INSTRUCTION ON THE FOURTH SUNDAY
AFTER PENTECOST
Rev.
Fr. Leonard Goffine's - The Church's Year
INTROIT
The Lord is my light and my
salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom
shall I be afraid? My enemies that trouble me have themselves been weakened and
have fallen. If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall
not fear. (Ps. XXVI. 1-3.) Glory be to the Father, etc.
COLLECT
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that
both the course of the world may be peaceably ordered for us by Thy governance,
and that Thy Church may rejoice in tranquil devotion. Through etc.
EPISTLE
Romans VIII. 18-23
Brethren, The sufferings of this time
are not worthy to be compared to the glory to come, that shall be revealed in
us. For the expectation of the creature waiteth for the revelation of the sons
of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly; but by
reason of him that made it subject, in hope: because the creature also itself
shall be delivered from the servitude of corruption, into the liberty of the
glory of the children of God. For we know that every creature groaneth, and
travaileth in pain, even till now. Arid not only it, but ourselves also, who
have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body: in
Jesus Christ our Lord.
INSTRUCTION
There is no greater consolation under
crosses and afflictions, no more powerful support in the adversities of a pious
and virtuous life, than the thought that all sufferings are as nothing when
compared with the coming glory of heaven, and that by a slight and momentary
suffering in this life is obtained a superabundant happiness in the next. (II
Cor, IV. 17.) Thus St. Augustine says: "Were we daily to suffer all
torments, even for a short time the pains of hell, in order to see Christ and
be numbered among His saints, would it not be worth all this misery to obtain
so great a good, so great a glory?"
ASPIRATION
Ah Lord, when shall we be delivered
from the miserable bondage of this life, and participate in that indescribable
glory which Thou hast prepared for Thy children, where free from the misery and
many temptations of this life, they enjoy eternal bliss. Enable us to see more
and more into the misery of this life that we may thus be urged to strive for
freedom and glory in Thy kingdom. Amen.
GOSPEL
Luke V. 1-11
At that time, When the multitude
pressed upon Jesus, to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of
Genesareth. And he saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were
gone out of them, and were washing their nets; and going up into one of the
ships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And
sitting, he taught the multitudes out of the ship. Now when he had ceased to
speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a
draught. And Simon, answering, said to him: Master, we have labored all the
night, and have taken nothing, but at thy word I will let down the net. And
when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes: and
their net broke. And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other
ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both the
ships, so that they were almost sinking. Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell
down at Jesus's knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of
fishes which they had taken; and so were also James and John, the sons of
Zebedee, who were Simon's Partners. And Jesus with to Simon: Fear not: from
henceforth thou shalt catch men. And having brought their ships to land,
leaving all things, they followed him.
What are we to learn from the people who came to Christ to hear the word
of God?
We should listen with great zeal to
the word of God, because from it man receives the life of the soul, (Matt. IV.
4.) and eternal happiness. (Luke XI. 28.)
Why did Christ teach from Peter's ship?
By this He showed that the true
doctrine is preached only from that Church of which Peter is the head, (John.
XXI. 15.) which is here represented by his ship. Amid storms of persecution
Jesus has preserved arid will preserve this ship, His Church, until the end of
time. (Matt. XVI. 18). Peter still guides the bark in the unbroken line of his
successors, and Jesus still teaches from this ship the same doctrine through
the bishops and priests, as His cooperators, with whom He has promised to
remain to the end of the world. Matt. XXVII. 20.)
Why was it that Peter and his assistants took in such a draught of
fishes after they had labored all night in vain?
Because at first they trusted in
themselves, and did not throw out their nets in the name of the Lord, relying
on His blessing and assistance. "This example," says St. Ambrose,
"proves how vain and fruitless is presumptuous confidence, and how
powerful, on the contrary, is humility, since those who had previously labored
without success, filled their nets at the word of the Redeemer." Let us
learn from this our inability, that we begin our work only with God, that is,
with confidence in His help, and with the intention of working only for love of
Him, and for His honor. If we do this, the blessing of the Lord will not be
wanting.
What is represented by the nets and the draught of fishes?
"The word of truth which, so to
speaks forms the net? work of gospel preaching," says St. Ambrose,
"with which the successors of the apostles, the bishops and priests, draw
souls from the darkness of error to the light of truth, and from the depths of
the abyss to raise them to heaven."
What is meant by the apostles' calling, to their partners for help?
We are instructed by this that we
should assist the preachers of the gospel, the priests, in the conversion of
sinners, by prayer, fasting, alms-deeds, and other good works, especially by
good example, for this is a most meritorious work. (James V. 20.)
Why did Jesus choose poor and illiterate fishermen to be His apostles?
To show that the founding and
propagating of the holy Catholic Church is not the work of man, but of God; for
how could it be possible, without the evident assistance of God, that poor,
illiterate fishermen could overthrow proud paganism, and bring nations to
receive the doctrine of the crucified God-Man Jesus, who to the Jews was an
abomination, to the Gentiles a folly!
INSTRUCTION ON A GOOD INTENTION
Master, we have labored all the
night, and have taken nothing, but at thy word I will let down the net. (Luke
V. 5.)
There are many people who by a
special, but loving decree of God, seem to be born only for a miserable life,
and who, with all this, can have no hope of a reward in the next world, because
they, do not avail themselves (by a good intention) of the miseries which God
gives them as a ladder to heaven.
In what does a good intention consist?
In performing all our works, even the
smallest, and in offering all our thoughts and words in the name of God, that
is, for His honor and in accordance with His most holy will; that we receive
all sufferings and afflictions cheerfully from His hand, and offer them in
union with the passion of Jesus.
How should we make a good intention?
In the morning we should offer to the Lord all our thoughts, words, and deeds,
all our crosses and afflictions, and all our steps during the day:
1. as a sacrifice of homage, to pay
to Him the service, honor and adoration due Him;
2. a sacrifice of thanksgiving for
graces received;
3. a sacrifice of propitiation to
render some satisfaction to divine justice for our own sins and the sins of
others;
4. a sacrifice of impetration to
obtain, through the merits of Christ, new graces and gifts for ourselves and
others.
We must not forget, however, in
making a good intention, to unite all our works with the merits of Jesus, by
which alone they acquire worth and merit before God, and we must guard against
impatience or sinful deeds by which we lose the merit of the good intention
made in the morning, for a good intention cannot exist with. sin. It is also
very useful to place all our actions into the wounds of Jesus, offering them to
Him by the hands of His Blessed Mother, and it is advisable frequently to renew
our good intention during t the day, by making use of these or similar words:
"For the love of Thee, O Lord! For Thy sake! All in honor of God! With the
intention I made this morning!" Endeavor to instruct the ignorant, how to
make a good intention, and thus share in their good works.
What benefit is derived from a good intention?
St. Anselm says: "It renders all works,
even the smallest golden and divine;" and St. Gregory: "It makes all
thoughts, words and deeds meritorious, and causes us to expect in the hour of
death, like the wise virgins, the heavenly bridegroom, Jesus, and be richly
rewarded by Him."
ASPIRATION
Incline my heart, O God, to Thy holy
commandments. Guard me, that I work not in the night of sin, and thus gain
nothing by my works. Assist all pastors that by Thy divine will, they may win
souls for Thy kingdom, and bring them to Thee.
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