Rev. Fr.
Leonard Goffine's The Church's
Year
FOURTH
SUNDAY IN LENT (LAETARE)
The Introit of this day's
Mass, which begins with the word Laetare, is as follows:
INTROIT Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and come
together all you that love her; rejoice with joy you that have been
in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of
your consolation. (Isai: LXVI. 10. 11.) I rejoiced at the things
that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord. (Ps.
CXXI. 1.) Glory be to the Father, etc.
COLLECT Grant, we beseech Thee,
almighty God, that we who justly suffer for our deeds may be
relieved by the conso lation of Thy grace. Through etc.
EPISTLE (Gat. IV. 22-31.) Brethren, it
is written that Abraham had two sons; the one by a bond-woman and
the other by a free-woman. But he who was of the bond-woman was born
according to the flesh; but he of the free-woman was by promise:
which things are said by an allegory. For these are the two
testaments. The one from Mount Sina, engendering unto bondage, which
is Agar: for Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which hath affinity to
that Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
But that Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our mother. For
it is written: Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not: break forth
and cry, thou that travailest not; for many are the children of the
desolate, more than of her that hath a husband. Now we, brethren, as
Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born
according to the flesh persecuted him that was after the spirit, so
also it is now. But what saith the scripture? Cast out the
bond-woman and her son: for the son of the bond-woman shall not be
heir with the son of the free-woman. So, then, brethren, we are not
the children of the bond-woman, but of the free: by the freedom
wherewith Christ hath made us free.
EXPLANATION It was the common
custom, in the days of the patriarchs, for a man to have more than
one wife. This was permitted by God, partly because they and their
descendants would hardly have been satisfied with one marriage,
(Matt. XIX. 8.) partly because bigamy was a means of promoting the
increase of the people of Israel, typical of the future increase of
the children of God. Thus Abraham had two wives, who had each a son;
of these Ismael was born to Abraham from his bond-woman Agar, in the
natural way; the other, Isaac, the son of the free wife Sara, was
born in a supernatural manner according to the promise, (Gen. XVIII.
11. 14. ) that she by the grace of God, although aged, would give
birth to a son. These two women with their sons were types, as St.
Paul says, of the two Testaments: Agar the bond-woman typified the
Old, Sara, the free-woman, the New Testament; the son of Agar, the
Jews, the son of Sara, the Christians; for the Jews, like Ismael,
are descendants of Abraham by natural descent, but the Christians,
like Isaac, by grace. The Old Testament gave birth only to servants;
for the Jews obeyed the commandments of God through fear of
punishment, and in hope of temporal reward; the New Testament, the
Jerusalem from above. that is, the Christian Church, gives birth to
children who willingly and through love obey the commandments of
God. Although the Christian Church, the New Jerusalem, chosen from
heathenism, was in the beginning barren, as was Sara, she gives
birth, by the grace of God and through His apostles, to more
children than the Jewish Church, which was so long the Church of
God, that is, more were converted to Christianity from the Gentiles
than from the Jews. The latter even hated and persecuted the
Christians, as did Ismael his brother Isaac. For their hardness of
heart they were cast out by God, like Agar and her son; that is,
after the destruction of Jerusalem the Jews were dispersed to all
parts of the world. Let us, therefore, give thanks to God, that
through Jesus we have become the free children of our heavenly
Father, who through love fulfil His holy will by which we shall be
saved.
ASPIRATION Give me the grace, O Jesus,
that by prayer and fasting, and patience in all adversities and
persecutions, I may be made less unworthy of Thy passion; that I may
not, one day, be cast out by Thee, but become worthy of Thy divine
promise and Thy eternal consolation in the heavenly
Jerusalem.
GOSPEL (John
VI. 1-15.) At that time, Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which
is that of Tiberias; and a great multitude followed him, because
they saw the miracles which he did on them that were diseased. Jesus
therefore went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his
disciples. Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at
hand. When Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes, and seen that a
very great multitude cometh to him, he said to Philip: Whence shall
we buy bread that these may eat? And this he said to try him; for he
himself knew what he would do. Philip answered: Two hundred
pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may
take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon
Peter, saith to him: There is a boy here that hath five barley
loaves and two fishes: but what are these among so many? Then Jesus
said: Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place.
The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus
took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to
them that were set down: in like manner also of the fishes, as much
as they would. And when they were filled, he said to his disciples:
Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost. They
gathered up, therefore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments
of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them
that had eaten. Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle
Jesus had done, said: This is of a truth the prophet that is to come
into the world. Jesus therefore when he knew that they would come to
take him by force, and make him king, fled again into the mountain
himself alone.
Why did Christ try St. Philip?
To test his faith
and confidence; to instruct us that before seeking supernatural
means, we should first look for natural ways of providing; that the
miracle of the multiplying of the loaves should be more marvellous
to the people from having seen there was no provision; and that we
may learn to trust in God, who is a helper in due time in
tribulation. (Ps. IX. 10.)
What signs did Christ make use of in this miracle, and
why?
According to St.
Matthew (XIV. 19.) He lifted up His eyes to heaven, by which He
showed that all good gifts come from above; He gave thanks, thus
teaching us to give thanks to God for all His blessings. "The
table," says St. Chrysostom, "that is approached and is left with
prayer will never know want, but the more richly yield its gifts."
He blessed the bread showing us that the divine blessing increases
all things.
Why did Christ require them to gather up the fragments
that were left?
That they should
not be wasted or destroyed; that the greatness of the miracle should
be made evident by the quantity of the fragments; and that we might
learn to honor the gifts of God, even the most insignificant, and if
we do not ourselves need them, give them to the poor.
Why did Christ, after this miracle, flee from the
people?
Because after this
miracle the people recognized in him the Messiah, and would have
made Him king. He wished to teach us to flee from praise and honor,
and in all our actions seek not our own, but God's glory.
CONSOLATION IN POVERTY
This gospel gives
the account of Christ providing for those who followed and listened
to Him, which is indeed consoling for the poor. God from the
beginning of the world has always cared for His own. For the aid and
comfort of His chosen people in time of famine God sent Joseph, the
son of the Patriarch Jacob, in advance into Egypt: (Gen. XLV. 5.)
for forty years He fed the children of Israel in the desert with
bread from heaven; (Deut. VIII. 2. 3.) He fed the Prophet Elias by a
raven; (III Kings VII. 6.) and thought of Daniel in the lions' den.
(Dan. XIV. 37.) In the New Testament God shows His merciful care for
His own, because in great need He fed them marvelously through
angels, men, and even animals, as we frequently see in the lives of
the saints. Truly has David said: God forsakes not the just, I have
been young, and am now old: and I have not seen the just forsaken,
nor his seed seeking bread, (PS. XXXVI. 25.) that is, one who
sincerely serves Him, and seeks before all the kingdom o f God a n d
His justice, as Christ commands. (Luke XII. 31.) Strive to be a
faithful child, and you will have God for your father, and with King
David you can cast your care upon the Lord, and He will sustain you.
You must not think it is enough to pray and trust in God, He demands
that you should use your strength to receive help, for if any man
will not work, neither let him eat. (II Thess. III. 10.)
ASPIRATION In Thy omnipotence and goodness, O my
God, I put my trust, firmly believing that if I fear Thee, serve
Thee faithfully, and avoid evil, I shall not be abandoned in
poverty, but receive many good things. Amen.
INSTRUCTION ON PREPARATION FOR EASTER
Now the Pasch
the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand. (John VI.
4.)
If we would sing a
joyful Alleluia with the Church on the festival of Easter, we must
fulfill her desire, and prepare ourselves to celebrate it worthily.
Therefore, we should shun improper, clamorous meetings, and retire
often to pray in solitude, especially to meditate on the bitter
sufferings of our Saviour, for when man is alone, God speaks to his
heart. (Osee. II. 14.) We should carefully examine our conscience,
and consider how we stand before God, for upon this day shall be the
expiation for you, and the cleansing from all your sins: you shall
be cleansed before the Lord; for it is a Sabbath of rest, and you
shall afflict your souls, that is, by fasting, watching, and
praying. (Lev. XVI. 30-31.) From this Sunday until Easter we should
fast more strictly, give more alms to the poor if we are able, or if
poor ourselves, bear our poverty more patiently, offering it to
Christ in union with His poverty, His hunger, thirst, &c. ; we
should make a sincere and contrite confession, and purify our heart
from the old leaven of iniquity, that we may keep the Easter meal
with Christ in the unleavened bread of purity and truth. (I Cor. V.
7. 8.) For this end we should incite ourselves to holy desires, rise
from sin, which is the death of the soul |