Jesus Falls the Second Time

Reparation for Blasphemy Against the Blessed Virgin Mary

2006-08-02T20:51:00.000-05:00

Most glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, turn thine eyes in pity upon us, miserable sinners; we are sore afflicted by the many evils that surround us in this life, but especially do we feel our hearts break within us upon hearing the dreadful insults and blasphemies uttered against thee, O Virgin Immaculate. O how these impious sayings offend the infinite Majesty of God and of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ! How they provoke His indignation and give us cause to fear the terrible effects of His vengeance! Would that the sacrifice of our lives might avail to put an end to such outrages and blasphemies; were it so, how gladly we should make it, for we desire, O most holy Mother, to love thee and to honor thee with all our hearts, since this is the will of God. And just because we love thee, we will do all that is in our power to make thee honored and loved by all men. In the meantime do thou, our merciful Mother, the supreme comforter of the afflicted, accept this our act of reparation which we offer thee for ourselves and for all our families, as well as for all who impiously blaspheme thee, not knowing what they say. Do thou obtain for them from Almighty God the grace of conversion, and thus render more manifest and more glorious thy kindness, thy power and thy great mercy. May they join with us in proclaiming thee blessed among women, the Immaculate Virgin and most compassionate Mother of God.
Hail Mary three times.
Source: The Raccolta, 1950

Trust In God

2006-07-22T18:44:00.000-05:00

It is true there are times of trials and days of darkness, when the best of us are apt to mistrust the providence of God over us, and are tempted to lose heart and hope altogether; but if we are seeking first the kingdom of heaven we shall understand that it is God who takes away; and that He gives and takes away for our soul’s sake, that we are of much more value in His sight than the birds of the air. We shall put our trust in His providence and suffer not the wants of the body, the things of the sense, and the trials of this life to fill ours souls with bitterness; we shall be trustful in the hour of need, patient in the hour of disappointment, tranquil in the hour of trial, and when the hour of deliverance shall come we shall count as nothing the anxiety and sorrows through which we have passed for “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that shall be revealed to us.”

Prayer for God's Protection and Christ's Presence

2006-07-14T11:51:00.000-05:00

As I arise today, may the strength of God pilot me, the power of God uphold me, the wisdom of God guide me. May the eye of God look before me, the ear of God hear me, the word of God speak for me. May the hand of God protect me, the way of God lie before me, the shield of God defend me, the host of God save me. May Christ shield me today...Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit, Christ when I stand, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen. - Saint Patrick of Ireland, Bishop and Missionary

The Simplest Form of Meditation

2006-07-06T12:20:00.000-05:00

The Royal Psalmist says: “I remember the days of old, I meditate on all Thy works: I mused upon the works of Thy hands. Cause me to hear Thy mercy in the morning; for in Thee have I hoped. Make the way known to me wherein I should walk; for I have lifted up my soul to Thee.” (Ps. cxlii. 5, 8)

As we read in “The Crown of Jesus”: We can meditate when we sit in the house; when we walk on the way; when we lie down; when we rise up. We can meditate by considering all earthly things as types of holy truths. In trees, the wood of the cross, our Redemption; in dust, our origin. In the sky, heaven, our reward. In the stars, the heavenly mansions of those who by their glorious deeds have brought many to justice. In the moon, the Queen of Heaven. In the sun, the Son of justice. In the sea, the ocean of eternity. In the waves, the progress of time. In the seashore covered with the waters, our mortality. In the footmarks of sand erased, fame. In the sudden darkness, mortal sin. In the bright light, God’s grace. In the gentle wind, the breathe of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. In bread, the Blessed Sacrament, the true Bread of life. In water, the cleansing grace of Baptism. In oil, the anointing of the young and the sick. In the sound of the clock, the irrevocable progress of time.”

“We can meditate by adoring the presence of God all around us, as we walk in the midst of Him, or as causing by His presence in each object we behold, its continued existence and its qualities of good.”

JULY - The Month of the Precious Blood

2006-06-30T11:59:00.000-05:00

Blood of Christ, inebriate me!

"Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy Blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth." -Revelations 5:9-10

Holy Mother Church has a profound love for the Most Precious Blood of her Divine Spouse, since It is the Price of our salvation! Without the shedding of the Blood of the Lamb of God, we could not be redeemed. Without His cleansing and vivifying Blood coursing through the Church, there would be no Mystical Body of Christ. Without His glorious Blood, the Sacraments would have no effect. Without His redeeming Blood, Mary would never have been conceived without sin, and there would be no saints whatsoever, for "they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb" (Rev 7:14)

The Most Precious Blood of Christ is an aspect of His Sacred Humanity. It is therefore hypostatically united to His Deity, and so can receive our worship, adoration, and love. When we pray to the Precious Blood, we are praying to the Person of Jesus Christ, our Savior, present in His Blood.

Prayer in Honor of the Precious Blood

O Precious Blood of Jesus, infinite Price of our redemption and both the drink and laver of our souls, You continually plead the cause of all people before the throne of Infinite Mercy. From the depths of my heart I adore You. Jesus, insofar as I am able I want to make reparation for the insults and outrages which You receive from human beings, especially from those who blaspheme You and deny Your presence.

Who would not venerate the Blood of infinite value?! Who does not feel inflamed with love for the Jesus Who shed It?! What would have become of me had I not been redeemed by this Divine Blood?! Who has drained It all from the veins of my Savior? Surely this was the work of Love! O Infinite Love, which has given us this saving Balm! O Balm beyond all price, welling up from the foundation of Infinite Love! Grant that every heart and every tongue may render You praise and thanks, now and forever! Amen.

June – The Month of the Sacred Heart

2006-06-19T12:24:00.000-05:00

If you want to know the true devotion to the Sacred Heart, you must study the Passion. See the agony in the garden, the keen cutting pain at the kiss of Judas, the cold shiver at the denial of Peter, the dragging with cords, the blow on the Sacred Face, the spitting, the shame, the foul words, yet all this was nothing, it was little to the longing pain of God seeking man’s love. The scourging, the crowning with thorns, the heavy cross placed on those poor, torn, bleeding shoulders, yet this is little, and why? Because there is still a greater proof of love. “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.”

Study the Crucifixion; see there what God rejoiced to suffer, if so He only might give us proofs which we might believe of this longing for our love. He chose gladly, nay even willingly, to suffer all this; it was even less pain to Him than the coldness of our hearts. The devotion to the Sacred Heart is simply this: Devotion to a Heart that loves and is not loved, that is lavishing favors on His loved ones and is in return treated with coldness, ingratitude and outrage.

So the two special objects of this devotion are love and reparation. And now how are we to do this? It is easy enough. Do what your own heart dictates. Do what you think would please this dear Lord, and avoid what would cause Him pain. The dictates of a loving heart are sure to be unerring in this respect to the Prisoner of Love in the Tabernacle.

We know that He is there, whole and entire, that His Heart is there, loving, praying and suffering. That every drop of His Precious Blood and every fiber of His Sacred Heart are there. Oh! How He longs for love and sympathy; let us try to be filled with this thought, so that it may become part of our very life, and thus render our very thought, word, and deed, a message of love and reparation to that loving, outraged Heart. Let us try to think of how He loves us, and let us ever remember that it is on those hearts on which He has lavished His greatest gifts and graces, that He inflicts the deepest wounds.

It may be only a simple aspiration of love we can offer Him, a simple thought of Him in His loving abjection, a little flower laid at His feet, but whatever it is it speaks to Him a language He understands, and which He will not forget. Let us try to make others realize this love and remember the great secret of influence over souls is – to make them know and feel that Jesus loves them, before we try to make them love Him, and in our work when we have to deal with souls who perhaps have very little intellect, but often a great deal of heart, this is the only means of doing real good. Let us when we come down before Jesus in the Tabernacle bring a lively faith in His presence and in His loving, suffering Heart. – Father Dignam, S. J.

PENANCE

2006-06-09T11:46:00.000-05:00

We must all do penance for our sins. If we do not, we shall have long years of suffering in the awful fires of Purgatory. This fire is just the same as the fire of Hell. Now if we offer our sufferings – the very little ones as well as the greater ones – in union with the sufferings of Jesus Christ, we are doing the easiest and best penance we can perform. We may thus deliver ourselves entirely from Purgatory, while at the same time gaining the greatest graces and blessings.

Let us remember clearly that:

1. Sufferings come from God for our benefit.

2. When we are in the state of grace, we derive immense merit from every suffering borne patiently, even the little sufferings of our daily lives.

3. God will give us abundant strength to bear our sufferings if we only ask Him.

4. If we bear our sufferings patiently, they lose their sting and bitterness.

5. Above all, every suffering is a share in the Passion of Our Lord.

6. By our sufferings, we can free ourselves in great part, or entirely from the pains of Purgatory.

7. By bearing our sufferings patiently, we win a glorious crown of martyrdom.

Of course we may do all in our power to avoid or lessen our sufferings, but we cannot avoid all suffering. Therefore, it is clearly necessary for us to learn how to bear them. In a word, we must understand clearly that if we remain calm, serene and patient, suffering loses all its sting, but the moment we get excited, the smallest suffering increases a hundredfold. It is just as if we had a sore arm or leg and rubbed it violently; it would become irritated and painful; whereas, if we touch it gently, we soothe the irritation.

We suffer from ill-health, from pains, headaches, rheumatism, arthritis, from accidents, from enemies. We may have financial difficulties. Some suffer for weeks in their homes, some in hospitals or nursing homes. In a word we are in a vale of tears. Almighty God could have saved us from all suffering, but He did not do so because He knows in His infinite goodness that suffering is good for us.

(I can't exactly remember where this came from-good advice nontheless. GM)

Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2006-05-31T12:02:00.000-05:00

Grant us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we, who celebrate the solemnity of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may be defended by her protection, and be worthy to obtain peace in the present and glory in the future. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with Thee in unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen. Prayer – Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

We read in the Bible (Eccli. XLV, 14) that when Aaron was consecrated to the priesthood, a crown of gold was placed upon his mitre. The crown had a second fillet of blue lace, a color chose as the type of Heaven, “an ornament of honor, a work of power, and delightful to the eyes for its beauty.” Over this crown was a golden diadem, with the inscription, “Holiness to the Lord.” The diadem, a fillet of silk, was two inches wide, sometimes white, sometimes blue, sewn with pearls or other gems and enriched with gold. It may be noted that the diadem, not the crown, was the real insignia of royalty. How applicable to Mary, the Queen of Heaven, is the diadem with its blue fillet, her own color, the color of the firmament.

One of the loveliest and truest titles of Mary is that of Queen – Mary, by the grace of God, Queen and Empress of the world. St. Athanasius says: “If the Son is a King, the Mother who begot Him is rightly and truly considered a Queen and Sovereign.” And St. Bernadine of Siena – “No sooner had Mary consented to be the Mother of the Eternal Word, than she merited by this consent to be made Queen of the world and all creation.” The church has guaranteed that royal title to her. In the Mass of the Seven Dolors she sings – “Holy Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Mistress of the world, stood by the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ full of sadness;” and in the Mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – “Most noble Queen of the world, Mary, ever-virgin.” Three of the four antiphons of Our Lady salute her as Queen, the Regina Coeli, the Ave Regina Coelorum, and the Salva Regina – “Hail, Queen of Heaven, Hail, Mistress of Angels!”

So also are applied to her the words of the Psalmist (Ps. 44, 11) “The Queen stood on Thy right hand in gilded clothing.” -Listen, Mother of God

Father Carl Pulvermacher, O.F.M., Cap.

2006-05-30T12:36:00.000-05:00

Requiescat in pace - 29 May 2006

Please join us in praying for the repose of the soul of Father Carl.

O Almighty God, Judge of the living and the dead, so fit and prepare us, we beseech Thee, by Thy grace, for that last account which we must one day give; that when the time of our appointed change shall come, we may look up to Thee with joy and comfort, and may at last be received together with him whom Thou has now taken from us, and with all that are near and dear to us, into that place of rest and peace where Thou shalt Thyself wipe away all tears from all eyes, and where all our troubles and sorrows shall have an end, through the merits and for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Blessed Savior and Redeemer. Amen.

Pardon and Peace (Part 3)

2006-05-26T12:14:00.000-05:00

Alfred Wilson C.P.

Nothing to Tell
(Concluded)

WHY WE MUST PUT OFF THE BLINKERS

1. Self-knowledge is necessary because self-deceit undermines peace of mind.

Self-deception, whether deliberate or indeliberate, is fatal to peace of soul. It is evident that our real motives do not cease to be there (anymore than an ostrich’s attackers cease to be there because it buries its head in the sand) because we chose to ignore them. Neither do they cease to influence us. We become blind to their influence - that is all. We work in the dark and become subject to all the terrors of the night. We do not know what we really want and therefore cannot satisfy our most real wants, and the result is a vague feeling of dissatisfaction and frustration. We are vaguely conscious of a sense of unrest, insincerity and unreality. Life seems to be cheating us, and we tend to become cynical and bored, and like the bad workman blame our tools, our neighbor, the clergy, the local administration – anything but the real culprit, ourselves. Civil war rages within us, we have conflicting wishes and desires, one part of our nature is at war with another, and because of our deliberate self-deception, we cannot recognize the adversaries, much less effect a reconciliation between them. The result is unhappiness, and the outcome may be dissipation, a vain attempt to escape the battleground, or morbid and excessive introspection. Probably we shall alternate between the two moods and become weather-cock personalities. In all our moods, we shall be fundamentally unhappy.

We must establish harmony between the conscious and the subconscious, if we want to maintain peace of soul. Subconscious motives of whose reality and influence we have a vague suspicion will continue to tantalize us until we bring them out into the open and subject them to control. Subconscious motives are like steam, useful if controlled; decidedly dangerous, if allowed to get out of control.

2. Self-knowledge is also necessary because self-deceits impedes growth in holiness, occasions loss of grace, and causes spiritual ineffectiveness.

Allers, speaking of sins and broken resolutions, says: “Of these we know sometimes; but there are others we never really know, though their presence is not absolutely hidden from us. There is the vanity which pervades all our actions, the egoism mixed up with all our most unselfish intentions, the pride which will boast secretly even of humility and sincerity, the ambition which is never satisfied by any success whatever, the unruly longing for praise, the ingrained tendency for envy – all those attributes of average human nature which are the powerful agents of most of our troubles”. The merit and value of our actions consists in our real purity of intention. It is of little avail to delude ourselves that we are acting solely for the love of God, if the real motivation of our actions springs from self-love. God is not deceived by our make-belief. “You are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts”. (Luke 16:15) Whilst our motives are a polyglot of vaguely recognized, instinctive self urges, we cannot act solely for God. And until we act solely for God, we cannot become saints nor make the best effective use of our time.

To control and subordinate our natural and inevitably selfish urges, we must first have the honesty and the courage to admit and face up to them. Until we face the facts, our love of God is bound to be, in part at least, more fictitious than real. It is not asserted, be it noted, that the element of vaguely conscious selfishness in our actions deprives them of all merit, but simply that it decreases their merit and make perfection impossible. If natural imperfections completely destroyed the merit of our actions, it would follow that no one could merit unless and until he became a saint; in fact not even then, since the saints are constantly finding in themselves new and unsuspected roots of selfishness.

Father Carl Pulvermacher

2006-05-25T12:04:00.000-05:00

We have received word that Fr. Carl Pulvermacher is nearing his eternal reward. Please join us as we join him in his final spiritual combat with your prayers. He is one of Our Lord's faithful priest and Satan would still love to claim his soul.

Saint Joseph, Patron of the dying, pray for us.

Pardon and Peace (Part 2)

2006-05-18T16:19:00.000-05:00

Alfred Wilson C.P.

Nothing to Tell
(continued)

The purpose of Confession is not so much that we may attain self-knowledge as that we may lovingly and trustingly place our soul in the Master’s Hands that “His mercy may pardon and His grace help us.”

One might compare our souls to motor cars, and Our Lord to a perfect motor mechanic. In our examens we are expected to overhaul the car ourselves, while the Divine Mechanic stands by and helps us with suggestions and His grace. At Confession the Divine Mechanic takes over and, as it were, says to us: “Leave the car to Me! I’ll give it a look over.” He wills to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves, and if we have opened all the compartments, as far as we can, and kept nothing locked, He will give us a thorough overhaul. But He will not force the locks, because He has too much respect for the car.

It would be a pity to overlook this consoling aspect of the Sacrament of Penance. We can never be emancipated from the labor of trying to understand and overhaul the car, but we have every right to be thrilled and consoled and rest awhile if the Divine Mechanic comes to give us a hand with the work. Excessive anxiety about our preparation implies that ego has figured too prominently in our thoughts, and we have overlooked the part that the Divine Mechanic wishes to play, and by our foolish fussing have impeded His co-operation. We should be glad of the “breather” called Confession, when the work of overhauling is done for us; and we should gladly, gratefully and wholeheartedly let Our Lord take over. It would be foolish to worry because we cannot make the overhaul, when we are not asked to make it. All we are asked to do is to take the car back to the Maker’s, where, and where alone, the engine is perfectly understood. Once we have taken that much trouble, He will do the rest.

How much does He do for us in those regular sacramental overhauls, we shall know only in eternity. Let us spare an occasional prayer of thanksgiving for the unobtrusive and mostly unrecognized labor which the Divine Mechanic puts in on our souls. If regularly we place the car of our souls in His omnipotent Hands, we need not be unduly preoccupied about the working-condition of the engine, Our Confessions would profit us more if we spent less time worrying about the car and our defective workmanship, and concentrated instead in loving amazement on His staggering goodness. We could profitably meditate on the reality and efficiency of His Divine Workmanship, for then we should suffer far less from discouragement and dismay at our own utter incompetence. Let us leave something not merely to the Mercy of God, but also to the sacramental operation of Christ. The help we shall receive shall be proportioned to our faith. Expect Him to do great things for you and He will do great things.

Worry about our sincerity is not altogether a bad thing, provided we deal with it wisely. “The knowledge of our self-deceit,” says Father Faber, “is the nearest approach to its cure.” To admit our self-deceit is to take the first step towards curing it. It should be a source of consolation and reassurance to know that the acquiring of self-knowledge is difficult and slow work. “We cannot trust much to ourselves,” says the Imitation, “for grace and understanding is often wanting to us. There is in us but little light, and this we often lose by negligence. Oftentimes we are quite unconscious how interiorly blind we are.”

-Next time: Why self-knowledge is essential

Pardon and Peace

2006-05-12T12:23:00.000-05:00

by Alfred Wilson C.P.

Nothing to Tell

Many earnest penitents are genuinely distressed because they find so little to say whenever they approach the Sacrament of Penance. It seems absurd that they, who have an almost habitual and cloying sense of sinfulness, should be not able to put their finger on definite sins, and they find it hard to reconcile such a purblind inability with sincerity and earnestness.

Inability to find matter for confession may be due to a bad memory. It is one thing to have committed sins and quite another thing to be able to remember them. It is consoling to find that St. Gertrude complained of inability to recall her sins. Inability to remember sins is an inevitable consequence of a bad memory, which could not be obviated without miraculous intervention by God.

The real trouble with most penitents, however, is not so much that they cannot recall their sins, as that they cannot detect them. They know that they are suffering from self-deceit, and it seems a shameful mockery to carry this self-deceit into the confessional; yet no matter how hard they try to unmask themselves and how carefully they prepare, they never seem to be able to focus the searchlight of truth on their souls. In consequence, they are never satisfied with their preparation, and never feel ready for Confession. If they go to Confession in this mood, they come away dubious of their own sincerity, discouraged and dissatisfied. If they defer Confession, in the vain hope of being more successful next time, they become even more dissatisfied.

The earnest desire to be absolutely sincere may make examination of conscience a positive agony. For the comfort of souls who suffer in this way, I want to make it clear that the acquiring of self knowledge is the work of a lifetime-not the work of ten minutes or a half hour before confession. As well expect to explore a continent in half an hour as expect to explore the unexplored (and without Divine Light – unexplorable) continent of the soul in the same time. Self-knowledge can be acquired only gradually and by degrees. At each confession we must do our bit to acquire it, but a bit is all we can do.

“The harder we sweep,” says the wise St. Phillip Neri, “the more dust we raise.” Complete self-analysis, made at one session, would imply a morale miracle, and would prostrate us. God cannot allow us to see how bad we are, until we begin to see how good He is. To cope with comprehensive and vivid self-knowledge, we should need a very outstanding development of the virtue of hope. Vaguely we suspect this, and hence we have a certain misgiving about praying for self-knowledge.

“Oh would some power the gift give us,
to see ourselves as others see us.”

If we adopted the words of Burns as a prayer, we should have a sneaking hope that the Lord would not take us too literally. Naturally we are puzzled and dismayed by the contradictions and apparent insincerity of our attitude. We want to be sincere and yet fear to be sincere. It may seem melancholy satisfaction to be told that this conflict of desires is inevitable; but it is real satisfaction to those who have been hoping, and yet not hoping, to do too much at each Confession.

To know ourselves is the hardest thing in the world…A truthful man is the rarest of all phenomena…The fact is, we are all of us thoroughly untruthful, those of us most so who think ourselves least so, those of us least so who think of ourselves most so…It is worth spending two-thirds of our life in doing this work alone, trying to be less of liars than we are. (Frederick W. Faber – Spiritual Conferences)

Two-thirds of our life! Not ten or twenty minutes, or even twenty hours, before Confession! Effective self-analysis is the work of a lifetime. “Perfect self-knowledge stands not at the beginning, but at the end of the path of virtue.” (Scharsch)

The comprehensive self-knowledge which we expect to acquire at each Confession cannot be attained all at once without a very exceptional grace. “Ad impossibile nemo tenetur” – “no one is obliged to do the impossible.” If a self-analysis were an essential requirement of the Sacrament of Penance, we could never approach it. Let us not expect too much. There is a latent pride and impatience in expecting to take the kingdom of heaven by storm at one attack. We can never be fully satisfied with our preparation for Confession until we realize how much (or, if you like, how little!) we can expect to do. Sufficiently prepared we can easily be; fully prepared we shall never be.

When it is insisted that a brief and relatively cursory self-analysis is sufficient for Confession, there is no intention of proclaiming emancipation from the laborious and insistent task of keeping a close watch on our motives and of striving to attain self-knowledge. All that is asserted is (1) that at Confession there is not sufficient time for adequate self-analysis, as there are then other more important things to do; and (2) that excessive self-analysis obscures the purpose of Confession.

-To be continued

Pilgrimage of the Immaculata

2006-05-02T12:31:00.000-05:00

“In the end, My Immaculate Heart will Triumph!”

Come join the Legion of Mary of St. Mary’s Assumption Parish in St. Louis, MO in a pilgrimage honoring the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Where: Kaskaskia Island, on the site commemorating Pere Jacques Marquette’s Immaculate Conception Mission begun in 1675 (located 1 hour south of St. Louis)

When: Saturday, May 13th, 8 a.m. start. 1 p.m. Mass

What: An 8.5 mile pilgrimage on Kaskaskia Island, ending with a High Mass at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception

Why: To give glory to God through honoring the Immaculate Heart of His Mother: “It was through the Most Holy Virgin Mary that Jesus came into the world, and it is also through her that He has to reign in the world.” – St. Louis de Montfort

For More Information email: theimmaculata@gmail.com

Meditate Upon These Things (I Tim. iv. 15)

2006-05-01T12:47:00.000-05:00

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die; and their departure was taken as misery; and their going away from us, for utter destruction; but they are in peace, and though in the sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is full of immortality. Afflicted in few things, in many they shall be well rewarded; because God hath tried them, and found them worthy of Himself.

As gold in the furnace He hath proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust He hath received them, and in time there shall be respect had to them. They shall judge nations and rule over people, and the Lord shall reign forever. They that trust in Him shall understand the truth; and they that are faithful in love shall rest in Him; for grace and peace are to His elect. For he that rejecteth wisdom and discipline are unhappy; and their works unprofitable. For the fruit of good labors is glorious, and the root of wisdom never faileth.

The just man, if he be prevented with death, shall be at rest. For venerable old age is not that of long time, nor counted by the number of years; but the understanding of man is gray hairs, and a spotless life is old age. He pleased God and was beloved, and living among sinners He was translated. He was taken away lest wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. For the bewitching of vanity obscureth good things, and the wandering of concupiscence overturneth the innocent mind. Being made perfect in a short space, he fulfilled a long time. For his soul pleased God; therefore He hastened to bring him out of the midst of iniquities; but the people see this, and understand not, nor lay up such things in their hearts; that the grace of God and His mercy is with His saints, and that He hath respect to His chosen.

But the just that are dead condemneth the wicked that are living, and youth soon ended, the long life of the unjust. For they shall see the end of the wise man, and shall not understand what God hath designed for him and why the Lord hath set him in safety. They shall see him and despise him; but the Lord shall laugh them to scorn. Then shall the just stand with great constancy against those that have afflicted them, and taken away their labors. These seeking it shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the suddenness of their salvation, saying with in themselves repenting, and groaning for anguish of spirit: - These are they whom we had some time in derision, and for a parable of reproach. We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end without honor. Behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints. -(Wis)

Feast of St. Paul of the Cross

2006-04-28T08:43:00.000-05:00

April 28

The eighty-one years of this Saint’s life were modeled on the Passion of Jesus Christ. In his childhood, when praying in church, a heavy bench fell on his foot, but the boy took no notice of the bleeding wound, and spoke of it as “a rose sent from God.” A few years later, the vision of a scourge with “love” written on its lashes assured him that his thirst for penance would be satisfied. In the hope of dying for the faith, he enlisted in a crusade against the Turks; but a voice from the Tabernacle warned him that he was to serve Christ alone, and that he should found a congregation in His honor. At the command of his bishop he began while a layman to preach the Passion, and a series of crosses tried the reality of his vocation. All his first companions, save his brother, deserted him; the Sovereign Pontiff refused him an audience; and it was only after a delay of seventeen years that the papal approbation was obtained, and the first house of the Passionist was opened in Monte Argentario, the spot which Our Lady had pointed out. St. Paul chose as the badge of his Order, a heart with three nails, in memory of the sufferings of Jesus, but for himself he invented a more secret and durable sign. Moved by the same holy impulse as Blessed Suso, St. Jane Frances, and other Saints, he branded on his side the Holy Name, and its characters were found there after his death. His heart beat with a supernatural palpitation, which was especially vehement on Fridays, and the heat at times was so intense as to scorch his shirt in the region of his heart. Through fifty years of incessant bodily pain, and amidst all his trials, Paul read the love of Jesus everywhere, and would cry out to the flowers and grass, “Oh be quiet, be quiet,” as if they were reproaching him with ingratitude. He died whilst the passion was being read to him, and so passed with Jesus from the cross to glory.

Prayer to St. Paul of the Cross

O glorious St. Paul, who on earth wast a mirror of innocence, and a pattern of penance! O hero of sanctity chosen by God to meditate day and night on the most bitter Passion of His only-begotten Son, and to spread devotion to it through the world, by thy words, by thy example, and by means of thy Institute! O Apostle, powerful in work and word, who didst spend thy life in bringing back to the foot of the crucifix, the misguided souls of so many sinners, look graciously from heaven, I beseech thee, on my soul likewise, and hear my prayers. Obtain for me such love for my suffering Jesus that, meditating on Him continually, I may make His sorrows mine. Let me see in the deep wounds of my Savior the malice of my sins, and let me gain from them, as from fountains of salvation, the grace to weep over them bitterly, and efficacious resolution to imitate thee in thy penance, if I have not followed thee in thy innocence. Obtain for me likewise, O St. Paul the grace which I particularly and earnestly ask, prostrate at thy feet. [Here mention the grace which is desired.] Obtain, moreover, for the holy Church, our mother, victory over her enemies; for sinners their conversion; for heretics, for whom thou didst pray so much, a return to the Catholic faith. Finally, intercede for me with God, that I may have a holy death, so that I may come to enjoy Him with thee in heaven for all eternity. Amen

Twelve Advantages To Be Derived From The Contemplation Of Death

2006-04-25T12:47:00.000-05:00

1. Contemplation of death enables us to judge properly and prevents our being imposed upon in all affairs. With nothing we came into this world and with nothing shall we leave it. Why then should we consume our very lives in the accumulation of riches? No one is to accompany us out of this world; why then are we so fond of creatures? The stench and corruption of the grave in which the pampered body is the prey of the lowest vermin show us the folly of carnal pleasures. In our narrow cell beneath the earth among the meanest things of creation, when our very blanket of soil may be trampled upon by the meanest of beggars, then we shall be freed of the vanity of seeking distinction and preference over others.

2. It is our best instructor through life, laying down but one simple rule, which is the direction of all our acts to one last end. This consideration drives away all the petty troubles which punctuate this life with unfailing regularity; it steadies us on the course and sustains us on the journey.

3. It teaches us to know ourselves, one of the essential points of true wisdom.

4. It teaches us to despise all that this world can offer, and is the solace of all true servants of God.

5. It is like ice, and helps to chill and deaden the fire of concupiscence; it is a bridle which curbs our sensual appetites.

6. It is a continual source of humiliation, a specific remedy against pride and vanity.

7. It is an excellent preservative against sin. “In all thy works be mindful of thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.” Eccl. VII 40

8. It brings exasperated minds back to peace and reconciliation. Whoever considers seriously that a certain and unavoidable death will one day bring him before the Judge Who shows no mercy but to those who show mercy to others, he will easily be induced to forgive.

9. It is an antidote against the pleasures and vanities of the world. Thus the prince who once placed a jester in a crazy chair over a large fire told him very justly, seeing the jester’s uneasiness, that life should be considered like a defective chair, which at any hour, at any moment, might fall to pieces; and the fire beneath the prince represented the fires of hell which everyone should hold in dread.

10. It teaches us a provident economy with regard to our salvation, by setting before our eyes the transitory character of this life, and the necessity of laying up a treasure of good works, while it is in our power to do so.

11. It induces us to embrace penance with a cheerful spirit.

12. It encourages us to persevere in the way of penance with unshakable firmness.

- From the Spiritual Combat

RESURREXIT

2006-04-20T16:29:00.000-05:00

Henry Longan Stuart

All you that weep, all you that mourn,
All you that grieving go,
Lift up your eyes, your heads adorn,
Put off your weeds of woe.
The sorrows of the Passion week
Like tearful dreams are fled,
For He hath triumphed whom you seek,
Is risen – That was dead.

Oh! you who to the Sepulchre
At break of morning bring
The tribute of your spice and myrrh
To balm our murdered King,
Each cleft of His forsaken tomb
With Easter sun is red,
For He you laid amidst the gloom
Is risen that was dead.

See! all about the prostrate stone
Its abject sentries stand
Death, with his diadem downthrown,
And Fear, with fettered hand.
Lo! captive of the nails and spear
Captivity is led,
For Love, that conquers Death and Fear,
Is risen – That was Dead.

Prayer to the Angel Who Strengthened Jesus in the Garden of Olives

2006-04-13T07:26:00.000-05:00

O holy angel who strengthened Jesus Christ Our Lord, come and strengthen us also and tarry not!

I salute thee holy angel who didst comfort my Jesus in His agony, and with thee I praise the Most Holy Trinity for having chosen thee from among all the holy angels to comfort and strengthen Him who is the comfort and strength of all that are afflicted. By the honor thou didst enjoy and by the obedience, humility and love wherewith thou didst assist the sacred Humanity of Jesus, my Savior, when He was fainting for very sorrow at seeing the sins of the world and especially my sins, I beseech thee to obtain for me perfect sorrow for my sins; deign to strengthen me in the afflictions that now overwhelm me, and in all the other trials, to which I shall be exposed henceforth, and in particular when I find myself in my final agony. Amen.

Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2006-04-07T08:11:00.000-05:00

Novena of the Seven Sorrows of the
Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please Our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that every thought of my mind, and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy divine Son Jesus, keep me in His grace and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in heaven and sing thy glories. Amen. (500 days)

Dwell Often On The Passion

2006-04-06T11:21:00.000-05:00

LOVE moves and governs all things. Tell me what you love and I shall tell you what you are. If your love is for the world, you are its slave. If your love is for Jesus Christ, you are free; you are becoming conformed to His image; your conversation, that is your life and conduct even here below, are continually in heaven.

Jesus Christ is alone worthy of your whole heart. But you cannot love Him if you do not know Him. It is not enough to know that “God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten Son”, that “He emptied Himself out”, and that “He laid down His life for His flock”. We must know the details of His sufferings, if we would know the excess of His love.

From the Introduction - Reflections on the Passion by Charles Hugo Doyle

Sinner, Know Thyself

2006-03-30T19:49:00.000-06:00

If your like myself, you find that time after time you pretty much bring the same sins to the confessional. It seems we all have a predominant fault or two to struggle against in our attempt to progress in the spiritual life.

Recently, I came across a quiz on the FISH-EATERS website entitled "Your Medieval Personality Type". It's become a new tool that has given me hope of overcoming or, at the very least, lessening the times I fall victim to my predominant fault. If you take the time to answer the questions honestly as you work through the quiz, you should determine the type of temperament you possess. Once determined, you are given a description of your temperament taken from "The Four Temperaments" by Reverend Conrad Hook.

Here is where the real knowledge of thyself begins. First your given a general overview of your temperament. From this point a more in-depth study begins: the fundamental disposition; peculiarities; the bright side of the temperament; the dark side of the temperament; methods for self-training and important points of training.

Armed with this knowledge, one soon begins to recognize the situations in his daily life that hold the greatest potential for sinning. We may not always gain a total victory over our predominant fault but every weapon we can add to our arsenal in the spiritual combat is one more aid in our attempts to foul the snares of the devil.

Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2006-03-25T16:05:00.000-06:00

ABANDONMENT TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Jean-Pierre de Caussade

Sanctity consists in fidelity to the order established by God, and in submission to all his operations.

Hidden Operations of God.

Fidelity to the order established by God comprehended the whole sanctity of the righteous under the old law; even that of St. Joseph, and of Mary herself. God continues to speak to-day as He spoke in former times to our fathers when there were no directors as at present, nor any regular method of direction. Then all spirituality was comprised in fidelity to the designs of God, for there was no regular system of guidance in the spiritual life to explain it in detail, nor so many instructions, precepts and examples as there are now. Doubtless our present difficulties render this necessary, but it was not so in the first ages when souls were more simple and straightforward. Then, for those who led a spiritual life, each moment brought some duty to be faithfully accomplished. Their whole attention was thus concentrated consecutively like a hand that marks the hours which, at each moment, traverses the space allotted to it. Their minds, incessantly animated by the impulsion of divine grace, turned imperceptibly to each new duty that presented itself by the permission of God at different hours of the day.

Such were the hidden springs by which the conduct of Mary was actuated. Mary was the most simple of all creatures, and the most closely united to God. Her answer to the angel when she said: "Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum": contained all the mystic theology of her ancestors to whom everything was reduced, as it is now, to the purest, simplest submission of the soul to the will of God, under whatever form it presents itself. This beautiful and exalted state, which was the basis of the spiritual life of Mary, shines conspicuously in these simple words, "Fiat mihi" (Luke i, 38). Take notice that they are in complete harmony with those which Our Lord desires that we should have always on our lips and in our hearts: "Fiat voluntas tua" It is true that what was required of Mary at this great moment, was for her very great glory, but the magnificence of this glory would have made no impression on her if she had not seen in it the fulfillment of the will of God. In all things was she ruled by the divine will. Were her occupations ordinary, or of an elevated nature, they were to her but the manifestation, sometimes obscure, sometimes clear, of the operations of the most High, in which she found alike subject matter for the glory of God. Her spirit, transported with joy, looked upon all that she had to do or to suffer at each moment as the gift of Him who fills with good things the hearts of those who hunger and thirst for Him alone, and have no desire for created things.