25th Week, Saturday, Sept 28: Saint Wenceslaus
Ecclesiastes 11:9 - 12:8 / Luke 9:43-45
Ecclesiastes talks about death; God is going to judge you.
Dr. Wilder Penfield, director of Montreal's Neurological Institute, made an amazing discovery.
One day while performing an operation with local anesthesia, he accidentally touched the patient's brain. Instantly and vividly, the patient recalled an exciting experience from childhood. A similar touch to another person caused the patient to relive in perfect detail the experience of having her baby.
Penfield and other scientists now believe that every action of our lives even the feelings we had during the action is stored in our brain. In other words, there is a physiological basis for the theological concept of a personal judgment after death.
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How much does the idea of a final, personal judgment influence our daily actions? "Do not wait for the last judgment. It takes place every day." Albert Camus
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The author of the Book of the Preacher is in many ways a modern man. He is a believer, he looks for meaning in life, he seeks happiness, not wildly but in relation to the God of the covenant, and yet life disappoints him constantly. He asks questions: how come? He has no full answer because he lacks the perspective of life beyond death. How to reconcile life and happiness with faith, lack of fulfilment in life with death, which seems to end all?
“They did not understand it at all,” says the gospel about the disciples, when Jesus told them about his coming passion. Jesus speaks of himself as the “Son of Man,” the mysterious person of heavenly origin predicted by Daniel. “He must be delivered up,” for he is also the Suffering Servant of the songs of Second Isaiah. Indeed, all this, about one who comes from God, is a servant, and has to suffer and die, is hard to reconcile and accept, at least from the human viewpoint. And to be told to follow his example is difficult to take too.
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Generally speaking, as one gets older, one would also get wiser. Having crossed many bridges in life and eaten as much salt as rice, the older one gets, the more experience one would have garnered. From those experiences of life, one would attain some depth of wisdom. So how the 1st reading would be understood depends on whether the reader or the listener is a young person or one who has the seniority of years. Nonetheless the wisdom and the realities expressed in the 1st reading need to be constantly revisited in order to grasp it fully.
In the gospel, Jesus told His disciples to keep these words constantly in their minds: The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the powers of men. But they did not understand it there and then. But later they would. And later they would also realise that what their Master went through, they too would have to go through. Indeed the wisdom and experience of life tells us this - If there is no suffering to hollow out our hearts, there would be no room for joy.
Whether for the young or for those well on in years, that is the reality. Choosing or hoping otherwise would be vanity of vanities.
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Opening Prayer
Lord our God, it remains to us on occasion a cause for wonderment that your own Son had to suffer and die. But of this we are sure: that you knew what was best, that you loved him very much, and that he died to bring us your life and love. Accept our thanks, Father, and help us to keep always in mind how dear we are to you in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Saint Wenceslaus
Feast day September 28
Wenceslaus was born in Bohemia in 907. His father was killed
in battle when Wenceslaus was young. This left the kingdom of Bohemia in the
hands of his pagan mother, who favored the anti-Christian factions. Ludmilla,
Wenceslaus’s grandmother, took over his education. Ludmilla was determined that
Wenceslaus would do two things: be a Christian and rule his country instead of
letting his mother take over. Nobles of pagan heritage killed Ludmilla, yet she
had done her work well. Wenceslaus became the ruler—a well-educated, Christian
one.
Wenceslaus first made peace with his mother so that he could
govern. He worked with the Church, ended the persecution of the Christians,
brought back exiled priests, and built churches. Wenceslaus set an example all
could follow. He gave alms, was just to those who were rich and those who were
poor, visited prisoners, and promoted the religious and educational improvement
of his people. To do this, Wenceslaus had to make peace with the king of the
German empire at the expense of Bohemian nationalism. This caused opposition.
Nobles grew angry because they were ruled by a Christian king.
Boleslaus, the brother of Wenceslaus, was jealous that he was king. Boleslaus invited Wenceslaus to a banquet. The next morning as Wenceslaus was on his way to Mass, Boleslaus hit him. As they struggled, the friends of Boleslaus ran up and killed King Wenceslaus at the chapel door. Before he died, Wenceslaus asked God’s mercy for his brother. Immediately, Wenceslaus was recognized as a martyr. He was proclaimed patron of Bohemia, now the Czech Republic. His picture was engraved on coins, and the crown of Wenceslaus was regarded as a symbol of Czech nationalism and independence. His life shines as a brilliant example of love of country and neighbor.
