Baptism, Jeremiah 20:10-13, Psalms 69, Matthew 10:26-33, Pope Francis's Angelus, Inspirational Hymns - Gregorian Chants, Our Lady of Medjugorje 36th Anniversary Message, Feast of the Nativity of Saint John The Baptist, Christian Quarter of Jerusalem, Church of the Holy Selpchure, Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mystical City of God Book 3 Chapter 3 The Visitation, Catholic Catechism - Part Three - The Life of the Christ - Chapter 2 Ten Commandments Article 2 Eighth Commandment - Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness, RECHARGE: Heaven Speaks to Young Adults
JESUS I TRUST IN YOU (Year of Mercy). "Always Trust in Jesus, He the beacon of light amongst the darkest clouds" ~ Zarya Parx 2016
JESUS I TRUST IN YOU (Year of Mercy). "Always Trust in Jesus, He the beacon of light amongst the darkest clouds" ~ Zarya Parx 2016
"Where There is a Will, With God, There is a Way", "There is always a ray of sunshine amongst the darkest Clouds, the name of that ray is Jesus" ~ Zarya Parx 2014
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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Liturgical Cycle: A - Gospel of Matthew - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Daily Rosary
(MON, SAT) - Joyful Mysteries
(TUES, FRI) - Sorrowful Mysteries
(WED,SUN) - Glorious Mysteries
(THURS) - Luminous Mysteries
(MON, SAT) - Joyful Mysteries
(TUES, FRI) - Sorrowful Mysteries
(WED,SUN) - Glorious Mysteries
(THURS) - Luminous Mysteries
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Inspirational Hymns
Illumination: Peaceful Gregorian Chants
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Our Lady of Medjugorje Monthly Messages
June 25, 2017 - 36th Anniversary message from Our Lady of Medjugorje:
“Dear children!
Today, I desire to thank you for your perseverance and call you to open yourselves to profound prayer. Prayer, little children, is the heart of faith and is hope in eternal life. Therefore, pray with the heart until your heart sings with thanksgiving to God the Creator who gave you life. I am with you, little children, and carry to you my motherly blessing of peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
June 11, 2017 message from Our Lady of Medjugorje:
Dear children,
As in the other places where I have come to you, also here I am calling you to prayer. Pray for those who do not know my Son, for those who have not come to know the love of God, against sin, for the consecrated - for those whom my Son called to have love and the spirit of strength for you, for the Church. Pray to my Son, and the love which you experience from His nearness will give you the strength to make you ready for the works of love which you will do in His name. My children, be ready. This time is a turning point. That is why I am calling you anew to faith and hope. I am showing you the way by which you need to go, and those are the words of the Gospel. Apostles of my love, the world is in such need of your arms raised towards Heaven, towards my Son, towards the Heavenly Father. Much humility and purity of heart are needed. Have trust in my Son and know that you can always be better. My motherly heart desires for you, apostles of my love, to be little lights of the world, to illuminate there where darkness wants to begin to reign, to show the true way by your prayer and love, to save souls. I am with you. Thank you.” ~ Blessed Mother Mary
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Papam Franciscus
(Pope Francis)
Pope Francis Angelus:
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! "
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2017 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed - 06/24/2017
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Today's Word - Baptism [bap-tiz-uh m]
Origin: 1250-1300; Middle English < Late Latin baptisma < Greek bapt(ízein) to baptize + -isma -ism; replacing Middle English bapteme < Old French < Late Latin, as above
Noun
1. Ecclesiastical. a ceremonial immersion in water, or application of water, as an initiatory rite or sacrament of the Christian church.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Jeremiah 20:10-13
10 I heard so many disparaging me, 'Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!' All those who were on good terms with me watched for my downfall, 'Perhaps he will be seduced into error. Then we shall get the better of him and take our revenge!'11 But Yahweh is at my side like a mighty hero; my opponents will stumble, vanquished, confounded by their failure; everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.
12 Yahweh Sabaoth, you who test the upright, observer of motives and thoughts, I shall see your vengeance on them, for I have revealed my cause to you.
13 Sing to Yahweh, praise Yahweh, for he has delivered the soul of one in need from the clutches of evil doers.
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Today's Psalms - Psalms 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35
9 for I am eaten up with zeal for your house, and insults directed against you fall on me.
10 I mortify myself with fasting, and find myself insulted for it,
14 Rescue me from the mire before I sink in; so I shall be saved from those who hate me, from the watery depths.
17 do not turn away from your servant, be quick to answer me, for I am in trouble.
33 For God listens to the poor, he has never scorned his captive people.
34 Let heaven and earth and seas, and all that stirs in them, acclaim him!
35 For God will save Zion, and rebuild the cities of Judah, and people will live there on their own land;
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Today's Gospel Reading - Matthew 10: 26-33
Witness to the Gospel without fear
Matthew 10, 26-33
Matthew 10, 26-33
1. OPENING PRAYER
In the darkness of a starless night,
a night of no sense,
you, the Word of life,
like lightning in the storm of forgetfulness,
entered within the bounds of doubt
under cover of the limits of precariousness
to hide the light.
Words made of silence and of the ordinary,
your human words, heralds of the secrets of the Most High:
like hooks cast into the waters of death
to find man once more, immersed in his anxious follies,
and reclaim him, plundered,
through the attractive radiance of forgiveness.
To you, Ocean of Peace and shadow of eternal Glory,
I render thanks:
Calm waters on my shore that awaits the wave, I wish to seek you!
And may the friendship of the brothers protect me
when night falls on my desire for you. Amen.
In the darkness of a starless night,
a night of no sense,
you, the Word of life,
like lightning in the storm of forgetfulness,
entered within the bounds of doubt
under cover of the limits of precariousness
to hide the light.
Words made of silence and of the ordinary,
your human words, heralds of the secrets of the Most High:
like hooks cast into the waters of death
to find man once more, immersed in his anxious follies,
and reclaim him, plundered,
through the attractive radiance of forgiveness.
To you, Ocean of Peace and shadow of eternal Glory,
I render thanks:
Calm waters on my shore that awaits the wave, I wish to seek you!
And may the friendship of the brothers protect me
when night falls on my desire for you. Amen.
2. READING
a) The Gospel:
26 'So do not be afraid of them.
Everything now covered up will be uncovered, and everything now hidden
will be made clear. 27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the
daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. 28 'Do
not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear
him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. 29 Can you not
buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground
without your Father knowing. 30 Why, every hair on your head has been
counted. 31 So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than
many sparrows. 32 'So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence
of human beings, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my
Father in heaven. 33 But the one who disowns me in the presence of human
beings, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.
b) A moment of silence:
Let us allow the voice of the Word to resonate within us.
3. MEDITATION
a) Questions for reflection:
There is nothing hidden which will not be revealed: the
truth under the veil of silence is spread more than if it is exposed in
the avid or greedy hands of men who are deaf to the breath of the
Spirit. Where do you place the Word of God that you listen to? In the
power of your adventurous thoughts or in the sacrarium of your profound
acceptance?
That which I tell you in the dark, tell it in the daylight: Christ
speaks in the dark, in the secret of the heart. To offer his words to
the light, these must go though your thought, within your feelings, in
your entrails before they come to your lips. The words which you
habitually say to others are they words said in the secret of Him or
rather syllables of thoughts which just come to mind?
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body: nothing
nor nobody can do you harm if God is with you. They can make you a
prisoner, but they cannot take away liberty and dignity from you because
these are unseizable by anybody. Fears, worry, suspicions, anxieties...
can become a souvenir which is far away. When will you leave all this
aside, trusting that God will not abandon you ever and will take care of
you?
Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. God’s
Providence can be similar to destiny, but it is something different.
Sparrows which fall to the ground. It is not God who throws them down,
but when they fall the Father is there. It is not God who sends
sickness, but when man becomes ill, the Father is there with him. Our
things belong to him. Solitude, which frequently presses on us is not
abandonment. Will we look around to encounter the eyes of Christ who
lives with us in that moment of desolation?
If anyone declares himself to be
for me in the presence of human beings, I will declare myself for him
in the presence of my Father: Give Christ the courage of our
faith in him... this is a requirement of life in which God is not an
accessory, but daily bread and the identity card of himself. Does this
challenge you or does it remain only a hidden desire? Even among the
heads or leaders, says John, many believed in him, but did not recognize
him openly because of the Pharisees, so as not to be expelled from the
Synagogue. Would you risk your name for him?
b) Key for the reading:
Do not fear! This is a key word which, repeated three times, gives unity to the passage.
Probably is it a literary unity which joins together four isolated sayings. Faith requires as a basic disposition, not to fear. The themes which emerge: public proclamation of the Gospel (vv. 26-27), the availability to face martyrdom sacrificing physical life to attain eternal life (v. 28), images of trust in Providence (vv. 29-31), the courageous profession of faith in Christ (vv. 32-33).
The counter-positions are of a remarkable efficacy: veiled/unveiled, or covered/uncovered, hidden/known, darkness/light, body/soul, acknowledge/deny... which make evident the shore of a life lived evangelically. The veils of knowledge open themselves in the light and on the roofs of the universe the word heard in secret goes forth. The whole man is present to the heart of God, and if the creatures of the earth arouse tenderness, how much more the life of a creature-son. Belonging makes the difference in the witness. One who lives the divine sonship of God cannot deny the paternal roots!
Probably is it a literary unity which joins together four isolated sayings. Faith requires as a basic disposition, not to fear. The themes which emerge: public proclamation of the Gospel (vv. 26-27), the availability to face martyrdom sacrificing physical life to attain eternal life (v. 28), images of trust in Providence (vv. 29-31), the courageous profession of faith in Christ (vv. 32-33).
The counter-positions are of a remarkable efficacy: veiled/unveiled, or covered/uncovered, hidden/known, darkness/light, body/soul, acknowledge/deny... which make evident the shore of a life lived evangelically. The veils of knowledge open themselves in the light and on the roofs of the universe the word heard in secret goes forth. The whole man is present to the heart of God, and if the creatures of the earth arouse tenderness, how much more the life of a creature-son. Belonging makes the difference in the witness. One who lives the divine sonship of God cannot deny the paternal roots!
v. 26. Do not be afraid of them, for everything now covered up will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. That
which is covered is not reserved for few but it is simply kept waiting
that it be manifested. There is a time to keep hidden and a time to make
manifest, as Qohelet would say... to know how to keep the truth in the
secret of the days that go by: this is what forges the credibility of
the manifestation. A seed cannot be thrown into the air, it is put into
the furrow of the heart, it is left to itself while it is transformed in
dying, and it is attentively followed until it germinates and comes to
light, until the spike will be ripe and ready to be harvested. Every
word of God requires that it passes through the furrow of one’s own
history in order to bear abundant fruit in due time.
v. 27. What I say to you in the dark, tell it in the daylight, and what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. Jesus
speaks in secret, we speak in the light. God speaks, we listen and we
become his mouth for others. The darkness of the listening, of putting
it in, of assimilation, precede the dawn of every proclamation. And when
from the housetops the good news will be heard, men will be obliged to
look up. A treasure of glory is enclosed in every moment of listening,
it is a moment of waiting which prepares to the birth of light.
v. 28. Do not be afraid of those
who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can
destroy both body and soul in hell. One can be afraid of those
who can strike that which is not man in fullness: to stop earthly life
is not equal to death. The only really fearful is God. But God also
after death preserves the life for man, that is why we should not fear.
Whatever can happen, God is with man. This is a certainty which permits
us to sail on even in the midst of the most devastating storms, because
the treasures of man are taken care of in God, and from the hands of God
nobody can snatch the elect.
v. 29. Can you not buy two sparrow for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Two
sparrows, one penny. A minimum value but which is in the thought of the
Father. Where life beats, there God is, completely. This attentive care
enchants and consoles... and invites to listen to all that vibrates and
presents holy images of the Eternal splendour. Two sparrows: two very
small creatures, of a brief life. The value of things is not given to
them because of the greatness or the strength, but from that which
animates, that which is “body”. Therefore, every space where there is
life which accepts the print of the Creator is a place of encounter with
Him, it witnesses of his solicitude.
v. 30. Why every hair on your head has been counted. The
solicitude or thoughtfulness of God extends itself even to count the
hair on our head. It is absurd, the way the Lord loves! When desolation
and abandonment become the word s of our today, it will be enough to
count some of our hair to remember the presence of God with us. The
protection of the Heavenly Father will not be lacking for the disciples
of Jesus. The Mystery which embraces all cannot be less towards those
who have chosen to follow His Son, leaving the earth of their human
securities.
v. 31. So there is no need to be afraid ; you are worth more than many sparrows! If
God uses his thought for two sparrows how much more will he not think
of us! Fear disappears before this living image of human and religious
sensibility of Christ. God is in favour of man, not
against him. And if he keeps silence it is not because of lack of care,
but because his thoughts on us have broader perspectives which go beyond
the horizons of earthly temporality.
v. 32. If anyone declares
himself for me in the presence of human beings, I will declare myself
for him in the presence of my Father in Heaven. To acknowledge
oneself. When you find yourself in a square crowded to the full among
unknown faces, you have the experience of being a foreigner. But as soon
as you see a familiar face, your heart expands and you make your way
until you get close to him. This recognizing others allows to manifest
oneself before others and to expose oneself. Christ in the midst of the
crowd is the familiar face to recognize him as the Master and Lord of
our life. And what fear can we have if we think that he will declare us
before his Father in Heaven?
v. 33. But the one who disowns me in the presence of human beings, I will disown in the presence of my Father in Heaven. Could
we think of a revengeful God? this is not a discourse to “put wood into
the fire”, but a discourse which comes from an existential encounter.
Christ will not be able to recognize as his own the one who will have
chosen everything outside of him, it is a discourse of fidelity and of
respect for the human liberty. God respects the creature to the point of
not interfering in the space of his error. The Gospel demands
belonging, not words and actions. The heart lives in heaven, when Christ
is its beating of life!
4. PRAYER (Psalm 22,22-31)
I shall proclaim your name to my brothers,
praise you in full assembly:
'You who fear Yahweh, praise him!
All the race of Jacob,
honour him! Revere him,
all the race of Israel!'
praise you in full assembly:
'You who fear Yahweh, praise him!
All the race of Jacob,
honour him! Revere him,
all the race of Israel!'
For he has not despised nor disregarded
the poverty of the poor,
has not turned away his face,
but has listened to the cry for help.
the poverty of the poor,
has not turned away his face,
but has listened to the cry for help.
Of you is my praise in the thronged assembly,
I will perform my vows before all who fear him.
The poor will eat and be filled,
those who seek Yahweh will praise him,
'May your heart live for ever.'
I will perform my vows before all who fear him.
The poor will eat and be filled,
those who seek Yahweh will praise him,
'May your heart live for ever.'
The whole wide world will remember
and return to Yahweh,
all the families of nations bow down before him.
For to Yahweh, ruler of the nations,
belongs kingly power!
All who prosper on earth will bow before him,
all who go down to the dust will do reverence before him.
and return to Yahweh,
all the families of nations bow down before him.
For to Yahweh, ruler of the nations,
belongs kingly power!
All who prosper on earth will bow before him,
all who go down to the dust will do reverence before him.
And those who are dead,
their descendants will serve him,
will proclaim his name to generations
still to come;
and these will tell of his saving justice
to a people yet unborn:
he has fulfilled it.
their descendants will serve him,
will proclaim his name to generations
still to come;
and these will tell of his saving justice
to a people yet unborn:
he has fulfilled it.
5. CONTEMPLATION
Lord, among the veils of what I have
received and have not given, may I be able to meditate and to accept
everything from you. Let not my proclamation be an unconscious repeater,
but rather a word possessed in so far as it has indwelling and digested
for a long time. May the beauty of your presence be unveiled to my
senses, and in the mystery of your unceasing giving may the veil of the
encounter descend bringing you closer. The treasure hidden for centuries
is now known, and from darkness to light, the dawn has raised for
centuries, in a day without sunset which, shining on that which love has
created and the sin being broken, it makes all things new. I will
recognize you, my God, before my brothers because it will be impossible
for me to hide the lamp that you have lit in my life. Who will give me
the words which create me and make of my limitations a marvellous
definition of that which I am, I, in particular, like nobody else? Only
you, Lord have words of eternal life. And I will eat them and will offer
them, at the cost of being devoured with them. It will be sufficient
for me to feel that I am a sparrow to find again the hope when the
tempest will fall on me, because the pennies that you give for the
sparrows are not counted in your knapsack. Amen.
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist
Feast Day: June 24
Genealogy: Son of St Elizabeth (cousin of Mary) and Zechariah (a rabbi)
Attributes: Celebrates the birth of John the Baptist, Jesus’ precursor and relative
Birth of St. John the Baptist, depicting Zechariah writing, "His name is John".
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 rabbi — 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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Snippet I: Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem
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| Church of the Holy Sepulchre (1885). |
The Christian quarter was built around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is the heart of the quarter. Around the church there are other churches and monasteries. In general the quarter contains few houses, which are mostly concentrated in the southern-eastern part of the quarter. It contains mostly religious tourists and educational buildings, such as the Lutheran school and St. Pierre school.
Christian buildings stand on much of the quarter. Besides the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the largest site, the Patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox, the Franciscan monastery, San Salvatore and the Latin Patriarchate take up significant areas as well.
The quarter also contains souvenir shops, coffee houses, restaurants and hotels. The shops are concentrated in the market street, David Street, and along the Christian Road. Some of the hotels, such as the Casa Nova hotel and the Greek Catholic hotel, were built by the churches as places for visitors to stay. Others are private hotels.
The quarter contains some small museums, such as the museum of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. In the southwestern part of the quarter there is a pool called Hezekiah's Pool that was used to store rain water for the area.
In the 19th century, European countries sought to expand their influence in Jerusalem and began constructing several structures in the Christian quarter. The Ottoman authorities attempted to halt European influence and established rules for buying land in the area, but personal interventions from the heads of those countries, including Wilhelm II of Germany and Franz Joseph of Austria, led to construction of some buildings for those countries' religious authorities.
At the end of the 19th century, there was no further free land for development in the Christian Quarter. In the same period, the Suez Canal had opened and many Christians travelled to the Holy Land. This led to intensified competition between the European powers for influence in Jerusalem. France built hospitals, a monastery, and hostels for visitors outside the Old City adjacent to the Christian quarter - an area which became known as the French area. The Russians located themselves in the nearby Russian Compound.
There was a natural desire for easy travel between the Christian Quarter and the new development, but at the time the Old City walls formed a barrier and travellers were forced to take an indirect path through either Jaffa Gate or Nablus Gate. In 1898, the Ottomans accepted the request of the European countries and breached a new gate in the Old City walls, in the area of the new development. The gate was called "The New Gate".
References
- "Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls". UNESCO. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
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Snippet II: Church of the Holy Sepulchre
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| Church of the Holy Sepulchre |
The site is venerated as Calvary (Golgotha),[2] where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified,[3] and also contains the place where Jesus is said to have been buried and resurrected. Within the church are the last four (or, by some definitions, five) Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa, representing the final episodes of Jesus' Passion. The church has been an important Christian pilgrimage destination since at least the fourth century as the traditional site of the resurrection of Christ.
Today it also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, while control of the building is shared between several Christian churches and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for centuries. Today, the church is home to branches of Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy as well as to Roman Catholicism. Anglicans and Protestants have no permanent presence in the Church[4] and some have regarded the Garden Tomb, elsewhere in Jerusalem, as the true place of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.
History
Construction
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| Church of the Holy Sepulchre |
Constantine's church was built as two connected churches over the two different holy sites, including a great basilica (the Martyrium visited by Egeria in the 380s), an enclosed colonnaded atrium (the Triportico) with the traditional site of Golgotha in one corner, and a rotunda, called the Anastasis ("Resurrection" in Greek), which contained the remains of a rock-cut room that Helena and Macarius identified as the burial site of Jesus.
According to tradition, Constantine arranged for the rockface to be removed from around the tomb, without harming it, in order to isolate the tomb; in the centre of the rotunda is a small building called (in Greek) the Kouvouklion[9] or (in Latin) the Aedicule,[10] which encloses this tomb. The remains are completely enveloped by a marble sheath placed some 500 years before to protect the ledge from Ottoman attacks. However, there are several thick window wells extending through the marble sheath, from the interior to the exterior that are not marble clad. They appear to reveal an underlying limestone rock, which may be part of the original living rock of the tomb.
Each year, the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the anniversary of the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) on 13 September.[11]
Damage and destruction
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| Golgotha altar |
Early in the ninth century, another earthquake damaged the dome of the Anastasis. Damage was restored in 810 by Patriarch Thomas. In the year 841, the church suffered a fire. In 935, the Orthodox Christians prevented the construction of a Muslim mosque adjacent the Church. In 938, a new fire damaged the inside of the basilica and came close to the roundabout. In 966, due to a defeat of Muslim armies in the region of Syria, a riot broke out and was followed by reprisals. The basilica was burned again. The doors and roof were burnt, and the Patriarch John VII was murdered.
On 18 October 1009, Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ordered the complete destruction of the church as part of a more general campaign against Christian places of worship in Palestine and Egypt.[12] The damage was extensive, with few parts of the early church remaining.[13] Christian Europe reacted with shock and expulsions of Jews (for example, Cluniac monk Rodulfus Glaber blamed the Jews, with the result that Jews were expelled from Limoges and other French towns) and an impetus to later Crusades.[14]
Reconstruction
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| View of Holy Sepulchre courtyard |
Crusader period
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| Capture of Jerusalem by Crusaders 15 July 1099 1. The Holy Sepulchre 2. The Dome of the Rock 3. Ramparts |
The First Crusade was envisioned as an armed pilgrimage, and no crusader could consider his journey complete unless he had prayed as a pilgrim at the Holy Sepulchre. Crusader Prince Godfrey of Bouillon, who became the first crusader monarch of Jerusalem, decided not to use the title "king" during his lifetime, and declared himself "Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri" ("Protector [or Defender] of the Holy Sepulchre"). By the crusader period, a cistern under the former basilica was rumoured to have been the location where Helena had found the True Cross, and began to be venerated as such; although the cistern later became the "Chapel of the Invention of the Cross," there is no evidence for the rumour prior to the 11th century, and modern archaeological investigation has now dated the cistern to 11th century repairs by Monomachos.
According to the German clergyman and orient pilgrim Ludolf von Sudheim, the keys of the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre were in hands of the "ancient Georgians" and the food, alms, candles and oil for lamps were given them by the pilgrims in the south door of the church.[20]
William of Tyre, chronicler of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, reports on the renovation of the Church in the mid-12th century. The crusaders investigated the eastern ruins on the site, occasionally excavating through the rubble, and while attempting to reach the cistern, they discovered part of the original ground level of Hadrian's temple enclosure; they decided to transform this space into a chapel dedicated to Helena (the Chapel of Saint Helena), widening their original excavation tunnel into a proper staircase. The crusaders began to refurnish the church in a Romanesque style and added a bell tower.
These renovations unified the small chapels on the site and were completed during the reign of Queen Melisende in 1149, placing all the Holy places under one roof for the first time. The church became the seat of the first Latin Patriarchs, and was also the site of the kingdom's scriptorium. The church was lost to Saladin, along with the rest of the city, in 1187, although the treaty established after the Third Crusade allowed for Christian pilgrims to visit the site. Emperor Frederick II regained the city and the church by treaty in the 13th century, while he himself was under a ban of excommunication, leading to the curious result of the holiest church in Christianity being laid under interdict. Both city and church were captured by the Khwarezmians in 1244.
Later periods
A fire severely damaged the structure again in 1808, causing the dome of the Rotunda to collapse and smashing the Edicule's exterior decoration. The Rotunda and the Edicule's exterior were rebuilt in 1809–1810 by architect Nikolaos Ch. Komnenos of Mytilene in the then current Ottoman Baroque style. The fire did not reach the interior of the Aedicule, and the marble decoration of the Tomb dates mainly to the 1555 restoration, although the interior of the ante-chamber, now known as the "Chapel of the Angel," was partly rebuilt to a square ground-plan, in place of the previously semi-circular western end. Another decree in 1853 from the sultan solidified the existing territorial division among the communities and set a "status quo" for arrangements to "remain forever," causing differences of opinion about upkeep and even minor changes,[23] including disagreement on the removal of the "Immovable Ladder," an exterior ladder under one of the windows; this ladder has remained in the same position since then.
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| The church after its 1808 restoration |
The current dome dates from 1870, although it was restored between 1994–1997, as part of extensive modern renovations to the church which have been ongoing since 1959. During the 1970–1978 restoration works and excavations inside the building, and under the nearby Muristan, it was found that the area was originally a quarry, from which white meleke limestone was struck.[24] To the east of the Chapel of Saint Helena, the excavators discovered a void containing a 2nd-century drawing of a Roman ship, two low walls which supported the platform of Hadrian's 2nd-century temple, and a higher 4th-century wall built to support Constantine's basilica.[21][25] After the excavations of the early 1970s, the Armenian authorities converted this archaeological space into the Chapel of Saint Vartan, and created an artificial walkway over the quarry on the north of the chapel, so that the new Chapel could be accessed (by permission) from the Chapel of Saint Helena.[25]
There was some controversy in 2010 when Israel threatened to cut off water to the site, demanding payment for all water use since the occupation began in 1967.[26]
Entrance and parvis
The entrance to the church, a single door in the south transept—through the crusader façade—is found past a group of streets winding through the outer Via Dolorosa, by way of a local souq in the Muristan. This narrow way of access to such a large structure has proven to be hazardous at times. For example, when a fire broke out in 1840, dozens of pilgrims were trampled to death.[27]Historically, two large, arched doors allowed access to the church. However, only the left-hand entrance is currently accessible, as the right door has long since been bricked up. These entrances are located in the parvis of a larger courtyard, or plaza.
Also located along the parvis are a few smaller structures and openings:
- Chapel of the Franks, a blue-domed, Roman Catholic crusader chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, which once provided exclusive access to Calvary. The chapel marks the 10th Station of the Cross (the stripping of Jesus' garments).
- A Greek Orthodox oratory and chapel, just beneath the Chapel of the Franks, dedicated to St. Mary of Egypt.
- Various entrances to Armenian, Greek Orthodox, and Ethiopian Orthodox chapels.
- A small Greek Orthodox monastery, known as Gethsemane Metoxion, located to the side of the church.
The church's bell tower is located to the left of the façade. It is currently almost half its original size.[28]
The historic Immovable Ladder stands beneath a window on the façade.
On the south side of the altar, via the ambulatory, is a stairway climbing to Calvary (Golgotha),
traditionally regarded as the site of Jesus' crucifixion and the most
lavishly decorated part of the church. The main altar there belongs to
the Greek Orthodox, which contains the Rock of Calvary (12th
Station of the Cross). The rock can be seen under glass on both sides of
the altar, and beneath the altar there is a hole said to be the place
where the cross was raised. Due to the significance of this, it is the
most visited site in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Roman
Catholics (Franciscans) have an altar to the side, the Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross
(11th Station of the Cross). On the left of the altar, towards the
Eastern Orthodox chapel, there is a statue of Mary, believed by some to
be miraculous (the 13th Station of the Cross, where Jesus' body was
removed from the cross and given to his family).
Beneath the Calvary and the two chapels there, on the main floor, there is The Chapel of Adam. According to tradition, Jesus was crucified over the place where Adam's skull was buried. The Rock of Calvary appears cracked through a window on the altar wall, with the crack traditionally claimed to be caused by the earthquake that occurred when Jesus died on the cross, while some scholars claim it to be the result of quarrying against a natural flaw in the rock.[29]
Stone of Anointing
Just inside the entrance to the church is the Stone of Anointing (also Stone of the Anointing or Stone of Unction), which tradition believes to be the spot where Jesus' body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea. However, this tradition is only attested since the crusader era (notably by the Italian Dominican pilgrim Riccoldo da Monte di Croce in 1288), and the present stone was only added in the 1810 reconstruction.[21]The wall behind the stone is defined by its striking blue balconies and tau cross-bearing red banners (depicting the insignia of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre), and is decorated with lamps. The modern mosaic along the wall depicts the anointing of Jesus' body.
The wall was a temporary addition to support the arch above it, which had been weakened after the damage in the 1808 fire; it blocks the view of the rotunda, separates the entrance from the Catholicon, sits on top of the now-empty and desecrated graves of four 12th-century crusader kings—including Godfrey of Bouillon and Baldwin I of Jerusalem—and is no longer structurally necessary. There is a difference of opinion as to whether it is the 13th Station of the Cross, which others identify as the lowering of Jesus from the cross and locate between the 11th and 12th stations up on Calvary.
The lamps that hang over the Stone of Unction, adorned with cross-bearing chain links, are contributed by Armenians, Copts, Greeks and Latins.
Immediately to the left of the entrance is a bench that has traditionally been used by the church's Muslim doorkeepers, along with some Christian clergy, as well as electrical wiring. To the right of the entrance is a wall along the ambulatory containing, to the very right, the staircase leading to Golgatha. Further along the same wall is the entrance to the Chapel of Adam.
Rotunda and Aedicule
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| The Aedicule |
Under the status quo, the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Armenian Apostolic Churches all have rights to the interior of the tomb, and all three communities celebrate the Divine Liturgy or Holy Mass there daily. It is also used for other ceremonies on special occasions, such as the Holy Saturday ceremony of the Holy Fire led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch and Armenian Apostolic Patriarch.[30] To its rear, within a chapel constructed of iron latticework upon a stone base semicircular in plan, lies the altar used by the Coptic Orthodox. Historically, the Georgians also retained the key to the Aedicule.[31][32][33]
Beyond that to the rear of the Rotunda is a rough-hewn chapel containing an opening to a chamber cut from the rock, from which several kokh-tombs radiate. Although this space was discovered recently, and contains no identifying marks, many Christians believe[vague] it to be the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and it is where the Syriac Orthodox celebrate their Liturgy on Sundays. To the right of the Sepulchre on the southeastern edge of the Rotunda is the Chapel of the Apparition, which is reserved for Roman Catholic use.
Catholicon and Ambulatory
- The Catholicon – On the east side opposite the Rotunda is the Crusader structure housing the main altar of the Church, today the Greek Orthodox catholicon. The second, smaller dome sits directly over the centre of the transept crossing of the choir where the compas, an omphalos once thought to be the center of the world (associated to the site of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection), is situated. Since 1996 this dome is topped by the monumental Golgotha Crucifix which the Greek Patriarch Diodoros I of Jerusalem consecrated. It was at the initiative of Prof. Gustav Kühnel to erect a new crucifix at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem that would not only be worthy of the singularity of the site, but that would also become a symbol of the efforts of unity in the community of Christian faith.[34]
Prison of Christ
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| The "Holy Prison", or Prison of Christ |
Further to the east in the ambulatory are three chapels (from south to north):
- Greek Chapel of St. Longinus – The Orthodox Greek chapel is dedicated to St. Longinus, a Roman soldier who according the New Testament pierced Jesus with a spear.
- Armenian Chapel of Division of Robes
- Greek Chapel of the Derision – the southernmost chapel in the ambulatory.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Bible describes Jesus' tomb as being outside the city wall,[46] as was normal for burials across the ancient world, which were regarded as unclean.[47] Today, the site of the Church is within the current walls of the old city of Jerusalem. It has been well documented by Archaeologists that in the time of Jesus, the walled city was smaller and the wall then was to the East of the current site of the Church. In other words, the city had been much narrower in Jesus' time, with the site then having been outside the walls; since Herod Agrippa (41–44) is recorded by history as extending the city to the north (beyond the present northern walls), the required repositioning of the western wall is traditionally attributed to him as well. The church is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Old City of Jerusalem.References
- Biddle, Martin (25 February 1999). The Tomb of Christ. Scarborough: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-1926-4.
- Biddle, Martin; Seligman, Jon; Tamar, Winter & Avni, Gideon (7 July 2000). The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. New York: Rizzoli in cooperation with Israel Antiquities Authority, distributed by St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-8478-2282-6.
- Gibson, Shimon; Taylor, Joan E. (1994). Beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Jerusalem: The archaeology and early history of traditional Golgotha. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. ISBN 0-903526-53-0.
- Cohen, Raymond (10 March 2008). Saving the Holy Sepulchre: How Rival Christians Came Together to Rescue Their Holiest Shrine. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-518966-3. (subscription required (help)).
- Bowman, Glenn (16 September 2011). ""In Dubious Battle on the Plains of Heav'n": The Politics of Possession in Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre". University of Kent.
- Weitzmann, Kurt, ed. (1979). Age of spirituality: late antique and early Christian art, third to seventh century (582). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-0870991790.
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Snippet III: Devotion to The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
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| Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Scapular |
The Sacred Heart (also known as Most Sacred Heart of Jesus) is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of his divine love for humanity.
This devotion is predominantly used in the Catholic Church and among some high-church Anglicans and Lutherans. The devotion especially emphasizes the unmitigated love, compassion, and long-suffering of the heart of Christ towards humanity. The origin of this devotion in its modern form is derived from a French Roman Catholic nun, Marguerite Marie Alacoque, who said she learned the devotion from Jesus during a mystical experience. Predecessors to the modern devotion arose unmistakably in the Middle Ages in various facets of Catholic mysticism.
In the Roman Catholic tradition, the Sacred Heart has been closely associated with Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ. In his encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI stated: "the spirit of expiation or reparation has always had the first and foremost place in the worship given to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus". The Golden Arrow Prayer directly refers to the Sacred Heart. Devotion to the Sacred Heart is sometimes seen in the Eastern Catholic Churches, where it remains a point of controversy and is seen as an example of Liturgical Latinisation.
The Sacred Heart is often depicted in Christian art as a flaming heart shining with divine light, pierced by the lance-wound, encircled by the crown of thorns, surmounted by a cross and bleeding. Sometimes the image shown shining within the bosom of Christ with his wounded hands pointing at the heart. The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus' death, while the fire represents the transformative power of divine love.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart has been in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar since 1856, and is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. As Pentecost is always celebrated on Sunday, the Feast of the Sacred Heart always falls on a Friday.
History of Devotion
Early devotion
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| Sacred Heart of Jesus Ibarrará, 1896 |
From the time of John the Evangelist and Paul of Tarsus there has always been in the Church something like devotion to the love of God, but there is nothing to indicate that, during the first ten centuries of Christianity, any worship was rendered to the wounded Heart of Jesus. It is in the eleventh and twelfth centuries that the first indications of devotion to the Sacred Heart are found. It was in the fervent atmosphere of the Benedictine or Cistercian monasteries, in the world of Anselmian or Bernardine thought, that the devotion arose, although it is impossible to say positively what were its first texts or who were its first devotees. It was already well known to St. Gertrude, St. Mechtilde, and the author of the Vitis mystica (previously ascribed to St. Bernard, now attributed to St. Bonaventure).
From the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries, the devotion was propagated but it did not seem to have developed in itself. It was everywhere practised by individuals and by different religious congregations, such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, Carthusians, etc. It was, nevertheless, a private, individual devotion of the mystical order. Nothing of a general movement had been inaugurated, except for similarities found in the devotion to the Five Wounds by the Franciscans, in which the wound in Jesus's heart figured most prominently.
In the sixteenth century, the devotion passed from the domain of mysticism into that of Christian asceticism. It was established as a devotion with prayers already formulated and special exercises, found in the writings of Lanspergius (d. 1539) of the Carthusians of Cologne, the Louis of Blois (Blosius; 1566), a Benedictine and Abbot of Liessies in Hainaut, John of Avila (d. 1569) and St. Francis de Sales, the latter belonging to the seventeenth century.
The historical record from that time shows an early bringing to light of the devotion. Ascetic writers spoke of it, especially those of the Society of Jesus. The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was everywhere in evidence, largely due to the Franciscan devotion to the Five Wounds and to the habit formed by the Jesuits of placing the image on their title-page of their books and the walls of their churches.
Nevertheless, the devotion remained an individual, or at least a private, devotion. Jean Eudes (1602–1680) made it public, gave it an Office, and established a feast for it. Père Eudes was the apostle of the Heart of Mary; but in his devotion to the Immaculate Heart there was a share for the Heart of Jesus. Little by little, the devotion to the Sacred Heart became a separate one, and on August 31, 1670, the first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated in the Grand Seminary of Rennes. Coutances followed suit on October 20, a day with which the Eudist feast was from then on to be connected. The feast soon spread to other dioceses, and the devotion was likewise adopted in various religious communities. It gradually came into contact with the devotion begun at Paray, and resulting in a fusion of the two.
Visions of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
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| St Margaret Mary Alacoque, Giaquinto 1765 |
The most significant source for the devotion to the Sacred Heart in the form it is known today was Visitandine Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690), who claimed to have received visions of Jesus Christ. There is nothing to indicate that she had known the devotion prior to the revelations, or at least that she had paid any attention to it. The revelations were numerous, and the following apparitions are especially remarkable:
- On December 27, probably 1673, the feast of St. John, Margaret Mary reported that Jesus permitted her, as he had formerly allowed St. Gertrude, to rest her head upon his heart, and then disclosed to her the wonders of his love, telling her that he desired to make them known to all mankind and to diffuse the treasures of his goodness, and that he had chosen her for this work.
- In probably June or July, 1674, Margaret Mary claimed that Jesus requested to be honored under the figure of his heart, also claiming that, when he appeared radiant with love, he asked for a devotion of expiatory love: frequent reception of Communion, especially Communion on the First Friday of the month, and the observance of the Holy Hour.
- During the octave of Corpus Christi, 1675, probably on June 16, the vision known as the "great apparition" reportedly took place, where Jesus said, "Behold the Heart that has so loved men ... instead of gratitude I receive from the greater part (of mankind) only ingratitude ...", and asked Margaret Mary for a feast of reparation of the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi, bidding her consult her confessor Father Claude de la Colombière, then superior of the small Jesuit house at Paray. Solemn homage was asked on the part of the king, and the mission of propagating the new devotion was especially confided to the religious of the Visitation and to the priests of the Society of Jesus.
A few days after the "great apparition", Margaret Mary reported everything she saw to Father de la Colombière, and he, acknowledging the vision as an action of the Spirit of God, consecrated himself to the Sacred Heart and directed her to write an account of the apparition. He also made use of every available opportunity to circulate this account, discreetly, through France and England. Upon his death on February 15, 1682, there was found in his journal of spiritual retreats a copy in his own handwriting of the account that he had requested of Margaret Mary, together with a few reflections on the usefulness of the devotion. This journal, including the account and an "offering" to the Sacred Heart, in which the devotion was well explained, was published at Lyons in 1684. The little book was widely read, especially at Paray. Margaret Mary reported feeling "dreadful confusion" over the book's contents, but resolved to make the best of it, approving of the book for the spreading of her cherished devotion. Outside of the Visitandines, priests, religious, and laymen espoused the devotion, particularly the Capuchins, Margaret Mary's two brothers, and some Jesuits. The Jesuit Father Croiset wrote a book called The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a book which Jesus is said to have told Margaret to tell Fr. Croiset to write, and Fr. Joseph de Gallifet, also a Jesuit, promoted the devotion.
Papal Approvals
The Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart was a nun from Sisters of the Good Shepherd Congregation who requested, in the name of Christ Himself, to Pope Leo XIII that he consecrate the entire World to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The death of Margaret Mary Alacoque on October 17, 1690, did not dampen the zeal of those interested; on the contrary, a short account of her life published by Father Croiset in 1691, as an appendix to his book "De la Dévotion au Sacré Cœur", served only to increase it. In spite of all sorts of obstacles, and of the slowness of the Holy See, which in 1693 imparted indulgences to the Confraternities of the Sacred Heart and, in 1697, granted the feast to the Visitandines with the Mass of the Five Wounds, but refused a feast common to all, with special Mass and Office. The devotion spread, particularly in religious communities. The Marseilles plague, 1720, furnished perhaps the first occasion for a solemn consecration and public worship outside of religious communities. Other cities of the South followed the example of Marseilles, and thus the devotion became a popular one. In 1726 it was deemed advisable once more to importune Rome for a feast with a Mass and Office of its own, but, in 1729, Rome again refused. However, in 1765, it finally yielded and that same year, at the request of the queen, the feast was received quasi-officially by the episcopate of France. On all sides it was asked for and obtained, and finally, in 1856, at the urgent entreaties of the French bishops, Pope Pius IX extended the feast to the Roman Catholic Church under the rite of double major. In 1889 it was raised by the Roman Catholic Church to the double rite of first class.
After the letters of Mother Mary of the Divine Heart (1863–1899) requesting, in the name of Christ Himself, to Pope Leo XIII consecrate the entire World to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Father commissions a group of theologians to examine the petition on the basis of revelation and sacred tradition. This investigation was positive. And so in the encyclical letter Annum Sacrum (on May 25, 1899) this same pope decreed that the consecration of the entire human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus should take place on June 11, 1899. In this encyclical letter the Pope attached Later Pope Leo XIII encouraged the entire Roman Catholic episcopate to promote the devotion of the Nine First Fridays and he established June as the Month of the Sacred Heart. Leo XIII also composed the Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart and included it in Annum Sacrum.
Pope Pius X decreed that the consecration of the human race, performed by Pope Leo XIII be renewed each year. Pope Pius XI in his encyclical letter Miserentissimus Redemptor (on May 8, 1928) affirmed the Church's position with respect to Saint Margaret Mary's visions of Jesus Christ by stating that Jesus had "manifested Himself" to Saint Margaret and had "promised her that all those who rendered this honor to His Heart would be endowed with an abundance of heavenly graces." The encyclical refers to the conversation between Jesus and Saint Margaret several times[2] and reaffirmed the importance of consecration and reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Finally, Venerable Pope Pius XII, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Pope Pius IX's institution of the Feast, instructed the entire Roman Catholic Church at length on the devotion to the Sacred Heart in his encyclical letter Haurietis aquas (on May 15, 1956). On May 15, 2006, also Pope Benedict XVI sent a letter to Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, on the 50th Anniversary of the encyclical Haurietis Aquas, about the Sacred Heart, by Pope Pius XII. In his letter to Father Kolvenbach, Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed the importance of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Worship and Devotion
The Roman Catholic acts of consecration, reparation and devotion were introduced when the feast of the Sacred Heart was declared. In his Papal Bull Auctorem Fidei, Pope Pius VI praised devotion to the Sacred Heart. Finally, by order of Leo XIII, in his encyclical Annum Sacrum (May 25, 1899), as well as on June 11, he consecrated every human to the Sacred Heart. The idea of this act, which Leo XIII called "the great act" of his pontificate, had been proposed to him by a religious woman of the Good Shepherd from Oporto (Portugal) who said that she had supernaturally received it from Jesus. Since c. 1850, groups, congregations, and States have consecrated themselves to the Sacred Heart. In 1873, by petition of president Gabriel García Moreno, Ecuador was the first country in the world to be consecrated to the Sacred Heart, fulfilling God's petition to Saint Margaret Mary over two hundred years later.
Peter Coudrin of France founded the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary on December 24, 1800. A religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, the order is best known for its missionary work in Hawaii. Mother Clelia Merloni from Forlì (Italy) founded the Congregation of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Viareggio, Italy, May 30, 1894. Worship of the Sacred Heart mainly consists of several hymns, the Salutation of the Sacred Heart, and the Litany of the Sacred Heart. It is common in Roman Catholic services and occasionally is to be found in Anglican services. The Feast of the Sacred Heart is a solemnity in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, and is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. As Pentecost is always celebrated on Sunday, the Feast of the Sacred Heart always falls on a Friday.
The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic ceremony in which a priest or head of a household consecrates the members of the household to the Sacred Heart. A blessed image of the Sacred Heart, either a statue or a picture, is then "enthroned" in the home to serve as a constant reminder to those who dwell in the house of their consecration to the Sacred Heart. The practice of the Enthronement is based upon Pope Pius XII's declaration that devotion to the Sacred of Jesus is "the foundation on which to build the kingdom of God in the hearts of individuals, families, and nations..."
Alliance with the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary is based on the historical, theological and spiritual links in Catholic devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The joint devotion to the hearts was first formalized in the 17th century by Saint Jean Eudes who organized the scriptural, theological and liturgical sources relating to the devotions and obtained the approbation of the Church, prior to the visions of Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque.
In the 18th and 19th centuries the devotions grew, both jointly and individually through the efforts of figures such as Saint Louis de Montfort who promoted Catholic Mariology and Saint Catherine Labouré's Miraculous Medal depicting the Heart of Jesus thorn-crowned and the Heart of Mary pierced with a sword. The devotions, and the associated prayers, continued into the 20th century, e.g. in the Immaculata prayer of Saint Maximillian Kolbe and in the reported messages of Our Lady of Fatima which stated that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be honored together with the Heart of Mary.
Popes supported the individual and joint devotions to the hearts through the centuries. In the 1956 encyclical Haurietis Aquas, Pope Pius XII encouraged the joint devotion to the hearts. In the 1979 encyclical Redemptor Hominis Pope John Paul II explained the theme of unity of Mary's Immaculate Heart with the Sacred Heart. In his Angelus address on September 15, 1985 Pope John Paul II coined the term The Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and in 1986 addressed the international conference on that topic held at Fátima, Portugal.
The Miraculous Medal
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| The Miraculous Medal |
The Sacred Heart has also been involved in (and been depicted) in saintly apparitions such as those to Saint Catherine Labouré in 1830 and appears on the Miraculous Medal.
On the Miraculous Medal, the Sacred Heart is crowned with thorns. The Immaculate Heart of Mary also appears on the medal, next to the Sacred Heart, but is pierced by a sword, rather than being crowned with thorns. The M on the medal signifies the Blessed Virgin at the foot of the Cross when Jesus was being crucified.
Religious imagery depicting the Sacred Heart is frequently featured in Roman Catholic, and sometimes Anglican and Lutheran homes. Sometimes images display beneath them a list of family members, indicating that the entire family is entrusted to the protection of Jesus in the Sacred Heart, from whom blessings on the home and the family members are sought. The prayer "O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee" is often used. One particular image has been used as part of a set, along with an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In that image, Mary too was shown pointing to her Immaculate Heart, expressing her love for the human race and for her Son, Jesus Christ. The mirror images reflect an eternal binding of the two hearts.
The Scapular of the Sacred Heart and the Scapular of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary are worn by Roman Catholics.
In Eastern Catholicism
Devotion to the Sacred Heart may be found in some Eastern Catholic Churches, but is a contentious issue. Those who favour purity of rite are opposed to the devotion, while those who are in favour of the devotion cite it as a point of commonality with their Latin Catholic brethren.
Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Jesus Christ, in his appearances to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, promised these blessings to those who practice devotion to his Sacred Heart. This tabular form of promises was not made by Saint Margaret Mary or her contemporaries. It first appeared at 1863. In 1882, an American businessman spread the tabular form of the promises profusely throughout the world, the twelve promises appearing in 238 languages. In 1890, Cardinal Adolph Perraud deplored this circulation of the promises in the tabular form which were different from the words and even from the meaning of the expressions used by St. Margaret Mary, and wanted the promises to be published in the full, authentic texts as found in the writings of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:
- I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
- I will give peace in their families.
- I will console them in all their troubles.
- I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
- I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
- Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
- Tepid souls shall become fervent.
- Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
- I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
- I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
- Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.
- In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.
The last promise has given rise to the pious Roman Catholic practice of making an effort to attend Mass and receive Communion on the first Friday of each month.
Great efficacy of converting people has been attached to the use of the image of the Sacred Heart.
"Even at the hour of death, incredulous, indifferent, hardened souls have been converted by simply showing them a picture of the Sacred Heart, which sufficed to restore these sinners to the life of hope and love, in a word, to touch the most hardened. It would, indeed, be a great misfortune to any apostolic man to neglect so powerful a means of conversion, and in proof of this I will mention a single fact which will need no comment. A religious of the Company of Jesus had been requested by the Blessed Margaret Mary to make a careful engraving of the Sacred Heart. Being often hindered by other occupations, there was much delay in preparing this plate. ' This good father,' writes the saint, 'is so much occupied by Mon- signor d'Autun in the conversion of heretics, that he has neither time nor leisure to give to the work so ardently desired by the Heart of our Divine Master. You cannot imagine, my much-loved mother, how greatly this delay afflicts and pains me. I must avow confidently to you my belief that it is the cause of his converting so few infidels in this town. I seem constantly to hear these words : ' That if this good father had acquitted himself at once of his promise to the Sacred Heart, Jesus would have changed and converted the hearts of these infidels, on account of the joy He would have felt at seeing Himself honoured in the picture He so much wishes for. As, however, he prefers other work, even though to the glory of God, to that of giving Him this satisfaction, He will harden the hearts of these infidels, and the labours of this mission will not be crowned with much fruit.'
Scapular of the Sacred Heart
The devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus also involve the Scapular of the Sacred Heart. It is a Roman Catholic devotional scapular that can be traced back to Saint Margaret Marie Alacoque who herself made and distributed badges similar to it. In 1872 Pope Pius IX granted an indulgence for the badge and the actual scapular was approved by the Congregation of Rites in 1900. It bears the representation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on one side, and that of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Mother of Mercy on the other side. Prayer, Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well-beloved Son and upon the acts of praise and satisfaction which He renders unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, in Thy great goodness, grant pardon to them who seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Thy Son, Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, world without end.
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Snippet IV: Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
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| Immaculate heart of Mary Scapular |
The Immaculate Heart of Mary (also known as The Sacred Heart of Mary) is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love for her son Jesus, and her compassionate love for all persons. The consideration of Mary's interior life and the beauties of her soul, without any thought of her physical heart, does not constitute the traditional devotion; still less does it consist in the consideration of the heart of Mary merely as a part of her pure body. In 1855 the Mass of the Most Pure Heart formally became a part of Catholic practice. The two elements are essential to the devotion, just as, according to Roman Catholic theology, soul and body are necessary to the constitution of man.
Eastern Catholic Churches occasionally utilize the image, devotion, and theology associated with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. However, this is a cause of some controversy, some seeing it as a form of liturgical instillation. The Roman Catholic view is based on Mariology, as exemplified by Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae which builds on the total Marian devotion pioneered by Louis de Montfort.
Traditionally, the heart is pierced with seven wounds or swords, in homage to the seven dolors of Mary. Consequently, seven Hail Marys are said daily in honor of the devotion. Also, roses or another type of flower may be wrapped around the heart
Veneration and devotion
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| Immaculate Heart Mary, Seven Dolors |
Veneration of the Heart of Mary is analogous to worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is, however, necessary to indicate a few differences in this analogy, the better to explain the character of Roman Catholic devotion to the Heart of Mary. Some of these differences are very marked, whereas others are barely perceptible. The Devotion to the Heart of Jesus is especially directed to the "Divine Heart" as overflowing with love for humanity, presented as "despised and outraged". In the devotion to the Mary, on the other hand, the attraction is the love of this Heart for Jesus and for God. Its love for humans is not overlooked, but it is not so much in evidence nor so dominant.
A second difference is the nature of the devotion itself. In devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Roman Catholic venerates in a sense of love responding to love. In devotion to the Heart of Mary, study and imitation hold as important a place as love. Love is more the result than the object of the devotion, the object being rather to love God and Jesus better by uniting one's self to Mary for this purpose and by imitating her virtues. It would also seem that, although in the devotion to the Heart of Mary the heart has an essential part as symbol and sensible object, it does not stand out as prominently as in the devotion to the Heart of Jesus; devotion focuses rather on the thing symbolized, the love, virtues, and sentiments of Mary's interior life.
The Immaculate Heart has also been involved in (and been depicted) in saintly Marian apparitions such as those to Saint Catherine Labouré in 1830 and appears on the Miraculous Medal. On the Miraculous Medal, the Immaculate Heart is pierced by a sword. The Sacred Heart of Jesus also appears on the medal, next to the Immaculate Heart, but is crowned with thorns, rather than being pierced by a sword. The M on the medal signifies the Blessed Virgin at the foot of the Cross when Jesus was being crucified.
Our Lady of Fatima asked that, in reparation for sins committed against her Immaculate Heart, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months the Catholic:
- Go to Confession (within 8 days before or after the first Saturday)
- Receive Holy Communion
- Recite five decades of the Rosary
- Keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary
She promised that, whoever would ever do this, would be given at the hour of his death, the graces necessary for salvation.
History of devotion
The history of the devotion to the Heart of Mary is connected on many points with that to the Heart of Jesus. The attention of Christians was early attracted by the love and virtues of the Heart of Mary. The gospels recount the prophecy delivered to her at Jesus' presentation at the temple: that her heart would be pierced with a sword. This image (the pierced heart) is the most popular representation of the Immaculate Heart. The St. John's Gospel further invited attention to Mary's heart with its depiction of Mary at the foot of the cross at Jesus' crucifixion. St. Augustine said of this that Mary was not merely passive at the foot of the cross; "she cooperated through charity in the work of our redemption".
Statue depicting the Immaculate Heart of Mary as described by Sister Lucia of Fátima.
Another Scriptural passage to help in bringing out the devotion was the twice-repeated saying of Saint Luke, that Mary kept all the sayings and doings of Jesus in her heart, that there she might ponder over them and live by them. A few of Mary's sayings, also recorded in the Gospel, particularly the Magnificat (the words Mary is reported to have said to describe the experience of being pregnant with Jesus), disclose new features in Marian psychology. Some of the Church Fathers also throw light upon the psychology of Mary, for instance, Saint Ambrose, when in his commentary on The Gospel of Luke he holds Mary up as the ideal of virginity, and Saint Ephrem, when he poetically sings of the coming of the Magi and the welcome accorded them by the humble mother. Some passages from other books in the Bible are interpreted as referring to Mary, in whom they personify wisdom and her gentle charms. Such are the texts in which wisdom is presented as the mother of lofty love, of fear, of knowledge, and of holy hope. In the New Testament Elizabeth proclaims Mary blessed because she has believed the words of the angel who announced that she would become pregnant with Jesus, although she was still a virgin; the Magnificat is an expression of her humility. In answering the woman of the people, who in order to exalt the son proclaimed the mother blessed, Jesus himself said: "Blessed rather are they that hear the word of God and keep it." The Church Fathers understood this as an invitation to seek in Mary that which had so endeared her to God and caused her to be selected as the mother of Jesus, and found in these words a new reason for praising Mary. St. Leo said that through faith and love she conceived her son spiritually, even before receiving him into her womb, and St. Augustine tells us that she was more blessed in having borne Christ in her heart than in having conceived him in the flesh.
It is only in the twelfth, or towards the end of the eleventh century, that slight indications of a regular devotion are perceived in a sermon by St. Bernard (De duodecim stellis), from which an extract has been taken by the Church and used in the Offices of the Compassion and of the Seven Dolours. Stronger evidences are discernible in the pious meditations on the Ave Maria and the Salve Regina, usually attributed either to St. Anselm of Lucca (d. 1080) or St. Bernard; and also in the large book "De laudibus B. Mariae Virginis" (Douai, 1625) by Richard de Saint-Laurent, Penitentiary of Rouen in the thirteenth century. In St. Mechtilde (d. 1298) and St. Gertrude (d. 1301) the devotion had two earnest adherents. A little earlier it had been included by St. Thomas Becket in the devotion to the joys and sorrows of Mary, by Blessed Hermann (d.1245), one of the first spiritual children of Saint Dominic, in his other devotions to Mary, and somewhat later it appeared in St. Bridget's "Book of Revelations". Johannes Tauler (d. 1361) beholds in Mary the model of a mystical soul, just as St. Ambrose perceived in her the model of a virginal soul. St. Bernardine of Siena (d.1444) was more absorbed in the contemplation of the virginal heart, and it is from him that the Church has borrowed the lessons of the second nocturn for the feast of the Heart of Mary. St. Francis de Sales speaks of the perfections of this heart, the model of love for God, and dedicated to it his "Theotimus."
During this same period one finds occasional mention of devotional practices to the Heart of Mary, e.g., in the "Antidotarium" of Nicolas du Saussay (d. 1488), in Julius II, and in the "Pharetra" of Lanspergius. In the second half of the sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth, ascetic authors dwelt upon this devotion at greater length. It was, however, reserved to Saint Jean Eudes (d. 1681) to propagate the devotion, to make it public, and to have a feast celebrated in honor of the Heart of Mary, first at Autun in 1648 and afterwards in a number of French dioceses. He established several religious societies interested in upholding and promoting the devotion, of which his large book on the Coeur Admirable (Admirable Heart), published in 1681, resembles a summary. Jean Eudes' efforts to secure the approval of an office and feast failed at Rome, but, notwithstanding this disappointment, the devotion to the Heart of Mary progressed. In 1699 Father Pinamonti (d. 1703) published in Italian a short work on the Holy Heart of Mary, and in 1725, Joseph de Gallifet combined the cause of the Heart of Mary with that of the Heart of Jesus in order to obtain Rome's approbation of the two devotions and the institution of the two feasts. In 1729, his project was defeated, and in 1765, the two causes were separated, to assure the success of the principal one.
Alliance with the Sacred Heart
The Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary is based on the historical, theological and spiritual links in Catholic devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The joint devotion to the hearts was first formalized in the 17th century by Saint Jean Eudes who organized the scriptural, theological and liturgical sources relating to the devotions and obtained the approbation of the Church, prior to the visions of Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque.
In the 18th and 19th centuries the devotions grew, both jointly and individually through the efforts of figures such as Saint Louis de Montfort who promoted Catholic Mariology and Saint Catherine Labouré's Miraculous Medal depicting the Heart of Jesus thorn-crowned and the Heart of Mary pierced with a sword. The devotions, and the associated prayers, continued into the 20th century, e.g. in the Immaculata prayer of Saint Maximillian Kolbe and in the reported messages of Our Lady of Fatima which stated that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be honored together with the Heart of Mary.
Popes supported the individual and joint devotions to the hearts through the centuries. In the 1956 encyclical Haurietis Aquas, Pope Pius XII encouraged the joint devotion to the hearts. In the 1979 encyclical Redemptor Hominis Pope John Paul II explained the theme of unity of Mary's Immaculate Heart with the Sacred Heart. In his Angelus address on September 15, 1985 Pope John Paul II coined the term The Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and in 1986 addressed the international conference on that topic held at Fátima, Portugal.
Feast days
Fatima Statue of Pope Pius XII, who consecrated Russia and the World: Just as a few years ago We consecrated the entire human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, so today We consecrate and in a most special manner We entrust all the peoples of Russia to this Immaculate Heart...
In 1799 Pius VI, then in captivity at Florence, granted the Bishop of Palermo the feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary for some of the churches in his diocese. In 1805 Pius VII made a new concession, thanks to which the feast was soon widely observed. Such was the existing condition when a twofold movement, started in Paris, gave fresh impetus to the devotion. The two factors of this movement were, first of all, the revelation of the "miraculous medal" in 1830 and all the prodigies that followed, and then the establishment at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, which spread rapidly throughout the world and was the source of numberless alleged graces. On 21 July 1855, the Congregation of Rites finally approved the Office and Mass of the Most Pure Heart of Mary without, however, imposing them upon the Universal Church.
During the third apparition at Fátima, Portugal on 13 July 1917, the Virgin Mary allegedly said that "God wishes to establish in the world devotion to her Immaculate Heart" in order to save souls from going into the fires of hell and to bring about world peace, and also asked for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Pope Pius XII, in his Apostolic Letter of 7 July 1952, Sacro Vergente consecrated Russia to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.
On 25 March 1984, Pope John Paul II fulfilled this request again, when he made the solemn act of consecration of the world, and implicitly Russia, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary before the miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary of Fatima brought to Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican for the momentous occasion. Sister Lucia, OCD, then the only surviving visionary of Fatima, confirmed that the request of Mary for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was accepted by Heaven and therefore, was fulfilled. Again on 8 October 2000, Pope John Paul II made an act of entrustment of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the new millennium.
Roman Catholic feast days
Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1944 to be celebrated on 22 August, coinciding with the traditional octave day of the Assumption. In 1969, Pope Paul VI moved the celebration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the day, Saturday, immediately after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This means in practice that it is now held on the day before the third Sunday after Pentecost.
At the same time as he closely associated the celebrations of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Paul VI moved the celebration of the Queenship of Mary from 31 May to 22 August, bringing it into association with the feast of her Assumption.
Those who use the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal or an earlier one (but not more than 17 years before 1962) observe the day established by Pius XII.
References:
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.
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THE MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD
Mystical City of God, the miracle of His omnipotence and the abyss of His grace the divine history and life of the Virgin Mother of God our Queen and our Lady, most holy Mary expiatrix of the fault of eve and mediatrix of grace. Manifested to Sister Mary of Jesus, Prioress of the convent of the Immaculate Conception in Agreda, Spain. For new enlightenment of the world, for rejoicing of the Catholic Church, and encouragement of men. Completed in 1665.
THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD
Venerable Mary of Agreda
Translated from the Spanish by Reverend George J. Blatter
1914, So. Chicago, Ill., The Theopolitan; Hammond, Ind., W.B. Conkey Co., US..
IMPRIMATUR: +H.J. Alerding Bishop of Fort Wayne
Translation from the Original Authorized Spanish Edition by Fiscar Marison (George J. Blatter). Begun on the Feast of the Assumption 1902, completed 1912.
This work is published for the greater Glory of Jesus Christ through His most Holy Mother Mary and for the sanctification of the Church and her members.
Book 3, Chapter 3
MOST HOLY MARY VISITS ELISABETH
“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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Catholic Catechism
PART THREE - THE LIFE OF THE CHRIST
SECTION TWO - TEN COMMANDMENTS
CHAPTER TWO
"YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF"
ARTICLE 8
THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
I. LIVING IN THE TRUTH
2465 The Old Testament attests that God is the source of all truth. His Word is truth. His Law is truth. His "faithfulness endures to all generations."255 Since God is "true," the members of his people are called to live in the truth.256
2466 In Jesus Christ, the whole of God's truth has been made manifest. "Full of grace and truth," he came as the "light of the world," he is the Truth.257 "Whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness."258 The disciple of Jesus continues in his word so as to know "the truth [that] will make you free" and that sanctifies.259 To follow Jesus is to live in "the Spirit of truth," whom the Father sends in his name and who leads "into all the truth."260 To his disciples Jesus teaches the unconditional love of truth: "Let what you say be simply 'Yes or No.'"261
2467 Man tends by nature toward the truth. He is obliged to honor and bear witness to it: "It is in accordance with their dignity that all men, because they are persons . . . are both impelled by their nature and bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth. They are also bound to adhere to the truth once they come to know it and direct their whole lives in accordance with the demands of truth."262
2468 Truth as uprightness in human action and speech is called truthfulness, sincerity, or candor. Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and in guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.
2469 "Men could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one another."263 The virtue of truth gives another his just due. Truthfulness keeps to the just mean between what ought to be expressed and what ought to be kept secret: it entails honesty and discretion. In justice, "as a matter of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth."264
2470 The disciple of Christ consents to "live in the truth," that is, in the simplicity of a life in conformity with the Lord's example, abiding in his truth. "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth."265
II. TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTH
2471 Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth."266 The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord."267 In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."268
2472 The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. Witness is an act of justice that establishes the truth or makes it known.269
2474 The Church has painstakingly collected the records of those who persevered to the end in witnessing to their faith. These are the acts of the Martyrs. They form the archives of truth written in letters of blood:
2475 Christ's disciples have "put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."274 By "putting away falsehood," they are to "put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander."275
2476 False witness and perjury. When it is made publicly, a statement contrary to the truth takes on a particular gravity. In court it becomes false witness.276 When it is under oath, it is perjury. Acts such as these contribute to condemnation of the innocent, exoneration of the guilty, or the increased punishment of the accused.277 They gravely compromise the exercise of justice and the fairness of judicial decisions.
2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury.278 He becomes guilty:
- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them;279
- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.
2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:
2480 Every word or attitude is forbidden which by flattery, adulation, or complaisance encourages and confirms another in malicious acts and perverse conduct. Adulation is a grave fault if it makes one an accomplice in another's vices or grave sins. Neither the desire to be of service nor friendship justifies duplicitous speech. Adulation is a venial sin when it only seeks to be agreeable, to avoid evil, to meet a need, or to obtain legitimate advantages.
2481 Boasting or bragging is an offense against truth. So is irony aimed at disparaging someone by maliciously caricaturing some aspect of his behavior.
2482 "A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving."281 The Lord denounces lying as the work of the devil: "You are of your father the devil, . . . there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."282
2483 Lying is the most direct offense against the truth. To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error. By injuring man's relation to truth and to his neighbor, a lie offends against the fundamental relation of man and of his word to the Lord.
2484 The gravity of a lie is measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. If a lie in itself only constitutes a venial sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave injury to the virtues of justice and charity.
2485 By its very nature, lying is to be condemned. It is a profanation of speech, whereas the purpose of speech is to communicate known truth to others. The deliberate intention of leading a neighbor into error by saying things contrary to the truth constitutes a failure in justice and charity. The culpability is greater when the intention of deceiving entails the risk of deadly consequences for those who are led astray.
2486 Since it violates the virtue of truthfulness, a lie does real violence to another. It affects his ability to know, which is a condition of every judgment and decision. It contains the seed of discord and all consequent evils. Lying is destructive of society; it undermines trust among men and tears apart the fabric of social relationships.
2487 Every offense committed against justice and truth entails the duty of reparation, even if its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of charity. This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another's reputation. This reparation, moral and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of the damage inflicted. It obliges in conscience.
IV. RESPECT FOR THE TRUTH
2488 The right to the communication of the truth is not unconditional. Everyone must conform his life to the Gospel precept of fraternal love. This requires us in concrete situations to judge whether or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.
2489 Charity and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every request for information or communication. The good and safety of others, respect for privacy, and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about what ought not be known or for making use of a discreet language. The duty to avoid scandal often commands strict discretion. No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it.283
2490 The secret of the sacrament of reconciliation is sacred, and cannot be violated under any pretext. "The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore, it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reason."284
2491 Professional secrets - for example, those of political office holders, soldiers, physicians, and lawyers - or confidential information given under the seal of secrecy must be kept, save in exceptional cases where keeping the secret is bound to cause very grave harm to the one who confided it, to the one who received it or to a third party, and where the very grave harm can be avoided only by divulging the truth. Even if not confided under the seal of secrecy, private information prejudicial to another is not to be divulged without a grave and proportionate reason.
2492 Everyone should observe an appropriate reserve concerning persons' private lives. Those in charge of communications should maintain a fair balance between the requirements of the common good and respect for individual rights. Interference by the media in the private lives of persons engaged in political or public activity is to be condemned to the extent that it infringes upon their privacy and freedom.
V. THE USE OF THE SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA
2493 Within modern society the communications media play a major role in information, cultural promotion, and formation. This role is increasing, as a result of technological progress, the extent and diversity of the news transmitted, and the influence exercised on public opinion.
2494 The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good.285 Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity:
2496 The means of social communication (especially the mass media) can give rise to a certain passivity among users, making them less than vigilant consumers of what is said or shown. Users should practice moderation and discipline in their approach to the mass media. They will want to form enlightened and correct consciences the more easily to resist unwholesome influences.
2497 By the very nature of their profession, journalists have an obligation to serve the truth and not offend against charity in disseminating information. They should strive to respect, with equal care, the nature of the facts and the limits of critical judgment concerning individuals. They should not stoop to defamation.
2498 "Civil authorities have particular responsibilities in this field because of the common good. . . . It is for the civil authority . . . to defend and safeguard a true and just freedom of information."288 By promulgating laws and overseeing their application, public authorities should ensure that "public morality and social progress are not gravely endangered" through misuse of the media.289 Civil authorities should punish any violation of the rights of individuals to their reputation and privacy. They should give timely and reliable reports concerning the general good or respond to the well-founded concerns of the people. Nothing can justify recourse to disinformation for manipulating public opinion through the media. Interventions by public authority should avoid injuring the freedom of individuals or groups.
2499 Moral judgment must condemn the plague of totalitarian states which systematically falsify the truth, exercise political control of opinion through the media, manipulate defendants and witnesses at public trials, and imagine that they secure their tyranny by strangling and repressing everything they consider "thought crimes."
VI. TRUTH, BEAUTY, AND SACRED ART
2500 The practice of goodness is accompanied by spontaneous spiritual joy and moral beauty. Likewise, truth carries with it the joy and splendor of spiritual beauty. Truth is beautiful in itself. Truth in words, the rational expression of the knowledge of created and uncreated reality, is necessary to man, who is endowed with intellect. But truth can also find other complementary forms of human expression, above all when it is a matter of evoking what is beyond words: the depths of the human heart, the exaltations of the soul, the mystery of God. Even before revealing himself to man in words of truth, God reveals himself to him through the universal language of creation, the work of his Word, of his wisdom: the order and harmony of the cosmos-which both the child and the scientist discover-"from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator," "for the author of beauty created them."290
2502 Sacred art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God - the surpassing invisible beauty of truth and love visible in Christ, who "reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature," in whom "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."297 This spiritual beauty of God is reflected in the most holy Virgin Mother of God, the angels, and saints. Genuine sacred art draws man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God, Creator and Savior, the Holy One and Sanctifier.
2503 For this reason bishops, personally or through delegates, should see to the promotion of sacred art, old and new, in all its forms and, with the same religious care, remove from the liturgy and from places of worship everything which is not in conformity with the truth of faith and the authentic beauty of sacred art.298
IN BRIEF
2504 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Ex 20:16). Christ's disciples have "put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:24).
2505 Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.
2506 The Christian is not to "be ashamed of testifying to our Lord" (2 Tim 1:8) in deed and word. Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith.
2507 Respect for the reputation and honor of persons forbids all detraction and calumny in word or attitude.
2508 Lying consists in saying what is false with the intention of deceiving one's neighbor.
2509 An offense committed against the truth requires reparation.
2510 The golden rule helps one discern, in concrete situations, whether or not it would be appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.
2511 "The sacramental seal is inviolable" (CIC, can. 983 § 1). Professional secrets must be kept. Confidences prejudicial to another are not to be divulged.
2512 Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, and justice. One should practice moderation and discipline in the use of the social communications media.
2513 The fine arts, but above all sacred art, "of their nature are directed toward expressing in some way the infinite beauty of God in works made by human hands. Their dedication to the increase of God's praise and of his glory is more complete, the more exclusively they are devoted to turning men's minds devoutly toward God" (SC 122).
253 Ex 20:16; cf. Deut 5:20.
254 Mt 5:33.
255 Ps 119:90; Cf. Prov 8:7; 2 Sam 7:28; Ps 119:142; Lk 1:50.
256 Rom 3:4; Cf. Ps 119:30.
257 Jn 1:14; 8:12; cf. 14:6.
258 Jn 12:46.
259 Jn 8:32; Cf. 17:17.
260 Jn 16:13.
261 Mt 5:37.
262 DH 2 § 2.
263 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II,109,3 ad 1.
264 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II,109,3, corp. art.
265 1 Jn 1:6.
266 Jn 18:37.
267 2 Tim 1:8.
268 Acts 24:16.
269 Cf. Mt 18:16.
270 AG 11.
271 St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Rom. 4,1:SCh 10,110.
272 St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Rom. 6,1-2:SCh 10,114.
273 Martyrium Polycarpi 14,2-3:PG 5,1040; SCh 10,228.
274 Eph 4:24.
275 Eph 4:25; 1 Pet 2:1.
276 Cf. Prov 19:9.
277 Cf. Prov 18:5.
278 Cf. CIC, can. 220.
279 Cf. Sir 21:28.
280 St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 22.
281 St. Augustine, De mendacio 4,5:PL 40:491.
282 Jn 8:44.
283 Cf. 27:16; Prov 25:9-10.
284 CIC, Can. 983 § 1.
285 Cf. IM 11.
286 IM 5 § 2.
287 IM 8.
288 IM 12.
289 IM 12 § 2.
290 Wis 13:3, 5.
291 Wis 7:25-26.
292 Wis 7:29-30.
293 Wis 8:2.
294 Gen 1:26.
295 Cf. Wis 7:16-17
296 Cf. Pius XII, Musicae sacrae disciplina; Discourses of September 3 and December 25, 1950.
297 Heb 1:3; Col 2:9.
298 Cf. SC 122-127.
"YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF"
ARTICLE 8
THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.253 It was said to the men of old, "You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn."254
I. LIVING IN THE TRUTH
2465 The Old Testament attests that God is the source of all truth. His Word is truth. His Law is truth. His "faithfulness endures to all generations."255 Since God is "true," the members of his people are called to live in the truth.256
2466 In Jesus Christ, the whole of God's truth has been made manifest. "Full of grace and truth," he came as the "light of the world," he is the Truth.257 "Whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness."258 The disciple of Jesus continues in his word so as to know "the truth [that] will make you free" and that sanctifies.259 To follow Jesus is to live in "the Spirit of truth," whom the Father sends in his name and who leads "into all the truth."260 To his disciples Jesus teaches the unconditional love of truth: "Let what you say be simply 'Yes or No.'"261
2467 Man tends by nature toward the truth. He is obliged to honor and bear witness to it: "It is in accordance with their dignity that all men, because they are persons . . . are both impelled by their nature and bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth. They are also bound to adhere to the truth once they come to know it and direct their whole lives in accordance with the demands of truth."262
2468 Truth as uprightness in human action and speech is called truthfulness, sincerity, or candor. Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and in guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.
2469 "Men could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one another."263 The virtue of truth gives another his just due. Truthfulness keeps to the just mean between what ought to be expressed and what ought to be kept secret: it entails honesty and discretion. In justice, "as a matter of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth."264
2470 The disciple of Christ consents to "live in the truth," that is, in the simplicity of a life in conformity with the Lord's example, abiding in his truth. "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth."265
II. TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTH
2471 Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth."266 The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord."267 In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."268
2472 The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. Witness is an act of justice that establishes the truth or makes it known.269
- All Christians by the example of their lives and the witness of their word, wherever they live, have an obligation to manifest the new man which they have put on in Baptism and to reveal the power of the Holy Spirit by whom they were strengthened at Confirmation. 270
2474 The Church has painstakingly collected the records of those who persevered to the end in witnessing to their faith. These are the acts of the Martyrs. They form the archives of truth written in letters of blood:
- Neither the pleasures of the world nor
the kingdoms of this age will be of any use to me. It is better for me
to die [in order to unite myself] to Christ Jesus than to reign over the
ends of the earth. I seek him who died for us; I desire him who rose
for us. My birth is approaching. . .272 I bless you for
having judged me worthy from this day and this hour to be counted among
your martyrs. . . . You have kept your promise, God of faithfulness and
truth. For this reason and for everything, I praise you, I bless you, I
glorify you through the eternal and heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ,
your beloved Son. Through him, who is with you and the Holy Spirit, may
glory be given to you, now and in the ages to come. Amen.273
2475 Christ's disciples have "put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."274 By "putting away falsehood," they are to "put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander."275
2476 False witness and perjury. When it is made publicly, a statement contrary to the truth takes on a particular gravity. In court it becomes false witness.276 When it is under oath, it is perjury. Acts such as these contribute to condemnation of the innocent, exoneration of the guilty, or the increased punishment of the accused.277 They gravely compromise the exercise of justice and the fairness of judicial decisions.
2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury.278 He becomes guilty:
- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them;279
- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.
2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:
- Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.280
2480 Every word or attitude is forbidden which by flattery, adulation, or complaisance encourages and confirms another in malicious acts and perverse conduct. Adulation is a grave fault if it makes one an accomplice in another's vices or grave sins. Neither the desire to be of service nor friendship justifies duplicitous speech. Adulation is a venial sin when it only seeks to be agreeable, to avoid evil, to meet a need, or to obtain legitimate advantages.
2481 Boasting or bragging is an offense against truth. So is irony aimed at disparaging someone by maliciously caricaturing some aspect of his behavior.
2482 "A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving."281 The Lord denounces lying as the work of the devil: "You are of your father the devil, . . . there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."282
2483 Lying is the most direct offense against the truth. To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error. By injuring man's relation to truth and to his neighbor, a lie offends against the fundamental relation of man and of his word to the Lord.
2484 The gravity of a lie is measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. If a lie in itself only constitutes a venial sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave injury to the virtues of justice and charity.
2485 By its very nature, lying is to be condemned. It is a profanation of speech, whereas the purpose of speech is to communicate known truth to others. The deliberate intention of leading a neighbor into error by saying things contrary to the truth constitutes a failure in justice and charity. The culpability is greater when the intention of deceiving entails the risk of deadly consequences for those who are led astray.
2486 Since it violates the virtue of truthfulness, a lie does real violence to another. It affects his ability to know, which is a condition of every judgment and decision. It contains the seed of discord and all consequent evils. Lying is destructive of society; it undermines trust among men and tears apart the fabric of social relationships.
2487 Every offense committed against justice and truth entails the duty of reparation, even if its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of charity. This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another's reputation. This reparation, moral and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of the damage inflicted. It obliges in conscience.
IV. RESPECT FOR THE TRUTH
2488 The right to the communication of the truth is not unconditional. Everyone must conform his life to the Gospel precept of fraternal love. This requires us in concrete situations to judge whether or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.
2489 Charity and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every request for information or communication. The good and safety of others, respect for privacy, and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about what ought not be known or for making use of a discreet language. The duty to avoid scandal often commands strict discretion. No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it.283
2490 The secret of the sacrament of reconciliation is sacred, and cannot be violated under any pretext. "The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore, it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reason."284
2491 Professional secrets - for example, those of political office holders, soldiers, physicians, and lawyers - or confidential information given under the seal of secrecy must be kept, save in exceptional cases where keeping the secret is bound to cause very grave harm to the one who confided it, to the one who received it or to a third party, and where the very grave harm can be avoided only by divulging the truth. Even if not confided under the seal of secrecy, private information prejudicial to another is not to be divulged without a grave and proportionate reason.
2492 Everyone should observe an appropriate reserve concerning persons' private lives. Those in charge of communications should maintain a fair balance between the requirements of the common good and respect for individual rights. Interference by the media in the private lives of persons engaged in political or public activity is to be condemned to the extent that it infringes upon their privacy and freedom.
V. THE USE OF THE SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA
2493 Within modern society the communications media play a major role in information, cultural promotion, and formation. This role is increasing, as a result of technological progress, the extent and diversity of the news transmitted, and the influence exercised on public opinion.
2494 The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good.285 Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity:
- The proper exercise of this right demands that the content of the communication be true and - within the limits set by justice and charity - complete. Further, it should be communicated honestly and properly. This means that in the gathering and in the publication of news, the moral law and the legitimate rights and dignity of man should be upheld.286
2496 The means of social communication (especially the mass media) can give rise to a certain passivity among users, making them less than vigilant consumers of what is said or shown. Users should practice moderation and discipline in their approach to the mass media. They will want to form enlightened and correct consciences the more easily to resist unwholesome influences.
2497 By the very nature of their profession, journalists have an obligation to serve the truth and not offend against charity in disseminating information. They should strive to respect, with equal care, the nature of the facts and the limits of critical judgment concerning individuals. They should not stoop to defamation.
2498 "Civil authorities have particular responsibilities in this field because of the common good. . . . It is for the civil authority . . . to defend and safeguard a true and just freedom of information."288 By promulgating laws and overseeing their application, public authorities should ensure that "public morality and social progress are not gravely endangered" through misuse of the media.289 Civil authorities should punish any violation of the rights of individuals to their reputation and privacy. They should give timely and reliable reports concerning the general good or respond to the well-founded concerns of the people. Nothing can justify recourse to disinformation for manipulating public opinion through the media. Interventions by public authority should avoid injuring the freedom of individuals or groups.
2499 Moral judgment must condemn the plague of totalitarian states which systematically falsify the truth, exercise political control of opinion through the media, manipulate defendants and witnesses at public trials, and imagine that they secure their tyranny by strangling and repressing everything they consider "thought crimes."
VI. TRUTH, BEAUTY, AND SACRED ART
2500 The practice of goodness is accompanied by spontaneous spiritual joy and moral beauty. Likewise, truth carries with it the joy and splendor of spiritual beauty. Truth is beautiful in itself. Truth in words, the rational expression of the knowledge of created and uncreated reality, is necessary to man, who is endowed with intellect. But truth can also find other complementary forms of human expression, above all when it is a matter of evoking what is beyond words: the depths of the human heart, the exaltations of the soul, the mystery of God. Even before revealing himself to man in words of truth, God reveals himself to him through the universal language of creation, the work of his Word, of his wisdom: the order and harmony of the cosmos-which both the child and the scientist discover-"from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator," "for the author of beauty created them."290
- [Wisdom] is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her. For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness.291 For [wisdom] is more beautiful than the sun, and excels every constellation of the stars. Compared with the light she is found to be superior, for it is succeeded by the night, but against wisdom evil does not prevail.292 I became enamored of her beauty.293
2502 Sacred art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God - the surpassing invisible beauty of truth and love visible in Christ, who "reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature," in whom "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."297 This spiritual beauty of God is reflected in the most holy Virgin Mother of God, the angels, and saints. Genuine sacred art draws man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God, Creator and Savior, the Holy One and Sanctifier.
2503 For this reason bishops, personally or through delegates, should see to the promotion of sacred art, old and new, in all its forms and, with the same religious care, remove from the liturgy and from places of worship everything which is not in conformity with the truth of faith and the authentic beauty of sacred art.298
IN BRIEF
2504 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Ex 20:16). Christ's disciples have "put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:24).
2505 Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.
2506 The Christian is not to "be ashamed of testifying to our Lord" (2 Tim 1:8) in deed and word. Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith.
2507 Respect for the reputation and honor of persons forbids all detraction and calumny in word or attitude.
2508 Lying consists in saying what is false with the intention of deceiving one's neighbor.
2509 An offense committed against the truth requires reparation.
2510 The golden rule helps one discern, in concrete situations, whether or not it would be appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.
2511 "The sacramental seal is inviolable" (CIC, can. 983 § 1). Professional secrets must be kept. Confidences prejudicial to another are not to be divulged.
2512 Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, and justice. One should practice moderation and discipline in the use of the social communications media.
2513 The fine arts, but above all sacred art, "of their nature are directed toward expressing in some way the infinite beauty of God in works made by human hands. Their dedication to the increase of God's praise and of his glory is more complete, the more exclusively they are devoted to turning men's minds devoutly toward God" (SC 122).
253 Ex 20:16; cf. Deut 5:20.
254 Mt 5:33.
255 Ps 119:90; Cf. Prov 8:7; 2 Sam 7:28; Ps 119:142; Lk 1:50.
256 Rom 3:4; Cf. Ps 119:30.
257 Jn 1:14; 8:12; cf. 14:6.
258 Jn 12:46.
259 Jn 8:32; Cf. 17:17.
260 Jn 16:13.
261 Mt 5:37.
262 DH 2 § 2.
263 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II,109,3 ad 1.
264 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II,109,3, corp. art.
265 1 Jn 1:6.
266 Jn 18:37.
267 2 Tim 1:8.
268 Acts 24:16.
269 Cf. Mt 18:16.
270 AG 11.
271 St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Rom. 4,1:SCh 10,110.
272 St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Rom. 6,1-2:SCh 10,114.
273 Martyrium Polycarpi 14,2-3:PG 5,1040; SCh 10,228.
274 Eph 4:24.
275 Eph 4:25; 1 Pet 2:1.
276 Cf. Prov 19:9.
277 Cf. Prov 18:5.
278 Cf. CIC, can. 220.
279 Cf. Sir 21:28.
280 St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 22.
281 St. Augustine, De mendacio 4,5:PL 40:491.
282 Jn 8:44.
283 Cf. 27:16; Prov 25:9-10.
284 CIC, Can. 983 § 1.
285 Cf. IM 11.
286 IM 5 § 2.
287 IM 8.
288 IM 12.
289 IM 12 § 2.
290 Wis 13:3, 5.
291 Wis 7:25-26.
292 Wis 7:29-30.
293 Wis 8:2.
294 Gen 1:26.
295 Cf. Wis 7:16-17
296 Cf. Pius XII, Musicae sacrae disciplina; Discourses of September 3 and December 25, 1950.
297 Heb 1:3; Col 2:9.
298 Cf. SC 122-127.
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RE-CHARGE: Heaven Speaks to Young Adults
To all tween, teens and young adults, A Message from Jesus: "Through you I will flow powerful conversion graces to draw other young souls from darkness. My plan for young men and women is immense. Truly, the renewal will leap forward with the assistance of these individuals. Am I calling you? Yes. I am calling you. You feel the stirring in your soul as you read these words. I am with you. I will never leave you. Join My band of young apostles and I will give you joy and peace that you have never known. All courage, all strength will be yours. Together, we will reclaim this world for the Father. I will bless your families and all of your relationships. I will lead you to your place in the Kingdom. Only you can complete the tasks I have set out for you. Do not reject Me. I am your Jesus. I love you...Read this book, upload to your phones/ipads.computers and read a few pages everyday...and then Pay It Forward...
Reference
- Recharge: Directions For Our Times. Heaven Speaks to Young Adults. recharge.cc.
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