FIRST SATURDAY
Do not deal unfairly, then; but
stand in fear of your God.
Job, Chapter 4, Verse 13-14
13 In my thoughts during visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on
mortals, 14 Fear came upon me, and
shuddering, that terrified me to the bone.
Job’s pre-facebook “friend”
making this speech is assuming (ass-u-me:
making an ass out of you and me) Job must
have done something! For God’s doesn’t punish the blameless. His friends are
not acknowledging that there are forces of evil that inflict pain and
suffering.
Eliphaz Calls Angels "Bad Flyers"[1]
·
Breaking the silence, Eliphaz throws his two
cents in. He says that Job must have done something wrong to merit this
punishment. Innocents, he says, are never punished.
·
And hey, if God even gets annoyed at his angels,
how can humans pass the test? Basically, humans have no chance.
·
Don't forget, folks—Job is still maintaining his
innocence.
Why would a loving God allow bad things to happen?[2]
If God really loves us, why does He allow us to suffer? Why does He permit terrorism, child abuse and natural disasters to occur? While the brutally honest and truthful answer is that “He’s God and He knows what He’s doing”, there are a few specific points that can help us to better understand these tragedies. And, quite frankly, understanding them can often make the difference between moving closer to the Lord or turning our backs on Him.
Free Will – God loves us so much that He gives us the gift of free will. This means that while we are free to do good, we also have the ability to do evil. In no way did God causes this to happen.
311
Angels and men, as intelligent and
free creatures, have to journey toward their ultimate destinies by their free
choice and preferential love. They can therefore go astray. Indeed, they have
sinned. Thus has moral evil, incommensurably more harmful than physical
evil, entered the world. God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of
moral evil. He permits it, however, because he respects the freedom of his
creatures and, mysteriously, knows how to derive good from it:
For almighty God. . ., because he is supremely
good, would never allow any evil whatsoever to exist in his works if he were
not so all-powerful and good as to cause good to emerge from evil itself.
312 In time we can discover that God in his almighty providence can bring a good from the consequences of an evil, even a moral evil, caused by his creatures: "It was not you", said Joseph to his brothers, "who sent me here, but God. . . You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive." From the greatest moral evil ever committed - the rejection and murder of God's only Son, caused by the sins of all men - God, by his grace that "abounded all the more", brought the greatest of goods: the glorification of Christ and our redemption. But for all that, evil never becomes a good.
Trust – When tragic events occur, we are given an opportunity to trust God. It is during the dark times that we must truly “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). When skies are blue, it’s a lot easier for us to trust than during storms. However, storms often give us the best chance to grow closer to the Lord.
314 We firmly believe that God is master of the world and of its history. But the ways of his providence are often unknown to us. Only at the end, when our partial knowledge ceases, when we see God "face to face", will we fully know the ways by which - even through the dramas of evil and sin - God has guided his creation to that definitive Sabbath rest for which he created heaven and earth.
An Invitation – When bad things happen, either in our own life or in the lives of others, we are invited to assist God in bringing good out of evil. We can do this by praying. Although the Lord doesn’t need our help, He allows us to help Him through the act of prayer.
2635 Since Abraham, intercession - asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God's mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participates in Christ's, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks "not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others," even to the point of praying for those who do him harm.
Heaven – As much as we’d like it to be, this world is not perfect. Pain and suffering do exist. Accepting this will cause us to remain calm when these events occur. In addition, it will increase our desire for heaven, where there is NO PAIN AND SUFFERING!
We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will. In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere “to the end” and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God’s eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ.
Although it’s not easy, it’s crucial for us to keep our eye on the Lord when “bad things” happen. Blaming Him for the suffering, although understandable, is neither accurate or wise. If we truly believe that He loves us, we should strive to see His goodness in everything. Doing so will bring us great peace, even in times of turmoil.
Let us seek consolation for our
suffering through the intercession of our Lady
First Saturday[3]
1.
Confession: This confession can be made before the
First Saturday or afterward, provided that Holy Communion be received in the
state of grace. In 1926, Christ in a vision explained to Lucia (Fatima) that
this confession could be made a week before or even more, and that it should be
offered in reparation.
2.
Holy Communion: Before receiving Holy Communion,
it is likewise necessary to offer it in reparation to Our Lady. Our Lord told
Lucia in 1930, “This Communion will be accepted on the following Sunday for just
reasons, if my priests allow it so.” So if work or school, sickness, or another just reason prevents
the Communion on a First Saturday, with this permission it may be received the
following Sunday. If Communion is transferred, any or all of the other acts of
the devotion may also be performed on Sunday if the person so desires.
3.
Rosary: The Rosary is a vocal prayer said while
meditating upon the mysteries of Our Lord’s life and Passion and Our Lady’s life. To comply with
the request of our Blessed Mother, it must be offered in reparation and said
properly while meditating.
4. 15-minute
meditation:
Also offered in reparation, the meditation may embrace one or more mysteries;
it may include all, taken together or separately. This meditation should be the
richest of any meditation, because Our Lady promised to be present when she
said “...those who keep me company....”
Daily Devotions/Prayers
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