To Set This One Truth Before Their Eyes

Oh, I love this from today's Office of Readings!  It's from a sermon on the Ascension by Pope St. Leo the Great:

Beloved, the days which passed between the Lord’s resurrection and his ascension were by no means uneventful; during them great sacramental mysteries were confirmed, great truths revealed. In those days the fear of death with all its horrors was taken away, and the immortality of both body and soul affirmed. It was then that the Lord breathed on all his apostles and filled them with the Holy Spirit; and after giving the keys of the kingdom to blessed Peter, whom he had chosen and set above all the others, he entrusted him with the care of his flock.   

During these days the Lord joined two of his disciples as their companion on the road, and by chiding them for their timidity and hesitant fears he swept away all the clouds of our uncertainty. Their lukewarm hearts were fired by the light of faith and began to burn within them as the Lord opened up the Scriptures. And as they shared their meal with him, their eyes were opened in the breaking of bread, opened far more happily to the sight of their own glorified humanity than were the eyes of our first parents to the shame of their sin.  

Throughout the whole period between the resurrection and ascension, God’s providence was at work to instill this one lesson into the hearts of the disciples, to set this one truth before their eyes, that our Lord Jesus Christ, who was truly born, truly suffered and truly died, should be recognized as truly risen from the dead. The blessed apostles together with all the others had been intimidated by the catastrophe of the cross, and their faith in the resurrection had been uncertain; but now they were so strengthened by the evident truth that when their Lord ascended into heaven, far from feeling any sadness, they were filled with great joy.  

Indeed that blessed company had a great and inexpressible cause for joy when it saw man’s nature rising above the dignity of the whole heavenly creation, above the ranks of angels, above the exalted status of archangels. Nor would there be any limit to its upward course until humanity was admitted to a seat at the right hand of the eternal Father, to be enthroned at last in the glory of him to whose nature it was wedded in the person of the Son.

"There are certain things in life which are too beautiful to be forgotten.."

Praise be Jesus Christ! What a gem... Calvary and the Mass by Venerable Fulton Sheen+

From the prologue:

Each word is a part of the Mass. The First Word, "Forgive," is the Confiteor; the Second Word, "This Day in Paradise," is the Offertory; the Third Word, "Behold Thy Mother," is the Sanctus; the Fourth Word, "Why hast Thou abandoned Me," is the Consecration; the Fifth Word, "I thirst," is the Communion; the Sixth Word, "It is finished," is the Ite, Missa Est; the Seventh Word, "Father, into Thy Hands," is the Last Gospel.

"...let your love lead your steps to Jesus wounded, to Jesus crowned with thorns, to Jesus fastened upon the gibbet of the cross."

"Since fervor of devotion is nourished and preserved in us by a frequent return of our thoughts to the passion of Christ, anyone who wishes to keep the flame of ardor alive within himself should frequently--or rather, incessantly--contemplate in his heart Christ dying upon the cross. That is why the Lord said of old: The fire on the altar is to be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest shall put firewood on it (Lev. 6:5) Listen Mother devout: your heart is the altar of God. It is here that the fire of intense love must burn always. You are to feed it every day with the wood of the cross of Christ and the commemoration of His passion. The prophet Isaiah says, You shall draw waters with joy out of the Savior's fountains (Isa 12:3); meaning that whoever wishes to obtain from God the waters of grace, the waters of devotion, the waters of tears, must draw from the fountains which are the five wounds of Christ.

 

"Therefore let your love lead your steps to Jesus wounded, to Jesus crowned with thorns, to Jesus fastened upon the gibbet of the cross. Not only see in His hands the print of the nails, with the apostle Thomas, not only put your finger into the place of the nails, not only put your hand into His side, but enter with your whole being through the door of his side into Jesus' heart itself. There transformed into Christ by your burning love for the Crucified, pierced by the nails of the fear of God, wounded by the spear of super-abounding love, transfixed by the sword of intimate compassion, seek nothing, desire nothing, wish for no consolation, other than to be able to die with Christ on the cross. Then you may cry out with the apostle Paul: With Christ, I am nailed to the cross. It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me (Gal. 19-20)."

 

Saint Bonaventure 

On the Perfection of Life Addressed to the Sisters, The Works of Bonaventure

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Beautiful on the Cross from St. Thomas Aquinas, commentary on Galatians 6: 14-15, Dominican House of Studies, Priory of the Immaculate Conception website, translated by F.R. Larcher, O.P. 

CHAPTER 6
Lecture 4  

14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but a new creature.

After unmasking the sinister intention of the seducers, the Apostle here insinuates his own intention. First, he states his intention; Secondly, he gives a sign of this intention (v. 14); Thirdly, the reason for this intention (v. 15).

He says therefore: The intention of the seducers is obvious, for they glory in the flesh; but I seek my glory elsewhere, namely, in the Cross. And this is what he says: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that where the worldly philosopher felt shame, there the Apostle found his treasure: what the former regarded as foolish became for the Apostle wisdom and glory, as Augustine says. For each person glories in that through which he is considered great. Thus a person who regards himself as great in his riches, glories in them; and so on for other things. For one who regards himself to be great in nothing but Christ glories in Christ alone. But the Apostle was such a one; hence he says: I live now not I; but Christ liveth in me (2:20).

 

Accordingly he glories in nothing but Christ and particularly in the Cross of Christ; and this because in it are found all the things about which men usually glory. For some glory in the friendship of the great, such as of kings and princes; and this friendship the Apostle found most of all in the Cross, because there an obvious sign of divine friendship is shown: “But God commendeth his charity towards us; because when as yet we were sinners according to the time, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). For nothing shows His mercy to us as much as the death of Christ. Hence Gregory: “O inestimable love of charity! To redeem the servant, He delivered His Son.”
 

Again, some glory in knowledge; and of this the Apostle found a more excellent one in the cross: “For I judged not myself to know anything among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). For in the Cross is the perfection of all law and the whole art of living well. Again, some glory in power; and of this the Apostle found the highest form through the Cross: “The word of the cross to them, indeed, that perish is foolishness; but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18). Again, some glory in newly-found freedom; and this the Apostle obtained through the Cross: “Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we may serve sin no longer” (Rom 6:6).
 

Again, some glory in being accepted into some famous fellowship; but by the Cross of Christ, we are accepted into the heavenly ranks: “Making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth and the things that are in heaven” (Col 1:20). Again, some glory in the triumphal banners of conquest; but the Cross is the triumphal ensign of Christ’s conquest over the demons: “And despoiling the principalities and powers, he hath exposed them confidently in open show, triumphing over them in himself” (Col 2:15); “Blessed is the wood by which justice cometh” (Wis 14:7).
 

The sign of his own intention he shows, saying by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. But since this which he says, But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, is an exceptive proposition which includes one affirmative and one negative statement, he is really giving two signs that prove both statements. First, he proves the negative one, namely, that he does not glory save in the cross. He does this when he says, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. For that in which a person glories is not dead in his heart, but rather that which he scorns: I am forgotten as one dead, from the heart” (Ps 30:13). But it is plain that the world and all things in it were dead in the heart of Paul: “I count all things as dung, that I may gain Christ” (Phil 3:8). Therefore he does not glory in the world or in the things that are in the world. And this is what he says: Verily, I glory in nothing save in the cross of Christ, by whom, namely, Christ crucified, the world is crucified to me, i.e., is dead in my heart, so that I covet nothing in it.

 

Secondly, he proves the affirmative, namely, that he glories in the Cross of Christ, saying that he is crucified to the World. For a person who glories in something treasures it and desires to make it known; but the Apostle treasures nothing or desires to make nothing known except what pertains to the Cross of Christ; therefore, he glories in it alone. And this is what he says: and I to the world, namely, I am crucified. As if to say: I carry the marks of the Cross and I am considered as dead. Therefore, as the world abhors the Cross of Christ, so it abhors me: “For you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col 3:3).
 

The reason why he glories in nothing else is given when he says, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. Indeed, he glories mainly in that which avails and helps in joining him to Christ; for it is this the Apostle desires, namely, to be with Christ. And because the Jewish rite and the observances of the Gentiles are of no avail in this regard, but only the Cross of Christ, therefore he glories in it alone. And this is what he says: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision, i.e., the Jewish rite, nor uncircumcision, i.e., Gentile observances, availeth any thing, i.e., to justify us and join us to Christ, but a new creature availeth for us. This, indeed, is obvious from what was said above, in almost the same words: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision; but faith that worketh by charity (5:6). Therefore, faith informed by charity is the new creature. For we have been created and made to exist in our nature through Adam, but that creature is already old. Therefore, the Lord in producing us and establishing us in the existence of grace has made a new creature: “That we might be some beginning of his creature” (Jam 1:18). And it is called “new,” because by it we are reborn into a new life by the Holy Spirit”—Thou shalt send forth thy spirit and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face I the earth” (Ps 103:30)—and by the Cross of Christ: “If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new” (2 Cor 5:17). In this way, then, by a new creature, i.e., by the faith of Christ and the charity of God which has been poured out in our hearts, we are made new and are joined to Christ.

But the believing soul...

Such beautiful contemplation by St. Bernard of Clairvaux On Loving God, excerpt from Chapter 4- Of Those Who Find Comfort in the Recollection of God:

In that day those who set not their hearts aright will feel, too late, how easy is Christ’s yoke, to which they would not bend their necks and how light His burden, in comparison with the pains they must then endure. O wretched slaves of Mammon, you cannot glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ while you trust in treasures laid up on earth: you cannot taste and see how gracious the Lord is, while you are hungering for gold. If you have not rejoiced at the thought of His coming, that day will be indeed a day of wrath to you.

But the believing soul longs and faints for God; she rests sweetly in the contemplation of Him. She glories in the reproach of the Cross, until the glory of His face shall be revealed. Like the Bride, the dove of Christ, that is covered with silver wings (Psalm 68:13), white with innocence and purity, she reposes in the thought of Thine abundant kindness, Lord Jesus; and above all she longs for that day when in the joyful splendor of thy saints, gleaming with the radiance of the Beatific Vision, her feathers shall be like gold, resplendent with the joy of Thy countenance.

Rightly then may she exult, “His left hand is under my head and His right hand doth embrace me.” The left hand signifies the memory of that matchless love, which moved Him to lay down His life for His friends; and the right hand is the Beatific Vision which He hath promised to His own, and the delight they have in His presence. The Psalmist sings rapturously, “At Thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore” (Psalm 16:11): so we are warranted in explaining the right hand as that divine and deifying joy of His presence.

Rightly too is that wondrous and ever-memorable love symbolized as His left hand, upon which the Bride rests her head until iniquity be done away: for He sustains the purpose of her mind, lest it should be turned aside to earthly, carnal desires. For the flesh wars against the spirit: “The corruptible body presseth down the soul and the earthly tabernacle weighteth down the mind that museth upon many things” (Wisdom 9:15). What could result from the contemplation of compassion so marvelous and so undeserved, favor so free and so well attested, kindness so unexpected, clemency so unconquerable, grace so amazing except that the soul should withdraw from all sinful affections, reject all that is inconsistent with God’s love, and yield herself wholly to heavenly things? No wonder is it that the Bride, moved by the perfume of these unctions, runs swiftly, all on fire with love, yet reckons herself as loving all too little in return for the Bridegroom’s love.

And rightly, since it is not great matter that a little dust should be all consumed with love of that Majesty which loved her first and which revealed itself as wholly bent on saving her. For “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

This sets forth the Father’s love. But “He hath poured out His soul unto death,” was written of the Son (Isaiah 53:12). And of the Holy Spirit it is said, “The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

It is plain, therefore, that God loves us, and loves us with all His heart; for the Holy Trinity altogether loves us, if we may venture so to speak of the infinite and incomprehensible Godhead who is essentially one.

This Sweet Word

"This sweet Word jousted with His arms upon the wood of the most holy Cross, death fighting a tournament with life and life with death: so that by His death He destroyed our death, and to give us life He sacrificed the life of His body. So then with love He has drawn us to Him, and has overcome our malice with His benignity, in so much that every heart should be drawn to Him: since greater love one cannot show-and this He himself said-than to give one's life for one's friend. And if He commended the love which gives one's life for one's friend, what then shall we say of that most burning and perfect love which gave its life for its foe? For we through sin had become foes of God. Oh, sweet and loving Word, who with love hast found Thy flock once more, and with love hast given Thy life for them, and hast brought them back to Thy fold, restoring to them the Grace which they had lost!"

-St. Catherine of Siena, in her letter to Pope Gregory XI

This is Beauty, You O Lord, have ravished my heart

+JMJ+

Tonight as I was praying in the Chapel with Jesus in the tabernacle, beauty is what was on my heart, only it felt heavy, thinking of how beauty is distorted and ignored and discarded and degraded in our world right now.  I had just read Marc Barnes' post, Dappled Things My Dear Readers.  True Beauty elevates our hearts and minds to God and His Glory.

In my facebook newsfeed this afternoon, one right after another was first a picture posted by Endow on the Dignity of Women and Feminine Genius and then another picture from a feminist group whose name I do not even want to type here, shared by a friend.  The contrast was so startling that it jarred me into realizing how the beauty of feminine dignity is so much under attack, even by those who profess to be all about giving voice to women.  It makes me so sad for my sisters that do not know their true dignity as beloved daughters of God.  Another quote that that was on my newsfeed was from Dignitas Magazine:

"True beauty emanates from a woman who boldly and unabashedly knows who she is in Christ."~Jen Smidt

True beauty is shown in these women making their Final Profession of Vows with the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles.  They sing, "The joy I feel in my soul comes from knowing You."  That is Beauty.

But, I am human, and my heart became heavy once again thinking of how, I, myself, do not feel beautiful.  Right there in quiet, peace, and tranquility, I forgot myself the dignity I have as a daughter of God.  So I began focusing on myself, rather than Christ and the beauty emanating from women who boldly and unabashedly know who they are in Christ. 

I feel spiritually beat up, bruised, tired, worn out, and just plain not beautiful.  It has been a difficult week, and I am probably too hard on myself, but really, being a wife and mother is hard work, and just plain messy.  This is especially true with young children that all have minds of their own along with a mom who is trying to figure it all out herself and often forgets who she is in Christ.  My heart has a long way to go to find healing and I just found myself thinking how can I ever be beautiful, how can spiritually beat up, bruised, tired, worn out ever be beautiful?  I feel more like a worn out wife, and definitely not a bride.  How could that be beautiful?

And then something miraculous happened.  I looked up from the tabernacle to the Crucifix, and then I realized that beat up, bruised, tired, and worn out is Beautiful, but only on the Cross.  I often contemplate the Cross when I come to pray, but I think that there must be some new lighting on the Cross in our Chapel.  It seemed brighter, and even the shadow cast by Christ hanging on the Cross, pouring out His life for me was beautiful.  Beautiful beyond words.  And He poured Himself out like that, took on the ugliness and harshness of the Cross, out of Love for me, to reconcile me to Our Father.  That is true Beauty.

From a poem I wrote a few years ago:

We weep here at His Cross, we cry out in anguish.
He has overcome all by His Love and Mercy.
This is Beauty, You O Lord, have ravished my heart
by Your Love and Mercy. Your Cross has set me free.

Amen.

Ora di Maria

It is here on Holy Saturday, where I find my Mother Mary.  I find her love for me and for all the Church in her quiet hope, though grief-stricken.  Here I cling to my Mother Mary, and while I desire to console her, it is Mary who consoles me.  It is Mary's heart directing me into the beauty of Christ's passion, into trusting Christ's mercy, into the hope of Christ's salvation.

The Greek Orthodox have a great devotion to this Great and Holy Saturday.  Here is a most moving part of the beautiful Ode 9 in the Canon of the Great and Holy Saturday (find a variation here, pdf file).

Triumph of the Cross

THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS 

St. Louis de Marie Montfort

I
The Cross in mystery
Is veiled for us below;
Without great light to see,
Who shall its splendor know?
Alone the lofty mind
Shall this high secret trace;
And none shall heaven find
Who grasps it not by grace.

II
Nature the Cross abhors;
Reason gives it a frown;
The learned man ignores It.
Satan tears it down.
Despite a pious art,
Even the fervent soul
Oft takes it not to heart,
But plays the liar's role.

III
Essential is the Tree,
And we who know its cost
Must mount to Calvary
Or languish and be lost.
As Saint Augustine states
With outcry ominous,
We all are reprobates
Unless God chastens us.

IV
Its Necessity

One road to Heaven runs:
The highway of the Cross.
It was the royal Son's,
His road to life from loss.
And every stone of it
That guides the pilgrim's feet
Is chiseled fair to fit
In Zion's holy street.

V
Vain is the victory
Of him who, conquering
The world, lacks mastery
Of self through suffering;
Vain if he has not Christ,
Slain Christ, for exemplar,
Or spurns the Sacrificed
For dread of wound and scar.

VI
Its Victories

Christ's Cross, restraining Hell,
Has conquered Eden's curse,
Stormed Satan's citadel,
And won the universe.
Now to His faithful band
He gives that weapon bright
To arm both heart and hand
Against the evil sprite.

VII
In this auspicious Sign
Thou shalt be conqueror,
Said He to Constantine,
Who that proud Standard bore;
A glorious augury,
Of whose prodigious worth
The records all agree
In Heaven and on earth!

VIII
Its Glory and Merit

Despite deceitful sense
And reason's fickle shift,
The Cross with confidence
We take as Truth's own gift.
A princess there we see
In whom, let faith confess,
We find all charity,
Grace, wisdom, holiness.

IX
God's love could not resist
Such beauty or its plea,
Which bade Him keep a tryst
With our humanity.
Coming to earth, He said:
This, Lord, and nothing more:
Thy saving Cross imbed
Here in My bosom's core.

X
He took it, found it fair,
An object not of shame
But honor, made it share
His love's most tender flame.
From childhood's morning hour
His longing kept in sight
As beauty would a flower
The Cross of His delight.

XI
At last in its caress
Long sought for eagerly,
He died of tenderness
And love's totality.
That dear supreme baptism
For which His heart had cried,
The Cross became His chrism,
Love's object undenied.

XII
Christ called the Fisherman
A Satan scandalous
When he but winced to scan
What Christ would bear for us.
Christ's Cross we may adore,
His Mother we may not.
O mystery and more!
a marvel beyond thought!

XIII
This Cross, now scattered wide
On earth, shall one day rise
Transported, glorified,
To the celestial skies.
Upon a cloudy height
The Cross, full-brillianted,
Shall, by its very sight,
Judge both the quick and dead.

XIV
Revenge, the Cross will cry
Against its sullen foes;
Pardon and joy on high
And blessedness for those
Of proved fidelity
In the immortal throng,
Singing its victory
With universal song.

XV
In life the Saints aspired
To nothing but the Cross;
'Twas all that they desired,
Counting all else but loss.
Each one, in discontent
With such afflictions sore
As chastening Heaven sent,
Condemned himself to more.

XVI
St. Peter, prison-chained,
Had greater glory there
Than when at Rome he gained
The first Christ-Vicar's chair.
Saint Andrew, faithful, cried:
O good Cross, let me yield
To thee and in thee hide,
Where death in Life is sealed.

 XVII
See how the great St. Paul
Depicts with meagre gloss
His rapture mystical,
But glories in the Cross.
More admirable far,
More merit-rich is he,
Behind his dungeon bar
Than in his ecstasy.

XVIII
Its Effects

Without a Cross, the soul
Is cowardly and tame;
Like fire to a coal
The Cross sets it aflame.
One who has suffered not,
In ignorance is bound;
Only in pain's hard lot
Is holy wisdom found.

XIX
A soul untried is poor
In value; new, untrained,
With destiny unsure
And little wisdom gained.
O sweetness sovereign
Which the afflicted feels
When pleased that to his pain
No human solace steals!

XX
'Tis by the Cross alone
God's blessing is conferred,
And His forgiveness known
In the absolving word.
He wants all things to bear
The mark of that great seal;
Without it, nought is fair
To Him, no beauty real.

XXI
Wherever place is given
The Cross, things once profane
Become instinct with Heaven
And shed away their stain.
On breast and brow, God's sign,
Worn proudly for His sake,
Will bless with Power Divine
Each task we undertake.

XXII
It is our surety,
Our one protection,
Our hope's white purity,
Our soul's perfection.
So precious is its worth
That Angels fain would bring
The blest soul back to earth
To share our suffering.

XXIII
This Sign has such a charm
That at the altar-stone
The priest can God disarm
And draw Him from His throne.
Over the sacred Host
This mighty Sign he plays,
Signals the Holy Ghost,
And the Divine obeys.

XXIV
With this adorable Sign
A fragrance is diffused
Most exquisite and fine,
A perfume rarely used.
The consecrated priest
Makes Him this offering
As incense from the East,
Meet crown for Heaven's King.

XXV
Eternal Wisdom still
Sifts our poor human dross
For one whose heart and will
Is worthy of the Cross,
Still seeks one spirit rare
Whose every pulse and breath
Is fortitude to bear
The Christ-Cross until death.

Ardent Apostrophe

XXVI
O Cross, let me be hushed;
In speech I thee abase.
Let my presumption, crushed,
Its insolence erase.
Since thee I have received
Imperfectly, in part,
Forgive me, friend aggrieved,
For my unwilling heart!

XXVII
Dear Cross, here in this hour,
I bow to thee in awe.
Abide with me in power
And teach me all thy law.
My princess, let me glow
With ardor in thine arms;
Grant me to chastely know
The secret of thy charms.

XXVIII.
In seeing thee so fair,
I hunger to possess
Thy beauty, but I dare
Not in my faithlessness.
Come, mistress, by thy will
Arouse my feeble soul
And I will give thee still
A heart renewed and whole.

XXIX
For life I choose thee now,
My pleasure, honor, friend,
Sole object of my vow,
Sole joy to which I tend.
For mercy's sake, print, trace
Yourself upon my heart,
My arm, my forehead, face;
And not one blush will start.

XXX
Above all I possess
I choose thy poverty;
And for my tenderness
Thy sweet austerity.
Now be thy folly wise
And all thy holy shame
As grandeur in my eyes,
My glory and my fame.

XXXI
When, by your majesty,
And for your glory's sake,
You shall have vanquished me,
That conquest I shall take
As final victory,
Though worthy not to fall
Beneath thy blows, or be
A mockery to all.

English Rendition by Clifford J. Laube, Litt.D.

Pope Benedict XVI: The Pieta completes the picture of the Cross

From Pope Benedict XVI, then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, in Mary:  The Church at the Source by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and Hans Urs von Balthasar, translated by Adrian Walker :

Michelangelo's Pieta

The Pieta completes the picture of the Cross, because Mary is the accepted Cross, the Cross communicating itself in love, the Cross that now allows us to experience in her compassion the compassion of God.  In this way the Mother's affliction is Easter affliction, which already inaugurates the transformation of death into redemptive being-with of love.  Only apparently have we distanced ourselves from the "rejoice" with which the narrative of Mary begins.  For the joy announced to her is not the banal joy clung to in forgetfulness of the abysses of our being and so condemned to plunge into the void.  It is the real joy that gives us courage to venture the exodus of love that pain does not destroy but first brings to its maturity.  Only the joy that stands the test of pain and is stronger than affliction is authentic.

A Fire that Cannot be Contained

My heart is on fire for Jesus Christ, and as my husband said the other day, when you are on fire for Jesus, it cannot be contained.   And, so, I am on my way, with Christ before me, in me, and for me. 

Please pray for a special intention related to my sister Laura.... I am working up the courage to write about it, and if God wants me to write here about it, I will.  It is pressing, and yet, has been a part of me for almost my entire life.  Please ask God to give me clarity on what I need to do to move forward to help my sister in the way He is calling.

Shawn McDonald, Clarity:

Standing on the battle line
I fight for my mind aching to be free
This war that I face as I long to embrace
and be with my King.

And this fire in my soul, desire to be whole

Is deep within my bones

And I long to be near as I cast away my fear

Running to Your throne.

I need clarity and truth to be

And peace to make me whole

I want freedom to come and hate to be done
And love to guide my soul.

Purchase the song Clarity at iTunes here.

The Mystery of His Love

God has drawn me to His Heart and to the Heart of His Mother in amazing ways.  He has sent me friends in St. John the Apostle, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Catherine of Siena, just to name a few.  The most astounding fact is how these Saints found me, rather than me finding them.  God has given them to our family, to me.  He cares about every single detail of our lives, of my life.

From a broken heart, I have sought Him and His Love, but it is He Who has found me, his prodigal daughter, his lost sheep.  He drew me to His Most Sacred Heart in the Blessed Sacrament.  He drew me to Him through speaking directly to the ear of my own broken heart.  He drew me to His bosom, to the Shadow of His Wings.  He has hidden me in His Wounds, and will never let me be separated from Him.  He has given me a Mother to teach me, guide me, and love me in a way that was missing from the brokenness of my childhood.  How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place, Oh Lord!  How marvelous are your ways, how saving is Your Love, Your Mercy, Your Strength, Your Kindness, Your Beauty, Your Heart.

Tomorrow, our family will consecrate our hearts and home to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  We will enthrone a beautiful image of Christ giving us His Heart.  Please pray for us as we receive Christ into our very lives in this special and profound way.

St John was given to St. Gertrude as a special protector.  He told her in a vision, "Come, come, beloved spouse of My Master, let us repose together on the sweetest bosom of Our Lord, in which all the treasures of beatitude are hidden!"

From St. Gertrude, The Great, Herald of Divine Love (Tan Books):

St. John stood to the left, and St. Gertrude to the right of our Savior.  As they reposed on the sanctuary of His Heart, and were ravished with inexpressible delights at Its beatings, this dialogue took place between them:  "Well-beloved of the Lord, did these harmonious beatings which rejoice my soul also rejoice thine when thou didst repose during the Last Supper on the bosom of the Savior?"

"Yes, I heard them, and my soul was penetrated with their sweetness even to its very center."

.

.

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Gertrude wondered and feared because of this amazing goodness of her Lord.  She thought it too great a condescension for the adorable Heart to remain continually near her to supply for her defects.  But Our Lord consoled and encouraged her by this comparison:

"If thou hast a beautiful and melodious voice, and takest much pleasure in chanting, wilt thou not feel displeased if another person whose voice is harsh wishes to sing in thy stead, and insists on doing so?  Thus My Divine Heart, understanding human inconstancy, desires with incredible ardor to be continually invited, either by words or signs, to operate and accomplish in thee what thou art unable to accomplish thyself.  Its omnipotence enables My Heart to act without trouble.  Its impenetrable wisdom enables It to act in the most perfect manner.  And Its joyous and loving charity makes It ardently desire to accomplish this end."

Thank you for your prayers as we enter more deeply into the faith and hope that Christ gives us through His Holy Church and His Holy Mother.

For more information about this vision of St. Gertrude of St. Augustine and The Holy Trinity, portrayed so beautifully by Isidoro Arrendodo, go to Idle Speculations.   

For Our Lady of Sorrows

Litany for Our Lady of Seven Sorrows:

Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of the Crucified, pray for us.
Sorrowful Mother, pray for us.
Mournful Mother, pray for us.
Sighing Mother, pray for us.
Afflicted Mother, pray for us.
Foresaken Mother, pray for us.
Desolate Mother, pray for us.
Mother most sad, pray for us.
Mother set around with anguish, pray for us.
Mother overwhelmed by grief, pray for us.
Mother transfixed by a sword, pray for us.
Mother crucified in thy heart, pray for us.
Mother bereaved of thy Son, pray for us.
Sighing Dove, pray for us.
Mother of Dolors, pray for us.
Fount of tears, pray for us.
Sea of bitterness, pray for us.
Field of tribulation, pray for us.
Mass of suffering, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Rock of constancy, pray for us.
Remedy in perplexity, pray for us.
Joy of the afflicted, pray for us.
Ark of the desolate, pray for us.
Refuge of the abandoned, pray for us.
Shiled of the oppressed, pray for us.
Conqueror of the incredulous, pray for us.
Solace of the wretched, pray for us.
Medicine of the sick, pray for us.
Help of the faint, pray for us.
Strength of the weak, pray for us.
Protectress of those who fight, pray for us.
Haven of the shipwrecked, pray for us.
Calmer of tempests, pray for us.
Companion of the sorrowful, pray for us.
Retreat of those who groan, pray for us.
Terror of the treacherous, pray for us.
Standard-bearer of the Martyrs, pray for us.
Treasure of the Faithful, pray for us.
Light of Confessors, pray for us.
Pearl of Virgins, pray for us.
Comfort of Widows, pray for us.
Joy of all Saints, pray for us.
Queen of thy Servants, pray for us.
Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, pray for us.

Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray, --- O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end,
Amen.


The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady

1. The Prophecy of Simeon
2. The Flight into Egypt
3. The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross
5. The Crucifixion
6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Her Son
7. The Burial of Her Son and Closing of the Tomb.

Consecration to Our Lady of Sorrows

Most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, Mary, would that I could be in Heaven, there to contemplate the honors rendered to thee by the Most Holy Trinity and by the whole Heavenly Court! But since I am still a pilgrim in this vale of tears, receive from me, thy unworthy servant and a poor sinner, the most sincere homage and the most perfect act of vassalage a human creature can offer thee.

In thy Immaculate Heart, pierced with so many swords of sorrow, I place today my poor soul forever; receive me as a partaker in thy dolors, and never suffer that I should depart from that Cross on which thy only begotten Son expired for me.

With thee, O Mary, I will endure all the sufferings, contradictions, infirmities, with which it will please thy Divine Son to visit me in this life. All of them I offer to thee, in memory of the Dolors which thou didst suffer during thy life, that every thought of my mind, every beating of my heart may henceforward be an act of compassion to thy Sorrows, and of complacency for the glory thou now enjoyest in Heaven.

Since then, O Dear Mother, I now compassionate thy Dolors, and rejoice in seeing thee glorified, do thou also have compassion on me, and reconcile me to thy Son Jesus, that I may become thy true and loyal son (daughter); come on my last day and assist me in my last agony, even as thou wert present at the Agony of thy Divine Son Jesus, that from this painful exile I may go to Heaven, there to be made partaker of thy glory.
Amen.

But the Believing Soul....

Such beautiful contemplation by St. Bernard of Clairvaux On Loving God, excerpt from Chapter 4- Of Those Who Find Comfort in the Recollection of God:

In that day those who set not their hearts aright will feel, too late, how easy is Christ’s yoke, to which they would not bend their necks and how light His burden, in comparison with the pains they must then endure. O wretched slaves of Mammon, you cannot glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ while you trust in treasures laid up on earth: you cannot taste and see how gracious the Lord is, while you are hungering for gold. If you have not rejoiced at the thought of His coming, that day will be indeed a day of wrath to you.

But the believing soul longs and faints for God; she rests sweetly in the contemplation of Him. She glories in the reproach of the Cross, until the glory of His face shall be revealed. Like the Bride, the dove of Christ, that is covered with silver wings (Psalm 68:13), white with innocence and purity, she reposes in the thought of Thine abundant kindness, Lord Jesus; and above all she longs for that day when in the joyful splendor of thy saints, gleaming with the radiance of the Beatific Vision, her feathers shall be like gold, resplendent with the joy of Thy countenance.

Rightly then may she exult, “His left hand is under my head and His right hand doth embrace me.” The left hand signifies the memory of that matchless love, which moved Him to lay down His life for His friends; and the right hand is the Beatific Vision which He hath promised to His own, and the delight they have in His presence. The Psalmist sings rapturously, “At Thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore” (Psalm 16:11): so we are warranted in explaining the right hand as that divine and deifying joy of His presence.

Rightly too is that wondrous and ever-memorable love symbolized as His left hand, upon which the Bride rests her head until iniquity be done away: for He sustains the purpose of her mind, lest it should be turned aside to earthly, carnal desires. For the flesh wars against the spirit: “The corruptible body presseth down the soul and the earthly tabernacle weighteth down the mind that museth upon many things” (Wisdom 9:15). What could result from the contemplation of compassion so marvelous and so undeserved, favor so free and so well attested, kindness so unexpected, clemency so unconquerable, grace so amazing except that the soul should withdraw from all sinful affections, reject all that is inconsistent with God’s love, and yield herself wholly to heavenly things? No wonder is it that the Bride, moved by the perfume of these unctions, runs swiftly, all on fire with love, yet reckons herself as loving all too little in return for the Bridegroom’s love.

And rightly, since it is not great matter that a little dust should be all consumed with love of that Majesty which loved her first and which revealed itself as wholly bent on saving her. For “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

This sets forth the Father’s love. But “He hath poured out His soul unto death,” was written of the Son (Isaiah 53:12). And of the Holy Spirit it is said, “The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

It is plain, therefore, that God loves us, and loves us with all His heart; for the Holy Trinity altogether loves us, if we may venture so to speak of the infinite and incomprehensible Godhead who is essentially one.

Make Me Believe Thee Ever More and More

My simple prayer was Lord, help my unbelief. His answer to me came as I prayed quietly in the sanctuary and saw a student pass through and bow in reverence to the tabernacle on her way somewhere, stopping to show her love for her Lord. Then one day, burdened by sadness and deep doubts about myself and the world around, I went to the sanctuary to pray, drawn by Him and His Love. I found Him there, hidden from view but drawing me to His presence in the monstrance. I collapsed in sadness and fatigue for carrying the burden for so long.

His Holy Presence was there also in the priest who listened that day in the sanctuary and loved me in the place where I was. I was a mess, the little girl inside crying out for belonging, for safety, for love. From that day forward, I knew Christ was there, Present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the sanctuary, whether in the tabernacle, in the monstrance, or in the Holy Mass. He had drawn me to Him in a particular way that day. My faith is still a journey, but through the simple prayer of my heart and in that powerful encounter, He placed a longing in my heart to be with Him in the Eucharist and many blessings have poured forth from that longing.




Adoro te devote

O Godhead hid, devoutly I adore Thee,
Who truly art within the forms before me;
To Thee my heart I bow with bended knee,
As failing quite in contemplating Thee.

Sight, touch, and taste in Thee are each deceived;
The ear alone most safely is believed:
I believe all the Son of God has spoken,
Than Truth's own word there is no truer token.

God only on the Cross lay hid from view;
But here lies hid at once the Manhood too:
And I, in both professing my belief,
Make the same prayer as the repentant thief.

Thy wounds, as Thomas saw, I do not see;
Yet Thee confess my Lord and God to be:
Make me believe Thee ever more and more;
In Thee my hope, in Thee my love to store.

O thou Memorial of our Lord's own dying!
O Bread that living art and vivifying!
Make ever Thou my soul on Thee to live;
Ever a taste of Heavenly sweetness give.

O loving Pelican! O Jesu, Lord!
Unclean I am, but cleanse me in Thy Blood;
Of which a single drop, for sinners spilt,
Is ransom for a world's entire guilt.

Jesu! Whom for the present veil'd I see,
What I so thirst for, O vouchsafe to me:
That I may see Thy countenance unfolding,
And may be blest Thy glory in beholding. Amen.

(St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. E. Caswall.)


Adoro te devote, latens Deitas,
Quae sub his figuris vere latitas;
Tibi se cor meum totum subiicit,
Quia te contemplans, totum deficit.

Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur,
Sed auditu solo tuto creditur;
Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius,
Nil hoc verbo veritatis verius.

In Cruce latebat sola Deitas.
At hic latet simul et humanitas:
Ambo tamen credens, atgue confitens,
Peto quod petivit latro paenitens.

Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor,
Deum tamen meum te confiteor:
Fac me tibi semper magis credere,
In te spem habere, te diligere.

O memoriale mortis Domini,
Panis vivus vitam praestans homini:
Praesta meae menti de te vivere,
Et te illi semper dulce sapere.

Pie pellicane Iesu Domine,
Me immundum munda tuo Sanguine:
Cuius una stilla salvum facere
Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

Iesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio,
Oro, fiat illud, quod tam sitio,
Ut te revelata cernens facie,
Visu sim beatus tuae gloriae. Amen.

Moving from Sorrow into Joy through His Divine Mercy

There is a difficulty in moving from the penance of Lent and sorrow of Holy Week into the joy of Easter and our Lord's Resurrection. Our Holy Church provides such a blessing as we celebrate Easter Day as one continuous day during the Easter Octave. This year, it is giving me time to move my devotion for the Cross of Christ into the joy of His Resurrected Life. I am not making promises about getting there though within this week..... maybe by Pentecost?

This particular Easter I find that life is particularly messy and it has been a real struggle moving from the sorrow (and joy) of the cross to the pure joy of the resurrection. We are now within weeks (if not days) of delivering our new baby! As exciting as this may be, it also carries with it a lot of burden. As much as I am trying to focus on the joy that cometh, in reality, I also am having a hard time with mixed emotions of the pregnancy ending and wanting this pregnancy to be done!! New life is such a beautiful gift and I am so grateful for God's gift to us and to me to be able to carry His creation within, but I am also so tired and ready to be able to move a bit more normally again (God willing).

I also have some fear about labor and delivery, and trusting in God's Mercy is really the only way to get through this time. I am so thankful for the prayers of the Divine Mercy novena, carrying through from Good Friday and through the Easter Octave. I keep trying to think about that moment just after our other babies were born, where words are hard to describe the joy at holding and seeing God's creation for our family for the first time. That is the joy that cometh, new life, and the beauty of God's Love shown in one little soul. A small foretaste of the Joy of being in His Presence forever, perhaps?

Eternal God, in whom Mercy is endless, and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your Mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your Holy Will, which is Love and Mercy Itself.

I turned 40 on Monday, and my husband and children will tell you that I have not been very pleasant to live with for the past several weeks (maybe even longer??, oh, we won't go there). I'll say it again, life is just messy, and even more so when I begin to contemplate the labor pangs going on in the world right now as well. Trusting in the Mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Resurrection is the only way to make it out of this present darkness.

In my own heart, the darkness threatens daily, and I must look up, away from myself, and to His Resurrection and His Mercy to know His Love and Strength. It is so hard not to be consumed by the information around us and by our own daily anxieties, but Hope in Him is our anchor. He brings us joy now, here in this world He has created for us. Even though there are trials and struggles He has bled and died to give us new life in Him. Let us turn our hearts to the joy that cometh and to the joy that He gives now.

+JMJ+

Hide me within Your wounds, Lord Jesus. Let me never forget Your Sacrifice, but allow me to know Your Joy and Your Resurrection too. Pour forth your Divine Mercy, in the water and blood gushing forth from Your Heart, into my body and soul, so that I may truly know Your Resurrected Life within. Lord, I open myself completely to You. In Your Divine Mercy, cast out my fear. I trust in You. I trust in You. I trust in You! In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Near Occasions of Sin

All of us are vulnerable to sin, especially when we place ourselves in situations that are near occasions of sin, and those situations can be different for different people.

I love the books by Susie Lloyd, Bless Me Father, For I Have Kids! and Please Don't Drink the Holy Water! Susie puts a humorous spin on some of the "near occasions of sin" that we may find ourselves in as mothers. I love how the subtitle of one of these books is "Homeschool Days, Rosary Nights and other Near Occasions of Sin." I laughed, and cried, my way through both of those books and am so appreciative of her humorous and heartfelt insight to the challenges of mothering during these times. It is so nice to know we are not alone on this journey and other people have the same crazy thoughts as us.

On the more serious side of this is that sometimes, because of my struggle with a bad temper, I feel as though my whole day can be considered a "near occasion of sin." But the truth is that God's grace makes me stronger and He will always help me when I am living and working within my vocation and calling from God. He presents us with opportunities through these struggles to make conscious acts of the will to overcome our weaknesses, and when we fail, to come to Him in repentance and seek His forgiveness. We receive more graces as we turn to Christ in the Sacraments, particularly in Confession and in the Eucharist. I also believe that Mary, our Blessed Mother, is right there with us to help us overcome temptation and to provide us with a role model in looking to Her Son for all we need.

Then there are the more serious near occasions of sin that are outside of our vocation and call from God. These are the near occasions of sin that we must avoid by conscious acts of the will, lest we place ourselves in an extremely vulnerable position. We are all susceptible to falling into grave sin, and to think otherwise is spiritually dangerous. All of us are in the crosshairs of the evil one, and he will find every opportunity to bring us down. Sure, we will fail on an everyday basis due to our own concupiscence; we are human, and we will sin. But to put ourselves in situations that are outside of God's calling for us and open ourselves up to attack is something that we need to be vigilant about avoiding, particularly when it comes to addictions or relationships that present a danger to our vocations. Speaking as a married person, sometimes there are subtleties to these relationships in that they seem like a good thing, but then our hearts are given more and more to another person who is not our spouse. And the same thing can apply to priests or religious sisters and brothers.

Thinking about near occasions of sin has been on my heart a lot in pondering about what has happened with both Fr. Euteneuer and Fr. Corapi. In one instance, wrongdoing was found and Fr. Euteneuer admitted to his sins and in the other, Fr. Corapi has denied the allegations and an investigation is still underway. Both of these beloved priests and many others have been so strong in their battle against evil and in providing guidance to us as we fight our own spiritual battles. And yet, they are human and can fall. We must love them for who they are, God's creation, and in a special way, for their sacrifices to bring us the Sacraments. We must pray for them and not abandon them or the Holy Church even when they fall. There is great scandal caused by these sins, but we must remember that God's Mercy is greater than all of this, and we must pray urgently for the protection of priests, religious, family, friends and our own souls. We must do our own part by making conscious acts of our will to avoid serious occasions of sin and to turn to God immediately when we fall. He is there for us in our darkest moments. Let us be honest with Him and with ourselves and seek His Mercy always.

St. Joseph, terror of demons, pray for us. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on us. Through Your Holy Name, Amen.

True Wisdom - Dependence on God

Thus says the Lord:

Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a barren bush in the desert that
enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose hope is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.

More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds.

~Jeremiah 17: 5-10

~~~

O Lord, plant me in the rich soil where Your Love abides. Let me not be thrown onto the shallow path to be devoured by the evil one. Let me not fall on the rocky ground where my roots do not reach You and I whither and am scorched for lack of roots. Let me not be sown among thorns of worldly anxiety and lure of world riches which choke Your Word in my soul and keep me from bearing Your fruit.

Let me be as the tree planted beside the waters, that I may stretch out my roots deep in Your Abiding Love to reach You, the Everlasting Stream of Water, the Source of all Life. Lord, let me fear not the heat when it comes and give me no distress during the drought that I may still have green leaves and bear Your fruit.

Thank You for life and Love and Grace and all that comes our way. All is Grace. All is You. I abandon myself to Your Will. I Love You.

In Your Most Holy Name, Amen.

~~~

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the filed, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will He not much more provide for you, O you of little faith. So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

~Matthew 7: 25 - 34


Prayer adapted from Matthew 13:1-23

Worlds Apart

Forgiveness

Having recently read Pope Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth, these words of the Holy Father still resonate deeply in my heart, and I want to share them with you. This is the part of the chapter where our Holy Father discusses the petition of "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us" and how we encounter the mystery of the Cross of Christ in this petition (from Ch5 - The Lord's Prayer, pp 158-160, emphasis mine):

If we want to understand the petition fully and make it our own, we must go one step further and ask: What is forgiveness, really? What happens when forgiveness takes place? Guilt is a reality, an objective force; it has caused destruction that must be repaired. For this reason, forgiveness must be more than a matter of ignoring, of merely trying to forget. Guilt must be worked through, healed, and thus overcome. Forgiveness exacts a price- first of all from the person who forgives. He must overcome within himself the evil done to him; he must, as it were, burn it interiorly and in so doing renew himself. As a result, he also involves the other, the trespasser, in this process of transformation, of inner purification, and both parties, suffering all the way through and overcoming evil, are made new. At this point, we encounter the mystery of Christ's Cross. But the very first thing we encounter is the limit of our power to heal and to overcome evil. We encounter the superior power of evil, which we cannot master with our unaided powers. Reinhold Schneider says apropos of this that "evil lives in a thousand forms; it occupies the pinnacles of power...it bubbles up from the abyss. Love has just one form- your Son" (Das Vaterunser, p. 68).

The idea that God allowed the forgiveness of guilt, the healing of man from
within, to cost him the death of his Son has come to seem quite alien to us
today. That the Lord has "borne our diseases and taken upon himself sorrows,"
that"he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities,"
and that "with his wounds we are healed" (Is 53:4-6) no longer seems plausible
to us today. Militating against this, on one side, is the trivialization of evil
in which we take refuge, despite the fact that at the very same time we treat
the horrors of human history, especially of the most recent human history as an
irrefutable pretext for denying the existence of a good God and slandering his
creature man. But the understanding of the great mystery of expiation is
also blocked by our individualistic image of man. We can no longer grasp
substitution because we think that every man is ensconced in himself alone. The fact that all individual beings are deeply interwoven and that all are encompassed in turn by the being of the One, the Incarnate Son, is something we are no longer capable of seeing. When we come to speak of Christ's
Crucifixion, we will have to take up these issues again.

In the meantime, the idea of Cardinal John Henry Newman may suffice. Newman once said that while God could create the whole world out of nothing with just one word,
he could overcome men's guilt and suffering only by bringing himself into play,
by becoming in his Son a sufferer who carried this burden and overcame it
through his self-surrender. The overcoming of guilt has a price: We must
put our heart- or, better, our whole existence- on the line. And even this act
is insufficient; it can become effective only through communion with the One who bore the burdens of us all.

The petition for forgiveness is more than a moral exhortation- though it is that as well, and as such it challenges us anew every day. But, at its deepest core, it is- like the other petitions- a Christological prayer. It reminds us of he who allowed forgiveness to cost him descent into the hardship of human existence and death on the Cross. It calls us first and foremost to thankfulness for that, and then, with him, to work through and suffer through evil by means of love. And while we must acknowledge day by day how little our capacities suffice for that task, and how often we ourselves keep falling into guilt, this petition gives us the great consolation that our prayer is held safe within the power of his love- with which, through which, and in which it can still become a power of healing.

God, thank You for these words of the Holy Father. Please watch over him and protect him in his travels. Thank You for giving us a wise and holy shepherd. Jesus, thank You for Your Love and Mercy. Open our hearts to receive You and all You give us. Open our hearts to forgive as You forgive and to Love as You Love. In Your Holy Name, Amen.