One Minute Reflection – 16 November – St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) Virgin – 2 Corinthians 10:17-18; 11:1-2, Matthew 25:1-13 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“Five of them were foolish and five were wise…” – Matthew 25:2
REFLECTION – “So then let us understand, dearly beloved, that this parable relates to us all, that is, to the whole Church together, not to the clergy only, of whom we spoke yesterday, nor to the laity only but generally to all. Why then are the virgins, five and five? These five and five virgins, are all Christian souls together. But that I may tell you what, by the Lord’s inspiration I think, it is not souls of every sort but such souls as have the Catholic Faith and seem to have good works in the Church of God. Yet, even of them it is said, “Five are wise and five are foolish.”
Every soul, which enlivens a body, is denoted by the number five because it makes use of five senses. For there is nothing of which we have perception by the body, except through this fivefold gate, either by sight, or hearing, or smelling, or tasting or touching. Whoever abstains from unlawful seeing, unlawful hearing, unlawful smelling, unlawful tasting and unlawful touching, by reason of blamelessness, is here called by the name of virgin.” – St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 93).
PRAYER – O God, Who prepared a pleasing dwelling place for Thyself in the heart of blessed Gertrude the Virgin, by her merits and intercession, mercifully wipe away all sinful stain from our heart and grant that we may enjoy her companionship. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
AnaStpaul 