THE MEDITATION August 24th, A.D The 10th Sunday After Trinity Sunday

Transcription

1 Thus says the Lord: Stand By the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is: and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. - Jeremiah; Chap. 6, Vs. 16 THE MEDITATION August 24th, A.D The 10th Sunday After Trinity Sunday Flevit Super Illam ( He wept Over It ) Enrique Simonet Lombardo ( ) Spanish Painter The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke; Chapter 19, Verses The 1928 Book of Common Prayer, Page 204 The People's Anglican Missal, Pages C70 - C71 St. Joseph Sunday Missal ( 1958 Ed.) Page 809

2 2. SUMMARY OF THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY: Jesus weeps over the city of Jerusalem, and foretells its destruction, and then enters the temple and drives out the sellers and the moneychangers. We begin, in today's Gospel account, with the scene of Jesus standing on a hill that overlooks the great city of Jerusalem, and He is weeping over the fate it will suffer some thirty-plus years hence, when the mighty Roman Army will surround the city, breach its walls, and destroy most of the city and kill or scatter its inhabitants. It almost appears that Jesus is speaking to Jerusalem as one would to a person, to one who is very dear to Him; If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace! Jesus speaks to Jerusalem... and He weeps over her as He would a friend. Why should Jesus be weeping over the city? Is it because Jerusalem has ignored Him or because when she does consider Him, she will crucify Him? It is difficult for us to believe that His tears spring from hurt feelings. It is better to consider that they come instead, because Jerusalem, whom Christ truly loves, refuses Him and thus hurts herself. The net result is that the Father is deprived of a great treasure and source of love which would have been given Him if they had listened to His Son, our Blessed Lord. Jesus knows what will happen as the result of Jerusalem's spurning Him and His Message of Love... complete destruction, and the slaughter of thousands. Jesus definitely has His Father in mind. Jesus can stand the insult, neglect, ignoring; but when His rights and honor are attacked, He goes into action. They are turning away from the Father's love by scorning Him, God's only Son and Messenger, and they are using His house as a place of business. Jesus throws them out with a violence not seen before : It is written, My house is the house of prayer. But ye have made it a den of thieves. Perhaps we should wonder, when we think about it, if there is any good reason why our own cities and this 'Jerusalem' which comprises our 21st Century culture should be spared the destruction that Jesus predicts for the Holy City of His time. Jesus' physical presence is not with us as it was in that day, but there is more than one way in which Christ can walk in our midst. We have the fullness of His Truth, we have Christ's constant presence in His Church, we have His vital activity in all 7 of His Sacraments, and we have the proof of His final, glorious victory over death. What is the difference between rejecting Jesus Christ and rejecting His principles? Maybe, when Jesus looks over Jerusalem and weeps for its future, He is looking far beyond, too. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine ; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears ; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables. ( II Timothy Chap. 4, Vs, 3 & 4). Would our Lord recognize the Jerusalem of today? (Relativism, Liberation Theology, 'Zeitgeist', Nihilism, Political Correctness, Present-day Morals) He weeps for us, as much as he weeps for those of His day. Let's stop fooling ourselves!! The consensus reality that exists today will beget even greater errors in the future. One thing is certain, Jesus is warning us just as surely as He warned Jerusalem... and for the very same reasons : our materialism, our selfishness, lack of morality, and the scorn of Him and all of His spiritual values, and its relegation by society as no longer relevant to the so called new thinking and values. Still, Jesus warns us with love; If thou hadst known, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! ( Luke; Ch. 19, Vs ). We would do very well to stop fooling ourselves... and wake up. Jesus IS speaking to us!

3 3. Admirable quidem est nomen tuum - ADMIRABLE IS THY NAME So, where are we in this drama of our Lord's tears? Does He weep over us? Maybe we can hear His answer: He tells us to look into our hearts and if we ignore Him constantly, refuse His entrance into our thinking and living or if we use our temples ( which each of us is ) as a place of business rather than a house of prayer, then Christ weeps over us. We will be destroyed as utterly as Jerusalem if we continue in this way. We will, at the battle upon our life's end, forfeit all and will know only the darkness that comes with a Christ-less death. This idea should frighten us sorely and serve as a serious reality check. Usually, when we see a beloved one weeping, we want and we try to console them. It is most likely not possible in this case, nor does our Blessed Lord want consolation from us. He is beyond consolation but, Jesus is still Jesus the Christ, He still works in and upon each of us by His Word and His inspirations. Jesus is not beyond the thirst of our love and the desire for true conversions on our part. Deliver me from mine enemies, O God : defend me from them that rise up against me ( Psalm 59). That is, deliver us from thoughtlessness, our selfishness, and from blindness to His Presence and from forgetfulness of His love for us. Open us up to our vocation to praise so that now and always we may each truly be the Father's house. O Lord, our Governor, how excellent is thy Name in all the world. Thou that hast set thy glory above the heavens. ( Psalm 9 ). PRAYER OF THE DAY: MY HOUSE IS A HOUSE OF PRAYER Judea Capta A Roman coin minted around A.D. 71 in celebration of the suppression of the Jewish Rebellion and destruction of Jerusalem. The image on the obverse of the coin is of the General Flavius Vespasian who led the Roman campaign, and was later proclaimed Emperor of Rome, and on the reverse, the image of ROMA standing over a captive Jewess ( representing Judea), and the words struck Judea Capta (Judea Conquered). Such coins, when circulated throughout the vast empire, were not only a proclamation of Roman victory, power, and might...but also served as a warning to all.

4 4. Rome was the Superpower of it's day. It's reputation was known as far as China and the Japans. The strength of only twenty legions ( amounting to about 225,000 men) held sway over millions of lives across thousands of miles, from the cold north of Scotland to the arid deserts of Arabia and maintained a period of peace and stability not seen since. Rome was very tolerant of local customs and religions as long as they posed no threat to the peace and commerce of the Empire. The people of Judea,when they revolted against Rome in A.D. 66, had no idea what they were setting themselves up against. The revolt began during the close of the reign of the mad Emperor Nero. The period of confusion in the ensuing civil war that followed Nero's suicide gave the revolutionaries in Judea the chance they needed to oust all Roman authority both commercial, administrative, and military. They set up their own government, but factional disputes never fully united this Jewish state. Rome responded to the Jewish rebellion on a massive scale. Four of the toughest legions were dispatched to Judea along with an equal number of auxiliary units under the command of the unassuming but very able general Flavius Titus Vaspasian. Vaspasian had served successfully in the invasion and conquest of Britain in the mid- 60's, and brought a quick conclusion to the civil war after Nero. Once the Roman forces entered Judea, battlefield successes followed one upon another. Vaspasian showed exceptional clemency to Judean forces and towns that surrendered, and to those that didn't, Roman justice came swift and harsh. Vaspasian was recalled to Rome in A.D. 69 to accept the title of Emperor, and left his capable son Titus Flavius to command the army and initiate the siege of Jerusalem. Our Lord, in the Gospel of St. Luke; ( see Chapter 19, Verses 43 & 44), gives a remarkably accurate description of how Jerusalem would be besieged, over thirty years in the future! Five legions under Titus, dug a large ditch around the city, then put up a wall, with several forts interspersed. This tactic is called circumvallation, in military terms, and was used frequently by the Romans to take towns and even large cities. Jerusalem was completely encircled, with no way for anyone to get in or out. The Romans just waited and starved the defenders out. The Romans took the city in less than ten months. The writer Flavius Josephus in his famous book The Jewish War, gives a very accurate description of the siege and taking of the city and the horrors that ensued. He was a witness to all of it. Following the capture of Jerusalem, much of the city was razed, but was allowed to continue on. Again, Vespasian, now Emperor of the Roman Empire, was merciful to the conquered, but Roman tolerance for disruption had its limits. Another revolt took place in Judea in A.D during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Hadrian is known to history as being one of the most able of Roman Emperors. He had no choice, as Commander in Chief, when the revolt broke out, and ordered all of the Roman Legions stationed in the East to quell the rebellion, which happened quickly. This time, Jerusalem was completely destroyed, its inhabitants dispersed throughout the Empire or sold off as slaves. What remained was merely a town that was re-named Aelia Capitolina. The war in Judea continued for another three years following the conquest of Jerusalem in A.D.70. Roman operations centered around the famous citadel of Masada. Masada was encircled, like Jerusalem, and Roman forces waited them out. Masada has been regarded as an example of heroic defiance against overwhelming odds, which is true of the story itself. The siege of Masada, to the Romans, was regarded merely as a side-show so much, that the general Titus left his best commander to finish the job and went off to Rome to be with his family and visit his father, Emperor Vespasian. It is little wonder our Lord wept over Jerusalem. He knew, as the Son of God, what was to befall this beautiful and holy city residing within a nation of stiff-necked people. PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: O taste and see how gracious the Lord is ; blessed is he that puts his trust in him. - Psalm 34.

5 5. Our Visitors Week 4 We Bid Farewell to our Little Visitors! Brothers Casmir and Vladmir along with Fr. Timir giving a 'farewell' concert to our community ( Photo by Br. Raymond ) To those who may have not been following recent events, for the past month, the Priory has been host to two little guests from a monastery located in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa They were sent to us in order to learn how to locate, obtain, and distribute water to their own community which lives in constant short supply of water. Our guests; Brothers Casmir and Vladmir, under the capable tutelage of our own Br. Sylvester, have learned the trade well... but not without having some very interesting, and dare I write it, humorous adventures! You'll have to read previous issues of the Meditation to understand! Well, friends, as all visits must do, this one came to an end today when our guests departed for Portland. They will hop the train to Boston to make their connection which will take them home. One of their own brothers, Fr. Timir, joined us earlier this week. Speaking excellent English we were greeted thus; Hello, I'm Father Timir... but, some call me... Tim? ( He was making reference to a quote made by the wizard in the Monty Python's crazy movie The Holy Grail ) Everyone soon warmed up to this lanky, but humorous member of the little brothers community. Fr. Tim was in the U.S.A. for two reasons; first to obtain the water equipment the little desert monastery will need, and to see if there is the possibility of establishing a foundation from their community here. Our dear Br. Sylvester,upon hearing that part, left the room shaking his head and muttered some unintelligible statements, and we haven't seen much of him since! I probably should look in on him! Last night we gave a little going away dinner for our departing brothers at a local Chinese Restaurant. They have wanted Chinese food,ever since they arrived, so we obliged them. We're not sure we will be allowed back to this one restaurant for awhile...but a good (and rowdy) time was had by

6 6. all. When we returned to the Priory, we were given a surprise concert by Fr. Tim and Brs. Casmir and Vladmir. Evidently, the movie; The Blues Brothers is a big hit at their monastery, so we were treated to a wonderful and very humorous concert of music from this early 1980's classic. We had no idea that our guests were accomplished musicians! Our guests serenaded us well into the night, and once again, dispensations were granted, so some could sleep in this morning! We bid our new friends a safe and enjoyable trip back to the desert in South Africa, and hope and pray their water venture will be successful. It will be nice to get back to a quieter routine here at the Priory however. It's been just a bit too exciting for some. Well, off to see what Br. Sly is up to! - Fr. k.l.l. + O O o A battered and bewildered Br. Sylvester contemplates a serious backslide! Stay tuned!

7 7. The Meditation is produced by the Benedictine Community of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory 4 Shaw Road Raymond, Maine This is a free on-line ministry of our community to anyone who wishes to receive it. Please feel free to copy and pass on this meditation to anyone you feel might benefit from it. To be placed on our weekly mailing list, please contact Father Prior Kevin at : klamarre@ourladyofsevensorrows.org * Visit our Website to view past editions of The Meditation at: and go to 'Meditation' section. * SUNDAY Public MASS with the Office of TERCE: 9:00 a.m. (The Chapel is located on the second floor of the garage. Please enter by left side door and go up the stairs. Please keep silence upon entering the building. ) Also, Please Note: There are no Public Rest Room facilities at the Priory, please plan accordingly. PRIORY KALENDAR A.D Week of August 24th to August 31st Sunday, August 24th... St. Bartholomew, Ap. & Myr Comm Tenth Sunday After Trinity Monday, August 25th... St. Louis IX; K. C. - ( 13th cent. France ) Tuesday, August Ven. Herluin, Ab. O.S.B. & founder of Bec Abbey, Brittany, France. 11th cent. Wednesday, August feria in Trinity-tide. Thursday, August 28th...St. Augustine of Hippo, B.C.D. - ( 5th cent.) Friday, August 29th..... Beheading of St. John the Baptist - ( 1st cent. A.D. ) Saturday, Augus 30th... St. Rose of Lima, V. - ( 17th cent.) - first Saint from the Americas. Sunday August 31st... Eleventh Sunday After Trinity... Comm. St. Aidan; B.C. - ( 7th cent.) KALENDAR KEY: Ab. = Abbot, Abs. = Abbess, Abp. = Archbishop, Ap = Apostle, Bp. = Bishop, C. or Conf. = Confessor, Comm. = Commemorate. Dcn. = Deacon, Doct. = Doctor of the Church, Ev. = Evangelist, K = King, M. = Monk, Myr. = Martyr, N. = Nun, P= Priest Po. = Pope, Q. = Queen, Vir. = Virgin, W = Widow O.S.B. = Order of St. Benedict. O.C.O. = Order of the Cistercian Observance (Trappists), A = Abstinence, F = Fast, F & A = Fast and Abstinence We are always looking for benefactors to help financially with the animals. Our funds are extremely low at this time. If you or someone that you know would like to help, simply mark your check for the animals. It will be gratefully received and deeply appreciated.

8 8. Give us the tools, and we'll do the job! - Sir Winston Churchill Please consider including our Animal Outreach and Rescue in your Estate Planning. Contact Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. For details. Thank you Thanks to those of you who care for the animals with your donations, Henry and Hope continue to grow and adapt to their handicaps. Henry shows Hope where she needs to be and Hope helps Henry balance by leaning on him so his bowed legs engage and he can play and jump and walk around. You make a difference in the lives of these animals and all the others here at the priory with your gifts large or small. The animals say thank you! - Sr. Mary-Francis. O.S.B. P A X