Last Sunday the liturgy led us into a low desert where we beheld Jesus in His Human Nature.

Today, we are led up to a high mountain where we are allowed to catch a faint glimpse of Jesus in His Divine Nature (Gospel). By this vision of Divinity on Tabor, Jesus wished to prepare the Apostles and us for the daily crucifixion of our humanity on the Calvary of Life.

This lesson is our incentive against discouragement or failure. The Epistle indicates that the Christian life is not so much a series of commandments. Rather, it is a walking in the presence of God. “Your sanctification” is interior, “possessing the vessel” of your soul and body free from pride and lust. It is social too to the extent of helping one’s neighbour, for “The Lord is the avenger” of deception among men.
 
This Week:

Monday 1st March
In all Diocese of Wales – the 1 Cl feast of St David, Patron of Wales.

Tuesday 2nd March
Mass of Tuesday After II Sunday of Lent.

Wednesday 3rd March
Mass of Wednesday After II Sunday of Lent.

Thursday 4th March (First Thursday)
Votive Mass of Our Lord Jesus Christ, High and Eternal Priest, may be celebrated if devotion for the sanctification of priests is made, with commemoration of feria, commemoration of St. Casimir (Confessor) and St. Lucius I (Pope, Martyr).
 
St. Casimir was of royal blood, son of the King of Poland. He lived a very simple and humble life full of sacrifice. The Saint passed away on this day in 1481. Pope St. Lucius was exiled by Emperor Gallus and died of ill treatment in 254.
 
Friday 5th March (First Friday)
Two Masses of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus may be celebrated in each church or oratory provided special devotions in reparation to the Most Sacred Heart are made.
 
Saturday 6th March (First Saturday)
If Devotion of Reparation in honour of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is made, Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the BVM may be celebrated. Commemoration of SS Perpetua and Felicitas Mm. is made. As the names of the martyrs are inscribed in the Canon, the priest bows at their mention to the Holy Cross. In 203 the martyrs were thrown into a coliseum at Carthage, torn apart by wild beasts, finally dispatched by the sword.

Not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God" (Gospel). The Devil tempted Our Lord and attempted to snare Him through the bread of fleshly desire. "Now is the acceptable time " to "ration" our self-indulgence, our worship of physical culture (Epistle) and to feed our souls with the Divine Word. This temptation calls for mortification of self. The "pinnacle of the temple" recalls the pride of usurping God's Power, of trying to live beyond His reach. We must topple ourselves from the pinnacle of pride and lift ourselves up by prayer to the pinnacle of God Himself. The "kingdoms of the world" represents those who covet mere earthly "glory." To offset this temptation there must be almsgiving or devoting one's talents to the service of one's neighbour. The Epistle exhorts us not to receive "in vain" this plan of personal reformation, first by warning, then by encouraging us in the eternal struggle between Christ and Antichrist.
 
THIS WEEK:

Monday 22 February: II Cl. Feast of The Chair of St. Peter at Antioch, who as Head of the Church, resided in Antioch between 51 and 52. MON After I SUN of Lent is commemorated in the Mass and Office.

Tuesday 23 February: Tuesday in First Week of Lent: St. Peter Damian E.C.D. is commemorated in the Mass and Office. A reformer who set the example by leading a life of work and prayer in the XI Century.

Ember Wednesday 24th February: II Cl. Feast of the Apostle St. Matthias, elected to take the place of Judas by the Eleven remaining Apostles. The Saint was thought to have been martyred in Ethiopia. Ember Wednesday is commemorated in the Mass and Office.

Thursday 25th February: Thursday in First Week of Lent:
 
Ember Friday 26th February: II Cl Mass of Ember Friday
Ember Saturday 27th February: II Cl Mass of Ember Saturday

Jesus said to him, "Receive thy sight, thy faith has saved thee." (Gospel). "We are going up to Jerusalem," city of His Great Sacrifice, during Lent. His intimate followers were spiritually blind to the need of a Good Friday. The Apostles were "angrily" trying to hold back one who wanted to "see" the need of Lenten penance-- faith which lives by love; love for God, love for neighbor (Epistle). Where there is love there is no labour. But if there is labour, it is loved.

The Introit, Prayer and Gradual inspire us with confidence as we too "go up" with faith (Offertory) and charity (Communion). Today a Roman priest, St. Valentine, who fell in 270 to martyrdom, is remembered as a priest/physician who helped Christians being persecuted for the Faith. Although not commemorated in the Mass, pray for his intercession to help those suffering persecution or sickness.

The week ahead:

Monday 15th February 2021:
Feast of SS Faustinus and Jovita Mm., brothers, who suffered martyrdom at Brescia, Italy in 117, and are patrons of the city. Mass of the prior Sunday may be celebrated with commemoration of the martyrs or Mass of the martyrs may be celebrated.

Tuesday 16th February 2021:
Ferial day. Mass of the prior Sunday, or a votive Mass, may be celebrated. Where the practice of the 40 Hours or Quarantore devotion takes place, a Votive Mass of the Blessed Sacrament is entirely suitable.

Ash Wednesday 17th February 2021:
Distribution of ashes precedes the Mass. This marks the beginning of Lent and is a day of fast and abstinence. Two small collations, not adding up to one meal, and one full meal make the traditional Catholic fasting obligation. No meat at all this day constitutes the abstinence regulation for those 7 years and above. Fasting traditionally applies to those between 21 and 59, not the sick.
 
Furthermore: during Lent: Every Friday is a day of strict abstinence which is traditionally a strict obligation for all Catholics age 7 and above under penalty of sin. Catholics traditionally maintain a fast and have meat only with the main meal daily during the 40 days of Lent. Sundays are not part of the 40 days of Lent.
 
Thursday after Ash Wednesday, 18th February: Commemoration of St. Simeon E. M., son of Cleophas and Mary, who was close to Our Lady, Bishop of Jerusalem, crucified for the Faith in 106 at age 120.
 
Friday after Ash Wednesday, 19th February
Saturday after Ash Wednesday, 20th February
Proper Masses of these days: Audívit Dóminus

Our Lord frequently made references to His passion and death. This shows that the passion and death of our Lord was constantly on His mind. This should encourage us frequently to meditate on the passion and death of Jesus. Meditation was from the beginning, the school in which the Saints learned Christian perfection. St. Paul so constantly meditated on the passion of Christ that he could say of himself that he knew nothing but Christ crucified. (I Corinthians 2) St. Philip Neri spent some time every day before the image of the crucified in meditation on the passion, and St. Philip's biographers said that he learned more from this than from any other book. Nothing is more profitable than meditation on the passion and death of Jesus. St. Bonaventure says, "If you wish to step from virtue to virtue from grace to grace from good to better meditate daily and with all possible devotion on the passion of Christ, for nothing produces in the soul so complete a sanctification as the contemplation thereof." Sanctify the 40 days fast by meditating daily or at the least on Sundays and holy days on the passion and death of Christ.

Jesus foretells His passion and death in plain words to strengthen the disciples in their belief in Him that they might not be led astray when they should see Him in His extreme humiliation. They could say: "what Jesus suffers does not occur accidentally nor without His will or knowledge. He foretold it. He is, notwithstanding His humiliation, the Son of God. The sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, far from weakening our belief in his divinity, only strengthen it." Jesus foretells His passion not in general and indefinite terms, but very precisely and circumstantially and especially His resurrection from the dead. All this is an incontrovertible proof of His omniscience and consequently of his Godhead.

Jesus speaks plainly of His passion, death and resurrection. Yet His apostles understand him not. They had not yet wholly divested themselves of the prejudices of their nation, and only with difficulty, could they be brought to think of the promised Messiah in lowliness and contumely in sufferings and death. They still cling to the notion of earthly power and majesty, believing Him to be really the promised Messiah. What He said of His passion and death was quite unintelligible to them. They persuaded themselves that it must refer to another person or be understood only figuratively. Moreover, the apostles were yet worldly minded. This was the chief reason why they did not comprehend their Divine Master. For the worldly-minded man comprehends not that which is supernatural and divine. After the Holy Ghost descended upon them on the feast of Pentecost the scales fell from their eyes, and they understood all that He had told them. We must not be scandalized by the humiliations of Christ. Christ endured all of this humiliation for a reason. Because of our pride the path to heaven is hidden from us. If we are to find this path and thus heaven we must learn and practice humility in imitation of Him.

The Jews without His will could not have executed their nefarious design of killing Him. On God depends the success of whatever man proposes. We often see evil prosper in this world, and we are tempted to question the providence of God. Evil succeeds, and good must suffer. But this view is very short-sighted. When we view these things from the perspective of eternity, we gain an entirely different perspective. The good is eternally rewarded and the evil is eternally punished.

There is nothing so evil that God cannot make good come from it.

If therefore we see the wicked oppress the Church and do much evil, be sure that they could not do it without God's permission. Everything however, which God ordains or permits will turn out well for those that love Him. This must be our consolation. All things work for the good of those who love God.

Let us sanctify Lent by frequently meditating on the passion and death of Jesus Christ that we may bring forth worthy fruits of penance. Let us resolve to receive the sacrament of penance and the Blessed Eucharist and to live for heaven showing that though dwelling on earth we are leading a heavenly life.