Third Sunday of Lent
St. Thomas Aquinas,
Confessor & Doctor
March 7, 2010
The Station today is made at St. Lawrence-without-the-Walls,
one of the five patriarchal basilicas of Rome, where are buried the bodies of
the two deacons Lawrence and Stephen.
In the Collect for St. Lawrence’s feast on August 10th, we
pray that the flame of our sins may be quenched within us as the saint overcame
the fire of his torments; while in that for St. Stephen’s Day, we undertake to
love our enemies like this saint who prayed for his persecutors. Here are two virtues, chastity and charity
which were especially practiced by the patriarch Joseph whose history the
Church gives us in this week in the Breviary.
For Joseph resisted the evil solicitation of Potiphar’s wife, while on
the other hand he loved his brethren to the extent of rendering them good for
evil.
When Joseph told his brethren the dreams which foreshadowed his
future greatness they became filled with hatred against him, and at the first
opportunity got rid of him by throwing him into a disused pit. After which, they sold him to some
Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt and after, sold him to an Egyptian noble
named Potiphar. It was in this man’s
house that he strenuously resisted the advances of his wife, thus becoming a
great model of purity. St. Ambrose
says: “Today it is the history of the pious Joseph which invites our
attention. He possessed many virtues,
yet he shone especially by his conspicuous chastity. Rightly therefore, is this holy patriarch set before us as a
mirror of chastity” (Matins).
When Joseph was cast into prison, having been unjustly accused
by Potiphar’s wife, turning to God in prayer, he asked to be freed from his
bonds. In similar terms we say in the
Introit: “My eyes are ever towards the Lord; for He shall pluck my feet out of
the snare.” And the Tract continues:
“Behold as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, so are our
eyes unto the Lord our God until He have mercy on us.” And in the Collect we speak of almighty God
who regards the desires of those who humble themselves, as stretching forth in
our defense the right hand of His majesty.
In this event Pharaoh took Joseph from his prison, made him sit on his
right hand and entrusted to him the government of his whole kingdom; and when
through his gift of foreknowledge he predicted the famine which should last
seven years, Pharaoh gave him the title “Savior of the people.” Then Joseph’s brethren came to Egypt and he
told them, “I am Joseph whom you sold.
Be not afraid; God has brought everything to pass that I may be the
means of preserving you from death.”
Jacob’s happiness at seeing his son again was unbounded; and he came and
lived with his sons in the land of Gessen which Joseph gave them.
St. Ambrose says: “The jealousy of Joseph’s brethren is at the
bottom of all the facts which make up his history. Besides, it is recorded to teach us, that a perfect man does not
give the rein to his desire to avenge an outrage or to render evil for evil”
(Matins).
Surely in all this we can recognize a type of Christ and His
Church. Jesus, the blessed Virgin’s
Son, is in the highest degree the model of virginal purity; and in today’s
Gospel we see Him contending in a special way with the unclean spirit; for so
do St. Matthew and St. Luke describe the devil whom our Lord cast out of the
dumb man by the finger of God, that is by the Holy Ghost. So does the Church drive out the same
unclean spirit from the souls of the newly baptized. Lent was a time of preparation for Baptism and in administering
this sacrament the priest breaths three times on the person to be baptized with
the words: “Go out of the child, unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy
Ghost.” St. Bede in his commentary on
this Gospel says: “What then took place visibly is every day accomplished
invisibly, in the conversion of those who become believers. First the devil is driven out of their soul,
then they perceive the light of faith; and finally their mouth, until then
dumb, opens to praise God” (Matins).
In the same sense in today’s Epistle St. Paul says: “No
fornicator or unclean or covetous person…hath inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God. Fornication and all
uncleanness, let it not so much as be named among you.” And it is especially at this season of combat
against Satan that we must imitate Christ of Whom Joseph was only the type.
With regard to the
virtue of charity, of which this patriarch has set us an example, the likeness
to Christ and His Church is obvious enough.
Out Lord, too, was hated by His own people and sold by one of His
apostles, and when He was dying on the cross He prayed for His enemies. He had recourse to God and God glorified
Him, making Him sit on His right hand in His kingdom. As Joseph distributed the corn of nature, so at Easter Jesus will
distribute the wheat of the Eucharist.
We know that as a condition of receiving Holy Communion, the Church
requires that charity, of which an example was set by St. Stephen when he
pardoned his enemies, and whose relics are kept in the Church where today’s
station is held, the same charity above all, which our Lord practiced in an
heroic degree when He “delivered Himself for us” on the cross, of which the
Eucharist is the constant memorial.
Thus Joseph, as a type of our Lord, and today’s station
perfectly illustrate the Paschal mystery for which the liturgy prepares us at
this season.
INTROIT:
Ps. 24. My eyes are ever towards the Lord: for
He shall pluck my feet out of the snare: look thou upon me, and have mercy upon
me, for I am alone and poor.
Ps. To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul:
in Thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be disappointed. Glory be, etc. My eyes are ever towards the Lord, etc.
COLLECT:
We beseech Thee, almighty God,
look upon the desires of Thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand
of Thy majesty to be our defense. Through
our Lord, etc.
From all perils of soul and body
defend us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and by the intercession of the blessed and
glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of Thy blessed Apostles
Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, graciously grant us safety and peace, that
all adversities and errors being overcome, Thy Church may serve Thee in
security and freedom. Through our Lord,
etc.
Almighty and everlasting God, who
rulest the living and the dead, and who art merciful to all those whom Thou
foreknowest to be Thine by faith and works, we suppliantly implore Thee for all
those for whom we have decided to pray- whether still in the body they live in
this world, or separated from the body they have entered the future life- that
through the intercession of all Thy saints they may obtain from Thy loving
clemency the pardon of all their offenses.
Through our Lord, etc.
EPISTLE: Eph. 5, 1-9
Brethren, Be ye followers of God,
as most dear children: and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us and hath
delivered Himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of
sweetness. But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not so
much as be named among you, as becometh saints: or obscenity, or foolish
talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose: but rather giving of thanks.
For know you this, and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous
person, which is a serving of idols, hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things
cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore
partakers with them. For you were heretofore darkness: but now light in the
Lord. Walk then as children of the light: for the fruit of the light is in all
goodness, and justice, and truth.
EXPLANATION
The apostle requires us to imitate God, as good children imitate their father
in well-doing and in well-wishing; besides he declares that all covetousness,
fornication, all disgraceful talk and equivocal jokes should be banished from
Christian meetings, even that such things should not be so much as mentioned
among us; because these vices unfailingly deprive us of heaven. He admonishes
us not to let ourselves be deceived by the seducing words of those who seek to
make these vices appear small, nothing more than pardonable human weaknesses;
those who speak thus are the children of darkness and of the devil, they bring
down the wrath of God upon themselves, and all who assent to their words. A
Christian, a child of light, that is, of faith, should regard as a sin that
which faith and conscience tell him is such, and must live according to their
precepts and not by false judgment of the wicked. Should any one seek to lead
you away, ask yourself, my Christian soul, whether you would dare appear with
such a deed before the judgment-seat of God. Listen to the voice of your
conscience, and let it decide, whether that which you are expected to do is good
or bad, lawful or unlawful.
ASPIRATION
Place Thy fear, O God, before my mouth, that I may utter no vain, careless,
much less improper and scandalous words, which may be the occasion of sin to my
neighbor. Strengthen me, that I may not be deceived by flattering words, and
become faithless to Thee.
GRADUAL:
Ps. 9. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail; let
the Gentiles be judged in Thy sight.
When my enemy shall be turned back, they shall be weakened and perish
before Thy face.
TRACT:
Ps. 122. To Thee have I lifted up my eyes, who
dwellest in heaven. Behold, as the eyes
of servants are on the hands of their masters.
As the eyes of the handmaid are on the hands of her mistress: so are our
eyes upon the Lord our God, until He have mercy on us. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
GOSPEL: Luke
11, 4-28
At that time Jesus was casting out
a devil, and the same was dumb. And when He had cast out the devil, the dumb
spoke, and the multitudes were in admiration by it. But some of them said: He
casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. And others, tempting,
asked of Him a sign from heaven. But He, seeing their thoughts, said to them:
Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation, and house
upon house shall fall. And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall
his kingdom stand? because you say that through Beelzebub I cast out devils.
Now if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out?
But if I by the finger of God cast out devils; doubtless the kingdom of God is
come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his court, those things are in
peace which he possesseth. But if a stronger than he is come upon him and
overcome him, he will take away all his armor wherein he trusted, and will
distribute his spoils. He that is not with Me, is against Me: and he that
gathereth not with Me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man,
he walketh through places without water, seeking rest: and not finding, he
saith: I will return into my house whence I came out. And when he is come, he
findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh with him seven other
spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there. And the
last state of that man becomes worse than the first. And it came to pass, as He
spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said
to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck.
But He said: Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep
it.
Can a man be really possessed
of a devil?
It is the doctrine of the Catholic
Church that the evil spirit most perniciously influences man in a twofold
manner: by enticing his soul to sin, and then influencing his body which he
often entirely or partially possesses, manifesting himself by madness,
convulsions, insanity, etc. Many texts of Scripture, and the writings of the
Fathers speak of this possession. St. Cyprian writes: "We can expel the
swarms of impure spirits, who for the ruin of the soul, enter into the bodies
of men, and we can compel them to acknowledge their presence, by the force of
powerful words." Possession takes place by the permission of God either
for trial or as a punishment for sin committed (I Cor. 5, 5), and the Church
from her Head, Jesus, who expelled so many devils, has received the power of
casting them out as He did (Mark 16, 17; Acts 5, 16, 8, 6- 7, 16, 18). She
however warns her ministers, the priests, who by their ordination have received
the power to expel the evil spirits, to distinguish carefully between
possession and natural sickness, that they may not be deceived (Rit. Rom. 3,
5-10), and the faithful should guard against looking upon every unusual,
unhealthy appearance as an influence of Satan, and should give no ear to
impostors, but in order not to be deceived, should turn to an experienced
physician or to their pastor.
What is understood by a dumb
devil?
The literal meaning of this is the
evil enemy, who some times so torments those whom he possesses that they lose
the power of speech; in a spiritual sense, we may understand it to mean the
shame which the devil takes away from the sinner, when he commits the sin, but
gives back again, as false shame, before confession, so that the sinner conceals
the sin, and thereby falls deeper.
How does Christ still cast out
dumb devils?
By His grace with which He
inwardly enlightens the sinner, so that he becomes keenly aware that the sins
which he has concealed in confession, will one day be known to the whole world,
and thus encourages him to overcome his false shame. - "Be not ashamed to
confess to one man," says St. Augustine, "that which you were not
ashamed to do with one, perhaps, with many." Consider these words of the
same saint: "Sincere confession subdues vice, conquers the evil one, shuts
the door of hell, and opens the gates of paradise."
How did Christ prove, that He
did not cast out devils by Beelzebub?
By showing that the kingdom of
Satan could not stand, if one evil spirit were cast out by another; that they
thus reproached their own sons who also cast out devils, and had not been
accused of doing so by power from Beelzebub; by His own life and works which
were in direct opposition to the devil, and by which the devil's works were
destroyed. - There is no better defense against calumny than an innocent life,
and those who are slandered, find no better consolation than the thought of
Christ who, notwithstanding His sanctity and His miracles, was not secure
against calumniation.
What is meant by the finger of
God?
The power of God, by which Christ
expelled the evil spirits, proved himself God, and the promised Redeemer.
Who is the strong man armed?
The evil one is so called, because
he still retains the power and intellect of the angels, and, practiced by long
experience, seeks in different ways to injure man if God permits.
How is the devil armed?
With the evil desires of men, with
the perishable riches, honors, and pleasures of this world, with which he
entices us to evil, deceives us, and casts us into eternal fire.
Who is the stronger one who
took away the devil's armor?
Christ the Lord who came into this
world that He might destroy the works and the kingdom of the devil, to expel the
prince of darkness (John 12, 31), and to redeem us from his power. "The
devil," says St. Anthony, "is like a dragon caught by the Lord with
the fishing-hook of the cross, tied with a halter like a beast of burden,
chained like a fugitive slave, and his lips pierced through with a ring, so
that he may not devour any of the faithful. Now he sighs, like a miserable
sparrow, caught by Christ and turned to derision, and thrown under the feet of
the Christians. He who flattered himself that he would possess the whole orbit
of the earth, behold, he has to yield!"
Why does Christ say: He who is
not with me, is against me?
These words were intended in the
first place for the Pharisees who did not acknowledge Christ as the Messiah,
would not fight with Him against Satan's power, but rather held the people back
from reaching unity of faith and love of Christ. Like the Pharisees, all
heretical teachers who, by their false doctrines, draw the faithful from
communion with Christ and His Church, are similar to the devil, the father of
heresy and lies. May all those, therefore, who think they can serve Christ and
the world at the same time, consider that between truth and falsehood, between
Christ and the world, there is no middle path; that Christ requires decision,
either with Him, or against Him, either eternal happiness with Him, or without
Him, everlasting misery.
Who are understood by the dry
places through which the evil spirit wanders and finds no rest?
"The dry places without
water," says St. Gregory, "are the hearts of the just, who by the
force of penance have drained the dampness of carnal desires." In such
places the evil -one indeed finds no rest, because there his malice finds no
sympathy, and his wicked will no satisfaction.
Why does the evil spirit say: I
will return into my house?
Because he is only contented there
where he is welcomed and received: those who have purified their heart by
confession, and driven Satan from it, but labor not to amend, again lose the
grace of the Sacraments by sin, and thus void of virtue and grace, offer a
beautiful and pleasant dwelling to the devil.
Why is it said: The last state
becomes worse than the first?
Because a relapse generally draws
more sins with it, and so it is said: the devil will return with seven other
spirits more wicked than himself, by which may be understood the seven deadly
sins, because after a relapse into sin conversion to God becomes more
difficult, as a repeated return of the same sickness makes it harder to regain
health; because by repetition sin easily becomes a habit and renders conversion
almost impossible; because repeated relapses are followed by blindness of
intellect, hardness of heart, and in the end eternal damnation.
Why did the woman lift up her
voice?
This was by the inspiration of the
Holy Ghost to shame the Pharisees who, blinded by pride, neither professed nor
acknowledged the divinity of Christ, whilst this humble woman not only
confessed Jesus as God, but praised her who carried Him, whom heaven and earth
cannot contain. Consider the great dignity of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the
Son of God, and hear her praises from the holy Fathers. St. Cyril thus salutes
her: "Praise to thee, Blessed Mother of God: for thou art virginity
itself, the scepter of the true faith!" and St. Chrysostom: "Hail, O
Mother, the throne, the glory, the heaven of the Church!" St. Ephrem:
"Hail, only hope of the Fathers, herald of the apostles, glory of the
martyrs, joy of the saints, and crown of the virgins, because of thy vast
glory, and inaccessible light!"
Why did Christ call those happy
who hear the word of God and keep it?
Because, as has been already said,
it is not enough for salvation to hear the word of God, but it must also be
practiced. Because Mary, the tender Mother of Jesus, did this most perfectly,
Christ terms her more happy in it, than in having conceived, borne, and nursed
Him.
SUPPLICATION O Lord
Jesus! true Light of the world, enlighten the eyes of my soul, that I may never
be induced by the evil one to conceal a sin, through false shame, in the
confessional, that on the day of general judgment my sins may not be published
to the whole world. Strengthen me, O Jesus, that I may resist the arms of the
devil by a penitent life, and especially by scorning the fear of man and
worldly considerations, and guard against lapsing into sin, that I may not be
lost, but through Thy merits maybe delivered from, all dangers and obtain
heaven
OFFERTORY:
Ps. 18. The justices of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart, and His judgments are sweeter than honey and the
honeycomb: for Thy servant keepeth them.
SECRET:
May this victim, O Lord, cleanse
our offenses, and sanctify the bodies and souls of Thy subjects to celebrate
this sacrifice. Through our Lord, etc.
Hear us, O God, our salvation, that
through the power of this sacrament Thou mayest defend us from all enemies of
soul and body and bestow upon us grace here and glory hereafter. Through our Lord, etc.
O God, to whom alone is known the
number of the elect who will be assigned to the happiness above, grant, we
beseech Thee, through the intercession of all Thy saints, that all those for
whom we have resolved to pray and all the faithful may have their names written
and kept in the book of blessed predestination. Through our Lord. etc.
PREFACE FOR LENT:
It is truly meet and just, right
and profitable unto salvation , that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God. Who by fasting of the body dost curb our
vices, dost lift up our minds, dost give us strength and reward, through Christ
our Lord. Through whom the angels
praise Thy majesty, the dominions adore it, and the powers are in awe. Which the heavens and the hosts of heaven
together with the blessed seraphim joyfully do magnify. With these, we pray Thee, join our voices
also while we say with lowly praise:
Holy, holy, holy, etc.
COMMUNION:
Ps. 83. The sparrow hath found herself a house, and
the dove a nest, where she may lay her young: Thy altars, O Lord of Hosts, my
King and my God; blessed are they that dwell in Thy house, they shall praise Thee forever and ever.
POSTCOMMUNION:
We beseech Thee, O Lord,
mercifully absolve from all guilt and deliver us from all dangers whom Thou
allowest to partake of so great a mystery.
Through our Lord, etc.
May the offering of this divine
sacrament cleanse and protect us, O Lord, we beseech Thee; and by the
intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of
the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints, may it purify us from
all sin and free us from all adversity.
Through our Lord, etc.
We beseech Thee, almighty and
merciful God, that the sacraments we have received may purify us; and through
the intercession of all Thy Saints, do Thou grant that from this sacrament we
may not incur guilt and punishment, but may derive a saving intercession for
pardon; may it wash away our sins; may it be strength to the weak and a bulwark
against every evil of the world; may it bring remission of all their faults to
the faithful, living and dead. Through
our Lord, etc.
PROPER OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 7th:
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7
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Sun
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3rd
Sunday of Lent
St. Thomas Aquinas
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sd
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V
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Mass 9:00 AM; Confessions 8:00 AM; Rosary of Reparation 8:30 AM; For the
Mission members
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8
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Mon
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St. John of God, C
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d
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V
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F
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Mass 8:00 AM & Mass 6:00 PM; Rosary of Reparation 5:30 PM
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9
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Tue
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St. Frances of Rome, W
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d
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W
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F
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Mass 9:00 AM & Mass 6:00 PM; Rosary of Reparation 5:30 PM
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10
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Wed
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Forty Holy Martyrs
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sd
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W
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F
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Mass 8:00 AM & Mass 6:00 PM; Rosary of Reparation 5:30 PM;
Confessions 5:30 PM
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11
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Thu
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Ferial Day
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W
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F
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Mass 8:00 AM & Mass 6:00 PM; Rosary of Reparation 5:30 PM
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12
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Fri
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St. Gregory the Great, PCD
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d
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V
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F/A
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Mass 6:00 PM; Rosary of Reparation 5:00 PM; Stations of the Cross 5:30
PM
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13
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Sat
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Ferial Day
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W
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F
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Mass 9:00 AM; Confessions 8:00 AM; Rosary of Reparation 8:30 AM
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14
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Sun
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4th
Sunday of Lent
Laetare Sunday
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sd
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V
Rose
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Mass 9:00 AM; Confessions 8:00 AM; Rosary of Reparation 8:30 AM; For
the Mission members
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Notice: The school was established
as an independent corporation that has no legal relationship with Ss. Peter
& Paul Roman Catholic Mission. After a Mission board meeting, a letter was sent January 27th
asking the school board to formally readdress this question. The courtesy of a reply from Michael
Kearney, the chairman of the School board has not been forthcoming. Another open letter has now been sent to
the School board that is enclosed in this bulletin requesting again that the
School board reconsider their determination to be an organization independent
from the Mission.
On the Third Sunday of each
month, a collection will be taken for the needy among the Mission members,
supporters and lastly, others asking our help.
Fr. Tetherow will be responsible for the distribution of these funds.
Planned Parenthood Abortuary in
York has begun again to perform abortions.
The Rosary of Reparation will again be offered before the clinic. During the Rosary of Reparation, through the
intercession of the Blessed Virgin, a total of at least nine women have left
without terminating the life of their child. If you cannot be present please make an effort to support those
who are with your prayers and sacrifices
The gravity of sin is determined by the
interval which it places between man and God; now sin against faith, divides
man from God as far as possible, since it deprives him of the true knowledge of
God; it therefore follows that sin against faith is the greatest of all
sins.
St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas of Aquinas is an honour to mankind, for perhaps there never
existed a man whose intellect surpassed his.
He is one of the brightest ornaments of the Church, for not one of her
doctors has equaled him in the clearness and precision wherewith he has
explained her doctrines. He received
the thanks of Christ Himself, for having well written of Him and His
mysteries. How welcome ought this feast
of such a saint to be to us during this season of the year, when our main study
is our return and conversion to God!
Dom Gueranger, The Liturgical Year, Feast of St. Thomas of
Aquinas
The
Church has ever proved indestructible. Her persecutors have failed to destroy
her; in fact, it was during times of persecution that the Church grew more and
more; while the persecutors themselves, and those whom the Church would
destroy, are the very ones who came to nothing.
Saint
Thomas Aquinas
Be careful not to
depend or rely much upon the friendship and protection of men. For they cannot
sustain us by themselves; and when the Lord sees us leaning upon them, He
withdraws from us.
St. Vincent de Paul
Christians! Remember your baptismal vow; you have
renounced Satan : take care, then, that by a culpable ignorance you are not
dragged into apostasy. It is not a
phantom that you renounced at the font; he is a real and formidable being, who,
as our Lord tells us, was a murderer from the beginning… During this holy
season, the Church is putting within your reach those grand means of victory –
fasting, prayer, and almsdeeds. …be not
deceived; your enemy is not slain. He
is irritated; penance has driven him from you, but he has sworn to return…the
enemy of mankind never despairs of regaining his prey. His hatred is as active now as it was at the
very beginning of the world… let us ever remember that our whole life is to be
a warfare. Our soldier-like attitude
will disconcert the enemy, and he will try to gain victory elsewhere.
Dom Gueranger, The Liturgical Year, Third
Sunday of Lent
The mercy which God commands
us to show to our fellow-creatures, does not consist only in corporal and
spiritual almsdeeds to the poor and the suffering; it includes, moreover, the
pardon and forgetfulness of injuries.
This is the test whereby God proves the sincerity of our
conversion. With the same measure that
you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. If we, from our hearts, pardon our enemies,
our heavenly Father will unreservedly pardon us. These are the days when we are hoping to be reconciled with our
God; let us do all we can to gain our brother; and for this end, pardon him, if
needs be, seventy times seven times.
Surely, we are not going to allow the miserable quarrels of our earthly
pilgrimage to make us lose heaven!
Therefore, let us forgive insults and injuries, and thus imitate our God
Himself, who is ever forgiving us.
Dom Gueranger, The
Liturgical Year, Third Week of Lent
I never heard anything bad said of me which I did not clearly realize
fell short of the truth. If I had not
sometimes – often, indeed – offended God in the ways they referred to, I had
done so in many others, and I felt they had treated me far too indulgently in
saying nothing about these…. O Lord, how can a person like me, who deserves to
be tortured by demons for eternity, be insulted? If I am badly treated in this world, is it not just? Really, Lord, I have nothing to offer You in
this regard… I know that I am so guilty in Your eyes that I feel that those who
insult me are treating me too well, although they think they are offending me,
not knowing me as well as You do.
St. Teresa of Avila
Oh! How truly can we see that pride dishonors God and is very
displeasing to Him, since it was necessary for You, the Son of God, to be so
humiliated in order to atone for such dishonor! We can truly say also that vanity is a monstrous thing, since in
order to destroy it, You were willing to be reduced to such humiliation! Oh! How firmly must we believe that in the
eyes of God humility is an infinitely precious treasure and a jewel most
pleasing to Him, since You, His divine Son, willed to be so humiliated to make
us love this virtue, and to urge us to imitate You in the practice of it, and
thus merit the grace to perform its works!
St. John Eudes
Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling to the
ground die, itself remaineth alone. But
if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
He that loveth his life shall lose it : and he that hateth his life in
this world, keepeth it unto life eternal.
If any man minister to Me, let him follow Me : and where I am, there
also shall My minister be. If any man
minister to Me, Him will My father honour.
John 12, 20-36
Remember in your charity the following pray
requests:
Please pray for our expectant mothers: Stephanie
Fonticoba, Patricia Kisielnicki, and Andrea Ebert,
For the welfare of Fr. Paul DaDamio and
Fr. John Tokarick,
The welfare of Marie Mackin, the
mother of Joseph Mackin, who is ill,
The conversion of Lorraine Marbach,
the grandmother of Paul Marbach,
Peter Schriver, the brother of Dan
Scriver, who is seriously ill,
Mrs. Tetherow requests our prayers for Bryan
Tetherow family,
For expectant mothers who have asked for our
prayers: Maria Noel,
Welfare of the Victor and Geraldine
Caceres family,
The Drew’s ask our prayers for the Joe and
Tracy Sentmanat family, welfare of Keith and Lisa Drew, and the
Timothy and Christy Koziol Family,
For Bob, a man who lives by the
chapel, has asked for our prayers in his behalf,
For the health and welfare of Don Emlett
and his family,
Pamela Noel petitions our prayers for her
father, George Glass, who is failing health,
Ryan Boyle grandmother, Jane Boyle,
who is failing health,
Mel Gibson and his family, please remember in our
prayers,
Stephen Majchrzak, a Catholic from
Baltimore who is dying from cancer requests our prayers,
The Sbardello Family asks our prayers for their
son, Rocco Sbardello, who is gravely ill and in need of
conversion,
Eileen Rzecinski asks our prayers for her
health,
Crystal Keating
asks our prayers for the welfare of her grandmother, Mary Noel, her
family, her husband, Eugene, and Mary Altland,
Gail Lewis requests our prayers for her
friend, Betty Geiger, who has been diagnosed with cancer,
The welfare of Conde McGinley, a
long time pillar within the traditional movement,
Joseph Montagne, who suffered a heart attack and stroke
on December 28th,
Rev. Timothy A.
Hopkins,
asks our prayers for himself, his mother, and for the Mission
of St. Philomena in Miami,
The health and welfare of Augusta
Wildt,
For the welfare of Ed Snell and
Luanne Ferguson and their legal cases in the defense of children in
their mother’s womb,
For the conversion of the daughter of
Simon O’Leary, Margaret E. O'Neill, her husband Robert,
and their seven children,
For the welfare of Anthony Maleski,
a young Catholic father of three severely injured in a train accident,
Barbara Taaffe asks prayers for Etta
Vanderwerken, and her brother, John Cox, Kenneth Abare,
Andres Heckenkamp, and Louis DeMeotto,
Ebert’s request our prayers for the Andreas
and Jenna Ortner Family,
Michelle Parthemore requests our prayers for the welfare of
her family,
David Romeo asks our prayers for the
health and welfare of his wife, Kim, and his aunt, Margaret
Romeo,
Cecilia Nico requests prayers for the health and
conversion for Sharon O’Connell, Kate Neason & Barb Bucher,
Joyce Paglia has asked prayers for George
Richard Moore Sr., and her children, Lease, Christopher, Perry,
and Debbie,
The health and welfare of our friend, Don
Lewis,
The special intention and welfare of Julio
Vargas, and for the conversion of Karla and Grace
Vargas,
The Pitman’s request our prayers for the
health and welfare of Theresa Wagner, Jan Sigler, Lois Curtis, Jennie
Johansen, and for Caroline’s sister, Charlotte Grossane,
who has been diagnosed with cancer,
The health of Nancy Bennett,
the daughter of Peg and Bill Barry,
Helen Crane, the aunt of David Drew who is in failing
health,
Jason Kolinsky, asks our prayers for his intention,
For the welfare of Anthony and
Joyce Paglia, who are responsible for the beautiful statuary in our
chapel,
The Drew’s ask your prayers for the Gene
Peters Family, the John Manidis Family, the Sal
Massinio Family, and John Cuono,
Please pray for Fr. Michael Jurecki,
an old and faithful traditional priest, who is in failing health,
Philip Thees asks our prayers for his
family, for McLaughlin Family, and the conversion of Helen
Mackewicz and Bruce Heller, the welfare of Dan
Polly Weand and, and the conversion of Sophia Herman, the
special intention of John and Louis Fergale, the welfare of Deacon
Michael Erdeck and his wife Nancy, the health of Grace Prestano,
Connie DiMaggio, and his uncle, John Thees.
“Could You Not Watch One Hour With Me?” (Matt.26, 40)
Holy Hour of Adoration and
Reparation
5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Monday thru Friday
"He is The Bread sown in the virgin, leavened in
the Flesh, molded in His Passion, baked in the furnace of the Sepulcher, placed
in the Churches, and set upon the Altars, which daily supplies Heavenly Food to
the faithful." St. Peter
Chrysologus (400-450)
Pray for the Repose of the Souls:
For Margaret Vagedes, the aunt of
Charles Zepeda, who died January 6th,
Fr. Enrique Rueda, who died December 14th,
Barbara Sahd, the grandmother of Stephanie
Fonticoba who died December 7th,
Anton Moore, the brother of Stan
Moore who died December 2nd,
Fr. Peterson asks our prayers for his brother, Leonard
Edward Peterson, and his cousin, Wanda, who died this
October,
Philip Thees petitions our prayers for Beverly
Romanick, who died November 9th,
Fr. Didier Bonneterre, the author of The
Liturgical Movement, who died September 15th, and Fr. John
Peek, who died September 7th,
Derrick Palengat, Andre Ebert’s
godfather,
Brother Francis, MICM, the superior of the
Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Richmond, NH, who died September 5th,
Elizabeth Vargas requests prayers for her
grandmother, Petrona Zeballos Zolva, and her uncle, Nelson
Torchino,
Walter Joseph Bialek, the father of Alice
Mansell,
Rodolfo Zelaya Montealegre, the father of Claudia
Drew, who died May 24th,
Mary Cahill, a friend of the Drew’s
who died August 12th,
Crystal Keating requests our prayers for Doug
Emlet,
Barbara Taaffe asks our prayers for Lorinda
Bargallo, Helen Zibolshi, Rose Satalino, and her brother, Joseph Cox,
Rev. Francis Clifford, a devout and humble
traditional priest, who died on March 7th,
The Pitman’s ask our prayers for Howard
Corl, who died February 10th,
Elizabeth Mirarchi, the sister of Conde McGinley,
Simon P. O’Leary who died November 4th,
David Romeo asks our prayers for his
aunt, Gloria Jean Romeo, and his uncles, Stanley Calderia
and John Calderia,
Cecilia Nico requests prayers for the repose
of her aunt, Ethel Fonner, who died Oct. 16th,
The grandfather of Tyler Kauffman, Fredrick
Anthony Iamurri,
Joyce Paglia has asked for our prayers
for her son, George Richard Moore, who died May 14th,
Fr. Peterson asks our prayers for the
repose of the souls of the six priests who were ordained with him
sixty years ago,
Joseph and Eleanor Lauctes, the brother-in-law and sister of Regina
Spahalski, and her brother, Bernard Adams,
Emilce Vargas, the grandmother of Julio Vargas, and his
grandfather, Carlos Gutierrez,
Benjamin Sorace, the uncle of Sonya Kolinsky,
Kelly Donovan Jacquot,
the sister-in-law of Gail Lewis,
Jim Lewis, the brother of Don Lewis,
Sue Heindel,
the sister of Pam Noel
Philanthropy may be generous,
and its workings may be admirable for ingenuity and order; but it never can
look upon the poor man as a sacred object, because it refuses to see God in
him. Pray for the men of this
generation, that they may at length desist from perverting charity into a mere
mechanism of relief. The poor are the
representatives of Christ, for He Himself has willed that they be such; and if
the world refuses to accept them in this their exalted character, if it deny
their resemblance to out Redeemer, it may succeed in degrading the poor, but by
this very degradation it will make them its enemies. Thy predilection, O John
of God, was for the sick; have pity, therefore, on our times… pray for us…
Enkindle holy charity within our hearts, that during these days, when we are
striving to draw down the mercy of God upon ourselves, we also may show
mercy.
Dom Gueranger, The
Liturgical Year, Feast of St. John of God
Story From the First History
on the Life of St. Gregory the Great
The Vita Beatissimi Papae
Gregorii Magni Antiquissima, the earliest history of St. Gregory the Great, the Apostle to the
Anglo-Saxons, was written by a monk in the latter part of the 7th
century at Whitby, the great abbey founded in 656 on the north-east coast of
England (which is now in ruins from the Protestant reformation). The manuscript
was discovered in a Swiss monastery, the Benedictine Abbey of St Gall, and translated
by the renowned English medievalist, Cardinal Francis Aidan Gasquet, OSB. The history relates that as St. Gregory was walking
through Trajan’s Forum, he was moved with pity for the poor pagan emperor, (who
had died during the Parthian campaign in 117 A.D. and his cremated remains
returned to Rome and eventually placed below Trajan’s column that still stands
today), because of a story of how the emperor had personally addressed the
pleading of a poor widow and obtained justice for her and her orphaned
children. The history relates how at
the prayer of St. Gregory, the emperor was raised from the dead so that he
could receive the sacrament of Baptism and thus obtained eternal
salvation. The history was an important
source for St. Bede’s History of the
English Church and People and was also incorporated in Dante’s Divine Comedy, Purgatorio X.
The greatness of contemplation
can be given to none but those who love….Whoever wishes to hold the fortress of
contemplation must first of all train in the camp of action….We ascend to the
heights of contemplation by the steps of action….He who would climb to a lofty
height must go by steps, not leaps.
Pope St. Gregory the Great
When
one puts all his care on God, and rests wholly upon Him, being careful,
meanwhile, to serve Him faithfully, God takes care of him; and the greater the
confidence of such a one, the more the care of God extends over him; neither is
there any danger of its failing, for God has an infinite love for those souls
that repose in Him.
St.
Francis de Sales
Christian humility does not lower, it elevates; it does
not cast down, but gives courage, for the more it reveals to the soul its
nothingness and abjection, the more it moves it toward God with confidence and
abandonment. The very fact that in
everything – in essence as in act, in the natural as in the supernatural order
– we depend on Him, and that we can do nothing without Him, shows us that God
wants to sustain us continually by His help and His grace… “Amen, I say to you,
unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18, 3-4).
Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., Divine
Intimacy
Whoever
serves God with a pure heart, and, setting aside all individual and human
interests, seeks only His glory, has reason to hope for success in all he does,
and especially under circumstances, when, according to human judgment, there is
no help; for the Divine works are above the sight of human prudence, and depend
upon a loftier principle.
St.
Charles Borromeo
The
Church will be punished because the majority of her members, high and low, will
become so perverted. The Church will
sink deeper and deeper until she will at last seem to be extinguished, and the
succession of Peter and the other Apostles to have expired. But, after this, she will be victoriously
exalted in the sight of all doubters.
St.
Nicholas of Fluh, 1417-1487,
prophecy
THE POWER OF
JESUS THIRD
SUNDAY OF LENT
Presence
of God: O Jesus, divine Strength, I come to You to
seek support for my weakness, and infirmity.
Meditation:
1.
On the first Sunday in Lent, the Church showed us Jesus in His Struggle
with the devil, but while she presented Him to us then in an attitude of humble
defense before the devil's temptations, today we see Him in an attitude of
attack which culminates in a glorious victory.
The Gospel (Lk 2, 14‑29) tells us
that there was a poor man possessed by the devil and he " was dumb. "
By a single act of His divine power Jesus " cast out the devil, " and
when he went out, " the dumb spoke, and the multitudes were in admiration
at it. " But the enemy, as if to avenge his defeat, insinuates into the minds
of the Pharisees the shameful calumny : " He casteth out devils by
Beelzebub, the prince of devils. " Jesus is accused of being possessed by
the devil and of having received from the devil power to free the possessed
man. Our Lord, however, wills to completely unmask the enemy and with clear
logic replies that Satan cannot give Him such power, because thereby Satan
himself would be helping to destroy his own kingdom. No, it cannot be so :
Jesus drives out devils by " the finger of God," by divine virtue. If
Satan is powerful and his satellites join with him in the struggle to rule over
man, Jesus is still more powerful and will overcome him and snatch away his
prey. He has come to destroy the kingdom of Satan and to establish the kingdom
of God.
If in these days God still permits the
devil to carry out his evil work against individuals and society, Jesus by His
death on the Cross has already paid the price of our victory. This treasure is
at our disposal. Through the virtue and grace of Christ, every Christian has
the power to overcome the enemy's attacks. The triumph of evil should not
disturb us, for it is only an apparent victory. The might of Jesus is stronger
and He is the one and only victor.
2.
We must work in union with Jesus that His victory over evil may be our own.
In today's Gospel the Master Himself shows us several aspects of this
collaboration.
" Every kingdom divided against
itself shall be brought to desolation " ; in these words Our Lord tells us
that union is the secret of victory‑union with Him above all, for without
Him we can do nothing, but also union with our neighbor. If we would work for
the triumph of good, let us collaborate ‑ one heart and one soul ‑
with our superiors and our fellow religious. We can often labor with much more
efficacy in achieving good if we give up our own personal ideas and act in
perfect harmony with others. It may even be necessary sometimes to renounce
opinions, plans, and ways which are better in themselves. Let us not be
deceived; unity is always to be preferred. Division never leads to victory.
" He that is not with Me is against
Me, " Jesus adds. Christianity does not tolerate indifference. He who is
not firmly on Christ's side, working with Him for the extension of His kingdom,
by this very fact is opposed to Him and to what is good. He is an enemy of
Christ and a partisan of evil. To omit the good one could do and ought to do is
evil, and is consenting to the extension of evil.
The first condition necessary for victory
over evil is active cooperation in the work of Christ in union with our
brethren. The second condition is vigilance. Jesus warns us that the enemy of
good is lying in wait. Even after he leaves a soul, he is ready to return, more
powerful than before, " with seven other spirits more wicked than himself
" if he finds the soul empty and open to his snares. To halt the approach
of evil we must watch in prayer, filling our heart with God so that there will
be no place in it for the enemy. And there is no place when the soul is wholly
united to God through the acceptance and observance of His word, of His will.
In fact, Jesus answered to the woman who praised His Mother : " Yea
rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it. " Of
course, the Virgin Mary is blessed because she gave birth to the Redeemer, but
she is still more blessed through her perfect union with Him in the observance
of His word. This blessedness is not reserved for Mary alone; it is offered to
every soul of good will and constitutes the greatest guarantee of victory over
evil, for one united to God becomes strong with His strength.
COLLOQUY:
" My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare. Look Thou upon me, and have mercy
on me; for I am alone and poor. Keep Thou my soul and deliver me : I shall not
be ashamed, for I have hoped in Thee " (Ps 24,15‑20).
" O eternal Trinity, O most high and
eternal Trinity, You give us the Word, full of sweetness and love. 0 sweet and
loving Word, Son of God, if our nature is weak and capable of every evil, Yours
is strong and disposed to good, because You have received it from Your eternal,
all‑powerful Father. O sweet Word, You have strengthened our weak nature
by uniting it to Yourself. Our nature is fortified by this union, for the power
of Your Blood takes away our weakness. We are also strengthened by Your
doctrine, for he who follows it in truth, perfectly clothing himself with it,
becomes so strong and capable of good, that he loses, as it were, the rebellion
of the flesh against the spirit and can overcome every evil. So You, O eternal
Word, substituted for our human weakness the strength of Your divine nature
which You received from the Father; and this strength You have given to us by
Your Blood and Your doctrine.
" O sweet Blood, You fortify and
illumine the soul; in You it becomes angelic, because You cover it with the
fire of Your charity so that it forgets itself entirely and can no longer see
anything except You.
" O divine Truth, You give so much
strength to the soul which clothes itself with You, that it never falters under
the weight of adversity or beneath the burden of troubles and temptations, but
in every struggle it gains a great victory. I am wretched because I have not
followed You, O eternal Truth; hence I am so weak that in every least
tribulation I fall" (St. Catherine of Siena).
Humility is to charity what the foundation is
to a building. Digging the foundation
is not building the house, yet it is the preliminary, indispensable work, the
condition sine qua non. The
deeper and firmer it is, the better the house will be and the greater assurance
of stability it will have. Only the
fool “built his house on the sand,” with the inevitable consequence of seeing
it crumble away very soon. The wise
man, on the contrary, “built… upon a rock” (Mt. 7, 24-26); storms and winds
might threaten, but his house was unshakable because its foundation was
solid. Humility is the firm bedrock
upon which every Christian should build the edifice of his spiritual life. Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.,
Divine Intimacy
Pride may yield resentment rather than gratitude for gifts
Let us now consider the first case,
namely: gratitude toward someone with whom we are not linked by an intimate
relationship. An example would be receiving
financial assistance or help in a dangerous situation or being defended by
someone when we are wrongly accused. If
someone refuses to acknowledge such a debt of gratitude and finds it difficult
to admit this dependence on another, it indicates an alarming degree of
pride. If the generosity of the other
does not move and gratify the recipient, then his heart is still hardened and
imprisoned in pride.
Pride struggles against the bond that is
implied in being indebted to another.
The notion that one owes something to another, that one might even have
to reciprocate if a similar situation would arise for the other, is felt as a
restriction of freedom and independence.
The situation of the helper in relation to the one he helps clearly
includes a form of ascendancy on the part of the helper. It is deeply characteristic of pride that
the beauty of the helper’s generosity is ignored and only a resentment against
his formal superiority is felt.
There are still other distinctions to be
made. For example, the worst kind of
ingratitude exists when the very generosity of the helper incurs
resentment. The help is indeed
accepted, because there is no other way out of the difficult situation, but one
already takes offense at the superiority implied by the moral value of the
benefactor. This is followed by the
desire to misinterpret, to repress, or to deny the generosity involved.
In another case, the… person would
“swallow” this formal superiority if it did not put him under obligation to the
other. This person is not so ungrateful
that he cannot grasp the debt of gratitude arising from his acceptance of the
benefit. He feels the reality of this
bond. But in his perverted urge for
freedom, in his need for unconditional independence, his primary perception of
the debt of gratitude is that it is oppressive. A Hindu saying clearly expresses this form of resistance against
gratitude: “Why are you persecuting me?
I have never done you a favor.”
Dietrich and Alice von Hildebrand, The Art of Living
Defamation:
Both Detraction and Calumny are the same Species of Sinfulness
Good esteem is the opinion which men express
in words regarding the excellence of another. This esteem is violated by defamation whereby one secretly
blackens the good name of another.
Modern theologians usually distinguish defamation into detraction and
calumny. Detraction is the
unjust revelation of another’s genuine but hidden fault; calumny is the
untruthful imputation of some fault not actually committed. Older theologians spoke of calumny,
detraction, and defamation, without making any distinction between them so far
as their morality was concerned. In
this category must also be included tale-bearing which is a form of
detraction that sows discord between friends.
Unjust defamation whether it be simple
detraction or calumny is a grave sin contrary to justice and charity which
admits of slight matter. This is
evident from the words of St. Thomas: “It is a serious matter to take away the
good esteem of another, because amongst man’s temporal possessions nothing is
more precious than his good name; if he lacks this he is prevented from doing
many good things. Therefore it is said:
‘Take care of your good name; for this will be a more lasting possession of
yours than a thousand valuable and precious treasures.’ And therefore
detraction considered in itself is grievously sinful.”
Rev. Dominic Prummer, O.P., Handbook of
Moral Theology
The Tridentine Profession of
Faith of Pope Pius IV, Iniunctum Nobis, prescribes adherence to the
“received and approved rites of the Catholic Church used in the solemn
administration of the sacraments.” The ‘received and approved rites’ are the
rites established by custom, and hence the Council of Trent refers to them as
the “received and approved rites of the Catholic Church customarily used in the
solemn administration of the sacraments (Sess. VII, can XIII). Adherence to the
customary rites received and approved by the Church is an infallible defined
doctrine: The Council of Florence defined that “priests…. must confect the body
of the Lord, each one according to the custom of his Church” (Decretum pro
Graecis), and therefore the Council of Trent solemnly condemned as heresy
the proposition that “ the received and approved rites of the Catholic Church
customarily used in the solemn administration of the sacraments may be changed
into other new rites by any ecclesiastical pastor whosoever”
Fr. Paul Kramer, The
Suicide of Altering the Faith in the Liturgy
"However, the term disciplina in no way applies to
the liturgical rite of the Mass, particularly in light of the fact that the
popes have repeatedly observed that the rite is founded on apostolic tradition
(several popes are then quoted in the footnote). For this reason alone, the rite
cannot fall into the category of 'discipline and rule of the Church.' To this
we can add that there is not a single document, including the Codex Iuris
Canonici, in which there is a specific statement that the pope, in his
function as the supreme pastor of the Church, has the authority to abolish the
traditional rite, In fact, nowhere is it mentioned that the pope has the
authority to change even a single local liturgical tradition. The fact that
there is no mention of such authority strengthens our case considerably.
"There
are clearly defined limits to the plena et suprema potestas (full and
highest powers) of the pope. For example, there is no question that, even in
matters of dogma, he still has to follow the tradition of the universal
Church-that is, as St. Vincent of Lerins says, what has been believed (quod
semper, quod ubique, quod ab ominibus). In fact, there are several authors
who state quite explicitly that it is clearly outside the pope's scope of
authority to abolish the traditional rite."
Msgr. Klaus Gamber, The
Reform of the Roman Liturgy
After the Second Vatican
Council, the impression arose that the pope really could do anything in
liturgical matters, especially if he were acting on the mandate of an
ecumenical council. Eventually, the idea of the givenness of the liturgy, the
fact that one cannot do with it what one will, faded from the public
consciousness of the West. In fact, the First Vatican Council had in no way
defined the pope as an absolute monarch. On the contrary, it presented him as
the guarantor of obedience to the revealed Word. The pope's authority is bound
to the Tradition of faith, and that also applies to the liturgy. It is not
"manufactured" by the authorities. Even the pope can only be a humble
servant of its lawful development and abiding integrity and identity . . .. The
authority of the pope is not unlimited; it is at the service of Sacred
Tradition.
Pope Benedict XVI, Spirit
of the Liturgy
Envy is the most dangerous of our passions
and the worst of evils; and the fact of its being a domestic evil only adds
weight to its gravity. Rust consumes
iron, and envy consumes the heart. The
viper when born rends the entrails of its mother, and envy in like manner
destroys the soul that gives it birth…. The envious and the jealous are easily
recognized by their physiognomy. Their
eyes are dull and heavy, their jaws drooping, their brows contracted, their
mind agitated and wanting judgment in their appreciation of others. They can see no good in acts of virtue, nor
in eloquent words, nor in anything which the world admires. Vultures leave sweet-smelling meadows for
the attraction of putrid carrion, and flies throng round festering wounds. In like manner the envious man does not stop
and dwell on the beauty and greatness of good deeds, but turns to their
defective aspect; and as imperfection is to be met with in everything, he
delights in divulging it, and seeks to make this imperfection the
characteristic mark of his neighbor… Besides this, envious men are very skilful
in giving a bad appearance to what is good in itself, and in calumniating
virtue by speaking of it as bordering on vice.
They call a determine man audacious and rash, and a temperate on
cold-blooded; with them justice is cruelty; prudence, cunning; liberality,
prodigality; and a wise administration, parsimony… We may say that every
species of merit is an offence to envy, as every kind of light hurts weak
eyes.
St. Basil the Great, On Envy
Envy conceals itself under every possible pretext,
and takes pleasure in secret and treacherous schemes. Hinted slanders, calumnies, betrayal, every kind of fraud and
deceit, are its work and portion.
Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
Endeavor to acquire the virtues in which you
believe your brother to be wanting; then you will no longer be sensible of his
defects, because they will have ceased to exist in yourself.
St. Augustine
The virtue of fortitude protects a person
from loving his life so much that he loses it.
Josef Pieper, A Brief Reader on the
Virtues of the Human Heart
True
Humility and Magnanimity Will Always Be Found Together
Nothing shows the way to a correct understanding of humility so clearly
as this: that humility and magnanimity not only are not mutually exclusive but also
are near to one another and intimately connected; both together are in
opposition to pride as well as to faintheartedness. What indeed does magnanimity mean? Magnanimity is the expansion of the spirit toward great things;
one who expects great things of himself and makes himself worthy of it is
magnanimous. The magnanimous person is
to a certain extent “particular”: he does not allow himself to become concerned
with everything that comes along, but rather only with the great things that
are suitable for him. Magnanimity seeks
above all great glory: “The magnanimous person strives toward that which is
worth the highest glory.” In the Summa
Theologica it is stated, “If one disdains glory in such a manner that he
makes no effort to do that which merits glory, that action is
blameworthy.” On the other side, the
magnanimous one is not broken by disgrace; he looks down on it as unworthy of
himself. In general the magnanimous man
regards with disdain anyone who is narrow-minded. He would never be able to esteem another so highly that he would
do anything improper for that person’s sake.
According to Thomas, the words of the Psalm (15:4) apply to the
magnanimous “disdain for men” by the just man: “He looks with contempt on the
reprobate.” Undaunted uprightness is
the distinctive mark of Magnanimity, while nothing is more alien to it than
this: to be silent out of fear about what is true. One who is magnanimous completely shuns flattery and hypocrisy,
both of which are the issue of a mean heart.
The magnanimous person does not complain, for his heart does not permit
him to be overcome by any external evil.
Magnanimity encompasses an unshakable firmness of hope, a plainly
defiant certainty, and the thorough calm of a fearless heart. The magnanimous person submits himself not
to the confusion of feelings or to any human being or to fate - but only to
God.
It is with some amazement that one learns that this profile of
magnanimity is traced line for line in the Summa Theologica of St.
Thomas. It was necessary to bring this
to mind, for in the Treatise on Humility it is stated several times that
humility does not conflict with magnanimity.
One can now consider what this sentence, unuttered as a warning and a
precaution, truly means to say. It
means nothing else that this: that a “humility” that would be too narrow and
too weak to bear the inner tension of coexistence with magnanimity is indeed no
humility.
Josef Pieper, A Brief Reader on the
Virtues of the Human Heart
