Fifth Sunday of Lent
passiontide
Jeremiah,
Chapter 32, Verse 39-40
39
I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me always, for their own good and
the good of their children after them. 40 With
them I will make an everlasting covenant, never to cease doing good to them; I
will put fear of me in their hearts
so that they never turn away from me.
We should have a holy fear of our Priest and Bishops. We should follow their guidance as
we would a beloved father or brother. To give us one heart and one way the
Bishop of Phoenix asks us men to enter into the breach.[1]
Sometimes we are tempted to follow any leader who is
popular. We forget God’s warning about following the proud and evil hearted:
For lo, the day is coming,
blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and
the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor
branch, says the LORD of hosts.(Mal 3: 19)
We may think that following the leadership
of our bishops is a waste of time.
You have said, “It is useless to
serve God; what do we gain by observing God’s requirements, and by going about
as mourners-before the LORD of hosts? But we call the arrogant
blessed; for evildoers not only prosper but even test God and escape.” (Mal 3:14-15)
God is not a God of the past and continues to this
day in the action of raising a man up and He does so in our Priests and
Bishops. Just like an architect that uses rocks and sticks to become temples or
bridges God uses men to build his Kingdom. Strive therefore to be God’s man or
women.
Given these reflections on Catholic manhood, we move
to the practical, that is, how to live like a Catholic man. What practices can
help us to take up our cross and follow our King?
If we think of soldiers who do not remain in strong
physical and mental shape and who fail to practice the essential combat arts,
we know they will not be ready for battle and will be a danger to themselves
and their comrades in arms. The same is true for Catholic men; those who do not
prepare and strengthen themselves for spiritual combat are incapable of filling
the breach for Christ.
While there are many habits and devotions that a
Catholic man can form, I charge you with keeping these seven basic practices on
a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. If these practices are not (yet) part of
your life, start now!
Daily
1.
Pray every day. Each Catholic man must start his
day with prayer. It is said, “Until you realize that prayer is the most
important thing in life, you will never have time for prayer.” Without prayer,
a man is like a soldier who lacks food, water, and ammunition. Set aside some
time to speak with God first thing each morning. Pray the three prayers
essential to the Catholic faith: the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory
Be. Pray also at every meal. Before food or drink touches your lips, make the
Sign of the Cross, say the “Bless us, O Lord” prayer, and end with the Sign of
the Cross. Do this no matter where you are, with whom or how much you are
eating. Never be shy or ashamed about praying over meals. Never deny Christ the
gratitude that is due to Him. Praying as a Catholic man before every meal is a
simple but powerful way to keep strong and fill the breach.
2.
Examine your conscience before going to sleep. Take a few moments to review the
day, including both your blessings and sins. Give God thanks for blessings and
ask forgiveness for sins. Say an Act of Contrition.
3.
Go to Mass.
Despite the fact that attending weekly Mass is a Precept of the Church, only
about one in three Catholic men attend Sunday Mass. For large numbers of
Catholic men, their neglect to attend Mass is a grave sin, a sin that puts them
in mortal danger. The Mass is a refuge in the Spiritual Battle, where Catholic
men meet their King, hear His commands, and become strengthened with the Bread
of Life. Every Mass is a miracle where Jesus Christ is fully present, a miracle
that is the high point not only of the week, but of our entire lives on Earth.
In the Mass, a man gives thanks to God for his many blessings and hears Christ
send him again into the world to build the Kingdom of God. Fathers who lead
their children to Mass are helping in a very real way to ensure their eternal
salvation.
4.
Read the Bible. As St. Jerome so clearly tells
us, “Ignorance of the Sacred Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” When we read
God’s word, Jesus is present. Married men, read with your wife and your
children. If a man’s children see him read the Scriptures, they are more likely
to remain in the Faith. My brothers in Christ, this I can assure you: men who
read the Bible grow in grace, wisdom, and peace.
5.
Keep the Sabbath. From the creation of Adam and
Eve, God the Father established a weekly cycle ending with the Sabbath. He gave
us the Sabbath to ensure that one day out of seven we will give thanks to God,
rest, and be refreshed. In the Ten Commandments, God asserts anew the
importance of keeping the Sabbath. With today’s constant barrage of buying and
selling and the cacophony of noisy media, the Sabbath is God’s respite from the
storm. As Catholic men, you must begin, or deepen, keeping the holiness of the
Sabbath. If you are married, you must lead your wives and children to do the
same. Dedicate the day to rest and true recreation, and avoid work that is not
necessary. Spend time with family, attend Mass, and enjoy the gift of the day.
Monthly
1.
Go to Confession. At the very start of Christ’s
public ministry, Jesus calls on all men to repent. Without repentance from sin,
there can be no healing or forgiveness, and there will be no Heaven. Large
numbers of Catholic men are in grave mortal danger, particularly given the
epidemic levels of pornography consumption and the sin of masturbation. My
brothers, get to Confession now! Our Lord Jesus Christ is a merciful King who
will forgive those who humbly confess their sins. He will not forgive those who
refuse. Open your soul to the gift of our Lord’s mercy!
2.
Build fraternity with other Catholic men. Catholic friendship among men
has a dramatic impact on their faith lives. Men who have bonds of brotherhood
with other Catholic men pray more, go to Mass and Confession more frequently,
read the Scriptures more often, and are more active in the Faith. Proverbs
tells us: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (27:17). I call
on each of our priests and deacons to draw men together in their parishes and
to begin to rebuild a vibrant and transforming Catholic fraternity. I call on
laymen to form small fellowship groups for mutual support and growth in the
faith. There is no friendship like having a friend in Christ.
Read: During Lent we often hear about
the Jewish tradition of Passover. Today, let's get some answers about Catholic-Jewish relations.
Reflect: Take extra time with the readings
today with the art of lectio divina. . . .
Pray: "Whoever serves me must
follow me, says the Lord; and where I am, there also will my servant be."
(Jn 12:26, Lectionary, Gospel
Acclamation)
Act: Today is the Fifth Sunday of
Lent, and in two weeks, we will celebrate Easter and the Resurrection of
Christ. Do an honest check-in with yourself today on your Lenten spiritual
journey so far. Only two weeks left!
The Bible is a weapon and in the hands of the
untrained, “You could shoot your eye out kid”. Therefore the Bible should be
handled with care. Using an approved translation of the Bible; we
should approach scripture reading in light of the liturgy and church Dogmas.
“Dogma is by definition nothing other than an interpretation of
Scripture.”(Pope Benedict XVI) Dogmas are the Church’s infallible
interpretation of Scripture. In the 1970’s the Catholic Church revised its
lectionary—the order of scriptural readings for the Mass. The readings now
unfold in a three-year cycle and include almost all the books of both
testaments of the Bible. The great thing about lectionary is that it presents
the scriptures and also teaches us a method of understanding the Scriptures:
Showing us a consistent pattern of promise and fulfillment. The New Testament
is concealed in the Old, and the Old is revealed the New. Perhaps a good practice
would be for us to read the daily scripture in the lectionary; maybe even
before Mass.
"Lectio
Divina",
a Latin term, means "divine reading" and describes a way of reading
the Scriptures whereby we gradually let go of our own agenda and open ourselves
to what God wants to say to us. In the 12th century, a Carthusian monk called
Guigo, described the stages which he saw as essential to the practice of Lectio
Divina. There are various ways of practicing Lectio Divina either individually
or in groups but Guigo's description remains fundamental.
1. He said that the
first stage is lectio (reading) where
we read the Word of God, slowly and reflectively so that it sinks into us. Any
passage of Scripture can be used for this way of prayer but the passage should
not be too long.
2. The second stage
is meditatio (reflection) where we
think about the text we have chosen and ruminate upon it so that we take from
it what God wants to give us.
3. The third stage
is oratio (response) where we leave
our thinking aside and simply let our hearts speak to God. This response is
inspired by our reflection on the Word of God.
4. The final stage
of Lectio Divina is contemplatio (rest)
where we let go not only of our own ideas, plans and meditations but also of
our holy words and thoughts. We simply rest in the Word of God. We listen at
the deepest level of our being to God who speaks within us with a still small
voice. As we listen, we are gradually transformed from within. Obviously this
transformation will have a profound effect on the way we actually live and the
way we live is the test of the authenticity of our prayer. We must take what we
read in the Word of God into our daily lives.
These
stages of Lectio Divina are not fixed rules of procedure but simply guidelines
as to how the prayer normally develops. Its natural movement is towards greater
simplicity, with less and less talking and more listening. Gradually the words
of Scripture begin to dissolve and the Word is revealed before the eyes of our
heart. How much time should be given to each stage depends very much on whether
it is used individually or in a group.
The
practice of Lectio Divina as a way of praying the Scriptures has been a
fruitful source of growing in relationship with Christ for many centuries and
in our own day is being rediscovered by many individuals and groups. The Word
of God is alive and active and will transform each of us if we open ourselves
to receive what God wants to give us.
When dismayed or grieved let these scriptural promises lift up your soul in trust and hope. Listen to our Lords words of encouragement, and consolation.
·
Because
children have blood and flesh in common, so He in the same way has shared in
these, so that through death He might destroy him who had the empire of death,
that is, the Devil; and might deliver them who, throughout their life, were
kept in servitude by fear of death. Heb 2: 14– 15
·
Christ
has risen from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For
since by a man came death, by a man also comes resurrection of the dead. For as
in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made to live. But each in his own
turn, Christ as first-fruits, then those who are Christ’s, who have believed,
at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the
Father, when He does away with all sovereignty, authority, and power. For He
must reign until “He has put all things under His feet.” 1 Cor 15: 20– 25
·
You
shall not fear them; for it is the LORD your God who fights for you. Dt 3: 22
·
You
draw near this day to battle against your enemies: Let not your heart faint; do
not fear, or tremble, or be in dread of them; for the LORD your God is He that
goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.
Dt 20: 3– 4
·
No
evil will befall the man who fears the LORD, but in trial He will deliver him
again and again. Sir 33: 1
·
I
give them everlasting life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone
snatch them out of my hand. Jn 10: 28
The
focus of Passiontide is to meditate on the Jews' growing hatred of Christ
recorded in the Gospel and makes plain His imminent death. FROM this day,
called Passion Sunday, until Easter the Church--gives herself up entirely to
meditation on the passion of Jesus. Today the crucifixes are covered, in
remembrance that from this time until His entrance into Jerusalem Jesus walked no
more openly among the Jews. From to-day the Glory Be to the Father is omitted
in the Mass, because in the person of Jesus Christ the Most Holy Trinity was
dishonored. As on this day the high priests held council about Our Lord, the
Church says, at the Introit of the Mass, in the name of the suffering Jesus,
the words of the psalmist: Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the
nation that is not holy; deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man, for Thou
art God, my strength. Send forth Thy light and Thy truth, they have conducted
me and brought me unto Thy holy hill, and into Thy tabernacles (Ps. xlii. 1-3).
Consolation
under Insults
O friend, what insult can be given to you which your
Savior has not suffered? He was called a glutton and a drunkard, a heretic and
a rebel, a friend and associate of sinners, and one who had a devil; He was
even told that He cast out devils by the prince of devils (Matt. ix. 34). He,
therefore, comforts His disciples with the words, “If they have called the good
man of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household? (Matt. x. 25)
There is no sorrow so bitter that He has not borne it, for what was more
painful and grievous than the death of the cross? Christians, “think diligently
upon Him that endured such opposition from sinners against Himself, that you be
not wearied, fainting in your minds, at contempt and insult.” (Heb. xii. 3)
The main custom for Passiontide is the veiling of all sacred images in home and church with purple cloth. This custom originated in ancient times, when the images in the papal chapel of the Vatican were covered after the words of the Passion Sunday Gospel, "Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple" (Jn 8.59), were pronounced.
Daily Devotions
·
Manhood of
the Master-Day 1 week 8
·
Do
50 min. in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
[4] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic
Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 16. Bible Study.
[6]Thigpen,
Paul. Manual for Spiritual Warfare. TAN Books.
[7]
Goffine’s Divine Instructions, 1896.
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