Category: CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 27 May – O Mother and Handmaid of God By St Methodius

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Our Morning Offering – 27 May – “Mary’s Month” Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

O Mother and Handmaid of God
By St Methodius (c 815 – 885)
(Brother of St Cyril)

Your name, O Mother of God,
is replete with all graces and Divine blessings.
You have contained Him who cannot be contained,
and nourished Him who nourishes all creatures.
He who fills heaven and earth
and is the Lord of all,
was pleased to be in need of you,
for it was you who clothed Him with that flesh
which He did not have before.
Rejoice, then, O Mother and Handmaid of God!
Rejoice, because you have made Him a debtor
who gives being to all creatures.
We are all debtors to God
but He is a debtor to you.
That is why, O most holy Mother of God,
you possess more goodness
and greater charity, than all the other Saints
and have freer access to God than any of them,
for you are His Mother.
Be mindful of us, we beg you, in our miseries,
for we celebrate your glories
and know how great is your goodness.
Amen

o-mother-and-handmaid-of-god-st-methodius-23-may-2018 and brightened for 27 may 2020

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., QUEENSHIP of MARY, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Thoughts of Mary – 26 May – Mary, Mother and Queen

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Thoughts of Mary – 26 May – “Mary’s Month”

Mary, Mother and Queen
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“We crown you, together with your divine Son, O Mother, we crown you as our Queen and may the golden crown that encircles your brow, glow as a sign of the highest holiness to which a human creature may rise, as an “ornament of honour that surpasses all other dignity and merit in the Church, both militant and triumphant and, finally, as a symbol of your most powerful intercession with your Son, for our needs.   These are the individual needs of everyone of us and of our families…”

The crown is of purest gold, like the hearts of your children who offer it to you:  ” … a crown of gold upon her head.”

We beg you for two special graces – peace of mind and the spirit of peace in our families, in our parishes and in this Diocese, which loves and honour you, peace in our own blessed land and in all her endeavours to achieve the loftiest ideals of human and social life in the light of the Gospel and in faithfulness to the teaching of the apostles, today, yesterday and always, the shining beacon of truth, justice and true Christian brother hood.

Ah, my brothers!   I speak of true Christian brotherhood and, after peace, this is the second grace for which I intend to pray and for which, I ask you all to pray to Jesus …. under the auspices and with the help of the prayers of our newly crowned Queen.”mary our queen and mother - st john XXIII 26 may 2020

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Thought for the Day – 26 May – Solitude

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Thought for the Day – 26 May – “Mary’s Month” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Solitude

“A man who has no love for solitude, does not love God.
It can easily happen that worldly objects dazzle the mind and enchant the heart, so that anyone who is greatly occupied with them, does not see or experience God in any way.
A man who talks a lot with other men, rarely speaks with God.
God’s voice is heard in silence and in solitude and we must listen for it if we wish to have any ease of conversation with Him.
It is fatal to allow ourselves to be deafened by the noise of the world and never to listen for the voice of God, which speaks within us.

Only those who have been called to a higher vocation, can live in a cloister but a little solitude is necessary for everybody from time to time.
It maybe a course in the Spiritual Exercises, or a monthly day of recollection, or a quarter of an hour spent everyday in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
In those moments of detachment from the world and of intimacy with God, we can enjoy conditions far above any which can be found on earth.
Such moments can be the beginning of a new life.
The Holy Spirit incites us through the prophet Osee, to find these necessary intervals for silence and prayer:  “I will allure her and will lead her into the wilderness and I will speak to her heart” (Osee 2:14).
Jesus set the standard for us, when He spent forty days alone in the desert, fasting and praying.
Even though the Apostles were engaged in public missionary activity, He was anxious that they should retire from it for a while, in order to refresh themselves spiritually. “Come apart into a desert place,” He said “and rest a while” (Mk 6:31).
St Bernard wrote that silence and peace far away from the noise of the world, helped the soul to meditate on God and on spiritual matters (Epist 73).
“Solitude is Heaven to me,” (Epist 4 ad Rust) said St Jerome.

The Blessed Virgin also took refuge from distraction and loved the solitude of her home in Nazareth, where the Angel first announced to her, that she was to be the Mother of God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

solitude bacci 26 may 2020

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 26 May – Mary, I Love You By St Philip Neri

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Our Morning Offering – 26 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter and The Memorial of St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

Mary, I Love You
By St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

Mary, I love you.
Mary, make me live in God,
with God and for God.
Draw me after you, holy mother.
O Mary, may your children persevere in loving you.
Mary, Mother of God and Mother of mercy,
pray for me and for the departed.
Mary, holy Mother of God, be our helper.
In every difficulty and distress,
come to our aid, O Mary.
O Queen of Heaven,
lead us to eternal life with God.
Mother of God, remember me,
and help me always to remember you.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
Pray for us,
O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray to Jesus for me.
Amen

mary i love you by st philip neri 26 may 2020

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Thoughts of Mary – 25 May – Queen of the World

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Thoughts of Mary – 25 May – “Mary’s Month”

Queen of the World
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“An eloquent passage written by St Peter Canisius, as a commentary on the Gospel of St Luke, contains these admirable reflections: “Oh blessed day that saw the humble Handmaid of the Lord raised and borne aloft to such great glory, made Queen of Heaven and Mistress of the world! She could rise no higher than this, being destined to reign in glory by the side of Christ, enthroned in the Kingdom of the blessed.”

…. This is one of the characteristic conceptions of the Christian faith.
When we think of the Mother, we know we are all brothers of the Son;  we know that the Spirit, the divinity of our Brother, passes mysteriously into us and enables us to understand these hidden and wonderful truths, with the help of the sublime and magnificent indications of the sacred liturgy.

We must, therefore, try in every way we can, to foster these feelings in ourselves and make them more profound, ever adding new warmth to our love for Mary.
This helps us to love our Lord Jesus Christ, the beginning, the continuation and the end of all and, also, to love His Gospel and His Church.

Everything must always be placed in the light of this supernatural doctrine and under the protection of the Mother of God, who, having risen to eternal glory, has not withdrawn herself from us and does not lose sight of us.
She is always willing and anxious to listen to our prayers and receive the trustful petitions we offer to her, with profound humility, so that she may present them to her Son.”

she is always willing and anxious to listen to our prayers - st john XXIII - queen of the world 25 may 2020

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Thought for the Day – 25 May – Living in the Presence of God

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Thought for the Day – 25 May – “Mary’s Month” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Living in the Presence of God

“The ability to live always in the presence of God, is the foundation of the spiritual life.
It is an unquestionable fact, that we are always i the presence of God.
“In Him, we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
But, we must be aware of this divine presence.
If we really live all the time in the presence of God, we shall be able to avoid sin, practise virtue and enjoy God’s close friendship.
How can we offend God, our Creator, Redeemer and Judge, if we remember that we are being watched by Him?
“If we reflect on the presence of God,” says St Thomas Aquinas, “we shall hardly ever sin” (Opusc 58:2).
“If we keep ourselves always in the presence of God,” writes St John Chrysostom, “we shall think no evil, say no evil and do no evil” (Hom 8 ad Phil 2).

When we are always aware of God’s presence and realise that He is absolute truth, goodness and beauty, we shall be moved to love and imitate Him.
“Walk in my presence and be perfect” (Gen 17:1).
Because God is our only true good, we shall try, by every means in our power, to live close to Him and to offer Him all the thoughts, desires and actions of our day.
The rare moments of formal prayer will not be enough for us then but, we shall long to be in constant communication with God.

When boiling water is moved away from the fire, it gradually loses it’s heat.
It is the same with us, St John Chrysostom remarked, when we move away from our awareness of God.   We must live in His presence all the time and must check ourselves immediately, if we notice that we are slipping away from this ideal.

My dear Mother Mary, you who lived in the intimate presence of God, obtain for me also this great grace, so that I may avoid sin, do good and love God upon earth, in the hope of enjoying Him forever in Heaven.  Amen.“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

 

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Our Morning Offering – 25 May – Salve Regina by Bl Herman the Cripple (1013–1054)

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Our Morning Offering – 25 May – “Mary’s Month” – Monday of the Seventh week of Easter

Salve Regina
Hail Holy Queen
By Blessed Herman the Cripple (1013–1054)
His Memorial is on 25 September

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy
Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
Poor banished children of Eve,
To thee do we send up our sighs,
Mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
Thine eyes of mercy toward us
And after this our exile,
Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus

This line by St Bernard (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

℣ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
℟ that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.
Amen

salve regina hail holy queen - by bl herman the cripple 25 sept 2019

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Thoughts of Mary – 24 May – The Light Comes from the Altar

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Thoughts of Mary – 24 May – “Mary’s Month”

The Light Comes from the Altar
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“When He ascended into Heaven, the majestic flow of the Blood of Jesus did not cease on this earth;  it still flows in a ever-widening stream through untold centuries of grace – the vision which began with the Immaculate Conception, ends in the Blessed Sacrament!

In this way, one mystery corresponds to the other, the one illuminates, completes and confirms the other.
From the Eucharist, back to the Passion, from the Passion to the public life and, further back, to the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth, from this hidden life to His Birth – from far beyond the Annunciation to the heights of the [Immaculate] Conception and back to us again – it is a continual rising re-descending, unutterable, divine.
Because of this, we see Mary Immaculate present at every Mass and in every Communion.
The light of the Immaculate which streams upon us comes from the Altar, from the Tabernacle and, in the same way, when we draw near to the Altar and the Tabernacle, it is almost as if we hear Mary’s voice inviting us:  “Eat, O friends and drink, drink deeply, O lovers” (Song 5:1).

This, my brothers, is the doctrine.
On this foundation is built the reality, the great and thrilling reality which re-assumes so fully, in all ages, the best Christian piety of the whole world.

In fact, when persecution rages, the Christians draw strength to resist and to extend their conquering apostolate and, if need be, even to die, from the Bread of the strong, from the inebriating Chalice offered over the tombs of martyrs in our ancient cemeteries, under the kind eyes of Mary, whose roughly drawn images smiles among the symbols and ornaments of primitive Christian art.”from the eucharist back to the passion - the light comes from the altar st john XXIII 24 may 2020

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Thought for the Day – 24 May – The Recollection of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 24 May – “Mary’s Month” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Recollection of Mary

“It is believed that when the Angel Gabriel visited the Blessed Virgin in order to tell her that she was to be the Mother of God, she was in a quiet corner of her home, absorbed in prayer.
She had no love for the noise and confusion of the world but preferred to be recollected in the company of God.
This was to be the pattern of her whole life.
In the midst of her domestic duties, on her journey to St Elizabeth and on her travels in Galilee and Judea, in the wake of her divine Son, her mind and heart were always concentrated on God.

Interior recollection is a wonderful thing.
It helps us to hear God’s voice more clearly.
It keeps us removed from the temptations of the world and assists us in sanctifying every moment of our lives.

“The cell continually dwelt in growth sweet,” (Bk 1, C 20:5) says The Imitation of Christ and goes onto ask:  “What can thou see elsewhere that thou does not see here?   Behold the heavens and the earth and all the elements, for out of these are all things made” (Ibid C 20:8).
“As often as I have been amongst men,” it exclaims, “I have returned less a man” (Ibid C 20:2).
When we move around chattering with different people, we have lost something of ourselves by the time we return home.
Perhaps we have wasted a good deal of time in useless conversation or, worse still, have seen or heard unpleasant or disturbing things.
When we go about in the world, we do not often see much that is edifying or instructive and rarely meet people whose conversation does us good.
For this reason, even when we cannot remain apart, we should carry in ourselves, as Mary did, a spirit of interior recollection and communication with God.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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One Minute Reflection – 24 May – With Jesus, to the Father

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One Minute Reflection – 24 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Seventh Sunday of Easter, Readings: Acts 1:12-14, 1 Peter 4:13-16, Psalm 27(26):1.4.7-8a, John 17:1-11 and the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians

“Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” … John 17:11

REFLECTION – “In this seeking after God, the principle of our holiness, we cannot find a better model than Christ Jesus Himself.   But, you will at once say, how is this?   Can Christ be our model?   How could He “seek God” since He was God Himself?   It is true that Jesus is God, true God come forth from God, Light arising from the uncreated Light, Son of the living God, equal to the Father (cf. Creed of the Mass).   But, He is likewise man, He is authentically one of us through His human nature. …   And we see Christ Jesus, like a giant, rejoice to run the way in the pursuit of the glory of His Father.   This is His primal disposition.

Let us hear how, in the Gospel, He clearly tells us so:  “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” (Jn 5:30).   To the Jews, He proves that He comes from God, that His doctrine is divine, because He seeks the glory of Him that sent Him (cf. Jn 7:18).   He seeks it to such a degree, that He has no solicitude for His own (cf. Jn 8:50).   He has ever these words upon His lips: “My Father,” His whole life is but the magnificent echo of this cry:  “Abba, Father!”   All for Him is summed up in seeking the will and the glory of His Father.   And what constancy in this search!   He Himself declares to us that He never deviated from it:   “I do always the things that please [my Father]” (cf. Jn 8:29).   At the supreme hour of His last farewell, at the moment when about to deliver Himself up to death, He tells us, that all the mission He had received from His Father was accomplished (cf. Jn 17:4). …

If, as God, Jesus is the term of our seeking, as Man, He is the unique Exemplar, wherefrom we ought never to turn our gaze.” … Bl Columba Marmion (1858-1923) Abbot – To seek God (Christ, the Ideal of the Monk)

john 17 11 holy father, keep them in your name - if as god jesus is the term of our seeking, as man he is the unique Exemplar - bl columba marmion 24 may 2020

PRAYER – Since it is from You, God our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, grant us to seek You and to to find You in Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.,, May our whole being become a copy of Your Son’s obedience and thus follow Him to You in our eternal heritage.   We entreat Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Help of Christians to offer her prayers to You to strengthen us in our trials.   Through Christ, Our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.

our lady help of christians pray for us 24 may 2020

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Thoughts of Mary – 23 May – Our Striving After Perfection With Our Mother’s Help

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Thoughts of Mary – 23 May – “Mary’s Month”

Our Striving After Perfection With Our Mother’s Help
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“To have a special devotion to Mary, means, that we are trying to perfect our own spiritual lives, in imitation of our heavenly Mother and with the help of her grace.
In this effort, which we must all make, we must strive to obtain purity and be constant in our search for what is best and in our endeavour to improve our conduct.
We must find the sure and decisive way of attaining the bright goal of our desires, with the sure hope of finally sharing, with Mary, in the joy of Jesus Christ, the fountain of eternal life.

We turn to you, O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother too.
How could we, with trembling hearts, concern ourselves with the greatest problem of all, that of life and death, now overshadowing all mankind, without trusting ourselves to your intercession to preserve us from all dangers?

This is your hour, O Mary, Our Blessed Jesus entrusted us to you in the final hour of His bloody Sacrifice.
We are sure that you will intervene.

And now, indeed, we beseech you for peace, O most sweet Mother and Queen of the world.
The world does not need victorious wars or defeated peoples but renewed and strengthened health of mind and peace, which brings prosperity and tranquillity;  this is what it needs and what it is crying out for – the beginning of salvation and lasting peace. Amen, Amen.”we turn to you o blessed virgin mary - st john XXIII 23 may 2020

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Thought for the Day – 23 May – Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth

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Thought for the Day – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth

“Towards the close of his life, St Paul wrote to his well-beloved disciple, St Timothy:  “As for me, I am already being poured out in sacrifice and the time of my deliverance is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.   For the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the just judge, will give to me in that day;  yet, not to me only but, also to those who love his coming” (2 Tim 4:6-8).

After all his apostolic labours and difficulties and, after a lifetime of boundless love, St Paul could confidently say, that he would receive the crown which he had earned.
When the Blessed Virgin came to the end of her earthly pilgrimage, during which she had lovingly worked and suffered so much for Jesus, she could have expected, with even greater certainty, to receive the crown of glory, which she had merited.
She was the noblest and holiest of creatures, because, she was the Mother of the eternal Word of God made man.
Therefore, her reward had to be greater than that of any other creature.
She was the Mother of the King of Angels and of Saints, of Heaven and earth.
As such, it was her place to rule over them all.
Seated at the right hand of her divine Son, she has glory and power, which none other could possess.
The Church, therefore, invokes her under the title of Queen of Angels and of Saints, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Virgins, of Confessors and of Martyrs, Queen of Heaven and of earth.
When our Holy Father, Pius XII, solemnly proclaimed her Queenship, in the year 1954, he was only giving voice to the general consensus of tradition, of the Liturgy and of the belief of all the faithful (Cf Encyclical, Ad Coeli Reginum, 11 Oct 1954).

It should be very encouraging to all of us to know that we have so powerful a Queen in Heaven, whose privilege it is, to dispense God’s graces.
She has crushed the poisonous head of Satan.
Now, she is able and eager to help us, her loyal sons and servants, to resist temptation, to frustrate the schemes of our deadly enemy and to perfect ourselves in virtue. Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

mary queen of heaven and earth -bacci 23 may 2020

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Our Morning Offering – 23 May – Mother of my God and my Lady Mary – St Alphonsus

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Our Morning Offering – 23 May – “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Mother of my God and my Lady Mary
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Mother of my God and my Lady Mary,
as a beggar, all wounded and sore,
presents himself before a great Queen,
so do I present myself before you,
who are Queen of heaven and earth.
From the lofty throne on which you sit,
disdain not, I implore you,
to cast your eyes on me, a poor sinner.
God has made you so rich
that you might assist the poor
and has made you Queen of Mercy
in order that you might relieve the miserable.
Behold me then and pity me,
behold me and abandon me not,
until you see me changed
from a sinner into a saint.
Amen

mother of my god and my lady mary - st alphonsus - 19 may 2018 REDONE FOR 23 MAY 2020

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Thoughts of Mary – 22 May – Our Love For Mary

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Thoughts of Mary – 22 May – “Mary’s Month”

Our Love For Mary
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

All the world knows the Gospel story of the Lord’s last testament in which, at the supreme moment of death, He left His mother to the world, as the universal Mother of all who believe in Him, follow His commandments and form His Church, one, holy, Catholic and apostolic.
He, John, who is the witness and heir of this testament, takes care to add, that from that moment “the disciple took her to his own home” (John 19:26-27).

This welcoming of the Mother of Jesus as our Mother, is characteristic of the moving and glorious history of the Church’s continual devotion to Mary.
Ever Altar, every Chapel, every Church built in honour of the Mother of God, anywhere in the world, testifies to the historic fidelity of the Church’s children to the example of the beloved disciple.

Holy Immaculate Mary,
help of all who are in trouble.
Give courage to the faint-hearted,
console the sad,
heal the infirm,
pray for the people,
intercede for the clergy,
have a special care for nuns.
May all feel,
all enjoy your kind
and powerful assistance,
all who now and always,
render and will render you honour
and will offer you their petitions …
Hear all our prayers, O Mother
and grant them all.
We are all your children –
‘Grant the prayers of your children.’
Amen forever and ever!

holy immaculate mary - our love for may st john XXIII 22 may 2020

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI

Thought for the Day – 22 May – Prayer to Mary, Our Mother

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Thought for the Day – 22 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Prayer to Mary, Our Mother

“There is a story told of a devout man who was wavering before the onslaught of temptation and was accustomed to kneel before a statue of Our Lady and say this simple prayer:  “Show yourself a mother to me.”
When the same man had fallen into sin and, although full of remorse, had not succeeded in reforming, he went one day to Mary’s Altar and pitifully repeated his usual prayer.
Immediately, he heard a gentle voice replying – “Show that you are my son.”

If we wish Our Lady to be a mother to us, we must also show her that we are her children.
Earthly mothers are delighted to think that their offspring take after them.
In the same way, Mary wishes to see, a reflection of her own sanctity in our thoughts, desires and actions.
All this demands sacrifice, of course.
It demands hard work, fervent prayer and constant watchfulness over ourselves.
If we do all that we can and never lose courage, God will not refuse us His help and our good Mother, will not, fail to intercede for us!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

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Our Morning Offering – 22 May – Alma Redemptoris Mater

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Our Morning Offering – 22 May – “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving Mother of the Redeemer
Prayers of the Church from the Breviary

Loving Mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen,
yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature
you bore your Creator,
Yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,
have pity on us poor sinners.

Alma Redemptoris Mater,
quae pervia caeli porta manes,
et stella maris, succurre cadenti,
surgere qui curat, populo:
tu quae genuisti, natura mirante,
tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius,
Gabrielis ab ore,
sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

This is one of four Marian antiphons, with following versicles and prayers, traditionally said or sung after night prayer, immediately before going to sleep.   It is said from the beginning of Advent (from night before the fourth Sunday before Christmas) through 1 February.alma redemptoris mater - 22 may 2020

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thoughts of Mary – 21 May – The Source of Comfort

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Thoughts of Mary – 21 May – “Mary’s Month”

The Source of Comfort
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

Motives for melancholy are never in short supply – and when were they ever lacking in the history of the world? – because of the inexorable alternation in human life of sadness and joy.
Sometimes, these mix and merge together and when that happens, we would try in vain to separate them.

A wise man, a wise Christian, must do all he can to free himself from sad thoughts and, at all times, have recourse to those sources of comfort, which transform suffering into motives of love, of merit, of present and eternal joy.

The Mother of Jesus, who is our Mother too – oh how I love to associate these two titles! – is one of the richest sources of our consolation, the richest after Jesus, who is, of His very nature, Light and Life! – she, is rich in comfort and joy and encouragement, for all the children of Eve, who have become her own children through the redemptive sacrifice and will of Christ.

This explains, the whole world’s devotion to the Virgin, whom her saintly cousin, Elizabeth, truly hailed as “Blessed,” in reply to Mary’s confession of humility in the Magnificat, which remains the everlasting canticle of mankind redeemed, the song of the past, present ad future.the mother of jesus - source of consolation - st john XXIII 21 may 2020

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PURITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 21 May – Holy Purity

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Thought for the Day – 21 May – “Mary’s Month” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Holy Purity

“Have you ever experienced the sheer delight of climbing the mountains on a summer’s day and coming across one of those little alpine lakes, a tiny mirror, reflecting the still blueness of the sky?
Or have you ever watched an infant smiling in it’s angelic slumber and been held spellbound by this vision of innocence?
Finally, on some calm, clear night, surely you have studied the star-spangled sky and have been so overwhelmed by the beauty of the scene, that you could have cried out with the Psalmist:  “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims His handiwork” (Ps 18:1).
These, are only faint images of the beauty and virginal purity of Mary.
Her soul was the purest and most beautiful of the entire human and angelic creation because, no-one else was ever raised to the dignity of the Motherhood of God.
She was conceived free from all taint of original sin and enriched with every grace.
In her chaste womb, she conceived the Infant Jesus.
Later, she held Him close to her heart;  she lived for Him and eventually died for love of Him.

Purity is a virtue which is attractive to everybody, even to those who are evil themselves, or to those, who have lost their own chastity.
We love and desire this virtue but, are we prepared to make any sacrifice in order to preserve it, in the manner demanded by our particular state in life?
“The kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assault,” Jesus said “and the violent have been seizing it by force” (Mt 11:12).
This is especially true in regard to the acquisition of the virtue of purity.
It is not enough to desire it, we must be willing to make sacrifices in order to acquire it.“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, NOTES to Followers, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 21 May – What Can I Say, Merciful Lady? – St Anselm

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Our Morning Offering – 21 May – “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter

We shouldn’t really be praying this prayer right now in this Eastertide of Alleluias but, after so many weeks of this virus tyranny, my heart is sad, we were not able to celebrate Easter, we are beleaguered in every way and our hearts ache with longing for the Sacraments.   Then today’s Saint, Blessed  Franz Jägerstätter’s devotion to the Cross of Christ, his own courage and passion, seems so very appropriate for these times too.   May he inspire us and pray for us.   And may our Merciful Lady accept us too, the servants in place of the Master.   Let us Pray!

What Can I Say, Merciful Lady?
St Anselm (1033-1109)
Marian Doctor / Magnificent Doctor

My most merciful Lady,
what can I say about the fountains
that flowed from your most pure eyes
when you saw your only Son before you,
bound, beaten and hurt?
What do I know of the flood
that drenched your matchless face,
when you beheld your Son, your Lord
and your God,
stretched on the cross without guilt,
when the flesh of your flesh
was cruelly butchered by wicked me?
How can I judge what sobs
troubled your most pure breast
when you heard,
“Woman, behold your son,”
and the disciple,
“Behold, your Mother,”
when you received as a son
the disciple in place of the Master,
the servant for the Lord?
Amenwhat can i say merciful lady - st anselm - to the sorrowful mother at the foot of the cross 28 sept 2019

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, Hail MARY!, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH

Thoughts of Mary – 20 May – Hail Mary! Our Prayer of Love and Protection

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Thoughts of Mary – 20 May – “Mary’s Month”

Our Prayer of Love and Protection
Hail Mary!

hail mary - st john XXIII - 20 may 2020

“For all of us, Mary is guide, refuge and strength.
Turning to her, we have all found comfort and, on the last day of our earthly life, which is also the first day of eternity – it is good for us to think of this frequently – it will be an infinitely precious consolation to be able to turn to such a gracious Mother and feel her near us, in that grave hour.
With what intensity of love we shall say our last “Hail Mary,” in which will be gathered up, the fervour of all the others we have said throughout our earthly life and which will be the finest greeting for us to utter as we go to meet Our Lord.

The devotion to Mary is a valid and unfailing support for all believers;  it is a pledge of inward peace and inspires a firm determination to do our duty.
This truth must be carefully impressed upon young people, especially on those just beginning a new chapter in their lives.
This is the right time to remind them of the good instructions they have received and of their daily prayer to Our Lady, Mother of Jesus and Mother of us all – so that they may behave in a manner worthy of their early training.”

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 20 May – Mary, the Source of Holiness

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Thought for the Day – 20 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, the Source of Holiness

“God is the primary origin of all holiness.
But, the Blessed Virgin gave us Jesus, Who is our Redeemer and the author of grace.
For this reason, she may be called the source of grace, the divine aqueduct, as St Bernard puts it, through which, the supernatural life of grace is brought to us (In adv Domini, Serm 2, no 5).
She was, moreover, full of grace and outstanding in holiness – as the Mother of God, she can obtain anything for us from her divine Son, because “it is the will of God that we receive everything through the hands of Mary” (St Bernard, In Nativ BMV, Serm, no 7).
Thirdly, even by her example, she can be the source of sanctity for us.
If we study her amazing humility, we shall learn to be humble, for our sinfulness gives us such good reason to humble ourselves.
If we meditate on her spotless purity, we shall experience a great desire and love for this beautiful virtue and shall have recourse to her in every danger to save us from impurity.
Then, let us reflect on her ardent love for God and for men.
Her charity prompted her maternal heart to offer up, as a divine Victim, her Son nailed to the Cross.
If we reflect on the nature of her charity, we also shall feel urged to love God above all things and to pray, work and make sacrifices for the salvation of our fellowmen.
Let us have, always before our minds, the image of our heavenly Mother and we shall be inspired to seek perfection in all our actions.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

 

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 20 May – The Memorare

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Our Morning Offering – 20 May – “Mary’s Month” – Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

The Memorare
By St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor

REMEMBER,
O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known,
that anyone who fled
to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins,
my Mother,
to thee do I come,
before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions
but in thy mercy
hear and answer me.
Amen

(The Express Novena you will recall, is 9 times the Memorare)

the memorare st bernard 20 may 2020

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thoughts of Mary – 19 May – Mother of the Church

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Thoughts of Mary – 19 May – “Mary’s Month”

Mother of the Church
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“Mary is with us, among us, she protects and helps us, she leads us along a sure road.
More than once the Pope has heard the wistful cry of some souls – among those brothers of ours who, since the beginning of the sixteenth century, have been cut off from the unity of the Church – who exclaim with profound sadness:  is it possible not to love one’s own mother?
And, yet, some of them have managed to forget her altogether, or at least to keep her at a distance … alas! in certain families, in which the mother, when advanced in years, is borne with, as a burden, instead of still being cherished with loving care.

We, however, by the grace of God, honour Mary as Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Catholic Church.
She, not only receives the homage of an exquisite art, which testifies to her in every place but the ever fervent, beautiful and profound veneration felt for one who never, for a moment, fails in her motherly care.

Let us always share in the sorrows of Mary, when we see her beside the Cross of Jesus.
Let us pour out our hearts to her in the saddest moments of our life, remembering the first announcement of God’s angel made to the most holy Virgin:  “The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary and she conceived by the Holy Ghost,” which is like a synthesis of the whole story of the Incarnation of the Word and the Redemption brought by the Son of God, the glory, which, here below, is the beginning of the eternal glory of Paradise.”

mary other of the church st john XXIII 19 may 2020

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 19 May – Mary, a Light in the Darkness

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Thought for the Day – 19 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, a Light in the Darkness

“Let us imagine for a moment, that we have grown blind and are forever plunged in darkness.
It is an unhappy thought.
Never again to see those who are dear to us, never to see the light of the sun nor any of the splendour of the universe.
We should feel as if were alone, for we should have to depend only on sounds and on the voices of others for communication with the external world.
As St Augustine points out, however, in his commentary on the miracle of the man who had been blind from birth, we are all more or less blind in the supernatural order.
The world is the image of God but, do we see His Presence in everything which surrounds us?
Is it not more often the case that created things distract us and lead us to forget their Creator, because, we regard them as a means of satisfying our own comfort and our own ego?
We should look on creatures as go-betweens which help us to ascend to God, the beginning and end of all creation.

Unfortunately, instead of climbing this mystical ladder which leads us to God, we often descend it.
We forget God and become excessively wrapped up in worldly affairs.
Sometimes matters may be even worse, not only do we forget God through our love of creatures but, we use them, to offend Him.
God has given us eyes to admire His works and, as a result, to lead us to praise, thank and love Him.
Instead, we often use this wonderful gift in order to commit sin.
He has given us the gift of speech, the gift of hearing and other senses.
But how do we employ them?
The tongue is a marvellous invention but, as St James writes, “if anyone does not offend in the word, he is a perfect man, able also to lead round by the bridle, the whole body … With it we bless God the Father and, with it, we curse men, who have been made after the likeness of God.   Out of the same mouth, proceed blessing and cursing.   These things, my brethren ought not to be so” (Js 3:2-10).
What can be said of vision and of speech can be said of all the senses and faculties of body and soul.
They are all God’s gifts and should, therefore, be used as means of bringing ourselves closer to Him.
If creatures lead us away from God and cause us to forget Him, or if, worse still, they cause us to offend Him, then we are spiritually blind and far more unfortunate than those who have lost their natural vision.

Most Holy Mary, during your earthly pilgrimage, you never once lost sight of God.
Grant that I may not be lost in the darkness of this world.
Grant that I may not be ensnared by the passing charm and false beauty of these created things which surround me.
Grant that I may see, in all things, the Presence and Beauty of God, so that I may always continue to advance, nearer and nearer to Him.   Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

 

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, St Louis-Marie Grignion de MONTFORT, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 19 May – Make Me Like Yourself, Mary My Mother

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Our Morning Offering – 19 May – “Mary’s Month” – Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Make Me Like Yourself, Mary My Mother
By St Louis-Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)

My powerful Queen,
you are all mine, through your mercy,
and I am all yours.
Take away from me, all that may displease God
and cultivate in me, all that is pleasing to Him.
May the light of your faith,
dispel the darkness of my mind,
your deep humility,
take the place of my pride,
your continual sight of God,
fill my memory, with His presence.
May the first, of the love of your heart
inflame the lukewarmness, of my own heart.
May your virtues, take the place of my sins.
May your merits, be my enrichment
and make up for all
that is wanting in me, before God.
My beloved Mother,
grant that I may have, no other spirit but your spirit,
to know Jesus Christ and His Divine will
and to praise and glorify the Lord,
that I may love God, with burning love like yours.
Amen

make me like yourself mary my mother - st louis de montfort 19 may 2020 (1)

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MOTHER of GOD, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Thoughts of Mary – 18 May – Mother of God

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Thoughts of Mary – 18 May – “Mary’s Month”

Mother of God
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“My thoughts turn once more the words of the humble daughter of Israel who still speaks for our own hearts and lips, words which we repeat with enthusiasm to the blessed Mother of Jesus, who is our own Mother too – “Beata, beata viscera Mariae Virginis quae portaverunt, AEtern Patris Fillium!” “O blessed indeed the womb that bore you!
And, I place my confident trust in the reply of Jesus, which is the renewed assurance for you, children of the Catholic Church, that we may find here below on earth, a a pledge of our eternal happiness in heaven, prosperity, joy and peace, in proportion to our unconquerable fidelity to the teaching of the divine Word, always better understood and better guarded:  “Blessed rather, are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother too!
We hail you with this cry that all generations of men repeat, contemplating the mysteries of your life and the splendour of your Assumption.
Once more, we hail you as blessed, beata – intercede for us, O glorious Queen of the world and be ever mindful of us, particularly in the dangers and needs of this present hour!
O Jesus, Son of Mary, our Brother and our Saviour, by the mystery of the body and blood which you deigned to assume from the Virgin’s pure womb and which we today renew on our Altar, preserve for us, the gift of faith for the salvation of our souls, for the prosperity and greatness of our people and for the glory of Your name, which will be, at the same time, our glory and our joy, in this present life and in eternity, amen.”

once more we hail you as blessed beata mothr of god - st john XXIII 18 may 2020

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The HOLY CROSS, The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 18 May – Mary, the Source of Peace

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Thought for the Day – 18 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary, the Source of Peace

“Mary is surrounded by an atmosphere of peace.
The countenance of the Virgin Mother, reflects the serenity of her soul.
She was conceived free from original sin and endowed with every grace ad with every supernatural gift.
There was no struggle in her, between good and evil, for this conflict is the effect of concupiscence.
She never experienced the rule of sin of which St Paul complains. “I see another law in my members,” says St Paul, “warning against the law of my mind and making me prisoner to the law of sin that is in my members.   Unhappy man that I am!   Who will deliver me from the body of this death?   The grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 7:23-25).
It was quite otherwise with Mary.
Her lower inclinations were completely subject to her spiritual faculties, which were, in their turn, perfectly submissive to the commands and inspirations of God.
Nevertheless, while she enjoyed complete interior harmony, Mary had to endure external conflict and suffering.
Holy Simeon foretold, that the sword of sorrow would pierce her heart.
In fact, her life was altogether interwoven with hardship, want and suffering until, eventually, she knelt at the foot of the Cross on which Jesus was dying for the love of mankind and offered the divine Victim for our salvation.
At the last moment, however, torn with sorrow though she was, she did not depart in the slightest from her spirit of perfect acceptance of God’s will.
Consequently, her peace of soul was never diminished or extinguished.
Let us learn from her to accept everything from God’s hands, both the tiny pleasures which brighten our lives, from time to time and the humiliations, sufferings and death, which it pleases God to keep in store for us.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, To JESUS through MARY

Our Morning Offering – 18 May – Virgin Full of Goodness, Mother of Mercy by St Thomas Aquinas

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Our Morning Offering – 18 May – “Mary’s Month” Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Virgin Full of Goodness
Mother of Mercy
By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Doctor angelicus
Doctor communis

Virgin full of goodness,
Mother of mercy,
I entrust to you my body and my soul,
my thoughts and my actions,
my life and my death.
My Queen,
come to my aid
and deliver me from the snares of the devil.
Obtain for me the grace of loving
my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
with a true and perfect love,
and after him,
O Mary,
of loving you with all my heart
and above all things.
Amenvirgin-full-of-goodness-mother-of-mercy-st-thomas-aquinas-15-jan-2019 and 17 may 2020

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, OPEN HOUSE...Conversations with..., The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, To JESUS through MARY

Thoughts of Mary – 17 May – Mother of the Eucharist

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Thoughts of Mary – 17 May – “Mary’s Month”

Mother of the Eucharist
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“The Christian heart understands certain harmonies at once, in a surprising and miraculous way and this mystery which fuses together the dearest objects of Catholic devotion, the Eucharist and Our Lady, is one of the most consoling and delightful harmonies of our faith.
It is a doctrine and it is a fact …. I open the Old Testament and find the Song of Songs which presents me with two most beautiful comparisons (cf Song of Solomon 2:2-3) – “As a lily among brambles, so is my love among maidens.”
Can we not all see here, in the delicate image of the lily, Mary the Immaculate, beautiful and resplendent?
In the same passage I find:  “As an apple tree among the trees of the wild forest, so is my beloved among young men.”
What is this tree, laden with fruit, which resembles the beloved?
This apple tree that grows among the trees of the wild forest, the fruit of which is wholesome and sweet to the taste?
Obviously, it is Jesus – the fruit of the tree is the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.
Oh, what a wonderfully apt association of images!
The lily and the tree – Mary and the Eucharist!
The Church is compared to a lovely garden, “a garden locked.”
In it, the fountains play and herbs and fruits make it pleasant and perfumed like a garden of Paradise.
And see! beside the fountain blooms the lily, near at hand is the tree.
The faithful soul seeks for himself a place between the fragrant lily and the fruit-laden tree, between Mary and the Holy Sacrament and lingers with great delight in the shade of the tree.  “I sat in his shadow….”
O Mary, pure lily, tender and delicate flower!
O Holy Sacrament!
O mysterious tree, truly the most beautiful of all the trees in the wild forest, because you are the Christ!”

o mary pure lily 2 17 may 2020 st john XXIII

Posted in CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PRAYER, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Thought for the Day – 17 May – Contemplation and Our Lady

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Thought for the Day – 17 May – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Contemplation and Our Lady

“True contemplation has it’s origin in love, for when love is intense it gives a clear insight into that which is loved.
It is never the result of mere learning, which can be cold and uninspiring and, therefore, unable to give us a vision of the truth.
Many are learned without love, while there are others, who have no learning but love God and contemplate Him with a spiritual joy which is a prelude to the happiness of Heaven.
Contemplation is not, therefore, a gift of learning.
Even an illiterate man can have it, while those who study a great deal, may be without it.
For the most part, it is the gift of divine grace.
This is not to deny that the knowledge of sacred things, especially of theology, can promote contemplation.
It can help, as long as it is not the kind of learning which makes a man proud but, rather leads him nearer to God.
This is what St Paul meant when he said that “knowledge puffs up but charity edifies” (1 Cor 8:1).

Contemplation, then, begins in the love which is based on humility and on prayer.
The contemplative must always look for the help of divine grace without ever presuming on his own powers and without fooling himself, that he has made any progress of his own accord.
It does not matter whether he is an ignorant or a learned man, as long as he sees the reflection of God in all things and comes to know and love Him.
Then, under the the influence of divine grace, contemplation flows from the loving knowledge of God.
The Blessed Virgin was created and conceived full of grace and endowed with more supernatural privileges than any other creature.
Therefore, she knew and loved God in a higher way than any of the Cherubim or Seraphim.
It is only to be expected then, that she would have had the gift of contemplation.
Her prayer was an intimate conversation with God.
We have an example of this kind of contemplative prayer in the hymn which she composed when she became the Mother of the Word Incarnate.
“My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;  Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid;  for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed….” (Lk 1:46-48).
In Mary, however, the contemplative life was united to the active life.
This was so, whether she was in the house in Nazareth, or following Jesus on His apostolic journeys, or co-operating with the Apostles in their great mission during her last years on earth.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci