Apr. 7 - Tuesday of Holy Week

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today’s Mass Readings – see: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040720.cfm – are again chosen by the Church to help us enter into these Holy Days more prayerfully. Let us Listen to God’s Word, pondering all in our hearts as Mary did, that we may learn to know Jesus more and more as God reveals Him to us:

Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.

Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. - First Reading, Is. 49:1-6

As we Listen to the Gospel of John - 13:21-33, 36-38, let us open the “ears of our hearts” to hear Jesus testify:

Reclining at table with His disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”

May we mourn with Mary, our Mother not only the betrayal of Judas which Jesus revealed to John and to Peter, but also the 3 denials of Peter which Jesus reveals to Peter who boasted he would lay down his life for Jesus. How many times have we been like Judas and Peter – rather than like our Mother Mary who remained Faithful to the end ? Let us, weep as Peter did, repenting , and like John let us take Mary into our lives, to learn as Mary learned from Jesus.

Jesus, we trust in You. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Cath and Stephie,

Thanks again for your “faith-full” and loving hearts! Today I finished reading St. Louis de Montfort’s little book on “The Love of Eternal Wisdom” and earlier today I posted in a reply to hazcompat, 2 paragraphs #167 and 168) from Chapter 17, which is the Final Chapter in the book. Hazcompat had posted in the thread for Apr. 6 - Monday in Easter Week but I had not seen it until this morning.

Let me quote 2 more paragaphs now from this chapter for I firmly believe that the Church and the World need Mary more than ever before. Of course, this may be like “preaching to the choir” writing this to two faithful sisters who love Mary but all of us need to keep encouraging one another to know and love her more that Jesus may be known and loved more. Perhaps you can ponder these words from St. Louis de Montfort and share them with others:

1. Note that Mary is not only the Mother of Jesus, Head of all the elect, but is also Mother of all his members. Hence she conceives them, bears them in her womb and brings them forth to the glory of heaven through the graces of God which she imparts to them. This is the teaching of the Fathers of the Church, and among them St. Augustine, who says that the elect are in the womb of Mary until she brings them forth into the glory of heaven. Moreover, God has decreed that Mary should dwell in Jacob, make Israel her inheritance and place her roots in his elect and predestinate (cf Sir 24.13).
2. From these truths we must conclude: 1. that it is futile for us to compliment ourselves on being the children of God and disciples of Wisdom, if we are not children of Mary; 2. that to be numbered among the elect we must have a loving and sincere devotion to our Lady, so that she may dwell in us and plant the roots of her virtues in us; 3. that Mary must beget us in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in us, nurturing us towards the perfection and the fulness of his age (Eph 4.13), so that she may say more truthfully than St. Paul, “My dear children, I am in travail over you afresh until Jesus Christ my Son is perfectly formed in you” (Gal 4.19).

Totus Tuus!

 

[hazcompat]

From the LOTH for today

First reading
From the letter to the Hebrews
12:1-13
Let us go forth to the struggle with Christ as our leader

Since we are surrounded by this cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every encumbrance of sin which clings to us and persevere in running the race which lies ahead; let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who inspires and perfects our faith. For the sake of the joy which lay before him he endured the cross, heedless of its shame. He has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Remember how he endured the opposition of sinners; hence do not grow despondent or abandon the struggle. In your fight against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. Moreover, you have forgotten the encouraging words addressed to you as sons:

“My sons, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
nor lose heart when he reproves you;
For whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he receives.”

Endure your trials as the discipline of God, who deals with you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you do not know the discipline of sons, you are not sons but bastards.

If we respected our earthly fathers who corrected us, should we not all the more submit to the Father of spirits, and live? They disciplined us as seemed right to them, to prepare us for the short span of mortal life; but God does so for our true profit, that we may share his holiness.

At the time it is administered, all discipline seems a cause for grief and not for joy, but later it brings forth the fruit of peace and justice to those who are trained in its school. So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight the paths you walk on, that your halting limbs may not be dislocated but healed.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Yes, The Liturgy of the Hours so perfectly enables us to pray the Scriptures and continue Listening to both the Old and the New Testaments. The quote you posted today has long been a favorite of mine. How Good God is to strengthen us with the “Bread of His Holy Word” and the “Bread made His Body and the Wine His Blood” in Holy Eucharist!

In Chapter 11 of Hebrews, which precedes your quote, St. Paul speaks of the Faith of the Ancients and so beautifully encourages us by reminding us of God’s work in HIs People before the Incarnation:

Faith of the Ancients.

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible. By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and “he was found no more because God had taken him.” Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. (Heb. 11:1-6)

But then St. Paul continues after listing all the other ancient men of faith:

… Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect. (Heb 11: 39-40)

The great Apostle Paul"s conversion on the Road to Damascus was truly the Light from the Risen Christ pointing Paul to the “something better”. Paul then encourages the Hebrews and all who have begun to know Christ, continuing in Chap 12:

…let us lay aside every encumbrance of sin which clings to us and persevere in running the race which lies ahead; let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who inspires and perfects our faith.

Paul was given his mission to preach Christ, and Him Crucified. The Gospels and Letters of the New Testament speak little of Mary and yet, as the Church received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the Holy Spirit worked in all of the members of the Church and continues to work in us all bringing us into the fullness of Truth which includes Mary.

Who went forth to the struggle with Christ as our Leader more perfectly than Mary our Mother and Model? Who stood at the foot of the Cross believing in Faith that He truly was God’s Son born of her by the power of the Holy Spirit? Mary saw Jesus die and believed He would rise because Jesus said He would. Mary’s Faith surpassed the Faith of the Ancients and our humble Mother reigns in Heaven now as Queen with her Son.

The Church and the world need the Immaculate Heart of Mary through Whom Jesus will Triumph. Come Lord Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary! Totus Tuus!

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Tonyh,

Thanks so much for your “heart” to let us know you were blessed by today’s Mass readings! The sacred Scriptures are such a gift – God speaks to us through His Word!
May your Holy Week continue to be filled with His Blessings.