Friday, August 11 : Blessed Marie-Eugène of the Child Jesus

“Unless you do penance, you will all likewise perish” Our Lord tells us. That is already a very austere law. Jesus states explicitly the quality of the effort that he exacts. “The kingdom of God has been enduring violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force.” (Mt 11:12) For all of the disciples of Christ must then exercise violence, for one can not, in fact, without doing violence to himself fulfill the formal precepts of the master. “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and come after me.” (Mt 16:24) There is no other way of ascent to God than the way of Calvary, rugged and bloody as he ascent to Carmel. To the disciples of Emmaeus, still scandalized by the terrible drama of Calvary, Jesus says, “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things entering into His Glory?” (Lk 24:26) He proposed to them a law, the one that he imposed on himself, the one that they will have to follow. He had announced it, the world is not above his master, just as the world hated me it will hate you. I send you as lambs in the midst of wolves. (cf. Mt 10: 24,16 ; Jn 15: 18,20) This painful law is a law of life. We try to forget that Christ announced no other victory than that of the cross on Calvary, no other revenge on his enemies than the day when he will come on the clouds of heaven with his cross, to judge the living and the dead. On that day, those only will triumph with him, who have passed through the great tribulation and were purified by the blood of the lamb.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team