Following of Christ, Bk 3, Ch. 32 by Thomas a Kempis

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This chapter does not need any additional commentary… Read it; you will be glad you did.
CHAPTER 32: OF SELF-ABNEGATION, AND THE RENUNCIATION OF ALL CUPIDITY

SON, thou canst not possess perfect liberty, unless thou wholly deny thyself.

All self-seekers and self-lovers are bound in fetters; full of desires, full of cares, ever unsettled, and seeking always their own ease, not the things of JESUS Christ; but oftentimes devising and framing that which shall not stand.

For all shall perish that cometh not of GOD.

Hold fast this short and perfect word: “Forsake all, and thou shalt find all; relinquish desire, and thou shalt find rest.“

Consider this well, and when thou hast put it in practice, thou shalt understand all things.

2. Lord, this is not the work of one day, nor children’s sport; yea, in this short sentence is included all the perfection of religious.

Son, thou oughtest not to be turned back, nor presently cast down, when thou hearest what is the way of the perfect; but be drawn the more onwards towards its lofty heights, or at least aspire ardently for their attainment.

I would it were so with thee, and that thou wert come so far that thou wert no longer a lover of thyself, but didst simply wait My bidding and his whom I have appointed father over thee; then wouldst thou exceedingly please Me, and all thy life would pass in joy and peace.

Thou hast yet many things to forsake, which unless thou give them up to Me without reserve, thou shalt not obtain that for which thou prayest.

I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayst become rich—–that is, heavenly wisdom, which treadeth under foot all things below.

Lay aside earthly wisdom—–that is, all human and self-complacency.

3. I have said, buy for thyself things most contemptible for such as are precious and most valued in human estimation.
For very mean and contemptible, and almost forgotten amongst men, seems that wisdom which is true and heavenly, not teaching high notions of self, nor seeking to be magnified upon earth; which many praise in words, while in their life they are far from it; yet this same is that precious pearl which is hidden from many.

PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.
WHAT is it to quit all things? It is, first, to renounce and to die to ourselves; secondly, to mortify the senses, the mind, and the heart; thirdly, to detach ourselves from everything that affords us pleasure, and to receive with willingness and submission whatever gives us pain; fourthly, to love our friends in GOD, our enemies for GOD, and to hate only ourselves; fifthly, to attach ourselves only to GOD, to our duties, and to our salvation; sixthly, to direct all the energies of our hearts towards GOD and against ourselves; seventhly, to desire nothing but to please Him, and to fear nothing but to offend Him; eighthly, to make it our happiness and our merit to gain the light of His countenance, and to become worthy of His love.

How easy to say, I desire to quit all and to belong entirely to GOD! But how difficult to perform, unless we withdraw ourselves with fixed determination from everything which does not lead us to Him! A small degree of Divine love makes this dedication and sacrifice of ourselves to GOD possible and easy. We should constantly desire it, and ask for it, and practice it.

PRAYER.
SUFFER not my heart, O Lord, which was created to love and to possess Thee, to be attached to creatures or to itself, preferably to Thee. Thou alone canst satisfy it, and make it happy; to Thee, therefore, should it solely and constantly adhere. O my GOD, I can indeed sin without Thee; but I cannot rise again without Thee, nor withdraw myself from anything that would seduce my mind and corrupt my unsteady heart. Succor, support, and strengthen me in the combats which I am obliged to sustain with myself, in my endeavors to renounce all, that in all I may seek and find Thee. How it distresses me to behold myself the slave of my passions, and the victim of my wayward humors! Break asunder my chains, O Lord, and grant that, detaching myself from all things else, I may adhere only to Thee. Amen. 

St. Teresa of Avila by Fr. Francis Weninger, 1876

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                                        St. Teresa of Avila, Virgin
                                                   (by Father Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876)
                                                                   Feast day: October 15

St.Teresa, so greatly gifted by the Almighty, was born in 1515, at Avila, in Spain, of not less pious than noble parents. Among other devout exercises, her parents were accustomed frequently to read pious books, and their daughter was taught to do the same as soon as she was able to read. Teresa soon became so much attached to this that she often retired with her brother Roderick to a solitary place, in order to read more undisturbed. Though scarcely seven years of age she thus obtained so vivid a knowledge as well of temporal as of spiritual things that she sometimes would exclaim, as if in ecstasy: “O Eternity! O Eternity! To be tormented during a whole eternity! To rejoice during a whole eternity! To be without end in pain! To be without end in joy! Oh, who can find words for it?” Whilst she read the lives of the Saints, her heart became so inflamed with the desire to die for the honor of Christ, that, in company with Roderick, she secretly left her father’s home, intending to go to Africa to preach Christ among the Saracens, and thus earn the glorious crown of martyrdom. Although the two young adventurers were immediately pursued and brought back to their parents, yet the desire to die for Christ could not be torn from Teresa’s heart. When, in the twelfth year of her age, she lost her mother by an early death, Teresa cast herself down before an image of the Blessed Virgin, and in a flood of tears, cried out: “Mother of Mercy! I choose thee for my Mother! Take me, a poor orphan, among the number of thy children!” The wonderful protection of the Queen of Heaven, which she enjoyed in the future, proved that her prayer was heard.

Through the natural levity and forgetfulness of childhood, it happened that Teresa, after the death of her mother, gradually left off her devout reading, and instead of it, fell upon worldly books. She also became very intimate with one of her cousins, who was much addicted to vanity. This caused her to grow cold in her devotion; she no longer found pleasure in prayer, but became idle and vain,–without, however, losing the innocence of her heart. When her pious father became aware of the change, he sent her into an Augustinian convent, where she soon came to the knowledge of her fault, and bitterly repented of it. That she did not fall into greater spiritual danger she always ascribed to the special favor of the Divine Mother. She again began to read devout books, and thus brought back her former pious zeal, which had almost entirely died out, since she had spent so much time in reading romances. Soon after, she became dangerously sick, and her father took her home again. During her illness she recognized more thoroughly than before the vanity of the world, and was filled with an intense desire to leave it entirely and to serve God in the religious state. Her father was greatly opposed to this; but she secretly fled to the convent of the Carmelite Nuns, near Avila. This took place when she was in her twentieth year. But no sooner had she left her father’s house, than she felt so ardent a desire to return to it, that she trembled in all her limbs. Looking upon this as a temptation of Satan, she courageously continued her way, and when she had arrived at the Convent, an entire change suddenly took place within her; her sorrow and dread became joy and comfort. Thus did the Almighty recompense her self-control.

Teresa began her noviciate with great zeal, continued in it, and ended by taking upon herself the usual vows. Some time later, however, she once more lost her fervor in the service of God, because she conversed too long and too often with people of the world and thus neglected her prayers and lost her love for devout exercises. One day, going into church to pray, her eyes fell upon a picture of Our Saviour representing Him covered with wounds. At the same moment, her inmost soul was deeply moved by the thought that Christ had suffered so much for her, and that she had hitherto been so ungrateful and disobedient to Him. Her heart became so filled with grief, that it seemed to her as if it would break. Hence, sinking down before the image, she began to weep bitterly over her inconstancy, and said, with the most perfect trust: “Lord, I will not rise from the ground, until Thou hast bestowed sufficient strength on me, not to sin in future, but to serve Thee faithfully and with my whole heart.” This short but fervent prayer of Teresa was heard by the Almighty. Her heart was suddenly and forever changed; all affection for human beings was banished from it; her love of God and her delight in prayer and other spiritual exercises renewed, and the resolution taken to continue henceforth in the same. From that hour Teresa vacillated no more in the service of God, but persevered, with uninterrupted and daily increasing zeal, in the path of virtue and perfection.

God afterwards revealed to her that she owed her conversion to the intercession of St. Joseph and of the Blessed Virgin; hence she sought also to obtain the grace of perseverance by their aid. To this end, she represented frequently to herself the example of St. Magdalen and St. Augustine, and thus animated herself against a relapse. She repented daily most bitterly of the faults of her past life and endeavored to atone for them by wearing rough penitential garments, by scourging herself, and by other penances, although, according to the words of her confessors, she had not been guilty of great sin. One day, God showed her a terrible place in hell, saying that she would have been precipitated into it, if she had continued in her frivolous conversations at the convent-gate with people of the world, and in her neglect of devotional exercises. Her hair stood on end at this revelation, and her eagerness to serve God most faithfully and also to persuade others to do the same, was newly awakened. For this reason, she determined to use all possible means, in order to institute once more the original austerity of the Carmelites, from which, by consent of the spiritual authorities, they had somewhat departed. God Himself inspired her with these thoughts and promised her His aid in the execution of them. But as this was an undertaking which had never yet been attempted by a woman, it is easy to imagine the many and great obstacles she had to overcome. Many of the Clergy and laity opposed her plans, and she was slandered and persecuted on account of them.

But notwithstanding this, heaven so visibly assisted her, that, before her death, she counted thirty-two new convents, either of men or of women, in which the religious of her order led a holy life in the observance of all the severity of the original rule. Whoever reflects on the trouble and labor it must have cost St. Teresa to carry out this great enterprise, will not hesitate to pronounce her success a great miracle. It is impossible to describe the great virtues of this holy foundress or the wonderful graces which God bestowed upon her. She possessed among others, the gifts of prophecy and of reading the secrets of the heart. During her prayer, she frequently fell into ecstasy, and was often seen surrounded by a divine light. Once she was heard to exclaim: “Ah! only one God! Only one death! Only one soul! “the explanation of which words she herself gave afterwards, as follows: “There is only one God; if we displease Him, there is no other from whom to seek help. Man dies only once; if therefore his death is unhappy, there is no chance left to remedy the mistake. One soul only do we possess; and if this is lost, there is no hope of salvation.”

The visions she had of our Lord, of the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, the holy Angels and other Saints, were almost without number. In the last years of her life, seldom a day passed in which she was not favored with the sight of Christ in the holy Sacrament. The Divine Mother herself instructed, comforted and strengthened her on all occasions. She said of St. Joseph, that she never asked anything of him which she did not obtain. But notwithstanding these and other great graces, her humility was so deep, that she called herself the greatest of sinners, and desired to be considered as such. She often said that she owed it to the especial grace of God that He had not, according to her deserts, precipitated her into hell. She hated all human praise, and it was her greatest delight to be abused, reviled and slandered. She often begged God to withhold His gifts, as she had so often offended Him and made herself unworthy of His grace. Not less wonderful was her patience and desire to suffer. She said, one day, that during forty years she had scarcely been one hour without pain, except at the time when she received Holy Communion, when the interior consolation she felt made her forget her bodily ailments. Incredible almost are the many and severe sicknesses with which she was visited by divine Providence. Among these were violent pains in her side and joints, trembling in all her limbs, disgust of food, and a fever which troubled her for five long years. All these were increased by temptations and spiritual desolation, and also by many and great persecutions.

But in all these trials, she never manifested the slightest impatience; on the contrary, she felt an insatiable desire to suffer still more. Hence she was frequently heard to exclaim: “Lord, either to suffer or to die! For, life is too burdensome when I have nothing to suffer.” During her maladies she said with Job: “If we have received good things from the hands of the Lord, why should we not also be grateful for that which is evil? “She never manifested any dislike, much less hatred towards those who most unjustly slandered and persecuted her; on the contrary, she showed them a great deal of kindness and endeavored to be useful to them. Hence a certain bishop said: “Whoever wishes to be favored by Teresa, must revile or injure her.” She wept bitterly over the blindness of the heretics, and offered many penances for their conversion. She also prescribed in her regulations that the religious of her Order should offer prayers and other good works, in order that God might aid preachers and others who labor for the salvation of souls and the conversion of heretics and sinners. God, one day, showed her the joys of Heaven, saying: “Behold! of what great treasures sinners deprive themselves! “This increased more and more her zeal to further the conversion of sinners. To the poor and sick she was like a tender mother. She offered for the souls of the departed many penances and prayers, thus opening the gates of heaven to a great many of them. In purity of mind and body, she was more an angel than a human being; for besides never having the least fault to reproach herself with in that regard, she had received from God the grace of being free from all unclean thoughts and temptations. Nevertheless she employed all the means which are necessary or useful to preserve purity.

Her other virtues, as her perfect obedience, her extreme poverty, her constant self-abnegation, her wonderful moderation in everything, and her great austerity, must be omitted for want of space; but of her love of God we feel obliged to speak, as in this virtue she seems to have reached the highest point which a human being can attain. And can it be wondered at? She herself saw that an angel pierced her heart with a burning arrow, as a sign of her intense devotion to the Almighty. Christ Himself gave her His hand, saying: “In future shalt thou, as a true spouse, labor zealously for my honor.” Nothing grieved her more painfully than when she heard that God, whom she loved so intensely, had been offended by others; and she avoided nothing so carefully as in the least to offend Him. God was constantly in her thoughts even in the midst of her occupations. To Him she constantly raised her heart by short interior prayers, which she sent to heaven with such fervency, that the flames of divine love which burned within her, were reflected on her countenance. The least fault she committed caused her many tears, and she made a vow, not only never to displease God by a voluntary venial sin, and to guard herself against every imperfection, but also constantly to endeavor to do what she knew was most agreeable to the Almighty. The Roman Breviary testifies that she died more from the greatness of her love for the Most High, than from the pains of her sickness.

She knew the hour of her death, eight years before it took place. When she felt it approaching, she wrote a most touching and beautiful letter to all the members of the Convents she had founded, exhorting them to persevere in their fervor. After having most devoutly received the Holy Sacraments, she occupied herself with mental prayer. “At length, the long wished for hour has come, in which I cannot offend Thee any more, O my Lord!” exclaimed she, “the hour in which I shall see Thee.” Soon after, she thanked God that she had been born in the Catholic Church, and repeatedly said: “I am a daughter of Thy church, I die a child of the Catholic Church.” She was also frequently heard to say: “O Lord! cast me not from Thy face. A contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” Turning on one side, her arms crossed over her breast and pressing a crucifix to her heart, she prayed silently for some time, and calmly expired, in the 68th year of her age, in 1582. Christ visibly appeared to her in her last hour, accompanied by His divine Mother and many Angels. She appeared in great glory to several of her absent friends, at the hour of her death. At the moment when she gave her soul to God, a dead tree, which stood before her cell, began to bud. Her holy body, from which a most delicious odor emanates, has remained incorrupt until this hour; and the relation of the many miracles which took place after her death, fill several books. But what appears most worthy of our admiration in the life of this Saint, is that she, though a weak woman, and almost always afflicted with sickness, could have written many books filled with more than human wisdom; worked so much for the honor of God and the salvation of souls, endured so many persecutions, wrongs and slanders in her holy undertaking; and yet succeeded so well in what she had begun by divine inspiration. God manifested in her, what a feeble human being can do with His aid, and what great works He can perform through feeble hands.



                                             PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS.

The whole life of St. Teresa is filled with the most wholesome lessons. Let us point out some of them in a few words:

I. Teresa began in early youth, after the teachings of her pious parents, to read devout books; from this she first drew the spirit of piety. No sooner, however, had she become interested in reading worldly books, than she grew from day to day more indolent in the service of God; and she returned not to her first fervor, until she had cast aside those works, and again resumed her pious reading: a proof of the great benefit we may derive from devout books, and of the harm which worldly writings may do us. Oh! that those, who desire to live piously, may understand this, and conform their lives to it. Oh! that all Christians would guide their children from their early youth to the reading of devout books!

II. Teresa, after the death of her mother, chose the Blessed Virgin to be another mother to her, and sought and found in her, comfort and help in all her needs. Through her intercession and that of St. Joseph, she received the grace of being constant in her reform. Love Mary as your mother ; seek, with filial trust, consolation and help from her. St. Joseph should be one of your principal patrons, as his intercession is very powerful with the Almighty, and especially as he has now been solemnly declared the Patron Saint of the Universal Church.

III. The sight of the wounded Jesus filled the heart of St. Teresa with great contrition for her former indifferent life; it inflamed her with true love of God, and kept her until her end in these sentiments. Consider frequently how your Saviour suffered for your sake; and repent of your sins sincerely, as they were the cause of Christ’s bitter Passion. Love your Redeemer with all the strength of your heart, and make the resolution to serve Him in future most fervently.

IV. Teresa saw the place in hell which would have been hers, if she had not discontinued her idle discourses and her indifference in the worship of the Most High. Hence, she often gave humble thanks to God that He had not condemned her, and she learned by it how hurtful even a menial sin can become, since it may lead us gradually to the path of everlasting perdition. You have still more reason to give thanks to God that He did not call you away in your sin.

How long would you already have been in hell? If idle, empty conversation would have led Teresa gradually into hell, what may you not have to fear if you do not abstain from so much sinful talking in which you indulge? Learn also that you should not esteem a venial sin, however small it appears to you, as trifling; for, it may slowly lead you to damnation.

Many other lessons, which the life of St. Teresa contains, I leave to yourself to consider. One thing only I request of you. Call to mind frequently the words which the Saint uttered in her ecstasy: “Only one God! Only one death! Only one soul! “Love this only God, and do not offend Him. Take earnest care of your only, your precious, your immortal soul. “Keep thyself, therefore, and thy soul carefully.” (Deut., iv.)

Devotion to the Holy Face – Novena starts today

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The first medal of the Holy Face was offered to Pope Pius XII who approved the devotion and the medal. On April 17th, 1958, he declared the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Shrove Tuesday) as the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus.

As revealed to Mother Pierina, Tuesday is a day of reparation to the Holy Face, particularly before the Blessed Sacrament. All are encouraged make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.
Shrove Tuesday this year is February 28.
NOVENA TO THE HOLY FACE
Start the novena on Sexagesima Sunday (Feb. 19 this year) — two Sundays before Ash Wednesday.
(The novena can also be said anytime — say once a day for 9 days)
O Lord Jesus Christ, in presenting ourselves before Thine adorable Face, to ask of Thee the graces of which we stand in most need, we beseech Thee above all, to grant us that interior disposition of never refusing at any time to what Thou requirest of us by Thy holy commandments and divine inspirations. Amen.
O Good Jesus, who hadst said, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you,” grant us O Lord, that faith which obtains all, or supply in us what may be deficient; grant us, by the pure effect of Thy charity, and for Thine eternal glory, the graces which we need and which we look from Thine infinite mercy. Amen.
Be merciful to us, O my God, and reject not our prayers, when amid our afflictions, we call upon Thy Holy Name and seek with love and confidence Thine adorable Face. Amen.
O Almighty and Eternal God, look upon the Face of Thy Son Jesus. We present It to Thee with confidence to implore Thy pardon. The All-Merciful Advocate opens His mouth to plead our cause; hearken to His cries, behold His tears, O God, and through His infinite merits, hearken to Him when He intercedes for us poor miserable sinners. Amen.
Adorable Face of Jesus, my only love, my light, and my life, grant that I may know Thee, love Thee and serve Thee alone, that I may live with Thee, of Thee, by Thee and for Thee. Amen.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the adorable Face of Thy Beloved Son for the honor and glory of Thy Name, for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of the dying. O Divine Jesus, through Thy Face and Name, save us.
Our Hope is in the virtue of Thy Holy Name! Amen.
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Prayer of St. Therese of the Child Jesus to the Holy Face
O Jesus, who in Thy bitter Passion didst become “the most abject of men, a man of sorrows”, I venerate Thy Sacred Face whereon there once did shine the beauty and sweetness of the Godhead; but now it has become for me as if it were the face of a leper! Nevertheless, under those disfigured features, I recognize Thy infinite Love and I am consumed with the desire to love Thee and make Thee loved by all men. The tears which well up abundantly in Thy sacred eyes appear to me as so many precious pearls that I love to gather up, in order to purchase the souls of poor sinners by means of their infinite value. O Jesus, whose adorable Face ravishes my heart, I implore Thee to fix deep within me Thy divine image and to set me on fire with Thy Love, that I may be found worthy to come to the contemplation of Thy glorious Face in Heaven. Amen.

Sermon on the Word of God by St. John Vianney for Sexagesima Sunday

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THE WORD OF GOD
“Blessed are they who hear the word of GOD, and keep it.”  -St. Luke xi. 28.
            My dear brethren, we read in the gospel that the Redeemer of the world said such wonderful and astonishing things in His sermons to the people, that a woman in the multitude raised her voice and cried out, “Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave the suck;” but JESUS CHRIST answered immediately, “Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the Word of GOD, and keep it.” Perhaps it seems to you, my brethren, that JESUS CHRIST teaches us that he who hears the Word of GOD with the earnest wish to profit by it, is more pleasing to GOD than he who receives Him in Holy Communion.  Yes, without doubt, my brethren, we have never really understood what a precious gift the Word of GOD is.  Ah, my brethren, if we rightly understood it, with what reverence and love should we not listen to it!  Let us not deceive ourselves.  The Word of GOD must of necessity bear within us either good or bad fruit. The fruit will be good if we are well prepared to receive it, namely, by a real desire to profit by it and to do everything that it prescribes. It will be bad if we hear it with indifference, or perhaps with distaste and dis-esteem.  This sacred Word will enlighten us and show us how to fulfill our duties, or it will blind us and make us stiff-necked. So as to prove this more clearly to you, I will show you how great is the Word of GOD.
            So as to impress upon you the exalted worth of the Word of GOD, I will specify that the entire extension and progress of the Catholic religion is the work of the Word, joined with grace which is always with it.  Yes, my brethren, we can even say that, excepting the death of CHRIST on Mount Calvary, and Baptism, our holy religion gives us nothing that can be compared to the Word.  How many persons are there not in heaven who never received the Sacrament of Penance?  How many others who have never received the Blessed Sacrament?  How many there are in heaven who neither received Confirmation nor Extreme Unction?  As far as instruction in the Word of GOD is concerned, it is as hard for us, when we have arrived at the age when instruction is necessary for us, to get to heaven without instruction, as it is without Baptism. We shall find out at the day of Judgment that the greater number of Christians who are lost were damned because they did not know their own religion.
            Let us ask the souls of the lost Christians why they are in hell.  They will all avow that the cause of their damnation was either that they would not hear the Word of GOD or that they despised it.  But, you may ask, what effect has the sacred Word upon us? I say that it resembles that pillar of fire which guided the Jews when they were in the desert, which stood still when the people should stand still, and moved on when they were to move on, so that the people had only to follow it faithfully, to be sure of not taking the wrong road on their way.  Yes, my brethren, it does the same in regard to us.  It is a bright torch, which enlightens us, and guides us in all our thoughts, undertakings, and actions.  It enlightens our faith, fortifies our hope, inflames our love of GOD and our neighbor. It describes to us the majesty of GOD, the blessed end for which we were created, the goodness of GOD, His love for us, the value of our soul, the sublime reward which is promised to us. At the same time, it depicts for us the gravity of sin, the sorrow which it occasions GOD, the misery into which it will plunge us in the next life. It brings us face to face with the judgment which threatens sinners, and we shudder at the awful picture which it conjures up. Yes, my brethren, this Word determines us to believe all the most mysterious truths of our holy religion, without indulging in subtle inquiries, for it confirms our faith.
            Tell me, are we not all of the same opinion, that after a sermon our hearts are touched and full of good resolutions, while those who despise the Word of GOD reject and despise all those means of salvation which GOD has given us?  Tell me, my brethren, of what did the patriarchs and the prophets, JESUS CHRIST Himself and His apostles, as well as all their holy followers, avail themselves to strengthen and spread our holy religion, if it was not the Word of GOD?  For instance, what did Jonas do when the Lord sent him to Nineveh?  None other but announce the Word of GOD, by telling them that within forty days the place would be destroyed! Was it not this sacred Word which changed the hearts of the inhabitants of this large city, who, from being great sinners, became great penitents?  What did St. John the Baptist do to make the Messiah, the Redeemer of the world, known?  Did he not preach the Word of GOD?  What did JESUS CHRIST Himself do when He passed through the cities and places where He was always surrounded by a crowd of people, who followed Him as far as the desert – what other means did He make use of but this sacred Word, to instruct the people in that religion which He was going to found?  Tell, me, my brethren, what made all the great ones of this world forsake their possessions, their parents, and all of their comforts?  Was it not because they had heard the Word of GOD, which opened the eyes of their soul, and showed them the short duration and the perishableness of all created things, and persuaded them to acquire eternal goods, as, for example, a St. Anthony, a St. Francis a St. Ignatius?
            Tell me, who can make children understand to honor their father and their mother, and to consider them, indeed, the representatives of Almighty GOD?  The instruction which they receive in Sunday – School from those who have charge of their soul, whereby the great reward which they may expect if they are good, obedient children is impressed upon them.  What kind of children are those who despise their parents?  Alas, my brethren, how many wicked, ignorant children are there not, who, in consequence of their ignorance, are unchaste and disorderly, and who often bring their parents with sorrow to the grave!  What causes a neighbor to be kind to his neighbor, if it is not the instruction which he heard where it was made clear to him how pleasing to GOD is the love of our neighbor?  Or, at another time, when he heard the terrible condition of the sinner described who falls into the hands of the living God?  Listen for a moment, and I will give you a proof of this, which will convince you.
            It is related that a French army officer happened to be stationed in a place where a mission was being held by a certain Father Bridaine.  Curious to hear the priest who had such a great reputation and whom he did not know, he entered the church, where Father Bridaine was just depicting in awful colors the state of a soul steeped in sin, the blindness of the sinner who remains in his sins, and pointing out how easy it was to give up a sinful life by means of a general confession.  The soldier was so touched at this, his remorse of conscience was so great, or, rather, it was so unbearable, that he made the resolution at that moment to make a general confession.  He waited for the missionary at the steps of the pulpit, and told him that he desired to confess the sins of his whole life.  Father Bridaine treated him with the greatest kindness.  “Father,” said the officer, “I will do all that you tell me to do.  I have the greatest desire to save my soul.”  He made his confession with the greatest piety and contrition which could be expected of a converted sinner.  He admitted, indeed, that it seemed to him as if a heavy burden was taken off his conscience each time he accused himself of a sin.  His confession ended, he left Father Bridaine, and wept tears of bitter repentance.  The people were astonished to see this soldier shedding so many tears, and they asked him the cause of his trouble.  “Ah, my friends, how sweet it is for me to shed tears of love and gratitude, I who have lived so long at enmity with GOD!  Oh, how blind is man who does not love GOD and who lives at enmity with Him, while GOD loves him so tenderly!”  The soldier sought Father Bridaine in the Sacristy, and declared, in the presence of the other missionaries, that he had never in his whole life experienced such unalloyed happiness as he did at that moment when he was in the state of grace:  “My Fathers, I do think that my sovereign, whom I have served for thirty-six years, can be as happy as I am.  I do not believe, in spite of all the pleasures which surround his throne, that he can enjoy the contentment that I do after having laid down the dreadful burden of my sins by repentance, and having made the firm resolution to do penance for them.  I would not exchange my happiness for all the wealth and the pleasures of this world.”  With these words he pressed Father Bridaine’s hand, and begged him to pray to GOD for him that he might have the grace to be a true penitent all his life long.
            Now, my brethren, what was the cause of this soldier’s conversion?  None other than the Word of GOD, which he understood, and which found his heart docile to the call of grace.  Ah, how many Christians would be converted if they were so happy as to listen to the Word of GOD with a good intention!  What good thoughts and good resolutions would be awakened in their hearts!  How many good works for heaven would be accomplished!
            He who is not moved by the Word of GOD is lost, unless a miracle should happen, which very seldom does.   Oh my GOD!  Who could believe that any one could display such indifference at the thought of such endless misery!  Meanwhile, before we proceed any further, we will examine into the condition of most of this congregation.  You know that sin reigns in your hearts; and you know that, so long as this sin reigns there, you can expect nothing else but an eternity of misery.  Oh my GOD, this thought alone should frighten us almost to death!  Ah, GOD saw beforehand how few would profit by this Word of life, when He spoke the following parable in the gospel:
            “The sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.  And some fell upon a rock, and withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and choked it.  And finally, some fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit a hundred fold.”
            You see, my brethren, that JESUS CHRIST shows us that, of all the people who hear the Word of GOD, only a fourth part derive profit from it.  It would be a good thing if, among every four persons, there should be one to profit by it.  Oh, that the number of good Christians was greater than it is!  The apostles were astonished at this parable, and they asked Him to explain it to them.  JESUS CHRIST then explained it to them:
            The heart of man is like unto a field, which brings forth fruit according as it is either well or badly cultivated.  The seed, JESUS CHRIST said to them, is the Word of GOD.  It falls by the wayside, when those that hear it do not change their lives, or make the sacrifices which GOD asks of them, so that they might become good and pleasing to Him.  They will not forsake the company or the places where they have so often offended GOD; others, again, are restrained by a false fear of man, (we could add here, a false “human respect”) which causes them to waver in all the good resolutions which they formed when they heard the word of GOD.   The seed which fell among thorns are those who hear the Word of GOD with joy; but it produces no good results in them: they hear it gladly, but they are not willing to do what it commands.  The seed which fell upon the rock are those who have a hard and stubborn heart, who hear the Word of GOD to find fault with it and to abuse it.  Finally, the seed which falls on good ground are those who ardently desire to hear it, and who embrace every opportunity which GOD gives them to profit by it as much as possible, and only in these hearts does it yield abundant fruit.  And these fruits are:  To retrench their worldly life and to practice all those virtues which a Christian should so as to please GOD and to save their soul.  You see from the Words of JESUS CHRIST how few persons there are who derive any benefit from the Word of GOD, as, among four parts, only one part yielded fruit.
            Now, my brethren, you wish to be that fourth part.  Listen, then, with great desire to the Word of GOD; put aside all sin, the world with its pleasures, your inordinate desires and passions; form good solid resolutions, and put them in practice at the first and every opportunity offered afterward, and rest assured you will bear fruit a hundred fold.    Amen.    Hail Mary…

The feast of St. John Bosco, patron of youth.

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Collect for the feast of St. John Bosco:
“O God, Who hath raised up Saint John Bosco, Thy Confessor to be a father and teacher of youth, and didst will that through him, with the help of the Virgin Mary, new families should flourish in Thy Church, grant, we beseech Thee, labor to seek souls and serve Thee alone. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.”
St. John Bosco, pray for us!

An Expose on Christ’s Sermon on the Mount by Rev. Henry Rutter (1755-1838)

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“…Since all men aim at happiness, but, for the most part, unfortunately deceive themselves in the means by which it is to be attained, Jesus begins this discourse [of the Sermon on the Mount] by showing both in what true happiness consists, and by what means it is to be acquired. He describes the happiness of eternity as the object of all others the most deserving our attention, and makes the happiness of this life to consist in the general means that may lead us to it; for certainly, the only real and solid happiness of mankind here, is that of being in the direct road to a happy eternity hereafter.

   Now the general means which are proper to conduct us to eternal felicity, and which also constitute our real happiness even in this life, he reduces under two heads; to suffer evil, and to do good; or, in other words, to be patient and innocent. Patience comprises four beatitudes, which are poverty of spirit, mounting, hunger and thirst after justice, and persecution. Innocence includes the other four, meekness, mercy, cleanness of heart, and the love of peace. To all these he promises the reward of eternal felicity, which however he expresses in different terms, according to the nature of the virtue to be rewarded. These we proceed now to explain in the order observed by the Evangelists. 

1. ” Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

   Jesus declares all those happy even in this life, who are poor in spirit, or in heart and affection. In this beatitude are comprised all those who, for the sake of Jesus Christ, voluntarily abandon their worldly possessions; –likewise all who, being born to a state of poverty, or reduced to it by accident, humbly submit to their lot without envying a more affluent state. Lastly, all those who, though abounding in worldly goods, yet place not therein their confidence or affection, but are ever ready to part with them, when the will of God calls for this sacrifice at their hands. The former, who are really poor, as well as the latter, who are only so in spirit, enjoy happiness even in this life, because though they be here in indigence, or willing to be reduced to it if God so decree, yet as the kingdom of heaven with all its riches belongs to them, their well-founded claim is deservedly considered as the source of solid happiness.

2. “Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.” 

  Jesus here declares all those to be happy who are meek, i.e. who far from offending their neighbour, or doing him any harm, bend to the oppression of others, without even resisting such as are manifestly unjust. These are happy; because if their meekness exposes them to be ill-treated and driven from their possessions by the ambition and rapacity of others, heaven, upon that title, becomes their due, as their own land and inheritance.

3. “Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.” 

  He declares those to be happy, who are sorrowful according to God, who shed tears in his sight for their own transgressions and for those of others; or, who lament the spiritual miseries and dangers of this life; a life which they view in no other light than as a banishment from their true country; or, who bewail before God the public calamities which take place in the world, or the particular evils, whether temporal or spiritual, to which individuals of all ranks are subject. Persons of this description are deservedly declared happy, because heaven is their assured reward, which is here pointed out under the title of comfort in their afflictions.

4. “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall be filled.”

  He declares all those to be happy who hunger and thirst after justice, i.e. who earnestly desire and pray that justice and order may reign both in themselves and others. This desire makes us pray that the name of God may be sanctified, that his kingdom may come, and his blessed will be accomplished by all mankind. These are happy in the assurance they have, that their virtuous wishes will one day be completely satisfied, when sin being destroyed even in its very source, which is concupiscence, God alone shall reign all in all, and fill them with a torrent of spiritual delights.

5. “Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.” 

  He declares all those to be happy who are merciful, viz. they who show a compassionate tenderness towards the miseries and wants of their neighbours, and who, if his miseries be corporal, readily afford him such helps as are proportioned to his wants and to their own means; or, if of a spiritual nature, they endeavour to reform him by their instructions, or at least by their example give proofs of their merciful disposition, by forgiving injuries, or by fulfilling other duties of charity. These are happy, because a promise is here made to them, that heaven will one day be bestowed upon them as their crown and reward, and as a wonderful instance of God’s gratuitous mercy.

6. “Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God.” 

  He declares those to be happy whose hearts are clean, and disengaged from all inordinate love of creatures: this cleanness extends itself from the heart to the whole man; it shows itself in the body by a chastity of manners, in the soul by a general mortification of the passions, in the will by simplicity and an upright intention, and in the mind by a rejection of all sinful thoughts. Persons of this description are happy, because being divested of all inordinate affections to creatures, which like clouds obstruct their sight, they shall one day see God face to face in his glory.
7. ” Blessed are the peace-makers; for they shall be called the children of God.”

  He declares peace-makers happy, i.e., all such as love peace, and procure it both to themselves and others; who are ever ready, by making the first advances, to seek a reconciliation with others, and to grant forgiveness to those who solicit for it, by readily consenting to an oblivion of past differences. These are happy, because even in this life they are the children of God, who is the God of peace, and they will be infinitely more so hereafter in heaven, which is the kingdom of eternal peace.

8. “Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

  He declares those happy who suffer persecution, not like the wicked, in punishment of their crimes, but for justice and truth, i. e. for their faith and virtue; who suffer, in a good cause, the loss of their country and friends by banishment; the loss of their honour, by marks of infamy; the loss of their goods, by forfeiture; of their liberty, by imprisonment; of their health by torments of their bodies, or members by mutilation; finally, who suffer the loss of their very lives, by martyrdom. Happy are these, because after having fought in the cause of truth, heaven is justly their due; –”their acquired kingdom, the subject of their triumph and of their glory.

   The last beatitude being the most important, Jesus enters into a more minute explanation of it, and thus encourages his disciples and followers when suffering in his cause. “Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, when they shall separate you” from your friends and country by banishment and imprisonment, “and shall reproach you” for being Christians and Catholics, “and cast out your name as evil for the Son of Man’s sake; and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you untruly for my sake. Be glad in that day and rejoice: for behold your reward is great in heaven. For according to these things did their fathers persecute the prophets that were before you,” and the part you have in their sufferings will entitle you to share likewise in their glory.

   To display this doctrine in yet a stronger light, Jesus contrasts the persons thus declared happy under four of these beatitudes, with four other descriptions of men, to whom he denounces eternal misery. “But wo to you” says he, “that are rich” in your hearts, whether really possessed of riches or only so in desire; “because you have your consolation,” such as it is, here in this world. “Wo to you that are filled,” and make good cheer the sole object of your pursuit: “for you shall hunger” eternally hereafter. “Wo to you that now laugh,” and pass your time in vain pleasures and amusements: “for you shall mourn and weep,” hereafter without ceasing. “Wo to you,” ministers, “when men shall bless” and applaud you “for preaching to them erroneous doctrines; for according to these things did their fathers to the false prophets,” who pleased them with easy and novel doctrines, such as were no less pernicious to the souls of men than they were flattering to their passions.

   What we have hitherto given of Christ’s sermon, appertains to the exordium, and merits our most serious consideration.”

Dec. 3rd, Feast of St. Francis Xavier

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    We all need to be zealous to serve GOD as He wants us to serve Him. Today is the feast of St. Francis Xavier, one of the first followers of St. Ignatius of Loyola and a very zealous follower of our Lord.  Please pray the below prayers in honor of St. Francis Xavier, the second greatest Apostle after St. Paul (according to some authors)!

A Prayer for Zeal

O my Lord Jesus! Teach me to be generous; teach me to serve Thee as Thou deservest; to give, and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to ask for rest; to labor, seeking no reward, save that of knowing that I do Thy will. Amen.

       (by Saint Francis Xavier)

Litany of St. Francis Xavier Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have Mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have Mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
Have Mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have Mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Virgin Mother of God,
Pray for us *

St. Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus, *
St. Francis Xavier, the glory and second pillar of thine order, *
Apostle of the Indies and Japan, *
Legate of the Holy Apostolic See, *
Preacher of the truth, and doctor of the nations, *
Vessel of election, to carry the name of Jesus Christ to the kings of the earth, *
Shining light to those who sat in the shadow of death, *
Full of a burning zeal for the glory of God, *
Unwearied propagator of the Christian faith, *
Most watchful shepherd of souls, *
Most constant mediator on divine things, *
Most faithful follower of Jesus Christ, *
Most ardent lover of evangelical poverty, *
Who didst burn with the fire of divine love, *
Who didst generously despise all earthly things, *
Most able guide in the way of perfection, *
Model of apostolic men, *
Model of all virtues, *
Light of infidels, and master of the faithful, *
Angel in life and manners, *
Patriarch in affection and care of God’s people, *
Prophet mighty in word and works, *
Whom all nations and the Church have with one voice associated with the glorious choir of Apostles, *
Who was adorned with the crown of virgins, *
Who didst aspire to the palm of martyrs, *
Confessor in virtue and profession of life, *
In whom we reverence, through the divine goodness, the merits of all saints, *
Whom the winds and the sea obeyed, *
Who didst take by assault the cities that had revolted from Jesus Christ, *
Who wast the terror of the armies of the infidels, *
Scourge of demons, and destroyer of idols, *
Powerful defense against shipwreck, *
Health of the sick, and salvation of sinners, *
Father of the poor, and refuge of the miserable, *
Sight to the blind, and strength to the lame, *
Protector in time of war, famine, and plague, *
Wonderful worker of miracles, *
Who wast endued with the gift of tongues, *
Who wast endued with the wondrous power of raising the dead, *
Resounding trumpet of the Holy Ghost, *
Light and glory of the East, *

Through the cross, which thou didst so often raise among the Gentiles,
We beseech thee, hear us. **

Through the faith, which thou didst so marvelously propagate, **
Through thy miracles and prophecies, **
Through the perils and shipwrecks which thou didst endure, **
Through thy pains and labors, in the midst of which thou didst so ardently exclaim: Still more, still more! **
Through thy heavenly raptures, in the midst of which thou didst so fervently exclaim: Enough, Lord, enough! **
Through the glory and happiness which now thou dost enjoy in heaven, **

Friend of the heavenly Bridegroom,
Intercede for us.
Blessed Francis Xavier, beloved of God and men,
Intercede for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

V. Pray for us, St. Francis Xavier.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, Who dost glorify those who glorify Thee, and Who art honored in the honor which we render to Thy Saints; mercifully grant that, in celebrating the glorious memory of the blessed Francis Xavier, we may feel in ourselves the happy effects of his powerful intercession with Thee. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who reignest forever and ever. Amen