Christ the Almighty
Second half of the 13th-14th century
Egg tempera on gesso, wood
65.5 x 41.5 cm
Northern School, Russia
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Posted on 03/02/2007 8:39:20 AM PST by Salvation
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The Challenge of Christian Love
Matthew 5:43-48 Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, in this Lenten season, I want to draw closer to you. I believe that you truly became one of us to save us as an act of love beyond all human understanding. I know I can count on you to carry me through each day. I know that in all circumstances you are with me. I want to love you more than myself and say “yes” to your will in every moment. I trust totally in your grace. Thank you, Lord! This Lent, I want to learn to love you more as you deserve by being the person you want me to be. Petition: Lord, take my imperfect love and transform it with your grace so I can faithfully serve God the Father all the days of my life! 1. Loving the Unlovable. Today’s Gospel brings home an essential theme of Christianity: our need to love other people as key to Christian life and as imitation of God. In fact, here Jesus equates with perfection an unconditional love for all people, even – or especially – for the least lovable, our enemies and persecutors. God the Father loves everyone without regard for the way we treat him. That’s why he sent his Son to redeem us. If we truly want to be his children we must love like he does, to the best of our ability. 2. Love Has the Ultimate Triumph. Loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us is a difficult, often unrequited and often misunderstood approach to reality. Our society often advocates revenge and emphasizes justice at the cost of mercy and forgiveness – just think of the number of lawsuits in our courts. The attitude that Christ asks of us could be perceived as weakness by some people and is not likely to bear immediate visible fruit. Yet Christ put it into practice: he, who could have annihilated his detractors and called twelve legions of angels to slay his captors, never resorted to wrathful tirades. He would have been justified at times to be angry, but he kept his focus on conversion and only resorted to occasional verbal rebukes when it was for the good of the person receiving it. Yet his mercy and good will was met with derision and death. But as we know, Good Friday is followed by Easter and in the end, he triumphed through the Resurrection. The triumphs of hate are always illusory and short-lived; the triumph of love lasts forever. 3. Through Him, with Him and in Him. Jesus ends his discourse with the mandate to “be perfect, just as your heavenly father is perfect.” That might seem like an impossible command to fulfill – and, in fact, it would be, if we were unaided by grace. Fortunately, we are not alone in this effort. Jesus, by living God’s will perfectly – even unto death on a cross – has won for us the grace we need, and sent us the Holy Spirit as our guide. Throughout the New Testament, the Holy Spirit directs the apostles and disciples as they spread the Good News throughout the known world. That relatively small group of followers within generations conquered the entire Roman Empire without lifting a sword, because nothing is impossible for God. If we have that same confidence and docility to the Holy Spirit, he will help us be true sons of God, ever approaching the ideal of perfection in love. Dialogue with Christ: Lord, the standard of love you ask of me is truly beyond my capabilities and is humanly difficult to understand. Your example shows me the power of this love to transform lives and hearts and ultimately to bring peace. I trust in your grace to transform me, and in the Holy Spirit to guide me in putting your words into action. This Lent, help me to grow towards that ideal of perfect charity, and to continue that growth throughout my life. Resolution: Today I will say a prayer for those whom I find most difficult to love. |
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 40 (41) |
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| Prayer in time of sickness |
| Blessed is he who takes thought for the helpless, for the Lord will keep him safe in time of trouble. The Lord will guard him and give him life. He will give him good fortune on the earth, and not betray him into the power of his enemies. The Lord will lend him strength on his bed of pain; you will transform all his sickness into health. I said, “Lord, have mercy, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you”. My enemies spoke against me, saying: “When will he die? When will his name perish?” When one of them came to visit me, he talked of nothing, but stored up wickedness in his heart. He went out, and told tales against me. All my enemies whispered together against me, imagined the worst: “A plague has taken hold of him: he has lain down and will not rise”. Even my dearest friend, in whom I put my trust, who had eaten my bread – even he trampled me down. But you, Lord – have mercy on me, revive me, and I will pay them back. This is how I know that I have your favour, when my enemy cannot triumph over me, when you raise me up because of my innocence, and put me in your presence for all eternity. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from the beginning to the end of time. Amen! Amen! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Psalm 45 (46) |
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| God, our refuge and our strength |
| The Lord is our refuge and our strength, a true help in our troubles. Therefore we do not fear, even when the earth is shaken and mountains fall into the depths of the sea, the waves roar and foam and rise up to shake the mountains. The streams of the river give joy to the city of God, the holy dwelling-place of the Most High. God is within it, it will not be shaken; God will give help as the day dawns. The nations are in turmoil and kingdoms totter: at the sound of his voice, the earth flows like water. The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come and see the works of the Lord, who has done wonders on the earth. He puts an end to wars over all the world: he tramples the bow, shatters weapons, and burns the shields with fire. Stop and see that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth. The Lord of strength is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| Canticle | Apocalypse 15 |
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| A hymn of adoration | |
| Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, King of all nations! Who, Lord, will not revere and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship in your presence, for your judgements have been seen by all. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Short reading | James 5:16 - 20 © |
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| Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, and this will cure you: the heartfelt prayer of a good man works very powerfully. My brothers, if one of you strays away from the truth, and another brings him back to it, he may be sure that anyone who can bring back a sinner from the wrong way that he has taken will be saving a soul from death and covering up a great number of sins. | |
| Canticle | Magnificat |
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| My soul rejoices in the Lord | |
| My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour – me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed, because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy, his mercy lasts for generation after generation for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength: he has scattered the proud and conceited, torn princes from their thrones; but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
| Lord, make your faithful servants ready to celebrate the paschal festival: may the bodily denial we have solemnly undertaken bear good fruit for our souls. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |
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O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
| This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited. |
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 87 (88) |
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| The prayer of one gravely ill |
| I cry out to you, Lord, by day and by night. |
| Lord God, my saviour, I have cried out to you by day and by night. Let my prayer come before you: turn your ear to my request. For my soul is full of evils, my life has come close to its end. I am counted with those who go down to the pit: I am left without help. I am one of the dead, like the murdered who sleep in their tombs, who lie there forgotten, cut off from your care. You have thrust me down into the pit, to the gloom and the shadow of death. Your anger weighs heavy upon me; you have drowned me under your waves. You have taken my friends away from me: you have made me hateful in their sight, I am shut in, I may not go out. My eyes are weak from my sufferings. I have called to you, Lord, all the day; I have stretched out my hands to you. Is it for the dead that you perform your wonders? Will the ghosts rise up and proclaim you? In the tomb, will they tell of your kindness? Will they tell of your faithfulness in the place of the lost? Will your wonders be known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of oblivion? And so I have called out to you, Lord, and in the morning my prayer will come before you. With what purpose, Lord, do you reject my soul? Why do you hide your face from me? I am poor; from my youth I have been dying; I have borne the terrors you sent, I am lost in confusion. Your anger has overrun me, your terrors have broken me: they have flowed round me like water, they have besieged me all the day long. You have taken my friends and those close to me: all I have left is shadows. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
| I cry out to you, Lord, by day and by night. |
| Reading | (Jeremiah 14:9) |
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| You, Lord, are in our midst, and we are called by your name; therefore do not abandon us, Lord, our God. | |
| Short Responsory | ? |
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| Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. |
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| Canticle | Nunc Dimittis |
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| Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. | |
| Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace. You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness; the glory of your people Israel. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
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| Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. | |
| Prayer | |
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| Let us pray. Lord, let us be so united with your only Son that we become worthy to rise with him into new life, who lives and reigns for ever and ever, Amen. |
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| May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. |
| A M E N |
Bump for prayer.
| Mt 5:20-26 | ||
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| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 20 | For I tell you, that unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. | dico enim vobis quia nisi abundaverit iustitia vestra plus quam scribarum et Pharisaeorum non intrabitis in regnum caelorum |
| 21 | You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment. | audistis quia dictum est antiquis non occides qui autem occiderit reus erit iudicio |
| 22 | But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. | ego autem dico vobis quia omnis qui irascitur fratri suo reus erit iudicio qui autem dixerit fratri suo racha reus erit concilio qui autem dixerit fatue reus erit gehennae ignis |
| 23 | If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath anything against thee; | si ergo offeres munus tuum ad altare et ibi recordatus fueris quia frater tuus habet aliquid adversum te |
| 24 | Leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift. | relinque ibi munus tuum ante altare et vade prius reconciliare fratri tuo et tunc veniens offers munus tuum |
| 25 | Be at agreement with thy adversary betimes, whilst thou art in the way with him: lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. | esto consentiens adversario tuo cito dum es in via cum eo ne forte tradat te adversarius iudici et iudex tradat te ministro et in carcerem mittaris |
| 26 | Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing. | amen dico tibi non exies inde donec reddas novissimum quadrantem |
This is another prooftext for purgatory: a reference is made to punishement meted by a judge, which is temporal rather than eternal.
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