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Home , Anthony Mary Claret

PASTOR’S MEANDERINGS 21 – 22 OCTOBER 2017 TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME (A)

REFLECTION ‘When the moral fiber of a nation is weakened, when the sense of personal responsibility is diminished, then the door is open for the justification of injustices, for violence in all its forms, and for the manipulation of the many by the few, the challenge that is already with us is the temptation to accept as true freedom what in reality is only a new form of slavery.” (Pope John Paul II in Phoenix Park, Dublin)

STEWARDSHIP for the 29th SUN.: Each year at tax time, we conscientiously give “to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.” Does my stewardship indicate that I am as faithful about giving “to God what belongs to God”?

Webster “Whatever makes people good Christians makes them good citizens.”

READINGS FOR THE THIRTIETH SUNDAY 29 OCT ‘17 Ex. 22:20-26: Without love, law is cold and minimalist; without law, love is mere emotion and often ineffective. Genuine care for the weakest in our midst is the test of both. 1 Thes. 1:5-10: Today we begin reading from the earliest surviving Christian document, Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. Although this is so early, behind it stand some 15 years of experience in proclaiming the Good News. Imitating and following in the footsteps of those who have handed on the faith to us, is the basis of all our missionary work as the Church. Mt. 22:34-40: To perfectly live out the commandment of love for God and love for neighbor is all-consuming and ever challenging.

William Penn “Believe nothing against another but on good authority; nor report what may hurt another, unless it be a greater hurt to conceal it.”

FRIST FRIDAY / FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTIONS Continued It must be noted that while St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is the most often associated with this devotion to the Sacred Heart; after she received the Vision of the Sacred Hear, which popularized the devotion, she was scorned by her mother superior who thought her to be delusional. The Saint took ill. The mother superior told St. Margaret Mary that she would believe the miracle of the vision if she were cured. She was and St. Margaret was able to promote the devotion under the guidance of her spiritual director, St. Claude Colombiere. St. Margaret Mary communicated her visions and experiences, under obedience, to Colombiere who ordered her to record each of them in detail. St. Claude recognized in them the authentic voice of God. Then, strengthened by his own personal experiences of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he willingly dedicated himself to the cause of spreading the Devotions. On the 21st of June, 1675, kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, St. Claude and St. Margaret Mary, consecrated themselves to the service of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was through this dedication by themselves and others, that the Devotions spread, slowly but surely, to the Church Universal and have become what we know of them today: the weekly practice of the Holy Hour of Reparation, the Monthly First Friday Devotions and the Annual Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These three practices form the foundation of the Devotions, being the original requests made by the Sacred Heart of Jesus Himself, to St. Margaret Mary. The apparitions of Margaret Mary came during a period of confusion in the Church, most notably caused by a Catholic movement known as the Jansenists and were in direct contrast to its’ teachings. Following the teachings of Bishop Cornelius Jansen of Ypes (1585-1638), this primarily French group decried what they saw as a general decline in the morals of the time, and they laid the blame on Church leadership. The Jansenists claimed that the Church had grown lenient in its definition of sin, lax on the call to confession and soft in the assignment of penance. They wanted a return to the strict rules and disciplines of the early Church, seeking to emphasize God’s justice and de-emphasize His eternal forgiveness and mercy. This heresy instilled fear into the hearts of the faithful, turning the religion of faith and love into one of pessimism and scrupulosity, teaching that man is completely incapable of disposing himself to the grace offered us by God. While their accusations against the Church and society were not without merit, few Catholics could, or would, adhere to the severe religious standards the Jansenists advocated. Jansenist teaching, which included other beliefs counter to the Church, was eventually condemned by Rome in the 17th and 18th centuries. Devotion to the Sacred Heart helped to refocus Catholics’ attention on God’s mercy. It should also be noted that the Jansenist movement surfaced in an era when Catholics received sacramental Communion much less frequently than we do today. In response, the first Friday devotion promoted more regular reception of Holy Communion and more frequent use of the Sacrament of Penance. It gave the faithful a special way to express their love of Christ and rallied against the harsh changes being proposed. For years, the Church did not approve the Sacred Heart as a public devotion, though a few religious orders in France were allowed to practice it. In 1765, however Pope Clement XIII gave permission for Catholic churches in France to celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart, complete with its own Mass and Office. The quick spread of the devotion that followed was unprecedented in Church history, as Catholics on nearly every continent sought to demonstrate their love of Jesus through His Divine Heart. In 1856, Pope Pius IX extended the feast to the worldwide Church. Pope Leo XIII, in his encyclical Annum Sacrum (25 May 1899), consecrated every human person to the Sacred Heart. Pope Leo also ordered that on June 9, 10, and 11, 1899, certain prayers and a special Litany to the Sacred Heart should be said in churches throughout the world. For three days the faithful publicly proclaimed the eternal love that radiates from the heart of Jesus and offered reparations for their past contemptuous behavior toward Him. The Pope insisted that this event was the single “great act” of his pontificate. As the Catechism of the notes: “The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes His most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and His Heart, which, out of love for men, He allowed to be pierced by our sins” (No. 2669). Thus the Church does not promote devotion to the Sacred Heart based solely on the testimony of Margaret Mary. In keeping with the Church’s witness to Jesus Christ throughout the ages, such devotion is a fitting act of adoration of Our Lord. To be continued…

OCTOBER - MONTH OF THE ROSARY Continued The Mysteries of the Rosary Originally, over the centuries of its development, there were literally hundreds of mysteries that were associated with the practice of praying the Rosary devotion. Around the 15th century these were definitively fixed at fifteen mysteries which we knew as “the Mysteries of the Rosary” up until 2002. In that year Pope St. John Paul II, in his encyclical, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, added the five Luminous Mysteries. As is evident there was a development of the mysteries which is perceived as having taken places in stages, which roughly correspond to the development of the Rosary itself. The first stage occurred in the twelfth century when it became customary to cite a phrase referring to an important incident in the life of Jesus or Mary before the recitation of a psalm. Although originally intended to supplement the praying of the psalms, the psalms were eventually discontinued, and the phrases that once introduced the psalms developed into brief reflections on the Annunciation, Jesus’ life, death, Resurrection, and the glorification of Jesus and Mary in heaven. Retaining the original structure given by the psalms, the reflections were organized in groups of 5 0 and usually consisted of 150 meditations. The second stage occurred in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. While initially limited to the joy of the Annunciation, it soon became customary to focus on other Marian joys. Often, the recitation of each joy was accompanied by a “Hail Mary.” For example, one would recite 50 joyful meditations accompanied by 50 “Hail Marys.” During the fourteenth century, parallel developments took place concerning Mary’s sorrows and her heavenly joys. Once again, the number of sorrows and heavenly joys multiplied, and were accompanied with “Hail Marys.” Eventually, it became common to recite 50 earthly joys, 50 earthly sorrows, and 50 heavenly joys in conjunction with 150 “Hail Marys.” The third stage occurred during the fifteenth century. As long as the meditations were sets of 50, those who used them had to be literate and possess a text, since it was impossible to recall 150 separate meditations. In order to make the meditations universally accessible, their number was reduced to 15; 5 for each set, combined with 150 “Hail Marys.” Now the meditations functioned as focal point s for the recitation of the “Hail Marys,” which had now evolved into the Rosary by being combined with the “Our Father” and the “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit ….” The final stage took place in 2002 at the initiation of Pope St. John Paul II who added the fourth set of Mysteries. These are meant to fill in the blanks between the childhood of Jesus and His suffering and death on the cross. The Pope wrote in 2002 in his encyclical Rosarium Virginis Mariae, “I believe, however, that to bring out fully the Christological depth of the Rosary it would be suitable to make an addition to the traditional pattern which, while left to the freedom of individuals and communities, could broaden it to include the mysteries of Christ’s public ministry between His Baptism and His Passion.” Therefore they beautifully compliment the traditional Catholic Rosary prayers of St. Dominic.

Through the meditations of the complete Rosary one recalls and has impressed on their mind, the Popes tell us, “the chief mysteries of the Christian religion,” “the mysteries of our Redemption,” “the great mysteries of Jesus and His Mother united in joys, sorrows, and triumphs.” The twenty mysteries are divided into four equal groups, known as “The Joyful Mysteries,” which consist of the Annunciation, the Visitation, The Nativity of Christ, the Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple, and the Finding of the Christ Child in the Temple: “The Sorrowful Mysteries,” focusing on the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion: “The Glorious Mysteries,” composed of the Resurrection, The Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit , the Assumption, and the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven; and the newest “The Luminous Mysteries,” that emphasize the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, the Manifestation of Jesus at the Wedding at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, the Transfiguration of Jesus, and the Institution of the Eucharist. In considering the Mysteries and their meaning it is not difficult to go deeper into the anthropological significance of the Rosary, which is much deeper than may appear at first sight. Anyone who contemplates Christ through the various stages of His life cannot fail to perceive in Him the truth about man. This is the great affirmation of the Second Vatican Council which has often been written about. “It is only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of man is seen in its true light” (Redemptor Hominis). The Rosary helps to open up the way to this light. Following in the path of Christ, in whom man’s path is recapitulated, revealed and redeemed, believers come face to face with the image of the true man. Contemplating Christ’s birth, they learn of the sanctity of life; seeing the household of Nazareth, they learn the original truth of the family according to God’s plan; listening to the Master in the mysteries of His public ministry, they find the light which leads them to enter the Kingdom of God; and following Him on the way to Calvary, they learn the meaning of salvific suffering. Finally, contemplating Christ and His Blessed Mother in glory, they see the goal towards which each of us is called, if we allow ourselves to be healed and transformed by the Holy Spirit. It could be reasonably said that each mystery of the Rosary, carefully meditated on, sheds light on the mystery of man.

SAINT OF THE WEEK: ANTHONY MARY CLARET (d. 1870) 24 Oct St. Anthony Mary Claret led a colorful life as a popular preacher in Spain and of Cuba, even surviving an assassination attempt and then pleading for the life of his attacker. Anthony was born in in , Spain in 1807, the son of a weaver. He grew up practicing his father’s trade, and studied Latin and printing in his spare time. At the age of 22, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest in 1835. He had a desire to serve in the foreign missions as a Jesuit, but his health failed which prevented from joining the Order and he was encouraged to focus his efforts on evangelizing the people of his native Spain. He began to preach parish missions and give retreats throughout his home region. His zeal inspired other priests. He gathered a number together and established a new religious order in 1849, the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who are now known as . He also founded Apostolic Training Institute of the Immaculate Conception, Claretian nuns. The orders spread through Spain and beyond. Soon after this success, he was appointed Archbishop of Santiago, Cuba from 1850 through 1857. It was difficult work reforming the Church in Cuba, which had fallen into disorder, and he encountered deep resistance. In fact, on several occasions, he was nearly assassinated. In one case, a man seriously wounded Anthony because he blamed him for the loss of his mistress, who had converted her life and left him. Anthony interceded for the man in court, however, and saved him from a death sentence. In 1857, Anthony returned to Spain to serve as to Queen Isabella II. He refused to reside in the court, however, and spent as much time as he could preaching to ordinary people and spreading good reading literature throughout his home region. He is responsible for founding Barcelona’s Libreria Religiosa, now known as the Claret Library, which played a large role in preserving and enhancing Catholic culture in Spain. In 1869 and 1870, Anthony participated in the at which he strongly supported the decree on infallibility of the pope. Anthony preached 10,000 homilies and published more than 200 books or pamphlets to teach the faith. While in charge of an institution of higher education, he established science laboratories, a museum of natural history, as well as schools of music and languages. Beyond his impressive intellect, Anthony gave his heart to God. As he grew in holiness, he was given the gifts of prophecy and healing, and his prayer often placed him in ecstasy and rapture. In 1868, due to his association with the royal court he was forced to go into exile with the Queen to Rome. He did not cease his ministry, however, and from 1868-69 he attended the first Vatican council and helped to define the teaching of papal infallibility. He died on this date in 1870 at the Cistercian of Fontfroide in southern France. St. Anthony Mary Claret is of those who work with textiles and in the Catholic press.

UP-COMING SCHEDULE Weekday Mass 8:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday Monday 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Brig Tuesday 6:00 p.m. Council 7:00 p.m. Alzheimer Lecture Wednesday an additional Mass at 6:30 a.m. Portsmouth Catholic Regional School 10 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Indian Creek Prison 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Thursday Evening 5:00 p.m. Confession 6:30 p.m. Mass 7:00 p.m. Class on Prayer Saturday Confession 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Mass 5:00 p.m. 29 October Sunday 5:00 p.m. Call/Welcome of Confirmation Candidates 1 November Wednesday All Day (Holy Day of Obligation) Masses 6:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 12 Noon 7:00 p.m. 2 November Thursday All Souls Day Masses 6:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 12 Noon 7:00 p.m. Remembrance 23 November Thanksgiving Day Mass 8:30 a.m. 26 November Sunday Feast of Christ the King 3 December First Sunday of Advent

PRAYERS BEFORE AND AFTER HOLY MASS Although we regularly encounter distractions arising from within and without during our time at Holy Mass, we should resist these and do our best to approach Holy Communion in as recollected a state as possible. In the weeks ahead we will be discussing prayer and the need for preparation before entering into the Sacrifice of the Mass. This week I submit to you two short examples: one a prayer to prepare ourselves before Mass and the second one a prayer of thanksgiving following Mass.

PRAYER BEFORE HOLY MASS Heavenly Father: I, your unworthy servant, come to worship you in this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. By your grace, kindly help me to listen attentively, pray devoutly, and receive worthily the Sacred Body and Blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. May your Holy Spirit open the eyes of my heart to perceive more fully the great Mystery that takes place on the sacred altar. At this Holy Mass, I wish to pray in particular for the following intentions: (here name them). Amen.

PRAYER AFTER HOLY MASS Dear Lord Jesus: I love you with all my heart, and I thank you for all that you have given me. Please remain with me as I leave this Holy Mass, and help me to follow you more faithfully each day. Amen.