Intercessors of the Lamb

I write, being recently inspired by our Pope's general audience address on Prayer. Our beloved Pope touches on many things in his address but I would like to focus on one part which is closest to my heart- the efficacy of Intercession. 


He starts with the Old Testament. Sodom and Gomorrah indulged in practices so disgusting to the Lord, that he was forced to raise his hand against it in perfect justice and pay those citizens the wages of sin, death. Total annihilation! The last time God did something like that was during the Great Flood. Even then, He repented and swore never to destroy earth because of man's sinfulness. Yet here He was again, speaking of destroying the citizens and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. I can not imagine the filth of those nations to induce God to pour out his wrath in such a measure upon them!


But suddenly, God revealed another side of his nature- his infinite Mercy. God's perfect justice meets his perfect mercy when a sinner repents, changes heart and chooses righteousness. God will not punish the innocent with the wicked but his divine justice seeks a goodness to base his mercy on. He needed one, just one righteous man to implore mercy for behalf of the unrighteous.

It is never that a sinner is not allowed to plead his own case, but it is that he cannot. Sin blinds the sinner (Gen 19:11). He does not see his own guilt or does not consider his doings as evil, and therefore is unable to repent. Into this gap, Abraham, who knew most closely the heart of God, stepped in. This is the place where the unforgettable dialogue between man and God takes place.

Abraham asks, if righteous God would destroy the city if 50 innocent men were living in it. God relents on the plea of a righteous man. "I will spare... I will not destroy... I will not do it". He forgives the entire guilty population for 50 innocents! As Abraham continues to plead with God and the number dips, 45...40...30...and finally 10; the greater the mercy of God grows.


This is the power of intercession. Abraham, our father in the faith, set an example for intercessors of all time. To not only understand in a deeply intimate way the intention of God to save suffering mankind but also to lend our voices and hearts to His desire.


If the sinner cannot ask for mercy, then the good man must ask on his behalf.

"To pray for those who are in mortal sin is the best kind of alms giving. For the love of God always remembers such souls when you pray."

           St. Teresa of Avila

They shall be one, as We are...

I have reproduced here the beautiful homily which Pope Benedict XVI gave on the Feast of the Pentecost. It shows his depth of wisdom and the keen insight he has into our current culture.

Babel, is the description of a kingdom in which people have concentrated so much power they think they no longer need depend on a God who is far away. They believe they are so powerful they can build their own way to heaven in order to open the gates and put themselves in God's place. But it's precisely at this moment that something strange and unusual happens. While they are working to build the tower, they suddenly realise they are working against one another. While trying to be like God, they run the risk of not even being human – because they've lost an essential element of being human: the ability to agree, to understand one another and to work together.

Progress and science have given us the power to dominate the forces of nature, to manipulate the elements, to reproduce living things, almost to the point of manufacturing humans themselves. In this situation, praying to God appears outmoded, pointless, because we can build and create whatever we want. 

We don't realize we are reliving the same experience as Babel. It's true, we have multiplied the possibilities of communicating, of possessing information, of transmitting news – but can we say our ability to understand each other has increased? Or, paradoxically, do we understand each other even less?  

He concludes by saying, "Unity can only exist as a gift of God's Spirit." 

“This is what happened at Pentecost.” 

I think we must believe that even today the Spirit moves and makes unity possible. Under Pope Benedict's rule, we have already seen the Anglicans return to Rome. Now, (I hope) the SSPX will soon join our fold. To whom can we credit this to, if not to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and Peter's successor.

Pope Benedict XVI, long may he reign!

Salvation or Happiness?

This unusual reflection suddenly came upon me when I read Prof. Ratzinger's (before he became Pope Benedict XVI) lesson on happiness.


He said something which shook me to my foundations. 


The word “happiness” has gradually replaced the classic term “salvation”, in the common sentiment and speech, outside the theological context.


But how is salvation different from happiness? 


The professor says the term “salvation” meant the salvation of the world, within which the salvation of the individual person is brought about while happiness reduces salvation to an individual level, a well-being relating to the “quality” of life a person enjoys while excluding the world as a whole.


It then suddenly hit me that my entire relationship with Christ was centered around the hope that I could or would be happy being with or knowing Christ. In Catholic circles, happiness is often corrected to joy...my feeling is that, in our minds it means more or less the same thing- individualistic aspirations.


To change my mindset from the pursuit of happyness to the salvation of all mankind, makes my tiny purpose in life so much more bigger, so much more profound and yes, so much more dying to myself. It is difficult to take my eyes off 'what's in it for me?' and do it for a greater purpose.

Take the example of Mary. Did she have a happy life? Maybe; there might have been moments of happiness. Did she suffer? Dearly. The sword was prophesied from the very beginning. Why did she embrace her calling? 

Love.


Only love can bring a person to undertake such great suffering. Suffering, not for herself or for her own but for the sake of the world. Today, for her silent participation in the salvation mystery, she is hailed as Co-Redemptrix. 

What great love Our Lady must have had to embrace the very perpetrators of her sons' death as her own children? Her immense suffering expanded her heart to love a broken people like us. Hence, the Queen of Heaven also bears the title of Mother of Sorrows. 


Mary gave her all. For in love, you don't count the costs.


Coming to me. Would that I be able to give up all my hope for a happy life to full life of suffering, hope, pain and peace that many may live through me?


Discerning marriage as my vocation, I always looked to the Lord to send me the 'right' one. But what if the right one is someone who is a difficult person ? God may choose to bring about his salvation through my patient bearing and love. What if my children choose to desert the faith of their fathers and walk away? God might still ask me to bear witness to his truth, to love them, correct them, pray for them and offer my pain for their redemption...


But am I willing?