The Meditation

The Third Sunday in Great Lent March 4th, 2018 A.D.

Jesus Casting Out a Devil Illumination from the Tres Riches Heurs du Duc de Berry

An Illuminated Book of Hours – France – 1412/16 On the Gospel for the day

2.

The Introit for The Third Sunday in Great Lent

Mine eyes are ever looking unto the Lord, for he shall pluck my feet out

of the net; turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate

and in misery. (Psalm 25)

Lord have pity on me

Our Lenten disciplines and self-denials have started to take hold on our daily doings, as we

enter into the third week of Great Lent, and we may feel like crying out along with the Psalmist:

“Have mercy upon me. O Lord, for I am weak: O Lord, heal me. My bones are vexed and my

soul is sorely troubled.” (Psalm 6, Vs.).

The person who know themselves, will know their own weaknesses. They know by

experience, that in spite of good resolutions, they will still commit the same faults and even sins.

It’s a fact that shouldn’t astonish nor trouble us, or more so, discourage us. Actually, it should

humble us before God and make us trust in Him even more; for after all, it is He who sanctifies

us; we don’t sanctify ourselves, by ourselves. We must learn the art of profiting by our faults,

for then we will make rapid strides toward the perfection we seek.

Self-knowledge is as difficult as it is necessary. It’s very easy for us to see the speck of dust

that is in our neighbor’s eye, but difficult to see that log in our own! (Ref: Matt.; Chap. 7, Vs. 3)

Unless one admits that they are sick and in need of God’s healing, they will never attain the

higher degrees of perfection and closer union with God.

Self-knowledge lies at the base of all virtue, because it is the source of humility, without

which no one can approach God or receive His grace. It is slowly born in us by the

contemplation of God’s greatness and by our own nothingness. The one for whom God is, as he

was for St. Francis of Asissi, the most High, the most Holy, the All-good, from whom all that is

good comes and without whom nothing good exists, will be able to pray along with him: “Who

art thou, Lord, and who am I? Thou art my God and my all. I am a poor sinner, an earthworm,

your servant.”*

St. Bernard of Clairvaux says that there are many who have great knowledge of a multitude of

things, but do not know themselves; they look at others, but never at themselves. Let me repeat:

There are many who have great knowledge of a multitude of things, but do not know

themselves; they look at others, but never at themselves.

He writes to a pope, no less, warning him: “Look first at yourself; do not neglect yourself or

your care for others will be of no use. He who considers himself, his conduct towards God and

his neighbor, his innermost feelings and desires, his yearning for pleasure and his horror of

sacrifice and effort, the attraction that evil has for him and his sluggishness in all that is good,

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even if his given word obliges him to strive after what is best, realizes his spiritual misery and

sees that of himself he can do nothing good.” **

They would no longer be astonished to hear St. Paul say: “For we know that the law is

spiritual: but I am a thing of flesh and blood, sold into the slavery of sin. My own actions

bewilder me; what I do is not what I wish to do, but something which I hate. Why then, if what I

do is something I have no wish to do, I thereby admit that the law is worthy of all honor;

meanwhile, my action does not come from me, but from the sinful principal that dwells within

me. Of this, I am certain, that no principle of good dwells in me, that is, in my natural self;

praiseworthy intentions are always ready to hand, but I cannot find my way to the performance

of them; it is not the good my will prefers, but the evil my will disapproves, that I may find myself

doing.” (Romans; Chap. 7, Vss. 14-19).***

Is it not the struggle between good and evil without and within, and the lack of success

despite our good will that makes of our lives a tragedy? Are we all not sick? Do we not all need

God’s mercy? Must we not say along with the great Apostle: “O wretched man that I am! Who

shall deliver me from the body of this nature doomed to death? I thank God through Jesus Christ

our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God.” (Ibid: Vss. 24 & 25.)

It is in Jesus Christ that all our hope is based. We know that we shall triumph eventually by

the power of the Cross of our Lord. It will free us from the body of this death, and from all of our

sinful lusts, and make us heirs of God, co-heirs of Christ, free to share in the “glorious liberty of

the children of God.” (Romans; Chap. 8, Vs. 21). We’ll never be discouraged by our faults and

our daily imperfections if we trust, not to our own strength, but to Almighty God’s mercy and

His compassion for our weakness.

We are saved by hope. St. Paul tells us: “We are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not

hope: for what a man seeeth, why doeth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that which we see

not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans: Chap. 8, Vss 24 & 25). If we lose hope we

fall into the abyss of despair. Despair is a great sin in and of itself, for it begets many more and

dangerous, even fatal sins. God forbid we should be like Cain and say: “Guilt like mine is too

great to find forgiveness.” (Genesis: Chap 4, Vs. 13.)**** Discouragement comes either from

exaggeration of our own weakness or lack of trust in God’s mercy – or both. The struggle will

continue, but no defeat will be irrevocable. “I can do all things through Christ which

strengtheneth me.” (Philippians; Chap. 4, Vs. 13).

Let us praise our Blessed Lord, whose mercy is eternal; for He has said that great sins are

forgiven to those who greatly love Him. Better that we were to die than to offend Him

deliberately, but if we fall may we lose everything rather than our hope and trust in Him.

Teach us to hate sin O Lord, Jesus, but like all true penitents, may we strive all the more

through hope and trust, to show our love for thee!

4.

Meditation Notes:

*Excerpted from the Daily Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

**Excerpt from: Die Consideratione (Treatiese on Consideration) written by St. Bernard of Clairvaux

c. 1150 to Pope Eugene III. Interesting reading for all clergy ought to take to heart.

*** Excerpt taken from: The Old Testament & The New Testament in English translated from the

Latin Vulgate by Msgr. Ronald Knox for better clarity.

**** Excerpt taken from same source for better clarity.

Priory Kalendar For the week of:

March 4th to March 11th - A.D. 2018

In Great Lent

Sunday, March 4th . . . . . . Third Sunday in Great Lent Comm. St. Casmir; K. &Conf. - 15th cent. Poland

Monday, March 5th . . . Lenten feria - Monthly Requiem suggested (Mass & Office)…….Lenten Fast Day

Tuesday, March 6th . . Sts. Perpetua & Felicity & Comp.; Vir. & Myr- 3rd cent…..Lenten Fast Day

Wednesday, March 7th . . St. Thomas Aquinas; Doct. & Conf. O.P. 13th cent. … Fast & Abstinence

Thursday, March 8th. . . St. John of God; Conf. & founder of Hospitallers.…...Lenten Fast Day

Friday, March 9th . . . . . St. Francis of Rome; Wid. & Foundress of Oblates of Tor di Specchi

Benedictine Oblates – 15th cent Rome…………………………. Fast & Abstinence

Saturday, March 10th . . Forty Holy Martyrs; 4th cent Armenia…………...…..Lenten Fast Day

Sunday, March 11th . . Fourth Sunday in Great Lent (Laetare or Refreshment Sunday) Also known as “Mothering Sunday”.

Daylight Saving Time Begins …Clocks spring ahead……….

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March 4th March 7th March 9th

St. Casmir of Poland St. Thomas Aquinas St. Frances of Rome

KALENDAR KEY:

Abt. = Abbot, Abs. = Abbess, Abp = Archbishop, Anc. = Anchorite, Ancs. = Anchoress, Ap. = Apostle, Bl. = Blessed, Br. = Brother, Bp. = Bishop, Card. = Cardinal,

C. or Conf. = Confessor, Comm. = Commemoration/Commemorate, Dcn. = Deacon, Doct. = Doctor of the Church, Ev. = Evangelist, H. = Hermit, LBr. = Lay Brother, LSr. = Lay Sister,

K. = King, Mat. = Matron, M. = Monk, M.M. = Month’s Mind ( Requiem for the recently

departed on the 30th day after death or burial). Myr. = Martyr, N. = Nun, Obl. = Oblate, P. =

Priest, Po. = Pope, Pr. = Prior, Prs. = Prioress, R. = Recluse, RM = Requien Mortuorum, ( Mass

and Offices for the departed once a month as designated on Kalendar).

SDcn. = Sub Deacon, Q. = Queen, Ven. = Venerable, Vir.=Virgin, W. = Widow.

FASTING KEY: ……… A = Abstinence, F = Fast, F & A = Fast and Abstinence

RELIGIOUS ORDER ABBREVIATIONS: C.O = Congregation of the Oratory (Oratorians), C.P. = Congregation of the Passion (Passionists), C.S.J. = Congregation of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Er. Cam. = Camaldolese Hermits, F.P. O. = Franciscans of the Primitive Observance, O. Car. = Carmelite Order, O. Cart. Carthusian Order, O.C.D. = Order of Discalced Friars (Carmelites), O.F.A. = Augustinian Order, O.F.M = Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), O.F.M. Cap = Capuchin Order, O.P. = Order of Preachers (Dominicans also called ‘Blackfriars’),

O. Praem. = Order of Cannons Regular (Norbertines), O.S.B. = Order of St. Benedict (Benedictines), O.Ss. S. = Bridgettines, O.S.U = Ursulines, O.C.O. = Order of the Cistercian

Observance (Trappists/Trappistines), O.C.S.O. = Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance

(Trappists/ Trappistines). Tert. = Tertiary (Third Order religious).

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About the Meditation and About Us The Meditation is an online apostolate of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory in Raymond, Maine, USA. We are an Anglican-Catholic Benedictine contemplative community that follows the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, the 5th century Father of Western Monasticism. We are resident within the Diocese of the Northeast

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PLEASE NOTE: In respect to our contemplative vocation and the animals in our rescue and rehab center, we

do not have guest or bathroom facilities and do not regularly receive visitors. Fr. Kevin is available to hear

confessions and give spiritual direction by appointment only. Please contact via email to make an

appointment.

The Daily Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

My God and my all!

Who art thou my sweetest Lord and God?

And who am I, a poor little worm, thy servant?

Most Holy Lord, I wish to love thee! Most Sweet Lord, I wish to love thee!

O Lord, my God, I have given thee all my heart, and all my body, and I most

earnestly desire, if I only knew how, to do still more for thy love. Amen.

7.

Animal News By Sr. Mary-Francis, O.S.B.

Photos by Fr. Kevin

There’s a new kid in town!!!….Gunner came to us this week from Washington, Maine.

Gunner is a 24+/- year old Leopard Appaloosa. He has degenerative suspensory ligament disease

which is a disease of the connective tissue in a horse’s body. These ligaments are much of what

“suspends” 1100 pounds of horse up over his feet. This usually shows up in the dropping of a

horse’s ankles closer to the ground until they can no longer walk. He is just starting to show

weakness.

Gunner’s history has been pieced together from owner to owner of which he has had many.

He has been a camp horse, and a lesson horse for most of his life and is another horse where

jumping has taken its toll. He was rescued from the kill pens by his last owner. He was starved.

She got his weight up and because of issues beyond her control she wound up leasing him out to

a person who, unbeknown to the owner, once again neglected and starved him. The owner, once

again, went after this horse and brought him to a boarding stable where he stayed. She now has 4

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children and lives far from the stable so she felt the need to get him into a solid situation where

he can live out the rest of his life as a horse, not as a tool.

Gunner and Oliver immediately became friends. Oliver has been sad ever since his friend, Joseph

died this past summer and was so elated to find another old soul. Gunner has fit in here just like

he has always lived here and we will be his final home. He is a big love bug in spite of all he has

been through in life and with your help, he will enjoy some stress-free time here at the end of

his journey.

PAX

PAX