Spiritual words, from the Ecclesiastical Assistant:Dear Juventutem members and friends,
On this fourth and last Sunday of Advent, let us do our best to focus on the great mystery of the Incarnation and let us not be distracted by material things.
“
Et videbit omnis caro salutare Dei – Then all flesh shall see God’s salvation”: these final words in today’s Holy Gospel remind me of the famous exhibition at the National Gallery in London, UK, in the year 2000, named: “Seeing Salvation”. On display were a great number of beautiful representations of Our Lord. The exhibition explored how the figure of Christ has been represented in the Western tradition. Looking at paintings, sculptures, coins and engravings, it examined different aspects of the visual identity of Christ and the different pictorial questions that artists have confronted as they made his image. The man who was at the origin of the exhibition had had to work hard to convince the Gallery’s authorities to accept such a theme, particularly as it would clash with the opening of the Tate Modern gallery (where reverence and even good taste are not often on display). The “Seeing Salvation” curator was rewarded since the exhibition has been an utmost success, attracting the largest number of visitors of all exhibitions hold in Britain for 20 years – more than 5,000 per day during 4,5 months!
In this last Sunday before the Nativity of Our Lord, we reach the very last days in our Advent preparation to “see Salvation” in our turn. We want to spend these 4 days in the anticipation of the wonder soon to be shown to the world: God made Man. We want to rekindle in our souls the craving for seeing the Messiah, whose coming had been announced as early as right after the original sin, in the book of Genesis, when God had told to the serpent: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head” (Genesis 3:15). We want to listen even more attentively to St John the Baptist, the great herald of the Most High, in whose voice are gathered and summarized centuries of expectations and of prayers and of hopes from all the generations of just men and of holy women and of deserving children, since our fallen race was deprived of the sight of God’s adorable Face.
Because this is what it is all about: we were created in a state of perfection which made us fit to actually see God. But we have lost this grace through our sins and since then we are looking for the true light and are so often deceived by false ones. Every minute our magazines and TV screens and radios display the latest news about these sportsmen, politicians and actors ambiguously called “stars”, to such an extend than even good Catholics are tempted to look at these “stars” and follow in their direction. Blind leading the blind.
On the contrary, we want to know only one Star, and this is the “Star of Jacob”, the “
Sol Justitiae” or “Sun of Justice” just about to rise in Bethlehem. He is the true Light, granting genuine radiance to all creatures, as much as they wish to reflect and mirror his splendor, and letting all their beauty turn into darkness whenever they turn away from Him. We know this of course, since we hear it every day at Mass in the Last Gospel:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him: and without Him was made nothing that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4).
Now more than ever, we want to see this true Light of God, and be delivered from this world’s flashing illusions! We want to see the face of God again and be ravished in such splendour! But our souls are still very weak and mistake true glory with pretence and true might with arrogance. This is why of all the means of salvation, God has chosen to be born of a woman as a true Child of men and Son of God. In but a few days this King will lie not even in a bed since “there was no place for Him at the inn” (Luke 2:7), but in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, between a poor Virgin of Israel and a Carpenter, surrounded not with crowds of devout human subjects but with donkey and ox: “That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto his own, and his own received Him not” (John 1:9-11).
In order to see this Light, one has to put away the dirty spectacles of human pride and of self will, one has to be able to simply believe the Good News of the Creation and of the Redemption. One has to accept and believe that, to start with, we have not made our own selves but have been made by Another greater than us, and that this Mighty One, Whom we hade rejected, demonstrated his essential bounty in setting up a most wonderful and loving scheme in order to save us, instead of abandoning us or of destroying us.
This is why the shepherds were the first ones informed: “Do not be afraid. Behold, I bring you good news of a great event that will bring joy to all the people: there has been born for you this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, Who is the Lord Messiah” (Luke 2:8-11). Oh, with what joy and gratitude the good shepherds must have ran to the cave, with what simplicity of heart they must have knelt in front of the manger and, before this throne of humility, more precious than gold, must have paid their homage to the new born King!
But I anticipate. Today we are still with Our Blessed Lady on our way to Bethlehem. Today we share with Her and with St Joseph a mixture of worry and of joy. We worry because Our Lady is about to give birth and we know that the City of David is overcrowded with Jews, travelling to this their place of birth in order to fulfil emperor Caesar Augustus’ edict of registration. And we rightly fear that no relative, no friend of Joseph might have any spare room for this poor and inconsiderable cousin from Nazareth to stay in, let alone for his wife to give birth. We see Our Lady prepare nonetheless the swaddling clothes and the basic items She might have brought with Her for her Son to be born. We see St Joseph and Our Lady weary from travelling and anxious to know how the Lord of lords, soon to enter the City of David, is going to be welcomed.
But we also rejoice with them, since we know that God does not fail, and that His scheme of redemption will not be stopped for lack of protocol, not even for lack of blanket! Rather, with St Joseph and with Our Lady, we do what depends essentially on us, who do what nobody can do in our stead, we do what would be sadly lacking if we neglected it, I mean: we prepare a spiritual habitation for the Divine Child in our hearts. We welcome God’s saving Light: we believe, we repent, we expiate, we hope and love always deeper:
“That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto his own, and his own received Him not. But as many as received Him, He gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:9-13).
Dear Juventutem friends, let us get ready then for seeing Salvation! We know that if our eyes have been carefully designed by God to receive light and be fulfilled by it, to a much greater extent our intellect is designed to discern the truth and our will power to reach out to what is good. And this is just about to be supremely and perfectly fulfilled when, during Midnight Mass, we will unite in spirit with the shepherds before the manger (and with St John at the foot of the Cross simultaneously). Through our intelligent faith then, at the Elevation of the Host after the Consecration, in our hearts with every possible strength and conviction let us make ours the words of the Last Gospel: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Hence let us give thanks in this moment, for we will have seen God’s Salvation indeed, which is the literal meaning of the Holy Name of Our Lord really present in the Host: “Jesus”.
Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP
Ecclesiastical Assistant to the Juventutem International Federation.
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Juventutem news:Last summer has been a busy time for Juventutem with our presence at the International Eucharistic Congress in Québec in June, followed with our intense programme at World Youth Day in Australia in July.
In July as well, Juventutem England (YCA) hold a well attended retreat at Douai Abbey, Berkshire.
In August, Fr de Malleray was in Madrid (Spain) again where he visited various places of interest in the perspective of WYD 2011.
In October there was a successful Juventutem meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand with Bishop Basil Meeking and Rev Bill Define, Regional Superior of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter.
In October as well, Juventutem members from various country including Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, France and Ireland took part in the ceremonies of the twentieth anniversary of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. David Oostveen and Cosimo Marti represented the Bureau of the Federation in their capacity of Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
This very month, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Juventutem Rome (Italy) welcomed Cardinal George Pell as he came to the FSSP personal parish church Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini to offer a pontifical high Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. On the same day, Juventutem Italia attended a musical meditation on the Holy Rosary.
This month again has been announced the release of a CD with the music and chant recorded during the Juventutem liturgies at WYD 2008 in Australia.
During Advent, Christmas cards have been sent by the Bureau of the Federation to all the members (at least those who make sure they send us their updated contact details) and to our benefactors.
In the meantime, the Federation has received applications from two new prospective groups. Following this, we are glad to announce you of the foundation and affiliation of “Juventutem Londrina” in Brazil and of “Juventutem Czech-Slovakia”. Please visit them on
www.juventutem.cz. Contacts have been made with potential members in Asia (other than Juventutem Hong Kong). A further application from Ancona in Italy has recently reached us and is currently being examined. On this matter, it should be reminded that the name “Juventutem”, as related to youth activities linked with the Extraordinay Form of the Roman liturgy, morally belongs to the International Juventutem Federation and should therefore be used only with its approval. The reason is that the founders of the Federation are the same ones who chose the name “Juventutem” and started the movement in Spring 2004.
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Upcoming events:Meeting in Bern, Switzerland: 20-22 February 2009. Every group is cordially invited to contact the Bureau and send at least one delegate. Like last year, the purpose is the diversity of representatives rather than the actual number of members attending. Please do your best to support this event which is an important opportunity for the Juventutem International Federation to update and grow stronger. Of course we do not expect many members outside Europe to be able to travel to Bern, but please pray for us and with us during this important meeting. Contact: Juventutem, Kirchbergerstrasse 42, CH-3008, Bern, Switzerland; Tel./fax: +41 31 371 29 20. Email Cosimo Marti at :
codama at bluewin.ch.
Juventutem in Chartres: 30 May-1st June 2009. A Juventutem Chapter is to attend again the great Traditional pilgrimage from Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris to Notre-Dame cathedral in Chartres: on Whit week-end 2009. Come and join the Juventutem young adults, one group among 8.000 young Catholic walking the 70-mile pilgrimage across the beautiful French countryside! Contact: email Gregory Flash, at: f
lash at gregory-f.com. For your information:
www.nd-chretiente.com.
International Youth Gathering organised in Marian Shrine of Le Puy-en-Velay, France: August 18-23, 2009. Plan ahead and make sure you will be with us during this wonderful week in one among the most ancient Marian shrines in the world. Come and venerate the famous “Black Madonna”, come and attend beautiful liturgies, meet young adults from various countries motivated by the Roman traditions of the Church, improve your Catholic knowledge through sound lectures and explore the breathtaking volcanos landscape of the “Massif Central”. Contact:
www.juventutem.org.
Juventutem retreat in England: 18-20 September 2009: At Douai Abbey, Berkshire, come (whether you live in the UK or not) and pray with other young Catholic adults. Juventutem Ecclesiastical Assistant Fr de Malleray will preach the retreat. Contact:
www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk.
The Juventutem Bureau wishes you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2009!
www.juventutem.org
