Feast of the Archangels

Great is the glory of the LORD!"

 

In this feast of the archangels, Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Raphael, we join our voices in the sight of all the angels to give wholehearted thanks to the LORD. In these great messengers from the holy temple of heaven we have received the protection of Saint Michael, whose very name asks the only question worth asking, "Who is like the LORD?" From Saint Gabriel we have received the good news of our salvation in the annunciation to the Virgin Mary and in the virginal conception of her son, Jesus the Savior of all. This archangel continues to pray for all who are engaged in the ministry of communication; he is their patron and guide as they seek to communicate the good news we all need to hear. In the ministry of Saint Raphael we have been healed, and we continue to be lead on a journey of faith by this archangel. Indeed, the names of these three heavenly messengers continue to reveal the faithful response of the LORD to our every prayer. Their ministry deepens our confidence in the LORD; through his archangels the LORD builds up strength within us. Indeed, all the powerful of the earth tremble in fear when these divine messengers appear among us. Their presence and their ministry enable the powerful and powerless in this world to hear words from the mouth of the Living God. We join with them and sing endlessly of the ways of the LORD. Indeed, we cry out, "Great is the glory of the LORD." The Book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of the faithful heavenly warriors who take our part in the battle with the dragon and his angels. Without this glorious army, the battle would quickly be lost. The Lord's promise to Nathanael is his promise to us. We will see with eyes of faith how the angels of God travel to heaven with our urgent petitions and come down to earth with the Lord's powerful response to our every need. At every Mass we gather with Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, and all the heavenly hosts to proclaim the endless song of the Banquet of the Lamb, "Holy, holy, holy LORD God of hosts!"

How does the Devil deceive the whole world? How does this fallen angel convince us of the lie? Satan has power in our lives because we allow it. We foolishly linger over temptation, and soon the lie seems like the truth. If the temptation is seen for what it is, we would not hesitate to call upon Saint Michael. However, we choose to consider the half-truth being proposed, and this is our downfall. Sure we have been faithful or even very virtuous, but this struggle and our exhaustion is no excuse to sin. No, we do not deserve to let up our vigilance and our struggle. There is no entitlement in the life of a saint. In the midst of such a daily struggle, we hear the good news of the victory that has been won for us. In the midst of our weakness, we catch a glimpse of our holy patrons, Saint Michael and his angels. They have battled against the dragon and his angels. Indeed, these dark forces have lost any claim to a place before the throne of God, the Almighty. We can take courage in the voice from heaven that cries out, "Now have salvation and power come, the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed." Indeed, our accuser is cast out and we have conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. We who love life are not afraid of death, loneliness, humility, service. We stand in Christ the obedient Son of God and contradict the evil one by our cry, "I will serve, now and forever!" We stand boldly against the evil one who refused to serve anyone but himself. We serve gladly and rejoice with all the heavenly hosts. With Saint Paul and all the holy ones in our heavenly home, we know full well that our battle is with invisible forces of dark might. We also know that the battle has been won, and already we share in the Banquet Feast of the Lamb.

This feast of the Archangels gives us a glimpse of the heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. It is the cross of Christ that provides us with a ladder to the heavens. We gather here around his cross to find our strength, and to be nourished with the body and blood of the Lamb of God. We gather here to hear the Lord Jesus say of us, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Our deepest longing is here fulfilled. We long with broken and crushed hearts to be men and women of simplicity and truth, to be without duplicity. Here under the fig tree, the cross of Christ, we rest secure in the Son of God, the true King of the Universe. We are amazed that the Lord Jesus sees us as we are. Indeed, he sees through our masks and our self-deception. The Lord Jesus sees the beauty and goodness with which we have been created and in which we have been redeemed. It is his vision of who we really are that gives us new hope to join with the Archangels and all the hosts of heaven in the battle with Satan and his angels. United with such heavenly helpers we have every reason to hope and to rejoice that the Lord Jesus has found us and saved us.

"Come and See Weekend"

Saint Vincent Archabbey will host a "Come and See" discernment weekend for single Catholic men ages 18-40 on October 29-31, 2010.  A "Come and See" weekend is a no-strings-attached chance to spend time learning about the life of Benedictine Monks of St. Vincent Archabbey.  Come pray with us, talk with our junior monks, meet our older brethren, and most of all listen for the voice of Christ who continually calls men to a life of work and prayer in service to the Catholic Church.  The next "Come and See" weekend is October 29 - October 31, 2010.  For more information about the weekend, life as a Benedictine monk, or to schedule another time to visit the Abbey please contact Fr. Bonaventure Curtis, OSB at 724-532-6655 / bonaventure.curtis@email.stvincent.edu

Padre Pio

Our present life is given only to gain the eternal one and if we don't think about it, we build our affections on what belongs to this world, where our life is transitory. When we have to leave it we are afraid and become agitated. Believe me, to live happily in this pilgrimage, we have to aim at the hope of arriving at our Homeland, where we will stay eternally. Meanwhile we have to believe firmly that God calls us to Himself and follows us along the path towards Him. He will never permit anything to happen to us that is not for our greater good. He knows who we are and He will hold out His paternal hand to us during difficulties, so that nothing prevents us from running to Him swiftly. But to enjoy this grace we must have complete trust in Him.

- St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Requiescat in pace Fr. Leo, OSB

Father Leo P. Rothrauff, O.S.B., a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, died Sunday, September 19, 2010. He was born September 6, 1928 in Turtle Creek, a son of the late Harry W. Rothrauff and Mary Reagan Rothrauff. Surviving are his brother, Father Noel H. Rothrauff, O.S.B., also a monk of the Archabbey, and his sister, Jane Rothrauff Downing, North Versailles. 

 He was a 1947 graduate of Saint Vincent Preparatory School. He received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from Saint Vincent College in 1952. He earned a master of business administration degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana in 1958.

He entered the novitiate of Saint Vincent Archabbey in 1949, professed first vows on July 2, 1950; solemn vows on July 11, 1953 and was ordained to the priesthood by the late Bishop Hugh Lamb on May 27, 1956.

He served as a prefect in the College from 1954 to 1957, was instructor of accounting at Saint Vincent College (1956-1957); and assistant professor of finances, statistics and management at Saint Vincent (1961-1964). He was also a prefect of students in Bonaventure Hall.

In October of 1964 Father Leo was named the first Prior of São Bento Priory, the Archabbey’s foundation in Vinhedo, Brazil, serving in that capacity until until 1975 and again from 1988 to 1991. He served as subprior, procurator and master of novices at various times throughout his 36 years in the Brazil mission. In 1972, while Prior, the community in Vinhedo built a new monastery, and in 1975, a new retreat house, Siloe Retreat Center, where he preached retreats for youth, religious and married couples. He received the title of “Citizen of Vinhedo” on February 26, 1998, from the Municipal Council of Vinhedo in recognition of his contributions to the broader community.

Father Leo was one of the founders of the Brazilian Conference of Benedictine men and women in 1967 and later President for six years. He helped to organize Latin American meetings of Benedictines from Mexico, Central and South America. During this time he gave retreats in most of the monasteries in Brazil.

He returned to Saint Vincent Archabbey in 2000, and was appointed senior priest at Saint Gertrude Parish, Vandergrift, serving there until his retirement to the Archabbey in 2008. Father Leo continued to assist in the pastoral work of the Archabbey through weekend pastoral ministry in dioceses served by the Benedictines of Saint Vincent.

The body will be received at 3 p.m. Tuesday, September 21, 2010, in the Elizabeth J. Roderick Center of Saint Vincent Archabbey. Viewing will be held from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The body will be transferred to the Basilica at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday for a vigil service. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Thursday, September 23, by Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., in the Archabbey Basilica. Interment will follow in the Saint Vincent Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Rev. Leo P. Rothrauff, O.S.B., Scholarsip at Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650.

Pope celebrating Mass at Westminster Cathedral

Prayer for our Pope during his trip England and Scotland

Almighty and Everlasting God, have mercy on Your servant Benedict XVI  our Supreme Pontiff, and direct him, according to Your loving kindness, in the way of eternal salvation, that with Your help he may ever desire that which is pleasing to You and accomplish it with all his strength. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord Jesus, shelter our Holy Father the Pope under the protection of Your Sacred Heart. Be his light, his strength and his consolation.

"Theology As Well Can Receive a Particular Contribution From Women"

VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 8, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in Paul VI Hall.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today I would like to take up again and continue the reflection on St. Hildegard of Bingen, an important woman of the Middle Ages, who is distinguished for her spiritual wisdom and holiness. Hildegard's mystical visions are like those of the prophets of the Old Testament: Expressing herself with the cultural and religious categories of her time, she interpreted sacred Scripture in the light of God, applying it to the various circumstances of life. Thus, all those who listened to her felt exhorted to practice a coherent and committed style of Christian living. In a letter to St. Bernard, the Rhenish mystic says: "The vision enthralled my whole being: I do not see merely with the eyes of the body, but mysteries appear to me in the spirit ... I know the profound meaning of what is expressed in the Psalter, in the Gospels and in other books, which were shown to me in the vision. This burns like a flame in my breast and in my soul, and teaches me how to understand the text profoundly" (Epistolarium pars prima I-XC: CCCM 91).
 

Hildegard's mystical visions are rich in theological content. They make reference to the main events of the history of salvation, and adopt a primarily poetic and symbolic language. For example, in her best known work, titled "Scivias," that is, "Know the Ways," she summarizes in 35 visions the events of the history of salvation, from the creation of the world to the end times. With the characteristic traits of feminine sensitivity, Hildegard, specifically in the central section of her work, develops the subject of the mystical marriage between God and humanity accomplished in the Incarnation. Carried out on the tree of the cross was the marriage of the Son of God with the Church, his Bride, filled with the grace of being capable of giving God new children, in the love of the Holy Spirit (cf. Visio tertia: PL 197, 453c.).

Already from these brief citations we see how theology as well can receive a particular contribution from women, because they are capable of speaking of God and of the mysteries of the faith with their specific intelligence and sensitivity. Hence, I encourage all those [women] who carry out this service to do so with a profound ecclesial spirit, nourishing their own reflection with prayer and looking to the great wealth, in part yet unexplored, of the Medieval mystical tradition, above all that represented by luminous models, such as, specifically, Hildegard of Bingen.

The Rhenish mystic is also author of other writings, two of which are particularly important because they report, as does "Scivias," her mystical visions: They are the "Liber vitae meritorum" (Books of Merits of Life) and the "Liber divinorum operum" (Book of Divine Works), also called "De operatione Dei." Described in the first is the unique and powerful vision of God who vivifies the cosmos with his strength and his light. Hildegard stresses the profound relationship between man and God and reminds us that the whole of creation, of which man is the summit, receives life from the Trinity. The writing is centered on the relationship between virtues and vices, in which the human being must daily face the challenge of vices, which distance him from the way to God, and the virtues, which favor him. It is an invitation to move away from evil to glorify God and to enter, after a virtuous existence, in the life "full of joy."

In the second work, considered by many her masterpiece, she again describes creation in its relationship with God and the centrality of man, manifesting a strong Christo-centrism of a biblical-patristic hue. The saint, who presents five visions inspired by the Prologue of St. John's Gospel, reports the words that the Son addresses to the Father: "All the work that you willed and that you entrusted to me, I have brought to a good end, and behold that I am in you, and you in me, and that we are but one thing" (Pars III, Visio X: PL 197, 1025a).

Finally, in other writings Hildegard manifests a variety of interests and the cultural vivacity of women's monasteries in the Middle Ages, contrary to the prejudices that still today are leveled upon that epoch. Hildegard was involved with medicine and the natural sciences, as well as with music, being gifted with artistic talent. She even composed hymns, antiphons and songs, collected under the title "Symphonia Harmoniae Caelestium Revelationum" (Symphony of the Harmony of the Celestial Revelations), which were joyfully performed in her monasteries, spreading an atmosphere of serenity, and which have come down to us. For her, the whole of creation is a symphony of the Holy Spirit, who in himself is joy and jubilation.

The popularity with which Hildegard was surrounded moved many persons to seek her counsel. Because of this, we have available to us many of her letters. Masculine and feminine monastic communities, bishops and abbots turned to her. Many of her answers are valid also for us. For example, to a women's religious community, Hildegard wrote thus: "The spiritual life must be taken care of with much dedication. In the beginning the effort is bitter. Because it calls for the renunciation of fancies, the pleasure of the flesh and other similar things. But if it allows itself to be fascinated by holiness, a holy soul will find sweet and lovable its very contempt for the world. It is only necessary to intelligently pay attention so that the soul does not shrivel" (E. Gronau, Hildegard. Vita di una donna profetica alle origini dell'eta moderna, Milan, 1996, p. 402).

And when the emperor Frederick Barbarossa caused an ecclesial schism by opposing three anti-popes to the legitimate Pope Alexander III, Hildegard, inspired by her visions, did not hesitate to remind him that he also, the emperor, was subject to the judgment of God. With the audacity that characterizes every prophet, she wrote these words to the emperor as God speaking: "Woe, woe to this wicked behavior of evil-doers who scorn me! Listen, O king, if you wish to live! Otherwise my sword will run you through!" (Ibid., p. 412).

 

With the spiritual authority with which she was gifted, in the last years of her life Hildegard began to travel, despite her advanced age and the difficult conditions of the journeys, to talk of God to the people. All listened to her eagerly, even when she took a severe tone: They considered her a messenger sent by God. Above all she called monastic communities and the clergy to a life in keeping with their vocation. In a particular way, Hildegard opposed the movement of German Cathars. They -- Cathar literally means "pure" -- advocated a radical reform of the Church, above all to combat the abuses of the clergy. She reproved them harshly for wishing to subvert the very nature of the Church, reminding them that a true renewal of the ecclesial community is not achieved so much with a change of structures, but by a sincere spirit of penance and an active path of conversion. This is a message that we must never forget.

Let us always invoke the Holy Spirit, so that he will raise up in the Church holy and courageous women, like St. Hildegard of Bingen, who, valuing the gifts received from God, will make their precious and specific contribution to the spiritual growth of our communities and of the Church in our time.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

"I will utter mysteries from of old."

It seems impossible that our ancestors so quickly forgot the works of the Lord in liberating them from slavery in Egypt. While he slew them through the saraph serpents that bit them, then they sought him for mercy. The Lord sent among his forgetful people the punishment of fiery serpents so that they might never forget how much they need God. They were bit by impatience and worn out by the journey so they complained against God and Moses. Their complaint was filled with the doubt about God's intention; they complained, "Have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water?" Are you really merciful or are you demonic? Such was the attitude of the rebellion in the desert. Yet, even this kind of doubt and this level of complaint did not diminish the mercy of God. The Lord had tough love for his rebellious children. God commanded Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole with some kind of cross bar to hold it up. Those who were bitten were to gaze upon this cross and be healed. This is a hidden mystery from of old; this is a prefigurement of the Cross of Christ. We who have crucified our savior gaze upon his sacrificial love and know his power to save us. We who have been poisoned by the bite of sin cry out and sing in the words of the Easter Vigil, "O happy fall of Adam! O necessary Adam's sin that won for us such a Redeemer!" This is the mystery from of old that we celebrate in today's Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Father Vincent Zidek, OSB incenses the new Crucifix in our college student chapel this weekend

Saint Paul takes a hymn from the liturgy of the early church to further reflect upon the mysteries from of old. In this text from the letter to the Philippians he proclaims that Christ Jesus emptied himself taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness. As one like us in all things but sin the Lord Jesus humbled himself becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. He willingly embraced the sacrifice of the cross to place himself where we would least expect to find God. Here on the cross of rejection and shame the Lord Jesus experienced what every sinner experiences, the seeming absence of God. "My God, My God, why have you rejected me?" Because of his acceptance of such humiliation the Father greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend in humble gratitude for the unspeakable mercy of God. Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful one; too costly in the eyes of the Father is the death of his only begotten Son. Yet, the Father of mercies would not even hold back his Son so that everyone who suffers loneliness and rejection would know his power to raise us up with Christ.

This is the great mystery hidden from ages past and revealed to us today in the exaltation of the holy cross. Just as the serpent was lifted up by Moses in the desert so, too, Christ is lifted up so that everyone who sees with eyes of faith the mystery of sacrificial love will freely offer himself up with Christ and come to know eternal life. The Father did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Is there any greater love than this? We who see this mystery in the broken bread and poured out blood of the Eucharist come to know a love that saves, heals and raises up to glory in the Spirit, through the Son, to the Father's glory.

- Written by a St. Vincent Archabbey Monk

Remembering September 11th

 

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths
and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.
We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here—
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and
Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives
with courage and hope.

We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.
God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.

Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.

Pope Benedict XI--Prayer at Ground Zero
New York, 20 April 2008

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"Let me sing of the LORD!"

Mi 5:1-4a; Ps 13:6; Mt 1:1-16,18-23

Rejoice! There's a word seldom used these days. When is the last time you rejoiced? Or, better yet, when is the last time you rejoiced with delight? What does it take to spark delight in our hearts? Why would we bother to rejoice? Birthdays give us a good reason to delight, or rejoice, or at the very least to sing. Today the Church from East to West delights in the birth of the Virgin Mary. Today we rejoice that the LORD has given us such a good reason to rejoice! Many have begun to trust in his mercy. When we trust our hearts can more readily rejoice in the LORD who comes to save us. In Christ is our salvation. Indeed, we sing with the Blessed Virgin, the Theotokos, as she sings--"He has been good to me." Indeed, the LORD has been good to us, and his greatest blessing is the Incarnation, of the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy mentioned in today's gospel from Saint Matthew. "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" Indeed, this good news delights the soul of anyone who reads Micah's prophecy, "He shall be peace." We who long for true peace on earth celebrate the birth of the woman who brings our God and our Peace into our world. If that's not something to delight in and to rejoice in, what is?

Did you ever wonder if they celebrated birthdays back in the day? It's not hard to imagine that the whole nation or empire celebrated the anniversaries of the emperor and his family. It probably did not matter if they wanted to or not; it happened. Now, for someone like Mary of Nazareth, the celebration of the anniversary of her birth probably did not take place. She was "no one" born in a nowhere village. Her birth was exciting for the immediate family, but it's doubtful that anyone else celebrated it. Even her son, Jesus, was born in a nowhere village, in Bethlehem, too small to be among the clans of Judah. However, he was the One that the prophet, Micah proclaimed in today's reading. He was born to be ruler in Israel. Indeed, his origin is from of old, from ancient times. He has been born to lead us all back to our true identity as children of the LORD, the New Israel of God. This son of Mary is to stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus the Christ, gathers us in from the ends of the earth, we shall remain with him and the Lord Jesus will be our peace.

The gospel for the Nativity of the Theotokos, the Mother of God, seems strange because there is no mention of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This genealogy from Saint Matthew picks up a powerful rhythm from its beginning, "Abraham became the father of Isaac." This rhythm runs through the generations from father to son, and it is interrupted quite deliberately by the mention of four mothers: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Beersheba. These four mothers seem to interrupt the rhythm of the genealogy. "Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar", and Tamar is the one who offered herself as a harlot to continue the messiah's bloodline. Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah; Beersheba by name, the woman David took for himself to fulfill his lust. Boaz, whose mother was Rahab; she is another repentant harlot who saved her whole family because of the kindness she showed to Joshua when he was spying in the city of Jericho. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth; she was a foreigner who demonstrated faithfulness to Naomi and her people and her God. Not only are four mothers mentioned in the genealogy; these mothers are less than holy models of motherhood. Not until the mention of Mary, the wife of Joseph, does the plan of God reveal the true model of holiness and discipleship. The Blessed Virgin Mary is revealed in this gospel as the legitimate wife of Joseph, who is with child through the Holy Spirit. Indeed the Holy Spirit has been preparing the human family of Abraham and his descendants for the wondrous birth of the Savior of all families of every nation. Indeed the working of the Holy Spirit from the conception of Mary within the womb of her mother, Saint Anne, has revealed the holiness of God. This unique mother of all mothers is full of grace and therefore free to respond, "let it be done to me according to your word" to the Archangel Gabriel. The holy and blessed parents, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, according to early church tradition, raised this holy and blessed Virgin. We who celebrate her birth rejoice and delight in the grace of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This same Holy Spirit moves in the hearts of Eastern and Western believers. Indeed, we join as one to respond to an exhortation from the Byzantine Liturgy: "Today the barren Anna claps her hands for joy, the earth radiates with light, kings sing their happiness, priests enjoy every blessing, the entire universe rejoices, for she who is queen and the Father's immaculate bride buds forth from the stem of Jesse!"

Cardinal George on the New Translation of the Roman Missal

Click here for link to the Cardinal's Column

B16 and 2011 World Youth Day!!!

Pope Benedict XVI 2011 World Youth Day Message (Click Here)

NY Post writer leaves paper for Seminary

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Feast of Saint Gregory the Great, monk, pope,& doctor

From: www.saintvincentarchabbey.org

1Cor 4:1-5;Ps 37:3-6,27,28,39,40;Lk 5:33-39

He will grant you your heart's requests."

The LORD grants the requests of our hearts when we take delight only in the LORD. Pope Saint Gregory the Great took delight in the LORD. Like our own great pope, John Paul II, growing in holiness is the only true greatness of human life. The LORD who knows us face to face; He communicates with us heart to heart. The intimacy of relationship between the psalmist and the LORD points beyond itself to the mystery of the incarnation and the mystical marriage of the Divine Bridegroom and the human soul. We, who trust in the LORD and do good, dwell in the land and are fed in security. We, who take delight in the LORD and do his will, dwell in his favor and are cared for in our every need. Indeed, He grants our heart's requests. When we have pure hearts that long to do his will, that want what he wants day in and day out. All we have to do is to commit ourselves to him, trust in him and he will act in us and for us. The LORD makes justice dawn for us like the light; bright as the noonday shall be our vindication. When we turn from evil and do good, then we abide forever in the bosom of the Father. For the LORD our God loves what is right and just; he forsakes not his faithful ones. Criminals are destroyed, and the posterity of the wicked is cut off. In all our distress, we take refuge in the LORD. The LORD helps us and delivers us from the wicked, because we take refuge in him. Saint Paul reminds us that the Lord will come to bring into light what is hidden in darkness and to manifest the motives of our hearts. For this day of the LORD we await with great joy and rejoicing! Now that the bridegroom has been taken away from us we find fast to feel in our flesh the loss of the Beloved who has been snatched from us and nailed upon a cross and is raised up on high in glory. Christ, our Bridegroom, is the one who makes us so new in heart and in fact that we actually begin in this life to taste that the Lord is good.

The one who judges Saint Paul is the same one who judges us. None other than the Lord Jesus is our judge. When he comes in all his glory with all the angels, the Lord Jesus will bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and He will manifest the motives of our hearts. It is our hearts that need to be converted and purified by the fire of the Living Flame of Love. As the Prophet Jeremiah complains, "more torturous than all else is the human heart who can heal it?" Our motives are often mixed, and we are often very self-centered in our motivation. However, those around us cannot enter into our hearts and sort us out. We need the Holy Spirit, who has the fiery love we need to purify us from the core and all throughout our behavior. The Spirit alone has the freedom and the generosity to tackle the torturous hearts of all who seek to be servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Indeed, we have no time to waste on judging one another; the Lord Jesus is our judge. Rather, we need to fast and offer petitions for each other. We all need to be pure of heart; we all need to be healed from our mixed motives and self centered preoccupation. The Lord Jesus can only accomplish such a process of detachment and renewal. When we try to purify our own motivation, we get caught up in the immensity and complexity of our own torturous hearts. Too many just give up, rather than surrender to the tender mercies of the Spirit who has access to our hearts and is not afraid or fooled by our complexity or limitations. Even though we may not be conscious of anything against us, we do not thereby stand acquitted; it is the Lord who judges each of us. Indeed, the Lord alone knows our hearts, and He alone can give us the praise we deserve.

The scribes and Pharisees are presented in today's gospel as the self-serving judges of the disciples of the Lord Jesus. From their so-called objective perspective, they condemn those who follow the Lord Jesus and praise those who follow the Baptist. The disciple of the Lord Jesus do not fast and offer prayers like the disciples of John the Baptist. The Lord Jesus sees through this complaint into the hearts of those who complain. Indeed, he is the only just judge; he sees to the core of these scribes and Pharisees. He knows that their motivation for complaining and judging is mixed. They are not as interested in the sanctification of the Lord's disciples as much as they are interested in discrediting the Lord Jesus who allows them to "eat and drink." The Lord Jesus challenges their condemnation and their pettiness with a revelation about the relationship between Christ and his disciples. Indeed, his defense of his disciples is clear in the statement about the presence of the Bridegroom, and even his short parables about the patch and the wineskins help to explain their behavior. Fasting and prayer are not longer offered to hold back the hand of the Almighty or to encourage the LORD to send his messiah. Indeed, the Messiah is here and something so new is happening that the very understanding of fasting and praying has changed. It's a whole new garment. It's a brand new batch of wine. Now we pray for the Father’s will to be done, because we know from His Son that it is the best thing that could ever happen, even if it means the cross, and we want to be a part of that coming Kingdom. Now we fast because we want to feel in our flesh the longing of those souls who have not met their Bridegroom, Christ the Lord. Among the disciples these traditions of devotion are strong and continue with a whole new meaning, just like the Passover is now the Supper of the Lamb.