12TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

This Sunday is the 12th Sunday after Pentecost. Man, how time seems to be flying by this summer. Anyway, we are told of the 'Good Samaritan', and how this man who was from another country (which was despised by the Jews), helped someone in need that he happened to be passing. The Jewish nation even today refuses to see what is right in front of their faces. The Eternal Truth. We are to try to be so much better than this. According to our beloved Abbot Gueranger, from (The Liturgical Year):

'The Christian, on the contrary, with the holy daring of which the Apostle (Paul) speaks, removes all intermediaries between God and himself, and draws aside the veil of all figures. 'Beholding the glory of the Lord with face uncovered, we are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord', for we become other christs, and are made like to God the Father, as is His Son Jesus Christ.



Thus is fulfilled the will of the almighty Father for the sanctification of the elect. God sees Himself reflected in these predestined, who are becoming, in the beautiful light divine, conformable to the image of His Son. He could say of each one of them what He spoke at the Jordan and on Thabor: "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." He makes them His true temple, verifying the word He spoke of old: "I will set my tabernacle in the midst of you: I will walk among you, and will be your God; I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north: "Give up!" and to the south: "Keep not back!" Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth!'

Such are the promises, for whose realization we should, as the apostle says, be all earnestness in working out our sanctification, by cleansing ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit, in the fear of God, and in His love.'

The kings and prophets of the Old Testament looked ahead to what was coming, but we are the ones who see it. Speaking of these people of old, our Abbot continues:

'...Heedless of the mockeries, as well as of the persecutions, of the world that was not worthy to possess such men, these champions of the faith were seen wandering in the deserts, sheltering in dens and caves, and yet happy in the love of One whom they knew they were not to see until long ages after their death.

Do we, then, who are their descendants,--we for whom they were obliged to wait, in order to enjoy a share of those blessings which their sighs and vehement desires did so much to hasten,--appreciate the immense favor bestowed on us by our Lord? Our virtue scarcely bears comparison with that of the fathers of our Faith; and nevertheless, by the descent of the Holy Spirit of love, we have been more enlightened than ever were the prophets, for, by that Holy Spirit, we have been put in possession of the mysteries which they only foretold. How is it, then, that we are so sadly slow to feel the obligation we are under of responding, by holiness of life, and by an ardent and generous love, to the liberality of that God, who has gratuitously called us from darkness to His admirable light? Having so great a cloud of witnesses over our heads, let us lay aside the burden of sin which impedes us, and run, by patience, in the fight proposed to us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of Faith, who, having joy set before Him, preferred to endure the Cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God. We know Him with greater certainty than we do the events which are happening under our eyes, for He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, is ever within us, incorporating His mysteries into us.'

As Jesus Himself says in the Gospel according to St. Luke tomorrow: "BLESSED ARE THE EYES THAT SEE THE THINGS WHICH YOU SEE. FOR I SAY TO YOU, THAT MANY PROPHETS AND KINGS HAVE DESIRED TO SEE THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE, AND HAVE NOT SEEN THEM: AND TO HEAR THE THINGS THAT YOU HEAR, AND HAVE NOT HEARD THEM."

Christ calls His disciples blessed. This is because they had the happiness which so many patriarchs and prophets had desired in vain, namely: of seeing Him and hearing His teaching in Person. Though we have not the happiness to see Jesus and hear Him, nevertheless we are not less blessed than the apostles, since Christ pronounces those blessed who do not see and yet believe. (John XX. 29.) This is why John the Baptist was called the greatest prophet, since he saw Jesus in Person and pointed Him out to those around him. If only they had the eyes of Faith!

May we see what we are supposed to see, and hear what we're supposed to hear, and pass it on. Let us help those who are not as fortunate as us; that is, having the True Faith.


HAVE A NICE AND SAFE LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

THE DECOLLATION OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

Today is the feast day of the decollation(beheading) of St. John the Baptist. He was the last prophet of the Old Testament. He was purified in his mother's womb at the salutation of our Blessed Mother when she visited St. Elizabeth, who was carrying the Baptist. He was the precursor of Christ; he pointed him out at the river Jordan. He then baptized Him at His request. Anyway, this is the day he was beheaded by Herod at the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, his brother's wife. Since it had been told to him by the Baptist that he could NOT have his brother's wife, a plot was schemed to kill the Baptist. Salome danced for Herod and pleased him and filled him with lust. He told her to ask for anything and he would get it for her. She asked for the head of John the Baptist. This dismayed Herod, but he had it done.

John had said concerning Christ: "He must increase and I must decrease." Thus the feast of the Decollation of St. John may be considered as one of the landmarks of the liturgical year. With the Greeks it is a holy day of obligation. (It doesn't even get an honorable mention in the Church anymore). This Feast's great antiquity in the Latin Church is evidenced by the mention made of it in the martyrology called St. Jerome's, and by the place it occupies in the Gelasian and Gregorian sacramentaries. The precursor's blessed death took place about the feast Pasch; but, that it might be more freely celebrated, this day was chosen, whereon his sacred head was discovered at Emesa.

The vengeance of God fell heavily upon Herod Antipas. Josephus(a Jewish historian, who I believe converted), relates how he was overcome by the Arabian Aretas, whose daughter he had repudiated in order to follow his wicked passions; and the Jews attributed the defeat to the murder of St. John. He was deposed by Rome from his tetrarchate, and banished to Lyons in Gaul(France), where the ambitious Herodias shared his disgrace. As to her dancing daughter Salome, there is a tradition gathered from ancient authors, that, having gone out one winter day to dance upon a frozen river, she fell through into the water; the ice, immediately closing round her neck, cut off her head, which bounded upon the surface, thus continuing for some moments the dance of death.


Talk about Divine Justice! (I hope it's true; it seems so appropriate)!

St. John the Baptist, please pray for unrepentant sinners, especially those in our own families.

ST. AUGUSTINE

Today is the feast day of St. Augustine, one of the pillars of the early Church and a Doctor of the same Church. This means he knows what he is talking about! We should all read his 'Confessions', which he talks about his conversion back to the Church he had left for 30+ years while he was wandering around searching for the Truth. He had gone through a time where he didn't know where to turn for help. He had questioned the earth, sky, the seas, and all the creatures of the earth trying to find that peace of mind of knowing what was going on around him, and where life and everything came from. They all answered him: " We are not what you seek; seek above us. Seek Him Who made us."

His mother, St. Monica, had prayed for him for 30+ years, to no avail. However, after that time, because of her prayers and enlisting St. Ambrose, another Doctor of the Church. He finally returned to his rightful place, within the fold of the True God. And boy, what a transformation! He became so fervent in his faith that he helped thousands come to that same Truth. He wrote many books and prayers; one of my favorites is the following. It's supposed to be after Holy Communion, but I think it should be before Confession. It was written in the year 430 AD. It pretty much sums up our weaknesses. His life and conversion should tell us NOT to give up on our children, however far they might have strayed from what we tried to instill in them when they were small. They are adults now, so I guess they have to find the Truth in their own time. I just hope they get on board before they die. St. Monica, pray for our kids. Please?


St. Augustine's Prayer:

Before Thy eyes, O Lord, we bring our offenses, and we compare them with the stripes we have received.

If we consider the evil we have wrought, what we suffer is little, what we deserve is great.

What we have committed is very grave, what we have suffered is very slight.

We feel the punishment of sin, yet withdraw not from the obstinacy of sinning.

Under Thy lash our inconstancy is visited, but our sinfulness is not changed. Our suffering soul is tormented, but our neck is not bent. Our life groans under sorrow, yet mends not in deed.

If Thou spare us, we correct not our ways; if Thou punish we cannot endure it.

In time of correction we confess our wrong-doing; after Thy visitation we forget we have wept.

If Thou stretchest forth Thy hand we promise amendment; if Thou withholdest the sword we keep not our promise.

If Thou strikest we cry out for mercy; if Thou sparest we again provoke Thee to strike.

Here we are before Thee, O Lord, confessedly guilty; we know that unless Thou pardon we shall deservedly perish.

Grant then, almighty Father, without our deserving it, the pardon we ask for; Thou who madest out of nothing those who ask Thee.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen.


Following is a synopsis of his life.

SAINT AUGUSTINE
Bishop of Hippo and Doctor of the Church
(354-430)

Saint Augustine was born in 354 at Tagaste in Africa. He was brought up in the Christian faith but did not receive baptism, result of the practice, common in the first centuries, of deferring it until adulthood. An ambitious schoolboy of brilliant talents and violent passions, he early lost both his faith and his innocence. He pursued with ardor the study of philosophy. He taught grammar, rhetoric and literature for nine years in his native town of Tagaste, and in Carthage. He persisted in his irregular life and doctrinal errors until he was thirty-two. Then one day, stung to the heart by the account of some sudden conversions, he cried out, "The unlearned rise and storm heaven, and we, with all our learning, for lack of courage lie inert!" The great heart of this future bishop was already evident.

When as a genial student of rhetoric, he was at Milan, where Saint Ambrose was bishop, Augustine tells us later in his autobiography, the Catholic faith of his childhood regained possession of his intellect, but he could not as yet resolve to break the chains of bad habit. His mother helped him to separate from the mother of his son, Adeodatus, who had died as a young man; and she, after this painful separation, retired for life to a convent, regretting that she had long enchained this soul of predilection. Augustine's mother, Saint Monica, died soon afterwards.

Urged also by a friend who had decided to adopt a celibate life, Saint Augustine took up a book of the Holy Scriptures, and read the Epistles of Saint Paul in a new light. A long and terrible conflict ensued, but with the help of grace the battle was won; he went to consult a priest and received baptism, returned to Africa and gave all he had to the poor. At Hippo, where he settled, he was consecrated bishop in 395. For thirty-five years he was the center of ecclesiastical life in Africa, and the Church's strongest champion against heresy. His writings, which compose many volumes, have been everywhere accepted as a major source of both Christian spirituality and theological speculation. The great Doctor died, deeply regretted by the entire Christian world, in 430.

Reflection: Read the lives of the Saints, and you will find yourself living amid company to whose standards you will be forced to raise, at least in some measure, your own in your daily life.

St. Augustine, pray for us and help us come to the total Truth as you did. Amen!

A REAL CATHOLIC LEADER

SAINT LOUIS IX
King of France
(1215-1270)

The mother of the incomparable Saint Louis IX of France, Blanche of Castille, told him when he was still a child that she would rather see him dead in a coffin than stained by a single mortal sin. He never forgot her words. Raised to the throne and anointed in the Rheims Cathedral at the age of twelve, while still remaining under his mother's regency for several years, he made the defense of God's honor the aim of his life.

It was his Christian (Catholic) Faith that made Louis IX so great a prince. A fearless protector of the weak and the oppressed, a monarch whose justice was universally recognized, he was chosen to arbitrate in all the great feuds of his age.

Pope Leo XIII, speaking with the precision and power which characterize his infallible teaching: "As there are on earth two great societies: the one evil, whose immediate end is to procure the temporal and earthly well being of the human race; the other religious, whose aim is to lead men to the eternal happiness for which they were created: so, also God has divided the government of the world between two powers. Each of these is supreme in its kind; each is bound by definite limits drawn in conformity with its nature and its peculiar end. Jesus Christ, the Founder of the Church, willed that they should be distinct from one another, and that they both should be free from trammels in the accomplishment of their respective mission; yet with this provision, that in those matters which appertain to the jurisdiction and judgment of both, though on different grounds, the power which is concerned with temporal interests, must depend, as is fitting, on that power which watches over eternal interests. Finally, both being subject to the eternal and to the natural Law, they must in such a manner mutually agree in what concerns the order and government of each, as to form a relationship comparable to the union of soul and body in man."

St. Louis fulfilled these duties, running both shows while at the same time giving God all of the credit. Who does this anymore? From Paralip. xxxiv, 31-33, 'He made a covenant before the Lord to walk after Him and keep His commandments; and cause them to be kept by all.' God was his end, Faith was his guide: herein lies the whole secret of his government as well as of his sanctity. As a Christian, he was a servant of Christ, as a prince he was Christ's lieutenant; the aspirations of the Christian and those of the prince did not divide his soul; this unity was his strength, as it is now his glory.

In 1248, to rescue the land where Christ had walked, he gathered round him the chivalry of France, and embarked for the East. He visited the holy places; approaching Nazareth he dismounted, knelt down to pray, then entered on foot. He visited the Holy House of Nazareth and on its wall a fresco was afterwards painted, still visible when the House was translated to Loreto, depicting him offering his manacles to the Mother of God. Wherever he was: at home with his many children, facing the infidel armies, in victory or in defeat, on a bed of sickness or as a captive in chains, King Louis showed himself ever the same - the first, the best, and the bravest of Christian knights.

When he was a captive at Damietta, an Emir rushed into his tent brandishing a dagger red with the blood of the Sultan, and threatened to stab him also unless he would make him a knight. Louis calmly replied that no unbeliever could perform the duties of a Christian knight. In the same captivity he was offered his liberty on terms lawful in themselves, but enforced by an oath which implied a blasphemy, and although the infidels held their swords' points at his throat and threatened a massacre of the Christians, Louis inflexibly refused.

The death of his mother recalled him to France in 1252; but when order was re-established he again set out for a second crusade. In August of 1270 his army landed at Tunis, won a victory over the enemy, then was laid low by a malignant fever. Saint Louis was one of the victims. He received the Viaticum kneeling by his camp bed, and gave up his life with the same joy in which he had given all else for the honor of God.

Before he passed on to eternal glory, he had these words for his son Philip:

"Dear son, the first thing I admonish thee is that thou set thy heart to love God, for without that nothing else is of any worth. Beware of doing what displeases God, that is to say mortal sin; yea rather oughtest thou to suffer all manner of torments. If God send thee adversity, receive it in patience, and give thanks for it to our Lord, and think that thou hast done Him ill service. If He give thee prosperity, thank Him humbly for the same and be not the worse, either by pride or in any other manner, for that very thing that ought to make thee better; for we must not use God's gifts against Himself. Have a kind and pitiful heart towards the poor and the unfortunate, and comfort and assist them as much as thou canst. Keep up the good customs of thy kingdom, and put down all bad ones. Love all that is good and hate all that is evil of any sort/ Suffer no ill word about God and our Lady or the saints to be spoken in thy presence, that thou dost not straightway punish. In the administering of justice be loyal to thy subjects, without turning aside to he right or the left; but help the right, and take the part of the poor until the whole truth be cleared up. Honor and love all ecclesiastical persons, and take care that they be not deprived of the gifts and alms that thy predecessors may have given them. Dear son, I admonish thee that thou be ever devoted to the Church of Rome, and to the sovereign Bishop our father, and honor as thou ought to do to thy spiritual father. Exert thyself that every vile sin be abolished from thy land; especially to the best of thy power put down all wicked oaths and heresy. Fair son, I give thee all the blessings that a good father can give to a son; may the blessed Trinity and all the saints guard thee and protect thee from all evils; may God give thee grace to do His will always, and may He be honored by thee, and may thou and I after this mortal life be together in His company and praise Him without end!"

He truly lived his life as we all should, and showed leaders how they are supposed to live their lives as well. Our beloved Abbot Gueranger adds: 'For God, Who commands us to obey at all times the power actually established, is ever the Master of nations and the unchangeable disposer of their changeable destinies. Then every one of thy descendants, taught by a sad experience, will be bound to remember, O Louis, thy last recommendation: 'Exert thyself that every vile sin be abolished from thy land; especially, to the best of thy power, put down all wicked oaths and heresy.'

St. Louis, pray for us and for all leaders of the earth.

11th Sunday after Pentecost

This Sunday is the 11th after Pentecost. First of all, St. Paul will tell us about him being the least of the Apostles, since he had been instrumental in persecuting the early Christians. We have all been guilty of this at some time or other. Whether we talk bad about someone, being intolerant of others at times, and, generally not doing all the time what God expects from us. Admit it. The great saint, St. Augustine, was this way for 30+ years, doing whatever he wanted, disregarding all that is good. Thanks to his holy mother, Monica, and St. Ambrose, he reformed his life and became one of the Doctors of the Church, and one of its most prolific writers. As our beloved Abbot Gueranger says, he (Augustine)was as Saul was for a period of time:

'Like Augustine, who was but imitating Paul, 'he glorifies the just and the good God by publishing both the good he has received and the evil of his own acts; and this in order to win over to the one sole Object of his praise and his love the minds and hearts of all who hear him.' (Another Legend in his own mind). Augustine, in his 'Confessions', talks about himself: 'Great art Thou, O Lord, and exceedingly to be praised. Great is Thy power, and of Thy wisdom there is not number.' 'And yet,' says the saint, 'man wishes to praise Thee--man, a mere speck of Thy creation, who carries about him his own mortality, and the testimony of his sin, and the testimony that Thou resists the proud; and yet this man wishes to praise Thee--man, a mere speck of Thy creation. Receive, then, the homage which is offered by the tongue that was formed for the purpose of praising Thee. Let my flesh and all my bones, that have been healed by Thee, cry out: "Who, O Lord, is like unto Thee?" Let my soul praise Thee, that she may love Thee; and; that she may praise Thee, let her confess Thy mercies. I wish now to go over in my mind all my long wanderings, and I will confess the things which fill me with shame, and will make of them a sacrifice of joy. Not that I love my sins, but it is that I may love Thee, O my God, that I recall them to mind; it is out of love of Thy love that I now recur to those bitter things, that I may taste Thy delights, O Sweetness that never deceives! O Thou that collects all my powers, and recalls them from the painful scattering into which they had been thrown by my separation from Thee. O Thou one centre of all being.

What am I to myself, when I have not Thee, but a guide that leads me to the abyss? Or, what am I, when all is well with me, but a little one that is sucking in the milk which Thou provides, or enjoying Thee, the Food that knows not corruption? And what manner of man is any man, for he is but a man? Let them that are strong and mighty--them that have not as yet had the happiness of being laid low and cast down--let them laugh at me! I am a weak man, and poor, and I give Thee praise. For that I need neither voice nor words; the cries of the thought are what Thou hearest. For when I am wicked, my being displeased with myself is a real praise to Thee; but when I am pious, my not attributing it to myself is again a real praise to Thee; for if Thou, O Lord, bless the just man, it is because Thou hast first justified him when he was ungodly.'

Makes you think, doesn't it? If it doesn't, it should.

Now we hear about Jesus healing the deaf and dumb man. We know He does it, but here is what the holy fathers of the Church tell us:


'This man represents the entire human race, exclusive of the Jewish people. Abandoned for four thousand years in the sides, that is, in the countries of the north, where the prince of this world was ruling as absolute master, it has been experiencing the terrible effects of the seeming forgetfulness on the part of its Creator and Father, which was the consequence of original sin. Satan, whose perfidious craftiness caused man to be driven out of Paradise, has made him his own prey, and nothing could exceed the artifice he has employed for keeping him in his grasp. Wisely oppressing his slave, he adopted the plan of making him deaf and dumb, for this would hold him faster than 'chains of the adamant' could ever do. Dumb, he could not ask God to deliver him; deaf, he could not hear the divine voice; and thus the two ways for obtaining his liberty were shut against him. The adversary of God and man, satan, may boast of his tyranny. The grandest of all God's creations looks like a failure; the human race, in all its branches, and in all nations, seems ruined; for even that people which God had chosen for His own, and which was to be faithful to Him when every other privileges than to deny its Lord and its King, more cruelly than all the rest of mankind...The Church brings him to Jesus, beseeching Him to lay His divine hand upon him. No human power could effect his cure. Deafened by the noise of his passions, it is only in a confused way that he can hear even the voice of his own conscience; and, as to the sounds of tradition, or the speakings of the prophets, they are to him but as an echo, very distant and faint. Worst of all, as his hearing, that most precious of our senses, is gone, so, likewise, is gone the power of making good his losses; for, as the Apostle teaches, the one thing that could save him is Faith, and Faith cometh by hearing.'

Our Jesus groans when they have brought this poor creature before Him...' He opens the ears and loosens the tongue of this man. We should all be attentive to the teachings (ALL OF THEM) and await those words Jesus used to this man; let Him say in regard to us and our senses: "Ephpheta! Be thou opened!

OCTAVE OF THE ASSUMPTION

Today is the octave day of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother, Mary. This day is dedicated to her Immaculate Heart. That day of the Assumption is unbelievably amazing, and she still waits for us to come to her. I wish to end with this prayer to her by a Constantinof of Germany:

'O Most Holy Mother of God, who hast beautified heaven and earth, in leaving this world thou hast not abandoned man. Here below thou didst live in heaven; from heaven thou conversest with us. Thrice happy those who contemplated thee and lived with the Mother of life! But in the same way as thou didst dwell with them of the first age, thou now dwellest with us spiritually. We hear thy voice; and all our voices reach thine ear; and thy continual protection over us makes thy presence evident. Thou dost visit us; thine eye is upon us all; and although our eyes cannot see thee, O most holy one, yet thou art in the midst of us, showing thyself in various ways to whomsoever is worthy. Thy immaculate body, come forth from the tomb, hinders not the immaterial power, the most pure activity of that spirit of thine, which being inseparable fro the Holy Ghost, breathes also where it wills. O Mother of God, receive the grateful homage of our joy, and speak for thy children to Him Who has glorified thee: whatsoever thou askest of Him, He will accomplish it by His divine power; may He be blessed forever!'

The mother of a man named Symphorian told him this, on his way to martyrdom: "My son, my son, remember life eternal; look up, and see Him Who reigns in heaven; they are not taking thy life away, but changing it into a better."

Christ told us to ask and we will receive. His Mother also accepts this duty for us.

OUR LADY OF HOLY HOPE

10th Sunday after Pentecost

This Sunday is the 10th Sunday after Pentecost. Prepare to be humbled! From the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear the Pharisee bragging on just how much he gives to the temple, how much he prays, saying how much he is not like all those others. To me, he, just like so many in our world, have become legends in their own minds. Good luck with that. God will humble you in His own time, and, if you resist, will cast you into everlasting fire. Pure and simple as that.


Our Gospel, taken from St. Luke:

' At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others. Two men went up into the Temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this Publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess. And the Publican standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven, but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner. I say to you: this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.' (Luke XVIII. 9-14.)


Commenting on this passage from Scripture, Venerable Bede (St. Bede now), explains the mystery:

"The pharisee is the Jewish people, who boasts of the merits he has acquired to himself by observing the precepts of the law; the publican is the Gentile, who, being far off from God, confesses his sins. The pharisee, by reason of his pride, has to depart in humiliation; the publican, by lamenting his miseries, merits to draw nigh to God--that is, to be exalted. It is of these two people, and of every man who is proud or humble, that it is written: 'The heart of a man is exalted before destruction, and it is humbled before he be glorified."

Our beloved Abbot Gueranger speaks: 'Humility, which produces within us this salutary fear, is the virtue that makes man know his right place, with regard both to God and to his fellow men. It rests on the deep-rooted conviction, put into our hearts by grace, that God is everything, and that we, by nature, are nothingness, nay, less than nothingness, because we have degraded ourselves by sin. Reason is able, of herself alone, to convince anyone, who takes the trouble to reflect, of the nothingness of a creature; but such conviction, if it remain a mere theoretical conclusion, is not humility: it is a conviction which forces itself on the devil in hell, whose vexation at such a truth is the chief of his rage. As faith, which reveals to us what God is in the supernatural order, does not come from mere reason, nor remain confined to the intellect alone, so neither does humility, which teaches us what we ourselves are: that it may be true, real virtue, it must move our will also. At the same time that this Holy Spirit fills our souls with the knowledge of their littleness and misery, He also sweetly leads them to the acceptance and love of this truth, which reason, if left entirely to herself, would be tempted to look on as a disagreeable thought.'

The Abbot continues: '...humility is truth; and, as Jesus says: "The Truth shall make you free", by liberating us from the tyranny of the father of lies; and then, having made us free, it makes us holy; it sanctifies us by uniting us to God, Who is living and substantial Truth.

There are men who, like satan, have done all in their power to throw themselves out of the orbit of the divine sun. Rather than acknowledge that they owe all they have to the Most High God, they would sink back into nothingness, if they could. To the heavenly treasures which the common Father opens out to all who own themselves to be His children, they prefer the pleasure of keeping to natural good things; for then, so they say, they owe what they ghetto their own cleverness and exertions. They are foolish men, not to understand that, do what they please, they owe everything they have to this their forgotten God. They are weak, sickly minds, mistaking these vapors of conceit in which their disordered brain finds delight for principles of which they may be proud. Their high-mindedness is but ignominy; their independence leads but to slavery; for, though they refuse to have God as their Father, they must of necessity have God as their Master; and thus, not being His children, they must be His slaves. As slaves, they keep to the vile food, which they themselves preferred to the pure delights wherewith Wisdom inebriates them that follow her. As slaves, they have acquired the right to the scourge and the fetter. They chose to be satisfied with what they had, and would have neither the throne that was prepared for them, nor the nuptial robe; let them, if they will, prefer their prison, and there deck themselves in the finery which moths will soon be making their food! But, during these short years of theirs, they are branding their bodies with a deeper slavery than ever red-hot iron stamped on vilest bondsmen. All this happens because, with all the empty philosophy which was their boast, they would not listen to the Christian teaching that greatness consists in the Truth, and that humility alone leads to it...

In heaven the humility of the saints is far greater than it was while they were here on earth, because they now see the realities, which then they could only faintly perceive. Their happiness, yonder above, is to be grazing on and adoring that altitude of God, of which they will never have an adequate knowledge, and the more they look up at that infinite perfection, the deeper do they plunge into their own nothingness. Let us get these great Truths well into us, and we shall have no difficulty in understanding how it was that the greatest saints were the humblest creatures here below, and how the same beautiful fact is still one great charm in heaven...'




Some thoughts:

Why did Christ make use of' this parable of the Pharisee and the Publican?

To teach us never proudly to condemn or despise a man, even though he should appear impious, for we may be deceived like the Pharisee who despised the Publican, whom he considered a great sinner, while, in reality, the man was justified before God on account of his repentant spirit.

What should we do before entering a Church?

We should reflect that we are going into the house of God, should therefore think what we are about to say to Him, and what we wish to ask of Him. That we may make ourselves less unworthy to be heard, we should humble ourselves as did Abraham, remembering that we are dust and ashes, and on account of our sins unworthy to appear before the eyes of God, much less to address Him , for He listens to the prayers of the humble only, (Ps. CI, 18.) and gives them His grace, while He resists the proud. (James IV. 6.)


Was the Pharisee's prayer acceptable to God?

No, for it was no prayer, but boasting and ostentation; he praised himself, and enumerated his apparent good works. But in despising others and judging them rashly he sinned grievously instead of meriting God's grace.

Was the Publican's prayer acceptable to God?

Yes, for though short, it was humble and contrite. He stood afar off, as if to acknowledge himself unworthy of the presence of God and intercourse with men. He stood with downcast eyes, thus showing that he considered himself because of his sins unworthy to look towards heaven, even confessed himself a sinner, and struck his breast to punish, as St. Augustine says, the sins which he had committed in his heart: This is why we strike our breast at certain times during Mass, for by this we acknowledge ourselves miserable sinners, and that we are sorry for our sins.

ON PRIDE AND VAIN GLORY

We should learn from this gospel that God looks upon the humble and exalts them, but is far from the proud. (Ps. CXXXVII. The Pharisee went to the temple entirely wrapped up in himself, and the good works which he thought he had performed, but returned empty and hated by God; the Publican, on the contrary, appearing before God as a public but penitent sinner, returned justified. Truly, a humble sinner is better in the sight of God than a proud just man!

He who glories in his own good works, or performs them to please men, or to win their praise, loses his merit in the eyes of the most High, for Christ says: Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven. (Matt. VI. 1.)

In order that we may learn to despise vain glory, these doctrines should be well borne in mind. The ambitious man avariciously seeking glory and honor will find, when dying, that the merit which he might have had for his good works, is now lost to him, because he did not labor for the honor of God. To prevent such an evil, strive at the commencement of every good work which you undertake, to turn your heart to God by a good intention.

But that you may plainly recognize this vice, which generally keeps itself concealed, and that you may avoid it, know that pride is an inordinate love of ostentation, and an immoderate desire to surpass others in honor and praise. The proud man goes beyond himself, so to speak, makes far more of himself than he really is, and, like the Pharisee, despises others; the humble man, on the contrary, has a low estimate of himself, looks upon himself as nothing and, like the Publican, despises no one but himself, and thus is pleasing in the sight of God. (DON'T BE A LEGEND IN YOUR MIND! Remember; 'Blessed are the meek.')

ASPIRATION O God, who hears the prayers of the humble, but resists the proud, I earnestly beseech Thee to give me an humble heart, that I may imitate, the humility of Thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and thereby merit to be exalted with Him in heaven.

Our Offertory for this Sunday pretty much says it all:

To Thee, O Lord, have I raised up my soul: my God, I put my trust in Thee, let me not be put to shame: neither let mine enemies scoff at me: for none that rely on Thee shall ever be confounded.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart; make my heart like unto Thine.

Grandpa of Jesus--Joachim

Today, Saturday the 16th of August, is the day in which we honor the grandfather of Jesus, the father of Mary, Joachim. He is to be revered by us, just as his wife, Anne, is. This feast day has pretty much always been observed, in one way or another. However, in 1879, Pope Leo XIII, who had received the name of Joachim in baptism, raised both the feast of his glorious patron and that of St. Anne to the rank of doubles of the second class. The following is an extract from the decree 'Urbi et Orbi', announcing this decision with regard to the said feast: "Ecclesiasticus teaches us that we ought to praise our fathers in their generation; what great honor and veneration ought we then to render to St. Joachim and St. Anne, who begot the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and are on that account more glorious than all others."

St. John Damascene says: "By your fruits are you known; you have given birth to a daughter who is greater than the angels and has become their Queen."

The Abbot Gueranger adds: 'Now since, through the divine mercy, in our unhappy times the honor and worship paid to the Blessed Virgin is increasing in proportion to the increasing needs of the Christian people, it is only right that the new glory which surrounds their blessed daughter should redound upon her happy parents. May this increase of devotion towards them cause the Church to experience still more their powerful protection.'

Tradition says that Joachim divided his income into three parts: the first for the temple, the second for the poor, and the third for his family.

MOTHER OF GOD: Such is the title which exalts Mary above all creatures; but Joachim, too, is ennobled by it; he alone can be called, for all eternity, Grandfather of Jesus. In heaven, even more than on earth, nobility and power go hand in hand. Let us, then, with the Church, become humble clients of one so great.

Joachim's wealth, like that of the first patriarchs, consisted chiefly in flocks and herds. The holy use he made of it drew down God's blessing upon it. But the greatest of all his desires heaven seemed to refuse him. His holy spouse Anne was barren (a curse among Jews). Amongst all the daughters of Israel expecting the Messias, there was no hope for her. One day the victims Joachim presented in the Temple were contemptuously rejected. Those were not the gifts the Lord of the Temple desired of him; later on, instead of lambs from his pastures, he was to present the mother of the Lamb of God, and His offering would not be rejected.

This day, however, he was filled with sorrow and fled away without returning to his wife. He hastened to the mountains where his flocks were at pasture; and living in a tent, he fasted continually, for he said: "I will take no food till the Lord my God look mercifully upon me; prayer shall be my nourishment."

Meanwhile Anne was mourning her widowhood and barrenness. She prayed in her garden as Joachim was praying on the mountain. Their prayers ascended at the same to the Most High, and He granted them their request. An angel of the Lord appeared to each of them and bade them meet at the Golden Gate; and soon Anne could say: "Now I now that the Lord hath greatly blessed me. for I was a widow and I am one no longer, and I was barren, and lo! I have conceived!"

The descendents of Joachim shall be mighty and blessed in heaven and upon earth. May he deign to exert his influence with his all-holy daughter, and with his grandson Jesus, for our salvation.

St. Epiphanius shall have the last word: "Joachim, Anne, and Mary; what a sacrifice of praise was offered to the Blessed Trinity by this earthly trinity!"

May their united intercession obtain for us the full effect of the sacrifice which is being prepared upon the altar in honour of the head of this noble family.

ASSUMPTION OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER

Assumption of Our Blessed Mother
Today is the Feast Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, when she was taken, body and soul, into heaven. It only makes sense that Mary should have her virginal, immaculate body, taken back into heaven where she belongs. She is our model, our help, and our hope in these times. She even helps us when we fail and fall short in doing what we are supposed to do. So, not only is she blessed, but we are too for having her as our mother!


I'm going to, as I do a lot, let the Abbot Gueranger, explain it as no one does. He was instrumental in writing the thesis beforehand in 1854, when Pope Pius IX proclaimed the great Assumption we have been given to think about. The Abbot was also present during the First Vatican Council, when the proclamation of the primacy of Peter and his infallibility was in question. He is truly a saint, if you ask me. Anyway, here is the writing for the Assumption:


The Ancient Coptic Rite Icon of the Assumption states: "Today the Virgin Mary ascended to Heaven; rejoice, for She reigns with Christ forever." The Church will close Her chants on this glorious day with this sweet antiphon, which resumes the object of the Feast and the spirit in which it should be celebrated.

No other solemnity breathes, like this one, at once triumph and peace; none better answers to the enthusiasm of the many and the serenity of souls consummated in love. Assuredly that was as great a triumph when Our Lord, rising by His own power from the tomb, cast Hell into dismay; but to our souls, so abruptly drawn from the abyss of sorrows on Golgotha, the suddenness of the victory caused a sort of stupor to mingle with the joy of that greatest of days. In presence of the prostrate angels, the hesitating apostles, the women seized with fear and trembling, one felt that the divine isolation of the Conqueror of death was perceptible even to His most intimate friends, and kept them, like Magdalene, at a distance.

Mary's death, however, leaves no impression but peace; that death had no other cause than love. Being a mere creature, She could not deliver Herself from that claim of the old enemy; but leaving Her tomb filled with flowers; She mounts up to Heaven, flowing with delights, leaning upon Her Beloved (Cant. 8: 5). Amid the acclamations of the daughters of Sion, who will henceforth never cease to call Her Blessed, She ascends surrounded by choirs of heavenly spirits joyfully praising the Son of God. Never more will shadows veil, as they did on earth, the glory of the most beautiful daughter of Eve. Beyond the immovable Thrones, beyond the dazzling Cherubim, beyond the flaming Seraphim, onward She passes, delighting the heavenly city with Her sweet perfumes. She stays not till She reaches the very confines of the Divinity; close to the throne of honor where Her Son, the King of ages, reigns in justice and in power; there She is proclaimed Queen, there She will reign for evermore in mercy and in goodness.

Among the feasts of saints, this is the solemnity of solemnities. "Let the mind of man," says St. Peter Damian, "be occupied in declaring Her magnificence; let his speech reflect Her majesty. May the Sovereign of the world deign to accept the goodwill of our lips, to aid our insufficiency, to illumine with her own light the sublimity of this day."

It is no new thing, then, that Mary's triumph fills the hearts of Christians with enthusiasm. If certain ancient calendars give to this Feast the title of Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we cannot thence conclude that in those times the Feast had no other object than Mary's holy death; the Greeks, from whom we have the expression, have always included in the solemnity the glorious triumph that followed Her death.

Some authors think that the Assumption has been kept from apostolic times; but the primitive liturgical documents are silent about it. The hesitation as to the date of its celebration, and the liberty so long allowed with regard to it, seem to point to the spontaneous initiative of divers Churches, owing to some fact attracting attention to the mystery or throwing some light upon it. Of this nature we may reckon the account everywhere spread abroad about the year 451, in which Juvenal of Jerusalem related to the Empress St. Pulcheria and her husband Marcian the history of the tomb which the Apostles had prepared for Our Lady at the foot of Mount Olivet, and which was found empty of its precious deposit. The following words of St. Andrew of Crete in the 7th century show how the solemnity of the Assumption gained ground in consequence of such circumstances. The Saint was born at Damascus, became a monk at Jerusalem, was afterwards Deacon at Constantinople, and lastly Bishop of the celebrated island from which he takes his name; no one then could speak for the East with better authority. "The present solemnity," he says, "is full of mystery, having for its object to celebrate the day whereon the Mother of God fell asleep; this solemnity is too elevated for any discourse to reach; by some this mystery has not always been celebrated, but now all love and honor it. Silence long preceded speech, but now love divulges the secret. The gift of God must be manifested, not buried; we must show it forth, not as recently discovered, but as having recovered its splendor. Some of those who lived before us knew it but imperfectly; that is no reason for always keeping silence about it; it has not become altogether obscured; let us proclaim it and keep a feast. Today let the inhabitants of Heaven and earth be united, let the joy of Angels and men be one, let every tongue exult and sing "Hail" to the Mother of God."

In 1870 an earnest desire was expressed to have the doctrine of Mary's Assumption defined as a dogma of faith; however, due to the Italian civil war, the Vatican Council was suspended too soon to complete our Lady's crown. This was accomplished in 1950, by His Holiness, Pope Pius XII.


Also, I would like to add something which was read in the 'City of God' by Venerable Mary of Agreda,that when Mary died, it was on a Friday at 3pm, like her Son. Her Assumption, again like her son, was on the following Sunday. She copied Him even unto death. Also, the Apostles, who were dispersed throughout the world, were transported by angels to be at her side. The Apostles loved her, so what's wrong with protestants?

Holy Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us.

Also, think about all of the souls who will be delivered on this day by our Blessed Mother! Maybe someone we know will be among these blessed souls.

ASSUMPTION PART II

The following is rather long, but it bears reading to help get a better understanding of this great Dogma:

The Assumption: 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother, body and soul, into heaven.


"For which reason, after we have poured forth prayers of supplication again and again to God, and have invoked the light of the Spirit of Truth, for the glory of Almighty God who has lavished his special affection upon the Virgin Mary, for the honor of her son, the immortal King of Ages and the Victor over sin and death, for the increase of the glory of that same august Mother, and for the joy and exultation of the entire Church; by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory." (Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus (§44), Nov. 1, 1950)

On November 1st in the Jubilee Year 1950, the Mother of God was given further honor by the proclamation of the dogma of the Assumption by Pope Pius XII. Nearly one hundred years earlier (1854), Pope Pius IX had proclaimed her to be conceived immaculate.

The dogma of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Mary is an honor resembling a great star illuminating the "sea" of the 20th century, just as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was for the 19th. The dogmatic definition of the Assumption adds another crown to the Holy Virgin and constitutes another motive which strengthens devotion towards her. The dogma proclaiming that the body and soul of the Mother of God was taken into heaven constitutes a truth revealed by God which had been accepted by the Christian people since the early centuries of the Catholic Church. This dogma represents one of the many appeals of our Lady to her children so that they don't fall into the grasp of her eternal enemy who is trying until the end of the world to infiltrate his evil designs and sink the bark of Peter. The devil calls on his allies to achieve his aims.

It is very important to bear in mind that Marian devotion constitutes a mother's help to protect her children. In addition, the fundamental plan of Divine Providence for the eternal salvation of humanity includes devotion to Mary. Soon after the sin of Adam and Eve, God promised the Redeemer (the new Adam) to come through our Lady (the new Eve) in His address to the devil:

And the Lord God said to the serpent: "Because thou hast done this thing,... I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." (Gen. 3:14, 15)

This magnificent sentence is like a 'milestone' and 'compass' in the history of the Christian religion and Mariology. This extract from Genesis shows clearly the important role of the Virgin Mary in the plan of Redemption for humanity in such a way that one cannot think of the Redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ without thinking of the role of our Lady. Cardinal Billot referred to this prophecy and explained the role of our Lady by saying:

"In the plan of reparation the Virgin Mary occupies the same place of Eve in the order of the Fall: in other words, the prophesy of Genesis teaches us that the whole work of Redemption constitutes a sort of victory over the devil and all that Satan had planned to make us fall. God turned the tables in order to achieve our salvation: in addition to the new Adam who is Christ, there had to be a new Eve who is Mary and who had to be indivisibly united to Him, in order to upset the devil's plans."

Our Lady's title as Help of Christians (Auxilium Christianorum) constitutes an excellent image of the role of our Lady as the one who helps Christians against the designs of the serpent. St. Don Bosco claims:

According to the documentary evidence about the life of Mary we can appreciate the zeal which she shows towards the salvation of the world and the increase in the glory of the Holy Church throughout the ages. She directed and counselled the Apostles and the disciples; she encouraged one and all to maintain the Faith and to keep and maintain grace.... However the most holy Mary started to truly help Christians following her glorious Assumption.

The role of Mary as a Helper of Christians has been demonstrated throughout the ages following her Assumption, however our Lady appears to have wanted to intervene more strongly when the Church was being attacked in regard to the truth of the Faith and to defend the Church from the arms of the enemy.

There were a number of Marian interventions in support of the Church and these include the victory against the Turks at Lepanto (1571) during the reign of Pope Pius V, the liberation of Vienna from the Moslems (1683) during the time of Innocent XI, and the liberation of Pius VII from Napoleonic imprisonment (May 24, 1814). This last event inspired the proclamation of the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians held each year on May 24, the anniversary of the freeing of the pope.

The dogma of the Assumption forms part of this Divine plan, which envisages that our Lady should not only be the Victoress over errors and heresies inspired by the devil but also the source of maternal help to her spiritual children during times of danger.

Dogmatic proclamations regarding our Lady, just as her apparitions at Lourdes, France, and Fatima, Portugal, have coincided with periods when the Church was in danger. In 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception to counteract those who denied the supernatural. Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of Our Lady to encourage mankind to concentrate on heavenly things rather than earthly matters. He used the dogma of the Assumption to combat materialism in all forms and communism in particular.

On account of the modernist thinking and the resulting "opening" to the world, Marian dogma along with other Church dogma is now perceived as an imposition upon the freedom of Catholic consciences and a non-ecumenical "push" which distances the "separated brethren-—Protestants and the Orthodox—from "Church unity." According to this ecumenical vision, dogma becomes an exaggeration which hinders dialogue with those others who don't believe. The new orientation of tolerance towards error means that our Lady is no longer the one who crushes the head of the serpent, but, on the contrary, the one who enters into a dialogue with the devil. (Is she Eve or a New Eve?!) The most blessed Mary is no longer the helper who helps her children, but the "gentle peacemaker" who opens the door to the enemy! This is an effectual denial of the motherly guide given us by Divine Providence who deigned that Mary be the Victoress over the devil to defend her children from the enemies of the Catholic Faith.

Isn't it true that since the Second Vatican Council, the hierarchy of the Church has been practically penetrated by this new Mariology? Couldn't the Second Vatican Council have offered the opportunity to make us understand our Lady better, perhaps dogmatically defining her privileges further for us? What did it do? Is it true that dogmas are walls which bring about division? Is it true that if we "exaggerate" the privileges of the New Eve we are in danger of hiding the role of our "only Mediator," our Lord Jesus Christ, and force our "separated brethren" away from the Church"? Before we answer these questions, let us consider what is a dogma and how the dogmatic definition of our Lady's assumption was achieved.
A blessing from Heaven

A dogma is a truth directly proposed by the infallible Magisterium of the Church for our belief as an article of divine revelation. The dogma only makes explicit that which is contained in the deposit of the Faith. The deposit of the Faith closed with the death of the last surviving Apostle.

When the Church acts in this way, the Church is following the internal law of its doctrinal development. This doctrine is inspired and guided by the Holy Ghost in order to feed and guide the "flock" of the Church towards the "eternal pastures." According to the First Vatican Council, the role of the Pontifical Magisterium is to guard, explain, and pass on the deposit of Divine Revelation.

When the Holy Church proclaims a dogma like the one on the Assumption, the Church is making explicit that which Christians, preserving the deposit of revelation by faith, had always believed implicitly. This means the early Christians, who believed in the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, also believed implicitly (but objectively) in the dogma of the Assumption despite the fact that they didn't know it explicitly. All Catholics had an explicit faith (personally, subjectively) once the dogma of the Assumption was proclaimed on November 1, 1950, in St. Peter's.

Both the early Christians and those in 1950 have the same faith, but the faith of the faithful of 1950 was enriched by the infallible "explicitation" of the Roman Pontiff. When Pope Pius XII proclaimed this dogma, he strengthened the Faith objectively and increased the true devotion towards our Lady. In addition, the Pope's proclamation also moved the Catholics to hold this truth, contained in the deposit of the Faith, as if God himself had spoken—a true blessing from heaven!
The history of the belief in Our Lady's Assumption

How did this "explicitation" come about?

In the first four centuries the truth regarding the corporal Assumption was not taught explicitly, but it was certainly presented in an implicit way. From the 5th to the 13th centuries, there is plenty of evidence which is explicit. Towards the end of the 7th century and the beginning of the 8th, the Church Fathers held a certain and explicit belief in the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. In the West, Pope Sergius I (687-701) ruled that the Feast of the Dormition of Mary (the Sleep of Mary) had to start with a solemn procession. A like rule also applied to the feasts of the Annunciation, Nativity, and Purification. Since the 13th century the bodily assumption of our Lady was considered as certain fact and the denial of this truth was considered 'temerarious.'

The request for a dogmatic definition of the Assumption began in earnest in the middle of the 17th century. In 1849, Cardinal Sterk, Archbishop of Malines, Belgium, and Bishop Sanchez of Osman, Spain, inquired Rome for dogmatic definitions both for the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption.

In 1863, Queen Isabella II of Spain (1833-68), moved by [St.] Anthony Marie Claret, asked Pope Pius IX to publish as dogma the mystery of the Assumption. At the time, His Holiness was absorbed by the mystery of the Immaculate Conception, the definition of which he thought was not timely, though he replied that he was certain there could be a possible definition of the Assumption at a future date. Pope Pius IX answered the letter of the Queen Isabella (Feb. 13, 1864):

"There is no doubt that the manner in which the faithful believe in the Assumption stems from the dogma of the Immaculate Conception; however, all things will come about in due course, and I don't consider myself worthy to publish as a dogma this second mystery. A time will come when the holy wishes of your Royal Highness will be fulfilled. In the meantime, one should continue to pray."

The advancement of the issue of the mystery of the Assumption was interrupted by Vatican Council I (Oct. 1870). A preparatory commission of 204 bishops and theologians had asked for the definition of the dogma. According to the designs of Divine Providence, however, the time would be later for this truth to come to fruition.

Historians of the Assumption claim that following the letter of Pope Pius IX of 1864, a true movement regarding the Assumption gained momentum which culminated in the proclamation of the dogma in 1950. This movement can be divided into three stages:

Years 1863-1900; 1900-20; 1921-50.

The first period was rather uneventful. The second, following a good start, suffered a reversal between 1902 and 1906 due to the hostility to the definition of the modernists who were very active at the time. In 1917, however, the bishops of the ancient Austrian Empire, representing 24 million Catholics, presented a collective petition on behalf of the dogmatic definition.

During the third period and especially during the reign of Pope Pius XI, the movement regarding the Assumption became very strong and spread throughout the whole world through various international committees. Among the outstanding various activities was the Plebescite (1929-37), based in Verona, Italy, which collected a large number of signatures of religious and faithful. The organizers confidently affirmed that "the event has become one of the Faith's most important affirmations regarding Mary."

The encyclical Mystici Corporis of Pope Pius XII (1943) explicitly mentions the corporal and spiritual assumption of our Lady. Immediately after World War II, two large volumes containing the "petitions" supportive of the dogma were published. The movement in favor of the Assumption of Our Lady was soon to reach its climax, the event which on its eve Pope Pius XII claimed would be 'an occasion of great joy.'

The long-anticipated dogma was solemnly declared in the bull 'Munificentissimus Deus', (Nov. 1, 1950), marking a memorable date in the history of the Church. The Catholic world had not witnessed such a joyful event since 1870 when the First Vatican Council had declared the dogma of papal infallibility.

Is this dogma an exaggeration?

This great dogma of the Catholic Church is called an exaggeration by some because, they say, it only increases division and hinders 'full unity.' This is an anti-dogma mentality which is Protestant, modernistic and Masonic (daughters of the same Protestantism). This mentality intends to claim a certain perfection of human morality, a denial in practice of the important link between the dogma and the same morality.

Attacks by those of protestant and liberal mentalities, attacks against the divine tradition of the Church, reared their heads against the proclamation of the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and papal infallibility.

Martin Luther claimed that the celebration of Our Lady's assumption must be suppressed because it was a 'popish' invention, led to idolatry, had no basis in Sacred Scripture, and was an insult to Christ. Another opponent was Anglican bishop K. N. Ross of All Saints in London, who in anticipation of the proclamation of the dogma called the belief "the most surprising example of the indifference of the Roman Catholics in the face of the historical evidence," and "an illusion of devotion for the faithful in the Holy Year."

By 1950, modernist and neo-modernist thought was strong within the Church. As a result of protestant attacks, many mid-century faithful regarded the event as an obstacle to the return of "separated brethren" to the Church. Cardinal Pizzardo referred to this problem during the International Marian Congress held in 1950 (Oct. 23-28):

"These attacks may offer sincere Protestants the opportunity to return if they were to reflect within themselves:

The Pope, acknowledged by the whole world as being a ruler, brings out to light, we can say, from the deposit of the Faith which he must guard, a new dogma. This event comes about at a time when dangerous currents are seeking to weaken this dogma. Through the sign of imposing this dogma upon 400 million Catholics, the sovereign Pontiff is solemnly affirming that he is the successor of Peter, is infallible, an heir to that promise of Divine Assistance which Christ made to Peter and his successors."

A Protestant will have to ask himself:

"Could Pope Pius XII, whom we all acknowledge possesses exceptional qualities of rectitude, sincerity, spiritual nobility, of justice, of charity and sacrifice, be completely wrong? Can we honestly say that he committed a grave error? Could it be that we are in the wrong? Perhaps it would be wise to revise our attitude in regard to the Catholic Church?

We, devout children of Mary and who are happy to possess the truth and to witness the glorification of our Mother, we ask her solemnly on this day to remember our separated brothers so that they may re-enter the family whose Mother and Queen is Mary."

The gist of Cardinal Pizzardo's speech shows us what should be the Catholic attitude in the face of the attacks of the enemy against the dogma. In any case, we should not feel obliged to ask them pardon! Cardinal Pizzardo has shown that the affirmation of dogma which the Pope is duty-bound to guard, does not constitute a 'barrier.' On the contrary, it should be an additional motive for those non-Catholics seriously seeking unity without delusion.

According to his dogmatic bull, Pope Pius XII notes the motives of the importance of the definition:

We... are confident that this solemn proclamation and definition of the Assumption will contribute in no small say to the advantage of human society, since it redounds to the glory of the Most Blessed Trinity, to which the Blessed Mother of God is bound by such singular bonds. It is to be hoped that all the faithful will be stirred up to a stronger piety toward their heavenly Mother, and that the soul of all those who glory in the Christian name may be moved by the desire of their love for her who shows her motherly heart to all members of this august body. And so we may hope that those who meditate upon the glorious example Mary offers us may be more and more convinced of the value of a human life entirely devoted to carrying out the heavenly Father's will and to bringing good to others. Thus, while the illusory teachings of materialism and the corruption of morals that follows from these teachings threaten to extinguish the light of virtue and to ruin the lives of men by exciting discord among them, in this magnificent way all may see clearly to what a lofty goal our bodies and souls are destined. Finally it is our hope that belief in Mary's bodily Assumption into heaven will make our belief in our own resurrection stronger and render it more effective.

We rejoice greatly that this solemn event falls, according to the design of God's providence, during the Holy Year, so that we are able, while the great Jubilee is being observed, to adorn the brow of God's Virgin Mother with this brilliant gem, and to leave a monument more enduring than bronze of our own most fervent love for the Mother of God." [Munificentissimus Deus, §§42-43]

The reasons moving Pope Pius XII to define this dogma are not ecumenical nor naturist, but 'supernatural'. In this way, Pius XII was a sovereign who steered the "boat of Peter" towards the supernatural "harbor" of heaven. Pope Pius XII, a most holy Father, was only educating his children of the Catholic Church in order to guide them more firmly towards those things which belong to heaven, and distracting them from the things of this world. Furthermore, the pope, the Vicar of Christ, was following the command of supernatural charity (God is Charity) which looks firstly towards the glory of God and the salvation of the souls within the Church—the duty of the shepherd—and finally the salvation of those who are outside the true Church.

Pope Pius XII proved that, in fact, he was genuinely ecumenical by attempting to draw towards the Truth the separated brethren by displaying his supernatural convictions, as a loving father towards his wayward children. He rejected the kind of compromise responsible for making not only the separated brethren distance themselves from the Church, but also her very children.

Is the dogma of the Assumption a first step or an arrival point?

The Catholic Church's historical progress from the dogma of the Immaculate Conception to the Assumption has led to a Marian development which has been marked by a true "wave of devotion" on the part of the faithful. Pope Pius XII said in Lent (Mar. 10, 1948):

The most important sign of our times is the ever growing manifestation of the confidence and filial love which leads souls to the most pure and immaculate Virgin Mary. This manifestation is truly magnificent.

If one accepts the historical fact of the parallel progress of dogma and devotion, the following question comes to mind. Has the ever increasing enthusiasm towards our Lady, especially since 1950, been supported by an equally increasing enthusiasm to dogmatize truths about the Virgin Mary? In his speech at the International Marian Congress already excerpted, Cardinal Pizzardo understood the dogma of the Assumption to be simultaneously a point of arrival and a point of departure. He understood it as an arrival point for the preceding two dogmatic declarations regarding our Lady's Divine Maternity (Council of Ephesus, 431) and the Immaculate Conception (Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854). However, he also said that the definition of the Assumption would "mark a point of departure," the beginning of a new process of more intense clarification which will allow a more clear and profound understanding of the unspeakable mysteries of Mary which Pius IX described in Ineffabilis Deus as "the peak of all the miracles." Has this process of a more intense understanding come about? Did the Second Vatican Council support further dogmatic clarifications regarding Our Lady? Specifically, did it support a dogmatic definition of Mary as "Mediatrix of All Graces," the next logical step after the dogma of the Assumption? The answer is clearly no. The Council did not want to dogmatically define the title of our Lady as "Mediatrix of All Graces" because in so doing it would have opposed the new ecumenical trend which seeks human agreement with religious separatists, which necessarily excludes dogmatic definitions.

Relative to these facts, 1950 represented an arrival point rather than the first step leading to further dogmatic progress envisioned so hopefully by Cardinal Pizzardo.
He who doesn't move forward will inevitably move backward.

Dogmatic development is part and parcel of the same nature of the Church herself which, having been guided by the Holy Ghost, is called on to make clear His heavenly doctrine in order to pass it on to the faithful. Given this point, it is disobedience to the law of the nature of the Mystical Body of Christ to put a false brake upon genuine doctrinal development. Such disobedience fosters the same anarchy and disorder which results from any form of disobedience against the law.

That Vatican II put a brake on this process of dogmatization on account of ecumenism is to follow Eve's path of disobedience and to fall into the paradox of promoting Mariology without following its laws. Rather than Mariology, we should call it "Eve-ology!"

The liberal wing of Vatican Council II succeeded in bringing about a false notion of the importance of Holy Scripture, putting aside Tradition and the Magisterium as guides for dogmatic development of Mariology and the other theological sciences. Having removed the "leaven" of the Church's Magisterium guided by the Holy Ghost, the "pasta" of her doctrine ceases to develop and gradually dries out. The objective behind this shift was to concentrate on expressions closer to the sources and thereby more ecumenical in order to form a basis which is equally valid for Catholics and all the others. In this context, the traditional Magisterium of the Church, with which not only our separated brothers but also the ecumenical hierarchy are uncomfortable, would constitute an obstacle to a common agreement.

Pius XII, faced with the real danger of emancipation of the role of Tradition and the Magisterium, laid down things clearly in his encyclical Humani Generis:

In theology some want to reduce to a minimum the meaning of dogmas; and to free dogma itself from terminology long established in the Church and from philosophical concepts held by Catholic teachers, to bring about a return in the explanation of Catholic doctrine to the way of speaking used in Holy Scripture and by the Fathers of the Church. They cherish the hope that when dogma is stripped of the elements which they hold to be extrinsic to divine revelation it will compare advantageously with the dogmatic opinions of those who are separated from the unity of the Church and that in this way they will gradually arrive at a mutual assimilation of Catholic dogma with the tenets of the dissidents."

Is the Mary Assumed into Heaven a 'Mediatrix' or a 'Conciliatrix?'
For all those happy to be considered Catholics, the dogma of the Assumption is a true blessing from heaven:

"On this day of great joy and this opening of heaven, there must have been not only a showering upon souls of a wave of angelic happiness in harmony with those of all the Church Militant, but also a deluge of graces and teachings which stimulate an efficacious renewal of holiness." (Pope Pius XII's papal speech, Nov. 1, 1950)

Exactly what kind of insanity afflicted the Second Vatican Council? At the root, we should ask, "Why did they want to change direction when everything was going well? If it worked, why fix it?" A community which changes the things which are going fine is insane! However, this is exactly what the Vatican II did.

Indeed, even the First Vatican Council was on the verge of seconding the movement in favor of our Lady as 'Mediatrix of All Graces.' This further deepening of the theological understanding of the Blessed Virgin Mary would have crowned devotion to her universal mediation. A number of popes have presented clear teaching about the matter. This teaching has been reflected in the work of the bishops in their various provincial councils. Cardinal Mercier sent a letter to more than 450 bishops about the matter. Cardinal Mercier established a special commission to study and promote the eventual definition of the dogma of "Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces." This commission was established following the end of World War I.

Fr. Merkelbach, an eminent member of this commission, based his arguments for the definition of a new dogma on the "New Eve" of the Genesis account. As early as 1921, he claimed that the universal mediation of the Blessed Virgin Mary could be defined as a dogma of the Faith.[9] In the same year, Pope Benedict XV gave his assent to the introduction of a liturgical feast of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces. The 1942 decree of the Sacred Congregation of the Rites for the canonization of St. Louis de Montfort was in part a confirmation of the existence of the doctrine of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, not only in the tradition of the Church but also in the unanimous acceptance of theologians. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, many Church fathers had asked if a definition would be forthcoming.

At the Council itself, however, our Lady was put aside.

Instead of preparing an individual schema on the dogma as first envisioned by the Council preparatory commission, only a single chapter (two paragraphs long) at the end of the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium was finally published. It was titled, 'Mary, Sign of True Hope and Comfort for the People of God.' On the basis of these paragraphs, the ecumenical spirit which impregnated the Conciliar Mariology is evident:

In the meantime, the Mother of Jesus in the glory which she possesses in body and soul in heaven is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise she shines forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come (cf. II Pet. 3:10), a sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim People of God.

It gives great joy and comfort to this sacred synod that among the separated brethren too there are those who give due honor to the Mother of Our Lord and Savior, especially among the Easterns, who with devout mind and fervent impulse give honor to the Mother of God, ever virgin. The entire body of the faithful pours forth urgent supplications to the Mother of God and of men that she, who aided the beginnings of the Church by her prayers, may now, exalted as she is above all angels and saints, intercede before her Son in the fellowship of all the saints, until all families of people, whether they are honored by the title of Christian or whether they still do not know the Savior, may be happily gathered together to peace and harmony into one People of God, for the glory of the most Holy and Undivided Trinity." (Lumen Gentium, §§68-69)

A deliberate effort is made in the Conciliar Mariology to avoid mentioning anything of the errors—or anything leading to the errors—of religious separatists and all others regarding the Church's true teaching on Mary. In other words, a new Marian spirit, made official at the Council, was designed to achieve a false reconciliation with the separated brethren by establishing a minimal common ground. This common ground would be a defense of the essential facts only, and would be an opportunity for understanding amongst the various schools without exaggerations or the creation of "needless" divisions. This was an attempt to "humanize" our Lady in such a way that she would no longer constitute an element of division as in the past. This mentality has brought about the elimination of one of the true treasures of the Church, that is, dogma itself.

The reductionist mentality of this 'new Mariology' attacks two main principles of traditional Catholic belief regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary. The 'new Mariology' has reversed these two principles to the point that it now holds that:

Our Lady should no longer oppose the enemy,

Our Lady should no longer be "too" exalted in her privileges. This is to say, in other words, we need to hide the devil, whom our Lady has under her foot, and to cover the halo that marks her as the one with a special place in the bosom of the Most Blessed Trinity.

On the basis of the first point, the new Marianists no longer want to consider our Lady assumed into heaven as the Auxilium Christianorum who defends the Church against the attacks of the enemies. This has been the constant teaching of the popes and saints. Instead, however, they regard our Lady assumed into heaven as a 'Conciliatrix' who seeks to find an understanding with her enemies in an ecumenical context. In the past, Mary was a sign of Catholic Truth to which there could be no indifference. In this sense, she divided mens hearts to be for or against her Son. Following Vatican II, however, the focus of the Catholic Church in regard to the other Christians and the world has shifted. Antagonism against the enemy is no longer mentioned because how we think about Mary has changed.

At the same time, new Marianists attack the famous Scripture reference (Gen. 3:15), that is the cornerstone of the Mariological tradition. L'Osservatore Romano (Jan. 25, 1996) reported that expounders of the new Mariology "agree that the action against the snake in the Biblical passage cannot be directly attributed to the Woman."

With regard to the second point that we shouldn't exaggerate the privileges of our Lady, the present pope [John Paul II] has said in effect, "Attributing to our Lady 'the maximum' cannot constitute the norm of Mariology" (L'Osservatore Romano, Jan. 4, 1996). L'Osservatore Romano also reported (Jan. 4, 1997) that Marian titles such as "Mediatrix" were considered an "ecumenical difficulty" by the Marian Congress that year in Czestochowa, Poland. In these two points we find a contradiction to the traditional teaching of the Church which regards Our Lady as the shield against all errors and the heavenly Queen who distributes all graces.

There is the common objection that if we honor the role of our heavenly Mother, we lower the role of our Lord Jesus Christ in regard to His role as "sole Mediator" and that Catholic teaching distances the majority of the separated brethren from the Catholic Church. We reply that, on the contrary, common sense tells us that the Son takes pleasure when He sees His Mother so honored. Further, traditional Catholic Mariology on the 'Mediatrix of All Graces' more intensely highlights the role of our Lord Jesus Christ in at least two ways:

The power of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is such that He not only brings about our salvation but also enlists others who cooperate in the work of our salvation. In the case of the Mother of God, this cooperation reaches the highest possible level for without her our Lord could not have taken flesh nor offered it for us.
The mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ who, in giving us graces, avails Himself of a number of means so that the divine is linked to us in a way which conforms to our nature, to our psychology, which He loves because we are the work of His hands, leads to our salvation and perfection.

Contrary to the claims of Luther and Calvin, the exaltation of our Lady as the 'Mediatrix of All Graces' will not dethrone Christ. On the contrary, it elevates and intensifies Catholic teaching on the role of the only Mediator and highlights His power and mercy. In so far as the separated brethren who are in good faith are concerned, it would only be another factor to bring them closer to the Truth or to become members of the Catholic Church.

Conclusion:

The 50th anniversary of the Assumption is a time to increase true devotion to our Lady and our hope of heaven, where we are all called to live in soul and body as the dogma itself confirms. This anniversary must call us to detach ourselves from the 'worldly spirit' in order to attach ourselves to a more fervent desire for heaven.

The worldly spirit is the spirit of the 'prince of this world,' the devil, while the Assumption is only about the spirit of heaven. St. Louis Grignon de Montfort said:

"God has never made and formed but one enmity; but it is an irreconcilable one, which shall endure and grow even to the end. It is between Mary, His worthy Mother, and the devil, between the children and the servants of the Blessed Virgin, and the children and tools of Lucifer. The most terrible of all the enemies which God has set up against the devil is His holy Mother Mary."

Catholic Mariology rests on the "Protogospel" of Genesis 3:15, which shows our Lady as the opposite of Eve. Pope Pius XII asserts in Munificentissimus Deus that the truth of the bodily assumption of Mary into the glory of heaven rests mainly on this passage of Sacred Scripture, as did Pope Pius IX in defining the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The climate of false peace fostered by the Second Vatican Council has diluted the substance of this foundational Scripture. It is true that our Lady does want peace, but not by means of compromise. In fact, the immaculate purity of the Assumption does not tolerate any type of "meddling" because that would be contrary to its own immaculate nature. Archbishop Lefebvre commented:

"Mary will keep us in the Catholic Faith. She is neither liberal, nor modernist, nor ecumenical. She is impervious to all errors and, with even greater reason, to heresies and apostasy."

If the Assumption, as we have said, is an appeal to distance ourselves from the spirit of the world, we must also renounce the 'spirit of compromise' which at first sight may appear just as attractive as the forbidden fruit to Eve. We are children of Mary and of the Church. We don't want to imitate Eve. We want to imitate our Blessed Mary and all her holy children who make up part of that seed which is a perennial enemy of the slaves of Satan, "the friends of the world."

Pope Pius X had the same understanding of things when recalling the fiftieth anniversary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception:

"Oh, how bitterly and fiercely is Jesus Christ now being persecuted, and the most holy religion which He founded! And how grave is the peril that threatens many of being drawn away by the errors that are afoot on all sides, to the abandonment of the faith! "Then let him who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall" (I Cor. 10:12). And let all, with humble prayer and entreaty, implore of God, through the intercession of Mary, that those who have abandoned the truth may repent.... True, even in the future the strife against the Church will never cease, "for there must be also heresies, that they also who are reproved may be made manifest among you" (I Cor. 11:19). But neither will the Virgin ever cease to succor us in our trials, however grave they be, and to carry on the fight fought by her since her conception, so that every day we may repeat: "Today the head of the serpent of old was crushed by her" (Office of the Immaculate Conception, 2nd Vespers, Magnificat). (Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum, §25).

The 50th anniversary of the dogma of the Assumption, seen from the point of view of the Catholic Magisterium, is an occasion of great joy for all the children of Mary. They have another proof of the maternal protection to help them attain, thanks to her maternal help, the heavenly state where she already reigns body and soul.

(If the Pope, along with all of the Bishops of the world would do exactly what Our Lady asked at Fatima in 1917, maybe we could have some normalcy in the world. There have been numerous 'consecrations' to Our Lady, but not one has been done just how she asked. She asked that the Holy Father, along with all the Bishops of the world, on the same day, consecrate the world to her Immaculate Heart, with a special mention of Russia.' This is what she asked, and Russia has never been named. Just think, if it had been named specifically, the uproar that would ensue. "How dare they?"


Regina in caelum assumpta, ora pro nobis!

R.I.P. ROBIN WILLIAMS

This week we lost one of the truly funny and witty personalities, Robin Williams. He will truly be missed. However, suicide is NOT the way to leave this earth. Only God knows this man's mind at the time of his death; maybe he can still get some mercy. We will pray for his soul. I feel sorry for him, by the way. He always seemed to have to be 'on' when with others. Always expected to humor whoever was near. The man he portrayed in 'Good Morning, Vietnam', Adrian Cronauer, said that Williams was always 'on' except when with his kids. In a way, this is sad. Anyway, I thought I'd leave off with some thoughts of his, concerning the state of affairs in America.

'You gotta love Robin Williams........ Even if he's nuts! Leave it to Robin Williams to come up with the perfect plan. What we need now is for our UN Ambassador, and all in Congress, to stand up and repeat this message.

Robin Williams' plan...(Hard to argue with this logic!)

'I see a lot of people yelling for peace but I have not heard of a plan for peace. So, here's one plan.'

1) 'The US, UK , CANADA and AUSTRALIA will apologize to the world for our 'interference' in their affairs, past & present. You know, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Tojo, Noriega, Milosevic, Hussein, and the rest of those 'good 'ole' boys', we will never 'interfere' again.

2) We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany , South Korea , the Middle East, and the Philippines . They don't want us there. We would station troops at our borders. No one allowed sneaking through holes in the fence.

3) All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave.. We'll give them a free trip home. After 90 days the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, regardless of whom or where they are from. They're illegal!!! France will welcome them.

4) All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit!!!! No one from a terrorist nation will be allowed in. If you don't like it there, change it yourself and don't hide here. Asylum would never be available to anyone. We don't need any more cab drivers or 7-11 cashiers.

5) No foreign 'students' over age 21. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get a 'D' and it's back home baby.

6) The US, UK , CANADA and AUSTRALIA will make a strong effort to become self-sufficient energy wise. This will include developing nonpolluting sources of energy but will require a temporary drilling of oil in the Alaskan wilderness. The caribou will have to cope for a while..

7) Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries $10 a barrel for their oil. If they don't like it, we go someplace else. They can go somewhere else to sell their production. (About a week of the wells filling up the storage sites would be enough.)

8) If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not 'interfere.' They can pray to Allah or whomever, for seeds, rain, cement or whatever they need. Besides most of what we give them is stolen or given to the army. The people who need it most get very little, if anything.

9) Ship the UN Headquarters to an isolated island someplace. We don't need the spies and fair weather friends here. Besides, the building would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens..

10) All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way, no one can call us 'Ugly Americans' any longer. The Language we speak is ENGLISH...learn it...or LEAVE. Now, isn't that a winner of a plan?

The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.' She's got a baseball bat and she's yelling, "you want a piece of me?"'

REST IN PEACE R.W.