Weakness becomes strength
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.
Those were strong people who taunted Christ's disciples because their
master
entered the
homes of the sick and ate with them. Why, they asked, does your master eat
with
tax collectors
and sinners? O you strong ones who do not need the doctor! Yours is not
the
strength of health
but of madness! God grant that we may never imitate that kind of strength.
We
should dread
the possibility of anyone wanting to imitate it.
The teacher of humility, who shared our weakness and gave us a share in
his
own
divinity,
came to earth in order to teach us the way, even to be the Way himself. It
was
his humility,
above all else, that he impressed upon us. He willingly submitted to
baptism
at
the hands of
one of his servants, so that we might learn to confess our own sins and to
become weak in
order to be truly strong, repeating with the apostle: When I am weak, then
I
am
strong.
-St. Augustine of Hippo
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March 16th - St. Abraham Kidunia
Abraham was born in the 4th century in Mesopotamia not far from Edessa.
His
parents were wealthy nobles and had great hopes for his future. They
planned
a
marriage for him with a young lady of a family that was also noble and
well-to-do. Although Abraham did not want to marry, he did not argue with
his
parents. A seven-day festivity preceded the marriage. On the last day of
the
festivities, he slipped away secretly and concealed himself in a cave in
the
desert, two miles from Edessa.
A great search was made, and at the end of 17 days, he was found in that
cave
absorbed in prayer. All appeals for him to reconsider his decision failed,
and
finally he was left in his solitude. Abraham built a wall closing off his
cell,
leaving only a small window through which food could be passed. St.
Ephraem,
his
companion and biographer, tells us that he passed ten years in that cell
praising God.
When his parents died, he inherited their fortune. He arranged for a
friend
to
manage it, and distributed half of it to the poor. He lived only with a
goatskin
tunic, a cloak, a bowl to serve as both dish and cup, and a mat of rushes
for a
bed. Despite his desire for solitude, many people came to him to ask his
advice.
One day the Bishop of Edessa asked to speak with him. He told St. Abraham
that
he wanted the hermit to leave his cell and go to the neighboring city of
Beth-Kiduna, where he had sent many priests, but all had either been
driven
away
or murdered without converting the city from its deeply entrenched
idolatry.
Abraham saw the will of God in that invitation, and accepted it.
With the money he had entrusted to his friend, he built a Catholic church
in
the
city. The new basilica was protected from the outrage of the idolaters of
the
city by the laws of Constantine. When it was completed, St. Abraham
entered
the
city at night, toppling and sma****ng all the altars and idols he could
find.
The
infuriated inhabitants rushed upon him, beat him and drove him from the
city. He
prayed God to restore his health, and the next morning the people found
him,
in
good health, praying fervently in the church. He continued to harangue the
people to leave their superstitions, and they turned on him again. They
dragged
him out of the city, stoned him and left him for dead. Again, God restored
him,
and he returned to the church. Ill treated, constantly insulted and
sometimes
attacked with sticks and stones, he heroically continued to preach and
teach
for
three years without any result.
At the end of those three years, the people of Kiduna, facing a
complicated
problem for which they had no resolution, decided to come and ask his
advice,
persuaded by his life and charity that he was a holy man. Listening to him
talk,
all the members of the delegation converted, followed by many in the city.
Eventually he baptized 1,000 persons and instructed them in the principles
of
the Catholic Faith for one year. After that, thinking that he was becoming
too
absorbed in the things of this world, he decided to leave the people to
the
care
of others. In the silence of the night he left Kiduna and returned to his
cell.
A time passed and he received news that his brother had died and left his
only
daughter to be raised by him. He brought her to his desert cave, built
another
cell for her and taught her the things she should know. The girl became a
beautiful young lady; one day she was seduced by a renegade monk who had
turned
from his vows, and followed him to the city. There she spent all the money
she
had inherited form her father and became a prostitute.
Her uncle did not know what had happened to her. When Abraham finally
discovered
the truth, he left his solitude. Disguised as a soldier, he went to the
city
to
seek her. Arriving at the inn where she was living, he asked her to sup
with
him. During the meal, he disclosed his identity. She repented and followed
him
back to the desert, where she remained until her death, five years after
that of
her uncle.
St. Abraham lived to the age of 70. As news of his last illness spread,
throngs
of people from the countryside flocked to his cave to receive his
blessing.
After his death each one tried to procure some fragment of his clothing,
as
described by St. Ephraem, who was present.
Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)
This long and most edifying life of St. Abraham places us in the frank and
upright ambience of that era, where the people - even the worst -
sup****ted
straightforward truths and methods.
This is particularly clear regarding the inhabitants of the city of
Kiduna.
They
were the worst possible people - idolaters and murderers - who hated the
truth
and would have killed St. Abraham twice if God had not intervened and
restored
his health.
Notwithstanding, they were impressed by the attitude of St. Abraham who
courageously broke their idols. When a difficult problem arose that they
could
not solve, they thought to themselves: "Our idols were not able to defend
themselves, but this man cured himself when we left him to die. So, his
God
and
not ours must be true." Or, "He could have fled from here, but he
returned.
He
could be resented against us, but instead he has done much good for us."
St. Abraham chose to return to the desert to continue his life as a hermit
This explains how, after having resisted his presence and teachings for so
long
a time, they suddenly opened their souls and converted. They were
impressed
by
his action.
Needless to say that St. Abraham breaking all the idols has much
significance
for our days, which are infected by the spirit of Vatican II's e***enism.
Also, we should note his detachment. After he converted the city, he could
have
lived there comfortably enjoying the fruits of his labor. He did not do
that. As
soon as his work was done and consolidated, he fled again to his solitude.
He
only cared about the glory of Our Lady and Our Lord.
We see the same straightforward way of acting when he went to seek out his
niece. He was bold enough to enter a house of perdition - and I think that
no
one should imitate him in this episode, he clearly received a special
divine
inspiration to do this - and presented himself to the niece as a client.
Only
then did he disclose his identity. Again, we see his direct method.
His straightforward, frank, clear and positive action was crowned with
success.
The niece converted and most probably is with him in Heaven glorifying God
for
all eternity.
He died extraordinarily well; in short, he succeeded in everything he did.
Let us ask the intercession of St. Abraham Kiduna for the grace to smash
the
moral idols of the Revolution, internally in our souls and externally in
society, with the same courage and straightforwardness.
See Images at:
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j213sd_AbrahamKiduna_03_16.html
Saint Quote:
Taste the hidden sweetness that lies within your heart which God has kept
for
those whose lives are tender within. Place your mind in the softness of
life's
eternal flow. Place your soul in the brilliance of heaven's endless glow;
and
love him totally who gave himself for your love, and you will hold him who
holds
all things in truth.
-Saint Clare of Assisi
Bible Quote:
Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye on the ways, and see. And ask for the old
paths,
which is the good way, and walk ye in it, and you shall find refreshment
for
your souls. Jeremias 6:16
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Breathe In Me, Holy Spirit
O Lord and Master Jesus Christ my God; You alone have
power to absolve men from their sins. Forgive all my
transgressions committed deliberately or through human
frailty, in word or by deed. Grant that, without condemnation,
I may partake of Your divine, glorious, most pure, and life-
giving Mysteries. Let my sharing in Your Body and Blood be
for the forgiveness of my sins and for the healing of my soul
and body, as well as for a pledge of the life to come in Your
kingdom; for You are a merciful and gracious God, and we
glorify You, Father +, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever and
forever. - Amen.
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