St John of the Cross: How to Avoid Being Scandalize
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Rj3r30pCI&t=118s
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then one of his disciples Judas scariot he that was about to betray him said why
8 seconds
was not this ointment sold for 300 Pence and given to the poor in the name of the16 seconds
father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost amen now yesterday we determined that our Lord would not allow24 seconds
himself to be publicly proclaimed and treated as the Christ as the the king31 seconds
until his passion had arrived he didn't want his kingship his being37 seconds
Messiah divorced from his Calvary from his passion they had to go together so if he was to be known as the45 seconds
Christ it must be on Calvary if he is known to be the king and made the king it must be through55 seconds
Calvary now on Palm Sunday our Lord allowed himself to be identified openly as the king and to be treated in a1 minute, 3 seconds
kingly way thus Palm Sunday opens the door to the passion it's1 minute, 10 seconds
arrived and that means the devils and all who would cooperate with them are now permitted to attack our blessed Lord1 minute, 20 seconds
and lay him low the same is also mysteriously true for his body and bride the Holy Catholic1 minute, 28 seconds
church so this means that we must inoculate we must brace ourselves we must inoculate ourselves against the1 minute, 36 seconds
trials that are already here with more to come in a word we must avoid being1 minute, 43 seconds
scandalized by anything lest we become another Judas and abandon or even betray the Lord our King and his holy church1 minute, 52 seconds
and as it were become a scandal ourselves a source of Scandal that we had left the church and there's plenty2 minutes
of opportunities it seems they seem to be increasing uh opportunities to be scandalized uh in these modern2 minutes, 9 seconds
times now in reflecting on Judas we see from today's holy gospel that he was clearly scandalized by St2 minutes, 17 seconds
Mary magdalene's prodigal use of some expensive ointment and with the help of St John of2 minutes, 25 seconds
the Cross let us consider this scene and how it can greatly help us to avoid being scandalized by anything that may2 minutes, 33 seconds
happen in the church even at the hands of those in high levels now St John of the Cross he wrote2 minutes, 42 seconds
an instruction for religious entitled The precautions these were designed to help a religious overcome the World the Flesh2 minutes, 51 seconds
and the devil after entering a Convent or Monastery these excellent precautions are filled with powerful advice and ways3 minutes, 1 second
to seek perfection in religious life but they can be applied by extension to the membership of the3 minutes, 10 seconds
church to the member of a holy family as we review a small portion of these today keep in mind that they are3 minutes, 19 seconds
for religious first and foremost But ultimately they're aimed at Perfection for everyone so the reason I mentioned3 minutes, 27 seconds
this is that they can sound pretty high But ultimately they represent what we are all called to accomplish so they3 minutes, 34 seconds
represent the ideal but they're also showing us this is the path to complete death with3 minutes, 41 seconds
Christ so that we can rise with him for we will not rise with him until we've died with him as we spoke earlier3 minutes, 48 seconds
everyone in the end is a stigmatist we can't avoid it now the precautions I have in mind3 minutes, 56 seconds
are those that touch on the world and of these there are three but let's consider the second and the third at least in4 minutes, 2 seconds
part the second one starts the second precaution against the world concerns temporal4 minutes, 10 seconds
Goods to free yourselves truly of the harm stemming from this kind of good and to moderate the excess of your appetite4 minutes, 19 seconds
you should not allow yourself to worry about these Goods of the world neither for food nor for clothing nor for any4 minutes, 28 seconds
other created things nor for tomorrow and direct this care to something higher to seeking the kingdom of God seeking4 minutes, 37 seconds
not to fail God and the rest as his majesty says will be added unto us for he who looks4 minutes, 45 seconds
after the beasts will not be forgetful of you but this practice by this practice4 minutes, 52 seconds
you will attain silence and peace in the senses St John of the Cross second pron5 minutes
so Judas did not have peace but was stealing money to keep up his worldly5 minutes, 10 seconds
habits and bank for the future he saw how things were going he was planning on a5 minutes, 19 seconds
future he was not happy to see others being so generous with our Lord and so he was looking out for5 minutes, 26 seconds
himself his motive was self-preservation greed this lack of a spirit of5 minutes, 34 seconds
Abandonment and poverty led to his evil end so this is that's the second precaution third5 minutes, 42 seconds
precaution
more to the point of today what I want to talk about the third
precaution is very necessary St John says so you may know how to guard5 minutes, 50 seconds
yourself in the community in the church against all harm that may5 minutes, 57 seconds
arise many by not observing it not only have lost the peace and good of their souls but have fallen and ordinarily6 minutes, 6 seconds
continue to fall into many evils and sins it is that you very carefully guard6 minutes, 15 seconds
yourself against thinking about what is happening in the community or in the church and even more against speaking of6 minutes, 22 seconds
it of anything in the past or present concerning a particular religious or we could fill in the blank a particular6 minutes, 30 seconds
prelot a priest a bishop a cardinal a6 minutes, 38 seconds
pope nothing about his or her character or conduct or Deeds no matter how serious any of this6 minutes, 46 seconds
seems shouldn't concern ourselves about it he's saying do not say anything under the6 minutes, 53 seconds
color of zeal or of correcting a wrong unless6 minutes, 59 seconds
at the proper time to whomever by right you ought to tell okay now as a priest as a faithful7 minutes, 8 seconds
member of the church we do have a right to correct7 minutes, 15 seconds
error even that coming from the highest offices we don't have to sit down for error we can correct7 minutes, 23 seconds
that but he goes on he says never be scandalized or astonished by anything you happen to see or learn of7 minutes, 30 seconds
endeavoring to preserve your soul in forgetfulness of all that7 minutes, 38 seconds
forgetfulness it's a key element in the spirituality of St John of the Cross forgetfulness endeavoring to preserve7 minutes, 46 seconds
your soul in forgetfulness of all that don't dwell on it for should you desire7 minutes, 53 seconds
to pay heed to these things many will seem wrong even were you to live among8 minutes
Angels because of your not understanding the substance of these things take Lot's wife for an example8 minutes, 9 seconds
because
she was troubled at the destruction of the sodomites and turned her
head to watch what was happening God punished her by converting her into
a8 minutes, 17 seconds
pillar of salt you are thus to understand God's will that even were you to live among8 minutes, 24 seconds
Devils you should not turn the head of your thoughts to their affairs but forget these things entirely and strive8 minutes, 32 seconds
to keep your soul occupied purely and entirely in God and not let the thought of this8 minutes, 41 seconds
thing or that thing hinder you from doing so and to achieve this be convinced that8 minutes, 49 seconds
in monasteries and communities and in the church as a whole there is never a lack of stumbling8 minutes, 57 seconds
blocks since there is never a lack of devils who seek to overthrow the9 minutes, 5 seconds
Saints God permits this in order to prove and try the religious and the9 minutes, 13 seconds
faithful so if we're in a passion truly if what I say is right if we are in a passion there are going to9 minutes, 21 seconds
be many Devils many stumbling blocks it's why I'm reading you this9 minutes, 30 seconds
if you are not cautious in this manner he says no matter how good your intention and Zeal the devil will catch9 minutes, 38 seconds
you in one way or another and you are already fully captive when you allow yourself9 minutes, 44 seconds
distractions of this sort recall what the Apostle St James asserts if anyone thinks he is religious not restraining9 minutes, 53 seconds
the tongue that one's religion is vain this applies as much to the interior as well as the exterior10 minutes, 2 seconds
tongue says St John of the Cross so clearly we can persevere even among10 minutes, 11 seconds
Devils according to St John if we have a certain forgetfulness we're not going to be constantly10 minutes, 19 seconds
examining everything that's going on and wondering oh what's going to happen next I'm worried I'm going to be Catholic no10 minutes, 27 seconds
matter
what happens no matter what this Pope or this bishop or this Cardinal
does or says I'm going to be Catholic through it all I'm not going to
let them10 minutes, 35 seconds
distract me from my goal of serving and dying with God that's what he's saying now clearly judas's head was10 minutes, 45 seconds
turned it was turned to the Magdalene which led him to be scandalized and make rude and rash remarks if he had10 minutes, 53 seconds
practiced abandonment to his King holy forgetfulness we might be invoking him as a saint11 minutes, 3 seconds
today King is a complete charge let us not be scandalized by anything that may happen in the church but rather let us11 minutes, 10 seconds
strive hard not to fail him or his blessed bride the church I just leave you with one thought11 minutes, 19 seconds
St Philip ner would say every day to our Lord Lord watch out for Phillip for he may betray you today it was always on11 minutes, 27 seconds
guard that he not become another Judas in the name of the father and of11 minutes, 35 seconds
the son and of the Holy Ghost amen