CAPG's Blog 

St. Zita

by VP


Posted on Sunday April 27, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints


File:Pittatore s Zita.jpg

S.Zita (Michelangelo Pittatore)


THE GREATNESS OF HUMILITY.-St. Zita, placed by reason of her lowly birth in a position obscure, or vile even, according to the views of the world, knew how to lift herself by faith to the sublime heights of sanctity. She passed her life in domestic work, the object of hatred and calumny: her humility was too great, it was said, to be real; it was sheer hypocrisy. Her submission was too prompt and perfect to be exempt from pride; and if the poor servant were any better than people of her condition, it was merely because she wished to appear so. Zita, however, accomplished all her duties with that perfection which those who wish to please God are wont to employ. She bore reproofs, injuries, bodily and moral sufferings, with that patience and submission which the love of God alone knows how to inspire. She was pious, cherished the poor, and forgave injuries. At last the general voice ended by rendering her full justice, which she by no means looked for. The world was struck with wonderment, and the Church has placed her on her altars. St. Zita died at Lucca in 1272, and was beatified in 1696.

MORAL REFLECTION.-All acts in themselves good become acts of holiness when accomplished with reference to God. "All things are turned into good in the hands of those that love God," saith the Apostle.-(Rom. viii. 28.). Pictorial half hours with the saints. By Abbe Auguste François Lecanu


Steadfastness

by VP


Posted on Sunday April 27, 2025 at 12:00AM in Sunday Sermons


File:Brooklyn Museum - The Disbelief of Saint Thomas (Incredulité de Saint Thomas) - James Tissot.jpg

The Disbelief of Saint Thomas (Incredulité de Saint Thomas) - James Tissot


"Jesus saith to him: because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen and have believed."-St. John xx. 29.

"When Our Lord appeared to the disciples and gave them the commission to forgive sins, and thus instituted the holy Sacrament of Penance, St. Thomas was not present; and when the other disciples told him what had happened, and that He had shown them the wounds in His hands and in His feet, he refused to believe them; he declared he would not believe unless he himself should see them also. He said: "Unless I shall see the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

This disposition of St. Thomas was very wrong. He ought to have believed without hesitation. He had seen our Lord work miracles without number; he had seen Him give sight to the blind, even those blind from birth; make the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak; he had seen Him raise the dead to life, raise Lazarus after being dead and buried already four days. He knew that our Lord had predicted His resurrection. He ought to have believed, and he sinned in not believing. He was obstinate in unbelief, refusing to credit the testimony of his companions, whom he knew to be honest and trustworthy.

Our Lord in the kindness of His heart forgave him, and made him put his finger into the print of the nails and into the wound in His side to convince him, and also to convince us by His testimony of the reality of His resurrection. But at the same time He rebuked him, and taught us all a grand lesson. He said: "Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed; blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.”

We have the faith on the testimony of the apostles and disciples who recorded it in the Gospels, and who sealed their testimony in their own blood.

We have the testimony of all the disciples who repeatedly saw our Lord after His resurrection, sometimes a great number of them, over five hundred at once.

We have the testimony of the Catholic Church; of all those millions on millions who have lived from that day to this; of the wonderful providence of God and His care of His Church until now.

This ought to be enough. This ought to be enough to make us say our act of faith, "O my God, I believe whatever Thy Holy Church proposes to my belief, because Thou hast revealed it to her. Thou who canst neither deceive nor be deceived."

This is the age of unbelief. Very great numbers of men are occupied in trying to undermine the faith. The newspapers are full of infidel objections. The press is teeming with works written expressly to destroy the faith. The flimsiest reasons are brought forward with a bold face as if they were unanswerable. The very fact that the things of God and religion are so high and incomprehensible is brought forward as the principal reason why they are not to be believed.

We have believed once for all, on the truest and most solid evidence. Our business now is to "live by faith." To put in practice the precepts of our faith, and to follow the example of the Author and Finisher of our faith, our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are not of those who are to be "beat about by every wind of doctrine.” We are not to be moved by the vain babblings of men, who are wise in their own conceit and think they know everything, though they know very little after all. We will not imitate St. Thomas in his unbelief, and refuse to believe the wonderful things of God because they are so high and wonderful, but imitate him when in wonder and admiration he cried, "My Lord and my God." Believing in the testimony of God and His Church, and putting away all sceptical and imaginative doubts, we shall receive the blessing pronounced by our Lord: "Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed." (Low Sunday - Five minute Sermons by the Paulist Fathers)