From a homily by Saint Bernard, abbot:
...The Virgin then, adorned like a queen with the jewels of virtue, shone with the glory of body and soul; and seen on high as radiantly beautiful, she so attracted the inhabitants of heaven that she moved the heart of the King with desire for her and brought down from above the heavenly message. Scripture says: The angel was sent to a virgin. For she was truly virgin in body. This came about by no unforeseen or accidental occurrence; she was chosen from eternity, foreknown and prepared by the Most High for Himself, guarded by the angels, prefigured by the patriarchs, and promised by the prophets.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Prayers at the Foot of the Altar
Showing posts with label Innocence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Innocence. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Litany of the Passion
Jesus, unknown and despised, (Have mercy on me.)
Jesus, calumniated and persecuted,
Jesus, abandoned by men and tempted,
Jesus, betrayed and sold for a paltry sum,
Jesus, blamed, accused and unjustly condemned,
Jesus, clothed with a garment of opprobrium and shame,
Jesus, buffeted and mocked,
Jesus, dragged with a rope round Thy neck,
Jesus, scourged unto blood,
Jesus, reputed to be a fool and to be possessed by a devil,
Jesus, to whom Barabbas was preferred,
Jesus, shamefully stripped of Thy garments,
Jesus, crowned with thorns and saluted in derision,
Jesus, laden with the Cross, and disowned by Thy people,
Jesus, overwhelmed with insults, sorrow, and humiliations,
Jesus, sorrowful unto death,
Jesus, insulted, spat upon, beaten, outraged and scoffed at,
Jesus, hanged on the infamous tree in company with robbers,
Jesus, set at nought and deprived of honor before men,
Jesus, overwhelmed with all kinds of sorrow,
O Good Jesus, who has suffered an infinity of insults and humiliations for love of me, imprint deeply on my heart a great love and appreciation for them, and the desire to endure them willingly for Thee. Amen.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Jesus, calumniated and persecuted,
Jesus, abandoned by men and tempted,
Jesus, betrayed and sold for a paltry sum,
Jesus, blamed, accused and unjustly condemned,
Jesus, clothed with a garment of opprobrium and shame,
Jesus, buffeted and mocked,
Jesus, dragged with a rope round Thy neck,
Jesus, scourged unto blood,
Jesus, reputed to be a fool and to be possessed by a devil,
Jesus, to whom Barabbas was preferred,
Jesus, shamefully stripped of Thy garments,
Jesus, crowned with thorns and saluted in derision,
Jesus, laden with the Cross, and disowned by Thy people,
Jesus, overwhelmed with insults, sorrow, and humiliations,
Jesus, sorrowful unto death,
Jesus, insulted, spat upon, beaten, outraged and scoffed at,
Jesus, hanged on the infamous tree in company with robbers,
Jesus, set at nought and deprived of honor before men,
Jesus, overwhelmed with all kinds of sorrow,
O Good Jesus, who has suffered an infinity of insults and humiliations for love of me, imprint deeply on my heart a great love and appreciation for them, and the desire to endure them willingly for Thee. Amen.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Baptism of the Lord
Today is the Commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord. Through Christ's baptism we are cleansed and made holy. God wants more than anything the conversion and salvation of men. This is the very reason that Christ became man. God wills that each and every one of us become lights for the rest of the world. Christ is the true light, and we are part of that light who is the light of heaven!
Today let us honor Christ our Lord. Let us allow Him to use us as His instruments in bringing His light to the world.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Today let us honor Christ our Lord. Let us allow Him to use us as His instruments in bringing His light to the world.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Holy Innocents, Martyrs
From the Office of Readings; a sermon by Saint Quodvultdeus, bishop:
A tiny child is born, who is a great king. Wise men are led to him from afar. They come to adore one who lies in a manger and yet reigns in heaven and on earth. When they tell of one who is born a king, Herod is disturbed. To save his kingdom he resolves to kill him, though if he would have faith in the child, he himself would reign in peace in this life and for ever in the life to come.
Why are you afraid, Herod, when you hear of the birth of a king? He does not come to drive you out, but to conquer the devil. But because you do not understand this you are disturbed and in a rage, and to destroy one child whom you seek, you show your cruelty in the death of so many children.
You are not restrained by the love of weeping mothers or fathers mourning the deaths of their sons, nor by the cries and sobs of the children. You destroy those who are tiny in body because fear is destroying your heart. You imagine that if you accomplish your desire you can prolong your own life, though you are seeking to kill Life himself.
Yet your throne is threatened by the source of grace--so small, yet so great--who is lying in the manger. He is using you, all unaware of it, to work out his own purposes freeing souls from captivity to the devil. He has taken up the sons of the enemy into the ranks of God's adopted children.
The children die for Christ, though they do not know it. The parents mourn for the death of martyrs. The child makes of those as yet unable to speak fit witnesses to himself. See the kind of kingdom that is his, coming as he did in order to be this kind of king. See how the deliverer is already working deliverance, the savior already working salvation.
But you, Herod, do not know this and are disturbed and furious. While you vent your fury against the child, you are already paying him homage, and do not know it.
How great a gift of grace is here! To what merits of their own do the children owe this kind of victory? They cannot speak, yet they bear witness to Christ. They cannot use their limbs to engage in battle, yet already they bear off the palm of victory.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
A tiny child is born, who is a great king. Wise men are led to him from afar. They come to adore one who lies in a manger and yet reigns in heaven and on earth. When they tell of one who is born a king, Herod is disturbed. To save his kingdom he resolves to kill him, though if he would have faith in the child, he himself would reign in peace in this life and for ever in the life to come.
Why are you afraid, Herod, when you hear of the birth of a king? He does not come to drive you out, but to conquer the devil. But because you do not understand this you are disturbed and in a rage, and to destroy one child whom you seek, you show your cruelty in the death of so many children.
You are not restrained by the love of weeping mothers or fathers mourning the deaths of their sons, nor by the cries and sobs of the children. You destroy those who are tiny in body because fear is destroying your heart. You imagine that if you accomplish your desire you can prolong your own life, though you are seeking to kill Life himself.
Yet your throne is threatened by the source of grace--so small, yet so great--who is lying in the manger. He is using you, all unaware of it, to work out his own purposes freeing souls from captivity to the devil. He has taken up the sons of the enemy into the ranks of God's adopted children.
The children die for Christ, though they do not know it. The parents mourn for the death of martyrs. The child makes of those as yet unable to speak fit witnesses to himself. See the kind of kingdom that is his, coming as he did in order to be this kind of king. See how the deliverer is already working deliverance, the savior already working salvation.
But you, Herod, do not know this and are disturbed and furious. While you vent your fury against the child, you are already paying him homage, and do not know it.
How great a gift of grace is here! To what merits of their own do the children owe this kind of victory? They cannot speak, yet they bear witness to Christ. They cannot use their limbs to engage in battle, yet already they bear off the palm of victory.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Judgment and Punishment for Sins
From the Imitation of Christ; Chapter 24
Keep your goal always before you and, remember, you shall stand before a strict Judge, who knows all things, who accepts no bribes, allows no excuses, and always passes a just judgment.
O foolish, wretched sinner! You sometimes become terrified when you see the face of an angry man, but what answer will you give to God, who knows your every wicked deed? Prepare yourself for Judgment Day, for when it comes you will not have a defense attorney to make excuses for you, but you will have to answer for yourself. Right now your efforts can bear profit, and your tears find acceptance; your sighs can be heard, and your sorrow find cleansing forgiveness.
The man who habitually exercises patience goes through a wholesome purgatory while still alive. He suffers injuries at the hands of others, but he is more concerned about their malice than his hurt. He willingly prays for those who harm him, wholeheartedly forgives offenses committed against him, and never puts off asking another's pardon. In fact, he more readily gives in to compassion than to anger. Too, he does not pamper his body, but by penances strives to bring it into complete subjection to his spirit.
It is better to purge our sins and root out our vices now than to keep them for some future purgation. We certainly deceive ourselves by the obsessive love we have for our bodies!
What else does this fire have to feed on but your sins? The more lenient you are on yourself and the more you yield to your flesh, the greater will be your future suffering, for you are only storing up fuel for the fire.
There, a man will be punished according to the types of sins he has committed. Those who are lazy will be pricked with red-hot spurs, and the glutton will be tormented by acute hunger and thirst. Those filled with lust and who have indulged their senses will howl in pain like mad dogs.
There is no vice that will not have its own special torment. The proud will be filled with disgrace and humiliation, and the miserly will suffer all kinds of privations. One hour of suffering there will be more fierce than a hundred years spent performing the hardest penances. For the damned there is neither rest nor comfort, but we here do enjoy a break from our toil and do find comfort in our friends.
Therefore, take care and be sorry for your sins, so that on Judgment Day you may be safe and numbered among the blessed. Then the righteous man will stand in great confidence in the presence of those who have afflicted him. The man who now humbly submits to other men's judgments will then rise to judge; the poor and humble will be wrapped in assurance, while the proud will be enveloped in fear.
He who learned to be a fool for Christ and was despised by men will then be revealed as truly wise. All trials patiently endured will prove a delight, while the throats of the wicked will be choked in sorrow. All the devout will rejoice and all the wicked weep.
Mortified flesh will then exult more than if it had been brought up on the choicest of foods. Rough garments will take on brilliance, while silks and stains will lose their sheen. The humble hut will be esteemed more than any gold-encrusted palace. Steadfast patience will prove more valuable than all the world's power, and simple obedience will be more honored than worldly wisdom.
A good and pure conscience will then give you more joy than all the philosophy you have ever learned. The contempt for riches will weigh more than all the treasures in this world, and fervent prayer will bring you more happiness than a multi-course banquet.
The silence you kept will then be more exhilarating than the telling of long tales, and holy deeds will be of greater value than nice-sounding words. And a strict life with hard penances will then bring you more pleasure than worldly delight.
Remember, the sufferings you now bear are somewhat slight, but they will free you from greater sufferings in the future. Try and endure, here and now, what you will have to suffer later on! If now you can only put up with so little, how will you bear a punishment that is eternal? If a modicum of suffering now makes you uneasy, what will hell's fire do to you?
It is impossible for you to enjoy a double paradise: one here, based on the delights of this world, and the other reigning with Christ in His kingdom.
If, up to now, you have always lived amid honors and pleasures, what good would all this do you if you were to die this instant? All is vanity, therefore, except loving God and serving only Him. If you love God with your whole heart, you will fear neither death nor punishment, neither judgment nor hell. Perfect love opens up an unerring way to God. If, however, you still find delight in sin, then it is no wonder that you fear death and judgment.
If love cannot draw you away from evil then, at least, let the fear of hell pull you away. If you put off fearing God you cannot long persevere in goodness, but all too quickly, you will fall into the devil's snares.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Keep your goal always before you and, remember, you shall stand before a strict Judge, who knows all things, who accepts no bribes, allows no excuses, and always passes a just judgment.
O foolish, wretched sinner! You sometimes become terrified when you see the face of an angry man, but what answer will you give to God, who knows your every wicked deed? Prepare yourself for Judgment Day, for when it comes you will not have a defense attorney to make excuses for you, but you will have to answer for yourself. Right now your efforts can bear profit, and your tears find acceptance; your sighs can be heard, and your sorrow find cleansing forgiveness.
The man who habitually exercises patience goes through a wholesome purgatory while still alive. He suffers injuries at the hands of others, but he is more concerned about their malice than his hurt. He willingly prays for those who harm him, wholeheartedly forgives offenses committed against him, and never puts off asking another's pardon. In fact, he more readily gives in to compassion than to anger. Too, he does not pamper his body, but by penances strives to bring it into complete subjection to his spirit.
It is better to purge our sins and root out our vices now than to keep them for some future purgation. We certainly deceive ourselves by the obsessive love we have for our bodies!
What else does this fire have to feed on but your sins? The more lenient you are on yourself and the more you yield to your flesh, the greater will be your future suffering, for you are only storing up fuel for the fire.
There, a man will be punished according to the types of sins he has committed. Those who are lazy will be pricked with red-hot spurs, and the glutton will be tormented by acute hunger and thirst. Those filled with lust and who have indulged their senses will howl in pain like mad dogs.
There is no vice that will not have its own special torment. The proud will be filled with disgrace and humiliation, and the miserly will suffer all kinds of privations. One hour of suffering there will be more fierce than a hundred years spent performing the hardest penances. For the damned there is neither rest nor comfort, but we here do enjoy a break from our toil and do find comfort in our friends.
Therefore, take care and be sorry for your sins, so that on Judgment Day you may be safe and numbered among the blessed. Then the righteous man will stand in great confidence in the presence of those who have afflicted him. The man who now humbly submits to other men's judgments will then rise to judge; the poor and humble will be wrapped in assurance, while the proud will be enveloped in fear.
He who learned to be a fool for Christ and was despised by men will then be revealed as truly wise. All trials patiently endured will prove a delight, while the throats of the wicked will be choked in sorrow. All the devout will rejoice and all the wicked weep.
Mortified flesh will then exult more than if it had been brought up on the choicest of foods. Rough garments will take on brilliance, while silks and stains will lose their sheen. The humble hut will be esteemed more than any gold-encrusted palace. Steadfast patience will prove more valuable than all the world's power, and simple obedience will be more honored than worldly wisdom.
A good and pure conscience will then give you more joy than all the philosophy you have ever learned. The contempt for riches will weigh more than all the treasures in this world, and fervent prayer will bring you more happiness than a multi-course banquet.
The silence you kept will then be more exhilarating than the telling of long tales, and holy deeds will be of greater value than nice-sounding words. And a strict life with hard penances will then bring you more pleasure than worldly delight.
Remember, the sufferings you now bear are somewhat slight, but they will free you from greater sufferings in the future. Try and endure, here and now, what you will have to suffer later on! If now you can only put up with so little, how will you bear a punishment that is eternal? If a modicum of suffering now makes you uneasy, what will hell's fire do to you?
It is impossible for you to enjoy a double paradise: one here, based on the delights of this world, and the other reigning with Christ in His kingdom.
If, up to now, you have always lived amid honors and pleasures, what good would all this do you if you were to die this instant? All is vanity, therefore, except loving God and serving only Him. If you love God with your whole heart, you will fear neither death nor punishment, neither judgment nor hell. Perfect love opens up an unerring way to God. If, however, you still find delight in sin, then it is no wonder that you fear death and judgment.
If love cannot draw you away from evil then, at least, let the fear of hell pull you away. If you put off fearing God you cannot long persevere in goodness, but all too quickly, you will fall into the devil's snares.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Birth of Mary
From a Sermon by Saint Thomas of Villanova, Bishop:
"For a long time I have wondered and been at a loss to understand why the evangelists should have spoken at such length about John the Baptist and the other apostles, and yet told us so little about the Virgin Mary, who in life and distinction excels them all. Being at a loss, as I say, to understand this, all I can think is that it pleased the Holy Spirit that it should be so. It was by the providence of the Holy Spirit that the evangelists kept silent, because the glory of the Virgin, as we read in the psalms, was all within, and could more truly be thought of than described. The outline of her life: that Jesus was born of her, is enough to tell her whole story. What more do you seek for in the Virgin? It is enough for you that she is the Mother of God. What beauty, I ask you, what virtue, what perfection, what grace, what glory does not belong to the Mother of God?"
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
"For a long time I have wondered and been at a loss to understand why the evangelists should have spoken at such length about John the Baptist and the other apostles, and yet told us so little about the Virgin Mary, who in life and distinction excels them all. Being at a loss, as I say, to understand this, all I can think is that it pleased the Holy Spirit that it should be so. It was by the providence of the Holy Spirit that the evangelists kept silent, because the glory of the Virgin, as we read in the psalms, was all within, and could more truly be thought of than described. The outline of her life: that Jesus was born of her, is enough to tell her whole story. What more do you seek for in the Virgin? It is enough for you that she is the Mother of God. What beauty, I ask you, what virtue, what perfection, what grace, what glory does not belong to the Mother of God?"
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Confession
We cannot even begin to comprehend the goodness of God towards us in giving us the sacraments. They are given not because of any need on the part of God, but because God foresaw our weakness and fraility. He knew how much we would need His sacramental presence, particualry when it comes to the need of forgiveness.
What a great gift it is to have the sacrament that heals the wounds of our souls! We must make frequent use of the sacrament of penance. We must also take great care to make sure our confessions are good ones. It is not enough to simply tell the priest our sins. We must be sincerely sorry for them. Otherwise we receive Holy Communion and offend our Lord!
We cannot put off our confession. We must pray to amend our lives and for the grace of true contrition for our sins. When we are sincerely sorry we must make every effort to remove the spots on our souls through sacramental confession.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
What a great gift it is to have the sacrament that heals the wounds of our souls! We must make frequent use of the sacrament of penance. We must also take great care to make sure our confessions are good ones. It is not enough to simply tell the priest our sins. We must be sincerely sorry for them. Otherwise we receive Holy Communion and offend our Lord!
We cannot put off our confession. We must pray to amend our lives and for the grace of true contrition for our sins. When we are sincerely sorry we must make every effort to remove the spots on our souls through sacramental confession.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Thursday, November 25, 2010
The Pure Soul
Saint John Vianney tells us that we know if a person is pure only by looking at him. "His eyes have an air of candor and modesty which leads you to the good God. Some people, on the contrary, look quite inflamed with passion...Satan places himself in their eyes to make others fall and lead them to evil. Those who have lost their purity are like a piece of cloth stained with oil; you may wash and dry it, and the stain always appears again: so it requires a miracle to cleanse the impure soul."
We would truly suffer severe punishment if there were not some pure souls making amends to God for the many sins of impurity. It is a crime all too common in our world. As Christians created in the image of God this sin dishonors our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. Nothing impure will enter the kingdom of heaven.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
We would truly suffer severe punishment if there were not some pure souls making amends to God for the many sins of impurity. It is a crime all too common in our world. As Christians created in the image of God this sin dishonors our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. Nothing impure will enter the kingdom of heaven.
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Prayer and Penance
We must constantly pray. Christ prayed before, during and after every significant occasion in His entire life. Contemplation and meditation are what we must beg God's grace for in order to be disposed to them. As we pray we must ask God for a knowledge of ourselves and our own sinfulness. After we acknowledge our sins we must pray for the grace to do penance for them.
Prayer and penance are essential to the life of the Christian. We really don't have any idea of the number of innocent souls who combine their innocence with lives of penance not only for the salvation of their own souls, but for ours as well!
Let us strive to renew our dedication to prayer and making atonement for our sins through penance.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Prayer and penance are essential to the life of the Christian. We really don't have any idea of the number of innocent souls who combine their innocence with lives of penance not only for the salvation of their own souls, but for ours as well!
Let us strive to renew our dedication to prayer and making atonement for our sins through penance.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
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