Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Exodus, Chapter 1, Verse 21
And because the midwives FEARED God, God built up families for
them.
God’s
mercy is just like the drops of water which grooves stones to make gorges and
canyons; small acts of mercy have a similar effect on the hearts of sinners
making them into monoliths of strength. Therefore, they resisted Pharaoh’s
decree to kill the children of Israel. Likewise, we must resist the laws that are enacted that defy the law of God.
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church[1] addresses the issue of when and how St. Peter's teaching that obedience to God comes before obedience to men applies in the modern Christian's life. Presciently, or perhaps better, prophetically, Pope Benedict XVI foresaw and foresees increasing conflict between American Catholics and a public authority increasingly secularized and increasingly hostile to the moral values of its Catholic citizens. The conflict is caused by the increasing demands of the State to "to deny the right of conscientious objection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices." The aggressive secularist State wants freedom of religion to be limited to "mere freedom of worship," and not to "freedom of conscience" which extends beyond the realm of the four walls of a Church into the "public square" of social, civil, political, and economic life." Christians may conscientiously object to civil laws if they infringe upon one or more of three things:
(1) the law
violates the moral order, that is, the natural moral law.
(2) the law violates fundamental human
rights; or
(3) the law violates the teachings of the
Gospel, which is to say the teachings of the Church. Laws that trespass against
one or more of these three things may not be obeyed, and obedience to them must be refused. In fact, the Christian
has both a duty and a right to refuse such a law. And though it may be
unrecognized, it is a right that he must
exercise regardless of the consequences to him.
The full
text of the Compendium on this issue merits quotation:
"Citizens
are not obligated in conscience to follow the prescriptions of civil
authorities if their precepts are contrary to the demands of the moral order,
to the fundamental rights of persons or to the teachings of the Gospel. Unjust
laws pose dramatic problems of conscience for morally upright people:
when they are
called to cooperate in morally evil acts they must refuse. Besides being a moral duty, such a refusal is also a
basic human right which, precisely as such, civil law itself is obliged to
recognize and protect. 'Those who have recourse to conscientious objection must
be protected not only from legal penalties but also from any negative effects
on the legal, disciplinary, financial and professional plane.'" "It
is a grave duty of conscience not to cooperate, not even formally, in practices
which, although permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to the Law of God.
Such cooperation in fact can never be justified, not by invoking respect for
the freedom of others nor by appealing to the fact that it is foreseen and
required by civil law. No one can escape the moral responsibility for actions
taken, and all will be judged by God himself based on this responsibility (cf.
Rom 2:6; 14:12)." (Compendium, No. 399)
The right
of conscientious objection is not the right of resistance,
and the two should be carefully distinguished. Moreover, resistance which can
be expressed in "many different concrete ways" should be
distinguished from the last and desperate recourse of "armed resistance."
The right to resist an oppressive law or an oppressive government is one that
is found in the natural law. It is a right which precedes a government, and so
is one that is inalienable. Resistance generally is something to be avoided,
and it is justified only if there is a "serious" infringement or
"repeated" and chronic infringements of the natural moral law, a
fundamental human right, or a Gospel precept. "Recognizing that natural
law is the basis for and places limits on positive law means admitting that it
is legitimate to resist authority should it violate in a serious or repeated
manner the essential principles of natural law. Saint Thomas Aquinas writes
that 'one is obliged to obey . . . insofar as it is required by the order of
justice.' Natural law is therefore the basis of the right to resistance." The
right of resistance is not one that necessarily has the overthrow of government
in mind. There may be many ways in which resistance may be expressed, and there
may be many ends which resistance may have in mind: "There can be many
different concrete ways this right may be exercised; there are also many
different ends that may be pursued. Resistance to authority is meant to attest
to the validity of a different way of looking at things, whether the intent is
to achieve partial change, for example, modifying certain laws, or to fight for
a radical change in the situation." (Compendium, No. 400)
Resistance
in the sense of armed resistance is something which is a last resort.
The Church has identified five conditions all of which must be met before armed
resistance is morally justified:
"1) there is certain, grave and prolonged
violation of fundamental rights,
2) all
other means of redress have been exhausted,
3) such
resistance will not provoke worse disorders,
4) there is
well-founded hope of success; and
5) it is
impossible reasonably to foresee any better solution."
As the
Church observes, armed resistance, even if morally justified, is generally to
be avoided, and passive resistance is to be preferred. Armed resistance is
often a Pandora's Box which unleashes as much or more evil as it intended to
avoid. "Recourse to arms is seen as an extreme remedy for putting an end
to a 'manifest, long-standing tyranny which would do great damage to
fundamental personal rights and dangerous harm to the common good of the
country.' The gravity of the danger that recourse to violence entails
today makes it preferable in any case that passive resistance be practiced,
which is 'a way more conformable to moral principles and having no less
prospects for success.'" (Compendium, No. 401)
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent[2]
Prayer. MAY heavenly propitiation increase Thy people subject to Thee, O
Lord, we beseech Thee, and make them ever servants of Thy commandments.
EPISTLE. Jer. vii. 1-7.
In those days the word of
the Lord came to me, saying Stand in the gate of the house of the Lord, and
proclaim there this word, and say: Hear ye the word of the Lord, all ye men of
Juda, that enter in at these gates, to adore the Lord. Thus, saith the Lord of
hosts, the God of Israel: Make your ways and your doings good: and I will dwell
with you in this place. Trust not in lying words, saying: The temple of the
Lord, the temple of the Lord, it is the temple of the Lord. For if you will
order well your ways, and your doings: if you will execute judgment between a
man and his neighbor, if you oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the
widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, and walk not after strange
gods to your own hurt, I will dwell with you in this place: in the land which I
gave to your fathers from the beginning and forever, saith the Lord Almighty.
GOSPEL. Luke iv. 38-44.
At that time Jesus, rising up out of the synagogue, went into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought Him for her. And standing over her, He commanded the fever, and it left her. And immediately rising, she ministered to them. And when the sun was down, all they that had any sick with divers’ diseases brought them to Him. But He laying His hands on every one of them, healed them. And devils went out from many, crying out and saying: Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them He suffered them not to speak, for they knew that He was Christ. And when it was day, going out He went into a desert place, and the multitudes sought Him, and came unto Him: and they stayed Him that He should not depart from them. To whom He said: To other cities also I must preach the kingdom of God: for therefor am I sent. And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
Lenten Calendar[3]
Read:
The Seven Penitential Psalms, Day Three:
(During times when we wish to express
repentance, and especially during Lent, it is customary to pray the seven
penitential psalms. The penitential designation of these psalms’ dates back to
the seventh century. Prayerfully reciting these psalms will help us to
recognize our sinfulness, express our sorrow and ask for God’s forgiveness.) Today
we will focus on Psalm 38.
Reflect:
Read this reflection on Psalm
38—Prayer of an Afflicted Sinner.
Pray:
“LORD, do not punish me in your anger, in your wrath do not chastise me!”
(Ps 38:2)
Preparing for Battle[4] Know Your Weapons
The weapon of Sacred
Sacraments
1.
Baptism. Baptism is a
sacrament of liberation and deliverance from Satan and his realm.
2.
Reconciliation. Each time we
sin, the Devil strengthens his grip on us; that is why it’s so important to go
to sacramental Confession regularly.
3.
The Eucharist. Mass is a
great defense against the assault of the Devil. Before Him the all-conquering
power, the demons must flee. “We must return from that Table like lions
breathing fire, having become terrifying to the Devil!”
4.
Confirmation. To confirm
means to make strong.
5.
Anointing of the Sick.
Illness, especially serious illness, can be a trial in which Satan comes to
tempt us to be overcome by fear, discouragement, doubt, and even despair.
6.
Matrimony. The Devil’s first
attack on the human race was focused on a married couple. The home must become
a sanctuary, a holy place, a fortress against Satan’s assaults.
7.
Holy Orders. The sacrament
through which Christ’s mission for the Church continues to be exercised until
the end of the world.
Holy Order of Porters[5]
In the last 50 years, various minor
orders in the church, including porter, exorcist, and the major order of
subdeacon simply no longer exist in the Latin Church who no longer felt they
were necessary [all of the minor orders and the subdiaconate are
still used within the Independent Sacramental Movement]. What is the
theology behind these orders and why were they abolished?
As early as the third century, certain
roles of service, including deacon, subdeacon, lector, and acolyte, were
present in the church. These orders over time became linked to preparation for
the priesthood and were divided between “minor orders” (porter, exorcist,
lector, and acolyte) and “major orders” (subdeacon, deacon, and priest). Each
order was received, and its function performed for a suitable time before a man
was ordained to the priesthood.
The roles were varied but served a
legitimate purpose in the early church, usually related to the Mass. For
instance, the porter was the doorkeeper, responsible for opening and closing
the church and guarding the door during the celebration of Mass.
Together the orders constituted
ministries of service that developed in the church according to need. Yet over
time, many of them lost their function. The orders, especially porter and
exorcist, became symbolic. The loss of these functions occasioned a revision of
the orders after the Second Vatican Council.
The Ordination of Porters. — This order confers the office of caring for the dignity of the house of God and of maintaining order therein. During the early persecutions it was necessary to indicate to the faithful the time and place of divine service, and to keep the doors of the place of meeting locked against intruders. This was the duty of the “porters” and “messengers of God.” The duties of this office are pointed out by the bishop to be: “To strike the cymbal and ring the bell, to open the church and the sanctuary, and the book of him who preaches.” These duties are symbolic for the still higher duty “of closing to the devil and opening to God, by their word and example, the invisible house of God, namely, the hearts of the faithful.”
The matter of this order is the
presenting of the keys of the church to the clerics to be touched by their
right hand, and the form is the accompanying admonition: “Conduct yourselves as
having to render an account to God for those things which are kept under these
keys.”
The bishop then invites all present to
pray with him “that these porters may be most diligent in their care of the
house of God.”
Although the Ostiariate is no longer a
distinct institution in the Church, still for that very reason every pastor
ought to be a true ostiary, consumed with zeal for the house of God. He must
love the church, frequently visit it, banish from it all uncleanliness,
disorder, and irreverence, procure decent vestments and ornaments, and guard
against the loss or profanation of anything consecrated to divine service. He
must himself be punctual and urge others to punctuality in divine
service.
Still greater care must he bestow on
the “invisible house of God, the hearts of the faithful,” that they may be
closed to the devil and opened to the graces and blessings of God, promoting
thus the interior service of God by word and deed.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Porters of Saint Joseph is a
volunteer apostolate with the mission to imitate St. Joseph as the Protector of
the Holy Church, Pillar of Families, and Terror of Demons.
We do this by providing a safe
environment at our parishes so the faithful can worship God in peace and
security. We build teams of faithful men who have felt the call to get involved
but have not yet found the opportunity to put their courageous, heroic,
masculine heart at the service of their parish, while at the same time, forming
a bond of Christian brotherhood with like-minded men.
Fulfill our successor to the apostle’s
call to step into the breach and join the Porters of St. Joseph!
SERVING & PROTECTING
PHOENIX
SAN DIEGO
TUCSON
“The Porters of St. Joseph are a very active and important ministry for
men in our parish. They provide support to the parish and to me as the Pastor
in many ways, most especially as security and medical assistance during Masses.
Recently we had two instances where members of the parish had medical
emergencies during Mass. The Porters of St. Joseph immediately assisted these
parishioners, getting them to safety and assessing their need for treatment
without a disruption to the congregation or the Mass. The Porters of St. Joseph
also provided our parish with a safety assessment and a plan to increase safety
on our parish campus. I highly recommend this ministry to any Pastor who would
love to mobilize the men of their parish to grow in their spirituality and
devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, while providing a much needed ministry.” Fr. John Muir // Vicar General // Diocese of Phoenix
ESTABLISH
YOUR CHAPTER
Contact us and let us get you everything you’ll need to
start a chapter and schedule trainings for your Porters.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Chapter 2 “You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.
Article 10-THE TENTH COMMANDMENT
IV. "I Want to See God"
2548
Desire for true happiness frees man from his immoderate attachment to the goods
of this world so that he can find his fulfillment in the vision and beatitude
of God. "The promise [of seeing God] surpasses all beatitude.... In
Scripture, to see is to possess.... Whoever sees God has obtained all the goods
of which he can conceive."
2549 It
remains for the holy people to struggle, with grace from on high, to obtain the
good things God promises. In order to possess and contemplate God, Christ's
faithful mortify their cravings and, with the grace of God, prevail over the
seductions of pleasure and power.
2550 On
this way of perfection, the Spirit and the Bride call whoever hears them to
perfect communion with God:
There will true glory be, where no
one will be praised by mistake or flattery; true honor will not be refused to
the worthy, nor granted to the unworthy; likewise, no one unworthy will pretend
to be worthy, where only those who are worthy will be admitted. There true
peace will reign, where no one will experience opposition either from self or
others. God himself will be virtue's reward; he gives virtue and has promised
to give himself as the best and greatest reward that could exist.... "I
shall be their God and they will be my people...." This is also the
meaning of the Apostle's words: "So that God may be all in all." God
himself will be the goal of our desires; we shall contemplate him without end,
love him without surfeit, praise him without weariness. This gift, this state,
this act, like eternal life itself, will assuredly be common to all.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: For
the Poor and Suffering
·
do
a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 30
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Make reparations to the Holy Face
[1] http://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=45255
[2] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
[4]Thigpen, Paul. Manual for Spiritual
Warfare. TAN Books.
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