SPIRITUAL  GUIDANCE

“All the good works in the world are not equal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of men; but the Mass is the work of God. Martyrdom is nothing in comparison for it is but the sacrifice of man to God; but the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man.”

“Without the Holy Eucharist there would be no happiness in this world; life would be insupportable. When we receive Holy Communion, we receive our joy and our happiness. The good God, wishing to give Himself to us in the Sacrament of His Love, gave us a vast and great desire, which He alone can satisfy. In the presence of this beautiful Sacrament, we are like a person dying of thirst by the side of a river — he would only need to bend his head; like a person still remaining poor, close to a great treasure — he need only stretch out his hand. He who communicates loses himself in God like a drop of water in the ocean. They can no more be separated,”

“Upon receiving Holy Communion, the Adorable Blood of Jesus Christ really flows in our veins and His Flesh is really blended with ours.”

“What does Jesus Christ do in the Eucharist? It is God who, as our Savior, offers himself each day for us to his Father’s justice. If you are in difficulties and sorrows, he will comfort and relieve you. If you are sick, he will either cure you or give you strength to suffer so as to merit Heaven. 

If the devil, the world, and the flesh are making war upon you, he will give you the weapons with which to fight, to resist, and to win victory. If you are poor, he will enrich you with all sorts of riches for time and eternity. Let us open the door of his sacred and adorable Heart, and be wrapped about for an instant by the flames of his love, and we shall see what a God who loves us can do. O my God, who shall be able to comprehend?”

“When we go before the Blessed Sacrament, let us open our heart; our good God will open His. We shall go to Him; He will come to us; the one to ask, the other to receive. It will be like a breath from one to the other.”

From the Writings of St.John Mary Vianney

THE UNFORGIVEN SIN
Last night, before closing my eyes on the day’s work, I was meditating on a verse we find in the Gospel version according to St.Matthew; chapter 12, verse 32:

“Who soever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but he who speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come.”

What a terrible declaration, what food for thought, how frightening, especially just before you go to sleep. BUT, there is a good explanatio,; these words, this declaration IS justified. Let’s go back two thousand years in the days of Jesus.

Those who spoke against the Rabbi from Nazareth, against Our Lord, who, on account of His humble appearance as the carpenter of Nazareth, who had not studied letters, and whose Mother and relatives they knew, and whom, therefore, they did not picture to themselves as the glorious Messiah, whom they expected, they sinned, indeed, BUT, they had a plea to mercy since their sin was one of human frailty,

Those, who when faced by an evident divine miracle, and attributed this same miracle to Belzebub, sinned of sheer malice, and, as far as in them lay, closed the door to mercy. By turning to sin the very means intended by God for their conversion, they frustrated the bestowal of the grace of repentance.

Had they repented, they would have been forgiven, for no sin is beyond pardon for those who repent, but of its nature their sin led to final impenitence. They sinned against grace; against the Holy Spirit. In which cases God overrides by the sovereignty of His mercy, must remain the secret of God. It is only by the grace of God that we can repent.

SPIRITUAL    GUIDELINES

From the Writings of St.Augustine

Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.

Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.

Patience is the companion of wisdom.

Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.

What I needed most was to love and to be loved, eager to be caught. Happily I wrapped those painful bonds around me; and sure enough, I would be lashed with the red-hot pokers or jealousy, by suspicions and fear, by burst of anger and quarrels.

Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.

O Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet.

Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.

If two friends ask you to judge a dispute, don't accept, because you will lose one friend; on the other hand, if two strangers come with the same request, accept because you will gain one friend.

He that is jealous is not in love.

O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.

God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.

I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.

SPIRITUAL    GUIDELINES

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.

Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.

Love is the beauty of the soul.

If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.

It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that changes men into angels.

Pray as though everything depends on God. Work as though everything depends on you.

Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again.

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

From the Writings of St.Augustine

“SIMON, SON OF JOHN”
In today’s Gospel, John, 21: 9- 22, for the Third Sunday of Easter, we might be tempted to ask: “How is it that Jesus asked the self-same question to Peter, over and over again ? To begin with, I can’t accept the simple, straight forward reason given by many that Jesus asked Peter three times to help him make amends for his three time betrayal. That’s too straight forward.

There must be a very good reason for Christ’s question asked three times over. Let us study, first, the way Jesus addressed Peter. He addressed him each and every time as, Simon, son of John. Now, let’s see what exactly Jesus asked Peter in Question1: “…do you love me more than all these ?” In the second question He asked: “ … do you love me?” In the third Jesus asked: “You love me?”

WE must surely notice a great difference in these three questions asked. In the first question, Jesus is making it clear and obvious that He is addressing Simon, as one of the others, one of the many. He is addressing the fisherman, that rough, hyper fellow from Galilee who is always ready to open his mouth, always quick on the draw, very often speaking without even thinking, though deep down he is a good fellow. Mind you this is a typical Galilean character.

But still, Jesus is choosing him out with the words ‘more than all these.’ So, we might rightly think that Jesus has got something up His sleeve.

In the second question: ‘Do YOU, love me’. Well we can’t know from the Gospel, the tone or stress made by Jesus in this second question, but, now Peter has been picked, chosen, earmarked from the rest, sort of, ‘I am interested in knowing what YOU, personally think.’ WE might rightly ask, ‘why all this interest in this particular fellow?’

So the limelight is on Peter. I would venture to think that Jesus, in this second instance, when addressing him, had on the tip of His tongue another word, but He stopped short of uttering it. I mean this: ‘Simon, son of John, (Peter), do you love me?’ I say this because it is so obvious, so evident that Peter was slowly, but surely, being chosen from the rest.

In the third question, which unfortunately, in the English Translation does not come out so forceful as in the Maltese Translation, the question is: ‘(Do) YOU, love me?’. One seems to expect, again, Jesus to add the new name of Simon, that of ‘Petrus’ or ‘Cephas’, the stone, the rock, the foundation of the Church of Christ.

Here we see a psychological build up by Jesus in these three, seemingly repeated questions, yet, which indicate an undercurrent of thought in the great teacher, Jesus Christ.

We have to mention the words of commission given to Simon, son of John, Peter. The first commission was to ‘Feed My lambs’. But throughout the whole Gospel, Jesus is always in search of the sheep, and not the lambs. The lamb seems to be reserved for Jesus Himself, as the Pure, Sacrificial Lamb of God. So, Peter, was commissioned to take charge, to watch, to tend, to lead the sheep to Christ.

Putting all these thoughts together, which, I think, have a natural sequence and link, we might say that these three questions asked by Jesus to Simon son of John, are certainly not repetitive. I always believed that, in the Holy Scripture, every single word has its value and importance. For this reason we should not try to study whole chapeters at a atime. Even in the Lectio Divina. Sometimes a ‘phrase’ a ‘short sentence’ or even a single ‘word’ would suffice to make us realise the depth and wealth of the Word of God.

SPIRITUAL GUIDELINES

Never take an unfair advantage of the needs of your neighbour, for then when you yourself are in need you will not find others to have mercy on you. For God measures us the same way we measure our neighbour. God seems to be more exacting with the law of love towards our neighbor than with our love towards Himself.

The worst vices against neighbourly love are hatred, jealousy, quarrelling, scandal and participation in the sins of other persons. Now, know this, that on one's death bed the remorse of conscience tortures in a special way those who have harmed their neighbour.

Let me give you an idea of the meticulousness of our particular judgement and of the wrath of God's justice. Listen to what Christ says: 'Not a hair of your head will be lost' (Lk.21.18). 'Truly, I tell you, you will not get out of prison till you have paid the very last penny' (Lk. 12.59). Is there or is there not reason enough to fear?

No one can possibly count the number of thoughts one has had all through one's past life, the words one has spoken, and the voluntary actions one has performed. Neither can one account for the various matters of one's past actions together with all their particular circumstances. Yet all these are present before the Lord God who will reward or punish. This is indeed a serious matter.

From the Writings of St.George Preca, the Maltese Saint

“AYE, AYE, CAP’N”

‘O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.’
(With apologies to Walt Whitman)

I imagine myself on board ship on the tempestuous Lake of Galilee, or tossed about by the strong protesting elements on Mount Golgotha, on that grim Good Friday, or anywhere else in the whole world, where honesty, peace, integrity and love have become things, values of the past. Yes, the three-year fearful trip IS over and done with. We are safe in port. We have weathered all weather, merciless rain and wind. Now we are safe in port.
We have witnessed the bleeding drops of red on the deck, on the Cross, where our beloved Captain lies, crucified cold and dead.

‘O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up--for you the flag is flung--for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths--for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning.’
All bells have rung with joy on Easter Morn, people exulting, singing ‘Hallelujah’.

We are safe in port, yet, the Sea in the Lake of Galilee is again in turmoil, blood is dripping on the skull of Golgotha, elsewhere, in this tempestuous world. Though we are safe in port, the enemy keeps knocking at our doors, sending messages of hatred, and of threats.

BUT, why fear ? Have we forgotten our Captain’s encouraging words when we were tossed in the stormy Sea of Galilee ? ”You men of little faith, trust in me”….. “Do I not look after a sparrow worth two pence, and are you not worth much more, how can you imagine that I could abandon you.” …….. “I am with you till the end of time.”……. “Your name is written on the palm of my hand.” “Even if a mother abandons her child I will never abandon you.” Fear not.
“Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”

Let us be brave, let us declare our Faith and shout out in chorus: “Aye, Aye, Cap’n. “ “Jesus, we trust in You, in You alone, we trust.” Then, let the beating on our doors go on, fear not. Let the insults be hurled, they will fly past, but no harm comes to us. Suffer injustice, the Lord is strengthening and preparing us for the big prize. Fear not, bear no grudge against those who ignore us, those who belittle us, who look down upon us, who consider us trash. As long as we are in the good books of the Captain, fear not. For now we are safe in His port.

Our Captain is not a human being, he is not a President, not a Senator, not a Minister, not a Representative, not a Dictator, He is God, the Eternal, Just, Loving God… Herod died, Caesar died, Nero died, all Dictators died, all world leaders die, sooner or later, as others have died, BUT, our Captain lives on for ever, HE is eternal. So trust in HIM and in HIM alone. “Carry on Cap’n.” Now we are safe in the port of Your loving Heart.

I wrote this reflection whilst appreciating, through a watery curtain, that marvellous piece of music written by Patrick Doyle, the Sound Track of the film, ‘Sense and Sensibility’. How grateful we should be to God who touches men with His rays of grace and beauty and men translates those rays into scores of Music, Paintings, Literature, any other works of Art. I suggest you listen to it and appreciate God’s love and greatness.

Beacons of Faith: 1 “I Was There" . 2 “Aye, Aye, Cap’n”

I WAS THERE

I remember, when still a boy, reading articles on a War Magazine, called ‘The War Illustrated’. These articles were reported by people who were present on the field of battle, they used to recount their experiences. Those of you in the age group 60+ surely recall these articles.

But now I have a different scenario in mind, a different battle ground. Yes, I, was there, over 2,000 years ago, when they (sic) crucified my Saviour on Golgotha; the battle ground between good and evil, between Life and death. Even YOU were there, though you might be still in your sixties, thirties, twenties or even less.

Yes I was there. But the question is ‘On which side was I ?’ Was I with the Herod Gang; those who try to make fun of Jesus, of His Holy Mother, of His Saints and His Beloved Church ? Was I with the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, thinking, and behaving in a way that I know more than others, thinking that I have a right to interpret the Word of God as it suits me best, blinded with my pride and narrow mindedness, whilst forgetting that the Church alone has the right to interpret the Bible ?

Was I with Pilate, or better still was I Pilate, who chickened out not to lose his power, not to break his political relationhip with Caesar ? Am I not another Pilate when I don’t stand up to be counted and declare solemnly: “I am with Christ.” I am another Pilate when I do not have the guts to simply make the Sign of the Cross in front of others, or whenever I do not defend Christ ? I, surely am there, on Golgotha, whenever I fail to prove myself.

I was there when they (sic) hurled insults at Him:’If you are the Son of God come down from there, save yourself and save others.’ I am there whenever I have doubts about Jesus, His Teachings and His Church. I might easily be that thief who insulted Him, or that soldier who hurled the lance at Him.

I am there, and so are you, when we sin, whenever we doubt His Teachings, whenever we hurt our neighbor with remarks, words and looks, whenever we turn a blind eye at the sufferings and miseries of others. YES, I will be there, on Golgotha nailing Christ’s wrists to the Cross, beating Him with the flagrum. We were all there pushing down the crown of thorns in His sacred head. We must have been out of our senses, mad, and that is what we are whenever we sin, senseless. We behave worse than animals, we would be lost and wallowing in our basest elements.

We were there when we dumped His dead body in the tomb, and happily went out on our way, on our daily business because, we said, now He is dead and buried, we got rid of Him. How miserable we are, how stupid, senseless … do we not know that Christ is stronger than death. Why do we try to hide our sins in the darkness. Even nature revolts against us, for we can never feel at peace, when we are plagued with sin.

I, certainly was there, and hope you were all there too, BUT, with Simon of Cyrene, with Mary Magdalen, with John, the beloved Apostle, with the Women who always followed Him, and administered to Him, yes with Nicodemus and with Joseph of Arimathea.

The mask has come down. YOU were there, and so was I. I am there and so are YOU. But, with which group are we associating. God has no past, and no future, God always IS. HE is not bound, not limited by any time-frame. HE always IS. So Golgotha is still there, and we are still participating in the greatest human Drama of all times in History.

Christ must have seen me pushing down the crown of thorns in His sacred head … when I was sinning, maybe with thoughts and deeds. NOW is the time to decide. Take sides, but choose well … one day we have to give account for our choice. Then, I realise, TOO LATE and say: “It is my fault, because I was there.’’

I DARE ASK: “WHO HAS CRUCIFIED JESUS ?” ….I WAS THERE.

THE ESSENCE OF HU,ILITY

The Holy Scripture teaches that humility is the essential virtue, without which it is impossible to bear any good fruit at all. Our Lord Jesus Christ began His Sermon on the Mount with a call to humility, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). As the common poor realize they are in need of everything, so does the one poor in spirit see himself as imperfect and in need of divine assistance. Being conscious of this, in turn, attracts God's mercy, which makes him abundantly rich.

Unfortunately, most "worldly" people underestimate and even despise the virtue of humility. They tend to think that while preaching humility, Christianity is degrading the human person and obliterating one's natural feeling of dignity. Humility, they say, deprives one of an active attitude in life, extinguishes all initiative and nurtures a servile mindset. Such an erroneous notion of humility is only rooted in a lack of spiritual knowledge.

The essence of humility is best illustrated in the Gospel. Let's take the example of the healing of the Roman centurion's servant. In one of His visits to Capernaum, Jesus Christ was approached by a Roman centurion (an officer in modern terms), who had the following request: "Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented," to which the Saviour, Who never declined anyone's wish, promised that He would visit his home and heal the servant. Every believing person would have rejoiced at such a promise. 

But the centurion's reaction was far from average: "Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." The centurion's profound faith and humility moved the Lord to such an extent that not only did He immediately heal his servant, but also made him an example for others, saying: "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel" (Matthew 8:6-13).

Having heard of the numerous healings that the Saviour had performed, the centurion acquired an intense faith in His almightiness. Without denigrating his dignity in any way, he realized, at the same time, that he was unworthy to demand any kind of special attention toward his person, all the more so being a pagan and a foreigner. He also remembered that if he, being a common man, is unquestionably obeyed by his minors, so much the more everything will obey the will of the One sent by God.

The acknowledgement of the divine almightiness, on the one hand, and of one's imperfection, on the other, are the basis of the attitude which is called humility.
When man, led by a deep faith, encounters the Creator's infinite power, he cannot help perceiving his smallness and weakness, seeing himself as a tiny insect on the shore of a boundless ocean. This is why in the presence of God humility is but the most natural feeling. Vanity and pride can only exist in the one who, being removed far from God, is comparing himself to other minute creatures like himself.