FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 37, 30 September 1925, Page 51

FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

Men put their trust in things that are big, confounding them with those that are great They like big battalions and the exercise of force, and the display of pomp and circumstance. How differently God acts: in His sight -it seems good to confound the high and mighty by the,weak things of the world, to ' bring to naught their wise counsels by the agency of those who are beneath their proud contempt, and to reveal the hidden treasures of Heaven to those who are unskilled as babes. This He did in choosing the Apostles. Their work was to be the mightiest and noblest possible, yet themselves were merely poor sons of the,people, 'fishermen or artisans, having neither fortune, nor knowledge, nor influence. Out of nothing He had created the world, out of nothing He will now create the Church, that all may see that the work is His.

There is little material .for a sketch of their lives, which were hidden with Christ in God. A few little traditions only have come down to us from those that loved them. Nathaneal was truthful and godly, retiring and humble, for he has left no record of himself from the day he left the fig-tree and attached himself to Jesus. He preached the Gospel in India, and was burnt alive for his Master's love. His friend Philip was a gentle spirit and had a good understanding concerning the needy and the poor. It was he who drew the attention of Jesus to the fewness of the

loaves and fishes. He did not find faith " easy; he asked to see the Father of Whom Jesus was continually speaking, and received the gentle rebuke: “So long a time have I .been with you, and have you not known Me? Philip, lie that seeth Me, seeth the Father also.”

Simon the Zealot was probably one of that band of patriots who never admitted the Roman domination, and who opposed with the sword, as well as with words, those who were faithless to the God and Father of their race. Levi, better known as Matthew, has left us a divine book, in which the only mention of himself is that he was called to be an Apostle from a contemptible trade. He was not writing about himself, but about Him Whom he loved. Were it not for him and the fidelity with which he wrote, the most beautiful sayings of Jesus might have been lost to the world. He it is who gives

the most complete version of the Sermon on the Mount, Of him Papini writes: “This man who had handled drachmas and shekels, whom his calling, which was considered shameful, might well have predisposed to avarice, collected for us a treasure that is of greater value than all the money coined on earth before and since his day. Thomas ! could not always grasp the mysteries of faith and, was frank enough to say so both at the Last Supper and after the Resurrection. He

wanted to see before believing, like many moderns,” and when his eyes had seen, he asked for the testimony of his hands also. But he had a generous heart withal, for when ho found Jesus about to brave the , wrath of

the Jews, he said to the others: "Come, let

(By the Right Reverend Monsignor Power, V.F., for tie Tablet,)

13—THE CHARACTER OF THE APOSTLES.

us go and die with Him!"' Perhaps this is why Jesus and the others had such patience with his incredulity.

James the Less and Jude his brother, cousins of Our Lord, were mechanics, and would sometimes find themselves longing for the weekly wage, but not after Pentecost when the Holy Spirit had worked a revolution in them. "James was made Bishop of Jerusalem and was called "the Rampart of his People." The Church has given him many followers in Bishops who have braved tyranny in high places in defence of their flock. The death of James was glorious. Ananias and the Council of the "Sanhedrim led him out on one of the lofty galleries of'the temple that from there he might urge the peopleto give lip their faith in Jesus. But the holy old man knew what he would do: "Wherefore would you question me concerning Jesus? He is seated at the right hand of the Almighty, and will appear again upon the clouds of Heaven." They threw him headlong.to the pavement below and stoned him to death. Andrew died upon the cross, uttering such burning words of love to Jesus as thrill the hearts of multitudes even to this day.

To the brothers James the Greater and John Jesus gave the names of Boanerges— Sons of the Thunderbolt, —because their great hearts burned in great flashes like the lightning. "Can you drink My chalice," He said to them one day. "That we can" was the instant reply of the sons of the valiant Salome. And they did. James was the first of the Apostles to die the martyr's death. Of the other son of Salome Abbe Fouard writes: "Soaring above the earth, to the inaccessible heights of his heavenly home, John led a hidden life so long as Peter and Paul held Clio Christian world in the bonds of faith. But at the end of the first century, when heresy threatened the youthful Church, the voice of John pierced the cloud. His Gospel, the Epistle which announced it, and the Apocalypse, were like so many sheets of .lightning, now dazzling our sight, now thrilling us with peals of thunder, now blinding our eyes when we would descry the outlines of his awful visions. . . Undoubtedly the disciple whom Jesus loved had great tenderness of heart, but it was a heart which throbbed in unison with a soul of fire. His passionate ardor, penetrated with deepest 'tenderness, drew to him the Heart of Jesus, and made John the Beloved Disciple."

We come to Simon, who was called Peter. The man that would be great in the sight of God must recognise 'his own unworthiness, and it was this recognition that fitted Peter for his high office, the leadership of the Christian band. It is touching to see how he learned gentleness, and fidelity, and goodness from his companionship with Jesus. At first he was one of • the slowest to understand his Master's spirit. He was not always alert, and would sleep when every man, of fine feeling should bo awake; but he was bold in his

Master's service y and was the -first to recog-

Son of the Living God." So great was his 118

love in the end that; he could say to Jesus•? ; Tx>rd, Thou knowest all things•' Thou knowest that I do love Thee." .:""'' Alas, lh«re was one other Apostle, the man from Kerioth, Judas the traitor.- He was a skilful financier and carried the purse. Money blunts the finer instincts of a man. There was no excuse for Judas/as there is no excuse or the money-lover to-day. He had often been warned, but he allowed the money thirst to master: him. Be assured .of this one truth,-.we cannot serve God and Mam-

It may serve to look at the faithful eleven v om another point of view, that we too may see, wlm we can make of our poor, perhaps - r broken lives. They were weak, oh H^ofendidtheynotmake^heirMaSr otWfl fiv "P"" f discles! How V: often ,M had to chide them for their hard ness a heart their slowness of. understand-n-g, their failure to grasp, the meaning of ' His simplest parables, their mutual jealous- "*, each desiring for himself the highest t pace in the new Kingdom, their impa£ less day of triumph, and their vindictive ess aganist all who would oppose them or hen Master But He it was Who had choen them, 11,. knew what manner of men • spring up in them. and overflow pon the human race. He knew that they '" were ignornnf |>„f +i,„+ .i ; wl v-.-.,., r ora i ;, bl,fc t,,at tbey m enth ™- tic also, and that enthusiasm was the trreat -«1 ot His day and of all days. Whit mat P vedT' WH ; Veak * ,eSS at times d - P". Ted 1 What matters that they were not - always worthy of their eh companionship ' ™. K '' ' ey ] 'f fa, ' th i,lHim •»« they - loved H,m. beyond all things. Faith and V tail! . * PmVOIS that Ca " move m °™- "' that caM ™* even greater marvels, bat o«„ surmount every earthly obstacle and ' ray hold on Heaven itself - - Christ Jesus will deal with u s as He dealt: : with Peter and the faithful band. He still * confounds human wisdom and sheds the light ' T n the soul th " at h «*.: :% He still stretches out His faithful hand to " those who struggle against the stormy waves o £ faith and rejoices in our protestations of love Follow then in your measure the e**J mple of te faithful Apostles. Watch them >• now that they have been finally chosen. - They are always with Jesus, sharing His labors and His repast; often like Hip hav! mg not whereon to lay their heads, sleeping under the starry sky. But how happy the? I were, secure within the shelter of His 41 - mighty providence! ''- :. t ' \■{

IRISH HISTORY COMPETITION The period to be covered for this year's " Competition.in Irish History is-from the Vdeath of O'Neill to the Act of Union - - To facilitate the study of the history of WM period we reprinted (commencing in our issue " !ri P S ?'-, and poncludin g in the issue of the Tab let for August 19) that portion of Sulhvan s. Story, of Ireland which treats of 7 - the subject. The information therein con- " tamed may be supplemented by reference- toS Carey s Irish:,History Lessons or other works obtainable at the Tablet Office. - K'i