Tarnish Not Your Souls: Be Like the Lilies of the Field...

Dr. Zachary James Bramble

Tarnish not your souls, children of Christ! For, like the lilies of the field, you are a marvel amongst all of creation. “And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. And if the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, God doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye of little faith?”

Only by the grace of Christ are we saved, and through virtuous patience do we grow. We are like the lilies of the field, fragile, but perfectly conceived by our Lord’s beautiful mind. Therefore, children of Christ, do not tarnish your chastity, lest you become ignorant. Do not also tarnish your humility, or your humble affect, in exchange for gains. Be like the lilies of the field who demand nothing but are gently blown by the breezes – rooted strong in faith yet receptive to the breath of God! Bend to Christ the King because he wishes you to do so, and well up in your souls an incessant longing for his mercy. Ask him who has saved you to convict you of your faults, that you might bend others in a similar fashion and be justified in his righteousness. Christ’s sacred heart bleeds for you. You should not do this because you feel it burdensome, No! Child of God, do this because it is your salvation. St. Thomas Aquinas speaks of St. Augustine: "Augustine says: 'If thou oughtest to love thyself, not for thy own sake, but for the sake of Him in Whom is the rightest end of thy love, let no other man take offense if him also thou lovest for God's sake.’ Now ‘the cause of a thing being such is yet more so.’ Therefore man ought to love God more than himself.” And so, Children of Christ love the lord your God with your whole heart, your whole mind, and your whole soul. Evangelize not only the world, but yourself, indeed. Tarnish not your souls dear ones because like the lilies, God finds you beautiful and he wants you to bend to his grace. Invite Christ to share with you His Sacred Heart, in his eternity.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ graciously hear us

R. Have mercy on us.

God the Father of Heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, One God,

Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, Heart of Jesus, formed in the womb of the Virgin Mother by the Holy Ghost, Heart of Jesus, united substantially with the word of God, Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty, Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Heart of Jesus, in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Divinity, Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well pleased, Heart of Jesus, we have all received, Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, Heart of Jesus, rich to all who invoke Thee, Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins, Heart of Jesus, saturated with revilings, . Heart of Jesus, crushed for our iniquities, Heart of Jesus, made obedient unto death, Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, . Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, Heart of Jesus, delight of all saints,

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, oh Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Christ graciously spare us. Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart. R. Make our hearts like unto Thine.

Let us pray - Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well-beloved Son and upon the acts of praise and satisfaction which He renders unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, in Thy great goodness, grant pardon to them who seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Thy Son, Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, world without end.