MEDITATIO

God is sending me the cross… May it be blessed, as Job says, « We accept good things from God and should we not accept evil?” (2,10). Everything comes to us from him, health and sickness, earthly goods, difficulties and misfortunes; everything, absolutely everything, is perfectly ordered. If at times the creature rebels against God’s design it commits a sin, for everything is necessary, everything is well done, and laughter is as necessary as tears. We can draw profit for our perfection from everything provided we see, in a spirit of faith, God’s work in it all and remain in the hands of the Father like little children. Because all by ourselves, where would we go?… Obviously, I’m not trying to free myself from the feelings [my trials inspire in me]: but what God wants is to bring them to perfection in me. For this purpose he leads me hither and thither like a plaything, causing me to let go, just about everywhere, of pieces of my heart. God is great and accomplishes everything perfectly! How much he loves me, and how badly I repay him! His providence is infinite and we must entrust ourselves to it unconditionally.

maronite readings – rosary,team

God intended the earth with everything contained in it for the use of all human beings and peoples. Thus, under the leadership of justice and in the company of charity, created goods should be in abundance for all in like manner. Whatever the forms of property may be, as adapted to the legitimate institutions of peoples, according to diverse and changeable circumstances, attention must always be paid to this universal destination of earthly goods. In using them, therefore, man should regard the external things that he legitimately possesses not only as his own but also as common in the sense that they should be able to benefit not only him but also others. On the other hand, the right of having a share of earthly goods sufficient for oneself and one’s family belongs to everyone. The Fathers and Doctors of the Church held this opinion, teaching that men are obliged to come to the relief of the poor and to do so not merely out of their superfluous goods. If one is in extreme necessity, he has the right to procure for himself what he needs out of the riches of others. (Here the ancient principle applies…: “In a case of extreme necessity everything is held in common and must be put to common use.” Clearly, for a precise application of this principle, all the necessary moral conditions must be present.) Since there are so many people prostrate with hunger in the world, this sacred council urges all, both individuals and governments, to remember the aphorism of the Fathers, “Feed the man dying of hunger, because if you have not fed him, you have killed him,” and really to share and employ their earthly goods, according to the ability of each, especially by supporting individuals or peoples with the aid by which they may be able to help and develop themselves.

maronite readings – rosary,team

Our Lord Jesus Christ asks of us the simplicity of a dove. This means saying things absolutely simply, as we think of them, without wasting a thought, and acting straightforwardly, without deceit or artifice, our eyes on God alone. For this purpose we will each try to carry out all our actions in this same spirit of simplicity, representing to ourselves that God takes pleasure in communicating himself to the simple and in revealing those secrets to them that he hides from the wise and prudent of this world (Mt 11,25). But, while recommending the simplicity of a dove to us, Jesus Christ commands us to use the prudence of serpents, which is a virtue that causes us to speak and act with discretion… Our Lord, telling the apostles that he would send them out like sheep among wolves, tells them at the same time that they must be prudent as serpents and simple as doves. Then he adds: “Beware; for men will detain you before courts… because of me. But when they hand you over do not worry about what you are to say…” First he speaks of prudence and then of simplicity; the former is to enable them to go like sheep in the midst of wolves, where they run the risk of being badly treated. “Be prudent,” he says, “be shrewd, but be simple for all that.” “Beware of men”: watch out for yourselves prudently but, if you are exhibited before the judges, don’t trouble yourselves about your answers. That is simplicity. Note that our Lord links these two virtues together in such a way that he intends us to make use of them on the same occasion. He advises us to use both equally and gives us to understand that prudence and simplicity go well together when they are properly understood.

maronite readings – rosary,team