CAPG's Blog 

Because, again, we have ventured too near a dangerous occasion of sin; dallied with a temptation; forgot the all-seeing eye of God, and to cry out, like Joseph tempted in Egypt, "How can I do this wicked thing, and sin against my God?" (Gen. xxxix. 9).

But however often we have failed in the past, it is imperative, absolutely necessary for us, for our soul's sake, not to remain failures. We must not dare to give up the attempt to try again. How can we, then, do better for the future, and begin, with some chance of success, to do good and not to fail? First, when we find we have failed, we must begin again at once. It is only wounded pride that makes us lose heart and despond. If we humble ourselves and turn to God, He, in His mercy, will make that very fall a means of a new beginning, and give us fresh strength. A good life is simply a continuous good beginning. God wishes us to be good, therefore He is ready and pleased to help us.

Rising up and beginning again at once after failing, and earnestly turning to God for help, are the means of doing good and not failing. Our Blessed Lord complained, "You will not come to Me that you may have life" (John v. 40). We choose to trust to ourselves, whereas our only hope is from Him. "Commit thy way to the Lord, and trust in Him, and He will do it " (Ps. xxxvi. 5). He will give us life; and what is life in a man, but strength of will, of purpose, and courage to make the endeavour to fulfill that purpose? We need not say that we cannot. That excuse will not hold at the Judgment-that we could not help failing when all the time the grace to will and to do was offered us. The patient Saviour was waiting to be asked to give it us, and complaining that we would not come.

We starve our soul and let it perish of want, and wonder why we fail, and have not the power manfully to persevere. We look for our daily bread to sustain our bodily strength; and can we be excused for the folly of neglecting the daily bread of our souls? Prayer is nourishment for our souls, but a far greater and stronger nourishment is the most holy Eucharist. Our Lord has said, "He that eateth this bread shall live for ever." Ah! if we wish really to do good and not to fail, let us have devotion to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. We gain strength, we prove our love for our Blessed Lord, and we give Him glory by receiving Holy Communion. Here is the strength that is offered us to enable us to persevere in doing good. We must not fear that we are trespassing on His kindness, as we are not fit or worthy to receive Him. No, we are not worthy: but our Blessed Lord "went about doing good to all," yea, even to those who He knew would fail Him many a time, and perhaps turn against Him. Come to Communion, to frequent, yea, daily Communion, and thus prove that you wish for His sake to have the good heart and strength to do good and not to fail. You will thus please our divine Lord; and be sure He will not fail you, but gladly will He give you the grace and strength that you may not fail Him.

So we see that the secret of perseverance is to begin again and again. And where shall we find the dispositions to wish to begin each day earnestly and zealously better than at the altar-rails? He comes to us there, who inspires us with the desire to be faithful and generous, and He comes to give us the strength to fulfill that desire, that purpose, that longing. Look back gratefully at the countless times that our Saviour has thus helped us to start afresh. Oh! what could have made us tire of Him, and wish to leave Him and abandon Him? Of ourselves we might despair, but never of His goodness. Our time is growing short: let us begin again at once, and pray to persevere. No more to trust to ourselves our good will or our strength-but wholeheartedly to trust to that good Lord, who would have us, for love of Him, to do good and not to fail. Source: Short Sermons on the Epistles & Gospels of the Sundays of the Year By Francis Paulinus Hickey

The third event is thus recorded. "And there was a man, whose right hand was withered. And the Scribes and Pharisees watched Him if He would heal on the Sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against Him. But He knew their thoughts; and said to the man who had the withered hand: Arise, and stand forth in the midst. And rising he stood forth. And Jesus said to them: I ask you, if it be lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy? And looking round about on them all, He said to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth, and his hand was restored. And they were filled with madness, and they talked one to another, what they might do to Jesus" (Luke vi. 6). This miracle is also recorded by St. Matthew (xii. 10) and St. Mark (iii. 1).

The fourth cure is thus related by St. Luke. "And He was teaching in their synagogue on the Sabbath. And behold there was a woman, who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and she was bowed together, neither could she look upwards at all. Whom, when Jesus saw, He called her unto Him, and said to her: Woman, thou art delivered from thy infirmity. And He laid His hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue being angry that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, answering said to the multitude, Six days there are wherein you ought to work; on them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath.

And the Lord answering him said: Ye hypocrites, doth not every one of you, on the Sabbath day, loose his ox or his ass from the manger and lead them to water? And ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? And when He had said these things all His adversaries were ashamed; and all the people rejoiced for all the things that were gloriously done by Him" (Luke xiii. 11-18).

The very next chapter of St. Luke's is chosen for this day's gospel. You remember we are told that Jesus went into the house of a certain Pharisee; and they watched Him. What an invitation, full of guile and deceit ! And behold there was a certain man before Him, who had the dropsy." Jesus asked them in the words of the text, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? But they held their peace. But He, taking him, healed him and sent him away" (Luke xiv. 1). And then our Lord rebuked them.

The six and seventh miracles are recorded by St. John. The scene is at the pool of Bethsaida, "where lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered, waiting for the moving of the water. And an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond, and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond, after the motion of the water, was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under. And there was a certain man there, who had been eight and thirty years under his infirmity. Him when Jesus had seen lying, and knew that he had been there a long time, He saith to him, Wilt thou be made whole ? The infirm man answered, Sir, I have no man to put me into the pond, and whilst I am coming, another goeth down before me. And Jesus said to him: Arise, take up thy bed, and walk. And it was the Sabbath that day. Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus (John v. 2).

The seventh and last miracle took place immediately after the Jews had taken up stones to cast at Jesus. "But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the Temple." And passing by He saw a man blind from his birth. Persecuted, His life sought after, yet the Sacred Heart was heedful of the miseries of others. You remember our Lord said to him, "Go wash in the pool of Siloe." He went, he washed, he came back seeing! Now it was the Sabbath when Jesus opened his eyes. The Pharisees cross-questioned the man; rebuked him and cast him out of the synagogue because he spoke in defense of Jesus. Our Lord meeting him afterwards, revealed Himself to him as the Son of God," and falling down he adored Him " (John ix. 1).

In all this manifold revelation of the tender love of Christ is there no lesson for ourselves? Yes, indeed: Sunday after Sunday are we not here present before Him? His merciful eyes are looking down upon our souls; ah! if we saw the state of our souls as He sees them, should we not recognize ourselves amongst those sad cases whom He cured on the Sabbath day? What He mercifully did then, He is willing and longing to do now during Holy Mass. Let us humbly own our infirmities, and beg of Him to make us whole, strong to re-enter His service, strong to persevere."

16th Sunday after Pentecost. Short Sermons on the Epistles & Gospels of the Sundays of the Year by Dom Francis Paulinus Hickey, O.S.B. 1922