Luminous
A Catholic Woman and Her Thoughts on Life, the Universe, and Everything
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Saint Leo the Great, Sermon on Lent, IV
Saint Leo the Great
Sermon XLII
On Lent, IV
 
I.  The Lenten fast an opportunity for restoring our purity.
 
In proposing to preach this most holy and important fast to you, dearly beloved, how shall I begin more fitly than by quoting the words of the Apostle, in whom Christ Himself was speaking, and by reminding you of what we have read:  "behold, now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation."  For though there are no seasons which are not full of Divine blessings, and though access is ever open to us to GOD'S mercy through His grace, yet now all men's minds should be moved with greater zeal to spiritual progress, and animated by larger confidence, when the return of the day, on which we were redeemed, invites us to all the duties of godliness:  that we may keep the super-excellent mystery of the LORD'S passion with bodies and hearts purified.  These great mysteries do indeed require from us such unflagging devotion and unwearied reverence that we should remain in GOD'S sight always the same, as we ought to be found on the Easter feast itself.  But because few have this constancy, and, because so long as the stricter observance is relaxed in consideration of the frailty of the flesh, and so long as one's interests extend over all the various actions of this life, even pious hearts must get some soils from the dust of the world, the Divine Providence has with great beneficence taken care that the discipline of the forty days should heal us and restore the purity of our minds, during which the faults of other times might be redeemed by pious acts and removed by chaste fasting.
 
II. Lent must be used for removing all our defilements, and of good works there must be no stint.
 
As we are therefore, dearly-beloved, about to enter on those mystic days which are dedicated to the benefits of fasting, let us take care to obey the Apostle's precepts, cleansing "ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit:"  that by controlling the struggles that go on between our two natures, the spirit which, if it is under the guidance of GOD, should be the governor of the body, may uphold the dignity of its rule:  so that we may give no offence to any, nor be subject to the chidings of reprovers.  For we shall be rightly attacked with rebukes, and through our fault ungodly tongues will arm themselves to do harm to religion, if the conduct of those that fast is at variance with the standard of perfect purity.  For our fast does not consist chiefly of mere abstinence from food, nor are dainties withdrawn from our bodily appetites with profit, unless the mind is recalled from wrong-doing and the tongue restrained from slandering.  This is a time of gentleness and long-suffering, of peace and tranquility:  when all the pollutions of vice are to be eradicated and continuance of virtue is to be attained by us.  Now let godly minds boldly accustom themselves to forgive faults, to pass over insults, and to forget wrongs.  Now let the faithful spirit train himself with the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, that through honor and dishonor, through ill repute and good repute, the conscience may be undisturbed in unwavering uprightness, not puffed up by praise and not wearied out by revilings.  The self-restraint of the religious should not be gloomy, but sincere; no murmurs of complaint should be heard from those who are never without the consolation of holy joys.  The decrease of worldly means should not be feared in the practice of works of mercy.  Christian poverty is always rich, because what it has is more than what it has not.  Nor does the poor man fear to labor in this world, to whom it is given to possess all things in the LORD of all things.  Therefore those who do the things which are good must have no manner of fear lest the power of doing should fail them; since in the gospel the widow's devotion is extolled in the case of her two mites, and voluntary bounty gets its reward for a cup of cold water: For the measure of our charitableness is fixed by the sincerity of our feelings, and he that shows mercy on others will never want for mercy himself.  The holy widow of Sarepta discovered this, who offered the blessed Elias in the time of famine one day's food, which was all she had, and putting the prophet's hunger before her own needs, ungrudgingly gave up a handful of corn and a little oil.  But she did not lose what she gave in all faith, and in the vessels emptied by her godly bounty a source of new plenty arose, that the fullness of her substance might not be diminished by the holy purpose to which she had put it, because she had never dreaded being brought to want.
 
III. As with the Savior, so with us, the devil tries to make our very piety its own snare.
 
But, dearly-beloved, doubt not that the devil, who is the opponent of all virtues, is jealous of these good desires, to which we are confident you are prompted of your own selves, and that to this end he is arming the force of his malice in order to make your very piety its own snare, and endeavoring to overcome by boastfulness those whom he could not defeat by distrustfulness.  For the vice of pride is a near neighbor to good deeds, and arrogance ever lies in wait hard by virtue:  because it is hard for him that lives praise-worthily not to be caught by man's praise unless, as it is written, "he that glorieth, glorieth in the LORD."  Whose intentions would that most naughty enemy not dare to attack? Whose fasting would he not seek to break down? Seeing that, as has been shown in the reading of the Gospel, he did not restrain his wiles even against the Savior of the world Himself.  For being exceedingly afraid of His fast, which lasted 40 days and nights, he wished most cunningly to discover whether this power of abstinence was given Him or His very own:  for he need not fear the defeat of all his treacherous designs, if Christ were throughout subject to the same conditions as He is in body.  And so he first craftily examined whether He were Himself the Creator of all things, such that He could change the natures of material things as He pleased:  secondly, whether under the form of human flesh the Godhead lay concealed, to Whom it was easy to make the air His chariot, and convey His earthly limbs through space.  But when the LORD preferred to resist him by the uprightness of His true Manhood, than to display the power of His Godhead, to this he turns the craftiness of his third design, that he might tempt by the lust of empire Him in Whom the signs of Divine power had failed, and entice Him to the worship of himself by promising the kingdoms of the world.  But the devil's cleverness was rendered foolish by GOD'S wisdom, so that the proud foe was bound by that which he had formerly bound, and did not fear to assail Him Whom it behoved to be slain for the world.
 
IV. The perverse turn even their fasting into sin.
 
This adversary's wiles then let us beware of, not only in the enticements of the palate, but also in our purpose of abstinence.  For he who knew how to bring death upon mankind by means of food, knows also how to harm us through our very fasting, and using the Manicheans as his tools, as he once drove men to take what was forbidden, so in the opposite direction he prompts them to avoid what is allowed.  It is indeed a helpful observance, which accustoms one to scanty diet, and checks the appetite for dainties:  but woe to the dogmatizing of those whose very fasting is turned to sin.  For they condemn the creature's nature to the Creator's injury, and maintain that they are defiled by eating those things of which they contend the devil, not GOD, is the author:  although absolutely nothing that exists is evil, nor is anything in nature included in the actually bad.  For the good Creator made all things good and the Maker of the universe is one, "Who made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is in them."  Of which whatever is granted to man for food and drink, is holy and clean after its kind.  But if it is taken with immoderate greed, it is the excess that disgraces the eaters and drinkers, not the nature of the food or drink that defiles them.  "For all things," as the Apostle says, "are clean to the clean.  But to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is clean, but their mind and conscience is defiled."
 
V.  Be reasonable and seasonable in your fasting.
 
But ye, dearly-beloved, the holy offspring of the catholic Mother, who have been taught in the school of Truth by GOD'S Spirit, moderate your liberty with due reasonableness, knowing that it is good to abstain even from things lawful, and at seasons of greater strictness to distinguish one food from another with a view to giving up the use of some kinds, not to condemning their nature.  And so be not infected with the error of those who are corrupted merely by their own ordinances, "serving the creature rather than the Creator," and offering a foolish abstinence to the service of the lights of heaven:  seeing that they have chosen to fast on the first and second days of the week in honor of the sun and moon, proving themselves in this one instance of their perverseness twice disloyal to GOD, twice blasphemous, by setting up their fast not only in worship of the stars but also in contempt of the LORD'S Resurrection.  For they reject the mystery of man's salvation and refuse to believe that Christ our LORD in the true flesh of our nature was truly born, truly suffered, was truly buried and was truly raised.  And in consequence, condemn the day of our rejoicing by the gloom of their fasting.  And since to conceal their infidelity they dare to be present at our meetings, at the Communion of the Mysteries they bring themselves sometimes, in order to ensure their concealment, to receive Christ's Body with unworthy lips, though they altogether refuse to drink the Blood of our Redemption.  And this we make known to you, holy brethren, that men of this sort may be detected by you by these signs, and that they whose impious pretences have been discovered may be driven from the society of the saints by priestly authority.  For of such the blessed Apostle Paul in his foresight warns GOD'S Church, saying:  "but we beseech you, brethren, that ye observe those who make discussions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye learnt and turn away from them.  For such persons serve not Christ the LORD but their own belly, and by sweet words and fair speeches beguile the hearts of the innocent."
 
VI. Make your fasting a reality by amendment in your lives.
 
Being therefore, dearly-beloved, fully instructed by these admonitions of ours, which we have often repeated in your ears in protest against abominable error, enter upon the holy days of Lent with Godly devoutness, and prepare yourselves to win GOD'S mercy by your own works of mercy.  Quench your anger, wipe out enmities, cherish unity, and vie with one another in the offices of true humility.  Rule your slaves and those who are put under you with fairness, let none of them be tortured by imprisonment or chains.  Forego vengeance, forgive offences:  exchange severity for gentleness, indignation for meekness, discord for peace.  Let all men find us self-restrained, peaceable, kind:  that our fastings may be acceptable to GOD.  For in a word to Him we offer the sacrifice of true abstinence and true Godliness, when we keep ourselves from all evil:  the Almighty GOD helping us through all, to Whom with the Son and Holy Spirit belongs one Godhead and one Majesty, for ever and ever.  Amen.
 
 
Written at 8:26 PM by Luminaria2112.
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Monday, March 16, 2009
Saint Patrick Wasn't Irish
 
 
Did you know that Saint Patrick, the revered patron saint of Ireland wasn't really Irish? His name wasn't even Patrick, it was Maewyn Succat. He was born in Britain, around 309 AD. Some sources say he was from Scotland. His family was Roman, and they were Christian, his father was a deacon, and his grandfather was a priest. Biographers say that as a boy, Maewyn wasn't even very religious. At age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish pirates, taken to Ireland and made a slave. He was set to work herding sheep. It was during this time alone in the mountains that Maewyn had a deep religious conversion. Then, after 7 years, Maewyn started having dreams. An angel appeared to him in his dream, telling him how he could escape. He walked across Ireland, over 200 miles, to the coast, where he found a ship, just as foretold in his dream, to take him back to Britain, where he was reunited with his family.
 
Maewyn realized that with his knowledge of the Celtic language, he would make an excellent missionary to the Irish, many of whom were still pagan, worshipping many gods. He longed to return to Ireland, to teach the people about Christ.
 
Maewyn wasn't the first Christian missionary to go to Ireland. Saint Palladius, was sent from Rome to Britain in 429 AD, where as a deacon he fought the Pelagian heresy. He was then consecrated as a bishop in 431, and sent to Ireland.
 
Maewyn studied for the priesthood in Gaul, and Patricius was his baptismal name, given by Pope Celestine prior to his mission to Ireland. Patrick was eventually ordained a bishop. In the early 430s, Pope Celestine sent Patrick back to Ireland,. Patrick arrived in the winter of 433 and made his base at Armagh. Local chieftain Dichu, his first converted patron, gifted a large barn to use for a church sanctuary.
 
Over the next 30 years Patrick and his followers traveled throughout Ireland, preaching, converting, baptizing, and building churches and monasteries all over the island. He converted nearly the entire population to Christianity.
 
Patrick did not condemn the Celtic beliefs of the Irish but he assimilated their practices into a totally Christian spirituality - their sacred wells became Holy Wells dedicated to the saints, their druidic oak groves became Christian chapels for the Eucharist, etc. Patrick was also very successful in winning the local chieftains to the Faith which, in turn, made it easier for their subjects to embrace Christianity.
 
Patrick died on March 17, 461, after almost 30 years of intense evangelization in Ireland, where he consecrated some 350 Irish Bishops. It is believed that he was buried at Saul, where he had built his first church. Some of the ancient sources record that for several days the light of heaven shone around his bier.
 
There are many legends and stories of Saint Patrick, the most famous of which is that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. It is very likely that the story was meant to be symbolic, since for geographic and climatic reasons Ireland never actually had snakes.
 
In the Celtic tradition serpents were associated with fertility and wells, while in Christianity the serpent was Satan, the devil. Therefore, it is believed that the snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Pagan priests, the Druids, and to Saint Patrick converting the heathen and eliminating pagan beliefs.
 
The popular green shamrock -the internationally known symbol of Ireland- and Saint Patrick are closely associated.
 
According to legend, Saint Patrick traditionally used the three leaves of the shamrock to teach the Irish about the concept of the Holy Trinity and to explain the Christian dogma of "unity in diversity". There's no evidence that Patrick ever actually used a shamrock in this way - but it's a nice story.
 
We do have handed down to us several of Saint Patrick's writings. His "Confessio" and his "Epistola ad Coroticum" are recognized universally as genuine writings by the saint.
 
 Other Irish writings dating from a similar time period are less clear; a series of 31 ecclesiastical canons entitled "Synodus secunda Patritii", though unquestionably of Irish origin and dating before the close of the seventh century, is generally considered to be of a later date than St. Patrick, but are interesting as sources of early Christian spirituality in the region.
 
The famous prayer, "Faeth Fiada", or "The Lorica of Saint Patrick" is known to be genuine, as are the book of his sayings, preserved in the "Book of Armagh", and the text of the "Rule of Patrick".
 
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Lorica of Saint Patrick
 
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
 
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
 
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
 
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
 
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.
 
I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.
 
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
 
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Written at 7:40 PM by Luminaria2112.
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