SAINT AGNES CATHEDRAL 533 South Jefferson Springfield, MO 65806 EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS: Celebrant Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
February 19, 2012 Quinquagesima Sunday
Epistle: 1Cor. 13:1-13
Gospel: Lk. 18:31-43
Mass Schedule February 13th through February 17th
Monday-FERIA-NO LATIN MASS
Tuesday-FERIA
Wednesday-FERIA
Thursday-FERIA
Friday-FERIA
Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians speaks of the three theological virtues; faith, hope and love. The theological virtues are among our greatest gifts from God. They are infused into our hearts through divine grace. However, we must remember our responsibility to nourish these God-given gifts. We must always and everyday pray for them. We should beg God that we grow in them, never take them for granted, but instead cherish them as our most prized possessions.
We are all people of faith. Perhaps we may know somebody whom we believe to be a person of great faith. Chances are we know somebody who seems to have little, if any faith at all. Faith is a precious gift. The strength of our faith depends a great deal on how we ourselves nourish it. We should constantly ask God for an increase in faith.
We see in the Gospel another great example of Jesus Christ demanding faith from the blind man who wishes to see. Our Lord gives the blind man his sight because “thy faith hath made thee whole.” The blind man believed in his heart that Jesus had the power to heal him. Therefore when the blind man asked for his sight, it was given to him.
Our Lord wants the exact same faith from each one of us. One of the easiest and most effective ways of nourishing our faith and praying for the other virtues is meditating on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When we mediate upon the resurrection, for example, we must beg God for a greater faith. We should contemplate the unprecedented faith that was given to the Blessed Virgin Mary and ask God for a share in this same faith. When we focus on the ascension we should ask God for a greater hope that where He has gone, we will one day follow.
Saint Paul explains that the virtues of faith and hope mean nothing if we do not put them into practice, therefore the greatest of these virtues is love. “Holy” people are people who exercise on a regular basis the virtue of charity. Hence, charity is the key to holiness and sanctity. We can find charitable things to do each and every day that help us grow in holiness. These can be the smallest of acts, because God looks at the intention of one’s heart, not the magnitude of the act.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
