Third
Sunday of Lent, March 3, 2013
Epistle,
Ephesians 5: 1-9 Gospel, Luke 11: 14-28
Today we can thank God for bringing us almost
halfway through Lent. Those of us who have observed the Lenten fasts are happy
for what we have done. Those of us who haven’t done anything to prepare for
Easter are not so happy, but we are not without hope because many days remain
to fast in reparation for our sins.
Lent is the time to prepare ourselves for Eternity.
We needn’t fear the death of the body. Worry instead about the death of the
soul, which lasts for Eternity. Do not look out upon the world with the eyes of
your body. Rather, look at the world with the eyes of your soul. Look for those
things that can help you gain the happiness of eternity in our Lord’s Kingdom,
things like obedience to Christ and His Church, the Mass and Sacraments, works
of charity especially towards you enemies.
In a recent Gospel
reading, Luke 16: 19-31, our Lord
tells the story of Lazarus, the poor man who begged at the gate of the rich
man’s house, but the rich man had no charity and never gave Lazarus even a
crumb. In time they both died and Lazarus was carried up to heaven into the
bosom of our father Abraham. The rich man went to hell. Looking up in his
torment, the rich man saw Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham and called to him,
asking him to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and touch it to his
tongue to relieve the burning. Abraham responded that between them is a “great
chaos” so that no one can pass from us to you or from you to us. The Son of God
is telling us in the story of Lazarus that heaven and hell are permanent
states, and once we go to heaven or hell, it is forever. Those who are wise
prepare in this life for eternity in heaven rather than an eternity in hell.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus casts a devil out of a man
who could not speak. When the devil was cast out, the man spoke and the crowd
marveled at the miracle. However, some in the crowd accused our Lord of casting
out devils by the power of Beelzebub -- The Lord of the House, which is a name
the Jews used for Satan. But they had seen Jesus raise people from the dead and
give sight to the blind and cure every kind of disability and disease, yet they
said He cast out devils by the power of Satan. Saint Bruno asked, since when
did Satan ever do things like that?
Those who scoffed at Him were Scribes and Pharisees
according to St. Matthew’s report of this event. Seeing their thoughts Jesus
said, “Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation . .
. And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand?”
In other words if devils are casting out devils it means there is a civil war
in hell, and if hell is at war, the devils have no power over us.
Jesus then asked the scoffers, “If I cast out devils
by Beelzebub; by whom do your children cast them out?” These “children” are the
Lord’s Apostles, who were given the power by our Lord to cast out devils. The
Apostles were also Jews, they believed in the Resurrection, which the Pharisees
taught, and they looked upon the Pharisees as fathers and teachers, so in this
religious sense the Apostles were their children.
The
Lord continued: “But if I by the Finger of God cast out devils; doubtless the
kingdom of God is come upon you.” The Finger of God is the Holy Ghost, also called
the Spirit of God, and where the Spirit of God is, there also is the kingdom of
God. So the kingdom of God is with Jesus.
Jesus continuing said: “But when a strong man armed
keepeth his court, those things are in peace which he possesseth. But if a
stronger than he come upon him and overcome him; he will take away all . . .
and distribute his spoils.” The strong man is the devil, but Christ is
stronger. He has come into this world, which the devil has bound and held as
his own house – hence the name Beelzebub, the Lord of the House – but Christ
has now bound Satan and broken his armor and those he held captive in life, Christ
has delivered from bondage. Therefore, the devil is not with Christ, nor does
he cast out devils with Him. The devil does not heal men as Christ does, nor
does he gather people into Christ’s Church. What does the devil do? He tempts,
he scatters, he harries, he drags down
to death and eternal damnation all that he can.
Our Lord continues with a description of those who
are possessed by devils, and in this He is referring to the Chosen People as a
whole, and not individually, and at what happened to them when they abandoned
the true Faith. It was through the faith of Father Abraham, and through the Law
as given to Moses and through the priests beginning with Aaron, the devil had gone out of the Jewish people.
But the priesthood corrupted the Law and the people followed, and so the devil
coming back finds his old home empty. Then going back into many Jews he brings
with him seven spirits more wicked than himself. The seven spirits the devil
brought were to oppose the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost: 1st, Wisdom, opposed by stupidity; 2nd,
Understanding opposed by revolt and unreason; 3rd, the Gift of Counsel, opposed by rashness; 4th, Fortitude, opposed by fickleness,
undependability and fear; 5th, Knowledge,
opposed by ignorance; 6th, the Gift of Piety, opposed by impiety, and 7th, the Fear of the Lord, opposed by contempt
and hate. The original devil tempts the man – but these seven kill the soul. It
is no wonder that the last state of the man is worse than the first.
St.
Ambrose, from a book concerning Joseph, son of Jacob:
Joseph would not have been
preferred over his brothers if he had returned injury for injury, and had only
loved those who loved him. Most people do that. But it is remarkable if someone
loves his enemies. Joseph was remarkable because he did this before Christ
brought us the Gospel of love. Being injured, he spared; attached, he forgave;
sold into bondage, he responded with kindness. We have been taught all this by
Christ and His priests, but how often do we not live like Joseph. Let us learn
that the saints were not by nature better than other men, but only more heedful
of Christ’s Gospel. Let’s learn that they were not without sin, but truly
repented. If hatred and envy touched even the saints, how much more need is
there for we sinners to be careful lest these temptations set us on fire. +++
We Celebrate the Traditional
Tridentine Latin Mass
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