THIRD SUNDAY after
Pentecost (10th
S. Ord. Time)
Luke,
Chapter 5, verse 9-10:
9
For astonishment
at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, 10
and likewise James
and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon,
“Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
When
the boat came to shore these men these fishermen; forsook everything. They gave
up their careers, businesses, families and were committed 100 percent to the mission
of Christ and they followed Him. Is there anything or anyone in this world that
you would give up everything to follow? These men were not perfect specimens as
disciples; yet; our Lord chose them: and through them as imperfect as they
were, He created His bride the Holy Roman Catholic church; which is still ran
by far from perfect men. If today you hear his voice saying do not be afraid;
follow Him!
Third Sunday after Pentecost
Because of God's mercy, the Holy Spirit works to build
the kingdom of God even in sinful souls.
Commentary for the Readings in the Extraordinary Form:
Third Sunday after Pentecost
"Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost'. . .There will be joy in heaven oer one sinner who repents, more than over ninety-nine just who have no need of repentance" (Gospel).
"The Sacred Heart for the world, the
world for the Sacred Heart," was the theme of last Friday's Feast. Today
we witness the mutual search between the Divine Heart and our heart. In the Introit the sinner voices his sense
of being "alone" in his inner struggles, so often beyond all human
aid. This life is a warfare against "your adversary the devil;"
nevertheless be "steadfast in the faith;" hear the call to
resist." Ultimate victory is "in Christ Jesus" (Epistle). Who of us could ever doubt the Love of the
Sacred Heart after reading this Gospel? Who of us on earth would not add to His
joy in heaven by leading some soul back to His Sacred Heart?
Excerpted
from My Sunday Missal, Confraternity of the Precious Blood.
Building up the
Kingdom[1]
This Sunday focuses on God's mercy, the Holy Spirit
works to build the kingdom of God even in sinful souls.
Scripture and the Church teach us that we have three
divinely ordained purposes that give our lives meaning:
·
Salvation
— seeking
to save our eternal souls and help save the souls of others (that salvation,
the Church teaches, is God's free gift but requires our cooperation through
faith in God, obedience to his commandments, and repentance of our grave sins).
·
Service
— using
our God-given talents to build God's kingdom here on earth.
·
Sanctity
— growing
in holiness.
The third of these life goals, sanctity, is central to
building Catholic character. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says
something that is stunning: "Be thou made perfect, as your heavenly Father
is perfect" (Mt 5:48). St. Gregory put it this way: "The goal of a
virtuous life is to become like God." Scripture tells us, "God is
love" (1 Jn 4:16). If we want to be like God, our vocation is to love. The
essence of love is to sacrifice for the sake of another, as Jesus did. Love is
self-gift. What, then, is our goal if we want to develop Catholic character in
our children and ourselves? Look to the character of Christ: A life of
self-giving.
Natural
Virtues
The high goal of Christ-like character builds on a
base of what the Church calls "natural virtues." Among the natural
virtues that families and schools should nurture are the four advanced by the
ancient Greeks, named in Scripture (Wis 8:7), and adopted by the Church as "the
cardinal virtues": prudence, which enables us to judge what we should do;
justice, which enables us to respect the rights of others and give them what
they are due; fortitude, which enables us to do what is right in the face of
difficulties; temperance, which enables us to control our desires and avoid
abuse of even legitimate pleasures. These natural virtues are developed through
effort and practice, aided by God's grace. To develop a Christ-like character,
however, we need more than the natural virtues. We also need the three
supernatural, or "theological," virtues:
Spiritual
Virtues
1. Faith in God, which enables us to
believe in God and the teachings of his church.
2. Hope in God, which leads us to view
eternal life as our most important goal and to place total trust in God.
3. Love of God, which enables us to
love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
The three theological virtues are considered
supernatural because they come from God and have as their purpose our
participation in God's divine life. As the Catechism (1813) teaches, the
theological virtues are not separate from the natural virtues; rather, they
"are the foundation of Christian moral activity; they animate it and give
it its special character." The Catholic writer Peter Kreeft points out,
"The Christian is prudent, just, courageous, and self-controlled out of
faith in God, hope in God, and love of God." The supernatural virtues,
like the natural virtues, grow stronger through our effort and practice, in
cooperation with God's grace.
“Be sober and watch.” I. Peter v. 8.
St. Peter prescribes sobriety and
watchfulness as necessary means for resisting the attacks of the devil, who by
day and night goes about seeking whom he may devour. Woe to those who, by
reason of their drunkenness, (The term drunkard applies to any person who is
caught up in the addiction cycle, whether it is drink, gambling, drugs or sex.)
live in a continual night and lie in the perpetual sleep of sin! How will it be
with them if, suddenly awakened from this sleep by death, they find themselves
standing, burdened with innumerable and unknown sins, before the judgment-seat
of God? For who can number the sins, committed in and by reason of drunkenness,
which the drunkard either accounts as trifles, easily pardoned, or else, not
knowing what he has thought, said, and done in his fit of intoxication,
considers to be no sins at all? Will the divine Judge, at the last day, thus
reckon? Will He also find no sin in them? Will He let go unpunished the
infamous deeds and the scandals of their drunkenness? He Who demands strict
account of every word spoken in vain, will He make no inquiry of so many
shameful, scandalous, and blasphemous sayings, of so much time wasted, of so much
money squandered, of so many neglects of the divine service, of the education
of children, of the affairs of home, and of innumerable other sins? Will they
be able to excuse themselves before this Judge by saying that they did not know
what they were doing? Or that what they did was for want of reflection, or in
jest? Or that they were not strong, and could not bear much? Will not such
excuses rather witness against them that they are the worthier of punishment
for having taken more than their strength could bear, thereby depriving
themselves of the use of reason, making themselves like brutes, and, of their
own free will, taking on themselves the responsibility for all the sins of
which their drunkenness was the occasion? What, then, awaits them? What else
than the fate of the rich glutton who, for his gluttony, was buried in hell?
(Luke xvi. 22.) Yes, that shall be the place and the portion of the drunkard!
There shall they in vain sigh for a drop of water. There, for all the pleasures
and satisfactions which they had in the world, as many pains and torments shall
now lay hold of them (Apoc. xviii. 7); there shall they be compelled to drain
the cup of God s anger to the dregs, as they, in life, forced others into
drunkenness. This is what they have to hope for, for St. Paul says expressly
that drunkards shall not possess the kingdom of God (i. Cor. vi. 10). What then
remains for them but to renounce either their intemperance or heaven? But how
rare and difficult is the true conversion of a drunkard! This is the teaching
of experience. Will not such a one, therefore, go to ruin?
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
·
Please
Pray for Senator
McCain and our country; asking Our Lady of Beauraing to
intercede.
[1]http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/education/catholic-contributions/building-catholic-character-5-things-parents-can-do.html
[2]
Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
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