Don’t cause a scandal, but please cause an interruption

Introduction

Each generation is converted by the saint who contradicts it most. - GK Chesterton

Let’s look at the guy casting out demons. He Interrupted not just the demons and the city, but the Apostles, the Church, and it was good for them to hear Christ saying, “Look, he did it in my Name, thus I was with him and casted out the demons, by my decision.” Yes, ideally he would be part of the Church. The two men started prophesying in the Old Testament reading. They interrupted Joshua and how he thought things should have gone.

This week we have a bunch of cool saints coming up! In terms of saints, this is my favorite week, buckle up! And didn’t they interrupt some things!

The Archangels - Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael!

Michael interrupted Satan’s war.

Yet the archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil in a dispute over the body of Moses, did not venture to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!” Jd 9

Gabriel interrupted Mary and Joseph.

The guardian of the marriage.

Raphael interrupted Tobias!

Expulsion of the Demon. When they had finished eating and drinking, they wanted to retire. So they brought the young man out and led him to the bedroom. Tobiah, mindful of Raphael’s instructions, took the fish’s liver and heart from the bag where he had them, and put them on the embers intended for incense. The odor of the fish repulsed the demon, and it fled to the upper regions of Egypt; Raphael went in pursuit of it and there bound it hand and foot. Then Raphael returned immediately. Tobit 8:1-3

Monday - St. Jerome, patron of biblical studies - He interrupted heretics as well as people who could read Latin, because he translated the Bible into the vernacular.

The Subtle Temptation of Theft. Jerome: Those who live in the midst of this life’s intense business appear to be forced, for the sake of food and necessary provisions, to buy and sell certain things and to seek unfair profit from business. It is difficult even for those who have been set free from the other passions—namely fornication, idolatry, adultery and murder—to escape being caught by this subtle vice. Epistle to the Ephesians 2.4.28.

Tuesday, St. Therese, the little flower, patroness of missions - she was an interruption to her sisters.

“you offend God, greatly by wanting to go to purgatory”

On the morning of September 8, a wave of peace flooded my soul, and, in "'that peace which surpasses all understanding"'" I pronounced my holy vows.

Many were the graces I asked. I felt myself truly a queen and took advantage of my title to obtain every favour from the King for His ungrateful subjects. No one was forgotten. I wished that every sinner on earth might be converted; that on that day Purgatory should set its captives free; and I bore upon my heart this letter containing what I desired for myself:

'''O Jesus, my Divine Spouse, grant that my baptismal robe may never be sullied. Take me from this world rather than let me stain my soul by committing the least wilful fault. May I never seek or find anything but You alone!

Wednesday - Guardian angels, patrons of you! They interrupt us!

Offer to the glory of His Divine Majesty the rest you are about to take, (she was struck down with cancer of the breast at this time) and never forget the Guardian Angel who is always with you, never leaving you for whatever wrong you might do. Oh, the ineffable goodness of this our good Guardian Angel! How many times, alas!, I have made him cry for not having wanted to comply with his wishes, which were also God's. May this our most faithful friend free us from further disloyalty. (Letters vol. II, no. 41)

Oh Raffaelina, what a consolation it is to know one is always in the care of a celestial spirit, who does not abandon us (how admirable) even when we disgust God! How sweet is this great truth for the believer! Who, then, does the devout soul fear who tries to love Jesus, having always close by such a great warrior? Oh, was he not one of the many who, together with the Angel Saint Michael, up there in the Empyrean, defended the honour of God against Satan and against all the other rebellious spirits, and finally reduced them to perdition and bound them in hell? Padre Pio.

Friday - St. Francis of Assisi, the most Christ like follower since Paul. He interrupted Assisi, the Sultan, and many brothers and sisters that came and followed him, his father and all of Assisi!

“While they were hastening to the heights with easy steps, behold

Lady Poverty, standing on the top of the mountain. Seeing them

climb with such strength, almost flying, she was quite astonished.

“It is a long time since I saw and watched people so free of all burdens.”

And so Lady Poverty greeted them with rich blessings; “Tell me brothers, what is the reason for your coming here and why do you

come so quickly from the valley of sorrows to the mountain of light?”  They answered: “We wish to become servants of the Lord of hosts because He is the King of glory. So, kneeling at your feet, we

humbly beg you to agree to live with us and be our way to the King of glory, as you were the way when the dawn from on high came to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”

Saturday - St. Faustina Kowalska - The Saint of Divine Mercy. What did she interrupt?! Well, all of us, the world, she interrupted Easter Octave, so that we plead and ask for God’s mercy for ourselves and that his mercy might interrupt the lives of all those in need of it, living outside the Church.

The moment I took the veils God let me learn how much I would suffer. I saw quite clearly what I was committing myself to. It was (just) a minute of suffering. [Then) God again filled my soul with great joy.

Towards the end of my first year in the novitiate, it began to grow dark in my soul. I did not feel any consolation in prayer, meditation came only with much effort, anxiety started to overwhelm me. I entered more deeply into myself and couldn't see anything but great misery. I could also clearly see the great holiness of God, I did not dare raise up my eyes to Him but cast myself into the dust at His feet, begging for mercy. Nearly half a year passed in this way and there was no change at all in the state of my soul. Our dear Novice Mistress" bolstered my courage in these difficult moments. Nonetheless, the suffering was becoming more and more intense. My second year in the novitiate was coming up. My soul trembled at the very thought that I was to take my vows. I couldn't grasp the meaning of whatever I read; I couldn't meditate. I thought God was not pleased with my prayers. Whenever I received the sacraments I thought I was offending Him even more. Nevertheless, my confessors did not allow me to miss a single Holy Communion. God was working in a strange way in my soul. I didn't understand any of the things my confessor said to me. The simple truths of the faith were becoming incomprehensible; my soul was undergoing torment, not finding contentment anywhere. At one point, I got a strong feeling that I had been rejected by God. That terrible thought pierced my soul right through. My soul started to die from the suffering.

I wanted to die but could not. The idea came to me that what was the use of striving for the virtues, what was the good of self-mortification, if it did not please God at all. When I told my Novice Mistress about it this is the answer I got, "Sister, know that God is making you ready for great sanctity. All this is a sign that God wants you very close to Himself in Heaven. Put all your trust in the Lord Jesus." The book of numbers and prophecy.

It’s not fun being a prophet just look at the second reading! Why did Saint Francis go Talk to the birds?

The priest who want to anoint the rich lady.

Magnificat

My + soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, † my spirit rejoices in God my Savior * for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, * and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel * for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

but Jesus says to give drink and not to cause little ones to sin

but don’t we do both? We give water with one hand and cause others to sin with the other? R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. Though your servant is careful of them, very diligent in keeping them, yet who can detect failings? Cleanse me from my unknown faults!

Struggle to avoid sin

Because if we are full of sin, how will we be able to keep our little ones from sin? Its so scary! How do we avoid just messing up the next generation?

‌for ex: Saint Francis, threw himself into a thornbush, Benedict into the snow and St. Thomas Aquinas chased away prostitute with a fire poker. What have you done?

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off… And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off… And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.

Though your servant is careful of them, very diligent in keeping them, yet who can detect failings? Cleanse me from my unknown faults! Ps 19:12-13

St. Jerome teaches us that by radical asceticism we might reject what the world has to offer and meditate on the word of God more! He said, “Let your head fall asleep on scripture.”

And so what do we do with Thursday, it’s the day that doesn’t have a St. who will get it? We all have to be saints.

Demons - They’re always screwing with us

therese once saw demons, St. Thérèse never really understood the dream until later on in life, when its meaning became clear. She explains, "I do not suppose this dream was very extraordinary, but I do think God made use of it to show me that a soul in the state of grace need never be afraid of the devil, who is such a coward that even the gaze of a child will frighten him away." https://aleteia.org/2018/10/26/how-st-therese-of-lisieux-scared-away-two-little-devils

and we are always interacting with our guardian angels. Our guardian angel is even more powerful than Satan.

Unity - A unity in the Spirit

New Testament II: Mark (Revised) (The Breadth of Catholicity)

So as there may be found in the church catholic something which is not catholic, so there may be found something which is catholic outside the church catholic. St. Augustine ON BAPTISM, AGAINST THE DONATISTS 7.39 (76).

…

This means that one fittingly shares in the worshiping community insofar as one stands with the whole church, and not against it. Ibid 1.7(9)

So for example, we have non-Catholic friends - as far as they agree with the Church we are with them, “But she condemns and forbids division and separation, or any sentiment adverse to peace and truth. For in this respect they are against us, precisely because they are not with us, in the sense that and due to the fact that in not gathering with us, they are consequently scattering. St. Augustine, Harmony of the Gospels 4.

Charity

New Testament II: Mark (Revised) (Simplicity in Service)

GREGORY OF NYSSA: God never asks his servants to do what is impossible. The love and goodness of his Godhead is revealed as richly available. It is poured out like water upon all. God furnishes to each person according to his will the ability to do something good. None of those seeking to be saved will be lacking in this ability, given by the one who said: “whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.” ON THE CHRISTIAN MODE OF LIFE 8.1.

Hell - Eternal Separation from God

St. Faustina on hell

There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another,” Faustina recorded in her diary. ”There are special tortures destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings related to the manner in which it has sinned.”

6. Most of the damned hadn’t believed in hell.

Faustina said that what she was sharing was merely ”a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell.” She testified in her diary: “I, Sister Faustina Kowalska, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence.”