Choosing one's penance

In case you are waiting until this morning to decide on what you will do for Lent, consider the Gospel from Luke 10: 38-42:

"Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain town: and a certain woman named Martha, received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord's feet, heard his word. But Martha was busy about much serving. Who stood and said: Lord, hast thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? speak to her therefore, that she help me. And the Lord answering, said to her: Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things: But one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her."

The desire to do many things out of Charity for God is right and just, but be careful to place the emphasis on the amount of things you can do. Mary had left her worldlyness behind her, even to the point of pouring out her expensive perfume on Christs feet, offering what she had to Christ. Her response was simple and ordered toward perfect Charity, her one desire, her singular work was now to follow Christ even to the Cross where she would once again reside at his feet.

When Christ was asked by the young man what else he must do to have eternal life, he told him to sell all he had and follow him (for Christ is the Pearl of great price), yet it was the repentant and simple Mary, and not the young man, who put behind her the world to focus on Christ.

A joyous Ash Wednesday to you

Photo: Carl Spitzweg's "Ash Wednesday"

Shatter me O' Lord!

Make me small

Let me be like a child, given over completly to You

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-abstract-character-shattered-image28761435

+Pray for Peter+

+Pray the Rosary like a knight weilds his sword in battle!+

+JMJ+

Part of my penance ...

As the ongoing fight to be a better man rages in me, I am beginning to understand how my love and commitment for the re-establishment of the traditions within the church must be tempered not with my own desires but the needs of the Church.  Perhaps the best way to put it is that I want to get my desires fulfilled in a way that is convenient to me.  I want tradition on my own terms much like the modernists want traditions on theirs.  Instead of wishing that the traditions first and foremost are restored to give due and rightful glory to God, I want them restored for my own selfish desires, specifically so I can say that I was a part of the restoration.

You see my problem now?  All my faults cant be traced to pride, and it has taken me until now to really start seeing this.  I cannot even begin to thank God for giving me this awareness, but here comes the hard part, the part where Christ looks at me and says “If you love me you will keep my commands”.  There is part of me that that feels like the rich young man who wants to run up to Jesus and present him with my so called holiness, yet upon presentation and my pride giving way Christ tells me to give up all that I have and follow him.  Am I truly willing to give it all up?  I must ask myself.  If I again and again tell myself that my sins are not worse then others I only kid myself.  For most of those that engage in modernism know no better, but I do.  Yet too often I am unwilling to change.  I need to be honest with myself, and I need prayers because my battles will not be won alone.

I also want to make you the reader aware of some sermons that really have got me thinking on this lately.  I know this will help you as it has helped me (especially for those that engage in traditionalism type topics):

Part I

Part III (out of order I know)

Part II