False Witness

It’s upsetting to most people if they find out that others have been talking about them in a bad or false way. When lies are spread around about us, it’s one of the most difficult and devastating things that can happen. It has been rightly said that “a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its boots on.”

At Mass on Monday in the fifth week of Lent we hear the story of Susanna, from the Book of Daniel. Susanna was a woman who loved God. She was unjustly accused of adultery by two elder judges who had tried to force themselves on her. Since adultery was a serious offense punishable by stoning to death, the law of Moses required at least two witnesses, rather than one, to convict a person. Susanna knew she had no hope of clearing her good reputation and escaping death unless God Himself intervened. God in His mercy heard the plea of Susanna, and Daniel was the instrument God used, resulting in punishment for the two elders who had given false witness.

When we consider the great damage that can be done, either by telling outright lies, or by spinning things to make someone look bad, it’s apparent just how sinful that kind of behaviour is. When it comes to saying anything about anybody, we need to think very carefully before speaking, and often it’s better not to say anything at all.

St. James in his epistle says that the tongue is only a small part of the body, but then he reminds us that a very small flame can set a whole forest on fire. That’s something for us to consider seriously when it comes to our conversations.

Don’t abuse others with your words. Don’t pass along to others what seem to be juicy tidbits about someone. That little feeling of dark pleasure which so often accompanies your judgement on someone else will return as God’s judgement upon you.

St. John Baptist de La Salle

St. John Baptist de La Salle was born at Rheims in 1651, became a member of the cathedral chapter at Rheims when he was sixteen, and was ordained a priest in 1678. Soon after ordination he was put in charge of a girls' school, and in 1679 he met Adrian Nyel, a layman who wanted to open a school for boys. Two schools were started, and Canon de la Salle became interested in the work of education. He took an interest in the teachers, eventually invited them to live in his own house, and tried to train them in the educational system that was forming in his mind. This first group ultimately left, unable to grasp what the saint had in mind; others, however, joined him, and the beginnings of the Brothers of the Christian Schools were begun.

Seeing a unique opportunity for good, Canon de La Salle resigned his canonry, gave his inheritance to the poor, and began to organize his teachers into a religious congregation. Soon, boys from his schools began to ask for admission to the Brothers, and the founder set up a juniorate to prepare them for their life as religious teachers. At the request of many pastors, he also set up a training school for teachers, first at Rheims, then at Paris, and finally at St.-Denis. Realizing that he was breaking entirely new ground in the education of the young, John Baptist de la Salle wrote books on his system of education, opened schools for tradesmen, and even founded a school for the nobility, at the request of King James II of England.

The congregation had a tumultuous history, and the setbacks that the founder had to face were many; but the work was begun, and he guided it with rare wisdom. In Lent of 1719, he grew weak, met with a serious accident, and died on Good Friday. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900, and Pope Pius XII proclaimed him patron of schoolteachers.

O God, who for the Christian education of the poor, and for the confirmation of the young in the way of truth, didst raise up the holy Confessor John Baptist de la Salle, and through him didst gather a new family in the Church: graciously grant that by his intercession and example we, being kindled with zeal for thy glory in the salvation of souls, may be enabled to be made partakers of his crown in heaven; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Justice and Mercy

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.

- St. John 8:3-6

If you are a parent, or if you deal with children in any way, you know this dilemma: when they do something wrong, how do you discipline them in a way that’s serious enough to teach them the lesson they need to learn, but which isn’t so harsh that it discourages them or just makes them rebel against the discipline? How do you make them understand that there are certain things that are always wrong, and yet still allow for the fact that we all make mistakes? Often it is a difficult call – we want to be gentle and loving and merciful, but we don’t want them to fall into the danger of confusing what is objectively right and wrong.

For guidance we can look to the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His encounter with the woman taken in adultery we see our Lord dealing with someone breaking God’s Law, and yet He balanced His response with a wonderful combination of justice and mercy.

This was the situation: a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery was dragged by the scribes and Pharisees into the presence of Christ. This wasn’t accidental – they had timed this confrontation very carefully. Jesus had just spent the whole night before in prayer on the Mount of Olives. At dawn He returned to the temple, and as usual, the people crowded around Him to hear His teaching. Christ’s popularity was a very upsetting thing to the scribes and Pharisees. Repeatedly they have tried to destroy His reputation, or to catch Him in some breach of the Law, so that they could show the crowds that He was a phony, and so get the people to stop listening to Him. But every time they tried, they failed. They just can’t seem to get rid of Him.

But this time, the whole situation seems to be in their favour. This time, they’re sure they’re going to succeed, because the circumstances provided a perfect trap for them to spring on Him.

They bring the woman to Him. They pretend to be respectful by addressing Him as “Teacher.” “Teacher,” they say, “this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?” It is the perfect trap. They would force Jesus either to obey or disobey the law of Moses in full view of people. The scribes and Pharisees are certain they’re going to win this round, because they don’t see how He can possibly win, no matter which choice He makes. If He goes along with the punishment of stoning, He’s contradicting the message of mercy which He had been preaching, and which was a large cause of His popularity. But if He rejects the penalty of stoning, then He’s disobeying the law, and they’ll be able to bring Him up before the authorities as a law-breaker. This is a moment of high drama, and it looks like the whole ministry of Christ is hanging in the balance.

So what does He do? By all appearances, nothing. In fact, He doesn’t seem to show very much interest at all in what the scribes and Pharisees have said. Instead, He bends down and traces with His finger on the ground. But the scribes and Pharisees aren’t going to be put off that easily. They press for an answer. So He gives them an answer: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

It is the perfect answer – not because it’s clever, not because it puts the scribes and Pharisees in their places – no, it is perfect because not only does Jesus not reject the law or disobey any part of it, but the answer gives the law its real meaning. Until this point the law had been used as a way of lording it over others; it had been turned into something that divided people between those who kept the law, and those who didn’t. But Jesus lifts the law up to the level of carrying out God’s plan for each person. He’s making the point that to break God’s law doesn’t hurt the law; rather, when we break God’s law we’re really hurting ourselves. When Jesus said to the woman, “Go, and do not sin again,” He wasn’t dismissing the sin; rather, He was dismissing those who were trying to use the occasion of someone’s sin as a way of making themselves appear to be holier than they really were.

This event tells us something important about our own relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We can know that if we commit a serious sin, we shouldn’t feel like outcasts or second-rate Christians; rather, we can go to Christ with a repentant heart and ask for His forgiveness. And as soon as the thorn of sin is extracted, Christ the Great Physician of our souls, will heal the wound. And we can count on that – that’s the promise Christ makes, that if we come to Him with repentance and confess our sins, He’ll always forgive and heal us.

And that’s the way we must act towards those who have wronged us. All too often, people have the heart of the scribes and Pharisees, finding it hard to forget the sins of others, always dredging them up, almost as a way of feeling better about themselves. But Christ shows us how wrong that is, and in fact it’s an echo of what we hear from the prophet Isaiah, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.” To refrain from throwing someone’s sin in their face isn’t sweeping things under the carpet – it’s not a lessening of the seriousness of sin – rather, it’s a way of putting things back into their proper place. If only we were half as merciful towards others as we want God to be toward us!

When it comes to sin and repentance, Christ wants broken hearts from us, not broken hopes. When He hung on the cross, He prayed for His enemies who were filled with hatred towards Him, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Even then, with death close by, Christ showed mercy towards those who had brought Him to the hill and who had nailed Him to the cross.

If we’re supposed to be Christ’s ambassadors in the world, then we certainly must show something of Christ’s mercy in our own attitudes towards others. It is a far greater victory for Christ if His enemies are converted to His truth, than it would be for Him to deliver them over to eternal punishment.

Every single day we pray in the Mass that God will deliver us from eternal damnation and number us in the fold of the elect. We’ve all done evil in God’s sight; we’re all deserving of death. But in His mercy, and by our repentance, He forgives us – not only once; not only seven times; but seventy times seven and even beyond that.

It is a wicked thing to be as the scribes and Pharisees were, to judge and condemn others. We’ve been shown God’s mercy, and we need to show it to others. That’s what it is to have the mind of Christ in us. It is in showing His mercy towards others that will make us more like Christ. That’s what will win people over to Him: to speak the truth and then to show mercy, just as each one of us knows the truth, and still has been shown mercy.

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Painting: "The Woman taken in Adultery"

by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (1591-1666)

St. Vincent Ferrer

St. Vincent Ferrer is the patron saint of builders because of his fame for "building up" and strengthening the Church, through his preaching, missionary work, in his teachings, as confessor and adviser.

Born in 1357, when he was eighteen years old he entered the Order of St. Dominic. He was a brilliant student, and soon after his profession he was commissioned to deliver lectures on philosophy while continuing his studies, and eventually he received his doctorate, all the while growing in his spiritual life. 

In 1390, he entered the service of Cardinal Pedro de Luna, and this developed into a very difficult situation, because this was the time when a claim was made by Cardinal de Luna that he was the legitimate pope. St. Vincent felt a loyalty to his friend the Cardinal, but he realized that truth was more important than mere human friendship, and he felt obliged to go against his friend.

He then began those labours that made him the most famous missionary of the fourteenth century. He evangelized nearly every province of Spain, and preached in France, Italy, Germany, Flanders, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Many conversions followed his preaching, which God Himself assisted by the gift of miracles. 

Though the Church was then divided by the great schism, the saint was honorably received in the districts subject to the two claimants to the Papacy. He was even went to Granada, which was under the rule of Islam, and he preached the gospel with much success. He lived to see the end of the great schism and the election of Pope Martin V. Finally, having given his life to the preaching of the Faith, he died April 5, 1419.

O God, who didst vouchsafe to illumine thy Church by the merits and preaching of blessed Vincent thy Confessor: grant to us thy servants; that we may both be instructed by his example, and by his advocacy be delivered from all adversities; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Isidore of Seville

St. Isidore of Seville was born into a family of saints in Spain in the sixth century. Two of his brothers, Leander and Fulgentius, and one of his sisters, Florentina, are revered as saints in Spain. His two brothers served as bishops and his sister was an abbess.

But it’s not always easy to live with saints. In fact, although Isidore’s brother Leander is venerated as a saint today, the way he treated his younger brother Isidore was shocking, even to people who lived at that time. Leander, who was much older than Isidore, took over Isidore's education and Leander’s idea of education involved force and and lots of punishment. We know from Isidore's later accomplishments that he was very intelligent and hard-working, so it’s difficult to understand why Leander thought abuse would work instead of patience. 

One day, the young Isidore couldn't take any more. He was frustrated by his inability to learn as fast as his brother wanted him to, and he was hurt by his brother's treatment, so Isidore ran away. As he stopped to rest, he noticed water dripping on a rock near where he sat. He noticed that the small drops of water that were falling weren’t very forceful, and seemed to have no effect on the solid stone. And yet he saw that over time, the water drops had worn holes in the rock.

He took this as an important lesson. Isidore realized that if he kept working at his studies, bit by bit his small efforts would eventually pay off in great learning. He also wanted his brother Leander to see that he was really trying, so he went back. When he returned home, his brother wasn’t any more understanding or any more kind than he had ever been, and in fact Leander sent Isidore off to a monastery where he was confined to a cell so he wouldn’t run away again, and there he was to continue his studies.

Either there must have been a loving side to this fraternal relationship, or Isidore was remarkably forgiving even for a saint, because later he would work side by side with his brother and after Leander's death, Isidore took his place as the bishop of Seville, and would complete many of the projects his brother had started.

In a time where everybody wants to blame the past hurts for their present problems, Isidore didn’t fall into that trap. He was able to separate the abusive way he was taught from the joy of learning. He didn't run from learning after he left his brother but embraced education and made it his life's work. Isidore rose above his past to become known as the greatest teacher in Spain.

His love of learning made him promote the establishment of a seminary in every diocese of Spain. He didn't limit his own studies, nor did he want limitations on others. In a unique move, he made sure that all branches of knowledge including the arts and medicine were taught in the seminaries.

His encyclopedia of knowledge, the Etymologies, was a popular textbook for nine centuries. He also wrote books on grammar, astronomy, geography, history, and biography as well as theology. In fact, the great breadth of Isidore’s learning meant that Pope John Paul II named him Patron of the Internet.

He lived until almost 80. As he was dying his house was filled with crowds of poor to whom he was giving aid and alms. One of his last acts was to give all his possessions to the poor. When he died in 636, this Doctor of the Church had done more than his brother had ever hoped; the light of his learning caught fire in Spanish minds and held back barbarism from Spain. But even greater than his outstanding mind must have been the genius of his heart that allowed him to see beyond rejection and discouragement to joy and possibility.

O God, by whose providence blessed Isidore was sent to guide thy people in the way of everlasting salvation: grant, we beseech thee; that as we have learned of him the doctrine of life on earth, so we may be found worthy to have him for our advocate in heaven; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Jerusalem

The first word we heard on the Fourth Sunday in Lent was “lætare” - “rejoice.” “Rejoice ye with Jerusalem; and be ye glad for her, all ye that delight in her,” the introit said. And the theme is repeated at the next day’s Mass in a reading from the prophet Isaiah, “I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.”

Jerusalem. The remembrance of that holy city mid-Lent is a reminder of all that God has done there. He has made holy this city with His presence from days of old. It was in Jerusalem that the Temple was constructed; it was in Jerusalem that Christ opened the treasures of the Kingdom of God. It was in Jerusalem that our Lord made His triumphal entry, but was then condemned and killed, and it was in Jerusalem that death was conquered for us all when Jesus Christ walked triumphantly from the tomb.

Jerusalem. It is the symbol also of our eternal destination, that "heavenly Jerusalem" where God is enthroned, surrounded by the angels and saints, and where a place has been prepared for each one of us, if we will but claim it. 

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. It is an earthly city torn apart by sinful man, but it is a heavenly destination, sanctified by the Perfect God.

The Divine Artist

The world's best and finest art is that which serves as a kind of window through which one can grasp a fuller knowledge of life, of truth, of beauty. It becomes a passageway for light which illuminates one's mind and soul, so that reality is made a little clearer, a little richer.

The artist who can achieve this we call a master, but such a one is the merest shadow of the truly artistic Master - the One Who does not fashion great works with clay or canvas, but Whose crowning creation is mankind. It is He Who makes saints, forming them after His own image, colouring them with grace, and placing them in the world as windows through which we see something of God's divine beauty and truth, and through whom we are illumined by God's own Light.

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Image: "God as Creator"

Paris ca. 1220–1230

Lost and Found

One of the truly beautiful stories in the scriptures, perhaps the most effective parable in the entire New Testament, is that of the prodigal son.

It is the story of a prideful young man who decided he knew more than anybody else. It is the story of that same young man who arrives home, shaken and much wiser from his experiences of tending herds of pigs. He is totally prepared to freely admit that he had been a stupid fool. In complete humility he is prepared to say, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and am not worthy to be called your son.” He knew full well that he had pushed God’s goodness aside, and had allowed pride to take its place, and it had almost wrecked his life. But he was repentant, and he had a desire to make restitution for what he had done.

Before the young man could blurt out the last part of his prepared statement, “Treat me as one of your hired servants,” his father orders that the best robe be brought out, along with a ring for his finger, and that the fatted calf be killed for a feast. Of the many things we could say about this story, this is the high point: the forgiveness of the father. The father who loved his son, and who only wanted his son back, no matter how long it took and no matter what the boy had done in the past. And when the son returned, sorry for what he had done, there was forgiveness waiting for him.

Imagine if the father in this parable refused to forgive his repentant son. We would quite rightly think, “Wait a minute! That’s not how the story should go.” There is something in us that knows a lack of forgiveness is contrary to what God intends. To refuse to forgive is a refusal to reflect the image of God, and in fact it becomes a form of slavery. Even if someone has done something serious against us, when we refuse to forgive that person, we are giving them control over our emotions, control over our decisions, control over our actions. They now run our lives. They become our lords, whom we serve with our grudges, hostility, and hatred.

The word "forgive" means to set free, to cut loose, to dismiss. When something is forgiven it no longer has power. When a debt is forgiven, it no longer has any claim over our money. When sin is forgiven, it no longer has any power to condemn. But when we refuse to forgive others, we’re chaining ourselves to them in a perverse and destructive bond that ties up the freedom which is ours as children of God.

To forgive "from the heart," is an act of the will. Forgiveness isn't a feeling. You don't have to be in a forgiving mood to forgive. The essence of forgiveness is first in words, "I forgive you," and then to carry out those words by how we act. Forgiveness means we don’t return evil for evil, anger for anger, or sin for sin.

God doesn't keep track of how many times we come to Him for forgiveness. In baptism and repeatedly in the confessional, God wipes clean the ledgers of our lives. "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." He brings out the best robe. He puts a ring on our finger. He lays on a banquet to celebrate, because we were lost but in Christ we have been found.

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Painting: "The Prodigal's Return"

by Sir Edward John Poynter (1836-1919)

Sanctified Time

I love the constant round of the liturgical year. The solemnities and feasts, the famous saints and the obscure, they all give the sense of adventure within stability. So many things to celebrate and ponder, but all within the steadiness of the Mass. In addition to the obvious - the gaining of grace - I think this accomplishes something else which is important for us.

We can become so accustomed to our surroundings that we almost stop noticing them. A view that strikes a stranger as being magnificent is scarcely seen by the person who lives with it every day. When we’ve lived with something for a long period of time it takes something or someone to especially call it to our attention. We have a tendency to miss what’s right in front of us. It becomes easy to take one’s spouse or children for granted. We neglect important friendships. They’re always there, so we slip into the habit of not noticing them as we should.

This is one of the reasons why the liturgical calendar is so important. The truths of our faith and the lives of the saints are given specific days on which we are to remember and celebrate them. We have them called to our attention.

Of course, things like the Incarnation, the Passion and Death of Christ, the Resurrection, the Coming of the Holy Spirit, and the lives of men and women which have been sanctified through the totality of Catholic truth aren’t intended just to pop onto our calendar once a year and be forgotten about the rest of the time. They’re always true, and make up the fabric of our faith. But if we don’t call them to mind specifically at particular times, there’s a danger of them simply slipping into the background of our thinking, and we might never really celebrate each of the wonderful things God has revealed to us.

The Solemnity of the Annunciation

At the Annunciation, God sent His messenger, the archangel Gabriel, to announce to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would bear the Incarnate Son of God, and it would be Jesus who would take human flesh from her, to bring salvation into the world. When Mary heard these words, she was filled with awe and wonder, and she asked for clarification: “How can this be…?” When Gabriel told her that it would be by the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary responded by saying, “Let it be unto me according to thy word.”

That is an important phrase, “Let it be…” It takes us back to creation itself, when by the word of God, all things came into being.

In the beginning, God said “Let there be light,” and there was. God brought into being everything there was – by His word there came into being all of creation, including man himself. In fact, creation itself is the larger context for the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As God spoke His creative word in the beginning, so in our remembrance of the beginning of the Incarnation we call to mind Mary’s words, “Let it be…. Let it be unto me according to thy word.” The Virgin Mary’s words, “Let it be,” echo God’s words, “Let there be.” It is, in a way, the continuation of creation and the beginning of our salvation. 

God says, “Let there be…” and His word brings forth creation.  Mary says, “Let it be,” and her words bring forth the Incarnate God into the world.

We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts: that, as we have known the Incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an Angel; so by his Cross and Passion we may be brought unto the glory of his Resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

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Pictured: "The Annunciation"
by Arthur Hacker, 1892 

The Curing of Naaman

When Jesus had come to Nazareth, he said to those in the synagogue, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them he went away.

- St. Luke 4:24-30

In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel Jesus refers to the healing of Naaman the Syrian. Naaman was a great military leader, but he had leprosy. Naaman's slave-girl was a young Jewish woman who had faith in God and compassion for Naaman her master. She urged him to seek out Elisha, the great prophet of Israel, and ask for healing.

When Naaman went to the land of Israel in hope for a cure for his leprosy, the prophet Elisha instructed him to bathe seven times in the Jordan river. At first, Naaman was indignant. He expected that there would be much more in being healed than just going into the Jordan River. After all, there were better rivers than that in Syria. But Naaman’s advisors pointed out to him that if he had been asked to do something really involved and more difficult, then he would have. Instead, Elisha had asked him to do something simple, and he felt insulted! Naaman got their point and followed the prophet's instructions. In doing so he was immediately restored to health.

There are many lessons we could learn from this, but an important one is for us to understand what God is asking of us, and then to do it. And in many ways, what God asks of us is fairly simple.

What does He lay out for us to do?

We need to be faithful in receiving the sacraments He has given us. When we sin, we need to repent and confess it. We need to stop and think carefully before we speak or act. We need to choose to be obedient to God’s commandments.

These things are simple. They may not be easy, but they are simple. And if we do them faithfully, we will have that wholeness – the spiritual health – God wants for us.

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Pictured: Bronze and enamel plaque 

depicting the Cure of Naaman, c.1150

Lent III: Repentance

 

There were some present at that very time who told Jesus of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on fertilizer. And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

- Saint Luke 13:1-9

As we make our way through the weeks of Lent, it is as though we are on a clearly marked path, with signposts along the way, directing us safely from one point to the next, toward that all-important destination of Easter.

Every year Lent begins with that dramatic story of the temptations of our Lord Jesus Christ. There He is, out in the desert undergoing those attacks from Satan, and through His divine strength and wisdom, we’re able to begin the Lenten journey with the assurance that the power of Christ always overcomes evil and temptation.

Then our Lenten path takes us each year to the height of the Mount of the Transfiguration. And there, with Peter, James and John, we see the Old Covenant united and fulfilled with the New, as Moses and Elijah converse with our transfigured Lord, showing us the glory that shall be revealed on the Last Day, when we come face to face with Almighty God.

Now, on this third Sunday in Lent we’re given the key as to how we move from the desert to the mountain, from temptation to glory – and the answer is “repentance.” Of course, repentance is not necessarily very popular. We’re at a point in our social history when it seems we’re always supposed to be affirming towards others, and we’re supposed to take great pains not to damage a person’s self-esteem. Apparently things like sin, and death, and judgement, and everything surrounding them, are “too negative,” and so aren’t talked about. And for many people, repentance falls into that same category. Too many of us try to dismiss the fact that we have sinned, and that we need to admit it, and say we’re sorry for it. But our Lord Jesus Christ had no such hesitation: He says very clearly in today’s Gospel, “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Repentance is an essential ingredient in our spiritual lives. It allows us to get beyond “self” so that we can be more truly conformed to Christ’s likeness. The Greek term for it is “metanoia,” which means a “turning away from sin and a turning back to God.” In that way, repentance is a two-fold thing – it’s a “turning away” and it’s a “turning towards.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls for repentance within the context of some events which had happened locally and were well-known to those who were listening to him.

Apparently, one incident was a repression that had been carried out by Pilate against a group of Galileans, and another incident was an accident which had killed eighteen people. Since we’re a couple of thousand years away from these events, we have no idea who these people were or what the circumstances were, but Jesus used them to make an important point: He pointed out all those deaths, and then said that if the people who were listening to Him didn’t repent, they’d also die.

The way He said it was shocking to His listeners, so to help them get His point, He tells them a parable, putting what He said in context. He told the story about a fig tree that hadn’t given fruit when it should have. When the owner wants to cut it down, the vinedresser asks him to give him time to cultivate it and fertilize it, so that it might give fruit the next year. By telling this story, Christ wants to make the point that repentance is essential – in fact, it’s a matter of spiritual life and death – but God is patient, and He’ll help us turn towards Him. He won’t abandon us even when we’re in serious need of repentance. He’ll be like the vinedresser, cultivating us and helping us to turn to Him, because He loves us and wants us to be with Him.

When it comes to repentance it means we have to see the activity of God in our lives. We need to receive and accept what God sends us. We need to let God direct our lives. We need to conform our plans to His. Our position is precarious when we think that we’re in no need of repentance and reform. It’s a short step from that, into thinking that we can simply rely on ourselves to get us through this life and into the next. We’re so easily deluded into thinking that our strength come from ourselves. No – our only foundation is found in our dependence upon God.

So, Christ calls us to repentance – but repentance is as much an attitude as it is an action. If our lives are going to be conformed to Christ, then our hearts first have to be made like His. Just as He loves us with that yearning and passionate love which led Him to the Cross, so we need to have a love for Him that makes us willingly take up our cross and follow Him. Christ is that Love which knows no rest and which never tires until it has found us. Today we need to repent – that is, we need to turn away from our sins and turn towards God, and in turning, we show our love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Pictured: "The Vine Dresser and the Fig Tree"

by James Tissot (1836-1902)

Our Patron St. Joseph

Blesséd Joseph, Guardian mild,

Who didst love the Holy Child,

Show thy love to us who pray,

Shield us from all harm this day:

Foster-father of the Word,

Keep us close to Christ our Lord.

Great Saint Joseph, Patron bold

Of the Church from days of old,

Give us courage strong and new,

To proclaim God’s Gospel true:

Foster-father of the Word,

Keep us close to Christ our Lord.

He Whom thou didst guide in youth,

We receive in very truth;

In this Sacrament of love,

We are one with thee above:

Foster-father of the Word,

Keep us one with Christ our Lord!

Text: Fr. Christopher G. Phillips 1992

Tune: “Bread of Heaven” by William D. Maclagan, 1875

A Hymn in Honour of St. Joseph

1. Holy Joseph, Intercessor,

Unto thee God's children sing;

Be our Patron and Protector,

To God's throne our praises bring.

2. Faithful Spouse of faithful Virgin,

Lover of God's purity;

From thy worthy place in heaven,

Pray that we may faithful be.

3. Guardian of the Word Incarnate,

Silent guide of God's own Son;

Guard our hearts and lead us onward

To the life that Christ has won.

4. Humble man in lofty station,

God has poured His grace on thee;

Pray such grace to us be given,

That we live eternally.

Text: Fr. Christopher G. Phillips, 1991

Music: "Stuttgart" adapted by C. F. Witt, 1715

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Painting: "St. Joseph and the Child Jesus"

by Charles Bosseron Chambers (1882-1964)

St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church

Our knowledge about St. Joseph is not extensive, and yet enough is known to reveal his character. What we know of him, we know from the Gospels, and it is there that we see him to be a man who was determined to do what is right in the sight of God, and to do it in a kindly way.

He was betrothed to Mary, and according to Jewish practice, betrothal was as sacred as marriage. Because of that, any infidelity before the actual marriage would be treated in the same way as infidelity after marriage: death by stoning was the punishment for such sins. By all human appearance, Joseph's beloved betrothed was in just such circumstances, and he had to act in the way that seemed best. Certainly, he was a just man, but he was a kind man, too, and surely what Mary told him made a great demand on his faith. But that is the point: Joseph was, above all, a man of faith and completely obedient to the divine will of Almighty God.

When it was revealed to him that Mary was to bear the Incarnate Son of God he took her to be his wife. There was no hesitation, no consideration of what others might think or how they might judge. It mattered little to him that it was assumed he was the human father of this Child -- not that he would have encouraged others to believe such a thing, for he knew the truth -- but it was better than having people think that Mary had shamefully conceived with someone else, and so Joseph took the responsibility, knowing that one day the truth would be known, and that Truth "would make men free." It is in this very situation, brought about by God Himself, that Saint Joseph's justness and kindness are both revealed.

His justness is shown in that he was a devout servant of God, and he ordered his life according to the standard of that law which had been revealed to the Jewish nation. He sought to please God in all things, even when it meant that he would be misunderstood or even harshly judged by the world. And because justness does not exclude kindness, his response to the revelation that Mary had conceived by the Holy Spirit was one of deep gladness and joy, and so he took his place in God's plan without fear or hesitation. This place was not one of glory; rather, it was one of quiet reserve. Whether on the way to Bethlehem, or in the stable, or at the Child's circumcision on the eighth day, or in the Temple when He was presented, or in everyday life in Nazareth, Joseph simply was there. Loved and respected both by the Incarnate Son of God and by the Mother of God, he was a man of deep piety and gracious character.

Within Saint Paul's Cathedral in London is the tomb of its architect, and on that tomb are the words, "If ye seek his monument, look around you." How much more impressive are those words when they are used of Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church. There could be no greater remembrance of Joseph's holy life, than that glorious Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ, the foster-son of the quiet, just, kind man of God.

O God, who from the family of thy servant David didst raise up St. Joseph to be the guardian of thine incarnate Son and the spouse of his Virgin Mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to thy commands; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Illustration: "St. Joseph and the Weeping Infant Jesus"

by Charles Bosseron Chambers (1882-1964)

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Cyril of Jerusalem loved to study the Holy Scriptures from the time he was a child, and he made such progress that he became known for his deep faith. He was eventually ordained priest by St. Maximus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and he was given the work of preaching to the faithful and instructing those preparing for baptism. His Catechetical Instructions, which explain clearly and fully all the teaching of the Church, still exist today for us to read. His treatment of these subjects is so distinct and clear that he refuted not only the heresies of his own time, but also, by a kind of foreknowledge, he was able to expose heresies which would develop later. Upon the death of Patriarch St. Maximus, Cyril was chosen to be bishop in his place.

As bishop he endured many injustices and sufferings for the sake of the faith at the hands of the Arians. They could not bear his strenuous opposition to their heresy, and so they told lies about him, and drove him into exile. They were so violent against him that he fled to Tarsus in Cilicia, but eventually, with a new emperor and the death of many of his enemies, Cyril was able to return to Jerusalem, where he taught his people and led them away from false doctrine and from sin. If once wasn’t enough, he was driven into exile a second time under the Emperor Valens, but eventually peace returned to the Church, and the Arians were once again brought under control, so he was able to return again to Jerusalem. The earnestness and holiness with which he fulfilled the duties of being bishop were evident in the strength and holiness of the Church in Jerusalem.

Tradition states that God gave a sign of His divine blessing upon the spiritual leadership of Cyril by granting the apparition of a cross, brighter than the sun, which was seen by pagans and Christians alike. Another marvel happened when the Jews were commanded by the wicked Emperor Julian to restore the Temple which had been destroyed. They no sooner began the work when an earthquake happened and great balls of fire broke out of the earth and consumed the work, so that Julian and the Jews were terrified and gave up their plan. This had been clearly foretold by Cyril. He lived long enough to see the Arian heresy condemned, and he died as a beloved and holy bishop, eventually acknowledged to be a doctor of the Church.

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that at the intercession of thy blessed Bishop Saint Cyril, we may learn to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent; that we may be found worthy to be numbered for ever among the sheep that hear his voice; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Patrick, Bishop and Confessor

St. Patrick is known as the Apostle to Ireland. His specific place of birth isn't known, except that it was someplace in Britain. Some claim he was born in England, others say he was born in Scotland, and still others claim he was born in Wales. Wherever his birth took place, the year was about 385, and his parents were Romans, living in Britain, because his father was overseeing the Roman colonies in Britain.

When Patrick was fourteen or so, he was captured during a raid being carried out by Irish invaders, and he was taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans. During his time of captivity, he learned the language and practices of the people who held him, and even though he was among them as a slave, he began to love the Irish people.

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty years old, and he then escaped, after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. When he reached the sea, he found some sailors who took him back to Britain, and he was reunited with his family.

The time came when he had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him, "We beg you, Patrick, to come and walk among us once more."

He began his studies for the priesthood, and he was eventually ordained. Subsequently Patrick was consecrated to the episcopacy, and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. He arrived in Ireland on March 25, 433, and he came upon a chieftain of one of the tribes, who tried to kill Patrick. Patrick converted this chieftain, and he then began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick's message.

St. Patrick preached throughout Ireland for some forty years, working many miracles and writing of his love for God in his “Confessions.” After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring great suffering, he died on March 17, 461.

O Almighty God, who in thy providence didst choose thy servant Patrick to be an apostle to the people of Ireland, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of thee: grant us, by his intercession, so to walk in that light; that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

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Painting: St. Patrick by William Laurel Harris (1870-1924),

Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York City.

On the Mountain-top

Many of God’s greatest revelations are associated with mountain-tops, and it is to such a summit that we are brought each year on the Second Sunday in Lent.

The Law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai; the Temple itself was built on Mount Zion; the Transfiguration was on Mount Tabor; the Crucifixion was on Mount Calvary; the Ascension took place on part of Mount Olivet. On each of these occasions, we see the meeting of the heavenly and the earthly, the divine and the human.

At the Transfiguration, the Divine nature of Christ shines through His human nature, and the apostles who were there caught a glimpse of the heavenly through the earthly. Also there were Moses and Elijah – Moses as the representative of the Law, Elijah as the representative of the Prophets. Among the many mysteries contained in this event, we’re faced with the reality of the God Who has entered into history, the God who has taken human flesh upon Himself, and Who has come to us so that we can come to Him.

At the time of the transfiguration St. Peter wanted to build a tabernacle, a permanent dwelling place. He wanted to “capture the moment,” so to speak. By itself, that desire wasn’t wrong. It just wasn’t the time. There was still work to be done, still truth to be learned. The opportunity would afford itself later, after the passion and death, after the resurrection and ascension of Christ. It would be later, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles. It would be then that Peter would have the task. He would be asked to build the Church upon that Rock which was chosen by Jesus Christ Himself.

This would be the tabernacle which needed to be built: the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. Not far off on a mountaintop would it be built, but a tabernacle which is to be in the midst of the world, allowing everyone to worship the One who lives within it. Christ gave St. Peter the desire to build and He gave him everything he would need to make the most glorious tabernacle.

And we’re privileged to catch a glimpse of all this, along with Peter, James, and John. Every time we participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, it is as though we are on every one of those mountain-tops – Mount Zion, Mount Tabor, Mount Calvary, Mount Olivet. But like the apostles, we cannot remain. We receive what God gives us – that is, Himself – and we’re commanded to take that gift with us, into the world, to share Him with a world which, whether it knows it or not, is starving for the Food and Drink which is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, Who is God with us.

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Painting: "Transfiguration" by Titian, c. 1560

Behold Our Lord Transfigured

This hymn is especially suited for the Second Sunday in Lent.

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Behold our Lord transfigured,

In Sacrament Divine;

His glory deeply hidden,

'Neath forms of Bread and Wine.

Our eyes of faith behold Him,

Salvation is outpoured;

The Saviour dwells among us,

by ev'ry heart adored.

No longer on the mountain

With Peter, James and John,

Our precious Saviour bids us

To walk where saints have gone.

He has no lasting dwelling,

Save in the hearts of men;

He feeds us with His Body,

To make us whole again.

With Moses and Elijah,

We worship Christ our King;

Lord, make our souls transfigured,

Let us with angels sing.

Lead us in paths of glory,

Give tongues to sing thy praise;

Lord Jesus, keep us faithful,

Now and for all our days.

Text: Fr. Christopher G. Phillips, 1990

Music: "Ewing" by Alexander C. Ewing, 1853

A Prayer for Goodness

May I be no man’s enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men’s happiness and envy none.

May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another.

May I never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able, by gentle and healing words, to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done but know good men and follow in their footsteps; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

- St. Eusebius of Vercelli (c.283-371)

Called Out of the Wilderness

It is in this time of Lent when our Holy Mother the Church especially uses all her rich resources to bring us back to holiness, back to wholeness with Christ. She exorcises and reconciles; she pardons and blesses and anoints; she instructs and lays on hands; she worships and fasts, and does everything possible to touch us with Christ. She brings us to the very springs of eternal life.

Our human condition is summed up in Adam and Eve. They acted on their own decision and in their own strength, according to their own thoughts, apart from God. And so have we. As a result life around us has collapsed. People are fractured and broken, isolated and alone in their shame and guilt. The human soul, in its rebellion against God, has become addicted and trapped in its own sickness. Our Ancient Enemy, the Father of Lies and the Great Seducer, has captivated us. And on our own we are powerless. Like the Prodigal Son, we long for the freedom of the sons and daughters of God. Our souls hunger for food that has substance to it.

But the Bridegroom is here, and the Bride of Christ, with her lamp lit and filled with oil, bids us rise to go out with her to meet Him. He comes to release us from our captivity, to bring Good News to us in our poverty, to give us sight, to restore our liberty, and to empower us to walk in the glorious freedom of the sons and daughters of God.

But in order that all of this might happen, we must first curb our arrogance, put bridle and bit to our pride, and acknowledge the hunger of our souls. Fasting, almsgiving, and prayer are the remedies that allow us to be emptied of arrogance and ego-centrism. They clear out the accumulated clutter in our souls, sweeping them clean and so making room once again for God's presence fully to dwell within us, bringing us out of our self-inflicted wilderness.

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Painting: “David In The Wilderness”

by William Dyce (1806-1864)

The Lenten Ember Days

This week we keep the Lenten Ember Days. The Ember Days are four separate sets of three days within the same week — specifically, the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday — within the circuit of the year, that are set aside for a modified fasting and prayer. They are known in Latin as the quattuor anni tempora (the "four seasons of the year"). 

There are those who say that the word “ember” is a corruption of the Latin "tempora" from the title, but it is as likely that it comes from the Old English word “ymbren” which means a “circle." As the year progresses and returns to its beginning, the ember days are part of the circle of the year. These days of prayer and fasting originated in Rome, and slowly spread throughout the Church. They were brought to England by St. Augustine with his arrival in the year 597.

These days are to be used to give thanks for the earth and for the good things God gives us - for our food, for the rain and the sunshine, for all the blessings of life through nature. And because of that, it is a time when we remind ourselves to treat creation with respect, and not waste the things God has given us.

Another important aspect of the Ember Days is for us to pray for those men called to be priests or deacons. We pray also for those who are already ordained – for all deacons and priests, for our bishop, and for the Holy Father. Of course, we pray for all this throughout the year, but the Ember Days bring all this to mind in a special way, so that we can concentrate our prayers during these four periods of time throughout the year.

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, to us thy humble servants: that we, who do refrain ourselves from carnal feastings, may likewise fast from sin within our souls; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.  Amen. 

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Painting: "Spring"

by Abel Grimmer (c.1570–c.1620)

Pater Noster

"Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."

- St. Matthew 6:9

Jesus gave His disciples the perfect prayer which addresses God as "Our Father." It’s probably the most familiar prayer in history, and yet its familiarity means that sometimes we don’t think about the words as much as we should when we say it. Even the first word is important, as it is in our English translation – “Our.” When Jesus taught this prayer, he set it very much in the context of “all of us together.”

Certainly, God loves each one of us individually, and He deals with us individually, but He has called us individually to be part of His Body, the Church. Throughout the whole prayer, it’s prayed in the plural – and it’s a reminder to us that we are part of something much larger than ourselves, and what we do or neglect to do has an effect on others.

When we were baptized, that sacrament affected us individually, certainly – it took away the stain of original sin – but it also incorporated us into something; namely, the Church, the Body of Christ.

When we were confirmed, each of us was sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. But it also made us active members of an army – the army of Christ - and we were given grace and power to join with others in fighting against sin, the world and the devil.

When we receive Holy Communion, each of us individually receives the Body and Blood of Christ, but we receive it in communion with the Church throughout the world, and in union with the saints throughout the ages.

Even when we pray to God by ourselves, when we say the Amen, we say it with the whole Church – Militant, Expectant, and Triumphant.

The great poet, John Donne, wrote, “No man is an island entire of itself…” which is a reminder that what I do, what I say, or what I neglect to do or say, has to do not just with me, but also with all those around me.

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Pictured: Le "Pater Noster"

by James Tissot (French, 1836-1902)

First Sunday of Lent: Temptation

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil.

-St. Luke 4:1, 2a

In the Scriptures we see two major accounts of temptation. First there was the temptation of Adam and Eve when they were in the Garden of Eden, and then there was the temptation of Jesus Christ when He was in the wilderness. In both these events there is one common presence, one common figure: Satan.

But the two events are very different. The temptation of Adam and Eve resulted in the short-term triumph of Satan, and the fall of humanity into sin and death. The temptation of Christ resulted in the ultimate fall of Satan, and the rescue of humanity from sin and death.

Temptation, in and of itself, isn’t sinful. Christ was tempted in every way as we are, yet He was without sin. But there is something else we should understand about temptation. Temptation is not just a matter of choosing between good and evil; rather, we should understand it as being two opposite ways of experiencing the gifts of God. Something is “good” when a gift from God is used according to the will of God, but an action is “evil” when something is used against the will of God, and against God Himself.

So then, to be tempted is to be presented with circumstances in which we choose to misuse our gifts, and we end up being someone we’re not supposed to be in our relationship with God. Adam and Eve were tempted not to be the image of God. Satan tried to tempt Jesus not to be the Son of God. In our own temptations, we are tempted to be something we’re not; namely, the devil tries to get us not to be the sons and daughters of God.

Temptation began in the Garden of Eden, the place God had made for the happiness and fulfillment of mankind. In the center of that garden were two trees, and these two trees defined the relationship between God and man. There was the tree of life, and there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The central place in all that was God's place. Man's life is supposed to revolve around God, with God in the center. This means that life, knowledge, and death are God's to give. They’re not something that man can reach out and grab for himself. Man received his life and his knowledge as a gift from God, Who is in the center of it all. Man was made from the dust of the ground by the hand of God, and he had God's breath of life breathed into his nostrils. Man was alive with the life of God, and when he was created he knew only good, because he was created in the “image of God,” Who is the supreme Good.

In the center of the garden God had erected a boundary – a line which declared that there is a difference between God and the image of God. There is a difference between the Creator and His foremost creature, Man. God had shown great care in this creation. Man had everything he needed for life as God intended it. Every tree in the garden was given to man for food to preserve his life – every tree, that is, except the tree of knowing good and evil. This was the only limit on man's freedom. He was free to eat of any tree in the garden except one. That was the boundary, and over that boundary man was not allowed to venture or he would die. For man to reach his hand over that line to take and eat the forbidden food, was to reach into the center – the place that only God may occupy. It was an attempt to usurp God's place. It was to try and be a kind of god in place of the one true God. It was to try and push God out from the center of life, to grab for something that wasn’t given to man. And to reach into that place reserved for God meant death, because only God can be God.

This is our temptation. We are tempted to trespass the boundaries established by God, and to exercise a freedom without any limit whatsoever. We try to push God from the center and put ourselves there, to draw life and knowledge from ourselves and our experiences, rather than from God – to live as if God doesn’t matter and as if we mattered most. To try and live without God in the center is nothing other than death disguised as life. So then, what it comes down to is this: temptation is really a matter of life and death, more than it is good and evil.

The temptation of Christ was an assault by Satan on Christ the Incarnate Word of God. And when we look at the first temptation, back in Genesis, it began with an assault on the very words of God. “Did God really say that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?” the serpent asked. That’s the question which formed the basis of Man’s first temptation – to call into question the word of God. Satan was luring Eve into stepping back and to become a critic of God’s word, rather than simply being the one to whom God was speaking. She was being invited to speculate about God, to judge God and His word, to draw conclusions about God apart from His word, to use her own subjective thought about God against God’s word. And what was Satan trying to make happen? Basically, if Eve’s experience conflicted with God’s word, then maybe God’s word was wrong, or she must have misunderstood it.

It is a subtle temptation that Satan put before Eve, when he made her question what God had said. It is a question that drives a wedge between God and Man. That’s what temptation is: the attempt to separate us from the God who loves us. And it’s something we’ve heard throughout history. “Don’t worry about the Ten Commandments – they’re the product of old-fashioned thinking and times gone by.” The temptation is to think that maybe God’s eternal law doesn't apply to our modern, enlightened situation, so making everything subjective. “Do I really have to listen to my parents if I disagree with them?” “Is it really murder if I feel that I just can’t cope with another child?” These are the sorts of questions we hear today. And when it comes to religion, it is a matter of questioning whether God really said, "This is my Body; this is my Blood" or did He mean something else? Did God really say to His apostles and their successors, "The sins you forgive are forgiven?" Did God really say, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved?" Did God really say that upon our repentance He forgives sin unconditionally, that Christ has died and been raised for us?

Satan is always trying to open a little crack, a tiny separation between God and man. And as we know very well, a serpent can slip into the smallest of openings. Satan, always the serpent, tries to force a little opening, because if he can just get his head in, the rest of him will follow soon enough.

Adam and Eve decided to take charge of their own lives. And in taking charge, they lost control. Adam fell, and in Adam all mankind fell. Man reaches out to be "like God" and what he gets is death; but God reaches out to us in Christ, and He gives us life.

So much does God reach out to us, that Jesus was even led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil – but this means that Christ, in human flesh, has triumphed over temptation. And because we are baptized into Christ, His victory is our victory.

This doesn’t mean that we won’t be tempted. We will. The forty days of Lent remind us of this reality. We’ll be tempted in our flesh and in our faith. We’ll be tempted to try and care for ourselves, instead of being cared for by God. We’ll be tempted to despair of God's love, to doubt His promises, to live in denial of His forgiveness. We’ll be tempted to exchange the kingdom of God for the glory and the riches of the kingdoms of this world; to love things and hate God.

Temptations will come, but Adam in us must die and Christ in us must rise. Our comfort and strength in every temptation is that Christ has already triumphed over temptation in our place.

The cross of Christ is our tree of life, and it must be planted in the center of our life, because it is through Christ and His cross that we have eternal life.

Stations of the Cross

This Order for the Stations of the Cross was first compiled by Fr. W. T. St. John Brown, now departed, one of the pioneers in the return of Anglicans to full Catholic communion. The prayers and readings in these Stations reflect much from our Anglican patrimony.

PREPARATION – Jesus is betrayed

In the Name + of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen

THE READING: (St. Mark 14:26, 32, 45; St. Luke 22:41-42; St. John 18:12-13)

They went out into the Mount of Olives.  And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane.  And Jesus was withdrawn from the disciples about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done...  As soon as Judas was come, he goeth straightway to Jesus, and saith, Master, Master: and kissed him.  Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, and led him away.

Let us pray.  Assist us mercifully with thy help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the meditation of those mighty acts, whereby thou hast given unto us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come, thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven:

R.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

V.   Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus:

R.   Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:

R.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

V.  Have mercy upon us, O Lord.

R.  Have mercy upon us.

V.  May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R.  Amen.

Sing my tongue the glorious battle

Sing the winning of the fray:

Now above the cross, the trophy,

Sound the high triumphal lay:

Tell how Christ, the world's Redeemer,

As a Victim won the day.

The First Station - Jesus is Condemned to Death

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. Mark 14:61, 64)

The high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?  And Jesus said, I am...  And then all condemned him to be guilty of death.

V.  Oh my people, what have I done unto thee, or wherein have I wearied thee?  Testify against me.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray: Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy, but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified; Mercifully grant that we, walking the Way of the Cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Faithful Cross! above all other,

One and only noble tree!

None in foliage, none in blossom

None in fruit thy peer may be:

Sweetest wood, and sweetest iron!

Sweetest weight is hung on thee.

The Second Station - Jesus Receives the Cross

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. John 19:14, 17)

Pilate saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!  But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him.  Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King?  The chief priest answered, We have no king but Caesar.  Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified.  And they took Jesus and led him away.  And he bearing his cross went forth...

V.  Because I brought thee forth from the land of Egypt, thou hast prepared a cross for thy Savior.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  O God, who by the passion of thy blessed Son didst make an instrument of shameful death to be unto us the means of life: Grant us to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ  (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Sing my tongue the glorious battle

Sing the winning of the fray:

Now above the cross, the trophy,

Sound the high triumphal lay:

Tell how Christ, the world's Redeemer,

As a Victim won the day.

The Third Station - Jesus Falls the First Time

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. John 15:18-20)

Jesus said to his disciples: If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you.  Remember the word that I said unto you:  The servant is not greater than his lord.  If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

V.  Because I led thee through the desert forty years, and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land exceeding good: thou hast prepared a cross for thy Savior.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  Almighty God, who hast given thy Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and also an example of godly life: Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavor ourselves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

God in pity saw man fallen,

Shamed and sunk in misery,

When he fell on death by tasting

 Fruit of the forbidden tree:

That another Tree was chosen

Which the world from death would free.

The Fourth Station - Jesus Meets His Blessed Mother

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. John 19:25-27)

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!  Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!  And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

V.  What more could I have done unto thee that I have not done?  I indeed did plant thee, O my vineyard, with exceeding fair fruit: and thou art become very bitter unto me.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  O God, the King of Saints, we praise and magnify thy holy Name for all thy servants who have finished their course in thy faith and fear; for the Blessed Virgin Mary; for the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs; and for all thy other righteous servants, known to us and unknown; and we beseech thee that, encouraged by their examples, aided by their prayers, and strengthened by their fellowship, we also may be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; through the merits of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Faithful Cross! above all other,

One and only noble tree!

None in foliage, none in blossom

None in fruit thy peer may be:

Sweetest wood, and sweetest iron!

Sweetest weight is hung on thee.

The Fifth Station - The Cross is Laid Upon Simon of Cyrene

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. Mark 15:16, 20-22)

The soldiers...led him out to crucify him.  And they compel one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.  And they bring him unto a place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of the skull.

V.  I did scourge Egypt with her first-born for thy sake, and thou hast scourged me and delivered me up.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption; Give us courage, we beseech thee, to take up our cross and follow him, even Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thus the scheme of our salvation

Was of old in order laid,

That the manifold deceiver's

Art by Art might be outweighed;

And the lure the foe put forward

Into means of healing made.

The Sixth Station - Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. Matthew 24:8, 9, 30, 40-41)

Jesus said unto his disciples, All these are the beginning of sorrows, Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you; and ye shall be hated of all nations for my Name's sake.  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven... and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

V.  I led thee forth out of Egypt, drowning Pharoah in the Read Sea, and thou hast delivered me up to the chief priests.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  O God, whose days are without end, and whose mercies cannot be numbered; Make us, we beseech thee, deeply sensible of the shortness and uncertainty of human life; and let thy Holy Spirit lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days: that, when we shall have served thee in our generation, we may be gathered unto our fathers, having the testimony of a good conscience; in the communion of the Catholic Church; in the confidence of a certain faith; in the comfort of a reasonable, religious and holy hope; in favor with thee our God, and in perfect charity with the world; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Therefore when th' appointed fullness

Of the holy time was come,

He was sent, who maketh all things,

Forth from God's eternal home;

Thus he came to earth, incarnate,

Offspring of the Virgin's womb.

The Seventh Station - Jesus Falls the Second Time

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (Isaiah 53:3, 5-6)

He is despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

V.  I did open the sea before thee: and thou hast opened my side with a spear.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  O Lord Jesus Christ, who by thy death didst take away the sting of death: Grant unto us thy servants so to follow in faith where thou hast led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in thee, and awake up after thy likeness; for thy tender mercies' sake (who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Faithful Cross! above all other,

One and only noble tree!

None in foliage, none in blossom

None in fruit thy peer may be:

Sweetest wood, and sweetest iron!

Sweetest weight is hung on thee.

The Eighth Station - Jesus Greets the Holy Women

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. Luke 23:27-28, 31)

There followed him a great company of people, and of women which bewailed and lamented him.  But Jesus, turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

V.  I did go before thee in the pillar of cloud, and thou hast led me unto the judgment hall of Pilate.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thirty years he dwelt among us,

His appointed time fulfilled;

Born for this he met his passion,

This the Savior freely willed:

On the cross the Lamb was lifted,

Where his Precious Blood was spilled.

The Ninth Station - Jesus Falls a Third Time

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (Hebrews 10:10, 19-23)

We are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Jesus, by a new and living way... that is to say, his Flesh; and having an high priest over the House of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.

V.  I did feed thee with manna in the desert, and thou hast stricken me with blows and scourges.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  O Lord Jesus Christ, who in a wonderful Sacrament hast left unto us a memorial of thy precious death and passion; Grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of thy Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruits of thy redemption  (who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

He endured the nails, the spitting,

Vinegar, and spear, and reed;

From that holy Body broken

Blood and water forth proceed:

Earth and stars and sky and ocean

By that flood from stain are freed.

The Tenth Station - Jesus is Stripped of His Raiment

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (Hebrews 10:10, 19-23)

They gave Jesus vinegar to drink mingled with gall; and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.  And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

V.  I did give thee to drink the water of life from the rock: and thou hast given me to drink but gall and vinegar.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  O Lord God, whose blessed Son our Saviour gave his back to the smiters and hid not his face from shame; Grant us grace to take joyfully the sufferings of the present time, in full assurance of the glory that shall be revealed; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord,  (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Faithful Cross! above all other,

One and only noble tree!

None in foliage, none in blossom

None in fruit thy peer may be:

Sweetest wood, and sweetest iron!

Sweetest weight is hung on thee.

The Eleventh Station - Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. Luke 23:33-34; St. John 19:19)

When they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do...  And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross.  And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

V.  I did smite the kings of the Canaanites for thy sake, and thou hast smitten my head with a reed.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the Cross, that he might draw the whole world unto himself; Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Bend thy boughs, O tree of glory!

Thy relaxing sinews bend;

For a while the ancient rigor

That thy birth bestowed, suspend;

And the King of heavenly beauty

On thy bosom gently tend!

                               The Twelfth Station - Jesus Dies on the Cross

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. Matthew 27:45-46; St. John 19:28, 30)

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.  And about the ninth hour, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.  (kneel)

V.  I did give thee a royal scepter, and thou hast given unto my head a crown of thorns.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  Almighty God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus  Christ was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer death upon the cross (who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.  (rise)

Thou alone wast counted worthy

This world's Ransom to uphold,

For a shipwrecked race preparing

Harbor, like the Ark of old,

With the Sacred Blood anointed

From the smitten Lamb that rolled.

 The Thirteenth Station - Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. John 19:33-34, 38)

When the soldiers came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.  After this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave.  He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

V.  I did raise thee on high with great powers, and thou hast hanged me on the gibbet of the cross.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  Almighty and everlasting God, who of they tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility; Mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Faithful Cross! above all other,

One and only noble tree!

None in foliage, none in blossom

None in fruit thy peer may be:

Sweetest wood, and sweetest iron!

Sweetest weight is hung on thee.

 The Fourteenth Station - Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee: (genuflect)

R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

THE READING: (St. John 19:40-42)

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.  Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre wherein never man yet laid.  There laid they Jesus.

V.  O my people, what have I done unto thee, or wherein have I wearied thee?  Testify against me.

R.  Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us.

Let us pray.  O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we pray thee to set thy passion, cross , and death between thy judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death.  Give mercy and grace to the living, pardon and rest to the dead, to thy holy Church peace and concord, and to us sinners everlasting life and glory (who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  O Savior of the world, who by thy Cross and Precious Blood hast redeemed us:

R.  Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

To the Trinity be glory

Everlasting, as is meet:

Equal to the Father, equal

To the Son, and Paraclete:

God the Three in One, whose praises

All created things repeat.  Amen.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.  O God, who for our redemption didst give thine only-begotten Son to the death of the Cross, and by his glorious resurrection hast delivered us from the power of our enemy; Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord (who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end).  Amen.

V.  May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R.  Amen.