| Devotion to Our Lady |
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DEVOTION TO OUR LADY ON A PLATE!
All that you need to help you spark and maintain a true devotion to Our Lady.
Seasonal prayers, daily meditations, Rosary meditations, Seven Sorrows meditations, prayers of saints to Mary, daily feast of Mary, key readings from the most important books on Our Lady, rule of life, daily examination of conscience, and much more—all laid on plate for you! You do not have to research, nor buy books, nor do your own work—all is laid at your feet. All you have to do is use it—plant it, water it and make your devotion to Mary grow!
THURSDAY'S DAILY MARY
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YOUR DAILY ROSARY MEDITATIONS
Ten Scriptural quotes,
one for each Hail Mary. Say the appropriate one before saying the Hail Mary. THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
1. THE ANNUNCIATION
1. And in the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent, from God, into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth. 2. He was sent to a Virgin espoused to a man, whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgin’s name was Mary. 3. And the Angel, being come in, said unto her: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou among women!” 4. Who, having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought within herself what manner of salutation this should be. 5. And the Angel said to her: “Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God!” 6. “Behold! Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a Son; and thou shalt call His Name Jesus.” 7. “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David, His father; and He shall reign in the House of Jacob for ever. And of His kingdom there shall be no end.” 8. And Mary said to the Angel: “How shall this be done, because I know not man?” 9. And the Angel, answering, said to her: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And, therefore also, the Holy, which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God.” 10. And Mary said: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord! Be it done unto me according to thy word!” And the Angel departed from her. 2. THE VISITATION 1. A priest, named Zachary, and his wife, Elizabeth, were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame. And they had no son, for Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years. 2. And it came to pass, when Zachary executed the priestly function, going into the Temple of the Lord in the order of his course before God, for it was his lot to offer incense, according to the custom of the priestly office. And all the multitude of the people was praying outside, at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zachary, seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 3. The angel said to him: “Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice in his nativity. For he shall be great before the Lord; and shall drink no wine, nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias; that he may turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people.” 4. Zachary said to the angel: “Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years!” And the angel answering, said to him: “I am Gabriel, who stands before God: and am sent to speak to thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be able to speak until the day wherein these things shall come to pass, because thou hast not believed my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time!” 5. The people were waiting for Zachary; and they wondered that he tarried so long in the Temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them―and they understood that he had seen a vision in the Temple. And he made signs to them, and remained dumb. 6. And it came to pass, after the days of his office were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days, Elizabeth, his wife, conceived and hid herself five months, saying: “Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein He hath had regard to take away my reproach among men!” 7. And Mary, rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. 8. And Elizabeth cried out with a loud voice, and said: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb! And whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leapt for joy! And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.” 9. And Mary said: “My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is His Name. And His mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear Him. He hath showed might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy: as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His seed for ever.” 10. And Mary abode with her about three months; and she returned to her own house. Now Elizabeth’s full time of being delivered was come, and she brought forth a son. And her neighbors and kinsfolks heard that the Lord had showed His great mercy towards her, and they congratulated her. And it came to pass, that, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they called him by his father’s name―Zachary. And his mother answering, said: “Not so! But he shall be called John!” And they said to her: “There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name!” And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And demanding a writing table, he wrote, saying: “John is his name!” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came upon all their neighbors; and all these things were noised abroad, over all the hill country of Judea. And all they that had heard them, laid them up in their heart, saying: “What a one, think ye, shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him!” 3. THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD AT BETHLEHEM 1. And it came to pass, that in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem―because he was of the house and family of David―to be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with Child. 2. And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him up in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 3. And there were, in the same country, shepherds watching and keeping the night watches over their flock. And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them: “Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy―that shall be to all the people!” 4. “For, this day, is born to you a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you―you shall find the Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger!” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: “Glory to God in the highest; and on Earth peace to men of good will!” 5. And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another: “Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us!” And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the Infant, lying in the manger. And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this Child. And all that heard, wondered at those things that were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. 6. When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of King Herod, behold, there came Wise Men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East, and are come to adore Him.” And King Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the Chief Priests and the Scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. But they said to him: “In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the prophet: ‘And thou Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the Captain that shall rule My people Israel.’” 7. Then Herod, privately calling the Wise Men, learned diligently of them the time of the star, which appeared to them; and, sending them into Bethlehem, said: “Go and diligently inquire after the Child, and, when you have found Him, bring me word again, that I also may come to adore Him.” Who, having heard the king, went their way; and, behold, the star which they had seen in the East, went before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was. And, seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And entering into the house, they found the Child with Mary His Mother, and falling down they adored Him; and opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts―gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And, having received an answer, in sleep, that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country. 8. And, after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, in his sleep, saying: “Arise, and take the Child and His Mother, and flee into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee! For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the Child to destroy Him.” Who arose, and took the Child and His Mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod―that it might be fulfilled, which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: “Out of Egypt have I called My Son.” 9. Then Herod, perceiving that he was deluded by the Wise Men, was exceedingly angry; and, sending soldiers, killed all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the Wise Men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: “A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not!” But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeared, in Egypt, to Joseph in his sleep, saying: “Arise, and take the Child and His Mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead that sought the life of the Child.” 10. Who arose, and took the Child and His Mother, and came into the land of Israel. But, hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea, in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go there―and, being warned in sleep, retired into the quarters of Galilee. And coming, he dwelt in a city called Nazareth― that it might be fulfilled which was said by prophets: “That He shall be called a Nazarene.” 4. THE PRESENTATION OF THE INFANT JESUS IN THE TEMPLE 1. And after the days of her purification were accomplished, according to the law of Moses, they carried Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord―as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every male, opening the womb, shall be called holy to the Lord!”―and to offer a sacrifice, according as it is written in the law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 2. And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him. 3. And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. And he came by the Spirit into the Temple. 4. And when His parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law, Simeon also took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: “Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples―a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel!” 5. And His father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning Him. 6. And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother: “Behold this Child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; and thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.” 7. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was far advanced in years, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow for eighty-four years; who departed not from the Temple, by fastings and prayers serving night and day. 8. Now she, at the same hour, coming in, confessed to the Lord; and spoke of Him to all that looked for the redemption of Israel. 9. And after they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their city Nazareth. 10. And the Child grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in Him. 5. THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE 1. And His parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the Pasch. 2. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast. 3. And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the Child Jesus remained in Jerusalem; and His parents knew it not. 4. And thinking that He was in the company of others, they came a day’s journey, and sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. And not finding Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 5. And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found Him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His wisdom and His answers. And seeing Him, they wondered. 6. And His mother said to Him: “Son, why hast Thou done so to us? Behold Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing!” 7. And He said to them: “How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know, that I must be about My Father’s business?” And they understood not the word that He spoke unto them. 8. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. 9. And His Mother kept all these words in her heart. 10. And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and age, and grace with God and men. VARIOUS LITANIES IN HONOR OF OUR LADY
Litany of Loreto Introduction
This litany to the Blessed Virgin Mary was composed during the Middle Ages. The place of honor it now holds in the life of the Church is due to its faithful use at the shrine of the Holy House at Loreto. It was definitely approved by Sixtus V in 1587, and all other Marian litanies were suppressed, at least for public use. Its titles and invocations set before us Mary's exalted privileges, her holiness of life, her amiability and power, her motherly spirit and queenly majesty.
The principle that has been followed in their interpretation is the one enunciated by the same Pius IX: "God enriched her so wonderfully from the treasury of His divinity, far beyond all angels and saints with the abundance of all heavenly gifts, that she . . .should show forth such fullness of innocence and holiness, than which a greater under God is unthinkable and which, beside God, no one can even conceive in thought. Hence, whatever virtue and holiness is found in angels and saints must be present in Mary in an immeasurably higher degree. The Litany of Loreto 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, Have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us. Holy Mary, Pray for us. Holy Mother of God, Pray for us. Holy Virgin of virgins, Pray for us. . Mother of Christ, Pray for us. Mother of divine grace, Pray for us. Mother most pure, Pray for us. Mother most chaste, Pray for us. Mother inviolate, Pray for us. Mother undefiled, Pray for us. Mother most amiable, Pray for us. Mother most admirable, Pray for us. Mother of good counsel, Pray for us. Mother of our Creator, Pray for us. Mother of our Savior, Pray for us. Mother of the Church, Pray for us. Virgin most prudent, Pray for us. Virgin most venerable, Pray for us. Virgin most renowned, Pray for us. Virgin most powerful, Pray for us. Virgin most merciful, Pray for us. Virgin most faithful, Pray for us. Mirror of justice, Pray for us. Seat of wisdom, Pray for us. Cause of our joy, Pray for us. Spiritual vessel, Pray for us. Vessel of honor, Pray for us. Singular vessel of devotion, Pray for us. Mystical rose, Pray for us. Tower of David, Pray for us. . Tower of ivory, Pray for us. House of gold, Pray for us. Ark of the covenant, Pray for us. Gate of Heaven, Pray for us. Morning star, Pray for us. Health of the sick, Pray for us. Refuge of sinners, Pray for us. Comforter of the afflicted, Pray for us. Help of Christians, Pray for us. Queen of angels, Pray for us. Queen of patriarchs, Pray for us. Queen of prophets, Pray for us. Queen of apostles, Pray for us. Queen of martyrs, Pray for us. Queen of confessors, Pray for us. Queen of virgins, Pray for us. Queen of all saints, Pray for us. Queen conceived without Original Sin, Pray for us. Queen assumed into Heaven, Pray for us. Queen of the most Holy Rosary, Pray for us. Queen of peace, Pray for us. Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy everlasting happiness. Through Christ Our Lord. R. Amen 1. THE AGONY OF OUR LORD IN THE GARDEN
1. And a hymn being said, going out, He went, according to His custom, to the Mount of Olives. He went forth over the brook Cedron and His disciples also followed Him. Then Jesus came with them into a country place, a farm which is called Gethsemane. And taking with Him Peter and James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, He said to His disciples: “Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray!” And He began to fear and to be heavy, and grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then He said to them: “My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with Me!” 2. And when He was gone forward a little, and was withdrawn away from them a stone’s cast, He fell upon His face, flat on the ground; and He prayed, that if it might be, the hour might pass from Him, saying: “My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me--remove this chalice from Me! Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done!” 3. And He cometh to His disciples and findeth them asleep, and He saith to Peter: “What! Could you not watch one hour with Me? Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation! The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak!” 4. Again the second time, He went and prayed, saying: “My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, Thy will be done!” And He cometh again and findeth them sleeping―for their eyes were heavy and they knew not what to answer Him. 5. And leaving them, He went again and He prayed the third time, saying the same words. And there appeared to Him an angel from Heaven, strengthening Him. And, being in an agony, He prayed the longer. And His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground. And when He rose up from prayer, and was come to His disciples, He found them sleeping for sorrow and saith to them: “Sleep ye now and take your rest! It is enough! Behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners! Rise! Let us go! Behold he is at hand that will betray Me!” 6. And while He was yet speaking, behold, Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, came―and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs―sent from the Chief Priests and the Ancients of the people. Judas, who betrayed Him, knew the place; because Jesus had often visited there―together with His disciples. Judas, therefore, having received a band of soldiers and servants from the Chief Priests and the Pharisees, cometh there with lanterns and torches and weapons. And he, that betrayed Him, gave them a sign, saying: “Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is He! Hold Him fast and lead Him away carefully!” And forthwith coming to Jesus, and immediately going up to Him, he said: “Hail, Rabbi!” And he kissed Him. And Jesus said to him: “Friend, whereto art thou come? Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss?” 7. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said to them: “Whom seek ye?” They answered Him: “Jesus of Nazareth!” Jesus saith to them: “I am He!” And Judas also, who betrayed Him, stood with them. As soon, therefore, as He had said to them: “I am He”, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Again, therefore, He asked them: “Whom seek ye?” And they said: “Jesus of Nazareth!” Jesus answered: “I have told you that I am He! If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way!” That the word might be fulfilled which He said: “Of them whom Thou hast given Me, I have not lost any one” Then they came up, and laid hands on Jesus, and held Him. 8. And they, that were about Him, seeing what would follow, said to Him: “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And, behold, one of them that was with Jesus, Simon Peter, having a sword, stretching forth his hand, drew out his sword and struck the servant of the High Priest and cut off his right ear. And the name of the servant was Malchus. Then Jesus saith to him: “Put up thy sword into the scabbard! For all that take the sword shall perish with the sword! The chalice which My Father hath given Me―shall I not drink it? Thinkest thou that I cannot ask My Father, and He will give Me presently more than twelve legions of angels? How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that so it must be done? Suffer ye thus far!” But when Jesus had touched his ear, He healed him. 9. And Jesus said―to the Chief Priests, Magistrates of the Temple and the Ancients, that were come unto Him: “You are come out as it were to a robber, with swords and clubs, to apprehend Me! I sat daily with you, teaching in the Temple, and you laid not hands on Me! But this is your hour and the power of darkness!” Now all this was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then the disciples, all leaving Him, fled away. And a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and they laid hold on him. But he, casting off the linen cloth, fled from them naked. 10. Then the band and the tribune, and the servants of the Jews, apprehending and holding Jesus, bound Him and led Him away to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiphas, who was the High Priest of that year, and then to Caiphas, where the Scribes and the Ancients were assembled. But Peter followed afar off. 2. THE SCOURGING OF OUR LORD AT THE PILLAR 1. And when morning was come, all Chief Priests holding a consultation with the Ancients of the people and the Scribes and the whole Council, took counsel against Jesus, that they might put Him to death. And the whole multitude of them, rising up, binding Jesus, led Him away from Caiphas to the governor’s hall and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. They went not into the hall, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Pasch. 2. Pilate, therefore, went out to them, and said: “What accusation bring you against this Man?” They answered and said to him: “If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up to thee!” And they began to accuse Him, saying: “We have found this Man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that He is Christ the King!” 3. And when He was accused by the Chief Priests and Ancients, He answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to Him: “Dost not Thou hear how great testimonies they allege against Thee?” And He answered him not a word; so that the governor wondered. And Pilate again asked Him, saying: “Answerest Thou nothing? Behold in how many things they accuse Thee!” But Jesus still answered nothing; so that Pilate wondered exceedingly. 4. Pilate therefore said to them: “Take Him you, and judge Him according to your law!” The Jews therefore said to him: “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death!” That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He said, signifying what death He should die. But they were more earnest, saying: “He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.” But Pilate, hearing “Galilee”, asked if the Man were of Galilee. And when he understood that He was of Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him away to Herod, who was also at Jerusalem in those days. 5. And Herod, seeing Jesus, was very glad; for he was desirous of a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things of Him; and he hoped to see some sign wrought by Him. And he questioned Him in many words. But He answered him nothing. And the Chief Priests and the Scribes stood by, earnestly accusing Him. And Herod, with his army, set Him at nought, and mocked Him, putting on Him a white garment, and sent Him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate were made friends that same day; for, before, they were enemies one to another. 6. And Pilate, calling together the Chief Priests, and the Magistrates, and the people, said to them: “You have presented unto me this Man, as one that perverts the people; and, behold I, having examined Him before you, find no cause in this Man, in those things wherein you accuse Him. No, nor Herod neither! For I sent you to him, and behold, nothing worthy of death is done to Him!” But they cried again, saying: “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” And he said to them again: “Why? What evil hath this Man done? I find no cause of death in Him. I will chastise Him therefore, and let Him go!” But they cried again, saying: “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” 7. Pilate, therefore, went into the hall again, and called Jesus. And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, saying: “Art Thou the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered: “Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or have others told it thee of Me?” Pilate answered: “Am I a Jew? Thy own nation, and the Chief Priests, have delivered Thee up to me! What hast Thou done?” 8. Jesus answered: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, My servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now My Kingdom is not from hence.” Pilate therefore said to Him: “Art Thou a king then?” Jesus answered: “Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world―that I should give testimony to the truth. Everyone that is of the truth, heareth My voice!” Pilate saith to Him: “What is truth?” 9. And when Pilate said this, he went out again to the Jews, and saith to them: “I find no cause in Him! But you have a custom that I should release one unto you at the Pasch! Will you, therefore, that I release unto you the King of the Jews?” Then they all cried again, saying: “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. Pilate said to them: “What shall I do then with Jesus, that is called Christ?” They all said: “Let Him be crucified!” The governor said to them: “Why? What evil hath He done?” But they cried out the more, saying: “Let Him be crucified!” And the whole people answering, said: “His blood be upon us and our children!” 10. But they insisted with loud voices, requiring that He might be crucified; and their voices prevailed. And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, taking water, washed his hands before the people, saying: “I am innocent of the Blood of this just Man―look you to it!” And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them Barabbas, whom they had desired―who, for murder and sedition, had been cast into prison; but he had Jesus scourged and delivered up to their will. 3. THE CROWNING OF OUR LORD WITH THORNS 1. Then the soldiers of the governor led Jesus away into the hall, the court of the palace, and they called together unto Him the whole band; and stripping Him, they put a scarlet cloak about Him. 2. And plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand. 3. And they began to salute Him, and, bowing the knee before Him, they adored Him. And they mocked Him, saying: “Hail, King of the Jews!” 4. And they took the reed and struck His Head with the reed. And they did spit on Him and they gave Him blows. 5. And after they had mocked Him, they took off the purple cloak from Him, and put on Him His own garments, and led Him back to Pilate. 6. Pilate therefore went forth again, and said to them: “Behold, I bring Him forth unto you, that you may know that I find no cause in Him!” Jesus therefore came forth, bearing the crown of thorns. And Pilate said to them: “Behold the Man!” When the Chief Priests, therefore, and the servants had seen Him, they cried out, saying: “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” 7. Pilate said to them: “Take Him you, and crucify Him! For I find no cause in Him!” The Jews answered him: “We have a law; and according to the law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God!” When Pilate therefore had heard this saying, he feared the more. And he entered into the hall again, and he said to Jesus: “Whence art Thou?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 8. Pilate therefore said to Him: “Speakest Thou not to me? Knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and I have power to release Thee?” Jesus answered: “Thou shouldst not have any power against Me, unless it were given thee from above. Therefore, he that hath delivered Me to thee, hath the greater sin!” 9. And from henceforth Pilate sought to release Him. But the Jews cried out, saying: “If thou release this Man, thou art not Caesar’s friend! For whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar!” Now when Pilate had heard these words, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat, in the place that is called Lithostrotos, and in Hebrew Gabbatha. And it was the Parasceve of the Pasch, about the sixth hour, and he said to the Jews: “Behold your King!” But they cried out: “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” 10. Pilate said to them: “Shall I crucify your King?” The Chief Priests answered: “We have no king but Caesar!” Then, therefore, he delivered Him to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led Him forth. 4. OUR LORD CARRIES HIS CROSS TO CALVARY “And bearing His own Cross, He went forth to that place which is called Calvary, but in Hebrew, Golgotha” (John 19:17). 1. And after they had mocked Him, they took off the cloak from Him, and put on Him His own garments, and led Him away to crucify Him. 2. And bearing His own Cross, He went forth to that place which is called “Calvary”―but in Hebrew, “Golgotha.” 3. And there were also two other malefactors, led with Him, to be put to death. 4. And going out, they found a man named Simon, who passed by, coming out of the country of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and of Rufus. And they forced Simon to take up His Cross. 5. And there followed Him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented Him. 6. But Jesus turning to them, said: “Daughters of Jerusalem! Weep not over Me; but weep for yourselves, and for your children! For behold, the days shall come, wherein they will say: ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the paps that have not given suck!’” 7. Jesus said to them: “Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills: ‘Cover us!’ For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry?” 8. Pilate wrote a title, also, and he put it upon the Cross. And the writing was: “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” 9. This title, therefore, many of the Jews did read―because the place where Jesus was crucified was near to the city―and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin. 10. Then the Chief Priests of the Jews said to Pilate: “Write not, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’!” Pilate answered: “What I have written, I have written!” 5. THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF OUR LORD “And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him” (Mark 15:26). 1. And it was the third hour when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, they crucified Him there. And Jesus said: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” The soldiers, therefore, when they had crucified Him, took and divided His garments, and they made four parts, to every soldier a part, and also His coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said then one to another: “Let us not cut it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be!” that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saying: “They divided My garments among them; and upon My vesture they cast lots.” And the soldiers indeed did these things. 2. And they put over His head the written inscription of His cause: “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.” And with Him they crucified two thieves; the one robber on His right hand, and the other on His left, so that the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith: “And with the wicked He was reputed.” And they sat and watched Him. 3. And they that passed by, blasphemed Him, wagging their heads, and saying: “Vah! Thou that destroyest the Temple of God, and in three days dost rebuild it! Save Thy own self! If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the Cross!” In like manner also the Chief Priests, with the Scribes and Ancients, mocking, said: “He saved others; Himself He cannot save! Let Christ the King of Israel come down now from the Cross! If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the Cross, that we may see and believe! He trusted in God; let Him now deliver Him if He will have Him! For He said: ‘I am the Son of God!’ He saved others; Himself He cannot save!” And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him and offering Him vinegar, and saying: “If Thou be the King of the Jews, save Thyself!” And the self-same thing the thieves, that were crucified with Him, also reproached Him with and reviled Him. 4. And one of those robbers, who were hanged, blasphemed Him, saying: “If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us!” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying: “Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art condemned under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man hath done no evil!” And he said to Jesus: “Lord! Remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy Kingdom!” And Jesus said to him: “Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with Me in paradise!” And it was almost the sixth hour. 5. Now there stood by the Cross of Jesus, His Mother, and His Mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus, therefore, had seen His Mother and the disciple standing, whom He loved, He saith to His Mother: “Woman, behold thy son!” After that, He saith to the disciple: “Behold thy Mother!” And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own. 6. And when the sixth hour was come, the sun was darkened and there was darkness over the whole Earth until the ninth hour. And, about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: “Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani?” That is: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” And some that stood there and heard, said: “Behold, this Man calleth Elias!” And the others said: “Let be! Let us see whether Elias will come to deliver Him!” 7. Afterwards, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said: “I thirst!” Now there was a vessel set there, full of vinegar. And immediately, one of them running, took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and hyssop and put it on a reed. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar and hyssop, put it to His mouth and gave Him to drink. Jesus, therefore, when He had taken the vinegar, said: “It is consummated!”” 8. And Jesus, again crying with a loud voice, said: “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit!” And after saying this, bowing His head, He gave up the ghost. And the veil of the Temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom. And the centurion, who stood over against Him, seeing that, crying out in this manner, He had given up the ghost, seeing what was done, glorified God, saying: “Indeed this was a just Man! Indeed this Man was the Son of God!” And all the multitude of them that were come together to that sight, and saw the things that were done, returned striking their breasts. 9.Then the Jews, because it was the Parasceve, that the bodies might not remain on the Cross on the Sabbath day—for, at the time of the Pasch or Passover, it was a great Sabbath day—besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. The soldiers, therefore, came; and they broke the legs of the first and of the other, that was crucified with Him. But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers, with a spear, opened His side, and immediately there came out blood and water. For these things were done, that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “You shall not break a bone of Him.” And again another Scripture saith: “They shall look on Him Whom they pierced.” And he that saw it, hath given testimony, and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true; that you also may believe. 10. And all His acquaintances, and the women that had followed Him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. Among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joseph, and Salome: who, also, when He was in Galilee, followed Him, and ministered to Him, and many other women that came up with Him to Jerusalem. And when evening was now come, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, who was also himself looking for the Kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate and begged the Body of Jesus. But Pilate wondered that He should be already dead. And sending for the centurion, he asked him if He were already dead. And when he had understood it by the centurion, he gave the Body to Joseph. And Joseph, buying fine linen and taking Him down, wrapped Him up in the fine linen, and laid Him in a sepulcher, which was hewed out of a rock. And he rolled a stone to the door of the sepulcher. And Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of Joseph, beheld where He was laid. 1. THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD FROM THE DEAD
1. And when the Sabbath was past, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow. And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men. Later the guards came into the city, and told the Chief Priests all things that had been done. And they, being assembled together with the Ancients, taking counsel, gave a great sum of money to the soldiers, saying: “Say you: ‘His disciples came by night, and stole Him away when we were asleep!’ And if the governor shall hear this, we will persuade him, and secure you!” So they, taking the money, did as they were taught: and this word was spread abroad among the Jews―even unto this day. 2. Very early in the morning Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, so that, coming to see the sepulcher, they might anoint Jesus. Mary Magdalen came first unto the sepulcher, when it was yet dark; and she saw the stone taken away from the sepulcher. She ran, therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith to them: “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid Him!” 3. Meanwhile, with the sun being now risen, the other women arrived at the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they said one to another: “Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulcher?” For it was very great. And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. And entering into the sepulcher, they found not the Body of the Lord Jesus. They saw a young man, sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe―and they were astonished. They were afraid and bowed down, their countenance towards the ground. And the angel answering, said to the women: “Be not afraid! For I know that you seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified! Why seek you the living with the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Remember how He spoke unto you, when He was in Galilee, saying: ‘The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again!’ He is risen! He is not here! Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid. Now go quickly, tell His disciples and Peter that He will go before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him, as He told you!” 4. But they going out, fled from the sepulcher with fear and great joy, running to tell His disciples. For a trembling and fear had seized them: and they said nothing to any man; for they were afraid. And going back from the sepulcher, they told all these things to the Eleven, and to all the rest. And these words seemed to them as idle tales; and they did not believe them. 5. In the meantime, Peter went out, and that other disciple, and they came to the sepulcher. And they both ran together, and that other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulcher. And when he stooped down, he saw the linen cloths lying; but yet he went not in. Then cometh Simon Peter, following him, and went into the sepulcher, and saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin that had been about His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but apart, wrapped up into one place. Then that other disciple also went in, who came first to the sepulcher, and he saw and believed. For, as yet, they knew not the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. The disciples therefore departed again to their home. 6. Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalen, out of whom He had cast seven devils. Mary, having returned again to the sepulcher, stood outside, weeping. Now as she was weeping, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and she saw two angels in white, sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the Body of Jesus had been laid. They said to her: “Woman, why weepest thou?” She said to them: “Because they have taken away my Lord; and I know not where they have laid Him!” When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing; and she knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her: “Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” She, thinking it was the gardener, saith to Him: “Sir, if Thou hast taken Him out of here, tell me where Thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away!” Jesus said to her: “Mary!” She, turning, said to Him: “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Master). Jesus said to her: “Do not touch Me! For I am not yet ascended to My Father! But go to My brethren and say to them: ‘I ascend to My Father and to your Father, to My God and your God!’” Mary Magdalen went and told the disciples: “I have seen the Lord! And these things He said to me!” 7. In the meantime, Jesus met the women, saying: “All hail!” But they came up and took hold of His feet, and adored Him. Then Jesus said to them: “Fear not! Go, tell My brethren that they go into Galilee, there they shall see Me!” The women told these things to the Apostles. And these words seemed to them as idle tales; and they did not believe them. And they hearing that He was alive, and had been seen, did not believe. And after that He appeared in another shape to two of them walking, as they were going into the country. And they going told it to the rest: neither did they believe them. At length He appeared to the Eleven as they were at table: and He upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen Him after He was risen again. 8. Two disciples, the same day, walked to a town which was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, named Emmaus. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And while they talked and reasoned, Jesus Himself joined them. But their eyes were held, that they should not know Him. And He said to them: “What are you talking about and why are you so sad?” And Cleophas said to Him: “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, and how our Chief Priests and princes delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. We hoped, that it was He that should have redeemed Israel! Today is the third day since these things were done and some women of our company, who were at the sepulcher, and not finding His body, came and frightened us, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who say that He is alive!” 9. Then Jesus said to them: “O foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all things which the prophets have spoken! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them, in all the Scriptures, the things that were concerning Him. And as they drew near to the town where they were going, they constrained Him; saying: “Stay with us, because it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent!” And He went in with them. And it came to pass, whilst He was at table with them, He took bread, and blessed, and broke, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him: and He vanished out of their sight. And they said one to the other: “Was not our heart burning within us, whilst He spoke in this way, and opened to us the Scriptures?” And rising up, the same hour, they went back to Jerusalem: and they found the Eleven gathered together, and those that were staying with them, saying: “The Lord is risen indeed!” 10. Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, who is called “Didymus”, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him: “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them: “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe!” And, after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said: “Peace be to you!” Then he saith to Thomas: “Put in thy finger here, and see My hands; and bring here thy hand, and put it into My side―and be not faithless, but believing!” Thomas answered, and said to Him: “My Lord, and my God!” Jesus saith to him: “Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed! Blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed!” 2. THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD INTO HEAVEN 1. And the Eleven Disciples went into Galilee, and Jesus led them out as far as Bethania, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And seeing Him they adored: but some doubted. 2. They, therefore, who were come together, asked Him, saying: “Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” And Jesus, spoke to them, saying: “It is not for you to know the times or moments, which the Father hath put in His own power.” 3. And Jesus said to them: “All power is given to Me in Heaven and in Earth. But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost parts of the Earth. Go ye into the whole world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. Teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” 4. “He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” 5. “And these signs shall follow them that believe—In My Name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.” 6. “Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world!” 7. And the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, lifting up His hands, He blessed them. And it came to pass, whilst He blessed them, He departed from them, and was carried up to Heaven while they looked on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. He now sitteth on the right hand of God. 8. And while they were beholding Him going up to Heaven, behold two men stood by them, in white garments, who also said: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to Heaven? This Jesus, Who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come, as you have seen Him going into Heaven!” 9. Then they adoring went back from the mount, which is near Jerusalem, that is called Olivet, and with great joy returned to Jerusalem, which is within a Sabbath day’s journey. 10. And when they reached Jerusalem, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James. All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and with His brethren. 3. THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY GHOST AT PENTECOST 1. And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place. 2. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them. 4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. 5. And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue. 6. And they were all amazed and astonished, and wondered, saying one to another: “What meaneth this?” But others mocking, said: “These men are full of new wine!” 7. But Peter standing up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: “Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you, and with your ears receive my words! For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day!” 8. “Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you, by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you―as you also know. This same Being delivered up, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you, by the hands of wicked men, have crucified and slain. Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the sorrows of Hell, as it was impossible that He should be held by it. 9. When they had heard these things, they had compunction in their heart, and said to Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles: “What shall we do, men and brethren?” But Peter said to them: “Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins―and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost! The promise is to you, your children and to all that are far off, whomsoever the Lord our God shall call!” 10. And with very many other words did he testify and exhort them, saying: “Save yourselves from this perverse generation!” They, therefore, that received his word, were baptized; and there were added in that day about three thousand souls. And they were persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul―many wonders also and signs were done by the Apostles in Jerusalem, and there was great fear in all. And all they that believed, were together, and had all things common. Their possessions and goods they sold, and divided them to all, according as everyone had need. 4. THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY INTO HEAVEN 1. “Lift up your eyes to Heaven” (Isaias 51:6). 2. “Look up to Heaven and see, and behold the sky, that it is higher than thee” (Job 35:5). 3. “They shall make themselves wings like those of an eagle, and shall fly towards Heaven” (Proverbs 23:5). 4. “Who mounteth above the Heaven of Heaven” (Psalm 67:34). 5. “If I ascend into Heaven, Thou art there” (Psalm 138:8). 6. “And He had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of Heaven” (Psalm 77:23). 7. “God give thee the dew of Heaven” (Genesis 27:28). 8. “Then hear thou from Heaven, and do justice to thy servants” (2 Paralipomenon 6:23). 9. “Hear thou from Heaven their prayers and their supplications” (2 Paralipomenon 6:35). 10. “Hear thou from thy dwelling place, that is, from Heaven, and show mercy!” (2 Paralipomenon 6:21). 5. THE CORONATION OF OUR LADY IN HEAVEN 1. “Be thou faithful until death―and I will give thee the crown of life!” (Apocalypse 2:10). 2. “When the Prince of pastors shall appear, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4). 3. “Behold, I come quickly! Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown!” (Apocalypse 3:11). 4. “Thou shalt put her on as a robe of glory, and thou shalt set her upon thee as a crown of joy” (Ecclesiasticus 6:32). 5. “God will clothe thee with the double garment of justice, and will set a crown on thy head of everlasting honor” (Baruch 5:2). 6. “Thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God” (Isaias 62:3). 7. “That thou mayest receive a crown as an ornament of grace” (Ecclesiasticus 32:3). 8. “And a great sign appeared in Heaven―a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Apocalypse 12:1). 9. “With the crown set upon her head, to show her beauty to all … for she was exceedingly beautiful” (Esther 1:11). 10. “A jewel upon thy forehead and earrings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head” (Ezechiel 16:12). |
THE SCHOOL OF MARY
FATHER JOHN KANE (1883-1962) CHAPTER 35
MARY DIES SPIRITUALLY AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS More courageous than the martyrs, Mary stood at the foot of the cross and saw her Divine Son bow His head and die. Her sorrow and distress of soul are incredible as she hears Him exclaim: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). These words are but a poor expression of the desolation that wrung the soul of Christ with heart-breaking grief as His love for sinners soared to the summit of perfect self-extinction, and reconciled the lost world with His Eternal Father. Without divine comfort, His mind darkened with the spiritual gloom of our fallen nature, His heart laden with the concentrated iniquities of a doomed race, Christ, solitary and desolate, experienced the withering anguish of man’s separation from his God by sin. Did we understand the strength of Mary’s love for her Divine Son, we could comprehend the intensity of her sorrow as the woeful wail of the dying Christ fell on her ears. Indeed, the suffering of Christ in His dereliction was a mystery unintelligible even to His Mother. And, without doubt, it was the hardest test of her Faith. The mutual love of the Father and Son was coeval with Their very existence. Christ could not, then, have tried more severely the Faith of His Mother than by having her behold, at the very moment when by His death for sinners He was glorifying His heavenly Father most, His abandonment by that Father with Whom He was eternally one. But were it possible for Christ’s cry of uttermost desolation to have weakened Mary’s Faith, His docile resignation to His Eternal Father would have deepened it beyond comprehension. Amid the ghastly horror and chaos of the scene, how sweet to her ears were the consoling words of Christ’s act of perfect obedience to the will of His Mother: “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46). In union with her Divine Son, she too does the will of God perfectly. O how strong was her Faith when her soul was most seared with searching sorrow! Should God, in His love for us ― “for whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth” (Hebrews 12:6) ― send us a cross in the shape of harrowing mental pain and we feel the heart-sickening sense of desolation, let us turn to Jesus and Mary for supernatural strength in order that we may, like them, abandon ourselves to the divine will. Then will we die wholly to ourselves and be able to say with the dying Christ: “It is consummated” (John 19:30). When Mary heard her Divine Son utter these words and saw Him bow His head and die, she died a spiritual death whose suffering defies description. So poignant was the pain of her gentle, sinless soul that, when the darkness of night swallowed up the light of day for the reason that nature was mourning her God, when the rocks were rent asunder, when the Earth was in the throes of terrorizing convulsions, even when the dead appeared, she heard and saw nothing. Her only concern was her dead Child. Gazing sorrowfully on His lifeless body, she watched Longinus drive the spear into His heart. The words of Simeon were then verified: “And thy own soul a sword shall pierce” (Luke 2:35). She stood motionless observing every detail of the gruesome tragedy that had robbed her of Him Whom she loved more than her life. Mute with grief, she witnessed His disciples remove the nails from the Redeemer’s hands and feet, extract the thorns from His head and take Him down from the cross. What a sight met her tear-dimmed eyes when she beheld the body of her Son at close range, with its gaping wounds, crimsoned with blood, bruised and mangled, every bone numbered, the victim of inhuman barbarity inspired by the hatred of Hell! Her soul so filled with overpowering love and sorrow that death would have been a relief, she embraced the once ravishingly beautiful countenance of her Child now haggard with the pallor of death. She accompanied His mortal remains to the tomb, and then, leaning on the arm of St. John, retired heart-broken. “Who could see, from tears refraining, Christ’s dear Mother uncomplaining In so great a sorrow bowed? “Who, unmoved, behold her languish Underneath His cross of anguish, ‘Mid the fierce, unpitying crowd? “For His people’s sins th’ all-Holy She beheld a Victim lowly, Bleed in torments, bleed and die. “Saw her Well-beloved taken, Saw her Child in death forsaken, Heard His last expiring cry.” What a world of sorrow, what an inexhaustible theme, is this saddest drama ever enacted on Earth! The Eternal God, Christ our Lord, crucified as a public malefactor between two thieves! Mary, His Mother, spiritually crucified, her sorrow great as her love! O how precious are our souls to Jesus and Mary, our blood Brother and Mary our Mother. The best expression of our gratitude for such love is the irrevocable consecration of ourselves to them ― in the gloom of uncertainty, in the anguish of doubt, in the heartrending loneliness of interior desolation when God seems to desert us, by complete abandonment to the divine will. THE LOVE OF ETERNAL WISDOM
By St. Louis de Montfort Christ is often referred to as "The Word of God" and also "The Divine Wisdom." As we approach Christmas, which sees the birth of that "Divine Wisdom" among us, let us reflect upon St. Louis de Montfort's book "The Love of Eternal Wisdom" CHAPTER 3
The Wonderful Power of Divine Wisdom in the Creation of the World and of Man §31. Eternal Wisdom began to manifest Himself outside the bosom of His Father where He dwelt from eternity, when He made light, Heaven and Earth. St. John writes: “All things were made by the Word,” 1 that is to say, by Eternal Wisdom. Solomon declares: “Wisdom is the parent and worker of all things.” 2 Notice that he does not call Wisdom simply the maker of the universe, but its parent, because the maker does not love and maintain the object he has made as does the parent his child. §32. When He had created all things the Eternal Word dwelt in them “to contain, to sustain and to renew all things.” 3 This divine beauty, supremely precise, has given to His creation the beautiful order which we find in it. He has separated, arranged, weighed, added and counted all that it contains. He laid out the Heavens, He placed the sun, the moon, the stars and the planets in perfect order; He balanced the foundations of the Earth; He marked boundaries and gave laws to the sea and the deep; He established the mountains; He poised and balanced even the fountains of water. In short, Divine Wisdom Himself tells us: “I was with God ordering all things, at once with such perfect accuracy and such attractive variety that, as if at a game, I was playing to divert Myself and to divert My Father.” 4 §33. This ineffable play of Divine Wisdom is apparent in the diversity of His creation. We see it in the angels, whose number is infinite; in the various characteristics of man; in the magnitude of the stars; in all the creatures with which He formed the universe. How admirable is the change of the seasons and of the weather! How great is the variety of instinct in the animals! How varied are the species of plants. How different the beauty of the flowers, the flavor of fruit! “Who is he who has received wisdom?” Only he who has, will understand these mysteries of nature. §34. Divine Wisdom has revealed all these things to the Saints, as we see from their lives. At times, upon seeing the beauty, the sweetness, and the order displayed by Eternal Wisdom in even His smallest creatures, such as a bee, an ant, an ear of corn, a flower, a little worm, they became wrapt in ecstasy. §35. If the power of Eternal Wisdom is so manifest in the beauty and order of the universe, then His greatness shines forth still more brilliantly in the creation of man who is a Divine masterpiece, the living image of His own beauty and perfections, the great vessel of His graces, the admirable treasury of His riches, and His sole representative on Earth. “And by Thy wisdom hast appointed man, that he should have dominion over the creature that was made by Thee.” 5 §36. Here I should expound, to the glory of this magnificent and powerful Worker, the original beauty and excellence which man received from Him when He created him; but the blemish of the heinous sin which man committed has fallen upon me, miserable child of Eve, and has so benighted my intellect that I can speak of the original state of man but imperfectly. §37. He made copies, so to speak, of the brilliant expressions of His intellect, His memory, His will, and gave them to the soul of man so that he would be the living image of Divinity; He kindled in his heart the fire of pure love of God; He gave him a glorious body, and summarized in him all the various perfections of the Angels, the animals, and other creatures. §38. In man, everything was bright without a shadow, beautiful without ugliness, pure without stain, well‑ordered without disturbance—all without blemish or imperfection. He was endowed with the light of wisdom in his mind, which gave him a perfect knowledge of the Creator and His creatures. The grace of God was in his soul, causing him to be innocent and pleasing to the most High. His body was immortal. In his heart, free from the fear of death, there was the pure love of God. He loved God solely for Himself and without abatement. In short, man was so perfect he was continually enraptured by God and abode in Him, without passions to conquer, without enemies to fight. O the liberality of Eternal Wisdom to man! O the happy state of man in his innocence! §39. But, O greatest of all misfortunes! Behold this magnificent vessel breaks into a thousand pieces; this beautiful star falls; this resplendent sun becomes covered with spots. Man sins, and by sinning, he loses his wisdom, his innocence, his beauty, his immortality. In a word, he loses all that he had received and becomes a prey to every evil. He becomes dull‑witted, dark of soul, and blind. His heart has turned cold toward God; he does not love Him anymore. His soul, blackened with sin, resembles the devil. His passions have become unruly; he is no longer their master. The devils are his partners; he is their abode and also their slave. Even the ordinary creatures attack him and war against him. Behold man suddenly become the slave of the devil, the object of the wrath of God, the prey of Hell! In his own sight, man appears so horrid that he is ashamed of himself and hides. He is cursed and condemned to death. He is driven out of his earthly paradise and has no longer a place in Heaven. He is without hope of being happy and must live a wretched life on this accursed Earth. He must die a criminal. After his death, he must be as a devil. damned for ever in body and soul, and his curse descends upon his children. Such is the frightful woe man brought upon himself by sinning. Such is the equitable sentence which the justice of God pronounced against him. §40. In this state Adam is, as it were, without hope. Neither the Angels nor any other creature can save him. Nothing can restore him, for he was too beautiful and too well made in his creation, and now, because of his sin, he is too hideous and too defiled. He finds himself driven away from paradise and from the presence of God. He feels the justice of God pursuing him and all his posterity. He sees Heaven closed and nobody to open it. He sees Hell open, and nobody to close it. 1 John 1:3; 2 Wisdom 7:12, 21; 3 Wisdom 1:7; 7:27; 4 Prov. 8:30, 31; 5 Psalm 106 43; 6 Wisdom 9:2; 7 St. Gregory Hom. 29 in Evan. 
YOUR DAILY DATE WITH MARY
November 21st Today we celebrate the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple in early childhood The feast of the Presentation was instituted in the Greek church more than nine hundred years ago, since Saint Germanus, who held the see of Constantinople in the year 715, composed a sermon upon it.
Mary’s Presentation, offering, in the Temple was the greatest a creature ever made to God; at the age of three, she offered Him not spices, nor animals, nor precious metals, but herself as a perpetual victim to His honor. She well understood the voice of God calling her to devote herself entirely to His love. God willed that from that time on she should forget all, and think only of loving and pleasing Him. Promptly and immediately, she obeyed the Divine Call. Mary’s offering at her presentation began really in her mother’s womb, her sanctification at the instant of her Immaculate Conception. At that moment she received the use of reason and began to merit – the general opinion of theologians. (The Angels and our first parents had this blessing also.) In the first moment of her existence she offered herself entirely to God, and devoted herself without reserve to His love and glory, subjecting her will thereto. The immaculate child understood that her holy parents, Joachim and Anne, had promised God by a vow to consecrate their child to Him for His service. Mary was reminded that it was the ancient Jewish custom to take daughters to the temple for education. So when Mary was three years old, Joachim and Anne set out with her from Nazareth, eighty miles from Jerusalem, accompanied by choirs of unseen angels. When they reached the temple, Mary fell upon her knees, kissing the hands of her parents, and imploring them for their blessing. Then she ascended the fifteen steps of the temple and presented herself to the priest, Saint Zachary, for the service of her Creator. Mary well knew that God does not accept a divided heart; so she vowed virginity, desiring to remain in the temple service her whole life. Our Lady revealed to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, that she kept one special commandment before her eyes constantly: “Thou shalt love the Lord Thy God,” and she implored of God the grace to keep all the laws and to live to see the Mother of the Redeemer; and that even she had to pray for grace and virtue always. On learning from Scripture that God was to be born of a virgin, her soul was inflamed with such love, and she begged to be the servant of that happy virgin. Saint John Chrysostom tells us God found on earth no other virgin more holy and more perfect than Mary; nor a dwelling more worthy than her sacred womb, and so He chose her for His Mother – surpassing in perfection and virtue all other creatures. As Mary did, offer yourself promptly and completely to God through her, without delay, without reserve, entreat her to offer you to God. He will not reject a creature offerd to Him through His Mother, the living temple of the Holy Ghost, the delight of the Lord and the chosen Mother of the eternal Word. Have unbounded confidence in Mary, who rewards the homage of her clients with the greatest love. 
WORDS OF OUR LADY TO TAKE TO HEART!
November 21st COUNSELS OF OUR LADY TAKEN FROM HER WORDS TO THE
VENERABLE MARY OF AGREDA IN THE BOOK "THE MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD" Our Lady Speaks of Temptations Part 3 The silence which the soul should maintain when the invisible enemies advance with their specious reasonings, should not prevent it from imposing silence upon them in the Name of the Most High, and from commanding them to leave its presence in confusion. Therefore I desire this to be thy prudent behavior when they assault thee; for there is no other defense so powerful against the dragon than to be conscious of the power which we possess as children of God, and to use the advantage which this confidence gives us by exercising our dominion and superiority over the infernal spirits (Matthew 6:9). For the whole aim of Lucifer, after he had fallen from Heaven, consists in enticing souls from their Creator and in sowing the seed of discord, by which he hopes to separate from the heavenly Father His adopted children, and the spouses of Christ from their Bridegroom. Whenever he perceives that a soul is united with his Creator and in living communion with its head Christ, he tries to surpass himself in his furious attempts at persecuting it; his envy arouses the utmost exertion of his deceitfulness and malice for its destruction. But as soon as he sees that he cannot succeed in his attempts, because the soul takes refuge in the unfailing and unassailable protection of the Most High, he weakens in his attempts and begins to writhe in exquisite torments. If the soul, thus strengthened with the authority of God’s truth, despises and casts him out, there is no creeping worm or ant so weak as that giant of iniquitous pride. By this most true doctrine thou must comfort and strengthen thyself, when, according to the decree of the Almighty, thou meetest tribulations and art surrounded by the sorrows of death in temptations such as I have suffered. For they afford thy Spouse the best occasion of verifying thy fidelity by experience. Therefore love must not be satisfied merely with mere protestations of affection without looking for more valuable fruit; for the desire which costs nothing is not a sufficient proof of love in a soul, nor of its proper esteem of the good which it pretends to hold dear and love. If thou wishest to give a satisfactory proof of thy love to thy Spouse, show thyself invincible in thy trust in Him also then when thou findest thyself most afflicted and forsaken by human aid; confide in the Lord thy God, and hope in Him, if necessary, against hope (Romans 4:18). For He does not slumber, nor does He sleep, who calls Himself the protection of Israel (Psalm 120:4). In due time He will command the waves and the wind, and restore tranquility (Matthew 8:26). Thou must be much more wary in the beginning of the temptations; for there is then greater danger lest the soul, yielding to the concupiscent or the irascible passions, by which the light of reason is obscured and darkened, allow itself to be thrown into confusion. As soon as the demon notices such a state of mind he will raise a whirlwind of dust in the faculties. His fierceness is so immeasurable and implacable that it will then increase in fury. He will add flame to flame, thinking that the soul has no one to defend and rescue it from his hands (Psalm 120:11). With the force of his temptations increases also the danger of failing in the necessary resistance, since the soul has commenced to yield in the very beginning. All this I make known to thee, in order that thou mayest fear the danger of being remiss in guarding against the first approaches of the demon. Do not incur it in what is so important. Thou shouldst continue in the even tenor of thy duties in every temptation; keeping up the sweet and devout union with the Lord and preserving thy prudent and loving communication with thy neighbors, thou shouldst forestall by prayer and by restraint of thy feelings the disorder which the enemy seeks to bring about in thy soul. 
THE SAINTS ON MARY
Short Quotes by the Saints about Mary St. Louis de Montfort
Our Lord is our advocate and Mediator of redemption with God the Father. It is through Him that we ought to pray, in union with the whole Church, Triumphant and Militant. It is through Him that we have access to the Majesty of the Father, before whom we ought never to appear, except sustained and clothed with the merits of His Son, just as the young Jacob came before his father Isaac in the skins of the kids to receive his blessing. But have we not need of a mediator with the Mediator Himself? Is our purity great enough to unite us directly to Him, and by ourselves? Is He not God, in all things equal to His Father, and consequently the Holy of Holies, as worthy of respect as His Father? If through His infinite charity He has made Himself our bail and our Mediator with God His Father, in order to appease Him and to pay Him what we owed Him, are we, on that account, to have less respect and less fear for His Majesty and His Sanctity? Let us say boldly with St. Bernard that we have need of a mediator with the Mediator Himself, and that it is the divine Mary who is the most capable of filling that charitable office. It was through her that Jesus Christ came to us, and it is through her that we must go to Him. If we fear to go directly to Jesus Christ, our God, whether because of His infinite greatness or because of our vileness or because of our sins, let us boldly implore the aid and intercession of Mary, our Mother. She is good, she is tender, she has nothing in her austere and forbidding, nothing too sublime and too brilliant. In seeing her, we see our pure nature. She is not the sun, which by the brightness of its rays blinds us because of our weakness; but she is fair and gentle as the moon (Canticles 6:9), which receives the light of the sun, and tempers it to make it more suitable to our capacity. She is so charitable that she repels none of those who ask her intercession, no matter how great sinners they have been; for, as the saints say, never has it been heard since the world was the world that anyone has confidently and perseveringly had recourse to our Blessed Lady and yet has been repelled. She is so powerful that none of her petitions has ever been refused. She has but to show herself before her Son to pray to Him, and straightaway He grants her desires, straightaway He receives her prayers. He is always lovingly vanquished by the prayers of His dearest Mother, who bore Him and nourished Him. 
MULTIPLE WAYS TO HONOR OUR LADY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
1. DECORATE YOUR MAIN STATUE OF OUR LADY WITH FLOWERS AND CANDLES Make a Crown of Flowers for your chief statue of Our Lady and/or adorn your indoor and outdoor Mary statues with fresh blooming flowers this month. Add a candle too for an extra touch. If you don't have a Mary statue, now would be a good time to get one. Even if it's just a small statue for your desk or nightstand, no Catholic should be without it! You could even set up a mini-altar dedicated to Our Lady and place the statue at its center, surrounded by candles and flowers―lighting the candles during the family Rosary and other times of prayer. 2. PRAY A NOVENA TO OUR LADY Sometime during the month, perhaps each month, pray a novena to the Blessed Mother for a particular intention that you want to entrust to her, for yourself or for someone else. If you don't already have a favorite novena to Our Lady, try one of our Novenas to Our Lady (click here for the novena index page). 3. PRAY AND MEDITATE UPON THE LITANY OF OUR LADY (LITANY OF LORETO) The Litany of Loreto―the official and classic litany to Our Lady ― is a beautiful prayer that deserves more than just a mere quick recitation. It is traditionally said daily throughout the months of May and October ― but can be said daily throughout the year. Click here for a full set of short reflections upon each of the invocations in that beautiful litany. 4. SPREAD DEVOTION TO THE HOLY ROSARY Outside of the Mass, there is no prayer more pleasing to Our Lady and more efficacious for her intercession than the Holy Rosary. If you have not already acquired and perfected this spiritual discipline, then make an effort to pray the Rosary daily―and then continue to do so for the rest of your life. If you already do this, then consider encouraging others to do the same. Renew your fervor for the Rosary by reading Our Lady’s Fifteen Promises to those who pray her Rosary (click here). Introduce others to the Holy Rosary, or lead them back to praying the Rosary―only 2% of American Catholics pray the Rosary daily, despite Our Lady’s requests at Fatima and Akita that we pray the Rosary “very much”! Distribute Rosaries with Rosary instructions on how to pray and meditate the Rosary to others as the opportunity arises. There are many graces to be gained for those who promote the practice of praying and meditating the Holy Rosary! 5. SPREAD THE TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY BY ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT There is no better, no more thorough, no more effective and pleasing devotion to Our Lady than that propagated by the St. Louis de Montfort and commonly known as the “True Devotion Consecration to Mary.” 6. BROADEN YOUR MARIAN DEVOTION Our Lady is the Mother of the Universal Church. There are many ways she has affected Christians in various times and places during these nearly 2,000 years since she walked the earth. It is fascinating to read the stories behind each one, and many are associated with miracles, apparitions, saints, and holy images. Will one of them touch you in a special way? Consider researching and adopting a special devotion to Mary under one of her many titles. For example, Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Good Success, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady Undoer of Knots, etc.. This could become an annual tradition for you and your family to learn about a new Marian devotion each May. There are more of them than years in your life! Read the Calendar Section (index page here) to see the vast variety of feasts throughout the world that are celebrated in honor of Our Lady almost every day of the year! 7. SHARE THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL When Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Labouré and gave her the vision of the Miraculous Medal in 1830, she promised great graces to those who would wear the medal. It was called “Miraculous” by the faithful for good reason, as it became the means of conversion for even the most hardened of atheists to the truth of the Catholic Faith. Read more about St. Catherine Laboure (here) and the Miraculous Medal (here). Consider buying packets of Miraculous Medals and have them blessed with this Blessing and Investiture of the Miraculous Medal (see blessing and enrollment here), and distribute them as the Holy Spirit leads. Mary changes lives through the power of her Sacramentals! 8. MEMORIZE A MARIAN PRAYER OR HYMN You may already know certain prayers to Our Lady by heart―such as the Memorare and the Hail Holy Queen. This month you can add more Marian hymns and prayers into your mental index. These prayers and hymns become a great solace during trying moments and can be recited often. You can memorize this beautiful Prayer of Praise to Our Lady composed by St. Ephraim, or learn to sing traditional Marian hymns such as the Regina Caeli and the Salve Regina (the Hail Holy Queen in Latin). It is an incredibly beautiful melody, and supernaturally consoling. Then you can sing this prayer after finishing your Rosary instead of reciting it; and, as St. Augustine says, “He who sings prays twice!” 9. GET INVESTED IN THE SCAPULAR If you haven't been invested (clothed) in the scapular, then this is a good time to do it. A scapular is basically a mini religious habit for the laity, an outward symbol of your consecration to the Blessed Mother, that you wear daily underneath your clothes. The original and most common scapular is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel which has special prayers and graces associated with it, namely the famous "Scapular Promise" that those who die wearing Our Lady's scapular will not spend eternity in Hell (read more here). Most scapulars come with the proper prayer for investment (or enrollment) that the priest prays for you while blessing the scapular; if not, you can find it at the following link (here). If you have any more questions on the Brown Scapular, you might find you answers among these FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) which are listed here 10. READ A BOOK ABOUT MARY The best way to increase your devotion to the Blessed Mother is simply by reading more about her. There is no shortage of great Catholic books on Mary that unpack the mysteries of her life, virtues, and perfect union with her son, Jesus, and the treasures of grace this unfolds in the life of every Christian who turns to her in faith. Make a goal to read one each month. 11. PRAY THE LITTLE OFFICE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary is like the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) in that it is comprised of prayers said at various hours throughout the day, but different in that they are all in praise of Our Lady. Once upon a time, in Church history, the Little Office was the preferred way to pray the “Hours” for the laity. 
DAILY EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
What's the point of it all? A Method of Making the General Examen from The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola There is no better way to make a daily examination of conscience or “Examen” as St. Ignatius calls it, than following the recommendations of St. Ignatius of Loyola, as described in his masterful Spiritual Exercises. Before we give any kind of list to help you with your daily Examen, it is good to review the points and purposes placed before us by St. Ignatius. ST. IGNATIUS: “The first point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the gifts received.” Ignatius once said that the most abominable sin he could imagine was the sin of ingratitude. He knew that an awareness of God's goodness and generosity is the foundation of our relationship with God. Once we recognize God's goodness, we spontaneously feel gratitude. Most people today are oblivious to God’s intervention in their lives—yes, even ‘good’ people. They only see God where and when they want to see Him. They fail or refuse to see Him in the disappointments, setbacks, failures, hurts and irritations of the day. Besides barely or never thanking Him for all the good things that come our way daily—life itself, relative health, relative wealth or well-being, security, job, food, drink, weather, relative peace (as opposed to war), being able to live in a non-Third World environment, having the Faith, the Mass, etc.—most people just blindly drag themselves through life, muttering and chuntering, groaning and moaning, about a myriad of things that they blindly encounter, failing to thank God for anything and everything—the pleasant and not so pleasant. Thus, in this first point, we express gratitude for the experiences and encounters during the day that have been good or pleasant or meaningful, whether they seem trivial or important. We thank God for the disappointments, setbacks, failures, hurts and irritations of the day. We also express gratitude for the larger gifts we have received: our Faith and our potential salvation, our life, our talents and abilities, significant relationships, whatever comes to mind. St. Thomas Aquinas says that if we feel that our love of God is weak or barely sparking, then the remedy is to start thanking God. At first, the person runs out of things to thank Him for very quickly—that is because the soul is blind to the incredible amount of things that God does for us. As our spiritual life deepens, we become more and more aware that all we have is gift, given to us far beyond anything we might expect or deserve. We might sometimes find ourselves in a mood of resentment or depression where a feeling of gratitude is hard to muster. At that time, it is all the more important for us to express thanks to God. Not to pretend to feelings we don't feel, but to acknowledge, at whatever level we can, the truth of God's goodness to us. ST. IGNATIUS: “The second point is to ask for the grace to know my sins and to root them out.” St. Ignatius gives his second point a moralistic tone. The particular grace we are seeking here can be expressed more broadly as the light to see our life the way that God sees it, without the illusions and deceptions that we commonly live by. If we are to ask for this grace wholeheartedly, it is important for us to know how desperately we are in need of it. Our Lord once said to one of His mystics that if she could see herself as He saw her, then she would die out of terror. All of us have terrible illusions about ourselves and think ourselves to FAR better than we are in reality. Psychology has shown that many of our true feelings and motivations are genuinely hidden from us. The unconscious part of ourselves can have a powerful influence on what we feel and how we act. Even apart from this, there is a natural tendency to rationalize our actions and to believe the sort of front we put on for other people. Or we can deny or repress unpleasant or embarrassing things about ourselves. Or we can have attitudes of self-deprecation or contempt that distort our view of ourselves and others. The possibilities for self-deception are endless. To truly know ourselves is not something that we are able to do alone. We need to ask the Holy Spirit for the light that can reveal us to ourselves. ST. IGNATIUS: “The third point is to demand an account of my soul from the moment of rising to that of the present examination, hour by hour or period by period. The thoughts should be examined first, then the words, and finally the actions.” The third point is the heart of the Examen. Our actions, words, thoughts, feelings can come from an internal source of freedom and openness to other people and God. Or they can come from what St. Paul calls the “flesh” or the “law of sin”; that is to say from the self-centeredness that inhabits all of us. We examine the events of our day methodically in order to uncover the source and the direction of our life that day. Ignatius suggests we move from thoughts to words to actions. However, it can be more fruitful to move the other way, to look at words and actions and then reflect on the real motivations, intentions and feelings that underlay them. Actions that are apparently good can be done for bad motives, such as a desire for praise. Such an action might be considered praiseworthy but really springs from self-centeredness. Some people are free from actions that are obviously sinful. But when we go to a deeper level of intention and feeling, we can discover that sin has a larger hold on our life than we suspect, that there are all sorts of subtle ways that we focus on self rather than moving outward, towards others and towards the Other―the capitalized “Other” being God. The Christian life aims at a purity of intention, where all our actions spring from freedom and grace. At first we achieve this type of freedom only sporadically and often fall short. But we can grow towards it. The examination of our day is not simply earnest introspection, it is prayer. It is going through our day with God, attentive to the inner feelings and desires which is where we experience God's call in the midst of everyday activity. ST. IGNATIUS: “The fourth point is to ask pardon of God our Lord for my faults.” Once we have reviewed our day, we may have come to a sense of the dynamic of sin and grace that has been operating in our life that day. The fourth point is our response to that awareness. Insofar as we have discovered grace and freedom operative during the day, our response is gratitude and wonder for the work of God in our soul. Genuine freedom always comes as a surprise to us, because it involves a sort of self-transcendence that we know we don't have in ourselves. When we discover that in our day, we need to praise God for it. Conversely, when we discover sinfulness and self-centeredness, our response is remorse and contrition. Contrition does not mean dwelling in guilt and shame and beating ourselves for not being perfect. It means recognizing our distance from God, our moving away from God, and asking for and receiving God's forgiveness. The difference between contrition and shame is that contrition is a feeling that moves us out of ourselves and towards God. Shame simply moves us deeper into ourselves. Like gratitude in the first point, we may not be able to deeply feel the contrition that is the proper response to recognition of our self-centeredness. But it is important then to express it, even if it doesn't seem very deep, by asking for pardon. ST. IGNATIUS: “The fifth point is to resolve to amend with the help of God's grace. Close with the Lord's Prayer.” We end the Examen by looking towards tomorrow with the desire and resolve to effect changes in action or attitude that God has called us to today. Alcoholics Anonymous has a slogan, “One Day at a Time” by which they mean that sobriety is not achieved by big and noble resolutions, but by trying to stay sober for one day. It can be useful to look at our spiritual life in that way. We deal with it one day at a time. In this fifth point we don't look at changing our whole lives, we simply look at what we want to change tomorrow, and ask God's help for it. Our lives are a drama of sin and grace. But this drama is being played out on the rather humble stage of our day to day life. Ignatius adds our need for God's grace, an important point. We are not resolving to perfect ourselves by force of our own will. We are resolving to open ourselves to grace through awareness of where we need it. ANIMA CHRISTI Soul of Christ, sanctify me Body of Christ, save me Blood of Christ, inebriate me Water from the side of Christ, wash me Passion of Christ, strengthen me O Good Jesus, hear me Within Thy wounds hide me Permit me not to be separated from thee From the wicked foe defend me At the hour of my death call me And bid me come to thee That with the Saints I may praise thee Forever and ever. Amen |