9781644135945

The Light of the World
changing things of this world, our hearts may be set where true joys are to be found. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Monday
In the Epistle, St. James, the first bishop of Jerusalem, speaks to us. He addresses himself first
to the Jewish Christians, then to all the rest of us.
“Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of
evils, and He tempteth no man. But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being
drawn away and allured” ( Jas 1:13 f.). Only that which is good can come from God. Whatever
God can give and does give is always a perfect gift. Thus, “of His own will He hath begotten us
[the baptized] by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of His creatures” (Epistle).
This is the good gift, the perfect gift, which God gives us: the gift of rebirth by water and the
Holy Spirit. We are first and above all the predestined, the consecrated children of God. Today
we thank God for this perfect gift of His love and mercy. In humility we ask why God gives this
perfect gift to us in preference to millions of others who were more deserving of it than we were.
Why does He not tire of continually giving this precious gift to me, who am so unworthy? He
renews this gift continually in the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist, and in many other
channels of grace. It is His love that prompts Him to do this.
“Let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of
man worketh not the justice of God. Wherefore, casting away all uncleanness and abundance
of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls”
(Epistle). “Be slow to speak and slow to anger”; be not easily aroused and easily vexed; become
not easily embittered or irritated. What is pleasing to God cannot be produced in anger. This
good gift of God produces in each soul a love of silence and seclusion, so that the soul rests
in God. It produces in the soul a meekness and a supernatural calm and peace which is far
removed from all animosity and evil. It excludes and overcomes all impatience and irritation.
This meekness springs from the fire of love, from self-conquest, from the peace that envelops
the soul that is possessed and enlightened by Christ.
In such a soul the sensitiveness of the easily irritated, impatient man, with his degraded and
unspiritual inclinations, is replaced by Christian meekness, which gives strength and mastery
over one’s evil tendencies, and victory over self-love and that sensitiveness so characteristic of
the worldly man. Such heroic meekness is born of God; but anger, impatience, and sensitiveness
are not born of God, nor of grace, nor are they the fruit of regeneration. Anger is a weakness
which attempts to hide behind violent words or deeds, which are unworthy of one who is
reborn through Christ. “Blessed are the meek” (Mt 5:4).
With the liturgy of the fourth Sunday after Easter we recognize the “perfect gift,” which comes
down to us from the Father of light, to be the Holy Ghost, whose coming we await. Through
His Word, God has made us His children. Through His Word, that is, through Christ, He gives
us the Holy Ghost. On our part we must prepare our souls for His coming through prayer,
through the practice of silence, and through an ardent longing for Him.
When we bring our gifts to the altar at the Offertory of the Mass, we repeat with grateful
hearts the words of the Offertory prayer: “Shout with joy to God all the earth, sing ye a psalm
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