The Unprofitable Servant: No Sense of Urgency

Saturday, October 22, 2011

No Sense of Urgency

Tomorrow is Sunday, and in the United States, that has come to mean one thing: Football. Now, don't get me wrong - I enjoy Sunday football as much as anyone. But it's not a priority. Getting everyone to Mass and paying God the minimal homage He asks of is what drives the day. I try to refrain from food shopping and household tasks and to make it truly a day of rest and relaxation spent with the family. I would never think to skip the Noon TLM for an earlier Mass in order to catch a 1pm opening kick-off.

Turn on the television, listen to the radio or read the papers and you might think the nation was preparing for war every week. In a sense, it is. Football is a human demolition derby predicated on military strategies to advance in enemy territory. Since each team generally plays only 1 game per week, there is ample time to analyze what went wrong and what must be done to improve. Players are criticized, called out and scrutinized to an extent I certainly hope I would never have to endure at work each day. Then again, I don't get paid millions of dollars or subject my body, a temple of God, to punishment.

You will hear no such talk on Sunday about how to advance against the enemy of our souls to gain ground on our journey to Heaven. People will wear their football jerseys to Mass ( at the Novus Ordo, that is, I've never seen it happen at the TLM), skip out early or not bother to go at all if there is a game at stake.

Now, I will also admit to you that not only do I love watching football, but I can get rather emotional in rooting for my Cowboys. When they went to the playoffs against the NY Giants a few years back, I actually considered praying to St. Therese to help them win, but I just couldn't. When there are so many poor souls in need, even though I know God's generosity is boundless, I can not bring myself to pray in any sincerity for a pass not to get intercepted or for the kicker to make a 58-yard field goal. Nor would I pray to win the lottery or hit the jackpot at a casino. These are all frivolous activities that we enjoy and I think that would be ok if we didn't make them the be all, end all of our existence.

How many Catholics with seasons' tickets for an NFL team spend an iota of what they do on football to support their church? The Phillies have had something like 150 or so consecutive sellouts. Nothing wrong with watching baseball. But how many Catholics who plunk down $120 for two good seats at the Park would even thing about putting that much in a special collection to support their church or a mission? From the number of closings and churches in need of repair, I'd say not too many.

When is the last time you heard any of this mentioned in a sermon? Maybe the last time you heard your pastor talk about the devil or going to hell. There would be no need to talk about our obsession with sports at the TLM because the regulars who commit to a 90-minute or so Mass on Sundays are the choir. At the Novus Ordo, it's another story because there you would be more likely to encounter some folks who don't have their priorities straight.

I don't believe that God expects us to wear sack cloth and ash and spend our entire lives in a state of penance. But the flip side is that we are expected to keep the Sabbath holy and devote adequate time to prayer, penance and good works. Despite what some would like to think, we can't just do some of what is asked of us and ignore the rest. The "but I'm a good person, I don't hurt anyone" is not going to fly when when a strong defense is needed most.

It will take more than a good defense to gain entrance into Heaven. Daily Mass whenever possible, commitment to a strong prayer life and frequent confession are the minimal armor a warrior needs to do battle and make progress. Too bad not many will be reminded of this on Sunday, either because they couldn't be bothered to go to Mass or because the priest couldn't be bothered to discuss Heaven and Hell.

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Mary, Queen of Peace

Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart whilst thine only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy grief, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, St. John, take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries, of every kind whatsoever. Thou art the Mother of Mercies, the sweet comforter and only refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just punishment of my sins, I find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, wither can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection? Attend, therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it, through the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son; Through that love and condescension wherewith He embraced our nature, when, in compliance with the divine Will, thou gavest thy consent, and whom, after the expiration of nine months thou didst bring forth from the chaste enclosure of thy womb, to visit the world, and bless it with His presence. I ask it, through that anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on the Mount of Olives, when He besought His eternal Father to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion. I ask it, through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the garden, whence afterwards, with dolorous steps and mournful tears, thou didst accompany Him to the doleful theatre of His death and sufferings. I ask it, through the welts and bruises of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience. I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation; His sadness and grief of heart. I ask it, through the blood which trickled from His royal and Sacred Head, when struck with the sceptre of a reed and pierced with His crown of thorns. I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with gross nails to the tree of the cross. I ask it, through His vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. I ask it, through His dereliction on the cross when He exclaimed, "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?" I ask it, through His mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired, saying, "It is consummated." I ask it, through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His Sacred Side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and the darkness of the sun and moon. I ask it, through His descent into hell, where He confronted the Saints of the old law with His presence, and led the captivity captive. I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave thee, His blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His Disciples; when in thine and their presence He miraculously ascended into heaven. I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, infused into the hearts of His Disciples, when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal in the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the gospel. I ask it, through the awful appearance of thy Son, at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world, by fire. I ask it, through the compassion He bore thee in His life, and the unspeakable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections. O glorious and ever blessed Virgin! comfort the heart of thy supplicant, by obtaining for me, (Mention your prayer intention here...) And as I am persuaded my Divine Saviour doth honour thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because thou asketh nothing contrary to His honour, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests and complieth with the desires of those that love and fear Him. Wherefore, O most blessed Virgin, beside the object of my present petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, unfeigned tears of compunction, sincere confession, condign satisfaction, abstinence from sin, love of God and my neighbour, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies, nay, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Obtain likewise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self-will, a pious conversation through life, and, at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me to receive the last Sacrament of the Church worthily, and die in thy friendship and favour. Lastly, obtain through thy Son, I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting, from the only Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Lord God Almighty, to Whom be all power now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.
May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God;
may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

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God Bless You!

The Unprofitable Servant

Saturday, October 22, 2011

No Sense of Urgency

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Mary, Queen of Peace

St Michael the Archangel

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

St. Teresa Benedicta of The Cross