THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Low Sunday 7 April 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection. It was she that was the one to bear this great news to the apostles. Mary’s heart was filled with sadness at the loss of the One she loved so greatly. It was therefore most fitting that God rewards her with resplendent joy. The apostles on the other hand were busy in a kind of war, if you will, with the Jews. They were locked away in hiding for fear of the Jews. Therefore, it is fitting that the first words and first gifts of Jesus to them were: “Peace be to you.”

God has a way of giving us exactly what we need when we need it. All too often we grow weary and/or despair of God’s graces. Every difficulty that God wills or permits to enter into our lives is truly a preparation for the great grace that He wishes to give us when He lifts this burden from us. It is therefore necessary that we persevere in the dark and difficult times of our lives so that we may receive greater graces and blessings later on.

Mary persevered in her sorrow and in her love of Jesus and was rewarded to be the first to see Him (even though she was not permitted to touch Him). The apostles persevered in prayer and in not betraying Jesus for a fleeting peace with the Jews. Both were rewarded, the one with joy and the other with peace. When Jesus appeared to the apostles He no longer forbid men to touch Him, but rather invited them to touch Him and see that He is real. I am reminded of this how the Sacred Body of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist is not to be touched by any except His priests. This is something that the Modernists have done away with. They must either, not believe that the Eucharist is truly Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, or else they believe that so many laity have reached a high level of holiness that they are now all worthy to touch Him, or are all now “priests.” (If they are all priests now perhaps they are the Protestant “priesthood of the faithful”) Either they deny transubstantiation or they deny the need for the anointing and consecrating of the hands of the priest so that he may handle the most Precious Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

It was not to the women or anyone else, but only to the apostles that Jesus breathed upon (imparting the Holy Ghost) and gave the power to forgive sins. “Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven …” In the same manner it was only to the apostles after the Last Supper that Jesus commissioned to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass. We must always remember that there are different offices and gifts imparted by God to the various members of the Mystical Body of Christ. Not everyone is called to be His priests. It is not the priest that chooses God, but rather it is God that chooses His priests. In like manner the true faith is not something that we give to ourselves, but is rather a gift (grace) from God. Too often many are led to a heretical “rationalist” mode of thinking. In this condemned rationalism they think that if they present the right arguments and can show the rational logic of a truth of the Church and the Faith, then they can “make” themselves believe the truth. It is not so. Faith is a grace of God given when and where He wills. Conversions are not so much a matter of presenting the best argument in favor of the Faith, as it is a matter of cooperating with the grace of God. Believing not because we understand, but because God has said it is so. St. Thomas believed because he saw and understood. It is not faith on his part that he believes that Jesus really rose from the dead. This he saw and knew. His belief, is that Jesus in His humanity is truly God. This is borne out in his saying: “My Lord and My God.”

When God calls some to His priesthood and not others, we must not conclude that there is an injustice in this, but rather that He has chosen the best for His particular purposes. It is not a matter for debate. It is what it is, simply because God has made it that way. No one is cheated in any way. Each receives the graces that are necessary for himself or for God’s purposes. If we are each to make correct use of the particular graces that God has given to us we must focus upon that which He has given us, and not what He has given to others.

One grace is given to one but not another, just as joy is given to some and peace to others. Some are called upon to be heads and others to be hands or feet. Everyone must believe that God knows what He is doing and it is always the best. The True Faith demands of us that we believe all that God has revealed to us through The Church. (Who is the guardian and interpreter of both sources of His revelation – Scripture and Tradition.) We believe not because we understand or even have heard of all that has been revealed. We must believe all that Holy Mother Church sets forth for us simply because God the Holy Ghost speaks through Her – God has said it is so and therefore we must believe. And even though we must believe, faith is not something that we can give ourselves but is truly God’s gift to us.

Let us pray then, for the gift of faith or continuance and perseverance in grace. In this manner we may grow stronger as we cooperate with the graces that we already have. Our faithful cooperation with the graces and station of life God has given us will merit for us the Beatific Vision and understanding so that faith will no longer be necessary – we will see and know just as we are seen and known by God.