Author Archives: Father L
All Saints & All Souls
If we try to be very good, to love Jesus and pray – do God’s will all the time –
All Hallow’s Eve
Friends in Christ, we are approaching two important days in the Liturgical year; All Saints Day and All Souls Day, when we honor the Saints in heaven, and pray for those who have not yet reached heaven. Before these sacred days, we find this secular holiday of Halloween tomorrow. Literally, ‘All Hallows Eve,’ which means the evening before All-Hallows-Day. Some claim to know the roots of Halloween with certitude, but if we look into it, we find that it is not entirely clear how it originated.
.
In the early Church, major feasts always had a vigil on the day before the feast. So, the Vigil, All Saints Day, and All Souls day were together part of what was called All-Hallow-Tide.
.
As far back as the 15th century is found the custom of baking and sharing ‘soul-cakes’ for the dead. These cakes were filled with sweet spices or raisins, and topped with the mark of a cross. They were traditionally set out with glasses of wine as an offering for the dead. During All-Hallow-Tide, children would go from door to door asking people for ‘soul-cakes,’in exchange for praying and singing for the people’s dead. One of the songs the children sang was:
A soul! a soul! a soul-cake!
Please good Missis, a soul-cake!
An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for Him who made us all.
.
In some places it was believed that wandering souls left the cemeteries for a macabre festival before departing for heaven.
.
So this could be one of the streams which gave us such a strange thing as Halloween; but the other might be the Celts of Ireland. The pagan festival of Samhain was in late October in Ireland.[i] It was seen as a time, when the spirits or fairies could more easily come into our world. Spirits of dead relatives were thought to come, and places were set at table for them. Superstition and magic were part of that pagan time. Later, some went house to house in disguises, asking for food, or threaten mischief if they weren’t received.
.
So the origin of tomorrow’s secular tradition is uncertain, but what IS certain, is that many of the dead need our prayers, and would like to enter heaven and become saints. It is also certain that there is a war on for souls waged by the demons. St. Paul says today, ‘our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the evil spirits, therefore, put on the armor of God.
.
So let us put on the armor of God, and also in the coming days, pray for our beloved dead.
.
[i] That may be why Pope Gregory IV moved All-Saints from May 13th to November 1st, to go against that pagan festival, this is unknown.
St. Simon and St. Jude
Friends in Christ, today is the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, who were of the original 12 apostles. St. Jude, the patron of hopeless causes, was also known as Thaddeus.
.
A very old book tells us of a legend connected with St. Jude; according to this legend, in the days that Jesus walked the earth, there was a king who lived in the city of Edessa. This king sent a letter to Jesus, and in it he said:
.
‘To Jesus the good Savior, greetings. I have heard about you and the cures you do, that you make people well without medicine or herbs, and that with a word you cause the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dead to live again. Having heard all this, I have decided that you have come down from heaven; you are the Son of God. For this reason I ask you, to be kind enough to come and cure me. I have also learned that some are plotting to kill you. Then come here with me in this city, it is large enough for both of us. Sincerely, the King of Edessa.’
.
Jesus is said to have written to the King saying that he was not able to come, but that after he had Ascended, he would send one of his disciples to cure him.
.
Having received this news, the king decided to send a painter to paint a picture of Christ. But when the artist came to Jesus, his face was so bright, that he could not see clearly, to make the portrait. Therefore, Jesus took a cloth, and pressed it to his face to make an image for him.
.
Ancient writers also tell us, that the letter written by our Lord to the king had such power, that if at any time a hostile tribe attacked Edessa, a child stood on top of the city gate and read the letter, and the enemy would flee.
.
After Christ’ Ascension, St. Jude was that apostle sent to the King as the Lord had promised. The king saw in St. Jude’s face such a marvelous splendor, that he said: truly you are a disciple of the Son of God. St. Jude told him: If you believe in the Son of God, you will obtain all that your heart desires. He touched the king’s face with the letter from Christ, and he was completely cured.
.
Now whether this legend is accurate, it IS true, that Simon and Jude did go on to preach the gospel in many lands, including Iran; there they confronted pagans and superstition and sin, and by dramatic miracles converted many to the Faith.
.
Out of envy, they were martyred. St. Jude was killed with an axe, and St. Simon was sawed in two.
Lust
Friends in Christ, in the 1st reading today, St. Paul speaks against immorality and impurity. ‘Be sure of this, he says: no immoral or impure person has any inheritance in the Kingdom of God.
.
When he speaks of impurity, he is speaking about lust. Lust is one of the 7 deadly sins.
Thomas Aquinas says[i] that lust is to indulge in unlawful sexual pleasures. Sexual love is meant for marriage, and in the pure and good context of marital love, the sexual power is very good. But how easily this power can be misused.
.
Lust is a disordered use of our sexual power. St. Thomas speaks of various types of sins of lust. Among these, are fornication, adultery, seduction, and unnatural vice.
.
Fornication is the unlawful use of sex by unmarried men or women; it is a mortal sin for two reasons. First, it is a dreadful lie. A man or woman says with their body, ‘I give myself totally to you.’ But they may not be around next week or next year, because there is no marriage covenant. These actions are therefore a big lie; it is to use another person for gratification, with no commitment.
The other wrong here, is that children have a right to be conceived in a permanent relationship of parents; so fornication is to play around with the real, potential lives of children. We see the great damage today of this sin, many children without married parents. St. Thomas also reminds us that kisses and touches that are lustful are mortal sins as well.
.
He also rightly says, that whatever happens in one’s sleep or in dreams cannot be sinful, since we have no control over our will. However, there could be fault in our waking actions – what we watch or listen to, which could prompt evil dreams.
.
Adultery is a sin far worst than fornication, because it violates not only chastity, but is also a gross violation of justice against the true spouse of the person. It is an open attack on the other spouse, and it is also a sin against the common good – we see all the damage it is doing to society.
.
Finally, St. Thomas speaks of ‘Unnatural vice.’ Unnatural vice would include impure actions with self or between two people of the same sex. Notice that he does not call this ‘unnatural sex,’ but ‘unnatural vice,’ because unnatural actions are not sex at all; they are perversions of the gift of sexuality.
.
Lust is one of the 7 Deadly, or ‘Capital’ sins. But the virtue we really want, is purity. If our heart and our actions are pure, then we will, as St. Paul says, ‘Be children of the Light.’
[i] Tour of the Summa
Pride
Latin Mass: Feast of Christ the King
Friends in Christ, Today, in the traditional calendar, is the Feast of Christ the King. In the Gospel of St. Mark, Our Lord asked the Apostles, ‘who do you say that I am?’ This is the question that continues to vex the world to this day. Who is Jesus Christ? Is he the King, or not. This question as we read was on the mind of Pontius Pilate as well: ‘Who are you Jesus?’ ‘Are you a king?’ St. Paul will declare to the world: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend….and every tongue proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord.
.
Now we would all here say that Jesus is Lord, for sure. But if we examine ourselves, we may find that there are times when he is not really our Lord and King.
.
The first sin of Adam and Eve was that of pride: ‘You will be like gods,’ said the serpent. This temptation, to be a rival to God is the sin of Pride.
Pride in the world today, almost seems to be a virtue.
.
I’ve noticed the change in sports for example. Years ago, if a Walter Payton or other player scored a touchdown, the player then showed reserve and humility, handing the ball to the Ref, as if to say, ‘I’m just one member of the team doing my job.’
Today, everyone’s a hotdog, pumping fists in the air, jumping around, as if it’s all about them. It seems that pride is considered a virtue today.
.
But for all of us, pride has a way of slipping in, no one is free of it. In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis[i] says that pride is one sin that everyone loathes when they see it in another, but hardly recognize it in themselves. No fault makes us more unpopular, and no fault is harder to see in ourselves, than pride.
.
Impurity, anger, greed, drunkenness, are nothing in comparison to pride. Pride leads to every other vice, it is the sin by which we put ourselves on the throne instead of Jesus Christ.
.
Now pride is essentially competitive. If we wish to see pride in ourselves, look for our competitive spirit, which can be very subtle. How angry do I get when someone snubs me, or patronizes me, or refuses to give me credit? If I get angry, I have pride.
.
Each person’s pride is in competition with the others. I wanted to be the center of attention, but someone else was. I am angry. Pride. I really like that certain necklace, I really want it; is it because we appreciate it’s design, or is it because with it, I will outshine others? People are not proud of being rich, or smart, or good-looking; they are proud of being RICHER, SMARTER, MORE good-looking than others. Pride is competitive.
.
Pride can even creep into the spiritual life, to make our religion false. I am praying secretly in my room, but I could be thinking in the back of my mind, ‘Few people probably pray as much as I do.’ I give alms anonymously to the poor. Good. But I may feel in my heart that few others give in such a way as myself.
The competition of pride can be very subtle. There are loud and arrogant men full of the pride of vainglory, but their quiet spouse who is convinced of her moral superiority could be guilty of greater pride.
.
A Harvard psychologist says, The neurotic[ii] person is living a life of extreme self-centeredness. The very nature of the neurotic disorder is tied to pride. If the person is hypersensitive, resentful, or fault-finding, he may be afraid of looking bad in competitive situations. If the person is chronically indecisive, he is showing fear that he may do the wrong thing and be discredited. If he is over-scrupulous and self-critical, he may be fishing for the praise of others. ‘Therefore, he says, most neuroses are rooted in the sin of pride.
.
Ironically, it is sometimes as a result of God’s blessings and our success, that pride comes. Recall in the scriptures, how Uzziah succeeded so wonderfully as a good king. He sought the Lord, and listened to his spiritual director, Zechariah. But then as he became famous and successful, he stopped trusting in God and trusted in himself. Pride ruined him.[iii]
Uzziah’s mistake was to forget who the real KING is: the Lord. Too often we wish to put ourselves on his throne, and lord ourselves over others.
.
Power is what pride really enjoys. Power over others is what makes a person feel superior. A boss who loves his power, or the school bully who lives for power.
A woman who uses her beauty to manipulate her admirers, who enjoys ‘turning heads,’ is often not driven at all by her sexual instinct, but by power and pride.
.
Pride is the main cause of misery in the world, not the other sins.
Vanity for example, is a child of pride, but it is not the worst. The vain person wants praise and admiration too much, but the vain person at least cares what other people think. The person full of the blackest pride, looks down on others so much, that he doesn’t even care what they think, he knows he is superior. This is diabolical. Such black pride may even act as a check on vanity: he thinks: ‘I am a superior person, and such a superior person does not give in to vanity.’
Other vices and sins come through our animal nature, but pride comes through our spiritual nature, it is more deadly.
.
Again, C. S. Lewis asks the question: ‘How is it, that people who are eaten up with pride, can say they believe in God?’ It is because their “god” is not really Christ the King. Their idea of God is false. Their invented God sits up there and approves of them, approves of their superiority and wonderfulness.
.
A test for us to see if we are delusional with pride, is to ask if our religion makes us feel superior to others. And to ask ourselves if we are not sometimes proud; if we say that we are not, then we can be sure that we are.
.
Of course the antidote to pride is humility, and we need look no further for an example of humility, than the Blessed Virgin.
When Jesus was teaching one day in a house, although she is the mother, Mary did not presume to enter and interrupt, ‘instead it says, she remained outside.
Mary, help us to be more humble, and make your Son truly the King of our life.
.
[Entrusted to the prayers of St. John Vianney]
.
[i] Many quotes and ideas here are from C. S. Lewis, ‘Mere Christianity,’ chapter 8.
[ii] 4. Gordon Allport, quoted in Solomon Schimmel, The Seven Deadly Sins, p. 28.
[iii] Good ideas on this subject from on-line article: Pride and Humility, by Thomas A. Tarrants, C. S. Lewis Institute
The Holy Rosary
Friends in Christ. in the city of Aragona, a beautiful girl named Alexandra was loved by two men. Through jealousy, they fought and killed each other. The enraged relatives in return, killed the poor girl, cut off her head and threw it down a well.
.
A few days later, St. Dominic was passing by that place, and inspired by the Lord, he called to the well: ‘Alexandra, come forth;’ immediately the head of the girl came forth, placed itself on the edge of the well, and asked Dominic to hear her confession. He did, and then gave her Holy Communion; a large number of people were there to see this miracle.
.
Then Dominic asked her, ‘why do you think God gave you this last chance, this way?’ Alexandra said, when she was beheaded she was in the state of mortal sin, but that because she was in the habit of praying the Rosary, Mary preserved her so that she could confess.
.
Friends, the Holy Rosary is one of the best of all devotions. So many, through the Rosary, have obtained the grace to turn from sin, fight their temptations, and safely reach heaven.[i]
.
Pope Pius V, one of the greatest Popes never allowed even the busiest affairs of the Church to stop him from his daily Rosary. St. Charles Borromeo was also faithful to the Rosary, despite the enormous responsibilities he had.
.
The list of saints is nearly endless who used and recommended the Rosary. St. Francis Xavier, by the mere touch of his beads restored health to sick people.
.
The Rosary is a meditation. It is not just to recite the prayers. It is to ponder the Mysteries of our Salvation. We can pray it on our knees or while taking a walk; we can pray the Rosary sitting or while we are driving. There are long rosaries, car rosaries, and finger rosaries.
.
Heretics have tried to stop this devotion over the centuries; the secularism of the 1960’s tried to stamp out all devotions, especially the Rosary. But it tenaciously holds as the devotion of the Church most treasured by people.
The Rosary is prayed by truck drivers and pipe-fitters, professional men and women, mothers and fathers, the elderly and the sick, and it is the family prayer of many homes. The Holy Rosary is the best way to stay close to the Gospel in the course of our busy day.
.
We can follow the example of St. Stanislaus Kostka; it is said that when he recited the rosary he seemed to be speaking face to face with Mary; when asked one day by a priest how much he loved Mary, he answered, what can I say? She is my mother.
.
[i] The Mirror of Priests, p. 120-130.
St. Anthony Mary Claret
Friends in Christ, today is the Feast of St. Anthony Mary Claret. St. Anthony was born in Spain in 1807, and grew up doing manual labor with his father; but he decided to become a priest, and having worked as a pastor, he was sent to Rome and worked for the Propagation of the Faith. Here the importance of missionary work would get into his bones.
.
Returning to his homeland, he spent a good deal of time as a priest in country life, giving talks in the small, rural towns. He was often giving conferences for the diocesan priests, and he wrote over 150 books.
.
The Order he founded is called the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; but it is more commonly known as the Claritians. Anthony Claret frequently visited the Missions he founded, and even became bishop of Santiago, in Cuba. He spoke out forcefully and often against slavery of the Africans which sadly, was beginning to take root.
.
His zealous work stirred up much opposition in the anti-clerical mood of the period, as had happened previously in Spain. No fewer than 15 attempts were made on his life, and at Holguín his cheek was slashed from ear to chin by an assassin’s knife.
.
In 1869 he was in Rome, preparing for the First Vatican Council. He was sent into exile at the insistence of the Spanish Ambassador, and died under house arrest at the age of 63
.
Let us today read from his own writings. He says this:
Driven by the fire of the Holy Spirit, the apostles traveled throughout the earth. Inflamed with the same fire, missionaries today travel to the ends of the earth to proclaim the word of God.
And to us also, the love of Christ urges us to run and be lifted up on the wings of holy zeal for the gospel. I say this to you:
The one who burns with the fire of divine love is a son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, And wherever he goes, he desires and works with all his strength to inflame people with the fire of God’s love. Such a person rejoices in poverty, welcomes hardships, laughs at false accusations, and rejoices in anguish.
The child of Mary thinks only of how he might follow Christ and imitate him in his prayers, his labors, and his sufferings. One who is such a child, cares always and only, for the glory of God, and the salvation of souls.
.
– from the writings of St. Anthony Mary Claret –
Jesus’ Divinity
School Mass:
Dear students of St. John Vianney,
Week after week, and every Sunday, we are hearing the Holy Gospels read at Mass. The Gospel tells the story of the great thing that has happened to our world: that God the Son has come down from heaven, to be born like us, live our life with us, and then save us from our sins. How has he saved us from our sins? By dying on the cross and rising from the dead.
.
Jesus Christ is true God and true Man. He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit, and that shows that he is God. He had a real Mother like us, and that shows that he is Man.
.
