Feast of Sts.Peter and Paul today...and

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

…and we can read of all Sts Peter and Paul suffered for love of Christ; but do we ever ponder the graces won for them and for us by Jesus who suffered more than we can even imagine? Praying the Liturgy of the Hours, this morning, I was blessed by this Antiphon:

“I know the one Whom I have trusted and I am certain that He, the just judge, has power to keep safe what He has entrusted to me until that Day”

Today, quite providentially, we are continuing Chap. 13 from St. Louis de Montfort’s book, “The Love of Eternal Wisdom” which speaks of the sufferings of Jesus:

1. But what makes us realise more clearly the infinite love of eternal Wisdom for us is the circumstances surrounding his sufferings.
   (a) The first of these is the perfection of his person. Being infinite he gave infinite value to all the sufferings of his passion. Had God sent a seraph or an angel of the lowest order to become man and die for us, it would have been a stupendous thing and worthy of our eternal gratitude. But that the Creator of heaven and earth, the only Son of God, eternal Wisdom himself should come and offer up his life! This is inconceivable charity, for, compared with his life, the lives of all angels and all men and all creatures together are of infinitely less value than say, the life of a gnat when compared with the lives of the kings of this earth. Such an excess of love is shown to us in this mystery that our admiration and our gratitude should be great indeed.
2. (b) A second circumstance is the condition of the people for whom he suffered. They were human beings – unworthy creatures and his enemies, from whom he has nothing to fear nor anything to hope for. We sometimes hear of people dying for their friends; but are we ever likely to hear of anyone but the Son of God dying for his enemies? But Jesus Christ proved how well he loved us because though we were sinners - and consequently his enemies – he died for us.
3. (c) The third circumstance is the amount, the grievousness and the duration of his sufferings. Their extent was so great that he is called “Man of sorrows”. “A man of every sorrow in whom there is no soundness from the sole of the foot to the top of the head.” (Is 53.3) This dear friend of our souls suffered in every way exteriorly and inwardly, in body and soul.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful; kindle in us the Fire of Your Love. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.

 

[GiftofMercy]

Did you watch the Pallium Mass. It has just finished

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Gift of Mercy,

Sorry , no I did not watch it. For anyone unfamiliar with a “Pallium Mass”, See HERE Archbishop Byrnes to visit Rome for pallium Mass June 29; local pilgrimage organized - Detroit Catholic: Read Catholic News & Stories – link to article regarding the Mass which took place today in Rome on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The Shepherds in today’s Catholic Church need much prayer, beginning with the Pope and including all clergy: Cardinals. Archbishops , Bishops, local Pastors and Priests and Deacons all over the world. Theirs is a heavy responsibility to be Shepherds with the Heart of Christ, willing to lay down their lives for the sheep.

Both clergy and laity need to be formed well in order to know, love and serve God as He intended in creating us and forming us into His Body, the Church. St. Louis de Montfort was one who worked tirelessly in preaching missions all over France in his day and he suffered much in doing the Truth he heard. His was not an “easy” journey, yet like Sts Peter and Paul and all the saints before him St. Louis trusted in Jesus through Mary and died a holy Priest. He died, as he lived, loving Jesus through Mary.

We lay persons too are all called to Holiness, Baptized and born again as members of His Body. We need to pray for all God’s Holy Church and for those who have yet to hear His Good News. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit that each one in whatever state of life he may be, will strive to know, love and serve God with their whole hearts and souls and minds and strength and to love one another as He has loved us.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Divine3,

Thanks for your “heart” which lets us know you read the post and appreciate the Feast we celebrate today as well as the words of St. Louis De Montfort on the sufferings of Jesus. We live in a culture which has been called the “me” generation. No matter what the current naming may be for any time it seems to me we are looking at people who (as St. Augustine wrote) are either building the “City of God” or the “city of man”. St Augustine describes those who are building the city of God as those who love God to the contempt of self, and those who build the city of man as those who love self to the contempt of God.

The Saints often spoke “strong words” to impress upon us the importance of living as God intended. Words from St. Augustine, St. Louis de Montfort and others, often fall on “deaf ears”. Sts. Peter and Paul are two “giants” in our Catholic History and are especially encouraging in showing us their weaknesses which God forgave and helped each to see “God’s Power is made made perfect in weakness” (cf 2 Cor 12:9).

Jesus shows us on the Cross how to trust completely in God our Father.