| Devotion to Our Lady |
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July 1st
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOOD AND GUTS!!
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOOD AND GUTS!!
Heart and Blood
The month of June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, while the month of July is the month of the Precious Blood of Jesus. June spills over into July, and July flows out of June like blood flows out of the heart. It is not by chance that we have these two dedicated months side-by-side. There is a wealth of doctrine and spiritual treasure that flows forth from the juxtapositioning of the Sacred Heart of Jesus next to the Precious Blood of Jesus.
What analogy or likeness can we put forth to show the intimate spiritual relationship that springs forth from this co-relation of the Heart and the Blood of Jesus? From a mere physical viewpoint, an immediate relationship jumps to mind—for own bodies testify to the close connection between heart and blood. The two go hand in hand, like body and soul, parents and children, etc. One needs the other; they work together.
Courage of Heart, Shedding One’s Blood
Taken a stage further, we can speak of the courage, in the heart of soldiers, that leads them to shed their blood for their country. Even outside of war and the battlefield, in the modern battlefield of sports, the same courage of heart leads them into combat against an individual opponent or a team, that will sometimes see blood flow. The love of others, in the heart of a person, may lead them to donate their blood for the saving of lives. These are just some of the co-relations we see between heart and blood. In Our Lord, we can say that the Sacred Heart symbolizes the love He has for us and the love we should have for Him; whereas the Precious Blood symbolizes the reparation made by the Sacred Heart and the reparation we should make to the Sacred Heart. Like blood, the reparation comes from the Sacred Heart and flows back to the Sacred Heart.
Heart and Blood Medically
Heart rate and blood pressure are known as vital signs. Each vital sign must be measured separately because each result describes different information about the heart and blood vessels. The rate of the heart beat and the blood pressure are two important measurements to assess the health and wellness of the heart. Normally, the heart rate measures how fast the heart has to work in order to supply the body with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the blood.
A fast heart beat at rest may indicate weakened cardiac muscle that has to compensate with pumping blood faster. Unless the person is an athlete, a slow heart beat at rest, may be indicative of an enlarged heart that is straining to pump blood through an oversized organ.
The pulse rate increases during exertion of the body to meet increased oxygen demands during exercise. A healthy heart will not increase the blood pressure, but will cause the arteries to dilate and accommodate the increase of blood flow to the lungs. Known as the recovery time, the amount of time it takes for the heart rate to recover from exercise is measured in seconds to minutes. For instance, after jogging, a person with a heart rate at 120 beats per minute (BPM), recovers their normal heart rate at 77 BPM in less than a minute. Heart rate should also be evaluated by the steady rhythm and force of the beats. The healthier the heart, the faster the pulse will return to a normal resting state. Although this measurement is not completely conclusive by itself, recovery time can be used to assess fitness level of the body.
Jesus and Grace
We can quite easily draw some spiritual parallels from this co-relation of heart and blood. From the perspective of Jesus, His Heart is the reservoir of His Blood, which He sends out to His Mystical Body. The Heart is Jesus Himself, and His Blood is Divine Grace, which gives life to the Mystical Body as blood brings life to the human body. The Blood (Grace) of God is sent out to fulfill His wishes, much as God says in Isaias: “And as the rain and the snow come down from Heaven, and return no more thither, but soak the earth, and water it, and make it to spring, and give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall My word [blood] be, which shall go forth from My mouth [heart]: it shall not return to Me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please, and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it” (Isaias 55:10-11).
Physical exertion requires that the heart to work faster and to pump greater quantities of blood (which carries the important oxygen) to all parts of the body. Likewise, spiritual exertion requires that the Sacred Heart pump more Precious Blood (which carries the important Grace) to all parts of the soul.
Spiritual Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary Artery Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting millions of Americans. Coronary Artery Disease is a narrowing of the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle, generally due to the buildup of plaques in the arterial walls, a process known as atherosclerosis. Plaques are composed of cholesterol-rich fatty deposits, collagen, other proteins, and excess smooth muscle cells.
Let us paraphrase the above from a spiritual perspective. Jesus is the Heart and we, being members of His Mystical Body, are the arteries into which He pumps His Blood (Grace). Spiritual Coronary Artery Disease is the leading cause of the loss of souls. It is caused by a narrowing of the coronary arteries, generally due to a buildup of worldliness in the souls of the arteries, a process known as lukewarmness or tepidly. Worldliness is composed of fatty deposits of venial sins, self-love, sloth, gluttony and other cardinal sins.
Atherosclerosis (Worldliness), which usually progresses very gradually over a lifetime, thickens and narrows the arterial walls, impeding the flow of blood and starving the heart of the oxygen (grace) and vital nutrients (inspirations of God) which it needs. This can cause muscle cramp-like chest pain called angina (lukewarmness and fear of effort).
Blood clots (venial sins) form more easily on arterial walls roughened by plaque deposits (worldliness) and may block one or more of the narrowed coronary arteries completely and cause a heart attack (mortal sin). Arteries may also narrow suddenly as a result of an arterial spasm (pain resulting from making spiritual efforts). Spasms are most commonly triggered by smoking (breathing in the spirit of the world).
Although Coronary Artery Disease can be a life-threatening (soul-threatening) condition, the outcome of the disease is in many ways up to the patient. Damage to the arteries can be slowed or halted with lifestyle changes, including smoking cessation (quit breathing in the spirit of the world), dietary modifications (stop reading, watching, listening to the worldly media outlets, quit frequenting worldly parties and social gatherings) and regular exercise (Spiritual Exercises: start praying and making sacrifices), or by medications (penances) to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Additional goals of treatment, which may involve medication (penances) and sometimes surgery (being refused absolution by the priest, or severe Providential punishments sent by God), are to relieve symptoms, ease circulation and prolong life (save the soul).
Blood and Salvation
As Fr. Faber writes, in his book, The Precious Blood: “Salvation! What music is there in that word! To be saved! What is it to be saved? Who can tell? Eye has not seen, nor ear heard. It is a rescue, and from such a shipwreck. It is a rest, and in such an unimaginable home. It is to lie down forever in the bosom of God in an endless rapture of insatiable contentment. ‘Thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save his people from their sins’ (Matthew 1:21). Who else but Jesus can do this, and what else, even from Him, do we require but this? For in this lie all things which we can desire!”
The Blood of Christ
It is the shedding of blood that brings life and salvation. Our Lord said: “Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal” (John 12:24-25). Prior to His Passion and Death, He had spoken of the importance of His Blood: “For My Flesh is meat indeed: and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56-57). At the Last Supper, on the eve of the shedding of His Blood, the Sacred Heart gave His Blood as drink: “In like manner the chalice also, after He had supped, saying: This is the chalice, the new testament in My Blood, which shall be shed for you” (Luke 22:20). “This is My blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins”(Matthew 26:28). After shedding His Blood in the Agony in the Garden, “His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground” (Luke 22:44), and more bloodshed during the Scourging and Crowning with Thorns, and being nailed to the cross, finally, “one of the soldiers, with a spear, opened His side, and immediately there came out blood and water” (John 19:34).
The courage of His Sacred Heart had led to the voluntary shedding of His Precious Blood. The shedding of the Blood was a proof of the love that was in His Heart:“Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends”(John 15:13). He saved us “Neither by the blood of goats, or of calves, but by His own Blood” (Hebrews 9:12). The Precious Blood of Our Lord was shed on the Cross; by It Our Lord won all the graces necessary for the salvation of every human being. But we need to grasp these graces and apply them to ourselves and others. The Precious Blood is a flowing Fountain of spiritual gifts that will never run dry, but our efforts may run dry. We need to make constant efforts, remembering that: "he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13).
Jesus Testifies to the Power of His Blood
To St. Mechtilde Our Lord once revealed Himself on the altar, with hands extended and Blood streaming from His Wounds: "I show these bleeding Wounds to My Father," He said, "to appease His wrath. He pardons when He sees the Blood." Our Lord told Sister Mary of St. Peter: "Ask My Father for as many souls as I shed drops of Blood during My Passion." By asking for the Precious Blood to be poured out on souls, we prevent Its being, as it were, spilled out on the ground in vain. In His mysterious Providence, God has put the salvation of others in our hands: we must ask for it, and ask fervently and often. One of the best means, of participating in the graces and blessings of the Precious Blood, is to offer It to the Eternal Father. "An offering," says Father Faber, is "more than a prayer." In prayer, we are the receivers, but when we make an offering, God receives something from us.
The Carmelite nun, St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, when in ecstasy, once exclaimed:"Every time a creature offers up the Blood, by which he was redeemed, he offers a gift of infinite worth, which can be equaled by no other." God revealed the practice of making this offering to this saintly Carmelite nun, when He complained to her that so little effort is made, in this world, to disarm His Divine justice against sinners. Acting upon this admonition, St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi offered the Precious Blood fifty times each day, for the living and the dead. She did this with so much fervor that God showed her, on different occasions, the numerous souls who had, thereby, been converted, or delivered from Purgatory.
At another time, when St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi was in ecstasy, she saw all the holy patrons of the city of Florence, accompanied by innumerable other saints, before the throne of God, interceding for sinners. Their petitions, however, remained unanswered. Then the guardian Angels of the poor sinners approached, but their prayers likewise remained unheard. Next came the multitudes of the blessed to make intercession for the guilty souls. While imploring God's mercy, they were intent, at the same time, upon offering to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood, and, on account of the merits of the Divine Blood, their petitions were granted.
Does This Not Stir Our Blood?
Should not these examples incite us to offer the Precious Blood frequently during the day? Of course, but sadly, we are tempted to relegate the above accounts to the realm of ‘fairy-tales’ and look upon them mere stories that were made up to illustrate some aspect of Faith or Morals—like Aesop’s Fables, which are mere tales that carry with them a moral lesson. Or, at best, we say to ourselves, “All these prayers and offerings and sacrifices are the work of saints—but I am no saint! So I will simply file it away as ‘this has been read: send to archives’ and move on with my life”!
The saints were not born saints, but were mere human beings like you and I. These souls were themselves the pupils, so to speak, of the saints that they read about. They chose to act upon, not archive, what they read. In this way they grew in holiness and, eventually, became saints, or teachers, themselves. We can choose to bury the ‘talents’ that are given to us (through the examples and advice of saints), or we can work upon them and bring some profit to ourselves (cf. Parable of the Talents, Matthew chapter 25).
The month of June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, while the month of July is the month of the Precious Blood of Jesus. June spills over into July, and July flows out of June like blood flows out of the heart. It is not by chance that we have these two dedicated months side-by-side. There is a wealth of doctrine and spiritual treasure that flows forth from the juxtapositioning of the Sacred Heart of Jesus next to the Precious Blood of Jesus.
What analogy or likeness can we put forth to show the intimate spiritual relationship that springs forth from this co-relation of the Heart and the Blood of Jesus? From a mere physical viewpoint, an immediate relationship jumps to mind—for own bodies testify to the close connection between heart and blood. The two go hand in hand, like body and soul, parents and children, etc. One needs the other; they work together.
Courage of Heart, Shedding One’s Blood
Taken a stage further, we can speak of the courage, in the heart of soldiers, that leads them to shed their blood for their country. Even outside of war and the battlefield, in the modern battlefield of sports, the same courage of heart leads them into combat against an individual opponent or a team, that will sometimes see blood flow. The love of others, in the heart of a person, may lead them to donate their blood for the saving of lives. These are just some of the co-relations we see between heart and blood. In Our Lord, we can say that the Sacred Heart symbolizes the love He has for us and the love we should have for Him; whereas the Precious Blood symbolizes the reparation made by the Sacred Heart and the reparation we should make to the Sacred Heart. Like blood, the reparation comes from the Sacred Heart and flows back to the Sacred Heart.
Heart and Blood Medically
Heart rate and blood pressure are known as vital signs. Each vital sign must be measured separately because each result describes different information about the heart and blood vessels. The rate of the heart beat and the blood pressure are two important measurements to assess the health and wellness of the heart. Normally, the heart rate measures how fast the heart has to work in order to supply the body with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the blood.
A fast heart beat at rest may indicate weakened cardiac muscle that has to compensate with pumping blood faster. Unless the person is an athlete, a slow heart beat at rest, may be indicative of an enlarged heart that is straining to pump blood through an oversized organ.
The pulse rate increases during exertion of the body to meet increased oxygen demands during exercise. A healthy heart will not increase the blood pressure, but will cause the arteries to dilate and accommodate the increase of blood flow to the lungs. Known as the recovery time, the amount of time it takes for the heart rate to recover from exercise is measured in seconds to minutes. For instance, after jogging, a person with a heart rate at 120 beats per minute (BPM), recovers their normal heart rate at 77 BPM in less than a minute. Heart rate should also be evaluated by the steady rhythm and force of the beats. The healthier the heart, the faster the pulse will return to a normal resting state. Although this measurement is not completely conclusive by itself, recovery time can be used to assess fitness level of the body.
Jesus and Grace
We can quite easily draw some spiritual parallels from this co-relation of heart and blood. From the perspective of Jesus, His Heart is the reservoir of His Blood, which He sends out to His Mystical Body. The Heart is Jesus Himself, and His Blood is Divine Grace, which gives life to the Mystical Body as blood brings life to the human body. The Blood (Grace) of God is sent out to fulfill His wishes, much as God says in Isaias: “And as the rain and the snow come down from Heaven, and return no more thither, but soak the earth, and water it, and make it to spring, and give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall My word [blood] be, which shall go forth from My mouth [heart]: it shall not return to Me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please, and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it” (Isaias 55:10-11).
Physical exertion requires that the heart to work faster and to pump greater quantities of blood (which carries the important oxygen) to all parts of the body. Likewise, spiritual exertion requires that the Sacred Heart pump more Precious Blood (which carries the important Grace) to all parts of the soul.
Spiritual Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary Artery Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting millions of Americans. Coronary Artery Disease is a narrowing of the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle, generally due to the buildup of plaques in the arterial walls, a process known as atherosclerosis. Plaques are composed of cholesterol-rich fatty deposits, collagen, other proteins, and excess smooth muscle cells.
Let us paraphrase the above from a spiritual perspective. Jesus is the Heart and we, being members of His Mystical Body, are the arteries into which He pumps His Blood (Grace). Spiritual Coronary Artery Disease is the leading cause of the loss of souls. It is caused by a narrowing of the coronary arteries, generally due to a buildup of worldliness in the souls of the arteries, a process known as lukewarmness or tepidly. Worldliness is composed of fatty deposits of venial sins, self-love, sloth, gluttony and other cardinal sins.
Atherosclerosis (Worldliness), which usually progresses very gradually over a lifetime, thickens and narrows the arterial walls, impeding the flow of blood and starving the heart of the oxygen (grace) and vital nutrients (inspirations of God) which it needs. This can cause muscle cramp-like chest pain called angina (lukewarmness and fear of effort).
Blood clots (venial sins) form more easily on arterial walls roughened by plaque deposits (worldliness) and may block one or more of the narrowed coronary arteries completely and cause a heart attack (mortal sin). Arteries may also narrow suddenly as a result of an arterial spasm (pain resulting from making spiritual efforts). Spasms are most commonly triggered by smoking (breathing in the spirit of the world).
Although Coronary Artery Disease can be a life-threatening (soul-threatening) condition, the outcome of the disease is in many ways up to the patient. Damage to the arteries can be slowed or halted with lifestyle changes, including smoking cessation (quit breathing in the spirit of the world), dietary modifications (stop reading, watching, listening to the worldly media outlets, quit frequenting worldly parties and social gatherings) and regular exercise (Spiritual Exercises: start praying and making sacrifices), or by medications (penances) to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Additional goals of treatment, which may involve medication (penances) and sometimes surgery (being refused absolution by the priest, or severe Providential punishments sent by God), are to relieve symptoms, ease circulation and prolong life (save the soul).
Blood and Salvation
As Fr. Faber writes, in his book, The Precious Blood: “Salvation! What music is there in that word! To be saved! What is it to be saved? Who can tell? Eye has not seen, nor ear heard. It is a rescue, and from such a shipwreck. It is a rest, and in such an unimaginable home. It is to lie down forever in the bosom of God in an endless rapture of insatiable contentment. ‘Thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save his people from their sins’ (Matthew 1:21). Who else but Jesus can do this, and what else, even from Him, do we require but this? For in this lie all things which we can desire!”
The Blood of Christ
It is the shedding of blood that brings life and salvation. Our Lord said: “Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal” (John 12:24-25). Prior to His Passion and Death, He had spoken of the importance of His Blood: “For My Flesh is meat indeed: and My Blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, abideth in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56-57). At the Last Supper, on the eve of the shedding of His Blood, the Sacred Heart gave His Blood as drink: “In like manner the chalice also, after He had supped, saying: This is the chalice, the new testament in My Blood, which shall be shed for you” (Luke 22:20). “This is My blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins”(Matthew 26:28). After shedding His Blood in the Agony in the Garden, “His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground” (Luke 22:44), and more bloodshed during the Scourging and Crowning with Thorns, and being nailed to the cross, finally, “one of the soldiers, with a spear, opened His side, and immediately there came out blood and water” (John 19:34).
The courage of His Sacred Heart had led to the voluntary shedding of His Precious Blood. The shedding of the Blood was a proof of the love that was in His Heart:“Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends”(John 15:13). He saved us “Neither by the blood of goats, or of calves, but by His own Blood” (Hebrews 9:12). The Precious Blood of Our Lord was shed on the Cross; by It Our Lord won all the graces necessary for the salvation of every human being. But we need to grasp these graces and apply them to ourselves and others. The Precious Blood is a flowing Fountain of spiritual gifts that will never run dry, but our efforts may run dry. We need to make constant efforts, remembering that: "he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13).
Jesus Testifies to the Power of His Blood
To St. Mechtilde Our Lord once revealed Himself on the altar, with hands extended and Blood streaming from His Wounds: "I show these bleeding Wounds to My Father," He said, "to appease His wrath. He pardons when He sees the Blood." Our Lord told Sister Mary of St. Peter: "Ask My Father for as many souls as I shed drops of Blood during My Passion." By asking for the Precious Blood to be poured out on souls, we prevent Its being, as it were, spilled out on the ground in vain. In His mysterious Providence, God has put the salvation of others in our hands: we must ask for it, and ask fervently and often. One of the best means, of participating in the graces and blessings of the Precious Blood, is to offer It to the Eternal Father. "An offering," says Father Faber, is "more than a prayer." In prayer, we are the receivers, but when we make an offering, God receives something from us.
The Carmelite nun, St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, when in ecstasy, once exclaimed:"Every time a creature offers up the Blood, by which he was redeemed, he offers a gift of infinite worth, which can be equaled by no other." God revealed the practice of making this offering to this saintly Carmelite nun, when He complained to her that so little effort is made, in this world, to disarm His Divine justice against sinners. Acting upon this admonition, St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi offered the Precious Blood fifty times each day, for the living and the dead. She did this with so much fervor that God showed her, on different occasions, the numerous souls who had, thereby, been converted, or delivered from Purgatory.
At another time, when St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi was in ecstasy, she saw all the holy patrons of the city of Florence, accompanied by innumerable other saints, before the throne of God, interceding for sinners. Their petitions, however, remained unanswered. Then the guardian Angels of the poor sinners approached, but their prayers likewise remained unheard. Next came the multitudes of the blessed to make intercession for the guilty souls. While imploring God's mercy, they were intent, at the same time, upon offering to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood, and, on account of the merits of the Divine Blood, their petitions were granted.
Does This Not Stir Our Blood?
Should not these examples incite us to offer the Precious Blood frequently during the day? Of course, but sadly, we are tempted to relegate the above accounts to the realm of ‘fairy-tales’ and look upon them mere stories that were made up to illustrate some aspect of Faith or Morals—like Aesop’s Fables, which are mere tales that carry with them a moral lesson. Or, at best, we say to ourselves, “All these prayers and offerings and sacrifices are the work of saints—but I am no saint! So I will simply file it away as ‘this has been read: send to archives’ and move on with my life”!
The saints were not born saints, but were mere human beings like you and I. These souls were themselves the pupils, so to speak, of the saints that they read about. They chose to act upon, not archive, what they read. In this way they grew in holiness and, eventually, became saints, or teachers, themselves. We can choose to bury the ‘talents’ that are given to us (through the examples and advice of saints), or we can work upon them and bring some profit to ourselves (cf. Parable of the Talents, Matthew chapter 25).
July 2nd
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BORN TO FIGHT! BORN FOR BLOODSHED!
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BORN TO FIGHT! BORN FOR BLOODSHED!
Confirmation and Shedding Blood
In case we inflate our stock as Catholics, let us remember the Catholics of old and let us remember the admonition of St. Paul: “For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin” (Hebrews 12:4). Sin is our greatest enemy. The Catechism tells us that sin is the greatest evil in the world—even "itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny" venial sins! That is why St. Dominic Savio took, as one of his four resolutions at the time of his First Holy Communion, the resolution to avoid sin—he wrote down on paper the pledge: “Death rather than sin!” That is the attitude of a true Soldier for Christ.
Of course, St. Dominic never shed his physical blood for Christ, as did many martyrs, but he must have been wounded by the comments and attitude of many around him—especially those who did not hate sin like he hated sin. He will have bled ‘mystical’ blood in place of physical blood—much like the Sacrifice of the Mass is the re-actualization of the Sacrifice of Calvary, but in an unbloody way. St. Dominic must have ‘sweated mystical drops of blood’ many times throughout his short life in trying to follow the right path, the narrow painful path of Christ that leads to holiness and Heaven. The same is in store for us—we must shed our blood for Christ, either physically like the martyrs, or mystically like St. Dominic and all the other unmartyred saints that made it to Heaven. As Holy Scripture says: “The blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation” (Luke 11:50).
Our Lady Warns of Bloodshed
Our Lady speaks of these blood-shedding martyrdoms—whether physical or mystical—in many of her apparitions, as do many other prophecies by saints and mystics. At La Salette, Our Lady warns: “God will strike in an unprecedented way ... Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! God will exhaust His wrath upon them, and no one will be able to escape so many afflictions together … Physical and moral agonies will be suffered ... The society of men is on the eve of the most terrible scourges and of gravest events. Mankind must expect to be ruled with an iron rod and to drink from the chalice of the wrath of God ... Italy will be punished for her ambition in wanting to shake off the yoke of the Lord of Lords. And so she will be left to fight a war; blood will flow on all sides. Churches will be locked up or desecrated. Priests and religious orders will be hunted down, and made to die a cruel death ... All order and all justice would be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy would be seen” (Our Lady of La Salette).
“France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling … Men will kill each other, massacre each other even in their homes ... Several cities will be shaken down and swallowed up by earthquakes. People will believe that all is lost. Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy. The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God's people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession” (Our Lady of La Salette).
Fighting the Good Fight
We have to get out of our hypnotic state that imagines that life is meant to be enjoyed and we are here to have fun—each in his or her own way! “Fight the good fight of faith: lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called” (1 Timothy 6:12), for “the life of man upon earth is a warfare” (Job 7:1) and this fight is not a virtual fight; it is not a fight in the imagination; nor a fight that existed in the past but no longer today; nor a fight that some but not all are involved in—it is a perennial fight, a universal fight, an apocalyptic fight! Your salvation rests upon whether or not you fight, whether or not you compromise, whether or not you surrender to the enemy. Just as Our Lord was asked: “And who is my neighbor?” — you may well ask: “And who is my enemy?” Let Holy Scripture answer you:
The Enemy: World, Flesh, Devil
The enemy is the world, the flesh and the devil. “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of thisworld, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4). “The whole world is seated in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). "Love not the world, nor the things which are in theworld. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). "If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but you are notof the world, but I have chosen you out of the world" (John 15:19).
“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). “For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death” (Romans 7:5). “Therefore, I myself, with the mind, serve the law of God; but, with the flesh, the law of sin” (Romans 7:25).“For the wisdom of the flesh is death; but the wisdom of the spirit is life and peace. Because the wisdom of the flesh is an enemy to God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither can it be. And they who are in the flesh, cannot please God”(Romans 8:6-8). “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences.” (Romans 13:14).
“Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). “The devil was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in the truth; because truth is not in him” (John 8:44). “Give not place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). “Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).“He that soweth the good seed, is the Son of man. And the field, is the world. And the good seed are the children of the kingdom. And the cockle, are the children of the wicked one. And the enemy that sowed them, is the devil. But the harvest is the end of the world” (Matthew 13:37-39). “The devil cometh, and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved” (Luke 8:12). “For the space of forty days; and was tempted by the devil” (Luke 4:2).
Our Lady’s Battle Cry
At La Salette, Our Lady sounds out her battle cry: “I make an urgent appeal to the earth. I call on the true disciples of the living God who reigns in Heaven; I call on the true followers of Christ made man, the only true Savior of men; I call on my children, the true faithful, those who have given themselves to me, so that I may lead them to my divine Son, those whom I carry in my arms, so to speak, those who have lived on my spirit. Finally, I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your Faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends.” (Our Lady of La Salette). Holy Scripture echoes this: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) … “Fight the good fight of faith … whereunto thou art called” (1 Timothy 6:12)
St. Louis de Montfort’s End Time Warriors
This rallying cry of Our Lady fits perfectly with St. Louis de Montfort’s prophetic writings about the saints of end times:
“The formation and the education of the great saints who shall come at the end of the world are reserved for Mary ... I have said that this would come to pass, particularly at the end of the world and indeed soon … These great souls, full of grace and zeal, shall be chosen to match themselves against the enemies of God, who shall rage on all sides; and they shall be singularly devout to our Blessed Lady, illuminated by her light, strengthened with her nourishment, led by her spirit, supported by her arm and sheltered under her protection, so that they shall fight with one hand and build with the other. With the one hand they shall fight, overthrow and crush the heretics with their heresies, the schismatics with their schisms, the idolaters with their idolatries and the sinners with their impieties. With the other hand they shall build the temple of the true Solomon and the mystical city of God, that is to say, the most holy Virgin” (St. Louis de Montfort,True Devotion to Mary).
“The devil, knowing that he has but little time, and now less than ever, to destroy souls, will every day redouble his efforts and his combats. He will presently raise up cruel persecutions and will put terrible snares before the faithful servants and true children of Mary, whom it gives him more trouble to conquer than it does to conquer others ... These last and cruel persecutions of the devil, shall go on increasing daily till the reign of Antichrist … But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel: that is to say, her humble slaves and her poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).
“They shall be clouds thundering and flying through the air at the least breath of the Holy Ghost; who, detaching themselves from everything and troubling themselves about nothing, shall shower forth the rain of the Word of God and of life eternal. They shall thunder against sin; they shall storm against the world; they shall strike the devil and his crew; and they shall pierce through and through, for life or for death, with their two-edged sword of the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), all those to whom they shall be sent on the part of the Most High ... They shall be the true apostles of the latter times, to whom the Lord of Hosts shall give the word and the might to work marvels and to carry off with glory the spoils of His enemies”(St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).
“In a word, we know that they shall be true disciples of Jesus Christ, walking in the footsteps of His poverty, humility, contempt of the world, charity; teaching the narrow way of God in pure truth, according to the Holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world; troubling themselves about nothing; not accepting persons; sparing, fearing and listening to no mortal, however influential he may be. They shall have in their mouths the two-edged sword of the Word of God. They shall carry on their shoulders the bloody standard of the Cross, the Crucifix in their right hand and the Rosary in their left, the sacred Names of Jesus and Mary in their hearts, and the modesty and mortification of Jesus Christ in their own behavior” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).
Soldiers Are Made, Not Born
This is not empty rhetoric by St. Louis de Montfort—this is a prophetic picture of what we have to be in our day and age. No soldier is born a soldier, but has to be trained and made into a soldier. Looking at St. Louis imagery and comparing it with our own personal state and condition might well be despondent—but it is well worth reading the book by the ex-Communist turned Catholic, Douglas Hyde, entitledDedication and Leadership, wherein he shows how Communists take the worst imaginable material and train and convert it into a very efficient Communist fighting machine. If the skill of Communists can do that—what can the grace of God do?
The Example of St. Paul
St. Paul gives us an example of a true Soldier for Christ. Referring to the Apostles, he says: “They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise). I am more; in many more labors, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea. In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren. In labor and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27).
Let us pray to Our Lady, St. Paul, St. Louis de Montfort and all the saints, especially the martyrs, that we might have a love of the Precious Blood of Jesus; that we believe and use the power of His Precious Blood; that we be ready to shed our own blood for love of Jesus—whether it be shed mystically or physically. As the saying goes: “The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church!”
In case we inflate our stock as Catholics, let us remember the Catholics of old and let us remember the admonition of St. Paul: “For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin” (Hebrews 12:4). Sin is our greatest enemy. The Catechism tells us that sin is the greatest evil in the world—even "itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny" venial sins! That is why St. Dominic Savio took, as one of his four resolutions at the time of his First Holy Communion, the resolution to avoid sin—he wrote down on paper the pledge: “Death rather than sin!” That is the attitude of a true Soldier for Christ.
Of course, St. Dominic never shed his physical blood for Christ, as did many martyrs, but he must have been wounded by the comments and attitude of many around him—especially those who did not hate sin like he hated sin. He will have bled ‘mystical’ blood in place of physical blood—much like the Sacrifice of the Mass is the re-actualization of the Sacrifice of Calvary, but in an unbloody way. St. Dominic must have ‘sweated mystical drops of blood’ many times throughout his short life in trying to follow the right path, the narrow painful path of Christ that leads to holiness and Heaven. The same is in store for us—we must shed our blood for Christ, either physically like the martyrs, or mystically like St. Dominic and all the other unmartyred saints that made it to Heaven. As Holy Scripture says: “The blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation” (Luke 11:50).
Our Lady Warns of Bloodshed
Our Lady speaks of these blood-shedding martyrdoms—whether physical or mystical—in many of her apparitions, as do many other prophecies by saints and mystics. At La Salette, Our Lady warns: “God will strike in an unprecedented way ... Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! God will exhaust His wrath upon them, and no one will be able to escape so many afflictions together … Physical and moral agonies will be suffered ... The society of men is on the eve of the most terrible scourges and of gravest events. Mankind must expect to be ruled with an iron rod and to drink from the chalice of the wrath of God ... Italy will be punished for her ambition in wanting to shake off the yoke of the Lord of Lords. And so she will be left to fight a war; blood will flow on all sides. Churches will be locked up or desecrated. Priests and religious orders will be hunted down, and made to die a cruel death ... All order and all justice would be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy would be seen” (Our Lady of La Salette).
“France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling … Men will kill each other, massacre each other even in their homes ... Several cities will be shaken down and swallowed up by earthquakes. People will believe that all is lost. Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy. The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God's people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession” (Our Lady of La Salette).
Fighting the Good Fight
We have to get out of our hypnotic state that imagines that life is meant to be enjoyed and we are here to have fun—each in his or her own way! “Fight the good fight of faith: lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called” (1 Timothy 6:12), for “the life of man upon earth is a warfare” (Job 7:1) and this fight is not a virtual fight; it is not a fight in the imagination; nor a fight that existed in the past but no longer today; nor a fight that some but not all are involved in—it is a perennial fight, a universal fight, an apocalyptic fight! Your salvation rests upon whether or not you fight, whether or not you compromise, whether or not you surrender to the enemy. Just as Our Lord was asked: “And who is my neighbor?” — you may well ask: “And who is my enemy?” Let Holy Scripture answer you:
The Enemy: World, Flesh, Devil
The enemy is the world, the flesh and the devil. “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of thisworld, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4). “The whole world is seated in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). "Love not the world, nor the things which are in theworld. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). "If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but you are notof the world, but I have chosen you out of the world" (John 15:19).
“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). “For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death” (Romans 7:5). “Therefore, I myself, with the mind, serve the law of God; but, with the flesh, the law of sin” (Romans 7:25).“For the wisdom of the flesh is death; but the wisdom of the spirit is life and peace. Because the wisdom of the flesh is an enemy to God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither can it be. And they who are in the flesh, cannot please God”(Romans 8:6-8). “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences.” (Romans 13:14).
“Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). “The devil was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in the truth; because truth is not in him” (John 8:44). “Give not place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). “Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).“He that soweth the good seed, is the Son of man. And the field, is the world. And the good seed are the children of the kingdom. And the cockle, are the children of the wicked one. And the enemy that sowed them, is the devil. But the harvest is the end of the world” (Matthew 13:37-39). “The devil cometh, and taketh the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved” (Luke 8:12). “For the space of forty days; and was tempted by the devil” (Luke 4:2).
Our Lady’s Battle Cry
At La Salette, Our Lady sounds out her battle cry: “I make an urgent appeal to the earth. I call on the true disciples of the living God who reigns in Heaven; I call on the true followers of Christ made man, the only true Savior of men; I call on my children, the true faithful, those who have given themselves to me, so that I may lead them to my divine Son, those whom I carry in my arms, so to speak, those who have lived on my spirit. Finally, I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your Faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends.” (Our Lady of La Salette). Holy Scripture echoes this: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) … “Fight the good fight of faith … whereunto thou art called” (1 Timothy 6:12)
St. Louis de Montfort’s End Time Warriors
This rallying cry of Our Lady fits perfectly with St. Louis de Montfort’s prophetic writings about the saints of end times:
“The formation and the education of the great saints who shall come at the end of the world are reserved for Mary ... I have said that this would come to pass, particularly at the end of the world and indeed soon … These great souls, full of grace and zeal, shall be chosen to match themselves against the enemies of God, who shall rage on all sides; and they shall be singularly devout to our Blessed Lady, illuminated by her light, strengthened with her nourishment, led by her spirit, supported by her arm and sheltered under her protection, so that they shall fight with one hand and build with the other. With the one hand they shall fight, overthrow and crush the heretics with their heresies, the schismatics with their schisms, the idolaters with their idolatries and the sinners with their impieties. With the other hand they shall build the temple of the true Solomon and the mystical city of God, that is to say, the most holy Virgin” (St. Louis de Montfort,True Devotion to Mary).
“The devil, knowing that he has but little time, and now less than ever, to destroy souls, will every day redouble his efforts and his combats. He will presently raise up cruel persecutions and will put terrible snares before the faithful servants and true children of Mary, whom it gives him more trouble to conquer than it does to conquer others ... These last and cruel persecutions of the devil, shall go on increasing daily till the reign of Antichrist … But the power of Mary over all the devils will especially shine forth in the latter times, when Satan will lay his snares against her heel: that is to say, her humble slaves and her poor children, whom she will raise up to make war against him” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).
“They shall be clouds thundering and flying through the air at the least breath of the Holy Ghost; who, detaching themselves from everything and troubling themselves about nothing, shall shower forth the rain of the Word of God and of life eternal. They shall thunder against sin; they shall storm against the world; they shall strike the devil and his crew; and they shall pierce through and through, for life or for death, with their two-edged sword of the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), all those to whom they shall be sent on the part of the Most High ... They shall be the true apostles of the latter times, to whom the Lord of Hosts shall give the word and the might to work marvels and to carry off with glory the spoils of His enemies”(St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).
“In a word, we know that they shall be true disciples of Jesus Christ, walking in the footsteps of His poverty, humility, contempt of the world, charity; teaching the narrow way of God in pure truth, according to the Holy Gospel, and not according to the maxims of the world; troubling themselves about nothing; not accepting persons; sparing, fearing and listening to no mortal, however influential he may be. They shall have in their mouths the two-edged sword of the Word of God. They shall carry on their shoulders the bloody standard of the Cross, the Crucifix in their right hand and the Rosary in their left, the sacred Names of Jesus and Mary in their hearts, and the modesty and mortification of Jesus Christ in their own behavior” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).
Soldiers Are Made, Not Born
This is not empty rhetoric by St. Louis de Montfort—this is a prophetic picture of what we have to be in our day and age. No soldier is born a soldier, but has to be trained and made into a soldier. Looking at St. Louis imagery and comparing it with our own personal state and condition might well be despondent—but it is well worth reading the book by the ex-Communist turned Catholic, Douglas Hyde, entitledDedication and Leadership, wherein he shows how Communists take the worst imaginable material and train and convert it into a very efficient Communist fighting machine. If the skill of Communists can do that—what can the grace of God do?
The Example of St. Paul
St. Paul gives us an example of a true Soldier for Christ. Referring to the Apostles, he says: “They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise). I am more; in many more labors, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea. In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren. In labor and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27).
Let us pray to Our Lady, St. Paul, St. Louis de Montfort and all the saints, especially the martyrs, that we might have a love of the Precious Blood of Jesus; that we believe and use the power of His Precious Blood; that we be ready to shed our own blood for love of Jesus—whether it be shed mystically or physically. As the saying goes: “The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church!”
July 3rd
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
LIFE BLOOD!
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
LIFE BLOOD!
Life and Death Matters
“Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness … Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent … Blood of Christ, stream of mercy … Blood of Christ, victor over demons … Blood of Christ, price of our salvation … Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life.” These are just a few of the invocations from the Litany of the Precious Blood. We can clearly see that these speak of a “life or death” situation. What is it that you will want most of all on your deathbed? A beer? A snack? Catch one last show or ball-game on TV? Hear a few jokes so that you can die happy? NO! The thing that will occupy you mind the most on your deathbed is your death and eternal life! You will soon be getting an irrevocable forwarding address for all you mail—it will be (putting Purgatory aside) either Heaven or Hell. To reach Heaven, you will need one vital thing—MERCY!
Working With the Precious Blood
The Sacred Heart of Jesus shows the love that God, and Jesus in particular, has for us. The Precious Blood of Jesus shows the mercy that God is willing to extend to us. However, that mercy is not automatic—it must be used, and not abused. Even though the Precious Blood of Jesus is, as the Litnay says, a “stream of mercy” and a “pledge of eternal life”, we must make use of that Blood and cooperate with the Blood-shedding, life-giving work begun by Jesus. It is much like the Parable of the Talents, where the talents are given with the expectation that the recipients will work, using those given talents, and produce what the master expected.
Follow My Leader
Similarly, Our Lord, even though He died for us, nevertheless that we, being a part of His Mystical Body through Baptism, do some suffering and dying of our own! When one part of the body suffers, all the body suffers in some way or another. Jesus is the Head of the Body, we make up the rest of the Body. If He suffers, we must suffer—if He dies, we must die in some form or another!
Tough Talk
This is why He says such things as: “If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). “And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name' s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting”(Matthew 19:29). “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24) … “And you shall be hated by all men for My Name's sake” (Matthew 10:22) … “They will lay their hands upon you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors” (Luke 21:12) … “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death” (Matthew 24:9).
Follow unto Blood
To follow Christ is follow Him unto blood! In the previous article, we spoke about the physical blood that was shed by the martyrs, and the mystical blood that was shed by those who were not put to death, but who suffered persecution for the sake of Christ. The early Church used to consider these as martyrs too! Nowadays, the title "martyr" is only given to those who actually are put to death for the Faith.
Yet this call to martyrdom—whether a physical and real martyrdom, or a pseudo or quasi martyrdom—was well understood by the early Church. Which is why the Apostles and Evangelists can say things like: “For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin” (Hebrews 12:4). “He hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Therefore, whether we live, or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).
Courage
Our Lord encourages us, saying: “For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel, shall save it” (Mark 8:35). “And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him that can destroy both soul and body in Hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: better are you than many sparrows. Every one therefore that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven. But he that shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in Heaven. Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's enemies shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for Me, shall find it” (Matthew 10:28-39).
Vine, Wine, Blood
At the Last Supper, where He changed wine into His Precious Blood—the Blood He would begin to shed later that night. The nourishment that the vine gives to the branches that will bear fruit, can be likened to the nourishment we receive from the Precious Blood (in the Holy Eucharist), so that we too can bear fruit. At the Last Supper, Our Lord says: “I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean by reason of the word, which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing. If any one abide not in Me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you. In this is my Father glorified; that you bring forth very much fruit, and become My disciples” (John 15:1-8)
We let the Blood of Christ flow freely through our spiritual veins by receiving Him often in the Holy Eucharist, and by drinking in His Word by spiritual reading and letting it penetrate all parts of our soul, like blood reaches all parts of the body. And just as we don't require blood in our arteries and veins just once a week or a few times a week, but every day and all day long--so too do we need the Blood of Christ and the Word of Christ, not just once a week, or a few times a week, but if possible every day and to live in Their presence continually. That is what it means to love God with you whole heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:30), and that is what is meant by the phrase: "Pray without ceasing!" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
“Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness … Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent … Blood of Christ, stream of mercy … Blood of Christ, victor over demons … Blood of Christ, price of our salvation … Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life.” These are just a few of the invocations from the Litany of the Precious Blood. We can clearly see that these speak of a “life or death” situation. What is it that you will want most of all on your deathbed? A beer? A snack? Catch one last show or ball-game on TV? Hear a few jokes so that you can die happy? NO! The thing that will occupy you mind the most on your deathbed is your death and eternal life! You will soon be getting an irrevocable forwarding address for all you mail—it will be (putting Purgatory aside) either Heaven or Hell. To reach Heaven, you will need one vital thing—MERCY!
Working With the Precious Blood
The Sacred Heart of Jesus shows the love that God, and Jesus in particular, has for us. The Precious Blood of Jesus shows the mercy that God is willing to extend to us. However, that mercy is not automatic—it must be used, and not abused. Even though the Precious Blood of Jesus is, as the Litnay says, a “stream of mercy” and a “pledge of eternal life”, we must make use of that Blood and cooperate with the Blood-shedding, life-giving work begun by Jesus. It is much like the Parable of the Talents, where the talents are given with the expectation that the recipients will work, using those given talents, and produce what the master expected.
Follow My Leader
Similarly, Our Lord, even though He died for us, nevertheless that we, being a part of His Mystical Body through Baptism, do some suffering and dying of our own! When one part of the body suffers, all the body suffers in some way or another. Jesus is the Head of the Body, we make up the rest of the Body. If He suffers, we must suffer—if He dies, we must die in some form or another!
Tough Talk
This is why He says such things as: “If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). “And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name' s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting”(Matthew 19:29). “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24) … “And you shall be hated by all men for My Name's sake” (Matthew 10:22) … “They will lay their hands upon you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors” (Luke 21:12) … “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death” (Matthew 24:9).
Follow unto Blood
To follow Christ is follow Him unto blood! In the previous article, we spoke about the physical blood that was shed by the martyrs, and the mystical blood that was shed by those who were not put to death, but who suffered persecution for the sake of Christ. The early Church used to consider these as martyrs too! Nowadays, the title "martyr" is only given to those who actually are put to death for the Faith.
Yet this call to martyrdom—whether a physical and real martyrdom, or a pseudo or quasi martyrdom—was well understood by the early Church. Which is why the Apostles and Evangelists can say things like: “For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin” (Hebrews 12:4). “He hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Therefore, whether we live, or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).
Courage
Our Lord encourages us, saying: “For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel, shall save it” (Mark 8:35). “And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him that can destroy both soul and body in Hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: better are you than many sparrows. Every one therefore that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven. But he that shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in Heaven. Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's enemies shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for Me, shall find it” (Matthew 10:28-39).
Vine, Wine, Blood
At the Last Supper, where He changed wine into His Precious Blood—the Blood He would begin to shed later that night. The nourishment that the vine gives to the branches that will bear fruit, can be likened to the nourishment we receive from the Precious Blood (in the Holy Eucharist), so that we too can bear fruit. At the Last Supper, Our Lord says: “I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean by reason of the word, which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing. If any one abide not in Me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you. In this is my Father glorified; that you bring forth very much fruit, and become My disciples” (John 15:1-8)
We let the Blood of Christ flow freely through our spiritual veins by receiving Him often in the Holy Eucharist, and by drinking in His Word by spiritual reading and letting it penetrate all parts of our soul, like blood reaches all parts of the body. And just as we don't require blood in our arteries and veins just once a week or a few times a week, but every day and all day long--so too do we need the Blood of Christ and the Word of Christ, not just once a week, or a few times a week, but if possible every day and to live in Their presence continually. That is what it means to love God with you whole heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:30), and that is what is meant by the phrase: "Pray without ceasing!" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
July 4th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOOD BANKS, TYPES, TRANSFUSIONS, INJECTIONS
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOOD BANKS, TYPES, TRANSFUSIONS, INJECTIONS
Learning About God Through Nature
The Early Church Fathers and saints would learn about the invisible God through the visible things that God had made. This nothing other than what St. Paul said:“For the invisible things of Him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:20). They would look at the things of creation, ponder and reflect upon them, and then try draw some analogies between the creation of God with God Himself. In this month of the Precious Blood, we will do the same. We will look at human blood, created by God, and see what spiritual lessons can be found in human blood that enlighten, strengthen and help our spiritual life.
Jesus’ Heart and Blood
The heart pumps blood through a network of arteries and veins in the body. Blood has many vital jobs. For example, it carries oxygen and other nutrients to your body's organs and tissues. Having a healthy supply of blood is important for your overall health. This readily lends itself as an analogy of the spiritual life, where Jesus (the Sacred Heart) pumps His Blood (grace and inspirations) through His Mystical Body, of we form a part.
Blood Types
Every person has one of the following blood types: A, B, AB, or O. People who have type AB blood are called universal recipients. This means they can accept any type of blood. What is commonly thought to be the Burial Shroud of Our Lord, as well as the Eucharist miracles of Lanciano (7th century) and Buenos Aires (1996) all show the blood type of Our Lord to be AB—the universal type, which is appropriate for the Creator of the Universe, and He accepts all men, just like the AB blood type can accept any type of blood.
Blood Banks
Blood banks collect, test, and store blood. They carefully screen all donated blood for infectious agents (such as viruses) or other factors that could make you sick. The blood banks exist for the sick and needy, so that they may be given life where death threatens. This is so true of Our Lord, Who said of Himself: “I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). “Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy” (Apocalypse 16:6). Our Lord, in a sense, donates His Blood so that He can cure the disease of sin: “My blood … shall be shed for many unto remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Our 'Blood Banks' are found in the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, whereby we are washed from the injury, disease and stain of sin; and where the Blood of Christ feeds, nourishes and strengthens us to battle sin in the future.
Healing Through Blood
Traditionally, physicians were restricted to treating injuries to ligaments, muscles and tendons using passive means, such as braces and ibuprofen. Yet God has placed in our bodies their own healing mechanisms—and blood is one of those mechanisms. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is rooted in the principle that human blood and platelets possess all the essential elements needed to heal injuries — the only question is getting the blood to the injury.
In the supernatural sphere, the bloody injuries of Our Lord, bring health to us—as Holy Scripture points out: “Who His own self bore our sins in His body upon the tree…by Whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). This spiritual health,"which He hath purchased with His own Blood" (Acts 20:28) is within our reach. Jesus offers us—injured and diseased sinners—His life-giving Blood. This Blood is available in the two great Sacraments by which we walk (or limp) to Heaven—the Sacrament of Confession and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Both heal and strengthen in their own way. Confession can be looked upon as a blood transfusion, which injects a ‘blood’ (grace) into our souls that is pure, powerful and healing. It is by the Blood of Christ, shed in His Passion, that we are cleansed from sin—and that ‘blood’ is dispensed in Confession. “How much more shall the Blood of Christ...cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?”(Hebrews 9:14). “Jesus Christ...washed us from our sins in His own Blood” (Apocalypse 1:5).
Blood Transfusions
A blood transfusion is a medical treatment that replaces blood lost through injury, surgery, or disease. A blood transfusion is a safe, common procedure in which you receive blood through an intravenous (IV) line inserted into one of your blood vessels. Through this line, you receive healthy blood. The procedure usually takes 1 to 4 hours, depending on how much blood you need. Blood transfusions are very common. Each year, almost 5 million Americans need a blood transfusion. Blood transfusions are used to replace blood lost during surgery or a serious injury. A transfusion also might be done if your body’s bone marrow cannot make blood properly because of an illness.
Confession is our blood transfusion, whereby our diseased blood (sin) is removed and replaced with good blood (grace). The confessional is our hospital where we go for our transfusion. The intravenous (IV) line is the confessional line and the lines we speak to the priest (I'Ve done this, I'Ve done that). The procedure can take a long time in cases of those who have sinned enormously, or who have been away from the Church for a long time, much like the 1 to 4 hour blood transfusions in hospital.
Blood Injections
Sports medicine specialists across the country have been quietly experimenting with a blood-injections; aimed at healing injuries faster, whereby they inject the injured person with a concentrated solution of the patient's blood. More and more doctors are getting direct requests for injections of blood plasma. In the procedure, doctors draw blood, separate the healing platelet cells from the red blood cells and then inject the solution back into the patient's injury. Anyone who has had a swollen limb knows blood naturally flows to injury sites to help healing.
Our Lord's Precious Blood also wants to naturally flow to the sires injured by sin."Go then and learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but sinners" (Matthew 19:13). “My blood … shall be shed for many unto remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). "Except you ... drink His blood, you shall not have life in you" (John 6:54)
The blood plasma injections might isolate and concentrate those naturally healing properties with the idea to kick-start the body's healing process, or at least accelerate it. One doctor explained that the platelets may have a dual function in healing: one to build a sort of scaffolding on which new tissue would grow, and another to "turn on cells" chemically to start dividing and replacing the broken muscle, tendons and perhaps bone.
Jesus enlivens, 'kick-starts', our healing process: “Jesus, ... that He might sanctify the people by His own Blood” (Hebrews 13:12). "The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Blood Brings Health
Just as the blood of Jesus can cleanse people of all sin, it can cleanse people of all sicknesses, too. Our Lord did not just forgive sins, nor did He just cure souls of moral maladies—He cured many from the sicknesses that ailed them. If the hem of Jesus; garment can cure, then the Blood of Jesus can cure all the more powerfully! We are reminded of the hemorrhaging women that St. Mark speaks about:
“A great multitude followed Him, and they thronged about Him. And a woman who was under an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians; and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather worse; when she had heard of Jesus, came in the crowd behind Him, and touched His garment. For she said: ‘If I shall touch but His garment, I shall be whole!’ And forthwith the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the evil. And immediately Jesus knowing in Himself the power that had proceeded from Him, turning to the multitude, said: ‘Who hath touched my garments?’ And His disciples said to Him: ‘Thou seest the multitude thronging about Thee, and sayest thou “Who hath touched me?”’ And He looked about to see her who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told him all the truth. And He said to her: ‘Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole! Go in peace, and be thou whole of thy disease!” (Mark 5:24-34).
How much more powerful is not His Blood than the hem of His garment? Many throng around Him each Sunday at Holy Communion, but how many really touch Him? Most souls are too superficial and too faithless to truly touch His Heart and draw the power of Its Precious Blood in the Holy Eucharist! “O ye of little Faith”(Matthew 6:30). “According to your Faith, be it done unto you” (Matthew 9:29). “As thou hast believed [or not believed], so be it done to thee!” (Matthew 8:13). The simple words of Jesus healed the servant of the centurion, who, when Jesus said He would go and cure his servant, pretested to Our Lord that he was not worthy to have Him enter under his roof. “And Jesus said to the centurion: ‘Go, and as thou hast believed, so be it done to thee!’ And the servant was healed at the same hour”(Matthew 8:13). Do we have that Faith in the Precious Blood of Jesus?
Blood-Stained Conditions
How wonderful to know that God has provided salvation through the Blood of Jesus! But to qualify for salvation, you must meet His conditions. What are His conditions for salvation? “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:9-10). Through the Blood of Christ, God will cleanse every sin from those coming to Him with the truthful and sincere confession of those sins, “and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). “Blessed are they that wash their robes in the Blood of the Lamb: that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city” (Apocalypse 22:14).
The Power of the Precious Blood
The Precious Blood is all–powerful; it has all the power of God in it. Why would you have misgivings or doubts about His Blood? Why have second thoughts concerning the ability of the Precious Blood to heal you of any disease or affliction? We expect sinners to be cleansed of their sins—something medical science could never do. Why should receiving healing be more difficult than that? As Our Lord Himself said:“Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy: ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee!’ or to say: ‘Arise, take up thy bed, and walk!’?” (Mark 2:9).
Special Honor
Like the Sacred Wounds of Jesus, His Precious Blood deserves special honor because of its close relation to the Sacred Passion. That honor was given to it from the beginning by the Apostles who praised its redeeming power: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, but with the Precious Blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). "We are justified by His Blood" (Romans 5:9). "Jesus, that He might sanctify the people by His Blood, suffered outside the gate"(Hebrews 13:12); "the Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
Giving Life to the Church
The Church has always held devotion to the Precious Blood in high esteem, since It is the Price of our salvation! Without the shedding of the Blood of the Lamb of God, we could not be redeemed. Without His cleansing and vivifying Blood coursing through the Church, there would be no Mystical Body of Christ. Without His glorious Blood, the Sacraments would have no effect. Without His redeeming Blood, Mary would never have been conceived without sin, and there would be no saints whatsoever, for "they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
Wasted Blood!
The Precious Blood has been given to us as the Treasure of the Church which we may offer again and again for ourselves and for others. What can we call more our own in Christ's Sacred Body than His Blood, which He let fall to this earth from the Cross, as the priceless endowment of our souls? Yet how few are those who know how to profit by it! Happy the soul who has found this treasure, the Precious Blood of Jesus, and who makes use of It. To offer the Precious Blood of Jesus let us take It wherever we are, in all we suffer, in all we do, in all we experience of good or of evil—in order to sanctify the good and to repair the evil. The offering of the Precious Blood of Christ for the Holy Souls is a mighty form of intercession on their behalf.
The Early Church Fathers and saints would learn about the invisible God through the visible things that God had made. This nothing other than what St. Paul said:“For the invisible things of Him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:20). They would look at the things of creation, ponder and reflect upon them, and then try draw some analogies between the creation of God with God Himself. In this month of the Precious Blood, we will do the same. We will look at human blood, created by God, and see what spiritual lessons can be found in human blood that enlighten, strengthen and help our spiritual life.
Jesus’ Heart and Blood
The heart pumps blood through a network of arteries and veins in the body. Blood has many vital jobs. For example, it carries oxygen and other nutrients to your body's organs and tissues. Having a healthy supply of blood is important for your overall health. This readily lends itself as an analogy of the spiritual life, where Jesus (the Sacred Heart) pumps His Blood (grace and inspirations) through His Mystical Body, of we form a part.
Blood Types
Every person has one of the following blood types: A, B, AB, or O. People who have type AB blood are called universal recipients. This means they can accept any type of blood. What is commonly thought to be the Burial Shroud of Our Lord, as well as the Eucharist miracles of Lanciano (7th century) and Buenos Aires (1996) all show the blood type of Our Lord to be AB—the universal type, which is appropriate for the Creator of the Universe, and He accepts all men, just like the AB blood type can accept any type of blood.
Blood Banks
Blood banks collect, test, and store blood. They carefully screen all donated blood for infectious agents (such as viruses) or other factors that could make you sick. The blood banks exist for the sick and needy, so that they may be given life where death threatens. This is so true of Our Lord, Who said of Himself: “I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). “Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy” (Apocalypse 16:6). Our Lord, in a sense, donates His Blood so that He can cure the disease of sin: “My blood … shall be shed for many unto remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Our 'Blood Banks' are found in the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, whereby we are washed from the injury, disease and stain of sin; and where the Blood of Christ feeds, nourishes and strengthens us to battle sin in the future.
Healing Through Blood
Traditionally, physicians were restricted to treating injuries to ligaments, muscles and tendons using passive means, such as braces and ibuprofen. Yet God has placed in our bodies their own healing mechanisms—and blood is one of those mechanisms. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is rooted in the principle that human blood and platelets possess all the essential elements needed to heal injuries — the only question is getting the blood to the injury.
In the supernatural sphere, the bloody injuries of Our Lord, bring health to us—as Holy Scripture points out: “Who His own self bore our sins in His body upon the tree…by Whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). This spiritual health,"which He hath purchased with His own Blood" (Acts 20:28) is within our reach. Jesus offers us—injured and diseased sinners—His life-giving Blood. This Blood is available in the two great Sacraments by which we walk (or limp) to Heaven—the Sacrament of Confession and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Both heal and strengthen in their own way. Confession can be looked upon as a blood transfusion, which injects a ‘blood’ (grace) into our souls that is pure, powerful and healing. It is by the Blood of Christ, shed in His Passion, that we are cleansed from sin—and that ‘blood’ is dispensed in Confession. “How much more shall the Blood of Christ...cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?”(Hebrews 9:14). “Jesus Christ...washed us from our sins in His own Blood” (Apocalypse 1:5).
Blood Transfusions
A blood transfusion is a medical treatment that replaces blood lost through injury, surgery, or disease. A blood transfusion is a safe, common procedure in which you receive blood through an intravenous (IV) line inserted into one of your blood vessels. Through this line, you receive healthy blood. The procedure usually takes 1 to 4 hours, depending on how much blood you need. Blood transfusions are very common. Each year, almost 5 million Americans need a blood transfusion. Blood transfusions are used to replace blood lost during surgery or a serious injury. A transfusion also might be done if your body’s bone marrow cannot make blood properly because of an illness.
Confession is our blood transfusion, whereby our diseased blood (sin) is removed and replaced with good blood (grace). The confessional is our hospital where we go for our transfusion. The intravenous (IV) line is the confessional line and the lines we speak to the priest (I'Ve done this, I'Ve done that). The procedure can take a long time in cases of those who have sinned enormously, or who have been away from the Church for a long time, much like the 1 to 4 hour blood transfusions in hospital.
Blood Injections
Sports medicine specialists across the country have been quietly experimenting with a blood-injections; aimed at healing injuries faster, whereby they inject the injured person with a concentrated solution of the patient's blood. More and more doctors are getting direct requests for injections of blood plasma. In the procedure, doctors draw blood, separate the healing platelet cells from the red blood cells and then inject the solution back into the patient's injury. Anyone who has had a swollen limb knows blood naturally flows to injury sites to help healing.
Our Lord's Precious Blood also wants to naturally flow to the sires injured by sin."Go then and learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but sinners" (Matthew 19:13). “My blood … shall be shed for many unto remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). "Except you ... drink His blood, you shall not have life in you" (John 6:54)
The blood plasma injections might isolate and concentrate those naturally healing properties with the idea to kick-start the body's healing process, or at least accelerate it. One doctor explained that the platelets may have a dual function in healing: one to build a sort of scaffolding on which new tissue would grow, and another to "turn on cells" chemically to start dividing and replacing the broken muscle, tendons and perhaps bone.
Jesus enlivens, 'kick-starts', our healing process: “Jesus, ... that He might sanctify the people by His own Blood” (Hebrews 13:12). "The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Blood Brings Health
Just as the blood of Jesus can cleanse people of all sin, it can cleanse people of all sicknesses, too. Our Lord did not just forgive sins, nor did He just cure souls of moral maladies—He cured many from the sicknesses that ailed them. If the hem of Jesus; garment can cure, then the Blood of Jesus can cure all the more powerfully! We are reminded of the hemorrhaging women that St. Mark speaks about:
“A great multitude followed Him, and they thronged about Him. And a woman who was under an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians; and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather worse; when she had heard of Jesus, came in the crowd behind Him, and touched His garment. For she said: ‘If I shall touch but His garment, I shall be whole!’ And forthwith the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the evil. And immediately Jesus knowing in Himself the power that had proceeded from Him, turning to the multitude, said: ‘Who hath touched my garments?’ And His disciples said to Him: ‘Thou seest the multitude thronging about Thee, and sayest thou “Who hath touched me?”’ And He looked about to see her who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told him all the truth. And He said to her: ‘Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole! Go in peace, and be thou whole of thy disease!” (Mark 5:24-34).
How much more powerful is not His Blood than the hem of His garment? Many throng around Him each Sunday at Holy Communion, but how many really touch Him? Most souls are too superficial and too faithless to truly touch His Heart and draw the power of Its Precious Blood in the Holy Eucharist! “O ye of little Faith”(Matthew 6:30). “According to your Faith, be it done unto you” (Matthew 9:29). “As thou hast believed [or not believed], so be it done to thee!” (Matthew 8:13). The simple words of Jesus healed the servant of the centurion, who, when Jesus said He would go and cure his servant, pretested to Our Lord that he was not worthy to have Him enter under his roof. “And Jesus said to the centurion: ‘Go, and as thou hast believed, so be it done to thee!’ And the servant was healed at the same hour”(Matthew 8:13). Do we have that Faith in the Precious Blood of Jesus?
Blood-Stained Conditions
How wonderful to know that God has provided salvation through the Blood of Jesus! But to qualify for salvation, you must meet His conditions. What are His conditions for salvation? “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:9-10). Through the Blood of Christ, God will cleanse every sin from those coming to Him with the truthful and sincere confession of those sins, “and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). “Blessed are they that wash their robes in the Blood of the Lamb: that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city” (Apocalypse 22:14).
The Power of the Precious Blood
The Precious Blood is all–powerful; it has all the power of God in it. Why would you have misgivings or doubts about His Blood? Why have second thoughts concerning the ability of the Precious Blood to heal you of any disease or affliction? We expect sinners to be cleansed of their sins—something medical science could never do. Why should receiving healing be more difficult than that? As Our Lord Himself said:“Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy: ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee!’ or to say: ‘Arise, take up thy bed, and walk!’?” (Mark 2:9).
Special Honor
Like the Sacred Wounds of Jesus, His Precious Blood deserves special honor because of its close relation to the Sacred Passion. That honor was given to it from the beginning by the Apostles who praised its redeeming power: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, but with the Precious Blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). "We are justified by His Blood" (Romans 5:9). "Jesus, that He might sanctify the people by His Blood, suffered outside the gate"(Hebrews 13:12); "the Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
Giving Life to the Church
The Church has always held devotion to the Precious Blood in high esteem, since It is the Price of our salvation! Without the shedding of the Blood of the Lamb of God, we could not be redeemed. Without His cleansing and vivifying Blood coursing through the Church, there would be no Mystical Body of Christ. Without His glorious Blood, the Sacraments would have no effect. Without His redeeming Blood, Mary would never have been conceived without sin, and there would be no saints whatsoever, for "they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
Wasted Blood!
The Precious Blood has been given to us as the Treasure of the Church which we may offer again and again for ourselves and for others. What can we call more our own in Christ's Sacred Body than His Blood, which He let fall to this earth from the Cross, as the priceless endowment of our souls? Yet how few are those who know how to profit by it! Happy the soul who has found this treasure, the Precious Blood of Jesus, and who makes use of It. To offer the Precious Blood of Jesus let us take It wherever we are, in all we suffer, in all we do, in all we experience of good or of evil—in order to sanctify the good and to repair the evil. The offering of the Precious Blood of Christ for the Holy Souls is a mighty form of intercession on their behalf.
July 5th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE BLOOD OF PUNISHMENT, OR THE SWEAT OF PRAYER
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE BLOOD OF PUNISHMENT, OR THE SWEAT OF PRAYER
The Glory of War and Bloodshed?
A Protestant general punctured the false ‘glory’ that accompanies war, when he said: “I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot, nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded, who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is Hell.” (William Tecumseh Sherman, U.S. Civil War General).
War Leads Many to Hell
I forget the “who, to whom, when and where” of the matter, but I remember Heaven revealing to us that most soldiers who die in war, end up going to Hell. In fact, Our Lady has told us that war is a God-allowed punishment for the sins of mankind. It is also in this context that Our Lady speaks of impending wars at La Salette and Fatima.
“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! ... Physical and moral agonies will be suffered. God will abandon mankind to itself and will send punishments which will follow one after the other ... the Church will yield to large persecution, a time of darkness and the Church will witness a frightful crisis ... France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling” (Our Lady of La Salette). “God is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine and persecutions of the Church” (Our Lady of Fatima).
In 1917, when Our Lady first told us that we were in a crisis — abortion was not even yet legalized anywhere in the world, not even in Russia. It only became legal in Russia in the 1920’s. And, by now, that error of Russia has spread around the world so that we now have 50 million babies murdered every year.
There Can Be No Peace Without Reparation
The Flemish mystic Father Lamy – said to be "another Curé of Ars" by his bishop – was told by God that World War I "had three causes: blasphemy, Sunday labor, and the desecration of Marriage." At Fatima, the Blessed Virgin confirms this teaching, when she tells us: "war is a punishment for sin" and announces in the great Secret: "if people do not cease offending God, another worse war will begin." Consequently, World War II broke out.
Offence, But No Reparation
The whole point of the Fatima Message is designed to remove the cause of war, which is sin—“God is already so much offended!” Just before the great miracle of October 13, Our Lady had said: “People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins,” and then, with an even more sorrowful expression, she said: “They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too much offended.”
Many years later, reflecting on these words, Sister Lucia wrote: "Of all the words spoken at this apparition, the words most deeply engraved upon my heart are those of the request made by Our Heavenly Mother: ‘Do not offend Our Lord and God any more, for He is already so much offended!’ How loving a complaint, how tender a request! Who will grant me to make it echo through the whole world, so that all the children, of our Mother in Heaven, may hear the sound of her voice!"
Jesus Insists On Reparation
Later on, in the Fatima apparitions, Jesus Himself came to tell us that the Immaculate Heart of Mary has been much offended. On December 10, 1925 Sister Lucia received a visit from the Virgin and the Child Jesus. The Most Holy Virgin put her hand on Lucia’s shoulder and showed her a Heart surrounded by thorns which she held in the other hand. At that same moment, the Child Jesus said to her: “Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce her at every moment without there being anyone to make an act of reparation in order to take them away.”
Then the Most Holy Virgin said to her: “Look My daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce me at every moment, by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me and announce, in my name, that I promise to assist at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the First Saturday of five consecutive months shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes, while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me."
Would You Rather Sweat or Bleed?
Praying the Rosary, to some, can seem like a heavy chore—especially if it means praying more than five decades a day! Prayer can be a penance—that is why it is often given as a penance in confession. Yet, it is still the easiest remedy—as opposed to the shedding of blood! As the quote goes: “A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood” (General George Patton).
The aim of every soldier is not to have to shed his own blood—he hopes that it is the enemy’s blood that will be spilled. Likewise, Our Lady was sent from Heaven in an attempt to ward off the bloody punishments that God was prepared to inflict as punishment for the sins of the world—the alternative to shedding blood in punishment, was to be ‘sweating blood in prayer—meaning praying with an intensity, like that of Our Lord’s prayer, during His Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The choice is ours! Reparation has to be made! It will either be the ‘cut-price’ reparation of prayer and sacrifice (as requested by the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary), or it will be the ‘full-price’ reparation of a bloody death (which was the ominous warning of Our Lady at many of her modern-day apparitions).
The Blood of Reparation
“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! God will exhaust His wrath upon them, and no one will be able to escape so many afflictions together ... Physical and moral agonies will be suffered. God will abandon mankind to itself and will send punishments which will follow one after the other for more than thirty-five years. The society of men is on the eve of the most terrible scourges and of gravest events. Mankind must expect to be ruled with an iron rod and to drink from the chalice of the wrath of God ... Italy will be punished for her ambition in wanting to shake off the yoke of the Lord of Lords. And so she will be left to fight a war; blood will flow on all sides ... the Church will yield to large persecution, a time of darkness and the Church will witness a frightful crisis.
"The true Faith to the Lord having been forgotten … all order and all justice would be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension would be seen, without love for country or family … France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling … People will believe that all is lost. Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy. The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God's people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession.” (Our Lady of La Salette).
The Bloody Fruit of Liberalism
This will be the fruit of the modern era of Liberty-Fraternity-Equality! A Liberation from God! A Fraternity of Revolutionaries. An Equality with God! A bloody Liberty! A bloody Fraternity! A bloody Equality! “When liberty comes with hands dabbled in blood it is hard to shake hands with her” (Oscar Wilde).
This Liberty-Fraternity-Equality, as Our Lady of Fatima foretold, will see that “the good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be annihilated.” Yet as Tertullian said: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
The Bloody Reparatory Sweat of the Beads
The Rosary can heal the world’s problems, our personal problems, our neighbor’s problems, our fears, our frazzled nerves, all our troubles. Sister Lucia clearly tells us: "There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary!"
All of us have plenty of problems today; even the Church is being torn apart and attacked from within and without. But it is our Rosary prayers that will assist us in staying in the Church by our faithfulness to the Rosary and the requests made by Heaven for our time and age.
A Protestant general punctured the false ‘glory’ that accompanies war, when he said: “I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot, nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded, who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is Hell.” (William Tecumseh Sherman, U.S. Civil War General).
War Leads Many to Hell
I forget the “who, to whom, when and where” of the matter, but I remember Heaven revealing to us that most soldiers who die in war, end up going to Hell. In fact, Our Lady has told us that war is a God-allowed punishment for the sins of mankind. It is also in this context that Our Lady speaks of impending wars at La Salette and Fatima.
“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! ... Physical and moral agonies will be suffered. God will abandon mankind to itself and will send punishments which will follow one after the other ... the Church will yield to large persecution, a time of darkness and the Church will witness a frightful crisis ... France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling” (Our Lady of La Salette). “God is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine and persecutions of the Church” (Our Lady of Fatima).
In 1917, when Our Lady first told us that we were in a crisis — abortion was not even yet legalized anywhere in the world, not even in Russia. It only became legal in Russia in the 1920’s. And, by now, that error of Russia has spread around the world so that we now have 50 million babies murdered every year.
There Can Be No Peace Without Reparation
The Flemish mystic Father Lamy – said to be "another Curé of Ars" by his bishop – was told by God that World War I "had three causes: blasphemy, Sunday labor, and the desecration of Marriage." At Fatima, the Blessed Virgin confirms this teaching, when she tells us: "war is a punishment for sin" and announces in the great Secret: "if people do not cease offending God, another worse war will begin." Consequently, World War II broke out.
Offence, But No Reparation
The whole point of the Fatima Message is designed to remove the cause of war, which is sin—“God is already so much offended!” Just before the great miracle of October 13, Our Lady had said: “People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins,” and then, with an even more sorrowful expression, she said: “They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too much offended.”
Many years later, reflecting on these words, Sister Lucia wrote: "Of all the words spoken at this apparition, the words most deeply engraved upon my heart are those of the request made by Our Heavenly Mother: ‘Do not offend Our Lord and God any more, for He is already so much offended!’ How loving a complaint, how tender a request! Who will grant me to make it echo through the whole world, so that all the children, of our Mother in Heaven, may hear the sound of her voice!"
Jesus Insists On Reparation
Later on, in the Fatima apparitions, Jesus Himself came to tell us that the Immaculate Heart of Mary has been much offended. On December 10, 1925 Sister Lucia received a visit from the Virgin and the Child Jesus. The Most Holy Virgin put her hand on Lucia’s shoulder and showed her a Heart surrounded by thorns which she held in the other hand. At that same moment, the Child Jesus said to her: “Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce her at every moment without there being anyone to make an act of reparation in order to take them away.”
Then the Most Holy Virgin said to her: “Look My daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce me at every moment, by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me and announce, in my name, that I promise to assist at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the First Saturday of five consecutive months shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes, while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me."
Would You Rather Sweat or Bleed?
Praying the Rosary, to some, can seem like a heavy chore—especially if it means praying more than five decades a day! Prayer can be a penance—that is why it is often given as a penance in confession. Yet, it is still the easiest remedy—as opposed to the shedding of blood! As the quote goes: “A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood” (General George Patton).
The aim of every soldier is not to have to shed his own blood—he hopes that it is the enemy’s blood that will be spilled. Likewise, Our Lady was sent from Heaven in an attempt to ward off the bloody punishments that God was prepared to inflict as punishment for the sins of the world—the alternative to shedding blood in punishment, was to be ‘sweating blood in prayer—meaning praying with an intensity, like that of Our Lord’s prayer, during His Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The choice is ours! Reparation has to be made! It will either be the ‘cut-price’ reparation of prayer and sacrifice (as requested by the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary), or it will be the ‘full-price’ reparation of a bloody death (which was the ominous warning of Our Lady at many of her modern-day apparitions).
The Blood of Reparation
“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! God will exhaust His wrath upon them, and no one will be able to escape so many afflictions together ... Physical and moral agonies will be suffered. God will abandon mankind to itself and will send punishments which will follow one after the other for more than thirty-five years. The society of men is on the eve of the most terrible scourges and of gravest events. Mankind must expect to be ruled with an iron rod and to drink from the chalice of the wrath of God ... Italy will be punished for her ambition in wanting to shake off the yoke of the Lord of Lords. And so she will be left to fight a war; blood will flow on all sides ... the Church will yield to large persecution, a time of darkness and the Church will witness a frightful crisis.
"The true Faith to the Lord having been forgotten … all order and all justice would be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension would be seen, without love for country or family … France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling … People will believe that all is lost. Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy. The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God's people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession.” (Our Lady of La Salette).
The Bloody Fruit of Liberalism
This will be the fruit of the modern era of Liberty-Fraternity-Equality! A Liberation from God! A Fraternity of Revolutionaries. An Equality with God! A bloody Liberty! A bloody Fraternity! A bloody Equality! “When liberty comes with hands dabbled in blood it is hard to shake hands with her” (Oscar Wilde).
This Liberty-Fraternity-Equality, as Our Lady of Fatima foretold, will see that “the good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be annihilated.” Yet as Tertullian said: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
The Bloody Reparatory Sweat of the Beads
The Rosary can heal the world’s problems, our personal problems, our neighbor’s problems, our fears, our frazzled nerves, all our troubles. Sister Lucia clearly tells us: "There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary!"
All of us have plenty of problems today; even the Church is being torn apart and attacked from within and without. But it is our Rosary prayers that will assist us in staying in the Church by our faithfulness to the Rosary and the requests made by Heaven for our time and age.
July 6th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOOD AND WATER
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOOD AND WATER
“One of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water” (John 19:34). There are several ways in which to view this phenomenon of blood and water flowing from the side of Christ.
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
In modern society, the proverb "blood is thicker than water" is used to imply that family ties (blood) are always more important (thicker) than the ties you make among friends (water). It generally means that the bonds of family and common ancestry are stronger than the bonds between unrelated people (such as friendship).
Yet the Blood that Jesus shed for us, brought us into the family of Heaven as adopted children. While on earth, Jesus shows this progressive assimilation into the family of God—calling His followers (a) servants, (b) friends, and (c) family.
“I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends: because all things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you” (John 15:15). “For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:35).
Three Stages or Three Levels
We see here three stages: servant, friend and family member. Each step takes one higher. This is much like the so-called “Three Ways” or “Three Conversions” of the spiritual life, where each step, or stage, takes us closer to God. These are also called: (1) “The Way of Beginners” which is that of the servant; (2) “The Way of the Proficients” or that of the friends; and (3) “The Way of the Perfect” or that of the family members.
Water to Blood
In this way, the ‘waters of Baptism’ are meant to grow thicker and thicker, until they are transformed into blood. The waters of Baptism open to us the permission of receiving the Blood of Christ in Confession and Holy Communion. Yet, just as the baby barely resembles an adult; likewise, a beginner in the spiritual life barely resembles Christ. The beginner must gradually grow into another Christ, or rather into a person that resembles Christ in the way that thinks, speaks and acts. Family members look alike; there are certain common resemblances among them. This is what the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion do for us: they heal our disease of sin and feed with the ultimate nourishing and strengthening Bread that has come down from Heaven.
If we let the Blood of Christ do Its work in these two great Sacraments, then it will change us into His own likeness. Servants may rarely imitate their masters. Friends will often imitate each other. Yet the closest tie to imitation is among blood ties—thus the axioms: “Like father, like son!” “He takes after his father!” “She’s just like her mother!” “She married someone just like her father!” “He married someone just like his mother!” etc.
Water, Wine & Blood
If God changed water into blood in the time of Moses—“Thus therefore saith the Lord: In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold I will strike with the rods that is in my hand, the water of the river, and it shall be turned into blood” (Exodus 7:17)—and Jesus changed water into wine at Cana (John ch. 2)—and Jesus changed wine into blood at the Last Supper: “And taking the chalice, He gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: ‘Drink ye all of this. For this is My blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28)—then Jesus can also make us into replicas or imitations of Himself.
Thus we have these three elements falling under the miraculous power of God: water, wine and blood. Whereby God changes water to blood; water to wine; and wine to blood. So too must we progress through the three stages of the spiritual life: the way of beginners (water); the way of the proficient (wine and friends); and enter the way of the perfect (blood and sanctity).
Relationship of Blood and Water
It was fitting that both blood and water flowed from the side of Christ. On the one hand, His Blood is required for spiritual life and eternal life—for by His Blood we receive grace and are saved. Nobody can receive graces that do not owe themselves to the Precious Blood. Yet water is necessary for our earthly life. Every living thing needs water to survive. People cannot survive for more than a few days without it. On average 65% of a person’s body is water (anywhere from 50% to 80%--the older you are the smaller the percentage, the younger you are the higher it is).
Blood is about 95% water, the brain is about 75% water, and the skin is about 80% (which explains that sloshing sound that we hear when we shake our heads!). Water is essential to good health—and life. You can survive several weeks without food and still survive—barely. Yet we cannot go more than a few days without water! On the supernatural plain, water symbolizes the grace of God. If blood is 95% water, then we have a similar link between the Precious Blood of Christ and the Graces of Christ that He communicates to us. Except in this case, graces are 100% dependent upon the Blood of Christ. The Blood of Christ has earned grace and salvation for all time, for all ages, for all peoples—if they wish to accept them and cooperate with them.
Why Your Body Needs Water & Why Your Souls Needs Grace
► Water, which is a major part of blood, delivers oxygen and nutrients to different parts of the body. Whereas grace is a major part of the spiritual life, it delivers inspirations to the soul and strengthens the different virtues of the soul.
► Water helps with digestion of food. Likewise, grace helps us with the digestion of the Word of God that we find in the Mass and in our spiritual reading.
► Water removes toxins and waste from the body. Grace can remove sin from the soul if we allow it; but mortal sin and grace cannot co-exist, just Christ and Satan cannot co-exist. “What concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:15). The choice is ours as to which we prefer.
► Water keeps your body cool through perspiration. Grace helps us through the heat of temptation and persecution, keeping us calm and trustful in the Providence of God.
► Water keeps joints, such as knees and elbows, moving freely. Grace perfects nature, as St. Thomas Aquinas says. When we are in a state of grace, spiritual efforts seem effortless. When we lose that grace, or compromise it through frequent venial sin, then our spiritual joints ache and creak, pushing into a spiritual inaction or lukewarmness.
► Water helps lubricate your joints. It acts like a cushion between organs and protects them. The grace of God as a cushion against the attacks of the devil, the world and the flesh and protects our soul from being weakened or destroyed by them.
You lose water each day through perspiration, through the working of the kidneys and the bladder (when you pee), bowel movements and even when you breathe. We use up actual graces all throughout the day (though sanctifying grace is only lost through mortal sin). Yet those actual graces need to be ‘replenished’ or they need to flow throughout each moment of the day—just as it is necessary to replenish water lost by the body through the above stated means. Prayers and sacrifices are the usual means of replenishing grace—while the reservoir of grace contained in the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion are enormous.
Sources of Water & Grace
Your body must balance the amount of water lost with the amount it gets from food and beverages. About 80 percent of the water you take in comes from the water and beverages you drink; the remaining 20 percent comes from food. A small amount of water also is produced when your body metabolizes foods. How much water do you need? That depends on your age, percent of body fat, general health, diet, temperature of the air around you and your level of activity.
In the spiritual sphere, a large percentage of grace comes from daily prayers and sacrifices (especially so if you are not able to attend daily Mass and communicate daily); the other sources of grace are, of course, the Sacraments that you receive—such as Holy Communion and Confession whenever you can.
How Much?
How much water does your body need? That depends on your age, percent of body fat, general health, diet, temperature of the air around you and your level of activity. You lose water through urine, sweat, feces, and the air you exhale. How much grace does your soul need? That depends on various factors too: (1) the age or time that you are living in, (2) the immediate environment that you find yourself in (a strong Catholic family or a weak Catholic family), (3) the social millieu that you frequent—whethet it be Liberal, Permissive, Conservative, etc. (4) your own personal strengths or weaknesses, inclinations, tendencies, bad habits, or habitual sins; (5) the frequency and strength of temptations that you undergo.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests that the average healthy woman drink about nine cups a day of liquids, and the average man about 13 cups a day. In these times that we live, the words of Our Lord to His sleeing Apostles would seem to be an absolute minimum: "And He came to His disciples, and found them asleep, and He said to Peter: ‘What? Could you not watch one hour with Me?’” (Matthew 26:40). Besides, if we love someone, we want to spend as much time in their company as possible—not the least time. What must Our Lord think of us when He sees that we can’t wait to get away from Him and be off to some earthly entertainment?
Dangers of dehydration—Danger of Lukewarmness
Usually, your body balances the amount of water you consume with the amount of water eliminated. The organs mainly responsible for this balance are the kidneys. They do this so well that the amount of water in your body does not change more than 0.2% your body weight over a 24-hour period. Certain circumstances such as prolonged physical activity, high air temperatures, high fever, diarrhea, trauma and burns increase the amount of water lost. If you don't replace that water, you become dehydrated.
Likewise, a negligence in replacing grace through our spiritual exercises will lead to a ‘dehydration’ of grace, or ‘degracation’ so to speak. This will lead to a listlessness in the spiritual life. We see a case in point with the three sleeping Apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane. They were asked by Our Lord to pray—which would have brought them the same strengthening graces that Our Lord received by His fervent prayer in His agony. They neglected to pray, and fell asleep--“Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak”(Matthew 26:41).
As We Sow, So Shall We Reap
When the crunch came, they, like the foolish virgins, found that their lamps lacked oil and they fled—whereas Our Lord had been strengthened though prayer and was able to stand in face of His enemies. Our enemies—the devil, the world and the flesh—never sleep. They are always waiting and watching: “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Dehydration can influence your mental functioning, your heart rate, and your ability to regulate body temperature and blood pressure. If you lose even 1% of your body weight in water, your physical performance is affected and you feel tired. If you lose 2% to 4%, your mental functioning is affected; a loss of more than 10% of your body weight is a medical emergency and if not reversed can lead to death.
The parallels are fairly evident for the spiritual life. Our Lord said that without Him we could do nothing—without His grace we can do nothing. Even what may seem like a slight decrease in grace can have major spiritual consequences and cause major spiritual disaters and falls. “Wherefore he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12) … “Cease not to pray” (Colossians 1:9) … “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) … “We ought always to pray, and not to faint,” (Luke 18:1). “Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak” (Matthew 26:41).
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
In modern society, the proverb "blood is thicker than water" is used to imply that family ties (blood) are always more important (thicker) than the ties you make among friends (water). It generally means that the bonds of family and common ancestry are stronger than the bonds between unrelated people (such as friendship).
Yet the Blood that Jesus shed for us, brought us into the family of Heaven as adopted children. While on earth, Jesus shows this progressive assimilation into the family of God—calling His followers (a) servants, (b) friends, and (c) family.
“I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends: because all things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you” (John 15:15). “For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:35).
Three Stages or Three Levels
We see here three stages: servant, friend and family member. Each step takes one higher. This is much like the so-called “Three Ways” or “Three Conversions” of the spiritual life, where each step, or stage, takes us closer to God. These are also called: (1) “The Way of Beginners” which is that of the servant; (2) “The Way of the Proficients” or that of the friends; and (3) “The Way of the Perfect” or that of the family members.
Water to Blood
In this way, the ‘waters of Baptism’ are meant to grow thicker and thicker, until they are transformed into blood. The waters of Baptism open to us the permission of receiving the Blood of Christ in Confession and Holy Communion. Yet, just as the baby barely resembles an adult; likewise, a beginner in the spiritual life barely resembles Christ. The beginner must gradually grow into another Christ, or rather into a person that resembles Christ in the way that thinks, speaks and acts. Family members look alike; there are certain common resemblances among them. This is what the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion do for us: they heal our disease of sin and feed with the ultimate nourishing and strengthening Bread that has come down from Heaven.
If we let the Blood of Christ do Its work in these two great Sacraments, then it will change us into His own likeness. Servants may rarely imitate their masters. Friends will often imitate each other. Yet the closest tie to imitation is among blood ties—thus the axioms: “Like father, like son!” “He takes after his father!” “She’s just like her mother!” “She married someone just like her father!” “He married someone just like his mother!” etc.
Water, Wine & Blood
If God changed water into blood in the time of Moses—“Thus therefore saith the Lord: In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold I will strike with the rods that is in my hand, the water of the river, and it shall be turned into blood” (Exodus 7:17)—and Jesus changed water into wine at Cana (John ch. 2)—and Jesus changed wine into blood at the Last Supper: “And taking the chalice, He gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: ‘Drink ye all of this. For this is My blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28)—then Jesus can also make us into replicas or imitations of Himself.
Thus we have these three elements falling under the miraculous power of God: water, wine and blood. Whereby God changes water to blood; water to wine; and wine to blood. So too must we progress through the three stages of the spiritual life: the way of beginners (water); the way of the proficient (wine and friends); and enter the way of the perfect (blood and sanctity).
Relationship of Blood and Water
It was fitting that both blood and water flowed from the side of Christ. On the one hand, His Blood is required for spiritual life and eternal life—for by His Blood we receive grace and are saved. Nobody can receive graces that do not owe themselves to the Precious Blood. Yet water is necessary for our earthly life. Every living thing needs water to survive. People cannot survive for more than a few days without it. On average 65% of a person’s body is water (anywhere from 50% to 80%--the older you are the smaller the percentage, the younger you are the higher it is).
Blood is about 95% water, the brain is about 75% water, and the skin is about 80% (which explains that sloshing sound that we hear when we shake our heads!). Water is essential to good health—and life. You can survive several weeks without food and still survive—barely. Yet we cannot go more than a few days without water! On the supernatural plain, water symbolizes the grace of God. If blood is 95% water, then we have a similar link between the Precious Blood of Christ and the Graces of Christ that He communicates to us. Except in this case, graces are 100% dependent upon the Blood of Christ. The Blood of Christ has earned grace and salvation for all time, for all ages, for all peoples—if they wish to accept them and cooperate with them.
Why Your Body Needs Water & Why Your Souls Needs Grace
► Water, which is a major part of blood, delivers oxygen and nutrients to different parts of the body. Whereas grace is a major part of the spiritual life, it delivers inspirations to the soul and strengthens the different virtues of the soul.
► Water helps with digestion of food. Likewise, grace helps us with the digestion of the Word of God that we find in the Mass and in our spiritual reading.
► Water removes toxins and waste from the body. Grace can remove sin from the soul if we allow it; but mortal sin and grace cannot co-exist, just Christ and Satan cannot co-exist. “What concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:15). The choice is ours as to which we prefer.
► Water keeps your body cool through perspiration. Grace helps us through the heat of temptation and persecution, keeping us calm and trustful in the Providence of God.
► Water keeps joints, such as knees and elbows, moving freely. Grace perfects nature, as St. Thomas Aquinas says. When we are in a state of grace, spiritual efforts seem effortless. When we lose that grace, or compromise it through frequent venial sin, then our spiritual joints ache and creak, pushing into a spiritual inaction or lukewarmness.
► Water helps lubricate your joints. It acts like a cushion between organs and protects them. The grace of God as a cushion against the attacks of the devil, the world and the flesh and protects our soul from being weakened or destroyed by them.
You lose water each day through perspiration, through the working of the kidneys and the bladder (when you pee), bowel movements and even when you breathe. We use up actual graces all throughout the day (though sanctifying grace is only lost through mortal sin). Yet those actual graces need to be ‘replenished’ or they need to flow throughout each moment of the day—just as it is necessary to replenish water lost by the body through the above stated means. Prayers and sacrifices are the usual means of replenishing grace—while the reservoir of grace contained in the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion are enormous.
Sources of Water & Grace
Your body must balance the amount of water lost with the amount it gets from food and beverages. About 80 percent of the water you take in comes from the water and beverages you drink; the remaining 20 percent comes from food. A small amount of water also is produced when your body metabolizes foods. How much water do you need? That depends on your age, percent of body fat, general health, diet, temperature of the air around you and your level of activity.
In the spiritual sphere, a large percentage of grace comes from daily prayers and sacrifices (especially so if you are not able to attend daily Mass and communicate daily); the other sources of grace are, of course, the Sacraments that you receive—such as Holy Communion and Confession whenever you can.
How Much?
How much water does your body need? That depends on your age, percent of body fat, general health, diet, temperature of the air around you and your level of activity. You lose water through urine, sweat, feces, and the air you exhale. How much grace does your soul need? That depends on various factors too: (1) the age or time that you are living in, (2) the immediate environment that you find yourself in (a strong Catholic family or a weak Catholic family), (3) the social millieu that you frequent—whethet it be Liberal, Permissive, Conservative, etc. (4) your own personal strengths or weaknesses, inclinations, tendencies, bad habits, or habitual sins; (5) the frequency and strength of temptations that you undergo.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests that the average healthy woman drink about nine cups a day of liquids, and the average man about 13 cups a day. In these times that we live, the words of Our Lord to His sleeing Apostles would seem to be an absolute minimum: "And He came to His disciples, and found them asleep, and He said to Peter: ‘What? Could you not watch one hour with Me?’” (Matthew 26:40). Besides, if we love someone, we want to spend as much time in their company as possible—not the least time. What must Our Lord think of us when He sees that we can’t wait to get away from Him and be off to some earthly entertainment?
Dangers of dehydration—Danger of Lukewarmness
Usually, your body balances the amount of water you consume with the amount of water eliminated. The organs mainly responsible for this balance are the kidneys. They do this so well that the amount of water in your body does not change more than 0.2% your body weight over a 24-hour period. Certain circumstances such as prolonged physical activity, high air temperatures, high fever, diarrhea, trauma and burns increase the amount of water lost. If you don't replace that water, you become dehydrated.
Likewise, a negligence in replacing grace through our spiritual exercises will lead to a ‘dehydration’ of grace, or ‘degracation’ so to speak. This will lead to a listlessness in the spiritual life. We see a case in point with the three sleeping Apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane. They were asked by Our Lord to pray—which would have brought them the same strengthening graces that Our Lord received by His fervent prayer in His agony. They neglected to pray, and fell asleep--“Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak”(Matthew 26:41).
As We Sow, So Shall We Reap
When the crunch came, they, like the foolish virgins, found that their lamps lacked oil and they fled—whereas Our Lord had been strengthened though prayer and was able to stand in face of His enemies. Our enemies—the devil, the world and the flesh—never sleep. They are always waiting and watching: “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Dehydration can influence your mental functioning, your heart rate, and your ability to regulate body temperature and blood pressure. If you lose even 1% of your body weight in water, your physical performance is affected and you feel tired. If you lose 2% to 4%, your mental functioning is affected; a loss of more than 10% of your body weight is a medical emergency and if not reversed can lead to death.
The parallels are fairly evident for the spiritual life. Our Lord said that without Him we could do nothing—without His grace we can do nothing. Even what may seem like a slight decrease in grace can have major spiritual consequences and cause major spiritual disaters and falls. “Wherefore he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12) … “Cease not to pray” (Colossians 1:9) … “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) … “We ought always to pray, and not to faint,” (Luke 18:1). “Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak” (Matthew 26:41).
July 7th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF ― WHAT GOES AROUND, ALSO COMES AROUND
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF ― WHAT GOES AROUND, ALSO COMES AROUND
What Goes Around, Comes Around
We have all heard of the axioms: “What goes around, comes around!” and “There is nothing new under the sun!” This is so very true—human nature never changes, and the actions of humans essentially remain with their everlasting boundaries. New heresies are merely combinations or modifications of old heresies. Sins are essentially the same, though they might new materials and avenues in which they can be committed—new alcoholic concoctions are invented to feed alcoholism; new foods are invented to feed gluttony; new technological means are invented to feed lust; new fashions come along to feed vanity, etc. The sins remain essentially the same, though they find new feeding grounds.
The same is true for the war between the Church and the world. That enmity will always exist—for the devil is the prince of the world, as Holy Scripture tells us. He will use mankind’s weakness and propensity to sin in his evil plan to try and destroy the Church on earth. The essential methods are the same, though they may make use of new generations and new inventions to try and carry out that evil agenda.
In this month of the Precious Blood, let us take a look at the phenomenal bloody and tortuous battle in China throughout the 1900’s—even to our present day—as a lesson to be learnt and as model of resistance to evil of the world’s attempt to destroy the Church, the Faith and souls. What happened in the not so distant past, will soon happen again—but now on a more global scale. If we know our history, then we will be prepared for our future!
1917—A Year for Catholics and Communists
1917 was a pivotal year in both the political arena and in the Church. The First World War was devastating Europe, the Communist Revolution exploded in Russia, which would soon set ablaze many parts of the world with the evils of Communism. It was also during 1917 that Our Lady was appearing at Fatima, offering a peace plan to the world. Soon, Our Lady was to raise an army of her own. This army, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and having as its end spiritual goals, came from Ireland and was known as the Legion of Mary. This Marian army was destined to meet the forces of the revolutionary Communist army on the battlefield of China during the 1950’s.
The Legion of Mary is Born and Grows
Founded in Dublin in 1921, the Legion of Mary spread its wings in 1927, which was the first year that a branch was started outside Dublin, this being in Waterford. In 1928 the Legion was taken to Glasgow, Scotland and the following year, to England and Wales. From there it spread to India, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The first Legion envoy left Ireland in 1934 and came to the United States. Two years later, Edel Quinn, a Legionary who is now being considered for sainthood, began her envoyship in missionary Africa, establishing thousands of praesidia before her death in 1944. From 1930 to 1950 over thirty full time envoys were sent throughout the world to found and build up the Legion, During these years envoys labored in Central America, France, Egypt, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines, and China.
The Legion Arrives
The Legion of Mary arrived China in 1937, but was little known for almost a decade. However, the appointment of Archbishop Riberi as Interuncio to China in 1946 marked the beginning of the spread of the Legion throughout China. The Archbishop had met Edel Quinn while in Africa, and had witnessed what the Legion had accomplished there. Seeing the desperate condition of the Church in China, he asked Fr. Aedan McGrath, a Columban Father, to undertake the work of spreading the Legion. The Internuncio spoke to Father McGrath saying, “Have you realized the impossibility of the situation? Five hundred million people and only 5,000 priests. Even if I doubled and tripled that number the conversion of China is still impossible.” Clearly the Faith and the ideals which this great Archbishop had shone forth.
Fr. Aeden McGrath (pronounced McGRAW) first came to China in 1930, and spent the next fifteen years running from Mao Tse-Tung. Mao had set up a Communist government at Hankow in 1928, and after World War II he extended his rule over most of mainland China.
With the coming of Archbishop Riberi, the Legion was able to operate on a large scale in China. Once Father McGrath was assigned to spread the Legion, he set out immediately and went to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chungking and other major parts of China. The Legion spread with amazing rapidity. Within one year there were 1,000 praesidia. Within two years, 2,000!
Communists Take Over China
By 1949, the Communists were in control of nearly all China and became aware of this rapidly growing movement. They ordered Fr. McGrath to stop his Legion activities in Chungking, but he protested saying that the Legion was a purely spiritual organization. He gave them a copy of the Handbook and invited them to attend a meeting to see for themselves. This they did, and afterwards returned the Handbook, with permission for the Legion to resume its work in Chungking. Their comment was, “This is a great organization, just like Communism.”
It is interesting to note that there are striking similarities between the Legion and International Communism. Each adopted the nomenclature of the Roman legion and both organizations use the terms “praesidium” (the name for their meetings) and “tessera” (the title of their membership cards). Another interesting point is that the color of the Communists is red, and the Legion’s color is red.
When the Communists proclaimed the People’s Republic at Peking in October of 1949, there were 4,000,000 Catholics, 3,080 foreign priests, 2,351 foreign sisters, 2,557 Chinese priests and 5,112 Chinese sisters. But by the end of 1954 only 61 (foreign missionaries) were still in the country of whom 21 were in prison. In 1955 there were still two foreign bishops and 20 priests in China. Of these one bishop and 17 priests were imprisoned. Of the Chinese priests about 500 had been imprisoned.
All remained fairly quiet during the first year of the Communist occupation. But then persecution of the Church began, directed first against foreign missionaries. Priests and sisters were arrested, falsely convicted and expelled from China. Many hundreds were sentenced to long prison terms within the Bamboo Curtain.
The Formation of ‘Patriotic’ Churches
Up to this point, there had been no unfavorable mention by the Communists of the Legion. Then in the summer of 1950 the Communists proclaimed their intention to establish “Patriotic Churches” which would be run by the government and be separated from Rome. This was called the Three Autonomies Movement and it began on July 28, 1950. “Under the guise of self-rule, self-support and self-propagation they demanded absolute separation of the Chinese Churches from any alignment with foreign congregations.”
These same tactics had been followed in Communist-dominated countries of Europe, since setting up an “independent” church has always signified independence from all control except that of the Communist government. Newspaper propaganda in the official press supported this to such a degree that“for months the Peking People’s Daily devoted daily space to the patriotic obligation of Catholics, throughout China, to participate in the movement.”
The real challenge had come. The Chinese hierarchy refused to support this new movement, and the Legion of Mary set to work informing and instructing the Catholic faithful about the issues at stake in this undermining plot.
Communists Attack the Clergy and the Legion
When the Communists realized that the effort to separate Chinese Catholics from Rome was failing, they began a violent attack in the Communist press directed against Archbishop Riberi, the Catholic Central Bureau and the Legion of Mary. Within a year, the Internuncio was expelled from China and most of the leading priests were jailed, including Fr. McGrath. The Legion came under very fierce attack by the press. Why was the Legion vilified in such a way? The Catholics in China were a small and comparatively uninfluential minority, and the Legion numerically less substantial. Fr. McGrath believes that the main reason was the “part played by the Legionaries in frustrating the Communist plan for a schismatic Catholic Church in China.”
Communists try to Suppress the Legion
The next Communist move was to suppress the Legion in Tientsin, Shanghai and other centers. Legionaries were ordered to register their names with the police. In Shanghai, where there were fifty-one praesidia, about fifty registration centers were set up, and manned by a highly trained Communist staff who had undergone an intensive training course, which even included study of the Legion handbook. A six foot high notice-board outside each center proclaimed, “Secret Subversive Organization, Legion of Mary-Meaberi Registration Center.” On each side of the notice-board stood soldiers, in full battle attire. Even more alarming was the form which each member was expected to sign. It read:
“I, the undersigned joined the reactionary Legion of Mary on. . . and conducted secret counter-revolutionary and evil activities against the government, the people, and Soviet Russia. I hereby resign from the Legion of Mary and promise never to participate in such activities in the future.”
Damned If You Do—Damned If You Don’t
To register under these terms was equal to signing one’s death warrant, since with“revolt against the country and having contact with imperialism” there came a punishment of death or life imprisonment. Signing this also meant admitting to the false charges brought against the Legion and removed the member’s name from the ranks of Mary’s army.
Only a handful signed the forms, and most of these later returned and withdrew their registrations. The Legionaries as a body refused to give up their membership. Those in Shanghai wrote a letter, signed in their own blood, to the Bishop of Shanghai. “Monsignor, we will follow you wherever you go,” said the letter. “We are proud to live in this age of persecution and there can be no compromises.”
Thousands of Legionaries Arrested
The refusal of Legionaries to register led to the arrest of thousands. Soon, every Legion officer was in prison. Among these was Johanna Hsiao, a girl in her early twenties, who before being jailed had set up three hundred and sixty-two praesidia in the North of China. She was imprisoned in 1951, and nothing has been heard of her since. Even very young Legionaries showed heroic courage. Led by their 19 year-old President, the members of a Junior praesidium marched down the public streets singing from their St. Matthew’s Gospel, “Blessed are you when they shall persecute and calumniate you and say all that is evil against you untruly in My Name. Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in Heaven.”
Mass Extermination
The total number of those executed by the Communists is almost unbelievable. In the 1950’s Time Magazine estimated that, between the years 1949 and 1952, 20,000,000 people were put to death under Mao Tse-Tung. A recent figure estimates that between the years 1949 and 1970, that number increased to 60,000,000. As for Fr. McGrath, he was released from prison in May, 1954 and saw the state that the Chinese Church was in.
The Communists still pressed on, attempting to establish an independent Church from Rome. Their plans had been frustrated by the faithful priests, bishops and members of the Legion. In 1954, Pius XII wrote the encyclical Ad Sinarum Gentem, which took issue with the three autonomies and strengthened the support against a Reform Church. However, in 1954 and 1955, a new wave of arrests and persecutions assailed the loyal Catholics. The Communists began winning over priests and bishops and by 1957 the Association of Patriotic Priests was founded. The next year, 1958, the Patriotic Church was formally established.
From here on, there would two Catholic Churches in China: one controlled by the government and another one that was driven underground. This, according to prophecies, is what awaits us in the future. Our Lady is our touchstone, keystone and key to the solution. As she herself said at Fatima, speaking of Our Lady of the Rosary, "only she can help you now!"
We have all heard of the axioms: “What goes around, comes around!” and “There is nothing new under the sun!” This is so very true—human nature never changes, and the actions of humans essentially remain with their everlasting boundaries. New heresies are merely combinations or modifications of old heresies. Sins are essentially the same, though they might new materials and avenues in which they can be committed—new alcoholic concoctions are invented to feed alcoholism; new foods are invented to feed gluttony; new technological means are invented to feed lust; new fashions come along to feed vanity, etc. The sins remain essentially the same, though they find new feeding grounds.
The same is true for the war between the Church and the world. That enmity will always exist—for the devil is the prince of the world, as Holy Scripture tells us. He will use mankind’s weakness and propensity to sin in his evil plan to try and destroy the Church on earth. The essential methods are the same, though they may make use of new generations and new inventions to try and carry out that evil agenda.
In this month of the Precious Blood, let us take a look at the phenomenal bloody and tortuous battle in China throughout the 1900’s—even to our present day—as a lesson to be learnt and as model of resistance to evil of the world’s attempt to destroy the Church, the Faith and souls. What happened in the not so distant past, will soon happen again—but now on a more global scale. If we know our history, then we will be prepared for our future!
1917—A Year for Catholics and Communists
1917 was a pivotal year in both the political arena and in the Church. The First World War was devastating Europe, the Communist Revolution exploded in Russia, which would soon set ablaze many parts of the world with the evils of Communism. It was also during 1917 that Our Lady was appearing at Fatima, offering a peace plan to the world. Soon, Our Lady was to raise an army of her own. This army, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and having as its end spiritual goals, came from Ireland and was known as the Legion of Mary. This Marian army was destined to meet the forces of the revolutionary Communist army on the battlefield of China during the 1950’s.
The Legion of Mary is Born and Grows
Founded in Dublin in 1921, the Legion of Mary spread its wings in 1927, which was the first year that a branch was started outside Dublin, this being in Waterford. In 1928 the Legion was taken to Glasgow, Scotland and the following year, to England and Wales. From there it spread to India, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The first Legion envoy left Ireland in 1934 and came to the United States. Two years later, Edel Quinn, a Legionary who is now being considered for sainthood, began her envoyship in missionary Africa, establishing thousands of praesidia before her death in 1944. From 1930 to 1950 over thirty full time envoys were sent throughout the world to found and build up the Legion, During these years envoys labored in Central America, France, Egypt, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines, and China.
The Legion Arrives
The Legion of Mary arrived China in 1937, but was little known for almost a decade. However, the appointment of Archbishop Riberi as Interuncio to China in 1946 marked the beginning of the spread of the Legion throughout China. The Archbishop had met Edel Quinn while in Africa, and had witnessed what the Legion had accomplished there. Seeing the desperate condition of the Church in China, he asked Fr. Aedan McGrath, a Columban Father, to undertake the work of spreading the Legion. The Internuncio spoke to Father McGrath saying, “Have you realized the impossibility of the situation? Five hundred million people and only 5,000 priests. Even if I doubled and tripled that number the conversion of China is still impossible.” Clearly the Faith and the ideals which this great Archbishop had shone forth.
Fr. Aeden McGrath (pronounced McGRAW) first came to China in 1930, and spent the next fifteen years running from Mao Tse-Tung. Mao had set up a Communist government at Hankow in 1928, and after World War II he extended his rule over most of mainland China.
With the coming of Archbishop Riberi, the Legion was able to operate on a large scale in China. Once Father McGrath was assigned to spread the Legion, he set out immediately and went to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chungking and other major parts of China. The Legion spread with amazing rapidity. Within one year there were 1,000 praesidia. Within two years, 2,000!
Communists Take Over China
By 1949, the Communists were in control of nearly all China and became aware of this rapidly growing movement. They ordered Fr. McGrath to stop his Legion activities in Chungking, but he protested saying that the Legion was a purely spiritual organization. He gave them a copy of the Handbook and invited them to attend a meeting to see for themselves. This they did, and afterwards returned the Handbook, with permission for the Legion to resume its work in Chungking. Their comment was, “This is a great organization, just like Communism.”
It is interesting to note that there are striking similarities between the Legion and International Communism. Each adopted the nomenclature of the Roman legion and both organizations use the terms “praesidium” (the name for their meetings) and “tessera” (the title of their membership cards). Another interesting point is that the color of the Communists is red, and the Legion’s color is red.
When the Communists proclaimed the People’s Republic at Peking in October of 1949, there were 4,000,000 Catholics, 3,080 foreign priests, 2,351 foreign sisters, 2,557 Chinese priests and 5,112 Chinese sisters. But by the end of 1954 only 61 (foreign missionaries) were still in the country of whom 21 were in prison. In 1955 there were still two foreign bishops and 20 priests in China. Of these one bishop and 17 priests were imprisoned. Of the Chinese priests about 500 had been imprisoned.
All remained fairly quiet during the first year of the Communist occupation. But then persecution of the Church began, directed first against foreign missionaries. Priests and sisters were arrested, falsely convicted and expelled from China. Many hundreds were sentenced to long prison terms within the Bamboo Curtain.
The Formation of ‘Patriotic’ Churches
Up to this point, there had been no unfavorable mention by the Communists of the Legion. Then in the summer of 1950 the Communists proclaimed their intention to establish “Patriotic Churches” which would be run by the government and be separated from Rome. This was called the Three Autonomies Movement and it began on July 28, 1950. “Under the guise of self-rule, self-support and self-propagation they demanded absolute separation of the Chinese Churches from any alignment with foreign congregations.”
These same tactics had been followed in Communist-dominated countries of Europe, since setting up an “independent” church has always signified independence from all control except that of the Communist government. Newspaper propaganda in the official press supported this to such a degree that“for months the Peking People’s Daily devoted daily space to the patriotic obligation of Catholics, throughout China, to participate in the movement.”
The real challenge had come. The Chinese hierarchy refused to support this new movement, and the Legion of Mary set to work informing and instructing the Catholic faithful about the issues at stake in this undermining plot.
Communists Attack the Clergy and the Legion
When the Communists realized that the effort to separate Chinese Catholics from Rome was failing, they began a violent attack in the Communist press directed against Archbishop Riberi, the Catholic Central Bureau and the Legion of Mary. Within a year, the Internuncio was expelled from China and most of the leading priests were jailed, including Fr. McGrath. The Legion came under very fierce attack by the press. Why was the Legion vilified in such a way? The Catholics in China were a small and comparatively uninfluential minority, and the Legion numerically less substantial. Fr. McGrath believes that the main reason was the “part played by the Legionaries in frustrating the Communist plan for a schismatic Catholic Church in China.”
Communists try to Suppress the Legion
The next Communist move was to suppress the Legion in Tientsin, Shanghai and other centers. Legionaries were ordered to register their names with the police. In Shanghai, where there were fifty-one praesidia, about fifty registration centers were set up, and manned by a highly trained Communist staff who had undergone an intensive training course, which even included study of the Legion handbook. A six foot high notice-board outside each center proclaimed, “Secret Subversive Organization, Legion of Mary-Meaberi Registration Center.” On each side of the notice-board stood soldiers, in full battle attire. Even more alarming was the form which each member was expected to sign. It read:
“I, the undersigned joined the reactionary Legion of Mary on. . . and conducted secret counter-revolutionary and evil activities against the government, the people, and Soviet Russia. I hereby resign from the Legion of Mary and promise never to participate in such activities in the future.”
Damned If You Do—Damned If You Don’t
To register under these terms was equal to signing one’s death warrant, since with“revolt against the country and having contact with imperialism” there came a punishment of death or life imprisonment. Signing this also meant admitting to the false charges brought against the Legion and removed the member’s name from the ranks of Mary’s army.
Only a handful signed the forms, and most of these later returned and withdrew their registrations. The Legionaries as a body refused to give up their membership. Those in Shanghai wrote a letter, signed in their own blood, to the Bishop of Shanghai. “Monsignor, we will follow you wherever you go,” said the letter. “We are proud to live in this age of persecution and there can be no compromises.”
Thousands of Legionaries Arrested
The refusal of Legionaries to register led to the arrest of thousands. Soon, every Legion officer was in prison. Among these was Johanna Hsiao, a girl in her early twenties, who before being jailed had set up three hundred and sixty-two praesidia in the North of China. She was imprisoned in 1951, and nothing has been heard of her since. Even very young Legionaries showed heroic courage. Led by their 19 year-old President, the members of a Junior praesidium marched down the public streets singing from their St. Matthew’s Gospel, “Blessed are you when they shall persecute and calumniate you and say all that is evil against you untruly in My Name. Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in Heaven.”
Mass Extermination
The total number of those executed by the Communists is almost unbelievable. In the 1950’s Time Magazine estimated that, between the years 1949 and 1952, 20,000,000 people were put to death under Mao Tse-Tung. A recent figure estimates that between the years 1949 and 1970, that number increased to 60,000,000. As for Fr. McGrath, he was released from prison in May, 1954 and saw the state that the Chinese Church was in.
The Communists still pressed on, attempting to establish an independent Church from Rome. Their plans had been frustrated by the faithful priests, bishops and members of the Legion. In 1954, Pius XII wrote the encyclical Ad Sinarum Gentem, which took issue with the three autonomies and strengthened the support against a Reform Church. However, in 1954 and 1955, a new wave of arrests and persecutions assailed the loyal Catholics. The Communists began winning over priests and bishops and by 1957 the Association of Patriotic Priests was founded. The next year, 1958, the Patriotic Church was formally established.
From here on, there would two Catholic Churches in China: one controlled by the government and another one that was driven underground. This, according to prophecies, is what awaits us in the future. Our Lady is our touchstone, keystone and key to the solution. As she herself said at Fatima, speaking of Our Lady of the Rosary, "only she can help you now!"
July 8th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
MADE IN CHINA!
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
MADE IN CHINA!
Made in China for Our Consumption!
What has been happening to the Catholic Church in China, could well be a blueprint of what will happen to the Catholic Church elsewhere. Our Lady of Fatima warned that if we did not listen to and comply with her Fatima message and warnings, then Russia (Communism) would spread her errors throughout the world; the Church would have much to suffer; the Holy Father would have much to suffer; various nations would be annihilated from the face of the earth; and many Catholics would be martyred.
This is exactly what has been happening in China since 1949 and so it well worth looking at how the Chinese Catholics have reacted to their persecution—and, thereby, to learn something for our future from both their successes and their mistakes.
Since the founding of the Communist People's Republic of China in 1949, Catholics and the government have clashed. The government is officially atheist, and has alternately seen religion as a scourge on the people, to be eliminated, or an historical oddity that, they hope and think, will inevitably disappear.
A Tale of Two Churches
The Catholic Church in China is divided between the Underground Roman Catholic Church that has sworn its allegiance to the Vatican, and the Patriotic Church (government controlled Church), which supports the Pope but has not sworn an allegiance to him publicly. The Patriotic Church is registered under the Chinese government, while the Underground is not.
Revolutionary France & Reformation England
We have seen similar situations in history after revolutions: the French Revolution produced the government supporting clergy and the anti-revolutionary-government clergy.
Even earlier, in England, after the breakaway of King Henry VIII from Rome, where he made himself the head of the Catholic Church in England (which gave rise to Anglicanism or Epicopalianism). The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public, or church office, in England, to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Failure to do so was to be treated as treasonable. The Oath of Supremacy was originally imposed by King Henry VIII of England through the Act of Supremacy 1534, but repealed by his daughter, Queen Mary I of England (who wished to restore true Catholicism to England), but her work was undone and the Monarch’s supremacy over the Church was reinstated under Mary’s half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England, under the Act of Supremacy 1559. The Catholics were torn over primary allegiance to their Faith and Rome, or primary allegiance to their king or queen and England. The same can be seen in most countries today. Are you primarily a Catholic or an American? What rules your life? Religion or politics?
Chinese Split
So the primary schism between the two groups of Chinese Catholics is over allegiance to, on one side, the Commumist Chinese government and, on the other, the Vatican. While the Vatican has never disavowed its relations with the government controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Church, even though the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Church supports abortion and artificial contraception. The Underground Catholics believe that the Communist Party's influence over registered Catholicism lacks legitimacy — particularly since the party's official stance is that religion will eventually disappear from human history.
Simmering Relations
Hence, a simmering rivalry has ensued with some Underground Catholics rebuking Patriotic members for appearing to act as treacherous, untrustworthy and cowardly. But some Patriotic members respond that they are working with Beijing to boost Catholic evangelism nationwide, while providing safety for the Underground Church, by utilizing their influence with government officials behind the scenes. There does seem to be some evidence of a secret alliance between both churches. Many Patriotic members said they respect Underground Catholics and admire their courage and sacrifice, but they deny their church is un-Catholic.
The naming of bishops is an especially contentious issue between the Patriotic Church (government controlled) and the Underground Church (refusing government control). In virtually all cases around the world, the Vatican is the ultimate authority in approving the appointment of bishops, but Beijing skirts around this requirement by giving someone the title of bishop without any consultation with the Holy See.
In his encyclical Ad Apostolorum Principis July 29th, 1958, Pope Pius XII deplored the attitude and activities of the Association and declared the bishops who participated in consecrating new bishops selected by the Association to be excommunicated. Pope Benedict XVI referred to the agents of the Association as “persons who are not ordained, and sometimes not even baptised”, who “control and take decisions concerning important ecclesial questions, including the appointment of Bishops”.
In a 2007 letter to Chinese priests, Pope Benedict XVI wrote: "In recent years, for various reasons, you ... have encountered difficulties since persons who are not 'ordained,' and sometimes not even baptized, control and take decisions concerning important ecclesial questions, including the appointment of Bishops, in the name of various State agencies. Consequently, we have witnessed a demeaning of the Petrine and episcopal ministries."
Persecution of the Underground Catholic Church
Those Catholics who refused to allow the government to control their religion and Faith, were persecuted in a variety of way and to different degrees. Some would be ridiculed, suffer psychological bombardment and sanctions; others would be imprisoned for short-term, long-term or even life sentences and then psychologically brainwashed and ‘re-educated’ to think along Communist lines.
In the 1950’s Time Magazine estimated that, between the years 1949 and 1952, 20,000,000 people were put to death under Mao Tse-Tung. A recent figure estimates that between the years 1949 and 1970, that number increased to 60,000,000. Fr. Aedan McGrath, the Legion of Mary director for China, who himself was imprisoned for a long time, says that those numbers are merely cosmetic, and that the real number is far beyond those estimates. But those numbers are those who were put to death! How many more millions were not imprisoned; how many more were not subjected to all forms of physical, mental, social and economic persecution. And this is not centuries ago, in some, so-called, barbarian times—this is barely 50 years ago, and the same methods are still being used today.
Surveillance and Isolation
In an attempt to maintain control over underground Chinese Catholicism (non-government controlled Catholics), government authorities have taken pains to keep underground Catholics in check. Detention, surveillance and sanctions are the norm. It is estimated that nationwide, between 30 and 40 underground Chinese bishops are in official custody, under surveillance, ‘disappeared’, or hiding.
Underground parishioners feel the lack of religious freedom keenly in their isolation from other Catholics globally. While unregistered Protestants are able to communicate regularly and forge small-scale connections with foreign Christians and churches, the Catholics' centralized, organized structure works against them in this respect. The Chinese government knows the identities of underground Catholics and their leaders, which makes it easy to intercept communications with outsiders.
Chinese Masks and Oriental Disguise
Under pressure from international religious leaders, Beijing has slowly allowed the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Church (government controlled Church) to forge ties with other Catholics around the world. Occasionally the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association registered bishops (government appointed bishops), are allowed to travel to meet with their international counterparts, or invite them to China. Partnerships between foreign Catholics and the open church are also permitted, as are donations from abroad. According to the government, there is no restriction about “you can do this, you can't do this.”
Unsurprisingly, the Underground Church sees it differently. In their opinion, the government is actually making use of these ‘open’ Catholics, like an advertisement, to gain face and recognition from an international platform, telling the outside world that they allow connections between the local and the international church. But this is only a disguise.
A wealthy Chinese property developer explained: “The Beijing government has two hands, one that is generous to shake your hand and the other that could grab you with an iron grip if necessary,” he said. “China has two faces, one real and one fake. The real face loves to smile, but the fake one never stops growling.” He claimed that China could only stay strong if “its government acts as peacemaker on the one hand and an enforcer on the other hand.”
Help Yourself
As Our Lady has said, though not perhaps in these exact words: "It's coming to a store near you soon! What the Chinese Catholics have lived through, you will be able to 'enjoy' in the not too distant future!" Yet Our Lady also said something else, and here we will use her exact words. In speaking of herself as Our Lady of the Rosary, she said: "Only she can help you now!" Let us help ourselves by letting Our Lady help us and this we can do by helping ourselves to many more helpings of the Rosary!
What has been happening to the Catholic Church in China, could well be a blueprint of what will happen to the Catholic Church elsewhere. Our Lady of Fatima warned that if we did not listen to and comply with her Fatima message and warnings, then Russia (Communism) would spread her errors throughout the world; the Church would have much to suffer; the Holy Father would have much to suffer; various nations would be annihilated from the face of the earth; and many Catholics would be martyred.
This is exactly what has been happening in China since 1949 and so it well worth looking at how the Chinese Catholics have reacted to their persecution—and, thereby, to learn something for our future from both their successes and their mistakes.
Since the founding of the Communist People's Republic of China in 1949, Catholics and the government have clashed. The government is officially atheist, and has alternately seen religion as a scourge on the people, to be eliminated, or an historical oddity that, they hope and think, will inevitably disappear.
A Tale of Two Churches
The Catholic Church in China is divided between the Underground Roman Catholic Church that has sworn its allegiance to the Vatican, and the Patriotic Church (government controlled Church), which supports the Pope but has not sworn an allegiance to him publicly. The Patriotic Church is registered under the Chinese government, while the Underground is not.
Revolutionary France & Reformation England
We have seen similar situations in history after revolutions: the French Revolution produced the government supporting clergy and the anti-revolutionary-government clergy.
Even earlier, in England, after the breakaway of King Henry VIII from Rome, where he made himself the head of the Catholic Church in England (which gave rise to Anglicanism or Epicopalianism). The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public, or church office, in England, to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Failure to do so was to be treated as treasonable. The Oath of Supremacy was originally imposed by King Henry VIII of England through the Act of Supremacy 1534, but repealed by his daughter, Queen Mary I of England (who wished to restore true Catholicism to England), but her work was undone and the Monarch’s supremacy over the Church was reinstated under Mary’s half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England, under the Act of Supremacy 1559. The Catholics were torn over primary allegiance to their Faith and Rome, or primary allegiance to their king or queen and England. The same can be seen in most countries today. Are you primarily a Catholic or an American? What rules your life? Religion or politics?
Chinese Split
So the primary schism between the two groups of Chinese Catholics is over allegiance to, on one side, the Commumist Chinese government and, on the other, the Vatican. While the Vatican has never disavowed its relations with the government controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Church, even though the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Church supports abortion and artificial contraception. The Underground Catholics believe that the Communist Party's influence over registered Catholicism lacks legitimacy — particularly since the party's official stance is that religion will eventually disappear from human history.
Simmering Relations
Hence, a simmering rivalry has ensued with some Underground Catholics rebuking Patriotic members for appearing to act as treacherous, untrustworthy and cowardly. But some Patriotic members respond that they are working with Beijing to boost Catholic evangelism nationwide, while providing safety for the Underground Church, by utilizing their influence with government officials behind the scenes. There does seem to be some evidence of a secret alliance between both churches. Many Patriotic members said they respect Underground Catholics and admire their courage and sacrifice, but they deny their church is un-Catholic.
The naming of bishops is an especially contentious issue between the Patriotic Church (government controlled) and the Underground Church (refusing government control). In virtually all cases around the world, the Vatican is the ultimate authority in approving the appointment of bishops, but Beijing skirts around this requirement by giving someone the title of bishop without any consultation with the Holy See.
In his encyclical Ad Apostolorum Principis July 29th, 1958, Pope Pius XII deplored the attitude and activities of the Association and declared the bishops who participated in consecrating new bishops selected by the Association to be excommunicated. Pope Benedict XVI referred to the agents of the Association as “persons who are not ordained, and sometimes not even baptised”, who “control and take decisions concerning important ecclesial questions, including the appointment of Bishops”.
In a 2007 letter to Chinese priests, Pope Benedict XVI wrote: "In recent years, for various reasons, you ... have encountered difficulties since persons who are not 'ordained,' and sometimes not even baptized, control and take decisions concerning important ecclesial questions, including the appointment of Bishops, in the name of various State agencies. Consequently, we have witnessed a demeaning of the Petrine and episcopal ministries."
Persecution of the Underground Catholic Church
Those Catholics who refused to allow the government to control their religion and Faith, were persecuted in a variety of way and to different degrees. Some would be ridiculed, suffer psychological bombardment and sanctions; others would be imprisoned for short-term, long-term or even life sentences and then psychologically brainwashed and ‘re-educated’ to think along Communist lines.
In the 1950’s Time Magazine estimated that, between the years 1949 and 1952, 20,000,000 people were put to death under Mao Tse-Tung. A recent figure estimates that between the years 1949 and 1970, that number increased to 60,000,000. Fr. Aedan McGrath, the Legion of Mary director for China, who himself was imprisoned for a long time, says that those numbers are merely cosmetic, and that the real number is far beyond those estimates. But those numbers are those who were put to death! How many more millions were not imprisoned; how many more were not subjected to all forms of physical, mental, social and economic persecution. And this is not centuries ago, in some, so-called, barbarian times—this is barely 50 years ago, and the same methods are still being used today.
Surveillance and Isolation
In an attempt to maintain control over underground Chinese Catholicism (non-government controlled Catholics), government authorities have taken pains to keep underground Catholics in check. Detention, surveillance and sanctions are the norm. It is estimated that nationwide, between 30 and 40 underground Chinese bishops are in official custody, under surveillance, ‘disappeared’, or hiding.
Underground parishioners feel the lack of religious freedom keenly in their isolation from other Catholics globally. While unregistered Protestants are able to communicate regularly and forge small-scale connections with foreign Christians and churches, the Catholics' centralized, organized structure works against them in this respect. The Chinese government knows the identities of underground Catholics and their leaders, which makes it easy to intercept communications with outsiders.
Chinese Masks and Oriental Disguise
Under pressure from international religious leaders, Beijing has slowly allowed the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Church (government controlled Church) to forge ties with other Catholics around the world. Occasionally the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association registered bishops (government appointed bishops), are allowed to travel to meet with their international counterparts, or invite them to China. Partnerships between foreign Catholics and the open church are also permitted, as are donations from abroad. According to the government, there is no restriction about “you can do this, you can't do this.”
Unsurprisingly, the Underground Church sees it differently. In their opinion, the government is actually making use of these ‘open’ Catholics, like an advertisement, to gain face and recognition from an international platform, telling the outside world that they allow connections between the local and the international church. But this is only a disguise.
A wealthy Chinese property developer explained: “The Beijing government has two hands, one that is generous to shake your hand and the other that could grab you with an iron grip if necessary,” he said. “China has two faces, one real and one fake. The real face loves to smile, but the fake one never stops growling.” He claimed that China could only stay strong if “its government acts as peacemaker on the one hand and an enforcer on the other hand.”
Help Yourself
As Our Lady has said, though not perhaps in these exact words: "It's coming to a store near you soon! What the Chinese Catholics have lived through, you will be able to 'enjoy' in the not too distant future!" Yet Our Lady also said something else, and here we will use her exact words. In speaking of herself as Our Lady of the Rosary, she said: "Only she can help you now!" Let us help ourselves by letting Our Lady help us and this we can do by helping ourselves to many more helpings of the Rosary!
July 9th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!!
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!!
Light of the World?
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men. You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house” (Matthew 5:13-16).
It’s Just Not Fair!!!
The problem is that, once you start to let your light shine, there are plenty of people (not to mention the devil) who want to put out that light! It’s as though the world loves the sinner, but hates the saint! If we try too hard to be good, and become good, then we are a target to be attacked and destroyed. It’s not fair, is it? It’s downright disgusting! Yep! But Our Lord never promised that the world would be fair to us, did He?
Scandalous Scriptures
“But Jesus, knowing in Himself, that His disciples murmured at this, said to them: ‘Doth this scandalize you?’” ((John 6:62). “Wonder not, brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:13). “If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated Me before you” (John 15:18). “They hated Me without cause.” (John 15:25). “Remember My word that I said to you: ‘The servant is not greater than his master.’ If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). “If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. But all these things they will do to you for My Name’s sake: because they know not Him who sent Me” (John 15:18-21). “And you shall be hated by all men for My Name’s sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22).
And If That Wasn’t Enough…
Wow! That is a pretty tough advertising campaign! And then He has to go and add things that that make it even tougher! “Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for Me, shall find it” (Matthew 10:34-39). Whew! But there is even more!
Want Some More?
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake. And then shall many be scandalized: and shall betray one another: and shall hate one another” (Matthew 24:9-10). “And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, and kinsmen and friends; and some of you they will put to death” (Luke 21:16). “The brother also shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall put them to death” (Matthew 10:21). Mark repeats the same in His Gospel: “And the brother shall betray his brother unto death, and the father his son; and children shall rise up against the parents, and shall work their death” (Mark 13:12). “Behold I have told it to you, beforehand”(Matthew 24:25).
Is There A Bright Side?
“Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for My sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in Heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).
This life is not meant to be fun: Our Lady said to St. Bernadette, "I do not promise to make you happy in this life, but in the next." Our Lord said to His Apostles: "Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy" (John 16:20). Now is the time for the Cross; eternity is the time for rest and joy. "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me"(Luke 9:23).
A Fake World—A False Peace
For all the talk about “Human Rights”, “The Rights of Man”, “Brotherhood of Nations”, “Freedom of Religion”, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”, etc., there has never been as much persecution and martyrdom as we have seen in the 20th century and which has now spilled-over into the 21st century. It fits perfectly with the prophecies of Our Lady that were made well in advance of those centuries.
The “Age of Martyrs” is the term generally used for the earliest years of Christian history, but statistics show (both Catholic and non-Catholic evaluations) and as Pope Francis remarked several times in his homilies after his election, as well as this year, that “the age of martyrs is not yet over; even today we can say, in truth, that the Church has more martyrs now than during the first centuries.” More Christians were martyred in the 20th century than in all previous centuries combined. Here is just a small sampling of the persecution that is going on worldwide, and is accelerating and increasing:
● About 170,000 Christians are martyred for their faith each year (over 400 per day).
● Currently over 200 million Christians are being persecuted worldwide.
● Christians are persecuted in 131 of the world's 193 countries [Pew Forum study].
● North Korea: in 2014, it continues to be the worst country in the world for persecution.
● Nigeria: In 2010, Christians suffered terror from Muslim extremists. Whole villages were massacred.
● Iran: Its parliament believes Muslims who change their faith and become Christian, should be put to death.
● India: up to 70,000 in Orissa have been forced to flee their homes in riots against Christians.
● Indonesia: Between 2000-2002 Muslims slaughtered 10,000 Christians.
● Iraq: half of Iraq's Christians have fled the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
● Egypt: Under Islamist pressure, Coptic Christians are being forced from their homes.
● Syria: By 2012, most of the 80,000 Christians in Homs had been 'cleansed' from their homes.
● Europe: persecution is coming in by stealth through EU (European Union) equality directives.
In its ultimate form, persecution results in martyrdom. A martyr is one who, without seeking their own death or any harm to others, is murdered or put to death for their religious faith. The word ‘martyr’ comes from the Greek word translated “witness”. Such extreme witness is always positive in that it leads to church growth. As Tertullian [a theologian in the early Christian Church] said: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
United Nations Human Rights Declaration
Today we have the noble declaration of human rights enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
Of course, this is an imperfect declaration: there is no freedom to error and no right to sin. Even though God may allow souls to adhere to a false religion and false teachings; and though He may allow souls to commit sin and reject Him, all these transgressions will have terrible and eternal consequences. Man must make laws in accordance with God's Law and man cannot contradict God's Law. Yet this UN law does not even enforce what it professes: Catholics cannot teach that sin is sin; they cannot teach that all other religions are false religions; they cannot put down sinful life-styles. This declaration, in pretending to grant freedom, in reality gags and silences. If Catholics do preach and teach the truth, then they risk persecution--at least in the political and economic field. They are looked upon as being anti-social, bigoted, guilty of 'hate-crimes.' Yet others can speak out against the Catholic Faith!
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Despite Article 18, there are severe human rights violations in many countries. Christians are persecuted across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, most of Asia (including China) and now Europe (via the European Union). Iran is one of the world’s most repressive states, and those who offend the Sharia law, may be publicly flogged, or even executed by hanging in the streets. In 2008 over 200 million Christians around the world were in danger of being tortured, persecuted, or killed for their faith.
Why?
The simple answer to the question, “Why does our good God allow all this?” is quite simply the word "sin." As Our Lady said at Fatima, wars are a punishment for sin. The worldwide explosion of sin and faithlessness has been foretold both by the Bible and Our Lady’s prophecies.
Holy Scripture
In Holy Scripture Our Lord shows that Jerusalem’s rejection of Him, would be severely punished: “You shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army … For these are the days of vengeance, that all things may be fulfilled, that are written ... for there shall be great wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword; and shall be led away captives into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles” (Luke 21:20-24). "For the days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side, and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee: and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation" (Luke 19:43-44).
Why? Because of sin. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked” (Galatinas 6:7). “Sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15). “According to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of God” (Romans 2:5).
Our Lady of La Salette
This is exactly what Our Lady, at La Salette in 1846, foretold would happen: “If my people do not wish to submit themselves, I am forced to let go of the hand of my Son. It is so heavy and weighs me down so much, that I can no longer keep hold of it … Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! God will exhaust His wrath upon them, and no one will be able to escape so many afflictions together ... God will allow the old serpent to cause divisions among those who reign in every society and in every family. Physical and moral agonies will be suffered. God will abandon mankind to itself and will send punishments which will follow one after the other …
"The society of men is on the eve of the most terrible scourges and of gravest events. Mankind must expect to be ruled with an iron rod and to drink from the chalice of the wrath of God ... The priests, by their wicked lives, by their irreverence and their impiety in the celebration of the holy mysteries, by their love of money, their love of honors and pleasures, the priests have become cesspools of impurity. Yes, the priests are asking vengeance, and vengeance is hanging over their heads. Woe to the priests and to those dedicated to God who, by their unfaithfulness and their wicked lives, are crucifying my Son again! The sins of those dedicated to God cry out towards Heaven and call for vengeance, and now vengeance is at their door … Churches will be locked up or desecrated. Priests and religious orders will be hunted down, and made to die a cruel death ...
“Lucifer, together with a large number of demons, will be unloosed from Hell; they will put an end to Faith little by little, even in those dedicated to God ... Religious institutions will lose all Faith and will lose many souls. Evil books will be abundant on earth and the spirits of darkness will spread everywhere a universal slackening of all that concerns the service of God ... People will think of nothing but amusement ...
"All the civil governments will have one and the same plan, which will be to abolish and do away with every religious principle, to make way for materialism, atheism, spiritualism and vice of all kinds ... They will abolish civil rights as well as ecclesiastical, all order and all justice would be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension would be seen, without love for country or family ... Italy will be punished for her ambition in wanting to shake off the yoke of the Lord of Lords. And so she will be left to fight a war; blood will flow on all sides … France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling. For a time, God will cease to remember France and Italy because the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been forgotten. The wicked will make use of all their evil ways. Men will kill each other, massacre each other even in their homes.” (Our Lady of La Salette).
Getting Through To Us
We therefore see the terrible consequences of the ever escalating sins of the world. We were asked to do something to counter-balance this by Our Lady of Fatima, who asked for many Rosaries and sacrifices, and the five First Saturday devotions of reparation to the her Immaculate Heart. Yet most good souls, if they are not part of the deluge of sin, are too busy with their own ‘good’ preoccupations, and so Our Lady’s requests go, for the most part, unanswered—the few that do comply with her requests are a mere few drops of water against the tsunami of sin. That is why God has to release an unprecedented chastisement upon the world, for when the world is faced with what, Our Lady says, has never been seen before, then some of them will, in fear, be brought to their knees and their senses. It seems that this is only way in which we will listen and obey!
Sin is the chief cause of today's persecution. Sin is chief cause of today's martyrdom. Sin is the chief cause of the world's problems. Sin will be the cause of the chastisements to come. This seems to be the staple diet of our day and age from here on in!
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men. You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house” (Matthew 5:13-16).
It’s Just Not Fair!!!
The problem is that, once you start to let your light shine, there are plenty of people (not to mention the devil) who want to put out that light! It’s as though the world loves the sinner, but hates the saint! If we try too hard to be good, and become good, then we are a target to be attacked and destroyed. It’s not fair, is it? It’s downright disgusting! Yep! But Our Lord never promised that the world would be fair to us, did He?
Scandalous Scriptures
“But Jesus, knowing in Himself, that His disciples murmured at this, said to them: ‘Doth this scandalize you?’” ((John 6:62). “Wonder not, brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:13). “If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated Me before you” (John 15:18). “They hated Me without cause.” (John 15:25). “Remember My word that I said to you: ‘The servant is not greater than his master.’ If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). “If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. But all these things they will do to you for My Name’s sake: because they know not Him who sent Me” (John 15:18-21). “And you shall be hated by all men for My Name’s sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22).
And If That Wasn’t Enough…
Wow! That is a pretty tough advertising campaign! And then He has to go and add things that that make it even tougher! “Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for Me, shall find it” (Matthew 10:34-39). Whew! But there is even more!
Want Some More?
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake. And then shall many be scandalized: and shall betray one another: and shall hate one another” (Matthew 24:9-10). “And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, and kinsmen and friends; and some of you they will put to death” (Luke 21:16). “The brother also shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall put them to death” (Matthew 10:21). Mark repeats the same in His Gospel: “And the brother shall betray his brother unto death, and the father his son; and children shall rise up against the parents, and shall work their death” (Mark 13:12). “Behold I have told it to you, beforehand”(Matthew 24:25).
Is There A Bright Side?
“Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for My sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in Heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).
This life is not meant to be fun: Our Lady said to St. Bernadette, "I do not promise to make you happy in this life, but in the next." Our Lord said to His Apostles: "Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy" (John 16:20). Now is the time for the Cross; eternity is the time for rest and joy. "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me"(Luke 9:23).
A Fake World—A False Peace
For all the talk about “Human Rights”, “The Rights of Man”, “Brotherhood of Nations”, “Freedom of Religion”, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”, etc., there has never been as much persecution and martyrdom as we have seen in the 20th century and which has now spilled-over into the 21st century. It fits perfectly with the prophecies of Our Lady that were made well in advance of those centuries.
The “Age of Martyrs” is the term generally used for the earliest years of Christian history, but statistics show (both Catholic and non-Catholic evaluations) and as Pope Francis remarked several times in his homilies after his election, as well as this year, that “the age of martyrs is not yet over; even today we can say, in truth, that the Church has more martyrs now than during the first centuries.” More Christians were martyred in the 20th century than in all previous centuries combined. Here is just a small sampling of the persecution that is going on worldwide, and is accelerating and increasing:
● About 170,000 Christians are martyred for their faith each year (over 400 per day).
● Currently over 200 million Christians are being persecuted worldwide.
● Christians are persecuted in 131 of the world's 193 countries [Pew Forum study].
● North Korea: in 2014, it continues to be the worst country in the world for persecution.
● Nigeria: In 2010, Christians suffered terror from Muslim extremists. Whole villages were massacred.
● Iran: Its parliament believes Muslims who change their faith and become Christian, should be put to death.
● India: up to 70,000 in Orissa have been forced to flee their homes in riots against Christians.
● Indonesia: Between 2000-2002 Muslims slaughtered 10,000 Christians.
● Iraq: half of Iraq's Christians have fled the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
● Egypt: Under Islamist pressure, Coptic Christians are being forced from their homes.
● Syria: By 2012, most of the 80,000 Christians in Homs had been 'cleansed' from their homes.
● Europe: persecution is coming in by stealth through EU (European Union) equality directives.
In its ultimate form, persecution results in martyrdom. A martyr is one who, without seeking their own death or any harm to others, is murdered or put to death for their religious faith. The word ‘martyr’ comes from the Greek word translated “witness”. Such extreme witness is always positive in that it leads to church growth. As Tertullian [a theologian in the early Christian Church] said: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
United Nations Human Rights Declaration
Today we have the noble declaration of human rights enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
Of course, this is an imperfect declaration: there is no freedom to error and no right to sin. Even though God may allow souls to adhere to a false religion and false teachings; and though He may allow souls to commit sin and reject Him, all these transgressions will have terrible and eternal consequences. Man must make laws in accordance with God's Law and man cannot contradict God's Law. Yet this UN law does not even enforce what it professes: Catholics cannot teach that sin is sin; they cannot teach that all other religions are false religions; they cannot put down sinful life-styles. This declaration, in pretending to grant freedom, in reality gags and silences. If Catholics do preach and teach the truth, then they risk persecution--at least in the political and economic field. They are looked upon as being anti-social, bigoted, guilty of 'hate-crimes.' Yet others can speak out against the Catholic Faith!
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Despite Article 18, there are severe human rights violations in many countries. Christians are persecuted across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, most of Asia (including China) and now Europe (via the European Union). Iran is one of the world’s most repressive states, and those who offend the Sharia law, may be publicly flogged, or even executed by hanging in the streets. In 2008 over 200 million Christians around the world were in danger of being tortured, persecuted, or killed for their faith.
Why?
The simple answer to the question, “Why does our good God allow all this?” is quite simply the word "sin." As Our Lady said at Fatima, wars are a punishment for sin. The worldwide explosion of sin and faithlessness has been foretold both by the Bible and Our Lady’s prophecies.
Holy Scripture
In Holy Scripture Our Lord shows that Jerusalem’s rejection of Him, would be severely punished: “You shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army … For these are the days of vengeance, that all things may be fulfilled, that are written ... for there shall be great wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword; and shall be led away captives into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles” (Luke 21:20-24). "For the days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side, and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee: and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation" (Luke 19:43-44).
Why? Because of sin. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked” (Galatinas 6:7). “Sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15). “According to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of God” (Romans 2:5).
Our Lady of La Salette
This is exactly what Our Lady, at La Salette in 1846, foretold would happen: “If my people do not wish to submit themselves, I am forced to let go of the hand of my Son. It is so heavy and weighs me down so much, that I can no longer keep hold of it … Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! God will exhaust His wrath upon them, and no one will be able to escape so many afflictions together ... God will allow the old serpent to cause divisions among those who reign in every society and in every family. Physical and moral agonies will be suffered. God will abandon mankind to itself and will send punishments which will follow one after the other …
"The society of men is on the eve of the most terrible scourges and of gravest events. Mankind must expect to be ruled with an iron rod and to drink from the chalice of the wrath of God ... The priests, by their wicked lives, by their irreverence and their impiety in the celebration of the holy mysteries, by their love of money, their love of honors and pleasures, the priests have become cesspools of impurity. Yes, the priests are asking vengeance, and vengeance is hanging over their heads. Woe to the priests and to those dedicated to God who, by their unfaithfulness and their wicked lives, are crucifying my Son again! The sins of those dedicated to God cry out towards Heaven and call for vengeance, and now vengeance is at their door … Churches will be locked up or desecrated. Priests and religious orders will be hunted down, and made to die a cruel death ...
“Lucifer, together with a large number of demons, will be unloosed from Hell; they will put an end to Faith little by little, even in those dedicated to God ... Religious institutions will lose all Faith and will lose many souls. Evil books will be abundant on earth and the spirits of darkness will spread everywhere a universal slackening of all that concerns the service of God ... People will think of nothing but amusement ...
"All the civil governments will have one and the same plan, which will be to abolish and do away with every religious principle, to make way for materialism, atheism, spiritualism and vice of all kinds ... They will abolish civil rights as well as ecclesiastical, all order and all justice would be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension would be seen, without love for country or family ... Italy will be punished for her ambition in wanting to shake off the yoke of the Lord of Lords. And so she will be left to fight a war; blood will flow on all sides … France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling. For a time, God will cease to remember France and Italy because the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been forgotten. The wicked will make use of all their evil ways. Men will kill each other, massacre each other even in their homes.” (Our Lady of La Salette).
Getting Through To Us
We therefore see the terrible consequences of the ever escalating sins of the world. We were asked to do something to counter-balance this by Our Lady of Fatima, who asked for many Rosaries and sacrifices, and the five First Saturday devotions of reparation to the her Immaculate Heart. Yet most good souls, if they are not part of the deluge of sin, are too busy with their own ‘good’ preoccupations, and so Our Lady’s requests go, for the most part, unanswered—the few that do comply with her requests are a mere few drops of water against the tsunami of sin. That is why God has to release an unprecedented chastisement upon the world, for when the world is faced with what, Our Lady says, has never been seen before, then some of them will, in fear, be brought to their knees and their senses. It seems that this is only way in which we will listen and obey!
Sin is the chief cause of today's persecution. Sin is chief cause of today's martyrdom. Sin is the chief cause of the world's problems. Sin will be the cause of the chastisements to come. This seems to be the staple diet of our day and age from here on in!
July 10th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
DO YOU WANT TO BE A MARTYR?
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
DO YOU WANT TO BE A MARTYR?
Martyrdom—a Thing of the Past?
The concept of martyrdom is well known in the history of religion and oppressed minorities. In the ancient world, for example, many Christians were cruelly tortured and killed by the Roman rulers just for being Christians. Those who maintained their Faith, despite the pain of death, would then be designated martyrs (literally, witnesses) by fellow believers.
In the last US Presidential Election, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago observed that strong anti-religious sentiments had clearly emerged during the 2012 political campaigns, and said that he had been quoted accurately in predicting that “that I expected to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”
The cardinal said that he had made that dramatic reference to the prospect of martyrdom, in an effort to underline the urgency of the problems, created by aggressive anti-religious secularism. This, of course, fits perfectly with what Our Lady predicted at La Salette: “All the civil governments will have one and the same plan, which will be to abolish and do away with every religious principle, to make way for materialism, atheism, spiritualism and vice of all kinds ... They will abolish civil rights as well as ecclesiastical, all order and all justice would be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension would be seen, without love for country or family.”
Not Phased By Martyrdom Anymore!
I think as modern Catholics, we hear the word "martyrdom", and it doesn't stir us anymore to think that blood was shed and lives were destroyed over the Christian Faith, even though it still happens to this present day, with there being more people killed for the Faith in the 20th century than in all previous centuries combined! Perhaps it is because we aren't huddling in catacombs, or having to attend Mass in secret, that we feel distanced from these saints. But as shown by the quote from Cardinal Francis George, we have to recognize the reality of possible martyrdom in our near future. Take into account Our Lady’s prophecies and the likelihood increases. Where is the “Dummies Guide to Martyrdom” when you need it?!!!
White Martyrdom!
However, in this modern age, even though bloody martyrdom raises its head in places like Africa, Asia and the Middle-East, there is another more sublte form of martyrdom, which does not entail the loss of blood, which could be called a "white martyrdom" and which is a modern everyday reality. One Catholic priest writes:“There is, what the Church calls, ‘white martyrdom’. This means living a life of witness to the Catholic Faith, under constant duress and psychological pressure, from a world that rejects Christ's followers, even as it rejected the Incarnate Son of God when He came into the world in first century Palestine.”
Chinese Fears
The UK Catholic Herald, recently ran an article, by its consulting editor, Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith, entitled “Beijing is persecuting the Church because it fears China will one day be Christian.”
In the article Fr. Lucie-Smith states in “the People’s Republic of China, only state-sponsored churches are afforded legal recognition, and other churches are harassed by the government. This harassment seems to be increasing, as this report of the imprisonment of a pastor makes clear. The pastor in question is going down for twelve years, on a trumped-up charge to do with a property dispute: in other words the State is taking full advantage of the pastor’s church’s lack of legal status to persecute him, and, though him, his church. Of course, the Chinese government does not like what it cannot control [true of most governments today], which is a sign of tyrannical government, because government is meant to be limited by the rights of those who are governed. Moreover, law in China does not seem to protect citizens, but seems to be an instrument of oppression in the hands of the rulers … This state-sponsored clamp-down on religion has one positive aspect, though. It is an indication that the Chinese government sees Christianity as a threat (rather as some of the nineteenth century Emperors did); this is a sign that Faith is growing in China. It is a sign too, I believe, that one day China will be a Christian country, and the Communist Party a distant if unpleasant memory.”
More Subtle Persecution
The Church has always suffered persecution, but it is more subtle today than it used to be. The enemies of the Church have realized that Tertullian’s statement seems to be true, that: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” So the enemies of the Church have changed their tactics—and those tactics are indeed insidious. They know that a true bloody martyrdom means that the victim has preserved his Faith and automatically goes to Heaven. Even though the enemy has eliminated a Catholic, the Catholic still get his or her reward of eternal joy in Heaven. So the enemies have tried to come up with a better tactic—one that will eliminate the Church and send the victim, not to Heaven, but to Hell!
“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them”(Apocalypse 13:7). Today, Satan usually directs persecution not to a person's physical body, but to his ego and his soul. He focuses on pride, the desire or craving of people for acceptance, or the desire for status. That's very effective. Satan doesn't often threaten a Christian by saying, "If you stand up for your Faith, I'll cut your head off." Instead, he threatens a Catholic by saying, "If you want to really practice and stand up for your Faith, then you might lose your job, your status—or someone might think you are strange, you will be ostracized by work colleagues, friends and family."
Fight Strength With Decadence
The techniques, that Satan uses today, have a tremendous effect in a subtle way. He has found that it is very effective to weaken and even--as he wishfully hopes--to destroy the Church, by making it complacent, lazy, lukewarm, fat, rich, and socially oriented. The Church has watered down her theology to accommodate the world. That is a more successful form of persecution than having all Christians boiled in oil!
On top of that, through this complacency, laziness, lukewarmness, materialism and social preoccupation, Satan hopes to lead as many souls as possible into mortal sin—so that they don’t die defending the Faith, but that they die neglecting the Faith. So instead of going to a reward in Heaven, they end up falling into his clutches in Hell.
Of course, there are still many places, in the world today, where there is still physical persecution of Christians; and Satan will use his stooges to implement this physical persecution if the subtle persecution methods fail—much like playing “soft cop and hard cop.”
Even in America, some Christians suffer from physical persecution. But no matter how Satan carries out his persecution, he is always antagonistic to the Church, the teachings of the Church, and the staunch defenders of the Church. Sometimes he persecutes the Church in an obvious and flagrant manner; other times he subtly persecutes the church by making Christians not want to offend others so that they might maintain the acceptance or status their ego desires.
Antidotes
Of course, God is stronger than Satan. Good will always triumph over evil. Yet this does not mean that there will be no wounds, no bruises, no pain, no anxiety, no despondency, no lost battles. In this fight for God and our own salvation, there will be much anxiety, many bruises, perhaps much pain, we may lose some battles before winning the war. But as Our Lord said: “He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22).
The antidotes are no secret, but few have a real taste for them. To overcome Satan—whom Our Lady said has been released and given free rein to fight against the Church and her children—Our Lord said: “This kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:20). Which is what Our Lady asked form us at Fatima:“Pray, pray very much. Make sacrifices for sinners. Many souls go to Hell, because no one is willing to help them with sacrifice.” Yet, in this modern age, Our Lady of La Salette’s lament rings true: “People will think of nothing but amusement.”
Even Children Can Use These Weapons
Little Francisco was told that he would only go to Heaven if he first prayed many Rosaries—a little 8 year old boy! What sins had he committed that required him to say so many Rosaries—and from the moment he was told of Our Lady’s comment, he was rarely seen without the Rosary in his hand—much like St. Padre Pio, who would say as many as 35, or 40 or 50 Rosaries a day. No wonder then, that Padre Pio said: “The Rosary is THE weapon!” As Our Lady said to St. Bernadette at Lourdes: “Where is your Rosary?” Well then, where is our Rosary? Where is our weapon? How good are we at using it? How often do we use it? Likewise with oursacrifices and penances. Where are they? How many are they? How well are they endured? Or are we full of mumbles, grumbles, moans and groans, whinging and whining when a sacrifice comes our way?
These two weapons are what Our Lady of La Salette mentions will be used in the apocalyptic battles of the End Times that we have undoubtedly entered: “People will believe that all is lost. Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy. The righteous will suffer greatly. Theirprayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God's people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession ... “God will take care of His faithful servants … I will fight at their side … And then Jesus Christ, in an act of His justice and His great mercy, will command His Angels to have all His enemies put to death. Suddenly, the persecutors of the Church of Jesus Christ, and all those given over to sin, will perish and the earth will become desert-like. And then peace will be made, and man will be reconciled with God. Jesus Christ will be served, worshiped and glorified. Charity will flourish everywhere.”
Words of Encouragement
“Do not fear, but speak; and hold not thy peace” (Acts 18:9). “Fear not, only believe” (Mark 5:36). “When you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, fear ye not! For such things must needs be” (Mark 13:7). “Fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him that can destroy both soul and body in Hell” (Matthew 10:28). “And His mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear Him” (Luke 1:50). “Have confidence! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Reading War Manuals or Watching TV and Having Fun?
So where are we? Watching movies or on our knees? Reading worldly literature or reading religious literature? Talking about the world (fashions, sports, entertainment, etc) or taking about God and what is to come. Do we fall under the category of people of whom Our Lady of La Salette complained about: “People will think of nothing but amusement.”
The Two Groups
St. Louis de Montfort, in his Letter to the Friends of the Cross, writes: “Do you really know the voice of God and grace from the voice of the world and human nature? … Is your ear attentive to the pleading of the lovable and cross-burdened Jesus, "Come, follow Me! He that followeth Me walketh not in darkness (John 8:12) Have confidence, I have conquered the world" (John 16,:33)? …
"Dear Brethren. these are the two groups that appear before you each day, the followers of Christ and the followers of the world. Our loving Savior's group is to the right, scaling a narrow path made all the narrower by the world's corruption . Our kind Master is in the lead, barefooted, thorn-crowned, robed in His blood and weighted with a heavy cross. There is only a handful of people who follow Him, but they are the bravest of the brave ...
"To the left is the world's group, the devil's in fact, which is far superior in number, and seemingly far more colorful and splendid in array. Fashionable folk are all in a hurry to enlist, the highways are overcrowded, although they are broad and ever broadening with the crowds that flow through in a torrent. These roads are strewn with flowers, bordered with all kinds of amusements and attractions and paved with gold and silver …
"A Friend of the Cross is a holy man, separated from visible things. His heart is lifted high above all that is frail and perishable; ‘his conversation is in Heaven’ (Philippians 3:20); he journeys here below like a stranger and pilgrim. He keeps his heart free from the world, looks upon it with an unconcerned glance of his left eye and disdainfully tramples it under foot.” (St. Louis de Montfort, Letter to the Friends of the Cross).
That's the Spirit!!!
Let us beg Heaven, through our prayers and sacrifices, that we may be mercifully given the spirit of St. Louis de Montfort, the spirit of St. Paul, the spirit of Our Lady, the spirit of the Cross, which is the spirit of Our Lord. “So that we may confidently say: ‘The Lord is my helper! I will not fear what man shall do to me!’” (Hebrews 13:6). And, when God shows His mighty hand, we shall see “Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world” (Luke 21:26).
The final word belongs to Our Lady of La Salette: "I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your Faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends.
“The Church will be in eclipse, the world will be in dismay. But now Enoch and Elias will come, filled with the Spirit of God. They will preach with the might of God, and men of good will will believe in God, and many souls will be comforted. They will make great steps forward through the power of the Holy Ghost and will condemn the devilish lapses of the Antichrist."
The concept of martyrdom is well known in the history of religion and oppressed minorities. In the ancient world, for example, many Christians were cruelly tortured and killed by the Roman rulers just for being Christians. Those who maintained their Faith, despite the pain of death, would then be designated martyrs (literally, witnesses) by fellow believers.
In the last US Presidential Election, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago observed that strong anti-religious sentiments had clearly emerged during the 2012 political campaigns, and said that he had been quoted accurately in predicting that “that I expected to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”
The cardinal said that he had made that dramatic reference to the prospect of martyrdom, in an effort to underline the urgency of the problems, created by aggressive anti-religious secularism. This, of course, fits perfectly with what Our Lady predicted at La Salette: “All the civil governments will have one and the same plan, which will be to abolish and do away with every religious principle, to make way for materialism, atheism, spiritualism and vice of all kinds ... They will abolish civil rights as well as ecclesiastical, all order and all justice would be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension would be seen, without love for country or family.”
Not Phased By Martyrdom Anymore!
I think as modern Catholics, we hear the word "martyrdom", and it doesn't stir us anymore to think that blood was shed and lives were destroyed over the Christian Faith, even though it still happens to this present day, with there being more people killed for the Faith in the 20th century than in all previous centuries combined! Perhaps it is because we aren't huddling in catacombs, or having to attend Mass in secret, that we feel distanced from these saints. But as shown by the quote from Cardinal Francis George, we have to recognize the reality of possible martyrdom in our near future. Take into account Our Lady’s prophecies and the likelihood increases. Where is the “Dummies Guide to Martyrdom” when you need it?!!!
White Martyrdom!
However, in this modern age, even though bloody martyrdom raises its head in places like Africa, Asia and the Middle-East, there is another more sublte form of martyrdom, which does not entail the loss of blood, which could be called a "white martyrdom" and which is a modern everyday reality. One Catholic priest writes:“There is, what the Church calls, ‘white martyrdom’. This means living a life of witness to the Catholic Faith, under constant duress and psychological pressure, from a world that rejects Christ's followers, even as it rejected the Incarnate Son of God when He came into the world in first century Palestine.”
Chinese Fears
The UK Catholic Herald, recently ran an article, by its consulting editor, Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith, entitled “Beijing is persecuting the Church because it fears China will one day be Christian.”
In the article Fr. Lucie-Smith states in “the People’s Republic of China, only state-sponsored churches are afforded legal recognition, and other churches are harassed by the government. This harassment seems to be increasing, as this report of the imprisonment of a pastor makes clear. The pastor in question is going down for twelve years, on a trumped-up charge to do with a property dispute: in other words the State is taking full advantage of the pastor’s church’s lack of legal status to persecute him, and, though him, his church. Of course, the Chinese government does not like what it cannot control [true of most governments today], which is a sign of tyrannical government, because government is meant to be limited by the rights of those who are governed. Moreover, law in China does not seem to protect citizens, but seems to be an instrument of oppression in the hands of the rulers … This state-sponsored clamp-down on religion has one positive aspect, though. It is an indication that the Chinese government sees Christianity as a threat (rather as some of the nineteenth century Emperors did); this is a sign that Faith is growing in China. It is a sign too, I believe, that one day China will be a Christian country, and the Communist Party a distant if unpleasant memory.”
More Subtle Persecution
The Church has always suffered persecution, but it is more subtle today than it used to be. The enemies of the Church have realized that Tertullian’s statement seems to be true, that: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” So the enemies of the Church have changed their tactics—and those tactics are indeed insidious. They know that a true bloody martyrdom means that the victim has preserved his Faith and automatically goes to Heaven. Even though the enemy has eliminated a Catholic, the Catholic still get his or her reward of eternal joy in Heaven. So the enemies have tried to come up with a better tactic—one that will eliminate the Church and send the victim, not to Heaven, but to Hell!
“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them”(Apocalypse 13:7). Today, Satan usually directs persecution not to a person's physical body, but to his ego and his soul. He focuses on pride, the desire or craving of people for acceptance, or the desire for status. That's very effective. Satan doesn't often threaten a Christian by saying, "If you stand up for your Faith, I'll cut your head off." Instead, he threatens a Catholic by saying, "If you want to really practice and stand up for your Faith, then you might lose your job, your status—or someone might think you are strange, you will be ostracized by work colleagues, friends and family."
Fight Strength With Decadence
The techniques, that Satan uses today, have a tremendous effect in a subtle way. He has found that it is very effective to weaken and even--as he wishfully hopes--to destroy the Church, by making it complacent, lazy, lukewarm, fat, rich, and socially oriented. The Church has watered down her theology to accommodate the world. That is a more successful form of persecution than having all Christians boiled in oil!
On top of that, through this complacency, laziness, lukewarmness, materialism and social preoccupation, Satan hopes to lead as many souls as possible into mortal sin—so that they don’t die defending the Faith, but that they die neglecting the Faith. So instead of going to a reward in Heaven, they end up falling into his clutches in Hell.
Of course, there are still many places, in the world today, where there is still physical persecution of Christians; and Satan will use his stooges to implement this physical persecution if the subtle persecution methods fail—much like playing “soft cop and hard cop.”
Even in America, some Christians suffer from physical persecution. But no matter how Satan carries out his persecution, he is always antagonistic to the Church, the teachings of the Church, and the staunch defenders of the Church. Sometimes he persecutes the Church in an obvious and flagrant manner; other times he subtly persecutes the church by making Christians not want to offend others so that they might maintain the acceptance or status their ego desires.
Antidotes
Of course, God is stronger than Satan. Good will always triumph over evil. Yet this does not mean that there will be no wounds, no bruises, no pain, no anxiety, no despondency, no lost battles. In this fight for God and our own salvation, there will be much anxiety, many bruises, perhaps much pain, we may lose some battles before winning the war. But as Our Lord said: “He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22).
The antidotes are no secret, but few have a real taste for them. To overcome Satan—whom Our Lady said has been released and given free rein to fight against the Church and her children—Our Lord said: “This kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:20). Which is what Our Lady asked form us at Fatima:“Pray, pray very much. Make sacrifices for sinners. Many souls go to Hell, because no one is willing to help them with sacrifice.” Yet, in this modern age, Our Lady of La Salette’s lament rings true: “People will think of nothing but amusement.”
Even Children Can Use These Weapons
Little Francisco was told that he would only go to Heaven if he first prayed many Rosaries—a little 8 year old boy! What sins had he committed that required him to say so many Rosaries—and from the moment he was told of Our Lady’s comment, he was rarely seen without the Rosary in his hand—much like St. Padre Pio, who would say as many as 35, or 40 or 50 Rosaries a day. No wonder then, that Padre Pio said: “The Rosary is THE weapon!” As Our Lady said to St. Bernadette at Lourdes: “Where is your Rosary?” Well then, where is our Rosary? Where is our weapon? How good are we at using it? How often do we use it? Likewise with oursacrifices and penances. Where are they? How many are they? How well are they endured? Or are we full of mumbles, grumbles, moans and groans, whinging and whining when a sacrifice comes our way?
These two weapons are what Our Lady of La Salette mentions will be used in the apocalyptic battles of the End Times that we have undoubtedly entered: “People will believe that all is lost. Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy. The righteous will suffer greatly. Theirprayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God's people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession ... “God will take care of His faithful servants … I will fight at their side … And then Jesus Christ, in an act of His justice and His great mercy, will command His Angels to have all His enemies put to death. Suddenly, the persecutors of the Church of Jesus Christ, and all those given over to sin, will perish and the earth will become desert-like. And then peace will be made, and man will be reconciled with God. Jesus Christ will be served, worshiped and glorified. Charity will flourish everywhere.”
Words of Encouragement
“Do not fear, but speak; and hold not thy peace” (Acts 18:9). “Fear not, only believe” (Mark 5:36). “When you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, fear ye not! For such things must needs be” (Mark 13:7). “Fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him that can destroy both soul and body in Hell” (Matthew 10:28). “And His mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear Him” (Luke 1:50). “Have confidence! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Reading War Manuals or Watching TV and Having Fun?
So where are we? Watching movies or on our knees? Reading worldly literature or reading religious literature? Talking about the world (fashions, sports, entertainment, etc) or taking about God and what is to come. Do we fall under the category of people of whom Our Lady of La Salette complained about: “People will think of nothing but amusement.”
The Two Groups
St. Louis de Montfort, in his Letter to the Friends of the Cross, writes: “Do you really know the voice of God and grace from the voice of the world and human nature? … Is your ear attentive to the pleading of the lovable and cross-burdened Jesus, "Come, follow Me! He that followeth Me walketh not in darkness (John 8:12) Have confidence, I have conquered the world" (John 16,:33)? …
"Dear Brethren. these are the two groups that appear before you each day, the followers of Christ and the followers of the world. Our loving Savior's group is to the right, scaling a narrow path made all the narrower by the world's corruption . Our kind Master is in the lead, barefooted, thorn-crowned, robed in His blood and weighted with a heavy cross. There is only a handful of people who follow Him, but they are the bravest of the brave ...
"To the left is the world's group, the devil's in fact, which is far superior in number, and seemingly far more colorful and splendid in array. Fashionable folk are all in a hurry to enlist, the highways are overcrowded, although they are broad and ever broadening with the crowds that flow through in a torrent. These roads are strewn with flowers, bordered with all kinds of amusements and attractions and paved with gold and silver …
"A Friend of the Cross is a holy man, separated from visible things. His heart is lifted high above all that is frail and perishable; ‘his conversation is in Heaven’ (Philippians 3:20); he journeys here below like a stranger and pilgrim. He keeps his heart free from the world, looks upon it with an unconcerned glance of his left eye and disdainfully tramples it under foot.” (St. Louis de Montfort, Letter to the Friends of the Cross).
That's the Spirit!!!
Let us beg Heaven, through our prayers and sacrifices, that we may be mercifully given the spirit of St. Louis de Montfort, the spirit of St. Paul, the spirit of Our Lady, the spirit of the Cross, which is the spirit of Our Lord. “So that we may confidently say: ‘The Lord is my helper! I will not fear what man shall do to me!’” (Hebrews 13:6). And, when God shows His mighty hand, we shall see “Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world” (Luke 21:26).
The final word belongs to Our Lady of La Salette: "I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your Faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends.
“The Church will be in eclipse, the world will be in dismay. But now Enoch and Elias will come, filled with the Spirit of God. They will preach with the might of God, and men of good will will believe in God, and many souls will be comforted. They will make great steps forward through the power of the Holy Ghost and will condemn the devilish lapses of the Antichrist."
July 11th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
GIVING BLOOD
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
GIVING BLOOD
The Thoughts of Fr. Aedan McGrath
For today's Daily Thoughts article, we give way to the thoughts of Fr. Aedan McGrath, an Irish Columban missionary priest (now deceased) who speaks of his experiences of Communist persecution of Catholics in China, after they took power in 1949. The remainder of the article consists of the words of Fr. McGrath.
Persecuted, but Thrilled
I spent the three most thrilling years of my life as Envoy of the Legion of Mary in China. They were thrilling years because, for the first time, I fully realized the tremendous possibilities of the lay apostolate as a missionary arm of the Church. I saw the heights of spiritual heroism men, women and even children are capable of--provided they are given a high enough ideal. I learned all this from the Legionaries of Mary in pagan China.
No Faith in the Laity
I knew literally nothing about the Legion of Mary until 1937, when I started a Praesidium in my parish of Tsien Kiang, in central China. I had done so with the gravest misgivings, because a previous attempt at enlisting lay folk, to assist me in the apostolate, had ended in dismal failure. Not alone was it a failure, but grave harm had been done. The indiscretions of the over-zealous had antagonized many; and, for three years, I was the target of anonymous letters and a whispering campaign. The Church had lost "face" before the very people whom I wished to influence and convert, the Chinese in Tsien Kiang. I became fixed in my determination never again to allow my Catholics any active part in my missionary apostolate. I would work as hard as I could by myself.
Hey! Try This!
It was then that my bishop, Monsignor Edward J. Galvin of Hanyang, gave me a copy of the Legion of Mary Handbook. “Read it,” he said. “I think you will find in it just what you need.”
It was the first time I had ever seen a Legion of Mary Handbook. I read it and was skeptical. The Legion expected from lay people a spirituality and height of self-sacrifice which I did not think possible anywhere, let alone in missionary China. But one sentence intrigued me and stood out as a challenge—a challenge, it seemed, from Our Lady: “If past experience is an indication, no branch of the Legion will fail which is worked according to our rule.” I made a bargain with Our Lady. I would follow the Legion of Mary system, down to the last detail; it was up to her to produce the results.
Trial Run
I kept the formation of my first Praesidium [a Legion 'chapter' or unit] a secret from the parish for six months. Its few members used to meet in my little house late at night. We were still afraid of failure and the harm that failure might do.
But the Legion did not fail; it revitalized my parish. Invalid marriages that had defied all my efforts were put right; the lapsed came back; catechumens who had been postponing a decision asked for baptism. Before a year had passed there were three praesidia of the Legion in Tsien Kiang, a city with only sixty Catholics among its 10,000 people.
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going
The Japanese had invaded China in 1937 and in 1939 the invaders reached Tsien Kiang. Fifteen-hundred people, mostly women and their children, flocked into the Catholic mission seeking protection from a soldiery whose evil reputation had preceded them. I interviewed the Japanese commander and, to his everlasting credit, he gave me a guarantee that they would not be molested; but the terrified people, many of them prosperous and well-to-do, remained in my care for almost a year.
During that time the Legion of Mary showed its mettle. They helped me to restore order out of chaos. They moved among the refugees; they gave instruction to converts. At the end of a year there were 500 new Catholics in Tsien Kiang, and the number of Legion Praesidia had increased to six, with a hundred members all told. Times were hard in China but my new Catholics told me to write to my bishop and tell him to send me no more money, that they would support me.
Forced Out
In 1942, I was forced by the Japanese to leave my parish, and for two and a half years I and many of my fellow-Columban missionaries were confined to Hanyang City. But in my absence the Legionaries continued to hold their meetings. They assembled the Catholics and led them in their prayers; they continued to instruct catechumens. To me that was the most significant pointer to the worth of the Legion. When the priest was gone, they still carried on the apostolic work of the Church.
I’ll Buy It!
I was sold on the Legion and when Archbishop Riberi, Papal Internuncio to China, appointed me in 1948 to preach and organize the Legion of Mary throughout China, my job was to sell it to others. “There are 500 million people.” Monsignor Riberi said, “and only 7,000 priests. Even if we doubled or tripled that number, the conversion of China would still be impossible.” The Communists were well on their way to winning control of the whole country and the Internuncio saw that a time was coming when the foreign missionary would be a marked man and so would the Chinese bishops and priests. The future of the Church in China might be largely dependent on fervent lay apostles. Monsignor Rebury hoped to form these apostles through the Legion of Mary.
Dark Days Coming!
I traveled throughout China, almost without a break, for nearly two years—by air, by road, by river. I can never forget the sympathetic hearing and cooperation, and the hospitality I received from Chinese bishops and priests and from foreign missionaries of every nationality. I never stayed very long in any place. Once a Praesidium [Legion 'chapter' or unit] was set up and the Legion method explained, I moved on. As long as the Handbook was followed, I knew the Legion would thrive; and it did. Our Lady wanted to use the laity through the Legion. She was preparing China’s Catholics for the dark days that were so near.
Phenomenal Growth
Within less than two years, there were more than a thousand praesidia established throughout China. The Legion had spread so fast that the Concilium [Legion HQ] in Dublin was alarmed. Were we going ahead too quickly? Would so young an organization survive? I was nervous too. But I wrote back to Frank Duff, the founder of the Legion: “I know our progress is terrific. I’m a bit scared myself, but the Chinese Catholics realize that they must do something in the face of this diabolical Communism. Why stop Our Blessed Mother’s hand when She feels it is necessary?”
Communist Take-Over
By the end of 1949 the Communists were in control of nearly all China, and in Chungking in that year I got my first inkling of what lay ahead. The Communist police came to me and told me that I must cease my Legion activities. I gave them a Handbook and invited them to come to any Praesidium meeting so that they could see for themselves that the Legion was a religious organization. They did this and after three weeks they returned the book with the comment, “This is a great organization, just like Communism.” It was the greatest compliment they could pay. They gave me a pass to return to Shanghai and the Legion was permitted to resume in Chungking. But, of course, they were merely biding their time. They were not ready yet.
Persecution Starts
Shortly afterwards, the Reds started their famous Triple Independence Movement, by which they hoped to establish, among the Catholics, a national church, separated from Rome. To counter the danger, Father Legrand, of the Catholic Central Bureau in Shanghai, got pamphlets printed, defining the position of the Church, and had them posted to every part of China. The priests explained them to the Catholics. The Communists failed in their plan and they blamed the Legion for their failure. They decided to crush it.
Lies! Lies! Lies!
The Legion was labeled “counter-revolutionary,” “reactionary,” “a secret spy organization working for the imperialists.” The Catholic Central Bureau was closed down. The Communist press and radio conducted a violent campaign against Archbishop Riberi and the Legion. Every church in Shanghai was ordered to register its parish organizations, but the Legion was the only one specifically mentioned. In Peking, the Communists came to the Legion authorities there and said, “In order to protect you, we must know who you are. We must have the names of all your members, the places where you meet, your telephone numbers and the minutes of your meetings.”
Fearless 19-year-old Girl
The Communists’ anxiety to “protect” the Legion was the danger signal. We decided to disband the Legion, and to protect Legionaries, we burned all minutes and lists of names. I remarked to the nineteen year old President of my Junior Praesidium,“Isn’t it a pity they have turned against the Legion?” She replied, “Don’t say that, Father. This is glorious!” When I was expelled from China in 1954, I learned that she, Noelle Wang, had been in prison for a year and a half.
Prison
In September, I and many other priests in Shanghai were arrested and put in prison. Shortly afterwards, the President and Vice-president of the Shanghai Legion Senatus [the Senatus is a governing body for local Legion Praeisdia, just like a bishop is to his priests] followed us. Francis Seng, the President, had accepted office when he knew trouble was coming. A married man, he had five good reasons for refusing—his five children. The last I heard of him was that he was refusing to accuse me, and refusing to say that the Legion was reactionary, or an imperialist organization.
A fellow prisoner, who was released, said that his hands had been handcuffed behind his back until he collapsed, and the Communists feared he might die. Dr. Chang, the Vice-president, some days before my arrest, came to visit me. I said to him, “How do you feel about what is happening?” He replied, “Oh! I’m alright.” I went on. “Rather, how does your wife feel about it?” He said, “My wife said, ‘Do what you should do for Our Lady. Do not worry about me. I will look after the children.’ “ Two heroes! I have heard nothing of them for almost four years.
Dr. Chang’s wife was called to the police station in Shanghai. The Communists told her, “Your husband has confessed and is ready to come home, but you must confess first.” She replied, “I do not believe you. If the only way my husband can receive better treatment is by denying his Faith, I do not want to see him home, and if he comes, I shall go to prison in his place!”
Give Yourself Up
The Military Control Committee, the most feared Communist authority in Shanghai, set up forty centers with about 500 officials waiting to receive the registration of Legionaries. A placard outside each station read: “Registration of Reactionary and Secret Organization—the Legion of Mary.” The newspapers, the streetcars, rickshaws, shops and schools in the city were placarded with cartoons vilifying the Legion. But only a handful of Legionaries registered and some of them did so under pressure from their families. Many of them went back and withdrew their registrations.
No Compromise
A letter was written in blood by Legionaries to the Bishop of Shanghai. “Monsignor, we will follow you wherever you go,” said the letter. “We are proud to live in this age of persecution and there can be no compromise.” No wonder the Communists complained bitterly to me in prison, that their plan for a national church had been ruined by the “Imperialist Legion of Mary.” A ‘progressive’ priest said, in a Communist newspaper article, that wherever there was a Praesidium of the Legion, the national church movement had been a complete failure.
My great friend and helper, Father Joe Seng, Spiritual Director of the Legion in Shanghai, died after sixteen months of imprisonment. He helped to translate the Handbook into Chinese. “The Legion is my life” he told Shanghai Legionaries.
The refusal of Legionaries to register led to the arrest of thousands. Soon, every Legion officer was in prison. Among those was Johanna Hsiao, a girl in her early 20s, who before being jailed had set up 362 praesidia in the north of China. She was imprisoned in 1951 (and now lives in Ireland).
The total number of those executed by the Communists is almost unbelievable. In the 1950s, Time magazine estimated that between the years 1949 and 1952, 20 million people were put to death under Mao Tse-Tung. Another estimate is that between the years 1949 and 1970, the number increased to 60 million. The Legion of Mary martyrs were among that number.
In Your Face!
When the Legion was condemned by the Communists, the members of my Junior Praesidium, led by their nineteen year-old President, left their last meeting waving copies of the New Testament and crying: “Matthew, Chapter Five, Verse Eleven: ‘Blessed are ye when they shall persecute and calumniate you and say all that is evil against you untruly in My Name. Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in Heaven.’ “
I learned a great deal when I was privileged to see China’s Legionaries in action. I learned even more when I saw the apostles of Communism in action both in prison and outside. For every true Communist is an apostle, dedicated to this atheistic cause. For him, no labor, no suffering is too great. The Communists want to show that they love the world, the down-trodden, the poor, the unemployed, the wretched ones of the world. But this is only a policy to achieve the godless, Communist world-state.
What the World Needs
“The world belongs to him who loves it most and who proves that love,” said the Curé of Ars, quoted in the Legion Handbook. We also must love the world — not in a worldly way, but for the cause of Christ. Ours must be an even more heroic service, for the Communist weapons of oppression, intrigue, and terror are not for Mary’s children.
It is no longer enough for each Catholic to seek merely to save his own soul. The challenge of Communism can only be met by apostles, active workers for God, clothed with the armor of prayer; branded with the marks of self-sacrifice; and complete dedication to the cause of Christ. Such apostles were countless legionaries in China, such should every Catholic be.
Taken from Mission Digest, February, 1956.
For today's Daily Thoughts article, we give way to the thoughts of Fr. Aedan McGrath, an Irish Columban missionary priest (now deceased) who speaks of his experiences of Communist persecution of Catholics in China, after they took power in 1949. The remainder of the article consists of the words of Fr. McGrath.
Persecuted, but Thrilled
I spent the three most thrilling years of my life as Envoy of the Legion of Mary in China. They were thrilling years because, for the first time, I fully realized the tremendous possibilities of the lay apostolate as a missionary arm of the Church. I saw the heights of spiritual heroism men, women and even children are capable of--provided they are given a high enough ideal. I learned all this from the Legionaries of Mary in pagan China.
No Faith in the Laity
I knew literally nothing about the Legion of Mary until 1937, when I started a Praesidium in my parish of Tsien Kiang, in central China. I had done so with the gravest misgivings, because a previous attempt at enlisting lay folk, to assist me in the apostolate, had ended in dismal failure. Not alone was it a failure, but grave harm had been done. The indiscretions of the over-zealous had antagonized many; and, for three years, I was the target of anonymous letters and a whispering campaign. The Church had lost "face" before the very people whom I wished to influence and convert, the Chinese in Tsien Kiang. I became fixed in my determination never again to allow my Catholics any active part in my missionary apostolate. I would work as hard as I could by myself.
Hey! Try This!
It was then that my bishop, Monsignor Edward J. Galvin of Hanyang, gave me a copy of the Legion of Mary Handbook. “Read it,” he said. “I think you will find in it just what you need.”
It was the first time I had ever seen a Legion of Mary Handbook. I read it and was skeptical. The Legion expected from lay people a spirituality and height of self-sacrifice which I did not think possible anywhere, let alone in missionary China. But one sentence intrigued me and stood out as a challenge—a challenge, it seemed, from Our Lady: “If past experience is an indication, no branch of the Legion will fail which is worked according to our rule.” I made a bargain with Our Lady. I would follow the Legion of Mary system, down to the last detail; it was up to her to produce the results.
Trial Run
I kept the formation of my first Praesidium [a Legion 'chapter' or unit] a secret from the parish for six months. Its few members used to meet in my little house late at night. We were still afraid of failure and the harm that failure might do.
But the Legion did not fail; it revitalized my parish. Invalid marriages that had defied all my efforts were put right; the lapsed came back; catechumens who had been postponing a decision asked for baptism. Before a year had passed there were three praesidia of the Legion in Tsien Kiang, a city with only sixty Catholics among its 10,000 people.
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going
The Japanese had invaded China in 1937 and in 1939 the invaders reached Tsien Kiang. Fifteen-hundred people, mostly women and their children, flocked into the Catholic mission seeking protection from a soldiery whose evil reputation had preceded them. I interviewed the Japanese commander and, to his everlasting credit, he gave me a guarantee that they would not be molested; but the terrified people, many of them prosperous and well-to-do, remained in my care for almost a year.
During that time the Legion of Mary showed its mettle. They helped me to restore order out of chaos. They moved among the refugees; they gave instruction to converts. At the end of a year there were 500 new Catholics in Tsien Kiang, and the number of Legion Praesidia had increased to six, with a hundred members all told. Times were hard in China but my new Catholics told me to write to my bishop and tell him to send me no more money, that they would support me.
Forced Out
In 1942, I was forced by the Japanese to leave my parish, and for two and a half years I and many of my fellow-Columban missionaries were confined to Hanyang City. But in my absence the Legionaries continued to hold their meetings. They assembled the Catholics and led them in their prayers; they continued to instruct catechumens. To me that was the most significant pointer to the worth of the Legion. When the priest was gone, they still carried on the apostolic work of the Church.
I’ll Buy It!
I was sold on the Legion and when Archbishop Riberi, Papal Internuncio to China, appointed me in 1948 to preach and organize the Legion of Mary throughout China, my job was to sell it to others. “There are 500 million people.” Monsignor Riberi said, “and only 7,000 priests. Even if we doubled or tripled that number, the conversion of China would still be impossible.” The Communists were well on their way to winning control of the whole country and the Internuncio saw that a time was coming when the foreign missionary would be a marked man and so would the Chinese bishops and priests. The future of the Church in China might be largely dependent on fervent lay apostles. Monsignor Rebury hoped to form these apostles through the Legion of Mary.
Dark Days Coming!
I traveled throughout China, almost without a break, for nearly two years—by air, by road, by river. I can never forget the sympathetic hearing and cooperation, and the hospitality I received from Chinese bishops and priests and from foreign missionaries of every nationality. I never stayed very long in any place. Once a Praesidium [Legion 'chapter' or unit] was set up and the Legion method explained, I moved on. As long as the Handbook was followed, I knew the Legion would thrive; and it did. Our Lady wanted to use the laity through the Legion. She was preparing China’s Catholics for the dark days that were so near.
Phenomenal Growth
Within less than two years, there were more than a thousand praesidia established throughout China. The Legion had spread so fast that the Concilium [Legion HQ] in Dublin was alarmed. Were we going ahead too quickly? Would so young an organization survive? I was nervous too. But I wrote back to Frank Duff, the founder of the Legion: “I know our progress is terrific. I’m a bit scared myself, but the Chinese Catholics realize that they must do something in the face of this diabolical Communism. Why stop Our Blessed Mother’s hand when She feels it is necessary?”
Communist Take-Over
By the end of 1949 the Communists were in control of nearly all China, and in Chungking in that year I got my first inkling of what lay ahead. The Communist police came to me and told me that I must cease my Legion activities. I gave them a Handbook and invited them to come to any Praesidium meeting so that they could see for themselves that the Legion was a religious organization. They did this and after three weeks they returned the book with the comment, “This is a great organization, just like Communism.” It was the greatest compliment they could pay. They gave me a pass to return to Shanghai and the Legion was permitted to resume in Chungking. But, of course, they were merely biding their time. They were not ready yet.
Persecution Starts
Shortly afterwards, the Reds started their famous Triple Independence Movement, by which they hoped to establish, among the Catholics, a national church, separated from Rome. To counter the danger, Father Legrand, of the Catholic Central Bureau in Shanghai, got pamphlets printed, defining the position of the Church, and had them posted to every part of China. The priests explained them to the Catholics. The Communists failed in their plan and they blamed the Legion for their failure. They decided to crush it.
Lies! Lies! Lies!
The Legion was labeled “counter-revolutionary,” “reactionary,” “a secret spy organization working for the imperialists.” The Catholic Central Bureau was closed down. The Communist press and radio conducted a violent campaign against Archbishop Riberi and the Legion. Every church in Shanghai was ordered to register its parish organizations, but the Legion was the only one specifically mentioned. In Peking, the Communists came to the Legion authorities there and said, “In order to protect you, we must know who you are. We must have the names of all your members, the places where you meet, your telephone numbers and the minutes of your meetings.”
Fearless 19-year-old Girl
The Communists’ anxiety to “protect” the Legion was the danger signal. We decided to disband the Legion, and to protect Legionaries, we burned all minutes and lists of names. I remarked to the nineteen year old President of my Junior Praesidium,“Isn’t it a pity they have turned against the Legion?” She replied, “Don’t say that, Father. This is glorious!” When I was expelled from China in 1954, I learned that she, Noelle Wang, had been in prison for a year and a half.
Prison
In September, I and many other priests in Shanghai were arrested and put in prison. Shortly afterwards, the President and Vice-president of the Shanghai Legion Senatus [the Senatus is a governing body for local Legion Praeisdia, just like a bishop is to his priests] followed us. Francis Seng, the President, had accepted office when he knew trouble was coming. A married man, he had five good reasons for refusing—his five children. The last I heard of him was that he was refusing to accuse me, and refusing to say that the Legion was reactionary, or an imperialist organization.
A fellow prisoner, who was released, said that his hands had been handcuffed behind his back until he collapsed, and the Communists feared he might die. Dr. Chang, the Vice-president, some days before my arrest, came to visit me. I said to him, “How do you feel about what is happening?” He replied, “Oh! I’m alright.” I went on. “Rather, how does your wife feel about it?” He said, “My wife said, ‘Do what you should do for Our Lady. Do not worry about me. I will look after the children.’ “ Two heroes! I have heard nothing of them for almost four years.
Dr. Chang’s wife was called to the police station in Shanghai. The Communists told her, “Your husband has confessed and is ready to come home, but you must confess first.” She replied, “I do not believe you. If the only way my husband can receive better treatment is by denying his Faith, I do not want to see him home, and if he comes, I shall go to prison in his place!”
Give Yourself Up
The Military Control Committee, the most feared Communist authority in Shanghai, set up forty centers with about 500 officials waiting to receive the registration of Legionaries. A placard outside each station read: “Registration of Reactionary and Secret Organization—the Legion of Mary.” The newspapers, the streetcars, rickshaws, shops and schools in the city were placarded with cartoons vilifying the Legion. But only a handful of Legionaries registered and some of them did so under pressure from their families. Many of them went back and withdrew their registrations.
No Compromise
A letter was written in blood by Legionaries to the Bishop of Shanghai. “Monsignor, we will follow you wherever you go,” said the letter. “We are proud to live in this age of persecution and there can be no compromise.” No wonder the Communists complained bitterly to me in prison, that their plan for a national church had been ruined by the “Imperialist Legion of Mary.” A ‘progressive’ priest said, in a Communist newspaper article, that wherever there was a Praesidium of the Legion, the national church movement had been a complete failure.
My great friend and helper, Father Joe Seng, Spiritual Director of the Legion in Shanghai, died after sixteen months of imprisonment. He helped to translate the Handbook into Chinese. “The Legion is my life” he told Shanghai Legionaries.
The refusal of Legionaries to register led to the arrest of thousands. Soon, every Legion officer was in prison. Among those was Johanna Hsiao, a girl in her early 20s, who before being jailed had set up 362 praesidia in the north of China. She was imprisoned in 1951 (and now lives in Ireland).
The total number of those executed by the Communists is almost unbelievable. In the 1950s, Time magazine estimated that between the years 1949 and 1952, 20 million people were put to death under Mao Tse-Tung. Another estimate is that between the years 1949 and 1970, the number increased to 60 million. The Legion of Mary martyrs were among that number.
In Your Face!
When the Legion was condemned by the Communists, the members of my Junior Praesidium, led by their nineteen year-old President, left their last meeting waving copies of the New Testament and crying: “Matthew, Chapter Five, Verse Eleven: ‘Blessed are ye when they shall persecute and calumniate you and say all that is evil against you untruly in My Name. Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in Heaven.’ “
I learned a great deal when I was privileged to see China’s Legionaries in action. I learned even more when I saw the apostles of Communism in action both in prison and outside. For every true Communist is an apostle, dedicated to this atheistic cause. For him, no labor, no suffering is too great. The Communists want to show that they love the world, the down-trodden, the poor, the unemployed, the wretched ones of the world. But this is only a policy to achieve the godless, Communist world-state.
What the World Needs
“The world belongs to him who loves it most and who proves that love,” said the Curé of Ars, quoted in the Legion Handbook. We also must love the world — not in a worldly way, but for the cause of Christ. Ours must be an even more heroic service, for the Communist weapons of oppression, intrigue, and terror are not for Mary’s children.
It is no longer enough for each Catholic to seek merely to save his own soul. The challenge of Communism can only be met by apostles, active workers for God, clothed with the armor of prayer; branded with the marks of self-sacrifice; and complete dedication to the cause of Christ. Such apostles were countless legionaries in China, such should every Catholic be.
Taken from Mission Digest, February, 1956.
July 12th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
PRAYERS THAT FLOP AND BULLETS THAT MISS
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
PRAYERS THAT FLOP AND BULLETS THAT MISS
Beads, Pebbles & Bullets
Prayers is one of the two weapons that Heaven expects us to use in our battles today. The prayer of the Rosary is especially recommended—nay, demanded—by Heaven. We can see our beads as being the pebbles that David took with him to slay Goliath, or the bullets of a soldier. We have many Goliaths to slay today—Modernism, Liberalism, Indifferentism, Atheism, Communism, Materialism, Hedonism (pleasure seeking) and an ever-increasing Satanism. As Our Lord said: “This kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:28).
Flops and Failures
We have said, and everyone knows, that Our Lady has asked for much prayer—especially the Rosary. Yet, just about everyone can testify that their prayers are not always answered—in fact, perhaps their prayers are rarely ever answered. We pray, we pray, we pray—and nothing seems to work! The key or answer is found in a question that Our Lady asked the two children at La Salette: “Do you say your prayers properly, my children?" Our Lord puts it another way, when He says: “This people honoureth Me with their lips: but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). In other words, there are two kinds of prayer—good prayer and bad prayer.
Why?
If our prayers are not heard, then it is probably because there is something wrong on our side. St. Augustine tells us that there are three chief reasons why prayers are not hears—(1) we are bad, (2) we pray badly, (3) we pray for what is bad.
Firstly, the more we sin, the less effective our prayers are—to the point that when we fall into mortal sin, our prayers are totally ineffective for anyone or anything other than our own conversion. If you want to be heard more, sin less.
Secondly, most people pray badly. Rushed, distracted, half-hearted—with very little Faith, Hope or Charity in them. Our Lord, quoting Isaias, said: “This people honoureth Me with their lips: but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). Want to be heard more? Slow down, focus, mean what you say and say what you mean—and believe and hope in the power of prayer. If you have started sinning less, then you are loving God more—“If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Thirdly, by all means tell God what you want, but don’t tell Him that you are absolutely right in wanting that! Sometimes God actually gives us what we want—and it turns out badly. Don’t tell Him, ask Him, and leave it His wisdom—like Our Lord asked in His Agony in the Garden—“Abba, Father, all things are possible to Thee: remove this chalice from Me; but not what I will, but what Thou wilt” (Mark 14:36). In other words, God knows best! Ask, but leave it to Him to decide. Many things that we think will be good for us, will actually harm us one way or another.
Prayer Works
In Holy Scripture, we see King Ezechias sick and Isaias prophesied that he would die. Ezechias turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord and “wept with great weeping.” He is really praying and he really means what he says. God answers, saying: “I have heard thy prayer, and I have seen thy tears … I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it”(Isaias 38:1-6).
Powerful or Pathetic?
Prayer can be powerful. Prayer can be pathetic. What’s mine like? In the Gospel (Matthew 8:5-133), we see the centurion (a Gentile) approach Jesus “beseeching”Him. To “beseech” means “to beg, to implore, to supplicate.” This is more than mere asking. There is an intensity suggested by “beseeching.”
When Our Lord prayed in His Agony in the Garden, at first His prayers were NOT heard. Our Lord keeps going back to pray, and St. Luke comments that “being in an agony, he prayed the longer” (Luke 22:43). The word “longer” is fine and not essentially wrong, but a more correct translation of the Latin “prolixior” would be“WITH MORE INTENSITY. “
Becoming More Intense
When your prayers are not heard, it takes great Faith, great Hope and a great Love of God to keep going back to Him and asking Him over and over again. Like the importunate widow, who keeps banging on the door asking for bread until she gets it. Like the blind man by the roadside (Luke 18:38) who “CRIED OUT, saying: ‘Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!’” He was told to be quiet, but he CRIED OUT MUCH MORE. Jesus heard his cry, cured him and said: “Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole” (Luke 18:38-42).
The Role of Faith or Confidence
Well, back to the “beseeching” centurion! Being a Gentile, he was scorned by the “Chosen People.” But he comes nevertheless, no doubt ready to be humiliated and rejected if necessary. He explains that his son is dying and in his humility he says: “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.” Humility speaks, Humility listens! — “Learn of Me for I am meek and humble of Heart!”— “Jesus hearing this, marveled; and said to them that followed Him: Amen I say to you, I HAVE NOT FOUND SO GREAT A FAITH IN ISRAEL.” Humility and Faith in God are among the most necessary dispositions for our prayer.
Our Lord would many times utter words like: “Go thy way, thy FAITH hath made thee whole … Arise, go thy way; for thy FAITH hath made thee whole … Daughter, thy FAITH hath made thee whole: go in peace, and be thou whole of thy disease … Thy FAITH hath made thee safe, go in peace … thy FAITH hath made thee whole; go thy way in peace.” Before curing them, He would test their faith in Him, asking:“Do you believe that I can do this unto you?” When he heard the reply of faith, he would say: “According to your faith, be it done unto you” (Matthew 9:28-29). Elsewhere he pointed out: “Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain, ‘Be thou removed and be cast into the sea!’ and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe, that whatsoever he saith shall be done; it shall be done unto him” (Mark 11:23).
The Role of Humility
St. Elizabeth praises Mary’s faith: “Blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord” (Luke 1:45). Our Lady’s response through her own prayer, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), is one of HUMILITY: “He hath regarded the HUMILITY of his handmaid … He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the HUMBLE. He hath filled the hungry [who come to Him begging] with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away.”
So before we pray more (or, even worse, before we abandon our failing prayers), let us try to pray better. When we achieve the first goal of praying better, then is the time to pray more. If our prayer is bad, then obviously it is a venial sin! What is the point of piling venial sins upon venial sins? Perfect you manner of praying, and then pray more! But let us not be lazy! Let us get it into our heads that Heaven wants MANY prayers, but they have to be good!
Steps to Better Prayer
Therefore, take the first simple steps to a better prayer life:
1. Do not leave ALL your prayers to the end of the day. Start the day with prayer and pepper the day with prayer.
2. SLOW DOWN. Too many people pray way too fast. Prayer is a converstation with God! Do you speak to other people as fast as as you speak to God?
3. CUT OUT THE DISTRACTIONS. This might mean turning off radios, TV’s, computers, closing windows, going to a quite spot, etc.
4. AVOID ROUTINE. As the saying goes: “Routine is the killer of devotion!” Some prayers are unchangeable—like the Rosary and, for religious, the “Breviary”, “Divine Office” or “Lectio Divina”, or “Liturgical Hours.” Yet within these prayers, there is wealth of meditation—if we take our time in praying them. In addition to this staple diet of prayer, you could follow the liturgical seasons and select your other prayers from the theme for the month: Sacred Heart (June); Precious Blood (July); Immaculate Heart (August); Marys' Sorrowful Heart (September), Rosary (October); Holy Souls (November), etc.
5. USE A PRAYERFUL POSTURE as often as you can. Obviously, if we hod to the Scriptural recommendation of Our Lord, “we ought always to pray, and not to faint”(Luke 18:1) and St. Paul, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), then we will be praying as we walk or drive to work, as we work, as wash ourselves or dishes, in our breaks between work, etc. Yet there should always be some “prime prayer” where we kneel down and pray.
6. SIN LESS. As St. Augustine said, sin weakens or destroys our prayer—because sin is saying that God is your enemy. With one hand you slap Him, while you stretch out the other hand expecting a gift! It cannot work that way! Sin less, get more!
The devil knows the power of prayer more than we do! Therefore, his prime battle will be against our prayer life. If we he weaken our prayer life, then he weakens the life of grace in the soul and has a chance of making us eventually making us draw nearer to and finally fall into mortal sin. As St. Augustine says: “He who prays well, lives well!”
Prayers is one of the two weapons that Heaven expects us to use in our battles today. The prayer of the Rosary is especially recommended—nay, demanded—by Heaven. We can see our beads as being the pebbles that David took with him to slay Goliath, or the bullets of a soldier. We have many Goliaths to slay today—Modernism, Liberalism, Indifferentism, Atheism, Communism, Materialism, Hedonism (pleasure seeking) and an ever-increasing Satanism. As Our Lord said: “This kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:28).
Flops and Failures
We have said, and everyone knows, that Our Lady has asked for much prayer—especially the Rosary. Yet, just about everyone can testify that their prayers are not always answered—in fact, perhaps their prayers are rarely ever answered. We pray, we pray, we pray—and nothing seems to work! The key or answer is found in a question that Our Lady asked the two children at La Salette: “Do you say your prayers properly, my children?" Our Lord puts it another way, when He says: “This people honoureth Me with their lips: but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). In other words, there are two kinds of prayer—good prayer and bad prayer.
Why?
If our prayers are not heard, then it is probably because there is something wrong on our side. St. Augustine tells us that there are three chief reasons why prayers are not hears—(1) we are bad, (2) we pray badly, (3) we pray for what is bad.
Firstly, the more we sin, the less effective our prayers are—to the point that when we fall into mortal sin, our prayers are totally ineffective for anyone or anything other than our own conversion. If you want to be heard more, sin less.
Secondly, most people pray badly. Rushed, distracted, half-hearted—with very little Faith, Hope or Charity in them. Our Lord, quoting Isaias, said: “This people honoureth Me with their lips: but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). Want to be heard more? Slow down, focus, mean what you say and say what you mean—and believe and hope in the power of prayer. If you have started sinning less, then you are loving God more—“If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Thirdly, by all means tell God what you want, but don’t tell Him that you are absolutely right in wanting that! Sometimes God actually gives us what we want—and it turns out badly. Don’t tell Him, ask Him, and leave it His wisdom—like Our Lord asked in His Agony in the Garden—“Abba, Father, all things are possible to Thee: remove this chalice from Me; but not what I will, but what Thou wilt” (Mark 14:36). In other words, God knows best! Ask, but leave it to Him to decide. Many things that we think will be good for us, will actually harm us one way or another.
Prayer Works
In Holy Scripture, we see King Ezechias sick and Isaias prophesied that he would die. Ezechias turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord and “wept with great weeping.” He is really praying and he really means what he says. God answers, saying: “I have heard thy prayer, and I have seen thy tears … I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians, and I will protect it”(Isaias 38:1-6).
Powerful or Pathetic?
Prayer can be powerful. Prayer can be pathetic. What’s mine like? In the Gospel (Matthew 8:5-133), we see the centurion (a Gentile) approach Jesus “beseeching”Him. To “beseech” means “to beg, to implore, to supplicate.” This is more than mere asking. There is an intensity suggested by “beseeching.”
When Our Lord prayed in His Agony in the Garden, at first His prayers were NOT heard. Our Lord keeps going back to pray, and St. Luke comments that “being in an agony, he prayed the longer” (Luke 22:43). The word “longer” is fine and not essentially wrong, but a more correct translation of the Latin “prolixior” would be“WITH MORE INTENSITY. “
Becoming More Intense
When your prayers are not heard, it takes great Faith, great Hope and a great Love of God to keep going back to Him and asking Him over and over again. Like the importunate widow, who keeps banging on the door asking for bread until she gets it. Like the blind man by the roadside (Luke 18:38) who “CRIED OUT, saying: ‘Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!’” He was told to be quiet, but he CRIED OUT MUCH MORE. Jesus heard his cry, cured him and said: “Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole” (Luke 18:38-42).
The Role of Faith or Confidence
Well, back to the “beseeching” centurion! Being a Gentile, he was scorned by the “Chosen People.” But he comes nevertheless, no doubt ready to be humiliated and rejected if necessary. He explains that his son is dying and in his humility he says: “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.” Humility speaks, Humility listens! — “Learn of Me for I am meek and humble of Heart!”— “Jesus hearing this, marveled; and said to them that followed Him: Amen I say to you, I HAVE NOT FOUND SO GREAT A FAITH IN ISRAEL.” Humility and Faith in God are among the most necessary dispositions for our prayer.
Our Lord would many times utter words like: “Go thy way, thy FAITH hath made thee whole … Arise, go thy way; for thy FAITH hath made thee whole … Daughter, thy FAITH hath made thee whole: go in peace, and be thou whole of thy disease … Thy FAITH hath made thee safe, go in peace … thy FAITH hath made thee whole; go thy way in peace.” Before curing them, He would test their faith in Him, asking:“Do you believe that I can do this unto you?” When he heard the reply of faith, he would say: “According to your faith, be it done unto you” (Matthew 9:28-29). Elsewhere he pointed out: “Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain, ‘Be thou removed and be cast into the sea!’ and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe, that whatsoever he saith shall be done; it shall be done unto him” (Mark 11:23).
The Role of Humility
St. Elizabeth praises Mary’s faith: “Blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord” (Luke 1:45). Our Lady’s response through her own prayer, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), is one of HUMILITY: “He hath regarded the HUMILITY of his handmaid … He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the HUMBLE. He hath filled the hungry [who come to Him begging] with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away.”
So before we pray more (or, even worse, before we abandon our failing prayers), let us try to pray better. When we achieve the first goal of praying better, then is the time to pray more. If our prayer is bad, then obviously it is a venial sin! What is the point of piling venial sins upon venial sins? Perfect you manner of praying, and then pray more! But let us not be lazy! Let us get it into our heads that Heaven wants MANY prayers, but they have to be good!
Steps to Better Prayer
Therefore, take the first simple steps to a better prayer life:
1. Do not leave ALL your prayers to the end of the day. Start the day with prayer and pepper the day with prayer.
2. SLOW DOWN. Too many people pray way too fast. Prayer is a converstation with God! Do you speak to other people as fast as as you speak to God?
3. CUT OUT THE DISTRACTIONS. This might mean turning off radios, TV’s, computers, closing windows, going to a quite spot, etc.
4. AVOID ROUTINE. As the saying goes: “Routine is the killer of devotion!” Some prayers are unchangeable—like the Rosary and, for religious, the “Breviary”, “Divine Office” or “Lectio Divina”, or “Liturgical Hours.” Yet within these prayers, there is wealth of meditation—if we take our time in praying them. In addition to this staple diet of prayer, you could follow the liturgical seasons and select your other prayers from the theme for the month: Sacred Heart (June); Precious Blood (July); Immaculate Heart (August); Marys' Sorrowful Heart (September), Rosary (October); Holy Souls (November), etc.
5. USE A PRAYERFUL POSTURE as often as you can. Obviously, if we hod to the Scriptural recommendation of Our Lord, “we ought always to pray, and not to faint”(Luke 18:1) and St. Paul, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), then we will be praying as we walk or drive to work, as we work, as wash ourselves or dishes, in our breaks between work, etc. Yet there should always be some “prime prayer” where we kneel down and pray.
6. SIN LESS. As St. Augustine said, sin weakens or destroys our prayer—because sin is saying that God is your enemy. With one hand you slap Him, while you stretch out the other hand expecting a gift! It cannot work that way! Sin less, get more!
The devil knows the power of prayer more than we do! Therefore, his prime battle will be against our prayer life. If we he weaken our prayer life, then he weakens the life of grace in the soul and has a chance of making us eventually making us draw nearer to and finally fall into mortal sin. As St. Augustine says: “He who prays well, lives well!”
July 13th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
PINNACLES OF HOLINESS
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
PINNACLES OF HOLINESS
Pinnacle of Holiness and Love
In this month of the Precious Blood of Jesus, it would be well to look at those who have shed their blood for Christ—in other words, martyrs. Martyrdom is the pinnacle of the love of God. It stems from Faith and love; it tests and proves Faith and love; it is an act of Faith and love. This has been testified to by Our Lord—in both His words and His actions. He said: “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Not content with only saying this, He went on to do this: “For God so loved the world, as to give His only begotten Son”(John 3:16). “The Son of God, Who loved me, and delivered Himself for me”(Galatians 2:20). “In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because He hath first loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). “My dearest, if God hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).
The School of Martyrdom
Martyrdom is rarely the “flick of a switch” but it is a state of mind and heart that has been prepared long in advance—much like a graduate did not become a graduate overnight, but only after many years of learning that began in kindergarten. The Cross of Christ is the school of martyrdom. “If any man will follow Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel, shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For he that shall be ashamed of Me, and of My words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when He shall come in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:34-37).
The little acts of ‘dying to oneself’ prepare the soul to dies for Christ at a later date.“Amen, amen I say to you, unless the grain of wheat, falling into the ground, die, Itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal”(John 12:24-25). “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
Witness
The Greek word martus signifies a witness, who testifies to a fact of which he has knowledge from personal observation. It is in this sense that the term first appears in Christian literature; the Apostles were “witnesses” of all that they had observed in the public life of Christ, as well as of all they had learned from His teaching, “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). St. Peter, in his address to the Apostles and disciples, at the time of the election of a successor to Judas, employs the term with this meaning:“Wherefore, of these men, who have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day He was taken up from us, one of these must be made witness with us of His resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22).
In his first public discourse the chief of the Apostles speaks of himself and his companions as “witnesses” who saw the risen Christ and, subsequently, after the miraculous escape of the Apostles from prison, when brought a second time before the tribunal, Peter again alludes to the Twelve as witnesses to Christ, as the Prince and Savior of Israel, Who rose from the dead; and added that in giving their public testimony to the facts, of which they were certain, they must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29 sqq.). In his First Epistle, St. Peter also refers to himself as a“witness of the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 5:1).
Example of a Witness
Here is an eye-witness account of St Cyprian's martyrdom, A.D. 258, in Carthage, near modern Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, North Africa:
“The next day, September 14th, a great crowd gathered early in the morning near the Villa Sexti at the command of the proconsul, Galerius Maximus. Then the same proconsul, Galerius Maximus, ordered that Cyprian be brought to him that very day as he was sitting in the atrium at the Sauciolum. When he had been brought forward, the proconsul Galerius Maximus said to the bishop Cyprian, "Are you Thascius, known also as Cyprian?" The bishop Cyprian responded, "I am." The proconsul Galerius Maximus said, "Have you presented yourself to people as the head of a sacrilegious movement?" The bishop Cyprian responded, "I have." The proconsul Galerius Maximus said, "The most sacred emperors have ordered you to offer worship." The bishop Cyprian said, "I will not." Galerius Maximus said, "Have a care for your own interests." The bishop Cyprian responded, "In so just a matter there need be no reflection."
After he had spoken with his council, Galerius Maximus hesitatingly and unwillingly pronounced the sentence: "You have lived for a long time in a sacrilegious frame of mind, have gathered very many other members of this impious conspiracy around you and have set yourself up as an enemy of the Roman gods and their sacred rites. Our pious and most sacred princes, the august Valerian and Gallienus and our most noble Caesar, Valerian, have not been able to call you back to the observance of their worship. Therefore, since you are the author and admitted leader of the most worthless crimes, you will yourself be a warning for these people whom you have gathered around you in your crime. Respect for the law will be confirmed by your blood." Once he had said this, he read out the sentence from the tablet: "It has been decided that Thascius Cyprian is to be executed by the sword." The bishop Cyprian said, "Thanks be to God."
After this sentence, the crowd of the brethren said, "Let us also be beheaded with him." On this account a great commotion broke out among the brethren and a large crowd followed him. Cyprian was led into the field of Sextus. There he took off his mantle and hood, knelt down on the ground and prostrated himself in prayer to the Lord. When he had taken off his dalmatic and given it to the deacons, he stood erect and awaited the executioner. When the executioner came, Cyprian ordered his attendants to give the executioner twenty-five gold coins. Linen cloths and handkerchiefs were spread out in front of him by the brethren [Note: to collect the blood, as the relic of a martyr]. After that, blessed Cyprian put on the blindfold with his own hands, but since he was not able to tie the ends by himself, the priest Julianus and the subdeacon Julianus tied them for him.
In this manner the blessed Cyprian suffered death; and his body was laid in a place nearby on account of the curiosity of the pagans. Then it was taken up at night with candles and torches and brought with prayer and great triumph to the cemetery of the procurator Macrobius Candidianus, which is near the pools. After a few days the proconsul Galerius Maximus died.
The most blessed martyr, Cyprian, suffered on the fourteenth of September, under the emperors Valerian and Gallienus, but in the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom is honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
We note three elements of his martyrdom: (1) put to death, (2) for Christ: for the Faith, for refusing to apostatize and offer false worship, etc., and (3) a Christian joy and gladness to die for Christ's sake (virtuous model).
The true approach to martyrdom is to see it as a triumph. So the early Christians rejoiced when one of their number was faithful unto death. Similarly, during the persecutions of the 16-17th century, seminarians at the English College, Rome, used to gather at the foot of the chapel's painting of the Holy Trinity to sing a Te Deum whenever news arrived that a former student had been put to death for the Faith. It is a victory over the world, the flesh and the devil — everything that opposes your Christian life. It is the greatest way to die; it is the highest form of Christian death. See the section on martyrdom in the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2471-4.
Definition of martyrdom
The great moral theologian, Dominic Prummer O.P., says:
“Acts of Fortitude. . . . these acts reach their peak in martyrdom. Martyrdom is the endurance of bodily death in witness to the Christian religion. Therefore three conditions must be verified for martyrdom: (a) actual death; (b) the infliction of death by an enemy, out of hatred for Christianity. (c) the voluntary acceptance of death. — Therefore the following are not genuinely martyrs: those who die by contracting disease in their care of lepers, those who suffer death for natural truths, or for heresy, or who [indirectly] bring about their own death to safeguard their person. — The effect of martyrdom is the remission of all sin and punishment, since it is an act of perfect charity.”
According to Christian doctrine, martyrdom renders the soul of the martyr worthy of immediate entrance into heaven. The Church prays to the martyrs but has never prayed for the martyrs.
True Martyrdom
Likewise, Dominican Fr Benedict Ashley says:
“True martyrdom requires three conditions: (1) that the victim actually die, (2) that he or she dies in witness of Faith in Christ which is directly expressed in words, or implicitly in acts done or sins refused because of Faith, and (3) that the victim accepts death voluntarily. They are not martyrs who do not actually die, or die from disease, for the sake of merely natural truths, or heresy, or for their country in war, or through suicide, etc.”
Fr Ashley explains:
“''Martyr' is often used loosely of anyone who dies for the sake of any cause. But the Christian cause is in fact objectively true, and not a subjective illusion, as are many of the causes for which persons die sincerely but deludedly. Thus those who die for the sake of fanatical religious cults, or as terrorists, or for their own glory, however sincere, are not genuine martyrs, but are objectively suicides. Nor are those who die for a noble but merely human motive, as the parent who dies to save a child, or a soldier for his country, since such virtuous acts can pertain simply to the order of natural virtue."
Not long ago, the Pope canonized Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian mother. During her pregnancy with her fourth child, she was diagnosed with a large ovarian cyst. Her surgeon recommended an abortion in order to save Gianna's life. She refused that, of course, and refused any operation, since that would threaten the life of her baby. So she died a week after childbirth, in 1962, at the age of 39, heroically caring more for her unborn child than for her own life. Today that child is a physician herself, and involved in the pro-life movement in Italy. Her mother is not a martyr, but a hero of love, and her mother's sacrifice brought forth a harvest.
The Who’s Who & Who Isn’t of Martyrdom
The sacred name of martyr belongs only to one who renders testimony to divine truth. A heretic in good faith (invincible ignorance), who dies for Christ, may be counted among the martyrs, but a contumacious heretic, who dies for his sect, is not a martyr, because he does not testify to divine truth, but to a (false) human teaching.
Blessed Damien of Molokai is a hero (of charity), but not a martyr. St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina suffered enormously over 50 years with the stigmata, but is not a martyr. In the Missal, a saint who is a martyr is always named such. "M." is placed next to their name for Martyr.
We count as an exception the Holy Innocents, whom the Church, although they lack the usual element of acceptance of death, nevertheless honors as martyrs in the liturgy because they died in the place of the Infant Christ and received the Baptism of Blood.
Abortion victims cannot be counted as martyrs; they are victims but not martyrs. There is a movement, originating in Surbiton, London, to get them officially canonized — but this is a mistake. If they are martyrs, then every murder victim dying in a state of grace would be a martyr. This is seen to be false from the investigation the Church conducts into a claimed martyr.
The Investigation
For a claimed martyr, the object of the initial diocesan inquiry is threefold: (a) the candidate's life (b) martyrdom (c) reputation for martyrdom. The crucial question to establish martyrdom is: was this person killed for the Faith? Not simply: was he murdered? — which is usually obvious.
Death itself might not occur immediately, but if the sufferings inflicted lead to death within a reasonable time, then that will count as martyrdom. In English law, it has been the practice to deem an act "murder" (or manslaughter) if death comes within a year and a day from the injury inflicted.
The Church has always held that martyrdom is equivalent to baptism for those not yet baptized. Baptism of Blood is the name given to this. It is Catholic doctrine that the Baptism of Blood blots out Original Sin, and all actual sin, together with the punishment due to it. This is evident from the words of Christ: He has absolutely promised salvation to those who give their lives for the Gospel: "he who loses his life for my sake will find it"; and again He says, "So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in Heaven".
Moreover, from the Tradition of the Church: the Church honors, as martyrs in Heaven, several who were never baptised: the Holy Innocents massacred by Herod; St Emerentiana (c. 304); one of the 22 Ugandan martyrs, St Mukasa Kiriwawanvu, who was still a catechumen. St Augustine says, "it would be an affront to pray for a martyr: we should rather commend ourselves to his prayers." (Sermon 159)
Today the term 'martyr' is applied very freely to all sorts of people; for example, the Japanese kamikaze pilots, the Buddhists who burnt themselves as a protest to Communism, and the Muslims who strap bombs to themselves, in order to kill others, are all called 'martyrs'. But this most honorable title, which means 'witness' has a specifically Jewish and Christian meaning."
The Blessed Virgin Mary, since she surpassed the martyrs in her sorrows, is called Queen of Martyrs, but strictly speaking she was not a martyr, since she did not die from her sorrows.
In this month of the Precious Blood of Jesus, it would be well to look at those who have shed their blood for Christ—in other words, martyrs. Martyrdom is the pinnacle of the love of God. It stems from Faith and love; it tests and proves Faith and love; it is an act of Faith and love. This has been testified to by Our Lord—in both His words and His actions. He said: “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Not content with only saying this, He went on to do this: “For God so loved the world, as to give His only begotten Son”(John 3:16). “The Son of God, Who loved me, and delivered Himself for me”(Galatians 2:20). “In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because He hath first loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). “My dearest, if God hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).
The School of Martyrdom
Martyrdom is rarely the “flick of a switch” but it is a state of mind and heart that has been prepared long in advance—much like a graduate did not become a graduate overnight, but only after many years of learning that began in kindergarten. The Cross of Christ is the school of martyrdom. “If any man will follow Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel, shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For he that shall be ashamed of Me, and of My words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when He shall come in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:34-37).
The little acts of ‘dying to oneself’ prepare the soul to dies for Christ at a later date.“Amen, amen I say to you, unless the grain of wheat, falling into the ground, die, Itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal”(John 12:24-25). “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
Witness
The Greek word martus signifies a witness, who testifies to a fact of which he has knowledge from personal observation. It is in this sense that the term first appears in Christian literature; the Apostles were “witnesses” of all that they had observed in the public life of Christ, as well as of all they had learned from His teaching, “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). St. Peter, in his address to the Apostles and disciples, at the time of the election of a successor to Judas, employs the term with this meaning:“Wherefore, of these men, who have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day He was taken up from us, one of these must be made witness with us of His resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22).
In his first public discourse the chief of the Apostles speaks of himself and his companions as “witnesses” who saw the risen Christ and, subsequently, after the miraculous escape of the Apostles from prison, when brought a second time before the tribunal, Peter again alludes to the Twelve as witnesses to Christ, as the Prince and Savior of Israel, Who rose from the dead; and added that in giving their public testimony to the facts, of which they were certain, they must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29 sqq.). In his First Epistle, St. Peter also refers to himself as a“witness of the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 5:1).
Example of a Witness
Here is an eye-witness account of St Cyprian's martyrdom, A.D. 258, in Carthage, near modern Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, North Africa:
“The next day, September 14th, a great crowd gathered early in the morning near the Villa Sexti at the command of the proconsul, Galerius Maximus. Then the same proconsul, Galerius Maximus, ordered that Cyprian be brought to him that very day as he was sitting in the atrium at the Sauciolum. When he had been brought forward, the proconsul Galerius Maximus said to the bishop Cyprian, "Are you Thascius, known also as Cyprian?" The bishop Cyprian responded, "I am." The proconsul Galerius Maximus said, "Have you presented yourself to people as the head of a sacrilegious movement?" The bishop Cyprian responded, "I have." The proconsul Galerius Maximus said, "The most sacred emperors have ordered you to offer worship." The bishop Cyprian said, "I will not." Galerius Maximus said, "Have a care for your own interests." The bishop Cyprian responded, "In so just a matter there need be no reflection."
After he had spoken with his council, Galerius Maximus hesitatingly and unwillingly pronounced the sentence: "You have lived for a long time in a sacrilegious frame of mind, have gathered very many other members of this impious conspiracy around you and have set yourself up as an enemy of the Roman gods and their sacred rites. Our pious and most sacred princes, the august Valerian and Gallienus and our most noble Caesar, Valerian, have not been able to call you back to the observance of their worship. Therefore, since you are the author and admitted leader of the most worthless crimes, you will yourself be a warning for these people whom you have gathered around you in your crime. Respect for the law will be confirmed by your blood." Once he had said this, he read out the sentence from the tablet: "It has been decided that Thascius Cyprian is to be executed by the sword." The bishop Cyprian said, "Thanks be to God."
After this sentence, the crowd of the brethren said, "Let us also be beheaded with him." On this account a great commotion broke out among the brethren and a large crowd followed him. Cyprian was led into the field of Sextus. There he took off his mantle and hood, knelt down on the ground and prostrated himself in prayer to the Lord. When he had taken off his dalmatic and given it to the deacons, he stood erect and awaited the executioner. When the executioner came, Cyprian ordered his attendants to give the executioner twenty-five gold coins. Linen cloths and handkerchiefs were spread out in front of him by the brethren [Note: to collect the blood, as the relic of a martyr]. After that, blessed Cyprian put on the blindfold with his own hands, but since he was not able to tie the ends by himself, the priest Julianus and the subdeacon Julianus tied them for him.
In this manner the blessed Cyprian suffered death; and his body was laid in a place nearby on account of the curiosity of the pagans. Then it was taken up at night with candles and torches and brought with prayer and great triumph to the cemetery of the procurator Macrobius Candidianus, which is near the pools. After a few days the proconsul Galerius Maximus died.
The most blessed martyr, Cyprian, suffered on the fourteenth of September, under the emperors Valerian and Gallienus, but in the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom is honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
We note three elements of his martyrdom: (1) put to death, (2) for Christ: for the Faith, for refusing to apostatize and offer false worship, etc., and (3) a Christian joy and gladness to die for Christ's sake (virtuous model).
The true approach to martyrdom is to see it as a triumph. So the early Christians rejoiced when one of their number was faithful unto death. Similarly, during the persecutions of the 16-17th century, seminarians at the English College, Rome, used to gather at the foot of the chapel's painting of the Holy Trinity to sing a Te Deum whenever news arrived that a former student had been put to death for the Faith. It is a victory over the world, the flesh and the devil — everything that opposes your Christian life. It is the greatest way to die; it is the highest form of Christian death. See the section on martyrdom in the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2471-4.
Definition of martyrdom
The great moral theologian, Dominic Prummer O.P., says:
“Acts of Fortitude. . . . these acts reach their peak in martyrdom. Martyrdom is the endurance of bodily death in witness to the Christian religion. Therefore three conditions must be verified for martyrdom: (a) actual death; (b) the infliction of death by an enemy, out of hatred for Christianity. (c) the voluntary acceptance of death. — Therefore the following are not genuinely martyrs: those who die by contracting disease in their care of lepers, those who suffer death for natural truths, or for heresy, or who [indirectly] bring about their own death to safeguard their person. — The effect of martyrdom is the remission of all sin and punishment, since it is an act of perfect charity.”
According to Christian doctrine, martyrdom renders the soul of the martyr worthy of immediate entrance into heaven. The Church prays to the martyrs but has never prayed for the martyrs.
True Martyrdom
Likewise, Dominican Fr Benedict Ashley says:
“True martyrdom requires three conditions: (1) that the victim actually die, (2) that he or she dies in witness of Faith in Christ which is directly expressed in words, or implicitly in acts done or sins refused because of Faith, and (3) that the victim accepts death voluntarily. They are not martyrs who do not actually die, or die from disease, for the sake of merely natural truths, or heresy, or for their country in war, or through suicide, etc.”
Fr Ashley explains:
“''Martyr' is often used loosely of anyone who dies for the sake of any cause. But the Christian cause is in fact objectively true, and not a subjective illusion, as are many of the causes for which persons die sincerely but deludedly. Thus those who die for the sake of fanatical religious cults, or as terrorists, or for their own glory, however sincere, are not genuine martyrs, but are objectively suicides. Nor are those who die for a noble but merely human motive, as the parent who dies to save a child, or a soldier for his country, since such virtuous acts can pertain simply to the order of natural virtue."
Not long ago, the Pope canonized Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian mother. During her pregnancy with her fourth child, she was diagnosed with a large ovarian cyst. Her surgeon recommended an abortion in order to save Gianna's life. She refused that, of course, and refused any operation, since that would threaten the life of her baby. So she died a week after childbirth, in 1962, at the age of 39, heroically caring more for her unborn child than for her own life. Today that child is a physician herself, and involved in the pro-life movement in Italy. Her mother is not a martyr, but a hero of love, and her mother's sacrifice brought forth a harvest.
The Who’s Who & Who Isn’t of Martyrdom
The sacred name of martyr belongs only to one who renders testimony to divine truth. A heretic in good faith (invincible ignorance), who dies for Christ, may be counted among the martyrs, but a contumacious heretic, who dies for his sect, is not a martyr, because he does not testify to divine truth, but to a (false) human teaching.
Blessed Damien of Molokai is a hero (of charity), but not a martyr. St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina suffered enormously over 50 years with the stigmata, but is not a martyr. In the Missal, a saint who is a martyr is always named such. "M." is placed next to their name for Martyr.
We count as an exception the Holy Innocents, whom the Church, although they lack the usual element of acceptance of death, nevertheless honors as martyrs in the liturgy because they died in the place of the Infant Christ and received the Baptism of Blood.
Abortion victims cannot be counted as martyrs; they are victims but not martyrs. There is a movement, originating in Surbiton, London, to get them officially canonized — but this is a mistake. If they are martyrs, then every murder victim dying in a state of grace would be a martyr. This is seen to be false from the investigation the Church conducts into a claimed martyr.
The Investigation
For a claimed martyr, the object of the initial diocesan inquiry is threefold: (a) the candidate's life (b) martyrdom (c) reputation for martyrdom. The crucial question to establish martyrdom is: was this person killed for the Faith? Not simply: was he murdered? — which is usually obvious.
Death itself might not occur immediately, but if the sufferings inflicted lead to death within a reasonable time, then that will count as martyrdom. In English law, it has been the practice to deem an act "murder" (or manslaughter) if death comes within a year and a day from the injury inflicted.
The Church has always held that martyrdom is equivalent to baptism for those not yet baptized. Baptism of Blood is the name given to this. It is Catholic doctrine that the Baptism of Blood blots out Original Sin, and all actual sin, together with the punishment due to it. This is evident from the words of Christ: He has absolutely promised salvation to those who give their lives for the Gospel: "he who loses his life for my sake will find it"; and again He says, "So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in Heaven".
Moreover, from the Tradition of the Church: the Church honors, as martyrs in Heaven, several who were never baptised: the Holy Innocents massacred by Herod; St Emerentiana (c. 304); one of the 22 Ugandan martyrs, St Mukasa Kiriwawanvu, who was still a catechumen. St Augustine says, "it would be an affront to pray for a martyr: we should rather commend ourselves to his prayers." (Sermon 159)
Today the term 'martyr' is applied very freely to all sorts of people; for example, the Japanese kamikaze pilots, the Buddhists who burnt themselves as a protest to Communism, and the Muslims who strap bombs to themselves, in order to kill others, are all called 'martyrs'. But this most honorable title, which means 'witness' has a specifically Jewish and Christian meaning."
The Blessed Virgin Mary, since she surpassed the martyrs in her sorrows, is called Queen of Martyrs, but strictly speaking she was not a martyr, since she did not die from her sorrows.
July 14th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
LEGIONS OF HONOR! STOMACH FOR THE FIGHT!
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
LEGIONS OF HONOR! STOMACH FOR THE FIGHT!
Who Should Be Honored?
If the world has its "Legions of Honor," why should not also the Church have its “Legions of Honor”? If men, who have been stained with blood, and women, who have been tainted with vice, have had their memory consecrated by prose and poetry, and have had monuments built to honor their memory, just because they exhibited some extraordinary natural talents, or achieved great success, or were, to a greater or less extent, benefactors of their race in the temporal order, which passes away; then why should not the true Heroes and Heroines of Jesus, who, imitating His example, have overcome themselves, have detached themselves and raised themselves above the world and trampled upon the world; who have aspired, in all their thoughts, words, and actions, to a heavenly crown, and have labored, with zeal and self-forgetting love, for the supernatural good of their fellow-men — why should not they have their memories likewise consecrated and embalmed in the minds and hearts of the people of God?
Crucified Friends of God
If earthly “time” wants to have its heroes, why should not heavenly “eternity” have it heroes? If man can do this, why should not God? "Thy friends, O Lord, are exceedingly honored; their principality is exceedingly exalted!" says Holy Scripture. Those souls whom His Father so dearly loved, the world has crucified; those whom the world neglects, despises, and crucifies, God, through His Church, exceedingly honors and exalts. Their praises should be and are sung with great joy of heart, in the Church of God for ages on ages.
The Dead Speak
The wisdom of the Church of God, in honoring her Saints, is equaled only by the great usefulness of the practice. The Saints are not merely heroes; they are models. Christ lived in them, and Christ yet speaks through them. They were the living temples of the Holy Ghost, in whose bodies dwelt all the riches of God’s wisdom and grace. The Saints were, in their life on earth, examples and models of divine excellence and perfection. Their example still appeals to our minds and inflames our hearts, more eloquently than did their words that they spoke—yet their words are the tinder wood that can inflame our own souls with the love of God. Though dead, they still speak.
If They Can...So Can I
In reading the lives and deeds of the Saints, our instincts tell us, though the scars of Original Sin rebel, that, just like St. Augustine said, at the very crisis of his life, the moment of his conversion "If other men like me have attained to such sanctity, why not I? Shall the poor, the afflicted, the despised of the World, bear away the palm of victory, the crown of immortality, while I lie buried in my sloth and dead in my sins, and thus lose the brilliant and glorious mansion already prepared for me in Heaven? Shall all the gifts, which God has lavished upon me, be ingloriously spent and foolishly wasted, in the petty contest for this world's evanescent honors and riches, while the poor and contemned lay up treasures in Heaven, and secure the prize of immortal glory? Shall others be the friends of God, whom He delights to honor, while I alone remain His enemy, and an alien from His blessed Kingdom?"
The Martyrology
As an Honor Roll, the Church gives us what is called the “Martyrology”, which is a concise list of the chief martyrs and a brief account of their martyrdom. The Saints, that it lists, belong to all classes and callings of life; from the throne to the hovel, from the Pontiff to the lowest cleric, from the philosopher to the peasant, from the busy walks of life to the dreary wastes of the desert. In a time when heroic sanctity might well demanded of most Catholics, it will not be a waste of time and energy to take some excerpts from this wonderful liturgical book, to both bolster our own weakness and cowardice, and acquire, by the grace of God, a mindset that is in line with what God will expect from us, perhaps, not to far in the future.
A Pick Me Up
When we read of these Saints, it will console us in affliction, will perk us up in our despondency, it will spark in our souls a the love of God in the coldness or lukewarmness in which they may be languishing, and will lift up our minds and hearts from this dull and ever-disappointing earth to the bright and everlasting mansions prepared for us in Heaven!
There Is No Other Way
Suffering for Christ is neither easy, nor is it pleasant—at least in the early stages. This was the case for Simon of Cyrene, who was forced to carry Christ’s Cross and did so reluctantly! Yet, with time, Simon grew to love both the stranger (Christ) and His Cross. The end result was that he became a Saint, and his two sons, Alexander and Rufus, also became saints. Yet all that is only normal—for we all called to be Saints. It is only Saints that can go to Heaven! We either become Saints in this life, or in the fires of Purgatory, which are incredibly and unspeakably more painful than the sufferings that any martyr could ever suffer on earth—even the greatest of martyrs! So with this said, tomorrow we will take a peek at some of these Heroes and Heroines of the Faith. In the meantime, let’s start with the ‘top-man’ and take a look at St. Peter, the first Pope and the head of the Church of Saints (click here).
Our Lady's Words of Encouragement
At La Salette, Our Lady told us that "Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy. The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God's people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession.
"But the children of the holy Church, the children of my Faith, my true followers, they will grow in their love for God and in all the virtues most precious to me. Blessed are the souls humbly guided by the Holy Ghost! I shall fight at their side, until they reach a fullness of years ...
"I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your Faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends ...
“And then Jesus Christ, in an act of His justice and His great mercy, will command His Angels to have all His enemies put to death. Suddenly, the persecutors of the Church of Jesus Christ, and all those given over to sin, will perish and the earth will become desert-like. And then peace will be made, and man will be reconciled with God. Jesus Christ will be served, worshiped and glorified. Charity will flourish everywhere."
This is nothing other than what St. Louis de Montfort wrote in his True Devotion to Mary: "These great souls, full of grace and zeal, shall be chosen to match themselves against the enemies of God, who shall rage on all sides; and they shall be singularly devout to our Blessed Lady, illuminated by her light, strengthened with her nourishment, led by her spirit, supported by her arm and sheltered under her protection, so that they shall fight with one hand and build with the other. With the one hand they shall fight, overthrow and crush the heretics with their heresies, the schismatics with their schisms, the idolaters with their idolatries and the sinners with their impieties."
If the world has its "Legions of Honor," why should not also the Church have its “Legions of Honor”? If men, who have been stained with blood, and women, who have been tainted with vice, have had their memory consecrated by prose and poetry, and have had monuments built to honor their memory, just because they exhibited some extraordinary natural talents, or achieved great success, or were, to a greater or less extent, benefactors of their race in the temporal order, which passes away; then why should not the true Heroes and Heroines of Jesus, who, imitating His example, have overcome themselves, have detached themselves and raised themselves above the world and trampled upon the world; who have aspired, in all their thoughts, words, and actions, to a heavenly crown, and have labored, with zeal and self-forgetting love, for the supernatural good of their fellow-men — why should not they have their memories likewise consecrated and embalmed in the minds and hearts of the people of God?
Crucified Friends of God
If earthly “time” wants to have its heroes, why should not heavenly “eternity” have it heroes? If man can do this, why should not God? "Thy friends, O Lord, are exceedingly honored; their principality is exceedingly exalted!" says Holy Scripture. Those souls whom His Father so dearly loved, the world has crucified; those whom the world neglects, despises, and crucifies, God, through His Church, exceedingly honors and exalts. Their praises should be and are sung with great joy of heart, in the Church of God for ages on ages.
The Dead Speak
The wisdom of the Church of God, in honoring her Saints, is equaled only by the great usefulness of the practice. The Saints are not merely heroes; they are models. Christ lived in them, and Christ yet speaks through them. They were the living temples of the Holy Ghost, in whose bodies dwelt all the riches of God’s wisdom and grace. The Saints were, in their life on earth, examples and models of divine excellence and perfection. Their example still appeals to our minds and inflames our hearts, more eloquently than did their words that they spoke—yet their words are the tinder wood that can inflame our own souls with the love of God. Though dead, they still speak.
If They Can...So Can I
In reading the lives and deeds of the Saints, our instincts tell us, though the scars of Original Sin rebel, that, just like St. Augustine said, at the very crisis of his life, the moment of his conversion "If other men like me have attained to such sanctity, why not I? Shall the poor, the afflicted, the despised of the World, bear away the palm of victory, the crown of immortality, while I lie buried in my sloth and dead in my sins, and thus lose the brilliant and glorious mansion already prepared for me in Heaven? Shall all the gifts, which God has lavished upon me, be ingloriously spent and foolishly wasted, in the petty contest for this world's evanescent honors and riches, while the poor and contemned lay up treasures in Heaven, and secure the prize of immortal glory? Shall others be the friends of God, whom He delights to honor, while I alone remain His enemy, and an alien from His blessed Kingdom?"
The Martyrology
As an Honor Roll, the Church gives us what is called the “Martyrology”, which is a concise list of the chief martyrs and a brief account of their martyrdom. The Saints, that it lists, belong to all classes and callings of life; from the throne to the hovel, from the Pontiff to the lowest cleric, from the philosopher to the peasant, from the busy walks of life to the dreary wastes of the desert. In a time when heroic sanctity might well demanded of most Catholics, it will not be a waste of time and energy to take some excerpts from this wonderful liturgical book, to both bolster our own weakness and cowardice, and acquire, by the grace of God, a mindset that is in line with what God will expect from us, perhaps, not to far in the future.
A Pick Me Up
When we read of these Saints, it will console us in affliction, will perk us up in our despondency, it will spark in our souls a the love of God in the coldness or lukewarmness in which they may be languishing, and will lift up our minds and hearts from this dull and ever-disappointing earth to the bright and everlasting mansions prepared for us in Heaven!
There Is No Other Way
Suffering for Christ is neither easy, nor is it pleasant—at least in the early stages. This was the case for Simon of Cyrene, who was forced to carry Christ’s Cross and did so reluctantly! Yet, with time, Simon grew to love both the stranger (Christ) and His Cross. The end result was that he became a Saint, and his two sons, Alexander and Rufus, also became saints. Yet all that is only normal—for we all called to be Saints. It is only Saints that can go to Heaven! We either become Saints in this life, or in the fires of Purgatory, which are incredibly and unspeakably more painful than the sufferings that any martyr could ever suffer on earth—even the greatest of martyrs! So with this said, tomorrow we will take a peek at some of these Heroes and Heroines of the Faith. In the meantime, let’s start with the ‘top-man’ and take a look at St. Peter, the first Pope and the head of the Church of Saints (click here).
Our Lady's Words of Encouragement
At La Salette, Our Lady told us that "Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy. The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God's people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession.
"But the children of the holy Church, the children of my Faith, my true followers, they will grow in their love for God and in all the virtues most precious to me. Blessed are the souls humbly guided by the Holy Ghost! I shall fight at their side, until they reach a fullness of years ...
"I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your Faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends ...
“And then Jesus Christ, in an act of His justice and His great mercy, will command His Angels to have all His enemies put to death. Suddenly, the persecutors of the Church of Jesus Christ, and all those given over to sin, will perish and the earth will become desert-like. And then peace will be made, and man will be reconciled with God. Jesus Christ will be served, worshiped and glorified. Charity will flourish everywhere."
This is nothing other than what St. Louis de Montfort wrote in his True Devotion to Mary: "These great souls, full of grace and zeal, shall be chosen to match themselves against the enemies of God, who shall rage on all sides; and they shall be singularly devout to our Blessed Lady, illuminated by her light, strengthened with her nourishment, led by her spirit, supported by her arm and sheltered under her protection, so that they shall fight with one hand and build with the other. With the one hand they shall fight, overthrow and crush the heretics with their heresies, the schismatics with their schisms, the idolaters with their idolatries and the sinners with their impieties."
July 15th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE SPIRIT OF MARTYRDOM
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE SPIRIT OF MARTYRDOM
Forgotten Name
We know Christ by several wonderful titles: the Messiah, the Lord, the Savior, the Redeemer, etc. But rarely, if ever, do we invoke Christ as “the Martyr.” Yet Holy Scripture describes Him in these very words. We read in the Book of Apocalypse, for instance, how the Spirit introduces the risen Jesus to the church of Laodicea as“the faithful and true witness” (Apocalypse 3:14). The key term in this verse is“witness,” or in Greek, martus, from which we get the English, “martyr.” The martyr is a witness to Christ, for Christ; a witness for the Faith, a witness to the truth of the Faith.
Among other things, this passage from Apocalypse tells us that the biblical vision of martyrdom is a vision that involves and includes Christ. Its center is Jesus Christ, the archetypal martyr, whose image and likeness shines through the heroism of every martyr in history. The spirit behind martyrdom is the spirit of Christ, which is, of course, the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. Let this fact be as an invitation to us, a challenge before us, in learning the secrets of martyrdom by walking upstream to its source—Christ Himself. Reflection on the Gospels, especially the Passion narratives, will set before us the mystery of the Divine Martyr, Whose words and deeds instruct us for life of witnessing for Christ, and even for a glorious death in witnessing for Christ.
Witness (Martyr) to Grace
First, we learn from Christ that the mission of the martyr is a humanly impossible mission. Our Lord Himself said: “Without Me, you can do nothing!” (John 15:5). That is, without the powerful assistance of God, to strengthen the will, human nature will not be able to withstand the relentless blows, of spiritual temptation, that come when light collides with darkness. What temptations? The temptation to run away, avoid the pain, compromise just a little, refuse the cup of suffering.
Consider the account of Jesus agonizing in the garden of Gethsemane. The evangelists show us that Christ, as man, had the same intense aversion to suffering that we experience. He had a human nature that trembled and even sweat blood at the prospect of a slow and brutal death (Luke 22:44). So what did He do? Knowing what cruelties lay ahead, Jesus prepared for battle on His knees. He cried out to the Father with the groans and tears of a Son in dire distress: “Who with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to Him that was able to save Him from death” (Hebrews 5:7). In short, He entered His Passion through the doorway of prayer.
The result of His pleas was a renewed strength to accept the unpleasant mission marked out for Him. We see this in His words to the Father: “Remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt” (Mark 14:36). These are not the words of a man who has searched and found strength within himself, but rather those of one steeled with power from on high. And if such is the case with Jesus, how much more must the believer, weighed down by sin, staring torture and execution in the face, drop down and beg for Heaven’s help. The crown of martyrdom cannot be worn without the grace of martyrdom that comes by the impassioned prayers of the saints in need: “Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid” (Hebrews 4:16).
Witness (Martyr) to Truth
We also learn from Christ that the martyr must have an unbending commitment to the truth. Nothing in the Gospels suggests that Jesus was in the business of compromise. He had a message from the Father and a mission to preach it.
Even when His words seemed unbearably difficult—too difficult for some of His own disciples to accept—He refused to pull back from the truth or file the teeth off His teaching to make it more marketable (John 6:52-65).
Ultimately, this commitment to truth led Him to His death. Consider the trials of Jesus after His arrest. Standing before an angered Sanhedrin, listening to a stream of false accusations, Jesus is finally asked the incriminating question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed God?” (Mark 14:61). At this point Jesus could have turned somersaults, like a politician, trying to dodge a difficult question. Or He could have watered down His response with endless qualifications—anything and everything to squeeze Himself out of the tight spot. Instead, Jesus responded with the unalloyed truth: “I am” (Mark 14:62). This threw the court into a rage and triggered a charge of condemnation from the leaders of Israel.
Nor do we see Jesus weakening or backpedaling in His examination before Pilate. Here, in fact, the issue of truth stands front and center. The Roman governor, though somewhat disinterested in the case, is still mildly concerned about the Jews’ accusation that Jesus claims to be a king. As the interrogation proceeds, it appears to Pilate that Jesus is more a dreamer than a genuine threat, especially when Jesus lays out His life’s purpose in less-than-political terms: “For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). Stunned, and probably scratching his head, the cynic in Pilate blurts out: “What is truth?” (John 18:38).
For Jesus, truth is the only thing worth dying for. It is the only thing that can have an absolute claim over our lives. This, of course, is because truth is embodied in the very Person of God the Son, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” revealed to us by the Father (John 14:6). The martyr internalizes this at the deepest level. Like his Master, the martyr reverences the truth and follows the truth wherever it leads, even if it takes him down the dark alley of the Passion. Historically, this is what Christ’s most committed disciples have always done. After surveying centuries of Christian martyrdom, St. Alphonsus de Liguori insists, “the martyrs were firmly attached to all the dogmas of the Christian faith.”
Witness (Martyr) to Love
Lastly, we learn from Jesus that the martyr gives his life as an offering of love. This is precisely what Jesus taught when He said: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And this is precisely the teaching that Jesus lived out when He mounted the Cross.
It is vitally important that we see the love of Christ when we see His hands and feet spiked to the beams of the Cross. Some have an impoverished, even twisted, idea that Christ climbed the hill of Calvary simply to jump in front of the oncoming train of God’s wrath. This, so the logic goes, was to appease our angry Father and deflect His fury away from sinners like you and me. Nothing could be more misleading. Christ was no hapless whipping boy. Bleeding and dying on the Cross, Christ was pouring out to the Father the very thing we refuse to give Him every time we sin: the perfect love of God and neighbor, the perfect love of a creature for his Creator, the perfect love of a child for his heavenly Father.
For the martyr, who follows the way of Christ crucified, the imperative of love is indispensable. He simply cannot retrace the footsteps of Christ unless he has learned the lessons of Christian love. And with Christ as his model, he will never confuse such love with a passing emotion. The genuineness of his love will be measured by sacrifice, endurance, selflessness, and extraordinary generosity. This is the highest vocation of every man and woman on earth, regardless of whether the Lord calls us beyond a living martyrdom to the glory of a dying martyrdom for Christ.
The Witness of Martyrdom Needs Grace Through Prayer
Reflection on the Passion has shown us that without grace, a commitment to Gospel truth, and a heart full of love, a truly Christian martyrdom is not possible. Many have died for a cause, but only a martyr dies in the image and likeness of Christ. This is why St. Augustine calls Jesus “the Head of martyrs.”
Quite simply, the crown of martyrdom cannot be worn without the grace of martyrdom that comes from above. And this grace is called down by the impassioned prayers of the disciple who approaches the Father in his hour of greatest need. Prayer is lifeblood of martyrdom!
That is why we are called to "pray without ceasing" and are told that "we ought to pray always and faint not" because prayer from the heart, is like blood pumped by the heart, giving life and strength to all the body.
We know Christ by several wonderful titles: the Messiah, the Lord, the Savior, the Redeemer, etc. But rarely, if ever, do we invoke Christ as “the Martyr.” Yet Holy Scripture describes Him in these very words. We read in the Book of Apocalypse, for instance, how the Spirit introduces the risen Jesus to the church of Laodicea as“the faithful and true witness” (Apocalypse 3:14). The key term in this verse is“witness,” or in Greek, martus, from which we get the English, “martyr.” The martyr is a witness to Christ, for Christ; a witness for the Faith, a witness to the truth of the Faith.
Among other things, this passage from Apocalypse tells us that the biblical vision of martyrdom is a vision that involves and includes Christ. Its center is Jesus Christ, the archetypal martyr, whose image and likeness shines through the heroism of every martyr in history. The spirit behind martyrdom is the spirit of Christ, which is, of course, the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. Let this fact be as an invitation to us, a challenge before us, in learning the secrets of martyrdom by walking upstream to its source—Christ Himself. Reflection on the Gospels, especially the Passion narratives, will set before us the mystery of the Divine Martyr, Whose words and deeds instruct us for life of witnessing for Christ, and even for a glorious death in witnessing for Christ.
Witness (Martyr) to Grace
First, we learn from Christ that the mission of the martyr is a humanly impossible mission. Our Lord Himself said: “Without Me, you can do nothing!” (John 15:5). That is, without the powerful assistance of God, to strengthen the will, human nature will not be able to withstand the relentless blows, of spiritual temptation, that come when light collides with darkness. What temptations? The temptation to run away, avoid the pain, compromise just a little, refuse the cup of suffering.
Consider the account of Jesus agonizing in the garden of Gethsemane. The evangelists show us that Christ, as man, had the same intense aversion to suffering that we experience. He had a human nature that trembled and even sweat blood at the prospect of a slow and brutal death (Luke 22:44). So what did He do? Knowing what cruelties lay ahead, Jesus prepared for battle on His knees. He cried out to the Father with the groans and tears of a Son in dire distress: “Who with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to Him that was able to save Him from death” (Hebrews 5:7). In short, He entered His Passion through the doorway of prayer.
The result of His pleas was a renewed strength to accept the unpleasant mission marked out for Him. We see this in His words to the Father: “Remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt” (Mark 14:36). These are not the words of a man who has searched and found strength within himself, but rather those of one steeled with power from on high. And if such is the case with Jesus, how much more must the believer, weighed down by sin, staring torture and execution in the face, drop down and beg for Heaven’s help. The crown of martyrdom cannot be worn without the grace of martyrdom that comes by the impassioned prayers of the saints in need: “Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid” (Hebrews 4:16).
Witness (Martyr) to Truth
We also learn from Christ that the martyr must have an unbending commitment to the truth. Nothing in the Gospels suggests that Jesus was in the business of compromise. He had a message from the Father and a mission to preach it.
Even when His words seemed unbearably difficult—too difficult for some of His own disciples to accept—He refused to pull back from the truth or file the teeth off His teaching to make it more marketable (John 6:52-65).
Ultimately, this commitment to truth led Him to His death. Consider the trials of Jesus after His arrest. Standing before an angered Sanhedrin, listening to a stream of false accusations, Jesus is finally asked the incriminating question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed God?” (Mark 14:61). At this point Jesus could have turned somersaults, like a politician, trying to dodge a difficult question. Or He could have watered down His response with endless qualifications—anything and everything to squeeze Himself out of the tight spot. Instead, Jesus responded with the unalloyed truth: “I am” (Mark 14:62). This threw the court into a rage and triggered a charge of condemnation from the leaders of Israel.
Nor do we see Jesus weakening or backpedaling in His examination before Pilate. Here, in fact, the issue of truth stands front and center. The Roman governor, though somewhat disinterested in the case, is still mildly concerned about the Jews’ accusation that Jesus claims to be a king. As the interrogation proceeds, it appears to Pilate that Jesus is more a dreamer than a genuine threat, especially when Jesus lays out His life’s purpose in less-than-political terms: “For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). Stunned, and probably scratching his head, the cynic in Pilate blurts out: “What is truth?” (John 18:38).
For Jesus, truth is the only thing worth dying for. It is the only thing that can have an absolute claim over our lives. This, of course, is because truth is embodied in the very Person of God the Son, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” revealed to us by the Father (John 14:6). The martyr internalizes this at the deepest level. Like his Master, the martyr reverences the truth and follows the truth wherever it leads, even if it takes him down the dark alley of the Passion. Historically, this is what Christ’s most committed disciples have always done. After surveying centuries of Christian martyrdom, St. Alphonsus de Liguori insists, “the martyrs were firmly attached to all the dogmas of the Christian faith.”
Witness (Martyr) to Love
Lastly, we learn from Jesus that the martyr gives his life as an offering of love. This is precisely what Jesus taught when He said: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And this is precisely the teaching that Jesus lived out when He mounted the Cross.
It is vitally important that we see the love of Christ when we see His hands and feet spiked to the beams of the Cross. Some have an impoverished, even twisted, idea that Christ climbed the hill of Calvary simply to jump in front of the oncoming train of God’s wrath. This, so the logic goes, was to appease our angry Father and deflect His fury away from sinners like you and me. Nothing could be more misleading. Christ was no hapless whipping boy. Bleeding and dying on the Cross, Christ was pouring out to the Father the very thing we refuse to give Him every time we sin: the perfect love of God and neighbor, the perfect love of a creature for his Creator, the perfect love of a child for his heavenly Father.
For the martyr, who follows the way of Christ crucified, the imperative of love is indispensable. He simply cannot retrace the footsteps of Christ unless he has learned the lessons of Christian love. And with Christ as his model, he will never confuse such love with a passing emotion. The genuineness of his love will be measured by sacrifice, endurance, selflessness, and extraordinary generosity. This is the highest vocation of every man and woman on earth, regardless of whether the Lord calls us beyond a living martyrdom to the glory of a dying martyrdom for Christ.
The Witness of Martyrdom Needs Grace Through Prayer
Reflection on the Passion has shown us that without grace, a commitment to Gospel truth, and a heart full of love, a truly Christian martyrdom is not possible. Many have died for a cause, but only a martyr dies in the image and likeness of Christ. This is why St. Augustine calls Jesus “the Head of martyrs.”
Quite simply, the crown of martyrdom cannot be worn without the grace of martyrdom that comes from above. And this grace is called down by the impassioned prayers of the disciple who approaches the Father in his hour of greatest need. Prayer is lifeblood of martyrdom!
That is why we are called to "pray without ceasing" and are told that "we ought to pray always and faint not" because prayer from the heart, is like blood pumped by the heart, giving life and strength to all the body.
July 16th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
WHO WILL WIN THIS BATTLE?
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
WHO WILL WIN THIS BATTLE?
Toil and Trouble
There is no doubt that things are brewing and bubbling throughout the world—in the political arena, the military arena, the economic arena as well as the religious arena. As Scripture says: “Having eyes, see you not?” (Mark 8:18).
Our Lord had warned us through Holy Scripture of the terrible times that would come towards the end of time. Matthew, Mark and Luke all report that after giving a list of cryptic events, Jesus says: “So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:33). “So you also when you shall see these things come to pass, know ye that it is very nigh, even at the doors”(Mark 13:29). “So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand ... For as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come” (Luke 21:31, 35-36). What on earth can Our Lord be speaking of?
“And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that ye be not troubled. For these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be pestilences, and famines, and earthquakes in places. Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake” (Matthew 24:6-9). “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves”(Luke 21:25).
Truly Terrifying
The thought of what is to come, says Scripture, will make people dreadfully afraid:“Men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world” (Luke 21:26). Our Lady of La Salette echoes her Son’s words and seems to apply them to our own modern era, saying: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! God will exhaust His wrath upon them, and no one will be able to escape so many afflictions together ... Physical and moral agonies will be suffered. God will abandon mankind to itself and will send punishments which will follow one after the other … Lucifer, together with a large number of demons, will be unloosed from Hell; they will put an end to Faith, little by little, even in those dedicated to God.”
Frightening Vision
This, in turn, is echoed by the vision of Pope Leo XIII, exactly 33 years to the day prior to the great Miracle of the Sun in Fatima, that is, on October 13, 1884. Pope Leo XIII had finished celebrating Mass in his private Vatican Chapel, attended by a few Cardinals and members of the Vatican staff. After Mass was over, for several minutes, he was as if in a trance, his face having become ashen white. The very life seemed to have ebbed away from the already weakened and aged body. Suddenly he recovered and said: “What a horrible picture I was permitted to see!” He saw what was going to happen in the future, the misleading powers and the ravings of the devils against the Church in all countries. Then, going immediately from the Chapel to his office, he composed the prayer to St. Michael, with instructions for it be said after all Masses everywhere. When asked what had happened, he explained that, as he was about to leave the foot of the altar, he suddenly heard two voices—one kind and gentle, the other guttural and harsh. They seemed to come from near the tabernacle. As he listened, he heard the following conversation:
The guttural voice, the voice of Satan in his pride, boasted to Our Lord: "I can destroy your Church."
The gentle voice of Our Lord: "You can? Then go ahead and do so."
Satan: "To do so, I need more time and more power."
Our Lord: "How much time? How much power?”
Satan: "75 to 100 years, and a greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service."
Our Lord: "You have the time, you will have the power. Do with them what you will.”
We hearken back to the above quoted words of Our Lady of La Salette: “Lucifer, together with a large number of demons, will be unloosed from Hell; they will put an end to Faith little by little, even in those dedicated to God.”
Vision Witnesses Speak
In 1947, Fr. Domenico Pechenino, a witness of the event itself, related what he had seen over six decades before.
“I do not remember the exact year. One morning the great Pope Leo XIII had celebrated a Mass and, as usual, was attending a Mass of thanksgiving. Suddenly, we saw him raise his head and stare at something above the celebrant’s head. He was staring motionlessly, without batting an eye. His expression was one of horror and awe; the color and look on his face changing rapidly. Something unusual and grave was happening in him.
“Finally, as though coming to his senses, he lightly but firmly tapped his hand and rose to his feet. He headed for his private office. His retinue followed anxiously and solicitously, whispering: ‘Holy Father, are you not feeling well? Do you need anything?’ He answered: ‘Nothing, nothing.’ About half an hour later, he called for the Secretary of the Congregation of Rites and, handing him a sheet of paper, requested that it be printed and sent to all the ordinaries around the world. What was that paper? It was the prayer that we recite with the people at the end of every Mass. It is the plea to Mary and the passionate request to the Prince of the heavenly host, (St. Michael: Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle) beseeching God to send Satan back to Hell.”
Cardinal Giovanni Batista Nassalli Rocca di Corneiliano, wrote in his Pastoral Letters on Lent: “The sentence — ‘The evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls’— has a historical explanation, that was many times repeated by his private secretary, Monsignor Rinaldo Angeli. Pope Leo XIII truly saw, in a vision, demonic spirits who were congregating on the Eternal City (Rome). The prayer that he asked all the Church to recite was the fruit of that experience. He would recite that prayer with strong, powerful voice: we heard it many a time in the Vatican Basilica. Leo XIII also personally wrote an exorcism that is included in the Roman Ritual. He recommended that bishops and priests read these exorcisms often in their dioceses and parishes. He himself would recite them often throughout the day.” We are for God, or we are for the devil; there is no other possibility.
Bird-Like Reactions
To all this, there are two common reactions: some bury their heads like ostriches in the sand, others are tempted to run around like headless chickens. Neither reaction is the reaction that Heaven desires. As Job says: “The life of man on earth is a warfare” (Job 7:1) and St. Peter warns us that “Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour; whom resist ye, strong in faith: knowing that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9), whereas St. Paul reminds us that“Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12).
Lucia’s Warnings
Sr. Lucia of Fatima echoes this in her interview with Fr. Augustino Fuentes, saying:
"Father, the devil is in the mood for engaging in a decisive battle against the Blessed Virgin, and the devil knows what it is that most offends God, and which in a short space of time will gain for him the greatest number of souls. Thus the devil does everything to overcome souls consecrated to God, because, in this way, the devil will succeed in leaving the souls of the faithful abandoned by their leaders, thereby the more easily will he seize them.
"Father, the Most Holy Virgin did not tell me that we are in the last times of the world, but she made me understand this for three reasons. The first reason is because she told me that the devil is in the mood for engaging in a decisive battle against the Virgin. And a decisive battle is the final battle where one side will be victorious and the other side will suffer defeat. Hence from now on we must choose sides. Either we are for God, or we are for the devil; there is no other possibility.
"The second reason is because she said to my cousins as well as to myself, that God is giving two last remedies to the world. They are the Holy Rosary and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These are the last two remedies which signify that there will be no others.
"The third reason is because in the plans of Divine Providence, God always, before He is about to chastise the world, exhausts all other remedies. Now, when He sees that the world pays no attention whatsoever then, as we say in our imperfect manner of speaking, He offers us with a certain trepidation the last means of salvation, His Most Holy Mother. It is with ‘a certain trepidation’, because if you despise and reject this ultimate means, we will not have any more forgiveness from Heaven, because we will have committed a sin which the Gospel calls the sin against the Holy Ghost. This sin consists of openly rejecting, with full knowledge and consent, the salvation which He offers. Let us remember that Jesus Christ is a very good Son and that He does not permit that we offend and despise His Most Holy Mother. We have recorded through many centuries of Church history the obvious testimony which demonstrates by the terrible chastisements which have befallen those who have attacked the honor of His Most Holy Mother, how Our Lord Jesus Christ has always defended the honor of His Mother.
"The two means for saving the world are prayer and sacrifice. [Regarding the Holy Rosary, Sister Lucy said:] Look, Father, the Most Holy Virgin, in these last times in which we live, has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families of the world or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations, that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. With the Holy Rosary we will sanctify ourselves. We will console Our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls.
"Finally, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Most Holy Mother, consists in considering her as the seat of mercy, of goodness and of pardon, and as the sure door of entering Heaven."
Heaven, Not Human
It is not human endeavors, nor human skill, nor human tactics, nor human weapons that will turn the tide and defeat the enemies—both satanic and human—that threaten us today. Such human ‘wisdom’ is foolishness! “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: ‘I will catch the wise in their own craftiness’” (1 Corinthians 3:19). “For My thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are My ways exalted above your ways, and My thoughts above your thoughts”(Isaias 55:8-9).
Our Lady of La Salette encourages us, saying: “God will take care of His faithful servants and men of good will ... I make an urgent appeal to the earth. I call on the true disciples of the living God who reigns in Heaven; I call on the true followers of Christ made man, the only true Savior of men; I call on my children, the true faithful, those who have given themselves to me, so that I may lead them to my divine Son, those whom I carry in my arms, so to speak, those who have lived on my spirit … The children of the holy Church, the children of my Faith, my true followers, they will grow in their love for God and in all the virtues most precious to me. Blessed are the souls humbly guided by the Holy Ghost! I shall fight at their side, until they reach a fullness of years … Finally, I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your Faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends.” (Our Lady of La Salette)
Our Lady, the Rosary and our Faith are the weapons and remedies that are needed. What are we doing to strengthen and hone those Heaven sent weapons? We know who will win the "final battle" that Lucia speaks of—but where will we stand? What will we do? Will we be praised or punsished for our involvement or lack of involvement in what is going to come?
There is no doubt that things are brewing and bubbling throughout the world—in the political arena, the military arena, the economic arena as well as the religious arena. As Scripture says: “Having eyes, see you not?” (Mark 8:18).
Our Lord had warned us through Holy Scripture of the terrible times that would come towards the end of time. Matthew, Mark and Luke all report that after giving a list of cryptic events, Jesus says: “So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:33). “So you also when you shall see these things come to pass, know ye that it is very nigh, even at the doors”(Mark 13:29). “So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand ... For as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come” (Luke 21:31, 35-36). What on earth can Our Lord be speaking of?
“And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that ye be not troubled. For these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be pestilences, and famines, and earthquakes in places. Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake” (Matthew 24:6-9). “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves”(Luke 21:25).
Truly Terrifying
The thought of what is to come, says Scripture, will make people dreadfully afraid:“Men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world” (Luke 21:26). Our Lady of La Salette echoes her Son’s words and seems to apply them to our own modern era, saying: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth! God will exhaust His wrath upon them, and no one will be able to escape so many afflictions together ... Physical and moral agonies will be suffered. God will abandon mankind to itself and will send punishments which will follow one after the other … Lucifer, together with a large number of demons, will be unloosed from Hell; they will put an end to Faith, little by little, even in those dedicated to God.”
Frightening Vision
This, in turn, is echoed by the vision of Pope Leo XIII, exactly 33 years to the day prior to the great Miracle of the Sun in Fatima, that is, on October 13, 1884. Pope Leo XIII had finished celebrating Mass in his private Vatican Chapel, attended by a few Cardinals and members of the Vatican staff. After Mass was over, for several minutes, he was as if in a trance, his face having become ashen white. The very life seemed to have ebbed away from the already weakened and aged body. Suddenly he recovered and said: “What a horrible picture I was permitted to see!” He saw what was going to happen in the future, the misleading powers and the ravings of the devils against the Church in all countries. Then, going immediately from the Chapel to his office, he composed the prayer to St. Michael, with instructions for it be said after all Masses everywhere. When asked what had happened, he explained that, as he was about to leave the foot of the altar, he suddenly heard two voices—one kind and gentle, the other guttural and harsh. They seemed to come from near the tabernacle. As he listened, he heard the following conversation:
The guttural voice, the voice of Satan in his pride, boasted to Our Lord: "I can destroy your Church."
The gentle voice of Our Lord: "You can? Then go ahead and do so."
Satan: "To do so, I need more time and more power."
Our Lord: "How much time? How much power?”
Satan: "75 to 100 years, and a greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service."
Our Lord: "You have the time, you will have the power. Do with them what you will.”
We hearken back to the above quoted words of Our Lady of La Salette: “Lucifer, together with a large number of demons, will be unloosed from Hell; they will put an end to Faith little by little, even in those dedicated to God.”
Vision Witnesses Speak
In 1947, Fr. Domenico Pechenino, a witness of the event itself, related what he had seen over six decades before.
“I do not remember the exact year. One morning the great Pope Leo XIII had celebrated a Mass and, as usual, was attending a Mass of thanksgiving. Suddenly, we saw him raise his head and stare at something above the celebrant’s head. He was staring motionlessly, without batting an eye. His expression was one of horror and awe; the color and look on his face changing rapidly. Something unusual and grave was happening in him.
“Finally, as though coming to his senses, he lightly but firmly tapped his hand and rose to his feet. He headed for his private office. His retinue followed anxiously and solicitously, whispering: ‘Holy Father, are you not feeling well? Do you need anything?’ He answered: ‘Nothing, nothing.’ About half an hour later, he called for the Secretary of the Congregation of Rites and, handing him a sheet of paper, requested that it be printed and sent to all the ordinaries around the world. What was that paper? It was the prayer that we recite with the people at the end of every Mass. It is the plea to Mary and the passionate request to the Prince of the heavenly host, (St. Michael: Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle) beseeching God to send Satan back to Hell.”
Cardinal Giovanni Batista Nassalli Rocca di Corneiliano, wrote in his Pastoral Letters on Lent: “The sentence — ‘The evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls’— has a historical explanation, that was many times repeated by his private secretary, Monsignor Rinaldo Angeli. Pope Leo XIII truly saw, in a vision, demonic spirits who were congregating on the Eternal City (Rome). The prayer that he asked all the Church to recite was the fruit of that experience. He would recite that prayer with strong, powerful voice: we heard it many a time in the Vatican Basilica. Leo XIII also personally wrote an exorcism that is included in the Roman Ritual. He recommended that bishops and priests read these exorcisms often in their dioceses and parishes. He himself would recite them often throughout the day.” We are for God, or we are for the devil; there is no other possibility.
Bird-Like Reactions
To all this, there are two common reactions: some bury their heads like ostriches in the sand, others are tempted to run around like headless chickens. Neither reaction is the reaction that Heaven desires. As Job says: “The life of man on earth is a warfare” (Job 7:1) and St. Peter warns us that “Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour; whom resist ye, strong in faith: knowing that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9), whereas St. Paul reminds us that“Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12).
Lucia’s Warnings
Sr. Lucia of Fatima echoes this in her interview with Fr. Augustino Fuentes, saying:
"Father, the devil is in the mood for engaging in a decisive battle against the Blessed Virgin, and the devil knows what it is that most offends God, and which in a short space of time will gain for him the greatest number of souls. Thus the devil does everything to overcome souls consecrated to God, because, in this way, the devil will succeed in leaving the souls of the faithful abandoned by their leaders, thereby the more easily will he seize them.
"Father, the Most Holy Virgin did not tell me that we are in the last times of the world, but she made me understand this for three reasons. The first reason is because she told me that the devil is in the mood for engaging in a decisive battle against the Virgin. And a decisive battle is the final battle where one side will be victorious and the other side will suffer defeat. Hence from now on we must choose sides. Either we are for God, or we are for the devil; there is no other possibility.
"The second reason is because she said to my cousins as well as to myself, that God is giving two last remedies to the world. They are the Holy Rosary and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These are the last two remedies which signify that there will be no others.
"The third reason is because in the plans of Divine Providence, God always, before He is about to chastise the world, exhausts all other remedies. Now, when He sees that the world pays no attention whatsoever then, as we say in our imperfect manner of speaking, He offers us with a certain trepidation the last means of salvation, His Most Holy Mother. It is with ‘a certain trepidation’, because if you despise and reject this ultimate means, we will not have any more forgiveness from Heaven, because we will have committed a sin which the Gospel calls the sin against the Holy Ghost. This sin consists of openly rejecting, with full knowledge and consent, the salvation which He offers. Let us remember that Jesus Christ is a very good Son and that He does not permit that we offend and despise His Most Holy Mother. We have recorded through many centuries of Church history the obvious testimony which demonstrates by the terrible chastisements which have befallen those who have attacked the honor of His Most Holy Mother, how Our Lord Jesus Christ has always defended the honor of His Mother.
"The two means for saving the world are prayer and sacrifice. [Regarding the Holy Rosary, Sister Lucy said:] Look, Father, the Most Holy Virgin, in these last times in which we live, has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families of the world or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations, that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. With the Holy Rosary we will sanctify ourselves. We will console Our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls.
"Finally, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, our Most Holy Mother, consists in considering her as the seat of mercy, of goodness and of pardon, and as the sure door of entering Heaven."
Heaven, Not Human
It is not human endeavors, nor human skill, nor human tactics, nor human weapons that will turn the tide and defeat the enemies—both satanic and human—that threaten us today. Such human ‘wisdom’ is foolishness! “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: ‘I will catch the wise in their own craftiness’” (1 Corinthians 3:19). “For My thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are My ways exalted above your ways, and My thoughts above your thoughts”(Isaias 55:8-9).
Our Lady of La Salette encourages us, saying: “God will take care of His faithful servants and men of good will ... I make an urgent appeal to the earth. I call on the true disciples of the living God who reigns in Heaven; I call on the true followers of Christ made man, the only true Savior of men; I call on my children, the true faithful, those who have given themselves to me, so that I may lead them to my divine Son, those whom I carry in my arms, so to speak, those who have lived on my spirit … The children of the holy Church, the children of my Faith, my true followers, they will grow in their love for God and in all the virtues most precious to me. Blessed are the souls humbly guided by the Holy Ghost! I shall fight at their side, until they reach a fullness of years … Finally, I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your Faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends.” (Our Lady of La Salette)
Our Lady, the Rosary and our Faith are the weapons and remedies that are needed. What are we doing to strengthen and hone those Heaven sent weapons? We know who will win the "final battle" that Lucia speaks of—but where will we stand? What will we do? Will we be praised or punsished for our involvement or lack of involvement in what is going to come?
July 17th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
LIVE CARMEL TODAY OR BE CARAMELIZED TOMORROW!
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
LIVE CARMEL TODAY OR BE CARAMELIZED TOMORROW!
Carmel or Caramel?
What’s all this about Carmel and Caramelization? Isn’t it a silly game of choosing similar sounding words, but which have not connection whatsoever? Well, there is more to Carmel and Caramelization than one would first imagine! Starting out colorfully, we can clearly see that the Religious Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel are obviously linked by color to the cooking process of caramelization. The common denominator being the color brown. When you caramelize a food, then the food usually takes on a brown color of various shades as it is increasingly heated.
The verb “caramelize” comes from “caramel”, or “burnt sugar” in French. The process of caramelization makes food sweeter. Foods that may naturally be pungent or somewhat bitter, turn sweet as the natural sugars within the food are heated and drawn out. We use the word “caramelize” to describe what happens when we increasingly cook certain vegetables or fruits, or when we brown meat over high heat to draw out its natural sugars and create a flavorful crust. To caramelize sugar within a food, various degrees of heat are applied to the food, until the natural sugars within the food melt and turn caramel (brown) colored.
Vegetables, with a high natural sugar content―such as onions, carrots or turnips―can also be caramelized by sautéing them in butter or oil. Fruits, such as apples or figs, can also be caramelized by sautéing them in butter, which gives them a lightly caramelized glaze. The higher you heat a sugar, the nearer it draws to becoming pure caramel. It is at 320⁰ F that caramel starts to form and it deepens and darkens in its brown color until the temperature of 400⁰ F is reached, after which it turns black and starts to decompose. In this way, raw sugar can be heated in a pan, past the various candy stage temperatures between 230⁰ and 320⁰ F, after which the sugar totally liquefies and enters the true caramel ranges of 330⁰ F (light caramel), 360⁰ F (medium caramel) and 380⁰ F (dark caramel).
The Caramelizing of Carmel Produces Spiritual ‘Caramel’
Let us take this idea of caramelization and superimpose it upon what the Religious Order of Carmelites stands for. As seen in the previous article, Elias challenged the prophets of Baal to gather on Mount Carmel to determine which God, Baal or the Lord was the true God. Each built a stone altar with firewood and had a sacrificial bull placed upon it. The "God" who would send fire from Heaven, upon the altar, would be accepted as the true God. If you want to look upon it this way, you could say that the challenge on Carmel was to see which god would caramelize the meat on Carmel—the One True God, or Baal?
The prophets of Baal prayed and danced and chanted all day to no avail. Elias, though before beginning his prayer, poured gallons of water over his sacrifice, making it humanly impossible to light the fire. Elias then called upon the Lord and immediately a bolt of lightning came down from Heaven, setting the altar on fire and consuming or ‘caramelizing’ the sacrifice and the stones of the altar. The pagan prophets were killed at Elias' command, and Elias, fearing the revenge of Jezabel for his having killed her prophets, went into hiding on Mount Carmel. Later a community of prophets joined him. They dwelt in caves, praying to God, and living lives of hermits.
It is fiery ‘caramelizing’ spirit of the prophet of Carmel that is needed to fight the ‘450’ pagan ‘prophets’ of the modern-day Baal today. Today’s worldly prophets of ‘Baal’ are all for “having a ball”. Hell is hellfire and God is also a fire—the fire of charity. Christ would come to cast fire on Earth, fulfilling the symbolic meaning of Elias drawing down fire from Heaven: “I am come to cast fire on the Earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled?” (Luke 12:49). God the Father often appeared under the form of fire to Moses and the Israelites. God the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles, at Pentecost, in the form of fire.
“And Elias the prophet stood up, as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch. He brought a famine upon them, and they that provoked him in their envy, were reduced to a small number, for they could not endure the commandments of the Lord. By the word of the Lord, he shut up the Heaven, and he brought down fire from Heaven thrice. Thus was Elias magnified in his wondrous works. Who raisedst up a dead man from below, from the lot of death, by the word of the Lord God. Who broughtest down kings to destruction, and brokest easily their power in pieces, and the glorious from their bed. Who heardest judgment in Sina, and in Horeb the judgments of vengeance. Who anointedst kings to penance, and madest prophets successors after thee. Who wast taken up in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot of fiery horses” (Ecclesiasticus 48:1-9). "And as they [Elias and Eliseus] went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into Heaven” (4 Kings 2:11).
‘Caramelizing’ Earth, Carmel’s Way
To overcome the errors and vices of the world today, requires an increase in contemplation and a reduction in fruitless action. It is said that the contemplative religious orders are more powerful that the active religious orders. St. Thomas Aquinas says that contemplation is better than action—however, if action flows from the fruits of contemplation, then it raises the benefits and fruits of contemplation even higher. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the “Little Flower” of Carmel, is surprisingly the patron saint of missionaries—even though she led a secluded contemplative life within the cloisterd confined of her Carmel. Some look upon the Religious Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel as the ‘shock-troops’, or ‘commandos’, the ‘SAS’, the ‘Green Berets’ (perhaps ‘Brown Berets’), or ‘Navy Seals’ of the Church. What is it that makes them so powerful? They are the ‘Marys’ and not ‘Marthas’ of the Church! They are seated at the feet of Our Lord and Our Lady, contemplating and meditating on their words, rather than busily occupying themselves with external things like most other religious orders. As Our Lord said to the busy Martha—Mary, her sister, had found the better part, the “one thing necessary”!
“Now it came to pass, as they went, that Jesus entered into a certain town and a certain woman, named Martha, received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord’s feet, heard His word. But Martha was busy about much serving. Who stood and said: ‘Lord! Hast Thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? Speak to her therefore, that she help me!’ And the Lord answering, said to her: ‘Martha! Martha! Thou art careful, and art troubled about many things! But one thing is necessary! Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her!’” (Luke 10:38-42).
Wouldn’t you like your prayers to be so powerful that would be almost infallibly heard and answered? The key element, or trunk or root, to that problem is the virtue of charity or love. The degree of one’s charity can change the prayer from being a mere firework (a passing flash in the sky) to an atom-bomb or a nuclear bomb. If you’ve seen the size of the atom-bomb dropped on Hiroshima, you will notice that it relatively small in relation to the power that it packs—in fact, the part that does the damage is a very small part within the large casing of the bomb.
It can be so with our prayers, and that is why St. Louis de Montfort says: “It is not so much the length of a prayer as the fervor with which it is said which pleases God and touches his heart. A single Hail Mary said properly is worth more than a hundred and fifty said badly.” The charity or love, that we say our prayers with, greatly increase their value and power. It is the heat or fire of our love that ‘caramelizes’ our prayers and makes them sweet in Heaven’s eyes. Our Lady had such a great and sincere love of God, that the slightest prayer of hers was capable of moving mountains. This is why the devils themselves admitted to the power of her prayers during an exorcism: “We have to say, however, reluctantly, that no soul who has really persevered in her service has ever been damned with us; one single sigh that she offers to the Blessed Trinity is worth far more than all the prayers, desires, and aspirations of all the saints.” (The Secret of the Rosary, “Thirty-Third Rose”). Her prayers are so powerful because her love is so powerful.
‘Caramelizing’ Your Charity
We vainly imagine that the world has spun beyond a capacity of it being changed and redeemed, or if we think that it could be changed, then we think it is by enormous human efforts. On both counts we are totally wrong! It can be changed, but not in the way we think! It does not take many to change the world—at least to trigger the change—just as one single match can start a forest fire.
St. John Vianney was told by the devil that if there were three more priests like the Curé of Ars, then the devil’s kingdom would be destroyed. It is not about numbers or quantity, but more about quality. Likewise, Our Lady revealed to Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich that one single Mass, offered with the same devotion as that of the Apostles, would ward off the evils within the Church. Anne Catherine Emmerich says: “Mass, badly celebrated, is an enormous evil. Ah! It is not a matter of indifference how it is said! . . . I have had a great vision on the mystery of Holy Mass and I have seen that whatever good has existed since creation is owing to it … Our Lady said what is most painful for me to repeat, that if only one priest offered the unbloody Sacrifice as worthily and with the same sentiments as the Apostles, he could ward off all calamities from the Church!”
‘Caramelizing’ Communions
It is especially in the ‘furnace’ or ‘oven’ of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in Holy Communion that we are meant to ‘caramelize’ our charity—making it hotter and sweeter. Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange writes:
“Through love for our souls, Christ first promised the Eucharist; He gave it to us at the Last Supper by instituting the priesthood; He renews it every day in the Sacrifice of the Mass; He gives Himself to us in daily Communion … All these acts of divine generosity spring from one and the same love and are all ordained to our progressive sanctification. They deserve a special thanksgiving. Such is the true meaning of the devotion to the Eucharistic heart of Jesus. His heart is called "Eucharistic" because it gave us the Eucharist and still continues to do so. As people say that the air is healthful when it maintains or restores health, the heart of our Savior is called "Eucharistic" because it has given us the greatest of the sacraments, in which it is itself really and substantially present as the radiant source of ever new graces” (Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange, The Three Ages of the Interior Life).
“The words of the promise of the Eucharist, recorded by St. John (6:26-59), show us best of all what this vivifying [‘caramelizing’ or heating] influence of the Savior on us should be, and how we ought to receive it. First of all, Christ promised a heavenly bread. After the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, He said: ‘Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give you. My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world." (John 6:27, 32 ff) … This promise of the Eucharist makes us glimpse all that this Sacrament ought to produce in us, whether beginners, proficients, or the perfect” (Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange, The Three Ages of the Interior Life).
What’s all this about Carmel and Caramelization? Isn’t it a silly game of choosing similar sounding words, but which have not connection whatsoever? Well, there is more to Carmel and Caramelization than one would first imagine! Starting out colorfully, we can clearly see that the Religious Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel are obviously linked by color to the cooking process of caramelization. The common denominator being the color brown. When you caramelize a food, then the food usually takes on a brown color of various shades as it is increasingly heated.
The verb “caramelize” comes from “caramel”, or “burnt sugar” in French. The process of caramelization makes food sweeter. Foods that may naturally be pungent or somewhat bitter, turn sweet as the natural sugars within the food are heated and drawn out. We use the word “caramelize” to describe what happens when we increasingly cook certain vegetables or fruits, or when we brown meat over high heat to draw out its natural sugars and create a flavorful crust. To caramelize sugar within a food, various degrees of heat are applied to the food, until the natural sugars within the food melt and turn caramel (brown) colored.
Vegetables, with a high natural sugar content―such as onions, carrots or turnips―can also be caramelized by sautéing them in butter or oil. Fruits, such as apples or figs, can also be caramelized by sautéing them in butter, which gives them a lightly caramelized glaze. The higher you heat a sugar, the nearer it draws to becoming pure caramel. It is at 320⁰ F that caramel starts to form and it deepens and darkens in its brown color until the temperature of 400⁰ F is reached, after which it turns black and starts to decompose. In this way, raw sugar can be heated in a pan, past the various candy stage temperatures between 230⁰ and 320⁰ F, after which the sugar totally liquefies and enters the true caramel ranges of 330⁰ F (light caramel), 360⁰ F (medium caramel) and 380⁰ F (dark caramel).
The Caramelizing of Carmel Produces Spiritual ‘Caramel’
Let us take this idea of caramelization and superimpose it upon what the Religious Order of Carmelites stands for. As seen in the previous article, Elias challenged the prophets of Baal to gather on Mount Carmel to determine which God, Baal or the Lord was the true God. Each built a stone altar with firewood and had a sacrificial bull placed upon it. The "God" who would send fire from Heaven, upon the altar, would be accepted as the true God. If you want to look upon it this way, you could say that the challenge on Carmel was to see which god would caramelize the meat on Carmel—the One True God, or Baal?
The prophets of Baal prayed and danced and chanted all day to no avail. Elias, though before beginning his prayer, poured gallons of water over his sacrifice, making it humanly impossible to light the fire. Elias then called upon the Lord and immediately a bolt of lightning came down from Heaven, setting the altar on fire and consuming or ‘caramelizing’ the sacrifice and the stones of the altar. The pagan prophets were killed at Elias' command, and Elias, fearing the revenge of Jezabel for his having killed her prophets, went into hiding on Mount Carmel. Later a community of prophets joined him. They dwelt in caves, praying to God, and living lives of hermits.
It is fiery ‘caramelizing’ spirit of the prophet of Carmel that is needed to fight the ‘450’ pagan ‘prophets’ of the modern-day Baal today. Today’s worldly prophets of ‘Baal’ are all for “having a ball”. Hell is hellfire and God is also a fire—the fire of charity. Christ would come to cast fire on Earth, fulfilling the symbolic meaning of Elias drawing down fire from Heaven: “I am come to cast fire on the Earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled?” (Luke 12:49). God the Father often appeared under the form of fire to Moses and the Israelites. God the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles, at Pentecost, in the form of fire.
“And Elias the prophet stood up, as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch. He brought a famine upon them, and they that provoked him in their envy, were reduced to a small number, for they could not endure the commandments of the Lord. By the word of the Lord, he shut up the Heaven, and he brought down fire from Heaven thrice. Thus was Elias magnified in his wondrous works. Who raisedst up a dead man from below, from the lot of death, by the word of the Lord God. Who broughtest down kings to destruction, and brokest easily their power in pieces, and the glorious from their bed. Who heardest judgment in Sina, and in Horeb the judgments of vengeance. Who anointedst kings to penance, and madest prophets successors after thee. Who wast taken up in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot of fiery horses” (Ecclesiasticus 48:1-9). "And as they [Elias and Eliseus] went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into Heaven” (4 Kings 2:11).
‘Caramelizing’ Earth, Carmel’s Way
To overcome the errors and vices of the world today, requires an increase in contemplation and a reduction in fruitless action. It is said that the contemplative religious orders are more powerful that the active religious orders. St. Thomas Aquinas says that contemplation is better than action—however, if action flows from the fruits of contemplation, then it raises the benefits and fruits of contemplation even higher. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the “Little Flower” of Carmel, is surprisingly the patron saint of missionaries—even though she led a secluded contemplative life within the cloisterd confined of her Carmel. Some look upon the Religious Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel as the ‘shock-troops’, or ‘commandos’, the ‘SAS’, the ‘Green Berets’ (perhaps ‘Brown Berets’), or ‘Navy Seals’ of the Church. What is it that makes them so powerful? They are the ‘Marys’ and not ‘Marthas’ of the Church! They are seated at the feet of Our Lord and Our Lady, contemplating and meditating on their words, rather than busily occupying themselves with external things like most other religious orders. As Our Lord said to the busy Martha—Mary, her sister, had found the better part, the “one thing necessary”!
“Now it came to pass, as they went, that Jesus entered into a certain town and a certain woman, named Martha, received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord’s feet, heard His word. But Martha was busy about much serving. Who stood and said: ‘Lord! Hast Thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? Speak to her therefore, that she help me!’ And the Lord answering, said to her: ‘Martha! Martha! Thou art careful, and art troubled about many things! But one thing is necessary! Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her!’” (Luke 10:38-42).
Wouldn’t you like your prayers to be so powerful that would be almost infallibly heard and answered? The key element, or trunk or root, to that problem is the virtue of charity or love. The degree of one’s charity can change the prayer from being a mere firework (a passing flash in the sky) to an atom-bomb or a nuclear bomb. If you’ve seen the size of the atom-bomb dropped on Hiroshima, you will notice that it relatively small in relation to the power that it packs—in fact, the part that does the damage is a very small part within the large casing of the bomb.
It can be so with our prayers, and that is why St. Louis de Montfort says: “It is not so much the length of a prayer as the fervor with which it is said which pleases God and touches his heart. A single Hail Mary said properly is worth more than a hundred and fifty said badly.” The charity or love, that we say our prayers with, greatly increase their value and power. It is the heat or fire of our love that ‘caramelizes’ our prayers and makes them sweet in Heaven’s eyes. Our Lady had such a great and sincere love of God, that the slightest prayer of hers was capable of moving mountains. This is why the devils themselves admitted to the power of her prayers during an exorcism: “We have to say, however, reluctantly, that no soul who has really persevered in her service has ever been damned with us; one single sigh that she offers to the Blessed Trinity is worth far more than all the prayers, desires, and aspirations of all the saints.” (The Secret of the Rosary, “Thirty-Third Rose”). Her prayers are so powerful because her love is so powerful.
‘Caramelizing’ Your Charity
We vainly imagine that the world has spun beyond a capacity of it being changed and redeemed, or if we think that it could be changed, then we think it is by enormous human efforts. On both counts we are totally wrong! It can be changed, but not in the way we think! It does not take many to change the world—at least to trigger the change—just as one single match can start a forest fire.
St. John Vianney was told by the devil that if there were three more priests like the Curé of Ars, then the devil’s kingdom would be destroyed. It is not about numbers or quantity, but more about quality. Likewise, Our Lady revealed to Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich that one single Mass, offered with the same devotion as that of the Apostles, would ward off the evils within the Church. Anne Catherine Emmerich says: “Mass, badly celebrated, is an enormous evil. Ah! It is not a matter of indifference how it is said! . . . I have had a great vision on the mystery of Holy Mass and I have seen that whatever good has existed since creation is owing to it … Our Lady said what is most painful for me to repeat, that if only one priest offered the unbloody Sacrifice as worthily and with the same sentiments as the Apostles, he could ward off all calamities from the Church!”
‘Caramelizing’ Communions
It is especially in the ‘furnace’ or ‘oven’ of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in Holy Communion that we are meant to ‘caramelize’ our charity—making it hotter and sweeter. Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange writes:
“Through love for our souls, Christ first promised the Eucharist; He gave it to us at the Last Supper by instituting the priesthood; He renews it every day in the Sacrifice of the Mass; He gives Himself to us in daily Communion … All these acts of divine generosity spring from one and the same love and are all ordained to our progressive sanctification. They deserve a special thanksgiving. Such is the true meaning of the devotion to the Eucharistic heart of Jesus. His heart is called "Eucharistic" because it gave us the Eucharist and still continues to do so. As people say that the air is healthful when it maintains or restores health, the heart of our Savior is called "Eucharistic" because it has given us the greatest of the sacraments, in which it is itself really and substantially present as the radiant source of ever new graces” (Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange, The Three Ages of the Interior Life).
“The words of the promise of the Eucharist, recorded by St. John (6:26-59), show us best of all what this vivifying [‘caramelizing’ or heating] influence of the Savior on us should be, and how we ought to receive it. First of all, Christ promised a heavenly bread. After the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, He said: ‘Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give you. My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world." (John 6:27, 32 ff) … This promise of the Eucharist makes us glimpse all that this Sacrament ought to produce in us, whether beginners, proficients, or the perfect” (Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange, The Three Ages of the Interior Life).
July 18th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOOD FLOWED IN PAGAN ROME!
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOOD FLOWED IN PAGAN ROME!
Big or Little?
Sacred Scripture attests to the courage of men and women who were willing to die as martyrs rather than renounce their Faith, or be unfaithful to God’s law. In the Old Testament, Susanna preferred to die rather than yield to the sinful passions of the two unjust judges (Daniel 13). St. John the Baptist refused to compromise with evil and never ceased professing the law of God; in the end he “gave his life in witness to truth and justice” (Opening Prayer for the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist). St. Stephen, one of the first deacons of the Church, was also the first martyr (Act 6:8 ff), followed by the Apostle St. James the Greater (Acts 12:2).
Yet some of these are the “big-names” of the Church or the Bible—those who were close to Our Lord. To the above, we can easily add other “big-names” such as Saints Peter, Paul, Andrew, and all the other Apostles. But what about the “little-guy”, the “man-on-the-street”? That’s the one that resembles us the most! What about the “little-guys” and “gals”?
In case we fall into a false sense of security, thinking it was only the "big-names" that ended up being martyred, with the false premise that "It could never happen to me!", let us quickly skim though history and see what happened to the common Catholic folk along the way!
Pagan Rome Slaughters Many Christians
In July of 64 AD, more than half of Rome was destroyed by fire. Rumor blamed the tragedy on Nero, who wanted to enlarge his palace. He shifted the blame by accusing the Christians. According to the historian Tacitus, many Christians were put to death because of their “hatred of the human race.” Saints Peter and Paul were probably among the victims. Many “little-guys and gals” of the Faith lost their lives in that persecution.
"Of the 249 years from the first persecution under Nero (64) to the year 313, when Constantine established lasting peace, it is calculated that the Christians suffered persecution about 129 years and enjoyed a certain degree of toleration about 120 years. Yet it must be borne in mind that, even in the years of comparative tranquility, Christians were at all times at the mercy of every person ill-disposed towards them, or their religion in the empire. Whether or not delation (denouncement or accusation) of Christians occurred frequently, during the era of persecution, is not known, but taking into consideration the irrational hatred of the pagan population for Christians, it may safely be surmised that not a few Christians suffered martyrdom through betrayal" (Catholic Encyclopedia).
Many a Martyr—Many a Torture
The Catholic Encyclopedia also describes the plight of early Christians martyrs, which we do well to meditate upon for the years that lay ahead of us: “Deprived of food, save enough to keep them alive, of water, of light and air; weighted down with irons, or placed in stocks, with their legs drawn as far apart as was possible without causing a rupture; exposed to all manner of infection from heat, overcrowding, and the absence of anything like proper sanitary conditions—these were some of the afflictions that preceded actual martyrdom. Many naturally, died in prison under such conditions, while others, unfortunately, unable to endure the strain, adopted the easy means of escape left open to them, namely, complied with the condition demanded by the State of offering sacrifice.
“Those whose strength, physical and moral, was capable of enduring to the end were, in addition, frequently interrogated in court by the magistrates, who endeavored by persuasion, or torture, to induce them to recant. These tortures comprised every means that human ingenuity, in antiquity, had devised to break down even the most courageous; the obstinate were scourged with whips, with straps, or with ropes; or again they were stretched on the rack and their bodies torn apart with iron rakes. Another awful punishment consisted in suspending the victim, sometimes for a whole day at a time, by one hand; while modest women in addition were exposed naked to the gaze of those in court. Almost worse than all this was the penal servitude to which bishops, priests, deacons, laymen and women, and even children, were condemned in some of the more violent persecutions; these refined personages of both sexes, victims of merciless laws were doomed to pass the remainder of their days in the darkness of the mines, where they dragged out a wretched existence, half naked, hungry, and with no bed, save the damp ground. Those were far more fortunate who were condemned to even the most disgraceful death, in the arena, or by crucifixion” (Catholic Encyclopedia, entry: “Martyr”)
Slow Death in Exile
Besides those who perished by actual violence, also, a “multitude wandered in the deserts and mountains, and perished of hunger and thirst, of cold and sickness and robbers and wild beasts” (Eusebius, Church History). In another letter, speaking of the persecution under Valerian, Dionysius states that “men and women, young and old, maidens and matrons, soldiers and civilians, of every age and race, some by scourging and fire, others by the sword, have conquered in the strife and won their crowns” (Eusebius, Church History). At Cirta, in North Africa, in the same persecution, after the execution of Christians had continued for several days, it was resolved to expedite matters. To this end, the rest of those condemned were brought to the bank of a river and made to kneel in rows. When all was ready the executioner passed along the ranks and despatched all without further loss of time (Ruinart).
Numberless Victims
But the last persecution was even more severe than any of the previous attempts to extirpate Christianity. In Nicomedia “a great multitude” were put to death with their bishop, Anthimus; of these some perished by the sword, some by fire, while others were drowned. In Egypt “thousands of men, women and children, despising the present life ... endured various deaths” (Eusebius, Church History), and the same happened in many other places throughout the East. In the West the persecution came to an end at an earlier date than in the East, but, while it lasted, numbers of martyrs, especially at Rome, were added to the calendar.
But, besides those who actually shed their blood in the first three centuries, account must be taken of the numerous confessors of the Faith, who, in prison, in exile, or in penal servitude suffered a daily martyrdom more difficult to endure than death itself. Thus, while anything like a numerical estimate of the number of martyrs is impossible, yet the meager evidence on the subject that exists clearly enough establishes the fact that countless men, women and even children, in that glorious, though terrible, first age of Christianity, cheerfully sacrificed their goods, their liberties, or their lives, rather than renounce the Faith they prized above all.
Sacred Scripture attests to the courage of men and women who were willing to die as martyrs rather than renounce their Faith, or be unfaithful to God’s law. In the Old Testament, Susanna preferred to die rather than yield to the sinful passions of the two unjust judges (Daniel 13). St. John the Baptist refused to compromise with evil and never ceased professing the law of God; in the end he “gave his life in witness to truth and justice” (Opening Prayer for the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist). St. Stephen, one of the first deacons of the Church, was also the first martyr (Act 6:8 ff), followed by the Apostle St. James the Greater (Acts 12:2).
Yet some of these are the “big-names” of the Church or the Bible—those who were close to Our Lord. To the above, we can easily add other “big-names” such as Saints Peter, Paul, Andrew, and all the other Apostles. But what about the “little-guy”, the “man-on-the-street”? That’s the one that resembles us the most! What about the “little-guys” and “gals”?
In case we fall into a false sense of security, thinking it was only the "big-names" that ended up being martyred, with the false premise that "It could never happen to me!", let us quickly skim though history and see what happened to the common Catholic folk along the way!
Pagan Rome Slaughters Many Christians
In July of 64 AD, more than half of Rome was destroyed by fire. Rumor blamed the tragedy on Nero, who wanted to enlarge his palace. He shifted the blame by accusing the Christians. According to the historian Tacitus, many Christians were put to death because of their “hatred of the human race.” Saints Peter and Paul were probably among the victims. Many “little-guys and gals” of the Faith lost their lives in that persecution.
"Of the 249 years from the first persecution under Nero (64) to the year 313, when Constantine established lasting peace, it is calculated that the Christians suffered persecution about 129 years and enjoyed a certain degree of toleration about 120 years. Yet it must be borne in mind that, even in the years of comparative tranquility, Christians were at all times at the mercy of every person ill-disposed towards them, or their religion in the empire. Whether or not delation (denouncement or accusation) of Christians occurred frequently, during the era of persecution, is not known, but taking into consideration the irrational hatred of the pagan population for Christians, it may safely be surmised that not a few Christians suffered martyrdom through betrayal" (Catholic Encyclopedia).
Many a Martyr—Many a Torture
The Catholic Encyclopedia also describes the plight of early Christians martyrs, which we do well to meditate upon for the years that lay ahead of us: “Deprived of food, save enough to keep them alive, of water, of light and air; weighted down with irons, or placed in stocks, with their legs drawn as far apart as was possible without causing a rupture; exposed to all manner of infection from heat, overcrowding, and the absence of anything like proper sanitary conditions—these were some of the afflictions that preceded actual martyrdom. Many naturally, died in prison under such conditions, while others, unfortunately, unable to endure the strain, adopted the easy means of escape left open to them, namely, complied with the condition demanded by the State of offering sacrifice.
“Those whose strength, physical and moral, was capable of enduring to the end were, in addition, frequently interrogated in court by the magistrates, who endeavored by persuasion, or torture, to induce them to recant. These tortures comprised every means that human ingenuity, in antiquity, had devised to break down even the most courageous; the obstinate were scourged with whips, with straps, or with ropes; or again they were stretched on the rack and their bodies torn apart with iron rakes. Another awful punishment consisted in suspending the victim, sometimes for a whole day at a time, by one hand; while modest women in addition were exposed naked to the gaze of those in court. Almost worse than all this was the penal servitude to which bishops, priests, deacons, laymen and women, and even children, were condemned in some of the more violent persecutions; these refined personages of both sexes, victims of merciless laws were doomed to pass the remainder of their days in the darkness of the mines, where they dragged out a wretched existence, half naked, hungry, and with no bed, save the damp ground. Those were far more fortunate who were condemned to even the most disgraceful death, in the arena, or by crucifixion” (Catholic Encyclopedia, entry: “Martyr”)
Slow Death in Exile
Besides those who perished by actual violence, also, a “multitude wandered in the deserts and mountains, and perished of hunger and thirst, of cold and sickness and robbers and wild beasts” (Eusebius, Church History). In another letter, speaking of the persecution under Valerian, Dionysius states that “men and women, young and old, maidens and matrons, soldiers and civilians, of every age and race, some by scourging and fire, others by the sword, have conquered in the strife and won their crowns” (Eusebius, Church History). At Cirta, in North Africa, in the same persecution, after the execution of Christians had continued for several days, it was resolved to expedite matters. To this end, the rest of those condemned were brought to the bank of a river and made to kneel in rows. When all was ready the executioner passed along the ranks and despatched all without further loss of time (Ruinart).
Numberless Victims
But the last persecution was even more severe than any of the previous attempts to extirpate Christianity. In Nicomedia “a great multitude” were put to death with their bishop, Anthimus; of these some perished by the sword, some by fire, while others were drowned. In Egypt “thousands of men, women and children, despising the present life ... endured various deaths” (Eusebius, Church History), and the same happened in many other places throughout the East. In the West the persecution came to an end at an earlier date than in the East, but, while it lasted, numbers of martyrs, especially at Rome, were added to the calendar.
But, besides those who actually shed their blood in the first three centuries, account must be taken of the numerous confessors of the Faith, who, in prison, in exile, or in penal servitude suffered a daily martyrdom more difficult to endure than death itself. Thus, while anything like a numerical estimate of the number of martyrs is impossible, yet the meager evidence on the subject that exists clearly enough establishes the fact that countless men, women and even children, in that glorious, though terrible, first age of Christianity, cheerfully sacrificed their goods, their liberties, or their lives, rather than renounce the Faith they prized above all.
July 19th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOODSHED AMONG BARBARIANS AND PROTESTANTS
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOODSHED AMONG BARBARIANS AND PROTESTANTS
► BARBARIAN TIMES (5th century onwards)
Just as the Church gained official sanction and freedom from persecution within the Roman Empire from the emperor Constantine, invading enemies, the barbarian tribes that surrounded the boundaries of the Roman Empire, brought terrible destruction and death to many more Christians than before. The challenge of survival became the main issue in this period. Against risks that we cannot even imagine, a handful of stalwart soldiers of the cross, bearing no arms, launched counter offensives into the pagan invaders territories.
With the invading barbarian hordes from the north and north-east, much of the educational and religious centers were destroyed. Throughout mainland Europe, invading barbarian tribes swept across Europe, destroying monasteries, towns, and any leadership. Europe was plunging into chaos. Europe was in shambles at this time. It was said that no one living could remember the Roman Empire. The continent had been decimated by unending waves of attacks by the barbarian tribesmen. Corruption and moral decadence, amid general chaos, were the norm, and Christianity was on the verge of dissolving into a syncretistic religion of Christianity (melting pot of religions) intermingled with paganism.
St. Augustine of Hippo, hearing of these invasions of barbarians, wrote: “Perhaps, however, it was not to be reckoned a persecution when the king of the Goths, in Gothia itself, persecuted the Christians with wonderful cruelty, when there were none but Catholics there, of whom very many were crowned with martyrdom, as we have heard from certain brethren, who had been there at that time as boys, and unhesitatingly called to mind that they had seen these things?” (St. Augustine, City of God, 18, 52). Thus the common Catholic was being put to death throughout the times of the barbarians, after the fall of the Roman Empire, and in no small numbers!
► PROTESTANT REFORMATION (16th & 17th Centuries)
After many hundreds of years of brave and relentless efforts at conversion among the barbarians, Europe finally became Catholic—which we now call Christendom. Yet after a period of relative peace, Europe was rent apart by the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant reformation resulted in massive bloodshed, and very often people living in newly Protestant countries who wanted to stay Catholic were either driven out or murdered in cold blood.
The Catholic martyrs of the English Protestant Reformation were men and women who died for the Catholic Faith in the years of persecution between 1534 and 1680. A certain number of them have officially been recognized as martyrs by the Catholic Church, but many more were killed whose names are written in the Book of Life in Heaven. Catholics in England and Wales were executed under treason laws.
On February 25th, 1570 Pope St. Pius V excommunicated both the English Queen, Elizabeth I, and any who obeyed her. This papal bull also required all Roman Catholics to rebel against the English Crown as a matter of Faith. In response, in 1571, English legislation was enacted making it treasonable for anyone to be under the authority of the Pope, including being a Jesuit, being Roman Catholic, or harboring a Catholic priest. The standard penalty, for all those convicted of treason at the time, was execution by being hanged, drawn and quartered. Many a man, woman and child met with this fate―the exact number is unknown, but it is commonly accepted that the numbers runs into thousands.
Just as the Church gained official sanction and freedom from persecution within the Roman Empire from the emperor Constantine, invading enemies, the barbarian tribes that surrounded the boundaries of the Roman Empire, brought terrible destruction and death to many more Christians than before. The challenge of survival became the main issue in this period. Against risks that we cannot even imagine, a handful of stalwart soldiers of the cross, bearing no arms, launched counter offensives into the pagan invaders territories.
With the invading barbarian hordes from the north and north-east, much of the educational and religious centers were destroyed. Throughout mainland Europe, invading barbarian tribes swept across Europe, destroying monasteries, towns, and any leadership. Europe was plunging into chaos. Europe was in shambles at this time. It was said that no one living could remember the Roman Empire. The continent had been decimated by unending waves of attacks by the barbarian tribesmen. Corruption and moral decadence, amid general chaos, were the norm, and Christianity was on the verge of dissolving into a syncretistic religion of Christianity (melting pot of religions) intermingled with paganism.
St. Augustine of Hippo, hearing of these invasions of barbarians, wrote: “Perhaps, however, it was not to be reckoned a persecution when the king of the Goths, in Gothia itself, persecuted the Christians with wonderful cruelty, when there were none but Catholics there, of whom very many were crowned with martyrdom, as we have heard from certain brethren, who had been there at that time as boys, and unhesitatingly called to mind that they had seen these things?” (St. Augustine, City of God, 18, 52). Thus the common Catholic was being put to death throughout the times of the barbarians, after the fall of the Roman Empire, and in no small numbers!
► PROTESTANT REFORMATION (16th & 17th Centuries)
After many hundreds of years of brave and relentless efforts at conversion among the barbarians, Europe finally became Catholic—which we now call Christendom. Yet after a period of relative peace, Europe was rent apart by the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant reformation resulted in massive bloodshed, and very often people living in newly Protestant countries who wanted to stay Catholic were either driven out or murdered in cold blood.
The Catholic martyrs of the English Protestant Reformation were men and women who died for the Catholic Faith in the years of persecution between 1534 and 1680. A certain number of them have officially been recognized as martyrs by the Catholic Church, but many more were killed whose names are written in the Book of Life in Heaven. Catholics in England and Wales were executed under treason laws.
On February 25th, 1570 Pope St. Pius V excommunicated both the English Queen, Elizabeth I, and any who obeyed her. This papal bull also required all Roman Catholics to rebel against the English Crown as a matter of Faith. In response, in 1571, English legislation was enacted making it treasonable for anyone to be under the authority of the Pope, including being a Jesuit, being Roman Catholic, or harboring a Catholic priest. The standard penalty, for all those convicted of treason at the time, was execution by being hanged, drawn and quartered. Many a man, woman and child met with this fate―the exact number is unknown, but it is commonly accepted that the numbers runs into thousands.
July 20th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOODSHED AMONG REVOLUTIONARIES
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOODSHED AMONG REVOLUTIONARIES
► FRENCH REVOLUTION (1789 and after)
In 18th-century France, 95% of the population were adherents of the Catholic Church. The Protestant Revolution [misnamed the Protestant Reformation, which was more of a Protestant Deformation], spilled-over into the political arena, or recruited politics in an attempt to destroy Catholicism. The dechristianization of France, during the French Revolution, was the result of a number of separate policies conducted by various governments of France, between the start of the French Revolution in 1789 and the Concordat of 1801. The goal of the campaign was the destruction of Catholic religious practice and of the religion itself.
Reign of Terror
Victims of the "Reign of Terror" alone totaled somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000. According to one estimate, among those condemned by the revolutionary tribunals about 8% were aristocrats, 6% clergy, 14% middle class, and 70% were workers or peasants. Of these social groupings, the clergy of the Catholic Church suffered proportionately the greatest loss. Under threat of death, imprisonment, military conscription and loss of income, about 20,000 constitutional priests (priests who had accepted the new revolutionary constitution) were forced to abdicate from the priesthood and hand over their letters of ordination, and 6,000 to 9,000 of them agreed or were coerced to marry. Many abandoned their pastoral duties altogether. Nonetheless, some of those who had abdicated continued covertly to minister to the people.
Dechristianized France
By the end of the decade, approximately 30,000 priests had been forced to leave France, and others, who did not leave, were executed. Most French parishes were left without the services of a priest and deprived of the sacraments. Any non-juring priest (priests who did not swear allegiance to the revolutionary government) faced the guillotine, or deportation to French Guiana. By Easter 1794, few of France’s 40,000 churches remained open; many had been closed, sold, destroyed, or converted to other uses.
As late as 1799, priests were still being imprisoned, or deported to penal colonies, and persecution only worsened after the French army, led by General Louis Alexandre Berthier, captured Rome and imprisoned Pope Pius VI, who would die in captivity in Valence, France, in August 1799. Ultimately, with Napoleon now in ascendancy in France, year-long negotiations, between government officials and the new Pope Pius VII, led to the Concordat of 1801, formally ending the dechristianization period and establishing the rules for a relationship between the Roman Church and the French State.
► CRISTEROS MARTYRS OF MEXICO (1920’s)
The Cristero War or Cristero Rebellion (1926–1929), also known as La Cristiada, was a widespread struggle in many central-western Mexican states against the secularist, anti-Catholic, and anticlerical policies of the masonic Mexican government. The rebellion was set off by enactment, under President Plutarco Calles, of a statute to enforce the anticlerical articles of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 (also known as the Calles Law).
Destroy the Power of the Church
Calles sought to eliminate the power of the Catholic Church. When Plutarco Calles took over as president of Mexico, he did not want the Church to be part of any moral teachings to its citizens. He wanted to bring Mexico’s population to belong to a Socialist state. He would insist that the Church was poisoning the minds of the people and that its teachings were a threat to the Revolutionary mentality, which it stood for. He did not want God to be a part of anyone’s life. He wanted to ensure that only the government would have the freedom to form the minds of its citizens and insisted that the Church was poisoning the minds of the people.
Calles wanted to ensure that all citizens were going to be educated under the government’s dictatorship and secular mindset. In order to enforce this new law it was necessary to expel all clergy, except for a few priests who would oversee the spiritual needs of the people, but under the supervision of the state authorities. This led to various states of Mexico going without a single Mass being celebrated for a long time. One can only imagine the feeling and desperation faithful Catholics would have to endure.
After the Mexican Revolution the two presidents that followed (Venustiano Carranza and Alvaro Obregon) abused their power to wage their personal attacks against the Catholic Church as well. There were similar persecution incidents and abuses towards the clergy and Catholics alike.
More Than Ninety-Thousand Killed
There are a total of thirty-five martyrs who have been canonized and fifteen who have been beatified in triumphant ceremonies in the past few years. There were approximately 90,000 people killed during this three-year war (1926-29). Without a doubt the Catholic population suffered tremendously for many years after the truce. The persecution continued in a non-direct way until around 1940. Widows had to find employment, and many of the children had to abandon their studies to find work, just to help the family survive. The eldest male son had to take the role of the provider as well for the sake of his little siblings.
The faith grew undoubtedly through this entire ordeal and for years to come; and although Mexico is still considered a Catholic country, with many areas with a strong Catholic stronghold, the Faith has dwindled greatly in many areas, giving way to a wide variety of attacks on the Catholic Faith, morality and principles.
In 18th-century France, 95% of the population were adherents of the Catholic Church. The Protestant Revolution [misnamed the Protestant Reformation, which was more of a Protestant Deformation], spilled-over into the political arena, or recruited politics in an attempt to destroy Catholicism. The dechristianization of France, during the French Revolution, was the result of a number of separate policies conducted by various governments of France, between the start of the French Revolution in 1789 and the Concordat of 1801. The goal of the campaign was the destruction of Catholic religious practice and of the religion itself.
Reign of Terror
Victims of the "Reign of Terror" alone totaled somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000. According to one estimate, among those condemned by the revolutionary tribunals about 8% were aristocrats, 6% clergy, 14% middle class, and 70% were workers or peasants. Of these social groupings, the clergy of the Catholic Church suffered proportionately the greatest loss. Under threat of death, imprisonment, military conscription and loss of income, about 20,000 constitutional priests (priests who had accepted the new revolutionary constitution) were forced to abdicate from the priesthood and hand over their letters of ordination, and 6,000 to 9,000 of them agreed or were coerced to marry. Many abandoned their pastoral duties altogether. Nonetheless, some of those who had abdicated continued covertly to minister to the people.
Dechristianized France
By the end of the decade, approximately 30,000 priests had been forced to leave France, and others, who did not leave, were executed. Most French parishes were left without the services of a priest and deprived of the sacraments. Any non-juring priest (priests who did not swear allegiance to the revolutionary government) faced the guillotine, or deportation to French Guiana. By Easter 1794, few of France’s 40,000 churches remained open; many had been closed, sold, destroyed, or converted to other uses.
As late as 1799, priests were still being imprisoned, or deported to penal colonies, and persecution only worsened after the French army, led by General Louis Alexandre Berthier, captured Rome and imprisoned Pope Pius VI, who would die in captivity in Valence, France, in August 1799. Ultimately, with Napoleon now in ascendancy in France, year-long negotiations, between government officials and the new Pope Pius VII, led to the Concordat of 1801, formally ending the dechristianization period and establishing the rules for a relationship between the Roman Church and the French State.
► CRISTEROS MARTYRS OF MEXICO (1920’s)
The Cristero War or Cristero Rebellion (1926–1929), also known as La Cristiada, was a widespread struggle in many central-western Mexican states against the secularist, anti-Catholic, and anticlerical policies of the masonic Mexican government. The rebellion was set off by enactment, under President Plutarco Calles, of a statute to enforce the anticlerical articles of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 (also known as the Calles Law).
Destroy the Power of the Church
Calles sought to eliminate the power of the Catholic Church. When Plutarco Calles took over as president of Mexico, he did not want the Church to be part of any moral teachings to its citizens. He wanted to bring Mexico’s population to belong to a Socialist state. He would insist that the Church was poisoning the minds of the people and that its teachings were a threat to the Revolutionary mentality, which it stood for. He did not want God to be a part of anyone’s life. He wanted to ensure that only the government would have the freedom to form the minds of its citizens and insisted that the Church was poisoning the minds of the people.
Calles wanted to ensure that all citizens were going to be educated under the government’s dictatorship and secular mindset. In order to enforce this new law it was necessary to expel all clergy, except for a few priests who would oversee the spiritual needs of the people, but under the supervision of the state authorities. This led to various states of Mexico going without a single Mass being celebrated for a long time. One can only imagine the feeling and desperation faithful Catholics would have to endure.
After the Mexican Revolution the two presidents that followed (Venustiano Carranza and Alvaro Obregon) abused their power to wage their personal attacks against the Catholic Church as well. There were similar persecution incidents and abuses towards the clergy and Catholics alike.
More Than Ninety-Thousand Killed
There are a total of thirty-five martyrs who have been canonized and fifteen who have been beatified in triumphant ceremonies in the past few years. There were approximately 90,000 people killed during this three-year war (1926-29). Without a doubt the Catholic population suffered tremendously for many years after the truce. The persecution continued in a non-direct way until around 1940. Widows had to find employment, and many of the children had to abandon their studies to find work, just to help the family survive. The eldest male son had to take the role of the provider as well for the sake of his little siblings.
The faith grew undoubtedly through this entire ordeal and for years to come; and although Mexico is still considered a Catholic country, with many areas with a strong Catholic stronghold, the Faith has dwindled greatly in many areas, giving way to a wide variety of attacks on the Catholic Faith, morality and principles.
July 21st
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOODSHED IN OUR DAYS
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOODSHED IN OUR DAYS
NAZI GERMANY (1930’S & 1940’S)
Catholic Church Targeted
What many people don’t know is that the Catholic Church itself was a target of the Nazis. On June 6th, 1941, Martin Bormann, head of the Nazi Party Chancellery, private secretary to Adolf Hitler, and one of the most powerful figures in the Third Reich, issued a secret decree for all Gauleiters (or regional party leaders) of the Reich, regarding the true intentions of the Nazi regime toward the Christian churches. Here is an extract from an official Nazi document of the time:
“More and more the people must be separated from the churches and their organs the pastors . . . Just as the deleterious influences of astrologers, seers and other fakers are eliminated and suppressed by the State, so must the possibility of church influence also be totally removed . . . Not until this has happened, does the state leadership have influence on the individual citizens. Not until then are the people and Reich secure in their existence for all time.” ("Relationship of National Socialism and Christianity")
Persecution Begins
In February 1933, Hermann Göring banned all Catholic newspapers in Cologne, on the claim that Catholics were illegally engaging in politics. The ban was lifted soon after, but Catholics had been sent a message. A short time later, thugs from the Sturmabteilung (SA), the Brownshirts, stormed a gathering of the Christian trade unions and the Catholic Center Party and brutalized many of those in attendance.
The government next banned the other political parties. The Social Democrats (SPD) were prohibited in June. On July 5th, 1933, the Catholic Center Party, and its ally the Bavarian People’s Party, disbanded itself under relentless Nazi intimidation and after empty promises were made promising Catholic freedom in education and for youth groups.
On July 14th, 1933, Germany became officially a one-party state. As the parties were disbanded, the Gestapo began rounding up all who might oppose the social revolution. Hundreds of priests were arrested for speaking out against the anti-democratic changes and the persecution of Jews. Thousands of members of the Catholic Center Party were in jails, or concentration camps, even before the party voted itself out of existence. The Christian Trade Unions were dissolved in late June, and, under mounting pressure, the bishops of Germany agreed to permit members to join the Nazi Party.
Thousands of Catholics Killed
The truth is many thousands of Catholic men, women, and children died in concentration camps, SS and Gestapo torture chambers, or in fields and villages across Europe, for the "crime" of proclaiming the truth to one of the most evil regimes in human history. On January 30th, 1933, Adolf Hitler was officially appointed chancellor by the aged President, Paul von Hindenburg. A mere month later, on February 27th, the infamous Reichstag Fire (a plot concocted by the Nazis) gave Hitler the pretext to establish a dictatorship, through the so-called Enabling Act, that was passed in March 1933. The act bestowed sweeping powers on the government, including setting aside key elements of basic rights, for four years.
Hitler then proceeded apace with the destruction of all opposition—political, social, and religious. The instruments at his disposal were the laws of the Reich (such as the Enabling Laws) and Reich security, including the regular police, the Gestapo, the SS, and the SD (the Sicherheitsdienst, or Secret Service of the Nazis). The other source of terror was the existence of the concentration camps, the most feared at first being Dachau, which was opened in March, 1933, outside Munich, and which soon was filled with the enemies of the regime, including thousands of Catholics.
COMMUNISM (1920’S TO THE PRESENT DAY)
COMMUNIST RUSSIA
Catholic victims of the Soviet Union’s cruel anti-Christian persecutions faced execution, exile and arbitrary imprisonment for their Faith. The persecution of the Church was immediate. It started within a couple weeks of the October Revolution in 1917. It was brutal. It focused first of all on the confiscation of church property and the arrest of the hierarchy, then came the decrees that prohibited teaching religion to anybody under the age of 18.
In 1920, the White Sea camp was opened on the grounds of a once Russian Orthodox Monastery. At this camp, which took mainly Orthodox and Catholic priests, the prototype for other Soviet camps was revealed. The camp began to exterminate those who would not bend to state. Those who transgressed the anti-Christian laws became victims who were shot and “simply liquidated,” as well as those sent to the prison camps who did not survive. The fate of some victims is unknown. Catholics who did not suffer outright persecution could still face severe social penalties. Being known as a believing Catholic, could result in career penalties, the loss of one’s job, or similar threats to family members.
Mass Extermination
A few years later, in 1929, priests were not considered workers, thus they were given higher taxes. Priests also could not serve in the military, because they were ineligible. The priests, because of their ineligibility, were given non-service taxes, which is calculated to be more than 100% of their income. Priests were also ineligible to join collective farms, because of this they were given no health care, pensions, or social security.
By 1939, only 500 out of 50,000 churches remained open. After the German invasion of the USSR in 1941, Stalin revived the Russian Orthodox Church to raise morale for the war effort. Consequently, by 1957, there were almost 22,000 Orthodox churches in the USSR. However, in 1959 Nikita Khrushchev initiated a new anti-religious campaign, which led to the closure of almost 12,000 churches. By 1985 only 7,000 churches remained active.
By the end of the Khrushchev era, 50,000 clergy were executed and many of the church hierarchy were replaced by individuals who had connections with the KGB. In 1995, the Russian state commissioner confirmed that 200,000 Russian Orthodox Priests, monks, and nuns were killed. According to Russian schoolbooks, 20 million Soviet and East European citizens died in Communist Labor camps, while 15 million more were killed in mass executions.
COMMUNIST CHINA
In the late 1940’s Communism took over China. The Chinese Civil War resulted in the establishment of the Two Chinas. The People's Republic of China was established on the mainland country in October 1949, by the Communist Party of China, led by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung), while the Republic of China led by the Guomindang maintained its government on the insular land of Taiwan. Under Communist ideology, religion was discouraged by the state and 10,000 Christian missionaries were forced to leave the country.
Brutal Persecution
China’s policies regarding the Catholic Church from 1949 until Mao’s death in 1976, were brutal. “New China,” as the Communist Party refers to China after the 1949 revolution, was founded on the Marxist-Leninist ideology inherited from the Soviet Union. Mao Zedong followed Soviet examples. However, it wasn’t until the 1960's that widespread religious persecution took place in China. There were three main periods persecution; the first was when the Communist Party took control of China in 1949; the second persecution began in 1958 with the so-called “Great Leap Forward”, and the third was the Cultural Revolution that began in 1966.
During the beginning of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong and the Communists had seized control and 10,000 missionaries were forced to leave the country. Persecution of Christians proceeded at full throttle. Mao Zedong did not want any foreign influence on the people.
The "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution" initiated a long period of religious and political persecution. Churches and temples were desecrated. The Christian churches and cathedrals of the large eastern cities had their crosses and statues pulled down and their stained glass destroyed. Those who practiced religion, especially clergy and monks, became targets of “criticism” sessions by the red guards, and were harassed and beaten.
Estimated 80 Million Deaths
During the dark years of Mao's “Great Leap Forward” (launched in 1958) and “The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” (launched in 1966), many of the Christian leaders were killed and imprisoned for their Faith, and many others spent years in hard-labor camps. The Chinese Communist Party had lost all composure in the frantic persecution of religion.
New evidence shows that the number of people who died, in more than a dozen repressive, often violent political campaigns, between 1950 and 1976 – especially the "Great Leap Forward" and the chaotic 1966-76 "Cultural Revolution" to create a new society – is millions higher than previously thought. According to some high estimates, Mao’s repression, radicalism and neglect may have been responsible for up to 80 million deaths.
Mao, unlike Stalin, did not target individuals for assassination; did not directly supervise any of the killing; and did not revel in it. And unlike Hitler, he did not select a whole people for extermination. What Mao did was unleash mass movements against his rivals and the “bad classes” of society. He did in fact target segments of society for repression, which sometimes led to public humiliation of the victims and death by torture, unchecked by any legal constraints. His pronouncements led lower-level officials to actually create quotas of victims to be targeted during different campaigns.
The evidence is that Mao, and his ideology, created the justification and atmosphere that made killing possible and difficult to halt. Mao’s underlings almost never moved to stop him, and when they did, they paid for it.
Mao used social isolation and humiliation as instruments of mayhem. During mass campaigns, designated “enemies of the people” were hounded, tortured and broken psychologically. Many committed suicide. “Mao was unsystematically, fanatically dangerous,” said a former well-placed Chinese official in Beijing who was persecuted and jailed as a “rightist” during the Cultural Revolution. “He was not a mass murderer, but his lunacy probably caused the deaths of more people than Stalin.”
No Change in 21st Century China
Even in later years, several thousand Christians were known to have been imprisoned between 1983-1993. In 1992 the government began a campaign to shut down all of the unregistered meetings.
Today, the Chinese government’s persecution campaign includes forced demolition of churches and crosses, the detention and imprisonment of pastors and church members on criminal charges, forcing churches into bankruptcy by confiscating church property and imposing fines, and manipulating state-run media to label house churches as ‘cult’ organizations. 2014 has been the most difficult year for Christians in a whole generation.
One case, that of pastor Zhang Shaojie, shows the harsh punishments handed out to Christians in China. Shaokie was sentenced to 12 year in prison for “disrupting public order.” His crime? Preaching the Gospel. According to 2014 figures, 17,884 individuals were persecuted for their religious beliefs. Of those persecuted, 1,592 were church leaders. Authorities detained nearly 3,000 dissidents and sentenced 1,274 people.
Catholic Church Targeted
What many people don’t know is that the Catholic Church itself was a target of the Nazis. On June 6th, 1941, Martin Bormann, head of the Nazi Party Chancellery, private secretary to Adolf Hitler, and one of the most powerful figures in the Third Reich, issued a secret decree for all Gauleiters (or regional party leaders) of the Reich, regarding the true intentions of the Nazi regime toward the Christian churches. Here is an extract from an official Nazi document of the time:
“More and more the people must be separated from the churches and their organs the pastors . . . Just as the deleterious influences of astrologers, seers and other fakers are eliminated and suppressed by the State, so must the possibility of church influence also be totally removed . . . Not until this has happened, does the state leadership have influence on the individual citizens. Not until then are the people and Reich secure in their existence for all time.” ("Relationship of National Socialism and Christianity")
Persecution Begins
In February 1933, Hermann Göring banned all Catholic newspapers in Cologne, on the claim that Catholics were illegally engaging in politics. The ban was lifted soon after, but Catholics had been sent a message. A short time later, thugs from the Sturmabteilung (SA), the Brownshirts, stormed a gathering of the Christian trade unions and the Catholic Center Party and brutalized many of those in attendance.
The government next banned the other political parties. The Social Democrats (SPD) were prohibited in June. On July 5th, 1933, the Catholic Center Party, and its ally the Bavarian People’s Party, disbanded itself under relentless Nazi intimidation and after empty promises were made promising Catholic freedom in education and for youth groups.
On July 14th, 1933, Germany became officially a one-party state. As the parties were disbanded, the Gestapo began rounding up all who might oppose the social revolution. Hundreds of priests were arrested for speaking out against the anti-democratic changes and the persecution of Jews. Thousands of members of the Catholic Center Party were in jails, or concentration camps, even before the party voted itself out of existence. The Christian Trade Unions were dissolved in late June, and, under mounting pressure, the bishops of Germany agreed to permit members to join the Nazi Party.
Thousands of Catholics Killed
The truth is many thousands of Catholic men, women, and children died in concentration camps, SS and Gestapo torture chambers, or in fields and villages across Europe, for the "crime" of proclaiming the truth to one of the most evil regimes in human history. On January 30th, 1933, Adolf Hitler was officially appointed chancellor by the aged President, Paul von Hindenburg. A mere month later, on February 27th, the infamous Reichstag Fire (a plot concocted by the Nazis) gave Hitler the pretext to establish a dictatorship, through the so-called Enabling Act, that was passed in March 1933. The act bestowed sweeping powers on the government, including setting aside key elements of basic rights, for four years.
Hitler then proceeded apace with the destruction of all opposition—political, social, and religious. The instruments at his disposal were the laws of the Reich (such as the Enabling Laws) and Reich security, including the regular police, the Gestapo, the SS, and the SD (the Sicherheitsdienst, or Secret Service of the Nazis). The other source of terror was the existence of the concentration camps, the most feared at first being Dachau, which was opened in March, 1933, outside Munich, and which soon was filled with the enemies of the regime, including thousands of Catholics.
COMMUNISM (1920’S TO THE PRESENT DAY)
COMMUNIST RUSSIA
Catholic victims of the Soviet Union’s cruel anti-Christian persecutions faced execution, exile and arbitrary imprisonment for their Faith. The persecution of the Church was immediate. It started within a couple weeks of the October Revolution in 1917. It was brutal. It focused first of all on the confiscation of church property and the arrest of the hierarchy, then came the decrees that prohibited teaching religion to anybody under the age of 18.
In 1920, the White Sea camp was opened on the grounds of a once Russian Orthodox Monastery. At this camp, which took mainly Orthodox and Catholic priests, the prototype for other Soviet camps was revealed. The camp began to exterminate those who would not bend to state. Those who transgressed the anti-Christian laws became victims who were shot and “simply liquidated,” as well as those sent to the prison camps who did not survive. The fate of some victims is unknown. Catholics who did not suffer outright persecution could still face severe social penalties. Being known as a believing Catholic, could result in career penalties, the loss of one’s job, or similar threats to family members.
Mass Extermination
A few years later, in 1929, priests were not considered workers, thus they were given higher taxes. Priests also could not serve in the military, because they were ineligible. The priests, because of their ineligibility, were given non-service taxes, which is calculated to be more than 100% of their income. Priests were also ineligible to join collective farms, because of this they were given no health care, pensions, or social security.
By 1939, only 500 out of 50,000 churches remained open. After the German invasion of the USSR in 1941, Stalin revived the Russian Orthodox Church to raise morale for the war effort. Consequently, by 1957, there were almost 22,000 Orthodox churches in the USSR. However, in 1959 Nikita Khrushchev initiated a new anti-religious campaign, which led to the closure of almost 12,000 churches. By 1985 only 7,000 churches remained active.
By the end of the Khrushchev era, 50,000 clergy were executed and many of the church hierarchy were replaced by individuals who had connections with the KGB. In 1995, the Russian state commissioner confirmed that 200,000 Russian Orthodox Priests, monks, and nuns were killed. According to Russian schoolbooks, 20 million Soviet and East European citizens died in Communist Labor camps, while 15 million more were killed in mass executions.
COMMUNIST CHINA
In the late 1940’s Communism took over China. The Chinese Civil War resulted in the establishment of the Two Chinas. The People's Republic of China was established on the mainland country in October 1949, by the Communist Party of China, led by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung), while the Republic of China led by the Guomindang maintained its government on the insular land of Taiwan. Under Communist ideology, religion was discouraged by the state and 10,000 Christian missionaries were forced to leave the country.
Brutal Persecution
China’s policies regarding the Catholic Church from 1949 until Mao’s death in 1976, were brutal. “New China,” as the Communist Party refers to China after the 1949 revolution, was founded on the Marxist-Leninist ideology inherited from the Soviet Union. Mao Zedong followed Soviet examples. However, it wasn’t until the 1960's that widespread religious persecution took place in China. There were three main periods persecution; the first was when the Communist Party took control of China in 1949; the second persecution began in 1958 with the so-called “Great Leap Forward”, and the third was the Cultural Revolution that began in 1966.
During the beginning of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong and the Communists had seized control and 10,000 missionaries were forced to leave the country. Persecution of Christians proceeded at full throttle. Mao Zedong did not want any foreign influence on the people.
The "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution" initiated a long period of religious and political persecution. Churches and temples were desecrated. The Christian churches and cathedrals of the large eastern cities had their crosses and statues pulled down and their stained glass destroyed. Those who practiced religion, especially clergy and monks, became targets of “criticism” sessions by the red guards, and were harassed and beaten.
Estimated 80 Million Deaths
During the dark years of Mao's “Great Leap Forward” (launched in 1958) and “The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” (launched in 1966), many of the Christian leaders were killed and imprisoned for their Faith, and many others spent years in hard-labor camps. The Chinese Communist Party had lost all composure in the frantic persecution of religion.
New evidence shows that the number of people who died, in more than a dozen repressive, often violent political campaigns, between 1950 and 1976 – especially the "Great Leap Forward" and the chaotic 1966-76 "Cultural Revolution" to create a new society – is millions higher than previously thought. According to some high estimates, Mao’s repression, radicalism and neglect may have been responsible for up to 80 million deaths.
Mao, unlike Stalin, did not target individuals for assassination; did not directly supervise any of the killing; and did not revel in it. And unlike Hitler, he did not select a whole people for extermination. What Mao did was unleash mass movements against his rivals and the “bad classes” of society. He did in fact target segments of society for repression, which sometimes led to public humiliation of the victims and death by torture, unchecked by any legal constraints. His pronouncements led lower-level officials to actually create quotas of victims to be targeted during different campaigns.
The evidence is that Mao, and his ideology, created the justification and atmosphere that made killing possible and difficult to halt. Mao’s underlings almost never moved to stop him, and when they did, they paid for it.
Mao used social isolation and humiliation as instruments of mayhem. During mass campaigns, designated “enemies of the people” were hounded, tortured and broken psychologically. Many committed suicide. “Mao was unsystematically, fanatically dangerous,” said a former well-placed Chinese official in Beijing who was persecuted and jailed as a “rightist” during the Cultural Revolution. “He was not a mass murderer, but his lunacy probably caused the deaths of more people than Stalin.”
No Change in 21st Century China
Even in later years, several thousand Christians were known to have been imprisoned between 1983-1993. In 1992 the government began a campaign to shut down all of the unregistered meetings.
Today, the Chinese government’s persecution campaign includes forced demolition of churches and crosses, the detention and imprisonment of pastors and church members on criminal charges, forcing churches into bankruptcy by confiscating church property and imposing fines, and manipulating state-run media to label house churches as ‘cult’ organizations. 2014 has been the most difficult year for Christians in a whole generation.
One case, that of pastor Zhang Shaojie, shows the harsh punishments handed out to Christians in China. Shaokie was sentenced to 12 year in prison for “disrupting public order.” His crime? Preaching the Gospel. According to 2014 figures, 17,884 individuals were persecuted for their religious beliefs. Of those persecuted, 1,592 were church leaders. Authorities detained nearly 3,000 dissidents and sentenced 1,274 people.
July 22nd
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
EXAMPLES FOR ENCOURAGEMENT
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
EXAMPLES FOR ENCOURAGEMENT
Let us take to heart the words of St. Paul, “Therefore, we also, having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us: looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of Faith, who having joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God. For think diligently upon Him that endured such opposition from sinners against Himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds. For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin! And you have forgotten the consolation, which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: ‘My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord; neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by Him.’ For whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth; and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with His sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons!” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
The witness of these martyrs coalesces in the apocalyptic vision of the Book of the Apocalypse. Here, St. John saw the angels and saints from every nation and race, people and tongue, standing before the throne and the Lamb. They cried out, “Salvation is from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb!” When asked who they were, the answer came, “These are the ones who have survived the great period of trial; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Confer Apocalypse 7:9-17.)
The spiritual rationale which undergirds the act of martyrdom is one that each Christian must accept. In teaching the conditions for true discipleship, our Lord asserted, “If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and begin to follow in my footsteps. Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would a man show if he were to gain the whole world and destroy himself in the process?” (Matthew 16:24-26). Yes, the Christian must be prepared to bear the cross of our Lord, even if it means forsaking life in this world.
In doing so, however, such a Christian will be blessed in the eyes of God. In the Beatitudes, those right attitudes of living that bring blessed union with God, the eighth beatitude is repeated, “Blessed are they that suffer persecution for the sake of justice―for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Moreover, Jesus personalized this beatitude: “Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake.” Nevertheless, the point is not just the suffering here and now for the Faith, but the courageous perseverance which gives way to everlasting life: “Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in Heaven” (Confer Matthew 5:10-12).
This spiritual rationale is reflected beautifully in the testimony of the martyrs of our early Church during the time of Roman persecution. For example, St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. 110), who was the third bishop of Antioch following St. Evodius (who had succeeded St. Peter the Apostle), and who had been a student of St. John the Apostle, was condemned by the Emperor Trajan and sentenced to being devoured by beasts in the arena. On the way to Rome where he would die, he wrote seven letters, including one to the Romans, in which he reflected on his pending death: “Allow me to be eaten by the beasts, which are my way of reaching God. I am God’s wheat, and I am to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become the pure bread of Christ,” and later “Neither the pleasures of the world nor the kingdoms of this age will be of any use to me. It is better for me to die in order to unite myself to Christ Jesus than to reign over the ends of the earth. I seek Him who died for us; I desire Him who rose for us. My birth is approaching…” (Letter to the Romans).
Another great witness to the faith during this time was St. Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna, who was a friend of St. Ignatius and who had also been a student of St. John the Apostle and had been consecrated a bishop by him. For refusing to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods and to acknowledge the divinity of the Emperor, St. Polycarp was condemned to death by burning at the stake at the age of eighty-six during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. As the pyre was about to be lit, St. Polycarp prayed, “I bless you for having judged me worthy from this day and this hour to be counted among your martyrs…. You have kept your promise, God of faithfulness and truth. For this reason and for everything, I praise you, I bless you, I glorify you, through the eternal and heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through Him, who is with you and the Holy Spirit, may glory be given to you, now and in the ages to come. Amen.” (The Martyrdom of St. Polycarp).
In defense of the martyrs, Tertullian (d. 250) later wrote in his Apology, “Crucify us, torture us, condemn us, destroy us! Your wickedness is the proof of our innocence, for which reason does God suffer us to suffer this. When recently you condemned a Christian maiden to a panderer rather than to a panther, you realized and confessed openly that with us a stain on our purity is regarded as more dreadful than any punishment and worse than death. Nor does your cruelty, however exquisite, accomplish anything: rather, it is an enticement to our religion. The more we are hewn down by you, the more numerous do we become. The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians!”
Without question, despite the worst persecutions, the Church has continued to survive and to grow, due greatly to the courageous witness and prayers of the holy martyrs.
We note three elements of his martyrdom: (1) put to death, (2) for Christ: for the Faith, for refusing to apostasize and offer false worship, etc., and further, (3) Christian joy and gladness to die for Christ's sake (virtuous model).
The true approach to martyrdom is to see it as a triumph. So the early Christians rejoiced when one of their number was faithful unto death. Similarly, during the persecutions of the 16th-17th century, seminarians at the English College, Rome, used to gather at the foot of the chapel's painting of the Holy Trinity to sing a Te Deum whenever news arrived that a former student had been put to death for the Faith. It is a victory over the world, the flesh and the devil — everything that opposes your Christian life. It is the greatest way to die; it is the highest form of Christian death
The witness of these martyrs coalesces in the apocalyptic vision of the Book of the Apocalypse. Here, St. John saw the angels and saints from every nation and race, people and tongue, standing before the throne and the Lamb. They cried out, “Salvation is from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb!” When asked who they were, the answer came, “These are the ones who have survived the great period of trial; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Confer Apocalypse 7:9-17.)
The spiritual rationale which undergirds the act of martyrdom is one that each Christian must accept. In teaching the conditions for true discipleship, our Lord asserted, “If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and begin to follow in my footsteps. Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would a man show if he were to gain the whole world and destroy himself in the process?” (Matthew 16:24-26). Yes, the Christian must be prepared to bear the cross of our Lord, even if it means forsaking life in this world.
In doing so, however, such a Christian will be blessed in the eyes of God. In the Beatitudes, those right attitudes of living that bring blessed union with God, the eighth beatitude is repeated, “Blessed are they that suffer persecution for the sake of justice―for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Moreover, Jesus personalized this beatitude: “Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake.” Nevertheless, the point is not just the suffering here and now for the Faith, but the courageous perseverance which gives way to everlasting life: “Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in Heaven” (Confer Matthew 5:10-12).
This spiritual rationale is reflected beautifully in the testimony of the martyrs of our early Church during the time of Roman persecution. For example, St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. 110), who was the third bishop of Antioch following St. Evodius (who had succeeded St. Peter the Apostle), and who had been a student of St. John the Apostle, was condemned by the Emperor Trajan and sentenced to being devoured by beasts in the arena. On the way to Rome where he would die, he wrote seven letters, including one to the Romans, in which he reflected on his pending death: “Allow me to be eaten by the beasts, which are my way of reaching God. I am God’s wheat, and I am to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become the pure bread of Christ,” and later “Neither the pleasures of the world nor the kingdoms of this age will be of any use to me. It is better for me to die in order to unite myself to Christ Jesus than to reign over the ends of the earth. I seek Him who died for us; I desire Him who rose for us. My birth is approaching…” (Letter to the Romans).
Another great witness to the faith during this time was St. Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna, who was a friend of St. Ignatius and who had also been a student of St. John the Apostle and had been consecrated a bishop by him. For refusing to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods and to acknowledge the divinity of the Emperor, St. Polycarp was condemned to death by burning at the stake at the age of eighty-six during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. As the pyre was about to be lit, St. Polycarp prayed, “I bless you for having judged me worthy from this day and this hour to be counted among your martyrs…. You have kept your promise, God of faithfulness and truth. For this reason and for everything, I praise you, I bless you, I glorify you, through the eternal and heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through Him, who is with you and the Holy Spirit, may glory be given to you, now and in the ages to come. Amen.” (The Martyrdom of St. Polycarp).
In defense of the martyrs, Tertullian (d. 250) later wrote in his Apology, “Crucify us, torture us, condemn us, destroy us! Your wickedness is the proof of our innocence, for which reason does God suffer us to suffer this. When recently you condemned a Christian maiden to a panderer rather than to a panther, you realized and confessed openly that with us a stain on our purity is regarded as more dreadful than any punishment and worse than death. Nor does your cruelty, however exquisite, accomplish anything: rather, it is an enticement to our religion. The more we are hewn down by you, the more numerous do we become. The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians!”
Without question, despite the worst persecutions, the Church has continued to survive and to grow, due greatly to the courageous witness and prayers of the holy martyrs.
We note three elements of his martyrdom: (1) put to death, (2) for Christ: for the Faith, for refusing to apostasize and offer false worship, etc., and further, (3) Christian joy and gladness to die for Christ's sake (virtuous model).
The true approach to martyrdom is to see it as a triumph. So the early Christians rejoiced when one of their number was faithful unto death. Similarly, during the persecutions of the 16th-17th century, seminarians at the English College, Rome, used to gather at the foot of the chapel's painting of the Holy Trinity to sing a Te Deum whenever news arrived that a former student had been put to death for the Faith. It is a victory over the world, the flesh and the devil — everything that opposes your Christian life. It is the greatest way to die; it is the highest form of Christian death
July 23rd
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE WORLD TODAY AND TOMORROW
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE WORLD TODAY AND TOMORROW
Ours is the Age of Martyrdom
Martyrdom is not an idealistic, romantic, heroic thing of the past, that is merely read about in books and imaginatively represented on the movie screen. It is alive and well in our present time! It is estimated that two-thirds of all the martyrs in Christian history died in the twentieth century. Of that century’s millions of witnesses to the Faith (precise numbers are not yet known, and perhaps never will be), on the popular front we are really familiar with only a few―Maximilian Kolbe, Charles de Foucauld, Miguel Agustín Pro―and even those are hardly known outside Catholic circles. The rest have languished almost entirely unknown, whether because the records of their lives have been lost, because the countries in which they died, have been literally inaccessible, or because the governments, under which they were persecuted, have been less than cooperative with attempts to make known the circumstances of their deaths. It is no exaggeration to say that we will not know the full history of the twentieth century until we know the stories of its martyrs.
45 Million Killed For Being Christian
The secular West has been looking the other way for a very long time. Even the average church-goer is not likely to know that 45.5 million of the estimated 70 million Christians who have died for Christ, did so in the last century. For this reason, scholars such as Robert Royal, president of the Faith and Reason Institute in Washington, D.C., and author of The Catholic Martyrs of the Twentieth Century, refer to the past century as one of the darkest periods of martyrdom since the birth of Christianity.
Royal attributes the deaths of millions of Christians in the last century to Communism. In China, estimates run as high as 50 million total lives lost (a very conservative number), while the Soviet Union claimed another 25 million. While not all of those killed were Christians, Royal believes that, because these numbers are so high, this is where the majority of Christian victims can be found in the twentieth century. As the Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky so aptly put it, Communism typically killed as many people in a day, as the Inquisition killed in all the centuries of its existence.
Spanish Civil War Toll
Rebellions, civil wars, and dictatorships have also taken their toll on Christianity. On July 24th, 1936, near the start of the Spanish Civil War, Republican militiamen in Madrid shot three Carmelite nuns in the middle of a street. “One died instantly,” Royal writes, “another was at first refused transport to a hospital by a bus driver who wanted to ‘finish her off,’ a third wandered around dazed until another band of militiamen executed her.” By July 31st, in Madrid and Barcelona alone, 321 priests had been murdered. By the end of Spain's civil war in 1939, the names of 7,000 martyrs were submitted to the Holy See.
North Korean Toll
Between 1950 and 1953 in Communist North Korea, “50% of the hierarchy, one-third of the clergy, and at least fifteen thousand lay persons perished”; many more died in the notorious Death March to the Yalu River. In the past fifty years, 300,000 Christians in North Korea have vanished without a trace.
Albanian Toll
In Albania, Catholics―the only religious group that refused to cede power to that Communist state (though they were later forced to sign an agreement in which they submitted to state control)―were tortured, their bishops forced to clean the streets and public bathrooms, wearing clown outfits, with paper signs across their chests saying, “I have sinned against the people.” In 1967 the Albanian government outlawed religion altogether, and declared the traditional family to be “reactionary.” Over two thousand religious buildings were closed or destroyed, and almost all the clergy were imprisoned.
Syrian Toll
A non-denominational group has recorded that the total number of Christians killed for their faith around the world doubled in 2013 from the year before, with Syria accounting (in 2013) for more than the whole global total in 2012. Open Doors, a Netherlands-based organization that supports persecuted Christians worldwide, disclosed, in January 2013, that it had documented 2,123 “martyr” killings, compared with 1,201 in 2012. In Syria alone, it reported 1,213 such deaths, according to Reuters.
The organization said this is a “very minimal count” and based on media reports and what they can confirm. Other Christian groups believe the total estimated figure could be as high as 8,000. However, we must remember that the Catholic Church teaches that heretics and schismatics cannot be martyrs as long as they knowingly and willingly adhere to their erroneous positions. Nevertheless, these figures show the trend of increasing persecution and killing of those who profess a belief in Christ.
Martyrdom is not an idealistic, romantic, heroic thing of the past, that is merely read about in books and imaginatively represented on the movie screen. It is alive and well in our present time! It is estimated that two-thirds of all the martyrs in Christian history died in the twentieth century. Of that century’s millions of witnesses to the Faith (precise numbers are not yet known, and perhaps never will be), on the popular front we are really familiar with only a few―Maximilian Kolbe, Charles de Foucauld, Miguel Agustín Pro―and even those are hardly known outside Catholic circles. The rest have languished almost entirely unknown, whether because the records of their lives have been lost, because the countries in which they died, have been literally inaccessible, or because the governments, under which they were persecuted, have been less than cooperative with attempts to make known the circumstances of their deaths. It is no exaggeration to say that we will not know the full history of the twentieth century until we know the stories of its martyrs.
45 Million Killed For Being Christian
The secular West has been looking the other way for a very long time. Even the average church-goer is not likely to know that 45.5 million of the estimated 70 million Christians who have died for Christ, did so in the last century. For this reason, scholars such as Robert Royal, president of the Faith and Reason Institute in Washington, D.C., and author of The Catholic Martyrs of the Twentieth Century, refer to the past century as one of the darkest periods of martyrdom since the birth of Christianity.
Royal attributes the deaths of millions of Christians in the last century to Communism. In China, estimates run as high as 50 million total lives lost (a very conservative number), while the Soviet Union claimed another 25 million. While not all of those killed were Christians, Royal believes that, because these numbers are so high, this is where the majority of Christian victims can be found in the twentieth century. As the Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky so aptly put it, Communism typically killed as many people in a day, as the Inquisition killed in all the centuries of its existence.
Spanish Civil War Toll
Rebellions, civil wars, and dictatorships have also taken their toll on Christianity. On July 24th, 1936, near the start of the Spanish Civil War, Republican militiamen in Madrid shot three Carmelite nuns in the middle of a street. “One died instantly,” Royal writes, “another was at first refused transport to a hospital by a bus driver who wanted to ‘finish her off,’ a third wandered around dazed until another band of militiamen executed her.” By July 31st, in Madrid and Barcelona alone, 321 priests had been murdered. By the end of Spain's civil war in 1939, the names of 7,000 martyrs were submitted to the Holy See.
North Korean Toll
Between 1950 and 1953 in Communist North Korea, “50% of the hierarchy, one-third of the clergy, and at least fifteen thousand lay persons perished”; many more died in the notorious Death March to the Yalu River. In the past fifty years, 300,000 Christians in North Korea have vanished without a trace.
Albanian Toll
In Albania, Catholics―the only religious group that refused to cede power to that Communist state (though they were later forced to sign an agreement in which they submitted to state control)―were tortured, their bishops forced to clean the streets and public bathrooms, wearing clown outfits, with paper signs across their chests saying, “I have sinned against the people.” In 1967 the Albanian government outlawed religion altogether, and declared the traditional family to be “reactionary.” Over two thousand religious buildings were closed or destroyed, and almost all the clergy were imprisoned.
Syrian Toll
A non-denominational group has recorded that the total number of Christians killed for their faith around the world doubled in 2013 from the year before, with Syria accounting (in 2013) for more than the whole global total in 2012. Open Doors, a Netherlands-based organization that supports persecuted Christians worldwide, disclosed, in January 2013, that it had documented 2,123 “martyr” killings, compared with 1,201 in 2012. In Syria alone, it reported 1,213 such deaths, according to Reuters.
The organization said this is a “very minimal count” and based on media reports and what they can confirm. Other Christian groups believe the total estimated figure could be as high as 8,000. However, we must remember that the Catholic Church teaches that heretics and schismatics cannot be martyrs as long as they knowingly and willingly adhere to their erroneous positions. Nevertheless, these figures show the trend of increasing persecution and killing of those who profess a belief in Christ.
July 24th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOOD IS THE SYMBOL OF LIFE AND LOVE
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
BLOOD IS THE SYMBOL OF LIFE AND LOVE
Blood the Symbol of Life and Love
We give blood that others may have life. There can be no life without blood—we even have the phrase: “This is my lifeblood!” The word “lifeblood” is defined by dictionaries as “the most important part of something: the part of something that provides its strength and energy.” We bring into this world babies whom we call “our own flesh and blood”―which is loosely linked to Adam’s words concerning the creation of Eve: “And Adam said: ‘This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man!’” (Genesis 2:23).
Out of love for our fellow man, we try to avoid shedding his blood: “Whosoever shall shed man’s blood, his blood shall be shed: for man was made to the image of God” (Genesis 9:6). “Innocent blood may not be shed in the midst of the land which the Lord thy God will give thee to possess, lest thou be guilty of blood” (Deuteronomy 19:10). “And God said to Cain: ‘What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth to Me from the earth!’” (Genesis 4:10).
Rather than shed our blood, Jesus, our brother through our adoption into God’s family, shed His own. This “love” and “life” is seen in the Agony in the Garden. Our Lord showed His “love” for us by His bloody sweat in Gethsemane, when He did not refuse to take the next step in winning eternal “life” for us sinners and the salvation of our souls. The German World War II general, Erwin Rommel, said: “Sweat saves blood, blood saves lives, and brains saves both!” Our Lord’s bloody sweat and blood saved both our blood and our lives! He is the “brains” behind our salvation!
‘Blood Money’
In a certain sense blood is money. Christ bought us back―from the consequences of sin and slavery to the devil―by paying the price or ransom with His Precious Blood: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, but with the Precious Blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
We do not really appreciate this price of our redemption—unless, of course, we are one day placed in a similar position where we might have to bloodily lay down our lives for Christ and our sins, not to mention the sins of the world (of which we are partially guilty if we neglect to regularly pray and sacrifice, as Our Lady of Fatima asked, for the conversion of sinners).
When the Jews were seeking the death sentence for Jesus, “the whole people said: ‘His blood be upon us and our children!’” (Matthew 27:25). Words that they lived to regret, for they would pay for shedding the Blood of Jesus by having their own blood shed in the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Christ could have quoted the words of His prophet Jeremias against the Jews: “But know ye, and understand, that if you put me to death, you will shed innocent blood against your own selves, and against this city, and the inhabitants thereof. For in truth the Lord sent me to you, to speak all these words in your hearing” (Jeremias 16:15).
Jesus Himself prophesied: “Amen I say to you there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone that shall not be destroyed … For the days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side, and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee: and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation” (Matthew 24:2; Luke 19:43-44).
Over one million Jews were bloodily slaughtered by the Romans in that fateful day of reckoning! Sin doesn’t come cheap—it is easy to commit, expensive in price! Forgiveness and salvation do not come cheap―“No one thinks of how much blood it costs” (Dante, Paradise).
Blood On Our Own Heads
God threatens falsehood! “Know that thou shalt be put to death: thy blood shall be upon thy own head!” (3 Kings 2:37). The Israelites were leading very sinful lives—Isaias compares them to Sodom and Gommorha. They were sacrificing in the Temple, but also leading lives of sin in the meantime.
This is pretty much the state of the Church and the world today. God is given lip-service, while the world is loved with all the heart. Hypocritically, we praise God to high Heaven while we sin like Hell! What God speaks to sinful Israel through Isaias, His prophet, He could well address to us today, saying:
“Israel hath not known Me, and My people hath not understood. Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, ungracious children: they have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they are gone away backwards. For what shall I strike you any more, you that increase transgression?
"The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is sad. From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein: wounds and bruises and swelling sores: they are not bound up, nor dressed, nor fomented with oil. Your land is desolate, your cities are burnt with fire: your country strangers devour before your face, and it shall be desolate as when wasted by enemies. And the daughter of Sion shall be left as a covert in a vineyard, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and as a city that is laid waste. Except the Lord of hosts had left us seed, we had been as Sodom, and we should have been like to Gomorrha. Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom, give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrha.
“To what purpose do you offer Me the multitude of your victims, saith the Lord? I am full, I desire not holocausts of rams, and fat of fatlings, and blood of calves, and lambs, and buck goats. When you came to appear before me, who required these things at your hands, that you should walk in My courts? Offer sacrifice no more in vain: incense is an abomination to Me. The new moons, and the Sabbaths, and other festivals I will not abide, your assemblies are wicked. My soul hateth your new moons, and your solemnities: they are become troublesome to Me, I am weary of bearing them. And when you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away My eyes from you: and when you multiply prayer, I will not hear: for your hands are full of blood.
“Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from My eyes: cease to do perversely! Learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow. And then come, and accuse Me, saith the Lord. If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool. If you be willing, and will hearken to Me, you shall eat the good things of the land. But if you will not, and will provoke Me to wrath: the sword shall devour you because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaias 1:3-20).
Same old problem, eh? “If you be willing to listen to Me…!” Too busy having fun, no time to listen. “They have ears and hear not!” (Psalm 113:14). “And thy ears shall hear the word of one admonishing thee behind thy back” (Isaias 30:21). “And the Lord hath sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising early, and sending, and you have not hearkened, nor inclined your ears to hear” (Jeremias 25:4). But to those who are willing to listen― “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 11:15)―Our Lord and Our Lady speak out:
We give blood that others may have life. There can be no life without blood—we even have the phrase: “This is my lifeblood!” The word “lifeblood” is defined by dictionaries as “the most important part of something: the part of something that provides its strength and energy.” We bring into this world babies whom we call “our own flesh and blood”―which is loosely linked to Adam’s words concerning the creation of Eve: “And Adam said: ‘This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man!’” (Genesis 2:23).
Out of love for our fellow man, we try to avoid shedding his blood: “Whosoever shall shed man’s blood, his blood shall be shed: for man was made to the image of God” (Genesis 9:6). “Innocent blood may not be shed in the midst of the land which the Lord thy God will give thee to possess, lest thou be guilty of blood” (Deuteronomy 19:10). “And God said to Cain: ‘What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth to Me from the earth!’” (Genesis 4:10).
Rather than shed our blood, Jesus, our brother through our adoption into God’s family, shed His own. This “love” and “life” is seen in the Agony in the Garden. Our Lord showed His “love” for us by His bloody sweat in Gethsemane, when He did not refuse to take the next step in winning eternal “life” for us sinners and the salvation of our souls. The German World War II general, Erwin Rommel, said: “Sweat saves blood, blood saves lives, and brains saves both!” Our Lord’s bloody sweat and blood saved both our blood and our lives! He is the “brains” behind our salvation!
‘Blood Money’
In a certain sense blood is money. Christ bought us back―from the consequences of sin and slavery to the devil―by paying the price or ransom with His Precious Blood: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, but with the Precious Blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
We do not really appreciate this price of our redemption—unless, of course, we are one day placed in a similar position where we might have to bloodily lay down our lives for Christ and our sins, not to mention the sins of the world (of which we are partially guilty if we neglect to regularly pray and sacrifice, as Our Lady of Fatima asked, for the conversion of sinners).
When the Jews were seeking the death sentence for Jesus, “the whole people said: ‘His blood be upon us and our children!’” (Matthew 27:25). Words that they lived to regret, for they would pay for shedding the Blood of Jesus by having their own blood shed in the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Christ could have quoted the words of His prophet Jeremias against the Jews: “But know ye, and understand, that if you put me to death, you will shed innocent blood against your own selves, and against this city, and the inhabitants thereof. For in truth the Lord sent me to you, to speak all these words in your hearing” (Jeremias 16:15).
Jesus Himself prophesied: “Amen I say to you there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone that shall not be destroyed … For the days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side, and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee: and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation” (Matthew 24:2; Luke 19:43-44).
Over one million Jews were bloodily slaughtered by the Romans in that fateful day of reckoning! Sin doesn’t come cheap—it is easy to commit, expensive in price! Forgiveness and salvation do not come cheap―“No one thinks of how much blood it costs” (Dante, Paradise).
Blood On Our Own Heads
God threatens falsehood! “Know that thou shalt be put to death: thy blood shall be upon thy own head!” (3 Kings 2:37). The Israelites were leading very sinful lives—Isaias compares them to Sodom and Gommorha. They were sacrificing in the Temple, but also leading lives of sin in the meantime.
This is pretty much the state of the Church and the world today. God is given lip-service, while the world is loved with all the heart. Hypocritically, we praise God to high Heaven while we sin like Hell! What God speaks to sinful Israel through Isaias, His prophet, He could well address to us today, saying:
“Israel hath not known Me, and My people hath not understood. Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, ungracious children: they have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they are gone away backwards. For what shall I strike you any more, you that increase transgression?
"The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is sad. From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein: wounds and bruises and swelling sores: they are not bound up, nor dressed, nor fomented with oil. Your land is desolate, your cities are burnt with fire: your country strangers devour before your face, and it shall be desolate as when wasted by enemies. And the daughter of Sion shall be left as a covert in a vineyard, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and as a city that is laid waste. Except the Lord of hosts had left us seed, we had been as Sodom, and we should have been like to Gomorrha. Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom, give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrha.
“To what purpose do you offer Me the multitude of your victims, saith the Lord? I am full, I desire not holocausts of rams, and fat of fatlings, and blood of calves, and lambs, and buck goats. When you came to appear before me, who required these things at your hands, that you should walk in My courts? Offer sacrifice no more in vain: incense is an abomination to Me. The new moons, and the Sabbaths, and other festivals I will not abide, your assemblies are wicked. My soul hateth your new moons, and your solemnities: they are become troublesome to Me, I am weary of bearing them. And when you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away My eyes from you: and when you multiply prayer, I will not hear: for your hands are full of blood.
“Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from My eyes: cease to do perversely! Learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow. And then come, and accuse Me, saith the Lord. If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool. If you be willing, and will hearken to Me, you shall eat the good things of the land. But if you will not, and will provoke Me to wrath: the sword shall devour you because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaias 1:3-20).
Same old problem, eh? “If you be willing to listen to Me…!” Too busy having fun, no time to listen. “They have ears and hear not!” (Psalm 113:14). “And thy ears shall hear the word of one admonishing thee behind thy back” (Isaias 30:21). “And the Lord hath sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising early, and sending, and you have not hearkened, nor inclined your ears to hear” (Jeremias 25:4). But to those who are willing to listen― “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 11:15)―Our Lord and Our Lady speak out:
July 25th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
MARTYRDOM & "LITTLE OL' ME"
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
MARTYRDOM & "LITTLE OL' ME"
MARTYRDOM AND LITTLE OL’ ME!
Possible or Impossible?
As we have seen, the numbers of Christians being targeted and killed today is on the increase. No matter who rules in what country, the general attitude is one of “Christians get in the way! We do not want the Christian way!” So do away with Christians, one way or another!” This, of course, was foretold by Our Lady: “The small number of souls, who hidden, will preserve the treasures of the Faith and practice virtue, will suffer a cruel, unspeakable and prolonged martyrdom. Many will succumb to death from the violence of their sufferings and those, who sacrifice themselves for the Church and their country, will be counted as martyrs.
"In order to free men from the bondage to these heresies, those whom the merciful love of my most Holy Son has designated to effect the restoration, will need great strength of will, constancy, valor and confidence of the just. There will be occasions when all will seem lost and paralyzed. This then will be the happy beginning of the complete restoration” (Our Lady of Good Success, January 16th, 1611).
Well, Our Lady says ...
Our Lady of Fatima, in July of 1917, adds: “If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted” (Our Lady of Fatima).
Add to this the words of Our Lady of La Salette, and the odds on the likelihood of martyrdom continue to shorten: “France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling. For a time, God will cease to remember France and Italy, because the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been forgotten. The wicked will make use of all their evil ways. Men will kill each other, massacre each other even in their homes. People will believe that all is lost. Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy. The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God’s people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession” (Our Lady of La Salette).
Grim, But Not Hopeless!
Yet all the messages, though incredibly grim, end on a hopeful and instructive note: “The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God’s people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession (La Salette) … This night will be most horrible, for, humanly speaking, evil will seem to triumph … There will be occasions when all will seem lost and paralyzed. This then will be the happy beginning of the complete restoration … … This will mark the arrival of my hour, when I, in a marvelous way, will dethrone the proud and cursed Satan, trampling him under my feet and fettering him in the infernal abyss (Good Success) … In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted (Fatima)”
But I Am Trying to Be Good, Why Me?
Many, if not most, are afraid of martyrdom—well, in fact, it is part of an inherent fear we all have of dying, added to the inherent fear of serious pain. Even Our Lord was afraid of His ‘martyrdom’ during His Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And He taketh Peter and James and John with Him; and He began to fear and to be heavy” (Mark 14:33).
The Apostles were also afraid—which is why they preferred to sleep to escape what they sensed was coming that fateful night! Even after Our Lord’s triumph over death, by His resurrection, they were still afraid: “Now when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19).
So, being in fear, we are good company—we are sharing the lot of Our Lord and His Apostles! St. Thomas says that the courageous person is not a person without fear, but a person who acts despite that fear.
Do Not Be Afraid! (Easier Said Than Done!)
Yet, though Our Lord as in fear, He was also, on many occasions, telling us not to be afraid: “He said to them: ‘It is I; be not afraid!’” (John 6:20). “Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid!” (John 14:27). “And immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying: ‘Be of good heart: it is I, fear ye not!” (Matthew 14:27). “And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them: ‘Arise, and fear not!’” (Matthew 17:7). “Then Jesus said to them: Fear not!’” (Matthew 28:10). “But Jesus said: ‘Fear not, only believe!’” (Mark 5:36). “And the Lord said to Paul in the night, by a vision: ‘Do not fear, but speak!’” (Acts 18:9). Our Lord understands our fears and foresees them, as when speaking of the ends times, He says: “Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world!” (Luke 21:26). Of the end times, Our Lord says: “And when you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, fear ye not! For such things must needs be!” (Mark 13:7).
Even the angels are telling us not be afraid—as we see in the cases of Mary, Joseph, Zachary, the shepherds at Bethlehem, and the women at the tomb: “And the angel said to her: ‘Fear not, Mary!’” (Luke 1:30) … “The angel of the Lord appeared to him, saying: ‘Joseph, son of David, fear not!’” (Matthew 1:20) … “The angel said to him: ‘Fear not, Zachary!’” (Luke 1:13) … “And the angel said to the shepherds: ‘Fear not!’” (Luke 2:10) … “And the angel said to the women [at Jesus’ tomb]: ‘Fear not!’” (Matthew 28:5).
The Apostles and Saints tell us not to fear too: “That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve Him without fear” says St. Zachary (Luke 1:74). St. Peter says: “If also you suffer anything for the sake of justice, blessed are ye! And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled!” (1 Peter 3:14). St. John writes in the Apocalypse: “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer!” (Apocalypse 2:10).
The more we love, the less we fear—the more we love God, the less we fear what the enemies of God, the world, can do to us: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of love” (2 Timothy 1:7). “Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity!” (1 John 4:18).
Growing in Love and Charity
How do we love more? We grow in love and charity by asking for a greater love in prayer. We must pray more, for prayer is a conversation with God, and we talk more to the ones whom we love more. We grow in love by placing more burning coals of love into our souls, which are the Holy Communions that we make. We visit the ones we love more when we love them more. Not making any efforts or sacrifices in order to receive Our Lord more, indicates a very weak love of Him. We grow in love by making more sacrifices for God, which are presents that we give Him. The more we love someone, the more sacrifices we make for them and the more we give them by way of presents. These are some of the chief ways to grow in a charity that will cast out fear.
Possible or Impossible?
As we have seen, the numbers of Christians being targeted and killed today is on the increase. No matter who rules in what country, the general attitude is one of “Christians get in the way! We do not want the Christian way!” So do away with Christians, one way or another!” This, of course, was foretold by Our Lady: “The small number of souls, who hidden, will preserve the treasures of the Faith and practice virtue, will suffer a cruel, unspeakable and prolonged martyrdom. Many will succumb to death from the violence of their sufferings and those, who sacrifice themselves for the Church and their country, will be counted as martyrs.
"In order to free men from the bondage to these heresies, those whom the merciful love of my most Holy Son has designated to effect the restoration, will need great strength of will, constancy, valor and confidence of the just. There will be occasions when all will seem lost and paralyzed. This then will be the happy beginning of the complete restoration” (Our Lady of Good Success, January 16th, 1611).
Well, Our Lady says ...
Our Lady of Fatima, in July of 1917, adds: “If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted” (Our Lady of Fatima).
Add to this the words of Our Lady of La Salette, and the odds on the likelihood of martyrdom continue to shorten: “France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war. Blood will flow in the streets. Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian. A general war will follow which will be appalling. For a time, God will cease to remember France and Italy, because the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been forgotten. The wicked will make use of all their evil ways. Men will kill each other, massacre each other even in their homes. People will believe that all is lost. Nothing will be seen but murder, nothing will be heard but the clash of arms and blasphemy. The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God’s people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession” (Our Lady of La Salette).
Grim, But Not Hopeless!
Yet all the messages, though incredibly grim, end on a hopeful and instructive note: “The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God’s people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession (La Salette) … This night will be most horrible, for, humanly speaking, evil will seem to triumph … There will be occasions when all will seem lost and paralyzed. This then will be the happy beginning of the complete restoration … … This will mark the arrival of my hour, when I, in a marvelous way, will dethrone the proud and cursed Satan, trampling him under my feet and fettering him in the infernal abyss (Good Success) … In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted (Fatima)”
But I Am Trying to Be Good, Why Me?
Many, if not most, are afraid of martyrdom—well, in fact, it is part of an inherent fear we all have of dying, added to the inherent fear of serious pain. Even Our Lord was afraid of His ‘martyrdom’ during His Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And He taketh Peter and James and John with Him; and He began to fear and to be heavy” (Mark 14:33).
The Apostles were also afraid—which is why they preferred to sleep to escape what they sensed was coming that fateful night! Even after Our Lord’s triumph over death, by His resurrection, they were still afraid: “Now when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19).
So, being in fear, we are good company—we are sharing the lot of Our Lord and His Apostles! St. Thomas says that the courageous person is not a person without fear, but a person who acts despite that fear.
Do Not Be Afraid! (Easier Said Than Done!)
Yet, though Our Lord as in fear, He was also, on many occasions, telling us not to be afraid: “He said to them: ‘It is I; be not afraid!’” (John 6:20). “Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid!” (John 14:27). “And immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying: ‘Be of good heart: it is I, fear ye not!” (Matthew 14:27). “And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them: ‘Arise, and fear not!’” (Matthew 17:7). “Then Jesus said to them: Fear not!’” (Matthew 28:10). “But Jesus said: ‘Fear not, only believe!’” (Mark 5:36). “And the Lord said to Paul in the night, by a vision: ‘Do not fear, but speak!’” (Acts 18:9). Our Lord understands our fears and foresees them, as when speaking of the ends times, He says: “Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world!” (Luke 21:26). Of the end times, Our Lord says: “And when you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, fear ye not! For such things must needs be!” (Mark 13:7).
Even the angels are telling us not be afraid—as we see in the cases of Mary, Joseph, Zachary, the shepherds at Bethlehem, and the women at the tomb: “And the angel said to her: ‘Fear not, Mary!’” (Luke 1:30) … “The angel of the Lord appeared to him, saying: ‘Joseph, son of David, fear not!’” (Matthew 1:20) … “The angel said to him: ‘Fear not, Zachary!’” (Luke 1:13) … “And the angel said to the shepherds: ‘Fear not!’” (Luke 2:10) … “And the angel said to the women [at Jesus’ tomb]: ‘Fear not!’” (Matthew 28:5).
The Apostles and Saints tell us not to fear too: “That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve Him without fear” says St. Zachary (Luke 1:74). St. Peter says: “If also you suffer anything for the sake of justice, blessed are ye! And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled!” (1 Peter 3:14). St. John writes in the Apocalypse: “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer!” (Apocalypse 2:10).
The more we love, the less we fear—the more we love God, the less we fear what the enemies of God, the world, can do to us: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of love” (2 Timothy 1:7). “Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity!” (1 John 4:18).
Growing in Love and Charity
How do we love more? We grow in love and charity by asking for a greater love in prayer. We must pray more, for prayer is a conversation with God, and we talk more to the ones whom we love more. We grow in love by placing more burning coals of love into our souls, which are the Holy Communions that we make. We visit the ones we love more when we love them more. Not making any efforts or sacrifices in order to receive Our Lord more, indicates a very weak love of Him. We grow in love by making more sacrifices for God, which are presents that we give Him. The more we love someone, the more sacrifices we make for them and the more we give them by way of presents. These are some of the chief ways to grow in a charity that will cast out fear.
July 26th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE ELEMENTS OF MARTYRDOM
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE ELEMENTS OF MARTYRDOM
The Elements of Martyrdom
We note three elements of his martyrdom: (1) put to death, (2) for Christ: for the Faith, for refusing to apostasize and offer false worship, etc., and further, (3) Christian joy and gladness to die for Christ's sake (virtuous model).
The true approach to martyrdom is to see it as a triumph. So the early Christians rejoiced when one of their number was faithful unto death. Similarly, during the persecutions of the 16th-17th century, seminarians at the English College, Rome, used to gather at the foot of the chapel's painting of the Holy Trinity to sing a Te Deum whenever news arrived that a former student had been put to death for the Faith. It is a victory over the world, the flesh and the devil — everything that opposes your Christian life. It is the greatest way to die; it is the highest form of Christian death. See the section on martyrdom in the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2471-4.
Definition of martyrdom
The great moral theologian, Dominic Prummer O.P., says:
“Acts of Fortitude. . . . these acts reach their peak in martyrdom. Martyrdom is the endurance of bodily death in witness to the Christian religion. Therefore three conditions must be verified for martyrdom: (a) actual death; (b) the infliction of death by an enemy out of hatred for Christianity. (c) the voluntary acceptance of death. — Therefore the following are not genuinely martyrs: those who die by contracting disease in their care of lepers, those who suffer death for natural truths or for heresy, or who [indirectly] bring about their own death to safeguard their person. — The effect of martyrdom is the remission of all sin and punishment, since it is an act of perfect charity. According to Christian doctrine, martyrdom renders the soul of the martyr worthy of immediate entrance into heaven. The Church prays to the martyrs but has never prayed for the martyrs.”
Likewise, Dominican Fr Benedict Ashley says:
“True martyrdom requires three conditions: (1) that the victim actually die, (2) that he or she dies in witness of Faith in Christ which is directly expressed in words, or implicitly in acts done or sins refused because of Faith, and (3) that the victim accepts death voluntarily. They are not martyrs who do not actually die, or die from disease, for the sake of merely natural truths, or heresy, or for their country in war, or through suicide, etc.”
Fr Ashley explains:
“ ‘Martyr’ is often used loosely of anyone who dies for the sake of any cause. But the Christian cause is in fact objectively true, and not a subjective illusion, as are many of the causes for which persons die sincerely but deludedly. Thus those who die for the sake of fanatical religious cults, or as terrorists, or for their own glory, however sincere, are not genuine martyrs, but are objectively suicides. Nor are those who die for a noble but merely human motive, as the parent who dies to save a child, or a soldier for his country, since such virtuous acts can pertain simply to the order of natural virtue.”
While ISIS is unquestionably a nightmare-come-true, when it comes to the alarming increase in Christian persecution worldwide the “Islamic State” is just the tip of the iceberg.
As WND’s acclaimed Whistleblower magazine reveals in its powerfully moving April issue, “PERSECUTION RISING,” today’s treatment of Christians in a great many nations is disturbingly reminiscent of the brutal persecution of the early followers of Christ.
For most Americans, images of first-century Christian persecution – believers meeting furtively in remote houses with doors bolted tight, some preaching boldly in public and being dragged off to prison, others captured and paraded as spectacle to be crucified for sport by rulers like Nero – are familiar to us only through watching biblical movie epics.
Yet such is the harsh reality confronting millions of Christian believers – men, women and children – in many parts of our world, right now, in the 21st century.
In North Korea, thousands of Christians and their families are imprisoned in penal labor camps, with up to 80 executed last year for possessing Bibles and similar “transgressions.” In Sudan, hundreds of Christian women and girls are flogged annually for “indecent dress,” though what constitutes indecent dress is not defined by law. Iran raids church services and threatens believers, punishing Christians with prolonged detention, torture and executions – with some 400 Christians detained throughout the country since 2010, including Iranian-born American pastor Saeed Abedini.
Even America’s “allies” are home to outrageous persecution of Christians: In Egypt, at least seven Coptic Christians were killed and more than 200 churches and other Christian buildings, homes and businesses recently attacked. In Pakistan, Christian women and girls experience violence daily, many targeted for rape, sexual abuse and kidnapping, and a mob beat and burned to death a Christian couple last year for alleged “blasphemy.” In Saudi Arabia, not a single Christian church is allowed to exist in the entire country.
What about emerging superpower China – on which the U.S. government relies financially, and Americans rely for a large share of manufactured goods they purchase? Christians face the “worst persecution since the Cultural Revolution of Mao Zedong,” explains Bob Fu, former leader of the student movement crushed by the Tiananmen Square massacre and now a Christian underground church pastor. “There has been forced demolition, the removal of crosses, over 300 churches have been attacked and government sanctioned church pastors sentenced to 12 years in prison.” One pastor who dared even question authorities about the forced removal of the crosses was sentenced to prison, and a court recently sentenced two Christian bookstore owners to five and two years’ imprisonment for “illegal business operations.” Adds Fu, “Multiple believers have been attacked and hospitalized, and thousands of police were mobilized to attack a church. That has not been seen since the time of the Cultural Revolution. It’s overwhelming.”
Nevertheless – and here emerges the other, redemptive theme of this issue of Whistleblower – Fu expresses optimism about the long-term future of the Chinese church, noting that despite 60 years of persecution, the number of Christians has grown from less than 1 million to more than 100 million.
That’s right, around the world, amid the violence, persecution, civil war and mass death, a growing number of people are converting to a belief in Christ.
We note three elements of his martyrdom: (1) put to death, (2) for Christ: for the Faith, for refusing to apostasize and offer false worship, etc., and further, (3) Christian joy and gladness to die for Christ's sake (virtuous model).
The true approach to martyrdom is to see it as a triumph. So the early Christians rejoiced when one of their number was faithful unto death. Similarly, during the persecutions of the 16th-17th century, seminarians at the English College, Rome, used to gather at the foot of the chapel's painting of the Holy Trinity to sing a Te Deum whenever news arrived that a former student had been put to death for the Faith. It is a victory over the world, the flesh and the devil — everything that opposes your Christian life. It is the greatest way to die; it is the highest form of Christian death. See the section on martyrdom in the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2471-4.
Definition of martyrdom
The great moral theologian, Dominic Prummer O.P., says:
“Acts of Fortitude. . . . these acts reach their peak in martyrdom. Martyrdom is the endurance of bodily death in witness to the Christian religion. Therefore three conditions must be verified for martyrdom: (a) actual death; (b) the infliction of death by an enemy out of hatred for Christianity. (c) the voluntary acceptance of death. — Therefore the following are not genuinely martyrs: those who die by contracting disease in their care of lepers, those who suffer death for natural truths or for heresy, or who [indirectly] bring about their own death to safeguard their person. — The effect of martyrdom is the remission of all sin and punishment, since it is an act of perfect charity. According to Christian doctrine, martyrdom renders the soul of the martyr worthy of immediate entrance into heaven. The Church prays to the martyrs but has never prayed for the martyrs.”
Likewise, Dominican Fr Benedict Ashley says:
“True martyrdom requires three conditions: (1) that the victim actually die, (2) that he or she dies in witness of Faith in Christ which is directly expressed in words, or implicitly in acts done or sins refused because of Faith, and (3) that the victim accepts death voluntarily. They are not martyrs who do not actually die, or die from disease, for the sake of merely natural truths, or heresy, or for their country in war, or through suicide, etc.”
Fr Ashley explains:
“ ‘Martyr’ is often used loosely of anyone who dies for the sake of any cause. But the Christian cause is in fact objectively true, and not a subjective illusion, as are many of the causes for which persons die sincerely but deludedly. Thus those who die for the sake of fanatical religious cults, or as terrorists, or for their own glory, however sincere, are not genuine martyrs, but are objectively suicides. Nor are those who die for a noble but merely human motive, as the parent who dies to save a child, or a soldier for his country, since such virtuous acts can pertain simply to the order of natural virtue.”
While ISIS is unquestionably a nightmare-come-true, when it comes to the alarming increase in Christian persecution worldwide the “Islamic State” is just the tip of the iceberg.
As WND’s acclaimed Whistleblower magazine reveals in its powerfully moving April issue, “PERSECUTION RISING,” today’s treatment of Christians in a great many nations is disturbingly reminiscent of the brutal persecution of the early followers of Christ.
For most Americans, images of first-century Christian persecution – believers meeting furtively in remote houses with doors bolted tight, some preaching boldly in public and being dragged off to prison, others captured and paraded as spectacle to be crucified for sport by rulers like Nero – are familiar to us only through watching biblical movie epics.
Yet such is the harsh reality confronting millions of Christian believers – men, women and children – in many parts of our world, right now, in the 21st century.
In North Korea, thousands of Christians and their families are imprisoned in penal labor camps, with up to 80 executed last year for possessing Bibles and similar “transgressions.” In Sudan, hundreds of Christian women and girls are flogged annually for “indecent dress,” though what constitutes indecent dress is not defined by law. Iran raids church services and threatens believers, punishing Christians with prolonged detention, torture and executions – with some 400 Christians detained throughout the country since 2010, including Iranian-born American pastor Saeed Abedini.
Even America’s “allies” are home to outrageous persecution of Christians: In Egypt, at least seven Coptic Christians were killed and more than 200 churches and other Christian buildings, homes and businesses recently attacked. In Pakistan, Christian women and girls experience violence daily, many targeted for rape, sexual abuse and kidnapping, and a mob beat and burned to death a Christian couple last year for alleged “blasphemy.” In Saudi Arabia, not a single Christian church is allowed to exist in the entire country.
What about emerging superpower China – on which the U.S. government relies financially, and Americans rely for a large share of manufactured goods they purchase? Christians face the “worst persecution since the Cultural Revolution of Mao Zedong,” explains Bob Fu, former leader of the student movement crushed by the Tiananmen Square massacre and now a Christian underground church pastor. “There has been forced demolition, the removal of crosses, over 300 churches have been attacked and government sanctioned church pastors sentenced to 12 years in prison.” One pastor who dared even question authorities about the forced removal of the crosses was sentenced to prison, and a court recently sentenced two Christian bookstore owners to five and two years’ imprisonment for “illegal business operations.” Adds Fu, “Multiple believers have been attacked and hospitalized, and thousands of police were mobilized to attack a church. That has not been seen since the time of the Cultural Revolution. It’s overwhelming.”
Nevertheless – and here emerges the other, redemptive theme of this issue of Whistleblower – Fu expresses optimism about the long-term future of the Chinese church, noting that despite 60 years of persecution, the number of Christians has grown from less than 1 million to more than 100 million.
That’s right, around the world, amid the violence, persecution, civil war and mass death, a growing number of people are converting to a belief in Christ.
July 27th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
ANEMIC BLOOD
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
ANEMIC BLOOD
Anemic Souls Destroy Church’s Lifeblood
“Many hearts consecrated to God in the priestly and religious state will fall into lukewarmness ... The chiefs, the leaders of the people of God, have neglected prayer and penance … The priests, ministers of my Son, the priests, by their wicked lives, by their irreverence and their impiety in the celebration of the Holy Mysteries, by their love of money, their love of honors and pleasures, the priests have become cesspools of impurity. Yes, the priests are asking for vengeance, and vengeance is hanging over their heads. Woe to the priests and to those dedicated to God who, by their unfaithfulness and their wicked lives, are crucifying my Son again! The sins of those dedicated to God cry out towards Heaven and call for vengeance, and now vengeance is at their door, for there is no one left to beg mercy and forgiveness for the people. There are no more generous souls, there is no one left worthy of offering a spotless Sacrifice to the Eternal for the sake of the world. God will strike in an unprecedented way” (Our Lady of Good Success & La Salette).
We Will Pay With Our Blood!
“In order that the world might know His anger, the Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind ... The society of men is on the eve of the most terrible scourges and of gravest events. Mankind must expect to be ruled with an iron rod and to drink from the chalice of the wrath of God. There will be a formidable and frightful war, in which both native and foreign blood will flow, including that of secular and regular priests as well as that of other religious ... blood will flow on all sides. Churches will be locked up or desecrated. Priests and religious orders will be hunted down, and made to die a cruel death ... France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war ... Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian ... Blood will flow in the streets ... Men will kill each other, massacre each other even in their homes ... A general war will follow which will be appalling ... This night will be most horrible, for, humanly speaking, evil will seem to triumph ... all order and all justice will be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension will be seen, without love for country or family … With my Son I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering Him the sufferings of the Son on the Cross, His Precious Blood, and beloved souls who console Him forming a cohort of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father’s anger” (Our Lady of Good Success, La Salette & Akita).
Why will all these horrendous things happen? Because, as Our Lord said of Jerusalem while He still walked the Earth, “because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation!” (Luke 19:44). Or, as Sr. Lucia of Fatima reports in 1957: “The Blessed Virgin is very sad, because no one heeds her message; neither the good nor the bad. The good continue on with their life of virtue and apostolate, but they do not unite their lives to the message of Fatima. Sinners keep following the road of evil because they do not see the terrible chastisement about to befall them.” Truly, we have not known the hour of Our Lady’s visitation—so we shall be visited in another way!
Woe! Woe! Woe! Thrice Woe!
To the same Mother Mariana, to whom Our Lady of Good Success was appearing, Our Lord also warned Mother Mariana that the chastisement would be severe for those religious who squandered so many graces with their pride and vainglory to secure positions of power and rank. He especially condemned the lukewarm: “Alas! If men, and above all, priests and religious souls, would only realize how greatly I am wounded and displeased with the coldness, indifference, lack of confidence and small inveterate imperfections on the part of those who so closely belong to Me.... But I will not tolerate this. Halfway measures are not pleasing to Me. I desire all or nothing — according to My example, for I gave of Myself to the last drop of Blood and Water from My shattered Body on the Cross. Moreover, I have continued to live in the Tabernacle under the same roof with these hidden souls, exposing Myself to so many hateful profanations and sacrileges! For I know well all that takes place in My sacramental life! ... Woe to souls like this! Woe!”
“The times will come,” He told her, “when doctrine will be commonly known among the learned and the ignorant. ... Many religious books will be written. But the practice of the virtues and of these doctrines will be found in only a few souls; for this reason, saints will become rare. And precisely for this reason, My priests and My religious will fall into a fatal indifference. Their coldness will extinguish the fire of divine love, afflicting My Loving Heart with these small thorns that you see ... Alas! If you could only know My intense interior suffering ... caused by the lack of correspondence to this deluge of graces with which I inundate My priests and religious and, as a consequence, by the sins that they commit!
Jesus continued: “Know, moreover, that Divine Justice releases terrible chastisements on entire nations, not only for the sins of the people, but especially for those of priests and religious persons. For the latter are called, by the perfection of their state, to be the salt of the Earth, the masters of truth and the deflectors of divine wrath. Straying from their divine mission, they degrade themselves in such a way that, before the eyes of God, they quicken the rigor of the punishments.”
Add to all this the blood that is shed in abortions. In the USA, since Roe vs. Wade in 1973, an estimated 58 million babies have been killed (aborted), Worldwide, since 1980, the number is an estimated 1,340 million babies killed. Their blood is upon the head of the world and we live in that world.
Add to the aborted babies the escalating shedding of blood through Christian persecution, civil violence and political wars—and you have not just a pool of blood crying out to Heaven for vengeance, but a veritable sea of blood!
“Many hearts consecrated to God in the priestly and religious state will fall into lukewarmness ... The chiefs, the leaders of the people of God, have neglected prayer and penance … The priests, ministers of my Son, the priests, by their wicked lives, by their irreverence and their impiety in the celebration of the Holy Mysteries, by their love of money, their love of honors and pleasures, the priests have become cesspools of impurity. Yes, the priests are asking for vengeance, and vengeance is hanging over their heads. Woe to the priests and to those dedicated to God who, by their unfaithfulness and their wicked lives, are crucifying my Son again! The sins of those dedicated to God cry out towards Heaven and call for vengeance, and now vengeance is at their door, for there is no one left to beg mercy and forgiveness for the people. There are no more generous souls, there is no one left worthy of offering a spotless Sacrifice to the Eternal for the sake of the world. God will strike in an unprecedented way” (Our Lady of Good Success & La Salette).
We Will Pay With Our Blood!
“In order that the world might know His anger, the Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind ... The society of men is on the eve of the most terrible scourges and of gravest events. Mankind must expect to be ruled with an iron rod and to drink from the chalice of the wrath of God. There will be a formidable and frightful war, in which both native and foreign blood will flow, including that of secular and regular priests as well as that of other religious ... blood will flow on all sides. Churches will be locked up or desecrated. Priests and religious orders will be hunted down, and made to die a cruel death ... France, Italy, Spain, and England will be at war ... Frenchman will fight Frenchman, Italian will fight Italian ... Blood will flow in the streets ... Men will kill each other, massacre each other even in their homes ... A general war will follow which will be appalling ... This night will be most horrible, for, humanly speaking, evil will seem to triumph ... all order and all justice will be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension will be seen, without love for country or family … With my Son I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering Him the sufferings of the Son on the Cross, His Precious Blood, and beloved souls who console Him forming a cohort of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father’s anger” (Our Lady of Good Success, La Salette & Akita).
Why will all these horrendous things happen? Because, as Our Lord said of Jerusalem while He still walked the Earth, “because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation!” (Luke 19:44). Or, as Sr. Lucia of Fatima reports in 1957: “The Blessed Virgin is very sad, because no one heeds her message; neither the good nor the bad. The good continue on with their life of virtue and apostolate, but they do not unite their lives to the message of Fatima. Sinners keep following the road of evil because they do not see the terrible chastisement about to befall them.” Truly, we have not known the hour of Our Lady’s visitation—so we shall be visited in another way!
Woe! Woe! Woe! Thrice Woe!
To the same Mother Mariana, to whom Our Lady of Good Success was appearing, Our Lord also warned Mother Mariana that the chastisement would be severe for those religious who squandered so many graces with their pride and vainglory to secure positions of power and rank. He especially condemned the lukewarm: “Alas! If men, and above all, priests and religious souls, would only realize how greatly I am wounded and displeased with the coldness, indifference, lack of confidence and small inveterate imperfections on the part of those who so closely belong to Me.... But I will not tolerate this. Halfway measures are not pleasing to Me. I desire all or nothing — according to My example, for I gave of Myself to the last drop of Blood and Water from My shattered Body on the Cross. Moreover, I have continued to live in the Tabernacle under the same roof with these hidden souls, exposing Myself to so many hateful profanations and sacrileges! For I know well all that takes place in My sacramental life! ... Woe to souls like this! Woe!”
“The times will come,” He told her, “when doctrine will be commonly known among the learned and the ignorant. ... Many religious books will be written. But the practice of the virtues and of these doctrines will be found in only a few souls; for this reason, saints will become rare. And precisely for this reason, My priests and My religious will fall into a fatal indifference. Their coldness will extinguish the fire of divine love, afflicting My Loving Heart with these small thorns that you see ... Alas! If you could only know My intense interior suffering ... caused by the lack of correspondence to this deluge of graces with which I inundate My priests and religious and, as a consequence, by the sins that they commit!
Jesus continued: “Know, moreover, that Divine Justice releases terrible chastisements on entire nations, not only for the sins of the people, but especially for those of priests and religious persons. For the latter are called, by the perfection of their state, to be the salt of the Earth, the masters of truth and the deflectors of divine wrath. Straying from their divine mission, they degrade themselves in such a way that, before the eyes of God, they quicken the rigor of the punishments.”
Add to all this the blood that is shed in abortions. In the USA, since Roe vs. Wade in 1973, an estimated 58 million babies have been killed (aborted), Worldwide, since 1980, the number is an estimated 1,340 million babies killed. Their blood is upon the head of the world and we live in that world.
Add to the aborted babies the escalating shedding of blood through Christian persecution, civil violence and political wars—and you have not just a pool of blood crying out to Heaven for vengeance, but a veritable sea of blood!
July 28th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE EFFECTS OF MARTYRDOM
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE EFFECTS OF MARTYRDOM
The Church has continued to teach from the very beginning that martyrdom is an imitation of the Passion and death of Christ. Its direct effect in the soul of the martyr, therefore, is to bring about justification. This is true whether the martyr is already baptized or not, whether the martyr is an adult or a child. And so martyrdom has always been called the Baptism of Blood. However, in the case of an adult, a certain disposition of soul is required, namely, attrition, that is, sorrow for sin on the grounds of fear of loss of Heaven and of the pains of Hell. [As you recall, attrition (imperfect contrition) is the necessary requirement to have ones grievous sins remitted in the Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation)].
However, the effects of martyrdom bring about total justification. That is, it prepares the martyr for immediate entry into heavenly bliss. Therefore, not only does it remove all mortal sin and all venial sin, but also all the temporal punishment due to sin. That is why Pope Innocent III was able to assert: He dishonors a martyr who prays for the repose of his soul.
Since I am on the subject of punishment it seems appropriate to repeat another constant teaching of the Church from earliest times. The merits of the Suffering and Death of Jesus, as applied to the soul in the Sacrament of Baptism, removes (1) the guilt of Original Sin and (2) the eternal punishment due to Original Sin and personal mortal sins. I suspect this doctrine on punishment is not palatable to many Catholics in these present times. Nowadays we tend to think of punishment in terms of vindictiveness or a desire to hurt. We ought to think instead of what our conduct earns or merits. Then punishment is properly seen as just recompense. Since redemption is a notion taken from the world of marketing, that is, buying and selling, likewise punishment should be thought of in the same context: We get what we have paid for.
As everyone familiar with the Ascent of Mount Carmel of St. John of the Cross knows, all sin, even venial sin, stains and defiles the soul, disfigures and befouls it. Since nothing impure can enter into direct union with God, those stains, impurities and disfigurements have to be removed. It is punishment (just recompense) which accomplishes that work of purification. When we talk about the eternal punishment due to Original Sin and personal mortal sins, we mean that the stain cannot be eradicated by beings native to time. Only a person native to eternity (Jesus) can accomplish that purification. The Sacrament of Penance removes some of the temporal stains caused by mortal sin and venial sin, but not all. What remains in the soul at death are purged in Purgatory (obviously). The Ascent of Mt. Carmel was written so that we would know how to complete our purgatory here on earth. Anyone who has tried to put St. Johns advice into practice knows that his program is perceived by the soul being purified as punishment.
As corollaries of this doctrine concerning the temporal punishment removed entirely by martyrdom and partially by the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we have:
(1) the teaching that frequent reception of sacramental absolution brings about successive diminishment of the amount of temporal punishment necessary to thoroughly purify the soul in preparation for union with God, and
(2) the teaching that we can apply our program of purification (read imposing temporal punishment upon ourselves) to the souls now in Purgatory. This second element is also a corollary to the doctrine of the Communion of Saints: It is only in virtue of His being one of us through His Incarnation in the womb of the Blessed ever-Virgin Mary that the merits of Jesus redemptive and purifying sufferings can be applied to us in Baptism.
One final effect of Martyrdom: It bestows a special crown or halo (aureolus) in Heaven, that is, a special joy derived from a most difficult and outstanding victory over the world. This crown is considered to confer a higher dignity than the distinctive crowns of Virgins and Confessors, which represent the special joy that derives from victories over the flesh and the devil respectively. But obviously, since everyone who attains Heaven (please God we all get there, too) also has won a victory over the world, the flesh and the devil, all the saints wear all three crowns to some extent.
However, the effects of martyrdom bring about total justification. That is, it prepares the martyr for immediate entry into heavenly bliss. Therefore, not only does it remove all mortal sin and all venial sin, but also all the temporal punishment due to sin. That is why Pope Innocent III was able to assert: He dishonors a martyr who prays for the repose of his soul.
Since I am on the subject of punishment it seems appropriate to repeat another constant teaching of the Church from earliest times. The merits of the Suffering and Death of Jesus, as applied to the soul in the Sacrament of Baptism, removes (1) the guilt of Original Sin and (2) the eternal punishment due to Original Sin and personal mortal sins. I suspect this doctrine on punishment is not palatable to many Catholics in these present times. Nowadays we tend to think of punishment in terms of vindictiveness or a desire to hurt. We ought to think instead of what our conduct earns or merits. Then punishment is properly seen as just recompense. Since redemption is a notion taken from the world of marketing, that is, buying and selling, likewise punishment should be thought of in the same context: We get what we have paid for.
As everyone familiar with the Ascent of Mount Carmel of St. John of the Cross knows, all sin, even venial sin, stains and defiles the soul, disfigures and befouls it. Since nothing impure can enter into direct union with God, those stains, impurities and disfigurements have to be removed. It is punishment (just recompense) which accomplishes that work of purification. When we talk about the eternal punishment due to Original Sin and personal mortal sins, we mean that the stain cannot be eradicated by beings native to time. Only a person native to eternity (Jesus) can accomplish that purification. The Sacrament of Penance removes some of the temporal stains caused by mortal sin and venial sin, but not all. What remains in the soul at death are purged in Purgatory (obviously). The Ascent of Mt. Carmel was written so that we would know how to complete our purgatory here on earth. Anyone who has tried to put St. Johns advice into practice knows that his program is perceived by the soul being purified as punishment.
As corollaries of this doctrine concerning the temporal punishment removed entirely by martyrdom and partially by the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we have:
(1) the teaching that frequent reception of sacramental absolution brings about successive diminishment of the amount of temporal punishment necessary to thoroughly purify the soul in preparation for union with God, and
(2) the teaching that we can apply our program of purification (read imposing temporal punishment upon ourselves) to the souls now in Purgatory. This second element is also a corollary to the doctrine of the Communion of Saints: It is only in virtue of His being one of us through His Incarnation in the womb of the Blessed ever-Virgin Mary that the merits of Jesus redemptive and purifying sufferings can be applied to us in Baptism.
One final effect of Martyrdom: It bestows a special crown or halo (aureolus) in Heaven, that is, a special joy derived from a most difficult and outstanding victory over the world. This crown is considered to confer a higher dignity than the distinctive crowns of Virgins and Confessors, which represent the special joy that derives from victories over the flesh and the devil respectively. But obviously, since everyone who attains Heaven (please God we all get there, too) also has won a victory over the world, the flesh and the devil, all the saints wear all three crowns to some extent.
July 29th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE MARTYRDOM OF LOVE
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE MARTYRDOM OF LOVE
Let us now consider the Martyrdom of Love.
One way to think of it is as an intense desire to undergo Martyrdom. The motive could be that a soul loves God so much, that it wants to make the supreme sacrifice as a means of giving evidence of its love for God. Or it could be a fear of losing one’s soul, because martyrdom guarantees salvation. Again, the intense desire could arise from a fear of the sufferings of Purgatory, because Martyrdom introduces one directly into eternal Bliss, thus by-passing the purgative flames.
But perhaps the best way to understand the term is to think of it as finding life here on earth almost unbearable because of a love for God so great and so intense that one experiences the most vehement longings and yearnings for union with Him. Certainly this was true of some of our own Discalced Carmelite Saints: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
St. Teresa of Avila has recorded her vehement longings and yearnings in the Poem: Vivo sin vivir en Mi (I live, but not within myself). Here are a few of its stanzas:
(3) Ah, how weary this life!
These exiles so hard!
This jail and these shackles
By which the soul is fettered!
Longing only to go forth
Brings such terrible sorrow,
I die because I do not die.
(4) Ah, how bitter a life
When the Lord is not enjoyed!
While love is sweet
Long waiting is not.
O God, take away this burden
Heavier than steel,
I die because I do not die.
(5) Only with this surety
Do I live: that I will die.
Because in dying
My hope in living is assured.
Death, bringing life,
Do not tarry; I await you.
I die because I do not die.
In his commentary on the Living Flame of Love St. John of the Cross tells us that the stanzas of this Poem treat of a love within the state of transforming union that is of a deeper quality and more perfect than that already treated in some stanzas of the Spiritual Canticle. Although they do not convey the notion of finding the exile which is this life burdensome, I do believe the first two stanzas can also be interpreted in terms of a Martyrdom of Love:
(1) O living flame of love
That tenderly wounds my soul
In its deepest center! Since
Now you are not oppressive,
Now consummate! If it be Your will:
Tear through the veil of this sweet encounter!
(2) O sweet cautery, O delightful wound!
O gentle hand! O delicate touch
That tastes of eternal life
And pays every debt!
In killing You changed death to life.
And this is how Fr. Robert of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, O.C.D., writing in 1948, tells of the Martyrdom of Love of the same St. Thérèse:
Thérèse perceives in her heart new desires which very quickly align themselves with that complex of inclinations, capabilities, idealism and passion which we call vocation. But it is not the common apostolic vocation of the Carmelite Nun: of prayer and penance. Neither is it a single vocation. She perceives many vocations, different among themselves, contraposed and almost opposed. For her, then, they were beyond realization, impossible, absurd: a warrior who would fall on the field of battle, a priest who sanctifies; a priest? But the dignity is too sublime; a light-bearing apostle, but one NOT LIMITED TO a single era; a universal, eternal apostle, as if always a lamp lighting the world; a martyr, above all a martyr. Martyrdom! This is the dream of my youth But which form of martyrdom? All of them! The more the fantasy grows, the more her heart seems to leap up and break apart with the irrepressible desires which it causes her to experience.
But all this is foolishness, a dream. Reality on the other hand is so ordinary: the Rule, a little cell, tuberculosis
In spite of that, these vocations attract and torment her at one and the same time. Evidently there is a great emptiness in her heart, or better, an immense capacity that tries to take form, be concretized in reality. Her desires grow and press upon her with the power of a tidal wave or a hurricane. Her martyrdom becomes insupportable. It is useless for her to fall back upon the thought of heavenly delights, because Thérèse, with incredible audacity writes: “If I do not reach one day those most elevated regions toward which my heart aspires, I will have experienced more sweetness in my martyrdom and in my foolishness than in those I will enjoy in the bosom of immortal bliss, provided that You, by means of a miracle, do not deprive me of the memory of my earthly hopes.”
One way to think of it is as an intense desire to undergo Martyrdom. The motive could be that a soul loves God so much, that it wants to make the supreme sacrifice as a means of giving evidence of its love for God. Or it could be a fear of losing one’s soul, because martyrdom guarantees salvation. Again, the intense desire could arise from a fear of the sufferings of Purgatory, because Martyrdom introduces one directly into eternal Bliss, thus by-passing the purgative flames.
But perhaps the best way to understand the term is to think of it as finding life here on earth almost unbearable because of a love for God so great and so intense that one experiences the most vehement longings and yearnings for union with Him. Certainly this was true of some of our own Discalced Carmelite Saints: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
St. Teresa of Avila has recorded her vehement longings and yearnings in the Poem: Vivo sin vivir en Mi (I live, but not within myself). Here are a few of its stanzas:
(3) Ah, how weary this life!
These exiles so hard!
This jail and these shackles
By which the soul is fettered!
Longing only to go forth
Brings such terrible sorrow,
I die because I do not die.
(4) Ah, how bitter a life
When the Lord is not enjoyed!
While love is sweet
Long waiting is not.
O God, take away this burden
Heavier than steel,
I die because I do not die.
(5) Only with this surety
Do I live: that I will die.
Because in dying
My hope in living is assured.
Death, bringing life,
Do not tarry; I await you.
I die because I do not die.
In his commentary on the Living Flame of Love St. John of the Cross tells us that the stanzas of this Poem treat of a love within the state of transforming union that is of a deeper quality and more perfect than that already treated in some stanzas of the Spiritual Canticle. Although they do not convey the notion of finding the exile which is this life burdensome, I do believe the first two stanzas can also be interpreted in terms of a Martyrdom of Love:
(1) O living flame of love
That tenderly wounds my soul
In its deepest center! Since
Now you are not oppressive,
Now consummate! If it be Your will:
Tear through the veil of this sweet encounter!
(2) O sweet cautery, O delightful wound!
O gentle hand! O delicate touch
That tastes of eternal life
And pays every debt!
In killing You changed death to life.
And this is how Fr. Robert of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, O.C.D., writing in 1948, tells of the Martyrdom of Love of the same St. Thérèse:
Thérèse perceives in her heart new desires which very quickly align themselves with that complex of inclinations, capabilities, idealism and passion which we call vocation. But it is not the common apostolic vocation of the Carmelite Nun: of prayer and penance. Neither is it a single vocation. She perceives many vocations, different among themselves, contraposed and almost opposed. For her, then, they were beyond realization, impossible, absurd: a warrior who would fall on the field of battle, a priest who sanctifies; a priest? But the dignity is too sublime; a light-bearing apostle, but one NOT LIMITED TO a single era; a universal, eternal apostle, as if always a lamp lighting the world; a martyr, above all a martyr. Martyrdom! This is the dream of my youth But which form of martyrdom? All of them! The more the fantasy grows, the more her heart seems to leap up and break apart with the irrepressible desires which it causes her to experience.
But all this is foolishness, a dream. Reality on the other hand is so ordinary: the Rule, a little cell, tuberculosis
In spite of that, these vocations attract and torment her at one and the same time. Evidently there is a great emptiness in her heart, or better, an immense capacity that tries to take form, be concretized in reality. Her desires grow and press upon her with the power of a tidal wave or a hurricane. Her martyrdom becomes insupportable. It is useless for her to fall back upon the thought of heavenly delights, because Thérèse, with incredible audacity writes: “If I do not reach one day those most elevated regions toward which my heart aspires, I will have experienced more sweetness in my martyrdom and in my foolishness than in those I will enjoy in the bosom of immortal bliss, provided that You, by means of a miracle, do not deprive me of the memory of my earthly hopes.”
July 30th
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE NUMBER OF MARTYRS
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE NUMBER OF MARTYRS
Of the 249 years from the first persecution under Nero (64) to the year 313, when Constantine established lasting peace, it is calculated that the Christians suffered persecution about 129 years and enjoyed a certain degree of toleration about 120 years. Yet it must be borne in mind that even in the years of comparative tranquillity Christians were at all times at the mercy of every person ill-disposed towards them or their religion in the empire. Whether or not delation of Christians occurred frequently during the era of persecution is not known, but taking into consideration the irrational hatred of the pagan population for Christians, it may safely be surmised that not a few Christians suffered martyrdom through betrayal.
An example of the kind related by St. Justin Martyr shows how swift and terrible were the consequences of delation. A woman who had been converted to Christianity was accused by her husband before a magistrate of being a Christian. Through influence the accused was granted the favour of a brief respite to settle her worldly affairs, after which she was to appear in court and put forward her defence. Meanwhile her angry husband caused the arrest of the catechist, Ptolomæus by name, who had instructed the convert. Ptolomæus, when questioned, acknowledged that he was a Christian and was condemned to death. In the court, at the time this sentence was pronounced, were two persons who protested against the iniquity of inflicting capital punishment for the mere fact of professing Christianity. The magistrate in reply asked if they also were Christians, and on their answering in the affirmative both were ordered to be executed. As the same fate awaited the wife of the delator also, unless she recanted, we have here an example of three, possibly four, persons suffering capital punishment on the accusation of a man actuated by malice, solely for the reason that his wife had given up the evil life she had previously led in his society (St. Justin Martyr, II, Apol., ii).
As to the actual number of persons who died as martyrs during these two centuries and a half we have no definite information. Tacitus is authority for the statement that an immense multitude (ingens multitudo) were put to death by Nero. The Apocalypse of St. John speaks of “the souls of them that were slain for the word of God “in the reign of Domitian, and Dion Cassius informs us that “many” of the Christian nobility suffered death for their Faith during the persecution for which this emperor is responsible. Origen indeed, writing about the year 249, before the edict of Decius, states that the number of those put to death for the Christian religion was not very great, but he probably means that the number of martyrs up to this time was small when compared with the entire number of Christians (cf. Allard, “Ten Lectures on the Martyrs”, 128).
St. Justin Martyr, who owed his conversion largely to the heroic example of Christians suffering for their Faith, incidentally gives a glimpse of the danger of professing Christianity in the middle of the second century, in the reign of so good an emperor as Antoninus Pius (138-61). In his “Dialogue with Trypho” (cx), the apologist, after alluding to the fortitude of his brethren in religion, adds, “for it is plain that, though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do not give up our confession; but, the more such things happen, the more do others in larger numbers become faithful. . . . Every Christian has been driven out not only from his own property, but even from the whole world; for you permit no Christian to live.” Tertullian also, writing towards the end of the second century, frequently alludes to the terrible conditions under which Christians existed (“Ad martyres”, “Apologia”, “Ad Nationes”, etc.): death and torture were ever present possibilities.
But the new régime of special edicts, which began in 250 with the edict of Decius, was still more fatal to Christians. The persecutions of Decius and Valerian were not, indeed, of long duration, but while they lasted, and in spite of the large number of those who fell away, there are clear indications that they produced numerous martyrs. Dionysius of Alexandria , for instance, in a letter to the Bishop of Antioch tells of a violent persecution that took place in the Egyptian capital, through popular violence, before the edict of Decius was even published. The Bishop of Alexandria gives several examples of what Christians endured at the hands of the pagan rabble and then adds that “many others, in cities and villages, were torn asunder by the heathen” (Eusebius, “Hist. eccl.”, VI, xli sq.).
Besides those who perished by actual violence, also, a “multitude wandered in the deserts and mountains, and perished of hunger and thirst, of cold and sickness and robbers and wild beasts” (Eusebius, l. c.). In another letter, speaking of the persecution under Valerian, Dionysius states that “men and women, young and old, maidens and matrons, soldiers and civilians, of every age and race, some by scourging and fire, others by the sword, have conquered in the strife and won their crowns” (Id., op. cit., VII, xi). At Cirta, in North Africa, in the same persecution, after the execution of Christians had continued for several days, it was resolved to expedite matters. To this end the rest of those condemned were brought to the bank of a river and made to kneel in rows. When all was ready the executioner passed along the ranks and despatched all without further loss of time (Ruinart, p. 231).
But the last persecution was even more severe than any of the previous attempts to extirpate Christianity. In Nicomedia “a great multitude” were put to death with their bishop, Anthimus; of these some perished by the sword, some by fire, while others were drowned. In Egypt “thousands of men, women and children, despising the present life, . . . endured various deaths” (Eusebius, “Hist. eccl.”, VII, iv sqq.), and the same happened in many other places throughout the East. In the West the persecution came to an end at an earlier date than in the East, but, while it lasted, numbers of martyrs, especially at Rome, were added to the calendar (cf. Allard, op. cit., 138 sq.).
But besides those who actually shed their blood in the first three centuries account must be taken of the numerous confessors of the Faith who, in prison, in exile, or in penal servitude suffered a daily martyrdom more difficult to endure than death itself. Thus, while anything like a numerical estimate of the number of martyrs is impossible, yet the meagre evidence on the subject that exists clearly enough establishes the fact that countless men, women and even children, in that glorious, though terrible, first age of Christianity, cheerfully sacrificed their goods, their liberties, or their lives, rather than renounce the Faith they prized above all.
An example of the kind related by St. Justin Martyr shows how swift and terrible were the consequences of delation. A woman who had been converted to Christianity was accused by her husband before a magistrate of being a Christian. Through influence the accused was granted the favour of a brief respite to settle her worldly affairs, after which she was to appear in court and put forward her defence. Meanwhile her angry husband caused the arrest of the catechist, Ptolomæus by name, who had instructed the convert. Ptolomæus, when questioned, acknowledged that he was a Christian and was condemned to death. In the court, at the time this sentence was pronounced, were two persons who protested against the iniquity of inflicting capital punishment for the mere fact of professing Christianity. The magistrate in reply asked if they also were Christians, and on their answering in the affirmative both were ordered to be executed. As the same fate awaited the wife of the delator also, unless she recanted, we have here an example of three, possibly four, persons suffering capital punishment on the accusation of a man actuated by malice, solely for the reason that his wife had given up the evil life she had previously led in his society (St. Justin Martyr, II, Apol., ii).
As to the actual number of persons who died as martyrs during these two centuries and a half we have no definite information. Tacitus is authority for the statement that an immense multitude (ingens multitudo) were put to death by Nero. The Apocalypse of St. John speaks of “the souls of them that were slain for the word of God “in the reign of Domitian, and Dion Cassius informs us that “many” of the Christian nobility suffered death for their Faith during the persecution for which this emperor is responsible. Origen indeed, writing about the year 249, before the edict of Decius, states that the number of those put to death for the Christian religion was not very great, but he probably means that the number of martyrs up to this time was small when compared with the entire number of Christians (cf. Allard, “Ten Lectures on the Martyrs”, 128).
St. Justin Martyr, who owed his conversion largely to the heroic example of Christians suffering for their Faith, incidentally gives a glimpse of the danger of professing Christianity in the middle of the second century, in the reign of so good an emperor as Antoninus Pius (138-61). In his “Dialogue with Trypho” (cx), the apologist, after alluding to the fortitude of his brethren in religion, adds, “for it is plain that, though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do not give up our confession; but, the more such things happen, the more do others in larger numbers become faithful. . . . Every Christian has been driven out not only from his own property, but even from the whole world; for you permit no Christian to live.” Tertullian also, writing towards the end of the second century, frequently alludes to the terrible conditions under which Christians existed (“Ad martyres”, “Apologia”, “Ad Nationes”, etc.): death and torture were ever present possibilities.
But the new régime of special edicts, which began in 250 with the edict of Decius, was still more fatal to Christians. The persecutions of Decius and Valerian were not, indeed, of long duration, but while they lasted, and in spite of the large number of those who fell away, there are clear indications that they produced numerous martyrs. Dionysius of Alexandria , for instance, in a letter to the Bishop of Antioch tells of a violent persecution that took place in the Egyptian capital, through popular violence, before the edict of Decius was even published. The Bishop of Alexandria gives several examples of what Christians endured at the hands of the pagan rabble and then adds that “many others, in cities and villages, were torn asunder by the heathen” (Eusebius, “Hist. eccl.”, VI, xli sq.).
Besides those who perished by actual violence, also, a “multitude wandered in the deserts and mountains, and perished of hunger and thirst, of cold and sickness and robbers and wild beasts” (Eusebius, l. c.). In another letter, speaking of the persecution under Valerian, Dionysius states that “men and women, young and old, maidens and matrons, soldiers and civilians, of every age and race, some by scourging and fire, others by the sword, have conquered in the strife and won their crowns” (Id., op. cit., VII, xi). At Cirta, in North Africa, in the same persecution, after the execution of Christians had continued for several days, it was resolved to expedite matters. To this end the rest of those condemned were brought to the bank of a river and made to kneel in rows. When all was ready the executioner passed along the ranks and despatched all without further loss of time (Ruinart, p. 231).
But the last persecution was even more severe than any of the previous attempts to extirpate Christianity. In Nicomedia “a great multitude” were put to death with their bishop, Anthimus; of these some perished by the sword, some by fire, while others were drowned. In Egypt “thousands of men, women and children, despising the present life, . . . endured various deaths” (Eusebius, “Hist. eccl.”, VII, iv sqq.), and the same happened in many other places throughout the East. In the West the persecution came to an end at an earlier date than in the East, but, while it lasted, numbers of martyrs, especially at Rome, were added to the calendar (cf. Allard, op. cit., 138 sq.).
But besides those who actually shed their blood in the first three centuries account must be taken of the numerous confessors of the Faith who, in prison, in exile, or in penal servitude suffered a daily martyrdom more difficult to endure than death itself. Thus, while anything like a numerical estimate of the number of martyrs is impossible, yet the meagre evidence on the subject that exists clearly enough establishes the fact that countless men, women and even children, in that glorious, though terrible, first age of Christianity, cheerfully sacrificed their goods, their liberties, or their lives, rather than renounce the Faith they prized above all.
July 31st
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE TRIALS OF MARTYRS
Daily Meditations on the Precious Blood of Jesus
THE TRIALS OF MARTYRS
The first act in the tragedy of the martyrs was their arrest by an officer of the law. In some instances the privilege of custodia libera , granted to St. Paul during his first imprisonment, was allowed before the accused were brought to trial; St. Cyprian , for example, was detained in the house of the officer who arrested him, and treated with consideration until the time set for his examination. But such procedure was the exception to the rule; the accused Christians were generally cast into the public prisons, where often, for weeks or months at a time, they suffered the greatest hardships. Glimpses of the sufferings they endured in prison are in rare instances supplied by the Acts of the Martyrs. St. Perpetua, for instance, was horrified by the awful darkness, the intense heat caused by overcrowding in the climate of Roman Africa, and the brutality of the soldiers (Passio SS. Perpet., et Felic., i). Other confessors allude to the various miseries of prison life as beyond their powers of description (Passio SS. Montani, Lucii, iv). Deprived of food, save enough to keep them alive, of water, of light and air; weighted down with irons, or placed in stocks with their legs drawn as far apart as was possible without causing a rupture; exposed to all manner of infection from heat, overcrowding, and the absence of anything like proper sanitary conditions — these were some of the afflictions that preceded actual martyrdom. Many naturally, died in prison under such conditions, while others, unfortunately, unable to endure the strain, adopted the easy means of escape left open to them, namely, complied with the condition demanded by the State of offering sacrifice.
Those whose strength, physical and moral, was capable of enduring to the end were, in addition, frequently interrogated in court by the magistrates, who endeavoured by persuasion or torture to induce them to recant. These tortures comprised every means that human ingenuity in antiquity had devised to break down even the most courageous ; the obstinate were scourged with whips, with straps, or with ropes; or again they were stretched on the rack and their bodies torn apart with iron rakes. Another awful punishment consisted in suspending the victim, sometimes for a whole day at a time, by one hand; while modest women in addition were exposed naked to the gaze of those in court. Almost worse than all this was the penal servitude to which bishops, priests, deacons, laymen and women, and even children, were condemned in some of the more violent persecutions ; these refined personages of both sexes, victims of merciless laws were doomed to pass the remainder of their days in the darkness of the mines, where they dragged out a wretched existence, half naked, hungry, and with no bed save the damp ground. Those were far more fortunate who were condemned to even the most disgraceful death, in the arena, or by crucifixion.
Those whose strength, physical and moral, was capable of enduring to the end were, in addition, frequently interrogated in court by the magistrates, who endeavoured by persuasion or torture to induce them to recant. These tortures comprised every means that human ingenuity in antiquity had devised to break down even the most courageous ; the obstinate were scourged with whips, with straps, or with ropes; or again they were stretched on the rack and their bodies torn apart with iron rakes. Another awful punishment consisted in suspending the victim, sometimes for a whole day at a time, by one hand; while modest women in addition were exposed naked to the gaze of those in court. Almost worse than all this was the penal servitude to which bishops, priests, deacons, laymen and women, and even children, were condemned in some of the more violent persecutions ; these refined personages of both sexes, victims of merciless laws were doomed to pass the remainder of their days in the darkness of the mines, where they dragged out a wretched existence, half naked, hungry, and with no bed save the damp ground. Those were far more fortunate who were condemned to even the most disgraceful death, in the arena, or by crucifixion.