Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (24th S. Ord. Time)
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS
1 Maccabees, Chapter
13, Verse 17-18
17 Simon knew that they were speaking
deceitfully to him. Nevertheless, for fear
of provoking much hostility among the people, he sent for the money and the
boys, 18 lest the people say “Jonathan
perished because I would not send Trypho the money and the boys.”
Simon Maccabee now with the assumed death of his
brother Jonathan becomes the next leader of the Jews but unlike his brother
Jonathan does not become the high priest. Yet because it is not certain that
his brother is dead, he is prepared to pay the ransom that Trypho demands which
is money and two of Jonathans sons as hostages which guarantee
that when Jonathan is set free, he will not revolt against Trypho. Trypho
invades the land of Judah bringing Jonathan along as prisoner. If Simon refuses
the exchange the people will hold him responsible for Jonathan’s death. If he accepts,
he is making a deal with a deceitful, treacherous, and ambitious animal called
Trypho. Simon has no choice and pays. Trypho of course reneges, marches and
ravages as he goes. Simon delays his march on Jerusalem. Thus, Trypho prevented
from taking the city of God, like Napoleon at the attempted taking of Moscow
must retreat back to Syria when a seasonal snowstorm comes and before he goes
kills Jonathan and probably his sons as well. This is tribalism at its worst.[1]
Marilynne
Robinson, noted author, express’ some of her fears to what is happening today
in many of the churches and inside many of us, namely, new forms of tribalism
and fear are reducing our wondrous God to a ‘tribal deity’ and our own ‘local
Baal’. The God of all nations, all families, and all peoples, she asserts, is
too frequently being invoked by us as a God, more exclusively, of my own
nation, my own family, my own church, and my own people. She cites various
examples of this, including her own sadness at how sincere Christians cannot
accept each other’s authenticity: “I must
assume that those who disagree with my understanding of Christianity are
Christians all the same, that we are members of one household. I confess that
from time to time I find this difficult. This difficulty is owed in part to the
fact that I have reason to believe they would not extend this courtesy to
me.” This, she rightly asserts, is unworthy of God, of Christianity, and
of what’s best in us. We know better, though we usually don’t act on that and
are thus indicted by what Freud called “the narcissism of minor differences.”
And this takes its root in fear, fear of many things. Not least among
those fears is our fear of the secularized world and how we feel this has put
us on a slippery slope in terms of our Christian heritage and our moral values.
To quote Robinson here: “These people see the onrush of secularism intent on
driving religion to the margins, maybe over the edge, and for the sake of
Christianity they want to enlist society itself in its defense. They want
politicians to make statements of faith, and when merchants hang their seasonal
signs and banners, they want them to say something more specific than ‘Happy
Holidays’. Robinson, however, is distrustful of enlisting political power to
defend Christianity. Why because “this country [the United States] in its early
period was largely populated by religious people escaping religious persecution
at the hands of state Churches, whether French Huguenots, Scots Presbyterians,
English Congregationalists, or English Catholics”. She adds: “Since my
own religious heroes tended to die gruesomely under these regimes. I have no
nostalgia for the world before secularism, nor would many of these ‘Christian
nation’ exponents, if they looked a little into the history of their own
traditions.” Inside our fear of secularism, she suggests, lies a great irony:
We are afraid of secularism because we have, in fact, internalized the great
prejudice against Christianity, namely, the belief that faith and Christianity
cannot withstand the scrutiny of an intellectually sophisticated culture. And
that fear lies at the root of an anti-intellectualism that is very prominent
inside many religious and Church circles today. How much of our fear
today about Christianity being on a slippery slope can be traced back to this
prejudice. Why are we so afraid of our world and of secularized intellectuals
This fear, she asserts, spawns an antagonism that is unworthy of
Christianity. Fear and antagonism are very fashionable within religious circles
today, almost to be worn as a badge of faith and loyalty. And is this a sign of
health? No. Neither fear nor antagonism, she submits, are “becoming in
Christians or in the least degree likely to inspire thinking or action of the
kind that deserves to be called Christian”. Moreover, “if belief in Christ
is necessary to attaining of everlasting life, then it behooves anyone who
calls himself or herself a Christian, any institution that calls itself a
Church, to bring credit to the Faith, at very least not to embarrass or
disgrace it. Making God a tribal deity, our local Baal, is embarrassing and
disgraceful.” Fear and antagonism do nothing, she adds, to draw respect to
Christianity and our churches and to the extent that we let them be associated
with Christianity, we risk defacing Christianity in the world’s eyes. But
saying that in today’s climate is to be judged as unpatriotic. We are not
supposed to care what the world thinks. But it is the world we are trying to
convert. And so we need to be careful not to present Christianity as
undignified, xenophobic, and unworthy of our wondrous, all-embracing God.
Why all this fear, if we believe that Christianity is the deepest of all truth
and believe that Christ will be with us to the end of time Her last sentences
capsulise a challenge we urgently need today. “Christianity is too great a
narrative to be reduced to serving any parochial interest or to be underwritten
by any lesser tale. Reverence should forbid in particular its being
subordinated to tribalism, resentment, or fear.”
Seeking the kingdom of God and its
justice.
AT the Introit of the Mass, join with the priest in
awaking in your heart a fervent desire for heaven by these words: Behold, O
God, our protector, and look on the face of Thy Christ; for better is one day
in Thy courts above thousands. How lovely are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord” (Ps. Ixxxiii.).
Prayer. Preserve Thy
Church, we beseech Thee, O Lord, with perpetual mercy, and since without Thee
mortal man goes astray, may we be ever withheld by Thy grace from what is
hurtful, and directed to what is profitable.
EPISTLE. Gal. v. 10-24.
Brethren: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil
the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and the
spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary one to an other: so that you
do not the things that you would. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not
under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are, fornication,
uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions,
emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like, of which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you,
that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God. But the fruit
of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity,
mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. Against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ’s have crucified their flesh with the vices and
concupiscences.
What is it to walk in the Spirit? It is, in all
things and at all times, to follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and not
merely to abstain from the works of the flesh, but rather to crucify the flesh
and its lusts, and earnestly to aspire after those fruits which the Holy Ghost
produces in men? such as charity, peace, and joy. So shall we belong to Christ,
and become partakers of eternal life. Is it not wonderful that while all
Christians desire to belong to Christ, and to be heirs of His kingdom, they are
unwilling to crucify the flesh with its vices and concupiscences, and to
destroy its lusts, as though they believed this to be required only of the
clergy, whereas it is to all Christians that Christ says: “If any man will come
after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matt. xvi.
24.)
GOSPEL. Matt vi. 24-33.
At
that time Jesus said to His disciples: No man can serve two masters: for either
he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise
the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore, I say to you, be not
solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall
put on. Is not the life more than the meat, and the body more than the rainment?
Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather
into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more
value than they? And which of you by taking thought can add to his stature one
cubit? And for rainment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the
field how they grow: they labor not, neither do they spin. But I say to you,
that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. And if the
grass of the field, which is to-day, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, God
doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye of little faith! Be not solicitous
therefore, saying: What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith
shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your
Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first
the kingdom of God and His justice: and all these things shall be added unto
you.
What
is meant by serving God? Doing the will of God in all things which He requires
of us, in whatever state of life we may be placed, and doing this with
fidelity, with unwearied zeal, and out of love for Him.
Who
are the two masters whom we cannot serve at the same time? God and an
inordinate desire for worldly gain. One cannot serve both, because they demand
things that are contradictory.
Who
are they that serve mammon, or worldly wealth? The avaricious,
who, impelled by their longing for riches, offend God by manifold
transgressions of His commandments.
Why
does Christ refer us to the birds of the air and the lilies of the field? To awaken in us
confidence in Divine Providence. If God feeds the young ravens (Ps. cxlvi. 9)
and the birds of the air if He decks so beautifully the flowers of the field,
how much more will He not care for men, whom He has created after His own
image, and adopted as His children.
Are
we, then, to use no care or labor? That by no means follows from what has
been said. The Savior forbids only that anxiety, proceeding from little faith,
which, in striving for maintenance, neglects God’s honor and commandments, and
the good of one’s soul. For the rest, God Himself has commanded man to labor
(Gen. iii. 17-19); and St. Paul says, “If any man will not work, neither let
him eat” (n. Thess. iii. 10).
What
should preserve us from excessive anxiety? A firm and living faith that God
can and will help us. That He can is clear, because He is almighty; that He
will is certain, for the reason that He is love that He has promised it to us,
more than once, most expressly, and that He is faithful in keeping His
promises. Let us, then, trust in God, and daily renew our confidence in Him,
particularly when we say the Creed, or when, in the Our Father, we pray, Give
us this day our daily bread.
Consolation in Poverty
In
your misery and poverty, say often, with Job: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away; as it hath pleased the Lord so it is done; blessed be the name of
the Lord (Job i.21). Or seek comfort in these words: “We lead indeed a poor
life, but we shall have many good things if we fear God and depart from all sin
and do that which is good” (Job iv.23).
Warning against Usury (or price gouging)
Usury
is that mortal sin which takes advantage of our neighbor’s poverty and need to
extort from him what is justly his own. Would that usurers might bear in mind
what the Lord says: “What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and
suffer the loss of his own soul?” (Matt. xvi. 26.)
Feast
of Our Lady of Sorrows
We must
follow the example of Our Lady of Sorrows and bring our savior to others and
undergo the joys with the sorrows. Today would be a good day to contemplate the
seven sorrows of our Lady and to pray and honor her for she is our mother too.
This
feast is dedicated to the spiritual martyrdom of Mary, Mother of God, and her
compassion with the sufferings of her Divine Son, Jesus. In her suffering as
co-redeemer, she reminds us of the tremendous evil of sin and shows us the way
of true repentance. May the numerous tears of the Mother of God be conducive to
our salvation; with which tears Thou, O God, art able to wash away the sins of
the whole world.
As
Mary stood at the foot of the Cross on which Jesus hung, the sword of sorrow
Simeon had foretold pierced her soul. Below are the seven sorrows of Mary:
- The prophecy
of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)
- The flight
into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)
- Loss of the
Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:41-50)
- Mary meets
Jesus on his way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31; John 19:17)
- Crucifixion
and Death of Jesus (John 19:25-30)
- The body of
Jesus being taken from the Cross (Psalm 130; Luke 23:50-54; John
19:31-37)
- The burial of
Jesus (Isaiah 53:8; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Mark 15:40-47)
Pope Pius VII[4]
approved another series of prayers in honor of the Seven Sorrows for daily
meditation in 1815:
O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory
be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is
now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
1.
I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the affliction of your
tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by your
heart so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the gift of the holy
fear of God. Hail Mary…
2. I grieve for you, O Mary most
sorrowful, in the anguish of your most affectionate heart during the flight
into Egypt and your sojourn there. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled,
obtain for me the virtue of generosity, especially toward the poor, and the
gift of piety. Hail Mary…
3. I grieve for you, O Mary most
sorrowful, in those anxieties which tried your troubled heart at the loss of
your dear Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart so full of anguish, obtain for me
the virtue of chastity and the gift of knowledge. Hail Mary…
4. I grieve for you, O Mary most
sorrowful, in the consternation of your heart at meeting Jesus as He carried
His Cross. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of
patience and the gift of fortitude. Hail Mary…
5. I grieve for you, O Mary most
sorrowful, in the martyrdom which your generous heart endured in standing near
Jesus in His agony. Dear Mother, by your afflicted heart obtain for me the
virtue of temperance and the gift of counsel. Hail Mary…
6. I grieve for you, O Mary most
sorrowful, in the wounding of your compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus
was struck by the lance before His Body was removed from the Cross. Dear
Mother, by your heart thus transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal
charity and the gift of understanding. Hail Mary…
7. I grieve for you, O Mary most
sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched your most loving heart at the burial of
Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain
for me the virtue of diligence and the gift of wisdom. Hail Mary…
Let Us Pray:
Let intercession be made for us, we beseech You, O Lord Jesus
Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Your mercy, by
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a
sword of sorrow in the hour of Your bitter Passion. Through You, O Jesus
Christ, Savior of the world, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and
reigns world without end. Amen.
Daily meditate upon the Seven Sorrows. Please the Sacred Heart of
the Redeemer by pondering the Sorrowful Heart of the Co-redemptrix. Receive the
remarkably generous graces which come from uniting our hearts each day to the
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of the Mother.
St.
Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373), Our Lady directly revealed the amazing graces
granted by her Son for all those who daily and pray seven Hail Mary’s while
meditating on her seven dolors and tears:
1.
“I will grant peace to their families.”
2. “They will be enlightened about
the Divine Mysteries.”
3. “I will console them in their
pains and I will accompany them in their work.”
4. “I will give them as much as
they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my Divine Son
or the sanctification of their souls.”
5. “I will defend them in their
spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every
instant of their lives.”
6. “I will visibly help them at the
moment of their death—they will see the face of their mother.”
7. “I have obtained this grace from
my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors
will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all
their sins will be forgiven, and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.”[5]
Things to Do[6]
Teach
your children the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Read more about this devotion. September is traditionally
dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows.
·
Present
different art pieces of Our Lady of Sorrows, or illustration of one of her
sorrows, for meditation and discussion. There are so many different pieces from
all different eras, countries and mediums. Search words for art titles would be
Lamentation, Deposition, Pieta, Dolorosa, Sorrows, etc. Some samples:
·
Discuss
why Mary is called the Queen of Martyrs.
·
Make
a heart-shaped cake for dessert, decorated with the swords piercing the heart.
·
Think
of ways to make reparation to Mary for the sins committed against Our Lord.
·
Pray
the short prayer or ejaculation, Holy Mother, imprint deeply upon my heart
the wounds of the Crucified.
·
Read
or sing the Stabat Mater, perhaps incorporating it with the Stations of
the Cross.
·
In
Italy, the title of Our Lady of Sorrows is Maria Santissima Addolorata.
This devotion began in the 1200s. She is the patron of many Italian cities. In
southern Italy there is La Festa della Madonna dei Sette Dolori (the
festival of the Seven Sorrows of the Madonna), instituted in 1423, also called
Madonna dell’Addolorata Festival. The food connected to this festival is cuccia
salata, wheat berries cooked in meat broth and layered with goat or pork.
·
I
will be hiking and praying using my reflections
in my book Divine
Mercy Hikes.
“Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be
afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will
uphold you with my hand."
Daily Devotions
·
Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving
your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 3pm till Monday. Don’t
forget the internet.
[1]The
Collegeville Bible Commentary, 1986.
[2]http://www.irishcatholic.ie/article/tribalism-and-fear-unworthy-christianity
[3]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896
[5]
http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/2010/09/the-promises-of-the-seen-sorrows/
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