Beware of little sins.
Mosquitoes drink more
blood than lions.
God's Master Plan of Finance
PSALM 37:3-5, 23
Clogged gutters are 1 of those troublesome homeowner problems. Falling
leaves
seem to find them a handy resting place. Eventually they pile up so high
that
there is no place for rainwater to go but over the top of the gutter. The
blocked pipe then no longer fulfills its purpose of directing rainwater
from the
roof to a designated spot on the ground.
There is a parallel here to our Christian life. When we receive new life
in
Christ, we are to be a channel for the Holy Spirit's work of blessing in
the
lives of other people. We are to act as a conduit that God uses to
generously
pour out His love. However, we tend to get stopped up.
Consider our financial resources. God's plan is that we are to share what
we
have received, 1st w/Him through our local church, & then sacrificially
w/people
in need around us. But we look at our bills & our plans, & we want to
have a
reserve of funds to pay for those projects. So we attempt to accomplish
both
God's plan & our own: we give a little to His work & to other people, & a
lot
to meet our own desires. When we view money as our possession to spend as
we
choose, we have become a clogged channel.
The Scriptures are clear that all of our resources come from God & belong
to
Him. He calls on us to give sacrificially according to His plan. Won't
you
take a step of faith by surrendering your plans & resources to Him? Then
experience God's delight as we become a free-flowing channel of giving.
<<>><<>><<>>
October 20th - St. Artemius
Artemius was a commander of the Imperial Army under Constantine. Julian
the
Apostate - Emperor from 361 to 363 - ordered him beheaded in 363.
Julian the Apostate had raised up a huge persecution against the faithful
Catholics. After torturing a great number of the faithful, he condemned
the
priests Eugene and Macarius. As they were being tortured, an official
seated
near the Emperor stood up and directed these words to him:
"Why do you so cruelly torture these holy men? Do not forget that you
also are a man and that it was God who allowed you to be Emperor. Take
care,
for Satan, who asked permission to tempt Job, may have requested leave to
use you against us in order to sow tare amid the wheat of Christ. But his
scheme will be futile because he no longer has the power he had of old.
Since Christ came and was raised on the Cross, Satan's pride and power
were
defeated. Do not have illusions - O Emperor! - in following your love of
Satan, do not persecute the Christians protected by God. The power of
Christ
is invincible."
Hearing these words, Julian became indignant and asked who was the
insolent
wretch who dared to pronounce such bold words. He was told that the man
was
Artemius of Alexandria, Governor of Egypt and Syria who had just arrived,
bringing new troops for the war against Persia. The Emperor ordered him
arrested. After St. Artemius endured many torments that aimed to make him
apostatize, Julian gave the order for him to be beheaded.
Before the execution, he asked for time to pray. He said:
"O Divine Jesus Christ, have pity on Thy Church. Thy altars will be
desecrated, and the Blood of Thy alliance despised because of the
blasphemies that Arius has vomited against Thee. He separated Thee, the
only
Son of God, and the Holy Spirit from the co-substantiality of the Father,
proposing that the Father would be different from Thy nature - Thou who
are
the Author of all creation. He subjected Thee to time - Thou who existed
before all centuries."
After saying these words he genuflected three times toward the East, and
then again prayed aloud:
"God of God, King of Kings, Thou who are seated in Heaven at the right
hand of the Father who generated Thou, Thou who are the crown of those who
fight for the cause of piety, favorably hear this humble and unworthy
servant and receive his soul in peace."
A voice replied from Heaven saying that his prayer had been heard, and
that
the Emperor would die in Persia, be succeeded by a Christian, and idolatry
would be irremediably destroyed.
After hearing these words, Artemius serenely laid down his head for the
sword.
Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)
Considering the grandeur of St. Artemius, one becomes sad to live in the
20th century where governors and presidents are so trifling and mediocre.
It is useful for us to recompose the scene to have a better idea of what
was
described.
You can imagine a Roman amphitheater with its imperial rostrum with
columns
and a canopy covered with rich material, the Emperor in a majestic chair
with several im****tant dignitaries seated behind him. Several slaves wave
feather fans back and forth to move the air and keep the flies from
disturbing the Emperor. The people fill the stands, occupying all the
places
in the stadium.
Near the Emperor sits a high official. He wears the classical Roman armor
with its characteristic helmet. This man is a high dignitary. The
selection
says that he was a governor of two very im****tant provinces of the Roman
Empire and that he had come bringing fresh troops for the war against
Persia. He was, therefore, a guest of honor.
At a certain moment, while two Catholic priests were being martyred and
the
people were cheering the spectacle like hyenas, this man stands up and
directs stern words to the Emperor.
It is a long address during which the Emperor remained quiet. It is a
magnificent apostrophe. It shows that the militant Catholic man does not
always take the defensive, but he also attacks, he takes the initiative
and
he challenges.
The Emperor is not pleased. Instead of answering, he asks the name of this
man who dared speak like that and orders him to be tortured. He tries to
make him apostatize, but when this is unsuccessful, he orders him to be
killed.
The lecture of St. Artemius deserves a careful analysis. In the first
part,
he asks the Emperor the reason why he tortures those holy men. Knowing
that
Julian the Apostate is wrong to do this, he warns the Emperor to be
careful
because he could well be an instrument of Satan to persecute the Catholic
Church. Then he argues that it is useless to persecute her because the
power
of the Devil had been broken by Our Lord Jesus Christ when He was raised
on
the Cross, that is, when He was crucified. Any attempt to stop
Christianity
from spreading would fail since Satan lost his former power.
In this there is a very profound concept: that the principal force of evil
and heresy is that of Satan. It is a concept that pays no tribute to
naiveté, optimism or liberalism, imagining that the heretics could be well
intentioned and the evil they do could be incidental. St. Artemius goes
straight to the root of the problem and explains it. That is, Satan is the
inspirer and the sup****ter of the heresies, and all evil proceeds from
him.
It is an eminently astute and counter-revolutionary concept.
In conclusion, he says that the Emperor is carrying out an unjust and
futile
work because he will be defeated. Hearing this condemnation, Julian the
Apostate orders his guards to arrest Artemius. This is the great first
scene.
There is another scene, which you can imagine in another Roman arena. It
is
the scene of St. Artemius' martyrdom.
Before being beheaded, he says a prayer, and a voice comes from Heaven to
answer him. You can imagine the silence of the audience. That vigorous,
virile man, that unbreakable spirit, stands fearless in the middle of the
arena and asks for time to pray. He prays aloud. He proclaims that the
persecution the Church is suffering at the hands of Julian the Apostate is
a
chastisement for the heresy of Arianism.
Why would the Church be chastised for a heresy that she condemned? It is
because she condemned the heresy only after a long period of complacency.
Almost all of the Bishops became Arian. The evil was so generalized that
St.
Jerome, if I am not mistaken, said that one day the whole Church awakened
Arian. A fierce fight was necessary to defeat Arianism. The few Saints who
defended the good cause were persecuted and a great deal of blood was
shed.
The world did not convert completely from Arianism. Soon after the Arian
heresy was condemned, semi-Arianism started proposing the same errors in a
more subtle way. So a chastisement was fitting for that depraved Roman
Empire and likewise decadent Church. St. Artemius declared that Julian the
Apostate was the scourge for that punishment from God
We can see that this historic principle also applies to our times. The
softness of those who are called to combat the heresies of our century
also
deserves a chastisement. These supposed conservatives who see Catholic
doctrine being attacked and do not react consistently are a pole that
attracts the wrath of God. Further, instead of helping those who take the
right position and fight the enemies, they betray them.
Let us return to the scene of St. Artemius' martyrdom. He heard a voice
from
Heaven affirming that his prayer had being heard, that the Emperor would
die
and idolatry would be defeated.
After that, St. Artemius, like the Prophet Simeon, asked God to receive
his
soul. His last prayer can be understood as a paraphrase of the words of
Simeon. Essentially, St. Artemius said: "O Lord, now Thou can receive Thy
servant in peace, because my ears have heard the announcement of the
defeat
of the tyrant and of Thy victory."
What St. Artemius did not see or know is that many centuries later his
tortures and virile way of meeting his death would encourage us, persons
from a continent that he did not even know existed.
His death is a stimulus for us to suffer manly what we are asked to
suffer,
so that what we do now might also one day be a stimulus for those
Catholics
who will come in the last times and will have to pass through similar
combats.
See Pictures at:
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j151sd_Artemius_10-20.shtml
Bible Quote
And Philip going down to the city of Samaria, preached Christ unto them.
And the people with one accord were attentive to those things which were
said by Philip, hearing, and seeing the miracles which he did. For many
of
them who had unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, went out. And
many, taken with the palsy, and that were lame, were healed. (Acts 8:5-8)
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THE HAND IN THE HARVEST
What measure of love is the greatest
To separate wheat from the chaff?
The hand of God in the harvest
Made known by the power of His staff.
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