WASH YOUR ROBE WHITE IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB (The Glorious Splendor of the Souls in Sanctifying Grace) By Bro. Hyginus Agada 08073099456
PREFACE Indeed, blessed are those who will have washed their robes clean, so that they will have the right to feed on the tree of life and can come through the gates into the city (Rev. 22:14). In the dawn of creation, man was crowned with perfect beauty and glory of God, they shared in some perfections and the Divine life of God; hence, they were nourished from the tree of life (Gen. 3:22). But when they sinned, they lost the Shekinnah glory of God and were banished from His presence. Thus, corruption and ignorance rendered them so detestable to God (cf. Gen. 6:5-6).
Meanwhile, Christ gave us redemption through His blood (cf. Eph. 1:7), the cleansing of our souls from sin and justification by His grace (cf. Rom. 5:9), that we can now call God our Father and have right to feed on the Bread of life (Jn. 6:35), with the pledge of future resurrection and be able to enter through the gates into the city of paradise (Jn. 6:54)
How blessed are those whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is blotted out. How blessed are those whom the Lord imputes no guilt (Rom. 4:7-8). So says the Bible of the privilege of those who accept the Christian faith and receive the sacraments that justify them and elevate them to share in the glory and supernatural grace of God.
Acknowledgment We thank God for the gift of wisdom and knowledge endowed on the doctors of the Church. The great men of knowledge He promised to His Church (cf. Matt. 23: 43) who made the mysteries of God and His words clearer for our understanding. This book was inspired through the study of some teachings of these doctors and some mystics of the Church; like: Preparation for Death, by St. Alphonsus De Liguori; The Glories of Divine Grace, by Rev. Fr. M.J. Scheeben; The Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, St. Joseph Daily Missal, 1962 edition.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface.................................. .............. Acknowledgment ................................. Dedication ........................................... Wash your Robe white in the Blood of the Lamb (Glorious Splendour of the souls in Sanctifying Grace) ................. Be Merciful to me, O God, a sinner ....... The Meaning of true Love....................... God’s Holy Commandments ................... Preparation for the sacrament of Penance ................................................
DEDICATION This Book is dedicated to all the Saints in Heaven, who were privileged to have cleansed their Souls with the Blood of the Lamb, and were able to enter through the gates into the city of paradise
What are human beings that you spare a thought for them, or the child of Adam that you care for him? Yet Thou have made him little less than Angels. Thou have crowned him with glory and beauty, made him Lord of the work of Your hands, put all things under his feet (Ps. 8:4-6) What is a man that Thou should magnify him? Or Why dost Thou set Thy heart upon him? (Job. 7:17)
WASH YOUR ROBE WHITE IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB (The Glorious Splendor of the Souls in Sanctifying Grace)
You must see what great love the Father has lavished on us by letting us be called God’s children-which is what we are (I Jn. 3:1). Those who know how to labour and preserve this privilege, the glory of the soul in the state of sanctifying grace are regarded in the Bible as the wise virgins (Matt. 25:2). Those who neglected or misused it will regret and weep like Esau (Gen.27:38;Wis.-5:3-9). St. Alphonsus de Liguroi said; ”they who know how to distinguish what is precious from what is vile, are like God -”If thou will separate the precious from the vile, thou shall be as My mouth” (Jer. 15:19). It is unfortunate that those to whom this grace was given, whom the privilege was given are throwing it away with flimsy excuses. One went off to his farm, another to his business, others possess the heart of wickedness (cf. Matt. 22;1-14). All these are happening because, mortals do not understand the value of Divine grace – ”man knoweth not the price thereof” (Job 28: 13).
THE NECESSITY OF SANCTIFYING GRACE In the parable of the wedding feast, Jesus said that as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, the king sent his servants to gather everyone they could see at the highway, yet, when the king came into the banquet hall, he rejected the person that entered without the wedding garment (cf. Matt. 22: 1-14): The wedding feast is the beatific vision at the celestial kingdom. The invitation card is Baptism, those invited are those who were privileged and trained on earth to attain the state of sanctifying grace. The wedding garment is the sanctifying grace. Nobody therefore, can enter the kingdom of Heaven without being clothed in this garment of salvation (Isa. 61: 1 0), the sanctifying grace; the Divine life of God in our souls. This parable also reveals, as the Church teaches, that those who were not privileged to attain this state of life here on earth, due to unavoidable ignorance, but manifested enough love for God; must be perfected and clothed in the next life (cf. Matt. 12:32; i.e. purgatory or limbo), before they can enjoy the heavenly banquet; for example, the aborted babies or those who were not privileged to benefit from the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, by no fault of theirs.
Jacob was clothed in the garment of the first son before he could stand in the presence of his father (Isaac) and receive his blessing (Gen. 27); this blessing was the promise of redemption made to Abraham in his covenant with God (Gen 15:119; Lk.1 :55): from Abraham to Isaac, down to Jacob and his descendants forever. This garment of the first son prefigured the righteousness or merits of Jesus Christ and the Divine life of God with which our souls are being clothed through the grace of justification, so that poor mortals who were so weakened by the consequences of the original sin can once more appear before God moulded in the image of His Son – “He decided before hand who were the ones destined to be moulded to the pattern of His Son, so that He should be the eldest of many brothers, it was those so destined that He called; those that He called, He justified, and those that He has justified, He brought into glory” (Rom. 8:29- 30). The dogma therefore defines Justification as an act of applying the fruits of the Redemption (Grace) to the individual man.The major consequences of the fall of our first parents are: (i) the loss of sanctifying grace, (ii) loss of access to God’s presence and to be nourished from the tree of life – Jesus Christ (Rev. 2:7; Gen 3:22-24), (iii) the knowledge of good and evil; that is; the dangerous passions we acquired as a result of original sin, such as: lust, envy, revenge, anger, pride, greed etc. These passions have so corrupted the heart of man that he is bent on desiring evil at all times, and if left to himself he can never attain that original state in which he was created – ”And God seeing that the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and that all the thought of their hearts was bent upon evil at all times” (Gen. 6:5).
The grace of justification clothes the souls of the just, in the sight of God with Divine dignity and elevate them to attain that state of life which human weakness made them incapable of attaining, just as the hairy garment of the first son enabled Jacob to receive the blessing he was incapable of receiving (Gen. 27:23). Therefore, to restore these lost glories in man is the main thrust of Christ’s work of redemption .
Sanctifying grace is the Divine life and nature of God which the Holy Ghost bestows on the souls of the Just by His Divine presence –”The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us” (Rom. 5 :6). It makes us to desire or find joy in doing the things that God loves- ”whosoever is born of God, commits not sin; for God’s seed abides in him ”(I Jn: 3:9).
Fr. M. J. Scheeben wrote in his book, The Glories of Divine Grace: ”When Holy Scripture says we are born of God, nothing else is meant than that through God’s grace we are made partakers of His own nature (II Peter 1:4 ).We become by grace what He is by nature. What He has in Himself, that we obtain through participation in His nature. For this reason, He became our brother in His humanity in order to make us His brothers in His Divine splendor. He seeks His glory in this, to be not merely the only begotten; but also the first born amongst many brethren (Rom. 8:29). Therefore, He called His Father also our Father” (Jn. 20: 17).
In the offertory prayer at Mass, the priest says: ” Grant that through the mystery of this water and wine, we may be partakers of His Divinity, who has condescended to become partaker of our humanity, Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord.” Sanctifying grace makes us share in the supernatural life of God, without which we cannot live with Him in His heavenly kingdom –’’As the Living Father sent Me and I draw life from the Father, so whoever eats Me shall also draw life from Me” (Jn. 6:57); ”it is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer” (Jn . 6:63)
THE ACTUAL GRACE Divine grace is of two types: Actual Grace and Sanctifying Grace. Actual Grace or assisting grace or helping grace, as the dogma says, is a temporary supernatural act of God directed towards the
spiritual power of man for the purpose of moving him to a pious act. It is a spiritual power by which God draws and enlightens the soul to do His will, which is always opposed to the desires of the flesh – ”No man can come to Me except the Father, who sent Me draws him” (Jn. 6:44); ”For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to His good will” (Phil 2:13). This grace is very necessary for the perseverance of the just. It is the grace that help us to attain, persevere and increase in the life of sanctifying grace. Hence, the book of dogma says that: ”the special help of God necessary for final perseverance, consists in a number of actual graces”.
Actual grace also refers to God’s saving power that rescues our souls from situations we cannot overcome by our littleness, and His loving care that provides all that we needed to survive righteously on this earth (Ezk. 36:29, Zec. 2: 12, Isa. 43:2). That is why Jesus said: ”Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven and its justice, all these other things will be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33); ”Your Father knows that you have need of these things” (Matt. 6:32). But if you abuse God’s
graces; the flower that attracts His loving care on us, you subject yourself to this condition: ”But if salt losses its taste, what can make it salty again” ( Matt. 5: 13).
We receive the actual graces through prayers, penance, carrying our God -giving crosses well, spiritual and corporal works of mercy, and other acts of love and virtues.
SANCTIFICATION OF THE INNER MAN St. Paul says that justification can be achieved neither by works of the old testament law nor by observance of the natural laws (Rom. 3;20, Gal. 3: 11), but it is a free gift of the love of God: ”Being justified freely by His grace, it cannot now be by good actions, or grace would not be grace at all” (Rom. 11 :6. Eph 2:8). That means; the human self righteousness alone (cf. Isa. 64:5; we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth), cannot justify him, such as the heretics believe, and the Bible says; they stumbled over the stumbling stone(cf. Rom. 9: 30-32; 10: 3-4) .
This free gift is given through faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 2: 16). That is; accepting Christ and believing in all the teachings and Sacraments He handed down to us through the Apostles, as we profess in the Apostle’s Creed (cf. Rom. 10: 10). That is why Jesus said while instituting the Sacrament of Baptism: ”Go therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you” (Matt. 28:19-20); ”Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved; whoever does not believe shall be condemed” (Mk. 16;16); And the judgment is this: ”though the light has come into the world, people have preferred darkness to the light” (Jn 3: 19). Christ is the light of the world (Jn. 8: 12); His will is that we should receive His saving grace through the Sacraments by which He is reconciling the world to His Father (II Cor. 5: 18 -19). Meanwhile, our efforts, good works and co-operation to the actual graces given is necessary to prepare for the reception of sanctifying grace, as we can see in the case of Cornelius (Acts 10).
The Bible refers to this inner cleansing of man with different imageries: ”Born of God” (Jn 1:13), ”born from above” (Jn 3:3), “born of the spirit (Jn. 3: 6) a new creation” (II Cor. 5:17, Gal. 6:15), ”inner renewal, clothed with new self, created according to the likeness of God” (Eph 4:23-23), ”purification of our conscience from dead works” (Heb. 9:14). St Paul says: ”But you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God” (1 cor 6: 11). He calls the justified Christians Saints (Eph. 1: 1). When the covenant of Mount Sinai was ratified, Moses took half of the blood of the covenant and sprinkled on the altar, and half he sprinkled on the people (Exo. 24;6-8). This was an indication of how the Blood of Christ will be sprinkled in our souls through the action of the Holy Ghost for inner purification. The Book of Hebrews testifies to this: ”If the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement, may restore their bodily purity. How much more will the Blood of Christ, who offered Himself, blameless as He was, to God through the Eternal Spirit, purify our conscience from dead actions so that we can worship the living God” (Heb. 9:13 -14).
At the last supper, Jesus changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood and said to His disciples: This is My Blood, the Blood of the new covenant, poured out for many, for the
remission of sins” (Matt. 26:27-28). He gave us His Body and Blood sacramentally at the supper, with a mandate: ”Do this in memory of Me ” (Lk. 22; 19). Then on Good Friday, He gave us His Body and Blood physically on the Cross. The Book of Hebrews says: ”Infact, according to the law, practically every purification takes place by means of blood, and if there is no shedding of blood, there is no remission” (Heb 9:22).
Indeed, the Blood of Christ must be sprinkled in the soul before purification and sanctification can take place- ”They have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14); ”The Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin” (I Jn. 1:7). Meanwhile, it is at the very moment of this sanctification or purification of the inner man that the Holy Ghost dwells in the soul and bestows the sanctifying grace- “You must be baptized in name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2: 38).
St John says: ”This is He that came by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth that Christ is the truth. And there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. And there are three that give testimony on earth: the Spirit, the water and the blood and these three are one” (I Jn. 5:6-8, Douay Rheims) ..
This was fulfilled when the Sacred Heart of Jesus was pierced on the Cross, water and blood gushed out (Jn. 19:34) and became the source of the cleansing power we receive in the Sacraments; especially, those Sacraments that restore souls to sanctifying grace, namely: Baptism, Penance and Matrimony. That was why Jesus made categorical statements when He taught about these Sacraments, which indicates that this is the only way by which souls can be restored to their original glory and be able to live with God in His heavenly kingdom: ”In all truth I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born through water and the Spirit” (Jn. 3 :4); ”In
all truth I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you” (Jn. 6:52); “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained” (Jn.20:13).
These are the mysterious works of the Holy Ghost in the Church, that cannot be seen. But the external signs we see reveal what the Spirit does in the soul. Hence, Jesus Himself said it: ”The wind blows where it pleases, you can hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (Jn 3 :8). That is to say; the water of baptism symbolizes the water and blood from the Sacred Heart which does the actual cleansing in the soul. The same thing happens when the priest raises his hand in absolution during the Sacrament of Penance.
While revealing to us what happens at the mystery of the Holy Mass, the book of Hebrews says: ”You have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels … And to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to
the sprinkling of Blood which speaks better than that of Abel” (Heb.12:22-23). Indeed the Blood of Christ is sprinkled at Mass, that is why it remits our venial sins and gives strength to souls. Same passage made it very clear that it is not something known to the senses.
SANCTIFYING GRACE MAKES THE JUST, CHILDREN OF GOD AND FRIENDS OF GOD St. Alphonsus de Liguroi said: ”it is an infinite treasure, that, which makes us worthy of the friendship of God -for she is an infinite treasure to men, which they that use become the friends of God” (wis. 7: 14). In Justification, the Blood of Christ purifies our souls, and the Holy Ghost comes to dwell in our souls with His sanctifying grace. It is the Spirit of God that transforms us by His power into the image of God (cf. II Cor. 3: 18). St Thomas puts it this way: ”Through sanctifying Grace, the rational creature is so perfected that he may not only use created goods but may also enjoy the uncreated good. Therefore, the invisible sending of the Holy Ghost takes place in the gift of sanctifying grace”. The dwelling presence of the Holy Ghost makes us children of God – ”it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8: 16; Gal. 4:5). Fr. Scheeben wrote:
”Although we are not by nature children of God, we become such through grace, and so true is this that, as adopted children, we are put on a par with the natural Son of God, we become by grace what He is by nature. What He has in Himself, that we obtain through participation in His nature”. ”He Himself took over great task of purchasing with His Blood the life of the children of God. Therefore, He became man to give to all who received Him the power of becoming children of God” (Jn. 1: 12). In another place, he wrote: ”By reason of our nature, God loves us as His creatures and servants. But the distance between Him and us is infinite and therefore too great to allow us to be His true friends. Consequently, it is understandable that the pagan philosophers said that a true friendship between God and man is impossible. Only grace raises man to such a high degree of similarity, even to a certain equality with God; that the distance between God and man is spanned, and friendship between them no longer appears unbecoming”. St. Gregory the Great exclaimed: ”0 how great is the mercy of our Creator! We are not worthy to be His servants, and now we are called His friends: ”You are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer … but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father” (Jn. 15:14-15). This statement was made at the last supper, when Jesus has shared with His disciples, all He had from the God head. Christ shared in our nature (Heb 2: 14-17) in order to raise it to a Divine dignity. And to accomplish this, He left Himself for us in the Sacraments, so as to effect an intimate union; that His Divine life may be communicated to us, His merits and graces may be communicated to us – ”The glory that You have given Me, I have given them, so that they may be one, as We are one, I in them and You in Me” (Jn. 17:22-23). At this state, our prayers, our penance, our sufferings and crosses we carry, our works of charity, spiritual and corporal works of mercy will be sanctified, and will attain merit before God.
Fr. Scheeben has this to say: ”By reason of grace, we are living members of Christ, but every action of a member has the same value as if it proceeded from the head. Whatever the members suffer is considered the same as though suffered by the head. In view of this, every work that we perform in the state of grace is a work of Christ, who lives and acts in His Mystical Body”. “Without grace, we can do great and sublime works, we can make a whole nation happy; we can help the poor, devote our whole life to the service of a beautiful ideal. God would certainly not let this go unrewarded, but He cannot reward it with heavenly glory”. ”The reason for this is that it is not the human act itself which is the basis for its supernatural value, but the basis for all supernatural merit is the work of Jesus Christ Himself. For how could a natural act merit a supernatural reward? Our works are planted in Christ, as the tree has its roots in the earth”. ”If then, it is grace that makes our works
meritorious before God, we may say that the higher the degree of grace we possess, the more meritorious will be our works”.
The Bible gives more clearance to this: If I speak in tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and should deliver my body to be burned, and have not love, it profit me nothing” (1 Cor. 13: 1- 3). While explaining this passage, His Eminence Henry Cardinal Edward Manning says: ”Lack of love; that means: a soul separated .from God, that is not in the state of grace and thus not having the gift of charity, the love of God. He says, ’it matters not what the soul may know; it may be able to prophesy, to expounding mysteries, to work miracles; it may give all it possesses to the poor in alms, it may be martyred, as men may think, and yet, If it hath not the love of God, it profits nothing to salvation. He continues; there will be at the last day those who will come to our Divine Lord and say, ”Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Thy name, we cast out devils and did many mighty works in Thy name; we have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and He will say unto them: Depart from Me, I never knew you (Matt. 7:22-23); that is to say, a soul that has lost the life of grace by one mortal sin, one transgression, and if it continues in that state, unless it is restored to union with God by grace and charity, is dead before God, and all the actions of the soul are dead”. grace and charity, is dead before God, and all the actions of the soul are dead”.
THE GLORIOUS SPLENDOR OF THE SOULS ADORNED WITH DIVINE GRACE St. Athanasius said: ”it is a firm conviction of the fathers that God became man so that man might become God, that is, deified” (i.e. elevated to Divine nature). St. Fulgentius put it this way: “God was born of man that man might be born of God. As Christ received the human flesh, so all regenerated mankind was made the Mystical Body of Christ”. And St. Leo exclaims; ”O Christian soul, recognize your dignity! Know that as a Christian you surpass the Angels, not only in nature but also in grace! For the Angels are kindred to God only by one tie, namely, that they partake of His-Divine Nature, but you are kindred to God in a twofold way, because God has only adopted your nature. If therefore, these pure and holy spirits were capable of envy, they would envy us, because God has taken upon Himself the nature, not of Angels or of Archangels, but of the seed of Abraham (Heb. 2: 16). We may then account God as one of us, that which is not permitted to the Angels”.
The holy Simeon received Jesus in the temple and prophesied: ”A light to reveal God’s will to the Gentiles, and bring glory to God’s people Israel” (Lk.2:32). Which means; Jesus Christ is the Light of the world who will enlighten all men to do God’s will, to live in justice, fairness and peace with each other, and bring God’s chosen people who were privileged to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, to share in the glory and merits of the Incarnation of Christ – ”For this purpose He called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thes. 2:14.).
St. Cyril teaches that those who are called by the faith in Christ to the sonship of God, have put off the lowliness of their own nature; glorified by the grace of God and adorned with it as with a precious garment, they are raised to a supernatural dignity. Christ taught us this lesson by accepting baptism, though He was not in need of it. Moreover, the baptism of John was for repentance (Acts 19:4-6; Matt. 3: 11) and not yet a Sacrament that has power to cleanse the soul and restore sanctifying grace,because, the Lamb (Jn. 7:39) was not yet glorified on the cross (Jn. 7:39). The baptism of Christ was to confer on His brothers, those that will accept Him, follow His footsteps and receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost which He has come to offer (cf. Jn. 1 :33); the merit of the adopted sons of God (Jn. 1: lI -13), coheirs with Christ (Rom 8:17). The events that took place in His baptism was to reveal to mankind what happens to every child during a valid baptism; namely, the Holy Ghost descended on Him, and the Father said: ”this is My beloved Son, today have I fathered You” (Lk 3 :22). We can be very sure that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are inseparable, but here, the merits of the Incarnation of Christ has raised human nature to share in their glory (cf. J n. 17:22) as this continues to happen in every valid baptism. Jesus said in the Gospel: ’’Amongst those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he that is the lesser in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Lk 7:28). By this, He refers to the merit and dignity of those who will be perfected with sanctifying grace and receive His Body and Blood as spiritual nourishment for their souls. The worship of the old testament did not bring the worshippers to perfection (cf. Heb 9:9-10); they were just symbols referring to the everlasting covenant (cf. Col. 2:17, Heb 10: 4-10), where the humble and faithful Catholics will be led to a perfect worship, the purity of faith and belief that brings about the purity of heart- ”Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). While explaining the passage above, St. Francis de Sales said that of all that is born of woman, only three persons received the gift of reason from the womb; namely, Jesus, Mary and John the Baptist. For John recognized the Saviour right in the womb and adored Him (Lk 1 :41).
Meanwhile, John was the last of all the prophets of old (Lk. 16: 16), and ushered in the kingdom of God on earth (Lk 9:27), where humanity will be intimately united to God in the Sacraments: ”Whoever eats My Body and drinks My Blood lives in Me and I live in him” (Jn. 6:56). St Augustine teaches that earthly food changes into the substance of the one who consumes it; but Christ, on the other hand, is a food that changes those consuming it into His substance, in so far as He makes us sharers of His own nature. The passage above also teaches us that the transformation of souls by grace into the image of God surpasses all the gifts and power endowed on John by God.
The dignity of the souls in sanctifying grace was best expressed in this text: “But you are a chosen race, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, a people to be a personal possession to sing the praises of God Who called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light” (1 Pet. 2: 9). The Dogma further clarify as follows: “As a participation in the Divine nature, sanctifying grace effects in the souls an image of the uncreated beauty of God (Rom. 8:29), which is a reflection of the glory of God, and the image of His substance” (Heb. 1 :3). The Catechism of Trent says; it is a certain brilliance or light which cleanses all stains from our souls and makes them more beautiful and more brilliant.
When God once revealed this beauty to St. Catherine of Siena, she covered with kisses, the footsteps of those who were engaged in bringing sinners back to the grace of God. Transported with joy, she said to her confessor: if you, my father, could behold the beauty of one soul adorned with grace, you would gladly suffer death a thousand times for the sake of one such soul”. St. Bridget was told by our Lord that if she would see this beauty, she would be blinded and overcome and would faint away as though lifeless. It was also revealed to St. Theresa by another beautiful image. Jesus showed her the soul as a crystal globe that was not merely illuminated from without by the Divine sun of grace, but bore this sun in its center. From this center the sun filled with divine splendor the different parts of the globe.
The Divine Lover Himself who purchased this glory for us at the price of His Blood, thus addresses our souls: ”How beautiful art thou, My Love, how beautiful art thou” (Cant 4:1) ”I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31 :3). Prophet Isaiah saw it in imagery and exults! ”My soul rejoices in my God, for He has clothed me in garments of salvation, He has wrapped me in a cloak of saving justice, like a bridegroom wearing his garland, like a bride
adorned in her jewels” (Isa. 61: 10).It was also revealed to Daniel and he said: “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky” (Dan, 12:3).
DIVINE GRACE IS SUPERIOR TO ALL THE MIRACLES OF GOD AND ALL THE WORKS OF CREATION St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that the whole world and all it contains is of less value before God than the grace of a single soul. He says: ”It is a greater work to bring a sinner back to grace, than to create heaven and earth. For the heavens and earth are transitory and temporal things; but to convert a sinner is to bring him to share in the immutable Divine Nature”. St. Augustine also teaches that the whole Heaven, together with all the Angels, cannot be compared to Divine grace. He says: ”Heaven and earth shall pass away, according to the assurance of our Saviour, but the salvation and justice of the elect will remain, the former contain only the works of God; the latter reflect the image of God”.
Fr. Scheeben wrote: ”The immeasurable distance between grace and the natural gifts should not only prevent us from losing grace by mortal sin, but should urge us on to a fervent practice of the virtues so that we may merit an increase of grace. In the first creation, God carried out His work by means of His word. But to restore man to grace, He has to take a human nature and engage in a laborious work that cost Him pains, sorrows, sweating, suffering and shedding of His Blood in the most shameful and painful way”. Not only does grace surpass all created things, it also surpasses all the miraculous works of God. Thus St. Augustine understands that remarkable promise of our Lord that the faithful would do greater things than He Himself has done on earth (Jn. 14:12); he says: ”we might explain this promise by such an occurrence as St. Peter’s healing of the sick by his mere shadow. We do not read a similar account of our Saviour. But it is more probable he continues, that we are to understand here the work of justification in which we are able to co-operate. For although we do not produce grace in ourselves, we can, with Divine assistance, prepare ourselves for grace and make ourselves worthy of it. We can encourage and induce others to do the same thing, and thus we perform greater works than Christ did through His miracles”. Fr. Scheeben wrote: ”The working of grace is more sublime and glorious than the working of miracles, God usually work miracles only in visible things … But by grace, He works in the soul and, in a manner, creates the soul anew, elevates it above its nature, plants in it the germ of supernatural life. He reproduces Himself in it”.
Miracles, we must know do not save souls, but rather Jesus uses it to draw souls to Himself; but those who respond and are determined to follow Him, and know Him, He guides them to justification and gives them all the graces necessary for perseverance. We can take examples from the miraculous cure of the ten lepers (Lk. 17: 11-19) and conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10). It is unfortunate that many people have grown cold in the devotions which Jesus and Mary have introduced on earth, because they do not see manifestation of signs. But these are rich devotions that pour down graces on the souls by the merit of the mysteries being honoured in them. St. Alphonsus de Liguori said: ”When the light of heaven ceases to shine in a soul, all is darkness, and it becomes the haunt of devils and every sin-” Thou has appointed darkness, and it is night; in it all the beast of the woods go about (Ps.I04:20). This darkness leads to shallow or literal understanding of the scripture; doubts and shallow belief on the reality of Divine Presence in the mysteries we celebrate, loss of faith to some aspects of the teachings of Christ, interpreted and handed down to us through the apostles and their successors; above all, being proud of what you should have been ashamed of, with all your minds set on earthly things (Phil. 3: 19). That is why the Lord taught us to pray like this: ”Give me not over to a shameless and foolish mind”. (Sirach 23:6) An empty soul is looking for God in signs and wonders, and even when they see those signs and wonders, it cannot guarantee their salvation, for as soon as they approach the Calvary moments of their lives, they easily fall away. While Divine grace enlightens those who seek for it to perceive how the providential care of God directs, protects and cares for everything; how the omnipotent power of God sustains the world – ”nothing can happen without your heavenly Father’s permission” (cf. Matt. 10:29); ”He makes His sun shine on the evil and on the good. And sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:45). Grace fills the soul with light and makes them to be more confident in God’s words, teachings and submit humbly to His perfect will, knowing fully well that the hairs of their head have been counted (Matt. 10:30). Pope St. Leo says: ”All the faithful know that God’s providence watches over all men and all things. But as soon as evil tongues begin to move against us, as soon as the opposition of the worldly minded knocks at our hearts, as soon as the lust of the world works on our passions, our understanding is darkened, our heart is taken captive and God is forgotten. Only a few are strong enough not to be shaken by that which so easily constitutes a danger for the ordinary Christian”. Those few are those assisted by Divine grace.
THE INCREASE OR LOSS OF SANCTIFYING GRACE The sanctifying grace we receive in baptism may grow or increase in us to a brighter level through our own disposition and co-operation. For we do not receive the fullness of grace at once (exceptJesus and Mary, Jn. 1: 14, Lk. 1 :28). St Augustine said that the glory of Heaven is a grace that wereceive in exchange for having rightly used the preceding grace. And the Bible says: ”from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (Jn. 1: 16). That is why Christ gave us seven Sacraments which confer different graces on our souls. Remember that Jesus has given the Holy Ghost to His apostles when He breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Ghost (Jn. 20:22), and instituted the Sacrament of Penance, it is also vital to note once again, that the spiritual action in the sacraments are performed quietly by the power of the Holy Ghost and it is not known to the senses as the Bible remarks (cf.Heb.12:18). Meanwhile, at the mountain of Ascension, He warned them to remain in prayer in the upper room until they are clothed with power, which was fulfilled on the Pentecost day (Acts 2). God wants us to grow continuously in grace and in His knowledge (II Peter 3: 18), so as to attain the level of sanctity expected of us. The Bible says: ”But we all beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord” (II Cor 3:18). The more we acquire Divine graces, our souls become sanctified and transformed to a higher degree of glory, merit and Divine favours, so that our human nature may be swallowed by Divine life (II Cor.5:4). That is why we must learn to honour the mysteries of our salvation, burn with zeal for the Sacraments, especially those that can be received often. One of the three major effects of the Holy Eucharist is that, as a food for the soul, it preserves and increases the supernatural life of the soul. Further more, we must learn to say the prayers that honour the mysteries of our salvation, with the indulgences and heavenly promises attached to them. In these mysteries are opened for us the well of salvation (Isa. 12:3) which constantly pour in our souls the water of life (sanctifying grace)- ”Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day” (II Cor. 4: 16).
On the other hand, these glories can be lost when we voluntarily and deliberately commit a grave sin with full knowledge of its sinfulness and consequences (mortal sin). Fr. M. J. Scheeben wrote: ”what an awful crime it would be to desecrate the temple of God! This we know from the greatness of the punishment that the apostle attaches to such an act (I Cor. 3: 17). Now through grave sin, this temple of God is not only harmed, it is destroyed and annihilated. For mortal sin destroys in us the grace from which it is built” … ”Nothing is more loathsome, repugnant and detestable than a human body from which Divine life has gone out, as it was while alive more beautiful and glorious than all lifeless things, so when it has lost its life, it becomes far more ugly”. St. Alphonsus de Liguori said: ”As the soul gives life to the body, so Divine grace gives life to the soul; for a soul without grace has the name of being alive but is in truth dead – you have the name of being alive, but you are dead” (Rev. 3:1).
Some Saints and privileged souls were gifted to perceive the odor of the souls in the state of sin. One of them was St. Catherine of Siena. In one occasion she was annoyed by the evil odor of one who was living at Rome in the state of sin. And when once a well dressed woman came to speak to her, the saint could not be brought to answer even a word because, as she later explained to her confessor, of the frightful odor coming from the woman’s soul. Such is the state of souls that have lost God’s glorious presence, graces and Divine life through mortal sin, unworthy reception of Holy Communion or abuse of the Sacraments. A soul in this state can only be restored back to life of grace through the Sacrament of Penance. The death of Jesus on the Cross has offered all mankind a universal reconciliation with God. Any sinner who sincerely repents with contrite heart and amendment of life, and seeks for pardon from God, will be forgiven, but he cannot be restored to the life of grace, except through the Sacrament of Penance – ”And whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” (Jn. 20; 22). That is why the pious souls who have not benefitted from the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, by no fault of theirs, must be purified in purgatory for a long time before they can enter into the celestial kingdom. Pride has been the cause of the downfall of the mighty ones from the beginning. Lucifer was the most exalted angel, and in his haughtiness, he felt uncomfortable to adore God as man (Divine Mysteries), it brought about his downfall (cf. Mystical City of God).
How unfortunate are the great multitude of souls who are taking the same trend today. Lucifer with all the gifts and blessings he was given thought that he has acquired all he needed from God. But he never knew that the knowledge of God and His
BE MERCIFUL TO ME, O GOD, A SINNER A Prayer that Never Fails -Lk.18:13
Ecce Homo! The day Pilate delivered the historical Judgement. You are called to learn from this that the demons are always plotting for an evil day / Occasion against our souls. How prepared are you to survive it?. Pride has been the cause of the downfall of the mighty ones from the beginning. Lucifer was the most exalted angel, and in his haughtiness, he felt uncomfortable to adore God as man (Divine Mysteries), it brought about his downfall (cf. Mystical City of God).
How unfortunate are the great multitude of souls who are taking the same trend today. Lucifer with all the gifts and blessings he was given thought that he has acquired all he needed from God. But he never knew that the knowledge of God and His mysteries are infinite. It then becomes a lesson for us, that all the gifts and blessings we may see in our lives are also the areas in which we must be tested, therefore we must be very conscious of them, otherwise; they bring about our down fall. It may be beauty, riches, positions of authority, personality, wisdom/knowledge, children, academic qualifications and all the spiritual gifts we can receive from God.
Humility, unlike what many people think today is a virtue that has to do with the faculty of the will. Many people understand humility as appearing poorly, quiet with polite speeches. Quietness, meekness and simplicity are all different virtues of their own. Humility in the first place, is the ability to understand your spiritual misery, the wretched state of mortals who are empty of Divine Grace and be able to acknowledge that everything is from God, for God and to God.
It is also the ability to surrender your will to the will and decisions of another person, when it is not sinful and will not lead to evil, even when you know better; but to allow peace reign, the ability to surrender your own will and wants when God’s
will and ways come to counter it through the events of life, the ability to say with St. Theresa, may I decrease while others increase, especially, when God wills it so, the ability to accept humiliation, injuries and offences and forgive for the sake of God and His commands; the ability to accept, for the sake of the love of God and His Kingdom, all instructions and sermons, especially when our faults and errors are revealed to us, or when we are called to ascend to a higher level of perfection.
Above all, the ability to acknowledge our nothingness, helplessness and littleness before God; that we cannot achieve anything good, do His will and keep His commands without His grace. And therefore, that we must call on Him for anything we want to do and implore constantly for the graces necessary to remain in His will. Any righteous act we can perform that will bear good fruits must be inspired by God, and it is He that stirs up the power of our will to overcome the weakness of the flesh in other to carry it out -“it is God who, for His own generous purpose, gives you the intentions and the powers to act� (Phil. 2: 13).
Ask, and it will be given to you: search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened (Matt. 7:7 – 9). But how are we supposed to ask, what are we expected to search for and what door should we aim at? We shall find out.
WE NEED DIVINE GRACE TO SURVIVE THE DAYS OF EVIL When our first parents were enjoying the garden of delight, they were ignorant of the fact that they have a cruel enemy against them. When Jesus was sweating blood at the garden of olives, seeing the misery of His children from the beginning to the end of time; the three apostles (Peter, James and John) who represented His beloved ones of all ages were weak and sleeping while their enemy, Judas and his band were busy working throughout the night to capture their master. The same thing always reflects in the lives of all the chosen ones- ”For the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of the light” (Lk. 16:8). We often take many things for granted, not knowing that greater are the invisible forces than the ones we see. We always tend to forget the Divine injunction – The forces of evil is crouching at the door, fight to overcome it (cf. Gen. 4:7). The Prince of Persia and the Prince of Greece (cf. Dan. 10:20) are always in ambush against our souls, therefore, we must be vigilant – ”keep sober and alert because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand up to him, strong in faith and in the knowledge that it is the same kind of suffering that the community of your brothers throughout the world is undergoing” (1 Pet. 5: 8-9). We need to build up graces so as to survive the days of trials – “Grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of His power. Put on the full armour of God so as to be able to resist the devils tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the principalities and the ruling forces who are masters of the darkness in this world, the spirits of evil in the heavens. That is why you must take up all God’s armour or you will not be able to put up any
resistance on the evil day, or stand your ground even though you exert yourselves to the full” (Eph.6:10:13). Jesus took the three apostles to Gethsemane and asked them to pray that they may not fall into temptation (cf. Matt. 26:41). He knew the trials that were waiting for them, but He wanted them to acquire the graces necessary to withstand it. The apostles were weak and slept at Gethsemame, they did not acquire enough graces, as a result of this, when the hour came they abandoned their master and ran away. Peter the head denied his Master three times. This remains a lesson for Christians in all generations, Christ has taught us to pray: “And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6: 13).
In the spiritual warfare the heavenly beings (i.e. Angels) do the battle for us, but our prayers are needed. This was revealed in the battle between Israelites and Amalekites. It happened that as long as Moses lifted up his hands in prayer, the victory went in favour of Israelites; but when he felt weak and dropped his hands, the Amalekites regained advantage over them (Exo. 17:8-16). The demons are working day and night plotting to destroy souls and families which are the very first units of the Church of Christ. But just as the Bible warned; there is always a day of evil, when their plots surface and it seems as if God has abandoned us to trials. The high priest Caiaphas, gave verdict that it is better that one person should die for the public (cf. Jn. 11 :4950). Such is what the day of evil looks like, the hour of darkness; when committing one sin which we may prefer less harmful than the other will seem to be the only solution to the situation surrounding us. But Caiaphas because of darkness never knew that the one he sentenced to die was his God and Creator, and that is always the case for everybody-”In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to One of the least brothers of mine, you did it to Me” (Matt. 25 :40). We need to build up graces to survive such days- ”grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of His power” (Eph. 6: 1 0). We can take examples from the case of Pilate and Herod. Pilate saw clearly and testified that Christ was innocent, and he exerted all his power and might to set Him free; but being a pagan and a murderer (cf. Lk. 13: 1), he was lacking graces necessary to escape the stain of the innocent Blood of his Creator. He washed his hands in water and pronounced the condemnation of his God, but water cannot acquit him of the guilt of innocent blood; just as many people today give excuses, that God knows that I am committing this sin because of my condition. Herod on his part was deeply distressed when the request for John the Baptist head was made to him, but he has to protect the integrity of the royal edict and his own office and personality, therefore, he joined his predecessors and successors to receive the curse of all innocent and holy blood ever shed in history (cf. Mk. 6: 14-28).
He has been living in the pleasure of comfortable and adulterous life, without knowing that the demons are plotting for a day of evil which he lacked the necessary graces to survive. You can now see the miserable fate of those Christians, especially families that are swimming in the life of comfort and pleasures; where prayers, penance and carrying of crosses have been forgotten as a necessary means of surviving this wicked world without injury to our souls- ”The life of a man upon earth is a warfare”. (Job 7: I) God used the life of the old Israelites to reveal to us the spiritual battle and many evil kingdoms we must encounter in our pilgrim journey. In their pilgrim journey, God fortified them with the graces they needed, yet their own mistakes led to a lot of casualties, as Paul recounts: ”The people sat down to eat and drink, and afterwards got up to amuse themselves, (i.e worshiping creatures). Some fell into sexual immorality and twenty three thousand met their downfall in one day. Some put the Lord to the test and they were killed by snakes. Some complained and were killed by the destroyer. The Bible stressed: Now all these things happened to them by way of example and they were described in writing to be a lesson for us, to whom it has fallen to live in the last days of the ages” (cf. I Cor. 10: 1-13)
When it was so terrible for them, they began to ask: Who will lead me against a fortified city, who will guide me into Edom, if not you, the God who has rejected us? (Ps. 108:10-11). So miserable indeed are those who are not conscious of the fact that we are in a warfare and our souls are the bone of contention. They must reflect over the question on Psalm 108 and understand the meaning of the words of the scripture: ”If you will not take your stand on Me, you will not stand firm” (Isa. 7:9) Cut off from Me, you can do nothing (Jn. 15:5).
Who will lead you to overcome the evil forces which we must encounter in this short passage on earth? So miserable indeed are those who feel that it is better to surrender to the world so as to enjoy the pleasures of the world, at last, they will realize that by losing God, they have lost everything. The prince of this world can only use you to promote his kingdom for sometime, only to abandon you when you must have reached the point of no return. You will be left in sorrowful regret; as it happened to Cardinal Wolsey a Catholic prelate, whom King Henry VIII used to propagate his own religion (Church of England), by fighting and dividing the unity of the Church. After using the prelate, he abandoned him; in his sorrowful days, the prelate said: ” if I had served God as diligently as I have served my king, He would not have abandoned me in my grey hair”.
The worldly pleasures and good fortunes that blind our hearts are not ours (cf. Lk . 16: 12). Just like in the case of the prodigal son and Judas Iscariot, they must fade away at the appointed time– ”Wisdom, knowledge and joy, God gives to those who pleases Him, but on the sinners,
He lays the task of gathering and storing up for someone else who is pleasing to Him” (Sirach 2:26). ”The people’s toil is fuel for the fire” (Hab. 2: 13).
WE NEED DIVINE GRACE TO ACQUIRE OUR DAILY BREAD If we loose Divine Graces, the serpent becomes a being by which we can attain to any height, achieve anything and fulfill our desires. This does not mean that the person can no-longer get anything from God; certainly, God allows His sun and rain to fall for the good and the wicked alike (cf. Matt. 5:45), but the person can no longer receive the loving care that supplies all that is necessary for him to survive the world without sin – ”You are the salt for the earth; But if the salt losses its taste, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled under people’s feet” (Mat. 5: 13). Actually Satan created nothing, even the fortunes he claims to be providing for his seeds are all permitted by God – ”The Lord made everything for its own purpose, yes, even the wicked for the day of disaster” (Pro. 16:4). As a consequence of the fall of man; God has decreed in Genesis (3: 18) that we must earn our daily bread at the price of struggle and battle. Because the serpent and his seeds will sit upon the blessings of nature and important positions and he will torment the children of God with it. This was manifested in the persecutions of Abel by Cain, Jacob by Esau and when Pharaoh was sitting upon the life of Israelites in Egypt. But just as they cried to God for help (cf. Exo. 3 :7); God is also expecting us to demonstrate our humility and littleness by crying to Him daily through prayers for our daily needs. There are two challenges facing every soul living in this world: first is to survive the world and the second is to survive the world righteously. St. Alphonsus De Liguori said that there are graces ordinarily given for the survival of everyone. But for those who want to survive righteously, they need a special grace for it. And this he said, God gives to those who ask, cherish and treasure it. Every morning, we must ask for the grace to conquer all temptations that may come our way; the grace to carry out our daily duties without sin; the grace to acquire our daily bread without sin and the grace to practice some virtues . There is a guarantee that God will provide these graces if we ask and treasure it –”even if a mother can forget a child in her breast, I cannot forget you Israel’ (Isa. 49: 15), ”But your Father knows that you have need of these things” (Lk. 12:30), ”I come that they may have life and have it to the full” (Jn. 10:10). But why all these wonderful promises? Because, you are another Ark of the Covenant, where the Almighty God dwells. That is why we must struggle hard to remain in the state of sanctifying grace, because, it is the flower that attracts God’s favour and loving care on us.
The Bible foretold of the time when no one can buy or sell without the image of the beast (Rev. 13: 17). This prophecy is gradually being fulfilled these days and will be fully fulfilled when this image will be physically in force. Jesus lamented about these times where He said: ”with the increase of iniquity, love in most people will grow cold; but anyone who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matt. 24: 12-13). Such is the time we are living in, when the Light of the world will be obscured by iniquity ,and darkness will reign in the hearts of men; consequently, honesty, uprightness, fairness and purity will be suppressed and chased into the desert, thereby the seeds of the serpent (Gen. 3: 15) will be emerging successful in different aspects of life: the world politics, the academics, attractive job opportunities or appointments, winning important cases in the court, attractive or rich husbands, business merchandise etc. These are the fields where the god of this world (cf. II Cor. 4:4) is more active. All these represent the great Babylon revealed to Saint John (cf. Rev. 18: 23). We must confidently hope that the one who allows all these things to happen has also power to protect and preserve those who have stored up graces in their souls (cf. II Esdras 13:16-23).
Therefore, the wise will acknowledge their littleness before God and humbly follow His counsels- ”Do not let your heart be envious of sinners but remain steady everyday in the fear of the Lord; for there is a future, and your hope will not come to nothing” (Pro. 23: 17 -18); ”Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his ruin shall be” (Sir. 9: 16). ”The saints must have perseverance and faith” (Rev. 13: 1 0); “We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. People who long to be rich are a prey to trial; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and harmful ambitions which plunge people into ruin and destruction” (1 Tim. 6: 7 – 9) We need to acknowledge the majesty of God every morning before we leave our homes by adoring Him and consecrating ourselves and daily activities to Him through prayers. We should ask for His graces that through the ministry of His Holy Angles, the blessings He meant for us each day may reach us, and that we may be able to acquire them without staining our souls“since it is God who provides for His beloved as they sleep” (Ps. 127:2). We should ask for the grace to resolve our differences with people in peace. If we neglect to ask for these graces and trust in solving it with our might, it becomes pride, consequently, we must bear the guilt of any sin that results from it. We should ask for the grace to be able to endure and accept the trials that God may permit for each day. We should ask for grace to discern His will as He inspires us in the course of our daily work. Indeed, we must accept the kingdom of heaven like little children so as to enter it (cf. Lk. 18: 17). WE NEED DIVINE LIGHT SO AS TO GROW AND PERSEVERE IN HOLINESS
The blind man in the Gospel, Bartimaeus, cried out earnestly: Jesus the Son of David have pity on me. What can I do for you, asked Jesus? The poor blind man answered: that I may see (Mk. 10:46:52). This kind of prayer is the daily expectation of God from every humble soul on earth; because, all of us in this pilgrim desert are blind (cf. Rev. 3 : 17). Jesus explained this clearly in the example of the two people that went to pray in the temple, one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee prayed thus: ”O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican. I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all what I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven: but struck his breast, saying: 0 God, be merciful to me, a sinner”(Lk. 18:9-14) .
The Pharisee represents all those who are closer to God by the positions and favours which God has granted them; but they hope to justify themselves with their past efforts, the spiritual gifts they have tested, the miracles that God has performed through them, the souls they have gathered for God, the amount of sacrifices they have made and the effort they are making to avoid some major known sins. But in all these, they fail to acknowledge their weak miserable nature: that they were born guilty. Sinners from the moment of conception, and needed to grow daily in Divine wisdom and light (Ps. 51 :5-6). The Bible says: “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). St. Thomas Aquinas said that spiritual growth has no level ground, you are either ascending or descending.
Among this group are those who always justify themselves by making effort to avoid some major known sins, but when they are instructed on the areas they still have to amend in their lives, and the need to fight their worldly attachments, instead of asking for the grace to do it, they proudly reject the teaching, just like the rich young man in the Bible (c.f. Mk . 10:17-22). The knowledge of God and His mysteries are infinite, even the Saints in heaven are still advancing daily in the knowledge of God. The level of sanctity you can attain depends on the amount of Divine light and graces intimated to you. That is why the martyrs, virgins and Saints left for us examples of different levels of holiness and heroic virtues. They all depended on the amount of Divine light and graces granted to them. God expects us to be growing daily in grace and in His knowledge so as to attain the level of sanctity He wills for each of us (cf. Hos. 6:4-6). When God threatened Moses and his people that He will not dwell among them in their journey to the promised land, because of their stubbornness (c.f Exo. 33: 1- 6), Moses wept bitterly and prayed for them saying: if indeed I enjoy your favour, please show me Your ways, so that I understand You and continue to enjoy Your favour; consider too that this nation is Your people. To this, God promised: I Myself shall go with you and 1 shall give you rest. Moses insisted: if You do not come Yourself, do not make us move on from here, for how can it be known that I and
my people enjoy Your favour if not by Your coming with us? By this we shall be marked out, I and Your people, from all the people’s on the face of the earth (Exo. 33:12-17). The mark of excellence that Moses was asking for is the Divine Light which the presence of God confers on His people, and this will lead them to the sound knowledge of God and His ways which is hidden from all other nations of the world. God granted their request and descended to dwell among them in the form of pillar of light and pillar of cloud. The Bible said that the Israelites only resume their march when the light from the tent arose to shed light for them, (cf. Exo ,40: 34-38). This reveals to us that we can only make any positive spiritual growth in our own pilgrim journey when the Divine light is granted to us; and no matter the position or level you may find yourself, the more these graces are granted to you, the more the love of God and His Kingdom increase in you.
But this Divine Light and graces, God gives to those who always say like the publican and the blind man (Bartimaeus): ”have mercy on me 0’ God, a sinner, that I may see”. That means, those who see the need to advance daily in their relationship with God- “I will pour water on the thirsty”(Isa.44:3). Secondly, God sees your willingness to co-operate with the graces He gives you, your willingness to amend any bad habit He points out with His Divine Light. And He gives His graces in measure to your willingness to co- operate with them- ”God opposes the proud and accords His fovour to the humble” (Jm. 4:6, I Pet. 3:12); ”He hath showed might in His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their hearts. He hath pull down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away” (Lk. 1:51-53);” those who sow spaciously will reap spaciously as well” (II Cor .9:6); ”He who has (i.e. Love) will be given more and he has more than enough; but he who has not even what he has will be taken away from him” (Matt 25:29).
All the blessings of life: time, talents, wealth, health, and strength were given to us that we may use them to acquire merits in heaven. But to His beloved ones, God grant His Divine light to see the true value of these things, that they may use them to do the work of God while the sun shines, before it will be dark (cf. Lk. 12:33,16:9).That means, to use them achieve daily growth in grace, merits, virtues and in God’s knowledge -, ”faithful love is what pleases me, not sacrifice; knowledge of God, not burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6).
Jesus Christ is the light of the world (Jn. 8: 12); The true light that enlightens everyone (Jn. 1:9); The light that reveals the Divine will to the gentiles and brings glory to God’s chosen people (Lk. 2:32); The Sun from on high that enlightens those that sit in darkness and guides our ways into His path of life (Lk. 1 :79). The more frequent you approach Jesus in the Sacraments reverently, especially penance and the Eucharist, the more His light brightens your soul. It is a source of
growth and also a source of your downfall, (cf. Lk. 2:34) depending on your disposition (cf. Lk. 2:34).
This light helps you to perceive the true value of the things of this world; the greater merit of making some little sacrifices with the things of this world, accepting some small discomfort and crosses to the flesh, which will soon disappear and rot away, so as to store up treasures in heaven. (cf. Matt 16: 20, i.e. the degree of glory we shall enjoy for all eternity). This light also fills the soul with holy inspirations which engenders joy, knowledge of God and happiness of beatific vision that straightens the soul to overcome trials (c.f. Jn. 4: 13-14). Just as Elijah at the peak of his persecution and trails took refuge at the mountain of the Lord, and an Angel brought him food from heaven and said: Get up and eat otherwise the journey will be too much for you (cf.1 King 19:68). This incident has a direct connection with the words of Jesus in John 6 vs. 54: �1 Am the Living Bread that come down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever�.
This light also helps you to perceive your sinful nature, and see the sins that surround your life. It gives you a deeper contrition of heart when you perceive the damage and obstacle your sins especially the hidden sins like scandals, have caused to the kingdom of God, by attacking the holiness of its members. It plunges the soul into deeper repentance by realizing the injury this must have caused to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is the genuine path to true repentance, without such grace as these; the soul can stay for two to three months without realizing the need for confession.
WE NEED CONTINUOUS PENANCE / REPARATION IN OTHER TO BRIGHTEN OUR FUTURE We all know that there are consequences for any sin we commit: the guilt of sin and the temporal punishments for sin. The guilt of sin deprives us of sanctifying grace, consequently the hope of eternal1ife; while the temporal punishments are the chastisements with which Divine justice purifies souls. The guilt of sin can only be washed away through the Sacrament of penance/confession, while the temporal punishments are gradually removed through indulgences, contrition, true repentance and amendment of life, prayers and weekly penance / mortification.
These temporal punishments can still sentence us to many years in purgatory if we cannot pay fully for them here on earth (cf. Lk. 12:58-59). It can also affect your life here on earth, by making your ways more hardened. The soil was cursed as a punishment for the sin of Adam (Gen. 3: 1 7) and so, it continued for all his children. Indeed, the amount of sin committed determines the weight of the cross of chastisement – “Do not be drawn to sin twice over for you will not go unpunished even once” (sirach 7:8)”.
The truth is that every sin must be atoned for; oftentimes the punishment due to sin delays the answer to some of our prayers- ”You correct human beings by punishing sin, like a moth You eat away all their desires” (Ps.39:11). Our God is just, and of infinite perfection, nothing impure can enter His kingdom (cf. Matt.5:48). He revealed Himself as a God full of pity and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in truth and loving kindness, forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty without punishment, even punishing parents and their children and their children’s children for the sins of their father (Exo. 34: 6-7). When David confessed his sin before Nathan the prophet, the Lord forgave him, but the temporal punishments remained”Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because, by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die”(11 Sam. 12:13) . Indeed, there are sins that attract God’s curse on the family line, in the society, in a town or country and in the Church- ”our fathers sinned; they are no more, and we bear the weight of their guilt. Slaves rule us; there is no one to rescue us from their c1utchtes. At peril of our lives (i.e. Souls) we earn our bread, by risking the sword of the desert (i.e. plots of Demons, Lam. 5: 7-9)”. Few examples of such sins are: violating a covenant (Isa. 24:4-6), blood shedding (Gen. 4:1.1-:12)” worshiping of false gods (Exo. 20:5), injustice to the weak and the sins of Sodom.
The Bible says: ”why do you keep repeating this proverb in the Land of Israel: the parents have eaten unripe grapes; and the children’s teeth are set on edge; as I live, says the Lord, you will have no further cause to repeat this proverb in Israel. Look, all life belongs to Me; the father’s life and the son’s life, both alike belong to Me ….. If the son has been law-abiding and upright, has kept all My laws and followed them, most certainly he will live. The one who has sinned is the one who must die; a son is not to bear his father’s guilt, nor a father his sons’ guilt. The upright will be credited with his uprightness and the wicked with his wickedness” (Ezk. 18: 1 -20).
If you read this passage very well, you will understand that by your sins you have inherited the curse in your family line because of the sins of your ancestors. But if you have been law-abiding
and faithfully kept the Divine commands, you must be free from the sins of your fathers. But who can vow that he has never followed the sins of his fathers and those of the society; that is why our Blessed Mother is shedding tears because her children are ignoring her untiring calls for repentance and reparation for the sins of this wicked generation.
Many Catholics today have adopted some means of breaking the family curses and covenants; but the true solution to it is a sincere repentance, good confession for your sins, family Novena prayers in reparation for the sins committed in the family and crown it up with a Holy Mass, Blessed Sacrament exposition/adoration, procession, while the priest prays for their release. A life of continuous penance is needed to appease Divine justice and obtain God’s favour for you. A life of contrition and continuous repentance also appeases the anger of God for the sins of your early days, when your conscience has not been brightened enough to be sensitive to sins. You may have committed some deadly sins like scandals or murder (by sponsoring, aiding, advising, not preventing or benefiting from abortion) which may have kept souls in hell, purgatory or limbo and they keep crying to God for vengeance on your head. These sins of our past life must be noted for confession whenever we remember any of them.
Indeed, there are sins that carry terrible consequences, but the truth is that we know not the cause of all that we suffer. But sometimes God allows some visible signs to reveal to us that some of our crimes carry heavy curses. A young lady once ran into one prayer house complaining that she was afraid if her sins can still be forgiven. She gave birth to a baby girl while her parents are living far from her. She was feeling ashamed of her motherhood and was lacking enough resources to care for the child. One day she took the baby inside a forest and strangled her to death. It happened that in the course of her life, she often hears the tiny voice of the baby crying in her ears, and that makes her life restless like Cain (Gen.4: 12). There is also a case of a priest conducting a family prayer for a couple in need of child and suddenly God revealed that three children were also crying to Him never to give another child to the couple, since He is a just God. The priest interviewed them and found out that three abortions have been committed by the woman, one of them with the consent of the husband. The priest then taught them how to appease the anger of God and the weeping souls through continuous penance, novenas and spiritual baptism for those children, before asking for another child; although it was later granted to them. There was a story of a woman, who had many abortions in her youthful days. Later in her life, one day as she was cooking in her kitchen, she began to hear the tiny voices of those babies asking her one after the other: �Mama, why did you kill us? Jesus told a mystic that the souls of the aborted babies are crying to God for vengeance. This can also be seen in the books of Revelation (16:6), Genesis (4: 10) and II Esdras (15:7-9). There are also many revelations testifying that souls are being accused at the point of death and judgment by souls from hell
and purgatory due to their influence and scandals which led to the ruin of those souls (cf. Dogma of purgatory). Think of your own scandals/immodest dressing, the number of souls you may have ruined, and see the need for continuous penance and reparation. How can our just God be pleased in granting you the graces and helps needed to attain perfection, while many souls are weeping in hell and purgatory because of your scandalous life -”Judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy” (James 2:13). What then is the fate of the families that are founded with this motive; the ladies that seduce men with their indecent dressing so as to marry them- ”cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like tamaric in the desert, and he shall not see when good shall come” (Jer. 17;5-6). The book of Tobit says that the demons have power to prevail over such families (Tobit 6: 17). That is why our Lady warned at Fatima that many marriages are not pleasing to God and they are not of God. Brethren, there is a great need for continuous repentance with penance and reparation, join the consolers of Jesus and Mary to make reparation for your own sins, the sins of your family line and those committed in the Church: First Saturday in honour of the Immaculate Heart, First Friday in honour of the Sacred Heart, Third Friday in honour of the Precious Blood, and every Friday weekly penance. It is also necessary to remark that some of the demons that trouble our lives can only be overcome with fasting (Mk.9:29). Jesus therefore warns us: ”Except you do penance, you shall all likewise perish” (Lk.I3 :5)
Furthermore, we should accept and offer all our daily sweat and sorrows in reparation for our sins through our morning devotions, and learn to stop complaining and murmuring over our crosses. The first reason for our daily work is to do penance. God can allow us to have everything without working for it. Like the Israelites in their pilgrim journey, but He ordered work for penance. Our flesh and brain enjoy every bit of the pleasure of our sins. Therefore, they must be humiliated in Penance to satisfy the Divine justice. That is why Jesus paid the debt of our sins at the cost of disfiguring His Body on the cross with sever pains, sorrows and tortures.
HOW SHOULD WE ASK? Jesus said in the gospel: ”Do not imitate the hypocrites; they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them, in truth I tell you, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room (i.e. interior self) shut yourself in (i.e. avoid distractions) and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place (i.e. God in your Heart), and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. In your prayers do not babble as the gentiles do for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them: your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (matt.6:5-9).
Here Jesus taught us the type of prayer that pleases God, and that is a humble adoration. The Bible reveals how the heavenly beings adore God every hour in absolute prostration, and this is the kind of life we are being trained here to go and enjoy with them; we must therefore pattern our lives and ways of worship so as to fit in. You can now understand why Jesus and Mary have been revealing many devotions to their children in the true Church on earth, with many promises of graces and blessings. It is a great act of pride and apostasy to neglect all these loving calls and imitate the protestant ways of worship. The Blessed Virgin Mary has said that we must learn to pray like little children; indeed the kingdom of heaven must be accepted like a child in order to enter it. If we neglect the heavenly gifts, guidance and directions, and device for ourselves the way we want to follow, we may not find it easy. Remember, many will try to enter, but they will not be able, because they did not follow the narrow way (cf. Lk. 13:24). Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, once you miss the truth of His teachings, you can do many wonderful things without merit.
A good prayer must have the character of adoration, reparation, consolation, praise, thanksgiving, petition and acceptance of God’s will. It must not be a means of entertaining the very flesh and brain that lead us to sin, but a means of bringing them to penance. God is well pleased, when His creatures acknowledge and adore the wonderful mysteries of His love towards them. It was the refusal to adore God as man that triggered off the fall of Lucifer. The Holy Mass which Christ Himself instituted as the most perfect worship is the unbloody way of continuously offering to God; the suffering, death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ as He did Himself on the last supper and commanded us to continue till the end of time (c.f. Lk. 22: 19 – 20, 1 Cor. 11 :23-26). It is the most effective way to appease His anger for our sins and implore His graces.
All the traditional prayers and devotions we have in the Church which were mostly revealed from heaven are all devoted to honour and adore some aspects of Christ’s life: the Incarnation, life, sufferings, death, resurrection and the descent of the Holy Ghost, and we all know that the redemption of man began from the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which empowered her to be able to live a sinless life and be worthy to conceive God and gave Him to the world.
All these devotions have special promises and major graces that God wants to give through them. They obtain these graces by the merit of those mysteries we have honoured and adored. The Church with her authority (cf. Matt. 16: 18 19) gives indulgences to these prayers, which is
the removal of the temporal punishments we acquire daily by our faults. But if you neglect all these prayers/devotions and follow the protestants method of praying and worship, it can only lead you to spiritual emptiness, because they have no basis of granting these graces to your soul, except that the needed miracles may sometimes be granted-”God allows His sun and rain to fall for the upright and the wicked alike” (Matt. A5:45).
St. Alphonsus de Liguori said that God’s mercy is different from the acts of God’s mercy. He said, the former is finite but the later is infinite. The depth of God’s mercy was shown to the world by the gift of His Son who died on the cross and opened for us the grace of the sacraments, as a fountain of graces necessary for the salvation of our souls.
Through the devotion to the Sacred Heart we are adoring the sacred humanity of Christ: that means, we acknowledge and honour the mysterious love God has shown in taking our nature and lived like one of us. Through this devotion we console the Sacred Heart of Jesus which is in agony for the sins of the world by following Him to Gethsemane garden. We also through it offer reparation for all the sins committed against His presence in the Blessed Sacrament, especially on first Fridays. Through this devotion, souls are being adorned with the merit of the Sacred Humanity of Christ.
In the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we acknowledge and honour the wonderful and mysterious work of God in creating His humble handmaid, freed from all the weakness in human nature, through whom He defeated the proud boast of the ancient serpent and corrected the ingratitude of the first woman; Her wonderful cooperation with God in the redemption of man gave her a special role of intercession to play in the salvation of every soul (c.f. Pro. 31:28-31). Our devotion to Her Immaculate Heart makes our souls well disposed to receive these graces from her maternal cares.
In the Divine Mercy devotion, we honour and adore the three hours agony of Jesus on the cross. At the hour of three, He died on the Cross and His Heart was pierced, and the ocean of God’s mercy was opened to save the world. This devotion promises abundance of God’s mercy to those who meditate on the agony and sufferings of Jesus at this hour with divine mercy prayers.
In the Precious Blood devotion, we acknowledge and honour the power, merit and value of the Precious Blood of Christ, the price of our redemption. Through this devotion, Jesus called us to
follow Him into Gethsemane hours of prayer and console him for the sins of the world and also offer reparation for the ingratitude of humanity towards His Most Precious Blood, the everlasting covenant. This devotion has the promise of granting the graces necessary for the survival of the just ones from the difficulties of the end times.
The devotion to the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary is the honouring together of these two Hearts that united and co-operated in joy, sufferings, sorrows, pains and triumphant victory for the redemption of man. Jesus has expressed the need for these two Hearts to be honoured together for the final victory over the ancient serpent. The honouring of the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary offers refuge and protection for pilgrim souls on earth.
Many other devotions like the Angelus, Infant Jesus, the holy Rosary, station of the cross, sorrows of Mary, etc are all devoted to honour and adore some aspects of Christ life, and they confer the merit of those mysteries that are honoured on the souls that honour them. We are expected to adore God every day with these devotions and present our daily needs through them. A good morning devotion must contain the apostles creed; whereby you reaffirm your faith and belief in God; your total submission to all the articles of faith handed down to us from the apostles.
PUT ON THE FULL AMOUR OF GOD The Bible says: we shall put on the full amour of God so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics (cf. Eph.6:l6-17). Among the amours mentioned in the Bible include: truth, uprightness, eagerness to spread the gospel of peace, faith, salvation and the word of God. All these are inter-related, but to put it in summary, I may say: hold on firmly to the truths of the Catholic faith, which alone will guarantee your salvation, wear uprightness as a garment, and eagerness to spread the gospel of peace, which is faith with good works (cf. Jm. 2:14-17). Grow continuously in the knowledge of God by disposing yourself to acquire His knowledge. The true faith deposit in the Catholic Church as we can briefly discourse here are; the Sacraments, prayers and the sacramentals. If you make good use of the Sacraments and the sacramentals, it will indeed quench the burning arrows of the evil one, in the first place, purity of the heart spits fire to the demons. Meanwhile, we must sprinkle Holy water frequently in our homes, wear the medals, scapulars and crucifixes, and put them on our windows and doors. These materials carry the ecclesiastical power to put demons to flight (cf. Tobit 8: 2-3). God so prefers to use these little thing’s to humiliate the proud serpent. Endeavor to say the Church approved exorcism prayers every night to counter the plots and the operations of the wicked spirits.
Most of us acknowledge the reality of demons and their wicked plots only when we have misfortunes and calamities in life. But the truth is that they are working actively to manipulate our thoughts and perceptions, thereby darken our hearts with a mixture of truth and falsehood. This is their major target, because there is nothing we can give in exchange for our souls (cf. Matt. 16:26), which is so precious to God. That is why we must put on the full armour of God, by growing daily in Sanctifying Grace and making use of all the protective armour that Heaven has given to us through the Church. Love is something that is most widely preached and at the sametime misunderstood or misinterpreted. God is love, and He wants us to be like Him so as to be able to live with Him (1 Jn. 4: 16 – 17). Love is charity when G od is at its centre. Charity is a supernatural act which enables us to love God above all things. While love is a natural act that stimulates our will and desire to accept what is good. Jesus said: ”You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as your self. On these two commandments, hang the whole law and the prophets too” (Matt. 22:37-40). The important lesson here is this: love of God is the key that opens the door for all the graces needed to fulfill God’s will and attain perfection.
We must always bear this in mind: the amount of GENUINE LOVERS OF GOD MUST KNOW THIS (The meaning of true love) love that one has for someone or something, is measured by the amount of sacrifice he offers for what he loves. And a pure sacrifice as we know is always painful to the flesh . Jesus gave us the guide line to understand this fact clearly: ’’for God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but may have life everlasting” (Jn. 3:16).
God gave His Son who is co-equal with Him in glory and majesty to come and share in our nature: eat, drink and labour / toil under the sun as we do so as to confer merit to all aspects of our life. When Jesus was about to accomplish this work fully, at the Gethsemane garden, He saw all He was about to suffer for poor mortals: insults, rejection, condemnation, hatred, denial,
abandonment, scourging, crowning with thorns, carrying the cross and crucifixion. At the same time, He saw all the ingratitude and neglect with which we are to pay Him for the love He has shown to us; He sweated blood. Nevertheless, because of the love He has for His Father and His beloved ones, He accepted to suffer for poor ungrateful mortals so as to recover His Father’s heritage: ”that the world will know that I love the Father” (Jn.14:31) IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS We cannot say that we love God, if we are not very fearful to the things that offend Him (cf. 1 J n. 5:3). Jesus stated it clearly: ”whoever holds to My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me, and whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father. Anyone who does not love Me, does not keep My words. And the words that you hear is not My own: it is the word of the Father who sent Me” (Jn. 14:21-24). We know that it cost some sacrifices to keep God’s commandments, those things we sacrifice in other to obey Him are the signs of our love for Him; they are the measure of the depth of the love we have for Him. Even if a superior or the public authority issues a command contrary to God’s commandments; we are called to say with St. Peter: ”We must obey God rather than man” (cf. Acts 4:19).
The Bible says: ’’yes, naturally stupid are all who are unaware of God, and who with the good things seen, have not been able to discover Him, Who is, or by studying the works, has not recognized the Artificer. If, charmed by their beauty, they have taken these as gods, let them know how much the master of these excels them, since He was the very source of beauty that created them”(Wis.13:1-5 ). Indeed, miserable fools are those who embrace the good things of this world; and forget to ponder how infinitely good is the one who created them, and the more perfect reward He promised to those who loved Him in this world (cf. I Jn.3 :2, Jn.14:2-2)
A star is about ten times bigger than the earth, and there are so many of them in the universe, giving glory to God. Why should we not wonder with the Psalmist (Ps. 8), how vast is Your immensity O! God; how infinite is Your riches? All the good things and pleasures that we see in this world: riches, positions of authority, honours, foods and drinks, pleasures, etc were created by God, just by an act of His will; He allowed His servant, Solomon to taste all these pleasures to the best of his ability, and he finally gave us a lesson that they were all vanities and futility, chasing after the wind (cf. Eccl. 2).
Meanwhile, God allows us to be tested with these things so that we may wisely chose Him, who is the source of infinite goodness and joy; the real happiness that lasts forever. That is why the
keeping of God’s commandments demands contempt of the world, mortification of the flesh, love of poverty, love of the cross etc. With these weapons, we can fight with contempt all that the world will offer in opposition to God’s commandments, and the trials that will challenge our love for God. The Bible says: ”This is what the love of God is; keeping His commandments. (IJn. 5:3) .
GOD SO LOVE THE WORLD THAT HE SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE LIFE EVERLASTING JN.3:16
St. Paul said: ”if I speak (i.e. languages) without love, l am no more than a gong booming or a cymbal clanging. And though I have the power of prophecy, to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge and though I have all the faith necessary to move mountains. If I am without love, I am nothing. Though I should give away to the poor all that I possess and even give up my body to be burned. If I am without love, it will do me no good whatsoever” (1 cor. 13:1-3).
We may then begin to imagine here, what aspect of love is he talking about. The Bible says: ”You must see what great love the Father has lavished on us by letting us be called God’s children” (1Jn. 3:1); ”This is the revelation of God’s love for us, that God sent His only Son into the world that we might have life through Him. Love consists in this: it is not we who loved God, but God loved us and sent His Son to expiate our sins” (1 Jn. 4:9-10). The depth of God’s love was shown to the world by sending His Son to die on the Cross and opened for us the grace of the Sacraments, as a fountain of graces necessary to lead us to eternal life- ”on that day, a fountain will be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse themselves of sin and defilement” (Zech. 13:1-6).
It is the cleansing power, graces and merits of the expiatory sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, which we receive in the Sacraments that make us worthy to be called children of God – ”but as many as received Him, He gave them power to be made the sons of God … who are born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (i.e. rebirth through the Sacraments, Jn. 1 :12- 13).
The main purpose of sending His Son into this world is to restore for mortals, the life of grace; a sharing in the Divine life of God, which was lost in Adam, (without which we remain disgusting in the sight of God, cf. 1sa. 64:5). And this life of grace we receive through the Sacraments which Christ established with His death on the Cross. Christ continues to communicate this life of grace through the Sacraments, so that the merits and effects of His death will reach His children in all generations. Therefore, whenever we fail to cherish these sacraments with love, gratitude, reverence and good deposition, it amount to abuse of God’s love- ”No one who believes in Him will be judged; but whoever does not believe is judged already, … and the judgment is this: though the Light has come into the world, people have preferred darkness to the Light” (Jn.3:18-19). NO GREATER LOVE THAN THIS THAT ONE SHOULD LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS JN. 15:i3 As already explained, love demands sacrifice. The depth of love one has for another can only be measured by the amount of sacrifice he offers for him. God sent His Son who is co-equal with Him in glory and dignity to come and partake in our human nature, so as to raise the poor miserable mortals to share in His glory (Roms. 8: 17). This is love that surpasses all human comprehension. In addition to this, being in human nature, God the Son reduced Himself to the position of a slave (Plil. 2;6-9), and accepted all sorts of suffering, pains, insults, humiliation and shameful death on the Cross so as to atone for all the sins of man and reconcile him back to God.
Now, He is calling us to reciprocate the love He has shown to us by laying down our lives as a living sacrifice (Rom.’12:1) for Him- that is loving Him more than the transitory pleasures of the world -”do not love the world or what is in the world. If anyone does love the world, the love of the Father finds no place in him, because everything there is in the world, disordered bodily desires, disordered desires of the eyes, pride in possession is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world, with all its disordered desires is passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever” (1Jn. 2:15-17). This love of the world include: dressing in the way that pleases the world, thereby creating scandals(cf Matt. 18:6-7), and attacking the holiness of the children of God (cf. Matt.5:28); evil gathering, seeking vainglories and empty praises of the world, training your family with the standard set by the Modern world- that is, caring for the needs of the flesh only; deliberate act in conjugal love to prevent pregnancy (Gen. 38:9), enjoying worldly films, lack of justice, untruthfulness and lack of fear of God in the pursuit of the things of life. Indeed the world and all that it offers are mere shadows, vanities that may distract us and separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:35).
The passage quoted above (Rom. 8:17) says that we must share in His suffering before we can share in His glory. And that is why God permits crosses, tribulations and sufferings to befall His lovers, through which He measures the love they have for Him (cf. James 1:2); sometimes, it demands giving up our life for Him. We are also expected to give up time for some worldly enjoyments, so as to create time for daily prayers, attending Masses, visit of the Blessed Sacrament, time to work in the Lord’s vineyard and time to acquire the knowledge of God.
St. Paul says: ”my life is already being poured away as a libation” (2Tim. 4:6). Indeed, love of God must be expressed by often denying the flesh, those comfort and pleasures it loves and sacrifice them so as to acquire Divine graces. That is why giant lovers of God like St. Bridget of Sweden prays for nine hours in a day before the Blessed Sacrament. Blessed Cyprian Tansi do often pray the Rosary throughout the night, and lived in a monastery where each member has a specific number of words to speak in a day. St. Magdalen de Pazzi who often receives visions and visits from the suffering souls in purgatory offers great sacrifices for their release; sometimes, she exposes herself to excessive cold or hot weather.
This same love of God inspired the holy martyrs and virgins like St. Potamiena, St. Agatha, St. Lucy, St. Agnes, St. Cecilia, St. Maria Goretti, St. Philomena etc to reject all the earthly promises made to them and accepted to endure painful tortures till death; instead of offering sacrifice to false gods or defiling their bodies -”If any man wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow Me. For he that will save his life(i.e comfort of the flesh), shall lose it; and he that shall lose his life for My sake, shall find it. For what does it profit a man; if he gains the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?” (Matt. 16:24-26).
LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU JN. 15:12 St. Paul points out three most important spiritual gifts, which we must all possess, and they include: faith, hope and love; but the greatest of them is love / Charity (cf. 1 Cor. 13: 13). The reason for this is that all the other spiritual gifts will come to an end, but love lasts forever (cf. 1Cor. 13:8-12). Indeed, love is the virtue that rules in heaven; it is there that love is practiced in its perfect state. That is why there is also purgatory, where souls are detained and purified of any atom of selfishness or lack of love in them; any act that opposes loving God and showing God’s love to one another, even murmuring, scorning or wishing evil to one another must be purified before a soul can enter heaven where perfection reigns( cf. PS. I5,Rev. 14:4-5)
Jesus said: ”My command to you is to love one another” (Jn. 15:17); ”children, our love must not be just words or mere talk but something active and genuine” (1Jn. 3:18); ”let us love one another, since love is from God and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love” (1Jn.4:8,IJn.3:14-15).
At this level of love, we are called, first, to carry out spiritual works of mercy to one another. Support and encourage the spiritual growth of one another, never be envious of your brothers spiritual gifts, and help even by prayers and desires to see that the light of the gospel gets to those who are in darkness and in the shadow of death. Pity the poor miserable sinners who have obstinately refused to benefit from the merit of the Incarnation, life and death of Jesus Christ; think of the everlasting sentence that stands waiting for them for rejecting God’s love: eternal pains, suffering, anguish, sorrows and regret. If you truly love, pray and make sacrifices for the graces needed for their conversion.
Remember your obligation to souls in purgatory. This is very vital because everyone must answer for it; how much love we have shown to souls imprisoned above, who can easily be helped by those on earth- ”blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7); judgment without mercy, to him that had not shown mercy” (Jn. 2:13); ”I was in prison and you never visited Me” (Matt. 25:43).
The second aspect of love at this level is the corporal works of mercy. First of all, we must be charitable with our tongue and the way we use our mouth (cf. Jm. 1 :26). If you are truly a temple of the Holy Ghost (I cor.3: 16), your tongue must be a channel that conveys gracious words to your neigbours and not for cursing nor to injure his soul (cf. Matt.5:22). Try always to defend the image of your neighbour in his absence, be kind in speeches and absolve injuries and misunderstanding from others and forgive them for God’s sake. Be tolerant to those who do not hold your views; love enemies and pray for them, wishing them well. In your thoughts, always fight to push away evil thoughts of hatred, malice, revenge, envy, greed, lust and wishing evil to one another.
Finally, show your love by coming to the aid of material needs of your brothers and sisters especially those in difficult situations -”pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father, is this: coming to the help of Orphans and Widows in their hardships, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world” (I Jn. 2:27); if one of the brothers or one of the sisters is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on and one of you say to them; I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty; without giving them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? In the same way, faith, if good deeds do not go with it is quite dead” (Jm.2:15-17, IJn.3:17). GOD’S HOLY COMMANDMENTS With my whole heart have I sought after Thee; let me not stray from Thy Commandments (Ps. 119:10).
Meditate deeply on these quotations and ask yourself some questions: ”many are called but few are chosen ”(Matt. 22:14); ”Sir, will there be only a few saved? Jesus said to them, try your hardest to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter but will not succeed” (Lk. 13:23); ”The road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt. 7: 14); ”Though the children of Israel (i.e the Church) are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved” (Rom. 9:27); ”The world to come will bring joy to a few, torments to many” (II Esdras 7:47)
You may ask again; what will be the major cause of these unfortunate loss? The answer is spiritual darkness. Our Lord Jesus once told a privileged soul: ”Children, you will know that you are living in the hour of darkness, when the power of darkness rules. Those who are in the light can see the incarnates of the devil at work in the world. But those who live in the flesh swim in the ocean of iniquity with the evil ones”.
The effect of this spiritual darkness is that people see mortal sins as modern or social ways of life- ”being proud of what should have been their shame; and all their minds set on earthly things” (Phil. 3: 19). The things that have kept many souls in hell are being taken for granted, as if God will reduce His standard of judgment because the world is changing. Will He bring out those in hell fire and ask them for pardon? The little Amelia has been in purgatory from 1917, inspite of her tender age, and will remain there till the end of the world, as the Blessed Virgin Mary replied to the little children of Fatima (Lucia, Francisco and Jecinta), because of indecent dressing. Do you think that God will overlook the indecent dressings of today?
The truth remains that God cannot change- “In truth I tell you, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke is to disappear from the law until all its purpose is achieved” (Matt 5: 17). The grace of fear of God and remorse of conscience is fast decreasing and the terrible torments of hell (cf. Mk. 9:48) is no longer seen as any thing. But the unchangeable truth is that whenever the door closes, and a soul is damned; he must continue to regret forever the uselessness of those things to which he attached himself, which claimed his soul.
The Bible thus reveals their anguish in hell, when they see the just ones whom they ridiculed as fools, unfashionable, ignorant, poor or cheated by nature; standing among the elect: ”stricken with remorse, they will say to one another with groans and labouring breath, this is the one whom we used to mock, making him the butt of insults, fools that we were! His life was regarded as madness, his ending as without honour. How has he come to be counted as one of the children of God and to have his lot among the holy ones? Clearly we have strayed from the way of truth; the light of justice has not shone for us, the sun has not risen for us. We have left no path of lawlessness or ruin unexplored… what good has pride and arrogance been to us? What has been the purpose of our riches and boastfulness? (What have we benefited from gratifying and pampering our flesh) All those things have passed like shadow, passed like a fleeting rumour”(Wis.5:3-9) God sent us here just to test the amount of love we can show to Him- ”one thing is necessary” (Lk. 10:42). But the darkness and blindness of the heart do not allow us to see this truth in time; except those enlightened by Divine grace. We often offer all our love to the transitory pleasures which were permitted by God only to test our faith (cf. Eccl I: 13). As a result of this, many people do not care to know the laws and commandments of God; what they command and what they forbid.
HERE ARE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AS EXPLAINED BY THE HOLY ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
1. I AM the Lord thy God: Thou shall not have strange gods before Me.
COMMANDS: Faith, hope, love, and worship of God, reverence for God and Holy things; prayer.
FORBIDS: Idolatry, superstition, spiritism, tempting God, sacrilege, and attendance at false worship (man made churches).
1. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vainA COMMANDS: Reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows .
FORBIDS: Blasphemy, the irreverent use of God’s name, speaking disrespectfully of holy things, false oaths and breaking of vows
iii. Remember thou keep Holy the Sabbath day. COMMANDS:-Going to Church on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, and abstaining from servile work.
FORBIDS: Missing Sunday Mass through one’s own fault, unnecessary servile work, public buying and selling; court trials (cf. Isa. 58: 13-14; Num.15:32;Neh. l0: 31, Jer.17:21)
1. Honour thy father and mother COMMANDS: Love, respect, obedience on the part of children; care on the part of parents for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children; 92 obedience to civil and religious superiors . FORBIDS: Hatred of parents and superiors; disrespect. Disobedience 1. Thou shall not kill
COMMANDS: Safeguarding of one’s own life and bodily welfare and that of others
FORBIDS: Unjust killing, suicide, abortion, sterilization, dueling, endangering life and limb of self or others
1. Thou shall not commit adultery COMMANDS: Chastity in thought, word and deed. FORBIDS: Obscene speech, impure actions alone or with others, unchaste fashions, literature and films.
vii. Thou shall not steal COMMANDS: Respect for the property and rights of others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public officials:
FORBIDS: Theft; damage to the property of others; not returning found or borrowed articles; giving unjust measure or weight in selling; not paying just wages; bribery; graft; cheating; fraud; accepting stolen property; not giving an honest day’s work for wages received; violation of contract.
viii. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour COMMANDS: Truthfulness, respect for the good name of others; the observance of secrecy when required. FORBIDS: Lying, injury to the good name of others; slander, tale bearing, rash judgment, contemptuous speech, and the violation of secrecy.
1. Thou shall not covet thy neighbours wife COMMANDS: Purity in thought. FORBIDS: Willful impure thoughts and desires
1. Thou shall not covet thy neighbours goods COMMANDS: Respect for the right of others.
FORBIDS: The desire to take, to keep, or to damage the property of others. SIX PRECEPTS OFTHE CHURCH The teaching authority of the Church: Anyone who listens to you, listens to Me; anyone who rejects you rejects Me, and those who reject Me, reject the one who sent Me (Lk. 10: 16)
1. To assist at Mass on all Sundays and Holy days of obligation. 2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed. 3. To confess our sins at least once a year. 4. To receive Holy Communion during the Easter time. 5. To contribute to the support of the Church. 6. To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage.
SEVEN CAPITAL SINS These are called the capital sins because they are the root of all the sins we commit. These passions are in man giving birth to all the sins that man commits (cf Rom. 7:20-23; Gen 6:5). We are called to fight these passions with prayer, penance and acquiring the opposing virtues.
1. PRIDE: An unrestrained appreciation of our own worth. 2. AVARICE: 95 An immoderate desire for earthly goods
3. LUST: A hankering after impure pleasures. 4. ANGER: An inordinate desire for revenge.
5. GLUTTONY; An unrestrained use of food and drink.
6. ENVY: Sorrow over the good fortune of our neighbor. 7. SLOTH: Laziness to do right or carelessness’ to do right and to practice virtue because of the trouble attached to it.
SINS CRYING TO HEAVEN FOR VENGEANCE 2. Willful murder (Gen. 4:10) 2.Sodomy(Gen.18:20; 19:13) 3.Oppression of the poor (Exo. 3:7-10) 4.Cheating laborers of their wages (Deut. 24: 14-15)
SINS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT In truth, I tell you, all human sins will be forgiven, and all the blasphemies ever uttered; but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Ghost will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin (Mk. 3:28-29); And anyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but no one who speaks against the Holy Ghost will be forgiven either in this world or in the next, (Matt. 12:32).
But why?
First; what is the work of the Holy Ghost? Jesus says: the Holy Ghost will lead you to the complete truth (Jn. 16:13);”when the Holy Ghost comes, He will convince the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment” (Jn. 16:8). The Holy Ghost works in our conscience to convince us about the truths of God, His justice and His goodness; He sheds light on our souls to see our sins, their gravity and their consequences, thus leading us to contrition. But when we continue to resist the light and good counsels of the Holy Ghost, and harden our hearts in our bad habits, it amounts to abuse of the grace of the Holy Ghost or blasphemy. There are six ways in which it can happen:
1. PRESUMING TO GAIN SALVATION WITHOUT MERITING IT: For example: those who trust in the work they have done for God and the promises of the devotion they are practicing; and refuse to fight their passions and correct their bad habits.
2. DESPAIR OF SALVATION For example: those who live in mortal sin and believe that nobody can live a righteous life in the world full of sin; hoping that God is so merciful, that He will forgive everybody. They do not work hard to seek for the graces needed to save their souls.
3.RESISTING THE TRUTHS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE KNOWN TO US: For example: those who accept some teachings that are very suitable to them and reject those that call for change of habit or belief; hoping that they are trying in the ones they are doing.
4.ENVY OF ANOTHER’S SPIRITUAL GOOD For example: those who hate, persecute and plot the downfall of those who are trying to grow in spiritual life, or the spread of the Gospel.
5. STUBBORNNESS IN SIN For example: those who believe that they cannot live without some particular grave sins (cf Sirach 5:5-7).Rather, they hope occasionally to do it and go for confession, without any resolve for amendment of life and a sincere repentance.
6. FINAL OBSTINACY IN ONE’S SINS For example: those who have made up their minds to work for Satan and promote his kingdom on earth, because of the temporary pleasure they get from it.
NINE WAYS WE CAN SHARE IN ANOTHER PERSON’S SIN But nevertheless, woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh (Matt. 18: 7) The Son of man will send out His Angels to gather up out of His kingdom, all those who cause people to sin and all others who do evil things and they will throw them into fiery furnace (Matt. 13:41).
1. COUNSELING OR ADVISING ANOTHER TO SIN For example: all those who mislead souls by way of teaching and advice,A like great professors and heretics who misdirect people.
2. COMMANDING ANOTHER TO SIN For example: all those in authority who issue commands that contradict God’s laws. Like parents who command unnecessary enmity among their children and other families; or force their children into marriage that endanger their faith.
3. PROVOKING ANOTHER TO SIN
For example: all those who provoke lust in the heart of others and seduce them into sin by their appearance, fashion, speeches and film shows.
4.CONSENTING TO ANOTHER’S SIN For example: all those who sponsor abortion or give money to women so as to take care of themselves to avoid pregnancy.
5. SHOWING ANOTHER HOW TO SIN For example: all those who teach the ignorant ones how, where and ways of committing abortion; or to engage in sinful relationship.
6. PRAISING ANOTHER’S SIN For example: all those who support the activities of public sinners and those who are trying to justify sin and give public approval of it.
7.CONCEALING, REMAINING SILENT ABOUT, DOING NOTHING TO PREVENT ANOTHER’S SIN. For example: all the parents who pamper their children in their sinful lives, and support their sinful relationships-doing nothing to correct their bad habits. It also refers to those who help to cover up the sins going on around their area.
8.TAKING PART IN ,OR ENJOYING THE RESULTS OF ANOTHER’S SIN For example: all the doctors, nurses and drug dealers who aid abortions and contraception. Those who purposely buy stolen goods, and teachers who aid the students in exam malpractices.
9.DEFENDINGANOTHER’S SIN.
For example: all those who submerge the truth in other to set sinners free. N:B Utilize your available time for penance and reparation (Jn. 9:4). All you have read here can be used to prepare for confession (by examining your conscience). Ask always for the grace of true love. With love these laws will be written in your heart. The Spirit
of God will always guide vou. PREPARATION FOR THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE (The Church guideline)
Prayer Before Confession RECEIVE my confession, O most loving and gracious Lord Jesus Christ, only hope for the salvation of my soul. Grant to me true contrition of heart, so that day and night I may by penance make satisfaction for my many sins. Savior of the world; O good Jesus, Who gave Yourself to the death on the Cross to save sinners, look upon me, most wretched of all sinners; have pity on me, and give me the light to know my sins, true sorrow for them, and a firm purpose of never committing them again. O gracious Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of Jesus, I implore you to obtain for me by your powerful intercession these graces from your Divine Son. St. Joseph, pray for me.
The Ten Commandments (Examination of Conscience) 1st Commandment. Have I wilfully doubted or denied my holy religion? Have I taken part in services other than those of my religion? Have I consulted fortune tellers, or read forbidden
books,. or despaired of God’s mercy? Have I neglected to worship God with prayer and the Mass? 2nd Commandment. Have I made false, unlawful or unnecessary oaths? Have I taken God’s name in vain? . 3rd Commandment .. Have I absented myself without due cause from Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation? Have I done unnecessary servile work on these days, or caused others to do so?
4th Commandment. Have I neglected my parents in their necessity? Have I been disobedient to them, or displayed anger toward them? Have I fulfilled my obligations toward my children? Instructed them? Reprimanded them when necessary? Watched over their companionships, etc.?
5th Commandment. Have I been angry? Have I been violent toward another, or caused violence without just cause? Have I been jealous of others? Have I been guilty of drinking to excess? 6th and 9th Commandments. Have I deliberately taken pleasure in impure thoughts? Have I committed any wilful impure actions? Have I gone to places of amusement that I knew would lead me into sin? Have I kept away from other occasions of sin?
7th and 10th Commandments. Have I stolen anything? Defrauded others of their just wages? Cheated in prices, weights, etc.? Have I through my own fault caused damage to the property of another? Have I made restitution for past sins of this nature? Have I now any ill-gotten goods?
8th Commandment. Have I injured (without just cause) the name or reputation of another? By telling lies about him? By exposing without necessity his faults? Have I restored his good name when I have by untruth injured it?
The Precepts of the Church 1. Have I attended Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation? 2. Have I fasted on the days appointed, and abstained from meat on Fridays and other days of abstinence? 3. Have I confessed at least once a year any
mortal sin I may have committed?
4. Have I neglected to make my Easter duty? 5. Have I contributed to the support of my Church according to my means? 6. Have I failed in observing Church regulations with reference to the Sacrament of Matrimony? (Adapted from St. Joseph Daily Missal,
1962 Edition.)