- 2 Corinthians 7:10 -
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no
regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
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"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation" refers to the
sorrow for our sins that results in changed behavior. Many people are
sorry
only for the effects of their sins or for being caught ("worldly sorrow").
Compare Peter's remorse and repentance with Judas' bitterness and act of
suicide. Both disowned Christ. One repented and was restored to faith and
service; the other took his own life.
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March 28th - St. Guntramnus, King (RM)
(also known as Contran, Gontran, Gontram, Gunthrammus)
Died March 28, 592. Saint Guntramnus, son of King Clotaire and Saint
Clothildis, was crowned king of Orléans and Burgundy in 561, while his
brothers Charibert reigned in Paris and Sigebert at Metz. In general, his
life was that of a peacemaker. He protected his nephews against the
wickedness of the dowager queens, Sigebert's Brunehault and Chilperic's
Fredegonde.
But he had a period of intemperance. He divorced his wife, Mercatrude, and
hastily ordered the execution of his physician. He was overcome with
remorse
and lamented these sins for the rest of his life, both for himself and for
his nation. In atonement, he fasted, prayed, wept, and offered himself to
the God he had offended.
Throughout the balance of his prosperous reign he gave examples of how the
maxims of the Gospel could be rendered into effective policy. He was the
protector of the oppressed, care-giver to the sick, and the tender parent
to
his subjects. He was open-handed with his wealth, especially in times of
plague and famine. He strictly and justly enforced the law without respect
to person, yet was ever ready to forgive offenses against himself,
including
two attempted assassins.
Guntramnus munificently built and endowed many churches and monasteries.
Saint Gregory of Tours relates many miracles performed by the king, both
before and after his death, some of which he witnessed himself. At the
time
of his death, Guntramnus had reigned for 31 years. Almost immediately he
was
proclaimed a saint by his subjects. He was buried in the church of Saint
Marcellus, which he had founded. The Huguenots, who scattered his ashes in
the 16th century, left only his skull untouched in their fury. It is now
kept there in a silver case (Attwater2, Benedictines, Husenbeth)
In art, Saint Guntramnus is depicted as a king finding treasure and giving
it to the poor. Sometimes there may be three treasure chests before him, a
globe, and cross on one (Roeder).
Saint Quote:
When you are before the altar where Christ reposes, you ought no longer
to
think that you are amongst men; but believe that there are troops of
angels
and archangels standing by you, and trembling with respect before the
sovereign Master of Heaven and earth. Therefore, when you are in church,
be
there in silence, fear, and veneration.
-Saint John Chrysostom
Bible Quote:
And because you are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying: Abba, Father.
Therefore now he is not a servant, but a son. And if a son, an heir also
through God. (Galatians 4:6-7)
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Gravitate to humility.
This signpost points in the exact opposite direction the world points by
pointing to the First Beatitude, the Beatitude from which all the
Beatitudes
spring forth-blessed are the poor in spirit.
When society or the world talks about humility, if they even recognize it,
they refer primarily to a sense of proper self-esteem where one does not
elevate or demean ones self in relation to others. A good self-esteem is
very, very im****tant, but Christian humility calls for something else,
something more.
Christian humility aims for the complete and total nothingness of pride.
We
have nothing to boast of to God. We have no entitlements or any thing to
lay
claim on God. Everything comes from God, and so we are essentially nothing
without God.
This can sound a bit disappointing, even depressing. In fact, the world
calls this humiliation, i.e. to loose ones pride. But the thing is, it is
not about degradation or loss of self-respect or disgrace. It is about
grace, and letting grace in so that it will transform us from the
nothingness of our poverty to divine royalty, daughters and sons within
the
Triune family of God.
In other words, if you are not empty, God cannot fill you up. Do you want
to
be filled up with stuff of the world or with divine stuff? "What good is
it
for a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)
In having nothing before God, we have God, and therefore have everything.
God is peculiar that way-the last shall be first, the lowly shall be
exalted. The way to bliss, to true joy and happiness, is not through pride
but through humility. Jesus is our example; he is the Way.
It seems fitting to recall last week's poem. Love, by its very nature,
always reaches outward.
As flowing water falls to seek the lowest point,
It gives all its energy away until none remains,
And then returns to the source to fall again.
What does the water gain from this falling?
What does life gain?
Just as water gravitates to the lowest point, so does love-by way of
humility.
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