Bearing Injustice
by VP
Posted on Sunday May 04, 2025 at 12:00AM in Sermons
Let Him Be Crucified (Qu'il soit crucifié) - James Tissot
'Who, when he was reviled, did not revile: when he suffered, he threatened not: but delivered himself to him that judged him unjustly."—I. St. Peter ii. 22.
ONE of the hardest trials, my dear brethren, to which we can be exposed; indeed, perhaps the hardest one of all, is to be condemned unjustly. And the condemnation need not be pronounced in court, and published to the world. It need not even be given by public opinion; no, there may be only a few who share in it, perhaps only one, and that may be one whose judgment is not of much weight; still, to be falsely judged, to be accused of what we have not done, to have even our motives misinterpreted, is a pretty heavy cross to bear. How often will you hear people alleging as a reason for a permanent breach of friendship with someone, that one has belied them? It is of little use to point out that the person who is or seems to be a false accuser, may really not intend to be guilty of falsehood, nor be conscious of rash judgment, but may in his or her heart actually believe the charge, and feel not only justified, but even under an obligation of conscience in making it, and thus be guiltless before God. No, the sting is perhaps even greater, that he should believe a thing about us that we feel is not true, and could not be.
Nor is it enough to say that there are many things which we ought to be judged guilty of, but are not; and that so we can afford to take some punishment that we do not deserve, as we escape a good deal that we do. No, we say to ourselves: "I would not mind it so much if it were true; I would rather take the burden of all the many wrong things that I have done, than of one that I have not." Perhaps that would not really be the fact, but we feel as if it were.
I think, then, that to find a real cure for our heartache about matters of this kind, we must take the one which St. Peter gives us in this Epistle of today. We must take refuge under the shadow of the cross of Him who, as the Apostle says, suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. The Cross of Christ is the only remedy in the last resort for all the pain and misery of the world, as well as for its sins; and we may as well come to it at once as wait till other consolations have failed.
Let us, then, lay to heart our Lord's example in this matter, as St. Peter tells us; let us keep it always by us, to be ready for use at the first moment. Let us consider how slight and insignificant are all the false judgments that can be made about us, miserable sinners that we are, compared with that which was passed on Him, the Saint of saints; on Him who was not merely holy, but holiness itself, the source of all sanctity, the Giver of every virtue that we can have. Let us consider how He was reckoned with the malefactors, how He was condemned not merely to death, but to the shameful death of a criminal; and how not merely one or two, but the crowds of His own people, whom He had come to save, turned against Him and believed all the false charges which His accusers made.
And let us not imagine that, being in truth God, His human nature was made insensible to all this outrageous injustice by its essential sanctity, or by the homage of the angels, or of those on earth who really knew and loved Him and remained faithful to Him. No; it was no more rendered in this way insensible to the pain of the false charges than it was to the sharp piercing of the nails driven through His hands and feet. Indeed, that He could much better have borne. His infinite purity and sensitiveness to sin only made these suspicions and accusations of it the more intolerable; physical suffering was little in comparison.
Yet, as the Apostle says, in this He did not defend Himself. He was willing to drink this bitter chalice to the dregs. When He was reviled, He reviled not again. He neither cleared Himself, which He could easily have done, nor took the poor remedy which we sinners are too apt to take, of accusing His accusers.
Let us then, when thus tried in our poor way, ask Him to give us the grace to do as He did, and even, if it be possible, to rest for a time at least under accusations which we might remove, when the honor of God is not concerned. And let us remember not to be guilty of rash judgment in our turn, but make, as He did, every possible excuse for those who belie us; let us believe that, so far as they are wrong, they know not what they do. And, lastly, let us take the greater pains to abstain from uncharitable thoughts or words about our neighbors, thus exposing them to a trial which we have found so hard to bear." 2nd Sunday after Easter - Five minute Sermons by the Paulist Fathers.
Saint Monica, Widow, A.D. 387
by VP
Posted on Sunday May 04, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
"ST. MONICA was mother of the great St. Augustin. Seeing him unhappily fallen into the heresy of the Manichees, she ceased not by continual prayers and tears to solicit heaven in behalf of her son, that he might return to the truth. For this end she followed him to Milan; where by the means of St. Ambrose he was delivered from his errors, and prepared for becoming a great light in Christ's Church. Give thanks for this mercy shown to both mother and son; and beseech God to inspire all parents with this charity in all the misconduct and errors of their children. To importune heaven by prayers, tears, and alms, is the most assured way of obliging the Father of mercy to their assistance, from whom alone their help must come. They may justly hope that the children of constant and fervent prayer will never perish. Therefore as those parents, who are unconcerned at the disorderly conduct of their children, show neither compassion, nor a due sense of eternity; so all those who follow St. Monica's steps, in sparing no pains, nor omitting any occasion likely to contribute to their children's good, have this certain comfort, that their labour will not be lost. If it has not the effect which they desire, still it will be the increase of their own crown.
One constant practice of St. Monica, was to assist daily at the altar of God; from whence she knew that that victim was dispensed, by which was cancelled the hand-writing against us. In this, and other holy exercises of piety and charity, she spent the years of her widowhood; and at length, on her return to Africa, she was seized with a violent fever, and departed to heaven in the year 389. Pray for all widows, that they may be constant in all the exercises of religion, and especially in that of assisting daily, if in their power, before the altar of God, at Mass. Whatever your condition be, follow the example of so
great a saint: see that sloth and vain pretexts be not your hindrance,
and heartily lament all past neglects. Be careful not to lose this day
at least: beg grace to be delivered from all disorders, and extend your
charity to all in vice or error." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Prayer:
"From the eternal home where you are now happy with this son of yours who owes to you his life both of Earth and Heaven, cast a loving look, O Monica, on the many Christian mothers who are now fulfilling on Earth the hard but noble mission which was once yours. Their children are also dead with the death of sin, and they would restore them to true life by the power of their maternal love. After the Mother of Jesus, it is to you that they turn, O Monica, you whose prayers and tears were once so efficacious and so fruitful. Take their cause in hand. Your tender and devoted heart cannot fail to compassionate them in the anguish which was once your own. Keep up their courage. Teach them to hope. The conversion of these dear ones is to cost them many a sacrifice. Get them the generosity and fortitude needed for their paying the price thus asked of them by God. Let them remember that the conversion of a soul is a greater miracle than the raising a dead man to life, and that Divine Justice demands a compensation which they, the mothers of these children, must be ready to make. This spirit of sacrifice will destroy that hidden egotism which is but too frequently mingled with what seems to be affection of the purest kind.
Let them ask themselves, if they would rejoice, as you did, O Monica, at finding that a vocation to the religious life were the result of the conversion they have so much at heart? If they are thus disinterested, let them not fear. Their prayers and sufferings must be efficacious. Sooner or later the wished-for grace will descend upon the prodigal, and he will return to God and his mother." Source: In Lumine Fidei: Dom Prosper Gueranger
Dear Father: What explanation can be given to the question: when a person has been thoroughly educated in the Catholic Faith, having had great care bestowed on his training, but who when he reaches manhood falls away from the Church and says he does not believe in the religion of his childhood?
Answer: The general reply is that faith is a gift of God whereby we trust God and all that He says simply because He says it, and that a person loses this trust in God because of his faithlessness in God's grace. Education and training - the very best education and training - are after all only a means - a great means, but after all only a means - to strengthen this trust in God and what He says, and after it is all done, a person may and sometimes does through faithlessness to God's grace fall - that is, lose this belief in God and God's words. No man ever loses faith in God or the Catholic Church except by his own fault. The fault may be hidden. It may be pride, especially of intellect; it may be wilful trifling with temptations against faith, it may be a loss of grace through immoral life, or it may be a neglect of the means of grace, the sacraments, etc.
But in every particular case, if the truth can be reached, it will be found to be faithlessness to God's grace. Neither any amount of education nor training nor anything else can save a man against his own will, nor cause him to retain Catholic faith if he is untrue to God's grace. Such persons as our correspondent speaks of are usually led away form the Church by pride or baneful associations of one kind or another, terminating in faithlessness to the graces of faith. They often yield to these influences for a time and then return to God and the Church. Let our correspondent pray, as St. Monica prayed for St. Augustine, and the same God who listened to Monica's prayers will not fail our correspondent.
Source: Truth Magazine.
Lord have mercy on us
Christ, have mercy on us
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us
Holy Mary, conceived without stain of original sin, Pray for us and for our children
Holy Mary, glorious Mother of Jesus Christ, pray for us and for our children
St. Monica, pray for us and for our children
Model of wives, pray for us and for our children
You who converted your unbelieving husband, pray for us and for our children
Mother of St. Augustine, pray for us and for our children
Strict and prudent teacher, guardian of your son in all his ways, pray for us and for our children
You who carefully watched over his conduct, pray for us and for our children
You who were sorely distressed at his erring from the right, pray for us and for our children
You who were untiring in your petitions for his soul's safety, pray for us and for our children
You who still hoped on amid the bitterness of your heart and your flood of tears, pray for us and for our children
You who were filled with consolation upon his return to God, pray for us and for our children
You who died calmly after faithfully fulfilling your duties, pray for us and for our children
You who are the prayerful intercessor of all mothers who pray and weep as you did, pray for us and for our children
Preserve the innocence of our children, we beseech you, St. Monica
Protect them against the deceits of evil men, we beseech you, St. Monica
Protect them from the dangers of bad example, we beseech you, St. Monica
Watch over the movements of grace in their hearts, we beseech you, St. Monica
Let the Christian virtues strike deep root in their hearts and bear much fruit, we beseech you, St. Monica
Redouble your intercession for youth approaching manhood, we beseech you, St. Monica
Obtain for all in mortal sin true contrition and perfect conversion, we beseech you, St. Monica
Obtain for all mothers to fulfill their duties steadily and perseveringly, we beseech you, St. Monica
Commend all mothers to the protection of the every-blessed Virgin Mother of Our Lord, we beseech you, St. Monica
Favorably incline the heart of your beloved son Augustine to the salvation of our children.
St. Augustine, holy son of a saintly other, prayer for us and for our children
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us , O Lord!
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord!
v. Pray for us, O holy St. Monica
R. that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
O holy Monica, by your patience and prayers you obtained from God the conversion of your husband and the grace to live in peace with him; obtain for us, we beseech you, the blessing of Almighty God, so that true harmony and peace may reign also in our homes, and that all the members of our families may attain eternal life. Amen.
O Holy Monica, by your burning tears and unceasing prayers you saved your son from eternal damnation. Obtain for us the grace ever to comprehend what is most conducive to the salvation of our children so that we may effectively restrain them from sin and lead them by virtue and piety to Heaven Amen.
Source: Saint Monica: Model of Christian Mothers By F. A. Forbes. Litany added by the Editor TAN
