Outward Appearances
1. Men of the world look at the outward appearances of things and are
often satisfied with that. Many of them desire and long for physical
beauty, wealth, high social status and honours. It does not matter to
them if beneath this splendid façade there are concealed a mean and
impoverished spirit, a corrupt and dishonest heart, an egoism
indifferent to noble ideals, and an
astuteness intent on ousting potential rivals. All this is unimportant
as long as they are successful and can keep up appearances.
We tend to live for what others think and say about us, in other words, for external appearances.
2. St. Augustine contemplated the haughtiness and ostentatiousness of
so-called great men who assumed airs of demi-gods. “Take away the
arrogance,” he commented, “and what are men but men?” How true this is.
“Man seeth those things that appear,” says the Holy Spirit, “but the Lord beholdeth the heart.” (1 Kings 16:7)
God is interested in the soul, not in surface appearances. The
philosophy of the world is much different from the teaching of the
Gospel. “Unless you turn and become like children,” Jesus tells us, “you
will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 18:3) “Learn from me,”
He says elsewhere, “for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will
find rest for your souls.” (Mt. 11:29)
To which side do we
belong? Are we concerned about external appearances, high position,
praise, and worldly honours? Do these things make up our purpose in
life? If so, we are not sincere Christians.
We must ask with
St. Paul whether it is right for us to seek to please men or God. If we
are striving after outward appearances, looking for praise and worldly
honour, we have not advanced in the way of perfection. It is necessary
to seek the glory of God in all things if we desire to be holy.
3. The false virtuousness of the Pharisees consisted in an outward show
which concealed a spiritual vacuum and eventually led to interior
corruption and hypocrisy. Jesus was merciful, humble, and gentle towards
everybody, even towards sinners such as the adulteress, Mary Magdalen,
and the good thief. He was relentless and stern only when confronted by a
certain type of wickedness – hypocrisy. He called the Pharisees a brood
of vipers, and likened hypocrites to “whited sepulchres, which
outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s
bones and of all uncleanness.” (Mt. 23:27) How dreadful if we were to
belong to such a category, for we should be already judged and
condemned. The fundamental law of the Gospel is sincerity; we must have
charity and purity of intention.
Hypocrisy and duplicity have
no place in Christianity. Let us examine ourselves strictly and if we
discover anything false or distorted in our personality let us resolve
to correct it.
Monday, 27 October 2014
Hail Mary - Cardinal Bacci
Hail Mary
1. After the Lord’s Prayer there is no more beautiful prayer than the Hail Mary, which we should recite with particular devotion in the decades of the Holy Rosary. At the beginning of the Rosary we can imagine that we are witnesses of the Annunciation to Mary in her home at Nazareth. An Angel descends from Heaven and bows before the Blessed Virgin as she kneels absorbed in prayer. “Hail, full of grace,” he says, “the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.” (Luke 1:26-28) We should join with the Angel of God in repeating these words fervently and devoutly.
The constant repetition of this prayer is very pleasing to Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother. When we greet her with the words of the Angel, we remind her of the great mystery of the Incarnation, which was the beginning of her lofty mission as co-redemptrix and the dawn of Christian civilisation.
Even when we say these words over and over again, they can never become monotonous. When a son is speaking to his mother, every word possesses an unlimited warmth and meaning because it is the expression of a boundless love. When we recite the decades of the Rosary, we should think of the heavenly Mother who is watching over us and listening to us, eager to console and assist us. She loves us with a maternal love, but she requires us to love her also and to prove that we are her children by imitating her virtues.
2. The Angel’s greeting was later completed by the salvation of St. Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth saw the Blessed Virgin coming to visit her, she cried out in humble veneration: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!” (Luke 1:42)
In the first part of the Hail Mary, then, we pay her in the words of the Gospel the highest tributes ever accorded to any human creature, proclaiming her to be full of grace, blessed among women, and Mother of the Redeemer. The second part, which was later added by the Church, is a heartfelt supplication addressed to Mary as the Mother of God and our Mother. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” It would be hard to find a more touching plea. We ask our heavenly Mother to intercede for us now because we have such great need of her assistance in this vale of tears and temptations. May she be always by our side to shelter us beneath her mantle.
3. We seek her intercession, moreover, at the hour of death. Death must come, but if we have prayed often to our heavenly Mother she will certainly be with us in those final and decisive moments of our lives. If Mary is there to help us, we may be sure that death will come as a consolation, for it will be a peaceful journey towards everlasting happiness.
1. After the Lord’s Prayer there is no more beautiful prayer than the Hail Mary, which we should recite with particular devotion in the decades of the Holy Rosary. At the beginning of the Rosary we can imagine that we are witnesses of the Annunciation to Mary in her home at Nazareth. An Angel descends from Heaven and bows before the Blessed Virgin as she kneels absorbed in prayer. “Hail, full of grace,” he says, “the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.” (Luke 1:26-28) We should join with the Angel of God in repeating these words fervently and devoutly.
The constant repetition of this prayer is very pleasing to Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother. When we greet her with the words of the Angel, we remind her of the great mystery of the Incarnation, which was the beginning of her lofty mission as co-redemptrix and the dawn of Christian civilisation.
Even when we say these words over and over again, they can never become monotonous. When a son is speaking to his mother, every word possesses an unlimited warmth and meaning because it is the expression of a boundless love. When we recite the decades of the Rosary, we should think of the heavenly Mother who is watching over us and listening to us, eager to console and assist us. She loves us with a maternal love, but she requires us to love her also and to prove that we are her children by imitating her virtues.
2. The Angel’s greeting was later completed by the salvation of St. Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth saw the Blessed Virgin coming to visit her, she cried out in humble veneration: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!” (Luke 1:42)
In the first part of the Hail Mary, then, we pay her in the words of the Gospel the highest tributes ever accorded to any human creature, proclaiming her to be full of grace, blessed among women, and Mother of the Redeemer. The second part, which was later added by the Church, is a heartfelt supplication addressed to Mary as the Mother of God and our Mother. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” It would be hard to find a more touching plea. We ask our heavenly Mother to intercede for us now because we have such great need of her assistance in this vale of tears and temptations. May she be always by our side to shelter us beneath her mantle.
3. We seek her intercession, moreover, at the hour of death. Death must come, but if we have prayed often to our heavenly Mother she will certainly be with us in those final and decisive moments of our lives. If Mary is there to help us, we may be sure that death will come as a consolation, for it will be a peaceful journey towards everlasting happiness.
“Deliver Us From Evil” - Cardinal Bacci
“Deliver Us From Evil”
1. “Deliver us from evil. Amen.” This is our last request in the Lord’s Prayer. God is our Father, Creator, and Redeemer, Who cannot desire our ruin, but only our welfare. Nevertheless, He wishes us to ask Him every day to deliver us from evil.
We ask God to deliver us from evil of any kind. There is nothing to prevent us from beseeching Him to save us from physical ills, such as sickness or hardship or any of the other many afflictions of life. God loves us and therefore does not wish us to have to suffer. He loves us, however, as He knows best, and so desires our true welfare. He knows that suffering and sorrow are our necessary heritage in life. They are the salt which preserves us from corruption.
It would be fatal for us to be always happy in this world, for then we should forget God and our true everlasting happiness. By all means let us ask humbly for deliverance from bodily ills, but let us not complain if God does not grant our request. He alone knows what is best for us now and in the future.
Finally, when we ask God to rescue us from material evils, we should do so in a spirit of submission and resignation to His holy will. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” We should keep in mind the words of Jesus Christ. “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Where are we to follow Him? To Calvary, of course. We must suffer and die as He did. Only afterwards can we achieve everlasting happiness.
Deliver us from evil, therefore, O God. Deliver us if possible from bodily and from earthly ills, but let Your will be done. We realise that there is a purpose in suffering, the mission of which is to purify us and lead us more easily to You. We shall thank You if You hear our plea, but we shall be no less grateful if it pleases You to reject it.
2. When we ask God to deliver us from evil, we should think chiefly of the real evil, which is spiritual. All other evils are insignificant in comparison with sin, which is an offense committed against God , our only good. Sin robs us of His grace, which is the supernatural life of the soul, deprives us of His friendship, and is an act of ingratitude towards our supreme Benefactor.
When we pray to God to deliver us from evil, we should renew our determination to avoid sin by every means in our power. Prayer is futile unless it is accompanied by the resolution never to offend God again. Our prayers and good resolutions will draw God’s favour and will strengthen our bond of intimacy with Him.
3. Deliver us, O God, from the evil of the eternal damnation. Sin is the greatest evil, but as long as we are on earth it is an evil which can still be remedied, for God in His infinite mercy is always ready to forgive us and to restore us to His divine friendship if we sincerely repent. In Hell, however, there is no further remedy, for there the mercy of God has been superseded by His infinite justice. Where the tree falls, there it must lie forever. Such dreadful unhappiness is barely conceivable.
Deliver us from sin, O God; deliver us from a bad death; deliver us from Hell. Help us to love You more and more and to serve You more faithfully so that we may one day enjoy Your blessed company for all eternity. Amen.
1. “Deliver us from evil. Amen.” This is our last request in the Lord’s Prayer. God is our Father, Creator, and Redeemer, Who cannot desire our ruin, but only our welfare. Nevertheless, He wishes us to ask Him every day to deliver us from evil.
We ask God to deliver us from evil of any kind. There is nothing to prevent us from beseeching Him to save us from physical ills, such as sickness or hardship or any of the other many afflictions of life. God loves us and therefore does not wish us to have to suffer. He loves us, however, as He knows best, and so desires our true welfare. He knows that suffering and sorrow are our necessary heritage in life. They are the salt which preserves us from corruption.
It would be fatal for us to be always happy in this world, for then we should forget God and our true everlasting happiness. By all means let us ask humbly for deliverance from bodily ills, but let us not complain if God does not grant our request. He alone knows what is best for us now and in the future.
Finally, when we ask God to rescue us from material evils, we should do so in a spirit of submission and resignation to His holy will. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” We should keep in mind the words of Jesus Christ. “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Where are we to follow Him? To Calvary, of course. We must suffer and die as He did. Only afterwards can we achieve everlasting happiness.
Deliver us from evil, therefore, O God. Deliver us if possible from bodily and from earthly ills, but let Your will be done. We realise that there is a purpose in suffering, the mission of which is to purify us and lead us more easily to You. We shall thank You if You hear our plea, but we shall be no less grateful if it pleases You to reject it.
2. When we ask God to deliver us from evil, we should think chiefly of the real evil, which is spiritual. All other evils are insignificant in comparison with sin, which is an offense committed against God , our only good. Sin robs us of His grace, which is the supernatural life of the soul, deprives us of His friendship, and is an act of ingratitude towards our supreme Benefactor.
When we pray to God to deliver us from evil, we should renew our determination to avoid sin by every means in our power. Prayer is futile unless it is accompanied by the resolution never to offend God again. Our prayers and good resolutions will draw God’s favour and will strengthen our bond of intimacy with Him.
3. Deliver us, O God, from the evil of the eternal damnation. Sin is the greatest evil, but as long as we are on earth it is an evil which can still be remedied, for God in His infinite mercy is always ready to forgive us and to restore us to His divine friendship if we sincerely repent. In Hell, however, there is no further remedy, for there the mercy of God has been superseded by His infinite justice. Where the tree falls, there it must lie forever. Such dreadful unhappiness is barely conceivable.
Deliver us from sin, O God; deliver us from a bad death; deliver us from Hell. Help us to love You more and more and to serve You more faithfully so that we may one day enjoy Your blessed company for all eternity. Amen.
“Lead Us Not Into Temptation” - Cardinal Bacci
“Lead Us Not Into Temptation”
1. “Let no man say when he is tempted,” St. James warns us, “that he is tempted by God; for God is no tempter to evil, and he himself tempts no one. But everyone is tempted by being drawn away and enticed by his own passion. Then when passion has conceived, it brings forth sin, but when sin has matured, it begets death.” (James 1:13-15)
When we ask God during the Pater Noster not to lead us into temptation, we should really beseech Him to rescue us from temptation. We should not request this in any absolute sense, however, for it would be a poor soldier who would refuse to be tried in battle. Our prayer should be prompted by a holy fear of offending God. We should ask Him, therefore, either to set us free from temptations or to grant us the grace to overcome them. We should then co-operate earnestly with divine grace in resisting these temptations and should adopt the means necessary to overcome them.
In the first place, we should never go voluntarily into an occasion of sin. What use is it asking God to rescue us from temptations if we immediately proceed to go in search of them? When possible, therefore, avoid the occasions of sin. “He who loves danger,” says the Holy Spirit, “will perish in it.” (Ecclus. 3:25) If duty or charity compels us to expose ourselves to danger, God will certainly help us. But if we fail to recognise our own frailty and expose ourselves voluntarily to the risk of committing sin, God is not obliged to work a miracle to save us. Our presumption and imprudence will be severely punished.
2. Life is a prolonged trial. St. Paul compares it to a stadium in which everyone must fight to win. If anyone lays down his arms, he will be unable to conquer his passions or to achieve the palm of victory. “One who enters a contest is not crowned unless he has competed according to the rules.” (2 Tim. 2:5)
With the exception of the Blessed Virgin, every human being is obliged to battle against the temptations of the flesh. Sometimes these can be quite terrifying. St. Paul himself confessed that he felt another law in his members warring against the law of his mind. “Unhappy man that I am!” he exclaimed in supplication to God to come to his assistance. “Who will deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24)
The false enchantment and wickedness of the world also threatens to ensnare us. “We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19) It is easy to become absorbed in worldly affairs and to forget the all-important spiritual realities.
Finally, there is the devil, whom St. Peter describes as wandering about “seeking someone to devour. Resist him,” he urges us, “steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same suffering befalls your brethren all over the world.” (Cf. 1 Peter 5:9)
Faced as we are with these three foes, we should implore God to help us by His grace. Lead us not into temptation, O God, but help us to conquer these enemies. Without You we can do nothing, but with Your aid anything is possible. Lead us not into temptation.
3. Why, we may ask, does God permit us to be tempted? It is for our own good, because (1) He desires us to co-operate with Him in our own salvation. The crown of glory which is to be our reward will only be given to him who has earned it. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation,” says St. James, “for when he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12) (2) He wishes us to understand, moreover, that we can do nothing without Him, so that we may be humble and may pray to Him with faith and perseverance. (3) He desires that we may be vigilant and may live in union with Him by means of prayer. He wishes us to realise that only with His help can we aspire to the supernatural life and triumph over our enemies. Apart from Him we shall be lost, but close to Him we shall be invincible.
1. “Let no man say when he is tempted,” St. James warns us, “that he is tempted by God; for God is no tempter to evil, and he himself tempts no one. But everyone is tempted by being drawn away and enticed by his own passion. Then when passion has conceived, it brings forth sin, but when sin has matured, it begets death.” (James 1:13-15)
When we ask God during the Pater Noster not to lead us into temptation, we should really beseech Him to rescue us from temptation. We should not request this in any absolute sense, however, for it would be a poor soldier who would refuse to be tried in battle. Our prayer should be prompted by a holy fear of offending God. We should ask Him, therefore, either to set us free from temptations or to grant us the grace to overcome them. We should then co-operate earnestly with divine grace in resisting these temptations and should adopt the means necessary to overcome them.
In the first place, we should never go voluntarily into an occasion of sin. What use is it asking God to rescue us from temptations if we immediately proceed to go in search of them? When possible, therefore, avoid the occasions of sin. “He who loves danger,” says the Holy Spirit, “will perish in it.” (Ecclus. 3:25) If duty or charity compels us to expose ourselves to danger, God will certainly help us. But if we fail to recognise our own frailty and expose ourselves voluntarily to the risk of committing sin, God is not obliged to work a miracle to save us. Our presumption and imprudence will be severely punished.
2. Life is a prolonged trial. St. Paul compares it to a stadium in which everyone must fight to win. If anyone lays down his arms, he will be unable to conquer his passions or to achieve the palm of victory. “One who enters a contest is not crowned unless he has competed according to the rules.” (2 Tim. 2:5)
With the exception of the Blessed Virgin, every human being is obliged to battle against the temptations of the flesh. Sometimes these can be quite terrifying. St. Paul himself confessed that he felt another law in his members warring against the law of his mind. “Unhappy man that I am!” he exclaimed in supplication to God to come to his assistance. “Who will deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24)
The false enchantment and wickedness of the world also threatens to ensnare us. “We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19) It is easy to become absorbed in worldly affairs and to forget the all-important spiritual realities.
Finally, there is the devil, whom St. Peter describes as wandering about “seeking someone to devour. Resist him,” he urges us, “steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same suffering befalls your brethren all over the world.” (Cf. 1 Peter 5:9)
Faced as we are with these three foes, we should implore God to help us by His grace. Lead us not into temptation, O God, but help us to conquer these enemies. Without You we can do nothing, but with Your aid anything is possible. Lead us not into temptation.
3. Why, we may ask, does God permit us to be tempted? It is for our own good, because (1) He desires us to co-operate with Him in our own salvation. The crown of glory which is to be our reward will only be given to him who has earned it. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation,” says St. James, “for when he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12) (2) He wishes us to understand, moreover, that we can do nothing without Him, so that we may be humble and may pray to Him with faith and perseverance. (3) He desires that we may be vigilant and may live in union with Him by means of prayer. He wishes us to realise that only with His help can we aspire to the supernatural life and triumph over our enemies. Apart from Him we shall be lost, but close to Him we shall be invincible.
“As We Also Forgive Our Debtors” - Cardinal Bacci
“As We Also Forgive Our Debtors”
1. When we ask God to forgive us, we promise to forgive those who have offended us. Unless we are to be guilty of deception, therefore, we must pardon them. If we refuse to forgive, God will not forgive us. Jesus tells us in the Gospel to pardon offences not seven times, but seventy times seven. (Cf. Mt. 18:22) In other words, we must always be prepared to forgive. He tells us to return good for evil and to turn the other cheek when someone strikes us.
Not alone did Jesus command us to do this, but He also set us an example. While He was suffering fearful torments on the Cross and was surrounded by jeering enemies, He turned to His heavenly Father and uttered those sublime words: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:24)
How could we gaze at the Crucifix and dare to refuse forgiveness to anyone? No matter how grave may seem the injuries done to us by our neighbour, let us remember that they are insignificant in comparison with the insults which we have dared to offer to the infinite majesty of our Creator. They are as the hundred denarii compared with the ten thousand talents of Christ’s parable. (Mt. 18:24-28)
If we wish to receive God’s pardon, therefore, let us be prepared to forgive. Let our forgiveness be sincere, however, and not a mere formal token. The forgiveness freely granted by a heart scourged by the injuries of others is a pleasing sacrifice offered to God.
2. “If thou art offering thy gift at the altar,” Jesus tells us, “and thou rememberest that thy brother has anything against thee, leave thy gift before the altar and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Mt. 5:23-24) Prayer is futile, therefore, unless we have first forgiven our enemies.
“Learn from me,” Jesus said when He proposed Himself as a model to be imitated, “for I am meek and humble of heart.” Then, He added, “you will find rest for your souls.” (Cf. Mt. 11:29) How true this is. The foundation of our hatred, anger, and resentment is always our wounded pride. We need Christlike gentleness and humility if we are to forgive sincerely and generously. Only when we have this gentleness and humility, moreover, shall we find joy in forgiving, and only then shall we have peace. As long as there is room in our hearts for pride and hatred, we can never enjoy peace of soul.
3. Some people hold that it is base and low-spirited to forgive easily, whereas a keen sense of honour demands revenge. Nothing could be more false. Even animals seek revenge. The true greatness of human nature lies in its ability to conquer the lower instincts. “It is far more difficult,” wrote a famous historian of antiquity, “to overcome oneself than to defeat one’s enemy in battle.” (Val. Max., L, 4) Forgiveness requires a victory over pride and sensitivity and is therefore a high act of human value.
When we forgive, we do not abase ourselves before the man who has offended us, but we raise ourselves above him by our nobility and generosity. By behaving in this manner we display our self-control, inspire sentiments of respect and benevolence, and may even bring about a reconciliation and a renewal of friendship.
So let us make a few good resolutions. (1) Remembering how Jesus prayed for His executioners, let us always be generous in pardoning others. (2) Let us do good to those who have offended us, adopting the motto of St. Paul: “Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:21) (3) When the injury which we have received disturbs us greatly and causes us to lose our peace of mind, let us remain silent and procrastinate. “Delay is the best cure for anger,” wrote Seneca, who also very truly observed that whenever we have been angry with others we end by being angry with ourselves.
1. When we ask God to forgive us, we promise to forgive those who have offended us. Unless we are to be guilty of deception, therefore, we must pardon them. If we refuse to forgive, God will not forgive us. Jesus tells us in the Gospel to pardon offences not seven times, but seventy times seven. (Cf. Mt. 18:22) In other words, we must always be prepared to forgive. He tells us to return good for evil and to turn the other cheek when someone strikes us.
Not alone did Jesus command us to do this, but He also set us an example. While He was suffering fearful torments on the Cross and was surrounded by jeering enemies, He turned to His heavenly Father and uttered those sublime words: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:24)
How could we gaze at the Crucifix and dare to refuse forgiveness to anyone? No matter how grave may seem the injuries done to us by our neighbour, let us remember that they are insignificant in comparison with the insults which we have dared to offer to the infinite majesty of our Creator. They are as the hundred denarii compared with the ten thousand talents of Christ’s parable. (Mt. 18:24-28)
If we wish to receive God’s pardon, therefore, let us be prepared to forgive. Let our forgiveness be sincere, however, and not a mere formal token. The forgiveness freely granted by a heart scourged by the injuries of others is a pleasing sacrifice offered to God.
2. “If thou art offering thy gift at the altar,” Jesus tells us, “and thou rememberest that thy brother has anything against thee, leave thy gift before the altar and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Mt. 5:23-24) Prayer is futile, therefore, unless we have first forgiven our enemies.
“Learn from me,” Jesus said when He proposed Himself as a model to be imitated, “for I am meek and humble of heart.” Then, He added, “you will find rest for your souls.” (Cf. Mt. 11:29) How true this is. The foundation of our hatred, anger, and resentment is always our wounded pride. We need Christlike gentleness and humility if we are to forgive sincerely and generously. Only when we have this gentleness and humility, moreover, shall we find joy in forgiving, and only then shall we have peace. As long as there is room in our hearts for pride and hatred, we can never enjoy peace of soul.
3. Some people hold that it is base and low-spirited to forgive easily, whereas a keen sense of honour demands revenge. Nothing could be more false. Even animals seek revenge. The true greatness of human nature lies in its ability to conquer the lower instincts. “It is far more difficult,” wrote a famous historian of antiquity, “to overcome oneself than to defeat one’s enemy in battle.” (Val. Max., L, 4) Forgiveness requires a victory over pride and sensitivity and is therefore a high act of human value.
When we forgive, we do not abase ourselves before the man who has offended us, but we raise ourselves above him by our nobility and generosity. By behaving in this manner we display our self-control, inspire sentiments of respect and benevolence, and may even bring about a reconciliation and a renewal of friendship.
So let us make a few good resolutions. (1) Remembering how Jesus prayed for His executioners, let us always be generous in pardoning others. (2) Let us do good to those who have offended us, adopting the motto of St. Paul: “Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:21) (3) When the injury which we have received disturbs us greatly and causes us to lose our peace of mind, let us remain silent and procrastinate. “Delay is the best cure for anger,” wrote Seneca, who also very truly observed that whenever we have been angry with others we end by being angry with ourselves.
“Forgive Us Our Debts” - Cardinal Bacci
“Forgive Us Our Debts”
1. When we have asked God for nourishment for soul and body, we go on to implore forgiveness for our debts, whether they have been contracted in the course of nature, or of grace, or of sin. We owe everything to God. There was a time when we did not exist, and in His divine omnipotence He created us from nothing. Our bodily powers and spiritual faculties are His gifts to us. If we enjoy health, it is He Who has given it to us. If we have any ability, it comes from Him. Anything which we have been able to achieve as the result of mental or manual labour has been made possible by His help.
Who is it but God Who rescues us from the many perils which surround us? Who but He enables us to overcome so many difficulties? How many times we should have died if He had not sustained us!
Let us think back over our past lives. How much reason we have to be grateful to God, Who has watched over us continually like a loving Father. The conservation of life is a continuous act of creation. When we recite the Pater Noster, therefore, we should express our filial gratitude to God and ask for His continued protection. Every moment of life is a new gift of God and an act of His infinite love in our regard. Let us be grateful and love Him generously in return.
2. Over and above these natural debts, we are also indebted to God for His grace. Not only has God created us, but He has also raised us to the supernatural order. By His grace He has made us His friends and His adopted children. As a result of original sin we lost this supernatural life and were unable to regain it by our own efforts.
God was moved with compassion for us, however, and sent His own divine Son to sacrifice Himself for love of us in order to redeem us and to restore to us the supernatural life of the soul. We are greatly indebted in the supernatural order, therefore, to our Creator and our Redeemer. The only way in which we can adequately satisfy our obligation is by offering up the infinite merits of Jesus Christ.
We have been born, moreover, in the Catholic Church and have received a Christian education. God has always been close to us with His Sacraments. By means of Baptism He caused us to be born again to a life of grace. Whenever we fell, He raised us up again through the Sacrament of Penance, and when we were weak and faltering He nourished us with His Eucharistic food. Let us adore Him and acknowledge that we can never thank Him enough for all that He has done for us. That is why we need to repeat time and time again: Forgive us our debts.
3. Finally, we owe God a great deal on account of our sins. Unfortunately, our only return for God’s continual favours has been negligence, ingratitude, and sin. How many failings we have been guilty of throughout our lives. Since it is an offence against God, Who is infinitely good and amiable, even venial sin cannot properly be atoned for by the merits of all the Angels and of all the Saints of Heaven. Therefore it was necessary for the Son of God made man to offer Himself as a victim of expiation on our behalf.
Remembering His infinite merits, we should humbly ask God: Forgive us our debts, that is, our many sins and failings and whatever punishment is owing to us, for every sin demands some expiation either in this life or in the next. Meanwhile, we should accept with resignation all the sufferings which God sends us in reparation for our sins, and we should promise never to offend Him any more.
1. When we have asked God for nourishment for soul and body, we go on to implore forgiveness for our debts, whether they have been contracted in the course of nature, or of grace, or of sin. We owe everything to God. There was a time when we did not exist, and in His divine omnipotence He created us from nothing. Our bodily powers and spiritual faculties are His gifts to us. If we enjoy health, it is He Who has given it to us. If we have any ability, it comes from Him. Anything which we have been able to achieve as the result of mental or manual labour has been made possible by His help.
Who is it but God Who rescues us from the many perils which surround us? Who but He enables us to overcome so many difficulties? How many times we should have died if He had not sustained us!
Let us think back over our past lives. How much reason we have to be grateful to God, Who has watched over us continually like a loving Father. The conservation of life is a continuous act of creation. When we recite the Pater Noster, therefore, we should express our filial gratitude to God and ask for His continued protection. Every moment of life is a new gift of God and an act of His infinite love in our regard. Let us be grateful and love Him generously in return.
2. Over and above these natural debts, we are also indebted to God for His grace. Not only has God created us, but He has also raised us to the supernatural order. By His grace He has made us His friends and His adopted children. As a result of original sin we lost this supernatural life and were unable to regain it by our own efforts.
God was moved with compassion for us, however, and sent His own divine Son to sacrifice Himself for love of us in order to redeem us and to restore to us the supernatural life of the soul. We are greatly indebted in the supernatural order, therefore, to our Creator and our Redeemer. The only way in which we can adequately satisfy our obligation is by offering up the infinite merits of Jesus Christ.
We have been born, moreover, in the Catholic Church and have received a Christian education. God has always been close to us with His Sacraments. By means of Baptism He caused us to be born again to a life of grace. Whenever we fell, He raised us up again through the Sacrament of Penance, and when we were weak and faltering He nourished us with His Eucharistic food. Let us adore Him and acknowledge that we can never thank Him enough for all that He has done for us. That is why we need to repeat time and time again: Forgive us our debts.
3. Finally, we owe God a great deal on account of our sins. Unfortunately, our only return for God’s continual favours has been negligence, ingratitude, and sin. How many failings we have been guilty of throughout our lives. Since it is an offence against God, Who is infinitely good and amiable, even venial sin cannot properly be atoned for by the merits of all the Angels and of all the Saints of Heaven. Therefore it was necessary for the Son of God made man to offer Himself as a victim of expiation on our behalf.
Remembering His infinite merits, we should humbly ask God: Forgive us our debts, that is, our many sins and failings and whatever punishment is owing to us, for every sin demands some expiation either in this life or in the next. Meanwhile, we should accept with resignation all the sufferings which God sends us in reparation for our sins, and we should promise never to offend Him any more.
Our Daily Bread - Cardinal Bacci
Our Daily Bread
1. In the Pater Noster Jesus instructs us to ask for our daily bread – that is, for sufficient bread for today, not for tomorrow. In this way He warns us not to be too preoccupied with the future, but to trust in Providence and accept from God’s hands from day to day whatever is necessary for us. God is our Father and loves us as His children. Knowing this, why should we worry about the future?
We are in the hands of God, Who looks after all His children. Let us entrust ourselves completely to His care. This does not mean that we should indulge in any kind of fatalism, expecting everything from God and doing nothing ourselves. We cannot and should not expect unnecessary miracles. We are under an obligation to work, because work is the result of, and the punishment for, sin. It enables us to co-operate with God in His work of creation and has been ennobled and sanctified by Jesus Christ, Who chose to be “the carpenter’s son,” (Mt. 13:55) and a carpenter Himself. (Cf. Mk. 6:3) We should work, therefore, but should not worry.
When we have done everything of which we are capable, we should leave the rest to Divine Providence.
We should not desire, moreover, to accumulate riches which, as the Gospel warns us, often turn out to be thorns which choke us (Cf. Luke 8:14) and halt our progress towards God. We should desire instead the true spiritual riches, namely, divine grace and virtue. We should be prepared to expend all our energy in order to acquire these. If material wealth comes our way, however, it is not necessary to reject it. Evangelical poverty is not a command, but simply a counsel of perfection. As long as we use it well and do not become too attached to it, wealth can be an instrument of virtue and powerful means of doing good. (Cf. St. Thomas, Contra Gentiles, III, 134)
2. We can find this teaching which is contained in these words of the “Our Father” in another section of the Gospel, where Jesus tells us not to ask for riches and not to hoard goods for the future, but to pray and work from day to day for our daily needs. “Do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat, nor yet for your body, what you shall put on… Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them… Consider how the lilies of the fields grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which flourishes today but tomorrow is thrown in the oven, how much more you, O you… you of little faith! … Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow will have anxieties of its own. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Cf. Mt. 6:25-34)
3. When we pray to God to give us our daily bread, we should remember this beautiful sermon of Christ, which will remove all our anxiety and worldly worry. As long as we are prepared to do our work, we shall obtain our daily bread from our loving Father and shall receive in addition spiritual peace, confidence, and perfect resignation to His holy will.
1. In the Pater Noster Jesus instructs us to ask for our daily bread – that is, for sufficient bread for today, not for tomorrow. In this way He warns us not to be too preoccupied with the future, but to trust in Providence and accept from God’s hands from day to day whatever is necessary for us. God is our Father and loves us as His children. Knowing this, why should we worry about the future?
We are in the hands of God, Who looks after all His children. Let us entrust ourselves completely to His care. This does not mean that we should indulge in any kind of fatalism, expecting everything from God and doing nothing ourselves. We cannot and should not expect unnecessary miracles. We are under an obligation to work, because work is the result of, and the punishment for, sin. It enables us to co-operate with God in His work of creation and has been ennobled and sanctified by Jesus Christ, Who chose to be “the carpenter’s son,” (Mt. 13:55) and a carpenter Himself. (Cf. Mk. 6:3) We should work, therefore, but should not worry.
When we have done everything of which we are capable, we should leave the rest to Divine Providence.
We should not desire, moreover, to accumulate riches which, as the Gospel warns us, often turn out to be thorns which choke us (Cf. Luke 8:14) and halt our progress towards God. We should desire instead the true spiritual riches, namely, divine grace and virtue. We should be prepared to expend all our energy in order to acquire these. If material wealth comes our way, however, it is not necessary to reject it. Evangelical poverty is not a command, but simply a counsel of perfection. As long as we use it well and do not become too attached to it, wealth can be an instrument of virtue and powerful means of doing good. (Cf. St. Thomas, Contra Gentiles, III, 134)
2. We can find this teaching which is contained in these words of the “Our Father” in another section of the Gospel, where Jesus tells us not to ask for riches and not to hoard goods for the future, but to pray and work from day to day for our daily needs. “Do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat, nor yet for your body, what you shall put on… Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them… Consider how the lilies of the fields grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which flourishes today but tomorrow is thrown in the oven, how much more you, O you… you of little faith! … Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow will have anxieties of its own. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Cf. Mt. 6:25-34)
3. When we pray to God to give us our daily bread, we should remember this beautiful sermon of Christ, which will remove all our anxiety and worldly worry. As long as we are prepared to do our work, we shall obtain our daily bread from our loving Father and shall receive in addition spiritual peace, confidence, and perfect resignation to His holy will.
“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread” - Cardinal Bacci
“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”
1. In the second part of the Lord’s Prayer we ask the universal Father, on behalf of ourselves and of our brethren, for all things necessary for soul and body. Since we have already paid homage to God, our Creator and our Redeemer, and have prayed for the triumph of His kingdom and for the accomplishment of His will in Heaven and on earth, Our Lord does not forbid us to think now of ourselves and to pray for our own needs. “Give us this day our daily bread,” we ask, intending to pray both for our spiritual and material requirements.
We should not delude ourselves into imagining that it is we who produce the fruits of the earth. A grain of wheat dies beneath the soil, but God has infused into it a mysterious force as a result of which, in dying, it generates new life.
The moisture of the soil, the warmth of the air, and the light of the sun combine to develop this mysterious life-force, which produces the green stalk and then the flaxen ear of corn which provides us with bread. It is God Who has given this vital power to this tiny seed, as well as to all the other seeds of the soil. It is He Who has endowed the soil with the nutritive elements from which the seeds draw life, and it is He Who sends the dew, the rain, and the sunshine, which cause the flowers to blossom and the plants to bear fruit.
We should ask God humbly, therefore, to “give us this day our daily bread.” Our own labours would be futile without the intervention of the all-powerful Creator. We are capable neither of producing nor of destroying a single atom nor a single seedling. Without God we are incapable of achieving anything either in the natural or in the supernatural order. Therefore we must ask Him to provide us with what we need. He is supremely good and loves us very much. His Providence will not leave us in want, even if we are often obliged to work hard in co-operation with Him to procure the necessaries of life. The birds have no granary, yet they manage to find enough seed to keep them alive because God is watching over them. How could we suppose that He will not look after us if we turn to Him with trust and perseverance?
2. Note that each one of us prays for “our daily bread,” not for “my daily bread.” We should not ask only for our own requirements, but for those of all our fellow-men as well.
There are many poverty-stricken people for whom bread is very scarce. We should pray especially for them and should be prepared to share our bread with those who have none. Both charity and justice demand this of us. Let us ask, moreover, only for our necessary requirements, not for wealth and luxury. Anything superfluous which we possess does not belong to us, but to the poor. “Give that which remains,” the Gospel commands, “as alms.” (Luke 11:41) Let us remember that, whether we are rich or poor, we are all one great family. Our love for one another should not be merely theoretical, but practical; otherwise we are not sincere Christians.
3. We should not ask only for food for the body, but for spiritual nourishment. “Not by bread alone does man live,” says Holy Scripture, “but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4; cf. Deut. 8:3) The soul must be nourished as well as the body, for it has its own life which is worn away by the daily conflict against sinful inclinations and by the constant struggle to achieve sanctity. It needs to be nourished by the word of God, by His grace, and especially by receiving the Author of grace frequently in Holy Communion. We should ask before anything else for the grace of God and for the true bread of life which descends from Heaven. “Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Let us ask for this life-giving bread for ourselves and for our unfortunate brothers who are living apart from Jesus in a state of spiritual death. May daily Communion become once more the inexhaustible source of the spiritual life and of Christian virtue which it was in the early days of the Church.
1. In the second part of the Lord’s Prayer we ask the universal Father, on behalf of ourselves and of our brethren, for all things necessary for soul and body. Since we have already paid homage to God, our Creator and our Redeemer, and have prayed for the triumph of His kingdom and for the accomplishment of His will in Heaven and on earth, Our Lord does not forbid us to think now of ourselves and to pray for our own needs. “Give us this day our daily bread,” we ask, intending to pray both for our spiritual and material requirements.
We should not delude ourselves into imagining that it is we who produce the fruits of the earth. A grain of wheat dies beneath the soil, but God has infused into it a mysterious force as a result of which, in dying, it generates new life.
The moisture of the soil, the warmth of the air, and the light of the sun combine to develop this mysterious life-force, which produces the green stalk and then the flaxen ear of corn which provides us with bread. It is God Who has given this vital power to this tiny seed, as well as to all the other seeds of the soil. It is He Who has endowed the soil with the nutritive elements from which the seeds draw life, and it is He Who sends the dew, the rain, and the sunshine, which cause the flowers to blossom and the plants to bear fruit.
We should ask God humbly, therefore, to “give us this day our daily bread.” Our own labours would be futile without the intervention of the all-powerful Creator. We are capable neither of producing nor of destroying a single atom nor a single seedling. Without God we are incapable of achieving anything either in the natural or in the supernatural order. Therefore we must ask Him to provide us with what we need. He is supremely good and loves us very much. His Providence will not leave us in want, even if we are often obliged to work hard in co-operation with Him to procure the necessaries of life. The birds have no granary, yet they manage to find enough seed to keep them alive because God is watching over them. How could we suppose that He will not look after us if we turn to Him with trust and perseverance?
2. Note that each one of us prays for “our daily bread,” not for “my daily bread.” We should not ask only for our own requirements, but for those of all our fellow-men as well.
There are many poverty-stricken people for whom bread is very scarce. We should pray especially for them and should be prepared to share our bread with those who have none. Both charity and justice demand this of us. Let us ask, moreover, only for our necessary requirements, not for wealth and luxury. Anything superfluous which we possess does not belong to us, but to the poor. “Give that which remains,” the Gospel commands, “as alms.” (Luke 11:41) Let us remember that, whether we are rich or poor, we are all one great family. Our love for one another should not be merely theoretical, but practical; otherwise we are not sincere Christians.
3. We should not ask only for food for the body, but for spiritual nourishment. “Not by bread alone does man live,” says Holy Scripture, “but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4; cf. Deut. 8:3) The soul must be nourished as well as the body, for it has its own life which is worn away by the daily conflict against sinful inclinations and by the constant struggle to achieve sanctity. It needs to be nourished by the word of God, by His grace, and especially by receiving the Author of grace frequently in Holy Communion. We should ask before anything else for the grace of God and for the true bread of life which descends from Heaven. “Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Let us ask for this life-giving bread for ourselves and for our unfortunate brothers who are living apart from Jesus in a state of spiritual death. May daily Communion become once more the inexhaustible source of the spiritual life and of Christian virtue which it was in the early days of the Church.
The First Part of the “Our Father” - Cardinal Bacci
The First Part of the “Our Father”
1.The Pater Noster, being God’s own composition, is the most perfect of prayers. It covers, moreover, all our obligations and all our needs. It may be divided into two parts, the first of which refers to God, the second to ourselves. We should ask first of all for whatever is important to God, and then for whatever concerns ourselves. This is the command of Jesus. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be given you besides. (Mt. 6:33)
When we have invoked our Father in Heaven we go on to pray: “Hallowed be Thy name.”
Let us think about this. What do we look for first of all when we pray? Is it the glory of God, or is it our own self-interest? Which occupies the principal place in our thoughts, God or our own ego? Let us remember that we have been created for the glory of God. We shall not find happiness unless we seek God’s glory alone, for God is our true welfare.
We must not allow ourselves to become absorbed in insignificant worldly objects, which can never completely satisfy us. Rather must we keep our minds on God. “God alone is sufficient,” said St. Teresa. Without Him there is nothing good within us or around us.
When we say “Hallowed be Thy name,” moreover, we should not only give God’s glory precedence over all our desires, but we should also make an act of reparation for the countless blasphemies by which His name has been injured. How can we remain passive and inert while our Creator and our Redeemer is being continually blasphemed and offended? At the very least we can set against the diabolical insults of many of our fellow-men our own humble and loving prayer: “May Thy name, my God, be blessed and glorified.”
2. Our second ejaculation is: “Thy kingdom come.” It is true that God reigns over Heaven, earth, and the infernal regions. Everything is subject to His will; the sun, the stars, the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and the tiniest insects carry out His commands. Even the demons of Hell, who He has condemned to eternal punishment, are obedient to His will. But what about the human race?
Man possesses the precious but dangerous privilege of free will, which he has power to abuse by rebelling against God. We should pray that the sovereignty of God many be triumphant in all hearts, beginning with our own, and that all men may willingly subject themselves to His commandments and to His grace. This is the only way in which they can find peace. “Take my yoke upon you... and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt. 11:29)
We should pray, moreover, for the Church, which is the kingdom of God on earth. We should pray for her peaceful victory over her enemies, who persecute her and impede her work for the salvation of souls. We should love the Church even as we love Jesus Christ, for the Church is His handiwork and the fruit of His Precious Blood.
3. “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.” There is infinite and everlasting happiness in Heaven because all the blessed do God’s will in a spirit of love and find perfect peace in Him.
We have a strict obligation to do God’s will, because we all owe prompt and generous obedience to our Creator and Redeemer. Furthermore, this is the only way in which we can acquire peace of soul, which is the beginning of true happiness. “There is no peace to the wicked.” (Is. 48:22) The sinner can never be at peace.
Therefore, when we say “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven,” let us resolve to do God’s will in all things in the manner of the blessed in Heaven. Our reward will be spiritual peace, even in the midst of trial and sorrow.
1.The Pater Noster, being God’s own composition, is the most perfect of prayers. It covers, moreover, all our obligations and all our needs. It may be divided into two parts, the first of which refers to God, the second to ourselves. We should ask first of all for whatever is important to God, and then for whatever concerns ourselves. This is the command of Jesus. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be given you besides. (Mt. 6:33)
When we have invoked our Father in Heaven we go on to pray: “Hallowed be Thy name.”
Let us think about this. What do we look for first of all when we pray? Is it the glory of God, or is it our own self-interest? Which occupies the principal place in our thoughts, God or our own ego? Let us remember that we have been created for the glory of God. We shall not find happiness unless we seek God’s glory alone, for God is our true welfare.
We must not allow ourselves to become absorbed in insignificant worldly objects, which can never completely satisfy us. Rather must we keep our minds on God. “God alone is sufficient,” said St. Teresa. Without Him there is nothing good within us or around us.
When we say “Hallowed be Thy name,” moreover, we should not only give God’s glory precedence over all our desires, but we should also make an act of reparation for the countless blasphemies by which His name has been injured. How can we remain passive and inert while our Creator and our Redeemer is being continually blasphemed and offended? At the very least we can set against the diabolical insults of many of our fellow-men our own humble and loving prayer: “May Thy name, my God, be blessed and glorified.”
2. Our second ejaculation is: “Thy kingdom come.” It is true that God reigns over Heaven, earth, and the infernal regions. Everything is subject to His will; the sun, the stars, the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and the tiniest insects carry out His commands. Even the demons of Hell, who He has condemned to eternal punishment, are obedient to His will. But what about the human race?
Man possesses the precious but dangerous privilege of free will, which he has power to abuse by rebelling against God. We should pray that the sovereignty of God many be triumphant in all hearts, beginning with our own, and that all men may willingly subject themselves to His commandments and to His grace. This is the only way in which they can find peace. “Take my yoke upon you... and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt. 11:29)
We should pray, moreover, for the Church, which is the kingdom of God on earth. We should pray for her peaceful victory over her enemies, who persecute her and impede her work for the salvation of souls. We should love the Church even as we love Jesus Christ, for the Church is His handiwork and the fruit of His Precious Blood.
3. “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.” There is infinite and everlasting happiness in Heaven because all the blessed do God’s will in a spirit of love and find perfect peace in Him.
We have a strict obligation to do God’s will, because we all owe prompt and generous obedience to our Creator and Redeemer. Furthermore, this is the only way in which we can acquire peace of soul, which is the beginning of true happiness. “There is no peace to the wicked.” (Is. 48:22) The sinner can never be at peace.
Therefore, when we say “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven,” let us resolve to do God’s will in all things in the manner of the blessed in Heaven. Our reward will be spiritual peace, even in the midst of trial and sorrow.
The “Our Father” - Cardinal Bacci
The “Our Father”
1. Our Lord exhorted His disciples on many occasions to pray often and with confidence if they wished to be heard. Everything which they asked His heavenly Father in His name, He said, they would obtain. Ask, He said, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you. Finally, He insisted that we ought to pray and never to give up. In other words, life can be a continuous prayer if we offer to God all our thoughts, words, and actions.
The ideal Christian prayer is to do the will of God at all times from the motive of pure love. The Apostles, however, who had not made that much progress in the spiritual life, asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. (Luke 11:1) It was then that Our Lord composed the most beautiful of prayers, the “Our Father.” (Mt. 6:9-13) When we recite it, we speak to God in the words of Jesus Christ Himself and unite our weak voices with the powerful voice of the Son of God. We address the Eternal God, moreover, by the name of Father. Even in the Old Testament God is often referred to in this way. Then, however, He figured as the Father of the chosen people, whereas now He is the Father of all. He is our Father, the Father of all mankind and of all races, whom He has willed to redeem from the slavery of sin. The term “Our Father” has taken on a new and fuller meaning. Our weak prayer becomes united to that of Jesus, our first-born brother, and to the prayers of the Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins, and Confessors, who form and have formed throughout the centuries the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church. We need no longer feel that we are on our own, for through the Communion of Saints our entreaties are joined to those of the entire Church, militant, suffering, and triumphant. We can be confident, therefore, that our prayer will be heard.
2. “Our Father, Who art in Heaven.” Heaven is God Himself, Who reveals Himself to the souls of the blessed. If a man lives in God, his mind and heart are already in Heaven, even though he is still an exile upon this earth. It is a wonderful experience to lead a bodily existence upon earth while our minds are with God in heaven, for, as St. Paul says, “our citizenship is in heaven.” (Phil. 3:20) As we are aware, God is everywhere, in Heaven and on earth. When we invoke our Father Who is in Heaven, however, we manifest our faith in Him and in His generosity, whereby He reveals Himself in all His glory to the blessed and shows His mercy to us poor exiles when we come to Him. In the first words of the Pater Noster, we express not only our faith, but also our hope of being happy with God for all eternity.
3. God is truly our Father because He created us from nothing and because He caused us to be born again through the Incarnation of His only-begotten Son and the work of the Redemption. In this way He is doubly our Father.
Can we claim, however, to be true sons of God? It is not enough simply to make this claim by reciting the “Our Father,” but we should prove it in a practical way in our daily lives. We can do this by accepting God’s will in all things, by obeying His commandments and the precepts of the church, and especially by loving Him more than anything in creation.
1. Our Lord exhorted His disciples on many occasions to pray often and with confidence if they wished to be heard. Everything which they asked His heavenly Father in His name, He said, they would obtain. Ask, He said, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you. Finally, He insisted that we ought to pray and never to give up. In other words, life can be a continuous prayer if we offer to God all our thoughts, words, and actions.
The ideal Christian prayer is to do the will of God at all times from the motive of pure love. The Apostles, however, who had not made that much progress in the spiritual life, asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. (Luke 11:1) It was then that Our Lord composed the most beautiful of prayers, the “Our Father.” (Mt. 6:9-13) When we recite it, we speak to God in the words of Jesus Christ Himself and unite our weak voices with the powerful voice of the Son of God. We address the Eternal God, moreover, by the name of Father. Even in the Old Testament God is often referred to in this way. Then, however, He figured as the Father of the chosen people, whereas now He is the Father of all. He is our Father, the Father of all mankind and of all races, whom He has willed to redeem from the slavery of sin. The term “Our Father” has taken on a new and fuller meaning. Our weak prayer becomes united to that of Jesus, our first-born brother, and to the prayers of the Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins, and Confessors, who form and have formed throughout the centuries the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church. We need no longer feel that we are on our own, for through the Communion of Saints our entreaties are joined to those of the entire Church, militant, suffering, and triumphant. We can be confident, therefore, that our prayer will be heard.
2. “Our Father, Who art in Heaven.” Heaven is God Himself, Who reveals Himself to the souls of the blessed. If a man lives in God, his mind and heart are already in Heaven, even though he is still an exile upon this earth. It is a wonderful experience to lead a bodily existence upon earth while our minds are with God in heaven, for, as St. Paul says, “our citizenship is in heaven.” (Phil. 3:20) As we are aware, God is everywhere, in Heaven and on earth. When we invoke our Father Who is in Heaven, however, we manifest our faith in Him and in His generosity, whereby He reveals Himself in all His glory to the blessed and shows His mercy to us poor exiles when we come to Him. In the first words of the Pater Noster, we express not only our faith, but also our hope of being happy with God for all eternity.
3. God is truly our Father because He created us from nothing and because He caused us to be born again through the Incarnation of His only-begotten Son and the work of the Redemption. In this way He is doubly our Father.
Can we claim, however, to be true sons of God? It is not enough simply to make this claim by reciting the “Our Father,” but we should prove it in a practical way in our daily lives. We can do this by accepting God’s will in all things, by obeying His commandments and the precepts of the church, and especially by loving Him more than anything in creation.
Friday, 17 October 2014
The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth - Cardinal Bacci
The Fifth Glorious Mystery
The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth
1. When the Virgin Mary was borne into Heaven, soul and body, by the Angels, she was received with great rejoicing by the entire company of the blessed. A halo of light surrounded her as her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, placed her on His right hand and proclaimed her Queen of Heaven and Earth. It was fitting that this supreme dignity should have been accorded her, for she was the beloved daughter of the Eternal Father, the immaculate spouse of the Holy Spirit, and the mother of God, the Word made man and the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
Mary is Queen of the Angels because, even though she is inferior to them by reason of her human nature, she is superior to them by reason of her dignity as Mother of God. What Angel could say to the Incarnate Word: “You are my son”? What Angel could command Him as she could in her role of Mother?
Mary has yet another claim to her title which no Angel could ever have. She participated in the passion of her Son Jesus, offering herself along with Him as a victim of expiation. She made a contribution in the supernatural order of the Redemption which neither Angel nor Saint could have made. With Jesus, through Jesus, and in Jesus, she is the co-redemptrix of the human race. Let us bow low before such greatness and join with the choirs of the blessed in paying homage to her.
2. Mary is also styled Queen of the Patriarchs because it was through her that they came to possess the object of their desires, the divine Redeemer, Who released them from Limbo and brought them to Heaven. She is Queen of the Prophets because their prophecies were realised through her. She is Queen of the Apostles whom she assisted and encouraged after the departure of her divine Son. She is the Queen of Martyrs because her maternal heart was pierced by a sword of sorrow. She is Queen of the Confessors because nobody else was capable of so deep and lively a profession of the faith. She is the Queen of Virgins because her virginal purity was crowned by the supreme dignity of Mother of God. She is Queen, moreover, of all the Saints, for no other human creature could ever surpass, or even dream of the summit of holiness to which she attained. Above all, however, she is our Mother and our most powerful Queen. She loves us because we have been redeemed by the blood of her Son, Jesus Christ, and she desires to obtain God’s favours for us and to take us under her maternal protection.
We children of Eve, in exile in this vale of tears, should turn to Mary with confidence and trust in her power to save us.
3. Mary’s reign extends even to the powers of hell, which were vanquished through her instrumentality as Mother of God. We should not lose courage when the devil tries to trap us into sinning. Instead, we should ask Mary, humbly and perseveringly, to save us. Besides praying to her, however, let us take care to imitate her virtues. We must endeavour to become more like Mary if we wish her to regard us as her children and to take us under her maternal protection.
The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth
1. When the Virgin Mary was borne into Heaven, soul and body, by the Angels, she was received with great rejoicing by the entire company of the blessed. A halo of light surrounded her as her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, placed her on His right hand and proclaimed her Queen of Heaven and Earth. It was fitting that this supreme dignity should have been accorded her, for she was the beloved daughter of the Eternal Father, the immaculate spouse of the Holy Spirit, and the mother of God, the Word made man and the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
Mary is Queen of the Angels because, even though she is inferior to them by reason of her human nature, she is superior to them by reason of her dignity as Mother of God. What Angel could say to the Incarnate Word: “You are my son”? What Angel could command Him as she could in her role of Mother?
Mary has yet another claim to her title which no Angel could ever have. She participated in the passion of her Son Jesus, offering herself along with Him as a victim of expiation. She made a contribution in the supernatural order of the Redemption which neither Angel nor Saint could have made. With Jesus, through Jesus, and in Jesus, she is the co-redemptrix of the human race. Let us bow low before such greatness and join with the choirs of the blessed in paying homage to her.
2. Mary is also styled Queen of the Patriarchs because it was through her that they came to possess the object of their desires, the divine Redeemer, Who released them from Limbo and brought them to Heaven. She is Queen of the Prophets because their prophecies were realised through her. She is Queen of the Apostles whom she assisted and encouraged after the departure of her divine Son. She is the Queen of Martyrs because her maternal heart was pierced by a sword of sorrow. She is Queen of the Confessors because nobody else was capable of so deep and lively a profession of the faith. She is the Queen of Virgins because her virginal purity was crowned by the supreme dignity of Mother of God. She is Queen, moreover, of all the Saints, for no other human creature could ever surpass, or even dream of the summit of holiness to which she attained. Above all, however, she is our Mother and our most powerful Queen. She loves us because we have been redeemed by the blood of her Son, Jesus Christ, and she desires to obtain God’s favours for us and to take us under her maternal protection.
We children of Eve, in exile in this vale of tears, should turn to Mary with confidence and trust in her power to save us.
3. Mary’s reign extends even to the powers of hell, which were vanquished through her instrumentality as Mother of God. We should not lose courage when the devil tries to trap us into sinning. Instead, we should ask Mary, humbly and perseveringly, to save us. Besides praying to her, however, let us take care to imitate her virtues. We must endeavour to become more like Mary if we wish her to regard us as her children and to take us under her maternal protection.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven - Cardinal Bacci
The Fourth Glorious Mystery
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven
1. The Fourth Book of Kings tells us that the prophet Elias was brought up into Heaven in a fiery chariot without having first endured the pains and humiliation of death. (Cf. 4 Kings 2:11) Why did God not do likewise in the case of the Blessed Virgin, commanding His Angels to bear her to Heaven before death struck her innocent body? As St. Paul says, it was sin which caused death to enter the world. From the moment of her conception Mary was free from the slightest taint of sin, for she was immaculate and full of grace. Nevertheless, according to the most widely held tradition, Mary chose to die even as her divine Son had willed to die. Jesus “was offered because it was his own will.” (Is. 53:7) The same is true in Mary’s case, with only this difference. Jesus died a cruel death after the most hideous tortures in the midst of a blaspheming and hate-ridden mob. Nothing like this happened to Mary, although she is called the Queen of Martyrs because of the sword which pierced her soul at the sight of her divine Son dying in such agony.
Jesus willed, however, that the immaculate body of His Mother would remain intact. It was only her great love and intense desire of being reunited with her Son which gradually consumed her mortal life. Her ever-increasing love for God broke the bonds of her mortal frame until she went to sleep at last in the Lord.
If only our death could be the same!
2. Because we are wretched sinners, death for us is a punishment. Let us accept it with resignation. We should frequently offer to God whatever death He has in store for us, with all its sorrow and suffering.
We can gain great merit in this way. As a result of our daily offering, God will surely grant us a more peaceful death. There are many people who long for death. Some desire it in moments of discouragement as a release from the sorrows of life. Others long for it to bring to an end their struggle against their sinful inclinations and to assure them of an everlasting reward, to gain which they may not even have made many sacrifices. The first kind of desire is unworthy of a true soldier of Christ while the second is presumptuous and self-interested. The only legitimate yearning for death is the desire to be united at last with Jesus.
This was the nature of Mary’s desire, as well as that of St. Paul, who wrote that he desired “to depart and to be with Christ.” (Phil. 1:23)
3. As a result of this meditation, let us make the following resolutions in the presence of Mary assumed into Heaven.
(1) To offer to God every day in expiation of our sins whatever kind of death He will please to give us.
(2) To build up for ourselves henceforth a substantial credit account of good actions and generous sacrifices.
(3) To pray fervently to our Mother Mary to obtain for us from her divine Son a death which will be peaceful like hers with all our sins forgiven and our hearts filled with a loving desire to be with God.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven
1. The Fourth Book of Kings tells us that the prophet Elias was brought up into Heaven in a fiery chariot without having first endured the pains and humiliation of death. (Cf. 4 Kings 2:11) Why did God not do likewise in the case of the Blessed Virgin, commanding His Angels to bear her to Heaven before death struck her innocent body? As St. Paul says, it was sin which caused death to enter the world. From the moment of her conception Mary was free from the slightest taint of sin, for she was immaculate and full of grace. Nevertheless, according to the most widely held tradition, Mary chose to die even as her divine Son had willed to die. Jesus “was offered because it was his own will.” (Is. 53:7) The same is true in Mary’s case, with only this difference. Jesus died a cruel death after the most hideous tortures in the midst of a blaspheming and hate-ridden mob. Nothing like this happened to Mary, although she is called the Queen of Martyrs because of the sword which pierced her soul at the sight of her divine Son dying in such agony.
Jesus willed, however, that the immaculate body of His Mother would remain intact. It was only her great love and intense desire of being reunited with her Son which gradually consumed her mortal life. Her ever-increasing love for God broke the bonds of her mortal frame until she went to sleep at last in the Lord.
If only our death could be the same!
2. Because we are wretched sinners, death for us is a punishment. Let us accept it with resignation. We should frequently offer to God whatever death He has in store for us, with all its sorrow and suffering.
We can gain great merit in this way. As a result of our daily offering, God will surely grant us a more peaceful death. There are many people who long for death. Some desire it in moments of discouragement as a release from the sorrows of life. Others long for it to bring to an end their struggle against their sinful inclinations and to assure them of an everlasting reward, to gain which they may not even have made many sacrifices. The first kind of desire is unworthy of a true soldier of Christ while the second is presumptuous and self-interested. The only legitimate yearning for death is the desire to be united at last with Jesus.
This was the nature of Mary’s desire, as well as that of St. Paul, who wrote that he desired “to depart and to be with Christ.” (Phil. 1:23)
3. As a result of this meditation, let us make the following resolutions in the presence of Mary assumed into Heaven.
(1) To offer to God every day in expiation of our sins whatever kind of death He will please to give us.
(2) To build up for ourselves henceforth a substantial credit account of good actions and generous sacrifices.
(3) To pray fervently to our Mother Mary to obtain for us from her divine Son a death which will be peaceful like hers with all our sins forgiven and our hearts filled with a loving desire to be with God.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit - Cardinal Bacci
The Third Glorious Mystery
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
1. Before He left this earth for the glory of Heaven, Jesus promised His Apostles that He would not leave them orphans, but would send them the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, “whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.” (1 John 14:16-18) This promise was repeated by our divine Redeemer on the day of His ascension, when He told them not to depart from Jerusalem until the promise would have been fulfilled. In fact, the Apostles were obedient to His instructions. They gathered together in the Cenacle, where they spent the time in constant prayer along with Mary and a number of the faithful. On the feast of Pentecost the house was shaken by a sound from Heaven as of a violent wind blowing, and tongues of fire appeared which settled on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. (Cf. Acts 1:2)
According to a pious tradition the Holy Spirit descended first on the Blessed Virgin in the form of a ball of flame, from which emerged the tongues of fire which alighted on the heads of all present. There is a good deal of significance in this tradition. As Mary took first place in sharing in the passion of Jesus, so she ought to be first to share in the glory of the Redemption. St. Bernard compared the Blessed Virgin to an aquaduct bearing the treasures of grace and the gifts of the Holy Ghost to all the faithful. (Serm. De Aquaeductu.) It is an apt comparison, for the Mother of the Redeemer occupies a position of supremacy in the mystical body of Jesus Christ. Like the Apostles, we should persevere in prayer with Mary. (Cf. Acts 1:14) We should ask for the light and gifts of the Holy Spirit, for we need them very much if we are to walk always in the way of truth and goodness.
2. The Apostles were completely transformed after the feast of Pentecost. They had been ignorant rustics, timid and vacillating. They had hardly understood at all the lofty teaching of Christ, for they were hoping for an earthly kingdom in which they would occupy the highest posts.
When they received the Holy Spirit, however, their minds were flooded with supernatural light and they became heroic in their resolution. Ignorant though they had been, they became masters of truth far superior to the sages of Athens or the philosophers of Rome. They were no longer timid and hesitating, but fearlessly encountered the power of the Sanhedrin, the whips of the soldiery, the dangers of long voyages, and martyrdom itself.
We also have received the illumination and favours of the Holy Spirit. Many times when we have invoked Him, He has inspired and consoled us. But we may not have responded with the same fervour and self-denial as the Apostles. Let us remember that to neglect God’s gifts is to risk our eternal salvation.
3. Because of our weakness we should seek the intercession of Mary and, like the Apostles, persevere in prayer with her. Our prayers, however, should be more supernatural.
There is nothing to prevent us asking our good Mother to look after our temporal needs, such as our health, our business, and our attachments. The first miracle which Mary wrung from the heart of Jesus was at the wedding feast of Cana. Nevertheless, we should not be too materialistic. We should seek first of all from the Holy Spirit through Mary’s intercession the great glory of God and the eternal salvation of ourselves and of all our brothers in Jesus Christ.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
1. Before He left this earth for the glory of Heaven, Jesus promised His Apostles that He would not leave them orphans, but would send them the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, “whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.” (1 John 14:16-18) This promise was repeated by our divine Redeemer on the day of His ascension, when He told them not to depart from Jerusalem until the promise would have been fulfilled. In fact, the Apostles were obedient to His instructions. They gathered together in the Cenacle, where they spent the time in constant prayer along with Mary and a number of the faithful. On the feast of Pentecost the house was shaken by a sound from Heaven as of a violent wind blowing, and tongues of fire appeared which settled on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. (Cf. Acts 1:2)
According to a pious tradition the Holy Spirit descended first on the Blessed Virgin in the form of a ball of flame, from which emerged the tongues of fire which alighted on the heads of all present. There is a good deal of significance in this tradition. As Mary took first place in sharing in the passion of Jesus, so she ought to be first to share in the glory of the Redemption. St. Bernard compared the Blessed Virgin to an aquaduct bearing the treasures of grace and the gifts of the Holy Ghost to all the faithful. (Serm. De Aquaeductu.) It is an apt comparison, for the Mother of the Redeemer occupies a position of supremacy in the mystical body of Jesus Christ. Like the Apostles, we should persevere in prayer with Mary. (Cf. Acts 1:14) We should ask for the light and gifts of the Holy Spirit, for we need them very much if we are to walk always in the way of truth and goodness.
2. The Apostles were completely transformed after the feast of Pentecost. They had been ignorant rustics, timid and vacillating. They had hardly understood at all the lofty teaching of Christ, for they were hoping for an earthly kingdom in which they would occupy the highest posts.
When they received the Holy Spirit, however, their minds were flooded with supernatural light and they became heroic in their resolution. Ignorant though they had been, they became masters of truth far superior to the sages of Athens or the philosophers of Rome. They were no longer timid and hesitating, but fearlessly encountered the power of the Sanhedrin, the whips of the soldiery, the dangers of long voyages, and martyrdom itself.
We also have received the illumination and favours of the Holy Spirit. Many times when we have invoked Him, He has inspired and consoled us. But we may not have responded with the same fervour and self-denial as the Apostles. Let us remember that to neglect God’s gifts is to risk our eternal salvation.
3. Because of our weakness we should seek the intercession of Mary and, like the Apostles, persevere in prayer with her. Our prayers, however, should be more supernatural.
There is nothing to prevent us asking our good Mother to look after our temporal needs, such as our health, our business, and our attachments. The first miracle which Mary wrung from the heart of Jesus was at the wedding feast of Cana. Nevertheless, we should not be too materialistic. We should seek first of all from the Holy Spirit through Mary’s intercession the great glory of God and the eternal salvation of ourselves and of all our brothers in Jesus Christ.
The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven - Cardinal Bacci
The Second Glorious Mystery
The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven
1. Forty days after His glorious resurrection Jesus came with all His friends, among them His Mother, to the Mount of Olives. This area had already witnessed the opening phase of His passion, which was all the more poignant, perhaps, because in Gethsemane it was not His body which was lacerated by scourges and nails, but His soul which experienced the agonising vision of the sins and ingratitude of the human race. Now, however, He is here with a glorified body as the conqueror of sin and of death. He looks for the last time on His small band of followers, to whom He has entrusted His mission of transforming the entire universe by preaching and putting into practice the Gospel message throughout the world. Now He promises them the Holy Spirit, Who will give them the power to overcome evil. Then He is lifted up towards Heaven, until a bright cloud hides Him from their sight.
Perhaps the Blessed Mother was the last to take her eyes off the disappearing cloud which had removed Jesus from view. Her human eyes never saw again the beloved figure of her divine Son, but in her soul she saw Him entering triumphantly into Heaven among choirs of Angels and sitting at the right hand of the Eternal Father. She saw, and thought with infinite yearning of the not too distant day when she would have passed from mortal exile into the everlasting happiness of Heaven, where she would embrace her divine Son again in an ecstasy of love.
We have all been called to ascent to Heaven with Jesus and Mary. Let us remember, however, that only the innocent and the repentant can be admitted into Paradise. If we have been unfortunate enough to have lost our baptismal innocence, only the second way is left to us – the way of penance. We must purify ourselves of our sins by means of good works.
2. We must ascend higher and higher towards the summit of Christian perfection.
In the course of our ascent we must never stop and decide that we have gone far enough. To stop would inevitably mean going back. Jesus and Mary are inviting and encouraging us to go higher and higher.
Have we been purified of sin, the defiler of the soul and the destroyer of human dignity? Have we an intense horror even of venial sin, which separates us from God and kills the life of grace? It is still not enough; we must go higher.
Are we generous and unselfish in the fight to achieve holiness, guarding ourselves against the evil suggestions of the world, the flesh, and the devil? It is still not enough; we must continue to advance.
Do we carry the daily cross which God has entrusted to us and accept the burden with perfect resignation to His Holy Will? Very good, but even this is not enough.
3. O God, what more must we do for You? One thing only, He replies. We must belong altogether to Him, love only Him, and work only for Him. Then we shall have completed our ascent and shall be able to say with St. Paul: “It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) This is the final goal which we must strive whole-heartedly to attain.
The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven
1. Forty days after His glorious resurrection Jesus came with all His friends, among them His Mother, to the Mount of Olives. This area had already witnessed the opening phase of His passion, which was all the more poignant, perhaps, because in Gethsemane it was not His body which was lacerated by scourges and nails, but His soul which experienced the agonising vision of the sins and ingratitude of the human race. Now, however, He is here with a glorified body as the conqueror of sin and of death. He looks for the last time on His small band of followers, to whom He has entrusted His mission of transforming the entire universe by preaching and putting into practice the Gospel message throughout the world. Now He promises them the Holy Spirit, Who will give them the power to overcome evil. Then He is lifted up towards Heaven, until a bright cloud hides Him from their sight.
Perhaps the Blessed Mother was the last to take her eyes off the disappearing cloud which had removed Jesus from view. Her human eyes never saw again the beloved figure of her divine Son, but in her soul she saw Him entering triumphantly into Heaven among choirs of Angels and sitting at the right hand of the Eternal Father. She saw, and thought with infinite yearning of the not too distant day when she would have passed from mortal exile into the everlasting happiness of Heaven, where she would embrace her divine Son again in an ecstasy of love.
We have all been called to ascent to Heaven with Jesus and Mary. Let us remember, however, that only the innocent and the repentant can be admitted into Paradise. If we have been unfortunate enough to have lost our baptismal innocence, only the second way is left to us – the way of penance. We must purify ourselves of our sins by means of good works.
2. We must ascend higher and higher towards the summit of Christian perfection.
In the course of our ascent we must never stop and decide that we have gone far enough. To stop would inevitably mean going back. Jesus and Mary are inviting and encouraging us to go higher and higher.
Have we been purified of sin, the defiler of the soul and the destroyer of human dignity? Have we an intense horror even of venial sin, which separates us from God and kills the life of grace? It is still not enough; we must go higher.
Are we generous and unselfish in the fight to achieve holiness, guarding ourselves against the evil suggestions of the world, the flesh, and the devil? It is still not enough; we must continue to advance.
Do we carry the daily cross which God has entrusted to us and accept the burden with perfect resignation to His Holy Will? Very good, but even this is not enough.
3. O God, what more must we do for You? One thing only, He replies. We must belong altogether to Him, love only Him, and work only for Him. Then we shall have completed our ascent and shall be able to say with St. Paul: “It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) This is the final goal which we must strive whole-heartedly to attain.
The Resurrection of Our Lord - Cardinal Bacci
The First Glorious Mystery
The Resurrection of Our Lord
1. Jesus could not have remained lifeless in the sepulchre. He was the Man-God, the conqueror of sin and of death. He willed to be subject to all the conditions of human existence with the exception of sin; therefore, He suffered and died for love of us.
However, as He had foretold, He rose gloriously from the tomb on the third day. This resurrection is proved historically in a most certain manner by the behaviour of the Apostles, who were at first downcast and incredulous, and were transformed into heroes and martyrs by the glorious apparitions of Jesus. It is confirmed by the obstinacy and deceitfulness of the Jews, who went so far as to bribe the soldiers who were guarding the sepulchre not to reveal the truth. It is proved, moreover, by the fact that the Apostle Thomas refused to believe in the Resurrection until he had placed his finger in the wounds of the Redeemer, Who afterwards appeared to him.
We read in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles that the risen Jesus appeared many times to the Apostles to confirm their faith, to speak with them of the Kingdom of God, and to give them His final instructions and commands. We read also that He appeared to Mary Magdalen to reward her great love and to console her. Nowhere do we read that He appeared to His beloved Mother, Mary. However, the heart tells us what the Gospels omit to mention. Surely it is impossible to suppose that the risen Jesus would not have hastened to embrace and to console her who had borne Him in her chaste womb and had loved Him so much that she followed Him to the foot of Cross?
The apparitions of Jesus narrated in the Gospel had a public purpose, being intended to confirm the faith of those who were fearful, discouraged, or incredulous. The apparitions to Mary were intimate and affectionate meetings with His dear Mother, who had never doubted for one moment that He would rise again. There may be another explanation, however. It is possible that Mary’s humility would have prevented her from discussing with others her happy moments of reunion with her risen Son.
2. Do we wish to share also in the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ? Let us imitate Mary. First of all, we must participate as she did in the sufferings of Christ. By meditating frequently on the passion and death of Christ we can nourish in our hearts an intense love for Him Who suffered so much for our salvation. Let us learn to carry our cross, as He carried His, with resignation and with conformity to God’s will. Spiritual joy is always the fruit of renunciation and of love.
We cannot be happy with Jesus triumphant if we have not first imitated Jesus suffering. We cannot rise gloriously into Heaven if we have not first walked patiently with Mary along the way of Calvary.
3. The Resurrection of Christ demands a resurrection on our part also. If we are in sin, we must rise again. Or it may be that we must rise from a state of torpor to one of fervour, or from a life of worldly pleasure to an interior life nourished by grace, or from a life of selfishness to one of sacrifice.
In which state do we find ourselves? In the presence of the risen Christ and of His Blessed Mother happy in the contemplation of His glory, let us resolve to rise from sin and from spiritual tepidity in order to set out on the way of Christian perfection.
The Resurrection of Our Lord
1. Jesus could not have remained lifeless in the sepulchre. He was the Man-God, the conqueror of sin and of death. He willed to be subject to all the conditions of human existence with the exception of sin; therefore, He suffered and died for love of us.
However, as He had foretold, He rose gloriously from the tomb on the third day. This resurrection is proved historically in a most certain manner by the behaviour of the Apostles, who were at first downcast and incredulous, and were transformed into heroes and martyrs by the glorious apparitions of Jesus. It is confirmed by the obstinacy and deceitfulness of the Jews, who went so far as to bribe the soldiers who were guarding the sepulchre not to reveal the truth. It is proved, moreover, by the fact that the Apostle Thomas refused to believe in the Resurrection until he had placed his finger in the wounds of the Redeemer, Who afterwards appeared to him.
We read in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles that the risen Jesus appeared many times to the Apostles to confirm their faith, to speak with them of the Kingdom of God, and to give them His final instructions and commands. We read also that He appeared to Mary Magdalen to reward her great love and to console her. Nowhere do we read that He appeared to His beloved Mother, Mary. However, the heart tells us what the Gospels omit to mention. Surely it is impossible to suppose that the risen Jesus would not have hastened to embrace and to console her who had borne Him in her chaste womb and had loved Him so much that she followed Him to the foot of Cross?
The apparitions of Jesus narrated in the Gospel had a public purpose, being intended to confirm the faith of those who were fearful, discouraged, or incredulous. The apparitions to Mary were intimate and affectionate meetings with His dear Mother, who had never doubted for one moment that He would rise again. There may be another explanation, however. It is possible that Mary’s humility would have prevented her from discussing with others her happy moments of reunion with her risen Son.
2. Do we wish to share also in the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ? Let us imitate Mary. First of all, we must participate as she did in the sufferings of Christ. By meditating frequently on the passion and death of Christ we can nourish in our hearts an intense love for Him Who suffered so much for our salvation. Let us learn to carry our cross, as He carried His, with resignation and with conformity to God’s will. Spiritual joy is always the fruit of renunciation and of love.
We cannot be happy with Jesus triumphant if we have not first imitated Jesus suffering. We cannot rise gloriously into Heaven if we have not first walked patiently with Mary along the way of Calvary.
3. The Resurrection of Christ demands a resurrection on our part also. If we are in sin, we must rise again. Or it may be that we must rise from a state of torpor to one of fervour, or from a life of worldly pleasure to an interior life nourished by grace, or from a life of selfishness to one of sacrifice.
In which state do we find ourselves? In the presence of the risen Christ and of His Blessed Mother happy in the contemplation of His glory, let us resolve to rise from sin and from spiritual tepidity in order to set out on the way of Christian perfection.
Monday, 13 October 2014
The Crucifixion - Cardinal Bacci
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery
The Crucifixion
1. At last Jesus reaches Calvary, breathless and reduced to utter exhaustion. The instrument of torture is taken from Him and laid upon the ground. Our divine Redeemer suffers acute pain as He is again stripped of His garments, which have stuck to His wounds. Now he is stretched, an innocent victim, on the altar of sacrifice, the Cross. One of the executioners grasps His hand, pierces it with a large nail, and attaches it to the wood. Then he does the same with the other hand and with the two feet. His Mother is close at hand. She feels in her heart the blows of the hammer which lacerate the living flesh of Jesus. Jesus remains silent, “as a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim.” (Jer. 11:19)
Now the executioners raise up the Cross and fix it in the hold already prepared for it. The shock of this impact sends a shudder of pain through the Victim’s members and entire frame. Behold Him now, suspended between Heaven and earth, the mediator between God and humanity, the victim of expiation for the innumerable sins of men.
Come near to the Cross and kiss the bloodstained feet. While the Jews are insulting Him and most of the Apostles have abandoned Him, let us tell Him how we love Him. Let us tell Him of our sorrow for our sins and of our determination to make amends for our faults and for our ingratitude by living in accordance with His teachings and example.
2. Jesus had only one consolation in the midst of His terrible sufferings. His mother Mary was beside the Cross along with His beloved Apostle and the holy women who had always followed Him. Mary loved her Son with a love greater than that of any mother, which is the greatest love possible on earth. She loved Jesus with the heart of a Mother and of a Virgin; He was her only treasure. Moreover, she loved Him not only as her Son, but also as her God. Precisely because she loved Him as her God, her love was in perfect harmony with the divine will.
She understood the mystery which led Jesus to accept death on the Cross – the mystery of the Redemption. “He was offered because it was his own will.” (Is. 53:7) He was offered on our behalf as a voluntary victim to His heavenly Father.
In the same way, Mary freely offered herself to God as a victim of expiation along with her Son. She saw on one hand the child of her womb dying in frightful agony, and on the other sinful humanity in need of redemption from its iniquity. She did not hesitate; even as she pronounced her Fiat when the Angel told her that she was to be the instrument of the Incarnation, so now she repeated her acceptance of her part in the Redemption. By her first Fiat she became the Mother of God; by her second Fiat she became the loving Mother of poor sinners and our co-redemptrix in Jesus and for Jesus. “Woman, behold thy son,” (John 19:27) the Redeemer said, referring to John and to the entire human race as represented by him.
3. Be our Mother, O Mary, for you have borne us spiritually on Mount Calvary at the foot of the Cross. Deign to obtain for us through your intercession that we may love Jesus as you loved Him and follow Him faithfully as you followed Him unto death.
The Crucifixion
1. At last Jesus reaches Calvary, breathless and reduced to utter exhaustion. The instrument of torture is taken from Him and laid upon the ground. Our divine Redeemer suffers acute pain as He is again stripped of His garments, which have stuck to His wounds. Now he is stretched, an innocent victim, on the altar of sacrifice, the Cross. One of the executioners grasps His hand, pierces it with a large nail, and attaches it to the wood. Then he does the same with the other hand and with the two feet. His Mother is close at hand. She feels in her heart the blows of the hammer which lacerate the living flesh of Jesus. Jesus remains silent, “as a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim.” (Jer. 11:19)
Now the executioners raise up the Cross and fix it in the hold already prepared for it. The shock of this impact sends a shudder of pain through the Victim’s members and entire frame. Behold Him now, suspended between Heaven and earth, the mediator between God and humanity, the victim of expiation for the innumerable sins of men.
Come near to the Cross and kiss the bloodstained feet. While the Jews are insulting Him and most of the Apostles have abandoned Him, let us tell Him how we love Him. Let us tell Him of our sorrow for our sins and of our determination to make amends for our faults and for our ingratitude by living in accordance with His teachings and example.
2. Jesus had only one consolation in the midst of His terrible sufferings. His mother Mary was beside the Cross along with His beloved Apostle and the holy women who had always followed Him. Mary loved her Son with a love greater than that of any mother, which is the greatest love possible on earth. She loved Jesus with the heart of a Mother and of a Virgin; He was her only treasure. Moreover, she loved Him not only as her Son, but also as her God. Precisely because she loved Him as her God, her love was in perfect harmony with the divine will.
She understood the mystery which led Jesus to accept death on the Cross – the mystery of the Redemption. “He was offered because it was his own will.” (Is. 53:7) He was offered on our behalf as a voluntary victim to His heavenly Father.
In the same way, Mary freely offered herself to God as a victim of expiation along with her Son. She saw on one hand the child of her womb dying in frightful agony, and on the other sinful humanity in need of redemption from its iniquity. She did not hesitate; even as she pronounced her Fiat when the Angel told her that she was to be the instrument of the Incarnation, so now she repeated her acceptance of her part in the Redemption. By her first Fiat she became the Mother of God; by her second Fiat she became the loving Mother of poor sinners and our co-redemptrix in Jesus and for Jesus. “Woman, behold thy son,” (John 19:27) the Redeemer said, referring to John and to the entire human race as represented by him.
3. Be our Mother, O Mary, for you have borne us spiritually on Mount Calvary at the foot of the Cross. Deign to obtain for us through your intercession that we may love Jesus as you loved Him and follow Him faithfully as you followed Him unto death.
The Road to Calvary - Cardinal Bacci
The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery
The Road to Calvary
1. Scourged, crowned with thorns, and derided, Jesus is finally condemned to death. Burdened with the Cross, He sets out for the place of execution in the midst of a crowd of enemies, blasphemers, and idle speculators. Among them there is only a tiny group which sympathises with Jesus, namely, Mary His Mother, the devout women, and the beloved Apostle, St. John.
The divine Redeemer goes forward laboriously beneath the heavy weight of the Cross. He has already lost a large quantity of blood in Gethsemane and during the scourging and crowning with thorns. His strength seems to be failing, but love sustains Him. Looking feebly around Him, He sees the mocking Jews, the indifferent and disrespectful Roman soldiers, and a throng of curious spectators looking for something to amuse them. Is there nobody else? Where are those whom He cured miraculously, and those whom He comforted and forgave? Has nobody any pity for Him? Suddenly the crowd falls silent. A woman, pale and tearful, is approaching Him, supported by her friends. She defies the commands of the soldiers and the scowls of the executioners, and comes close to Him.
Here and there a murmur is heard: It must be his mother, poor woman! Jesus and Mary gaze at one another. It would be impossible for us to guess at the immense depths of love contained in that loving exchange of glances. Neither utters a word, for no words could express their anguish nor manifest their love. They look and understand one another, offering themselves as a holocaust for the redemption of wayward humanity.
Nevertheless, in this silent meeting there was great consolation for the Heart of Jesus, for He had found someone who loved and understood Him. Why do we not sympathise with Him, too, and love Him with all our heart?
2. The moment soon passes. The executioners urge Jesus forward once more towards the place of execution. His strength is exhausted and He stumbles several times beneath the weight of the Cross. Each time, however, He rises, covered with blood and dust, and again embraces the Cross.
How often we also fall! Sometimes, because of the weight of our cross, we fall in discouragement or in despair. On these occasions let us look towards the divine Sufferer and embrace our cross again, for it is the ladder by which we must ascend to Heaven.
Sometimes it is sin which causes us to fall. If we have yielded to the violence of temptation, let us look towards Jesus just the same. He who loved us so much on the way to Calvary and on the tree of the Cross is certainly ready to forgive and comfort us.
3. The executioners realised that Jesus had expended all His energy and became afraid that He would not be able to reach the place of execution. For this reason they compelled Simon of Cyrene, who was coming back from the country after his work, to carry the Cross instead of Jesus. At first he probably helped reluctantly, because he was tired and anxious to get home. When he recognised Jesus, however, he took the Cross willingly and carried it for Him.
What is our attitude to the cross which Jesus gives us? He Who was innocence itself carried His burden with perfect resignation and love. Why should not we who are so sinful carry ours with similar dispositions, since we need so much to expiate our sins and to show our love for Jesus?
The Road to Calvary
1. Scourged, crowned with thorns, and derided, Jesus is finally condemned to death. Burdened with the Cross, He sets out for the place of execution in the midst of a crowd of enemies, blasphemers, and idle speculators. Among them there is only a tiny group which sympathises with Jesus, namely, Mary His Mother, the devout women, and the beloved Apostle, St. John.
The divine Redeemer goes forward laboriously beneath the heavy weight of the Cross. He has already lost a large quantity of blood in Gethsemane and during the scourging and crowning with thorns. His strength seems to be failing, but love sustains Him. Looking feebly around Him, He sees the mocking Jews, the indifferent and disrespectful Roman soldiers, and a throng of curious spectators looking for something to amuse them. Is there nobody else? Where are those whom He cured miraculously, and those whom He comforted and forgave? Has nobody any pity for Him? Suddenly the crowd falls silent. A woman, pale and tearful, is approaching Him, supported by her friends. She defies the commands of the soldiers and the scowls of the executioners, and comes close to Him.
Here and there a murmur is heard: It must be his mother, poor woman! Jesus and Mary gaze at one another. It would be impossible for us to guess at the immense depths of love contained in that loving exchange of glances. Neither utters a word, for no words could express their anguish nor manifest their love. They look and understand one another, offering themselves as a holocaust for the redemption of wayward humanity.
Nevertheless, in this silent meeting there was great consolation for the Heart of Jesus, for He had found someone who loved and understood Him. Why do we not sympathise with Him, too, and love Him with all our heart?
2. The moment soon passes. The executioners urge Jesus forward once more towards the place of execution. His strength is exhausted and He stumbles several times beneath the weight of the Cross. Each time, however, He rises, covered with blood and dust, and again embraces the Cross.
How often we also fall! Sometimes, because of the weight of our cross, we fall in discouragement or in despair. On these occasions let us look towards the divine Sufferer and embrace our cross again, for it is the ladder by which we must ascend to Heaven.
Sometimes it is sin which causes us to fall. If we have yielded to the violence of temptation, let us look towards Jesus just the same. He who loved us so much on the way to Calvary and on the tree of the Cross is certainly ready to forgive and comfort us.
3. The executioners realised that Jesus had expended all His energy and became afraid that He would not be able to reach the place of execution. For this reason they compelled Simon of Cyrene, who was coming back from the country after his work, to carry the Cross instead of Jesus. At first he probably helped reluctantly, because he was tired and anxious to get home. When he recognised Jesus, however, he took the Cross willingly and carried it for Him.
What is our attitude to the cross which Jesus gives us? He Who was innocence itself carried His burden with perfect resignation and love. Why should not we who are so sinful carry ours with similar dispositions, since we need so much to expiate our sins and to show our love for Jesus?
The Crowning with Thorns - Cardinal Bacci
The Third Sorrowful Mystery
The Crowning with Thorns
1. Having had Jesus flogged in spite of the fact that he believed in His innocence, Pilate showed Him to the mob in the vain hope that, when they had seen His bleeding body, their hatred would be appeased. It was no use. The enraged crowd kept crying: “Crucify him!” (Luke 23:21) Then Pilate, with a shameful gesture of open injustice, abandoned Jesus to the will of the Jewish executioners. “Jesus he delivered to their will.” (Luke 23:25)
It was probably before Pilate showed Him to the mob for the second time (Cf. John 19:4) that the sad scene of the crowning with thorns took place. “The soldiers led him away into the courtyard of the praetorium, and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in purple, and plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it upon him, and began to greet him, ‘Hail King of the Jews!’ And they kept striking him on the head with a reed, and spitting upon him; and bending their knees, they did homage to him.” (Mark 15:15-19)
This new torture was a diabolical invention decreed by no law or authority. Purely for their own savage entertainment, the soldiers procured a bundle of thorned reeds which they wound into the shape of a crown and pressed into Jesus’ head.
Mary knew what was going on. She was there with the holy women when Pilate brought her bloodstained Son before the people, and their blasphemous yells pierced her tender heart. Her mother’s heart felt the sharp thorns, too, but she accepted this affliction with resignation, silently protesting against the insults of the crowd by acts of adoration and of love. We should behave in this way also. We should participate in the passion of Jesus by offering our own sufferings and we should make acts of love and of self-surrender in reparation for these acts of blasphemy.
2. When we see Jesus scourged and crowned with thorns, how can we complain if our path in life is also strewn with thorns? Jesus was the embodiment of innocence; He was God, yet He willed to suffer in order to expiate our sins and to teach us that the surest road to Heaven is the way of the Cross. It was because the Saints understood this so clearly that they were so eager to participate in the passion of Jesus Christ and to offer Him not only the inevitable sorrows of life, but also voluntary sufferings of their own as a proof of their love. Anyone who does not desire mortification and suffering does not desire Heaven, because he is not a true follower of Jesus crucified. “They who belong to Christ,” says St. Paul, “have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.” (Gal. 5:24) Let us meditate carefully on the significance of these stern words, so often forgotten today.
3. By the crowning with thorns Jesus wished to make special reparation for sins of thought, thoughts of impurity and of hatred, thoughts of ambition and of anger, and thoughts of despair. The evil thought is often the beginning of the greatest sins. It is essential to resist immediately and resolutely before the thought takes hold of us and arouses our evil instincts and desires. When we are tormented by bad thoughts let us look at Jesus crowned with thorns and ask Him for the grace to resist generously and successfully.
The Crowning with Thorns
1. Having had Jesus flogged in spite of the fact that he believed in His innocence, Pilate showed Him to the mob in the vain hope that, when they had seen His bleeding body, their hatred would be appeased. It was no use. The enraged crowd kept crying: “Crucify him!” (Luke 23:21) Then Pilate, with a shameful gesture of open injustice, abandoned Jesus to the will of the Jewish executioners. “Jesus he delivered to their will.” (Luke 23:25)
It was probably before Pilate showed Him to the mob for the second time (Cf. John 19:4) that the sad scene of the crowning with thorns took place. “The soldiers led him away into the courtyard of the praetorium, and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in purple, and plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it upon him, and began to greet him, ‘Hail King of the Jews!’ And they kept striking him on the head with a reed, and spitting upon him; and bending their knees, they did homage to him.” (Mark 15:15-19)
This new torture was a diabolical invention decreed by no law or authority. Purely for their own savage entertainment, the soldiers procured a bundle of thorned reeds which they wound into the shape of a crown and pressed into Jesus’ head.
Mary knew what was going on. She was there with the holy women when Pilate brought her bloodstained Son before the people, and their blasphemous yells pierced her tender heart. Her mother’s heart felt the sharp thorns, too, but she accepted this affliction with resignation, silently protesting against the insults of the crowd by acts of adoration and of love. We should behave in this way also. We should participate in the passion of Jesus by offering our own sufferings and we should make acts of love and of self-surrender in reparation for these acts of blasphemy.
2. When we see Jesus scourged and crowned with thorns, how can we complain if our path in life is also strewn with thorns? Jesus was the embodiment of innocence; He was God, yet He willed to suffer in order to expiate our sins and to teach us that the surest road to Heaven is the way of the Cross. It was because the Saints understood this so clearly that they were so eager to participate in the passion of Jesus Christ and to offer Him not only the inevitable sorrows of life, but also voluntary sufferings of their own as a proof of their love. Anyone who does not desire mortification and suffering does not desire Heaven, because he is not a true follower of Jesus crucified. “They who belong to Christ,” says St. Paul, “have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.” (Gal. 5:24) Let us meditate carefully on the significance of these stern words, so often forgotten today.
3. By the crowning with thorns Jesus wished to make special reparation for sins of thought, thoughts of impurity and of hatred, thoughts of ambition and of anger, and thoughts of despair. The evil thought is often the beginning of the greatest sins. It is essential to resist immediately and resolutely before the thought takes hold of us and arouses our evil instincts and desires. When we are tormented by bad thoughts let us look at Jesus crowned with thorns and ask Him for the grace to resist generously and successfully.
The Scourging - Cardinal Bacci
The Second Sorrowful Mystery
The Scourging
1. Think about the manner in which Jesus was scourged. His chaste body is stripped by the jeering soldiers, His hands are tied and He is bound to a pillar. The soldiers come forward with their whips and begin to beat Him mercilessly. As His blood flows freely to the ground, Jesus quivers with pain and emits a half-suppressed groan. But fresh blows continue to rain down on His bruised flesh. So the prophecy is fulfilled in which Isaias described the punishment of the chosen people, whose sins and whose chastisement the divine Redeemer has chosen to take on Himself. “For the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein: wounds and bruises and swelling sores…” (Isaias 1:6)
By means of this fearful torment Jesus willed to offer satisfaction in a special manner for the sins of the flesh. In ancient times sins of impurity provoked the anger of God so much that they were blotted out by the universal deluge. Now these sins are still numberless both in the pagan and, unfortunately, in the Christian world, but they are washed away by the saving blood of Jesus Christ, Who came on earth to make reparation for all the iniquities of men.
Kiss the wounds of Jesus, bleeding and suffering. Ask for pardon if you have on occasions failed to preserve the purity of your body, the dwelling of your immortal soul and the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit. Resolve to die rather than stain again with impurity the soul which was redeemed and sanctified by the precious blood of the Redeemer.
2. The Saints voluntarily imposed on themselves floggings and other severe penances, which would make us shudder in modern times, in order to control their bodily impulses and to expiate along with Jesus the sins of their fellow-men. Today the pleasure-loving world cries out against such barbaric folly and extravagance. But you who are a Christian, educated in the school of Christ crucified, know that suffering has a mission in your life, that mortification is necessary for the control of the body.
We must make sacrifices in order to combat our evil impulses. We should avoid weakness and self-indulgence. Let us always remember that we are followers of Christ crucified and should therefore be prepared to chastise our bodies, even to the point of undergoing martyrdom, if this is necessary in order to avoid sin and to preserve our chastity.
3. Tradition holds that Mary followed Jesus through the various stages of His passion. It is impossible to believe that she would have abandoned Him in these tragic hours. She must at least have known of the cruel flogging which He endured, and while His body was being torn by lashes she was, most probably, not far away, participating by her maternal sorrow in her Son’s torment. Here, then, was a double martyrdom – the martyrdom of blood and the martyrdom of tears. Life demands the shedding of blood and the shedding of tears.
What are the motives which cause you sorrow in life? Are yours the tears of unsated ambition, of frustrated caprice, or of discouragement in time of trouble? Such tears are not worthy of a Christian. His should be tears of repentance for his sins and tears of love for Jesus and Mary.
The Scourging
1. Think about the manner in which Jesus was scourged. His chaste body is stripped by the jeering soldiers, His hands are tied and He is bound to a pillar. The soldiers come forward with their whips and begin to beat Him mercilessly. As His blood flows freely to the ground, Jesus quivers with pain and emits a half-suppressed groan. But fresh blows continue to rain down on His bruised flesh. So the prophecy is fulfilled in which Isaias described the punishment of the chosen people, whose sins and whose chastisement the divine Redeemer has chosen to take on Himself. “For the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein: wounds and bruises and swelling sores…” (Isaias 1:6)
By means of this fearful torment Jesus willed to offer satisfaction in a special manner for the sins of the flesh. In ancient times sins of impurity provoked the anger of God so much that they were blotted out by the universal deluge. Now these sins are still numberless both in the pagan and, unfortunately, in the Christian world, but they are washed away by the saving blood of Jesus Christ, Who came on earth to make reparation for all the iniquities of men.
Kiss the wounds of Jesus, bleeding and suffering. Ask for pardon if you have on occasions failed to preserve the purity of your body, the dwelling of your immortal soul and the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit. Resolve to die rather than stain again with impurity the soul which was redeemed and sanctified by the precious blood of the Redeemer.
2. The Saints voluntarily imposed on themselves floggings and other severe penances, which would make us shudder in modern times, in order to control their bodily impulses and to expiate along with Jesus the sins of their fellow-men. Today the pleasure-loving world cries out against such barbaric folly and extravagance. But you who are a Christian, educated in the school of Christ crucified, know that suffering has a mission in your life, that mortification is necessary for the control of the body.
We must make sacrifices in order to combat our evil impulses. We should avoid weakness and self-indulgence. Let us always remember that we are followers of Christ crucified and should therefore be prepared to chastise our bodies, even to the point of undergoing martyrdom, if this is necessary in order to avoid sin and to preserve our chastity.
3. Tradition holds that Mary followed Jesus through the various stages of His passion. It is impossible to believe that she would have abandoned Him in these tragic hours. She must at least have known of the cruel flogging which He endured, and while His body was being torn by lashes she was, most probably, not far away, participating by her maternal sorrow in her Son’s torment. Here, then, was a double martyrdom – the martyrdom of blood and the martyrdom of tears. Life demands the shedding of blood and the shedding of tears.
What are the motives which cause you sorrow in life? Are yours the tears of unsated ambition, of frustrated caprice, or of discouragement in time of trouble? Such tears are not worthy of a Christian. His should be tears of repentance for his sins and tears of love for Jesus and Mary.
The Agony in the Garden - Cardinal Bacci
The First Sorrowful Mystery
The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
1. The life of Mary, like that of her divine Son, was a life of suffering and of sacrifice.
When Simeon held the divine Child in his arms, he had prophesied: “This child is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce.” (Cf. Luke 2:35) There was suffering from the very beginning – in the arduous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfil the obligation of the census; in the refusal of the people of Bethlehem to give shelter to the Holy Family; in the birth of Jesus in a cold cave; in the flight into Egypt to escape from the cruelty of Herod; in the loss of Jesus when He was twelve years old; in the hard life of a humble artisan in Nazareth; in the difficulties of the public life of Jesus; and in the final tragedy which brought Jesus from Gethsemane to Calvary, and from Calvary to the sepulchre.
When faced with this spectacle of the Man-God and of His Mother Mary suffering for love of us, how can we complain that our own cross is too heavy? How can we rebel against the merciful God Who afflicts us for our own good, purifies us with suffering, and demands that we should be detached from worldly things so that we may give more thought to Heaven, for which our souls are destined? To meditate on all that Jesus and Mary suffered for us should be enough to make us embrace our cross generously and resign ourselves to the physical or moral afflictions which God sends us.
2. Let us pay particular attention to the scene in Gethsemane. Jesus is lying prostrate on the ground. He has given everything for sinful humanity. He has given His heavenly teaching, His miracles, and His mercy. Even more, He has given Himself in the Blessed Eucharist, which He has instituted in the form of food and drink to sustain men on their earthly journey.
Now He lies prostrate in prayer. Near Him are His Apostles who, already forgetful of the immense favours which they have received, are asleep.
Not far away there is another Apostle, Judas, who has sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver as a slave would be sold, and is about to deliver Him to His executioners. But Jesus can see across the centuries many other Judases, so many traitors who will be indifferent and sleep, never thinking of Him, and neglecting to make any return for His infinite love. His passion is beginning now, and will be protracted throughout the centuries. Before His crucifixion, He drinks the bitter chalice of human ingratitude, and in His tremendous agony He perspires drops of blood.
3. To which group do you belong, you who claim to be a Christian? Are you among the traitors who by their sins crucify Jesus anew? Weep for your faults and ask your merciful Redeemer for forgiveness and for the strength never to fall again.
Perhaps you are ungrateful and asleep? Awake from your torpor. Pray to the Sorrowing Virgin to obtain for you the love of her divine Son and the ardent desire of following Him in the path of sacrifice and of virtue.
The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
1. The life of Mary, like that of her divine Son, was a life of suffering and of sacrifice.
When Simeon held the divine Child in his arms, he had prophesied: “This child is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce.” (Cf. Luke 2:35) There was suffering from the very beginning – in the arduous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfil the obligation of the census; in the refusal of the people of Bethlehem to give shelter to the Holy Family; in the birth of Jesus in a cold cave; in the flight into Egypt to escape from the cruelty of Herod; in the loss of Jesus when He was twelve years old; in the hard life of a humble artisan in Nazareth; in the difficulties of the public life of Jesus; and in the final tragedy which brought Jesus from Gethsemane to Calvary, and from Calvary to the sepulchre.
When faced with this spectacle of the Man-God and of His Mother Mary suffering for love of us, how can we complain that our own cross is too heavy? How can we rebel against the merciful God Who afflicts us for our own good, purifies us with suffering, and demands that we should be detached from worldly things so that we may give more thought to Heaven, for which our souls are destined? To meditate on all that Jesus and Mary suffered for us should be enough to make us embrace our cross generously and resign ourselves to the physical or moral afflictions which God sends us.
2. Let us pay particular attention to the scene in Gethsemane. Jesus is lying prostrate on the ground. He has given everything for sinful humanity. He has given His heavenly teaching, His miracles, and His mercy. Even more, He has given Himself in the Blessed Eucharist, which He has instituted in the form of food and drink to sustain men on their earthly journey.
Now He lies prostrate in prayer. Near Him are His Apostles who, already forgetful of the immense favours which they have received, are asleep.
Not far away there is another Apostle, Judas, who has sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver as a slave would be sold, and is about to deliver Him to His executioners. But Jesus can see across the centuries many other Judases, so many traitors who will be indifferent and sleep, never thinking of Him, and neglecting to make any return for His infinite love. His passion is beginning now, and will be protracted throughout the centuries. Before His crucifixion, He drinks the bitter chalice of human ingratitude, and in His tremendous agony He perspires drops of blood.
3. To which group do you belong, you who claim to be a Christian? Are you among the traitors who by their sins crucify Jesus anew? Weep for your faults and ask your merciful Redeemer for forgiveness and for the strength never to fall again.
Perhaps you are ungrateful and asleep? Awake from your torpor. Pray to the Sorrowing Virgin to obtain for you the love of her divine Son and the ardent desire of following Him in the path of sacrifice and of virtue.
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple - Cardinal Bacci
The Fifth Joyful Mystery
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
1. Mary and Joseph came according to custom to celebrate the feast of the Pasch in Jerusalem. They took with them Jesus, Who was now twelve years of age. When the feast was over, the pilgrims came together to return to Nazareth. As usual, they gathered in the temple to say a final prayer and then divided into two companies, one consisting of men, the other of women. The children were assigned to either caravan.
At any rate, when the two groups came together for the night after a day’s journey, Mary and Joseph looked in vain for Jesus. He could not be found in either caravan. We can imagine how they suffered. However, they returned without delay to Jerusalem to look for their Child. They searched for three days. At last, when they went into the Temple to pour out their troubles to God, they found Jesus sitting among the doctors, who were amazed at the wisdom of his answers and of his questions. There was joy and sorrow in Mary’s countenance as she regarded Him. “Son,” she said gently, “why hast thou done so to us? Behold, in sorrow thy father and I have been seeking thee.” Jesus’ reply was also mild and at the same time mysterious. “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”
Then He returned with them to Nazareth, where He remained “subject to them.” But His mother, we are told, “kept all these things carefully in her heart.” (Cf. Luke 2:41-51)
This mystery of the Rosary is at the same time joyful and sorrowful. We can learn a good deal by meditating on it. We can admire the divine wisdom of Jesus, Who even from childhood desired to reveal a little of the truth, and also His obedience to Mary and Joseph until He reached thirty years of age. We can admire, too, His hidden life in the workshop in Nazareth, interrupted only by this brief demonstration of His divinity; and the anxiety of Mary and Joseph to find Jesus when they had lost Him, as well as their delight when He was restored to them.
2. If we should ever have the great misfortune of losing Jesus, let us have recourse at once to Mary and Joseph, who lost Him without any fault on their part, searched anxiously for Him, and did not rest until they had found Him.
To search for Jesus is the principal obligation of the soul, to find Him is its highest happiness. If we are without Jesus, our minds are in darkness and scarred with false ideas. Separated from Him, our hearts are filled with remorse, emptiness, and yearning. Only when Jesus is with us have life and death any meaning. Then we can set our journey towards the unfading star of Christian hope.
When Jesus had promised to give us His flesh to eat and His blood to drink, He saw that his listeners were going away scandalised. “Do you also wish to go away?” He asked His Apostles. “Lord,” replied St. Peter, “to whom shall we go? Thou hast words of everlasting life.” (John 6:69)
3. By mortal sin we lose Jesus, and we lose our peace of soul. By venial sin we put Jesus farther away from us. For this reason we should not only avoid mortal sin, which leads to spiritual misery, but also venial sin, which diminishes our charity and weakens our spiritual life. We should, moreover, have compassion for poor sinners, who are our own brothers and are supremely happy, even if they may not realise it. We should pray a great deal for them, so that they may soon return to Jesus, Whom they have lost.
We should ask the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph to intercede for sinners so that they may return forever to the merciful embrace of their divine Redeemer.
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
1. Mary and Joseph came according to custom to celebrate the feast of the Pasch in Jerusalem. They took with them Jesus, Who was now twelve years of age. When the feast was over, the pilgrims came together to return to Nazareth. As usual, they gathered in the temple to say a final prayer and then divided into two companies, one consisting of men, the other of women. The children were assigned to either caravan.
At any rate, when the two groups came together for the night after a day’s journey, Mary and Joseph looked in vain for Jesus. He could not be found in either caravan. We can imagine how they suffered. However, they returned without delay to Jerusalem to look for their Child. They searched for three days. At last, when they went into the Temple to pour out their troubles to God, they found Jesus sitting among the doctors, who were amazed at the wisdom of his answers and of his questions. There was joy and sorrow in Mary’s countenance as she regarded Him. “Son,” she said gently, “why hast thou done so to us? Behold, in sorrow thy father and I have been seeking thee.” Jesus’ reply was also mild and at the same time mysterious. “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”
Then He returned with them to Nazareth, where He remained “subject to them.” But His mother, we are told, “kept all these things carefully in her heart.” (Cf. Luke 2:41-51)
This mystery of the Rosary is at the same time joyful and sorrowful. We can learn a good deal by meditating on it. We can admire the divine wisdom of Jesus, Who even from childhood desired to reveal a little of the truth, and also His obedience to Mary and Joseph until He reached thirty years of age. We can admire, too, His hidden life in the workshop in Nazareth, interrupted only by this brief demonstration of His divinity; and the anxiety of Mary and Joseph to find Jesus when they had lost Him, as well as their delight when He was restored to them.
2. If we should ever have the great misfortune of losing Jesus, let us have recourse at once to Mary and Joseph, who lost Him without any fault on their part, searched anxiously for Him, and did not rest until they had found Him.
To search for Jesus is the principal obligation of the soul, to find Him is its highest happiness. If we are without Jesus, our minds are in darkness and scarred with false ideas. Separated from Him, our hearts are filled with remorse, emptiness, and yearning. Only when Jesus is with us have life and death any meaning. Then we can set our journey towards the unfading star of Christian hope.
When Jesus had promised to give us His flesh to eat and His blood to drink, He saw that his listeners were going away scandalised. “Do you also wish to go away?” He asked His Apostles. “Lord,” replied St. Peter, “to whom shall we go? Thou hast words of everlasting life.” (John 6:69)
3. By mortal sin we lose Jesus, and we lose our peace of soul. By venial sin we put Jesus farther away from us. For this reason we should not only avoid mortal sin, which leads to spiritual misery, but also venial sin, which diminishes our charity and weakens our spiritual life. We should, moreover, have compassion for poor sinners, who are our own brothers and are supremely happy, even if they may not realise it. We should pray a great deal for them, so that they may soon return to Jesus, Whom they have lost.
We should ask the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph to intercede for sinners so that they may return forever to the merciful embrace of their divine Redeemer.
The Purification of Our Lady and the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple - Cardinal Bacci
The Fourth Joyful Mystery
The Purification of Our Lady and the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple
1. Since the fall of our first parents, human mothers have carried in their wombs souls dead to grace and have given birth to children stained with sin. Therefore it is necessary for the waters of Baptism to confer on these infants a second life, the supernatural life. A ceremony of purification is also required for these mothers, a rite which was of obligation under the Old Law, but under the New Law remains only as a pious custom.
The Blessed Virgin was not subject to the rule of sin. By a special privilege she was preserved free from the stain of original sin and was created and conceived in the fullness of grace. Moreover, she became a mother not by any human agency but by the power of the Holy Spirit, which preserved intact her angelic virginity. For this reason Mary was not bound by the Mosaic law which laid down the ceremony of purification as necessary for all mothers. Nevertheless, in order to give us an example of humility and of absolute obedience to the law of God, she chose to fulfil this sacred rite.
How well do we comply with the law of God, with the precepts of the Church, and with the commands of our superiors who represent divine authority? Perhaps we can excuse ourselves too easily from our obligations. Perhaps we are not sufficiently ready to give good example to others. We may evade the sacrifices which our duty demands of us, or we may fail to see God in the person who gives us our instructions.
Let us learn from the Blessed Virgin. Even when she was not obliged to do so, she obeyed the law and gave us a wonderful example of humility and submission to Almighty God.
2. Then Joseph and Mary carried the Infant Jesus to the Temple to offer Him to God and to buy Him back as their first-born son with the price paid by the poor, namely, with a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons. Let us reflect on this new act of humility on the part of the Holy Family. In spite of the supreme dignity which had been accorded them, they submitted quietly to the law which bound those in poverty and in sin. We who are so fond of money and of ostentation have much to learn from this scene. Jesus, the God-Man, is purchased back as a sinner for two young pigeons. Mary, the immaculate virgin and mother, and Joseph, the holiest and noblest of men, make themselves subject to the law of sin. We can derive from this lessons in humility and in detachment.
3. During the ceremony a devout man, enlightened by God, entered the temple. He asked and obtained the privilege of holding the divine Infant in his arms. This was Simeon, a holy old man to whom the Holy Spirit had revealed that before he died he would see the expected Messiah, the Redeemer of the sinful human race. Overjoyed as he held Jesus in his arms, he exclaimed: “Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word, in peace.” (Luke 2:29)
May God grant that when we come to the end of our mortal lives we may also have the pleasure of clasping Jesus to our hearts. Then we can say with confidence in God’s mercy: Receive thy servant in peace, O Lord. Forgive him and receive him into everlasting happiness.
The Purification of Our Lady and the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple
1. Since the fall of our first parents, human mothers have carried in their wombs souls dead to grace and have given birth to children stained with sin. Therefore it is necessary for the waters of Baptism to confer on these infants a second life, the supernatural life. A ceremony of purification is also required for these mothers, a rite which was of obligation under the Old Law, but under the New Law remains only as a pious custom.
The Blessed Virgin was not subject to the rule of sin. By a special privilege she was preserved free from the stain of original sin and was created and conceived in the fullness of grace. Moreover, she became a mother not by any human agency but by the power of the Holy Spirit, which preserved intact her angelic virginity. For this reason Mary was not bound by the Mosaic law which laid down the ceremony of purification as necessary for all mothers. Nevertheless, in order to give us an example of humility and of absolute obedience to the law of God, she chose to fulfil this sacred rite.
How well do we comply with the law of God, with the precepts of the Church, and with the commands of our superiors who represent divine authority? Perhaps we can excuse ourselves too easily from our obligations. Perhaps we are not sufficiently ready to give good example to others. We may evade the sacrifices which our duty demands of us, or we may fail to see God in the person who gives us our instructions.
Let us learn from the Blessed Virgin. Even when she was not obliged to do so, she obeyed the law and gave us a wonderful example of humility and submission to Almighty God.
2. Then Joseph and Mary carried the Infant Jesus to the Temple to offer Him to God and to buy Him back as their first-born son with the price paid by the poor, namely, with a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons. Let us reflect on this new act of humility on the part of the Holy Family. In spite of the supreme dignity which had been accorded them, they submitted quietly to the law which bound those in poverty and in sin. We who are so fond of money and of ostentation have much to learn from this scene. Jesus, the God-Man, is purchased back as a sinner for two young pigeons. Mary, the immaculate virgin and mother, and Joseph, the holiest and noblest of men, make themselves subject to the law of sin. We can derive from this lessons in humility and in detachment.
3. During the ceremony a devout man, enlightened by God, entered the temple. He asked and obtained the privilege of holding the divine Infant in his arms. This was Simeon, a holy old man to whom the Holy Spirit had revealed that before he died he would see the expected Messiah, the Redeemer of the sinful human race. Overjoyed as he held Jesus in his arms, he exclaimed: “Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word, in peace.” (Luke 2:29)
May God grant that when we come to the end of our mortal lives we may also have the pleasure of clasping Jesus to our hearts. Then we can say with confidence in God’s mercy: Receive thy servant in peace, O Lord. Forgive him and receive him into everlasting happiness.
The Birth of Jesus - Cardinal Bacci
The Third Joyful Mystery
The Birth of Jesus
1. When God became man in order to instruct and redeem the lost and erring human race, the gesture would have been deprived of its real significance if He had chosen to be born in a palace, surrounded by the passing splendour of worldly glory and wealth.
It would have been meaningless not only for God, but also for us, if He had abandoned the imperishable glory of Heaven and the infinite wealth of everlasting happiness in order to assume the kind of earthly grandeur which in His eyes is but a vanishing cloud. What we needed was to learn the way of humility and of detachment from worldly things, which can so easily lead us to forget the supernatural. We needed someone to come and sanctify suffering, which purifies and elevates the soul. We needed someone to appease divine justice on our behalf and to teach us that the way of the cross is the only one which can lead to Heaven. This was why the Eternal Word of God became a poor and lowly infant, choosing a stable rather than a palace, and the little village of Bethlehem in Judea in preference to the imperial city of Rome. He wished His extreme poverty and deprivation to be His first lesson to mankind.
2. Like the simple shepherds, let us prostrate ourselves with faith and with love before the manger. Let us offer as our gifts our good resolutions; let us offer our hearts and ask God to change them and make them entirely His forever.
Quite suddenly, the darkness of the night and the wretchedness of the cave were illuminated by a bright light from Heaven. While men were unaware of, or indifferent to, the miraculous event which had taken place, bands of Angels descended from Heaven and sang: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will.” (Luke 2:13-14) Joseph bent over the divine Infant and silently adored Him, while the Blessed Virgin knelt at His feet in loving contemplation.
3. Let us, too, learn to adore and love Him as His Mother and foster-father did. Let us love Him, that is, with a contemplative love, not distracted by worldly affairs; with a humble love, because we owe everything to Him, without whom we are nothing but miserable sinners; with a sympathetic love, because we know that He suffered for us and spent Himself for our eternal salvation; and lastly, with a love which is entirely dedicated. After all, if He loved us so much that He gave Himself entirely for us, it is only just that in our love for Him we should sacrifice ourselves completely. All our thoughts, affections, and actions should be offered to Him with purity of intention and with a firm resolution of living in accordance with His holy will.
The Birth of Jesus
1. When God became man in order to instruct and redeem the lost and erring human race, the gesture would have been deprived of its real significance if He had chosen to be born in a palace, surrounded by the passing splendour of worldly glory and wealth.
It would have been meaningless not only for God, but also for us, if He had abandoned the imperishable glory of Heaven and the infinite wealth of everlasting happiness in order to assume the kind of earthly grandeur which in His eyes is but a vanishing cloud. What we needed was to learn the way of humility and of detachment from worldly things, which can so easily lead us to forget the supernatural. We needed someone to come and sanctify suffering, which purifies and elevates the soul. We needed someone to appease divine justice on our behalf and to teach us that the way of the cross is the only one which can lead to Heaven. This was why the Eternal Word of God became a poor and lowly infant, choosing a stable rather than a palace, and the little village of Bethlehem in Judea in preference to the imperial city of Rome. He wished His extreme poverty and deprivation to be His first lesson to mankind.
2. Like the simple shepherds, let us prostrate ourselves with faith and with love before the manger. Let us offer as our gifts our good resolutions; let us offer our hearts and ask God to change them and make them entirely His forever.
Quite suddenly, the darkness of the night and the wretchedness of the cave were illuminated by a bright light from Heaven. While men were unaware of, or indifferent to, the miraculous event which had taken place, bands of Angels descended from Heaven and sang: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will.” (Luke 2:13-14) Joseph bent over the divine Infant and silently adored Him, while the Blessed Virgin knelt at His feet in loving contemplation.
3. Let us, too, learn to adore and love Him as His Mother and foster-father did. Let us love Him, that is, with a contemplative love, not distracted by worldly affairs; with a humble love, because we owe everything to Him, without whom we are nothing but miserable sinners; with a sympathetic love, because we know that He suffered for us and spent Himself for our eternal salvation; and lastly, with a love which is entirely dedicated. After all, if He loved us so much that He gave Himself entirely for us, it is only just that in our love for Him we should sacrifice ourselves completely. All our thoughts, affections, and actions should be offered to Him with purity of intention and with a firm resolution of living in accordance with His holy will.
Mary’s Visit to St. Elizabeth - Cardinal Bacci
The Second Joyful Mystery
Mary’s Visit to St. Elizabeth
1. When the Angel told Mary that she had been chosen to be the Mother of God, he proceeded to reveal also the imminent birth of the Precursor of Jesus Christ. Her cousin, Elizabeth, he told her, who had been sterile for such a long time, would soon have the joy of bearing a son. When the Blessed Virgin heard this good news, she set out for a long and difficult journey to congratulate her cousin.
The devout soul is always motivated by charity and pays no attention to difficulties or obstacles because the grace of God possesses it completely. We also have received, and continue to receive, many graces from our Creator. We were nothing, and God gave us being. We were in darkness, and He gave us the light of faith. We were slaves of sin, and Jesus Christ broke the bonds in which the devil held us and gave us the freedom of the children of God. We were exiles on this earth and God became our companion and our guide. We hungered for the supernatural, and He nourished us with the divine Bread in which He gave Himself to us completely.
2. But are we as grateful to God as we ought to be! Do we correspond with His graces? Are we prepared to make any sacrifice in order to share with others the gift with which He has enriched us?
Let us remember that gratitude is a virtue which is very pleasing to God and draws down on us other graces and gifts.
In his panegyric on Trajan the younger Pliny observes that the best means of soliciting new favours is to show gratitude for those which we have already received. On the other hand, as St. Bernard points out, ingratitude is like a scorching wind which dries up the dew of divine mercy. (Sermon 52 in Cant.) Let us be grateful to God, therefore, and do our best to share with others the gifts which we have received.
3. As soon as Mary entered her cousin’s house, Elizabeth was inspired by the Holy Spirit and felt the infant in her womb leaping with joy in the presence of Jesus and His Mother. “Blessed are thou among women,” she cried out, “and blessed is the fruit of thy womb! And how have I deserved that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42-43) Then the Blessed Virgin in her joy and gratitude gave utterance to the Magnificat. This expression of her happiness was interwoven, however, with sentiments of deep humility.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; Because he has regarded the humility of his handmaid; for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; Because he who is mighty has done great things to me, and holy is his name; And his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy – Even as he spoke to our fathers – to Abraham and to his posterity forever.” (Luke 1:46-55)
If at that moment they could have heard the words of this poor and unknown girl, what would the mighty Emperor Caesar Augustus, or the petty king, Herod, have said? Yet history is there to demonstrate the astounding truth of these prophetic words. Generations of yesterday and of today have bowed in reverence before this simple maiden, while one after another rulers have been tumbling from their thrones. Let us honour the Blessed Virgin also and learn from her to love humility and holiness.
Mary’s Visit to St. Elizabeth
1. When the Angel told Mary that she had been chosen to be the Mother of God, he proceeded to reveal also the imminent birth of the Precursor of Jesus Christ. Her cousin, Elizabeth, he told her, who had been sterile for such a long time, would soon have the joy of bearing a son. When the Blessed Virgin heard this good news, she set out for a long and difficult journey to congratulate her cousin.
The devout soul is always motivated by charity and pays no attention to difficulties or obstacles because the grace of God possesses it completely. We also have received, and continue to receive, many graces from our Creator. We were nothing, and God gave us being. We were in darkness, and He gave us the light of faith. We were slaves of sin, and Jesus Christ broke the bonds in which the devil held us and gave us the freedom of the children of God. We were exiles on this earth and God became our companion and our guide. We hungered for the supernatural, and He nourished us with the divine Bread in which He gave Himself to us completely.
2. But are we as grateful to God as we ought to be! Do we correspond with His graces? Are we prepared to make any sacrifice in order to share with others the gift with which He has enriched us?
Let us remember that gratitude is a virtue which is very pleasing to God and draws down on us other graces and gifts.
In his panegyric on Trajan the younger Pliny observes that the best means of soliciting new favours is to show gratitude for those which we have already received. On the other hand, as St. Bernard points out, ingratitude is like a scorching wind which dries up the dew of divine mercy. (Sermon 52 in Cant.) Let us be grateful to God, therefore, and do our best to share with others the gifts which we have received.
3. As soon as Mary entered her cousin’s house, Elizabeth was inspired by the Holy Spirit and felt the infant in her womb leaping with joy in the presence of Jesus and His Mother. “Blessed are thou among women,” she cried out, “and blessed is the fruit of thy womb! And how have I deserved that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42-43) Then the Blessed Virgin in her joy and gratitude gave utterance to the Magnificat. This expression of her happiness was interwoven, however, with sentiments of deep humility.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; Because he has regarded the humility of his handmaid; for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; Because he who is mighty has done great things to me, and holy is his name; And his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy – Even as he spoke to our fathers – to Abraham and to his posterity forever.” (Luke 1:46-55)
If at that moment they could have heard the words of this poor and unknown girl, what would the mighty Emperor Caesar Augustus, or the petty king, Herod, have said? Yet history is there to demonstrate the astounding truth of these prophetic words. Generations of yesterday and of today have bowed in reverence before this simple maiden, while one after another rulers have been tumbling from their thrones. Let us honour the Blessed Virgin also and learn from her to love humility and holiness.
The Annunciation - Cardinal Bacci
The First Joyful Mystery of the Rosary
The Annunciation
1. The Rosary is both a vocal and a mental prayer. When reciting the first five decades, we should meditate on the principal joyful mysteries of our faith, beginning with the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin. In other words, during the first decade we should visualise the scene described in the Gospel.
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the Virgin’s name was Mary. And when the Angel had come to her, he said ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.’” (Luke 1:26-28)
Note the manner in which the Angel greets Mary. He proclaims that she is full of grace, pleasing and acceptable to God. He bows before her and says that she is blessed among women. On previous occasions Angels had appeared to Patriarchs, Kings, and Prophets, but always as superior beings bearing a command from Almighty God. Why, then, does an Angel bow before this maiden and salute her with such reverence? The reason is twofold. Mary is the purest of creatures, immaculate from the moment of her conception; she is also destined to become the Mother of God, a destiny of quasi-infinite dignity. Let us poor sinners bow before her also and beg her to obtain for us from God the graces of forgiveness and of sanctification. It is in this spirit of loving humility that we should recite the first decade of the Holy Rosary.
2. Consider now Mary’s reaction to the reverence and praise with which the Angel greets her. Is she carried away by delight and exaltation at this solemn moment? Nothing of the sort. In her humility and modesty she is disturbed by the Angel’s salutation and wonders what is the reason for it. “She was troubled at his word, and kept pondering what manner of greeting this might be.” (Luke 1:29)
How do we behave when we receive praise from our superiors or from our friends and acquaintances? We are pleased, and overcome perhaps by feelings of vanity. We smile to ourselves and are convinced that we are of more consequence than we are. We even feel the need to reveal our thoughts to others. There is a world of difference between the simplicity and humility of the Blessed Virgin and our vain hunger for praise and honour.
3. The Angel reassures Mary. “Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God…” (Luke 1:30) “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son… Jesus… the Son of the Most High… the Son of God.” (Cf. Luke 1:31-36)
The Virgin remains humble and thoughtful. She asks frankly how she can become the Mother of God when she has resolved to remain a virgin for the rest of her life. The Angel reveals to her the tremendous mystery by which the Holy Spirit will descend on her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her.
Only when Mary understood that this was the will of God, and that the privilege of the divine Motherhood would be compatible with the other privilege of virginal purity, did she utter the momentous words: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38)
Let us bow our proud heads before the Virgin, the humblest and most exalted of creatures. (Dante, Paradiso, XXXIII, 2-3) Let us learn from her to love purity above all things and to be prepared to make any sacrifice rather than lose this beautiful virtue.
The Annunciation
1. The Rosary is both a vocal and a mental prayer. When reciting the first five decades, we should meditate on the principal joyful mysteries of our faith, beginning with the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin. In other words, during the first decade we should visualise the scene described in the Gospel.
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the Virgin’s name was Mary. And when the Angel had come to her, he said ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.’” (Luke 1:26-28)
Note the manner in which the Angel greets Mary. He proclaims that she is full of grace, pleasing and acceptable to God. He bows before her and says that she is blessed among women. On previous occasions Angels had appeared to Patriarchs, Kings, and Prophets, but always as superior beings bearing a command from Almighty God. Why, then, does an Angel bow before this maiden and salute her with such reverence? The reason is twofold. Mary is the purest of creatures, immaculate from the moment of her conception; she is also destined to become the Mother of God, a destiny of quasi-infinite dignity. Let us poor sinners bow before her also and beg her to obtain for us from God the graces of forgiveness and of sanctification. It is in this spirit of loving humility that we should recite the first decade of the Holy Rosary.
2. Consider now Mary’s reaction to the reverence and praise with which the Angel greets her. Is she carried away by delight and exaltation at this solemn moment? Nothing of the sort. In her humility and modesty she is disturbed by the Angel’s salutation and wonders what is the reason for it. “She was troubled at his word, and kept pondering what manner of greeting this might be.” (Luke 1:29)
How do we behave when we receive praise from our superiors or from our friends and acquaintances? We are pleased, and overcome perhaps by feelings of vanity. We smile to ourselves and are convinced that we are of more consequence than we are. We even feel the need to reveal our thoughts to others. There is a world of difference between the simplicity and humility of the Blessed Virgin and our vain hunger for praise and honour.
3. The Angel reassures Mary. “Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God…” (Luke 1:30) “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son… Jesus… the Son of the Most High… the Son of God.” (Cf. Luke 1:31-36)
The Virgin remains humble and thoughtful. She asks frankly how she can become the Mother of God when she has resolved to remain a virgin for the rest of her life. The Angel reveals to her the tremendous mystery by which the Holy Spirit will descend on her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her.
Only when Mary understood that this was the will of God, and that the privilege of the divine Motherhood would be compatible with the other privilege of virginal purity, did she utter the momentous words: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38)
Let us bow our proud heads before the Virgin, the humblest and most exalted of creatures. (Dante, Paradiso, XXXIII, 2-3) Let us learn from her to love purity above all things and to be prepared to make any sacrifice rather than lose this beautiful virtue.
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Our Guardian Angels - Cardinal Bacci
Our Guardian Angels
1. Among the many expressions of God’s goodness towards us is His designation of a heavenly spirit to accompany and to assist each of us on our journey through life. The human eye cannot see him, because he is always on guard by our side. Even while he is near us he enjoys the beatific vision of God.
This is a wonderful thought. During the day, when we are preoccupied with so many affairs which can cause us to forget God, our angel is beside us to inspire us to love God more. When we are asleep, he is watching over us and praying for our welfare. When we pray, he gathers our feeble supplications and offers them to God. When temptation presses hard, it is he who sustains us and encourages us to resist with Christian fortitude. Finally, when by some misfortune we fall into grave sin because we have been deaf to the appeals of our Creator, he takes pity on us and inspires in us remorse for our misdeeds and the desire to be restored as soon as possible to God’s favour.
We should be deeply grateful to our kind Guardian Angel and should pray to him often, especially in times of spiritual or bodily danger. We need his help when we are tempted or afflicted. We should place much greater trust in him, remembering that he is always close at hand to fulfil the mission entrusted to him by God of enlightening and directing us.
2. The realisation that our Angel Guardian is always close at hand should also be a warning to us. It should prevent us from doing anything displeasing to God. Would we venture to do anything unbecoming in the presence of our father or mother, or of anyone for whom we have any regard? Definitely not, and still less should we dare to perform an evil action in the presence of our Angel, to whom we owe such gratitude, and in the presence of God, our Creator, Lord and Redeemer, Who could at any moment snap the thread which binds us to life and plunge us into eternity. Furthermore, when pride convinces us that we are of some importance, let us turn to our Angel and pray for the virtue of humility. When we begin to seethe with anger and long to utter words which are harsh and injurious, let us ask him for the gift of Christian gentleness. When the devil fills our minds with impure images and thoughts, let us ask our Angel to beseech God to give us the Christian fortitude to resist temptation and to imitate his angelic purity. Finally, when tepidity is sapping the vigour of our interior life, let us pray to our Guardian Angel in the hope of obtaining a share in his intimate union with God.
3. Let us form the habit of saying this prayer to our Guardian Angel, especially in the crises of life:
“O Angel of God, my Guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits me here,
Ever this day (or night) be at my side
To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.”
When there is not enough time to say this prayer, let us at least turn to our Angel with an act of faith and love and say: “My Guardian Angel, enlighten me. My Guardian Angel, help me. My Guardian Angel, protect me.”
He will certainly come to our assistance and will implore for us from God the graces which we need.
1. Among the many expressions of God’s goodness towards us is His designation of a heavenly spirit to accompany and to assist each of us on our journey through life. The human eye cannot see him, because he is always on guard by our side. Even while he is near us he enjoys the beatific vision of God.
This is a wonderful thought. During the day, when we are preoccupied with so many affairs which can cause us to forget God, our angel is beside us to inspire us to love God more. When we are asleep, he is watching over us and praying for our welfare. When we pray, he gathers our feeble supplications and offers them to God. When temptation presses hard, it is he who sustains us and encourages us to resist with Christian fortitude. Finally, when by some misfortune we fall into grave sin because we have been deaf to the appeals of our Creator, he takes pity on us and inspires in us remorse for our misdeeds and the desire to be restored as soon as possible to God’s favour.
We should be deeply grateful to our kind Guardian Angel and should pray to him often, especially in times of spiritual or bodily danger. We need his help when we are tempted or afflicted. We should place much greater trust in him, remembering that he is always close at hand to fulfil the mission entrusted to him by God of enlightening and directing us.
2. The realisation that our Angel Guardian is always close at hand should also be a warning to us. It should prevent us from doing anything displeasing to God. Would we venture to do anything unbecoming in the presence of our father or mother, or of anyone for whom we have any regard? Definitely not, and still less should we dare to perform an evil action in the presence of our Angel, to whom we owe such gratitude, and in the presence of God, our Creator, Lord and Redeemer, Who could at any moment snap the thread which binds us to life and plunge us into eternity. Furthermore, when pride convinces us that we are of some importance, let us turn to our Angel and pray for the virtue of humility. When we begin to seethe with anger and long to utter words which are harsh and injurious, let us ask him for the gift of Christian gentleness. When the devil fills our minds with impure images and thoughts, let us ask our Angel to beseech God to give us the Christian fortitude to resist temptation and to imitate his angelic purity. Finally, when tepidity is sapping the vigour of our interior life, let us pray to our Guardian Angel in the hope of obtaining a share in his intimate union with God.
3. Let us form the habit of saying this prayer to our Guardian Angel, especially in the crises of life:
“O Angel of God, my Guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits me here,
Ever this day (or night) be at my side
To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.”
When there is not enough time to say this prayer, let us at least turn to our Angel with an act of faith and love and say: “My Guardian Angel, enlighten me. My Guardian Angel, help me. My Guardian Angel, protect me.”
He will certainly come to our assistance and will implore for us from God the graces which we need.
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
The Month of the Holy Rosary - Cardinal Bacci
The Month of the Holy Rosary
1. We should say the Rosary devoutly every day. This beautiful prayer is very pleasing to Our Lady, and the church is particularly anxious that we should recite it during the month of October. Families which say the Holy Rosary together can hope for a special blessing from God and for the maternal protection of Mary.
If possible, every family should gather together in the evening and recite the Rosary before an image of our Blessed Mother. If the parents set an example, their children will join them. It is consoling to come together after the toil and trouble of the day in order to confide our cares and hopes to Mary.
Do you say the Rosary every day? If you have neglected this pious practice, begin today. Do not plead lack of time. There is time for so many other things, so surely there is time to pray and to entrust ourselves in a special way to the protection of our heavenly Mother. The practice of reciting the Holy Rosary will win for you the blessing of God and the patronage of the Blessed Virgin.
2. One of the main advantages of the Rosary is that it enables us to unite with our vocal prayer meditation on the principal mysteries of our faith. During each decade we should meditate briefly on one of these mysteries. In this way our faith will be enlivened and we shall be roused to imitate in our lives the example of Jesus and Mary.
The Rosary is composed of the Church’s most beautiful prayers – the Our Father, which Jesus Himself taught us to say when addressing our heavenly Father, and the Hail Mary, which consists of the Angel’s greeting to the Blessed Virgin when he came to announce to her that she was to be the Mother of God, of the inspired words of St. Elizabeth on the occasion of the Visitation, and of the moving plea for mercy, both now and at the hour of our death, which the Church places upon the lips of her sinful children. Each decade concludes with the short hymn of praise in honour of the Blessed Trinity: “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.” This prayer expresses the two principal mysteries of our faith, namely, the unity and trinity of God, and, in an indirect fashion, the incarnation of the Second Divine Person.
If we think of all this when we are fervently reciting the Rosary, it will prove to be a treasury of grace.
3. It is untrue to say that the Rosary is a monotonous prayer in that it necessitates a constant repetition of the same formulae. In the first place, recitation of these prayers should be accompanied by meditation on the principal mysteries of our religion. Secondly, if we are inspired by love, the repetition of the same words can draw from them each time a new significance. The Christian who loves God and His Divine Mother will be happy to call his heavenly Father with filial confidence and to pray to the Blessed Virgin with trust in her maternal protection. An affectionate son does not find it boring to speak with his own mother.
1. We should say the Rosary devoutly every day. This beautiful prayer is very pleasing to Our Lady, and the church is particularly anxious that we should recite it during the month of October. Families which say the Holy Rosary together can hope for a special blessing from God and for the maternal protection of Mary.
If possible, every family should gather together in the evening and recite the Rosary before an image of our Blessed Mother. If the parents set an example, their children will join them. It is consoling to come together after the toil and trouble of the day in order to confide our cares and hopes to Mary.
Do you say the Rosary every day? If you have neglected this pious practice, begin today. Do not plead lack of time. There is time for so many other things, so surely there is time to pray and to entrust ourselves in a special way to the protection of our heavenly Mother. The practice of reciting the Holy Rosary will win for you the blessing of God and the patronage of the Blessed Virgin.
2. One of the main advantages of the Rosary is that it enables us to unite with our vocal prayer meditation on the principal mysteries of our faith. During each decade we should meditate briefly on one of these mysteries. In this way our faith will be enlivened and we shall be roused to imitate in our lives the example of Jesus and Mary.
The Rosary is composed of the Church’s most beautiful prayers – the Our Father, which Jesus Himself taught us to say when addressing our heavenly Father, and the Hail Mary, which consists of the Angel’s greeting to the Blessed Virgin when he came to announce to her that she was to be the Mother of God, of the inspired words of St. Elizabeth on the occasion of the Visitation, and of the moving plea for mercy, both now and at the hour of our death, which the Church places upon the lips of her sinful children. Each decade concludes with the short hymn of praise in honour of the Blessed Trinity: “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.” This prayer expresses the two principal mysteries of our faith, namely, the unity and trinity of God, and, in an indirect fashion, the incarnation of the Second Divine Person.
If we think of all this when we are fervently reciting the Rosary, it will prove to be a treasury of grace.
3. It is untrue to say that the Rosary is a monotonous prayer in that it necessitates a constant repetition of the same formulae. In the first place, recitation of these prayers should be accompanied by meditation on the principal mysteries of our religion. Secondly, if we are inspired by love, the repetition of the same words can draw from them each time a new significance. The Christian who loves God and His Divine Mother will be happy to call his heavenly Father with filial confidence and to pray to the Blessed Virgin with trust in her maternal protection. An affectionate son does not find it boring to speak with his own mother.
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