>> A READING FROM THE LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO THE ROMANS. BROTHERS AND SISTERS: I AM SPEAKING IN HUMAN TERMS BECAUSE OF THE WEAKNESS OF YOUR NATURE. FOR JUST AS YOU PRESENTED THE PARTS OF YOUR BODIES AS SLAVES TO IMPURITY AND TO LAWLESSNESS FOR LAWLESSNESS, SO NOW PRESENT THEM AS SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR SANCTIFICATION. FOR WHEN YOU WERE SLAVES OF SIN, YOU WERE FREE FROM RIGHTEOUSNESS. BUT WHAT PROFIT DID YOU GET THEN FROM THE THINGS OF WHICH YOU ARE NOW ASHAMED? FOR THE END OF THOSE THINGS IS DEATH. BUT NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN FREED FROM SIN AND HAVE BECOME SLAVES OF GOD, THE BENEFIT THAT YOU HAVE LEADS TO SANCTIFICATION, AND ITS END IS ETERNAL LIFE. FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. ♪ VERBUM DOMINI ♪ >> ♪ DEO GRATIAS ♪ >> BLESSED ARE THEY WHO HOPE IN THE LORD. >> BLESSED ARE THEY WHO HOPE IN THE LORD. >> BLESSED THE MAN WHO FOLLOWS NOT THE COUNSEL OF THE WICKED NOR WALKS IN THE WAY OF SINNERS, NOR SITS IN THE COMPANY OF THE INSOLENT, BUT DELIGHTS IN THE LAW OF THE LORD AND MEDITATES ON HIS LAW DAY AND NIGHT. >> BLESSED ARE THEY WHO HOPE IN THE LORD. >> HE IS LIKE A TREE PLANTED NEAR RUNNING WATER, THAT YIELDS ITS FRUIT IN DUE SEASON, AND WHOSE LEAVES NEVER FADE. WHATEVER HE DOES, PROSPERS. >> BLESSED ARE THEY WHO HOPE IN THE LORD. >> NOT SO THE WICKED, NOT SO; THEY ARE LIKE CHAFF WHICH THE WIND DRIVES AWAY. FOR THE LORD WATCHES OVER THE WAY OF THE JUST, BUT THE WAY OF THE WICKED VANISHES. >> BLESSED ARE THEY WHO HOPE IN THE LORD. (ORGAN) >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ I CONSIDER ALL THINGS SO MUCH RUBBISH THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST AND BE FOUND IN HIM ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ DOMINUS VOBISCUM ♪ >> ♪ ET CUM SPIRITU TUO ♪ >> ♪ LECTIO SANCTI EVANGELII SECUNDUM LUCAM ♪ >> ♪ GLORIA TIBI, DOMINE ♪ >> JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES: I HAVE COME TO SET THE EARTH ON FIRE, AND HOW I WISH IT WERE ALREADY BLAZING! THERE IS A BAPTISM WITH WHICH I MUST BE BAPTIZED, AND HOW GREAT IS MY ANGUISH UNTIL IT IS ACCOMPLISHED! DO YOU THINK THAT I HAVE COME TO ESTABLISH PEACE ON THE EARTH? NO, I TELL YOU, BUT RATHER DIVISION. FROM NOW ON A HOUSEHOLD OF FIVE WILL BE DIVIDED, THREE AGAINST TWO AND TWO AGAINST THREE; A FATHER WILL BE DIVIDED AGAINST HIS SON AND A SON AGAINST HIS FATHER, A MOTHER AGAINST HER DAUGHTER AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, A MOTHER IN LAW AGAINST HER DAUGHTER IN LAW AND A DAUGHTER IN LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER IN LAW. ♪ VERBUM DOMINI ♪ >> ♪ LAUS TIBI, CHRISTE ♪ >> I HAVE COME TO SET THE EARTH ON FIRE AND HOW I WISH IT WERE ALREADY BLAZING. THERE'S A BAPTISM WITH WHICH I MUST BE BAPTIZED, AND HOW GREAT IS MY ANGUISH UNTIL IT IS ACCOMPLISHED. WHEN WORDS LIKE FIRE, 3RD, WATER, ETC. ARE USED IN SACRED SCRIPTURE THERE IS ALWAYS A DEEPER MEANING BEHIND THOSE WORDS. WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY SETTING THE EARTH ON FIRE? FIRE CAN DO MANY THINGS. FIRE CAN DESTROY. FIRE CAN HEAT UP ELEMENTS. WHEN WE GET NEAR TO A SCORCHING FIRE WE IMMEDIATELY FEEL ITS EFFECTS WE DRAW NEAR TO A FIRE. WE END UP BACKING AWAY UNLESS YOU ARE CURIOUS CHILD. MAYBE WE HAVE BEEN BURNED BY FIRE OR SOMETHING HOT LIKE A STOVE AND WE FEEL ITS EFFECTS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND THEY LEAVE A LASTING EFFECT AND EVEN A BURN. MAYBE WE HAVE NOT BEEN BURNED PHYSICALLY, OUTWARDLY BY A FIRE, BUT PERHAPS WE HAVE BEEN BURNED BY ANOTHER PERSON. WE'VE ALL HAD THESE TYPES OF BURNS IN OUR LIVES. MAYBE NOT A 1ST, 2ND OR 3RD ° BURN ON A SKIN, PHYSICALLY BY A FIRE, BUT THE BURN WE EXPERIENCE FROM REJECTION, ISOLATION, MANIPULATION, LYING, BULLYING, AND MAYBE EVEN THE INFIDELITY OF MARRIAGE AND THE WORST FORM OF ABUSE, SEXUAL ABUSE BY ANOTHER PERSON. THESE TYPES OF BURNS LEAVE SCARS AND EFFECTS FAR WORSE THAN ANY PHYSICAL BURN. FAR WORSE THAN FIRE MIGHT GOUGE US OR LEAVE US SCARRED ON OUR SKIN. THESE BURNS ALSO THESE INVISIBLE WOUNDS, BURNS, BURNS TO OUR SOUL, TO OUR PSYCHE, TO OUR PERSON OUR INNER PERSON NEED TO BE HEALED AS WELL EVEN MORE SO. TO BE BROUGHT NEAR TO THE HEALING FIRE THE DIVINE LOVE OF GOD. PHYSICAL BURNS HEALED SLOWLY OVER TIME AND THERE IS A PROCESS OF CARE FOR PROPER HEALING OF A BURN TO THE SKIN. THE OTHER TYPES OF WOUNDS TAKE MUCH LONGER AND A LOT MORE PATIENCE. BUT GOD IS INFINITELY PATIENT IN DEALING WITH US, AND BINDING OUR WOUNDS AS THE PROPHET EZEKIEL SAYS IN CHAPTER 37. HE BINDS OUR WOUNDS. HE HEALS OUR WOUNDS. WE NEED TO BE PATIENT. IT IS HARD. WE WANT WOUNDS ESPECIALLY INTERIOR WOUNDS TO BE HEALED IMMEDIATELY BUT OFTEN TIMES IT IS A GRADUAL PROCESS. FIRE ALSO HAS THE CAPACITY TO PURIFY. WHEN WE PLACE A PIECE OF IRON AND IT IS PUT INTO A FURNACE, THE IRON IS HEATED UP TO A POINT WHERE THE IRON CAN BE MOLDED AND SHAPED. BUT WITHOUT FIRE, WITHOUT FIRE WHEN WE PUT A PIECE OF IRON INTO A COLD FURNACE IT IS NOT GOING TO DO VERY MUCH BUT WE NEED THAT FIRE IN ORDER FOR THE IRON TO BE HEATED UP TO A POINT IT CAN BE SHAPED AND POUNDED. AND MOLDED. WITHOUT THE FIRE THAT IRON IS COLD AND IMMOVABLE. AND IT IS THE SAME WITH US. APPLY THIS ANALOGY TO HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS IN OUR LIVES. THE FIRE OF GOD'S LOVE. WHEN WE ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TAKE POSSESSION OF OUR HEARTS THERE ARE MANY IMPERFECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE PURIFIED BY GOD'S LOVE. THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS TO LIGHT THE IMPERFECTIONS AND IMPURITIES OF OUR LIFE THE WEAKNESSES OF OUR LIFE. JUST LIKE WHEN METAL IS PUT INTO A CAULDRON AND IT IS CHANGED. IT IS LIQUEFIED. IMPURITIES GO TO THE TOP LIKE WITH GOLD OR SILVER THEY WANT TO GET ALL OF THE IMPURITIES OUT. 1ST. BEFORE THEN IT IS MOLDED AND SHAPED. COUNTLESS TIMES IN SACRED SCRIPTURE THE IMAGE OF FIRE IS USED FOR PURIFICATION. PURIFICATION FROM WHAT? PURIFICATION FROM OURSELVES. PURIFICATION FROM WEAKNESSES FROM OUR SINS. SANCTIFYING GRACE, THE LIFE OF GOD WITHIN US, AND OUR OWN SINFULNESS AND WEAKNESSES CANNOT COEXIST. ONE MUST GO. GRACE BUILDS ON NATURE. GRACE THE FIRE OF GOD'S LOVE, GOD'S LIFE, IT ELEVATES HUMAN NATURE AND HELPS US TO OVERCOME OURSELVES. OUR SINFULNESS. IT HELPS US TO SEE EVEN THOSE IMPERFECTIONS IN OUR LIVES THAT WE NEED TO LET GO OF WITH THE HELP OF GOD. AND BY COOPERATION WITH THIS PROCESS AND AGAIN THIS IS OFTEN A VERY PAINFUL PATIENT PROCESS BUT GOD IS INFINITELY PATIENT WITH US. IT TAKES COOPERATION WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES THAT THE PURIFYING FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TAKES POSSESSION OF OUR HEARTS. A TRUE POSSESSION. NOT A DEMONIC POSSESSION THAT IS UGLY AND NASTY. BUT A TRUE POSSESSION WHERE GOD TAKES RESIDENCE WITHIN US WITHIN OUR HEARTS. THE LORD DESIRES THAT OUR HEARTS BE ON FIRE. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES OBSERVE THE LAW BUT WITHOUT THE LOVE OF GOD IN THEIR HEARTS. GOD THE SON BECAME FLESH IN ORDER TO SHOW US THE PERFECTION OF CHARITY. A PHARISEE ASKED JESUS, TEACHER WHAT IS THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT IN THE LAW? AND HE SAID TO HIM, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL OF YOUR MIND. THIS IS THE GREATEST AND 1ST COMMANDMENT. AND THE 2ND IS LIKE IT. YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. WE CANNOT HAVE PROPER LOVE OF NEIGHBOR LESS WE HAVE A PROPER LOVE OF OURSELVES. THAT IS OURSELVES ROOTED IN GOD. AND HOW GOD SEES US. AND JESUS SAYS, ON THESE 2 COMMANDMENTS DEPEND ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. WHAT IMAGE DO YOU THINK OF IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WHEN YOU THINK OF FIRE? PERHAPS MOSES. APPROACHING THE BURNING BUSH. THE UN CONSUMING FIRE. THE FIRE WAS NOT CONSUMED. IF YOU WOULD SET FIRE TO A BUSH I GUARANTEE THAT BUSH WOULD BE CONSUMED VERY QUICKLY. THE UNCONSUMED BURNING BUSH TEACHES US ABOUT THE FIRE OF GOD'S LOVE. GOD CAME IN CHRIST TO REVEAL THE FATHER'S LOVE AND TO SEND US THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SET OUR HEARTS ON FIRE. THE UNCONSUMED BURNING BUSH POINTS TO WHAT GOD DESIRES TO DO WITHIN EACH 1 OF OUR HEARTS. BY DRAWING NEAR TO THE FIRE OF GOD'S LOVE WE ARE PURIFIED AND OUR WOUNDS ARE HEALED. JESUS SAYS, I HAVE COME TO SET THE EARTH ON FIRE AND HOW I WISH YOU WERE ALREADY BLAZING. THERE IS A BAPTISM WITH WHICH I MUST BE BAPTIZED AND HOW GREAT MY ANGUISH IS UNTIL IT IS ACCOMPLISHED. WHEN DID OUR LORD SAY, IT IS ACCOMPLISHED.? 1ST OF ALL HOW GREAT IS MY ANGUISH UNTIL IT IS ACCOMPLISHED. BUT WHEN, WHEN DID HE SAY IT IS ACCOMPLISHED? ON THE CROSS. ON THE CROSS. IT IS ACCOMPLISHED. ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY DURING HIS CRUCIFIXION. THIS IS PERHAPS THE GREATEST MOMENT OF ALL HISTORY. ON THE CROSS. IT IS ACCOMPLISHED. IT IS FINISHED. IT WAS ON THE CROSS BEFORE OUR LORD'S DEATH WHERE THE GREATEST OUTPOURING OF THE HEART OF GOD FLOWED. AND ALL OF THEIR SERMONS AND HEALINGS OF OUR LORD POINTED TO WHAT HE WOULD SAY AND DO ON THE CROSS. EVERYTHING THAT THE LORD SAID DURING HIS PUBLIC LIFE. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. ALL OF HIS TEACHING ALL OF HIS PARABLES ALL OF HIS HEALINGS POINTS TO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO AND DOES DO FROM THE CROSS. FROM HIS HEART ON THE CROSS. THE CROSS WAS THE LORD'S MOST POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE PULPIT AND ITS POWER AND FIRE STILL REACH US TODAY. THEN CARDINAL RATZINGER BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED POPE SAID, IN THE PIERCED HEART OF THE CRUCIFIED, GOD'S OWN HEART IS OPENED UP. HERE WE SEE WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE IS LIKE. HEAVEN IS NO LONGER LOCKED UP. GOD HAS STEPPED OUT OF HIS HIDDENESS. THAT IS WHY ST. JOHN SUMS UP BOTH THE MEANING OF THE CROSS AND THE NATURE OF THE NEW WORSHIP OF GOD AND THE MYSTERIOUS PROMISE MADE THROUGH THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH. CHAPTER 12:10. THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED. FROM THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH. THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED. FROM THE CROSS WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE EXPRESSION OR SAID THE EXPRESSION, THAT SPOKE TO MY HEART OR THEY SPOKE FROM THE HEART. THAT SPOKE TO ME FROM THE HEART. THAT IS TRUE FOR US. HOW MUCH MORE TRUE IS IT FOR THE GOD MAN SPEAKING, PRAYING, OFFERING HIS LIFE FOR US TO THE FATHER ON THE CROSS? IF WE OURSELVES DO THAT HOW MUCH MORE GOD THE SON FROM THE CROSS? THINK ABOUT THAT. JESUS ON THE CROSS. IN HIS OWN HEART IS SAYING TO THE FATHER AND TO THOSE GATHERED UNDERNEATH, THINGS LIKE FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO. WOMAN BEHOLD THY SON. SON BEHOLD THY MOTHER. IT IS ACCOMPLISHED. FATHER INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT. THESE ARE WORDS THAT OUR LORD SPOKE FROM THE CROSS. TO THE FATHER. GREATER LOVE HAS NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS. OUR LORD SAID THESE WORDS IN THE CONTEXT OF HIS PROMISE OF THE SENDING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AND THESE ARE HIS WORDS FROM JOHN'S GOSPEL CHAPTER 14. IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU WILL KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. AND I WILL PRAY THE FATHER AND HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COUNSELOR TO BE WITH YOU FOREVER. EVEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, WHOM THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE BECAUSE IT NEITHER SEES HIM NOR KNOWS HIM, YOU KNOW HIM AND HE DWELLS IN YOU AND HE WILL BE WITH YOU. I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU DESOLATE. I WILL COME TO YOU. YET A LITTLE WHILE, AND THE WORLD WILL NO LONGER SEE ME BUT YOU WILL SEE ME BECAUSE I LIVE AND YOU WILL LIVE ALSO. IN THAT DAY YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM IN THE FATHER AND YOU IN ME AND I IN YOU HE WHO HAS MY COMMANDMENTS AND KEEPS THEM HE IT IS WHO LOVES ME AND HE WHO LOVES ME WILL BE LOVED BY MY FATHER AND I WILL LOVE HIM AND MANIFEST MYSELF TO HIM. OUR LORD'S WORDS TO US. HIS PROMISE TO US. THAT HE WILL NOT LEAVE US DESOLATE. HE WILL NOT LEAVE US ALONE. THAT HE IS ABIDING WITHIN US. THE POWER OF THE CROSS IS MADE KNOWN TO US AND HIS SACRED HEART STILL BEATS FOR US IN THE SACRAMENTS. MOST OF ALL IN THE SACRAMENT OF HIS BODY AND BLOOD IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST. WE APPROACH THE FIRE OF GOD'S DIVINE LOVE, THAT HEALING BALM THAT HE WANTS TO CONVEY TO US. THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN IS WHERE WE COME CLOSEST TO THE IMMENSE LOVE OF GOD IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST, IN THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR. IN HIS MOST PRECIOUS BODY BLOOD SOUL AND DIVINITY THAT HE HAS GIVEN TO US FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD.
