It begins
O LORD, Master of my life, grant that I may not be infected with the
spirit of slothfulness and inquisitiveness, with the spirit of ambition and vain talking.
{Making a prostration}
Grant instead to me, your servant, the spirit of purity and of
humility, the spirit of patience and neighborly love.
...
Thanks, Deacon Greg Kandra.
It came to mind after having started to pray this novena I found via the app, Laudate: as the prayer proceeded, the virtues of the saint interspersed with my petitions for assistance, and then it hit me: I sure wish I was virtuous in the same way myself.
It's a novena to Saint Joseph, and it starts "Saint Joseph, you are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you." -- Do I likewise protect those who love me, like my family? "I have special confidence in you." Do I inspire such confidence? "You are powerful with God" -- am I a just man, righteous and therefore whose prayers are indeed powerful? ".. and will never abandon your faithful servants." Have I never abandoned my family? How many opportunities to spend time with or give assistance to them have I rejected or neglected? "By the love you have for Jesus and Mary.." How much have I loved Jesus or Mary by my actions?
And so on it went, making me realize that there is this aspect to prayer where what we say or express is actually addressing us as we pray. I think it was Saint Paul who wrote that it is the Holy Spirit alone who can lead us to that deeply intimate level of prayer, where the groans in our soul are too profound for wordsmithing (by my paraphrasing). This same Spirit teaches us even as we pray through the words of the prayers themselves, addressing us with the words we use, or, in the flesh, addressing us with the lives of the saints we follow.
And so I stumble into one reason why the treasury of prayers in the Church are invaluable rather than useless. The saints must have known this for centuries, and so came up with monastic and similar rules that revolved around prayer. A pity we no longer emphasize such prayers in even Catholic schools. These troves of intimate prayer have rather been labelled rote, with a subtle or direct emphasis on crafting one's own prayers spontaneously.
I think it's the Catholic both/and principle that makes sense of this. We need these traditional prayers because they are instructive, alongside intimate quiet prayer alone with God in our own words or without any words at all. The words of the prayer are like vehicles in which the concepts are delivered. Once in, it's in, and the Spirit can nurture that into fruitfulness.
Let's bring back those prayers in schools: the Rosary, the Angelus, prayers to particular saints, and novenas. Bring them back and let them work wonders.
I was watching this video of the beatification of Blessed John Paul II and I was struck by a thought while Pope Benedict XVI was kneeling in front of the coffin of the Blessed JPII in prayer. In pagan Rome, it was made lawful (and mandatory) that the emperor be declared a god to be worshipped. In Catholic Rome, JPII was declared to now be among those blessed to forever worship God and serve him day and night in His temple. Prayer to the Roman emperors is without effect, for they are not gods. Prayer to the saints in Heaven, those made righteous in Christ, have great effect, because they add their prayers to our intentions, praying to the one true God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
There are many cultures that include some ancestor worship. As in many things that spring out of humanity, they might have caught some of the truth but in a corrupt form. In Christ, we get the truth: death is not the end, indeed, but there is only one God to worship, for a community of saints who are alive in Christ for all eternity, always united by love through the Holy Spirit.
So there's this interesting segment of Blessed Mary MacKillop's history: she and others of her order were apparently excommunicated wrongfully, and if ABC News has it right, it was for exposing a sexually abusive priest. Of course, the ABC news linked to muddles this up a bit: the title says she was excommunicated, then Father Gardiner (who advocated for Blessed Mary MacKillop's cause) says it wasn't an actual excommunication in fact or law, then the article says it was an excommunication in fact, that had to be lifted by the bishop who declared it. I wonder what Father Gardiner meant by his statement though.
The cynics will have a field day with this one, of course, but I have to point out something odd about this. Surely the Church new about this matter, yet went ahead with beatifying her and deciding now to canonize her as a saint (17th Oct). I think there are positive lessons to be drawn here. First, bishops can get it wrong; even the Apostles did, but that didn't stop Jesus from giving them authority. Two, to the faithful (such as Blessed Mary MacKillop), even wrong bishops must be obeyed. Remember Jesus saying that the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses, and should thus be obeyed. I always thought this meant to keep the order and God himself will sort things out (as He might have concerning St. Mary MacKillop, five months into her excommunication). Three, to the faithful again, even if the Church has her share of wrong and sinful leaders, she is not to be abandoned -- there is all the more reason to come to her aid. Never in St. Paul's exhortations did he advocate schism. In fact, he condemned it.
And the most wonderful part of this story: she was excommunicated wrongfully, and now she is to be canonized Australia's first saint. Some would assert, with no small glee, that she was a rebel, but do they really want to say that? A rebel seeks to overthrow and to divide: is that who Mary MacKillop was? Is that why she's being canonized in October?
[Updated 7 Oct 2010: Oops. That's what I get for trusting ABC Online.]
Today is the feast of St. Nicholas, 4th century bishop of Myra (in modern day Turkey) and whose person was the basis for modern-day Santa Claus: from the dutch "Sinter Klaus" to the American Santa Claus. While children adore the latter, there is nothing like the real deal. Far from being a mere giver of presents, he is a saint who now favors us with prayers on our behalf. He remains a patron of children, and is still known as he was (not as modern culture has turned him into) in some countries in Europe. CatholicCulture.org and Domestic-Church.Com have some good references about him, which I invite you to read.
Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of All Saints with Mass in the morning. In attendance was probably the entire primary school. Our parish priest gave a homily about the saints, past and present, not so much specific personalities, but the need to be saints. He pointed out martyrdom as something we all should be prepared for, and gave Saint Ignatius of Antioch as an example. He cited how, in his final letters, the dear bishop showed no fear from the lions he was soon to meet, but rather excitement at the prospect of finally coming home to God in Heaven.
Now there were children in that Mass, and here was our parish priest talking about martyrdom for Christ. What's wrong with this picture?
Absolutely nothing! What a good homily that was, and what blessedness to have saints and martyrs of Christ to look to for inspiration!
Today the Church celebrates St. Francis of Assisi, whom some consider to be the most Christ-like of the saints in his humility and childlike nature. That invitatory above is from the common for saints, and it struck me as truly most apt for il Poverello, who was a great sinner before he became a great saint. A hedonist who became an ascetic, pretty much. Once worldly who became heavenly. The glory of God shows in this great work of salvation -- which is precisely why the lives of the saints are wonderful spiritual reading for us.
I too am a great sinner, but the Lord's mercy is greater than the greatest sin, and the Lord is glorious in his saints. Come let us adore him! Adeste adoremus!"
| From the Acts of the martyrdom of Saint Justin and his companion saints | |
|---|---|
| I have accepted the true doctrines of the Christians | |
| The saints were seized and brought before the prefect of Rome, whose name was Rusticus. As they stood before the judgement seat, Rusticus the prefect said to Justin: “Above all, have faith in the gods and obey the emperors”. Justin said: “We cannot be accused or condemned for obeying the commands of our Saviour, Jesus Christ”. Rusticus said: “What system of teaching do you profess?” Justin said: “I have tried to learn about every system, but I have accepted the true doctrines of the Christians, though these are not approved by those who are held fast by error”. The prefect Rusticus said: “Are those doctrines approved by you, wretch that you are?” Justin said: “Yes, for I follow them with their correct teaching”. The prefect Rusticus said: “What sort of teaching is that?” Justin said: “Worship the God of the Christians. We hold him to be from the beginning the one creator and maker of the whole creation, of things seen and things unseen. We worship also the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was foretold by the prophets as the future herald of salvation for the human race and the teacher of distinguished disciples. For myself, since I am a human being, I consider that what I say is insignificant in comparison with his infinite godhead. I acknowledge the existence of a prophetic power, for the one I have just spoken of as the Son of God was the subject of prophecy. I know that the prophets were inspired from above when they spoke of his coming among men”. Rusticus said: “You are a Christian, then?” Justin said: “Yes, I am a Christian”. The prefect said to Justin: “You are called a learned man and think that you know what is true teaching. Listen: if you were scourged and beheaded, are you convinced that you would go up to heaven?” Justin said: “I hope that I shall enter God’s house if I suffer that way. For I know that God’s favour is stored up until the end of the whole world for all who have lived good lives”. The prefect Rusticus said: “Do you have an idea that you will go up to heaven to receive some suitable rewards?” Justin said: “It is not an idea that I have; it is something I know well and hold to be most certain”. The prefect Rusticus said: “Now let us come to the point at issue, which is necessary and urgent. Gather round then and with one accord offer sacrifice to the gods”. Justin said: “No one who is right thinking stoops from true worship to false worship”. The prefect Rusticus said: “If you do not do as you are commanded you will be tortured without mercy”. Justin said: “We hope to suffer torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved. For this will bring us salvation and confidence as we stand before the more terrible and universal judgement-seat of our Lord and Saviour”. In the same way the other martyrs also said: “Do what you will. We are Christians; we do not offer sacrifice to idols”. The prefect Rusticus pronounced sentence, saying: “Let those who have refused to sacrifice to the gods and to obey the command of the emperor be scourged and led away to suffer capital punishment according to the ruling of the laws”. Glorifying God, the holy martyrs went out to the accustomed place. They were beheaded, and so fulfilled their witness of martyrdom in confessing their faith in their Saviour. | |
This commentary comes from DailyGospel.org for Holy Thursday.
Saint Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), Carmelite nun, doctor of the Church
Prayer to obtain humility
“This is my body that is for you” (1Cor 11,24)
O Jesus, when you were a traveler in this world you said: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11,29). O Almighty King of Heavens, yes, my soul finds rest when it sees you “taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2,7), humbling yourself to the point of washing the feet of your apostles. Then I remember the words you pronounced to teach me to practice humility: “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do...No slave is greater than his Master...If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it” (Jn 13,15-17). I understand, o Lord, these words coming out from your meek and humble heart; I want to put them into practice with the help of your grace...
Nobody, o my Beloved, had rights over you, nevertheless you obeyed not only to the Virgin Mary and to Saint Joseph, but also to your hangmen. Now it is in the host that I see your annihilation reach its peak. What humility, o King of Glory, to submit yourself, without distinction, to all priests, to those who love you and to those who instead unfortunately are lukewarm or cold in their service of you. In answer to their call you come down from heaven...O my Beloved, under the veil of the white host you appear to me so meek and humble of heart! To teach me humility you couldn't humble yourself more...
But, o Lord, you know my weakness; every morning I make a resolution to practice humility and in the evening I recognize that I still committed many sins of pride. And I am tempted to become discouraged, but I know that discouragement too is a form of pride. Therefore, I want to put my hopes in you alone, my God; since you are the Almighty, allow this virtue to grow in my soul. To obtain this grace of your endless mercy, I often repeat this prayer to you: “O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart similar to yours!”.
It looks pretty good (Catholic, of course). Also found online transcriptions of St. Francis de Sales' pamphlets, "The Catholic Controversy", in which he dealt with questions of the Church, the Papacy, Scriptures, Purgatory, mission of the Church, and Faith and Reason. St. Francis de Sales, of course, is a doctor of the Church, well known for having written "The Introduction to the Devout Life". Well known also for having brought back a large part of Le Chablais, in Geneva, which was already a Calvinist territory, "by preaching, zeal, learning, kindness and holiness."
[Further reading: Catholic Encyclopedia entry on the blessed saint and doctor. The pamphlets transcribed in the link above are also must-reads.]
