Thursday, June 2, 2016

The counsel of the LORD belongs to those who fear him; and his covenant instructs them. (Ps. 25:14)

Mark, Chapter 9, Verse 31-32

³¹ He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.” ³² But they hdid not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

 Many times we are afraid to ask a question of the Lord because we do not want to know the answer. We measure success with an earthly yardstick and not a heavenly one. Christ asks us to trust in Him. The heavenly yardstick is this as spoken by Michael the Archangel, “Who is like God? We are in a battle with the world, the flesh and the Devil. Let us remember that St. Michael, along with our Guardian Angel stand to defend us from perdition. No harm can come to the children of God who place their trust in the Precious Blood. We must not be afraid to ask for Michael's help and to always call on Mary the Queen of Angels whose children we are through Christ. We must not be afraid to question science, literature, or art in its many forms as these achievements of human works are often pressed into service by the Devil and his cohorts. God’s yardstick, “Who is like God?” leads us to Love Him and to love our neighbors. 

Why is this commandment to love God and our neighbor called the great commandment? Because in these two are contained all the others, so that he who fulfills these fulfills the whole law. For whoever loves God with his whole heart does not murmur against God; does not dishonor His name by cursing and swearing; does not desecrate the Sabbath-day, because he knows that all this is offensive to God. On the contrary, he hopes in God; gives thanks and praise to God; sanctifies the Sundays and holy- days, because he knows this to be pleasing to God; observes the precepts of the Church, because he knows it to be the will of God that he should hear the Church; honors his parents; does no injury to his neighbor; does not commit adultery; does not steal; slanders no one; bears no false witness; pronounces no unjust judgment; is not envious, malicious, unmerciful, but rather practices towards every one the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; and all this because, out of love to God, he loves his neighbor as himself. Thus love fulfills all the commandments.