Beloved in Christ,
In the first centuries of the Faith, Christians were often fed to the lions and other wild animals in the coliseum, to the cheers of bloodthirsty crowds. Two such great martyrs are Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, whom we remember today. They were beautiful girls, who were the best of friends; Perpetua was 22 years old, with long hair; Felicity was younger. Together they wanted to serve Christ, and be great Christian women.
Perpetua was her father’s favorite, and she also had a little baby; but her father, a pagan, often tried to get her to give up her Faith. Well one evening, while they were eating supper, there was a knock on the door. It was the imperial guards. The two girls were summoned to be interrogated.
News spread quickly, and a vast crowd gathered. The girls were seated on a platform before the judge. Perpetua wrote this in her diary: ‘They first questioned others about their Faith. When it was my turn, my father came to the front and held up my baby; he said, ‘Have pity on your child, and give up this religion.’ It hurt me to see this.
I was finally asked, ‘Are you a Christian.’ And I answered ‘Yes I am.’ ‘I was sad for my father, because he would have no joy when I became a martyr. Then the judge passed sentence on us, and condemned us to the wild beasts. That night in prison, I had a dream, and I saw that the next day, victory would be mine.’ In the morning, on the greatest day of their life, the girls woke up with excitement and marched to the Coliseum as if in a procession to heaven; they were singing.
Entering the arena, the roar of the crowd was deafening. The first attack came from a savage bull. Perpetua was tossed by the bull’s horns into the air, and thrown to the ground; there she was seen calmly pinning up her hair, in a state of happiness. When she was told of the attack, she could hardly believe it, until she saw the wounds on herself. She seemed to be in an ecstasy. With a smile she reassured the others saying, ‘Stand fast in the Faith.’
As she went to the aid of Felicity, who had also been tossed, the crowd began demanding their death; after giving each other the kiss of peace, they were killed by the gladiators. Perpetua was still alive after the first blow of the sword, and so she helped the nervous executioner, guide the sword to her own throat.
A witness to these things states: ‘That day a good many came to believe in Christ, for they had never seen so great a Christian woman, as Perpetua.’
No saints are more uniformly honored in the early calendars of the Church, than saints Perpetua and Felicity.
Fr. Luke Winkelmann
Friends in Christ, today our Lord explains the story of the poor man Lazarus, and the rich man. One goes to heaven, the other to hell. The rich man in hell, as we see, has many regrets.
.
It is true, that for the person who has neglected his salvation, at his death, he will feel many regrets of all the wasted time. (See Preparation for Death, St. Alphonsus, p. 84) Friends who visit him, who perhaps even sinned with him, will be reminders of the kind of life he led.
.
The dying man will think: ‘I could have led a life of happiness in the grace of God.’ And when will he think these things? When the lamp is going out, when the flame of life is nearly extinguished: What would he not give for even one more month, to prove his love for God.
.
But for the person who tried to love the Lord in this life – for this one, death is very sweet. The person with Faith in Jesus Christ – at his death, he will feel peace.
.
At her death, St. Teresa was so happy, that she rejoiced every time she heard the clock strike the hour, closer to death. In her moment of death, St. Catherine of Sienna was heard to say: ‘Rejoice with me, for I leave to go to the place of peace.’ St. Bruno says, the death of the just should not be called death, but life.
.
Those who live a bad life, nearly always will have a bad death. The man who loves sin in his life, will rarely ever repent at the end. St. Robert Bellarmine says that he once went to a dying man, and told him he had come to hear his Confession. But the man did not even know what Confession was. ‘Father, I do not understand what you are saying. St. Augustine says, the person who forgot God during life, will forget him in the end.
.
But the friends of God will welcome death. St. Charles Borromeo had a picture in the house he had moved into, a picture of the grim reaper with a sickle in his hand coming at death – seeing this, he sent for a painter and ordered him to erase the sickle, and to paint instead a golden key; a reminder that death is the key that opens Paradise.
.
We still have time. Lent is a time to turn from our sins, and walk again as children of the Light, and thereby not be afraid in the least of the day of our death.
Friends in Christ,
many people in their daily life find that they are plagued by critical thoughts. We of course notice the failings of others, we see irritating personalities, sinful lifestyles, corrupt politicians, and enemies of God. There are many things that, simply are wrong.
.
But this can lead us to fall into critical thoughts. Our Lord today refers really to this when he says, “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.’ So how are we to overcome critical thoughts?
.
When we see the faults of others, we cannot pretend that we did not see them. If a person is not teaching their kids the Faith, and we notice this, we cannot pretend that it is not happening. If we or a co-worker are being treated unjustly, we cannot pretend it is not happening. We are required to make judgments about what is going on. We need to be able to distinguish good from evil.
.
In the Gospel of St. Luke Chapter 13, Jesus says, ‘Why do you not JUDGE what is right?!’ So we must never approve of evil behavior. St. Paul says, ‘the spiritual man JUDGES all things.’ 1 Cor 2:15 So we HAVE to make judgments.
.
But when we see something wrong, there are two reactions we can have. The first is to say, ‘That person is a loser,’ or, we ‘write someone off’ as useless; in our mind we throw them on the trash heap. This is to condemn a person. Jesus says, ‘Do not condemn.’
.
The other reaction we could have, is to say, Lord, have mercy on us. ‘Help that person, and help me too.’ And we might have to address the wrong, if we can. We should also consider all of our own faults, and remind ourselves that we are all part of fallen humanity, we are all sinners in this together. As scripture says, ‘Lord, if you revealed all of my life’s sins, who could endure it?’
.
A person was recently feeling critical of a teenager’s behavior, but then he thought, ‘I guess I was kind of like that too.’ St. Francis de Sales says, we should try to always put the best spin on what we see in others. Lord, ‘He doesn’t know what he is doing.’ ‘Maybe that person had bad influences, or was taught wrong by his parents. ‘Look at how I’ve been blessed and so more is expected of me than this man.’
.
The point is, we can either play the role of Satan, which is to be the accuser, the condemner – or we can be another Christ, who intercedes for people, prays for sinners, and sometimes correct them. Yes, sometimes we should try to address the evil or wrong that we see, or speak to the person who is doing something bad; but with charity.
.
If we have condemning thoughts, we are really incapable of helping correct that person. You cannot correct someone that you do not love. But on the other hand, if our heart is merciful and understanding, we might very well be able to help them. Jesus sums up the attitude we should have: ‘Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father is merciful.’
2nd Sunday of Lent
Beloved in Jesus Christ,
2000 years before the birth of Christ, Abraham obeyed a call by God to sacrifice his beloved Son, Isaac. No event of the Old Testament has been written about more by the ancient Jewish rabbis, than that one.[i] They knew that this mysterious event of Abraham offering his son, was somehow connected to the coming Messiah. But it has puzzled so-many people through history.
.
It is said that this was to test Abraham’s Faith. But why would God do this, ask a father to sacrifice his son? What does it mean? Well, the events of the Old Testament are recorded for the very purpose of pointing to the Savior to come, and the Sacrifice of Isaac is no exception.
.
Here are the facts: Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son. In those days, the sacrifice, usually an animal, was killed and then burned, as an offering to God. So, Abraham and Isaac go up the hill to sacrifice; Isaac carries the wood for it on his shoulders up the hill. On their way up, Isaac asks, ‘Father, where is the lamb for sacrifice?’ ‘God will provide the lamb,’ he replied.
.
When they reach the top of the hill, Isaac seems to realize that HE is to be the sacrifice, but he accepts it; he is bound with rope and as Abraham raises the knife to sacrifice his son, an angel from heaven says ‘Stop, do not harm the boy.’ Nevertheless, Abraham wanted to offer something to God; he saw a ram with its head, caught in a thorn bush, and so he offers the lamb in place of his son.
.
So what does this story mean? Well, Abraham is to offer his only beloved son, and this is an image of God the Father, who will offer his only Beloved Son, Jesus. As Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice up the hill, so did Jesus carry the wood of the cross up the hill of Calvary. Isaac is a symbol – a type of Jesus. Isaac is tied and bound with rope, and it is no coincidence, that the Gospel tells us that Jesus was also ‘bound,’ and led away to be crucified.
.
Now since this was a sign of the Messiah to come, the angel stops it and says, don’t continue. Isaac gets to live. But in place of Isaac, there is this ram that Abraham offers in his place, just as the true Lamb of God, Jesus, dies for us. That lamb had it’s head caught in a thorn bush, because as we know, Jesus had a crown of thorns pressed onto his head. The meaning of this event therefore, is that it is a sign of the coming Savior, who will die for our sins.
.
Now there is something more interesting here as well. It is often said that this was a test of Abraham’s Faith, But faith in what? What did Abraham believe in, that would make him do this? Well, many of the ancient rabbis actually believed that Isaac WAS sacrificed and immediately came back to life. Rabbi Eliezer was one of the greatest rabbis of the 1st century. He says: “When the knife touched Isaac, his soul departed, but when he heard the angel say ‘Stop,’ his soul returned, and Isaac arose. Isaac then believed that in the future the dead will rise.’
.
So did Abraham believe, that even if he killed his son, God would raise him up again, alive, to fulfill his promise?[ii] It seems so, because before he took Isaac up the hill, he told the people, ‘Wait here, and we will return.’ ‘We’ will return. How could they both return, if he would sacrifice him? Only if God returned Isaac to life.
.
St. Paul actually says the same thing in Hebrews. Heb 11:17 He says, ‘By faith Abraham reasoned that God had the power to raise up his son even from the dead, and so he received Isaac back as a sign of the resurrection to come.’
.
The entire Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ, was foretold in these remarkable events 4000 years ago. Abraham firmly believed that God could resurrect his son, this father, who brings his beloved son to die, this son, who carries the wood for his own death up the hill. The Lamb with head caught in the thorns; it was all a ‘dress-rehearsal’ for the events of our salvation.
.
And it is perhaps a stunning fact, that where it all happened, that place, was what would become the hill of Calvary.
.
Today, in the Transfiguration, Jesus, on another mountain, shows his disciples a glimpse of his glorious resurrection, and not only a glimpse of his own, but of our future as well. The faithful disciples of Christ will rise in glorified bodies; as Jesus said, ‘the just will shine like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father.’ This is our destiny, to be glorified like this in the world to come.
.
It was foretold by signs, in the Old Testament, it is demonstrated by Jesus in his Resurrection, and it is promised to us, if we remain faithful. St. Paul says, the Lord will transform our lowly bodies to be like his own, glorious body.
We say it every Sunday in the Creed: I believe in the resurrection of the Body, and the life of the world to come.
.
This 2nd Sunday of Lent, Mother Church has her children read this Gospel, about the Transfiguration, so that as we go through the sacrifices and challenge of Lent, we will keep our eyes fixed on the Easter joy ahead, on the glory of the life to come. If Lent is a symbol for the travails of this world, Easter is a sign of the joy of heaven.
.
This life isn’t easy, but as Scripture says: ‘The sufferings of this present time are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed to us.
.
The Old Testament pointed to our destiny, in the Transfiguration Jesus reveals it to us, and as if to spur us on the more, Mary has already arrived there.
In the 12th chapter of the Book of Revelation, we see in heaven, ‘a Woman clothed with the sun.’ That’s Mary; she’s clothed with the sun, with God’s divinity, and she’s praying for us and waiting for us, until we get there too.
.
[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Anthony of Padua]
.
[i] The ancient manuscripts of the Talmud and Mishna call it, the ‘Binding of Isaac.’
[ii] God had promised Abraham years before, that all of his grandchildren and progeny would come through Isaac. How could this happen if he killed him? Only if he trusted that God would bring him back to life.
“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”
.
Friends in the Lord, in this teaching of Christ, we see a huge difference between our religion and all the others. If we are really Christians, we love our enemies. But the word love has many meanings. In ancient times, there were different words for different love. The New Testament is written in Greek; in Greek, there are these words for love:
.
Storge meant a family love; love of a parent for a child and child for parent. Storge.
.
Eros is a love with passion, a longing, sensual love, associated with sexual love ; it is not found anywhere in the bible.
.
Philia is the love of good affection; it is one’s love for his truest friends, a tender love.
.
And agape is the highest love; it is the word Jesus uses to say, ‘Love your enemies.’ ‘Agape’. Agape means invincible good will, it means that no matter what that person does to us, no matter how he treats us, or insults us, we will regard him with invincible goodwill. St. Thomas says it means we desire the best for our neighbor.
.
Jesus therefore, does not ask us to love our enemies in the same way we love our children, or our dear friends, the word is different. What is the difference?
.
In the case of our wife or our child or our friend, we can’t help but love them, we are attracted to them, it is easy; the emotions of the heart pull us to them. But in the case of our enemies- those who are against us, who irritate us- this love must be in our will; we must will it, choose it.
.
Of course our enemy is not just ISIS, but could be someone at work or even in our home. But this type of love does not just happen, it is not of our feelings, we have to will ourselves into doing it.
.
Agape is not a feeling of the heart; it is a determination of the mind. It is the power to love those whom we don’t like, and who don’t like us. This love does not mean we are passive; it may mean serious words, it may mean dealing with a difficult person, and it certainly means praying for them. This kind of love never dismisses someone or ignores them.
.
To love someone who is against us or who dislikes us is only possible for a Christian; it is only possible, if Jesus is living in us.
Friends in the Lord, today Christ says: ‘If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, and go first and be reconciled with him.’
.
Jesus would have in mind the temple sacrifices of those days; the person would come in with his goat or his sheep to be offered, but Our Lord says, before you go do that, you need to be reconciled with your neighbor.
.
Applying this principle to us, we can say that when we come to Holy Mass, and we offer up Jesus to God in heaven, we offer our praise, our thanksgiving, and in atonement for our sins – well, if we have a grudge against someone, or hatred in our heart, then our offering is not sincere.
.
The other thing we should consider, is that if we wish to receive Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, we for sure cannot be at enmity with God or our neighbor. Therefore, to receive Holy Communion worthily, we may not be in a state of mortal sin, we must be reconciled with God and neighbor, and that means Confession.
.
If we have skipped Mass since our last confession, or have hatred for someone, or have stolen something of value, or committed sexual impurity, or maligned someone’s reputation- we must go to Confession before receiving Communion.
.
Holy Communion is called the Marriage Banquet of the Lamb. Jesus himself is received, under the appearance of Bread. He is bodily united to us, and this is the greatest marriage there is, a one-flesh-union between Jesus and ourself, and that must only be entered into, under the most holy of circumstances.
.
If a husband and wife have a snippy word between them during the day, that would not preclude them from entering into the one-flesh union of marital love that night. But if something serious were to happen, to wound that relationship – say the husband had been unfaithful – for him that night, to request marital rights from his wife without a reconciliation, would be unconscionable, it would be a immense wound to her, a mockery, really.
.
And so, if we have done something serious to injure our friendship with Christ, it would be a sacrilege, to unite ourself to him in Communion; it would be the kiss of Judas. St. Paul says, ‘whoever eats this bread of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of his Body and Blood.
.
My personal view is, that even if we are not in mortal sin, if we feel that we have not been living the best for Christ, or have not prepared well for Communion, we should say: ‘Lord, out of love, I am not coming up today, I only want to receive you when I am really in love with you.’
.
We go to Holy Mass for sure, and we offer this Divine Savior in praise, in love, and especially in atonement for our sins, even if we are in sin. But if we haven’t been faithful to the Lord, we show greater love if we don’t receive, but instead, tell him how much we wish to.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’
.
Friends in Christ, today Our Lord speaks to us about our attitude in prayer. Some people think that God is a begrudging God, who hardly answers prayers; as if getting God to help you is like squeezing a drop of water out of a block of granite. But Jesus clears up such an idea.
.
Christ asks us to consider even the imperfect love of earthly parents. Do parents hate their own children? no. He gives 2 examples here, and another from the Gospel of Luke.
.
‘If a son asks for bread, will his parent give him a stone; if he asks for a fish, will they give him a serpent, or an egg, will they give him a scorpion?
.
Now notice that in each example, there is a resemblance between the things. William Barclay tells us that in Christ’s time, the little round sandstones had a shape and color like little loaves of bread. So if a son asks for bread, will his parent mock him by giving him a stone that looks like the bread but is really a rock? No.
.
If he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? The ‘serpent’ mentioned here is probably referring to an eel. Jews were not allowed to eat eels, it was an unclean fish. So, if a son asks for a fish will they give him an eel, that he is not allowed to eat? no
.
If he asks for an egg, will they give him a scorpion? A scorpion is a vicious creature, with a nasty stinger. When the scorpion is at rest with it’s claws and tail drawn in – and there is a white scorpion which, when like this, could look just like an egg – if a son asks for an egg will his parent trick him by handing him a stinging scorpion? – no.
.
Then if earthly parents know how to give good things to their children, Jesus is telling us that God is far more loving and wise than earthly parents. We should pray often and ask God for help, and then trust that this good Father will give us what will really help us.
Friends in the Lord, in 1891, a whaling ship was operating in the South Atlantic. Suddenly, they spotted a huge sperm whale off the port bow. A young man, James BartIey was in the first longboat to reach the whale. He was an apprentice and inexperienced. The longboats crept up to the whale from the rear, the harpooner leaned over and struck his spear into the whale. Bartley and the other oarsmen rowed frantically to get out of the way of the massive tail. The whale dove down, taking eight hundred feet of heavy line.
.
Then an ominous slacking in the line signaled that it was going to surface. But where? The oarsmen readied themselves, and without warning there was a crash which sent the longboat spinning into the air. The whale thrashed about, snapping at the men with its huge jaws, and then dove down into the depths. Another boat picked up the survivors, but two men were missing – one of them the young apprentice, James Bartley.
.
Later in the day, the dead whale floated to the surface. A line was fastened to it and brought alongside the ship. The hot weather made it imperative that the whale be cut up at once, so they took their flensing spades and peeled off the blubber as they slipped and slid along the immense back of the giant mammal.
.
Late that night, working by lantern-light, the tired crewmen removed the stomach of the whale and brought it to the deck. They were startled to notice movement inside the large sack. It was cut open and out slid the missing sailor. By medical care, and a long recovery, he was eventually able to relate his terrifying experience. Bartley had been in the whale for over 15 hours. Today if you go to the cemetery where he is buried in Ireland, a note on his tombstone says: James Bartley, a modern-day Jonah.
.
If Bartley did it, then we see that it is possible that Jonah also lived in that whale. Yet the story given in the scriptures is not given as a history lesson, but as a remarkable prophecy, an image, of the Messiah to come. Jesus himself explains it. He says: ‘This generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish 3 days and 3 nights, so will the Son of Man be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth.
.
Jonah was a sign of the Messiah, but Our Lord himself IS the Messiah, and if even the people of Nineveh listened to Jonah and gave up their sins, all the more should we listen to Christ and change our lives.
Friends in Christ, our Lord tells us today, that when we pray, we should not babble on and on like the pagans do. The early fathers of the church used to pray many, very short prayers during the course of the day, many aspirations; they warned against prayers that go on and on, because it is easy to become forgetful of who we are speaking to, and easy to loose the fervor, when we rattle off tons of prayers – quality is better than quantity.
.
Today, Our Lord gives us the BEST prayer to say: the Our Father. From the earliest days, the Lord’s Prayer, has been our family prayer, which we say together at Mass before Holy Communion.
.
All prayer should begin by glorifying God, and indeed, we begin by saying: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
May thy Name by hallowed – may it be holy. And so we speak with respect about God and His Name. There is even a society dedicated to guarding the honor of God’s Name, called the Holy Name Society.
.
‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.
‘We desire Lord, that – not my own plans be done, but your plan, your will. ‘Your will, today, in my life – make it known to me, help me do it. ‘Help me to accept what is difficult, as your plan. ‘Thy kingdom come – When people ask: why are there so many evil people in the world? We say, because the kingdom of God has not come everywhere yet.
.
We pray that the Lord’s will be done on earth, as it already being done in heaven. The saints in heaven are already are doing God’s will perfectly; they are praising God and praying for us. Let it be so on earth as it is in heaven.
.
‘Give us this day our daily bread – this is the bread of the Holy Eucharist that we ask for. The Greek here literally means, ‘give us today this super-substantial bread, this bread which is supernatural. ‘Lord, would that I could receive the Bread of Life daily, make me worthy to receive you. Give me this Bread, that I may live forever.
.
St. Catherine was overjoyed when her confessor gave her permission to receive Holy Communion every day, not just on Sunday; we too should be very prepared when we are going to receive the Lord.
.
‘Forgive us our trespasses; we promise to forgive those sinning against us. How can God forgive us, if we fail to forgive others? We can’t enter heaven bearing a grudge.
.
And ‘Lead us not, into temptation – Lord, we are weak as water. This life is a spiritual war against demons – I cannot withstand temptation without You in my life.
.
‘Deliver us Lord, from evil.’ Literally, deliver us from the Evil One, from Satan. Let us not fall for his tricks. Lord, guard me from hell.
.
St. Alphonsus says, no one can be saved, unless they pray. The great prayer: The Our Father, is our family prayer. If you are in God’s family the Church, you say this prayer!
1st Sunday of Lent
Friends in Christ, in today’s first reading, we read about Noah and the Ark. This story tells us that because there was so much sin in the world, there would be a flood; God would begin a new creation. Noah warned all the wicked people, but they did not listen, even after it began to rain.
.
So Noah and his family stayed safely in the ark as the waters rose; the ark was raised up and carried on the water during the storm. 40 days it rained and rained. When the rain had stopped, Noah sent out a dove to see if there was any land, there was. And so Noah and his family were able to go out of the ark; and they were very happy in the new creation, a whole new beginning without any evil.
.
Friends in the Lord, this event was remarkable for sure, but it was also a sign in the holy bible to teach us. What do we learn?
.
Noah is the Just Man who saves his family, and so he is a sign of Jesus who will save us. His family is a sign of all of us, and the ark in which they are kept safe signifies the Church. The evil people who lived then, who were against Noah, they represent the devils. The dove sent out signifies the Holy Spirit who leads us to the New Creation; and the New Creation is a sign of heaven, our goal.
.
So then, just as Noah guided his family in the ark, Jesus guides us, his family, in the Church. That ark was tossed in the storm for 40 days; so too, we begin Lent which is for 40 days.
.
St. Augustine teaches, that the period of Lent symbolizes this present life, with all of its trials, suffering, and temptations; Easter represents the next life: heaven.
.
This life has many difficulties, but if we persevere and fight against our temptations, we will reach the New Creation, the Eternal Easter of heaven. Lent is the time when we really try to become a better Christian; we do some penances, give alms, and pray more.
.
Many people do some kind of mortification for Lent. Children sometimes give up candy for lent, or their favorite video game. One boy I know is going to sleep on the hard floor instead of his bed all of Lent, as a sacrifice. Some people give up coffee, or television, or desert. In any case, it is good to commit to some kind of a sacrifice, and really stick with it. Of course the most important thing to give up is our sins!
.
We see Jesus in the gospel today is in the desert, and he fights against Satan’s temptations. He is teaching us to do the same, to fight against our favorite sin. St. Alphonsus says that if we don’t deny ourselves legitimate things sometimes, we won’t have the strength to say ‘no’ to temptation.
.
Noah’s family made it to the New Creation because they stayed in the ark during the storm. We must stay in the Church then, with Jesus the captain of our ship; the devil keeps trying to pull us out of the ship by sin, So? Let us do battle this Lent against this fool.
.
And one of the best helps in fighting temptation, is to call on the Blessed Virgin. St. Thomas of Villanova says, when we are tempted by the devil, we should imitate little chickens, which as soon as they perceive approaching danger, they run under the wings of their mother. When we feel temptation, we should run to the arms of Our Mother Mary, and then she will keep us ever-faithful to Jesus.
.
[Entrusted to the prayers of Venerable Mother Dudzek]
