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pilgrimbenham · 4 years ago

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Stop Being Embarrassed by the Wrath of God

What is the wrath of God?

Contrary to popular opinion, God’s wrath is not a concept that is hiding away like a random 9-volt battery in your junk drawer that you have to really search for to find (and why do you still have a television with a remote that uses 9-volts?). The wrath of God is a consistent and comprehensive Biblical truth!

Here's just a quick sample from almost every Biblical genre: Deuteronomy 9:7 | Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. Psalm 7:11 | God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. Nahum 1:2-6 | The Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. Luke 12:5 | Fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Ephesians 5:6 | because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Revelation 19:15 | He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

I think one of the simplest and most straightforward definitions of God's wrath comes from Andrew Murray: “Wrath is the holy revulsion of God’s being against that which is the contradiction of his holiness.”

God's wrath is not like human anger. When we talk about the wrath of God, we don't mean God losing His temper, becoming a rage monster and punching the wall. God's wrath is not malicious, vindictive, or spiteful - the way human anger and rage is. In fact, what would you consider the opposite of God's wrath?

Many people would say the opposite of God's wrath is God's love. But on the contrary; the opposite of God's wrath is indifference or neutrality when it comes to evil. Mark Dever says, “If [God] were not wrathful against sin, we would question whether He is personally good. What would it mean for Him to say that He is committed to oppose evil if He refused to judge it?”

John Stott referred to God's wrath as His "holy hostility to evil". In Romans 1:18-25, we learn three important truths about the wrath of God. These are three reasons we should stop being embarrassed about - or ashamed of - the wrath of God:

1. God's wrath is divine.

Romans 1:18 tells us that God’s wrath is revealed 'from heaven'. What some may call earthly 'calamity', God calls divine justice. When we study the flood of Genesis 6, or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19), or the plagues on Egypt in the book of Exodus, we clearly see this has been directed from God Himself. Nothing in God's determined decree against evil is accidental or just allowed - as much as the open theists will try to make their silly case. His wrath is revealed from heaven and is divine.

2. God’s wrath is definitive.

It is ‘revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men’ (v.18). These two words Paul uses are very different - one describes sin against God - almost literally "godlessness”; whereas unrighteousness speaks of sin against our fellow man. When we look at the moral law of the ten commandments, we read the first four laws concerning our relationship with YHWH, and the other six in relationship with our fellow man. God's wrath is universally definitive because all have transgressed God's law by sinning against both God and man. God's wrath is not directed merely at a specific type of people, but universally against all wickedness. No one can escape His terrible justice.

3. God’s wrath is deserved.

As Paul goes on to prove - men have no excuse because God's attributes in creation have been clearly seen. Verse 19 says, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

There are two ways that God has chosen to reveal Himself. The first is called General Revelation. General revelation is God's witness of Himself through creation to His creatures. Psalm 19:1-4 explains this: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.”

However, General revelation is limited. The ultimate end is that it leaves men without excuse for failing to recognize the nature of their Creator. But it doesn't show us how to be reconciled with our Creator. We cannot be saved by merely understanding general revelation. That's where the second idea comes in: Special Revelation. We believe that the Bible is God's special revelation to man, and it testifies of Jesus Christ, who is the express image of the invisible God. Jesus and the Scripture is the God's special revelation. All truth is given by revelation - so men are without excuse - what can be known about God is plain to them. Ever since the creation of the world, God's existence has been clearly seen through the general revelation of creation. Thus, God's wrath is deserved. It is definitive, and it is divine.

Sinclair Ferguson said, “God’s holy wrath is poured out on what He hates because it damages and destroys what He loves.” See, this is not just wrath in a vacuum - this is the wrath of God against men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. It isn't that they reject the truth, ignore the truth, dismiss the truth, or avoid the truth. They suppress it. They try to hold it down - but something terrible happens when you suppress the truth. Do you remember what happened when you tried to hold on to an inflated beach ball and push it underwater? You as a cute little five-year old experienced what is called "buoyant force"! That submerged beach ball flipped you over, didn't it? It is neither natural nor easy to hold the beach ball underwater - nor is it natural or easy to suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness.

Doug Wilson says, “The sin starts with rebellion and ingratitude. That is the first step. God takes our head in both His hands and points it toward the greatness of His glory. We refuse to look at it because to do so would obligate us. We take the greatness of His glory and thrust it away from us, holding it under, suppressing our knowledge of it.”

We need not minimize - or apologize for - the rightness of God's wrath. Right out of the gate in Romans, Paul communicates the Gospel in the context of the wrath of God against sin. Too many times I fear when we share the Gospel with people, we only share God's love, and neglect God's law. The wrath of God is not something we need to be ashamed or embarrassed of. It is right and just. In light of lawless treason against His law, widespread sensual debauchery, lewdness and sexual immorality, child molestation, the murder and oppression of the innocent, rampant deception and corruption, political oppression and genocide, and the evil imaginations in the human heart - in light of the fallen condition of mankind, if God were to do nothing, that would be shameful!

Stephen T. Davis says, “Our only hope as human beings is the wrath of God...because it...shows us that right and wrong are objectively real, they are to be discovered, not created...(it) teaches us the moral significance of our deeds and shows us how life is to be lived.”

We must explain salvation in light of God's righteous wrath! The sad reality is that all have sinned - men and women are without excuse. Part of suppressing the truth in unrighteousness is man's prideful audacity to exchange not only glorious God for idolatry, Creator for creation, but also to swap attributes: man has the bravado to believe now that God is sinful and man is upright. "How could a loving God let the Holocaust happen?”, cries the unbeliever - while seeing his offensive against a holy God as minimal. Just as a faithful doctor would not allow someone to walk in with a WebMD print out of their own diagnosis and just confirm their fears (which I’m sure you or someone you know has done!), the faithful doctor is going to be responsible and make sure someone does not leave his or her office with an incorrect self-diagnosis.

John Stott says, “Our Christian duty is rather, through prayer and teaching, to bring people to accept the true diagnosis of their condition in the sight of God.” The sad reality is that you and I are sinners. The darkness of your sin, my sin - is the black velvet backdrop that helps to focus our eyes on what is truly beautiful - the mercy and grace of God in Christ. As you read this, in light of your sinfulness, will you embrace the undeserved mercy of Christ? If you are in Christ, let your hearts be lifted up that because of Jesus Christ, the awful wrath of God has been satisfied. As Paul would later say in chapter 5: “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

Praise God for the mercies of God expressed to us in and through Christ, our Savior!

Pilgrim Benham

#sin #wrath #God's wrath #holiness #truth #Bible #Scripture #Romans #Gospel #Christ #Christianity #church #Christian

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dalyunministry · 5 years ago

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Min. ERNEST AMEWUGAH.

¶ WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION

💗

• Introduction:

Imagine is your Birthday and your parents after buying many Gift from the Shopping Mall also bought you a Gold Shoe to wear for School. My Que is. Don't you think this Gold shoe will attract a lot of enemies.

Aside we have Peace, Joy, Comfort and etc, Our Salvation is that Expensive Gold shoe God has blessed humanity with.

Issaih 53:3-5

He was despised

He was rejected

He was Sorrowful

He was in Grief

He was afflicted and

He was wounded for for our transgression.

By His Stripes we are Healed.

The Level of pain Jesus barred even unto the cross, can not be measured of any length, height or depth.

Before Jesus Died on the Cross, He said in John 19:30 It is finished.

Which Means that, for any one to come into Christ and obtain the Freedom and Liberation of Salvation Is Not by Works and is not going to be by any man's work ever. Because Jesus has Already Paid the Price.

1 Corinthians 6:20 says... You were bought with a Price. One must never think he has earned Salvation by any form of Works. Because Hebrews 10:4 says "For it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and goat should take away sin."

Which means no amount of Sacrifice you offer can give you Salvation. So the Bible then declares "For by Grace are we saved through Faith. And this is not your doing. It is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8

Hence, Jesus receiving the Vinegar, for which He said It is Finished' Was a way that was paved to Welcome anyone unto Christ.

See What Matthew 11:28 Said: "Come unto me all you who are heavenly burdened and I will give you rest.

The Unbeliever is welcome to accept Christ

Hindus are welcome to accept Christ.

Muslims, Budhist, Ethiest and Everyone are all welcome to accept Christ without any exchange of works.

Mark 8:37

What shall a man give in Exchange of his Soul.

¶ 5 KEYS THAT FIGHTS YOUR SALVATION

Though you have now received the the light and have become Hiers of Christ. You where before a Slave of Sin. Which will fight the Righteousness of God that you have obtained.

Romans 6.16-18

16. Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?

17 But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed.

18 And having been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action).

5 Keys point that Enslaved you when you where a servant of Sin. And will continue to fight you even as you have obtain the Salvation of God. For this Reason you must work on your salvation.

The Master called sin will never give up on you becoming his Servant.

1. The World.

This World is not the same as Satan. This world as described in 1John 2:16 as "For all that his in the world, the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life is not of the father but of the world.

Explaining......

• The Lust of the Flesh

This are the desires of the Flesh that is contradictory from the original image of Gods Human Creation.

In Genesis 1:27 God Created man and in his own image. And in Genesis 1:31. And God saw that everything he has created was Good.

So been a slave to sin. Some of the Lust of the Flesh. Thus the desires of your flesh are still going to fight you even as you are now Born Again.

2Corin 7:1. Says Now have obtained the Promise of God. Let as cleanse our self from all filtiness of the Flesh and the Spirit, perfecting Holiness in the fear of God.

What are the Desires of the Flesh which contradicts the word of God.

• Desires of the Flesh

1. Changing your Hair into Colours.

Matthew 5:36. Never make your hair black or white.

2. Shaving your Hair with Curves

Leviticus 19:27. Ye shall not round the corners of your heads nor Mar the corners of the beards.

3. Putting on Extra Nails and attachments.

4. Putting on Makeups and on lips

2 Kings 9:30.

... And she painted her face..

5. Putting on any form of Ornaments.

Weeding ring, chain, bracelets etc

Genesis 35:1-5.

Exodus 33:3-6

It represent a strange gods.

6. Bleaching.

Psalm 139:14.

I will praise thee, for am fearfully and Wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works. Issaih 45:9

7. Putting on wevon, Embroidery of Hair.

1Peter 3:3-4

Whose adorning, Let it not be that outward adorning and plaiting of hair, and of wearing of gold....

8. Putting on lustful clothing. Such as skinny trousers, straight dress or attair that seduces men to fall

Deter 22:5. Proverbs 7:10. I saw a woman in an attaire of an harlot. 1Tim 2:9. Dress in modest appereal.

Matthew 5:28. If a man looks at a woman and lust after her. Already he has committed Aldultery.

9. Tattoo.

Leviticus 19:28

Do not make any cutting in your flesh or print any mark upon you.

10. Creation of fake buttocks and breast.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20.

11. Oto Fistal Trousers

Exodus 28:42.

Thou shall make them linen trousers to cover their nakedness.

This world will Fight your salvation.

And Etc.

• Lust of the Eye.

This are the desires of the heart(within) that is contradictory to the word of God.

Corinthians 7:1.

Having obtain the promise of God. Let us cleanse our self from all filtiness of the Flesh and the heart(Spirit). Perfecting Holiness in the fear of God.

• Pride of Life

Building ego on what you have acquired in life. The achievements and possessions.

Watch Carefully that Pride do not rule over you on the things you have acquired in life.

2. Storms

Matthew 5:10

Blessed are they which are Persecuted for Righteousness, fir theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

No matter your level of Faith in God. There will be series of storms that you will go through in life.

Que

When storms arise, will you still stand for God.

Afflictions, Persecution, Rejections, Grief, Worry, can make you loose your salvation.

Thus why you must fight to maintain your salvation.

Romans 8:35.

What shall separate me from the love of Christ. Tribulations, distress, Persecution, famine, nakedness, peril.

If you have never been hit by a heavy storm. Just watch out, one will come your way to determine whether you are still saved or not.

Matthew 14:30.

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and began to sink, he cried saying, Lord save me.

Never rely on other sources of Power during the time of your storm. Just continue to look up on God else you loose your salvation.

3. Love for Money

Godliness with Contentment is great gain. Be informed of what money can do. Because the love for money is the root for evil.

Many Christian have lost their Salvation as a result of the love for money.

Money can make you lie.

Money can make you steal

Money can make you fight

Money can make you fornicate. Etc

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is the root of all evil.

Becareful you don't allow money to control you, because have enough can make you fell you have control of salvation.

ACT 8:18-20

When Simon saw them laying of hands he offered them money. Saying give me this power. But peter rebuke him. Thou as thought the gift of God can be purchased with money.

Becareful not to allow money to control you because it can make you loose your salvation.

4. Your Believe

The Religion of many people have fought the lives of many people to loose their salvation. There are people who where once in a certain religious group before becoming Christians.

So their way and method of belief differs. People who should believe in God no more believe in God.

They do not believe in Jesus Christ

They do not believe in Hell

They do not believe in love

They do not believe in Heaven

They do not believe in the Bible.

Becareful what you believe in since you became a Christian.

John 3:16-17

16 For God so Loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that who so ever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life

17 For God send his son not to conderm the world but the world through Jesus we might be saved.

Today! There are so many good people in the world preparing themselves to one day be in heaven. Yet being a good person Becomes in vain without knowing Jesus.

Look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. Shallom.

5. Satan

Satan him self will fight your salvation. Since you were once a slave of Satan. He will never give up on you to still rest in your salvation. Satan is Spirit and operates in full course but not a caricature you will ever see.

Exodus 15:9

And the Enemy said: I will pursue, I will over take, I will divide their spoil. My lust shall be satisfied upon them. I will draw my sword. My hand shall destroy them.

Satan is not in a human form like us. But you can identify Satan's works by what he does.

Galatians 5:18-21

For the works of the Flesh are Aldultery, fornication, uncleaniness, laciviousness, idolaters, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulition, strive, wrath, heresies, envy, murderer, drunkenness, revelling and the like.

All this are works of Satan that you must be ready to cast out of your life.

Revelation 12:9

Satan which deceiveth the whole as been cast out from heaven.

12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven. Now is come salvation

Satan keeps fighting our salvation. Be watchful to cast him out of your life.

This is the Point to Note

For all this Fight to come in the way of the believer.

Paul wrote to Timothy and said.

1 Timothy 6:12

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling

And

Phillipians 2:12

Fight a good fight of Faith and lay hold to eternal life

Why Was Paul Contending we Work out our Salvation. Because We must Aim for Perfection (Holiness) which is the standard of God.

1Peter 1:5 As God is Holy. You too be Holy.

Hebrews 12:14 Says: without Holiness no man can see God

1 Timothy 6:11 Says: Follow after Righteousness

Matthew 6:33 Says: Seek the Righteousness of God.

In Conclusion

If you think Once saved is forever saved. Or you think the Finished work of Jesus in the Cross is a mean for not living a Righteous life. The This scripture from today should put you on the larm light

MATTHEW 24:13

He who Endure to the End shall be Saved.

Until you are saved at the End in Holiness and Righteousness you are not saved today in your Filtiness of Sin.

God Bless You All.

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fixaidea · 8 years ago

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Two o’clock This was one of those nights. All he could do was tossing and turning and listening to the frantic beat of his heart. He wanted to scream and run for it… But there was no way out of this.

He rolled on his side and curled up. He hated these fits of panic whenever one got him, he’d be out of his head all day. He was about to give in to the nonsensical fear when he heard a noise. The door was creaking and then came a soft scuffling from the bedside table. He pulled a face and asked, without even turning around: - Ali? The scuffling stopped. - I didn’t mean to wake you… Say, Tony, do you have any of those valerian pills left? Well, that’s a bit too much, isn’t it? He’s been disturbed while struggling with the Final Questions of Life and what for? Some stupid pills! Ah, well… What could one expect of a University student? - ‘Tis up in the first drawer – he grumbled and curled into a tight ball. Silence. Some more silence, then: - Are you all right? That’s it! A student in arts of all people should know that this is about the most pointless, empty and hypocritical question ever posed. Everyone knows that the one and only acceptable answer would be ‘Yeah, I’m fine, thanks!’ But not tonight, oh no! Tonight he was fed up with the world, with everything but most of all with Ali; so he decided, for this one time, to answer frankly. He whirled around and glared at his cotenant. - Well if you must know, I gonna die and I’m not exactly happy about it! Exactly as he expected, the boy gave a yep of shock. - Dear God, Tony, are you sick? Little idiot. Anton looked up directly into those big eyes. Worried, ignorant child… - No, Ali, I’m perfectly healthy. None the less I’m going to die and, believe it or not, so are you. He reckoned the boy would stand there in awkward silence for a while and then bug off at last, but this time he was wrong. Ali smiled a sad, gentle little smile. He sat on the edge of the bed and stroke Anton’s arm. The older man didn’t wince as he used to. They shared a flat for over half a year and he was getting used to the young one’s odd habits, like the way he liked to touch the one he was talking to. - Oh, dear… Are you so afraid of it? - Aren’t you? The boy shook his head. - Liar! – Anton was close to spiting the other in the eye – Liar! Have you ever tried to imagine it? Have you? Laying in the dark for eternity? How long is eternity?! – His heart was beating so hard it hurt, he was covered in cold sweat – How does it feel not to exist? How does it feel… not to feel, eh?! – He was sitting bolt upright now, shaking Ali by the shoulders. The boy looked at him with scared, bewildered eyes. - Hush, Tony, please! Calm down! Please! Anton was gently pushed back into the bed then Ali lay beside him on the top of the cover. That was one of his little ways: he himself loved to be hugged and had assumed that others shared his taste in this. At first Anton had found it really cheesy and irritating but now it felt blessedly good. - You know… - he heard the youth whisper – I don’t want to die either. Not because I’m afraid, but because I love to live. I don’t picture death the way you do. - Thought so… God gonna protect you of the nasty Nothingness, eh? You gonna be a good little boy and go to Heaven? Right? Ali gave this some thought. At least he was probably thinking, because if he’d got hurt, he would have left without a word. When he finally spoke his voice was soft and pensive. - I don’t know if there’s such place as Heaven or Hell… But I’m sure the spirit doesn’t die with the body. Anton leant on his elbow and stared at the other. With his long hair, bright, big eyes, thick, flannel pyjamas the boy looked like an oversized doll. Poor, naïve, innocent creature! How many times will he run his head against the wall, get used and betrayed before he understands the ways of life? - Ali – he whispered in a tender voice as if he was comforting a child with terminal illness – There’s no such thing as a ‘spirit’. There is no God. The declaration didn’t have the effect he was expecting. Ali didn’t crumble and ran away, bawling. Instead, he also leant on his elbow and eyed the other with interest. - How’d you prove that? Anton was taken aback. So that creature’s going to argue? But this was so… obvious. - Tell me – he asked at last – does this world look ordered and just? Does it look as if someone had created it? - I’ve never said I like this world the way it is, I wasn’t talking about that. - Right. Tell me then, why can’t the biologists find your ‘soul’? Ali pulled a face. - Even I don’t picture the soul as some sort of bubble inside the body… - So? Where is it and how does it live on? The thing that controls you is your brain and it stops operating after death. - I don’t think that all the deeds, feelings and personality of a human being are determined solely by a bunch of purposefully working hormones and nerves… Of course, all of these are needed to run an organism, but these are, so to speak, not the point. - Now, what would make you think that? - Well, all of these give logical and necessary responses to various impulses, don’t they? Now, a human is a most illogical creature, he does lots of useless and unnecessary things that have nothing to do with neither reproduction nor survival. What’s the use of art? Or – he snapped his fingers – this? Why did I do that? What made me snap right here and now? Which nervous centre felt the need of this and for what? Anton of course wasn’t convinced, but he liked the young one’s train of thoughts all the same. Besides he was grateful for the sudden scientific change in the topic of the conversation. The voice and presence of the boy calmed him and he was now regretting his former outburst. - And of course - the young man went on – There are lots of things in nature that we can’t explain. - Yet. - Maybe. Where would you put ghosts and near-death experiences? - Ghosts? Get some strange natural phenomenon such as unusual lights, wind or some exceptionally deep sound, add a bunch of credulous morons and you’re in for a haunting experience. As for near-death experiences… Strange dreams, but dreams none the less. People have heard that they’re supposed to see these sorts of things that they themselves begin to see them. - But both of these must have started somewhere! They must have some kind of base! All the same, anyway, I wasn’t going to talk about that. I have some friends from the Biology faculty, they told me about this… Tell me, how much do you remember the periodic table? - Well… more or less. - Fine. Can you place the carbon? Roughly? Good. So, as we’ve learnt back in elementary school the carbon has four little ‘arms’ and thus can form four bonds. - Yes, I remember as much. - Splendid. Now, that characteristic and the fact that it’s relatively small enables it to form complex organic molecules. - Yeah. Carbon is the base of life. That’s clear. - But this isn’t supposed to be like that at all! – Ali was getting enthusiastic – According to my friends the carbon’s supposed to have only two ‘arms’ and two other electrons that can’t form bonds. That isn’t good for the carbon. (Then they said something about energy levels…) So, point is, that if the carbon invests some energy and transforms into the ‘four armed’ form it sinks to a lower energy level, which is good for it. But to do this, it needs that little extra energy. - Ah. But you keep referring to the carbon as if it was a person or what… It can’t chose to do things, it’s just an atom. Ali’s face lit up as if this was exactly what he wanted to hear. - See? That’s the point! The carbon can’t think or calculate it just *is*. We’ve also learnt, right, that all process in nature seeks to pass off by using the least energy. To invest energy to reach a state that’s much better for you, you must think ahead, what, we know, the carbon can’t do. After all… this could be a strange but useless phenomenon… But, you see, this is the base of life. Anton still wasn’t about to convert but now he was really enjoying the conversation. He found the topic very interesting and was positively surprised by Ali. He’d usually seen the boy buried in abstract philosophical or linguistic books and hadn’t expected such a scientific reasoning of him. He would have liked to go on with the discussion but he realise that now the boy wasn’t only shivering out of excitement. - Aren’t you cold? – After all, you can’t tell a young adult to go to bed or he’s gonna catch cold… Ali got the point, patted Anton’s arm – as if to say ‘good night’ – and was gone. Anton kept on staring at the door behind which he’d disappeared for some time. He’ll be fine for a while now and then… We’ll see. Sooner or later we’re all going to see anyway. Of course this discussion didn’t shake his world concept but had, beyond sense and logic, kindled a small spark of hope. The hope that some day Ali will face him and, with a triumphant smile tells him: I’ve told you so!

#fixa writes #can't remember if I uploaded this here or no #old and needs a re-write #I'm just fleeing ship #from deva #fixa wites #ali #anton

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pamphletstoinspire · 5 years ago

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The Feast of the Ascension.

by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876

“And the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God.”–Mark xvi, 19.

The various feasts which we, as children of the Church, are called upon to celebrate throughout the year, invite us to consider, with special attention, and, as it were, to behold in spirit the mysteries of which that tender Mother makes mention herself, in so solemn a manner to us all.

This is particularly so on the festival of today, which commemorates the Ascension of Christ into heaven. We gaze with the disciples into the cloudless sky as if we fain would pierce the secrets of the celestial realm beyond, and witness the entrance of Christ therein. Then the thought arises within us: “O happy Apostles! chosen to behold the Ascension of the Lord; would that we could know the feelings which filled your hearts when you saw Him surrounded by a luminous cloud, disappear from view.”

Beloved in Christ Jesus, I will tell you: Unspeakable longing after heaven took possession of them when they beheld their beloved Master enter therein. The same longing should also fill our heart. O Mary, Queen of heaven, obtain for us that same longing which animated your immaculate heart, to follow your divine Son to the abode of eternal bliss. I speak in the most holy name of Jesus for the greater honor and glory of God.

As I have already said, the feelings of the disciples, as they stood gazing upon Jesus as he faded from their view, were concentrated in one ardent desire for heaven, to be and remain with him there forever. Yes; and so also would we have felt had we been present on Mount Olivet with Mary, the Apostles and disciples, when Christ raised Himself from the ground, blessed them, and, soaring aloft, was seen no more.

“Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking up to heaven?” was the question put to them by the Angels; and, my brethren, had I been present, I would have said: “O dear Angels, how can you ask? for, while the favored few, whom Christ selected to witness His wondrous ascension, did certainly congratulate Jesus upon entering His eternal home, they also sighed, from their very hearts, ‘O that we, too, could leave this earth, to be and remain with our beloved Saviour in heaven.'”

This ardent desire is the more important because it is the fundamental condition without which we can not follow the admonition contained in the succeeding words spoken by the angelic messengers: “This Jesus, Who is taken up from you, so shall come again.” He will exact a rigid account from every man as to whether he has fulfilled that end for which God called him into existence, redeemed him, and permitted him to belong to the kingdom of His Church.

Upon the eve of His Ascension, Christ declared that He would send His disciples to the confines of the earth; and that they might be better enabled to proclaim His word, He would prepare them with the strength of the Holy Ghost. For only those who combat and conquer, who work for and with Jesus, who complete the work on earth for which God created them, and remain faithful, receive a beauteous crown in heaven.

Besides the strength God the Holy Ghost bestows, that divine Spirit also implants in the heart another disposition–a longing to accomplish something for God. This is confirmed by numerous examples of heroic actions, performed by those who, devoting their lives to sanctity, listened to and acted upon the inspirations of that divine Spirit. What wonderful things have been accomplished, even according to the testimony of our own experience, at the price of innumerable sacrifices and hardships, from the impulse and through the strength of this ardent desire! This has also its perfect application in the great affair of salvation.

Whoever meditates as he should upon heaven, feels strong enough to labor, to struggle, and to suffer for it, in faithful perseverance, unto the end. And what should be more easy than for every faithful child of the Church to excite in his heart this longing desire? Consider how many and what powerful motives there are to increase it therein! Let us devote some moments to these considerations; and with the divine blessing, even as the words fall from my lips, this desire for heaven will arise and increase in our hearts.

Behold, in spirit, Christ ascending to heaven, and say, within yourselves, Dear Jesus, where are you going? O beautiful country! how I sigh after thee. Here is the land of our exile; there, our eternal home. Here are hunger and thirst; there, an excess of delight. Here, lamentation and wailing; there, the security of bliss. Here is poverty and nakedness; there, the glorious vesture of heaven, decorated with the diamonds of merit, acquired by our good works upon earth. Here we have no lasting dwelling; there, when the Christian enters upon the reward of a well-spent life, he can exclaim: “Heaven is mine; all is mine; I enter the dwelling which Jesus prepared for me, and ascend a royal throne, whereon I will be crowned with a radiant diadem forever.”

Here there is a never-ceasing sound of wailing, as human hearts grow faint with the burden of sorrow; there, in heaven, the eternal Alleluia resounds, and never for one moment does the celestial music of angelic voices cease. Here is the labor; there, rest and quiet–the reward; and O what a reward! Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard; nor hath it ever entered into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for those who love Him. Here we must endure mortification and persecution; there, we shall enjoy a peace which passeth all understanding.

Here we are subject to temptations; there, no thought of evil can come. Here it is constant struggle; there, is the triumph attained. Here the world, and those who are of the world, strive only for the possession of creatures; there, the sole desire of the blessed is to see and possess God Himself in His infinite perfection and beatitude. Here a shadow rests upon our brightest hours,– the thought of the impending separation from our loved ones by death; there, neither sorrow nor death can enter; and the union among the blessed and with God will be eternal.

Blessed Egidius! when we think of these striking contrasts, we can not wonder that the very mention of heaven–“Paradise”–threw your soul into an ecstatic state, while your ardent desire after its joys raised your body from the ground as if your spirit longed to soar.

Yes, beautiful Heaven! the ardent desire of my heart, who will give me wings like a dove, to fly from this valley of tears, and rest on the mountain of bliss? But this necessitates labor, struggling, suffering. And what, beloved in Christ, will make this suffering light? what but this ardent desire of heaven!

See the laborer as he goes forth to his daily toil, willing to endure all, and leave himself no rest, for he knows that the more diligently he works, the greater will be his gain. And daily experience proves, that it is the same in every walk of life; yet how poor and trifling, how infinitely small, is the richest guerdon which the world can give compared to the reward which awaits us in heaven for every meritorious' work performed by us on earth. How worthless should the world's rewards appear when we think how soon they pass away! How infinitely great should we deem the ones which never, never end! How brave and determined the warrior who knows that, if he return from the conflict with the laurel wreath of victory, his fortune is assured! How willingly he risks that life, which is to him so precious, for the hope of a possible reward. How bravely, therefore, my dearest Christians, should not you be able to combat, having in view the hope of Heaven– the crown of eternal victory!

Men have borne, with the greatest patience, the most painful operations, with a view to saving life or limb. Strive, therefore, to bear with patience the sorrows and trials of earth, to save your immortal souls. Oh, let us never forget the heaven which may be all our own! Let us think of it, not only while we celebrate this glorious festival, but long after it has passed away, that we may so live that, when we close our eyes to earthly things, we may, without delay, ascend to that bright and glorious home to dwell with Christ in Heaven for evermore. Amen.

“They going forth preached every-where, and the Lord working withal, confirming the word with signs that followed.”–Mark xvi, 20.

Jesus had entered into glory, and still the disciples remained spell-bound, gazing after Him with irrepressible yearning to follow Him to that heavenly home, whither He went to prepare a dwelling for the souls He had redeemed.

Suddenly, as the Evangelist St. Luke relates, there appeared to the Apostles two Angels clad in white robes of golden glory, who thus addressed them: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, as you have seen Him going into heaven.” This is the explanation of the above: “As surely as you have witnessed the departure of your blessed Saviour, so surely will He come again. He will come not in His humiliation, but in the full splendor of His incomparable Majesty, to you, as well as to the whole world.”

Jesus raised Himself on high and entered heaven as Conqueror over death and hell; and once again He will come, not as Reconciler, but as Judge. Can we endure the penetrating glance of His all-seeing eye; that eye which will, as it were, search into the very marrow of our souls? It depends very much upon ourselves. If we have during life been disposed as were the disciples on Mount Olivet on Ascension-day, there will be no terror for us in the coming of Christ at the end of the world.

O Mary, Queen of angels, to whom it was granted to be assumed body and soul into heaven, and to sit enthroned at the right hand of your divine Son, bless and protect us, that we may one day behold the bliss of heaven! I speak in the most holy name of Jesus, for the greater honor of God!

Deep in the human heart there lingers sweet hope of ascending at last to heaven. There is scarce a sinner, be he ever so abandoned, that does not cherish the hope that by some unlooked-for grace he will behold his glorified Saviour. It is true that sincere, even if tardy, repentance can win forgiveness for any crime, no matter how great; yet we must not expect to be called by wonderful ways; but, to insure to ourselves the eventual possession of that exquisite bliss, we must, during our whole lives, look up to heaven with affections similar to those of the disciples as they looked after Jesus when He soared aloft beyond the skies. It was, above all, the wish to enter heaven with Him which animated them when they, after He had disappeared from their view, stood spellbound, looking up as if they could still behold His beloved face. I have already touched upon this disposition of ardent desire, but after the address of the angels there were other affections which deeply moved their hearts.

First, they congratulated Jesus upon His entrance into glory. In proportion to the compassion with which His humiliation and bitter sufferings had inspired them, they now rejoiced; and repressing their grief at His departure, felicitated Him upon having ascended to heaven. They stood upon Mount Olivet, that spot so rich in sacred memories,–that spot where the agony of the Son of God forced blood from His pores. Their feet touched the ground once moistened by that precious blood; and with these thoughts welling up in their hearts, they might well exclaim: “According to the afflictions of my heart, consolations have rejoiced my soul.”

The disciples rejoiced with Jesus, especially at the assurance He gave them: “I go to prepare for you a lasting dwelling,” and now they perceived more clearly than ever the grand and majestic character of the happiness which had been conferred upon them, of beholding the incarnate Son of God,–that happiness after which Abraham and the prophets had so ardently longed,–yet which they were not permitted to enjoy, with the exception of Moses and Elias.

They now understood the favor which had been meted out to them, and blessed the Saviour that they had received from His lips the word of salvation; that they had walked by His side, and had had constant personal intercourse with Him. They thanked Him with the most intense fervor of heart for their call to the true faith, and for their election, according to the Saviour's promise, to proclaim the word of life to the very extremities of the earth, and to distribute to the children of men the treasures of the Redemption, by propagating the true Church to which had been bequeathed such fruitful means of salvation.

And it was not merely sensible affections of the heart which so deeply moved them; for they, at the same time, made firm resolutions, with the assistance of divine grace, to fulfill their calling faithfully, and to obey the precept which had been given them, to await at Jerusalem, in prayer, the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete. And this, my brethren, should be the disposition of our hearts upon this glorious day.

Let us exult and praise the Lord for His Majesty; for if we love Jesus more than ourselves, we should rejoice at His Ascension to such a kingdom of delight. What exultation must expand the heart of the Christian who really loves Him, as he recalls today the words of the psalm which prophetically describes the Ascension of Christ: “Be ye lifted up, O eternal gates, for the King of Glory approaches!” and behold in spirit the myriads of Angels coming from heaven to meet Him, entoning the Alleluia of victory before the Lord.

We should also imitate the Apostles and disciples in their gratitude; for if we reflect that we have been called to the true faith through no merit of our own, while the souls of millions who might have responded more fully to the grace of God, and availed themselves more frequently of the means provided by Him to help us on our heavenward way, are left in the darkness of error. What cause for thankfulness is the certainty that we are on the right path to salvation, and that if we really wish to attain it, we can do so through Jesus Christ our Lord. We should also thank God that we, as children of the true Church, may lead other souls thereto, and thus propagate His kingdom. There is no other way to heaven than that which Jesus trod, the way of struggle, labor, and toil,–of self-denial, mortification, and tears–no other way, in short, than the royal road of the holy cross.

But heaven is worth it all, and when well nigh fainting in the conflict, the Christian should think of the Saviour, Who, in His painful walk to Calvary, faltered and fell three times; and, taking courage, exclaim with St. Paul: “I can do all in Him who strengthens me.” The same Holy Ghost, promised and sent by Christ to His Apostles and disciples; He has, according to St. John, promised to us also; and He will send Him if we, by zealous and fervent prayer, prepare our hearts for His reception. The Apostles and their companions at Jerusalem did so. And after that happy event they immediately ordained deacons for the service of the Church, that they might themselves have more time for prayer and union with God.

Let us, then, beloved in Christ, imitate their example, by an increase of zeal in prayer, as we celebrate this festive day. Let us, in spirit, place ourselves in their midst, and imagine the deep emotion with which we would have fallen at the feet of Christ and embraced them, had we been witnesses of this happy meeting between Him and His holy Mother, and faithful friends. With what ardor we would have implored Him to remember us before His Father in heaven, and promised to do His holy will in all things, that we might one day follow Him to the realms of everlasting bliss.

If we possess these affections, and fulfill the resolutions arising therefrom; if we think constantly of heaven, and live only for it, then most assuredly will we courageously combat those enemies who would fain deprive us of its celestial joys; and having borne the cross on earth, we shall wear an eternal crown above. Amen!

FEAST OF THE ASCENSION by Fr. Prosper Gueranger 1870 The sun of the fortieth day has risen in all his splendor. The earth, which shook with gladness at the Birth of our Emmanuel (Ps. xcv. xcvi. xcvii.), now thrills with a strange emotion. The divine series of the mysteries of the Man-God is about to close. Heaven has caught up the joy of earth. The Angelic Choirs are preparing to receive their promised King, and their Princes stand at the Gates, that they may open them when the signal is given of the mighty Conqueror's approach (Ibid. xxiii. 7). The holy souls, that were liberated from Limbo on the morning of the Resurrection, are hovering round Jerusalem, waiting for the happy moment when Heaven's gate, closed by Adam's sin, shall be thrown open, and they shall enter in company with their Redeemer: a few hours more, and then to Heaven! Meanwhile, our Risen Jesus has to visit His Disciples and bid them farewell, for they are to be left, for some years longer, in this vale of tears.

They are in the Cenacle, impatiently awaiting His coming. Suddenly He appears in their midst. Of the Mother's joy, who would dare to speak? As to the Disciples and the holy Women, they fall down and affectionately adore the Master, Who has come to take His leave of them. He deigns to sit down to table with them; He even condescends to eat with them, not, indeed, to give them proof of His Resurrection, for He knows that they have no further doubts of the mystery, but now that He is about to sit at the right hand of the Father, He would give them this endearing mark of familiarity. O admirable repast! in which Mary, for the last time in this world, is seated side by side with her Jesus, and in which the Church, (represented by the Disciples and the holy Women,) is honored by the visible presidency of her Head and Spouse.

What tongue could describe the respect, the recollected mien, the attention of the guests? With what love must they not have riveted their eyes on the dear Master? They long to hear him speak; his parting words will be so treasured! He does not keep them long in suspense; He speaks, but his language is not what they perhaps expected it to be, all affection. He begins by reminding them of the incredulity wherewith they heard of His Resurrection (St. Mark, xvi. 14). He is going to entrust His Apostles with the most sublime mission ever given to man; He would, therefore, prepare them for it by humbling them. A few days hence, and they are to be lights of the world; the world must believe what they preach, believe it on their word, believe it without having seen, believe what the Apostles alone have seen. It is by Faith that man approaches His God: they themselves were once without it, and Jesus would have them now express their sorrow for their former incredulity, and thus base their Apostolate on humility.

Then assuming a tone of authority, such as none but a God could take, He says to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not, shall be condemned (Ibid. xvi. 15, 16). And how shall they accomplish this mission of preaching the Gospel to the whole world? how shall they persuade men to believe their word? By Miracles. And these signs, continues Jesus, shall follow them that believe: in My name, they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover (St. Mark, svi. 17, 18). He would have Miracles to be the foundation of his Church, just as He had made them the argument of His own divine mission. The suspension of the laws of nature proves to us that it is God Who speaks; we must receive the word, and humbly believe it.

Here, then, we have men unknown to the world and devoid of every human means, and yet commissioned to conquer the earth and make it acknowledge Jesus as its King! The world ignores their very existence. Tiberius, who sits on the imperial throne, trembling at every shadow of conspiracy, little suspects that there is being prepared an expedition which is to conquer the Roman Empire. But these warriors must have their armour, and the armour must be of heaven's own tempering. Jesus tells them that they are to receive it a few days hence. Stay, says He, in the city, till ye be endued with power from on high (St. Lluke, xxiv. 49). But what is this armour? Jesus explains it to them. He reminds them of the Father's promise, that promise, says He, which ye have heard by my mouth: for John, indeed, baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence (Acts, i. 4, 5).

But the hour of separation is come. Jesus rises: His blessed Mother, and the hundred and twenty persons assembled there, prepare to follow Him. The Cenacle is situated on Mount Sion, which is one of the two hills within the walls of Jerusalem. The holy group traverses the city, making for the eastern Gate, which opens on the Valley of Josaphat. It is the last time that Jesus walks through the faithless City. He is invisible to the eyes of the people who denied Him, but visible to His Disciples, and goes before them, as, heretofore, the pillar of fire led on the Israelites. How beautiful and imposing a sight! Mary, the Disciples, and the holy Women, accompanying Jesus in His Heaven-ward journey, which is to lead Him to the right hand of His Eternal Father! It was commemorated in the Middle-Ages by a solemn Procession before the Mass of Ascension Day. What happy times were those, when Christians took delight in honouring every action of our Redeemer! They could not be satisfied, as we are, with a few vague notions, which can produce nothing but an equally vague devotion.

They reflected on the thoughts which Mary must have had during these last moments of her Son's presence. They used to ask themselves, which of the two sentiments were uppermost in her maternal heart, sadness, that she was to see her Jesus no more? or joy, that He was now going to enter into the glory He so infinitely deserved? The answer was soon found: had not Jesus said to His Disciples: If ye loved me, ye would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father (St. John, xiv. 28)? Now, who loved Jesus as Mary did? The Mother's heart, then, was full of joy at parting with Him. How was she to think of herself, when there was question of the triumph of her Son and her God? Could she that had witnessed the scene of Calvary do less than desire to see Him glorified, Whom she knew to be the Sovereign Lord of all things, Him Whom, but a short time ago, she had seen rejected by His people, blasphemed, and dying the most ignominious and cruel of deaths?

The holy group has traversed the Valley of Josaphat; it has crossed the brook Cedron, and is moving onwards to Mount Olivet. What recollections would crowd on the mind! This torrent, of which Jesus had drunk on the day of His humiliation, is now the path He takes to triumph and glory. The Royal Prophet had foretold it (Ps. cix. 7). On their left, are the Garden and Cave, where He suffered His Agony and accepted the bitter Chalice of His Passion. After having come as far as what St. Luke calls the distance of the journey allowed to the Jews on a sabbath-day (Acts, i. 12), they are close to Bethania, that favoured village, where Jesus used to accept hospitality at the hands of Lazarus and his two Sisters. This part of Mount Olivet commands a view of Jerusalem. The sight of its Temple and Palaces makes the Disciples proud of their earthly city: they have forgotten the curse uttered against her; they seem to have forgotten, too, that Jesus has just made them citizens and conquerors of the whole world. They begin to dream of the earthly grandeur of Jerusalem, and, turning to their Divine Master, they venture to ask him this question: Lord, wilt thou, at this time, restore again the kingdom to Israel (Acts, i. 6)?

Jesus answers them with a tone of severity: It is not for you to know the times or moments which the Father hath put in His own power (Ibid. 7). These words do not destroy the hope that Jerusalem is to be restored by the Christian Israel; but, as this is not to happen till the world is drawing towards its end, there is nothing that requires our Saviour's revealing the secret. What ought to be uppermost in the mind of the Disciples, is the conversion of the pagan world, the establishing the Church. Jesus reminds them of the mission He has just given to them: Ye shall receive, says He, the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts, i. 8).

According to a tradition, which has been handed down from the earliest ages of Christianity (Constit. Apost., lib. v. cap. xix), it is mid-day, the same hour that He had been raised up, when nailed to His Cross. Giving His Blessed Mother a look of filial affection, and another of fond farewell to the rest of the group that stand around him, Jesus raises up His hands and blesses them all. Whilst thus blessing them, He is raised up from the ground whereon He stands, and ascends into heaven (St. Luke, xxiv. 51). Their eyes follow Him, until a cloud comes and receives Him out of their sight (Acts, i. 9).

Yes, Jesus is gone! The earth has lost her Emmanuel! For four thousand years had He been expected: the Patriarchs and Prophets had desired His coming with all the fervour of their souls: He came: His love made Him our captive in the chaste womb of the Virgin of Nazareth. It was there He first received our adorations. Nine months after, the Blessed Mother offered Him to our joyous love in the Stable at Bethlehem. We followed Him into Egypt; we returned with Him; we dwelt with Him at Nazareth. When He began the three years of His public Life, we kept close to His steps; We delighted in being near Him, we listened to His preaching and parables, we saw His miracles. The malice of His enemies reached its height, and the time came wherein He was to give us the last and grandest proof of the love that had brought Him from heaven, His dying for us on a Cross; we kept near Him as He died, and our souls were purified by the Blood that flowed from His Wounds. On the third day, He rose again from His Grave, and we stood by exulting in His triumph over Death, for that triumph won for us a like Resurrection. During the Forty days He has deigned to spend with us since His Resurrection, our faith has made us cling to Him: we would fain have kept Him with us forever, but the hour is come; He has left us; yes, our dearest Jesus is gone! O happy the souls that He had taken from Limbo! they have gone with Him, and, for all eternity, are to enjoy the heaven of His visible presence.

The Disciples are still steadfastly looking up towards heaven, when lo! two angels, clad in white robes, appear to them, saying: Ye men of Galilee! why stand ye looking up to heaven? This Jesus, Who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as ye have seen Him going into heaven (Acts, i. 10, 11)! He has ascended, a Saviour; He is to return, as Judge; between these two events is comprised the whole life of the Church on earth. We are therefore living under the reign of Jesus as our Saviour, for He has said: God sent not His Son into the world to Judge the world, but that the world might be Saved by Him (St. Joh, iii. 17): and to carry out this merciful design He has just been giving to His Disciples the mission to go throughout the whole world, and invite men, whilst yet there is time, to accept the mystery of Salvation.

What a task is this He imposes on the Apostles! and now that they are to begin their work, He leaves them! They return from Mount Olivet, and Jesus is not with them! And yet, they are not sad; they have Mary to console them; her unselfish generosity is their model, and well do they learn the lesson.

They love Jesus; they rejoice at the thought of His having entered into His rest. They went back into Jerusalem with great joy (St. Luke, xxiv. 52). These few simple words of the Gospel indicate the spirit of this admirable Feast of the Ascension: it is a Festival, which, notwithstanding its soft tinge of sadness, is, more than any other, expressive of joy and triumph. During its Octave, we will endeavour to describe its mystery and magnificence: we would only observe, for the present, that this Solemnity is the completion of the Mysteries of our Redemption; that it is one of those which were instituted by the Apostles (St. Augustine, EP. ad Januar); and finally, that it has impressed a character of sacredness on the Thursday of each week, the day already so highly honoured by the institution of the Eucharist.

We have alluded to the Procession, whereby our Catholic forefathers used, on this Feast, to celebrate the journey of Jesus and His Disciples to Mount Olivet. Another custom observed on the Ascension, was the solemn blessing given to bread and to the new fruits: it was commemorative of the farewell repast taken by Jesus in the Cenacle. Let us imitate the piety of the Ages of Faith, when Christians loved to honour the very least of our Saviour's actions, and, so to speak, make them their own, by thus interweaving the minutest details of His Life into their own. What earnest reality of love and adoration was given to our Jesus in those olden times, when His being Sovereign Lord and Redeemer was the ruling principle of both individual and social life! Now-a-days, we may follow the principle, as fervently as we please, in the privacy of our own consciences, or, at most, in our own homes; but publicly, and when we are before the World, no! To say nothing of the evil results of this modern limitation of Jesus' rights as our King, what could be more sacrilegiously unjust to Him Who deserves our whole service, everywhere and at all times? The Angels said to the Apostles: This Jesus shall come, as ye have seen Him going into heaven: happy we, if, during His absence, we shall have so unreservedly loved and served Him, as to be able to meet Him with confidence when He comes to judge us!

FEAST OF THE ASCENSION by Fr. Raphael Frassinetti, 1900

Gospel. Mark xvi. 14 – 20. At that time as the eleven were at the table, Jesus appeared to them, and upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart: because they did not believe them who had seen Him after He was risen again. And He said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues: they shall take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover. And the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God. But they going forth preached everywhere, the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.

After Our Lord had consoled the Apostles by appearing to them at different times, and by wishing them peace, He declared at last that He was about to leave this world and ascend to heaven “to prepare a place for them.”

On this day, for the last time, He came to visit the Apostles. He promised to send them the divine Spirit, the Spirit of strength and wisdom. He said that the time had arrived for Him to go from them to remain in the enjoyment of His peace. He raised His hands, blessed them, and took leave of them all, as well as of His dear Mother. He then conducted them to the Mount of Olives. There they listened to His words, with their eyes fixed upon Him, when suddenly He was raised above them; higher and higher still He was borne, until a light cloud withdrew Him from their sight. While they were beholding Him going up to heaven, suddenly two angels stood by them, who said, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven?” This same Jesus whom you have just seen ascending into heaven will return again at the end of the world to judge mankind. He will then appear in the same form in which you have just seen Him. You ought then, my dear young friends, joyfully do all that He has commanded you before He left you, that you may be well received by Him on His return. The disciples fell to the ground and adored their Lord and Master, and then returned to Jerusalem; where they retired to a quiet place, and remained in prayer until the coming of the Holy Ghost.

My dear young people, who can imagine the great triumph with which the King of glory was received on His entrance into heaven. The whole court of heaven was there, ready to meet its Master and Creator. All came forward to make their submission to the great Conqueror of the world and the devil, who has returned in triumph. These good souls must have been in an ecstasy of joy when they saw the great Hero; they looked with wonder on those wounds, which shone like stars. As He entered heaven they joined Him singing hymns and canticles to the great glory of God; then they conducted Him to His throne in heaven, where He sits at the right hand of His Father.

Our Lord, my dear young friends, left this world and ascended into heaven, to prepare a place for us; we had lost heaven, but He regained it for us. He again opened heaven to us, that pleasant, happy place, which will be our home for all eternity. As long as we live on this earth, we shall have to suffer many evils, sickness, and, finally, death, but in heaven we shall have everything; riches, happiness, enjoyment; we shall be inebriated with torrents of delight. The angels will be our companions, the saints will be there, and Mary and Jesus, too. We shall enjoy the happiness that God gives; we shall see God's omnipotence, with which He created heaven and earth; we shall see His wisdom and providence, by which all created things are governed; we shall see all the perfections and attributes of God clearly. We shall then see the Son of God in the Godhead, and Jesus in His divine person. We shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. We shall see God in the splendor of His glory on a throne of majesty; the centre and source of all the joy and brightness of heaven. If one little drop of that heavenly joy should fall from heaven into hell, it would sweeten the dreadful pains that are felt there.

But, my dear young friends, remember that if you wish to attain the possession of this happiness and to reign with Jesus, you must not look for your heaven here on this earth; those who enjoy this world will hardly enjoy heaven. Many wish to give full sway to their passions here, and then expect to have the reward of heaven also. But they are foolish, for if they indulge their passions here in this world, they defile their souls, and cannot enter heaven. If you want to get to heaven, keep the law of God, keep the commandments of the Church, observe the laws of the state, and you will have a right to its joys.

Not only should we observe the commandments of God, but we must also join to it the imitation of Jesus Christ if we wish to possess the place which He has prepared for us in heaven. My dear children, Jesus Christ is the model that is set before us and we must imitate Him just as the artist does who has a model before him; he marks the outlines, and then faithfully follows every lineament, every particular feature with the most scrupulous exactness. Have you so far endeavored to model your lives on that of Jesus Christ? “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,” so that those who see you will say, “this is a faithful imitator of the divine Master.” It is easy to recognize the original and the faithful copy.

Jesus, my dear young people, is the lily of the valley, the immaculate Lamb. Here is a very important virtue. Do you possess that scrupulous purity of thought and action which renders man like the angels? Jesus was obedient, obedient even unto death. What are the inclinations which most young people follow? They are disobedient and rebellious, independent and loving liberty; they are constantly looking for pleasure, so that life loses the necessary seriousness which belongs to it. What a difference between their life and that of Christ! Your whole effort, my dear children, should be to imitate Jesus in the purity of His life, in His obedience to the divine will, and His respect for authority. Lead a mortified life, joyfully accepting all the trials you may meet with here on this earth, and then shall come true as St. Paul says, “As you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation.”

A young man once came to St. Jerome and said he desired to abandon the world, to follow Jesus and to imitate Him. He was rich. St. Jerome voluntarily accepted him among his disciples, but he took him aside and gave him a little instruction. First he said, “Son, our life is a very hard one, as you see; we have no shoes, our clothes are coarse, we have to bear the cold and the heat in our houses; to endure abuses and hard words from people and violent temptations from the devil. I know not whether you can endure all this; you seem to have been brought up tenderly and in luxury.” The young man answered, “Am I more delicate than Jesus was when He walked about without shoes, suffered hunger and thirst, cold and heat, many persecutions and at last death? He has promised to help me: had I twenty bodies I would sacrifice them all for His love.”

O, my dear young people, if you will reflect seriously but for a moment, you will see that the imitation of Jesus Christ is a necessity. “I have given you an example that as I have done to you, so you do also.” Jesus desires you all to be in paradise. Do you not wish to go there? Yes, certainly; everybody expects to go to heaven; it is the greatest insult even to intimate to your friend that there is a danger of his going to hell.

Do, then, as the Apostles did. When they saw Our Lord ascend and taken away from them their hearts followed Him because they had no interest except in the glory of Jesus and the spread of His kingdom on earth. They desired trials, torments, persecutions, even violent deaths in order to be the sooner with Christ. They disliked the world and all its vanities. Let us not put our love on the things of this earth; let us look up to heaven, where our home is. Let us suffer, let us labor hard, let us employ all our time in this life, and so deserve a heavenly reward.

#the ascension

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pamphletstoinspire · 6 years ago

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THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1876

“And the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God.”–Mark xvi, 19.

“They going forth preached every-where, and the Lord working withal, confirming the word with signs that followed.”–Mark xvi, 20.

We should also imitate the Apostles and disciples in their gratitude; for if we reflect that we have been called to the true faith through no merit of our own, while the souls of millions who might have responded more fully to the grace of God, and availed themselves more frequently of the means provided by Him to help us on our heavenward way, are left in the darkness of error. What cause for thankfulness is the certainty that we are on the right path to salvation, and that if we really wish to attain it, we can do so through Jesus Christ our Lord. We should also thank God that we, as children of the true Church, may lead other souls thereto, and thus propagate His kingdom. There is no other way to heaven than that which Jesus trod, the way of struggle, labor, and toil, – of self-denial, mortification, and tears–no other way, in short, than the royal road of the holy cross.

Feast of the Ascension by Fr. Prosper Gueranger 1870

The sun of the fortieth day has risen in all his splendor. The earth, which shook with gladness at the Birth of our Emmanuel (Ps. xcv. xcvi. xcvii.), now thrills with a strange emotion. The divine series of the mysteries of the Man-God is about to close. Heaven has caught up the joy of earth. The Angelic Choirs are preparing to receive their promised King, and their Princes stand at the Gates, that they may open them when the signal is given of the mighty Conqueror's approach (Ibid. xxiii. 7). The holy souls, that were liberated from Limbo on the morning of the Resurrection, are hovering round Jerusalem, waiting for the happy moment when Heaven's gate, closed by Adam's sin, shall be thrown open, and they shall enter in company with their Redeemer: a few hours more, and then to Heaven! Meanwhile, our Risen Jesus has to visit His Disciples and bid them farewell, for they are to be left, for some years longer, in this vale of tears.

FEAST OF THE ASCENSION by Fr. Raphael Frassinetti, 1900

From: www.pamphletstoinspire.com

#feast of the ascension of jesus

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pamphletstoinspire · 8 years ago

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Psalm 138 - Interpreted

Daily Plenary Indulgence

Per Vatican II, one of the ways to gain a daily plenary indulgence is to read Scripture for ½ hour per day. For Pamphlets to Inspire (PTI), the Scripture readings that inspire us the most are the Psalms. Reading the Psalms and understanding their meaning can sometimes be challenging. In an attempt to draw more individuals to not only read the Psalms, but to understand their meaning, PTI has found an analysis of their meaning by St. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine. The method that will be employed is to list the chapter and verse, and then provide an explanation of that verse. Your interest in this subject will determine how often we will chat about this topic. The Bible that will be used is the official Bible of the Catholic Church and used by the Vatican, that is, the Douay-Rheims or Latin Vulgate version.

God’s special providence over His servants.

1. Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me:

1. “Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me.” No explanation given.

2. Thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up.

2. “Thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up.” David, speaking not only for himself but for all mankind, asserts that God has a most intimate knowledge of us, and of everything connected with us. “Lord, thou hast proved me;” you have searched and examined me, for such is the meaning of the word in the Hebrew. Now, God is said to search and examine, in a metaphorical sense, because he wishes to have the most perfect and exact knowledge of everything, as he really has; and because they who wish for such perfect and complete knowledge of a matter, examine and inquire into it with the greatest diligence; and David, therefore, expresses himself in such manner, without, for a moment, supposing that God needs such inquiry or examination. The meaning, then, is: you are not content, O Lord, with a superficial knowledge of our affairs, but you would have an intimate a knowledge of them as they who search and examine; and, in point of fact, you have a most accurate knowledge of me. “Thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up.” He now enters into details of his general assertion, saying, you have known from eternity, when, where, and why I should sit and I should rise; and not only as regards the motions of my body, but also of my soul, when, where, and why I should be humbled or exalted. If God has such an intimate knowledge, then, of man in general, how much more so must not have been his knowledge of Christ, the head of men and angels; and it is, therefore, with great propriety that the Church uses these words in the Liturgy, on the feast of the Resurrection. “Thou hast known my sitting down, and by rising up.”

3. Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off: my path and my line thou hast searched out.

3. “Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off: my path and my line thou hast searched out.” He now tells us that God not only knows every downfall and every up rise connected with our whole life, but that he also knows in detail all our thoughts, all our counsels, everything that is to happen to us, or, perhaps, after having informed us that God knows everything connected with our exterior, our rise, or downfall, to wit, he now tells us that he is equally acquainted with our interior, meaning our thoughts and desires. “Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off;” you knew what my thoughts would turn upon before I began to think. “My path;” my progress and path through life, not only as far as my body is concerned, but also in regard of my soul which has strayed, and that through various doubts and difficulties; “and my line,” to what end I was likely to come, what inheritance I was to fall in for, what rest to secure, thou “hast searched out,” have been in full possession of. Briefly, you had, from eternity, a thorough knowledge of the motives, means, and end of all my actions.

4. And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue.

4. “And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue.” Having stated that God foresaw our thoughts, counsels, and actions, he now adds, that he also foresees all our other acts, however indifferent, such as our idle words; “for there is no speech in my tongue” that you have not foreseen. Hence the Lord assures us in the Gospel, that men will have to render account, on the day of judgment, of every idle word that falls from them; and it was in terror thereat that holy Job exclaimed, “thou, indeed, hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.” For God observes everything, weighs everything, then he may, in his own time, bring everything to judgment.

5. Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me.

5. “Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me.” He proves, by two arguments, that God knows everything that appertains to man: first, because he knows everything past and future; and it, therefore, should not be surprising if he had an intimate knowledge of everything connected with man, whose actions are not the least important among the daily events of life. Secondly, having created man, and being his sovereign Lord, there can be no doubt that he has a knowledge of everything connected with him. “Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old” – everything past and future. With that, “thou hast formed me,” created me in human shape; and when you did so make me you did not, like other workmen, lose sight of me, but thou “hast laid thy hand upon me,” to guide, support, and protect me; for, otherwise, I should have at once returned to the dust, from whence I sprang, or, rather, to my original nothingness.

6. Thy knowledge is become wonderful to me; it is high, and I cannot reach to it.

6. “Thy knowledge is become wonderful to me; it is high, and I cannot reach to it.” Having proved, by the two aforesaid arguments, that God’s knowledge extends to everything connected with man, lest anyone should suppose that we have, in consequence, come to complete and just notions of God’s knowledge, he adds the present verse, that we may understand that, however satisfied we may be of God’s knowledge being supreme, and extending to all things, still, that we are quite in the dark – that, in fact, we know nothing at all about it in detail; that is to say, that it is perfectly incomprehensible how God can foresee what is to happen, especially human acts, which man may do or not do as it pleases or suits him, such as all our thoughts, desires, which, and all our actions. The same applies to the essence and attributes of God. We know that he exists, that he is powerful, wise, good, just, and merciful, but who knows or who can explain his essence, or how, with so many attributes, he can be essentially one? He, therefore, says, “thy knowledge is become wonderful to me,” more wonderful than I can comprehend; such is the meaning of the phrase in the Hebrew; “it is high, and I cannot reach to it;” far beyond my capacity.

7. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy face?

7. “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy face?” No explanation given.

8. If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present.

8. “If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present.” No explanation given.

9. If I take my wings early in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea.

9. “If I take my wings early in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea.” No explanation given.

10. Even there also shall thy hand lead me; and thy right hand shall hold me.

10. “Even there also shall thy hand lead me; and thy right hand shall hold me.” He now adduces another argument to prove that no one can escape God’s ken, inasmuch as God is everywhere, penetrating everything. “Whither shall I go from thy spirit?” To hide myself from you, to escape from your mind or intelligence, “or whither shall I fly from your face?” From your eyes. “If I ascend into heaven,” to the very highest – “if I descend into hell,” to the depth of the abyss, the greatest possible distance from heaven – there, too, you are present. “If I take my wings early in the morning,” could I assume the wings of a bird, and fly all the day with the greatest rapidity, “and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,” so as to reach the other extremity of the world, I could not, even thus, escape from you; “for thy hand shall lead me and hold me;” because without God’s help we cannot stir, nor can we go along but as he carries us, for “in him we live, move, and have our being.”

11. And I said: Perhaps darkness shall cover me: and night shall be my light in my pleasures.

11. “And I said: perhaps darkness shall cover me: and night shall be my light in my pleasures.” No explanation given.

12. But darkness shall not be dark to thee: and night shall be light as the day: the darkness thereof, and the light thereof, are alike to thee.

12. “But darkness shall not be dark to thee; and night shall be light as the day: the darkness thereof, and the light thereof, are alike to thee.” He raises an objection to himself, saying it is possible to hide one’s self from God in the dark; and he answers it by saying such is not possible, because darkness ceases to be darkness with God, “for God is light,” as St. John asserts in his epistle; and he also asserts, “the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” For as the sun’s light cannot be obscured by darkness, because it dissipates all darkness by its presence – and wherever the sun is, there day is – so it is with the spiritual and increate light, God, that cannot be obstructed by any darkness, because its presence dissipates all darkness; and, thus, there is no hiding place left for man in which to hide himself from God’s all seeing eye. “And I said, perhaps, darkness shall cover me;” perhaps dense darkness may envelope me, and I may thus escape God’s eye, “and night shall be my light in my pleasures;” darkness will not cover you, because the very night will be turned into light, that they may be visible. The literal meaning, then, of the two verses is that the night, so naturally dark, will cease to be such with God; instead of being dark, it will “be my light in my pleasures,” will throw a light on and expose me, indulging in my sinful pleasures; for those who are devoted to impurity always seek the darkness of the night, when they think they can be seen by none, and thus commits sin with greater security; and hence the apostle says, “but they who sleep, sleep in the night; and they who are drunk, are drunk in the night, and he might have added, and they who abandon themselves “to chambering and impurities,” do so mostly in the night. But to no purpose, for the all seeing eye of God, brighter than the sun itself, penetrates all darkness, and there is nothing hidden from it. He repeats it, by way of confirmation. “But darkness shall not be darkness to thee, and night shall be light as the day.” The night, instead of being dark to you, will be as bright as the day.

13. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast protected me from my mother’s womb.

13. “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast protected me from my mother’s womb.” That God sees in the dark, and that nothing, however secret is hidden from him, the Prophet now proves, from the formation of our interior members, while still in the mother’s womb, where they are doubly hid; first, by reason of their being interior parts of the infant itself; secondly, by reason of that very infant being hidden in the mother’s womb. For thou “hast possessed my reins;” that day or night, light or darkness, is all the same to you, is evident from the fact of your having formed my reins, the most secret part of my body, and that even when my whole body lay concealed and covered in my mother’s womb.

14. I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully magnified: wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well.

14. “I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully magnified: wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well.” He now interrupts his narration of the formation of man, by an address to God, in admiration of the wisdom and knowledge displayed in the formation of man by God. “I will praise thee” when I reflect on these your works; I will render to you my tribute of praise, for “thou art fearfully magnified.” I am filled with terror through admiration and reverence for you – and he explains in what respect, when he says, “wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well.” Your creating man in his mother’s womb, in a place so hidden and obscure, is truly a most wonderful work, and I am fully alive to the greatness of such a work. We are not to infer that the latter part of this sentence implies a thorough knowledge of God’s works, it merely means that we know them to be great and wonderful. Thus, we neither see nor know the extent of the sea, yet we know it to be very extensive; and that from the mere fact of our not being able to take the whole of it in at a glance, from anyone given point. In like manner, though we cannot look directly on the sun, we know from that very fact that its light is intense.

15. My bone is not hidden from thee, which thou hast made in secret; and my substance in the lower parts of the earth.

15. “My bone is not hidden from thee, which thou hast made in secret; and my substance in the lower parts of the earth.” He returns to the knowledge and wisdom displayed by God in the formation of man. “My bone is not hidden from thee;” you know the use, object, arrangement, and structure of every bone in my body; no wonder you should, because thou “hast made” them all, and that “in secret,” enveloped in my own skin and flesh; and in addition to it, by my mother’s womb. “And my substance in the lower part of the earth;” a repetition of the former idea, with this addition, that my astonishing formation took place “in the lower parts of the earth,” where one would suppose I was so far removed from God’s handiwork. Anyone acquainted with the anatomy of the human frame cannot fail to be struck with astonishment at the wisdom of God, in the fabrication of so many bones, large ones, middling ones, small and minute ones, so marvelous by being connected with each other, and the whole thing accomplished in the smallest and obscurest possible place, without either tools or machinery.

16. Thy eyes did see my imperfect being, and in thy book all shall be written: days shall be formed, and no one in them.

16. “The eyes did see my imperfect being, and in thy book all shall be written: days shall be formed, and no one in them.” He goes further in showing the wisdom of God as displayed in the structure of the human frame. “My imperfect being,” means the embryo in the mother’s womb, before the formation of the bones, so as to be distinguished. “The eyes did see my imperfect being,” and they not only saw it, but they knew what was to come from it, what it was to turn into; and he tells why, when he says, “and in thy book all shall be written;” because you have, as it were, a book, as would a painter or a sculptor, containing copies or designs of all the works you may want to produce; “days shall be formed;” all these embryos will be formed from time to time, and brought to perfection, “and no one in them” will fail or fall short of the object of its creation; ordinarily speaking, no human being, conceived in the womb, will fail in coming to perfection, or will be found deficient in any of his natural members; and, when abortions occur, such as the being born blind, or with any other such defect, such does not happen through any deficiency in the first cause, it generally arises from secondary causes. All this may apply also to the perfection of man in respect to his soul, that is, in regard of his wisdom, prudence, moral virtues, grace, and glory. For the Lord knows our imperfect state, that, of ourselves, we are nothing but an unformed mass, but by reason of our being written in the book of life we are every other day formed and made more perfect, until we become “conformable to the image of the Son of God,” and “be made like to the body of his glory.” And it is on looking at such extraordinary perfection of body and soul, to which the favored of God are brought, out of so much imperfection, that makes the Prophet exclaim in the following verse,

17. But to me thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honorable: their principality is exceedingly strengthened.

17. “But to me thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honorable: their principality is exceedingly strengthened.” On reflecting from what a depth of imperfection God brings his friends to the very highest and most exalted perfection, thereby displaying his own providence in the management of human affairs, as if they were his own, in highly rewarding the good, and severely punishing the wicked, the Prophet now exclaims, in great surprise and admiration, “but to me,” with me, or in my opinion, “thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honorable;” they have been honored beyond my comprehension, for “their principality is exceedingly strengthened;” for they have been rescued from a mass of corruption, and from the bondage of the evil one, and translated to an everlasting kingdom, put on a level with the Angels, children and heirs of God, and brethren and coheirs of the only begotten, “whom he hath appointed heir of all things.”

18. I will number them, and they shall be multiplies above the sand: I rose up, and am still with thee.

18. “I will number them, and they shall be multiplied above the sand: I rose up, and am still with thee.” He now explains how, “their principality is exceedingly strengthened,” and says it arises from the wonderful propagation of it is so very short a time. And such was the fact because these principalities became so numerous, that St. John had to declare, “I saw a great crowd but no one could count, from all nations, tribes, and tongues;” as also, because after the Last Judgment all created things, the very demons as well as the reprobate, will be laid prostrate under the feet of the Saints, and will be subject to them. He, therefore, says, “I will number them; “I will endeavor to number them, I mean God’s friends, or if you will, the subjects of the principalities of those friends, and such will be the number of them that I will fail in it; “for they shall be multiplied above the sand,” will be more numerous than the grains of sand on the seashore. This, to be sure, is an exaggeration, but not unusual in the Scriptures; thus, the Lord said to Abraham, “I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth;” and again, “I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the seashore.” Having said so much, the Prophet now reverts to himself, and says that from having come to know the great glory of the Saints and friends of God, he, too was greatly moved to love him affectionately, and got the greatest desire of sharing in the same glory. “I rose up” – or rather as the Hebrew implies – I waked up to this new light, and rose up through love and desire of you, “and am still,” to the present moment, “with thee,” adhering to you, depending on you, with an earnest desire of final perseverance.

19. If thou wilt kill the wicked, O God: ye men of blood, depart from me.

19. “If thou wilt kill the wicked, O God: ye men of blood, depart from me.” No explanation given.

20. Because you say in thought: They shall receive thy cities in vain.

20. “Because you say in thought. They shall receive thy cities in vain.” Having said that the just, the friends of God, were exceedingly honored by God, and that he wished for a place among them, he now, on the contrary, asserts that the wicked, the enemies of God would be slain by his just judgment; and he repudiates any friendship or companionship with such people. “If thou wilt kill the wicked, O God.” If you, in justice, honor and exalt the virtuous, you will, with equal justice, reprobate the wicked, and condemn them to eternal punishment; and I, therefore, want to have nothing to say to them; and I, therefore, tell them, “ye men of blood depart from me;” which expression includes not only homicides, who shed human blood, but all other wicked and evil doers, who injure, or seek to injure others, or who slay their own souls by sin, or the souls of others by scandal; all of whom may be truly called homicides; for hatred may be called the mainspring of homicide; and thus St. John says, “who hateth his brother is a homicide.” – “Because you say in thoughts;” you think with yourselves, and say in your hearts, “they shall receive thy cities in vain.” The just shall receive the cities of God in vain, because they will shortly be deprived of them. This has reference to “their principality is exceedingly strengthened;” that is, widely propagated by the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith, and of sinners to justice; and as, in consequence thereof, many cities, that is, congregations, were rescued from the slavery of the demons, and the worship of idols, the wicked remnants of idolatry, envying the propagation of Christ’s kingdom, said in their hearts, “they shall receive thy cities in vain,” foolishly hoping that they would return to idolatry.

21. Have I not hated them, O Lord, that hated thee; and pined away because of thy enemies?

21. “Have I not hated them, O Lord, that hated thee; and pined away because of thy enemies?” No explanation given.

22. I have hated them with a perfect hatred: and they are become enemies to me.

22. “I have hated them with a perfect hatred: and they are become enemies to me.” It is no wonder that he who has his eyes fixed on God, and cleaves to him with his whole heart, should avow that he hated them who hated him, and then he should pine away with grief and sadness on beholding him so insulted by the wicked. And his hatred of them was intense; for it was “a perfect hatred,” consummate and irreconcilable, but applying to the sin, and not to the center; and he, therefore, observes, “and they are become enemies to me.” I was no enemy of theirs – for I merely sought to correct and reform them – but they became enemies to me by reason of my having so reproved and sought to reform them.

23. Prove me, O God, and know my heart: examine me, and know my paths.

23. “Prove me, O God, and know my heart: examine me, and know my paths.” No explanation given.

24. And see if there be in me the way of iniquity: and lead me in the eternal way.

24. “And see if there be in me the way of iniquity: and lead me in the eternal way.” He now implores of God to do what he said, in the beginning of the Psalm, God had already done; that is, to go on in the search of his heart and his ways, that is, of his thoughts, desires, progress, and conduct, with the view that if God “see if there be any of the way of iniquity in him,” he make take him at once out of such way, “and lead him in the eternal way;” that is, to reflect on, to desire, and to do everything that tends to eternal happiness.

End of Psalm 138

#psalm 138

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pamphletstoinspire · 8 years ago

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Psalm 147 (Continuation of Psalm 146) - Interpreted

Daily Plenary Indulgence

The church is called upon to praise God for His peculiar graces and favors to His people. In the Hebrew this psalm is joined to the foregoing.

12. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Sion.

12. “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Sion.” Jerusalem is a holy city, the more noble part of which is Mount Sion, with the temple of the Lord was built, and is often used to express the city itself; and, therefore, “praise the Lord, O Jerusalem,” and “praise thy God, O Sion,” signify one and the same thing. If it be referred to the Jerusalem above, nothing more appropriate could be applied to it; for in that heavenly city no one need be occupied in providing for their personal wants, or those of their neighbors, their being no poor, no needy, to be found therein, and can, therefore, devote their whole time, as they really do, in praising God. Most justly then, does he address the city, saying, “praise the Lord,” for you have nothing else to do; for you are specially bound thereto by reason of the signal favors he has conferred on you; and, finally, because it has been your great good fortune to get so close a view of the beauty and the excellence of the Lord. The Church, in her exile, should also praise the Lord; but the whole Church cannot, nor can the Church at all times to it, in the midst of the cares and troubles that frequently disturb her. And if the Church cannot accomplish it, much less can the synagogue.

13. Because he hath strengthened the bolts of thy gates: he hath blessed thy children within thee.

13. “Because he had strengthened the bolts of thy gates: he hath blessed thy children within thee.” The reason why Jerusalem should bless the Lord arises from the fact of his having conferred on her that abundance and security of which human happiness consists. Security, without abundance, is no better than poverty, and abundance, without security, is replete with fear and danger. God, therefore, so strengthened the bolts of the gates of Jerusalem that they could not possibly be stormed, and those inside are quite safe, inasmuch as no enemy can enter, no friend will be excluded; nothing bad can come in, nothing good will go out; and the divine blessing brought an abundance of all good things into this highly fortified city; for it was not a particular blessing that God gave to the holy city, but a general, an absolute one, to use the expression of the apostle, “who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.” These two things perfectly apply to the Jerusalem above, where the security is eternal, and the blessing consists in the enjoyment of the supreme good. They also apply, to a certain extent, to the Church in her exile, though not so entirely; “for the gates of hell will not prevail against her,” and she has many blessings within her; but, meanwhile, many wicked enter into her, and good revolt from her; she has the chaff mixed with the grain, the good with the bad fish, the kids with the lambs. There are other points of agreement also with the earthly Jerusalem, inasmuch as by reason of her being situated in the mountains, she appeared to be well fortified, and abounded, at one time, with inhabitants and with wealth; but, as she was more than one sacked and destroyed, it does not appear that the expression, “he hath strengthened the bolts of thy gates,” is quite applicable to her. One would rather say the expression in Lamentations 2 was, “her gates are sunk into the ground: he hath destroyed and broken her bars; and the bulwark hath moved; and the wall hath been destroyed together.” Nor was there such an abundance in the city at the same time, when we read, “they said to their mothers, where is corn and wine? when they fainted away as the wounded in the streets of the city, when they breathed out their souls in the bosoms of their mothers.”

14. Who hath placed peace in thy borders; and filleth thee with the fat of corn.

14. “Who hath placed peace in thy borders; and filleth thee with the fat of corn.” Not only is the holy city of Jerusalem highly fortified, but it is even exempt from the dangers of war, hence its name, Jerusalem, which signifies “the vision of peace,” and the first that attempted to disturb that peace was expelled with such violence as to cause the Lord to say, “I saw Satan as lightning falling from heaven.” “Who hath placed peace in thy borders;” who hath established universal peace through the length and breadth of Jerusalem. And further, not only does this city enjoy abundance, but even the most exquisite dainties, as conveyed in the expression, “the fat of corn;” and these without limit, as we can infer from the expression, “who filleth.” All this implies to our heavenly country in the strict sense of the words, for there alone will our inferior be in strict peace with our superior parts, and our superior parts with God; and there, too, will be strict peace between the citizens of all grades, high and low; for there will be one heart, one soul, and as the Lord expresses it, John 17, “made perfect in one.” There, too, “will all be filled with the fat of corn,” for truth and wisdom being the food of the soul, they will have actual truth as it is in itself, and not in figures or enigmas, and they will taste of the sweetness of the Word Eternal without being enveloped by the sacraments or the Scriptures; they will drink of the fountain of wisdom, instead of applying to the streams that flow from it, or to the “showers falling gently upon the earth.” They will be so filled that they will never again hunger nor thirst for all eternity. In the Church militant also, which, to a certain extent, is the Jerusalem, we have peace with God, though we, at the same time, suffer pressure from the world. We do what we can to keep the peace with all; but we are in the midst of those who hate peace, and, therefore, “combats without, fears within,” are never wanting, and though we may feed on “the fat of corn,” it is enveloped by too many coverings. We have the Word of God, but in the flesh; and though we eat of the flesh it is covered by the sacrament. We drink of the waters of wisdom, but it is from the shower of the Scriptures, and we are, therefore, never so satiated with those blessings as to make out happiness consist in hungering and thirsting for more. Much less applicable is all this to the earthly Jerusalem, the old synagogue of the Jews, to which it was applicable in a figurative sense only.

15. Who sendeth forth his speech to the earth: his word runneth swiftly.

15. “Who sendeth forth his speech to the earth: his word runneth swiftly.” Having exhorted the holy city to thank God for the favors conferred on itself, he now exhorts it to praise God for the favors conferred on other nations, from which they may learn how much more liberal he has been in their regard. He, therefore, exhorts them to praise that God, “who sendeth forth his speech to the earth,” who issues the precepts and decrees of his providence to the whole world; and “his word runneth quickly;” such precepts and decrees are borne with the greatest expedition to all created beings, penetrate all things, and are put into immediate execution. These words explain the order of divine providence that extends itself to everything, and that with the greatest velocity because God is everywhere “upholding all things by the word of his power,” Hebrews 1; and “reaches from end to end mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly,” Wisdom 8. Hence, David says, in Psalm 118, “all things serve thee.”

16. Who giveth snow like wool; scattereth mists like ashes.

16. “Who giveth snow like wool; scattereth mists like ashes.” No explanation given.

17. He sendeth his crystal like morsels: who shall stand before the face of his cold?

17. “He sendeth his crystal like morsels: who shall stand before the face of his cold?” From God’s universal providence he now takes up one particular effect of it, in which the admirable power and wisdom of God are most conspicuous, and for which he deserves merited praise, even from the citizens above, exempt as they are from such changes. The wonderful effects of God’s power and wisdom, which, however, are most familiar and visible to us all, are to be found in his creation of heat and cold in the air. In certain countries, snow, frost, and ice will so abound, at certain times, that lakes, rivers, and even seas will become so congealed, that wagons, heavily laden, will be carried over them, as they would through so many roads or fields. The ice becomes so hard that bars of iron will hardly break it; and yet, God, let it pleaseth him, by a simple change in the wind, in one instant causes all to melt, and streams of water flow down from the housetops, from the hills, and the mountains. Thus, God, in one moment, converts the extreme cold into a most agreeable warmth. To enter into particulars. “Who giveth snow like wool;” who rains down snow in such abundance, that every flake of it looks like flocks of wool, not only by reason of its whiteness, but also of its size. “Scattereth mists like ashes;” raises mists so dense, that they seem more like a cloud of ashes then a vapor. “He sendeth his crystal like morsels;” who congeals the water when forming it into hail, so as to appear in small crystals like crumbs of bread. “Who shall stand before the face of his cold?” An apostrophe of the Prophet in admiration of God’s great power in producing so much cold; as much as to say, who can stand or bear so much cold?

18. He shall send out his word, and shall melt them: his wind shall blow, and the waters shall run.

18. “He shall send out his word, and shall melt them:, his wind shall blow, and the waters shall run.” Having described the extreme cold caused by the snow, frost, and ice, he now shows with what ease and celerity God causes them all to disappear. “He shall send out his word,” his simple command, “and shall melt them,” the snow, frost, and ice, and, at once, the cold disappears; and he explains how simply God effects that, when he adds, “His wind shall blow, and the waters shall run;” at his command the wind shifts to the south, causing the snow and the ice to thaw, and thus converting them into water.

19. Who declareth his word to Jacob; his justices and his judgments to Israel.

19. “Who declareth his word to Jacob; his justice and his judgments to Israel.” No explanation given.

20. He hath not done in like manner to every nation: and his judgments he hath not made manifest to them. Alleluia.

20. “He hath not done in like manner to every nation: and his judgments he hath not made manifest to them. Alleluia.” He concludes by showing how differently God, in his providence, deals with his own people, and with other nations, because he instructed other nations, merely by natural causes and effects, so as to know their Creator through the things created by him; but he taught his own people through the prophets. “Who declareth his word to Jacob;” that is to say, Jerusalem praise that Lord, “who declared his word to his people Jacob,” by speaking to them through Moses, and the prophets, and who pointed out “his justice and his judgments to Israel,” through the same Moses, to whom he gave the law, in order to hand it over to his people of Israel, and from it you will be able to understand “that he hath not done in like manner to every nation,” because to you alone, and to none others, “hath he made manifest his judgments,” meaning his laws. All this applies literally to the Jerusalem on earth, to whom God sent his prophets to announce his words, and explain his laws; but it is much more applicable to the spiritual Jerusalem, the Church, that received the incarnate word of God himself, through the preaching of the apostles, and learned a much more sublime law, judgments and justifications. It is more applicable, again, to the Jerusalem above, to which God openly announces is word; and in his word all its inhabitants behold the judgments of God, the order, disposition, and secrets of his divine providence, that to us are a great abyss.

End of Psalm 147

#psalm 147

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