Monday, June 24, 2013 - Litany Lane Blog:
Precursor, Psalms 139, Isaiah 49:1-6, Luke 1:57-66, 80, Pope Francis Daily Homily - John the Baptist a model for the Church, Feast of the Birth of St John the Baptist, Mystical City of God Life of the Virgin Mary Book 3:3 the Visitation and Nativity of John the Baptist, Catholic Catechism Part Three: Life In Christ Section 1 The Dignity of the Human Person Article 8:1 Sin - Mercy and Sin
Year of Faith - October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Serenity Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge, reason and free will,
make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in
Heaven. The Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe (fear of the
Lord) , counsel, knowledge, fortitude, and piety (reverence) and shun
the seven Deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and
gluttony...Its your choice whether to embrace the Gifts of the Holy Spirit rising towards eternal light or succumb to the Seven deadly sins and lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to the Darkness, Purgatory or Heaven is our Soul...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...~ Zarya Parx 2013
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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Prayers for Today: Monday in Ordinary Time
Rosary - Joyful Mysteries
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Papam Franciscus
(Pope Francis)
Pope Francis June 24 General Audience Address :
John the Baptist a model for the Church
(2013-06-24 Vatican Radio)
The church exists for courageously proclaiming -until martyrdom- Christ, to serve and "take nothing for herself". In his homily at morning Mass on Monday, Pope Francis pointed to St. John the Baptist as model for Church: he didn't claim the Truth, the Word as his own; he diminished himself so Christ could shine.
June 24th is the Solemnity of the Birth of the Saint, whom the Gospels indicate as the forerunner or precursor of Jesus. Dedicating his homily to him Pope Francis said the Church is called to proclaim the Word of God, even to martyrdom.
Pope Francis began his homily by addressing best wishes to all who bear the name John. The figure of John the Baptist, the Pope said, is not always easy to understand. "When we think of his life - he observed – we think of a prophet," a "man who was great and then ends up as a poor man." Who is John? The Pope said john himself explains: "I am a voice, a voice in the wilderness," but "it is a voice without the Word, because the Word is not him, it is an Other." Here then is the mystery of John: "He never takes over the Word," John "is the one who indicates, who marks". The "meaning of John's life - he added - is to indicate another." Pope Francis then spoke of being struck by the fact that the "Church chooses to mark John’s feast day” at a time when the days are at their longest in the year, when they "have more light." And John really "was the man of light, he brought light, but it was not his own light, it was a reflected light." John is "like a moon" and when Jesus began to preach, the light of John "began to decline, to set". "Voice not Word - the Pope said - light, but not his own"
"John seems to be nothing. That is John’s vocation: he negates himself. And when we contemplate the life of this man, so great, so powerful - all believed that he was the Messiah - when we contemplate this life, how it is nullified to the point of the darkness of a prison, we behold a great mystery. We do not know what John’s last days were like. We do not know. We only know that he was killed, his head was put on a platter, as a great gift from a dancer to an adulteress. I don’t think you can lower yourself much more than this, negate yourself much more. That was the end that John met".
Pope Francis noted that in prison John experienced doubts, anguish and he called on his disciples to go to Jesus and ask him, "Are you You, or should we expect someone else?". His life is one of “pain and darkness”. John “was not even spared this”, said the Pope, who added: "the figure of John makes me think so much about the Church":
"The Church exists to proclaim, to be the voice of a Word, her husband, who is the Word. The Church exists to proclaim this Word until martyrdom. Martyrdom precisely in the hands of the proud, the proudest of the Earth. John could have made himself important, he could have said something about himself. 'But I never think', only this: he indicated, he felt himself to be the voice, not the Word. This is John’s secret. Why is John holy and without sin? Because he never, never took a truth as his own. He would not be an ideologue. The man who negated himself so that the Word could come to the fore. And we, as a Church, we can now ask for the grace not to become an ideological Church ... "
The Church, he added, must hear the Word of Jesus and raise her voice, proclaim it boldly. "That - he said - is the Church without ideologies, without a life of its own: the Church which is the mysterium lunae which has light from her Bridegroom and diminish herself so that He may grow"
"This is the model that John offers us today, for us and for the Church. A Church that is always at the service of the Word. A Church that never takes anything for herself. Today in prayer we asked for the grace of joy, we asked the Lord to cheer this Church in her service to the Word, to be the voice of this Word, preach this Word. We ask for the grace, the dignity of John, with no ideas of their own, without a Gospel taken as property, only one Church that indicates the Word, and this even to martyrdom. So be it! "
The church exists for courageously proclaiming -until martyrdom- Christ, to serve and "take nothing for herself". In his homily at morning Mass on Monday, Pope Francis pointed to St. John the Baptist as model for Church: he didn't claim the Truth, the Word as his own; he diminished himself so Christ could shine.
June 24th is the Solemnity of the Birth of the Saint, whom the Gospels indicate as the forerunner or precursor of Jesus. Dedicating his homily to him Pope Francis said the Church is called to proclaim the Word of God, even to martyrdom.
Pope Francis began his homily by addressing best wishes to all who bear the name John. The figure of John the Baptist, the Pope said, is not always easy to understand. "When we think of his life - he observed – we think of a prophet," a "man who was great and then ends up as a poor man." Who is John? The Pope said john himself explains: "I am a voice, a voice in the wilderness," but "it is a voice without the Word, because the Word is not him, it is an Other." Here then is the mystery of John: "He never takes over the Word," John "is the one who indicates, who marks". The "meaning of John's life - he added - is to indicate another." Pope Francis then spoke of being struck by the fact that the "Church chooses to mark John’s feast day” at a time when the days are at their longest in the year, when they "have more light." And John really "was the man of light, he brought light, but it was not his own light, it was a reflected light." John is "like a moon" and when Jesus began to preach, the light of John "began to decline, to set". "Voice not Word - the Pope said - light, but not his own"
"John seems to be nothing. That is John’s vocation: he negates himself. And when we contemplate the life of this man, so great, so powerful - all believed that he was the Messiah - when we contemplate this life, how it is nullified to the point of the darkness of a prison, we behold a great mystery. We do not know what John’s last days were like. We do not know. We only know that he was killed, his head was put on a platter, as a great gift from a dancer to an adulteress. I don’t think you can lower yourself much more than this, negate yourself much more. That was the end that John met".
Pope Francis noted that in prison John experienced doubts, anguish and he called on his disciples to go to Jesus and ask him, "Are you You, or should we expect someone else?". His life is one of “pain and darkness”. John “was not even spared this”, said the Pope, who added: "the figure of John makes me think so much about the Church":
"The Church exists to proclaim, to be the voice of a Word, her husband, who is the Word. The Church exists to proclaim this Word until martyrdom. Martyrdom precisely in the hands of the proud, the proudest of the Earth. John could have made himself important, he could have said something about himself. 'But I never think', only this: he indicated, he felt himself to be the voice, not the Word. This is John’s secret. Why is John holy and without sin? Because he never, never took a truth as his own. He would not be an ideologue. The man who negated himself so that the Word could come to the fore. And we, as a Church, we can now ask for the grace not to become an ideological Church ... "
The Church, he added, must hear the Word of Jesus and raise her voice, proclaim it boldly. "That - he said - is the Church without ideologies, without a life of its own: the Church which is the mysterium lunae which has light from her Bridegroom and diminish herself so that He may grow"
"This is the model that John offers us today, for us and for the Church. A Church that is always at the service of the Word. A Church that never takes anything for herself. Today in prayer we asked for the grace of joy, we asked the Lord to cheer this Church in her service to the Word, to be the voice of this Word, preach this Word. We ask for the grace, the dignity of John, with no ideas of their own, without a Gospel taken as property, only one Church that indicates the Word, and this even to martyrdom. So be it! "
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Liturgical Celebrations to be presided over by Pope: Summer
Vatican City, Summer2013 (VIS)
Following is the calendar of celebrations scheduled to be presided over by the Holy Father for the Summer of 2013:
JUNE
29 Saturday, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul: 9:30am, Mass and imposition of the pallium upon new metropolitans in the papal chapel.
JULY
June 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children, in this restless time, anew I am calling you to set out after my Son - to follow Him. I know of the pain, suffering and difficulties, but in my Son you will find rest; in Him you will find peace and salvation. My children, do not forget that my Son redeemed you by His Cross and enabled you, anew, to be children of God; to be able to, anew, call the Heavenly Father, "Father". To be worthy of the Father, love and forgive, because your Father is love and forgiveness. Pray and fast, because that is the way to your purification, it is the way of coming to know and becoming cognizant of the Heavenly Father. When you become cognizant of the Father, you will comprehend that He is all you need. I, as a mother, desire my children to be in a community of one single people where the Word of God is listened to and carried out.* Therefore, my children, set out after my Son. Be one with Him. Be God's children. Love your shepherds as my Son loved them when He called them to serve you. Thank you." *Our Lady said this resolutely and with emphasis.
May 25, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World:“Dear children! Today I call you to be strong and resolute in faith and prayer, until your prayers are so strong so as to open the Heart of my beloved Son Jesus. Pray little children, pray without ceasing until your heart opens to God’s love. I am with you and I intercede for all of you and I pray for your conversion. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
Following is the calendar of celebrations scheduled to be presided over by the Holy Father for the Summer of 2013:
JUNE
29 Saturday, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul: 9:30am, Mass and imposition of the pallium upon new metropolitans in the papal chapel.
JULY
The Prefecture of the Papal Household has released Pope Francis' agenda
for the summer period, from July through to the end of August. Briefing
journalists, Holy See Press Office director, Fr. Federico Lombardi
confirmed that the Pope will remain 'based ' at the Casa Santa Marta
residence in Vatican City State for the duration of the summer.
As per tradition, all private and special audiences are suspended for the duration of the summer. The Holy Father's private Masses with employees will end July 7 and resume in September. The Wednesday general audiences are suspended for the month of July to resume August 7 at the Vatican.
7 July, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 9:30am, Mass with seminarians and novices in the Vatican Basilica.
14 July Sunday , Pope Francis will lead the Angelus prayer from the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo.
Pope Francis will travel to Brazil for the 28th World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro from Monday July 22 to Monday July 29.
As per tradition, all private and special audiences are suspended for the duration of the summer. The Holy Father's private Masses with employees will end July 7 and resume in September. The Wednesday general audiences are suspended for the month of July to resume August 7 at the Vatican.
7 July, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 9:30am, Mass with seminarians and novices in the Vatican Basilica.
14 July Sunday , Pope Francis will lead the Angelus prayer from the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo.
Pope Francis will travel to Brazil for the 28th World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro from Monday July 22 to Monday July 29.
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2013 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed 06/24/2013.
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June 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children, in this restless time, anew I am calling you to set out after my Son - to follow Him. I know of the pain, suffering and difficulties, but in my Son you will find rest; in Him you will find peace and salvation. My children, do not forget that my Son redeemed you by His Cross and enabled you, anew, to be children of God; to be able to, anew, call the Heavenly Father, "Father". To be worthy of the Father, love and forgive, because your Father is love and forgiveness. Pray and fast, because that is the way to your purification, it is the way of coming to know and becoming cognizant of the Heavenly Father. When you become cognizant of the Father, you will comprehend that He is all you need. I, as a mother, desire my children to be in a community of one single people where the Word of God is listened to and carried out.* Therefore, my children, set out after my Son. Be one with Him. Be God's children. Love your shepherds as my Son loved them when He called them to serve you. Thank you." *Our Lady said this resolutely and with emphasis.
May 25, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World:“Dear children! Today I call you to be strong and resolute in faith and prayer, until your prayers are so strong so as to open the Heart of my beloved Son Jesus. Pray little children, pray without ceasing until your heart opens to God’s love. I am with you and I intercede for all of you and I pray for your conversion. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
May 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children; Anew, I am calling you to love and not to judge. My Son, according to the will of the Heavenly Father, was among you to show you the way of salvation, to save you and not to judge you. If you desire to follow my Son, you will not judge but love like your Heavenly Father loves you. And when it is the most difficult for you, when you are falling under the weight of the cross do not despair, do not judge, instead remember that you are loved and praise the Heavenly Father because of His love. My children, do not deviate from the way on which I am leading you. Do not recklessly walk into perdition. May prayer and fasting strengthen you so that you can live as the Heavenly Father would desire; that you may be my apostles of faith and love; that your life may bless those whom you meet; that you may be one with the Heavenly Father and my Son. My children, that is the only truth, the truth that leads to your conversion, and then to the conversion of all those whom you meet - those who have not come to know my Son - all those who do not know what it means to love. My children, my Son gave you a gift of the shepherds. Take good care of them. Pray for them. Thank you."
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Today's Word: precursor pre·cur·sor [pri-kur-ser]
Origin: 1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin praecursor forerunner.
noun
1. a person or thing that precedes, as in a job, a method, etc.; predecessor.
2. a person, animal, or thing that goes before and indicates the approach of someone or something else; harbinger: The first robin is a precursor of spring.
3. Chemistry, Biochemistry . a chemical that is transformed into another compound, as in the course of a chemical reaction, and therefore precedes that compound in the synthetic pathway: Cholesterol is a precursor of testosterone.
4. Biology . a cell or tissue that gives rise to a variant, specialized, or more mature form.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 139:1-3, 13-15
1 [For the choirmaster Of David Psalm] Yahweh, you examine me and know me,
2 you know when I sit, when I rise, you understand my thoughts from afar.
3 You watch when I walk or lie down, you know every detail of my conduct.
13 You created my inmost self, knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 For so many marvels I thank you; a wonder am I, and all your works are wonders. You knew me through and through,
15 my being held no secrets from you, when I was being formed in secret, textured in the depths of the earth.
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Today's Epistle - Isaiah 49:1-6
1 Coasts and islands, listen to me, pay attention, distant peoples. Yahweh called me when I was in the womb, before my birth he had pronounced my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
he hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, 'Israel, you are my servant, through whom I shall manifest my glory.'
4 But I said, 'My toil has been futile, I have exhausted myself for nothing, to no purpose.' Yet all the while my cause was with Yahweh and my reward with my God.
5 And now Yahweh has spoken, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him and to re-unite Israel to him;-I shall be honoured in Yahweh's eyes, and my God has been my strength.-
6 He said, 'It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I shall make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach the remotest parts of earth.'
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Today's Gospel Reading - Luke 1:57-66, 80
Birth of the Precursor of the Lord - St John the Baptist
1. Let us recollect ourselves in Prayer – Statio
Prayer of Cardinal Mercier to the Holy Spirit
Oh God, who has instructed your faithful, enlightening their hearts
with the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us that in the same Spirit we
may have the desire to do good and to enjoy always his comfort. May
there be Glory, adoration, love, and blessing to You Eternal Divine
Spirit, Who has brought to earth for us the Saviour of our souls. And
may there be glory and honour to His most adorable Heart Who loves us
with an infinite love. Oh
Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore You: enlighten me, guide me,
strengthen me, console me, teach me what I should do, give me your
orders. I promise to submit myself to all that will happen to me, allowed by You: I ask only that I may know Your Will.
2. Prayerful Reading of the Word - Lectio
From the Gospel according to Luke (1, 57-66.80)
The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth
to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had
lavished on her his faithful love, they shared her joy. Now it happened
that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were
going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up.
'No,' she said, 'he is to be called John.' They said to her, 'But no one
in your family has that name,' and made signs to his father to find out
what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and
wrote, 'His name is John.' And they were all astonished. At that instant
his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their
neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about
throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it
treasured it in their hearts. 'What will this child turn out to be?'
they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him. Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit grew strong. And he lived in the desert until the day he appeared openly to Israel.
3. Pondering the Word - Meditatio
3.1. Key to the Reading
This passage of the Gospel forms part of the so called accounts of
the infancy of Jesus. In a particular way this text follows the scene of
the Visitation of Mary “in the house of Zechariah” (Lk 1, 40) after the
event of the Annunciation of the Angel, the messenger of the new
creation.
In fact, the Annunciation inaugurates in a joyful way the
fulfilment of God’s promise to His People (Lk 1, 26-38). The joy of the
new times, which filled Mary, now inundates the heart of Elizabeth. She
rejoices with the announcement brought by Mary (Lk 1, 41). Mary, on the
other hand, “magnifies the Lord” (Lk 1, 46) because He has worked great
things in her, just as He has worked great marvels for His people in
need of salvation.
The expression “the time came” reminds us that this reality does
not only strike Elizabeth about to give birth, but reveals also
something of God’s project. In fact, Saint Paul tells us that when the
completion of the time came, God sent His Only Begotten Son “born of a
woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law, so
that we could receive adoption of sons” of God (Gal 4, 4).
In the Gospel Jesus in fact, speaks about the completion of times,
especially in the Gospel of John. Two of these times are the wedding at
Cana (Jn 2, 1-12) and the agony on the cross where Jesus exclaims that
“all is fulfilled” (Jn 19, 30). In the fulfilment of the times Jesus
inaugurates an era of salvation. The birth of John the Baptist
inaugurates this time of salvation. In fact, at the arrival of the
Messiah he exults and leaps in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth (Lk 1,
44). Later on, he will define himself as the friend of the bridegroom
(Jesus) who exults and rejoices because of the event of the wedding with
the bride, the Church (Jn 3, 29).
The son will not be named as his father Zechariah, but John.
Zechariah reminds us that God does not forget His people. In fact, his
name means “God remembers”. His son will now be called “God remembers”,
because God’s promises were being fulfilled. The prophetic mission of
John has to indicate God’s mercy. In fact, he will be called Johanan,
that is “God is mercy”. This mercy is manifested in the visit to the
People, precisely “as he had promised by the mouth of his holy prophets
of ancient times” (Lk 1, 67-70). Thus, the name indicates the mission of
the one about to be born. Zechariah will write the name of his son on a
tablet so that all could see with admiration (Lk 1, 63). This tablet is
the echo of another inscription, written by Pilate to be fixed on the
cross of Jesus. This inscription revealed the identity of the mission of
the Crucified: “Jesus, the Nazarene, King of the Jews” (Jn 19, 19).
This writing also provoked the admiration of those who were in Jerusalem
for the feast.
John is the precursor of Jesus in everything. Already since his
birth and childhood he points out to Christ. “Who will this child be? He
is “the voice which cries out in the desert” (Jn 1, 23), impelling all
to prepare the way of the Lord. He is not the Messiah (Jn 1, 20), but he
indicates this with his preaching and above all with his life style of
asceticism in the desert. Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit
grew strong. He lived in the desert until the day he appeared openly to
Israel”. (Lk 1, 80).
3.1.1. Questions to direct the meditation and the carrying out
- What has struck you in this passage and in the reflection?
- John identifies himself as the friend of the bridegroom. According to you, what is the meaning of this image?
- John the Baptist has always been seen by the Church as its type. He is the one who prepares the way for the Lord. Does this have some relevance for our daily life?
- John identifies himself as the friend of the bridegroom. According to you, what is the meaning of this image?
- John the Baptist has always been seen by the Church as its type. He is the one who prepares the way for the Lord. Does this have some relevance for our daily life?
4. Oratio
Let us bless the Lord together with Zechariah (Lk 1, 68-79)
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
for he has visited his people, he has set them free,
and he has established for us a saving power
in the House of his servant David,
just as he proclaimed,
by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies
and from the hands of all those who hate us,
and show faithful love to our ancestors,
and so keep in mind his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
that he would grant us, free from fear,
to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and uprightness in his presence,
all our days.
And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare a way for him,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the faithful love of our God
in which the rising Sun has come from on high to visit us,
to give light to those who live in darkness
and the shadow dark as death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
for he has visited his people, he has set them free,
and he has established for us a saving power
in the House of his servant David,
just as he proclaimed,
by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies
and from the hands of all those who hate us,
and show faithful love to our ancestors,
and so keep in mind his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
that he would grant us, free from fear,
to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and uprightness in his presence,
all our days.
And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare a way for him,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the faithful love of our God
in which the rising Sun has come from on high to visit us,
to give light to those who live in darkness
and the shadow dark as death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
5. Contemplatio
Let us all together adore the mercy and the goodness of God repeating in silence:
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
As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist
Feast Day: June 24
Patron Saint: n/a
Attributes: n/a
Birth of St. John the Baptist, depicting Zechariah writing, "His name is John".
The Nativity of St. John the Baptist (or Birth of John the Baptist, or Nativity of the Forerunner) is a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of John the Baptist, a prophet who foretold the coming of the Messiah in the person of Jesus, whom he later baptised.
Christians have long interpreted the life of John the Baptist as a preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ, and the circumstances of his birth, as recorded in the New Testament, are miraculous. John's pivotal place in the gospel is seen in the emphasis Luke gives to the announcement of his birth and the event itself—both made prominently parallel to the same occurrences in the life of Jesus.[1]
The sole biblical account of the birth of John the Baptist comes from the Gospel of Luke. John’s parents, Zechariah or Zachary — a Jewish priest — and Elizabeth, were without children and both were beyond the age of child-bearing. During Zechariah's rotation to serve in the Temple in Jerusalem, he was chosen by lot to offer incense at the Golden Altar in the Holy Place. The Archangel Gabriel appeared to him and announced that he and his wife would give birth to a child, and that they should name him John. However, because Zechariah did not believe the message of Gabriel, he was rendered speechless until the time of John's birth;[2] at that time, his relatives wanted to name the child after his father, and Zechariah wrote, "His name is John" and could speak (Luke 1:5-25; 1:57-66). Following Zechariah's obedience to the command of God, he was given the gift of prophecy, and foretold the future ministry of John (Luke 1:67-79).
The Nativity of St John the Baptist on June 24 comes three months after the celebration on March 25 of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel told Our Lady that her cousin Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy,[3] and six months before the Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus. The purpose of these festivals is not to celebrate the exact dates of these events, but simply to commemorate them in an interlinking way. The Nativity of St. John the Baptist anticipates the feast of Christmas.[4]
The Nativity of St John the Baptist is one of the oldest festivals of the Christian church, being listed by the Council of Agde in 506 as one of that region's principal festivals, where it was a day of rest and, like Christmas, was celebrated with three Masses: a vigil, at dawn, and at midday.[5]
The Nativity of St John the Baptist, though not a widespread public holiday outside of Quebec, is a high-ranking liturgical feast, kept in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran Churches. Since in the Roman Rite it is celebrated since 1970 as a Solemnity, in the 1962 form of that liturgical rite as a feast of the first class and in still earlier forms as a Double of the First Class with common Octave, it takes precedence over a Sunday on which it happens to fall. The Reformed and free churches give this celebration less prominence.
Since the day was celebrated in Lutheran Leipzig, Johann Sebastian Bach composed three church cantatas for the occasion:
In addition to the birth of John the Baptist, the Orthodox Church also has the following commemorations of the life of John the Baptist:
Therefore, a more likely reason why the festival falls on June 24 lies in the Roman way of counting, which proceeded backward from the Kalends (first day) of the succeeding month. Christmas was "the eighth day before the Kalends of January" (Octavo Kalendas Januarii). Consequently, Saint John's Nativity was put on the "eighth day before the Kalends of July." However, since June has only thirty days, in our present (Germanic) way of counting, the feast falls on June 24.[5]
Nevertheless, the significance of the feast falling around the time of the solstice is considered by many to be significant, recalling the words of John the Baptist with regard to Jesus: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
All over Europe Saint John's Day festivities are closely associated with the ancient nature lore of the great summer festival of pre-Christian times. "Saint John's fires" are lighted on mountains and hilltops on the eve of his feast. As the first day of summer, Saint John's Day is considered in ancient folklore one of the great "charmed" festivals of the year. Hidden treasures are said to lie open in lonely places, waiting for the lucky finder. Divining rods should be cut on this day. Herbs are given unusual powers of healing, which they retain if they are plucked during the night of the feast. In Germany they call these herbs Johanneskraut (St. John's herbs), and people bring them to church for a special blessing. In Scandinavia and in the Slavic countries it is an ancient superstition that on Saint John's Day witches and demons are allowed to roam the earth. As at Halloween, children go the rounds and demand "treats," straw figures are thrown into the flames, and much noise is made to drive the demons away.[5]
In the 7th century, Saint Eligius warned against midsummer activities and encouraged new converts to avoid them in favor of the celebration of St. John the Baptist’s birth.
Christians have long interpreted the life of John the Baptist as a preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ, and the circumstances of his birth, as recorded in the New Testament, are miraculous. John's pivotal place in the gospel is seen in the emphasis Luke gives to the announcement of his birth and the event itself—both made prominently parallel to the same occurrences in the life of Jesus.[1]
The sole biblical account of the birth of John the Baptist comes from the Gospel of Luke. John’s parents, Zechariah or Zachary — a Jewish priest — and Elizabeth, were without children and both were beyond the age of child-bearing. During Zechariah's rotation to serve in the Temple in Jerusalem, he was chosen by lot to offer incense at the Golden Altar in the Holy Place. The Archangel Gabriel appeared to him and announced that he and his wife would give birth to a child, and that they should name him John. However, because Zechariah did not believe the message of Gabriel, he was rendered speechless until the time of John's birth;[2] at that time, his relatives wanted to name the child after his father, and Zechariah wrote, "His name is John" and could speak (Luke 1:5-25; 1:57-66). Following Zechariah's obedience to the command of God, he was given the gift of prophecy, and foretold the future ministry of John (Luke 1:67-79).
Liturgical Celebrations
At the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to inform her that she would conceive of the Holy Ghost Jesus, he also informed her that Elizabeth, her cousin, was already six months pregnant (Luke 1:36). Mary then journeyed to visit Elizabeth. Luke’s Gospel recounts that the baby “leapt” in Elizabeth’s womb at the greeting of Mary (Luke 1:44).The Nativity of St John the Baptist on June 24 comes three months after the celebration on March 25 of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel told Our Lady that her cousin Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy,[3] and six months before the Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus. The purpose of these festivals is not to celebrate the exact dates of these events, but simply to commemorate them in an interlinking way. The Nativity of St. John the Baptist anticipates the feast of Christmas.[4]
The Nativity of St John the Baptist is one of the oldest festivals of the Christian church, being listed by the Council of Agde in 506 as one of that region's principal festivals, where it was a day of rest and, like Christmas, was celebrated with three Masses: a vigil, at dawn, and at midday.[5]
In Western Christianity
Ordinarily the day of a saint's death is usually celebrated as his or her feast day, because that day marks his entrance into heaven. To this rule there are two notable exceptions: the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary and that of St John the Baptist. Mary, already in the first moment of her existence, was free from original sin (her conception itself is commemorated by a separate feast), while John was cleansed of original sin in the womb of his mother.[4]The Nativity of St John the Baptist, though not a widespread public holiday outside of Quebec, is a high-ranking liturgical feast, kept in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran Churches. Since in the Roman Rite it is celebrated since 1970 as a Solemnity, in the 1962 form of that liturgical rite as a feast of the first class and in still earlier forms as a Double of the First Class with common Octave, it takes precedence over a Sunday on which it happens to fall. The Reformed and free churches give this celebration less prominence.
Since the day was celebrated in Lutheran Leipzig, Johann Sebastian Bach composed three church cantatas for the occasion:
- Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe, BWV 167, 24 June 1723
- Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 7, 24 June 1724
- Freue dich, erlöste Schar, BWV 30, 24 June 1738 or a later year
In Eastern Christianity
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and other Eastern Christian Churches, St John the Baptist is usually called St John the Forerunner, a title used also in the West ("Πρόδρομος" in Greek, "Precursor" in Latin). This title indicates that the purpose of his ministry was to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. In the East also, the Feast of his Nativity is celebrated on June 24. It is a major feast day and is celebrated with an All-Night Vigil. It has an Afterfeast of one day. The feast always falls during the Apostles' Fast.In addition to the birth of John the Baptist, the Orthodox Church also has the following commemorations of the life of John the Baptist:
- January 7 - The Synaxis of St John the Forerunner (main feast day, immediately after Theophany (Epiphany) on January 6)
- February 24 - First and Second Finding of the Head of St. John the Forerunner
- May 25 - Third Finding of the Head of St. John the Forerunner
- August 29 - The Beheading of St. John the Forerunner
- September 23 Conception of St John the Forerunner and the Commemoration of Sts. Zechariah and Elizabeth.
Celebration
The question would naturally arise as to why the celebration falls on June 24 rather than June 25 if the date is to be precisely six months before Christmas. It has often been claimed that the Church authorities wanted to Christianize the pagan solstice celebrations and for this reason advanced Saint John's feast as a substitute. This explanation is questionable because in the Middle Ages the solstice took place around the middle of June due to the inaccuracy of the Julian calendar. It was only in 1582, through the Gregorian calendar reform, that the solstice returned to June 21 as it had been in the fourth century.Therefore, a more likely reason why the festival falls on June 24 lies in the Roman way of counting, which proceeded backward from the Kalends (first day) of the succeeding month. Christmas was "the eighth day before the Kalends of January" (Octavo Kalendas Januarii). Consequently, Saint John's Nativity was put on the "eighth day before the Kalends of July." However, since June has only thirty days, in our present (Germanic) way of counting, the feast falls on June 24.[5]
Nevertheless, the significance of the feast falling around the time of the solstice is considered by many to be significant, recalling the words of John the Baptist with regard to Jesus: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
Customs
Beyond the religious commemoration, many regional customs associated with the Nativity of John the Baptist are in fact more related to the concurrent celebration of midsummer which are themselves remnants of pre-Christian pagan midsummer festivalsAll over Europe Saint John's Day festivities are closely associated with the ancient nature lore of the great summer festival of pre-Christian times. "Saint John's fires" are lighted on mountains and hilltops on the eve of his feast. As the first day of summer, Saint John's Day is considered in ancient folklore one of the great "charmed" festivals of the year. Hidden treasures are said to lie open in lonely places, waiting for the lucky finder. Divining rods should be cut on this day. Herbs are given unusual powers of healing, which they retain if they are plucked during the night of the feast. In Germany they call these herbs Johanneskraut (St. John's herbs), and people bring them to church for a special blessing. In Scandinavia and in the Slavic countries it is an ancient superstition that on Saint John's Day witches and demons are allowed to roam the earth. As at Halloween, children go the rounds and demand "treats," straw figures are thrown into the flames, and much noise is made to drive the demons away.[5]
In the 7th century, Saint Eligius warned against midsummer activities and encouraged new converts to avoid them in favor of the celebration of St. John the Baptist’s birth.
References
- ^ Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist
- ^ Nativity of the Holy Glorious Prophet
- ^ Luke 1:36
- ^ Birth of St.John the Baptist from the Passionist Nuns
- ^Fr. Weiser. "Feasts of Saint John the Baptist". Catholic Culture: Liturgical Year. Catholic Culture. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
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Today's Snippet I: Book 3, Chapter 3
The Mystical City of God,The Divine History and Life of The Virgin Mother of God
MOST HOLY MARY VISITS ELISABETH AND THE NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPIST
"And Mary rising up in those days," says the sacred text, "went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Jude" (Luke 1, 39). This rising up of our heavenly Queen signified not only her exterior preparations and setting out from Nazareth on her journey, but it referred to the movement of her spirit and to the divine impulse and command which directed Her to arise interiorly from the humble retirement, which She had chosen in her humility. She arose as it were from the feet of the Most High, whose will and pleasure She eagerly sought to fulfill, like the lowliest handmaid, who according to the word of David (Ps. 122, 2) keeps her eyes fixed upon the hands of her Mistress, awaiting her commands. Arising at the bidding of the Lord She lovingly hastened to accomplish his most holy will, In procuring without delay the sanctification of the Precursor of the incarnate Word, who was yet held prisoner in the womb of Elisabeth by the bonds of original sin. This was the purpose and object of this journey. Therefore the Princess of heaven arose and proceeded in diligent haste, as mentioned by the Evangelist saint Luke.
Leaving behind then the house of her father and forgetting
her people (Ps. 44, 11), the most chaste spouses, Mary and Joseph, pursued their
way to the house of Zacharias in mountainous Judea. It was twenty six leagues
distant from Nazareth, and the greater part of the way was very rough and
broken, unfit for such a delicate and tender Maiden. All the convenience at
their disposal for the arduous undertaking was an humble beast, on which She
began and pursued her journey. Although it was intended solely for her comfort
and service, yet Mary, the most humble and unpretentious of all creatures, many
times dismounted and asked her spouse saint Joseph to share with Her this
commodity and to lighten the difficulties of the way by making use of the beast.
Her discreet spouse never accepted this offer; and in order to yield somewhat to
the solicitations of the heavenly Lady, he permitted her now and then to walk
with him part of the way, whenever it seemed to him that her delicate strength
could sustain the exertion without too great fatigue. But soon he would again
ask Her, with great modesty and reverence, to accept of this slight alleviation
and the celestial Queen would they obey and again proceed on her way seated in
the saddle.
Thus alleviating their fatigue by humble and courteous
contentions, the most holy Mary and saint Joseph continued on their journey,
making good use of each single moment. They proceeded alone, without
accompaniment of any human creatures; but all the thousand angels, which were
set to guard the couch of Solomon, the most holy Mary, attended upon them (Cant.
3, 7). Although the angels accompanied them in corporeal form, serving their
great Queen and her most holy Son in her womb, they were visible only to Mary.
In the company of the angels and of saint Joseph, the Mother of grace journeyed
along, filling the fields and the mountains with the sweetest fragrance of her
presence and with the divine praises, in which She unceasingly occupied herself.
Sometimes She conversed with the angels and, alternately with them, sang divine
canticles concerning the different mysteries of the Divinity and the works of
Creation and of the Incarnation. Thus ever anew the pure heart of the immaculate
Lady was inflamed by the ardors of divine love. In all this her spouse saint
Joseph contributed his share by maintaining a discreet silence, and by allowing
his beloved Spouse to pursue the flights of her spirit; for, lost in highest
contemplation, he was favored with some understanding what was passing within
her soul.
At other times the two would converse with each other and
speak about the salvation of souls and the mercies of the Lord, of the coming of
the Redeemer, of the prophecies given to the ancient Fathers concerning Him, and
of other mysteries and sacraments of the Most High. Something happened on the
way, which caused great wonder in her holy spouse Joseph: he loved his Spouse
most tenderly with a chaste and holy love, such as had been ordained in Him by
the special grace and dispensation of the divine love itself (Cant. 2, 4); in
addition to this privilege (which was certainly not a small one) the saint was
naturally of a most noble and courteous disposition, and his manners were most
pleasing and charming; all this produced in him a most discreet and loving
solicitude, which was yet increased by the great holiness, which he had seen
from the beginning in his Spouse and which was ordained by heaven as the
immediate object of all his privileges. Therefore the saint anxiously attended
upon most holy Mary and asked her many times, whether She was tired or fatigued,
and in what He could serve Her on the journey. But as the Queen of heaven
already carried within the virginal chamber the divine fire of the incarnate
Word, holy Joseph, without fathoming the real cause, experienced in his soul new
reactions, proceeding from the words and conversations of his beloved Spouse. He
felt himself so inflamed by divine love and imbued with such exalted knowledge
of the mysteries touched upon in their conversations, that he was entirely
renewed and spiritualized by this burning interior light. The farther they
proceeded and the more they conversed about these heavenly things, so much the
stronger these affections grew, and he became aware, that it was the words of
his Spouse, which thus filled his heart with love and inflamed his will with
divine ardor.
Having pursued their journey four days, the most holy Mary
and her spouse arrived at the town of Juda, where Zachary and Elisabeth then
lived. This was the special and proper name of the place, where the parents of
saint John lived for a while, and therefore the Evangelist saint Luke specifies
it, calling it Juda, although the commentators have commonly believed that this
was not the name of the town in which Elisabeth and Zacharias lived, but simply
the name of the province, which was called Juda or Judea; just as for the same
reason the mountains south of Jerusalem were called the mountains of Judea. But
it was expressly revealed to me that the town was called Juda and that the
Evangelist calls it by its proper name; although the learned expositors have
understood by this name of Juda the province, in which that town was situated.
This confusion arose from the fact that some years after the death of Christ the
town Juda was destroyed, and, as the commentators found no trace of such a town,
they inferred that saint Luke meant the province and not a town; thus the great
differences of opinion in regard to the place, where most holy Mary visited
Elisabeth, are easily explained.
It was at this city of Juda and at the house of Zacharias
that most holy Mary and Joseph arrived. In order to announce their visit, saint
Joseph hastened ahead of Mary and calling out saluted the inmate the house,
saying: "The Lord be with you and fill souls with divine grace."
Elisabeth was already forewarned, for the Lord himself had informed her in a
vision that Mary of Nazareth had departed to visit her. She had also in this
vision been made aware that the heavenly Lady was most pleasing in the eyes of
the Most High; while the mystery of her being the Mother God was not revealed to
her until the moment, when they both saluted each other in private. But saint
Elisabeth immediately issued forth with a few of her family, in order to welcome
most holy Mary, who, as the more humble and younger in years, hastened to salute
her cousin, saying: "The Lord be with you, my dearest cousin, and Elisabeth
answered : "The same Lord reward you for having come in order to afford me
this pleasure.'' With these words they entered the house of Zacharias and what
happened I will relate in the following chapter.
After the first salutation of Elisabeth by the most holy
Mary, the two cousins retired, as I have said at the end of the preceding
chapter. And immediately the Mother of grace saluted anew her cousin saying:
"May God save thee, my dearest cousin, and may his divine light communicate
to thee grace and life'' (Luke 1, 40). At the sound of most holy Mary's voice,
saint Elisabeth was filled by the Holy Ghost and so enlightened interiorly, that
in one instant she perceived most exalted mysteries and sacraments. These
emotions, and those that at the same time were felt by the child John in the
womb of his mother, were caused by the presence of the Word made flesh in the
bridal chamber of Mary's womb, for, making use of the voice of Mary as his
instrument, He, as Redeemer, began from that place to use the power given to Him
by the eternal Father for the salvation and justification of the souls. And
since He now operated as man, though as yet of the diminutive size of one
conceived eight days before, He assumed, in admirable humility, the form and
posture of one praying and beseeching the Father. He asked in earnest prayer for
the justification of his future Precursor and obtained it at the hands of the
blessed Trinity.
This happened before the most holy Mary had put her
salutation into words. At the pronunciation of the words mentioned above, God
looked upon the child in the womb of saint Elisabeth, and gave it perfect use of
reason, enlightening it with his divine light, in order that he might prepare
himself by foreknowledge for the blessings which he was to receive. Together
with this preparation he was sanctified from original sin, made an adopted son
of God, and filled with the most abundant graces of the Holy Ghost and with the
plenitude of all his gifts; his faculties were sanctified, subjected and
subordinated to reason, thus verifying in himself what the archangel Gabriel had
said to Zacharias; that His son would be filled with the Holy Ghost from the
womb of his mother (Luke 1, 17). At the same time the fortunate child, looking
through the walls of the maternal womb as through clear glass upon the incarnate
Word, and assuming a kneeling posture, adored his Redeemer and Creator, whom he
beheld in most holy Mary as if enclosed in a chamber made of the purest crystal.
This was the movement of jubilation, which was felt by his mother Elisabeth as
coming from the infant in her womb (Luke 1, 44). Many other acts of virtue the
child John performed during this interview, exercising faith, hope, charity,
worship, gratitude, humility, devotion and all the other virtues possible to him
there. From that moment he began to merit and grow in sanctity, without ever
losing it and without ever ceasing to exercise it with all the vigor of grace.
Saint Elisabeth was instructed at the same time in the
mystery of the Incarnation, the sanctification of her own son and the
sacramental purpose of this new wonder. She also became aware of the virginal
purity and of the dignity of the most holy Mary. On this occasion, the heavenly
Queen, being absorbed in the vision of the Divinity and of the mysteries
operated by it through her most holy Son, became entirely godlike, filled with
the clear light of the divine gifts which She participated; and thus filled with
majesty saint Elisabeth saw Her.
Filled with admiration at what She saw and heard in regard to
these divine mysteries, saint Elisabeth was wrapt in the joy of the Holy Ghost;
and, looking upon the Queen of the world and what was contained in Her, she
burst forth in loud voice of praise, pronouncing the words reported to us, by
saint Luke: "Blessed are Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb. And whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?
For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant
in my womb leaped for joy, and blessed art Thou, that has believed, because
those things shall be accomplished, that were spoken to Thee by the Lord."
In these prophetic words saint Elisabeth rehearsed the noble privileges of most
holy Mary, perceiving by the divine light what the power of the Lord had done in
Her, what He now performed, and what He was to accomplish through Her in time to
come. All this also the child John perceived and understood, while listening to
the words of his mother; for she was enlightened for the purpose of his
sanctification, and since he could not from his place in the womb bless and
thank her by word of mouth, She, both for herself and for her son, extolled the
most holy Mary as being the instrument of their good fortune.
These words of praise, pronounced by saint Elisabeth were
referred by the Mother of wisdom and humility to the Creator; and in the
sweetest and softest voice She intoned the Magnificat as recorded by saint Luke
(Ch. 1, 46-55)
46. My soul doth magnify the Lord;
47. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48. Because He hath regarded the humility of his handmaid;
for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49. Because he that is mighty hath done great things to me
and holy is his name.
50. And his mercy is from generation unto generation to
them that fear him.
51. He hath showed might in his arm; He hath scattered the
proud in the conceit of their heart.
52. He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath
exalted the humble.
53. He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich
He hath sent empty away.
54. He hath received Israel, his servant, being mindful of
his mercy;
55. As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed
forever."
Just as saint Elisabeth was the first one who heard this
sweet canticle from the mouth of most holy Mary, so she was also the first one
who understood it and, by means of her infused knowledge, commented upon it. She
penetrated some of the great mysteries. which its Authoress expressed therein in
so few sentences. The soul of most holy Mary magnified the Lord for the
excellence of his infinite Essence; to Him She referred and yielded all glory
and praise (I Tim. 1, 17), both for the beginning and the accomplishment of her
works. She knew and confessed that in God alone every creature should glory and
rejoice, since He alone is their entire happiness and salvation (11 Cor. 10 17).
She confessed also the equity and magnificence of the Most high in attending to
the humble and in conferencing upon them his abundant spirit of divine love (Ps.
137, 6). She saw how worthy of mortals it is to perceive, understand and ponder
the gifts that were conferred on the humility of Her, whom all nations were to
call blessed, and how all the humble ones, each according to his degree, could
share the same good fortune. By one word also She expressed all the mercies,
benefits and blessings, which the Almighty showered upon Her in his holy and
wonderful name; for She calls them altogether "great things" since
there was nothing small about anything that referred to this great Queen and
Lady.
And as the mercies of the Most High overflowed from Mary's
plenitude to the whole human race, and as She was the portal of heaven, through
which they issued and continue to issue, and through which we are to enter into
the participation of the Divinity; therefore She confessed, that the mercy of
the Lord in regard Her is spread out over all the generations, communicating
itself to them that fear Him. And just as the infinite mercies raise up the
humble and seek out those that fear God; so also the powerful arm of divine
justice scatters and destroys those who are proud in the mind of their heart,
and hurls them from their thrones in order to set in their place the poor and
lowly. This justice of the Lord was exercised in wonderful splendor and glory
upon the chief of all the proud, Lucifer and his followers, when the almighty
arm of God scattered and hurled them (because they themselves precipitated
themselves) from their exalted seats which befitted their angelic natures and
their graces, and which they occupied according to the original (Isaias 14;
Apoc. 12) decree of the divine love. For by it He intended that all should be
blessed (I Tim. 2, 4) while they, in trying to ascend in their vain pride to
positions, which they neither could attain nor should aspire to, on the contrary
cast themselves from those which they occupied (Isaias 14,13).
When it was time to come forth from their retirement, saint
Elisabeth offered herself and her whole family and all her house for the service
of the Queen of heaven. She asked Her to accept, as a quiet retreat, the room
which she herself was accustomed to use for her prayers, and which was much
retired and accommodated to that purpose. The heavenly Princess accepted the
chamber with humble thanks, and made use of it for recollecting Herself and
sleeping therein, and no one ever entered it, except the two cousins. As for the
rest She offered to serve and assist Elisabeth as a handmaid, for She said, that
this was the purpose of visiting her and consoling her. O what friendship
is so true, so sweet and inseparable, as that which is formed by the great bond
of the divine love! How admirable is the Lord in manifesting this great
sacrament of the Incarnation to three women before He would make it known to any
one else in the human race! For the first was saint Anne, as I have said in its
place; the second one was her Daughter and the Mother of the Word, most holy
Mary; the third one was saint Elisabeth, and conjointly with Her, her son, for
he being yet in the womb of his mother, cannot be considered as distinct from
her. Thus "the foolishness of God is wiser than men," as saint Paul
says.
The most holy Mary and Elisabeth came forth from their
retirement at nightfall, having passed a long time together; and the Queen saw
Zacharias standing before her in his muteness, and She asked him for his
blessing as from a priest of the Lord, which the saint also gave to Her. Yet,
although She tenderly pitied him for his affliction, She did not exert her power
to cure him, because She knew the mysterious occasion of his dumbness; yet She
offered a prayer for him. Saint Elisabeth, who already knew the good fortune of
the most chaste spouse Joseph, although he himself as yet was not aware of it,
entertained and served him with great reverence and highest esteem. After
staying three days in the house of Zacharias, however, he asked permission of
his heavenly Spouse Mary to return to Nazareth and leave Her in the company of
saint Elisabeth in order to assist her in her pregnancy. The holy husband left
them with the understanding that he was to return in order to accompany the
Queen home as soon as they should give him notice; saint Elisabeth offered him
some presents to take home with him; but he would take only a small part of
them, yielding only to their earnest solicitations, for this man of God was not
only a lover of poverty, but was possessed of a magnanimous and noble heart.
Therewith he pursued his way back to Nazareth, taking along with him the little
beast of burden, which they had brought with them. At home, in the absence of
his Spouse, he was served by a neighboring woman and cousin of his, who, also
when most holy Mary was at home, was wont to come and go on necessary errands
outside of the house.
In conformity with this instruction and new mandate of the
Most High, the Princess of heaven ordered all her occupations in the house of
her cousin Elisabeth. She rose up at midnight in accordance with her former
custom, spending the hours in the continued contemplation of the divine
mysteries and giving to waking and sleep the time, which most perfectly and
exactly agreed with the natural state and conditions of her body. In labor and
repose She continued to receive new favors, illuminations, exaltation and
caresses of the Lord. During these three months She had many visions of the
Divinity, mostly abstractive in kind. More frequent still were the visions of
the most holy humanity of the Word in its hypostatic union; for her virginal
womb, in which She bore Him, served Her as her continual altar and sanctuary.
She beheld the daily growth of that sacred body. By this experience and by the
sacraments, which every day were made manifest to Her in the boundless fields of
the divine power and essence, the spirit of this exalted Lady expanded to vast
proportions. Many times would She have been consumed and have died by the
violence of her affections, if She had not been strengthened by the power of the
Lord. To these occupations, which were concealed from all, She added those,
which the service and consolation of her cousin Elisabeth demanded, although She
did not apply one moment more to them, than charity required. These fulfilled,
She turned immediately to her solitude and recollection, where she could pour
out the more freely her spirit before the Lord.
Not less solicitous was She to occupy Herself interiorly,
while She was engaged for many hours in manual occupations. And in all this the
Precursor was so fortunate that the great Queen, with her own hands, sewed and
prepared the swaddling clothes and coverlets in which he was to be wrapped and
reared; for his mother Elisabeth, in her maternal solicitude and attention, had
secured for saint John this good fortune humbly asking this favor of the
heavenly Queen. Mary with incredible love and subjection complied with her
request in order to exercise Herself in obedience to her cousin, whom She wished
to serve as the lowest handmaid; for in humility and obedience most holy Mary
always surpassed all men. Although saint Elisabeth sought to anticipate Her in
much that belonged to her service, yet, in her rare prudence and wisdom, Mary
knew flow to forestall her cousin, always gaining the triumph of humility.
In this way most holy Mary put into practice the doctrine of
the eternal Word who humiliated himself so far, that, being the form of the
eternal Father, the figure of his substance, true God of the true God, He
nevertheless assumed the form and condition of a servant (Heb. 1, 3, Philip 2,
6, 7). This Lady was the Mother of God, Queen of all creation, superior in
excellence and dignity to all creatures, and yet She remained the humble servant
of the least of them; and never would She accept homage and service as if due to
Her, nor did She ever exalt Herself, or fail to judge of Herself in the most
humble manner. What shall we now say of our most execrable presumption and
pride? Since, full of the abomination of sin, we are so senseless as to claim
for ourselves with dreadful insanity the homage and veneration of all the world?
And if this is denied us, we quickly lose the little sense which our passions
have left us. This whole heavenly history bears the stamp of humility, and is a
condemnation of our pride. And since it is not my office to teach or correct,
but to be taught and to be corrected, I beseech and pray all the faithful
children of light to place this example before their eyes for our humiliation.
It would not have been difficult for the Lord to preserve his
most holy Mother from such extreme lowliness and from the occasions in which She
embraced it He could have exalted Her before creatures, ordaining that She be
renowned, honored and respected by all; just as He knew how to procure homage
and renown for others as Assuerus did for Mardocheus. Perhaps, if this had been
left to the judgment of men, they would have so managed that a Woman more holy
than all the hierarchies of heaven, and who bore in her womb the Creator of the
angels and of the heavens, should be surrounded by a continual guard of honor,
withdrawn from the gaze of men and receiving the homage of all the world; it
would have seemed to them unworthy of Her to engage in humble and servile
occupations, or not to have all things done only at her command, or to refuse
homage, or not to exercise fullest authority. So narrow is human wisdom, if that
can be called wisdom, which is so limited. But such fallacy cannot creep into
the true science of the saints, which is communicated to them by the infinite
wisdom of the Creator, and which esteems at their just weight and price these
honors without confounding the values of the creatures. The Most High would have
denied his beloved Mother much and benefited Her little, if He had deprived and
withdrawn from Her the occasion of exercising the profoundest humility and had
instead exposed Her to the exterior applause of men. It would also be a great
loss to the world to be without this school of humility and this example for the
humiliation and confusion of its pride.
The hour for the rising of the morning star, which was to
precede the clear Sun of justice and announce the wished-for day of the law of
grace, had arrived (John 5, 35). The time was suitable to the Most High for the
appearance of his Prophet in the world; and greater than a prophet was John, who
pointing out with his finger the Lamb (John 1, 29), was to prepare mankind for
the salvation and sanctification of the world. Before issuing from the maternal
womb the Lord revealed to the blessed child the hour in which he was to commence
his mortal career among men. The child had the perfect use of his reason, and of
the divine science infused by the presence of the incarnate Word. He therefore
knew that he was to arrive at the port of a cursed and dangerous land, and to
walk upon a world full of evils and snares, where many are overtaken by ruin and
perdition.
At the request of his mother the Queen received in her arms
the newborn child and offered him as a new oblation to the eternal Father, and
his Majesty, well pleased, accepted it as the first-fruits of the Incarnation
and of the divine decrees. The most blessed child, full of the Holy Ghost,
acknowledged his sovereign Queen, showing Her not only interior, but outward
reverence by a secret inclination of his head, and again he adored the divine
Word, which was manifested to him in her womb by an especial light. And as he
also was aware, that he was privileged before all men, the grateful child
performed acts of fervent thanksgiving, humility, love and reverence of God and
of his Virgin Mother. The heavenly Queen, in offering him to the eternal Father,
pronounced this prayer for him: "Highest Lord and Father, all holy and
powerful, accept in thy honor this offering and seasonable fruit of thy most
holy Son and my Lord. He is sanctified by the Onlybegotten and rescued from the
effects of sin and from the power of thy ancient enemies. Receive this morning's
sacrifice, and infuse into this child the blessings of thy holy Spirit, in order
that he may be a faithful minister to Thee and to thy Onlybegotten." This
prayer of our Queen was efficacious in all respects, and She perceived how the
Lord enriched this child, chosen as his Precursor; and She also felt within
Herself the effects of these admirable blessings.
Then they bespoke the arrangements for the circumcision of
the child, for the time appointed by the law was approaching. Complying with the
custom observed among the Jews, especially among the more distinguished, many
relatives and other acquaintances of the house of Zacharias began to gather, in
order to resolve upon the name to be given to the child; for, in addition to the
ordinary preparations and consultations concerning the name to be given to a
son, the high position of Zacharias and Elisabeth and the news of the miraculous
fecundity of the mother naturally suggested the existence of some great mystery
to the minds of all their relations. Zacharias was still dumb, and therefore it
was necessary that saint Elisabeth should preside at this meeting. Over and
above the high esteem which she inspired, she now exhibited such evident signs
of the exalted renewal and sanctification of her soul, which resulted from the
knowledge of the mysteries and from her interactions with the Queen of heaven,
that all her relatives and friends noticed the change. For even in her
countenance she exhibited a kind of effulgence which made her mysteriously
attractive and was the reflection of the Divinity, in whose presence she lived.
The relatives then appealed by signs to Zacharias, who, being
unable to speak, asked for a pen and declared his will by writing upon the
tablet: "Johannes est nomen ejus." ''John is his name.'' At the same
time most holy Mary, making use of her power over all nature, commanded the
dumbness to leave him, his tongue to be loosened, as the moment had arrived when
it should bless the Lord. At this heavenly command he found himself freed from
his affliction, and, to the astonishment and fear of all present, he began to
speak as narrated by the Evangelist. What I say here is not adverse to the
Gospel narrative; for, although it is there related, that the angel foretold
Zacharias that he should remain mute until his message should be fulfilled, yet
God, when He reveals any decree of his will, absolutely unfailing as they are,
does not always reveal the means or the manner of their fulfillment, foreseen by
Him in his infinite foreknowledge. Thus the archangel announced to Zacharias the
punishment of his unbelief, but he did not tell him that he should he freed from
it by the intercession of most holy Mary, although this also had been foreseen
and decreed.
Therefore, just as the voice of our Lady Mary was the
instrument for the sanctification of the child John and his mother, so her
secret mandate and her intercession had the effect of loosening the tongue of
Zacharias, filling him with the holy Spirit and the gift of prophecy. Hence he
broke forth in the words (Luke 1, 68-79):
1. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because He hath visited and
wrought the redemption of his people:
69. And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the
house of David his servant:
70. And he hath spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets,
who are from the beginning;
71. Salvation from our enemies, and from the hands of all
that hate us:
72. To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember
his holy testament,
73. The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he
would grant to us,
74. That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we
may serve him without fear,
75. In holiness and justice before him, all our days.
76. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the
Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:
77. To give knowledge of salvation to his people:
unto the remission of their sins:
78. Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which
the Orient from on high hath visited us
79. To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the
shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.
In the divine canticle of the Benedictus Zacharias embodied
all of the highest mysteries, which the ancient prophets had foretold in a more
profuse manner concerning the Divinity, Humanity and the Redemption of Christ,
and in these few words he embraces many great sacraments. He also understood
them by the grace and light, which filled his spirit, and which raised him up in
the sight of all that had come to attend the circumcision of his son; for all of
them were witnesses to the solving of his tongue and to his divine prophecies. I
will hardly be able to give an explanation of the deep meaning of these
prophecies, such as they had in the mind of that holy priest.
At the call of Elisabeth, the most fortunate of husbands,
saint Joseph, had come in order to attend most holy Mary on her return to her
home in Nazareth. On arriving at the house of Zacharias he had been welcomed
with indescribable reverence and devotion by saint Elisabeth and Zacharias; for
now also the holy priest knew that he was the guardian of the sacramental
treasures of heaven, though this was yet unknown to the great patriarch saint
Joseph himself. His heavenly Spouse received him in modest and discreet
jubilation. and, kneeling before him, She, as usual, besought his blessing, and
also his pardon, for having failed to serve him for nearly three months during
her attendance upon her cousin Elisabeth. Though She had been guilty of no
fault, nor even of an imperfection in thus devotedly fulfilling the will of God
in conformity with the wishes of her spouse, yet, by this courteous and
endearing act of humility, She wanted to repay her husband for the want of her
consoling companionship. The holy Joseph answered that as he now again saw Her,
and again enjoyed her delightful presence, he was relieved of the pain caused by
her absence. In the course of a few days they announced the day of their
departure. Thereupon the princess Mary took leave of the priest Zacharias. As he
had already been enlightened by the Lord concerning the dignity of the Virgin
Mother, he addressed Her with the greatest reverence as the living sanctuary of
the Divinity and humanity of the eternal Word. "My Mistress," he said,
"praise and bless eternally thy Maker, who in his infinite mercy has chosen
Thee among all his creatures as his Mother, as the sole Keeper of all his great
blessings and sacraments. Be mindful of me, thy servant, before thy Lord and
God, that He may lead me in peace through this exile to the security of the
eternal peace which we hope for, and that through thee I may merit the vision of
his Divinity, which is the glory of the saints. Remember also, O Lady, my house
and family, and especially my Son John, and pray to the Most High for thy
people."
The whole household of Zacharias had been sanctified by the
presence of most holy Mary and of the incarnate Word in her womb; all its
inmates had been edified by her example, instructed by her conversations and
teachings, and sweetly affected by her intercourse and modest behavior. While
She had drawn toward Herself all the hearts of that happy family, She also
merited and obtained for them from her most holy Son the plenitude of celestial
gifts. Holy Joseph was held in high veneration by Zacharias, Elisabeth and John;
for they had come to know his high dignity before he himself was yet aware of
it, The blessed Patriarch, happy in his Treasure, the full value of which as yet
he did not know, took leave of all and departed for Nazareth: what happened on
the way I will narrate in the following chapter. But before they began their
journey most holy Mary, on bended knees, besought saint Joseph to bless Her, as
She was accustomed to do on such occasions, and after She had received his
blessing, they betook themselves on their journey.
WORDS OF THE QUEEN. (The
Virgin Mary speaks to Sister Mary of Agreda, Spain.)
For two reasons, my daughter, the divine effects wrought
through me by my Son in saint John and Elisabeth were concealed, while those in
Zacharias were manifest. First, because Elisabeth spoke out clearly in praise of
the incarnate Word and of me; yet at the time it was not proper that either this
mystery or my dignity should be openly known; the coming of the Messias was to
be manifested by other more appropriate means. Secondly, not all hearts were so
well prepared as that of Elisabeth for receiving such precious and unprecedented
seed of divine knowledge, nor would they have welcomed such sacramental
revelation with due reverence. On the other hand it was more becoming that
Zacharias in his priestly dignity should proclaim what was then to be made
known; for the beginnings of the heavenly light would be accepted more readily
from him than from saint Elisabeth, especially while he was present. That which
she said, was reserved to bring forth its effects in due time. Although the
words of God have their own inherent force; yet the more sweet and acceptable
manner of communicating with the ignorant and the unskilled in divine mysteries
is by means of the priest.
Likewise it was proper that the dignity and honor of the
priesthood should receive its due; for the Most High holds the priests in such
esteem, that if He finds them in the right disposition, He exalts them and fills
them with his Spirit in order that the world may venerate them as his chosen and
anointed ones. Moreover the wonders of the Lord run less risk in priests. even
when they are more openly revealed to them, If they live up to their dignity,
their works in comparison with those of the other creatures, are like those of
the angels and of the seraphim. Their countenance should be resplendent, like
that of Moses, when he came forth from converse with the Lord (Exod. 34, 29).
At least they should deal with the rest of men in such a manner that
they be honored and revered as next to God. I desire that thou understand, my
dearest, that the Most High is greatly incensed against the world in this
matter: as well against the priests as against laymen. Against the priests
because, forgetting their exalted dignity, they debase themselves by a
contemptible, degraded and scandalous life, giving bad example to the world by
mixing up with it to the neglect of their sanctification. And against the
laymen, because they act with a foolhardy presumption toward the anointed of the
Lord, whom, though imperfect and blameless in their lives, they ought to honor
and revere as taking the place of Christ, my most holy Son, on earth.
On account of this reverence due to the priesthood my
behavior toward saint Zacharias was different from that toward Elisabeth. For,
although the Lord wished, that I should be the instrument, by which the gifts of
the holy Spirit should be communicated to both; yet I saluted Elisabeth in such
a manner, that I at the same time showed a certain authority, exerting my power
over the original sin of her son; for at my words this sin was forgiven him, and
both mother and son were filled with the Holy Ghost. As I had not contracted
original sin and was exempt from it, I possessed dominion over it on this
occasion: I commanded as the Mistress, who had triumphed over it by the help of
the Lord (Gen. 3, 5), and who was no slave of it, as all the sons of Adam, who
sinned in him (Rom. 5, 12). Therefore the Lord desires that, in order to free
John from the slavery and chains of sin, I should command over it as one who
never was subject to its bondage. I did not salute Zacharias in this
authoritative way, but I prayed for him, observing the reverence and decorum due
to his dignity and my modesty. I would not have commanded the tongue of the
priest to be loosened, not even mentally and secretly, if the Most High had not
enjoined it upon me, intimating at the same time, that the defect of speech
hardly suited his office, for a priest should stand ready to serve and praise
the Almighty with all his powers. In regard to the respect due to priests I will
tell thee more on another occasion; let this suffice at present for the solution
of thy doubt.
But from my instruction today learn especially to seek
direction in the way of virtue and of eternal life in all thy interactions with
men, be they above or below thee in dignity. Imitate therein me and my cousin
Elisabeth, with due discretion asking all to direct thee and guide thee; for in
return for such humility the Lord will provide thee with secure counsel and
divine light for exercising thy discreet and sincere love of virtue. Drive away,
or do not allow thyself to be influenced by even the least breath of flattery
and avoid the conversations which expose thee to it; for such deceitful pleasure
darkens the light and perverts the unsuspecting mind. The Lord is so jealous of
the souls especially beloved by Him, that He will immediately turn away from
them if they find pleasure in the praises of men and seek to recompense
themselves by their flatteries; since by this levity they become unworthy of his
favors. It is not possible to unite in a soul the adulations of the world and
the caresses of the Most High. For these latter are sincere, holy, pure, and
lasting: they humiliate, cleanse, pacify and illumine the heart; while on the
other hand the flatteries of creatures are vain, fleeting, deceitful, impure and
false, issuing from the mouths of those who are all liars (Ps. 115, 11); and
whatever is deceitful is a work of the enemy.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
Part Three: Life in Christ
Section One: Man's Vocation Life in The Spirit
CHAPTER ONE : THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Article 8:1 Sin - Mercy and Sin
SECTION ONE
ONE MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
1699 Life in the Holy Spirit fulfills the vocation of man (chapter one). This life is made up of divine charity and human solidarity (chapter two). It is graciously offered as salvation (chapter three).
1699 Life in the Holy Spirit fulfills the vocation of man (chapter one). This life is made up of divine charity and human solidarity (chapter two). It is graciously offered as salvation (chapter three).
CHAPTER ONE
THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
1700
The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness
of God (article 1); it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude
(article 2). It is essential to a human being freely to direct himself to this
fulfillment (article 3). By his deliberate actions (article 4), the human
person does, or does not, conform to the good promised by God and attested by
moral conscience (article 5). Human beings make their own contribution to their
interior growth; they make their whole sentient and spiritual lives into means
of this growth (article 6). With the help of grace they grow in virtue (article
7), avoid sin, and if they sin they entrust themselves as did the prodigal
son Lk 15:11-32 to the mercy of our Father in heaven (article 8). In this way they
attain to the perfection of charity.
Article
8
SIN
I. Mercy and Sin
1846
The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God's mercy to
sinners. Lk 15 The angel announced to Joseph: "You shall call his
name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."Mt 1:21 The
same is true of the Eucharist, the sacrament of redemption: "This is my
blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of
sins."Mt 26:28
1847
"God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without
us."St. Augustine, Sermo 169, 11, 13: PL 38, 923 To receive his mercy, we must admit our faults. "If
we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness."1 Jn 8-9
1848
As St. Paul affirms, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the
more."Rom 5:20 But to do its work grace must uncover sin so as to
convert our hearts and bestow on us "righteousness to eternal life through
Jesus Christ ourLord."Rom 5:21 Like a physician who probes the wound
before treating it, God, by his Word and by his Spirit, casts a living light on
sin:
Conversion requires convincing
of sin; it includes the interior judgment of conscience, and this, being a
proof of the action of the Spirit of truth in man's inmost being, becomes at the
same time the start of a new grant of grace and love: "Receive the Holy
Spirit." Thus in this "convincing concerning sin" we discover a
double gift: the gift of the truth of conscience and the gift of the certainty
of redemption. the Spirit of truth is the Consoler.John Paul II, DeV 31 # 2
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