"God's Justice and Judas"

I have been going nuts trying to think of something appropriately Holy Week-ish to post.  Finally I gave up trying to come up with something original, and headed over to Tradition in Action, which is often quite helpful in the way of providing articles for me to steal - er, borrow, pictures and all - and shamelessly repost.  (You all seem to be rather against clicking links, so I don't really have a choice, do I? Right???)

Today, as you may or may not know, is Spy Wednesday, named for Judas' "spying" on Our Lord, apparently.  I'm not really sure how that works, since Jesus treated him as if nothing was wrong....it doesn't really seem like he'd need to spy.  But whatever.  That's what it's called. I'm probably missing a vital piece of information or something...I'm not feeling very intelligent today.
Anyway, I thought this was a very interesting and enlightening article.  Hopefully you will too.

God's Justice and Judas

Never did the love of God express itself in a more pungent and tender way than when Our Lord spoke to Judas in the Garden of Olives. The guards did not know how to distinguish Our Lord from St. James the Greater who was very similar to Christ. So, they needed someone to unmistakably point Him out so they could take Him prisoner. Judas agreed with the Pharisees to deliver Our Lord for the price of 30 silver coins. The arranged sign of recognition was a kiss.

"With a kiss you betray the Son of Man?"

When Judas approached Our Lord to kiss Him, Christ said to him: “Judas, with a kiss you betray the Son of Man?” He allowed Judas to kiss Him. He could have easily prevented that scene. The power to stop it was not lacking to Him.

Indeed, a few moments later, when the guard asked Him: “Are you Jesus of Nazareth?” He answered: “I am.” After He spoke those words, all the guards fell with their faces to the ground because they could not bear the majesty of His Person. He could have averred Judas from his purpose with a simple gaze. But He did not.

He said: “Judas, with a kiss?” Each word was simultaneously an act of love and of wrath. “Judas, with a kiss?” That is to say, “Judas, you chose the symbol of friendship and love to come to betray Me.” “You who bring your face close to Mine, do you not remember all the graces I gave you? You whom I consecrated Bishop some hours ago…?” In that act, Our Lord reminded Judas of all the good he once had. It was, therefore, a supreme act of love.

But Our Lord added these words: “Do you betray the Son of Man?” Christ also brought to his attention the enormity of his ignominy. In fact, nothing could be more infamous than that treason, precisely because of its injustice. One friend owes friendship to another. Instead, Judas had hatred for Him. Further, Judas simulated the appearance of friendship to make the worst possible action. In that action, evil was multiplied by evil, making his act of betrayal particularly repulsive.

The soldiers fall powerless at the words of Our Lord

It was not a simple treason: Judas was delivering God Incarnate to death… Further, Our Lord knew that Judas was planning such a betrayal and, in the name of mercy, did not send him away, but remained silent. To the crime of delivering Jesus Christ to Deicide, the traitor added the abuse of His mercy and silence.

I believe that in all of History nothing was more terrible than that recrimination. He was offering Judas the grace of repentance. If Judas would have repented, who knows what would have happened? He could have had a most edifying life and death. But he rejected that last sublime invitation. From that moment on, the hatred of God fell directly upon him.

The justice of God acted in such a way that Judas’ name became synonymous with the ultimate degree of infamy. When someone wants to throw the vilest possible epithet at a person, he calls him a Judas. This is how the action and very person of Judas became execrable to all.

Describing Hell in his famous work Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri places Judas at the lowest level, in the very mouth of Satan, being eternally gnawed by him. It is an unspeakable torment: No one even sees his face but only the despairing movements of his legs that protrude from Satan’s mouth.

We know how Judas ended. After the betrayal, he went back to the Pharisees to return the 30 coins, but no one wanted that cursed money. He left the Sanhedrim and wandered in torment for a while through the city. Finally, he found a rope and hung himself on a fig tree. He judged himself, knowing that he would go to Hell, the place he wanted to be. It was a choice made for all eternity.

Septuagesima: Preparing for Lent

This is a bit late, seeing that Septuagesima started a week ago, but better late than never, right?

"So," you ask, "what on earth is Septuagesima?"  You've probably guessed from the title that it has something to do with Lent.  See, traditionally there was no "ordinary time," but Sundays after Epiphany, Septuagesima season, and Sundays after Pentecost.  These seasons emphasize that there is no such thing as "ordinary" in the Church.  Septuagesima is a three-week period between the last Sunday after Epiphany and Ash Wednesday - a time of anticipating Lent and beginning to prepare for it.  Just goes to show how intense Lent is really supposed to be...

"Okay," you say, "so it's a time of preparation for Lent.  But what in heaven's name does it mean?"  Well, the word "septuagesima" means "seventieth." The season consists of three Sundays, as I said, named, respectively, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima.   (Those are really fun to say. )  So since the first one means "seventieth," it follows logically that the next two mean "sixtieth" and "fiftieth."  If you know any Latin, you probably figured that out.  Supposedly Septuagesima Sunday is "roughly seventy days before Easter." (source)

Traditionally, during Septuagesima the priest's vestments change to purple and the Gloria isn't sung again until...um....either Laetare Sunday or Easter.  I'm not sure which.  *blushes*  It's a good time to start "training" for Lent by making more sacrifices and generally getting your soul in good shape for all the self-denial you'll be practicing in the coming weeks.  I mean, really, isn't it much easier to eat small meals and give up sweets if you've already been cutting back?

This is also the perfect time to plan out your Lent: what you'll give up, what prayers you'll say, what spiritual reading you'll do...that sort of thing.  Also, cleaning.  I'm certain that it's easier to keep your soul clean if your room/apartment/house is clean.  Really.  Here's a little thing my mom did that's really helping me already: she simply took the lace cloth off of the mantle.  Our mantle is now bare except for two statues and two electric candles.  (I know you're cringing about the electric candles.  So am I, but it's better than nothing.) It reminds one of the altar on Good Friday. Every time I glance at that room, I see the bare mantlepiece and I remember that it's nearly Lent.  It's quite exciting, actually.

Sorry about the slightly random picture.  I typed "septuagesima" into google images and this is what came up. :)

What are you doing for Lent?  Did you know about Septuagesima before now?

Lenten Reflections, Pt. 3

Meditation 129: The Daily Cross

Meditation, p. 380

"He that taketh not up his cross, and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me" (Mt. 10, 38).  By these words, the divine Master expressly declares that one of the indispensable conditions for being Hid disciple is to carry the cross.  The word cross, however, should not make us think only of special sufferings, which, while not excluded, are not generally our portion.  First of all, we must think of those common daily disagreeable things which are part of everyone's life and which we must try to accept as so many means to progress and spiritual fruitfulness.

It is often easier to accept, in a burst of generosity, the great sacrifices and sufferings of singular occurence, than the little, insignificant sufferings, closely connected with our state in life and the fulfillment of our duty: sufferings which occur daily under the same form, with the same intensity and insistence, among endless and unchanging circumstances. [...] Herein lies the genuine cross that Jesus offers us daily, inviting us to carry it after Him - an unpretentious cross, which does not require great heroism, but which does demand that we repeat our Fiat every day, meekly bowing our shoulders to carry its weight with generosity and love.

via pinterest

Favorite Poetry: The Earth's Shame

 I thought this poem of Chesterton's was appropriate for Lent, since it's about the Crucifixion.  If you don't understand it all, don't fret - I first discovered this lovely piece of poetry when Fr. Beck explained it to us at the Catholic summer camp for girls that I've gone to for the last three years, and I would never have gotten it without his help.  It's even more beautiful when you completely understand, but alas! I'm not as good at explanations as Fr. Beck is, so I'm afraid you're on your own.  Take time and think about each section.  It makes a beautiful meditation.

The Earth's Shame

by G. K. Chesterton

Name not his deed: in shuddering and in haste

We dragged him darkly o'er the windy fell:

That night there was a gibbet in the waste,

And a new sin in hell.

Be his deed hid from commonwealths and kings,

By all men born be one true tale forgot;

 But three things, braver than all earthly things,

Faced him and feared him not.

 Above his head and sunken secret face

Nested the sparrow's young and dropped not dead.

From the red blood and slime of that lost place

 Grew daisies white, not red.

 

And from high heaven looking upon him,

Slowly upon the face of God did come

A smile the cherubim and seraphim

Hid all their faces from.

Lenten Reflections, Pt. 2

I just finished reading the meditation for today (er....actually it was yesterday's, but that's beside the point), and I found it so striking that I had to come post it immediately. 

Again, those who struggle with scruples mightn't want to read this.

Meditation 110: Humiliations

Meditation, pp. 323-326

 Many souls would like to be humble, but few desire humiliation; many ask God to make them humble and fervently pray for this, but very few want to be humiliated.  Yet it is impossible to gain humility without humiliations; for just as studying is the way to acquire knowledge, so it is by the way of humiliation that we attain to humility.

Lily-of-the-Valley, the flower symbolizing humility.

Even if in certain situations we succeed in acting humbly,this may well be the result of a superficial and apparent humility rather than of a humility that is real and profound.  Humility is truth; therefore, let us tell ourselves that since we possess nothing ourselves but sin, it is but just that we receive only humiliation and scorn.  If we were really convinced of this truth, we would find it very just that all should humiliate us, treat us without consideration, and despise us.  In fact, what honor and consideration does one deserve who has offended his Creator, when a single sin - even a venial one - is more deplorable and worthy of more contempt than the most miserable earthly condition, the poorest and lowest estate? [...] "I never heard anything bad said of me," said St. Theresa of Jesus, "which I did not clearly realize fell short of the truth.  If I had not sometimes - often, indeed - offended God in the way they referred to, I had done so in many others, and I felt they had treated me far too indulgently in saying nothing about these". 

Also I'd like to share with you a short St. Therese quote, from the day before, speaking of humility and hope though we fail so much.

According to some sources, apple blossoms are a symbol of hope.

Meditation 109: Humility in Our Falls

Colloquy, p. 321

"O Jesus, it is true that I am not always faithful, but I never become discouraged, I cast myself into Your arms,and like a little dewdrop, I sink deeper and deeper int Your chalice, O divine Flower of the field, and there I find all I have lost and much more besides.

Yes, O my God, I am happy to feel little and weak in Your presence, and my heart remains in peace...I am glad to feel so imperfect and to need Your mercy so much!  When we calmly accept the humiliation of being imperfect, Your grace, O Lord, returns at once."

- St. Therese of the Child Jesus

All pictures via Pinterest.

Lenten Reflections, Pt. 1

Whenever I have time this Lent I'm going to attempt  to post excerpts from the wonderful book Divine Intimacy, which I have been attempting to read every day.  Before I begin I'd like to warn you, though: if you have struggles with scrupulosity you may not want to read the second excerpt.  This book was written for those consecrated to the religious life, and it's pretty darn strict.  It's wonderfully eye-opening, and it'll really make you rethink your priorities (talking about the whole book here, not just my excerpt), but the sheer amount of things we do all the time that we ought to avoid is just staggering, and it might be unhelpful if one is trying to conquer excessive scruples.  I'm not sure if I'm making myself entirely clear or not, but I believe you get the idea.

The excerpts I'd like to share today are on Love and Sin, respectively.  The first one is a quote from St. Therese of the Child Jesus.  It's a bit hard to tell who the quotes are from, sometimes, because the book always abbreviates the saint's names, but I'm sure of this one.  The style and imagery alone show it to be from the Little Flower.

Meditation 96: The Proof of Love

Colloquy, p. 284

"O my Beloved, how shall I show my love, since love proves itself by deeds? I have no other means of proving my love than to strew flowers, and these flowers will be each word and look, each little daily sacrifice.  I wish to make profit out of the smallest actions and to do them all for Love.  For Love's sake I wish to suffer and to rejoice: so shall I strew my flowers.  Not one that I see but, singing all the while. I will scatter its petals before You.  Should my roses be gathered from amid thorns, I will sing notwithstanding; and the longer and sharper the thorns, the sweeter will grow my song." 

Meditation 100: Sin
p. 294

If we wish to have a better understanding of the evil of mortal sin, we must consider its disastrous effects.  One single sin instantly changed Lucifer, the angel of light, into an angel of darkness, into the eternal enemy of God.  A single sin deprived Adam and Eve of the state of grace and friendship with God, taking away all their supernatural gifts and condemning them to death together with the rest of mankind. [...]  Jesus, our Head, invites us, His members, to unite with Him in His work of destroying sin: to destroy it in ourselves down to the very roots; that is, in our evil inclinations, and to destroy it likewise in His other members by allowing Him to work in us.  This is the law of solidarity, for the misfortune of one is the misfortune of the others; each sin is a burden on the whole word  and disturbs the equilibrium of God's plan.  Therefore, every Christian ... must throw himself ardently into the battle against sin and fight it with proper weapons: penance, expiatory prayer, and most of all, love.
 

 All pictures via my pinterest account.