⚜ 50 years ago, on September 13, on a property built by the Benedictines of São Paulo, Dr. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira and the then Mr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, today Msgr. João, began the community life that would be the root of the way of life of the Heralds of the Gospel: the Hermitage of Our Lady of Unpretentiousness and Holy Prowess, commonly known as Hermitage of São Bento, was founded.
♦️No one has sure knowledge of his state of soul
When St. Joan of Arc faced the process that was pitted against her, one of her interrogators, Jean Beaupère, professor from the University of Paris, put a cunning question to her: “Are you in the state of grace?” An affirmative response would warrant reproach for contradicting Catholic doctrine; a negative one would goad on her accusers. Nevertheless, the young shepherdess stood up to the insidious question perfectly, like an experienced theologian: “If I am not, may God place me there; if I am, may God so keep me.”
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias
New Insights on the Gospels II, pp. 331-333
Read the commentary for the 24th Week of Ordinary Time: https://donalucilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/24th-Sunday.pdf
Audio of Gospel Commentary: https://donalucilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/24th-Sunday_Ordinary-Time_YrA.mp3
When St. Joan of Arc faced the process that was pitted against her, one of her interrogators, Jean Beaupère, professor from the University of Paris, put a cunning question to her: “Are you in the state of grace?” An affirmative response would warrant reproach for contradicting Catholic doctrine; a negative one would goad on her accusers. Nevertheless, the young shepherdess stood up to the insidious question perfectly, like an experienced theologian: “If I am not, may God place me there; if I am, may God so keep me.”
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias
New Insights on the Gospels II, pp. 331-333
Read the commentary for the 24th Week of Ordinary Time: https://donalucilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/24th-Sunday.pdf
Audio of Gospel Commentary: https://donalucilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/24th-Sunday_Ordinary-Time_YrA.mp3
⚜️ Let us imagine the scene: the good thief on one side of Our Lord writhing in pain; a bandit who, touched by grace, was repentant and, in the midst of his suffering thought:
"Here, in the midst of my pain and seeing His pain, I feel happier than at any other time in my life! Death approaches me with its heavy steps and terrible claws, but He looks at me with love and restores his friendship with me. If I could remain eternally nailed to this cross, suffering as I am, but looking at Him, how good it would be! I am only something because He looks at me and I look at Him. I never want to leave Him again."
Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
"Here, in the midst of my pain and seeing His pain, I feel happier than at any other time in my life! Death approaches me with its heavy steps and terrible claws, but He looks at me with love and restores his friendship with me. If I could remain eternally nailed to this cross, suffering as I am, but looking at Him, how good it would be! I am only something because He looks at me and I look at Him. I never want to leave Him again."
Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
♦️ An impossible debt to settle
“That is why the Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.”
However, for us, unlike the Immaculate Virgin, each fault adds an incalculable amount to our debt, because the liability contracted by just one sin is infinite, since the dignity of the One offended is infinite. Consequently, even if we spent eternity making arduous sacrifices, we would be unable to clear our debt. Nothing that we ourselves can do suffices to repair the sin of our first parents and our own, against the Creator.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias
New Insights on the Gospels II, pp. 335-336
“That is why the Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.”
However, for us, unlike the Immaculate Virgin, each fault adds an incalculable amount to our debt, because the liability contracted by just one sin is infinite, since the dignity of the One offended is infinite. Consequently, even if we spent eternity making arduous sacrifices, we would be unable to clear our debt. Nothing that we ourselves can do suffices to repair the sin of our first parents and our own, against the Creator.
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias
New Insights on the Gospels II, pp. 335-336