Today, on the eve of St. Patrick's Day, is a good opportunity to slowly pray through and reflect upon one of the most cherished prayers in Christianity's, the Breastplate of St. Patrick. This prayer not only gives us some insight into the heart and mind of St. Patrick, but it also brings together the natural and spiritual worlds as two sides of one whole, two parts well integrated. Both sides give glory and praise to God. This charism is an enormous and important aspect of Celtic spirituality. The cross for today "bodies forth" (to quote Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream) this understanding by making the invisible visible. Just as the "Breastplate of St. Patrick" names and recognizes all parts of creation as made by and at the disposal of the good God who created them, this cross also, in a simple way, reminds us that "Wherever and forever, God's love is there." Whether you are a distraught Israelite, who has been captured and is sitting, weeping by the rivers of Babylon (Psalm 137:1), or you are a displaced Roman citizen who is preaching the Good News in a wild country, or you are reading this on a screen in 2024, God's love is there because God is there. Psalm 139 reminds us that there is, in fact, no place where God is not, even if we act as though that is not true. The psalm says, "From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in Sheol, there you are. If I take the wings of dawn and dwell beyond the sea, even there your hand guides me." (Psalm 139:7-10) There is no time, no place that can escape God. "Christ with me, With this in mind, prayerfully read through "The Breastplate of St. Patrick: A Shield for Protection"
I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. I arise today Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. I arise today Through the strength of the love of cherubim, In the obedience of angels, In the service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In the prayers of patriarchs, In the predictions of prophets, In the preaching of apostles, In the faith of confessors, In the innocence of holy virgins, In the deeds of righteous men. I arise today, through The strength of heaven, The light of the sun, The radiance of the moon, The splendor of fire, The speed of lightning, The swiftness of wind, The depth of the sea, The stability of the earth, The firmness of rock. I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's shield to protect me, God's host to save me From snares of devils, From temptation of vices, From everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and near. I summon today All these powers between me and those evils, Against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and soul, Against incantations of false prophets, Against black laws of pagandom, Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry, Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul; Christ to shield me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that there may come to me an abundance of reward. *Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trintiy, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness, of the Creator of creation. St. Patrick. pray for us! * Often the lines in bold are prayed separately, as a shortened form of this prayer.
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As we move through the 40 days of Lent, we are continuing to focus on our mini-journey to St. Patrick's Day. Today's cross not only shines some more light on the Cross of Christ, as does every cross, but it also explains an important aspect of Celtic spirituality. You may already be familiar with the terms "red martyrdom" and "white martyrdom," but there is also a third type of martyrdom referred to by the Irish as "green martyrdom." Let's talk about each type of martyrdom. Red Martyrdom: A 'red martyr' is a saint who gives his or her life as a witness for the faith, who literally spills his or her red blood, and dies under the crown of "red martyrdom." This type of death was especially prevalent in the early Church, when Christians suffered under persecutions from various Roman emperors. We also see this type of death experienced by missionaries in foreign lands. White Martyrdom: A 'white martyr' signifies a saint who has a willingness to bear public mockery and persecution. White Martyrdom involves facing an intense hatred of the faith, and responding to it through a total self-renunciation, a total handing over of one's entire life to God. This may involve long periods spent unjustly in jail and continuing rejection and enmity suffered at the hands of family and friends. It is as intense as red martyrdom, without the actual shedding of blood. "Green martyrdom consists in this, that by means of fasting and labor [a person] frees himself from his evil desires, or suffers toil in penance and repentance." - from a 7th century Irish sermon Green martyrdom: A saint who wears the crown of green martyrdom is one who has freely chosen to take on acts of penance and fasting, sometimes to the extreme, out of love for God. While not necessarily having to shoulder the burden of public mockery and rejection, a 'green martyr' turns every action in his or her life over to God by making an offering of it. This is a form of "praying without ceasing." It is praying with the body, through the hands and feet used in service of others, as St. Catherine of Siena was told to do by God. The acts of penance freely taken on can be offered up on behalf of someone else, in reparation for one's own sins, or even as a free will offering given to Mary to dispense with as she pleases, to give to the person most in need of it. A 7th century Irish sermon describes 'green martyrdom' in this way, "Green martyrdom consists in this, that by means of fasting and labor [one] frees himself from his evil desires, or suffers toil in penance and repentance.
The unity of colors on this Celtic cross perfectly displays the white and green crowns of martyrdom St. Patrick took on. Although he was not asked to shed his blood for his mission, he met with severe persecution and life-threatening threats from Irish leaders on multiple occasions and he suffered rejection and ridicule from the Church, because he was not well-educated. In fact, he describes himself by saying this, "I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful, and utterly despised by many." (The Confession of St. Patrick) These experiences gave him the white crown. But he also willingly took on many extra penances, which he also describes in his Confession. He wrote about his extreme prayer life, praying more than 100 times in the day and again at night, depriving himself of sleep and braving the elements all as an offering to God. He writes that he did this on purpose, as reparation for the life he lived before coming to Christ. He even goes so far as to say he deserved his captivity, because of the life he and his fellow Britons were leading. He writes, "I was taken into captivity to Ireland with many thousands of people---and deservedly so, because we [had] turned away from God, and did not keep His commandments, and did not obey our priests, who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought over us the wrath of his anger and scattered us among many nations, even unto the utmost part of the earth, where now my littleness is placed among strangers." St. Patrick looks at his life head on and decides that not only does he need to change it, but he also needs to try to make amends for it. This is quite an amazing reaction from a suddenly enslaved 16-year-old, trying to survive on the wild hillsides of Ireland. And survive, and even thrive, he does. For the rest of his life, St. Patrick would wear the white crown of martyrdom as he continued to spread the Gospel in the wilderness, and he would also wear the green crown of martyrdom, accepting the sufferings that came to him and turning them back into offerings. His mission was successful, not because of his strength and power, but because he chose to be small and humble and left the rest to God. The third lesson we can learn from St. Patrick's life is to seek to wear the crown of green martyrdom, an option that is available to everyone. Let us pray: Holy Trinity, help us to imitate St. Patrick's willingness to do penance and fast for the sake of Your kingdom. Guide us to recognize when we, too, are presented with these opportunities and help us to respond with a generous heart. And in all things, let us praise You. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. In anticipation of the feast day of St. Patrick of Ireland, on March 17th, the Celtic Shamrock cross is the cross we will reflect upon today. St. Patrick is remembered and venerated for his tremendous missionary spirit. His witness to and explanation of the Christian faith to the Irish tribes has become the stuff of legends. But the fruitful effect his preaching had on the people was not just a lucky coincidence. It was only able to take place because of the suffering that he had undergone as a young man. Because he was taken away from both hearth and home, i.e. family and nation, St. Patrick had to make a quick and serious study of the people he was living with, in order to survive. He came to deeply understand the culture and beliefs of the Irish people. He knew all about their leaders, their customs, their religious beliefs and practices and more importantly, what it all meant to them. It was this understanding, gained through suffering and hardship, that enabled St. Patrick to speak to the culture in a way that would resonate with them, so that they could come to believe. “We beg you, holy boy, to come and walk again among us." said the voice of the Irish Legend has it, for example, that St. Patrick used the shamrock to illustrate the core tenant of Christianity, the Holy Trinity: Three Persons. One God. Whether he actually did or not is lost in the sands of time, but this is one example of how St. Patrick met the Irish people where they were, coming alongside them, explaining to them that what they sought in all their religious traditions could be fulfilled in Jesus the Christ. The Irish, like many peoples at this time, worshipped certain elements of nature. Understanding this, St. Patrick used nature itself to proclaim the Creator behind it.
This process of using elements already existing in a culture as a springboard to Christianity is referred to as 'pre-evangelization' - God prepares people for the Good News by setting up elements of it within their own culture. Then, when the time of more formal evangelization comes, the people are ready to hear it. This is the pattern of true evangelization; it's the pattern Jesus Himself used on the road to Emmaus, after His death and resurrection. (We see it again later in Mexico, with the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe.) We know that St. Patrick was successful in his missionary attempts, and he came to love the place of his enslavement and the people who lived there. In fact, after a miraculous escape from Ireland, even being reunited with his family, we know that St. Patrick was called back to his mission field by the Irish themselves. He writes that his family, "Welcomed me as a son, and they pleaded with me that, after all the many tribulations I had undergone, I should never leave them again. It was while I was there that I saw, in a vision in the night, a man whose name was Victoricus coming as it were from Ireland with so many letters they could not be counted. He gave me one of these, and I read at the beginning of the letter, 'The voice of the Irish people.' While I was reading out the beginning of the letter, I thought I heard at that moment the voice of those who were beside the wood of Voclut, near the western sea. They called out as it were with one voice: “We beg you, holy boy, to come and walk again among us.” This touched my heart deeply, and I could not read any further; I woke up then. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord granted them what they were calling for." St. Patrick freely and willingly returned to Ireland, leaving his family and a comfortable life behind. He had already learned to trust God in every situation. He knew God could and would protect him, even when it didn't look like God was acting in his life. The second lesson to learn from St. Patrick is to act as if God is with us. We can look around, learn, and study our circumstances so that we are properly prepared to respond when the time comes. We may not be able to change the difficulties in our lives, but we can always learn and grow from them so that we are ready for the open door, or, in St. Patrick's case, the ship two hundred miles away, when it comes, at the time when God acts. Let us pray: Holy Trinity, we thank You for the tireless witness of St. Patrick, and for his willingness to return to the place and people who had enslaved him in order to spread Your Good News. Help us to respond to the circumstances in our lives that are difficult in the same way, by studying and learning so that we are ready to do Your will. And in all things let us praise You. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, on Sunday, March 17th. This particular saint and his feast day are near and dear to my heart, for many reasons. The witness of his life in the face of significant hardship, from within the Church as well as without, makes St. Patrick a person who we should frequently call upon, developing a relationship with him and his charism that goes beyond wearing green on March 17th and drinking green beer. The crosses for the next several days will focus on him and his message, which is so appropriate for the Lenten season. The Amazing Grace cross above starts us off. First of all, the cross is made of a heavy stone, very similar to the stony outcrops that St. Partrick lived among as a missionary to Ireland. This stone also points to the multiple monasteries that developed around that particular way of life known as 'Celtic Monasticism,' each monastery built not just from stone sourced from the wild and wooly hills nearby, but more importantly, built on and for The Stone, the "cornerstone that the builders rejected." Secondly, the artwork around the "A" and the "G," as well as the font used to write the words "Amazing Grace" are a version of the Celtic sacred arts. This particular scrollwork was started by the Celtic people and then was carried on and continued in the Celtic monasteries. This cross reminds us, first of all, that St. Patrick's life was hard. Captured by raiders at a young age from his native Briton, St. Patrick was forced into a life of servitude and slavery. He was left alone to survive the elements with very little food, clothing or shelter. Tasked with being a shepherd, St. Patrick would later write that it was this very experience of hardship that opened him up to receiving God's grace, God's Amazing Grace. Alone out there on the hillside, dealing with rain, snow, and hunger, St. Patrick recalled that he prayed often.
In his Confession, he says, "After I arrived in Ireland, I tended sheep every day, and I prayed frequently during the day. More and more the love of God increased, and my sense of awe before God. Faith grew, and my spirit was moved, so that in one day I would pray up to one hundred times, and at night perhaps the same. I even remained in the woods and on the mountain, and I would rise to pray before dawn in snow and ice and rain." St. Patrick responded to immense hardship by seeking God. He could have responded to his difficult situation in any number of ways. But he chose to use this experience to pray and ask for help, and God answered him. This decision revealed immense fortitude in the young boy, a virtue he would lean on many times as he grew older and took on the mission God would give him. This is the first lesson we can take from St. Patrick's life: God is with us in all and every situation, and He can bring good out of the worst experience. We often don't know why things happen in our lives. We can only try to respond in the same way that St. Patrick did, believing that somehow, someway, things will work out for the best if we place our faith in God. Let us pray: Holy Trinity, we thank You for the gift of St. Patrick. Help us to respond as he did, especially in overwhelming and difficult situations. And in all things, let us praise You. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. I found this handmade cross at a shop in St. Augustine, Florida. It is a perfect visual embodiment of the Mass readings for today. The first reading, in which the prophet Ezekiel retells one of his visions, proclaims:
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides. [The angel] said to me, "This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine. (Ez 47:6-9, 12) This is an excerpt called 'The Wonderful Stream," from the book of the prophet Ezekiel. It's related to Ezekiel's famous vision of dead, dry bones coming back to life, when God restores scattered bones by giving them His own breath, giving His own life, back to the people of Israel individually and as a community. The reading today focuses on water, instead of bones. It relates how a certain, specific river will leave the Temple and run through the land, bringing an abundance of fruit and shade, eventually joining with the sea. The water in this stream will cause living creatures to multiply, and each month trees will bear a certain fruit. This is an image not only of peace, but also of order, in that the fruit trees bear fruit at certain times and not just whenever, all higgledy-piggledy. This is an image of paradise, of a coming transformation promised by God and prophesied by Ezekiel. It will be fulfilled by Jesus the Christ, who replaces the Temple in Jerusalem with the Temple of His body, from which life-giving water will flow. Jesus is the Living Water who makes all things new. Just like the cross above shows, the Living Water will produce fruit trees that bear fruit abundantly, providing both food and medicine, replacing the barren dryness of the desert, bringing new and eternal life to all who will drink it and be rooted in it. Let us pray: Holy Trinity, we thank You for the beautiful descriptions of the world you intend to create, and of the transformation You intend to bring about. Help us to draw close to the Living Water this Lent, so that we may be like the fruit trees and bear abundant fruit, and our desert may become like a fruitful orchard. And in all things, let us praise You. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. It doesn't sound quite right, to call the cross carved into a marker for one of the Outdoor Stations of the Cross a "Sign of Life" cross. Yet today, as I was unexpectedly walking around our parish campus with one of our volunteers' dogs, in the midst of a Spring Break Catholic Soccer Camp, that was the realization I came to. (You never know what's going to happen during a typical day in parish life.) All these crosses, carved into each of the Stations of the Cross markers on the outdoor path, are indeed Signs of Life, even as they adorn Jesus' bloody path to death at the same time. How is that? The simple answer is that Jesus' death gives us life, and signs of His life become visible when you do things like walk a dog around an outdoor Stations of the Cross path, in the midst of a Spring Break Catholic Soccer Camp, at a Catholic Church.
We are embodied people, placed in a material world. We are not, nor will we ever be, angelic beings who exist without a body. There is a short period of time in which our soul separates from our body, resulting in death. But this state will ultimately be rectified when our bodies are resurrected and (we hope and believe) glorified like Jesus' body was. Our ultimate destiny is to be embodied once again. Jesus also had a body. He was incarnated into a human body that was His own being, His own flesh and blood, just as much as our bodies uniquely signify us, making us humans. If Jesus had not had a body, then He could not have offered it up on a cross for us, either. He could not have suffered. He could not have died. He most certainly could not have resurrected and ascended. His body was important. It mattered. It made His mission possible. Without Jesus' body, there would be no outdoor Stations of the Cross path to walk around with a dog. There would be no Catholic Soccer Camp, where kids are invited to come and run and jump and play, to talk about integration, and hug themselves and thank God for the gift of their bodies, for the ability to kick and leap, to breathe and laugh. There would be no sports camp that connects the life of an athlete, with all the discipline, sacrifice and teamwork that entails, with the Christian life, a life also rooted in discipline, sacrifice and community. The crosses on these wooden markers remind us of the physical aspect of Jesus' life. He took on human nature at His incarnation and He will keep that nature for the rest of eternity. If this is what Jesus did, does now, and ever will do, then we. too, should also take seriously the care and use of what is embodied - from our four-footed friends to ourselves. Let us pray: Holy Trinity, we thank you for the gift of being embodied. Help us to protect and care for what You have created, that we may see signs of Your life in nature and especially in each other. And in all things, let us praise You. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. PS. If you look closely, you can see the kids and volunteers at Catholic Soccer Camp reflected in the glass. Today, Saturday, March 9th, we find ourselves in an in-between day. We have just left the fourth Friday of Lent behind, where we fasted and/or abstained and took on a little more austerity, in keeping with the solemnity of Fridays in Lent. But tomorrow, March 10th, is Laetare Sunday. "Laetare" is Latin, and is part of the expression proclaiming, "Rejoice, O Jerusalem!" (Is 66:10) This Sunday is similar to Laudate, or Rose, Sunday in Advent. At Mass tomorrow, the priest's chasuble will not be the purple we have seen during Lent. He will instead be wearing a rose or light violet colored vestment. (The rose hue of Laetare Sunday is slightly different than that of Laudate Sunday in Advent, just as the purples of Advent and Lent are not quite the same.) Nevertheless, tomorrow we should experience a lightening, a sense of expectation, a bit of hope in the midst of these long 40 days. We might even see a few flowers on the altar. In his Letter to the Romans, St. Paul explains why should feel hope now, despite still being out in the desert, wandering in the wilderness. He writes, "Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness [and] put on the armor of light!" (Rom 13:11b-12) We are now deeply into the journey to the cross, not too far away from Jesus' ascent to His cross on Calvary. What will take place there is the restoration of the covenant not kept by the first Adam, but renewed and fulfilled by the second Adam, Jesus the Christ. On His cross, water will flow from His side, pouring down upon the earth in the same way that the water originally flowed out of the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:10 tells us that a river rose "in Eden to water the garden; beyond there it divides and becomes four branches." The water in Eden signified the presence of God, who shares His life with us and makes this life universally available by separating into four branches, i.e. the four corners of the world. We ourselves are able to partake of this holy water through Baptism, and the mingling of the water and the wine is repeated in every Mass. "Let us throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light!" (Rom 13:11b-12) That's why the cross for today is not just a cross, but it's also a holy water font. It is a sacramental specially designed to hold Holy Water, so that we can bring that Holy Water home from the church and use it in our daily lives, so that what we proclaim in the Sacred Spaces we use to sanctify in the ordinary places. As you can see, this cross is also joyful! There's nothing sad or downcast about this type of Mexican pottery, commonly referred to as Talavera pottery. This cross is a fitting symbol to ponder on this in-between day, as we stop at an oasis for a bit of spiritual refreshment before pushing ahead to the end of the journey.
Let us pray: Holy Trinity, thank you for giving us this small pause, this little break of refreshment, so that we can rest and recover enough to move ahead with the rest of the Lent season. Help us to carry the joy of Laetare Sunday in our hearts as we journey on. And in all things, let us praise You. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Today is the fourth Friday of our Lenten pilgrimage. We take Fridays during Lent a little more seriously than the other days of the week, due to its implicit connection to Good Friday. Although technically we are only called to abstain from meat on these days, many Catholic households still respond by eating a little less, and maybe skip dessert, due to the inherent solemnity of these Fridays. These Fridays of Lent give us the chance to focus more fully. We can collect our thoughts, place ourselves in the presence of the Lord, and concentrate. That's why the cross for today is the Focus cross. It's subdued, earthy colors and small size invites us to slow down and travel through today more deliberately, uniting our thoughts with our actions, focusing on simplicity and humility. You may have seen the statements below already. I've adapted them for our purpose here, today. Read them each slowly, thoughtfully, imagining you are walking with Jesus on the way to Jerusalem, bringing your thoughts, words and steps together. FAST from judging others; FOCUS on Christ dwelling within them. FAST from thoughts of ill; FOCUS on God's healing power. FA from thoughts that weaken; FOCUS on promises that inspire. FAST from words that criticize; FOCUS on words that praise. FAST from what is life-stealing. FAST from worry and problems that overwhelm;
FOCUS on God's loving providence and prayer that sustains. FAST from idle gossip and suspicion; FOCUS on silence with a purpose and truth. FAST from discontent and complaining; FOCUS on gratitude and appreciation. FAST from discouragement; FOCUS on offering hope. FAST from sorrow and anger; FOCUS on serenit and patience. FAST from personal anxiety and bitterness; FOCUS on eternal truth and forgiveness. (source: unknown) Learn to FAST from evil and discouragement and FOCUS on the good things of God. Let us pray: Holy Trinity, unite our thoughts and our actions during this Lenten pilgrimage, so that we say and do what is pleasing to You. Help us fast from what is life-steaking and focus on You and Your promises, which are life-giving. And in all things, let us praise You. Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Today, the 20th day of Lent, marks the halfway point in our journey. This cross, the Good Shepherd and Sheep cross, not only continues the theme from yesterday but it also sheds some light on the two saints whose feast day we celebrate today, Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs. Looking at the cross, we can see the image of a sun shining its rays down upon the whole world, emanating from behind the head of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The sun might be a halo, reflecting Jesus' holiness shared with all who look upon Him, or it might represent God the Father, who is On High and who sent His Son to save us, or it could be the Pillar of Fire that led the Israelites through the desert, giving them light to see in the dark. This is one of those times when a symbol represents more than one thing. The sun on this cross represents all these things, the glory of the Father, the incarnate Son and the illuminating Holy Spirit, because the Holy Trinity is Three in One. They are always together, acting in unison for our salvation. The layout of this fairly simple cross also reminds us of Jesus' role as High Priest and Mediator between us and His Father. Jesus is placed in the center of the cross, with his head in Heaven (artistically speaking) and His feet on earth, hidden behind the flock of sheep, on the lower part of the vertical arm. His hands are cupped and outstretched, both interceding for us, holding the same position of supplication we see the priest take during Mass, as well as receiving and pouring out the blessings from the Father, at the same time. This cross shows us that Jesus is the ladder from Jacob's dream, where Jacob witnesses the angels ascending and descending. Genesis describes this ladder as a "stairway rest[ing] on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens." (Gen. 28:12) As St. Catherine of Siena taught, Jesus Himself, in His own person, is the Bridge between Heaven and Earth, the only way across the "great chasm" described by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke 16:26. As St. Catherine of Siena, as well as the martyrs, Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, tell us in both their writings and their actions, we have to get onto this bridge during our lives. We have to listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd now and respond when we hear it, just like the sheep on the cross. Jesus describes Himself as this very Good Shepherd. He says: Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers. Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them. So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:1-11) "I am the good shepherd."(John 10:11) We know that both St. Perpetua and St. Felicity heard the voice of the Good Shepherd and they came running towards it, despite undergoing severe and significant suffering. These two saints were martyred in Carthage, North Africa, in 203 AD, their deaths put on display for sport, under the persecution of Emperor Severus.
Although no one wants to be put to the test in such an extreme way as these two martyrs, Lent provides us with the opportunity to voluntarily suffer some discomforts, to respond a little more wholeheartedly to the call of the Good Shepherd. Our Good Shepherd does not ask anything of us that He Himself has not already done. Let's imitate the faith and resolve of these two young women and encourage each other to continue on the way. Let us pray: Holy Trinity, we thank You for the lives and witness of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, and we ask You to hear their prayers for us as they intercede before Your throne. Give us the clarity to hear Your voice calling us, and the courage to answer it. And in all things, let us praise you. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen The cross for today, the Pillar of Cloud and Pillar of Fire cross, was another gift given to me by a child. He couldn't really tell me why he painted it the way he did. He just said he thought those particular colors looked nice. (He was only 6, so I didn't ask him for too much info.) But I thanked him and accepted his little gift and hung it up on my big wall of crosses and crucifixes, where he could see it. Over the years, I've looked at it occasionally and pondered it. It vaguely reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite figure out what. Today, listening to the first Mass reading where Moses is speaking to the Israelites, it suddenly struck me. My young friend had painted a compilation of the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire that had led the Israelites through the desert. Exodus 13:21-22 says that, as the people set out into the wilderness, "The Lord preceded them, in the daytime by means of a column of cloud to show them the way, and at night by means of a column of fire to give them light. Thus, they could travel both day and night. Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire by night ever left its place in front of the people." The Lord was always with them, guarding them, protecting them, guiding them. Looking at the cross, we can see the pillar of cloud in the blue paint. There are even four swirls showing the movement of the wind. The pillar of fire is represented by the six red stripes. (They were created using red glitter paint, so these red stripes shine and sparkle in the light, just like fire.) I'm not sure if the boy who painted this had just been listening to the story of Moses in the desert, and that had sparked his imagination or if his inspiration came from something else. But I do know that this Lent, many of us feel in great need of a "column of cloud to show [us] the way" in the day, and at night "a column of fire to give [us] light." This has been a hard Lent. We could use some guidance and protection. The prayer that we offer in the Mass Entrance Antiphon today reflects this need: To You I call, for You will surely heed me, O God. Turn Your ear to me, hear my words. Guard me as the apple of Your eye, in the shadow of Your wings protect me." (Ps. 17 (16):6,8) Almost two hundred years ago, another voice lifted up this same supplication. The voice came from St. John Henry Neuman, and his prayer took the form of a poem called "The Pillar of the Cloud." The Pillar of the Cloud by St. John Henry Neuman (1833) Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home- Lead Thou me on! Keep Thou my feet, I do not ask to see The distant scene, - one step enough for me. I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou Shouldst lead me on. I loved to choose and see my path, but now Lead Thou me on! I loved the garish day, spite of fears, Pride ruled my will, remember not past years. So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still Will lead me on, O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till The night is gone; And with the morn those angel faces smile Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile. Let us pray with all the saints, especially St. John Henry Neuman, to be guided by the Kindly Light, the Pillar of Cloud, and to be protected at night by the Pillar of Fire, during our Lent journey and every day, so that we, too, may glimpse those "angel faces," smiling, on Easter morn.
Let us pray: Holy Trinity, come to our aid during these 40 days. Guide our steps and our thoughts during the day, and comfort and protect us during the night. Help us remember that we are far from home, and that our Lenten journey is to end at the house of Our Father, through dying and rising with the Son. And in all things, let us praise you. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen |
40 Crosses for
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