Saturday of the First Week of Lent-Ember Day
Deuteronomy, Chapter 31, Verse 8
It
is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or
forsake you. So do not fear or be
dismayed.”
The Lord our God calls us to His service. This is the
message of St. Therese of Lisieux that we are all called, and we should have
great confidence and humility seeking to bring the kingdom in small ways and
asking our Lord to multiply our efforts.
The greatest way we can bring about the Kingdom is in our own families. This
is the reason Pope Francis made such efforts to attend the family symposium in
Philadelphia in 2015. Yes, families are under attack from a secular world, a
media that continually pushes instant gratification and sensuality and of
course Satan and his followers.
The final battle between the Lord and the reign of
Satan will be about marriage and the family. Don’t be afraid because Our
Lady has already crushed his head and anyone who works for the sanctity of
marriage and the family will always be fought and opposed in every way. (Sister Lucia of Fatima)
Our Lord will not abandon us and tells us to trust in
him.
Entrust
everything to Me and do nothing on your own, and you will always have
great freedom of spirit. No circumstances or events will ever be able to
upset you. Set little store on what people say. Let everyone judge you as
they like. Do not make excuses for yourself, it will do you no
harm. (Diary of Sister Faustina, 1685)
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!
Confession[2]
In the
beginning God asks Adam, where are you? Adam had sinned and so he hid from God?
After Cain killed Able God asked him, “Where is your brother? Yet again
according to catholic tradition Saint Peter was fleeing from crucifixion in
Rome at the hands of the government, and along the road outside the city he
meets the risen Jesus and this time it is Peter who asks the question in Latin
"Quo vadis?" “Where are you going?” to which Jesus replies, "Romam eo
iterum
In Sedona there is
a statue that is called “Quo Vadis” (Where are you going?) that is located in
the garden of the St. John Vianney Catholic Church. 180 St. John Vianney Lane,
Sedona AZ
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.
EPISTLE, i. Thess. v.
14-23.
BRETHREN:
We beseech you, rebuke the unquiet, comfort the feeble-minded, support the
weak, be patient towards all men. See that none render evil for evil to any man:
but ever follow that which is good towards each other, and towards all men.
Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks: for this is
the will of God in Christ Jesus concern ing you all. Extinguish not the spirit.
Despise not prophecies. But prove all things: hold fast that which is good.
From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves. And may the God of peace
Himself sanctify you in all things: that your whole spirit, and soul, and body,
may be preserved blameless in the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ember
Saturday[4]
After experiencing our Lord for forty days after the
resurrection and seeing him leave again and without the Holy Spirit’s presence the disciples were heartbroken, but He promised them that He would
send the Holy Spirit saying it is better for us that He leave us, so we may
receive power from on high. The first gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of
Holy fear; to respond to God’s
love as a son or daughter rather than a servant. This is end of Paschaltide
(after the office of None on Saturday afternoon).
Lenten Calendar
Read: St. Patrick.
. . ’s feast day is tomorrow
but will not be celebrated by the Church this year as his feast day falls on a
Sunday.
Reflect: On March 16, 2016, Pope Francis
said in his general audience of St. Patrick: “May his spiritual strength
inspire you, dear young people, to be consistent in your faith; may his faith
in Christ the Savior sustain you, dear sick people, at the most difficult
times; and may his missionary devotion remind you, dear newlyweds, of the
importance of Christian education for your children.”
Pray: In honor of St. Patrick, who was
once captured and sold into slavery, pray for all victims of human trafficking
today.
Act Visit the Anti-Trafficking Program webpage on USCCB.org
to find out more about what the US bishops are doing to combat human
trafficking.
Meditation - The
Faults of Our Neighbor
In
disagreements between you and your neighbor, you must always remember that to
be in the right is the consideration that influences a Christian the least. The
philosopher may indulge such a satisfaction. But to be in the right and to act
as if one were not, to allow one's opponent to triumph on the side of injustice,
-this means to overcome evil by good, and to secure peace for one's soul. No
more convincing argument for your own vindication is required than the silent
exterior acknowledgment that you are in the wrong. He who edifies does more for
the truth than he who is zealous for the combat. Instead of trying to refute
those that are in the wrong, it is better to pray for them. A stream flows much
more rapidly when nothing is done to hold it back. Pray for those who are
prejudiced against you, never become embittered against them, pity them, await
their return to better feelings, and help to free them from their prejudices.
One would not be human if he does not feel how easy it is to stray, and how
much it costs to acknowledge this. The spirit of meekness, of indulgence, of
patience and humility in examining the behavior of others toward us, secures us
that peace of mind which is not compatible with the jealous, suspicious
sensibilities of self-love. —
Fénelon
Things
to Do:
Read
this thought-provoking article by George Rutler, Why We Need
Lent, to understand why such a season of mortification is necessary
for us to become saints.
These biblical passages provide aids in warfare for those who will ponder and act upon the truths they teach us. Recite them as battle cries in the heat of the conflict. Call on Jesus Christ, our Champion when the battle is fierce, turn your eyes to our victorious commander and place your confidence in Him.
·
To
this end the Son of God appeared that He might destroy the works of the Devil.
1 Jn 3: 8
·
Be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
·
That
at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is
in the glory of God the Father.
·
Disarming
the Principalities and Powers, He displayed them openly, leading them away in
triumph by force of [the Cross]. Col 2: 15
·
Now
has come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God
"Read
these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things
that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a
father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will
only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so
you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in
the end you will be a more worthy soul."
Do
your duty 'now', without looking back on 'yesterday', which has already passed,
or worrying over 'to-morrow', which may never come for you.
Daily Devotions
·
comment on your “Coffee with
Christ”
[2] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic
Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 28. Confession.
[3]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896
[5]Thigpen,
Paul. Manual for Spiritual Warfare. TAN Books.
[6]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
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