Being Blessed and Blessing … Saturday, August 2

The Ascension rock on Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, said to bear the imprint of the right foot of Jesus as he ascended, venerated by Christians as the last point on earth touched by the incarnate Christ.

A Rosary Meditation … The Second Glorious Mystery, the Ascension. “And it came to pass as He blessed them, that He parted from them.” Luke 24:51. Here is a very touching scene. Jesus, leaving His friends, blesses them as He goes away. They are told that He will come again, but for now He’s leaving. But before He parts He blesses them one finale time til then. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if we could live our lives in such a way last have been a sort of finale blessing to those around us before we go? Because you know, in passing we will meet again. Just as Jesus and those present on that day will be reunited (and already have been, for that matter), just so will we be reunited with the people around us now. And we will be with them at the Judgement, and in Heaven or Purgatory or hell. Trusting that we’ll miss out on that last alternative, what sort of reunion will it be? Happy? Sad? Joyous? An occasion for painful memories? The type of reunion we’ll have is settled here and now. It depends on the sort of union we forge now. Giving, being, a blessing to others is the best way to insure now a happy reunion then.

Today …

St. Lydia Purpuraria

St. Lydia Purpuraria. Lydia Purpuraria (1st century) was born at Thyatira (Ak-Hissar), a town in Asia Minor, famous for its dye works, (hence, her name which means purple seller). She became Paul’s first convert at Philippi. She was baptized with her household, and Paul stayed at her home there. We don’t know much but given what we do know about this saint wouldn’t it be nice to meet and talk with her? Sure it would! And if someone reads a couple of short lines about us 2,000 years from now will they say the same about us?

Quote … There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization–these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. – C.S. Lewis. … And … To see the miraculous within the ordinary is the mark of highest wisdom. – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Expecting company? We should be … Thursday, August 1

Expecting company? We should be.

A Rosary Meditation … The Second Joyful Mystery, the Visitation. “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary … ” Luke 1:39a. What would you do if you heard a knock at the door and when you answered it you found Mary there? Knowing her as the Mother of Christ your Lord and as Queen of Heaven and Earth what would you do? Would you let her in? Would you be embarrassed for her to see that “Murray” was playing on your TV? Would the magazines on the coffee table need to be shuffled away out of sight? Would there be a Rosary anywhere evident? If she asked to look at your Bible for a moment would you know where it was? Would she see a crucifix on any of the walls, or would there be any holy water? Would you be comfortable with her being there? Hopefully these questions bring forth all the right answers. Because if they don’t, and if we aren’t OK with Mary being with us, how are we going to feel with Jesus knocking when He gets back?

Today … St. Hope. According to an Eastern allegory explaining the cult of Divine Wisdom, Faith, Hope, and Charity were the daughters of Wisdom, a widow in Rome. The daughters suffered martyrdom during Hadrian‘s persecution of Christians: Faith, twelve, was scourged and went unharmed when boiling pitch was poured on her, but was then beheaded; Hope, ten, and Charity, nine, were also beheaded after emerging unscathed from a furnace; and Wisdom died three days later while praying at their graves. When Jesus returns we can have hope if we exercise wisdom now in having faith and practicing charity. Doing these things we’ll be ready for anybody who might show up.

Think … Its to late to clean house when company arrives.

Worried? … Monday, July 29

“Oh, great. Now what?”Worried!

A Rosary Meditation … The First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation. “When she heard him she was troubled at his word … ” Luke 1:29. In this scripture Mary has just been told by the angel Gabriel that she will have a baby. Something like that ought to be good news. Of course, given Mary’s vow of perpetual virginity, we can understand her being troubled. But, setting that fact aside for just a moment, think about it. How many times have we received good news and been worried about it because we either misunderstood or didn’t have all the facts? It’s easy to do, being human and all. But why do we so easily jump to a negative conclusion? Granted we aren’t all natural worriers, but enough of us are, at least part of the time, to make this sort of thing familiar to most if not all of us. So why do we do it? Have we been conditioned by the media to expect the worst? (Yes.) Is it simply a matter of  negative attitude? (Maybe.) Do we subconsciously think we deserve only the short end of the stick? (Possibly.) Maybe a little bit of all these things and several more. Personally I think that the bottom line can be summed up, given all the possibilities and probabilities, in one word. Training. From childhood on we are all more or less trained to expect the worst. And just how often does the worst happen? Well, how many times have I ( and trust me, I was trained by my grandmother who would’ve, had worry been an Olympic event, brought home the gold Olympiad after Olympiad ) thought to myself, “Oh, great, now … “, fill in the blank after that. But Mother Mary, just a little while after having been troubled at the news she had received from Gabriel, gives us the antidote to worry and a troubled mind. “And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.” Luke 1:38a. It’s OK to worry a little, God knows we’re human so we may as well admit it too. The point being: After the initial reaction of trouble or worry its time to leave it in His hands and rest in that.

Today …

St. Martha

St. Martha. She might easily be considered the patroness of worriers. Many of us find it easy to identify with Martha in the story Luke tells. Martha welcomes Jesus and His disciples into her home and immediately goes to work to serve them. Hospitality is paramount in the Middle East and Martha believed in its importance. Imagine her frustration when her sister Mary ignores the rule of hospitality and Martha’s work, and all the attendant worries, in order to sit and listen to Jesus. Instead of speaking to her sister, she asks Jesus to intervene. And that’s not a bad place to go with our frustrations and worries.  Jesus’ response is not unkind, which gives us an idea of His affection for her. He observes that Martha is worried about many things that distract her from really being present to Him. He reminds her that there is only one thing that is truly important — being with and listening to Him. And that is what Mary has done. In Martha we see ourselves — worried and distracted by all we have to do in the world and the world itself while forgetting to spend time with Jesus. It is, however, comforting to note that Jesus loved her, despite her worrying, just the same.

Jesus says … “And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature by one cubit?” Matthew 6:27. So why worry about it?

Family ties … Sunday, July 28

The Gospel of the Lord …  Luke 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”  He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything. I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

~

Prayer. Sometimes you hear it described as talking to God. I prefer to think of it as talking WITH God, implying a two-way conversation and keeping the lines of communication open both ways. I need to talk, God knows that, but I need just as badly to listen, and I know that. Willingness to hear and a desire to be heard.

Some years back I knew a guy who was going through a difficult emotional period. It wasn’t life shattering but it was extremely trying at the time. He came home from work one day, distraught and at his wit’s end. As far as he could tell he had done all he could do (“You pray for taters with a hoe in your hand.”) and there was nothing to do now but pray about the situation. And so he went directly to the bedroom and, falling to his knees at the side of the bed, looked up, and without thinking about what he was saying (things had gotten to be to emotional at this point to think much) began to pray. He said, “Daddy … ”

Everything Christ taught His followers in the above passage, everything He teaches US in the above, starts out with “Our Father … ” If we don’t start in the right place how far do we go and where do we go? So we need to start out correctly. And understanding that God IS our Father is the correct starting place.

For years now I’ve believed, and I’ve shared it here before, that adoption is more real than natural relations. Being related to someone by birth is one thing. We have no choice in that. Adoption however requires a conscious choice and direct action. Now I’m confident that we’re born into the family and circumstances that God deems best. Free will being what it is we’ll do with that as WE please and not necessarily as HE pleases, but still, He no doubt puts us where He wants us. If this is true concerning natural birth and human blood ties how much more true is it when He adopts us into His family and the blood ties are the ties formed through and by the Precious Blood of Christ?

Family ties. They’re important. Some are, and should be, more important than others. I should be more concerned about my Heavenly relationship with God my Father than any natural family bonds. And I don’t mean that natural family is unimportant, because we all know they are. God gave us our family. But I do mean that I need to set priorities when it comes to family. And I consider that I am more closely related to another because of the Blood of Jesus than I am any purely earthly blood.

When I pray, when you pray (and now I’m talking to YOU, a fellow Christian and therefore a Blood relative), I need to remember my right relationship with God. Whatever reason I pray I need to remember who and what is primary, meaning just Who and what He is in reference to me and vice versa. And then I need to talk and listen accordingly.

“Daddy … “

Aggravation … Sunday, June 30

The Gospel of the Lord … Luke 9:51-62

When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him.  On the way they entered a Samaritan village  to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.  When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”  Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

And to another he said, “Follow me.”  But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”  But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.  But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”  And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”  To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

~

Have you ever noticed how aggravated we get when things don’t go our way? Of course you have, we all have. I even get aggravated with myself for being aggravated. Everybody knows about aggravation. Like the people here in the Samaritan village. They were aggravated because Jesus wasn’t going to stay with them, He was going to Jerusalem instead. And Jesus’ followers, who were aggravated at the Samaritans for being inhospitable. Maybe the ones offering to follow Jesus, or the ones He invited, the ones who had business to take care of first or didn’t want to hear about the downside of being a disciple, these folks were probably aggravated too.

Do you think the Good Shepherd ever got (gets) aggravated at the sheep that keep wandering off?

It’s easy to feel aggravated, especially when dealing with others who just don’t seem to understand. It’s easy to feel that way towards self when we act the way we do sometimes even when we know better. And I suppose its easy enough for us to collect favorite aggravations. I know I’ve got a couple. Like when someone asks, “Was Jesus really God?” And I hear the reply, “Yes, He was.” Was? Isn’t He still God? Did something change? Shouldn’t the correct response be, “Yes, Jesus IS God,”? Or when I hear a Catholic talking about “other” denominations, like we’re just one amongst many. I’ve got news. Jesus founded His Church, just one Church. Men founded denominations, plural, later. But then I think that I know what they MEAN regardless how they phrase it, because if you asked the first person if Jesus is God NOW they’d say yes, and if you asked the other person, “Do you mean they’re all alike and that one is as good as another?”, they’d say no and explain the difference. I hope. So now I’m back to being aggravated with myself for being picky.

Do you think Jesus ever got aggravated? Maybe He was aggravated with the Samaritans for not understanding His mission, or with His followers for not understanding the nature of His mission. Perhaps He felt aggravated with those He called for putting off the answer or for making excuses or just plain not listening. Which brings us to the real point, doesn’t it? Its one thing for us to get aggravated with ourselves or others, it’s another to work towards living our lives in such a way as to not be an aggravation for Him.

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” – Henry Ellis.

Judge fruit with care, and toss it once it’s past the date on the package … Sunday, June 16

Are you keeping rotten fruit? WHY?!

Luke 7:36-50

       A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher, ” he said. “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred day’s wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

      Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

      I can understand the reaction of the Pharisee. Sadly, I think most people, happily not all people, tend to have similar reactions. Of course Jesus said that by their fruits we would know “them”. In this instance to look at this woman’s past would be to see some pretty rotten fruit. But that view would miss the real point, which point is here and now. In the here and now the fruit is penance, heartfelt and with tears. In seeing rotten fruit, and being judgmental is a fruit of the most putrid kind, I suppose we all need to be on guard lest WE become one of “them”.

      Jesus, seeing beyond what we might think of as obvious, saw the heart and forgave her sins. And here was yet another thorn in the side of the self-righteous. Can a MAN forgive sins? Only God can forgive sin! This backwards way of looking at the subject is still considered an unassailable truth by some. When a priest forgives sin they say the same thing the Pharisee said. They forget that Jesus, being God, can share His authority with others and did. And does. “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” John 20:23. When the priest, that MAN with the collar, forgives sins? It’s only because God has given him the power and authority to do so. Which means it’s God doing the forgiving THROUGH him, using him as an instrument of His Love.

      So we have three people here, don’t we? The judgmental, the penitent, the one who forgives. It occurs to me that there is one other person that should be here and isn’t, and that’s sad. Sometimes judgmental folks see themselves for what they are, sinners, and become, like the woman here, penitents. Sometimes sinful people, again like the lady here, see themselves and repent. But these people who make that Godly turn around in their lives? Sometimes they become yet another class of people. The ones that, having honestly repented, look back over their lives and beat themselves up over it. Not that they doubt God’s forgiveness, they don’t. And it’s not necessarily that they don’t forgive themselves, although that may of course be the case. It’s just that they can’t get past the memories and the regret. And this is a sad way to live because it takes us out of the now, which time ought to be spent praising God for His goodness and working for Him in His will. Looking back can trip us up as we move forward. Looking back can make us miss our apostolate of the “now”. And all of our debt that has been forgiven, regardless the size of it, the memory of it becomes as heavy as the original debt.

      We can judge fruit. We can judge our own fruit. But you know, when it goes past the expiration date, aka honest repentance and true forgiveness, its OK to toss it into the trash. Don’t believe me? Try carrying a banana around with you, in your pocket, for six months.

Who is deserving? … Sunday, June 9

Jesus walking down the road, looking. What, who, is He looking for?

Gospel: Luke 7:11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst, ” and “God has visited his people.” This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

     A touching story. A grieving mother, her only son dead and on the way to being buried, a sympathetic crowd of friends and family and locals mourning the son’s death and the mother’s loss. All very human, very real. And seemingly very much an end. An end to life and living in more ways than one because not only has the young man lost his life but his mother has, in a way, lost her’s too. Who’ll take care of her in her old age? Who does she have left to turn to? Enter Jesus.

     That God would even take the time is amazing. An amazing proof of His love for us. Jesus understood. And He sympathized, He cared, He cared enough to act. Which action on His part ought to make us ask ourselves what we would do in a similar situation. Would we, as the current representatives of Christ, do anything? What should we do? Well, what did we do the last time we were confronted with the need of another? Because what ever we did then is probably our pattern. Does it need changing? Was it what it should have been?

     Its the reaction of the crowd that amazes me. You’d think they’d all come running to Jesus after having seen this. “Lord, I’ve got a bad back and can’t work. Can you fix it please?” “Lord, my eyesight is poor and I can’t read the Holy Books in Synagogue. Can you help?” And so forth. But that’s not what happened, is it? No, the Bible says that “fear seized them all”. Why? Maybe because the back was bad but they knew themselves unworthy due to their many sins? Maybe the eyesight was poor but the living was poorer? Maybe because any body that could give life could probably take it away, and if He really knew what kind of person I am I wouldn’t stand a chance.

     There are lots of times that we are plagued with fear. Some of its good. Fear of being hurt or worse keeps some folks from crossing the interstate at rush hour. But other fears? Not so good. These fears keep us from approaching God, keep us at a distance, keep us from asking for what we honestly need from the only One Who can honestly give it. We need mercy. Whatever else we need we need mercy. And the way we view ourselves? The fear? That’s not how God sees us or wants us to act towards Him. Because in God’s eyes the ones who are the least deserving are the ones who need it the most and so the very ones He desires to collect up and hold in His arms the most.

     “I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance.” Luke 5:32.

     Remember that when Jesus was walking down that dusty road, when He came upon the funeral procession, He wasn’t looking for a healthy person with no needs. He was looking for a corpse. Now? He’s still not looking for the healthy ones. They don’t need Him. He’s looking for those sick in body, mind, spirit, and soul. If we’re afraid of this then we shorten God’s hand and there’s nothing He can do for us because our fear is like a wall we put up, keeping our hurts in and Him out.

     Jesus came to save and heal and to be turned to, not to be turned away from or run from. The ones feeling the need to run because of their lives? These (us) are the very ones He came for, just like He came for the dead son being taken to his grave. Those of us thinking that we’d be the last thing Jesus would be looking for? We’re the ones He seeks.

Poverty or Riches, the choice is ours … Sunday, June 2

Riches in Christ Jesus.

Gospel Reading, Luke 9:11b-17

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.” Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.” They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

     2,000 years later, have we run out yet? Or are we still collecting wicker baskets full of leftovers? There is no lack in Christ. There will never be a “running out”. And there is no reason to fear or fret about this. Christians are never poor, regardless their earthly poverty. Earth, the world, isn’t where our treasures are. “But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal.” Matthew 6:20. And we do this in many ways, the greatest of which is receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus in Holy Communion.

     The world is finite. If we look to it for our riches we’re sure to suffer want, to live in poverty. Look around. Most of the world, the greatest portion of it, already lives in poverty. Even in nations blessed by abundance there are people living in cardboard boxes and going to sleep hungry every night. That’s the way the world is. If we look to the world for our sustenance that’s how we’ll live.

     Today we celebrate the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is Infinite and knows no poverty. If we look to Him for our sustenance we are guaranteed riches. No government, no constitution, no contract, no man-made law, no human promise can ever give us what He can. Knowing this, where should we look in time of need? The answer is Jesus. God. The test is: Where do we look in time of plenty? Are we content to follow after the world just because everything’s OK now? Or do we look ahead to the end of a finite world and realize that being a “street person” in Heaven is better than being rich and powerful here and now? Because no matter how long the earth lasts it IS finite on a personal level. No one gets out of this alive. At least not without Jesus.

     “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Luke 12:34.

“His mercy is from generation to generation” … Thursday, May 23

Mary and Elizabeth sharing God, one with the other.

A Rosary Meditation … The Second Joyful Mystery, the Visitation. “And holy is His name; and His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.” Luke 1:49-50. Here we find Mary and Elizabeth sharing the Glory of God, one with the other. The truths here in this verse are simple yet profound. Holy is HIS Name. We can appreciate others, give them their due, but we must remember that any goodness in ourselves or others originates with Him and is a result of His holiness and His mercy towards us. And that mercy? It lasts. “From generation to generation on those who fear Him.” Just as there are different ways of expressing love there are different types of fear and ways of expressing them. There is the fear of punishment, which is not a bad fear unless it results in something like scrupulosity. And there is the fear of offending another, not because we dread punishment, but because we love the other person and honestly don’t want to give offense for reason of that love. This sort of fear is basically profound respect. By the way, this is also a good way to look at, to understand, imperfect and perfect contrition. Imperfect contrition, when it is honest contrition, results from fear of punishment. It has its place and its usefulness. Its good. But perfect contrition, based on love, is better. Fearing God can be any number of things. Fear of a Father who punishes justly and for good reason. Fear of offending a Father that we love. Can you ever remember a time when the Blessed Virgin “quaked in her boots”? No. She is, remember, our human example in this life. Mary had what sort of fear of God? Not the dreadful fear of punishment, but the respectful “fear” given out of love to a loving Father. And again, we should copy who?

Today …

St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk

St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk was a princess and foundress, the daughter of Prince Svyatoslav. At the age of twelve she became a nun and then a recluse. Gifted, she copied manuscripts to raise money for the poor. Euphrosyne also founded a convent at Settse. She went to the Holy Land and died in Jerusalem, Israel. Now who does she remind you of? Maybe she’d make a good prayer partner in your own journey towards perfection. 

In searching for perfection remember … “Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.” – William Shakespeare

Modern, worldy four letter words … Thursday, May 2

The Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary and the Virgin of the Rosary, a Rosary-based cycle.

A Rosary Meditation … The First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation. “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word.” Luke 1:38. Respect for rightful authority. Obedience. It seems these, respect and obedience, are regarded as a four letter words in our modern society. Mary showed respect for the messenger of God and obedience to the will of God. Lets not look at the world right now. You would expect disrespect and disobedience from the satanically controlled, and that literally, masses. Mary was not of the world, she was of the people of God, the Jews. We are not of the world, we are of the people of God, Christ‘s Church. Mary did not hesitate in her obedience and the respect she showed reflected her view of God’s messenger. She saw the angel as having been sent by God with God’s message. How do we view our parish priest? How do we react to the advice given us by our Holy Father the Pope? What is our reaction to a plea from our bishop? What do we think of the rights our spouse has over us, the God-given ones? There are Biblical commands concerning all of these, which is to say authoritative statements from the God who made us, sustains us, and owns us. If an angel from heaven came to us, like one did to Mary, we’d be impressed and listen wouldn’t we? And why would we not listen respectfully to those here on earth who have God-assigned authority over us? Because they put on their cassock one leg at a time, just like we do?

Today … This is Mary’s month. Every saint has a day, not every saint has whole month. Today lets consider the respectful and obedient example she gives us and pray to be saints ourselves.

From the Rule of St. Benedict, the chapter on Obedience …

The first degree of humility is obedience without delay. This is the virtue of those who hold nothing dearer to them than Christ; who, because of the holy service they have professed, and the fear of hell, and the glory of life everlasting, as soon as anything has been ordered by the Superior, receive it as a divine command and cannot suffer any delay in executing it. Of these the Lord says, “As soon as he heard, he obeyed Me” (Ps. 17[18]:45). And again to teachers He says, “He who hears you, hears Me” (Luke 10:16).

Such as these, therefore, immediately leaving their own affairs and forsaking their own will, dropping the work they were engaged on and leaving it unfinished, with the ready step of obedience follow-up with their deeds the voice of him who commands. And so as it were at the same moment the master’s command is given and the disciple’s work is completed, the two things being speedily accomplished together in the swiftness of the fear of God by those who are moved with the desire of attaining life everlasting. That desire is their motive for choosing the narrow way, of which the Lord says, “Narrow is the way that leads to life” (Matt. 7:14), so that, not living according to their own choice nor obeying their own desires and pleasures but walking by another’s judgment and command, they dwell in monasteries and desire to have an Abbot over them. Assuredly such as these are living up to that maxim of the Lord in which He says, “I have come not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38).