One Minute Marian Reflection – 26 May “Mary’s Month!” Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
You are the glory of Jerusalem, the surpassing joy of Israel…Judges 15:9
REFLECTION – “MARY: THE WAY TO JESUS – “Mary does the immense favour of bringing to the cross, of placing face to face with the example of the Son of God, those who come close to her and contemplate her life. It is in this confrontation that Christian life is decided. And here, Mary intercedes for us, so that our behaviour may lead to a reconciliation of the younger brother — you and me — with the firstborn Son of the Father. “Many conversions, many decisions to give oneself to the service of God have been preceded by an encounter with Mary. Our Lady has encouraged us to look for God, to desire to change, to lead a new life.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “To Jesus through Mary,” Christ is Passing By 149 Let us offer to our Mother today: Teaching someone how to say the Holy Rosary.
PRAYER – “Hail, Mother of the Lord, Virgin Mary, Queen of the Rosary! Blessed among all women, you are the image of the Church robed in paschal light, you are the honour of our people, you are the victory over every assault of evil.” ……………..Excerpt from the Prayer of Pope Francis at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima,12 May 2017. Pray for us Holy Mother of God and our Mother, lead us to your Son!
Marian Thought for the Day – 25 May “Mary’s Month” – The Memorial of St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, any my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.”
With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given.
Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her saviour, for she knew that He who was the source of eternal salvation, would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord.
“For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for He fills with greatness and strength, the small and the weak who believe in Him. She did well to add: “and holy is his name,” to warn those who heard and indeed, all who would receive His words, that they must believe and call upon His name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: “and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is the name she spoke of earlier when she said “and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.”
Quote/s of the Day – 25 May “Mary’s Month” – The Memorial of St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church and St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi (1566-1607)
“Unfurl the sails and let God steer us where He will.”
“Christ is the Morning Star, who, when the night of this world is past, gives to His saints, the promise of the light of life, and opens everlasting day.”
St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church
“Prayer ought to be humble, fervent, resigned, persevering and accompanied with great reverence. One should consider, that he stands in the presence of a God and speaks with a Lord, before whom, the angels tremble from awe and fear.”
“O Sisters, if we would only comprehend the fact, that while the Eucharistic Species remain within us, Jesus is there and working in us, inseparably with the Father and the Holy Spirit and therefore the whole Holy Trinity is there.”
One Minute Marian Reflection – 25 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
Those who love me I also love and those who seek me, find me…Proverbs 8:17
REFLECTION – “MARY: OUR MOTHER – “Find out for yourself by personal experience the meaning of Mary’s maternal love. It is not enough just to know that she is our Mother and to think and talk about her as such. She is your Mother and you are her child. She loves you as if you were her only child in this world. Treat her accordingly. Tell her about everything that happens to you; honour her and love her. No one will do it for you or as well as you.”…” St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) Mother of God and our Mother,” Friends of God, 293.
Let us offer to our Mother today: Many affectionate thoughts and prayers, by saying “Mary, my mother” each time we pause in our work.
PRAYER – Holy Almighty Father, grant us the grace to understand the immense love You have given us, in granting us the Mother of Your Divine Son, as our Mother too. Holy Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, teach us, help us, show us the way, as all mothers do. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son and our Saviour, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with our Father, forever, amen.
Marian Thought for the Day – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians
Mary is the “Consolatrix Afflictorum,” the Consoler of the Afflicted
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
St PAUL says that his Lord comforted him in all his tribulations, that he also might be able to comfort them who are in distress, by the encouragement which he received from God. This is the secret of true consolation: those are able to comfort others who, in their own case, have been much tried and have felt the need of consolation and have received it. So of our Lord Himself it is said: “In that He Himself hath suffered and been tempted, He is able to succour those also that are tempted.”
And this, too, is why the Blessed Virgin is the comforter of the afflicted. We all know how special a mother’s consolation is and we are allowed to call Mary our Mother from the time that our Lord from the Cross established the relation of mother and son between her and St John. And she especially can console us because she suffered more than mothers in general. Women, at least delicate women, are commonly shielded from rude experience of the highways of the world but she, after our Lord’s Ascension, was sent out into foreign lands almost as the Apostles were, a sheep among wolves. In spite of all St John’s care of her, which was as great as was St Joseph’s in her younger days, she, more than all the saints of God, was a stranger and a pilgrim upon earth, in proportion to her greater love of Him who had been on earth, and had gone away. As, when our Lord was an Infant, she had to flee across the desert to the heathen Egypt, so, when He had ascended on high, she had to go on shipboard to the heathen Ephesus, where she lived and died.
O ye who are in the midst of rude neighbours or scoffing companions, or of wicked acquaintance, or of spiteful enemies and are helpless, invoke the aid of Mary by the memory of her own sufferings among the heathen Greeks and the heathen Egyptians.
Mary “Consolatrix Afflictorum,”Consoler of the Afflicted – Help of Christians
Quote of the Day – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians
“This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace, continues uninterruptedly, from the consent, which she loyally gave, at the Annunciation and which she sustained, without wavering beneath the Cross, until the eternal fulfilment of all the elect.
Taken up to heaven, she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession, continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. By her maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her Son, who still journey on earth, surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led into their blessed home.
Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress and Mediatrix. This, however, is so understood, that it neither takes away anything from, nor adds anything to, the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator.”
Lumen Gentium, 62
Blessed Pope Paul VI (1897-1978)
One Minute Marian Reflection – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians
He said to the disciple, “there is your mother.”...John 19:27
REFLECTION – “MARY: HELP OF CHRISTIANS – “Yes, we are still pilgrims but our Mother has gone on ahead, where she points to the reward for our efforts. She tells us that we can make it. If we are faithful, we will reach home. Not only is the Blessed Virgin our model but she is also the Help of Christians. And as we besiege her with our petitions — ‘Show that you are our Mother’ – she cannot help but watch over her children with motherly care.” … St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Cause of our Joy,” Christ is Passing By, 177. Let us offer to our Mother today: In addition to the mysteries of the day, one more part (five decades) of the Holy Rosary.
PRAYER – Have pity on us Mother and heal the wounds of our souls, remove the sorrow and worries of our souls. Console us in our day of suffering and enlighten us by your wisdom. Show us your mercy, Mother and pray for us, turn our sadness into true joy. Fill our hearts with your sweetness and make us forget the miseries of this life. Be gracious to your children and do not allow them to be overcome in their temptations. For Hail Mary, full of grace, our Mother and Mother of our Lord, He is with thee! Amen
Marian Thought for the Day – 23 May “Mary’s Month” – Wednesday in the 7th Week of Ordinary Time Year B
Mary is the “Vas Honorabile,” the Vessel of Honour
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
ST PAUL calls elect souls vessels of honour: of honour, because they are elect or chosen; and vessels, because, through the love of God, they are filled with God’s heavenly and holy grace. How much more then is Mary a vessel of honour by reason of her having within her, not only the grace of God but the very Son of God, formed as regards His flesh and blood out of her!
But this title “honorabile,” as applied to Mary, admits of a further and special meaning. She was a martyr without the rude dishonour which accompanied the sufferings of martyrs. The martyrs were seized, haled about, thrust into prison with the vilest criminals and assailed with the most blasphemous words and foulest speeches which Satan could inspire. Nay, such was the unutterable trial also of the holy women, young ladies, the spouses of Christ, whom the heathen seized, tortured and put to death. Above all, our Lord Himself, whose sanctity was greater than any created excellence or vessel of grace—even He, as we know well, was buffeted, stripped, scourged, mocked, dragged about, and then stretched, nailed, lifted up on a high cross, to the gaze of a brutal multitude.
But He, who bore the sinner’s shame for sinners, spared His Mother, who was sinless, this supreme indignity. Not in the body, but in the soul, she suffered. True, in His Agony she was agonised; in His Passion she suffered a fellow-passion; she was crucified with Him; the spear that pierced His breast pierced through her spirit. Yet, there were no visible signs of this intimate martyrdom, she stood up, still, collected, motionless, solitary, under the Cross of her Son, surrounded by Angels and shrouded in her virginal sanctity from the notice of all who were taking part in His Crucifixion.
Mary “Vas Honorabile,” Vessel of Honour – Pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 23 May – Wednesday in the 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Readings: James 4:13-17, Psalm 49:2-3, 6-11, Mark 9:38-40
Speaking of: Living and Preaching the Gospel
But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name, will be able, soon after, to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us, is for us.
Mark 9:39-40
“The Christian should be an Alleluia! from head to foot”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor
“Cook the truth in charity, until it tastes sweet.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity
“We must speak to them with our hands, before, we try to speak, with our lips.”
St Peter Claver S.J. (1580-1654)
“If I’m not willing, to change my schedule, so that I can, spend time with Jesus, than I’m not really, a disciple of His.”
“If you follow Jesus, you’re going to get into some trouble!”
One Minute Marian Reflection – 23 May “Mary’s Month” Wednesday in the 7th Week of Ordinary Time Year B
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together...Acts 2:1
REFLECTION – “MARY: QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES – “If we take our Lady’s hand, she will make us realise more fully that all men are our brothers – because we are all sons of that God, whose daughter, spouse and mother she is. Our neighbours’ problems must be our problems. Christian fraternity should be something very deep in the soul, so that we are indifferent to no one. Mary, who brought up Jesus and accompanied Him through His life and is now beside Him in heaven, will help us recognise Jesus as He crosses our path and makes Himself present to us, in the needs of others.”… St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “To Jesus through Mary,” Christ is Passing By- 145. Let us offer to our Mother today: A kind word, a friendly conversation, a helping hand to persons with whom we live or work.
PRAYER – Almighty God, we offer our thanks for the great gift of the Mother of Your Divine Son, for as she was a Mother to His apostles, so still is she a Mother to us all. Grant we pray, that by her intercession, we may learn to recognise Jesus in all our neighbours and serve them as we would Him. Through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Marian thought for the Day – 21 May 2018 “Mary’s Month!” – The First Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church
“Mary Mother of the Church, Mater Ecclesiae
our new Universal Memorial today!
Blessed Pope Paul VI explicitly proclaimed Mary Mother of the Church and asked that she be honoured and invoked with this title by all the Christian people.
The title “Mother of the Church” thus reflects the deep conviction of the Christian faithful, who see in Mary not only the mother of the person of Christ but also of the faithful. She who is recognised as mother of salvation, life and grace, mother of the saved and mother of the living, is rightly proclaimed Mother of the Church.
Pope Paul VI would have liked the Second Vatican Council itself to have proclaimed “Mary Mother of the Church, that is, of the whole People of God, of the faithful and their Pastors”. He did so himself in his speech at the end of the Council’s third session (21 November 1964), also asking that “henceforth the Blessed Virgin be honoured and invoked with this title by all the Christian people” (AAS 1964, 37).
In this way, my venerable Predecessor explicitly enunciated the doctrine contained in chapter eight of Lumen gentium, hoping that the title of Mary, Mother of the Church, would have an ever more important place in the liturgy and piety of the Christian people.” – St Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)
“We need to meditate frequently on the fact that the Church is a deep, great mystery, so that we never forget it. We cannot fully understand the Church on this earth. If men, using only their reason, were to analyse it, they would see only a group of people who abide by certain precepts and think in a similar way. But that would not be the Church.
In the Church we Catholics find our faith, our norms of conduct, our prayer, our sense of fraternity. Through it we are united with all our brothers and sisters who have already left this life and are being cleansed in Purgatory—the Church suffering—and with those who already enjoy the beatific vision and love forever the thrice holy God—the Church triumphant. The Church is in our midst and at the same time transcends history. It was born under the mantle of our Lady and continues to praise her on earth and in heaven as its Mother (“The Supernatural Aim of the Church,” 28 May 1972).
If we become identified with Mary and imitate her virtues, we will be able to bring Christ to life, through grace, in the souls of many who will in turn become identified with him through the action of the Holy Spirit. If we imitate Mary, we will share in some way in her spiritual motherhood. And all this silently, like Our Lady; without being noticed, almost without words, through the true and genuine witness of our lives as Christians, and the generosity of ceaselessly repeating her fiat, which we renew as an intimate link between ourselves and God.” – St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975) – Friends of God, 281-283
“….We have spoken about Mary, about Jesus. What about us? We who are the Church? What kind of love do we bring to others? Is it the love of Jesus that shares, that forgives, that accompanies, or is it a watered-down love, like wine so diluted that it seems like water? Is it a strong love, or a love so weak that it follows the emotions, that it seeks a return, an interested love? Another question: is self-interested love pleasing to Jesus? No, it is not because love should be freely given, like His is. What are the relationships like in our parishes, in our communities? Do we treat each other like brothers and sisters? Or do we judge one another, do we speak evil of one another, do we just tend our own vegetable patch? Or do we care for one another? These are the questions of charity!
And briefly, one last aspect: Mary as the model of union with Christ. The life of the Holy Virgin was the life of a woman of her people: Mary prayed, she worked, she went to the synagogue… But every action was carried out in perfect union with Jesus. This union finds its culmination on Calvary, here Mary is united to the Son in the martyrdom of her heart and in the offering of his life to the Father for the salvation of humanity. Our Lady shared in the pain of the Son and accepted with Him the will of the Father, in that obedience that bears fruit, that grants the true victory over evil and death.
The reality Mary teaches us, is very beautiful: to always be united with Jesus. We can ask ourselves: do we remember Jesus only when something goes wrong and we are in need, or is ours a constant relation, a deep friendship, even when it means following him on the way of the Cross?
Let us ask the Lord to grant us His grace, His strength, so that the model of Mary, Mother of the Church, may be reflected in our lives and in the life of every ecclesial community. So be it!”...Pope Francis 23 October 2013
Quote/s of the Day – 21 May 2018 “Mary’s Month!” – The First Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church and the Memorial of St Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861)
“…She is clearly the Mother of his members; that is, of ourselves, because she cooperated by her charity, so that faithful Christians, members of the Head, might be born in the Church. As for the body, she is the Mother of its Head… Mary gave birth to our Head; the Church gave birth to you. Indeed, the Church also, is both virgin and mother, mother, because of her womb of charity, virgin, because of the integrity of her faith and piety.”
St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of Grace
“This celebration will help us to remember. that growth in the Christian life, must be anchored to the Mystery of the Cross, to the oblation of Christ in the Eucharistic Banquet and to the Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed, the Virgin who makes her offering to God.”
“As a caring guide to the emerging Church, Mary had already begun her mission in the Upper Room, praying with the Apostles, while awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit.”
Cardinal Robert Sarah
Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 11 February 2018, the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes. DECREE ON THE CELEBRATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCHIN THE GENERAL ROMAN CALENDAR
“We glorify God in the masterpiece of His power and love… it is the Son whom we honour in the person of His Mother.”
“To love the Church is to love Jesus Christ and vice versa.”
“Practice well among yourselves: charity, charity, charity and outside, zeal for the salvation of souls”
One Minute Marian Reflection – 21 May 2018 “Mary’s Month!” – The First Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church
And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart….Luke 2:19
REFLECTION – “MARY’S PRAYER – “Let us ask the Blessed Virgin to make us contemplatives, to teach us to recognise the constant calls from God at the door of our heart. Let us ask her now: Our Mother, you brought to earth Jesus, who reveals the love of our Father God. Help us to recognise Him in the midst of the cares of each day. Stir up our mind and will so that we may listen to the voice of God, to the calls of grace.” …St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975) – “Cause of Our Joy,” Christ is Passng By, 174. Let us offer to our Mother today: A visit to Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
PRAYER – Lord God, You bestowed the Holy Spirit on Your Apostles while they were at prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Fill us too with the gift of Your grace in the Holy Spirit, that we may live our lives both in prayer and action and grant, that by Mary’s prayer, we may give You faithful service and spread abroad the glory of Your name, by word and example. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, Your divine Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, amen.
Saint of the Day – 21 May – St Eugene de Mazenod O.M.I. (1782-1861) Priest, Bishop, Founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Evangeliser, Missionary Preacher, Apostle of the poor and marginalised – born Charles-Joseph-Eugène de Mazenod on 1 August 1782 at Aix-en-Provence, southern France and died on 21 May 1861 at Marseille, France of cancer. When his body was exhumed in 1936 it was found to be incorrupt. Patronages – refugees, missionaries, families.
Eugene de Mazenod was born into an aristocratic family, on 1 August 1782 and baptised the following day in the Église de la Madeleine in Aix-en-Provence. His father, Charles Antoine de Mazenod, was one of the Presidents of the Court of Finances and his mother was Marie Rose Joannis. Eugene began his schooling at the College Bourbon but this was interrupted by the events of the French Revolution. With the approach of the French revolutionary forces, the family was forced to flee to Italy.
St Eugene aged 5
He became a boarder at the College of Nobles in Turin but a move to Venice meant the end to formal schooling. With their money running out, Eugene’s father was forced to seek various employments, none of which were successful. His mother and sister returned to France – eventually seeking a divorce so as to be able to regain their property that had been seized. Eugene was fortunate to be welcomed by the Zinelli family in Venice. This is how it happened:
One day when Eugene was playing at the window of his house, Fr Bartolo Zinelli (1766-1803) appeared on the other side of the street and asked him, “Are you not afraid of wasting your time?” “Alas, responded Eugene, it is really awful, but what can I do? I am a foreigner here without any books available to me.” “Well, then”, replied Don Bartolo, “I am right in my library at the moment and here I have many books in Latin, Italian and French.” Having said this, he took up the stick that was used to bar the shutters and put a book on it and passed it over the narrow, approximately one and one half meter street.
After having read the book, Eugene, following the advice of his father, went to Don Bartolo’s house to thank him for this kind gesture. “Well,” said Don Bartolo, “do you see this lovely library? All of these books are available to you as well.” Then, Don Bartolo showed Eugene his study where he and his brother Don Pietro used to study and told him, “You can take the place here of my younger brother who has died.” Eugene could not contain his joy. “Well, then, you can begin tomorrow already.”
Fr Bartolo Zinelli took special care of Eugene and saw to his education in the well-provided family library where the young adolescent spent many hours each day and was a major influence in the human, academic and spiritual development of Eugene.
Once again the French army chased the émigrés from Venice, forcing Eugene and his father and two uncles to seek refuge in Naples for less than a year and, finally, to flee to Palermo in Sicily. Here Eugene was invited to become part of the household of the Duke and Duchess of Cannizaro as a companion to their two sons. Being part of the high society of Sicily became the opportunity for Eugene to rediscover his noble origins and to live a lavish style of life. He took to himself the title of ‘Comte’ (“Count”) de Mazenod, did all the courtly things and dreamed of a bright future.
Spiritual journey of conversion
At the age of twenty, Eugene returned to France and lived with his mother in Aix en Provence. Initially he enjoyed all the pleasures of Aix as a rich young nobleman, intent on the pursuit of pleasure and money – and a rich girl who would bring a good dowry. Gradually he became aware of how empty his life was and began to search for meaning in more regular church involvement, reading and personal study and charitable work among prisoners. His journey came to a climax on Good Friday, 1807 when he was 25 years old. Looking at the sight of the Cross, he had a religious experience. The sight of the oblation of Jesus on the Cross, with his arms outstretched in love, led Eugene to respond in love: “What more glorious occupation than to act in everything and for everything only for God, to love Him above all else, to love Him all the more as one who has loved Him too late.”
Priest
In 1808, he expressed his desire for dedication to Jesus the Saviour by beginning his studies for the priesthood at the Saint-Sulpice Seminary in Paris and was ordained a priest at Amiens (Picardy), on 21 December 1811. Since Napoleon had expelled the Sulpician priest from the seminary, Eugene stayed on as a formator for a semester. As a member of the Seminary, notwithstanding personal risk, Eugene committed himself to serve and assist Pope Pius VII, who at this time was a prisoner of emperor Napoleon I at Fontainebleau. In this way, he experienced at firsthand, the suffering of the post-Revolutionary Church.
On his return to Aix, Father de Mazenod asked not to be assigned to a parish but to dedicate himself fully to evangelising those who were not being touched by the structures of the local church: the poor who spoke only the Provençal language, prisoners, youth, the inhabitants of poor villages who were ignorant of their faith. His constant message was, to invite people to enter into the same experience of Jesus, that he had at his conversion. Looking at everyone and every situation through the eyes of the Saviour, he showed the poor the human and spiritual dignity that was theirs and taught them how to live in relationship with the Saviour. The goal of his priestly preaching and ministry was always to lead others to develop themselves fully as humans, then as Christians and finally to become saints.
Oblates of Mary Immaculate
On 25 January 1816, “impelled by a strong impulse from outside of himself” he invited other priests to join him in his life of total oblation to God and to the most abandoned of Provence. Initially called “Missionaries of Provence,” they dedicated themselves to evangelization through preaching parish missions in the poor villages, youth and prison ministry. In 181, a second community was established, at the Marian shrine of Notre Dame du Laus. This became the occasion for the missionaries to become a religious congregation, united through vows and the evangelical counsels. Changing their name to Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the group received papal approbation on 17 February 1826.
Foreign Missions
In 1841, Bishop Bourget of Montreal invited the Oblates to Canada. At the same time there was an outreach to the British Isles. This was the beginning of an inspiring history of missionary outreach to the most abandoned peoples in Canada, United States, Mexico, England and Ireland, Algeria, Southern Africa and Ceylon during the Founder’s lifetime. In 200 years this zeal spread and took root in the establishment of the Oblates in nearly 70 countries.
From 1837 to 1861, he was the Bishop of Marseille, in Provence (south-eastern France). During his episcopacy, he commissioned Notre-Dame de la Garde, an ornate Neo-Byzantine basilica on the south side of the old port of Marseille . He inspired local priest Joseph-Marie Timon-David to found the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Marseille in 1852.
Notre-Dame de la Garde, Marseilles
Towards the end of his life, Eugene had become very free. Faced with the prospect of the Cardinalate which had been promised and which slipped away from him because of political considerations, he had this to say: “After all, it is all the same whether one is buried in a red cassock or a purple one; the main thing is that the bishop gets to heaven”.
Shortly before his death on May 21, 1861, in keeping with his temperament, the elderly and seriously ill bishop said to those around him: “Should I happen to doze off, or if I appear to be getting worse, please wake me up! I want to die knowing that I am dying”.
His last words to the Oblates were a testament that summed up his life: “Practice well among yourselves charity, charity, charity and outside, zeal for the salvation of souls”. Saint Eugene died on Pentecost Sunday, to the prayer of the Salve Regina. It was his final salute on earth to the one he considered as the “Mother of the Mission”.
St Eugene was Beatified on 19 October 1975 by Blessed Pope Paul VI and Canonised on 3 December 1995 by Sr Pope John Paul II.
Thought for the Day – 20 May – The Solemnity of Pentecost, Alleluia!
“If the damned were asked: Why are you in Hell? they would answer: ‘ For having resisted the Holy Spirit.’ And if the saints were asked: Why are you in Heaven? they would answer: ‘For having listened to the Holy Spirit.’ When good thoughts come into our minds, it is the Holy Spirit who is visiting us. The Holy Spirit is a power. The Holy Spirit …. sustained the martyrs. Without the Holy Spirit, the martyrs would have fallen like the leaves from the trees. When the fires were lighted under them, the Holy Spirit extinguished the heat of the fire by the heat of divine love. The good God, in sending us the Holy Spirit, has treated us like a great king who should send his minister to guide one of his subjects, saying, “You will accompany this man everywhere and you will bring him back to me safe and sound.” How beautiful it is, my children, to be accompanied by the Holy Spirit! He is indeed a good Guide and to think, that there are some, who will not follow Him! The Holy Spirit is like a man with a carriage and horse, who should want to take us to Pans. We should only have to say “yes,” and to get into it. It is indeed an easy matter to say “yes”!… Well, the Holy Spirit wants to take us to Heaven; we have only to say “yes,” and to let Him take us there.“
St John Vianney (1786-1859)
“O Divine Spirit, draw us to the highest heaven where Jesus lives forever, interceding for us. Come, fill our hearts with Your fire, show us the way to the Lord that we may find Him shining with beauty and love. Amen”
My most Holy Lord and Sanctifier, If I differ at all from the world, it is because You have chosen me out of the world and have lit up the love of God, in my heart. If I differ from Your Saints, it is because I do not ask earnestly enough for Your grace and for enough of it and because I do not diligently improve what You have given me. Increase in me this grace of love, in spite of all my unworthiness. It is more precious than anything else in the world. I accept it in place of all the world can give me. O give it to me! It is my life. Come Holy Spirit, Come! Amen
Quote/s of the Day – 20 May – The Solemnity of Pentecost, Alleluia!
“A fiery sword, barred of old, the gates of Paradise, a fiery tongue, which brought salvation, restored the gift.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Doctor of the Church (Catechetical Lectures: Lecture 17 no. 15)
“O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there, Your cheerful beams.”
St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of Grace
“A soul, that possesses the Holy Spirit, tastes such sweetness, in prayer, that it finds the time, always too short, it never loses, the holy presence of God.”
“The Holy Spirit forms thoughts and suggests words, in the hearts of the just.”
“The Holy Spirit is like a gardener, cultivating our souls.”
St John Vianney (1786-1859)
“Pentecost is the moment when a heart of stone is shattered and a heart of flesh takes its place.”
Fr Raneiro Cantalamessa (Preacher to the Papal Household)
O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy creatures…Psalm 104:24
REFLECTION – “…the Holy Spirit who came down on the Apostles is the same Spirit who fashioned the world. Pentecost should also be for us a festival of thanksgiving for creation, a cause for reflection on the creative Reason, who is is also manifested in the beauty of the world, as a creative Love.”…Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) 1985
PRAYER – Lord God, pour out the gifts of the Holy Spirit on all mankind and fulfil now, in the hearts of Your faithful, what You accomplished at the beginning of the world, every second of every day and when the Gospel was first preached on earth. Come, O Holy Spirit, come! We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Marian Thought for the Day – 19 May “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
Mary is the “Vas Insigne Devotionis,” The Most Devout Virgin
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
TO be devout is to be devoted. We know what is meant by a devoted wife or daughter. It is one, whose thoughts centre in the person so deeply loved, so tenderly cherished.,, She follows Him about with her eyes; she is ever seeking some means of serving Him and, if her services are very small in their character, that only shows, how intimate they are and how incessant. And especially if the object of her love be weak, or in pain, or near to die, still more intensely does she live in His life and know nothing but Him.
This intense devotion towards our Lord, forgetting self in love for Him, is instanced in St Paul, who says. “I know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” And again, “I live, [yet] now not I, but Christ lives in me; and [the life] that I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself for me.”
But great as was St Paul’s devotion to our Lord, much greater was that of the Blessed Virgin, because she was His Mother and because she had Him and all His sufferings actually before her eyes and because she had the long intimacy, of thirty years with Him and because she was from her special sanctity, so ineffably near to Him in spirit. When, then, He was mocked, bruised, scourged and nailed to the Cross, she felt as keenly as if every indignity and torture inflicted on Him, was struck at herself. She could have cried out in agony at every pang of His.
This is called her compassion, or her suffering with her Son and it arose from this that she was the “Vas insigne devotionis.”
Mary, “Vas Insigne Devotionis,” The Most Devout Virgin
One Minute Marian Reflection – 19 May “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”…John 2:3
REFLECTION – “MARY: HER FAITH – “If our faith is weak, we should turn to Mary. St John tells us, that it was because of the miracle that Christ performed, at his mother ‘s request, at the marriage feast at Cana, that ‘his disciples learned to believe in him.’ Our Mother is always interceding with her Son, so that he may attend to our needs and show Himself to us, in such a way, that we can cry out, ‘You are the Son of God!'”...St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 285 Let us offer to our Mother today: The “Memorare” for the person in our family who most needs the help of our Lady.
PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, Your ways are not our ways, teach us to willingly agree to them, for You know which way we should go. Help us to say “yes” always to Your plan and to render ourselves, as a sacrament of Your divine love to all we meet. Fill us with the grace to be your tools, to bring glory to Your kingdom. Our Father, who art in heaven, may Your Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Mary Mother of God, pray for us! Through our Our Lord Jesus Christ with You, in the union of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Marian Thought for the Day – 18 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
Mary is the “Regina Martyrum,” the Queen of Martyrs
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
WHY is she so called?—she who never had any blow, or wound, or other injury to her consecrated person. How can she be exalted over those whose bodies suffered the most ruthless violences and the keenest torments for our Lord’s sake? She is, indeed, Queen of all Saints, of those who “walk with Christ in white, for they are worthy” but how of those “who were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held?”
To answer this question, it must be recollected that the pains of the soul may be as fierce as those of the body. Bad men who are now in hell and the elect of God who are in purgatory, are suffering only in their souls, for their bodies are still in the dust. Yet how severe is that suffering! And perhaps most people who have lived long, can bear witness in their own persons, to a sharpness of distress, which was like a sword cutting them, to a weight and force of sorrow which seemed to throw them down, though bodily pain there was none.
What an overwhelming horror it must have been, for the Blessed Mary, to witness the Passion and the Crucifixion of her Son! Her anguish was, as Holy Simeon had announced to her, at the time of that Son’s Presentation in the Temple, a sword piercing her soul. If our Lord Himself could not bear the prospect of what was before Him and was covered in the thought of it with a bloody sweat, His soul thus acting upon His body, does not this show how great mental pain can be? and would it have been wonderful though, if Mary’s head and heart, had given way as she stood under His Cross?
Quote of the Day – 18 May – Friday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Felix of Cantalice O.F.M. Cap.(1515-1587) “Brother Deo Gratias”
“Deo Gratias” “Thank God”
St Felix of Cantalice (1515-1587)
“Brother Deo Gratias”
One Minute Marian Reflection – 18 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
“…and you yourself a sword will pierce...” Luke 2:35
REFLECTION – “MARY: THE CO-REDEMPTRIX – “It is with good reason that the popes have called Mary co-redemptrix. ‘So fully, in union with her suffering and dying Son, did she suffer and nearly die; so fully, for the sake of the salvation of all souls, did she abdicate the rights of a mother over her Son and immolate him, insofar as it was in her power, to satisfy the justice of God, that it can rightly be said that she redeemed mankind together with Christ.’ This gives us a deeper understanding of that moment in the Passion of our Lord on which we shall never tire of meditating: Stabat autem iuxta crucem Iesu mater eius, ‘There, standing by the cross of Jesus, was his mother.'”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) – “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 287. Let us offer to our Mother today: Five small hidden sacrifices in honour of the five major wounds of our Lord.
PRAYER – Lord God, in Your wisdom You gave us Your only begotten Son and His Mother to be ours too! You gave us both Your only Divine Son to save us from our sins and His Mother, to help us become Your perfect children. Penetrate our inmost being with Your holy light, so that our way of life may always be worthy of Your great love and the sacrifice of Your Son and His Mother. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Marian Thought for the Day – 17 May “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
Mary is the “Mater Salvatoris,” the Mother of the Saviour
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
HERE again, as in our reflections of yesterday, we must understand what is meant, by calling our Lord a Saviour, in order to understand why it is used, to form one of the titles given to Mary in her Litany.
The special name by which our Lord was known before His coming was, as we found yesterday, that of Messias, or Christ. Thus He was known to the Jews. But when He actually showed Himself on earth, He was known by three new titles, the Son of God, the Son of Man and the Saviour; the first expressive of His Divine Nature, the second of His Human, the third of His Personal Office. Thus the Angel who appeared to Mary, called Him the Son of God; the angel who appeared to Joseph called Him Jesus, which means in English, Saviour; and so the Angels, too, called Him a Saviour when they appeared to the shepherds. But He Himself specially calls Himself the Son of Man.
Not Angels only, call Him Saviour but those two greatest of the Apostles, St Peter and St Paul, in their first preachings. St Peter says He is “a Prince and a Saviour” and St Paul says, “a Saviour, Jesus.” And both Angels and Apostles tell us why He is so called—because He has rescued us from the power of the evil spirit and from the guilt and misery of our sins. Thus the Angel says to Joseph, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins;” and St Peter, “God has exalted Him to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins.” And He says Himself, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.”
Now let us consider how this affects our thoughts of Mary. To rescue slaves from the power of the Enemy implies a conflict. Our Lord, because He was a Saviour, was a warrior. He could not deliver the captives without a fight, nor without personal suffering. Now, who are they who especially hate wars? A heathen poet answers. “Wars,” he says, “are hated by Mothers.” Mothers are just those who especially suffer in a war. They may glory in the honour gained by their children but still such glorying, does not wipe out, one particle of the long pain, the anxiety, the suspense, the desolation and the anguish which the mother of a soldier feels. So it was with Mary.
For thirty years she was blessed with the continual presence of her Son—nay, she had Him in subjection. But the time came when that war called for Him, for which He had come upon earth. Certainly He came, not simply to be the Son of Mary but to be the Saviour of Man and, therefore, at length He parted from her. She knew then, what it was to be the mother of a soldier. He left her side; she saw Him no longer, she tried in vain to get near Him. He had for years lived in her embrace and after that, at least in her dwelling—but now, in His own words, “The Son of Man had not where to lay His head.”
And then, when years had run out, she heard of His arrest, His mock trial and His passion. At last she got near Him—when and where?—on the way to Calvary and when He had been lifted upon the Cross. And at length she held Him again in her arms, yes—when He was dead. True, He rose from the dead but still she did not thereby gain Him, for He ascended on high and she did not at once follow Him. No, she remained on earth many years—in the care, indeed, of His dearest Apostle, St John. But what was even the holiest of men, compared with her own Son and Him the Son of God?
O Holy Mary, Mother of our Saviour, in this meditation we have now suddenly passed from the Joyful Mysteries to the Sorrowful, from Gabriel’s Annunciation to thee, to the Seven Dolours. That, then, will be the next series of Meditations which we make about thee.
Quote/s of the Day – 17 May – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Paschal Baylon O.F.M. (1540-1592)
“God is as really present in the consecrated Host as He is in the glory of Heaven”
“There is no more efficacious means than this (Eucharistic Adoration) for nourishing and increasing the piety of the people toward this admirable pledge of love which is a bond of peace and of unity.
Marian Thought for the Day – 16 May “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Simon Stock (1165-1265)
The brown Scapular of the Carmelite Order has gained considerable popularity and use among those devoted to the Blessed Mother. The following prayer, addressed to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, prays for her continued protection and grace for those who wear the scapular:
Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
O all-blessed, immaculate Virgin,
ornament and glory of Mount Carmel,
you who looks, with most gracious countenance,
on those who have been clothed,
with your venerable livery,
look kindly also on me
and take me under the mantle
of your maternal protection.
Strengthen my weakness with your might;
enlighten the darkness of my heart,
with your wisdom;
increase in me,
the virtues of faith, hope and charity.
So adorn my soul with graces
and virtue of our God,
by your prayers,
that it may always be dear
to your divine Son
and to you.
Assist me during life,
comfort me in death
with your most sweet presence
and present me as your child
and faithful servant,
to the most Holy Trinity,
that I may be enabled to praise
and extol you in heaven forever.
Amen
In 1322, Pope John XXII issued a document known as a Papal Bull in which he included a promise from Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In his document, the Pope revealed that he had received an apparition of Our Blessed Mother, during which she made a promise to all mankind.
Her “Sabbatine Privilege” was as follows:
“on the First Saturday after the death of one of the faithful, Our Blessed Mother would free from Purgatory her Scapular children who have fulfilled certain conditions. She stated to Pope John XXII: “I, the Mother of Graces, shall descend on the Saturday after their death, and as many as I find in Purgatory I shall free.”
The Church has since formalised the Sabbatine Privilege, based on this revelation. Containing three conditions, those who follow and practice true devotion, will be released from Purgatory by Our Lady’s intercession on the Saturday after their death. As set forth by the Church, the three conditions include:
1)Wear the brown scapular devoutly, once you’ve been enrolled in the Scapular Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel;
2) Observe chastity according to your state in life;
3) Recite daily the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Given the length of this beautiful prayer, with permission of a priest you can substitute five decades of the rosary, abstinence from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays or another approved good work).
His Holiness, Pope Pius XII, wrote concerning the Sabbatine Privilege,“Certainly, this most gentle Mother will not delay to open as soon as possible, through Her intercession with God, the gates of Heaven for children expiating their faults in Purgatory.”
Once one has been enrolled in the Scapular Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel, one shares in the daily prayers and other spiritual benefits of the Carmelite Order. Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s scapular promise of salvation to Saint Simon Stock and the Carmelites applies to the enrollee as well! http://ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/confraternities
The short form of the investiture is as follows:
Receive this Scapular, a sign of your special relationship with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, whom you pledge to imitate. May it be a reminder to you of your dignity as a Christian, in serving others and imitating Mary. Wear it as a sign of her protection and of belonging to the Family of Carmel, voluntarily doing the will of God and devoting yourself to building a world true to His plan of community, justice and peace.
Many popes and other religious figures over the centuries have extolled the virtues of the brown scapular devotion. Pope Pius XII went so far as to say: “The Scapular is a practice of piety which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone, and has spread widely among the faithful of Christ to their spiritual profit.”More recently, Pope Paul VI said: “Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin … the Rosary and the Scapular of Carmel.”Still, they caution that, although our Lady of Mount Carmel promised that the scapular would protect us from eternal fire, wearing it in itself doesn’t guarantee our salvation.
The scapular is not to be worn as a substitute for leading a devout life of love and obedience to our Lord. The Most Reveren. Kilian Lynch, former prior general of the Carmelite Order, warned that the scapular was not “endowed with some kind of supernatural power which will save us no matter what we do or how much we sin.”He said, “Fidelity to the commandments is required by those seeking ‘the special love and protection of Our Lady.”
The immeasurable benefits of the Scapular result from the fact that the wearing of “the armour of Mary” is not merely an external act of devotion– it is a sign of our internal consecration to the Immaculate Virgin. The scapular recommends us to her endless grace and generosity. At Fatima in 1917, the Mother of God encouraged all people to consecrate themselves to Her Immaculate Heart. And in the final Fatima vision on 13 October, the Blessed Virgin appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, wearing the robes of the Carmelite Order, holding aloft the Brown Scapular. On that occasion, Our Blessed Mother reminded us that the devoted living of the Brown Scapular consecration, paired with daily prayer of the Holy Rosary, is a necessary part of the amendment of life– the random of a sinful world– for which she so earnestly pleaded.
Pope Pius XII stressed this important truth: “May the Scapular be a sign to them (all who wear it) of their consecration to the Most Pure Heart of the Immaculate Virgin.” In wearing the brown scapular devoutly, in living in love and obedience to God, we join our hearts to Mary’s and thus, to her divine Son’s Sacred Heart as well!
Father, You called St Simon Stock to serve You in the brotherhood of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Through his prayers, help us like him, to live in Your presence and to work for man’s salvation. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen
One Minute Marian Reflection – 16 May “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Simon Stock (1165-1265)
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother…John 19:25
REFLECTION – MARY: AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS – “We find her on Calvary, at the foot of the cross, praying. This is nothing new for Mary. She has always acted like this, in fulfilling her duties and looking after her home. As she went about the things of this earth, she kept her attention on God.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “A Life of Prayer,” Friends of God, 241. Let us offer to our Mother today: An act of contrition, said many times, asking her to offer our sorrow for our sins to Jesus crucified.
PRAYER – Almighty God, grant that Your faithful who rejoice in the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may be delivered from every evil through her prayer and come to enduring joys in heaven. May we, ever fulfil our duties and offer all our sufferings for the reparation of our own sins and those of all the world. Mary, holy loving Mother, pray for us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Marian Thought for the Day -15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
Mary is the “Mater Christi,” the Mother of Christ
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
EACH of the titles of Mary has its own special meaning and drift and may be made the subject of a distinct meditation. She is invoked by us as the Mother of Christ. What is the force of thus addressing her? It is to bring before us that she it is whom from the first was prophesied of and associated with, the hopes and prayers of all holy men, of all true worshippers of God, of all who “looked for the redemption of Israel” in every age before that redemption came.
Our Lord was called the Christ, or the Messias, by the Jewish prophets and the Jewish people. The two words Christ and Messias mean the same. They mean in English, the “Anointed.” In the old time there were three great ministries or offices by means of which, God spoke to His chosen people, the Israelites, or, as they were afterward called, the Jews, viz., that of Priest, that of King and that of Prophet. Those who were chosen by God for one or other of these offices, were solemnly anointed with oil—oil signifying the grace of God, which was given to them for the due performance of their high duties. But our Lord was all three, a Priest, a Prophet and a King—a Priest, because He offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins; a Prophet, because He revealed to us the Holy Law of God; and a King, because He rules over us. Thus He is the one true Christ.
It was in expectation of this great Messias that the chosen people, the Jews, or Israelites, or Hebrews (for these are different names for the same people), looked out from age to age. He was to come to set all things right. And next to this great question which occupied their minds, namely, When was He to come, was the question, Who was to be His Mother? It had been told them from the first, not that He should come from heaven but that He should be born of a Woman. At the time of the fall of Adam, God had said, that the seed of the Woman, should bruise the Serpent’s head. Who, then, was to be that Woman thus significantly pointed out to the fallen race of Adam? At the end of many centuries, it was further revealed to the Jews that the great Messias, or Christ, the seed of the Woman, should be born of their race and of one particular tribe, of the twelve tribes, into which that race was divided. From that time every woman of that tribe hoped to have the great privilege of herself, being the Mother of the Messias, or Christ; for it stood to reason, since He was so great, the Mother must be great and good and blessed too. Hence it was, among other reasons, that they thought so highly of the marriage state, because, not knowing the mystery of the miraculous conception of the Christ, when He was actually to come, they thought that the marriage rite was the ordinance necessary for His coming.
Hence it was, if Mary had been as other women, she would have longed for marriage, as opening on her the prospect of bearing the great King. But she was too humble and too pure for such thoughts. She had been inspired to choose that better way of serving God, which had not been made known to the Jews—the state of Virginity. She preferred to be His Spouse, to being His Mother. Accordingly, when the Angel Gabriel announced to her, her high destiny, she shrank from it, till she was assured, that it would not oblige her, to revoke her purpose, of a virgin life devoted to her God.
Thus was it that she became the Mother of the Christ, not in that way, which pious women for so many ages had expected Him but, declining the grace of such maternity, she gained it by means of a higher grace. And this is the full meaning of St Elizabeth’s words, when the Blessed Virgin came to visit her, which we use in the Hail Mary: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” And, therefore, it is that, in the Devotion called the “Crown of Twelve Stars” we give praise to God, the Holy Ghost, through whom she was both, Virgin and Mother.
Quote/s of the Day – 15 May – Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
“Speaking of : The Holy Spirit
“Come O Holy Spirit, Come!” Pope Francis
“Let us be guided by the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to speak to our hearts and He will tell us this: God is Love!”
“Submit to the Holy Spirit which comes from within and He will lead you on the path to Holiness.”
“The Holy Spirit upsets us because He moves us, makes us walk, pushes the Church forward.”
“Let us renew each day our trust in the workings of the Holy Spirit and open our hearts to His inspiration.”
“The Holy Spirit gives us Joy! He is the author and creator of Joy.”
“Through the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son come to dwell in us, do we live in God and of God, is our life really animated by God? How many things do I put before God?”
“The truth of Christ, that the Holy Spirit teaches us and gives us, always and forever, involves our daily lives. Let us invoke Him more often, to guide us on the path of Christ’s disciples.”
“Holy Spirit may my heart be open to the Word of God, may my heart be open to good, may my heart be open to the beauty of God, every day.”
AnaStpaul 
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