Sexagesima Sunday

Thoughts for the Week - Fr. R. Taouk 
23rd February 2014

Fr. Michael Muller on The Spirit of Murmuring

There is no class of men which is free from such murmurs. Sinners murmur when our Blessed Saviour preaches: "I say to you that unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish." (Luke xiii. 3.) The rich also complain, when He threatens "Woe to you that are rich, for you have your consolation." (Luke vi. 24.) The poor are dissatisfied when He teaches: "Blessed are the poor in spirit." (Math, v. 3.) The learned reject His doctrine when he warns: "Amen I say to you: unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Math. xviii. 3.) The young are displeased when He exclaims, "Woe to you that now laugh, for you shall mourn and weep." (Luke vi. 25.) Those who are tempted or afflicted, murmur when He exhorts them by His words and example: "Not my will but Thine be done." (Luke xxii. 42.) The lukewarm are displeased when He tells them: "Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of My mouth." (Apoc. iii. 16.) Finally, the greater part of men murmur at our Lord, when He teaches: "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent bear it away." (Matt. xi. 12.) They complain with the unfaithful disciples of our Lord, "These are hard sayings who can hear them." (John vi. 61.)

How many, even among these, will murmur, not indeed at Christ's doctrine, but at heretics, unbelievers and great sinners? To all these our Lord answers with divine sweetness: "Murmur not among yourselves: no man can come to Me, except the Father, who hath sent Me, draw him." (John vi. 44.) As to all those of you, He means to say, who believe in Me and live up to My doctrine, you ought not to murmur at infidels, heretics or nominal Christians, on account of their infidelity, false belief or bad life, but you should remember that faith, especially practical faith, is a supernatural gift of God, and that no one can have true faith in Him unless it is granted by My heavenly Father. Since they are not as yet drawn by the Father, you should not feel indignant or treat them with severity, but rather pray to the Father that He may draw them sweetly, but powerfully, by enlightening their understanding to know the true faith, and by exciting their will to embrace it in practice, and thus they will be united with you in the same religion.

Pray you, too, that He may remove from your heart the coldness and indifference which prevents you from loving the truth, and from your will the reluctance and resistance which prevents you from embracing it. You should often say to God: "Our Father, if there are still more truths which I must know and practise, in order to be saved, I beseech Thee, permit me to know them in whatever way it pleases Thee to manifest them to me. Give me a good will that I may embrace them and practise faithfully what they command, until the end of my life."