Jesus Christ is a true king as He makes His way in triumph into Jerusalem. Jesus calmed the seas. He cured the sick, healed the leper, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, and commanded the paralytic to carry his own bed home. Christ is the master of evil spirits, nature, and man.
Jesus even raised Lazarus from the tomb! “Who is He, who has command over death and the grave?” As Christ makes His way into Jerusalem He is the king whose coming was foretold by the prophets. He has shown Himself as master over all creatures, over nature, and even the evil spirits.
In this triumphal entry, unlike the triumphal processions of the days of old, pride and ambition are not represented. Instead humility, meekness, mortification and self-denial are all apparent. In one word, unselfishness! Christ was loved by the poor and outcast of the world. He had no friends in high places. He had no friends who were rich.
“Hosanna! Hail to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” This is the way Christ comes to us when we receive the Holy Eucharist. He humbles Himself for our sake. Let us receive Him with gratitude and give Him back all we have and are. Let us give Him our hearts.
In Christo Jesu
et Maria Immaculata,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Prayers at the Foot of the Altar
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
God's Call
Those who are called to the priestly or religious life receive a very special grace and are provided with abundant means to grow in holiness. If they embrace it and live it well, they will be able to attain a higher perfection than would be possible for them if they were to refuse this grace and continue an ordinary life in the world. This is not because religious are called to a different holiness than other Christians but because they receive so many helps to grow in holiness, and because they are given special graces to embrace this way of life that is modeled closely on Christ’s own manner of life.
Although no one is strictly obligated to embrace the evangelical counsels as such, a given individual may imperil his salvation by refusing to follow a special call to dedicate his or her life wholly to the service of God. Paul could say, “Woe to me, if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9.16)
How can an individual recognize the way of life to which he is called by God? First of all one must have recourse to prayer, and while one prays, one must try to maintain an attitude of perfect detachment, not allowing oneself to be inclined to one alternative rather than to another before God manifests His will. One must maintain a spirit of generosity and readiness to embrace whatever God reveals to be His will. If one prays, reflects, and seeks in this manner, God will let the person know what He wills for the person.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Although no one is strictly obligated to embrace the evangelical counsels as such, a given individual may imperil his salvation by refusing to follow a special call to dedicate his or her life wholly to the service of God. Paul could say, “Woe to me, if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9.16)
How can an individual recognize the way of life to which he is called by God? First of all one must have recourse to prayer, and while one prays, one must try to maintain an attitude of perfect detachment, not allowing oneself to be inclined to one alternative rather than to another before God manifests His will. One must maintain a spirit of generosity and readiness to embrace whatever God reveals to be His will. If one prays, reflects, and seeks in this manner, God will let the person know what He wills for the person.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Friday, March 23, 2012
Obedience
Obedience:
Jesus merited our redemption by His perfect obedience even unto death. He came into the world to offer the sacrifice of perfect obedience to his Father. His very food was to do the will of the Father. He learned obedience from what He suffered and became the source of salvation for all who obey Him. It is because of Jesus’ obedience unto death that God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every other name.
God values obedience more than sacrifice. The prophet Samuel said to King Saul: “Obedience is better than sacrifice and submission than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15.22).
“Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account…” (Heb 13.17).
In early monasticism, the monk took only one vow, that of obedience. The first monks understood that to give obedience is to give all, because obedience includes the observance of poverty, chastity, charity, work, silence, liturgy of the hours, and all else that God requires of a monk.
If we are all called to the same holiness, why should anyone become a religious or priest? Why should one embrace the sacrifices involved in a life of poverty, celibacy, and obedience? One might say, “Because it is the person’s vocation.” That is true, but why does God call some people to this state of life? Does it have any special advantages and benefits for the person or for the Church?
On one occasion, Peter asked Jesus what His disciples would receive in return for leaving all things to follow Him. Jesus promised a hundredfold blessing and eternal life:
“We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on His throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.” (Mt 19.27-29)
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Jesus merited our redemption by His perfect obedience even unto death. He came into the world to offer the sacrifice of perfect obedience to his Father. His very food was to do the will of the Father. He learned obedience from what He suffered and became the source of salvation for all who obey Him. It is because of Jesus’ obedience unto death that God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every other name.
God values obedience more than sacrifice. The prophet Samuel said to King Saul: “Obedience is better than sacrifice and submission than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15.22).
“Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account…” (Heb 13.17).
In early monasticism, the monk took only one vow, that of obedience. The first monks understood that to give obedience is to give all, because obedience includes the observance of poverty, chastity, charity, work, silence, liturgy of the hours, and all else that God requires of a monk.
If we are all called to the same holiness, why should anyone become a religious or priest? Why should one embrace the sacrifices involved in a life of poverty, celibacy, and obedience? One might say, “Because it is the person’s vocation.” That is true, but why does God call some people to this state of life? Does it have any special advantages and benefits for the person or for the Church?
On one occasion, Peter asked Jesus what His disciples would receive in return for leaving all things to follow Him. Jesus promised a hundredfold blessing and eternal life:
“We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on His throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.” (Mt 19.27-29)
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Celibacy
Chaste Celibacy:
Jesus proposed voluntary renunciation of marriage as a privileged way of serving the Kingdom of Heaven for those to whom this gift is granted. Those who can accept this gift should not refuse it: “Not all can accept this word (about celibacy), but only those to whom it is granted…Some have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it” (Mt 19.11f). Our divine Lord promised a hundred-fold in this life and life everlasting in the next for those who give up home, wife, and children for His sake (Mt 19.29).
Saint Paul recommended the unmarried state to those who are able to embrace it to dedicate themselves wholly to the service of God. This state frees the person from manifold anxieties and concerns so that he may be able to concentrate all his attention on what is pleasing to the Lord.
“To those not married and to widows I have this to say, it would be well if they remain as they are, even as I do, but if they cannot exercise self-control they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be on fire…If you marry, you do not sin, nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries; but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life, and I would like to spare you that…I should like to free you from anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. (1 Cor 7.8-33)
In his Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (1981) Pope John Paul II states that the Church has always defended the superiority of virginity or celibacy to marriage because of the special link this charism has with the Kingdom of God:
Virginity or celibacy, by liberating the human heart in a unique way, “so as to make it burn with greater love for God and all mankind, bears witness that the Kingdom of God and His justice is that pearl of great price which is preferred to every other value no matter how great, and hence must be sought as the only definitive value. It is for this reason that the Church throughout her history has always defended the superiority of this charism to that of marriage, by reason of the wholly singular link which it has with the Kingdom of God.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Jesus proposed voluntary renunciation of marriage as a privileged way of serving the Kingdom of Heaven for those to whom this gift is granted. Those who can accept this gift should not refuse it: “Not all can accept this word (about celibacy), but only those to whom it is granted…Some have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it” (Mt 19.11f). Our divine Lord promised a hundred-fold in this life and life everlasting in the next for those who give up home, wife, and children for His sake (Mt 19.29).
Saint Paul recommended the unmarried state to those who are able to embrace it to dedicate themselves wholly to the service of God. This state frees the person from manifold anxieties and concerns so that he may be able to concentrate all his attention on what is pleasing to the Lord.
“To those not married and to widows I have this to say, it would be well if they remain as they are, even as I do, but if they cannot exercise self-control they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be on fire…If you marry, you do not sin, nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries; but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life, and I would like to spare you that…I should like to free you from anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. (1 Cor 7.8-33)
In his Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio (1981) Pope John Paul II states that the Church has always defended the superiority of virginity or celibacy to marriage because of the special link this charism has with the Kingdom of God:
Virginity or celibacy, by liberating the human heart in a unique way, “so as to make it burn with greater love for God and all mankind, bears witness that the Kingdom of God and His justice is that pearl of great price which is preferred to every other value no matter how great, and hence must be sought as the only definitive value. It is for this reason that the Church throughout her history has always defended the superiority of this charism to that of marriage, by reason of the wholly singular link which it has with the Kingdom of God.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The Evangelical Councils
All Christians in every walk of life are called to the perfection of love and to one and the same holiness: “Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love…In the various types and duties of life, one and the same is cultivated by all who are moved by the Spirit of God” (LG).
This does not mean that all members of the Church are called to the same degree of holiness-individuals differ in their gifts and response to grace-but all are called to the same kind of holiness. There is not a higher holiness reserved for priests and religious and an inferior kind reserved for housewives and farm laborers. All are called to essentially the same kind of holiness. Mary, The Mother of God, achieved the greatest holiness of any mere creature, but she was not a religious. The degree of holiness attained by each person depends on the gift of God’s grace and the cooperation of each one with that grace, whether one by a lay person, a cleric, or religious.
The evangelical counsels are so called because they are based on the teaching and example of Christ and the apostles. Therefore, if we want to attain holiness, we must embrace them. They are found in the gospels and other New Testament writings:
Poverty:
Jesus counseled a rich young man who was seeking perfection to embrace a life of poverty: “If you will be perfect, go sell all you have and give to the poor and come follow me” (Mt 19. 16-22). He surprised His disciples by His stern warning about the danger of riches, and promised manifold blessings to those who give up all things to follow Him (Mt. 19. 20-29).
By His own life Jesus shows by example what it means to live a poor life: he was born in a stable, had no place to lay His head, was stripped at His death, and was buried in another’s tomb.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
This does not mean that all members of the Church are called to the same degree of holiness-individuals differ in their gifts and response to grace-but all are called to the same kind of holiness. There is not a higher holiness reserved for priests and religious and an inferior kind reserved for housewives and farm laborers. All are called to essentially the same kind of holiness. Mary, The Mother of God, achieved the greatest holiness of any mere creature, but she was not a religious. The degree of holiness attained by each person depends on the gift of God’s grace and the cooperation of each one with that grace, whether one by a lay person, a cleric, or religious.
The evangelical counsels are so called because they are based on the teaching and example of Christ and the apostles. Therefore, if we want to attain holiness, we must embrace them. They are found in the gospels and other New Testament writings:
Poverty:
Jesus counseled a rich young man who was seeking perfection to embrace a life of poverty: “If you will be perfect, go sell all you have and give to the poor and come follow me” (Mt 19. 16-22). He surprised His disciples by His stern warning about the danger of riches, and promised manifold blessings to those who give up all things to follow Him (Mt. 19. 20-29).
By His own life Jesus shows by example what it means to live a poor life: he was born in a stable, had no place to lay His head, was stripped at His death, and was buried in another’s tomb.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Friday, March 16, 2012
Mary, The New Eve
It was fitting that she, the New Eve, who was to cooperate so intimately with her Son in the work of our redemption, be entirely free of sin. She who was to be associated with her Son in His victory over Satan must never have been under the dominion of Satan.
In revealing to us Mary’s Immaculate Conception and perfect holiness, God places before our eyes a concrete model of what we are to love, and, loving, strive to be. He gives us a model that is at once perfect and yet lowly, lovable, and imitable. Despite her unique privilege and lofty holiness, Mary is the most imitable of the saints, because her greatness is in her lowliness. She is the handmaid of the Lord. Mother, yes, but first handmaid. Blessed because she believed.
In gazing upon the Immaculate Virgin, utterly free of the disorders of our sinful nature, the devout faithful feel a new hope in their own humanity. In contrast to our experience of a world given to sin, corruption, lying, cheating, cruelty, and lust, we see a fellow creature that is utterly pure and good, totally given to love, a mother’s love for all. For mortals trapped in this valley of tears to look upon the sinless Virgin is like prisoners buried in a dungeon being allowed to see the bright sun and breathe pure air once more.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!!
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
In revealing to us Mary’s Immaculate Conception and perfect holiness, God places before our eyes a concrete model of what we are to love, and, loving, strive to be. He gives us a model that is at once perfect and yet lowly, lovable, and imitable. Despite her unique privilege and lofty holiness, Mary is the most imitable of the saints, because her greatness is in her lowliness. She is the handmaid of the Lord. Mother, yes, but first handmaid. Blessed because she believed.
In gazing upon the Immaculate Virgin, utterly free of the disorders of our sinful nature, the devout faithful feel a new hope in their own humanity. In contrast to our experience of a world given to sin, corruption, lying, cheating, cruelty, and lust, we see a fellow creature that is utterly pure and good, totally given to love, a mother’s love for all. For mortals trapped in this valley of tears to look upon the sinless Virgin is like prisoners buried in a dungeon being allowed to see the bright sun and breathe pure air once more.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!!
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The Immaculate Conception II
In response to many petitions that had been sent to Rome, after having consulted all bishops throughout the world and having received from them an overwhelmingly favorable response, Pope Pius IX, on December 8, 1854, promulgated the Bull “Ineffabilis Deus,” in which be solemnly defined the Immaculate Conception as a dogma of Catholic faith:
To the glory of the holy and undivided Trinity, to the honor and renown of the Virgin Mother of God…by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ…we declare, pronounce, and define: the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, in consideration of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race, has been revealed by God and must, therefore later, Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette at Lourdes and identified herself with the words, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” When it was reported that many miracles were being performed at Lourdes, the faithful throughout the world took this to be a confirmation of the papal definition.
The question becomes “what relevance does this doctrine have for my own spiritual life?” We can find the answer to this question if we reflect on other questions: “Why was it God’s design to preserve Mary from every stain of sin?” “Why did He destine her to attain a degree of holiness far beyond that of any other mere creature?” “And why did God choose to reveal to us the special favors he bestowed upon the lowly handmaid of Nazareth?”
It was fitting that Mary be conceived without sin because she was destined to be the worthy, beloved Mother of the holy God. In preserving Mary from all sin, God prepared a holy tabernacle in which His Son was to dwell, a holy body from which He was to take His humanity, a holy Mother whom He could love with the fullness of His divine/human love. The Immaculate Conception is ultimately a reflection on the holiness of Christ, the incarnate Son of God, with whom Mary was destined to enter into such an intimate relationship.
Sin is alienation from God, disorder in one’s relation to God, a loss of the divine image, a defilement of one’s being. It was fitting that one who was to be the Mother of God never experience such alienation, disorder, loss, or defilement.
Since it was within the power of the Divine Son to bestow this privileged grace upon His dearly loved Mother, Christian piety has believed that so good a Son has done this for so beloved a mother. Here the scotistic principle, Quod potuit, quod decuit, hoc fecit, can rightly be applied. (What was possible, what was fitting, that God did for Mary)-Scotus.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
To the glory of the holy and undivided Trinity, to the honor and renown of the Virgin Mother of God…by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ…we declare, pronounce, and define: the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, in consideration of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race, has been revealed by God and must, therefore later, Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette at Lourdes and identified herself with the words, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” When it was reported that many miracles were being performed at Lourdes, the faithful throughout the world took this to be a confirmation of the papal definition.
The question becomes “what relevance does this doctrine have for my own spiritual life?” We can find the answer to this question if we reflect on other questions: “Why was it God’s design to preserve Mary from every stain of sin?” “Why did He destine her to attain a degree of holiness far beyond that of any other mere creature?” “And why did God choose to reveal to us the special favors he bestowed upon the lowly handmaid of Nazareth?”
It was fitting that Mary be conceived without sin because she was destined to be the worthy, beloved Mother of the holy God. In preserving Mary from all sin, God prepared a holy tabernacle in which His Son was to dwell, a holy body from which He was to take His humanity, a holy Mother whom He could love with the fullness of His divine/human love. The Immaculate Conception is ultimately a reflection on the holiness of Christ, the incarnate Son of God, with whom Mary was destined to enter into such an intimate relationship.
Sin is alienation from God, disorder in one’s relation to God, a loss of the divine image, a defilement of one’s being. It was fitting that one who was to be the Mother of God never experience such alienation, disorder, loss, or defilement.
Since it was within the power of the Divine Son to bestow this privileged grace upon His dearly loved Mother, Christian piety has believed that so good a Son has done this for so beloved a mother. Here the scotistic principle, Quod potuit, quod decuit, hoc fecit, can rightly be applied. (What was possible, what was fitting, that God did for Mary)-Scotus.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God
Saint Paul reminds us that if we want to please God our Father, we must learn from His Son Jesus Christ. We must learn the details of His life. We must adopt his attitudes. We must contemplate His life. If we truly love Jesus Christ we will sincerely want to know all about His life and character so that we can become more like Him.
There is absolutely no quicker way to conform ourselves to the person of Jesus Christ than by meditating upon the mysteries of His life. We do this when we pray the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Louis Marie de Montfort writes that: “All our perfection consists in being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus Christ; and therefore the most perfect of all devotions is, without any doubt, that which the most perfectly conforms, unites and consecrates us to Jesus Christ. Now Mary, being the most conformed of all creatures to Jesus Christ, it follows that of all devotions, that which most consecrates and conforms the soul to our Lord is devotion to His Holy Mother; that the more a soul is consecrated to Mary, the more it is consecrated to Jesus Christ.”
There are guidelines for a sound theology and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus, Pope Paul VI laid down a number of guidelines that govern authentic Marian devotion. First he states that Marian piety must have a Trinitarian, Christological, pneumatological, and ecclesial aspect:
…It is extremely fitting that exercises of piety directed towards the Virgin Mary should clearly express the Trinitarian and Christological note that is intrinsic and essential to them.
(Trinitarian Aspect) Marian devotion, like all authentic Christian worship, keeps its focus on the Blessed Trinity. It sees Mary in relation to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and leads to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Ghost…
(Christological Aspect) In the Virgin Mary, everything is relative to Christ and dependent upon Him. It was with a view to Christ that God the Father from all eternity chose her to be the all holy Mother and adorned her with gifts of the Spirit granted to no one else…In the expressions of devotion to the Virgin the Christological aspect should have particular prominence…
Pneumatological Aspect) Marian piety should give prominence to…the Person and work of the Holy Ghost with regard to Mary’s place in the mystery of redemption…
(Ecclesial Aspect) It…should also clearly show the place that Mary occupies in the Church, “the highest place and the closest to us after Christ.”
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
There is absolutely no quicker way to conform ourselves to the person of Jesus Christ than by meditating upon the mysteries of His life. We do this when we pray the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Louis Marie de Montfort writes that: “All our perfection consists in being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus Christ; and therefore the most perfect of all devotions is, without any doubt, that which the most perfectly conforms, unites and consecrates us to Jesus Christ. Now Mary, being the most conformed of all creatures to Jesus Christ, it follows that of all devotions, that which most consecrates and conforms the soul to our Lord is devotion to His Holy Mother; that the more a soul is consecrated to Mary, the more it is consecrated to Jesus Christ.”
There are guidelines for a sound theology and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus, Pope Paul VI laid down a number of guidelines that govern authentic Marian devotion. First he states that Marian piety must have a Trinitarian, Christological, pneumatological, and ecclesial aspect:
…It is extremely fitting that exercises of piety directed towards the Virgin Mary should clearly express the Trinitarian and Christological note that is intrinsic and essential to them.
(Trinitarian Aspect) Marian devotion, like all authentic Christian worship, keeps its focus on the Blessed Trinity. It sees Mary in relation to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and leads to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Ghost…
(Christological Aspect) In the Virgin Mary, everything is relative to Christ and dependent upon Him. It was with a view to Christ that God the Father from all eternity chose her to be the all holy Mother and adorned her with gifts of the Spirit granted to no one else…In the expressions of devotion to the Virgin the Christological aspect should have particular prominence…
Pneumatological Aspect) Marian piety should give prominence to…the Person and work of the Holy Ghost with regard to Mary’s place in the mystery of redemption…
(Ecclesial Aspect) It…should also clearly show the place that Mary occupies in the Church, “the highest place and the closest to us after Christ.”
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Pray Without Ceasing
Prayer is a gift from God. As God's creatures, we owe it to Him to pray always. Prayer lifts up the mind and heart to God. Prayer is union with God. The more we pray, the more we find ourselves united to God. The more we pray, the more we find strength to endure all things that come our way.
Lent is a time when we sacrifice. We discipline our bodies in order to focus on what is spiritual. A sincere spirit of mortification of our bodies leads to a greater awareness of the suffering and risen Lord Jesus Christ. Through penance we learn patience during our own times of trial and suffering.
Lent is a great opportunity to sacrifice for others as well. We do this for love of God. This lenten season let us pray for our brothers in need. Let us pray for a greater desire to do penance!
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Lent is a time when we sacrifice. We discipline our bodies in order to focus on what is spiritual. A sincere spirit of mortification of our bodies leads to a greater awareness of the suffering and risen Lord Jesus Christ. Through penance we learn patience during our own times of trial and suffering.
Lent is a great opportunity to sacrifice for others as well. We do this for love of God. This lenten season let us pray for our brothers in need. Let us pray for a greater desire to do penance!
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Transfiguration
From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope:
The Lord reveals His glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but He makes it shine with such splendor that His face becomes like the sun in glory and His garments as white as snow.
The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of His disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of His voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.
With no less forethought He was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as His gift. The members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.
The Lord had Himself spoken of this when He foretold the splendor of His coming: “Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: “I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared with the future glory that is to be revealed in us.” In another place he says: “You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
…In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.
No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on Himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him, we win the victory that He has won, we receive what He has promised…
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Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
The Lord reveals His glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but He makes it shine with such splendor that His face becomes like the sun in glory and His garments as white as snow.
The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of His disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of His voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.
With no less forethought He was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as His gift. The members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.
The Lord had Himself spoken of this when He foretold the splendor of His coming: “Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: “I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared with the future glory that is to be revealed in us.” In another place he says: “You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
…In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.
No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on Himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him, we win the victory that He has won, we receive what He has promised…
\
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
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