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Semi-Double Observation ![]() The Station for the Third Sunday in Lent is at St. Laurence-without-the-Walls in Rome which was built by Constantine on the Tiburtine Way. It contains the tomb of the celebrated deacon, the great martyr of Rome. Enlarged and enriched in the course of the ages, it has always been much visited by the faithful. The high Altar is reserved for the sole use of the Pope; it is one of the five patriarchal basilicas of Rome and St. Lawrence asks us to remember always our need to sacrifice. Today we see The Christ in open conflict with satan. He throws him to the ground, disarms him and expels him from the body of one possessed. As He Himself explains in a parable (Gospel), satan or "Beelzebub" believed himself secure in his empire, like the strong and well-armed man who defends the entrance of his house, but the Son of God, stronger than the fallen angel, came and took from him his unjust conquest, and we become His. Also we should during Lent, which is a time when the struggle against the old man is more intense, "live as children of the light, performing actions good, just and true" (Epistle).
The venerated Abbot Dom Prosper Gueranger shares his reflections which we excerpt below from The Liturgical Year (pages 247-259 of Volume 5) for the Third Sunday of Lent:
One would scarcely have expected that this species of incredulity could have found its way into an age like this, when sacrilegious consultations of the devil have been, we might almost say, fashionable. Means which were used in the days of paganism have been resorted to for such consultations; and those who employed them seemed to forget, or ignore, that they were committing what God in the old Law punished with death, and what, for many centuries, was considered by all Christian nations as a capital crime. (page 248-9) …It is our duty to consider what have been the causes of our past sins, what are the spiritual dangers we have to fear for the future, and what means we should have recourse to for preventing a relapse. …Being possessed by the devil is not only a fact which testifies to God's impenetrable justice; it is one which may produce physical effects upon them that are thus tried or punished. The casting out of the devil restores the use of speech to him that had been possessed. ...We would not merely show that the wicked spirits are sometimes permitted to have power over the body, and would refute, by this passage from the Gospel, the rationalism of certain Christians. Let these learn, then, that the power of our spiritual enemies is an awful reality; and let them take heed not to lay themselves open to their worst attacks, by persisting I the disdainful haughtiness of their reason. (p. 249) And here we have the origin of all those diabolical practices, which, under certain scientific names, are attempted first in secret, and then are countenanced by being assisted at by well-meaning Christians. Were it not that God and His Church intervene, such practices as these would subvert society. Christians! Remember your baptismal vow; you have renounces satan: take care, then, that by a culpable ignorance you are not dragged into apostasy. It is not a phantom that you renounced at the font; he is a real and formidable being, who, as our Lord tells us, was a murderer from the beginning. (1)- {St. John viii. 44} (p. 250) ...During this holy season, the Church is putting within your reach those grand means of victory-fasting, prayer, and almsdeeds. The sweets of peace will soon be yours, and once more you will become God's temple, for both soul and body will have regained their purity. But be not deceived; your enemy is not slain. He is irritated; penance has driven him from you; but he has sworn to return. Therefore, fear a relapse into mortal sin; and in order to nourish within you this wholesome fear, meditate upon the concluding part of our Gospel. (p. 250) [For the Epistle:] We were sanctified almost as soon as we came into the world; have we been faithful to our Baptism? We, heretofore, were light; how comes it that we are now darkness? The beautiful likeness to our heavenly Father, which was once upon us, is perhaps quite gone! But, thanks to divine mercy, we may recover it. Let us do so by again renouncing satan and his idols. Let our repentance and penance restore within us that light, whose frit consists in all goodness, justice, and truth. (p. 256) [For the Gospel:] As soon as Jesus had cast out the devil, the man recovered his speech, for the possession had made him dumb. It is an image of what happens to a sinner, who will not, or dare not, confess his sin. If he confessed it, and asked pardon, he would be delivered from the tyranny which now oppresses him. Alas! How many there are who are kept back, by a dumb devil, from making the confession that would save them! The holy season of Lent is advancing; the days of grace are passing away; let us profit by them; and if we ourselves be in the state of grace, let us offer up our earnest prayers for sinners, that they may speak, that is, may accuse themselves in confession and obtain pardon. (p. 258) Let us also listen, with holy fear, to what our Savior tells us with regard to our invisible enemies. They are so powerful and crafty, that our resistance would be useless, unless we had God on our side, and His holy angels, who watch over us and join us in the great combat. It is to these unclean and hateful spirits of hell that we delivered ourselves when we sinned: we preferred their tyrannical sway to the sweet and light yoke of our compassionate Redeemer. Now we are set free, or are hoping to be so; let us thank our divine Liberator; but let us take care not to readmit our enemies. Our Savior warns us of our danger. They will return to the attack; they will endeavor to force their entrance into our soul, after it has been sanctified by the Lamb of the Passover. If we be watchful and faithful, they will e confounded, and leave us: but If we be tepid and careless if we lose our appreciation of the grace we have received and forget our obligations to Him who has thus saved us, our defeat is inevitable; and as our Lord says, our last state will be worse than the first. (p. 259) Therefore, let us be boldly and unmistakably with Christ. He that is a soldier of Jesus, should be proud of his title! (p. 259)
As St. Paul urges us in his Epistle to guard our appetites and St. Luke depicts in today's Gospel, we must be on guard against the devil for if we are not careful another seven times worse will enter and shackle us even deeper in sin. by Fr. George Leo Haydock provided by John Gregory
1 Be ye therefore, followers of God, as most dear children:
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God, for an odour of sweetness.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as it becometh saints:
5 For know ye this, and understand, that no fornicator, nor unclean, nor covetous person, which is a serving of idols, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief.
7 Be ye not, therefore, partakers with them.
8 For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk ye as children of the light:
9 For the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth:
1 And He was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb. And when He had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke, and the multitude wondered.
15 But some of them said: He casteth out devils, through Beelzebub, the prince of devils.
16 And others tempting, asked of Him a sign from Heaven.
17 But He seeing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall.
18 And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because you say, that through Beelzebub I cast out devils.
19 Now if I cast out devils through Beelzebub: through whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
20 But if I by the finger of God cast out devils: doubtless the kingdom of God is come upon you.
21 When a strong man, armed, keepth his court, those things which he possesseth are in peace.
22 But if a stronger than he come upon him and overcome him, he will take away all his armor wherein he trusted, and will distribute his spoils.
23 He that is not with Me, is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth.
24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water, seeking rest: and not finding, he saith: I will return into my house whence I came out.
25 And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished.
26 Then he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in, they dwell there. And the last state of that man becometh worse than the first.
27 And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman, from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck.
28 But He said: Yea, rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.
29 And when the people were gathered together, He began to say: This generation is a wicked generation: they ask a sign, and a sign shall not be given them, but the sign of Jonas, the prophet.
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