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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for First Week of Pentecost |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-05-2023, 09:55 AM - Forum: Pentecost
- Replies (6)
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Morning Meditation
HOLY COMMUNION THE MEANS OF PERSEVERANCE IN DIVINE GRACE
St. Denis says that when Jesus Christ comes to a soul in Holy Communion, He brings with Him boundless treasures of grace; and therefore after Communion, we can truly say: Now all good things come to me together with it.
I.
When Jesus comes to the soul in the Holy Communion He brings with Him every good, every grace, and especially the grace of holy perseverance. The principal effect of the Holy Sacrament of the Altar is to nourish the soul that receives it with the Bread of Life, by imparting great strength to advance towards perfection, and to resist those enemies who seek to effect its eternal ruin. Hence Jesus Christ calls Himself in this Sacrament heavenly Bread: I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever-(Jo. vi. 51, 52). As earthly bread maintains the life of the body, so this heavenly Bread maintains the life of the soul by enabling it to persevere in the state of God’s grace. Hence the Council of Trent teaches that the Holy Communion is “a medicine which frees us from daily faults and preserves us from mortal sins.”
Oh, how miserable I am O Lord, bewailing my weakness while at the same time I stay away from Thee! How can I resist my internal enemies without Thee, Who art my Strength? Had I approached Thee more frequently in the Holy Communion, I should not have been so frequently overcome by my enemies. For the future it shall not be so: In thee, O Lord, have I hoped; let me not be confounded forever-(Ps. xxx. 2). No, I will no more rely on my own strength, but will place my whole confidence in Thee, my Jesus, Who will give me strength to fall no more into sin.
II.
Innocent III says that Jesus delivers us by His Passion from sins committed, and by the Holy Eucharist from those which we might otherwise commit. Hence St. Bonaventure says that sinners should not stay away from Holy Communion because they have been sinners; but for this very reason should receive it more frequently, for “the more infirm a person is, the more does he stand in need of a physician.”
I am weak, O my Jesus, but Thou by the Holy Communion wilt make me strong against all temptations – I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me (Phil. iv. 13). Pardon me, O Jesus, all the injuries I have committed against Thee for which I am sorry with my whole soul; I am resolved rather to die than wilfully offend Thee any more; and I trust in Thy Passion that Thou wilt help me to persevere in Thy grace to the end of my life. In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded. And with St. Bonaventure I will say the same to Thee, O Mary, my Mother: “In thee, that is, in thy holy intercession, O Blessed Lady, have I hoped; let me never be confounded for ever!”
Spiritual Reading
CORAM SANCTISSIMO
FOURTH VISIT
Her conversation hath no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness-(Wisd. viii. 16). Friends on earth find such pleasure in being together, that they lose entire days in each other’s company; with Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament, those who love Him not, get weary. After her death, St. Teresa, who was already in Heaven, said to a nun: “Those who are in Heaven and those who are on earth should be one and the same in purity and in love; we enjoying, and you suffering; and that which we do in Heaven with the Divine Essence, you should do on earth With the Most Blessed Sacrament.” Behold, then, our Paradise on earth-the Most Blessed Sacrament!
O Immaculate Lamb, sacrificed for us upon the Cross, remember that I am one of those souls Thou hast redeemed by so many sufferings and by Thy Death. Grant that Thou mayest be mine and that I may never lose Thee, since Thou has given Thyself to me, and givest Thyself every day, sacrificing Thyself for my love on the altar; and grant that I may be all Thine. I give myself to Thee without reserve, that Thou mayest dispose of me as Thou pleasest. I give Thee my will; chain it with the sweet bonds of Thy love, that it may forever be the slave of Thy most holy Will. I wish no longer to live for the satisfaction of my desires, but only to please Thy goodness. Destroy in me all that does not please Thee; grant me the grace never to have any other thought than to please Thee, any other desire than that which Thou desirest. I love Thee, O my dear Saviour, with my whole heart; I love Thee because Thou desirest that I should love Thee; I love Thee because Thou art indeed worthy of my love. I grieve that I love Thee not as much as Tbou deservest. I desire, Lord, to die for Thy love; accept my desire, and give me Thy love. Amen.
Ejac. O good pleasure of my God, I sacrifice myself all to Thee!
AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that Thou art truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love Thee above all things, and I desire to possess Thee within my soul. Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace Thee as already there, and unite myself wholly to Thee; never permit me to be separated from Thee.
VISIT TO MARY
Mary says: I am the mother of fair love-(Ecclus. xxiv. 24). That is to say, she is the Mother of that love which beautifies souls. St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi saw the Most Blessed Virgin Mary going about dispensing a sweet liquid, which was divine love. This gift. is dispensed only by Mary; from Mary let us seek it.
Ejac. My Mother, my hope, make me belong wholly to Jesus.
Concluding Prayer
Most holy Immaculate Virgin and my Mother Mary, to thee, who art the Mother of my Lord, and Queen of the world, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I have recourse today I, who am the most miserable of all. I render thee my most humble homage, O great Queen, and I thank thee for all the graces thou hast conferred on me until now, particularly for having delivered me from hell, which I have so often deserved. I love thee, O most amiable Lady; and for the love which I bear thee, I promise to serve thee always, and to do all in my power to make others love thee also. I place in thee all my hopes; I confide my salvation to thy care. Accept me for thy servant, and receive me under thy mantle, O Mother of Mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or rather obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until death. Of thee I ask a perfect love of Jesus Christ. From thee I hope to die a good death.
O my Mother, for the love which thou bearest to God, I beseech thee to help me at all times, but especially at the last moment of my life. Leave me not, I beseech thee, until thou seest me safe in Heaven, blessing thee, and singing thy mercies for all eternity. Amen. So I hope. So may it be.
Evening Mediation
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST
“Charity is not puffed up.”
XVII.-HE THAT LOVES JESUS CHRIST IS NOT VAIN OF HIS OWN WORTH, BUT HUMBLES HIMSELF, AND IS GLAD TO BE HUMBLED
I.
A proud person is like a balloon filled with air, which seems, indeed, great; but whose greatness in reality, is nothing more than a little air; which, as soon as the balloon is opened is quickly dispersed. He who loves God is humble, and is not elated at seeing any worth in himself; because he knows that whatever he possesses is the gift of God, and that of himself he has only nothingness and sin; so that his knowledge of the Divine favours bestowed on him, humbles him more, for he is conscious of being so unworthy, and yet so favoured by God.
St. Teresa says, in speaking of the especial favours she received from God: “God does with me as they do with a house, which, when about to fall, they prop up with supports.” When a soul receives a loving visit from God, and feels within herself an unwonted fervour of Divine love, accompanied with tears, or with a great tenderness of heart, let her beware of supposing that God so favours her in reward for some good action; but let her then humble herself the more, concluding that God caresses her in order that she may not forsake Him; otherwise, were she to make such favours the subject of vain complacency, imagining herself more privileged because she receives greater gifts from God than others, such a fault would induce God to deprive her of His favours. Two things are chiefly requisite for the stability of a house, the foundation and the roof: the foundation in us must be humility, in acknowledging ourselves good for nothing, and capable of nothing; and the roof is the Divine assistance, in which alone we ought to put all our trust.
II.
Whenever we behold ourselves unusually favoured by God, we must humble ourselves the more. When St. Teresa received any special favour, she used to strive to place before her eyes all the faults she had ever committed; and thus the Lord received her into closer union with Himself: the more a soul confesses herself undeserving of any favours, the more God enriches her with His graces. Thais, who was first a sinner and then a Saint, humbled herself so profoundly before God, that she dared not mention His Name; so that she did not dare to say, “My God,” but “My Creator, have mercy on me! Plasmator meus, miserere mei.” And St. Jerome writes that, in recompense for such humility, she saw a glorious throne prepared fer her in Heaven. In the Life of St. Margaret of Cortona we read how, when our Lord visited her one day with greater tokens of tenderness and love, she exclaimed: “But, O Lord, have You, then, forgotten what I have been? Is it possible that You can repay all my outrages against You with such exquisite sweetness?” And God replied that when a soul loves Him and cordially repents of having offended Him, He forgets all her past infidelities; as, indeed, He formerly spoke by the mouth of Ezechiel: But if the wicked do penance . .. I will not remember all his iniquities-(Ezech. xviii. 21-22). And in proof of this, He showed her a high throne which He had prepared for her in Heaven in the midst of the Seraphim. Oh, that we could only well comprehend the value of humility! A single act of humility is worth more than all the riches of the universe.
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| Love of the Sacred Heart as illustrated by Saint Mechtilde |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-05-2023, 09:44 AM - Forum: Resources Online
- Replies (6)
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Foreword
All lovers of the Sacred Heart were delighted to see in the year of grace 1920 the long wished for canonization of Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), whom God raised up in recent centuries to revive the fire of devotion to the divine Heart of our Lord, which had well-nigh been extinguished by the frost and drought of the Jansenist heresy. The devotion to the Sacred Heart is too often spoken of and thought of as a “modern” devotion, and in one sense it is such. The life-work of Saint Margaret Mary has not only given that sweetest of devotions a much greater vogue and a deeper intensity throughout the world, but it has even in our own times led to still further and wider developments, such as the beautiful and providential practice, whose world-wide spread we owe to the blessing and encouragement of Pope Pius XI mean the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in the home, which, thank God, is becoming yearly more popular in our own country. But the present book will show that in another sense the devotion is by no means “modern.” As will be seen, the first part consists of copious translations from the marvelous mystical revelations of a lover of the Sacred Heart of a much earlier century, the Benedictine nun Saint Mechtilde (1241-1298), whose enraptured utterances surpass in some respects those of her better known friend and disciple the great Saint Gertrude, and whose significance as the type of mystic theology has been immortalized by Dante in his mighty epic. It will not fail to be observed how extraordinarily similar a great deal of the inspired language and profound imagery of the Saint of the thirteenth century is to that of the one who was canonized last year; although I am not aware that there is evidence of Margaret Mary having been a student of the works of her illustrious predecessor. It is surely both significant and instructive that our divine Lord deigned to make known the mysteries and treasures of the unfathomable abyss of His divine Love in a manner so similar, often identical, to two of His chosen spouses, at an interval of several centuries. The pious translator of the following treatises, however, very truly remarks that in the revelations of the earlier of these Saints, the mystic doctrines of the Sacred Heart are presented more especially for the guidance and edification of the chosen few, especially of the inmates of the cloister, called to the more hidden life. On the other hand, the cult of the Sacred Heart in these last three centuries has become, and is becoming daily more and more, the common property of all the children of the Church, of the laity as well as of the clergy and the religious, of the working man and woman as well as of the theologian, and even of the little children as well as of Christians of mature years. And that recent form of it to which I have alluded above the Enthronement in the home, whether the palace or the cottage has further widened it to become the property and the privilege not merely of the individual soul, but of the whole Christian family. May every reader of these pages pray for her who in the midst of grave sickness and pain during her last illness compiled them out of her abounding love to the Sacred Heart of our Blessed Lord.
+ Bishop Louis Charles Casartelli, Diocese of Salford, England, Octave of the Epiphany, 1922
Introductory
The Revelations to Saint Mechtilde
Chapter 1 – The Book of Special Grace
The Revelations of Saint Mechtilde are contained in a book entitled The Book of Special Grace. This book was written almost entirely without her knowledge, and is based on the recitation of her communications with our divine Master. Two of the Saint’s companions, of whom Saint Gertrude was one, had arranged together to write it. It was nearly finished when Saint Mechtilde became aware of it. While she was hearing Mass a mysterious voice made one of the culprits known to her and at the same time asked her this question: “What shall be her reward for what she has written?” Very much astonished Saint Mechtilde asked her friend if she had been in the habit of writing down what she told her. She, not wanting to acknowledge it, made some excuse, telling the Saint to ask our Lord about it. Saint Mechtilde, having thus been made aware of the truth, was so grieved as to be inconsolable. She therefore went to our Lord, her ordinary refuge, and told Him confidingly of her sorrow. Our Lord appeared to her at once, holding the book on His Heart with His right hand. He kissed it, and said to her: “All that is found written in this book has flowed from My divine Heart, and will return to it.”
Saint Mechtilde asked our Lord if now she should cease communicating to others the graces she received from God. Our Lord answered: “Give Me to others with the liberality of My generous Heart. Give Me to others according to My goodness and not according to thine.” She answered: “What will they do with this book after my death and what good will result from its being written?” The Lord replied: “All those that seek Me therein with a true heart shall rejoice; those that love Me will be more inflamed with My love; and those in sorrow shall be consoled.” Mechtilde again asked what name the book should bear, and our Lord answered: “They shall call it The Book of Special Grace.”
So our Lord Himself approved of the book being written and also watched over it, so that no error should appear in it.
One day Mechtilde, remembering this book, asked our Lord this question: “How am I to know whether what they have written is correct, as I have neither seen nor approved of it; and even if I read it carefully now, I could not be sure if I remembered correctly?” Our Lord replied: “I am in the hearts of those who hear you and I execute their desires. I am their understanding as they listen, and it is through Me they are able to comprehend what you say. I am also in their mouth, when they speak of it. I guide their hands, when they write it. I am their Helper and co-operator in all, and so, in Me and by Me, who am the Truth, all that they dictate and write is true. The elegance of style with which I speak to you is wanting, but by My grace, all is approved and confirmed in the truth, you have so often besought Me never to allow you to fall into any error, that you have good reason to believe that, in My goodness, I have heard Your prayer.” She then saw three rays of light from the divine Heart fall on the two persons who wrote this book, and understood from this that it was by the inspiration and strength of divine grace that they devoted themselves to this work, and that therefore they generously accepted all the fatigue that came to them from it.
The book could therefore be finished and would do great good to souls. Mechtilde’s two friends congratulated themselves and thanked our Lord…. ” Blessed be God, the Author of all good; it is by His Will and blessing that this book is published. It is by no private design nor presumption in those who have written, but by the advice and command of their Abbess and with the approval of their Bishop.
“May we be forgiven the mistakes in composition and in elegance of style which will be met with; we are not accustomed to writing, and Saint Augustine says: A characteristic of a good mind is to love the truth in the words, not the words themselves.'” (Prologue.)
The servant of God was moreover able to obtain the book, correct it and give it her sanction. It was not, however, without great resistance on the part of her two companions, who constantly refused to allow her to see it from fear of causing her pain. Our Lord had once more to interfere, and He reassured Saint Mechtilde, saying to her: ” Fear not, all comes from Me, all is My work. I gave you the gift, and as it comes from Me, it is also just as truly by My inspiration that Your companions have undertaken and carried on this work. So, fear not and be not alarmed, I will Myself preserve this book from all error. Every word that has been written has been dictated by the Holy Spirit, and all are as pearls that shall adorn their crown in My eyes eternally.”
From this time the two friends, reassured by this vision, showed the book to Saint Mechtilde whenever she wished it, or they read it to her faithfully. In doubtful passages the Saint consulted our Lord, and so He corrected it Himself.
After Saint Mechtilde’s death Saint Gertrude saw her in glory, and asked if she were pleased or otherwise with the publication of this book. “It is my greatest joy,” she replied. “I see it will contribute to the glory of God, to the fulfillment of His will, and to my neighbours good. The book shall also be named The Light of the Church. They who read it shall recognize themselves in the brightness of the light. They will see by what spirit they are animated. The sorrowful shall find in it consolation.” The Saint compared the readers of this book to those who should receive a present from a King through a messenger. They would possess and reap as much benefit as if they had received the gift direct from the King’s hand.
Such was the origin of the Book of Special Grace. It would be impossible to tell the history of its beginning more simply or to establish better its truth and worth. Its composition extended over several years. It was begun in 1291, when Mechtilde was fifty years of age. It could only have been finished shortly before her death, which took place in 1298. Saint Gertrude, who was one of the collaborators, had begun her own book, The Herald of Divine Love, the 25th of March, 1289, so that these two admirable works date from the same time.
They are both incomparable treasures of doctrine on the Sacred Heart, for rarely before and never since have the relations of the divine Heart with the other divine Persons or with the souls of men been treated of so fully or with so much exactness and brilliancy.
From this treasure we are going to drink deeply. But first let us cast a glance at the holy soul who thus reveals to us the secrets of the divine Heart, Our faith in her words will surely be the firmer.
Chapter 2 – Life of Saint Mechtilde
The first and final chapter of the Book of Grace had been carefully hidden from Saint Mechtilde’s sight. Her humility would certainly have taken alarm at the praises there bestowed on her. These pages, though too few, are enough to make us appreciate her great virtues. We will here give the principal details.
The first chapter begins as follows:
This virgin was from her earliest infancy prevented by divine grace. At her birth, as it was feared that she was about to expire, they carried her in haste to be baptized by a priest of great holiness who was just preparing to celebrate the Holy Mass. After baptizing her he pronounced these words which we love to think prophetic: “Why do you fear? This child will not die, but will become a holy religious. By her God will work great wonders and she will finish her life at a good old age, full of merits.” When she was seven years of age her mother took her to visit the convent which was near her parents residence. Once there she refused to leave, notwithstanding her mother’s desire for her to return home. Full of delight, she begged the Sisters, one by one, to receive her into their company; and neither threats nor coaxing could move her to leave them.
What do we know of the family that the Saint deserted at so early an age, and what of the monastery in which she had come to bury her young life?
Mechtilde belonged to the family of Hackborn. She was born in 1241. The monastery into which she entered in 1248 was at that time at Rodarsdorf in the vicinity of her parent’s chateau. In 1258 this monastery was transferred to Helfta, on land which was given by her brothers the Lords Albert and Ludwig of Hackborn. This monastery was near the small town of Eisleben in Saxony, where, two centuries later, Luther was born.
Saint Mechtilde advanced rapidly from virtue to virtue. “She had a wonderfully sweet disposition, profoundly humble, most patient, a sincere lover of poverty, and very fervent and devoted. But it was especially in her love for God and her neighbour that she made the greatest progress; she showed herself pleased and amiable to all, full of tender compassion towards the afflicted or those in trouble. She was like a loving mother to those, showering on them consolation and help, and so no one went near her without being comforted and strengthened. She was much loved by all. Everyone wanted to be with her, and this often caused her some inconvenience.”
So perfect a religious must have been a treasure in the Convent of Helfta. Not only had God enriched her with spiritual gifts, but also with those of nature learning, a wide knowledge of literature, a beautiful voice, everything that could make her useful to the monastery. It seemed as if God would not allow her to want for anything. Her beautiful voice caused her to be appointed Cantor to the Convent. Many times she gained by her singing what she prized more than the applause of men, the approval of her divine Spouse, to whom she had entirely consecrated her voice. She also had charge of the School, where Saint Gertrude soon became one of her pupils. “She taught Christian doctrine with such efficiency that we have never had, and fear we never shall have, anyone in our Monastery to equal her. The Sisters gathered around her as around a preacher to hear the word of God. She dictated and taught them prayers, and they were so numerous that if gathered together they would make a larger book than all the psalms.
“Besides all this she was a perfect religious ready to renounce her own will and full of self-contempt, prompt in obedience, zealous for prayer and contemplation; she also had the gift of tears. She so practiced poverty as to refuse herself even what was necessary. It was only through obedience that she possessed a mantle, and her other garments were made of the commonest materials and mended and patched all over. Being immersed in the love of our divine Lord she so forgot herself that she lost the use of her exterior senses, as we read of Saint Bernard. She ate rotten eggs without perceiving it and before those near her could prevent it. Sometimes, when visitors were at the Monastery and she had refused to eat meat, they gave it to her and she ate it, until from their laughter she saw something unusual had occurred and came to herself.
“This great lover of suffering mortified her body for the conversion of sinners. During Lent, hearing the people shouting and singing, she felt consumed with zeal for God’s honour and also touched with great compassion. To offer God some small reparation she placed pieces of broken glass and other sharp objects in her bed and rolled on them until her flesh was torn and she was covered with wounds and blood; the pain afterwards prevented her from either sitting or lying down. During Passiontide she was so full of compassion she could not speak of the sufferings of Christ without shedding tears. When she spoke either of the sufferings or of the love of Christ she was filled with such fervour that her face and hands became quite red. And we think that she very often shed her blood spiritually for the love of Christ”.
In enumerating her virtues Mechtilde’s companions often compared her with the different orders of Saints and Angels. They said: “This angelic virgin deserves to be compared above all with the Seraphim; united so frequently, in an intimate manner, with that love which is God Himself; and clasped with so much affection to His Heart, so full of fire, she became one spirit with Him.” She was never tired of speaking of God, and with so much fervour and divine Love that she enkindled the same in the hearts of all who heard her. Indeed, one might say of her, as of the Prophet Elias, that her words ” burnt like a torch.”
When did Mechtilde receive the first confidences of the Sacred Heart? We are told by her companions that, from her earliest infancy, God commenced to reveal His secrets to her, but she says that one of the first graces she received was the gift of the Sacred Heart. So we may conclude, that for many years, if not all her life, she had had a true devotion to this worthy object of our love. Our Blessed Lord not only revealed to her His Sacred Heart, but He would place it as a pledge in the breast of His holy Spouse. She de scribes the event in these words: “On Wednesday in Easter Week hearing at Mass the words Venite benedicti Patris mei, she was filled with a sweet and extraordinary joy and said to our Lord: Oh that I may be one of those blessed souls who shall hear those sweet words from Your mouth. Our Lord replied: “You may be very sure you wilt be, and to prove it, I give you My Heart to keep always, and only to be given back to Me when I shall have fulfilled Your desire. I give you My Heart as a place of refuge; at the hour of Your death it will be impossible for you to lose thyself on any other road, you wilt only have My Heart wherein to rest eternally.”
This gift was the forerunner of many she was to receive from God. She began to have a very great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ; whenever our Lord appeared to her she nearly always received some special favour from His Heart, as may be seen from many places in this book. She often loved to say: “If all the graces that have come to me from the Sacred Heart of Jesus were written down, a book larger than a Breviary would not suffice in which to narrate them.”
Chapter 3 – Saint Mechtilde’s Mission
As far back as the thirteenth century the Sacred Heart enriched this chosen soul with His most extraordinary favours. Like the well-beloved Apostle, Mechtilde often leaned her head on the breast of the Man-God. She drank from the same source as that from which the Apostle had drawn the floods of truth contained in his Gospel. She had free entrance into this sanctuary of perfect praise. She found in this shrine the treasures of all graces and also that of divine love, and her heart was filled with the fire which inflamed the Seraphim. Also she received the Sacred Heart itself in some mysterious way, and bore it in her breast until her death.
In the wonderful favours granted by God to this humble daughter of Saint Benedict He had special designs. No doubt He wished to manifest His marvelous condescension. He loves to lower Himself towards souls who sink into their own nothingness, but He wished also to give Mechtilde special tokens of His liberality, so that she might be received as the accredited messenger of His Sacred Heart. The writing of the Book of Special Grace was not the result of a little pious indiscretion, but a providential fact, instigated by our Lord Himself. Several times He intervened to calm the fears of the humble Benedictine, to guide the pen of her companions, or to give to the entire book His formal approbation, affirming that all contained therein had originated in His divine Heart. He also declared that that Heart would bless those who on reading this book became enamoured of the gift of special grace.
We must, however, make one remark. Mechtilde did not receive any mission to convert souls, but only to enlighten those to whom the Sacred Heart had made itself known. As the prophets of the ancient law were only sent to the people of Israel, so the Virgin of Helfta was only sent to the privileged friends of the Sacred Heart. The devotion to this adorable Heart was for three centuries to be the reward of the perfect. Even the title of the book and the kind of grace of which it records the marvels indicate this restriction. It is the Book of Special Grace. That of universal grace was only to appear in the seventeenth century, and was also inspired by the Sacred Heart and written by the timid hand of Margaret Mary.
All are now called to know the Sacred Heart. The Book of Special Grace must henceforth be known by the second name given it by Saint Mechtilde, The Light of the Church: Liber namque ille Lumen Ecclesiae vocabitur, a prophecy which is fulfilled in our days. Thanks to the labours of the Benedictine Fathers of Solesmes, there is now a new translation of Saint Mechtilde’s works, which gives pious readers the opportunity of tasting the sweetness and unction contained in them. Their doctrinal value is admirably described by the translator as follows: “The mystery of the Incarnation holds the first place, or rather is seen and felt, in all its manifestations. The Man-God is not only Saviour but Mediator between God and man. And what strong incentive caused His intervention and led Him to carry out this role even to the end? It was love. Yes, love which is charity, and charity which is God Himself (John 4:8). Love in human form seized upon the Son of God and caused Him to descend into the womb of a virgin-daughter of Adam; then, leading Him through the rough ways of poverty and suffering to the Cross on Calvary, raised Him up again, and followed Him to heaven, to the right hand of His Father, whence she always inclines the God head towards the children of earth…. The divine Heart is always seen to be a source of love and also of the operations of love. Mechtilde presents us with more pictures than Gertrude, and this applies to all her visions, which are nearly always represented to us under a more sensible form than those of Saint Gertrude. What is more delightful or lovingly divine than the gift our Lord made of His Heart to Mechtilde, as a pledge which He would require of her at the moment of death, and this promise made to all: “I will drink of all the hearts who drink of Mine”?
The works of Saint Mechtilde raise the veil which here below hides the Sacred Heart from our longing gaze. We might also state, though that is out of our province, that their literary beauty is of a very high order. Dante was several times inspired by the Book of Special Grace, and the question is discussed to-day whether a person introduced into the Divina Commedia under the name of Matelda is not intended to be the Virgin of Helfta. We may leave this question to the decision of the learned, and for ourselves gather together all the passages wherein the Sacred Heart speaks to us in the Book of Special Grace.
The Rev. Dom Paquelin marks the different divisions to which we can devote our attention:
1. The dispositions of the Heart of Jesus from the moment when in the bosom of the Father He was seized by love and cast into the womb of Mary to the day when He returned triumphant to heaven.
2. The relations of the Sacred Heart with each one of us in the mysteries of grace and of the Holy Eucharist.
3. Our acts of worship towards the Sacred Heart. A summary of these extracts would form a very complete code of doctrine of the Sacred Heart. So that the first pages of this book might be called A Sixteenth Century Treatise on Devotion to the Sacred Heart.
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| Archbishop Viganò: Finding La Salette - Consecration at the Top of the World |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-03-2023, 05:23 AM - Forum: Archbishop Viganò
- Replies (2)
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Introduction by Michael Matt
“Rome will lose the Faith and become seat of the Antichrist.” These foreboding words form the most controversial part of the message of Our Lady of La Salette, delivered in 1846 to little Maximin Giraud and Mélanie Calvat in La Salette-Fallavaux, France.
Though the message includes not a few hope-filled promises of heavenly intervention and even divine protection, it is described as “Our Lady’s Apocalypse” for a reason. It is not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, it was officially approved by the Church, and the Basilica of Notre-Dame de La Salette was designated as such by Pope Leo XIII. Alas, even this was not enough to prevent La Salette – the message and the seer – from becoming the subject of a brutal campaign of opposition that began almost immediately after the little cowherders had first encountered Our Lady silently weeping in their mountain pasture.
Given that Our Lady of La Salette had come to warn the world against corrupt churchmen who would betray her Son, it is hardly surprising that there was a massive push, initiated by the Modernists, to discredit and bury Our Lady of La Salette.
However, given the startling manner in which Our Lady’s warnings have become our horrific reality today, we decided to stand with Our Lady against her detractors by traveling up into the French Alps after this year’s successful Pilgrimage to Chartres to consecrate ourselves, our families, and our nations to Our Lady of La Salette.
On June 3, 2023, I led some 50 Americans up the mountain in La Salette, where Remnant Tours chaplain, Fr. Anthony Dorsa, led us all in praying the following Act of Consecration, which was written by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano specifically for this occasion. MJM
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Act of Consecration and Reparation to Mary Most Holy, Queen and Mother of the Church
at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of La Salette
O August Queen, Most Holy Mother of God and Mother of the Church, Our Lady, our Hope, Help of Christians, to whose name the hosts of Angels bow down and the infernal hordes withdraw in terror: kneeling at the foot of your throne we invoke You, and we ask You to listen to our prayer
Tormented by the grave apostasy which strikes a mortal blow against humanity and by the crisis which afflicts the members of the Mystical Body of your Son, [in these places blessed by your apparition to Mélanie and Maximin,] we consecrate ourselves, our homeland and the Holy Church to You, so that thanks to Your powerful intercession and by virtue of the merits of Your compassion and co-redemption, You may deign to implore the divine Majesty to spare us from the punishments that loom over the world and over nations.
We offer our nothingness to You, aware that we are completely indebted to Your Divine Son; to you we entrust and consecrate ourselves, our families, and our loved ones, so that every breath of ours, every beat of our heart may be an act of praise to the One who as a provident and most loving Mother has so often admonished and called us to correspond to the infinite Love of our Creator and Redeemer by a virtuous life following the Commandments. Protect us in this terrible battle against the Enemy of the human race, who seems to be unleashed today as never before in order to snatch souls from Heaven whom Jesus Christ has redeemed at the price of His Most Precious Blood.
To you we offer and consecrate our homeland, begging you to implore for it the Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ. Grant us good and holy rulers, who will govern the nation according to justice and respect for the Law of God. Inspire in them the strength to resist the snares of our enemies, the courage to fight them fiercely, and the humility to place all hope in Our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom all earthly power belongs. Obtain for the United States of America protection and defense from the furious assault of Satan: may Your virginal foot crush the head of the ancient Serpent and thwart the infernal plans of his servants. Hear the prayer of so many good souls and spare America, as you spared the inhabitants of the repentant city of Nineveh.
To You, Queen and Mother of the Church, we consecrate the Spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and in particular the Hierarchy and the Ministers of Your Son: remove from us the scourges that [here] in La Salette you announced as impending on all of us all because of their infidelity. Confirm in your love the clergy and religious who have remained faithful to your Son, and move to true conversion those who afflict his Most Sacred Heart with their sins, scandals, and sacrileges. Let the Holy City of Rome rediscover the Faith and be a beacon of Truth for all nations, and not – as you have revealed – the seat of the Antichrist. O Mary, our Advocate, offer to the Most Holy Trinity the sacrifices, penance and fasts that so many of your children carry out in union with the Passion of the Lord Jesus. May the voice of the many priests who are persecuted because of their fidelity to the Gospel rise to the throne of God’s Majesty, as well as the voice of the faithful who, thanks to them, are able to feed on the Bread of Angels and sanctify themselves through the Holy Sacraments. May the Graces of which you are the Mediatrix descend upon all of them, upon all of us.
Finally, accept, as reparation for our sins, the sins of the Nations, and the sins of your Son’s Ministers, our humble act of submission, by which we proclaim and acknowledge You as our Queen and Lady, and Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and King. Preserve us in Your love, accompany us with Your intercession during this earthly exile, and welcome us into the blessed glory of Heaven. And so may it be.
+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop
Beatæ Mariæ Virginis Reginæ
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| FDA launches ‘Rumor Control’ website to combat ‘growing spread’ of health ‘misinformation’ |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-02-2023, 07:58 AM - Forum: Health
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FDA launches ‘Rumor Control’ website to combat ‘growing spread’ of health ‘misinformation’
Critics have argued that the FDA initiative to police supposed misinformation is hypocritical.
Jun 1, 2023
(Reclaim The Net) — In a recent announcement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revealed the launch of a webpage designed to address and curtail what it says is the spread of misinformation related to health and medical topics online.
This initiative, known as the “Rumor Control” page, invites users to report instances of perceived misinformation on the internet, particularly on social media platforms.
“The growing spread of rumors, misinformation, and disinformation about science, medicine, and the FDA, is putting patients and consumers at risk. We’re here to provide the facts,” the FDA announced.
It concluded by calling on users to check the FDA’s Rumor Control page to see how the agency was fighting misinformation.
However, this initiative has been met with a wave of criticism from various quarters. Critics argue that the Rumor Control page could be misused and raises significant concerns over the FDA itself getting involved in policing misinformation when the FDA itself has been accused of spreading misinformation.
This is something the commenters below the announcement on Twitter were quick to point out.
Despite these criticisms, the FDA maintains that the platform is a necessary tool in the fight against health misinformation.
Reprinted with permission from Reclaim The Net.
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| Mexican Archbishop survives knife attack after Mass as violence against clergy continues |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-02-2023, 07:20 AM - Forum: Anti-Catholic Violence
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Mexican Archbishop survives knife attack after Mass as violence against clergy continues
The recent attempt on Archbishop Faustino Armendáriz's life comes after nine priests have been murdered in Mexico in the past four years.
![[Image: Faustino-Armendariz-Jimenez-810x500.png]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Faustino-Armendariz-Jimenez-810x500.png)
Archbiship of Durango Faustino Armendáriz Jiménez
Arquidiócesis Durango / YouTube
May 30, 2023
DURANGO, Mexico (LifeSiteNews) — A Mexican Archbishop was attacked by a man armed with a knife as he greeted parishioners after Sunday Mass.
On May 21, Archbishop Faustino Armendáriz of Durango, Mexico survived an attack by an 80-year-old man armed with a knife, following the murder of nine priests in Mexico since current Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office at the end of 2018, as reported by the Catholic News Agency.
“God, the Most Holy Virgin, the Immaculate Conception, and the Holy Martyrs, who today on their feast day, have protected me from this aggression against my physical integrity in the sacristy of the Cathedral of Durango,” Armendáriz tweeted after the incident.
“God bless everyone for their words of solidarity and their prayers,” he added.
Armendáriz was speaking to parishioners in the sacristy after Sunday Mass when his attacker “violently pulled me over on my left side” to ask if he was the local bishop.
“With that I managed to see that he extended his arm full length, and I managed to see a weapon, a knife, in his hand. And he managed to get me here, at the top of the ribs, and I felt the sting, but I bent over so he couldn’t hurt me and pushed his arm down,” the archbishop recalled.
Armendáriz was not fatally injured from the attack as, “There was no such penetration of the piercing weapon, only the blow.” He viewed the attack as “attempted murder,” but professed belief “that something transcendent protected me.”
Armendáriz expressed forgiveness for his would-be murderer, saying, “It seems to me that it’s also an opportunity to show solidarity with the people who are suffering.”
“This is part of all this lacerated social fabric, and above all the lack of moral values and situations that our people without a doubt are experiencing in anonymity,” he declared.
On May 22, one day after the attempt on the archbishop’s life, Father Javier García Villafaña, an Augustinian priest, was shot to death in his car on the Cuitzeo-Huandacareo highway in Michoacán, Mexico.
The Archdiocese of Morelia announced his death on Facebook but neglected to say that he was murdered, writing, “The Lord has called into his presence Father Fray Javier García Villafana, OSA. The bishops of the archdiocese, the presbytery and the entire Archdiocese of Morelia unite in prayer and entrust this son of theirs to the hands of Mary Immaculate so that the Lord of Life may receive him in his dwelling places of glory. Give him, Lord, eternal rest.”
Earlier this month, two Catholic churches in Mexico were desecrated. One church’s tabernacle was broken into while a second church burnt overnight.
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| June - the Month of the Sacred Heart |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-02-2023, 06:24 AM - Forum: Church Doctrine & Teaching
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Gratefully reprinted from the Our Lady of Fatima Chapel Bulletin in Massachusetts:
Month of the Sacred Heart
June is consecrated to the devotion of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Some upcoming dates especially dedicated to this devotion will be today's First Friday of June (check here for the Livestream Mass); the Feast of Corpus Christi on June 8th; and the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 16th; both of these great feasts have with them privileged octaves.
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“Now if, because of our sins also which were as yet in the future, but were foreseen, the soul of Christ became sorrowful unto death, it cannot be doubted that then, too, already He derived somewhat of solace from our reparation, which was likewise foreseen, when ‘there appeared to Him an angel from heaven’, in order that His Heart, oppressed with weariness and anguish, might find consolation.” - Pope Pius XI, Miserentissimus Redemptor
With this simple paragraph in his encyclical, Pope Pius XI gives us all the reason we need to spend time in the actual or even spiritual presence of the Blessed Sacrament for a holy hour of reparation; and there is no better time to do so - for June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Practice of Reparation
The feast and month of the Sacred Heart is not just a time for “simple” prayer. Rather, it has always been tied to the spirit of sacrifice, with reparation made for the offenses against Our Lord - especially against the Most Holy Sacrament of His Love. When the Sacred Heart appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, He told her:
"Make reparation for the ingratitude of men. Spend an hour in prayer to appease Divine justice, to implore mercy for sinners, to honor Me, to console Me for My bitter suffering when abandoned by My Apostles; when they could not watch one hour with Me."
As Jesus spoke to His Apostles, so He pleads with us to stay and watch and pray with Him. His Sacred Heart is filled with sadness, because so many doubt Him, despise Him, insult Him, ridicule Him, spit upon Him, slap Him, accuse Him, condemn Him or just simply forget Him.
Every mortal sin brings down the terrible scourges on His Sacred Body, presses the sharp thorns into His Sacred Head, and hammers the cruel nails into His Sacred Hands and Feet. The cold ingratitude and indifference of mankind continually pierce His Sacred Heart. In fact, He complained to Saint Margaret Mary, that this great apathy towards His Love is what wounds His Heart the most.
As faithful Catholics, we should participate in devotion this month fully and often with our prayers, mortification and holy hours playing a vital role as desired by our Divine Savior and recalled to us by His Vicar, Pius XI.
Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
As Revealed by Our Lord to St. Margret
God has always dealt with men in a way consonant with their nature - by drawing them to His Holy Will by promises of reward. It was so with His dealings with the chosen people under the Old Dispensation. It was the way of Christ in the New, promising even a hundredfold return for compliance with His desires. And so it is in the history of the revelation and propagation of the devotion to the Sacred Heart.
"That men might more readily respond to that wonderful and overflowing desire of love," wrote Leo XIII in his Encyclical, Annum Sacrum (1899) on the devotion, "Jesus, by the promise of rich rewards, called and drew all men to Him." St. Margaret Mary in her writings insists again and again on the ardent desire of Christ to pour out blessings with a royal generosity on those who would honor His Divine Heart and return Him love for love.
These Promises of the Sacred Heart, in the form in which they are now popularly known and approved by the Church, far surpass in variety, universality and importance those attached to any other exercises of devotion in the Church.
They are addressed to all sorts of persons: to the fervent, the tepid, and the sinful. They embrace every condition of life: priests, religious, and laity. They promise relief to the afflicted, strength to the tempted, consolation to the sorrowful, peace to the family, blessings in the home, success in our enterprises, mercy to the sinner, high sanctity to fervent souls, courage to the cold of heart. They promise power to the priest to soften the hardest hearts. They promise strength and courage on our death-bed, and tell us of the priceless gift of final perseverance and of a refuge in the Heart of Christ at our last moment.
What greater or more valuable favors than these could even the omnipotent and boundless love and goodness of the Sacred Heart bestow on us? These Promises help us to an understanding of the truth of St. Margaret Mary's glowing words: "Jesus showed me how this devotion is, as it were, the final effort of His love, the last invention of His boundless Charity."
1st Promise: "I will give to My faithful all the graces necessary in their state of life."
The duties of our daily life are numerous and often difficult. God grants us in response to prayer and frequent reception of the Sacraments all the necessary graces for our state of life. There are also extraordinary graces which lie outside the usual action of God's Providence, graces that He gives to His special friends. These are more efficacious graces, more plentifully given to the clients of the Sacred Heart.
2nd Promise: "I will establish peace in their homes."
"'Peace is the tranquility of order, the serenity of mind, simplicity of heart, the bond of charity." (St. Augustine) It was the first thing the Angels wished to men at the birth of Jesus. Our Lord Himself bade His disciples to invoke it: "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' " (Luke 10, 5) In the Heart of Jesus will be found the true peace, that makes the home the reflex and anticipation of our heavenly Home.
3rd Promise: "I will comfort them in all their afflictions."
The desire to comfort the sorrowful is the mark of a noble and kind heart. The Sacred Heart is the most noble and generous of hearts, both human and divine. How does He console us? Not necessarily by freeing us from sorrow and affliction. He knows the priceless value of the cross--that we have sins to expiate. By His grace, He makes what is painful tolerable. "I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our troubles." (2 Cor. 7, 4)
4th Promise: "I will be their secure refuge in life, and above all in death."
"One of the soldiers opened His side with a lance, and immediately there came out blood and water." (John 19, 34) Christ's side was opened to show that Divine Providence wished all men to find in His Divine Heart an assured refuge against the enemies of our salvation. In His Heart we can find protection, strength in our frailty, perseverance in our inconstancy, assured refuge in the dangers and toils of life, and at the hour of death.
5th Promise: "I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings."
"God is love." He is ready to give His children abundant temporal blessings as long as they do not imperil our eternal interests. His "special" Providence protects and watches over those devoted to the Sacred Heart with peculiar love and tenderness. However, we should not be discouraged if our prayers for temporal favors are not always answered, for God always puts our eternal good before our temporal good.
6th Promise: "Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy."
The Redemption is the immortal drama of God's mercy; and our Divine Redeemer is, as it were, God's Mercy Incarnate. "With the Lord is kindness and with Him plenteous Redemption." (Ps. 129, 7) On earth the Heart of Christ was full of mercy toward all. Now in His glorified humanity in heaven Jesus continues to show forth His boundless mercy, "always living to make intercession for us." (Heb. 7,25)
7th Promise: "Tepid souls shall become fervent."
Lukewarmness is a languid dying state of the soul that has lost its interest in religion. The Holy Spirit expresses deep disgust for such a soul: "You are neither cold nor hot ... I am about to vomit you out of My mouth." (Apoc. 3, 15) The only remedy for it is devotion to the Sacred Heart, Who came "to cast fire on earth," i.e., to inspire the cold and tepid heart with new fear and love of God.
8th Promise: “Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection."
High perfection is the reward that Christ bestows on the fervent clients of His Divine Heart; for this devotion has, as its special fruit, to transform us into a close resemblance to our Blessed Lord. This is done by kindling in our hearts the fire of divine love, which, as St. Paul says, "is the bond of perfection." (Col. 3, 14) Through devotion to the Sacred Heart self-love will give way to an ardent zeal for His interests.
9th Promise: "I will bless every place in which an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored."
Religious pictures are a powerful appeal and inspiration. The Sacred Heart is an open book wherein we may read the infinite love of Jesus for us in His Passion and Death. He shows us His Heart, cut open by the lance, all aglow like a fiery furnace of love, whose flames appear bursting forth from the top. It is encircled with thorns, the anguishing smarts of unheeded love. May it ever impel us to acts of love and generosity.
10th Promise: "I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts."
The conversion of a sinner calls sometimes for extraordinary graces. God never forces the free will of a human being. But He can give actual graces with which He foresees the sinner will overcome the resisting attitude of the most obstinate sinful soul. This, then, is what occurs in the case of priests who are animated with great devotion to the Sacred Heart.
11th Promise: "Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be effaced."
This Promise holds out to promoters of devotion to the Sacred Heart a wonderful reward--they "shall have their names written in My Heart." These words imply a strong and faithful friendship of Christ Himself, and present to us "the Book of Life" of St. John: "I will not blot his name out of the book of life." (Apoc. 3, 5)
12th Promise: "To those who shall communicate on the First Friday, for nine consecutive months, I will grant the grace of final penitence."
This Promise contains a great reward, which is nothing less than heaven. "Final perseverance is a gratuitous gift of God's goodness, and cannot be merited as an acquired right by any individual act of ours." (Council of Trent) It is given as the reward for a series of acts continued to the end: "He who has persevered to the end will be saved." (Matt. 10, 22)
- By Rev. Irenaeus Schoenherr, O.F.M.
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First Friday of the Month
At the end of the 17th century Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque (1647-1690) and asked her to spread devotion to His Most Sacred Heart. In a letter written to her Mother Superior in May 1688, St. Margaret Mary set out what is called The Great Promise which Our Lord made regarding the Nine First Fridays and what we must do to earn it:
“On a Friday during Holy Communion, Our Lord said these words to His unworthy slave: ‘I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that Its all powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of the month consecutively the grace of final repentance, and they will not die under My displeasure or without receiving the Sacraments, My Divine Heart making Itself their assured refuge at the last moment.’”
The specific conditions to fulfill the Great Promise are, therefore, twofold:
- They must be made on nine consecutive First Fridays of the month.
- They must receive Holy Communion with the intention of making reparation.
- The communicant should have the intention (at least implicitly) of making reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for all the sinfulness and ingratitude of men (especially against the Most Blessed Sacrament).
Our Lord made many promises to St. Margaret Mary regarding those who practice the Nine First Fridays and have a deep devotion to His Sacred Heart. The Twelve Promises listed above, includes the Great Promise. It was Our Lord's special desire that the First Friday of each month be consecrated to the devotion of reparation to, and adoration of His most Sacred Heart.
In the way of suggestions on how to better prepare for the First Friday, it would be well to read the evening before, a good book on the devotion, or on Our Lord's Passion. Then, on the day itself, we should awake and consecrate all our thoughts, words and deeds to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; that He may be thereby honored and glorified. Let us especially endeavor to stir in our souls a deep sorrow for the innumerable offenses and sacrileges heaped upon the Sacred Heart in the Most Holy Sacrament of His Love. Should we find this difficult, let us consider earnestly, the many reasons we have for giving our tepid hearts to Jesus, and acknowledge with sorrow, the faults of which we have been guilty through our want of respect in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, or through any negligence in receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion.
As the object of this devotion is to inflame our hearts with an ardent love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to repair, as far as lies in our power, all the outrages which are daily committed against the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, it is evident that these exercises are not confined to any particular day.
Those, therefore, who are prevented from practicing this devotion on the First Friday, can do so on any other day during the month. In the same manner they may offer the first Communion closest to the First Friday for this intention, consecrating the whole day to the honor and glory of the Sacred Heart, and performing in the same spirit all the pious exercises they were unable to accomplish on the First Friday.
Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on us*
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,*
God, the Holy Ghost,*
Holy Trinity, one God,*
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father,*
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mother's womb,*
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to 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, wherein are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,*
Heart of Jesus, wherein dwelleth all the fulness of Godhead*
Heart of Jesus, in Whom the Father is well pleased,*
Heart of Jesus, of Whose fulness we have all received,*
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills,*
Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy,*
Heart of Jesus, rich unto all who call upon Thee,*
Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness,*
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses,*
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches,*
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities,*
Heart of Jesus, obedient even 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, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world.
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
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 praise and satisfaction which He offers unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou of Thy great goodness grant them pardon when they seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Thy Son, Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee for ever and ever. Amen.
Indulgence of seven years, each time - P.P. Leo XIII; April 2, 1899
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| Antibiotics in Orange Juice |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-01-2023, 06:50 AM - Forum: Health
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DRUGS IN ORANGE JUICE
Joel Salatin [Emphasis mine]| May 30, 2023
I just spent a couple of days in and around Orlando, Florida, the heart of Florida’s orange production country.
Instead of beautiful green trees, I saw thousands of acres of dead, scraggly trees. Just a few years ago, Florida produced 240 million 90-lb. crates of oranges. Last year it was about 40 million and this year the crop is expected to be below 20 million.
A disease is running rampant through the groves and turning many of these farms upside down financially and emotionally. But before you get too weepy about their plight, realize that the standard practice with this landscape is scorched earth.
They put copious amounts of herbicide under the trees, leaving nothing but white sand. Any semblance of vegetative cover or biological diversity is gone. It’s the most inhospitable looking environment you can imagine.
Right now, the cure the growers are most excited about is drilling a hole in the tree and dripping antibiotics into the sap. That seems to be working, but of course the antibiotics will go into the oranges. Yum. So just when the livestock industry shifted from antibiotics to mRNA genetic manipulation, the orange producers are shifting to drugged oranges.
I met a fellow who has a grove and is using a biological foliar application instead. He’s treating the soil with Essential Microbes (EM) and applying wood chip mulch along with vegetative cover cropping under the trees. It seems to be working. Isn’t that amazing?
He explained that the oranges attract five nematodes, but only one is bad; the other four are good for the trees. The bad one loves hot soil. The scorched earth policy practiced by orthodox producers eliminates protective vegetation. Devegetated soil in Florida gets exceptionally hot, especially on those sandy profiles.
Here we have the classic battle between a conventional mechanistic view of life versus the biological view of life. The darling of the industry is a drug drip—the mechanical view. But a biological approach creates a healthy orange tree habitat. Guess which one will win? Meanwhile, the mainstream media will report the rising price of oranges, the plight of the Florida citrus growers, the devastation to rural economies, and the bogeyman from out there, from unknown sources, wreaking havoc with our food supply.
The guy with the answers, who dares to come to the earth humbly, who dares to bring a diversified plant and microbial guild to the tree, never gets an interview. His voice is drowned out by drug chatter and shallow journalists. Normal people shake their head at yet another assault on our food system, blaming gremlins and angry gods for our problems. No, folks, the problem is us. We caused it and we can fix it, but only with landscape caress. Drug sledgehammers are not the solution. The narrative will be simple: “we have to use drugs in order to keep the orange producers in business and keep customers supplied.”
Are you looking forward to drinking orange juice laced with antibiotics?
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Fourth Week after Easter |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-30-2023, 08:15 AM - Forum: Easter
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There is nothing shorter than time, and yet nothing more valuable. There is nothing shorter, for the past is no more, the future is uncertain, the present only a moment. Jesus Christ said: A little time and now you shall not see me. We may say the same of our life which, according to St. James is a vapour which appeareth for a little while-(iv. 15).
I.
The time is short, says the Apostle, St. Paul, it remaineth that … they that weep be as though they wept not; that they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that used this world, as if they used it not-( 1 Cor. vii. 29, 31). Since, then, the time we have to remain on this earth is short, the Apostle tells those who weep that they ought not to weep, because their sorrows shall soon pass away; and those who rejoice, not to fix their affections on enjoyments, because they shall soon have an end. Hence he concludes that we should use this world, not to enjoy its transitory goods, but to merit eternal life.
Son, says the Holy Ghost, observe the time-(Ecclus. iv. 23). Son, learn to preserve time, which is the most precious and the greatest gift that God can bestow upon you. St. Bernardine of Sienna teaches that time is of as much value as God; because in every moment of time well spent the possession of God is merited. He adds that in every instant of this life a man may obtain pardon of his sins, the grace of God, and the glory of Paradise. Hence St. Bonaventure says that “no loss is of greater moment than the loss of time.”
But, on his part, St. Bernard says that though there is nothing more precious than time, there is nothing less valuable in the estimation of men. You will see some persons spending four or five hours in play. If you ask them why they lose so much time, they answer: To amuse ourselves. Others remain half the day standing in a street, or looking out from a window. If you ask them what they are doing, they will say in reply that they are passing the time. And why, says the same Saint, do you lose this time? Why should you lose even a single hour which the mercy of God gives you to weep for your sins, and to acquire Divine grace?
O time, despised by men during life, how much will you be desired at the hour of death, and particularly in the other world! Time is a blessing we enjoy only in this life; it is not enjoyed in the next; it is not found in Heaven nor in hell. In hell the damned exclaim with tears: “Oh that an hour were given to us!” They would pay any price for an hour or for a minute in which they might repair their eternal ruin. But this hour or minute they never shall have. In Heaven there is no weeping; but, were the Saints capable of sorrow, all their wailing should arise from the thought of having lost in this life the time in which they could have acquired greater glory, and from the conviction that this time shall never more be given to them.
O God of my soul, what should be my lot at this moment hadst Thou not shown me so many mercies! I should be in hell among the fools to whose number I have belonged. I thank Thee, O my Lord, and I entreat Thee not to abandon me in my blindness. I feel that Thou dost tenderly call me to ask pardon and to hope for graces from Thee. Yes, my Saviour, I hope Thou wilt admit me among Thy children. Father, I am not worthy to be called Thy child! I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee!
II.
St. Francis Borgia was careful to employ every moment of his time for God. When others spoke of useless things, he conversed with God by holy affections; and so recollected was he that, when asked his opinion on the subject of conversation he knew not what answer to make. Being corrected for this, he said: I am content to be considered stupid rather than lose my time in vanities.
Some will say: What evil am I doing? Is it not, I ask, an evil to spend your time in amusements, in conversations, and useless occupations which are unprofitable to the soul? Does God give you this time to waste it? Let not, says the Holy Ghost, the part of a good gift overpass thee-(Ecclus. xiv. 14}. The labourers of whom St. Matthew speaks did no evil; they only lost time, remaining idle in the streets. But they were rebuked: Why stand you here all the day idle?-(Matth. xx. 6}. On the day of Judgment Jesus Christ will demand an account, not only of every month and day that has been lost, but even of every idle word spoken. Every idle word that men shall speak they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment-(Matth. xii. 36}. He will likewise demand an account of every moment of the time which you will lose. According to St. Bernard, all time not spent for God is time lost. Hence the Holy Ghost says: Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work nor reason . . . shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening. What you can do today defer not till tomorrow; for on tomorrow you may be dead, and may be gone into another world where you shall have no more time to do good, and where you shall only enjoy the reward of your virtues or suffer the punishment due to your sins. Today if you shall hear his voice harden not your hearts-(Ps. xciv.}. Obey His call today; for it may happen that on tomorrow time will be no more for you, or that God will call you no more. All our salvation depends on corresponding with the Divine calls, and at the time that God calls us.
O my God, enlighten me! Give me to understand that the only evil is to offend Thee, the only good to love to spend the remainder of my days in serving Thee. O Mary, my hope, do thou intercede for me.
Spiritual Reading
SALVE, REGINA, MATER MISERICORDlAE! HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, MOTHER OF MERCY!
XIII.-MARY IS THE MOTHER OF PENITENT SINNERS
Our Blessed Lady told St. Bridget that she was the Mother not only of the just and innocent, but also of sinners, provided they were willing to repent. Oh, how prompt does a sinner who is desirous of amendment and flies to her feet find this good Mother to embrace and help him, far more so than any earthly mother! St. Gregory VII wrote in this sense to princess Matilda, saying: “Resolve to sin no more and I promise that undoubtedly thou wilt find Mary more ready to love thee than any earthly mother.”
But whoever aspires to be a child of this great Mother must first abandon sin, and then may hope to be accepted as such. Richard of St. Laurence, on the words of Proverbs, up rose her children-(Prov. xxxi. 28}, remarks that the words up rose came first, and then the word children to show that no one can be a child of Mary without first endeavouring to rise from the fault into which he has fallen; for he who is in mortal sin is not worthy to be called the son of such a Mother. And St. Peter Chrysologus says that he who acts in a different manner from Mary declares thereby that he will not be her son. “He who does not the works of his Mother abjures his lineage.” Mary humble and he proud; Mary pure and he wicked; Mary full of charity and he hating his neighbour. He gives thereby proof that he is not, and will not be, the son of his holy Mother. The sons of Mary, says Richard of St. Laurence, are her imitators, and this chiefly in three things-in chastity, liberality, and humility; and also in meekness, mercy, and such like.
Whilst disgusting her by a wicked life, who would dare even to wish to be the child of Mary? A certain sinner once said to Mary, “Show thyself a Mother”; but the Blessed Virgin replied, “Show thyself a son.” Another invoked the Divine Mother, calling her the “Mother of mercy”; and she answered: “You sinners, when you want my help, call me ‘Mother of mercy,’ and at the same time do not cease by your sins to make me a ‘Mother of sorrow and anguish.’ He is cursed of God, says Ecclesiasticus, that angereth his mother -(Ecclus. iii. 18). “His mother, that is, Mary,” says Richard of St. Laurence. God curses those who by their wicked life, and still more by their obstinacy in sin, afflict this tender Mother.
I say by their obstinacy; for if a sinner, though he may not as yet have given up his sin, endeavours to do so, and for this purpose seeks the help of Mary, this good Mother will not fail to assist him, and make him recover the grace of God. And this is precisely what St. Bridget heard one day from the lips of Jesus Christ, Who, speaking to His Mother, said: “Thou assistest him who endeavours to return to God, and thy consolations are never wanting to anyone.” So long, then, as a sinner is obstinate, Mary cannot love him; but if he, finding himself chained by some passion which keeps him a slave of hell, recommends himself to the Blessed Virgin, and implores her, with confidence and perseverance, to withdraw him from the state of sin in which he is, there can be no doubt but this good Mother will extend her powerful hand to him, will deliver him from his chains, and lead him to a state of salvation.
Evening Meditation
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST
XIX.-HOW MUCH WE ARE OBLIGED TO LOVE JESUS CHRIST
I.
Our Lord said one day to St. Teresa: “Everything which does not give pleasure to Me is vanity,” Would that all understood well this great truth! “For the rest, one thing is necessary.” It is not necessary to be rich in this world, to gain the esteem of others, to lead a life of ease, to enjoy dignities, to have a reputation for learning: it is only necessary to love God and to do His will. For this single end has He created us, for this He preserves our life; and thus only can we gain admittance into Paradise. Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm-(Cant. viii. 6). The Lord thus speaks to all His espoused souls. Put Me as a seal upon Thy heart and upon thine arm, in order that all thy desires and actions may tend to Me; upon thy heart, that no other love but Mine may enter there; upon thine arm, in order that all thou dost may have Me for its sole object. Oh, how quickly does that soul speed onwards to perfection which in all her actions regards but Jesus crucified, and has no other desire than to gratify Him!
II.
To acquire, then, a true love of Jesus Christ should be our only care. The masters of the spiritual life describe the marks of true love. Love, say they, is fearful, and its fear is none other than that of displeasing God. It is generous, because, trusting in God, it is never daunted even at the greatest enterprises for His glory. It is strong, because it subdues all its evil appetites, even in the midst of the most violent temptations, and of the darkest desolations. It is obedient, because it immediately flies to execute the Divine will. It is pure, because it loves God alone, and for the sole reason that He deserves to be loved. It is ardent, because it would inflame all mankind, and willingly see them consumed with Divine love. It is inebriating, for it causes the soul to live as it were out of herself, as if she no longer saw, nor felt, nor had any more perception of earthly things, bent wholly on loving God. It is unitive by producing a close union between the will of the creature and the Will of the Creator. It is longing, for it fills the soul with desires of leaving this world, to fly and unite herself perfectly with God in her true and happy country, where she may love Him with all her strength.
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Third Week after Easter |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-30-2023, 07:27 AM - Forum: Easter
- Replies (7)
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Jesus said of Himself: I am the good shepherd. The work of a good shepherd is nothing more than to guide his flock to good pastures, and to guard them from wolves. But what shepherd, O sweet Redeemer, ever had mercy like Thee! What shepherd would ever give his life for his sheep? Thou alone, because Thou art a God of infinite love, canst say: I lay down my life for my sheep.
I.
Thus spoke Jesus of Himself: I am the good Shepherd -(John x. 11). The work of a good shepherd is nothing more than to guide his flock to good pastures, and to guard them from wolves; but what shepherd, O sweet Redeemer, ever had mercy like Thee? What shepherd has ever given his life to save his flocks and deliver them from the punishment they had deserved?
Who in his own self bore our sins in his body upon the tree; that we, being dead to sins, should live to justice; by whose stripes you were healed-(l Peter ii. 24). To heal us of our sicknesses this good Shepherd took upon Himself all our ills, and paid our debts in His own person, dying in agony upon a Cross. It was this excess of love towards us, His sheep, which made St. Ignatius, the Martyr, burn with desire to give his life for Jesus Christ, saying: ” My Love is crucified! What! has my God been willing to die on a Cross for me, and cannot I desire to die for Him?” And, in truth, was it a great thing the Martyrs did in giving their lives for Jesus Christ, when He died for love of them? Oh, how that death endured for them by Jesus Christ made sweet to them all their torments-stripes, piercing nails, fiery plates of iron, and most agonizing deaths!
But the love of this Good Shepherd was not satisfied with giving His life for His sheep; He desired also, after His death, to leave them His flesh itself, first sacrificed upon the Cross, that it might be food and pasture of their souls. “The burning love He bore to us,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “induced Him to unite and make Himself one thing with us.”
Remember, then, my Jesus, that I am one of those sheep for whom Thou hast given Thy life. Ah! cast on me one of those looks of pity with which Thou didst once regard me, when Thou wast dying on the Cross for me. Look on me and change me, and save me. Thou hast called Thyself the loving Shepherd, Who, finding the lost sheep, takes it with joy and carries it on His shoulders, and then calls His friends to rejoice with Him. I love Thee, my Good Shepherd; never permit me to be again separated from Thee.
II.
When this Good Shepherd sees a sheep lost, what does He not do, what means does He not take, to recover it? He does not cease to seek it until He finds it. If he shall lose one of them doth he not go after that which was lost until he find it-(Luke xv. 4). And when He has found it, rejoicing He places it upon His shoulders, that it may be lost no more; and, calling to Him His friends and neighbours, i.e., the Angels and Saints, He invites them to rejoice with Him for having found the sheep that was lost. Who, then, will not love with all his affections this good Lord Who shows Himself thus loving to sinners who have turned their backs upon Him, and destroyed themselves of their own accord?
O my Saviour, worthy of all love, behold at Thy feet a sheep that was lost! I had left Thee, but Thou hast not abandoned me; Thou hast left no means untried to recover me. What would have become of me if Thou hadst not thought of seeking me? Woe is me! How long a time have I lived far from Thee. I Now, through Thy mercy, I trust that I am in Thy grace; and as I first fled from Thee, now I desire nothing but to love Thee, and to live and die embracing Thy feet. But while I live I am in danger of leaving Thee; oh, bind me, chain me with the bond of Thy holy love, and cease not to seek for me so long as I live on this earth. I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; seek thy servant -(Ps. cxviii. 176) O Mary, thou advocate of sinners, obtain for me holy perseverance.
Spiritual Reading
SALVE, REGINA, MATER MISERICORDIAE! HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, MOTHER OF MERCY!
VI.-HOW MUCH OUR CONFIDENCE IN MARY SHOULD BE INCREASED BECAUSE SHE; IS OUR MOTHER
O blessed are they who live under the protection of so loving and powerful a Mother! The Prophet David, although she was not yet born, sought salvation from God by dedicating himself as a son of Mary, and thus prayed: Save the son of thy handmaid-(Ps. lxxxv. 16). “Of what handmaid?” asks St. Augustine, and he answers, “Of her who said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” “And who,” says Blessed Cardinal Bellarmine, “would ever dare to snatch us from the bosom of Mary, when we have taken refuge there? What power of hell, or what temptation, can overcome us if we place our confidence in the patronage of this great Mother, God’s Mother and ours?” There are some who say that when the whale sees its young in danger, either from tempests or pursuers, it opens its mouth and swallows them. This is precisely what Novarinus asserts of Mary: ” When the storms of temptations rage, the most compassionate Mother of the faithful, with maternal tenderness, protects them as it were in her own bosom until she has brought them into the harbour of salvation.”
O most loving Mother! O most compassionate Mother! Be thou ever blessed! And ever blessed be God, who has given thee to us for our Mother, and for a secure refuge in all dangers of this life! Our Blessed Lady herself, in a vision, addressed these words to St. Bridget: “As a mother, on seeing her son in the midst of the swords of his enemies, would use every effort to save him so do I, and will do, for all sinners who seek my mercy.” Thus it is that in every engagement with the infernal powers we shall always certainly conquer by having recourse to the Mother of God, who is also our Mother, saying and repeating again and again: We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God.” Oh, how many victories have not the faithful gained over hell by having recourse to Mary with this short but most powerful prayer! Thus it was that the great servant of God, Sister Mary Crucified, of the Order of St. Benedict, always overcame the devils.
Be of good heart, then, all you who are children of Mary. Remember that she accepts as her children all those who choose to be so. Rejoice! Why do you fear to be lost when such a Mother defends and protects you? ” Say, then, oh my soul, with great confidence: I will rejoice and be glad; for whatever the judgment to be pronounced on me may be, it depends on and must come from my Brother and Mother.” “Thus,” says St. Bonaventure, “it is that each one who loves this good Mother, and relies on her protection, should animate himself to confidence, remembering that Jesus is our Brother, and Mary our Mother.” The same thought makes St. Anselm cry out with joy, and encourage us, saying: “O happy confidence! O safe refuge! The Mother of God is my Mother! How firm, then, should be our confidence, since our salvation depends on the judgment of a good Brother and a tender Mother.” It is, then, our Mother who calls us, and says, in these words of the Book of Proverbs: He that is a little one, let him come to me-(Prov. ix. 4). Children have always on their lips their mother’s name; and in every rear, in every danger, they immediately cry out: Mother! Mother! Ah, most sweet Mary! Ah, most loving Mother, this is precisely what thou desirest: that we should become children, and call on thee in every danger, and at all times have recourse to thee, because thou desirest to help and save us, as thou hast saved all who have had recourse to thee.
Evening Mediation
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST.
XII.-HOW MUCH JESUS CHRIST DESERVES TO BE LOVED BY US ON ACCOUNT OF THE LOVE HE HAS SHOWN US IN INSTITUTING THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR
I.
This Sacrament of the Eucharist, above all others, inflames our souls with Divine love. God is love (l John iv. 8). And He is a fire which consumes all earthly affections in our hearts. He is a consuming fire (Heb. xii. 29). It was for this very purpose, namely, to enkindle this fire, the Son of God came upon earth. I am come to cast fire on the earth; and He added that He desired nothing but to see this fire enkindled in our souls: And what will I but that it be kindled-(Luke xii. 49}. And oh, what flames of love does not Jesus Christ light up in the heart of everyone who receives Him devoutly in this Sacrament! St. Catherine of Sienna once saw the Host in a priest’s hand as a globe of fire; and the Saint was astonished that the hearts of all men were not burned up and, as it were, reduced to ashes by such a flame. Such brilliant rays issued from the face of St. Rose of Lima, after Communion, as to dazzle the eyes of those who saw her; and the heat from her mouth was so intense that a hand held near it was scorched. It is related of St. Wenceslaus that by merely visiting the churches where the Blessed Sacrament was kept, he was inflamed by such an ardour that his servant, who accompanied him, did not feel the cold if, when walking on the snow, he trod in the footsteps of the Saint. And St. John Chrysostom says that the most Holy Sacrament is a burning fire; so that when we leave the altar we breathe forth flames of love which make us objects of terror to hell.
O God of love, O infinite Lover, worthy of infinite love, tell me what more canst Thou do to make men love Thee? It was not sufficient for Thee to become Man, and to subject Thyself to all our miseries; not sufficient to shed all Thy Blood for us in torments, and then to die overwhelmed with sorrow, upon a Cross, destined for the most shameful malefactors. Thou didst, at last, oblige Thyself to be hidden under the species of bread and wine. to become our food, and be united with each one of us. Tell me, I repeat, what more canst Thou do to make Thyself loved by us? Ah, wretched shall we be if we do not love Thee in this life! And when we shall have entered into eternity what remorse shall we not feel for not having loved Thee! My Jesus, I will not die without loving Thee, and loving Thee exceedingly!
II.
The spouse of the Canticles said: He brought me into the cellar of wine, he set in order charity in me-(Cant. ii. 4}. St. Gregory of Nyssa says that Communion is precisely this cellar of wine in which the soul becomes so inebriated with Divine love that she forgets and loses sight of creatures; and this is that languishing with love of which the spouse again speaks: Stay me up with flowers: compass me about with apples, because I languish with love-(Cant. ii. 5). Some one will say: ” But this is the very reason why I do not communicate frequently, because I see that I am so cold in the love of God.” Gerson answers such a one by saying: “Do you, therefore, because you are cold, willingly keep away from the fire? Rather, because you feel yourself cold, should you so much the more frequently approach this Sacrament, if you really desire to love Jesus Christ.” “Although it be with lukewarmness,” wrote St. Bonaventure, “still approach, trusting in the mercy of God. The more one feels himself sick, the greater need has he of a physician.”
In like manner, St. Francis de Sales: “Two sorts of persons ought to go frequently to Communion: the perfect in order to remain so; and the imperfect, in order to become perfect.” But for frequent Communion it is at least necessary to have a great desire to become a Saint and to grow in the love of Jesus Christ. Our Lord said once to St. Matilda: “When you go to Communion desire all the love which a soul has ever had for Me, and I will receive your love according to your desire.”
My Jesus, I am sorry and am pained for having so greatly offended Thee. But now I love Thee above all things. I love Thee more than myself, and I consecrate to Thee all my affections. Do Thou, who inspirest me with this desire, give me also grace to accomplish it. My Jesus, my Jesus, I desire nothing of Thee but Thyself. Now that Thou hath drawn me to Thy love, I leave all, I renounce all; and I bind myself to Thee: Thou alone art sufficient for me. O Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me, and make me a Saint! Add this also to the many wonders you have done in changing sinners into Saints.
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Second Week after Easter |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-30-2023, 07:08 AM - Forum: Easter
- Replies (7)
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![[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3...ipo=images]](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.C-EaIbiipvOObZwt1-9RTwHaFv%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=091aa9007f7abd97108529f13a5517585c733ddf3c65fbc6698d32bade1c6f99&ipo=images)
Morning Meditation
“THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD, OUR FAITH.”
A false balance is in his hand (Osee xii. 7). In these words the Holy Spirit warns us not to be deceived by the world, because the world weighs its goods in a false balance; we should weigh them in the true balance of Faith, which will show us what are the true goods. Oh, how wretched I have been, O Lord, in having, for so many years, gone after the vanities of the world, and left Thee, the Sovereign Good!
I.
The thought of the vanity of the world, and that all things that the world values are but falsehood and deceit, has made many souls resolve to give themselves wholly to God. What does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? (Matt. xvi. 26). How many young persons has this great maxim of the Gospel brought to leave relatives, country, possessions, honours, and even crowns, to go to shut themselves up in cloisters or deserts, there to think of God alone! The day of death is called the day of destruction: The day of destruction is at hand (Deut. xxxii. 35). It is a day of destruction, because all the goods we have gained on earth must be left on the day of our death. Wherefore St. Ambrose wisely says that we falsely call these good things our good things, for we cannot carry them with us into the other world, where we must dwell forever. It is our holy deeds alone that accompany us, and they alone will comfort us in eternity.
All earthly fortunes, the highest dignities, gold, silver, the most precious jewels, when contemplated from the bed of death lose their splendour; the dark shadow of death obscures even sceptres and crowns, and makes us see that whatever the world values is but smoke, dust, vanity, and misery. And, in truth, at the time of death, what profit is there in all the riches acquired by the dying person, if nothing belongs to him after death except a wooden box, in which he is placed to grow corrupt? For what will vaunted beauty of body serve when there remains of it only a little polluted dust and four fleshless limbs?
What is the life of man upon earth? Behold it, as described by St. James: It is a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards will pass away (James iv. 15). Today this great man is esteemed, feared, praised; tomorrow he is despised, contemned, and abused. I have seen the wicked highly exalted and lifted up like the cedars of Libanus. And I passed by and, lo, he was not! (Ps. xxxvi. 35, 36). He is no longer to be found in his beloved house, in this great palace which he built; and where is he? He is become dust in the grave!
A false balance is in his hand (Osee xii. 7). In these words the Holy Spirit warns us not to be deceived by the world, because the world weighs its goods in a false balance; we ought to weigh them in the true balance of Faith, which will show us what are the true goods which never end. St. Teresa said we should never take account of anything that ends with death. O God, what greatness has remained to those many first ministers of state, commanders of armies, princes, Roman emperors, now that the scene is changed, and they find themselves in eternity! Their memory has perished with a noise (Ps. ix. 7). They made a great figure in the world, and their names resounded among all; but when they were dead, for them was changed rank, name, and everything. It is useful here to notice an inscription placed over a certain cemetery in which many great men and ladies are buried: See where end all greatness, all earthly pomp, all beauty. Worms, dust, a worthless stone, a little sand, close the brief scene at the end of all.”
Oh, how wretched I have been, O Lord, in having for so many years gone after the vanities of the world, and left Thee, the Sovereign Good!
II.
The fashion of this world passeth away (1 Cor. vii. 31). Our life is but a scene that passes away and speedily ends; and it must end for all, whether nobles or commoners, kings or subjects, rich or poor. Happy he who, in this scene, has played his part well before God. Philip III., King of Spain, died a young man, at the age of forty-two years; and before he died he said to those who stood by “When I am dead proclaim the spectacle that you now see; proclaim that, in death, to have been a king serves only to make one feel the pain of having reigned,” And then he lamented, saying: “Oh that during this time I had been in a desert, becoming a Saint, that now I might appear with more confidence before the tribunal of Jesus Christ!”
We know the change of life of St. Francis Borgia at the sight of the corpse of the Empress Isabella, who, in life, was most beautiful, but, after death, struck horror into all who saw her. Borgia, when he saw her, exclaimed, “Thus, then, end the good things of this world!” and he gave himself wholly to God. Oh, that we could all imitate him before death comes upon us! But let us make haste, because death runs towards us, and we know not when it will arrive. Let us not so act that the light that God will then give us will cause us nothing but remorse, when we hold in our hands the candle of death. Let us resolve to do now what we shall then wish to have done, and shall not be able to do.
No, my God, it is not enough that Thou hast hitherto borne with me; I do not wish that Thou shouldst wait longer to see me give myself wholly to Thee. Thou hast warned me many times to have done with this world, and to give myself all to Thy love. Now Thou tellest to me to turn to Thee; behold, I come, receive me into Thy arms. I abandon myself wholly to Thee. O spotless Lamb, sacrificed on a Cross for me, wash me first with Thy Blood, and pardon all the injuries Thou hast received from me; and then inflame me with Thy holy love. I love Thee above everything; I love Thee with all my heart. And what can I find in the world more worthy of love than Thou art, or that has loved me more? O Mary, Mother of God, and my advocate, pray for me; obtain for me a true and lasting change of life. In thee I trust.
Spiritual Reading
CONFESSION
VI. — DELUSIONS AND VAIN FEARS
Along with false shame, the devil endeavours to fill the mind of sinners with many delusions and vain fears.
Such a one says: My confessor will rebuke me severely if I tell this sin. Why should he rebuke you? Tell me, were you a confessor, would you speak harshly to a poor penitent who should come to manifest his miseries to you, in the hope of being raised up from his fallen state? How, then, can you imagine that a confessor, who is bound by his office to show charity to those that come to the tribunal of penance, should treat you with harshness and severity, if you confess your sin to him?
Another says: But the confessor will, at least, be shocked at my sin, and will conceive a dislike for me. All false! He will be edified when he sees the good disposition that makes a sinner confess his sins with sincerity, in spite of the shame that he feels. And will he not have heard from other penitents similar or perhaps more grievous sins? Oh, would to God that you were the only sinner in the world! Neither is it true that he will conceive a dislike for those that disclose their guilt to him; on the contrary, he will entertain a greater esteem for them, and will labour more zealously to assist them when he sees the confidence that they place in him, and that has made them reveal their miseries to him.
Alas! what do certain sinners say? I will go to Confession, but not till another confessor comes. And will they, for the sake of avoiding shame, live in the meantime at enmity with God? In danger of being lost forever, in an actual hell caused by the remorse of conscience that lacerates the soul, and that leaves them without peace night or day? And will they remain in sin, or add several sacrileges to the sin they have committed? Do they not know that sacrilege is a horrible Sin? Will they change into the poison of eternal death the remedy that Jesus Christ has prepared for them by His Blood, in the Sacrament of Penance? They say they will go to Confession afterwards. But what will become of them for eternity if they meet a sudden death, which is now so frequent that we hear almost every day that someone has died suddenly.
But, some one will say, I have not confidence in my confessor. Go then to another. But should a person not be able to procure a strange confessor, would it not be madness to conceal his sin? Were he afflicted with an ulcer that might cause death, would he not, if there were no other remedy, instantly call for a surgeon and, however great his shame, would he not make known his disease? And in order to recover the life of the soul and to escape hell a Christian cannot bring himself to open his conscience to a Spiritual Father.
You, then, should have courage, and generously conquer this shame that the devil magnifies so much in your mind. It will be enough to begin to reveal the sin that you have committed; all your vain apprehensions will instantly vanish. And you may be persuaded that after Confession you will feel more happy at having confessed your sins than if you were made monarch of all the earth. Recommend yourself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and she will obtain for you strength to overcome all repugnance. And if you have not courage to disclose your sins at once to the confessor, say to him: Father, assist me, for I stand in need of help; I have committed a certain sin which I cannot bring myself to confess. The confessor will adopt an easy means of dragging from its den the wild beast that devours you. It will be enough for you to answer “yes” or “no” to his interrogations. Should a person be unwilling to tell his sin in words, he may write it on paper, and show it to the confessor, saying, “I accuse myself of this sin that you have read.” And, behold! the eternal and temporal hell has disappeared, the grace of God is recovered, and with it peace of conscience. The greater the violence a person does himself in order to conquer shame, the greater will be the affection with which God will embrace him. Father Paul Segneri the Younger relates that a certain person made such an effort to confess certain sins committed in her infancy that, in disclosing them to her confessor, she swooned away. But in return for the violence that she had done herself the Lord gave her such fervent compunction that thenceforward she gave herself up to a life of perfection and of great austerities, and died with the reputation of a Saint.
Evening Meditation
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST
V. — HOW DESERVING JESUS CHRIST IS OF OUR LOVE ON ACCOUNT OF THE LOVE HE HAS SHOWN US IN HIS PASSION
I.
The Blessed John of Avila, who was so enamoured with the love of Jesus Christ that he never failed in any of his sermons to speak of the love which Jesus Christ bears towards us, in a treatise on the love this most loving Redeemer bears to men, has expressed himself in sentiments so full of the fire of devotion and of such beauty that I desire to insert them here. He says: “Thou, O Redeemer, hast loved man in such a manner that whoso reflects upon this love cannot do less than love Thee; for Thy love offers violence to hearts: as the Apostle says: The charity of Christ presseth us (2 Cor. v. 14). The source of the love of Jesus Christ for men is His love for His Eternal Father. Hence He said on Maundy Thursday: That the world may know that I love the Father, arise, let us go hence (John xiv. 31). But whither? To die for men upon the Cross!
“No human intellect can conceive how strongly this fire burns in the Heart of Jesus Christ. As He was commanded to suffer death once, so, had He been commanded to die a thousand times, His love had been sufficient to endure it. And if what He suffered for all men had been imposed upon Him for the salvation of each single soul, He would have done the same for each in particular as He did for all. And as He remained three hours upon the Cross, so, had it been necessary, His love would have made Him remain there even to the Day of Judgment. So that Jesus Christ loved much more than He suffered. O Divine love, how far greater wert Thou than Thou didst outwardly seem to be; for though so many wounds and bruises tell us of great love, still they do not tell all its greatness. There was far more within than that which appeared externally. That was but as a spark which bounded forth from the vast ocean of infinite love. The greatest mark of love is to lay down our life for our friends. But this was not a sufficient mark for Jesus Christ wherewith to express His love.”
II.
“This is the love which causes holy souls to lose themselves, and to stand amazed when once they have been allowed to know it. From it spring those burning sentiments of ardour, the desire of Martyrdom, joy in sufferings, exultation under the storms of distress, the strength to walk on burning coals as if they were roses, a thirst for sufferings, rejoicing in what the world dreads, embracing that which it abhors. St. Ambrose says that the soul which is espoused to Jesus Christ upon the Cross thinks nothing so glorious as to bear upon itself the marks of the Crucified One.
“But how, O my Lover, shall I repay this Thy love? It is right that blood should be compensated by blood. May I behold myself dyed in this Blood and nailed to this Cross! O holy Cross, receive me also! O crown of thorns, enlarge thyself, that I too may place thee on my head! O nails, leave those innocent hands of my Lord, and come and pierce my heart with compassion and with love! For Thou, my Jesus, didst die, as St. Paul says, in order to gain dominion over the living and the dead, not by means of chastisements but by love. For to this end Christ died and rose again: that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living (Rom. xiv. 9).”
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