| Dear Apostles and Benefactors of the Living Rosary,We reach out to you with deep gratitude, hope and pain. You may realize that our country is on the verge of Civil War. This revolution has affected us greatly and we are begging your prayers for our poor country. Revolution is used to accomplish what negotiation cannot. In the midst of our suffering, we remember you at the Holy Altar, pleading God’s mercy upon you and your families; health for the sick, strength for the weak and perseverance for the dying.
The thoroughly Christian life is a living Mass. Each one of us must abandon himself in complete surrender to God’s Will. God offers Himself to the Father and, then, turns to us His “little children” and says, “The banquet of the King is ready, eat My Flesh and drink My Blood. I give Myself to you. I am the Manna from above. I will be Jesus the Victim, entirely yours until the end of time.” Jesus Christ at the Altar raises His pleading, pierced Hands to protect us from the rigors of Divine Justice. “Through Him, with Him and in Him, be to Thee, God the Father, in union with the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory!” The creation of the universe, out of nothing, is but a tiny spark of glory compared to the Glory rendered at the Altar to the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity by Jesus Christ the High Priest. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The official prayer of Christ the Mediator during Mass is the only one which can pierce the clouds and touch and ravish the Heart of the Father. His appeal is omnipotent. The “Manna” of the Altar, the Bread of Angels, is a masterpiece of our Savior’s Love, in which we obtain a food which is the source of life and strength in our mortal wanderings in our exile upon earth. Our life must be a complete submission to the Will of God as was the Life of Christ. Our souls have been redeemed at a great price. Let us stand at the foot of the Cross with the Queen of Sorrows, praying and weeping before the Calvary of the Altar. Mary stood fearless in the midst of unutterable suffering, yet She was filled with unshakable peace. Love is the giving of oneself! Love is the fulfilling of the Law! Whoever truly loves is a saint now or is on the road to sanctity. Never miss a single Mass and Communion in so far as your duties will allow. You are daily with me at the Holy Altar to be nourished by His Sacred Flesh and bathed in His Most Precious Blood. Thus, by the ladder of Jacob and in the Arms of the High Priest, you will be lifted up to the throne of the Most Blessed Trinity. I impart to you all, my priestly blessing: + In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
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SHELTERING THE DIVINE OUTCAST (continued) V. CHARITY Where charity reigns, there is close union with God. There can be but scant Spiritual Life where there are habitual failings against charity. If the Spiritual Life is wanting, how can we expect to do lasting good for souls? What a different place this would be if the followers of Christ hungered more ardently for the Spiritual Life! What change would be effected everywhere were the followers of the King relentless in their efforts to arrive at close union with Him! What countless souls would thus turn from sin to the God of Goodness and Mercy! Our sacrifices and our sufferings would become the power leading souls to God! We do not fully realize the harm that our uncharitableness can cause to another. Truly, the happiness of our families, the happiness of our friends and also the happiness of our acquaintances all depend upon mutual accord and kindly attitude. This happiness is so dependent upon our powerful words! They cut to the quick, or they soothe and heal. They inspire courage or they arouse anger and revenge. If we have not been perfect in this matter, let us begin now to be charitable. Let us always seal our lips against cutting remarks, unkind insinuations and unfavorable words. Many a heart has writhed in pain because of poisoned arrows that have pierced to its very core. Many souls have walked through life, dripping with their own blood – slashed by the wicked or the thoughtless words of the human tongue. “Detraction dries up the very source of piety and grace because the detractor feeds on the blood of souls he has murdered with the sword of his tongue.” (St. Francis of Assisi ) To Speak wisely may not always be easy, but not to speak ill requires only silence! O, dear God, have mercy on us! Save us from wounding souls for whom You have bled and agonized! Our responsibility is very great – help us not to treat it lightly! Union with You, dear God, transforms our thoughts into Your thoughts. Help us, therefore, to transform those thoughts of ours concerning our neighbor into thoughts of love! VI. KINDNESS AND GENTLENESS Kindliness of character is knowing that Jesus is within me. “Love one another as I have loved you.” This, His own Commandment, will help me to practice hidden acts of virtue. Lord Jesus, You know what a struggle it is for us to keep silent, and be patient, gentle, humble, and amiable, but we must be ever vigilant in our attempts to do so. As St. Teresa of Avila once said, “The devil sends me so offensive a spirit of bad temper that, at times, I feel I could eat people up.” However, if we experienced no friction or if we met with no injustice, how would we learn patience and graciousness? When we suffer from trials coming to us from others, we learn always to be tender toward the feelings for each other. O, my dearly Beloved Lord, You know what a struggle it is for me to practice gentleness and silence by a deliberate act of meekness. And, what shall I say, my dearest Jesus, of the inexpressible vexations of mind that arise with such fierceness within me if humiliation, criticism, misunderstanding, coldness, harsh treatment, failures, unfavorable judgments, contempt, or anything else that hurts or impedes me, comes my way? Do fill my soul, dearest Lord, with Your conscious Presence so that You, Yourself, within me, will think, speak and act for me. Then, the Spirit of Your enduring gentleness will be in the order of my thoughts, in the tone of my voice, and in the deliberations of my actions. This will assure that I will never speak harshly or answer brusquely, listen coldly or give commands haughtily, dismiss abruptly or speak tactlessly to others. The more my soul is emptied of self and filled with Your conscious Presence, the more kindness and consideration I will show. Thus, I will treasure Thy New Commandment realizing what You Yourself expressed: “As long as you did it to one of these, the least of My brethren, you did it to Me.” (St. Matthew, XXV: 40) |
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