy flame. If it be necessary to speak at all, express clearly and tersely the eternal renunciation on which you have resolved. I say unhesitatingly to whosoever has become entangled in *these wretched snares: Cut it short! break it off!--do not play with it, or pretend to untie the knot; cut it through, tear it asunder! *Do not enter into any compromise with a love that is so contrary to the love of God.
But, you ask, after I have thus burst the chains of my unholy bondage, will no traces remain, and shall I not still carry the scars on my feet--that is, in my wounded affections? Not so, my child, if you have attained a due abhorrence of the evil; in that case all you will feel is an exceeding horror of your unworthy affection, and all appertaining thereto; no thought will linger in your breast concerning it save a true love of God. Or if, by reason of the imperfection of your repentance, any evil inclinations still hover round you, seek such a mental solitude as I have already described, retire into it as much as possible, and then by repeated efforts and ejaculations renounce your evil desires; abjure them heartily; read pious books more than is your wont; go more frequently to Confession and Communion; tell your director simply and humbly all that tempts and troubles you, if you can, or at all events take counsel with some faithful, wise friend. And never doubt but that God will set you free from all evil passions, if you are stedfast and devout on your part.
*Ah, you may say, will it not be ingratitude to break off a friendship so unmercifully? Oh, how happy is that ingratitude which makes us pleasing to God! Of a truth, my child, you are committing no unkindness, rather conferring a great benefit on the person you love, for you break his chains as well as your own, and although at the moment he may not appreciate his gain, he will do so by and by, and will join you in thanksgiving, "Thou, Lord, hast broken my bonds asunder. I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the Name of the Lord."
---------------
Part III.
CHAPTER XVII.
On Friendship: Evil and Frivolous Friendship.
FOREMOST among the soul's affections is love. Love is the ruler of every motion of the heart; drawing all to itself, and making us like to that we love. Beware, then, my daughter, of harbouring any evil affection, or you too will become evil. And friendship is the most dangerous of all affections, because any other love may exist without much mental communication, but as friendship is founded thereon, it is hardly possible to be closely bound by its ties to any one without sharing in his qualities.
...
Friendship varies according to these communications, and they vary according to that which people have to communicate. If men share false and vain things, their friendship will be false and vain; if that which is good and true, their friendship will be good and true, and the better that which is the staple of the bond, so much the better will the friendship be. That honey is best which is culled from the choicest flowers, and so friendship built upon the highest and purest intercommunion is the best. And just as a certain kind of honey brought from Pontus is poisonous, being made from aconite, so that those who eat it lose their senses, so the friendship which is based on *the communication of false and vicious things is altogether false and vicious.
Mere sensual intercourse is not worthy of the name of friendship; and were there nothing more in married love it would not deserve to bear the name; but inasmuch as that involves the participation of life, industry, possessions, affections, and an unalterable fidelity, marriage, when rightly understood, is a very real and holy friendship.
Whatever is founded on mere sensuality, vanity, or frivolity, is unworthy to be called friendship. ...
On Frivolous Attachments.
SUCH foolish attachments between man and woman without any matrimonial intentions as are called amourettes,--mere abortions, or rather phantoms of friendship,--must not, idle and empty as they are, profane the name of friendship or love. Yet such frivolous, contemptible attractions often snare the hearts of both men and women, and although they may end in downright sin, there is no such intention on the part of their victims, who consciously do but yield to foolish trifling and toying. Some such have no object beyond the actual indulgence of a passing inclination; others are excited by vanity, which takes pleasure in captivating hearts; some are stimulated by a combination of both these motives. But all such friendships are evil, hollow, and vain; evil, in that they often lead to sinful deeds, and draw the heart from God, and from the husband or wife who is its lawful owner; hollow, in that they are baseless and without root; vain, in that neither gain, honour, nor satisfaction can come from such. On the contrary, nothing comes of them but a loss of time and credit, and unreasoning excitement, mistrust, jealousy, and perturbation.
... God desires to have us only for the sake of our soul, or the soul through our will, and our will for love's sake. Surely we have not by any means a sufficient store of love to offer God, and yet in our madness and folly we lavish and waste it on vain frivolous objects, as though we had enough and to spare. Our Dear Lord, Who demands nought save our love in return for our creation, preservation and redemption, will require a strict account of the senseless way in which we have frittered and wasted it. If He will call us to account for idle words, how will it be with respect to idle, foolish, pernicious friendships? ...
Of Real Friendship.
*Love everyone, Philothea, with a great, charitable love, but have no friendship except for those that communicate with you in the things of virtue. The more exquisite the virtues that are the matter of your communications, the more perfect shall your friendship also be. If your communication is based on science it is praiseworthy, still more if it arises from a participation in goodness, prudence, justice and the like; but if the bond of your mutual liking be charity, devotion and Christian perfection, God knows how very precious a friendship it is! Precious because it comes from God, because it tends to God, because God is the link that binds you, because it will last for ever in Him. Truly it is a blessed thing to love on earth as we hope to love in Heaven, and to begin that friendship here which is to endure for ever there.
I am not now speaking of simple charity, a love due to all mankind, but of that spiritual friendship which binds souls together, leading them to share devotions and spiritual interests, so as to have but one mind between them. Such as these may well cry out, "Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity!" Even so, for the "precious ointment" of devotion trickles continually from one heart to the other, so that truly we may say that to such friendship the Lord promises His Blessing and life for evermore.
To my mind all other friendship is but as a shadow with respect to this, its links mere fragile glass compared to the golden bond of true devotion. Do you form no other friendships. I say "form," because you have no right to cast aside or neglect the natural bonds which draw you to relations, connexions, benefactors or neighbours. My rules apply to those you deliberately choose to make. There are some who will tell you that you should avoid all special affection or friendship, as likely to engross the heart, distract the mind, excite jealousy, and what not. But they are confusing things. They have read in the works of saintly and devout writers that individual friendships and special intimacies are a great hindrance in the religious life, and therefore they suppose it to be the same with all the world, which is not at all the case. Whereas in a well-regulated community every one's aim is true devotion, there is no need for individual intercourse, which might exceed due limits;--in the world those who aim at a devout life require to be united one with another by a holy friendship, which excites, stimulates and encourages them in well-doing. Just as men traversing a plain have no need to hold one another up, as they have who are amid slippery mountain paths, so religious do not need the stay of individual friendships; but those who are living in the world require such for strength and comfort amid the difficulties which beset them. In the world all have not one aim, one mind, and therefore we must take to us congenial friends, nor is there any undue partiality in such attachments, which are but as the separation of good from evil, the sheep from the goats, the bee from the drone--a necessary separation.
No one can deny that our Dear Lord loved St. John, Lazarus, Martha, Magdalene, with a specially tender friendship, since we are told so in Holy Scripture; and we know that St. Peter dearly loved St. Mark and St. Petronilla, as St. Paul did Timothy and Thecla. St. Gregory Nazianzen boasts continually of his friendship with the great St. Basil, of which he says: "It seemed as though with two bodies we had but one soul, and if we may not believe those who say that all things are in all else, at least one must affirm that we were two in one, and one in two--the only object that both had being to grow in holiness, and to mould our present life to our future hopes, thereby forsaking this mortal world before our death." And St. Augustine says that St. Ambrose loved St. Monica by reason of her many virtues, and that she in return loved him as an Angel of God.
What need to affirm so unquestionable a fact! St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Gregory, St. Bernard, and all the most notable servants of God, have had special friendships, which in nowise hindered their perfection. St. Paul, in describing evil men, says that they were "without natural affection," i.e. without friendship. And St. Thomas, in common with other philosophers, acknowledges that friendship is a virtue, and he certainly means individual friendships, because he says that we cannot bestow perfect friendship on many persons. So we see that the highest grace does not lie in being without friendships, but in having none which are not good, holy and true.
Of the Difference between True and False Friendship.
TAKE notice, my child, that the honey of Heraclyum, which is so poisonous, altogether resembles that which is wholesome, and there is great danger of mistaking one for the other, or of mixing them, for the virtue of one would not counteract the harmfulness of the other. We must be on our guard not to be deceived in making friendships, especially between persons of the opposite sexes, for not unfrequently Satan deludes those who love one another. They may begin with a virtuous affection, but if discretion be lacking, frivolity will creep in, and then sensuality, till their love becomes carnal: even in spiritual love there is a danger if people are not on the watch, although it is not so easy to be deluded therein, inasmuch as the very purity and transparency of spiritual affection shows Satan's stains more promptly. Consequently, when he seeks to interpose, he does it stealthily, and strives to insinuate impurity almost imperceptibly.
You may distinguish between worldly friendship and that which is good and holy, just as one distinguishes that poisonous honey from what is good--it is sweeter to the taste than ordinary honey, owing to the aconite infused;-- and so worldly friendship is profuse in honeyed words, passionate endearments, commendations of beauty and sensual charms, while true friendship speaks a simple honest language, lauding nought save the Grace of God, its one only foundation.
That strange honey causes giddiness; and so false friendship upsets the mind, makes its victim to totter in the ways of purity and devotion, inducing affected, mincing looks, sensual caresses, inordinate sighings, petty complaints of not being loved, slight but questionable familiarities, gallantries, embraces, and the like, which are sure precursors of evil; whereas true friendship is modest and straightforward in every glance, loving and pure in caresses, has no sighs save for Heaven, no complaints save that God is not loved sufficiently. That honey confuses the sight, and worldly friendship confuses the judgment, so that men think themselves right while doing evil, and assume their excuses and pretexts to be valid reasoning. They fear the light and love darkness; but true friendship is clear-sighted, and hides nothing--rather seeks to be seen of good men. Lastly, this poisonous honey leaves an exceeding bitter taste behind; and so false friendship turns to evil desires, upbraidings, slander, deceit, sorrow, confusion and jealousies, too often ending in downright sin; but pure friendship is always the same--modest, courteous and loving--knowing no change save an increasingly pure and perfect union, a type of the blessed friendships of Heaven. ...
Remedies against Evil Friendships.
HOW are you to meet the swarm of foolish attachments, triflings, and undesirable inclinations which beset you? By turning sharply away, and thoroughly renouncing such vanities, flying to the Saviour's Cross, and clasping His Crown of thorns to your heart, so that these little foxes may not spoil your vines. Beware of entering into any manner of treaty with the Enemy; do not delude yourself by listening to him while intending to reject him. For God's Sake, my daughter, be firm on all such occasions; the heart and ear are closely allied, and just as you would vainly seek to check the downward course of a mountain torrent, so difficult will you find it to keep the smooth words which enter in at the ear from finding their way down into the heart. Alcmeon says (what indeed Aristotle denies) that the goat breathes through its ears, not its nostrils. I know not whether this be so, but one thing I know, that our heart breathes through the ear, and that while it exhales its own thoughts through the mouth, it inhales those of others by the ear. Let us then carefully guard our ears against evil words which would speedily infect the heart. Never hearken to any indiscreet conversation whatsoever--never mind if you seem rude and uncourteous in rejecting all such. Always bear in mind that you have dedicated your heart to God, and offered your love to Him; so that it were sacrilege to deprive Him of one particle thereof. Do you rather renew the offering continually by fresh resolutions, entrenching yourself therein as in a fortress;--cry out to God, He will succour you, and His Love will shelter you, so that all your love may be kept for Him only.
*If you are already entangled in the nets of these foolish loves, O God! how difficult will it be to extricate yourself from them! Place yourself before His Divine Majesty, acknowledge in His presence the excess of your misery, fraility and vanity. Then, with the greatest effort your heart is capable of, detest these loves once entered into; abjure the vain profession you have made of them; renounce all the promises received, and with a great and absolute will determine in your heart and resolve nevermore to enter into these games and deeds of love.
If you can remove from the object of your unworthy affection, it is most desirable to do so. He who has been bitten by a viper cannot heal his wound in the presence of another suffering from the like injury, and so one bitten with a false fancy will not shake it off while near to his fellow-victim. Change of scene is very helpful in quieting the excitement and restlessness of sorrow or love. St. Ambrose tells a story in his Second Book on Penitence, of a young man, who coming home after a long journey quite cured of a foolish attachment, met the unworthy object of his former passion, who stopped him, saying, "Do you not know me, I am still myself?" "That may be," was the answer, "but I am not myself:"--so thoroughly and happily was he changed by absence. And St. Augustine tells us how, after the death of his dear friend, he soothed his grief by leaving Tagaste and going to Carthage.
But what is he to do, who cannot try this remedy? To such I would say, abstain from all private intercourse, all tender glances and smiles, and from every kind of communication which can feed the unholy flame. If it be necessary to speak at all, express clearly and tersely the eternal renunciation on which you have resolved. I say unhesitatingly to whosoever has become entangled in *these wretched snares: Cut it short! break it off!--do not play with it, or pretend to untie the knot; cut it through, tear it asunder! *Do not enter into any compromise with a love that is so contrary to the love of God.
But, you ask, after I have thus burst the chains of my unholy bondage, will no traces remain, and shall I not still carry the scars on my feet--that is, in my wounded affections? Not so, my child, if you have attained a due abhorrence of the evil; in that case all you will feel is an exceeding horror of your unworthy affection, and all appertaining thereto; no thought will linger in your breast concerning it save a true love of God. Or if, by reason of the imperfection of your repentance, any evil inclinations still hover round you, seek such a mental solitude as I have already described, retire into it as much as possible, and then by repeated efforts and ejaculations renounce your evil desires; abjure them heartily; read pious books more than is your wont; go more frequently to Confession and Communion; tell your director simply and humbly all that tempts and troubles you, if you can, or at all events take counsel with some faithful, wise friend. And never doubt but that God will set you free from all evil passions, if you are stedfast and devout on your part.
*Ah, you may say, will it not be ingratitude to break off a friendship so unmercifully? Oh, how happy is that ingratitude which makes us pleasing to God! Of a truth, my child, you are committing no unkindness, rather conferring a great benefit on the person you love, for you break his chains as well as your own, and although at the moment he may not appreciate his gain, he will do so by and by, and will join you in thanksgiving, "Thou, Lord, hast broken my bonds asunder. I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the Name of the Lord."
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Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Conversing with God
How to Converse Continually and Familiarly with God
St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church, Founder of the Redemptorists
“Let nothing hinder thee from praying always...” —Ecclesiasticus 18:22
“Pray without ceasing.” —1 Thessalonians 5:17
“Pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” —Luke 22:40
“Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends. Speak to Him often of your business, your plans, your troubles, your fears— of everything that concerns you. Converse with Him confidently and frankly; for God is not wont to speak to a soul that does not speak to Him.” —St. Alphonsus de Liguori
Chapter 1
Love and Confidence
Job was astonished at seeing Almighty God so intent on doing good to us that He seems to have nothing more at heart than to love us and to induce us to love Him in return. In his amazement he cried out to the Lord: “What is man that Thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that Thou visitest him?” (Ps. 8:5). Is it not a mistake, then, to think it a lack of respect for God’s infinite Majesty to act toward Him with great confidence and familiarity. Assuredly, Loving Souls, you should go to God with all humility and respect, humbling yourselves in His presence, especially when you remember your past ingratitude and sins. Yet you should practice the greatest possible love and confidence in treating with Him. True, He is infinite Majesty, but He is also infinite Goodness and infinite Love. There can be no greater Lord than God; neither can there be a more ardent lover than He. Far from despising our confidence in Him, He rejoices that we have it—confidence and familiarity and affection like that which little children show toward their mothers. Behold how He invites us to come to Him, and the loving embraces which He promises to lavish on us: “You shall be carried at the breasts, and upon the knees they shall caress you. As one whom the mother caresseth, so will I comfort you.” (Is. 66:12-13). Just as a mother finds pleasure in taking her little child on her lap, there to feed and caress him, in like manner our loving God shows His fondness for His beloved souls who have given themselves entirely to Him and have placed all their hope in His goodness.
Why Have You Loved Me?
Consider that no one—whether friend or brother, father or mother, lover or spouse—loves you more than your God. And divine grace is the inestimable treasure through which vile creatures and servants like ourselves become dear friends of our Creator. “For she is an infinite treasure to men! which they that use, become the friends of God.” (Wis. 7:14). It was for the purpose of increasing our confidence that He “emptied Himself” (Phil. 2:7), so to speak, humbling Himself to the point of becoming a man in order to live in familiar converse with us. “He conversed with men.” (Bar. 3:38). He went so far as to become a little Babe and to live in poverty and die on a cross for our sake. He even placed Himself under the species of bread so as to be with us always and in the most intimate union. “He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in him.” (John 6:57). In short, so great is God’s love for you that He seems to love no one but you. And therefore, you should love no one but Him.* (*That is, we should love only God with an absolute love which supersedes every other consideration. —Publisher, 2005.)
You should be able to say to Him: “My Beloved to me, and I to Him.” (Cant. 2:16). My God has given Himself entirely to me, and I give my whole self to Him; He has chosen me for His beloved, and I choose Him from among all for my only love. “My Beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.” (Cant. 5:10). Often, therefore, speak to God in these words: “O my Lord, why have You loved me so much? What good do You find in my poor self? Have You forgotten the injuries I have done You? But since You have treated me with so much love—for instead of condemning me to Hell, You have given me graces without number— I will henceforth love no one but You, my God and my all. What grieves me most in my past offenses, O my loving God, is not so much the punishment I have deserved, as the displeasure I have given You, Who are worthy of infinite love. But You never reject a repentant and humble heart. ‘A contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.’ (Ps. 50:19). Now indeed I wish for no one else but You alone in this life and in the next. ‘For what have I in Heaven? and besides Thee what do I desire upon earth? . . . Thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion forever.’ (Ps. 72:25-26). You alone are and will always be the only Lord of my heart and will; You alone my only good, my heaven, my hope, my all. ‘Thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion forever.’ ” (Ps. 72:26).
The Mercies of the Lord
If you wish to strengthen your confidence in God still more, often recall the loving way in which He has acted toward you, and how mercifully He has tried to bring you out of your sinful life, to break your attachment to the things of earth and draw you to His love. With such thoughts in your mind, now that you have resolved to love Him and please Him with all your strength, your only fear should be to fear God too much and to place too little confidence in Him. There can be no surer pledge of His love for you than His past mercies toward you. God is displeased at the diffidence of souls who love Him sincerely and whom He Himself loves. If, therefore, you wish to please His loving heart, go to Him henceforth with the greatest possible confidence and affection.
“Behold, I have graven thee in My hands: thy walls are always before My eyes.” (Is. 49:16). “Beloved Soul,” says the Lord, “why do you fear? Why are you afraid? Your name is written in My hands so that I may never forget to do you good. Perhaps you are afraid of your enemies? Know that I can never forget to protect you, since I have always before My eyes the charge of your defense.” With this thought to rejoice him, David said to God: “O Lord, Thou hast crowned us, as with a shield of Thy good will.” (Ps. 5:13). Who, O Lord, can ever do us harm if Your loving kindness is cast all around us as a wall of defense? Above all, reanimate your confidence by thinking of the gift which God has given us in the person of Jesus Christ. “God so loved the world, as to give His only-begotten Son.” (John 3:16). How can we fear, asks the Apostle, that God will ever deny us anything since He has given us His own Son? “He that spared not even His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how hath He not also, with Him, given us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).
The Paradise of God
“My delights were to be with the children of men.” (Prov. 8:31). The heart of man is, so to speak, the paradise of God. Oh, love the God who loves you! Since His delights are to be with you, let yours be found in Him. Spend all the days of your life with Him in whose company you hope to pass an eternity of bliss. Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends. It is a great mistake, as we have already remarked, to be afraid of Him and to act in His presence like a timid and craven slave trembling with fright before his master. But a far greater mistake it would be to think that to converse with God is wearisome and bitter. No, it cannot be. “For her conversation hath no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness, but joy and gladness.” (Wis. 8:16).* (*In the Old Testament book of Wisdom, God’s attribute of divine Wisdom is personified as she. —Publisher, 2005.) Ask those who love Him with a sincere love, and they will tell you that they find no greater or prompter relief amid the troubles of their life than in loving conversation with their Divine Friend.
You are not asked to apply your mind continually to the thought of God and lay aside the fulfillment of your duties and your recreations. Nothing else is required than to act toward God, in the midst of your occupations, as you do, even when busy, toward those who love you and whom you love. Your God is ever beside you—indeed, He is even within you. “In Him we live, and move, and are.” (Acts 17:28). Not only is there no need of an intermediary through whom He would want you to speak to Him, but He finds His delight in having you treat with Him personally and in all confidence. Speak to Him often of your business, your plans, your troubles, your fears—of everything that concerns you. But above all, converse with Him confidently and frankly; for God is not wont to speak to a soul that does not speak to Him.
[taken from How to Converse Continually and Familiarly with God by St. Alphonsus Liguori, TAN Books & Publishers, Inc.]
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A Saintly Connection: Her [St. Birgitta's] Revelations were greatly admired by St. Alphonse Liguori . . . (see quote in context)
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Heart & Will
God says to each of us: "Give me your heart, that is, your will." We, in turn, cannot offer anything more precious than to say: "Lord, take possession of us; we give our whole will to you; make us understand what it is that you desire of us, and we will perform it."
If we would give full satisfaction to the heart of God, we must bring our own will in everything into conformity with his; and not only into conformity, but into uniformity also, as regards all that God ordains. Conformity signifies the joining of our own will to the will of God; but uniformity signifies, further, our mkaing of the divine and our own will one will only, so that we desire nothing but what God desires, and his will becomes ours. This is the sum and substance of that perfection to which we ought to be ever aspiring; this is what must be the aim of all we do, and of all our desires, meditations and prayers. For this we must invoke the assistance of all our patron saints and our guardian angels, and, above all, of our divine mother Mary, who was the most perfect saint, because she embraced most perfectly the divine will.
~Saint Alphonsus Liguori, from The Redeeming Love of Christ
[copied from Patron Saints Index: Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori]
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Among the virtues we should prefer that which is most conformable to our duty, and not that which is most conformable to our inclination. St Paula was inclined to practice severe bodily mortifications in order the more readily to enjoy spiritual sweetness, but her duty lay rather in obedience to her superiors; and therefore St Jerome avows that she was to be blamed for practicing immoderate austerities against the counsel of her bishop. The Apostles, on the other hand, who had been commissioned to preach the Gospel and distribute the bread of heaven to souls, judged extremely well that it was wrong for them to be hindered in this holy charge by practicing the virtue of care for the poor, although this is a very excellent virtue. Every vocation must needs practice some special virtue; distinct in practice are the virtues of a prelate, as are likewise those of a prince, those of a soldier, those of a married woman, and those of a widow; and although all ought to have all the virtues, yet all are not bound to practice them alike, but each one ought to practice in a particular manner those which are requisite to the kind of life to which he is called.
Among the virtues which do not concern our particular duty, we should prefer the most excellent and not the most showy. Comets ordinarily seem to be greater than the stars, and to our eyes take up much more space; but they are not to be compared with the stars either in greatness or in quality, and they only seem great because they are nearer to us, and of a coarser substance in comparison with the stars. So also there are certain virtues, which, because they are nearer to us, more perceptible, and, if one may say so, more material, are highly esteemed and always preferred by the common run of people: so they commonly prefer temporal almsgiving to spiritual, the hair-shirt, fasting, nakedness, the discipline, and bodily mortifications to gentleness, mildness, modesty, and other mortifications of the heart, which nevertheless are much more excellent. Choose, then, Philothea, the best virtues and not the most esteemed, the most excellent and not the most specious, the best and not the most showy.
~Saint Francis de Sales, from Introduction to the Devout Life
[copied from CIN - St. Francis de Sales]
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If we would give full satisfaction to the heart of God, we must bring our own will in everything into conformity with his; and not only into conformity, but into uniformity also, as regards all that God ordains. Conformity signifies the joining of our own will to the will of God; but uniformity signifies, further, our mkaing of the divine and our own will one will only, so that we desire nothing but what God desires, and his will becomes ours. This is the sum and substance of that perfection to which we ought to be ever aspiring; this is what must be the aim of all we do, and of all our desires, meditations and prayers. For this we must invoke the assistance of all our patron saints and our guardian angels, and, above all, of our divine mother Mary, who was the most perfect saint, because she embraced most perfectly the divine will.
~Saint Alphonsus Liguori, from The Redeeming Love of Christ
[copied from Patron Saints Index: Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori]
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Among the virtues we should prefer that which is most conformable to our duty, and not that which is most conformable to our inclination. St Paula was inclined to practice severe bodily mortifications in order the more readily to enjoy spiritual sweetness, but her duty lay rather in obedience to her superiors; and therefore St Jerome avows that she was to be blamed for practicing immoderate austerities against the counsel of her bishop. The Apostles, on the other hand, who had been commissioned to preach the Gospel and distribute the bread of heaven to souls, judged extremely well that it was wrong for them to be hindered in this holy charge by practicing the virtue of care for the poor, although this is a very excellent virtue. Every vocation must needs practice some special virtue; distinct in practice are the virtues of a prelate, as are likewise those of a prince, those of a soldier, those of a married woman, and those of a widow; and although all ought to have all the virtues, yet all are not bound to practice them alike, but each one ought to practice in a particular manner those which are requisite to the kind of life to which he is called.
Among the virtues which do not concern our particular duty, we should prefer the most excellent and not the most showy. Comets ordinarily seem to be greater than the stars, and to our eyes take up much more space; but they are not to be compared with the stars either in greatness or in quality, and they only seem great because they are nearer to us, and of a coarser substance in comparison with the stars. So also there are certain virtues, which, because they are nearer to us, more perceptible, and, if one may say so, more material, are highly esteemed and always preferred by the common run of people: so they commonly prefer temporal almsgiving to spiritual, the hair-shirt, fasting, nakedness, the discipline, and bodily mortifications to gentleness, mildness, modesty, and other mortifications of the heart, which nevertheless are much more excellent. Choose, then, Philothea, the best virtues and not the most esteemed, the most excellent and not the most specious, the best and not the most showy.
~Saint Francis de Sales, from Introduction to the Devout Life
[copied from CIN - St. Francis de Sales]
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Saturday, June 11, 2005
Penance #3
The Vanity of Life
I said, "I will watch my ways,
lest I sin with my tongue;
I will set a curb on my mouth."
Dumb and silent before the wicked,
I refrained from any speech.
But my sorrow increased;
my heart smoldered within me.
In my thoughts a fire blazed up,
and I broke into speech:
LORD, let me know my end, the number of my days,
that I may learn how frail I am.
You have given my days a very short span;
my life is as nothing before you.
All mortals are but a breath.
Selah
Mere phantoms, we go our way;
mere vapor, our restless pursuits;
we heap up stores without knowing for whom.
And now, Lord, what future do I have?
You are my only hope.
From all my sins deliver me;
let me not be the taunt of fools.
I was silent and did not open my mouth
because you were the one who did this.
Take your plague away from me;
I am ravaged by the touch of your hand.
You rebuke our guilt and chasten us;
you dissolve all we prize like a cobweb.
All mortals are but a breath.
Selah
Listen to my prayer, LORD, hear my cry;
do not be deaf to my weeping!
I sojourn with you like a passing stranger,
a guest, like all my ancestors.
Turn your gaze from me, that I may find peace
before I depart to be no more.
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Friday, June 10, 2005
St. Michael Prayer
Pope Leo XIII’s Original Exorcism Prayer to St. Michael
(copied from: http://www.stjosephsmen.com/articles/general/LeoXIII )
Pope Leo XIII’s original Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel is prophetic. Composed over 100 years ago, and then suppressed due to its startling content, Pope Leo XIII’s original Prayer to St. Michael is one of the most interesting and controversial prayers relating to the present situation in which the true Catholic Church finds itself. On September 25, 1888, following his morning Mass, Pope Leo XIII became traumatized to the point that he collapsed. Those in attendance thought that he was dead. After coming to consciousness, the Pope described a frightful conversation that he had heard coming from near the tabernacle. The conversation consisted of two voices – voices which Pope Leo XIII clearly understood to be the voices of Jesus Christ and the devil. The devil boasted that he could destroy the Church, if he were granted 100 years to carry out his plan. The devil also asked permission for “a greater influence over those who will give themselves to my service.” To the devil’s requests, Our Lord reportedly replied: “you will be given the time and the power.” Shaken deeply by what he had heard, Pope Leo XIII composed the following original Prayer to St. Michael (which is also a prophecy) and ordered it to be recited after all Low Masses as a protection for the Church against the attacks from Hell. The Original Prayer was taken from The Raccolta, 1930, Benzinger Bros., pp. 314-315. The Raccolta is an imprimatured collection of the official and indulgenced prayers of the Catholic Church. (Holy Family Monastery 4425 Schneider Rd., Fillmore, NY 14735, (800)275-1126 or (585)567-4433)
The Prayer:
O Glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and Powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in his own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in Heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan, who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of his Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity.
These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered.
Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and Patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious power of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen
Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, the root of David.
Let thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
As we have hoped in thee.
O Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come unto thee.
Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon thy holy name, and as suppliants we implore thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel St. Michael, thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen
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Prayer to St. Michael - Short version (formerly recited after all Low Masses
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen
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(copied from: http://www.stjosephsmen.com/articles/general/LeoXIII )
Pope Leo XIII’s original Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel is prophetic. Composed over 100 years ago, and then suppressed due to its startling content, Pope Leo XIII’s original Prayer to St. Michael is one of the most interesting and controversial prayers relating to the present situation in which the true Catholic Church finds itself. On September 25, 1888, following his morning Mass, Pope Leo XIII became traumatized to the point that he collapsed. Those in attendance thought that he was dead. After coming to consciousness, the Pope described a frightful conversation that he had heard coming from near the tabernacle. The conversation consisted of two voices – voices which Pope Leo XIII clearly understood to be the voices of Jesus Christ and the devil. The devil boasted that he could destroy the Church, if he were granted 100 years to carry out his plan. The devil also asked permission for “a greater influence over those who will give themselves to my service.” To the devil’s requests, Our Lord reportedly replied: “you will be given the time and the power.” Shaken deeply by what he had heard, Pope Leo XIII composed the following original Prayer to St. Michael (which is also a prophecy) and ordered it to be recited after all Low Masses as a protection for the Church against the attacks from Hell. The Original Prayer was taken from The Raccolta, 1930, Benzinger Bros., pp. 314-315. The Raccolta is an imprimatured collection of the official and indulgenced prayers of the Catholic Church. (Holy Family Monastery 4425 Schneider Rd., Fillmore, NY 14735, (800)275-1126 or (585)567-4433)
The Prayer:
O Glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and Powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in his own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in Heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan, who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of his Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity.
These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered.
Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and Patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious power of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen
Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, the root of David.
Let thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
As we have hoped in thee.
O Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come unto thee.
Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon thy holy name, and as suppliants we implore thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel St. Michael, thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen
---
Prayer to St. Michael - Short version (formerly recited after all Low Masses
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen
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