And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks,
He distributed to them that were sat down.--John vi. 11
INSTRUCTION FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT,
(LAETARE.)
by Leonard Goffine, 1871
In the Introit of this day's Mass which begins with the word Laetare, is as follows: Rejoice, Jerusalem, and meet together all you who love her; rejoice exceedingly, you who have been in sorrow, that you may leap for joy, and be satiated with comfort from her breast. (Isai lxvii. 10. 11.) I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we will go into the house of the Lord. (Ps. cxxi.) Glory be to the Father, &c.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Almighty God, that we, who are justly afflicted according to our demerits, may be relieved by Thy comforting grace. Through, &c.
EPISTLE. (Gal. 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 bondwoman, was born according to the flesh: but he by the freewoman, 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 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, among the nations, for a man to have more than one wife. This was permitted by God, 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 although aged would, by the grace of God, 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, the Old, Sara, the free woman, the New Testament; the son of Agar, the Jєωs, the son of Sara, the Christians; for the Jєωs, 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 Jєωs, the Jєωιѕн Church, obeyed the commandments of God only from fear of punishment, and hope of temporal reward; the New Testament, the Jerusalem from above, that is, the Christian Church, gives birth to children, who willingly and from love obey God's commandments. And although the Christian Church, the New Jerusalem, chosen from heathenism, was in the beginning barren, as Sara, she gives birth, by the grace of God and through His apostles, to more children than the Jєωιѕн Church, so long the Church of God, that is more were converted to Christianity from the gentiles than from the Jєωs, who 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 Jєωs were dispersed to all parts of the world. Let us, therefore, give God thanks, that through Jesus we have become the free children of God, who from love fulfil His holy will, by which we will 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, and like to Thee, that I may not, one day, as an ill behaved child 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 Jєωs, 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 him: Two hundred penny-worth 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 they 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 sat 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 these 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 trust; 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 their having seen there was no provision there; and that we may learn to trust in God, who is a helper in due time in tribulation. (Ps. ix. 10.)
Of what signs did Christ make use 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, and that it is God who opens His hands and fills us with all blessiugs; He gave thanks, thus teaching us to give God thanks for all His blessings. "The table," says St. Chrysostom, "that is met 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.
Why did Christ require them to gather up the fragments that were left?
That they should not be stepped upon and destroyed; that the greatness of the miracle should be evidenced 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, to save them for the poor.
Why did Christ, after this miracle, fly from the people?
Because after this miracle the people recognized the Messiah in Him, and would have made Him king, and He wished to teach us, that we should fly from praise and honor, and in all our actions should seek not our own glory, but God's.
CONSOLATION IN POVERTY
This gospel which relates the provision Christ unasked makes for those who follow and listen to Him, is indeed consoling for the poor. God, from the world's beginning, 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.); He fed the Prophet Elias by a raven (iii. Kings xviii. 6.); and thought of Daniel in the lions' den. (Dan. xiv. 37.) And in the New Testament God shows His merciful care for His own, because in their sorest need, by angel, man, or animal, He fed them in marvellous ways, as we see also frequently in the lives of the saints. Truly has David therefore 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 who, as Christ commands, seeks before all the kingdom of God and His justice. (Luke xiii. 31.) But those who do not this, need not promise themselves much from God, for he who abandons God, will be abandoned by God, who provides only for His own true children. Strive to be a good child, and you will have God for your father, and with King David can cast the care upon the Lord, and He will sustain thee. At the same time to receive help, you must not think it enough for you to pray and trust in God, He demands that you should use your strength to work, for if any man will not work, neither let him eat. (ii. Thess. iii. 10.)
ASPIRATION. In Thy omnipotence and goodness alone, 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 Jєωs, was near at hand. (John vi. 4.)
If we would sing a joyful Alleluia with the Church on the festival of Easter, we must fulfil her desire, and prepare ourselves for its worthy celebration. Therefore, we should shun improper, noisy meetings, and go often into solitude to pray, especially to meditate on the bitter sufferings of the Savior, 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 prepare them. (Lev. xvi. 30 - 31.) From now 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 and 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, to rise spiritually with Christ from sin, which is the death of the soul.
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Topic: Forth Sundayof Lent (Read 611 times)