Saint Mary Magdalene
by VP
Posted on Monday July 22, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
Domenico Fetti. The Repentant Mary Magdalene
Sanctuary of the Saint Baume, France
St. Mary Magdalene said to St. Mechtilde: Whosoever shall give God thanks for all the tears I shed upon the feet of Jesus, our most merciful God will grant him through my intercession remission of all his sins before his death, and a great increase of love to God.
O most merciful Jesus, I give thee thanks for that work of piety which the blessed Mary Magdalen wrought on thee when she washed thy feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed them and anointed them with fragrant ointment; whereby she obtained from thee such signal grace that thou didst pour into her heart and soul so great love of thee that she could love nothing apart from thee: beseeching thee that by her merits and intercessions thou wouldst vouchsafe to me tears of true repentance, and pour into my heart thy divine love. Amen. (Preces Gertrudianae; Prayers of St. Gertrude and St. Mechtilde.)
I. LAUDA MATER ECCLESIA. (Office hymn for the feast of St. Mary Magdalene)
Now let the Church in earth and heav'n
To Christ upraise her melody:
By sev'nfold grace from devils sev'n
A captive soul is now set free.
Full oft she sinned of whom we tell,
Mary, the sister of Lazarus ;
Who, from the very jaws of hell,
Repentant life hath shewn to us.
To Christ the Healer see her go,
With precious ointment for her Lord:
The Good Physician speaks, and lo!
He heals her sickness by His Word.
Ounction from a broken heart!
O rivers from those laden eyes!
Such choosing of love's better part
Brings pardon with a glad surprise.
This loving Saint was first to see
The Victor, rising from His rest:
The earliest joy was hers to be
Who loved Him most, who loved the best.
Now GOD in mercy grant to us,
In life's incessant storms and cares,
That all the Saints most glorious
May aid us sinners with their prayers.
To GOD Alone be glory giv'n,
For sev'n-fold pow'r and glad release:
To souls of men, from sin forgiv'n,
He gives new life and joy and peace.
(S. Odo of Cluny, 11th Century.)
St. Mary Magdalen:
"She had lived a long time in all the disorders of luxury and vice; but touched at length with the sense of her crimes, and knowing Christ to be her only physician, she runs in to him, while he is at table with the Pharisee, and throws herself at his feet. She washes his feet with her tears, and wipes them with her hair; she kisses them, and pours forth her sweet perfumes, and departs not thence till she has Christ her advocate, and hears those words of comfort from his sacred mouth: Thy sins are forgiven thee: thy faith hath made thee safe, go in peace.
Adore the goodness of your Redeemer, and bless his mercy who has given such encouragement to repenting sinners. Pray for all those unhappy ones, who, like Magdalen, are engaged in sin; that being sensible of their misery, they may, with her, seek their Redeemer, and by a sincere conversion be received into his favour. Let this day's mercy raise up your hopes in Christ; and, whatever your sins have been, preserve you from all despair.
St. Mary Magdalen having thus obtained pardon of her sins, became a true disciple of Jesus: and her heart, which she had rescued from the love of the world, she gave now entirely to him. She delighted in his sacred doctrine, and her place of rest was at his feet, where she first found wonderful effects of his goodness. She poured perfumes on his head, to prepare him for his burial, she followed him to the cross with tears, she was the first at his sepulchre, and there continued watching for her Lord. She was informed of His resurrection by the angels, and was the first mentioned in Scripture, to whom Christ appeared.
Learn from her the method of a true conversion. If God has mercifully drawn you out of a state of sin, express your sense of this mercy, in a more than ordinary fidelity to your Lord. Endeavour to outdo all in every Christian duty, in prayer, fasting, and all kinds of humiliation. The innocent Christian is obliged to a life of virtue; the converted sinner ought to do something more, and make his life a penance, bearing some proportion to his past offences. But whatever your life has been, pray on this day to be delivered from all temptations, or strengthened against them. Resolve upon avoiding all immediate occasions of sin; be cautious in the choice of company, and in all your conversation; avoid all familiarities; keep a strict guard on your thoughts, your eyes and your tongue. Never read books which are likely to soften and injure your soul; beseech God to take from you the love of the world, and of all its vanities and snares; to give you a true sense of your own weakness, and of all the dangers before you, and to inspire you with courage necessary for your security. As far as you forsake the world, you may hope God will approach to you, and prepare you for a better." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Litanies of Saint Mary Magdalene
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy,
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy, &c.
Saint Lawrence Brindisi
by VP
Posted on Sunday July 21, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
The Life of St. Lawrence Brindisi
"At Munich, whilst the Saint was celebrating Mass shortly after midnight, the brother who served saw at the consecration the oratory suddenly flooded with light, as if it were midday.2 Looking up, he beheld a lovely child smiling and caressing the celebrant. At the spectacle the brother fell down in a swoon. After Mass, Lawrence asked
the server what caused the noise-what had he seen? Being told of the vision, the Father asked the brother to pray that God might reveal to him why he alone had been granted such a privilege. The brother prayed as directed, but the answer he received affected the celebrant, to whom he was inspired to say: "My grace is sufficient for thee." Hearing this, we are told, Lawrence rejoiced exceedingly. Had the Servant of God, like St. Paul, been subjected to grievous temptation which for a time disturbed his usual equanimity?
The appearance of the Saint during his thanksgiving after Mass is described as altogether extraordinary. He seemed to be all on fire, and would pant with the heat, even in the depth of winter. When he was thus transformed, the other religious often came out of holy curiosity to look at him. "His countenance," they tell us, "shone like that of an angel, and filled with joy and devotion all who beheld him."
We will conclude this subject with a relation of what occurred at Gratz in Holy Week. It was during Lawrence's first sojourn in Germany. The Church being still unfinished, a room in the new monastery served as a chapel, but the Rubrics did not permit Mass to be celebrated there on Holy Thursday. For the Commissary and his brethren it was a great privation to be without Mass on the anniversary of the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament; but they consoled themselves with the reflection that they could receive Our Lord in Holy Communion. On Holy Thursday morning, however, it was discovered that all the consecrated particles had, by mistake, been consumed the previous day. Grievously disappointed, the religious applied themselves with much fervour to make up for their loss by a spiritual Communion. Whilst they were thus engaged, the chapel was suddenly illuminated, and there appeared the Divine Institutor Himself, bearing in His hands a pyx, from which He communicated the Commissary and his brethren. This signal favour, merited by the Saint's devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, is well authenticated, and has been a matter of constant tradition in the Province of Styria. A painting representing the scene, and executed by a contemporary artist, was long preserved in the monastery at Gratz."
St. Jerome Emiliani, CONFESSOR, A.D. 1537.
by VP
Posted on Saturday July 20, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
"He was born of a noble family at Venice, and served in the army in very troublesome times. He commanded a castle, which was taken by the enemy, upon which he was cast into a dungeon, with fetters on his hands and feet. When destitute of all human help, he implored the protection of the Holy Mother of God, by whom he was miraculously delivered from prison, and conducted in safety beyond the reach of the enemy. Arriving at Tarviso, he hung up his chains before the altar of the Blessed Virgin, in grateful acknowledgment of the favour he had received.
Returning to Venice, he began more assiduously to cultivate piety, and particularly charity to the poor. But he had a particular compassion for poor children who were orphans, and wandered about the city without friends or home. These he received into a house which he hired at his own expense, and there maintained them and instructed them in Christian doctrine and piety. The saint was induced by St. Cajetan and Peter Carafa, afterwards Pope Paul IV., to reside in a hospital of incurables, where he continued to educate orphans, while he served the sick at the same time with unwearied charity.
He afterwards erected several institutions for orphans in various parts of Italy; and one also for female penitents. At length he settled at Somascha, on the frontiers of the Venetian territory, and there began the Congregation or Institute known by the name of Somascha, for the care of orphans, the favourite objects of his charity, and also for the education of youth in general, which was approved by St. Pius V., and received particular privileges from succeeding pontiffs.
He made a journey to Milan, and there and in other places he collected together a number of poor children, and provided for them by the assistance of certain
wealthy and noble persons. Returning to Somascha, he became all to all,
and refused no labour, which he considered likely to benefit his
neighbour. He helped the labourers in the harvest, and as he worked with them, he took opportunities of instructing them in the mysteries of faith, and exhorting them to religion and virtue. He was also very charitable and patient in dressing the sores of poor
suffering children and others, and was so successful in treating them,
that he was considered to be gifted with a miraculous power of curing diseases. Having found a cave in the mountain of Somascha, he often retired thither, and spent whole days in fasting, severe disciplines, and prayer. At length he caught a distemper while serving the sick, and died a death precious in the sight of God, on the 8th of February,
1537, being fifty-six years old. Many miracles had been wrought by him
before his death, and many happened after it, to attest the holiness of his life, and his glory after death." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest, Confessor, A.D. 1660
by VP
Posted on Friday July 19, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
Let the charity and zeal of this holy man be considered; and what will the rich say for themselves, who can find little to spare for the relief of the poor? What will the lower rank say, whose solicitude for this world so takes up their heart and their time, that they cannot find leisure for their own salvation, and much less for the good of their neighbour? If they compare themselves with this saint, must not they either change their method, or despair? If they hope to be saints, they must walk in the way of the saints, and not be deceived with the example of a blind and wretched world." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
" Devotion and piety towards God and the Blessed Sacrament- Imitation of Jesus Christ.
When before the Holy Tabernacle, he always maintained himself on both knees, and in a posture so humble that he seemed, the more to testify his respect, to wish to abase himself to the center of the earth, and with such faith manifested in his countenance, one would say that he saw Jesus with his eyes; with such devotion, he would have inspired the most incredulous, with faith and the most insensible with piety; in such modesty and silence, that he had not a single glance for the greatest magnificence, nor a word for the most august personages.
There he loved to remain all the time that his duties left at his disposal, and there he forgot himself for hours together. There he went, like Moses of old, to consult the Divine oracle in all his difficulties." (...)
Profanations, committed by heretics, or by the military, grieved him mortally. Tears, extraordinary penances, fervent prayers, all were offered in reparation and atonement He went himself or sent some of his community in pilgrimage to the profaned churches; the priests said mass and the others received Holy Communion there in reparation. He made good the material loss caused by sacrilegious thefts of sacred vessels and ornaments; and by means of missions he repaired the injury done the honor of God and souls by impiety and heresy.
He said to them with regard to the celebration of Mass: "It is not enough to celebrate mass, we must, moreover, offer this sacrifice with the greatest possible devotion, according to the will of God Himself; conforming ourselves, with His grace, as much as we can, to Jesus offering Himself, when on earth, to His eternal Father. Let us use all endeavor, then, gentlemen, to offer our sacrifices to God in the same spirit, in which our Lord offered His, and as perfectly as our poor and miserable nature will permit.”
He prescribed the greatest
respect in the church and in the ceremonies. Precipitation,
genuflections half-made, the least negligences in the Divine service
were a torment to
his exalted idea of religion, and an alarm to his soul ever trembling
before the possibility of scandal. Hence, he took care to correct in
private, and, if necessary, in public, all the faults that he observed.
If one of his members passed before the altar, making a genuflection carelessly
and thoughtlessly, he immediately called him back, and showed him in
what manner and how far he should bend before God. On these occasions he
would say: "We should never conduct ourselves as mere puppets, which
are made to move quickly, and the salutations of which are without
reverence or soul." And, after his humble habit of accounting himself
responsible for all faults. he added: Who is guilty, my brethren! It is
this miserable person who is speaking to you, and who would cast himself
on his knees if he could. Excuse my infirmities." And in fact, it was a
cruel privation to him, and one that he attributed to his sins, when he
could no longer kneel, and he publicly asked pardon for it, and
besought them not to be scandalized.
Nevertheless," he added, "if I see the congregation relax I will force myself on my knees, cost what it will, and rise as best I may, with the aid of some of you, or in making use of my hands, so that I may thus give the example that I ought to give. For, the faults committed in a community are imputed to the superior, and the faults of the congregation in this point are always serious, as much because there is question of a duty of religion and of an exterior reverence that marks the interior respect we show God, as because, if we be the first to fail, those preparing for ordination, and the clergy who come here, will believe themselves under no obligation to do better; and those who will succeed us in the congregation and who will model themselves after us, will do still less, and thus everything will tend to decay; for if the original be defective what will the copies be? I beg you, then, gentlemen and my brothers, to pay great attention to this, and to comport yourselves in this action in such a manner that interior reverence may suggest and always accompany the exterior. God desires to be adored in spirit and in truth, and al' good Christians should do so in imitation of the Son of God, who, prostrate on the earth in the Garden of Olives, united to this devout posture a profound interior humility, out of respect for the Sovereign Majesty of His Father."
What he said of the genuflection he applied to all the ceremonies. They are, in truth, only the shadow, but the shadow of the greatest things, and this is the reason we should perform them with ll possible attention, in a religious silence, and with great modesty and gravity. How will these gentlemen who come here carry them out if we ourselves do not perform them well? The singing must be grave, without being hurried, the psalms recited with an air of devotion. Alas! if these ceremonies are not properly performed, how will we answer when God will demand an account." Virtues and Spiritual Doctrine of St. Vincent de Paul by Rev. Fr. Michel Ulysse Maynard
The Litany of St. Vincent de Paul
Lord,
have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, 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 Mary, Mother of Christ, the Sovereign Priest, pray for us.
St. Vincent,
who, from your infancy, walked in the presence of God, pray for us.
St. Vincent, most benevolent to all, Pray for us.
St. Vincent, chaste and pure, Pray for us.
St. Vincent, watchful shepherd of the flocks entrusted to your
care, Pray for us.
St. Vincent, who so faithfully preached the gospel to the poor,
Pray for us.
St. Vincent, who brought your disciples to the practice of all
good works,
Pray for us.
St. Vincent, the glory of the priesthood,
Pray for us.
St. Vincent, humble amidst the honors of the world, Pray for us.
St.
Vincent, careful imitator of Jesus Christ,
Pray for us.
St. Vincent, alleviator of human misery, Pray for us.
St. Vincent, refuge and comforter of the afflicted, Pray for us.
St.
Vincent, feeder of the hungry,
Pray for us.
St. Vincent, friend of the sick, Pray for us.
St. Vincent, father of orphans, Pray for us.
St. Vincent, refuge of purity, and security of innocence, Pray for us.
St. Vincent, zealous seeker of wandering
souls, Pray for us.
St. Vincent, restorer of the beauty of ecclesiastical discipline,Pray for us.
St. Vincent, like an Angel at the altar, Pray for us.
St. Vincent, strong in holy obedience and faith, Pray for us.
St. Vincent, burning with zeal for the glory of God, Pray for us.
Lamb of
God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us O Lord.
Lamb of
God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us O Lord.
Lamb of
God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
V. He made himself all to all.
B. Let us walk in his footsteps.
LET US PRAY.
JESUS, meek and humble of heart! since only hum dwelling of thy glory will be for ever shut against me, unless I become truly humble: grant me humility, which alone can merit thy grace, and secure me a place in the eternal kingdom. Pardon me, O my God! the manifold sins, which I have committed through pride; and grant me a contempt for myself, proportioned to the pride which has so far enslaved me, but which I now detest so sincerely. I beg this favor through the intercession of our holy Father St. Vincent, who was truly meek and humble. Amen. St. Vincent's Manual: Containing a Selection of Prayers and Devotional Exercises By Sisters of Charity
St. Camillus, CONFESSOR, A.D. 1614.
by VP
Posted on Thursday July 18, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
"When
with daybreak the moment came for his Mass, nothing could equal the joy
with which he hastened to the preparation for it. Then kneeling at the
foot of the altar, he made the daily intention for the Church and the
Sovereign Pontiff, always first in his solicitude; next, for his Order,
that God might be pleased to grant its increase, and the holiness of its
members; lastly for the sick, that it might be his happiness to help
and comfort countless souls and obtain strength and hope for the dying.
Angels surely gathered about that altar, for never was Mass celebrated
with greater fervor. Often tears streamed down his cheeks, as at the
precious moment he held in his hands his "Love," his Lord, and he would
whisper again, "What can I do for Thee?" Saint Camillus de Lellis the Hospital Saint by a Sister of Charity, p128
"THIS saint in his early years served in the Neapolitan army, and during that time, and for a short time after, was unhappily addicted to the vice of gaming. But the divine mercy at length opened his eyes. A moving exhortation made to him by the guardian of the Capuchins completed his conversion. He fell on his knees, and striking his breast, with many tears and groans deplored his past sinful life, and cried to heaven for mercy. This happened in the twenty-fifth year of his age; and from that time he never interrupted his penitential course.
Leaving his own country, St. Camillus went to Rome, and served the sick in the hospital of incurables for four years with great fervour. Grieving to see the sick so much neglected by hired servants, he founded a congregation of holy persons, who devoted themselves to serve the sick, out of a motive of fervent charity. They went every day to the great hospital of the Holy Ghost, where they served the sick with so much affection, piety, and diligence, that it was visible that they considered Christ himself in his sick or wounded members.
Previous to this, St. Camillus prepared himself by a course of studies to receive Holy Orders, with a view to render himself more useful in affording spiritual assistance to the sick. In 1558, he was invited to Naples, and there founded a new house of his congregation. He was himself afflicted with many infirmities, such as a sore in his leg for forty-six years, and other very painful maladies. But under all his sufferings, he would not allow any one to wait on him, but sent all his brethren to serve poor sick persons. When he was not able to stand, he would creep out of his bed, even in the night, and crawl by the sides of the beds, from one patient to another, to exhort them to acts of virtue, and see if they wanted any thing.
Almighty God favoured St. Camillus with the spirit of prophecy and the gift of miracles. After assisting at the fifth general chapter of his Order, he fell ill, and soon after, his life was despaired of by the physicians. He received the last sacraments with the most
tender devotion, made a moving exhortation to his religious, and having
foretold that he should die that evening, he expired on the 14th of July, 1614, at the age of sixty-five." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Saint Alexis of Rome, Confessor
by VP
Posted on Wednesday July 17, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
IMITATION OF THE SAVIOUR.-Alexis, born at Rome, in 350, of a family bearing senatorial rank, quite as illustrious by its Christian virtues as for its nobility and opulence, chose as his portion that part of our Saviour's life in which He has found fewest imitators, namely, in His humiliation. Having been urged by his family to turn his thoughts to marriage, he profited by this to carry out his design, and fled to Edessa; where, during seventeen years, he remained unknown, seeking for humiliations and the contempt of men with as much eagerness as others exhibit in pursuit of fortune and honours. But at length, becoming admired for his sanctity, he once more fled; and, the course of events leading him back to Rome, he went to his own father's house to crave an asylum as the veriest beggar. He there ended his days, after having been for seventeen years made the object of scorn to the entire household. His family at length discovered who he was by means of a paper found upon him containing his name and the main events of his life. The pope, the emperor, and sovereign princes came to render homage to him who had so profoundly humbled himself amongst men.
MORAL REFLECTION.-"Every one that hath left house
or lands for my sake shall receive a hundredfold, and shall possess life
everlasting."-(Matt. xix. 27.) Pictorial Half Hour with the Saint by Abbe Lecanu
The Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel
by VP
Posted on Tuesday July 16, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
"A FEAST in honour of our Blessed Lady is kept on this day, on which, as we are assured by several writers of the Carmelite Order, St. Simon Stock, general of the Carmelites, was admonished by the holy Mother of God in a vision, to establish the confraternity of the Scapular. This confraternity has been approved, and favoured with many privileges by many popes. The object of it is to unite the devout clients of the Blessed Virgin in certain regular exercises of religion and piety.
Learn from the Blessed Mother of God clothing her devout children with the humble scapular, a thorough contempt of the world. She proclaims to us: Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. Love not its riches, its fine apparel, or other vanities; but having food, and wherewith to be clothed, learn to be content. For they that would become rich fall into temptation and the snares of the devil. Despise the honours of the world; and keep not a high and proud heart beneath an humble garment. Be not greedy of power and pre-eminence above others; but willingly sit down in the lowest place, by far the most secure. Equally dangerous, and to be shunned by every faithful follower of Jesus and Mary, are the pleasures of the world. You are called in this life to labour and penance. The time of rest and enjoyment will not fully arrive till you have passed through the gate of death. To live in pleasures and sensual enjoyments, is a life full of danger, and too often leads to eternal death; but by a life of mortification, you secure joy everlasting. This is that holy violence which carries away victoriously the kingdom of heaven. And be not disturbed or fearful about the judgments of the world. Men of the world fear where there is no fear: but for your part, fear only him who has power to cast into hell. Place yourself under the patronage of the holy Mother of God; she will protect you by her powerful intercession, and procure for you the true fear and love of God." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
Prayer to the Holy Virgin of Mount Carmel:
O Most Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and splendor of Carmel,
thou who regardest with an eye of special kindness those who wear thy
blessed habit, look down also benignly upon me and cover me with the
mantle of thy special protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy power;
enlighten the darkness of my mind with thy wisdom; increase in me
faith, hope, and charity. Adorn my soul with such graces and virtues as
will ever be pleasing to thy divine Son and to thee. Assist me in life,
and console me in death, with thy most amiable presence, and present me
to the most august Trinity as thy devoted servant and child; that I may
eternally bless and praise thee in paradise. Amen 2 Hail Marys and Glory be to the Father. The New Raccolta 1903
Henry II
by VP
Posted on Monday July 15, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
"PIETY, MEEKNESS, AND BRAVERY.- Henry II., anointed emperor of Germany on the 8th July, 1002, showed by his life that piety is a royal virtue, because it had justice as its companion, and that piety and justice sanctify bravery when allied with mercy. Though four times compelled to fight against his revolting subjects, he as often pardoned them. Great wars gave full employment to his arms. He subdued Poland, Bohemia, and Moravia, the populations whereof had made incursions into the empire. He drove out the Saracens from Italy, whose presence had been disturbing Rome and Christendom in general. Being at length at peace on every hand, he journeyed through his dominions in order to impart new life while repressing abuses, establishing justice, and protecting religion. He expelled all flatterers from the imperial court, and loaded with favours such as reproached him for any fault. He died at Halberstadt, on the 14th July, 1024, and was canonized in 1152. Werinhair, the bishop of Strasbourg, prevented him from relinquishing the sceptre, as he had intended, with the aim of seeking greater perfection.
MORAL REFLECTION.-Happy would it be for nations
were those invested with the governing power true saints; and saints
they would be, did they but remember that they hold the place of
God.-(Prov. viii.) Pictorial Half Hour with the Saints, by Abbe Lecanu
Saint Bonaventure, Bishop, Doctor of the Church, A.D. 1274
by VP
Posted on Sunday July 14, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
"He is surnamed the seraphic doctor. His devout mother was careful to inspire into him, from the cradle, most ardent sentiments of piety, and to inure him betimes to assiduous practices of self-denial, humility, obedience, and devotion. At twenty-two years of age, he entered into the Order of St. Francis. He referred all his studies to the divine honour, and the sanctification of his own soul, and may be said to have made them a continued prayer. When St. Thomas Aquinas asked him in what books he had learned his sacred science, pointing to his crucifix he said: "This is the source of all my knowledge. I study only Jesus Christ, and him crucified." He prepared himself to receive the holy order of priesthood, by long fasts, humiliations, and fervent prayer. At the age of thirty-five, he was chosen general of his Order. He was afterwards created cardinal, and consecrated bishop of Albano by Pope Gregory X. He assisted at the general council of Lyons, but was taken ill before its conclusion. The Pope himself gave him Extreme Unction. He kept his eyes constantly fixed on a crucifix, till he expired in great tranquillity on the 14th of July, in the year 1274, in the fifth-third year of his age. It was said of him in his funeral panegyric, that "no one ever beheld him, who did not conceive a great esteem and affection for him; for he was gentle, affable, humble, pleasing to all, compassionate, prudent, chaste, and adorned with all virtues."
Pray for all the bishops of Christ's church, that they may follow the spirit of this prelate; pray for all the college of cardinals, of which he was an honorable member; that by exemplary piety they may draw down the blessings of heaven upon them. Pray that you may be faithful in your own station. There is no condition but what has many obligations annexed to it; few are solicitous to consider them all, and fewer still perform them. Heavenly light and grace are necessary for this; reflect on your own wants, and let your prayers be proportioned to them." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
- "Ah, yes! "It is the Mass that matters" for us Catholics; and herein lies the explanation of the sinister efforts of the enemies of our holy Faith to render the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice impossible. For, says St. Bonaventure, "take away the Sacrament, and what will there be left in the world but error and infidelity?" (...) "But by this Sacrament," continues the Saint, "the Church stands, faith is confirmed, the Christian religion and Divine worship flourish." (On the Preparation for Mass, I i 3)" Source: The psychology of Practical Godlessness The American Catholic Quarterly Review, Volume 47 edited by James Andrew Corcoran, Patrick John Ryan, Edmond Francis Prendergast
A Prayer of St. Bonaventure. (After Holy Communion)
INSPIRE, most dear Lord Jesus, I beseech thee, inspire into every recess of my heart, and into every tendency of my affections, thy dear and saving love; thy true, thy calm, thy holy, and apostolic charity; so that my soul may ever long for thee; may ever raise itself in spirit to thy heavenly abode; may ever desire to be dissolved and to be with thee.
Oh grant that my soul may ever tend towards thee, thou bread of angels; thou refreshment of holy hearts; thou most needful of all daily bread, containing all sweetness and delight. For thee, on whom the angels joy to look, may my heart ever aspire, and my soul ever feel the effects of thy presence! Oh may it ever long for thee, thou fountain of life, thou fountain of wisdom and knowledge, thou fountain of eternal light-overflowing with the sweets and the riches of the kingdom of heaven. May my soul ever seek thee, ever long for thee, tend towards thee, and find thee. May it meditate on thee, may it speak of thee, may it do all things to the praise and glory of thy name; with humility and discretion, with delight and affection, with perseverance unto the end.
O my God! do thou alone be
my hope, my trust, my wealth, my delight, my rest and peace, my
pleasure, and my aim. Do thou be my food and my refreshment; my refuge
and my assistance; my comfort, my wisdom, and my treasure; in which my
mind and my heart may be firmly and immovably fixed, now and for ever. Amen.
Vision of Hell
by VP
Posted on Saturday July 13, 2024 at 12:38AM in Saints
John Martin (1789–1854)
"As Our Lady spoke these last words, she opened her hands once more, as she had done during the two previous months. The rays of light seemed to penetrate the earth, and we saw as it were a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke now falling back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. (It must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me).
This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror.
The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals.
Terrified and as if to plead for succour, we looked up at Our Lady, who said to us, so kindly and so sadly: You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace." Source: Sister Lucia, July 13th, 1917
"Those people burning in hell, don't they ever die? And don't they turn into ashes? And if people pray very much for sinners, won't Our Lord get them out of there? And if they make sacrifices as well? Poor sinners! We have to pray and make sacrifices for them!" Source: Jacinta. Fatima in Lucia's own words 1976
"And so we come to the final question: What is the meaning of the «secret» of Fatima as a whole (in its three parts)? What does it say to us? First of all we must affirm with Cardinal Sodano: «... the events to which the third part of the 'secret' of Fatima refers now seem part of the past». Insofar as individual events are described, they belong to the past. Those who expected exciting apocalyptic revelations about the end of the world or the future course of history are bound to be disappointed. Fatima does not satisfy our curiosity in this way, just as Christian faith in general cannot be reduced to an object of mere curiosity. What remains was already evident when we began our reflections on the text of the «secret»: the exhortation to prayer as the path of «salvation for souls» and, likewise, the summons to penance and conversion.
I would like finally to mention another key expression of the «secret» which has become justly famous: «my Immaculate Heart will triumph». What does this mean? The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world - because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this: «In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world» (Jn 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise. "
Source: Joseph Card. Ratzinger Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
