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Meditation of the Day – Justice Demands It
“I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but without effect for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them do not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God . . . [I heard an interior voice] which said, My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it.“— St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, p. 35
//Catholic Company//
Meditation of the Day – Eve Believed the Serpent; Mary Believed the Angel
“For it was while Eve was yet a virgin that the ensnaring word had crept into her ear which was to build the edifice of death. Into a virgin’s soul, in like manner, must be introduced that Word of God which was to raise the fabric of life; so that what had been reduced to ruin by this sex might by the selfsame sex be recovered to salvation. As Eve believed the serpent, so Mary believed the angel. The delinquency which the one occasioned by believing, the other effaced by believing.”— Tertullian, p.44
//The Catholic Company//
Saint of the Day – April 5th – Saint Vincent Ferrer
Saint Vincent (January 23, 1350 – April 5, 1419)
The polarization in the Church today is a mild breeze compared with the tornado that ripped the Church apart during the lifetime of this saint. If any saint is a patron of reconciliation, Vincent Ferrer is.
Despite parental opposition, he entered the Dominican Order in his native Spain at 19. After brilliant studies, he was ordained a priest by Cardinal Peter de Luna—who would figure tragically in his life.
Of a very ardent nature, Vincent practiced the austerities of his Order with great energy. He was chosen prior of the Dominican house in Valencia shortly after his ordination.
The Western schism divided Christianity first between two, then three, popes. Clement VII lived at Avignon in France, Urban VI in Rome. Vincent was convinced the election of Urban was invalid, though Catherine of Siena was just as devoted a supporter of the Roman pope. In the service of Cardinal de Luna, Vincent worked to persuade Spaniards to follow Clement. When Clement died, Cardinal de Luna was elected at Avignon and became Benedict XIII.
Vincent worked for him as apostolic penitentiary and Master of the Sacred Palace. But the new pope did not resign as all candidates in the conclave had sworn to do. He remained stubborn, despite being deserted by the French king and nearly all of the cardinals.
Vincent became disillusioned and very ill, but finally took up the work of simply “going through the world preaching Christ,” though he felt that any renewal in the Church depended on healing the schism. An eloquent and fiery preacher, he spent the last 20 years of his life spreading the Good News in Spain, France, Switzerland, the Low Countries and Lombardy, stressing the need of repentance and the fear of coming judgment. He became known as the “Angel of the Judgment.”
Vincent tried unsuccessfully, in 1408 and 1415, to persuade his former friend to resign. He finally concluded that Benedict was not the true pope. Though very ill, he mounted the pulpit before an assembly over which Benedict himself was presiding, and thundered his denunciation of the man who had ordained him a priest. Benedict fled for his life, abandoned by those who had formerly supported him. Strangely, Vincent had no part in the Council of Constance, which ended the schism.
Reflection
The split in the Church at the time of Vincent Ferrer should have been fatal—36 long years of having two “heads.” We cannot imagine what condition the Church today would be in if, for that length of time, half the world had followed a succession of popes in Rome, and half an equally “official” number of popes in say, Rio de Janeiro. It is an ongoing miracle that the Church has not long since been shipwrecked on the rocks of pride and ignorance, greed and ambition. Contrary to Lowell’s words, “Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne,” we believe that “truth is mighty, and it shall prevail”—but it sometimes takes a long time.
Saint Vincent Ferrer is the Patron Saint of:
Builders
Businessmen
Reconciliation
//Franciscan Media//
Sermon Notes – How Did They Know?
“How Did They Know?“
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
Feb 27-28, 2021
Gospel: Mark 9: 2-10
We’ve heard this Gospel proclaimed year after year. But, have you ever wondered how Peter, James, and John knew it was Moses and Elijah? There were no pictures or artists that could paint them; there was no Facebook, no Tic-Toc, and no selfies. So, how did they know? You ever ask yourself that? Remember, Moses and Elijah died a thousand or so years before the apostles showed up. So, how did they know? In the transfiguration, our good Lord gave the apostles, Peter, James, and John, a taste of what Heaven would be like…just a little taste. They saw the glorified bodies of Moses and Elijah. They knew it was Moses and Elijah. They saw them with their eyes. They saw Heaven, and the people there were talking to God. You will know people in Heaven…if you get there. If you are concerned about that, come see me, and we can work it out. But, you will know people in Heaven, and you will be able to talk to them about future events. In Heaven, everything is now, because God is the Eternal Now and not the past, present, or future. He is the Eternal Now. He is present always. So, you will know and be enlightened.
There is forgiveness after death – in purgatory. Moses was in the Promised Land; he was right outside Jerusalem. God told Moses that he would never enter the Promised Land because he had sinned. But he did. So, there is forgiveness after death. Our good Lord, in this vision, lowered the veil of His humanity to show the apostles part of His divinity. They saw Heaven on Earth. He gave them this great revelation of what Heaven is like to prepare and strengthen them for the scandal of the Passion which would happen in less than two weeks. After all of the miracles they had seen, this was their final gift. Now, all of us would like to receive consolation and great gifts from God. We pray for them. We look for them, and if we get one, we want more. What are the gifts of consolation? First of all, they don’t come as often as we’d like. They usually come before our great trials or afterward as consolations.
Heaven is only meant for after this life and not during, just as it was for the apostles. Most of us would like to say, “If I had such a dramatic experience with God, I would have no problem believing and would never doubt the faith again. I would go to confession more often. I might even go to daily Mass occasionally. I just need to be convinced.” But, scripture is contrary to those statements. Jesus had three years of public ministry. How many people did the apostles see raised from the dead? At least three. Scripture says that not all of the miracles Jesus performed were recorded. He fed 5,000 people, walked on water, cured lepers, and the apostles cast out demons. The apostles saw all sorts of miracles, because they were there. Yet, where were they ten days later?
We are like the apostles. We have these great gifts. “Oh, I will never doubt again.” Yes, you will. We all do. This is the struggle we have. We are tempted to be disconsolate. The devil will say, “Well, if you were better; if you were doing what you are supposed to do, what your Lord said to do, you would always feel good.” Blah, blah, blah. That’s a bunch of spiritual fertilizer. It’s not true.
Our Lord does not distance Himself from us. He is always with us, we just can’t see Him. I was driving up to the VA the other day. I was doing 60 mph in a 55 mph zone, so I was cool. From out of nowhere, this van comes up right behind me and passes. Then, all of a sudden, I see the blue light special. I didn’t see the trooper, but he was there. You don’t see God, but He is always there. Your Guardian Angel is always with you. Just because you don’t see Him, doesn’t mean He isn’t there. You look for Him. “I cannot find Him.” But, He is there.
You might look at someone, and tell them they look great. But, a doctor might look at that same person, and tell them they don’t look so good. The doctor has the eyes of a physician. I have the eyes of a bozo. My eye doctor says I’m not ready for a stick and a seeing eye quite yet. But, it’s how we see it.
Our Lord is always with us. He is always giving us signs of His love and His presence. Sometimes, we overlook consolations, because we are too busy to see them, or we are looking the other way. Our Lord gives us great consolations. Maybe not as many as we would like, but as many as we need. They come and they go as our Lord sees fit. Look for small consolations, because He is there. Make sure you do not give up hope, and do not give in to despair. You may worry and ask Him, “Lord, have you forgotten about us? Do you see what is happening?” Yes, I am here. You cannot see Me, but I see you, and I am with you.
How will you apply this message to your life? Are you overlooking the signs of His love and His presence?
Father’s Afterthoughts…
While I was at the VA, I saw a nurse practitioner I know. I said, “Doc, can I ask you a question? She’s a medical professional. She said, “Sure!” “Doc, does this mask make me look fat?” You have to make your own fun at the VA.
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes. From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of the page). There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic.
