SUFFERING IS BENEFICIAL FOR THE SOUL

“Who now rejoice in my sufferings…” (Col 1:24a) • “If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mk 8:34b).

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“Why can we not love the cross, recline in the shade of this blessed tree, fix our gaze upon it, and clasp it in our arms? Why can we not taste its fruit, bitter in the mouth, but salutary for the soul, so fruitful for eternal life?

What is beyond it?

The earth is torn up to receive the seeds of the future harvest, and what is this life for us but the divine sowing-time? Let us then be broken up, torn in all our senses, so that our souls may be fertile for eternity; let us permit the Divine Labourer to dig deeply, seeking in our inmost nature the last roots of any noxious herb, so that the brambles may no longer stifle the good grain, nor the tares mix with the true corn. Let us even allow Him to slay us, in order to bestow on us new life.”
– Le Chemin du Ciel

 

TODAY’S GOSPEL READING (LUKE 6:43-49)

(Week 23 of the year: Saturday)

WHY DO YOU CALL ME, “LORD, LORD” AND NOT DO WHAT I SAY?

For there is no good tree that bringeth forth evil fruit; nor an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit.

For every tree is known by its fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns; nor from a bramble bush do they gather the grape.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?

Every one that cometh to me, and heareth my words, and doth them, I will shew you to whom he is like.

He is like to a man building a house, who digged deep, and layed the foundation upon a rock. And when a flood came, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and it could not shake it; for it was founded on a rock.

But he that heareth, and doth not, is like to a man building his house upon the earth without a foundation: against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.

V. The Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

TODAY’S GOSPEL READING (MATTHEW 7:15-20)

YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL THEM BY THEIR FRUITS

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.”

V. The Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

MEDITATION ROSARY – THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS

Our Father…

1. We love and adore Your Will, O God, creating and growing the tree that would become the Cross of the salvation for the whole human race. Hail Mary…

2. We love You in the work of the men cutting this tree and fashioning it into a cross. Hail Mary…

3. We place our ‘We love You’ in the very words of Pilate condemning You to the Cross. Hail Mary…

4. We place our kiss of love and gratitude in every fibre of the Cross to return the kisses You give the Cross when receiving it. Hail Mary…
5. We love and adore Your invincible Love which alone gives You strength to bear the heavy Cross. Hail Mary…

6. We place our ‘we love You’ in the grace sent to Veronica moving her to bravely offer You her veil. Hail Mary…

7. We place our ‘we love You’ in every fibre of her veil to give You greater comfort as she wipes Your Face. Hail Mary…

8. We love and admire Your exceeding self-forgetful Love in imprinting Your image on that veil. Hail Mary…

9. To comfort You, we offer You all Your true friends throughout the centuries faithfully carrying their daily cross. Hail Mary…

10. To bring You the greatest comfort, we offer You Your Mother’s deep and simple act of adoration which she made as she met You on the Sorrowful Way. Hail Mary…

÷ And in all the Acts of the Divine Will found in the Mystery of the Carrying of the Cross, we love, adore, thank, praise and glorify You as we pray: Glory be to the Father… and, O my Jesus…

 

THE ROYAL BANNERS FORWARD GO (HYMN)

1. The royal banners forward go,
the cross shines forth in mystic glow,
where he in flesh, our flesh who made,
our sentence bore, our ransom paid.

2. There whilst he hung, his sacred side
by soldier’s spear was open’d wide,
to cleanse us in the precious flood
of waters mingled with his blood.

3. Fulfill’d is now what David told
in true prophetic song of old,
how God the heathen’s king should be;
for God is reigning from the tree.

4. O tree of glory, tree most fair,
ordain’d those holy limbs to bear,
how bright in purple robe it stood,
the purple of a saviour’s blood!

5. Upon its arms, like balance true,
he weigh’d the price for sinners due,
the price which none but he could pay:
and spoil’d the spoiler of his prey.

6. To thee, eternal Three in One,
let homage meet by all be done,
as by the cross thou dost restore,
so rule and guide us evermore. Amen.

– Venantius Fortunatus (530-609)
tr. J. M. Neale (1818-1866)