5th Sunday after Pentecost

The Jews have killed Jesus, this is true; He was buried, but He has risen from the tomb as He said. After many weeks, He has now sent the Holy Ghost to teach the world of its sin, and hopefully to bring them to within the fold of Christ. However, they, for the most part, will reject His teachings, Him, and whosoever He has sent. While Jesus was still walking the earth, according to our beloved Abbot Gueranger; 'He never lost an opportunity of denouncing, and castigating those hypocritical scribes and Pharisees who took such pains to be ever cleaning the outside of the dish, but within were full of impurities, murder, and the like. the Divine Word, Who had come down from heaven to sanctify men in Truth, that is, in Himself, had to make this His first care: to restore what time had tarnished, to restore all the original brightness to the changeless principles of justice and right, which rest in Him as in their center. No sooner had He called disciples around Him, and chosen twelve out of their number as Apostles, than He began, with all possible solemnity, His Divine work of moral restoration. (Remember St. Pope Pius X, whose motto was to 'Restore all things in Christ? He tried. ) The passage from the Sermon on the Mount, which the Church has selected for the Gospel of this 5th Sunday, follows immediately after His declaring that He had come, not to find fault with, or to destroy, the Law, but to restore it to its true meaning, of which the scribes had misread (and mislead others). He had come that He might give it all in its fullness, which the very contemporaries of Moses were too hard to take in.'

EPISTLE for this Sunday; (I Peter III. 8-15.) Dearly beloved, Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble: not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this you are called; that you may inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him decline from evil, and do good: let him seek after peace, and, pursue it: because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their. prayers: but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil, things. And, who is he that can, hurt you, if you: be zealous of good? But if also you suffer any thing for, justice's sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled; but sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts. (Our current Holy Father, Francis, has recently said that quarreling is good for us; it leads to 'dialog'. What a PANTLOAD! St. Paul has also told us to avoid dissention within the fold repeatedly. I guess the current Papa knows better than St. Paul.???)

By practicing those virtues which Peter here recommends, and which he so exactly describes; for thereby we become true disciples of Christ, honor Him and edify others, who by our good example are led to admire Christianity, and to become His followers. Moreover, we thus render ourselves more worthy of God's grace and protection, so that if for justice' sake we are persecuted by, wicked men, we need not fear, because God is for us and will reward us with eternal happiness.

GOSPEL (Matt. V. 20-24.) At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:" Except your justice abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill: and whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. If therefore, thou bring thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath anything against thee, leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother: and then coming, thou shaft offer thy gift."

Thoughts: Is anger always sinful?

No, anger is sinful only when we wish or actually inflict some evil to the body, property, or honor of our neighbor; when we make use of such insulting and abusive words as injure his character, provoke and irritate him. If we become angry at the vices and crimes of others, when our office or the duties of our station demand that we watch over the conduct of those under our care, to punish and correct them, (as in the case of parents, teachers, and superiors) then anger is no sin. When one through pure love of God, becomes irritated at the sins and vices of his fellowmen, like King David, or if one urged to wrong, repels the tempter with indignation, this is even a holy anger. Thus St. Gregory Says; "It is to be understood that anger created by impatience is a very different thing from anger produced by a zeal for justice. The one is caused by vice, the other by virtue." He, then, who becomes angry for justice' sake, commits no sin, but his conduct is holy and praiseworthy, for even our Lord was angry at those who bought and sold in the temple, (John II. 15.) Paul at the magician Elymas, (Acts XIII. 8.) and Peter at the deceit of Ananias and Saphira. (Acts V. 3.) Anger, then, to be without sin, must proceed from true zeal for God's honor and the salvation of souls, by which we seek to prevent others from sin, and to make them better. Even in this respect, we must be careful to allow our anger no control over our reason, but to use it merely as a means of doing good, for we are often apt to take the sting of anger for holy zeal, when it is really nothing but egotism and ambition.

Remember what I have said in the past; of course copying Christ in a way, that by their fruits you shall know them. We hope and pray that one day, maybe in our lifetimes, will see beautiful fruit from the Tree of Life, Christ. This, of course, is after much pain and suffering. We are experiencing some bad fruit from our poor leaders. Our Blessed Mother said that there would be peace some day, but only after more people prayed the Rosary. I don't think it is so much about how many rosaries we pray each day, but rather how many people pray it, which is minute in comparison to the number of 'Catholics' in the world. Last week, we heard about Peter and the disciples fishing, and when Jesus had them put out their nets again, they broke. Another time, these same caught in their full nets catch 153 fish. Think about it, that number is the same number of Aves we say in an entire Rosary. Just saying. I don't think it's just a coincidence. I really don't believe in 'coincidence' anyway.

(I just read something that would be better suited for last Sunday, when Jesus was preaching from the ship, but, since that Sunday is past, I am inserting it here. It is a quote by St. Hilary (300-368):

"Christ's teaching from the ship signifies that those who are outside the Church can never grasp the divine teaching; for the ship typifies the Church where the word of life is deposited and preached. Those who are outside are like sterile and worthless sand: they cannot comprehend." (I wonder if this applies to those within the Church walls, but outside the ship!?)



We also hope and pray that our current Holy Father, Francis, along with all the Bishops of the world, finally get around to teaching us the whole Truth which comes to us from the Apostles, with Peter as its earthy head. AND, maybe they could even get around to consecrating Russia to our Our blessed Mother and to her Immaculate Heart, in the way she requested at Fatima 99 years ago. All the Bishops of the world, on the same day, at the same time, consecrating Russia by name. This is what Our Lady requested in 1917. Or, actually, from Tuy, Spain in 1929, when she appeared to Sister Lucy. We need all the help we can get. (On a side note: If this had been done as our Lady requested, the world would be in an uproar. Don't you think? I mean, HOW DARE they single out any one nation?)

Pretty much says it all, doesn't it? God's version of a 'world' Cup.


I'd like to end with the Collect for this Sunday. Its what we all should ask for:

O God, Who hast prepared invisible good things for them that love Thee; pour forth into our hearts an affectionate love for Thee; that, loving Thee, in all things, and above all things, we may come to the enjoyment of Thy promises, which surpass all that we could desire.


Another commentary on this Sunday's readings:



Liturgical commentary on the 5th Sunday after Pentecost, concerning the forgiveness of injustices done towards us and brotherly reconciliation.



“If thou offer thy gift at the altar, and thou remember that thy brother hath anything against thee, leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming thou shall offer thy gift, alleluia” (Magnificat antiphon).

This Sunday's liturgy is concerned with the forgiveness of injuries and brotherly reconciliation. It takes its cue from a passage of one of the epistles of St. Peter the Apostle, whose feast is kept this month, and from a portion of the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in St. Matthew’s Gospel.

Jesus condemns not only the external act of murder, but also the interior motive of anger which leads us to it, for in this is the desire of ridding ourselves of our neighbor. “This anger has three degrees,” says St. Augustine. "The first is when one retains in the heart the disturbance that has been created there (Postcommunion); the second when one expresses his indignation; and thirdly, when one openly reviles him who caused it (Epistle). Corresponding to these three degrees are three punishments of an increasingly grave character." “The true sacrifice is reconciliation with our brother,” says St. John Chrysostom. “The first sacrifice necessary to offer to God,” adds Bishop Bossuet, “is a heart free from all coldness and unfriendliness towards one’s brother.”

The best way to come to the possession of charity is to love God, to desire the good things of eternity (Collect), and to possess happiness in heavenly places, where entrance is only to be had through the continual practice of this fair virtue. “One thing have I asked of the Lord, and this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life” (Communion).

Source: Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, OSB, 1945, adapted and abridged.



Kyrie, Eleison