Fr. Voigt- Repent and do Penance
The refrain is the same: "Unless you repent and do penance you shall all likewise perish."
When will the original sin syndrome finally be understood by man and conquered through the path that Jesus trod. In this final expose of the person of John the Baptist we are introduced to John, the son of Zachary. Why this title which substitutes John, the son of Zachary for the previous title: John the Baptist?
Zachary, John's father, was of the priestly order and as such was a person that must be reckoned with as educated, well formed and challenging the social order. The priest is called to be a shepherd for the flock and the cry of the son of Zachary was for repentance and penance. He is placed in the times historically when the Jewish nation was divided into four parts and humbled.
John calls for this humbled people to act in such a way with the coming of the Savior. Mountains and hills (i.e. the Jewish elite) must be leveled. Pride must give way to humility if one is to recognize the Gift of God.
Blind are the proud to their own sinfulness and hence we too must follow the direction of the shepherd, the son of Zachary. Humble yourselves and repent. Confession is the call of the times in which we live. Humble and sincere confessions will bear the fruit of penance. The Cure of Ars would flog himself nightly for the sins of his little flock. St. John Bosco would endure difficult dreams and physical attacks for the salvation of his boys. Prayer and Penance
was the mantra of Our Lady of Fatima in order that you and I might save as many souls as possible in these final days of the chastisement.
John, the son of Zachary, was not clothed as the other priests nor was he clothed like a king. He wore the camel skin and feasted on honey and bugs. In other words he died to this world to be able to recognize the One Who would come to introduce souls to an eternal life. Detachment is the act of humility in which we leave behind the world while still living in the world. We need nothing but the love of God to stir us as it stirred the Son of Zachary.
Pride runs
deep in the traditional mind set of the SSPX, the Fraternity of St.
Peter, the chapels and the coordinators who function as servants but
seek to become the judges of all priests and bishops.
No one can please the other in these days of pride. No one desires the practice of humility which never
complains but rather commends my neighbor to the love of God. Oh how we
must encourage humility in our times. The Father has chosen to send
His Son to us in the poverty of Bethlehem. His lowly birth was necessary. Lowliness in this world leads to a social reaction known by pride despising those who seem lower than ourselves. This act of despising was necessary in the divine order for unless our Lord was despised He would never have been crucified. Our King of kings was lowly, despised and crucified.
Why? because unless He was crucified He would never have redeemed our souls for without the shedding of Blood there could be no forgiveness of sin (Heb. 9:22). So now the plot thickens.
The Political
order was set for the crucifixion of the Christ and the religious order
under Caiphas and Annas was set to do their dirty work to save the
social order. Christ was both King and Priest pre-announced by the prophets and the son of Zachary, the priest. The stage then was prepared and so must our hearts be prepared for the coming of the Lord. Lay low all that exalts yourself;
crucify the world in you; deny your fleshly desires and come to the humble stable in Bethlehem and behold the Lord.
In the hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Fr. Richard Voigt