“Jesus said to them: All you shall be scandalized in Me this night. For it is written! I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed. Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou being once converted, confirm thy brethren” (Matt. 26, 31—Luke 22, 31-32).
First Prelude: In spirit join the disciples and listen with a wholesome fear to our dear Lord’s prophetic warnings.
Second Prelude: Grant me grace, O my Saviour, to accept Thy salutary counsels and admonitions gratefully that I may profit by them.
FIRST POINT
THE SAVIOUR FORETOLD THE APOSTLES THEIR INFIDELITY
After the parting words of our Divine Saviour and His sublime pontifical prayer, He directed the minds of His Apostles to His pending passion, and once more cautioned them of the dangers they were facing. “All you shall be scandalized in Me this night.” Jesus wished to say that they should be seized by fear and anxiety, by mistrust and cowardice. They should not know what to think of Him in such a pitiable condition. All that He had ever told them concerning His love, His power and glory, of His going to the Father, they should then have completely forgotten. He quoted the testimony of the prophet: “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered” (Zach. 13, 7). The Apostles, Peter, most of all, certainly believed nothing short of the impossibility of such faithlessness, such weakness. Hence, the Master addressed him in particular saying: “Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.”
How solicitous was Jesus for His Apostles whom He would so gladly have preserved from the fall! He manifests the same solicitude for us also. How often does He warn us of dangers threatening us—now through interior enlightenment, then again through the admonitions of His representatives, or the good example of our fellow religious. If we love God, the enemy of our soul will vouchsafe us no rest. He desires to sift us—that is to assail us with violent temptations. Jesus, to whom nothing is hidden, neither in heaven nor on earth, neither in the hearts of men nor with reference to the desires of the evil spirits, prayed for us, and though Satan is very powerful, he can do us no harm without the express permission of God. Let us always have recourse to God, and all the onslaughts of the Tempter shall have no other effect than to purify the wheat, namely, our virtues, of the chaff of earthly dross and imperfections.
SECOND POINT
WHY THE APOSTLES PROVED UNFAITHFUL
The Saviour had so frequently and forcibly prevailed upon His disciples to preserve faith, hope, and peace of soul. Again and again He had spoken to them of His passion, but they understood Him not, or would not understand Him, otherwise, they should certainly have asked Him how to conduct themselves in this trial. In foolish presumption, however, they assured Him of their loyalty; Peter even declared Himself ready to go into prison and death with Him, and assured the Saviour that though all should be scandalized in Him, he should not be. Peter deemed it impossible, in vain presumption, ever to grow weak, and because of this foolish self-esteem, he deserved to fall more deeply than all the rest. Peter and the other Apostles had volunteered to die with Jesus, though He did not ask it of them, but they utterly disregarded what had been so urgently enjoined upon them. Was it not their bounden duty to watch and pray with Him and to trust implicitly in His promises?
Do we not frequently act likewise? In foolish self-confidence, we are anxious to do extraordinary things for God, to bear a great cross with our Saviour, which flatters self-love, but we neglect our momentary simple duty, with the result that we accomplish neither the one nor the other, and fall deplorably. Have we not frequently after Holy Communion and during the time of meditation testified our love to Jesus, and offered ourselves for the greatest sacrifices, but afterwards, refused Him even the least He demanded of us through His inspirations or our Holy Rule?
What are my sentiments when my superiors caution me against a danger? How do I observe the circumspection recommended to me by my Holy Rule and the counsels of my superiors?
Affections: O my God, how often have I resembled the Apostles in their weakness and inconstancy! How seldom have I sought to profit by Thy counsels and admonitions! Forgetting to have recourse to Thee, I have, in presumptuous self-confidence, foolishly relied on my own strength. Pardon, O Lord, my weak faith, my infidelity! In future, I will seek strength and courage in time of danger and temptation through humble, confiding prayer. Like Mary, my holy mother and model, I will trust invincibly in Thy promises and thus preserve peace of soul and perfect abandonment to Thy all-governing, loving Providence.
Resolution: I will discharge all my duties conscientiously and in every difficulty have recourse to prayer.
Spiritual Bouquet: “Watch and pray, lest ye fall into temptation.”
Prayer: Soul of Christ . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment