Category: The IMITATION of MARY

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The IMITATION of MARY

Thought for the Day – 17 August – Mary, the Source of Holiness

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

Mary, the Source of Holiness

“Since we are Mary’s children, we should try and reproduce her holiness in ourselves.
Although, it is higher than that of the Angels, her sanctity is easy to imitate.
There is no record that she ever had ecstasies or worked miracles.
Her’s was a perfect internal sanctity, consisting of total conformity with the Will of God and an intense love for Him.
We must aspire to this kind of holiness and model our lives upon it.
There is no point in arguing that it is sufficient to be good Catholics and, that it is not necessary to be holy.
A Catholic, to be truly such, MUST be holy!

St Paul referred to the early faithful as saints (Eph 1:1).
“You are a chosen race,” said St Peter, “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people,” (1 Peter 1:16, Lev 11:44)
“You are to be perfect,” Jesus Himself had commanded, “even as your heavenly Father is perfect,” (Mt 5:48),
This was the reason, He indicated why He had come into the world – “that they may have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10).
This is the purpose of the Gospel and this must be the purpose of our lives.
Some day, we shall either be holy in Heaven, or we shall be damned.
We shall either be Saints in Heaven or condemned forever in Hell.
This truth merits careful though – everything else is passing but this is something which will never pass away.
This command to sanctify ourselves is a reality which is present at every moment of our lives.
Let us do our best to obey it, at any cost!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 23 May – Symbols of Mary

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The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

Chapter IX
SYMBOLS of MARY

i. Honour, praise and glory to God on high, Who gives to thee, O Mary, a grace greater than that of all the women in this world and Who gives to thee, in the other world, a place of glory, near His Throne, in the highest Heaven, above all the choirs of Angels and Saints.
O glorious and admirable Virgin Mary, Mother and Daughter, of thy God, thou merit all honour and glory.
Thou art the most great in thy humility, the most beautiful in thy virginity, the most ardent in thy love, the most resigned in thy patience.
Thou art the most gentle in thy mercy, the most inflamed in thy prayer, the most profound in thy meditation, the most elevated in thy contemplation, the most sensitive in thy compassion, the most enlightened in thy counsel, the most powerful in thine help.

ii. Thy art, O Mary, the dwelling place of God,
thou art too, O Mary, the Gate of Heaven,
the garden of delights, the source of graces,
the glory of Angels, the salvation of men.
Thou art the art of living, the splendour of virtue,
the light of day, the hope of the unhappy,
the health of the sick, the mother of orphans.
O Virgin of virgins, all beautiful and fragrant,
thou hast in thyself, O Mary,
the brilliance of the stars, the charm of the rose,
the beauty of the dawn, the gentleness of the moon,
the depth of the pearl, the splendour of the sun.

iii. And in thee too, O Virgin, so gentle, pure in thy life, like to a lamb,
simple in thy heart, like a dove,
prudent in the fashion of a noble mistress,
submissive in the manner of a humble servant.
O Mary, holy tree, noble and sublime cedar,
vine heavy with grapes, fig tree covered with fruit,
cypress tall and strong, palm tree full of glory,
in thee art found gathered, all good things,
through thee art promised to us, all delights.
We all hasten then to thee, O Mary, as sons to a beloved mother,
as orphans to a mother whom they love.
Through thy merits protect us from all evil.
Through thy prayers deliver us from all peril.

iv. Prayer: O Mary, Golden Rose

O Mary, golden rose,
sweet and beautiful at once,
may my urgent prayers rise to thee!
Here I stand,
knocking at the door of thy dwelling,
assured of obtaining thy mercy,
in the midst of my sorrows and tribulations.
Indeed, thou art the Mother of mercy
and thou givest to the sinner hope of pardon.
Thour tenderness, O Mary
and thou goodness surpass all that
can be expressed here below.
Thou art elevated above the glory,
above the honours which the Saints possess,
higher than the virtues,
the benignity, the sweetness
and the charm of blessed spirits.
And if it were not thus, O Mary,
how could thou inundate the unfortunate
with so much sweetness,
with so many consolations,
with such great hope
and such great contrition.
Thou wilt never be impoverished,
for in thee is conceived the
Source of all goodness,
thou art the ornament of the Heavens
and the joy of the Saints
and thou art the Tabernacle of the Holy of Holies.
Our forefathers longed for thee for aeons.
Thou, the chosen Mother and the elected virgin,
who were to grant all pardon on earth
and all fullness in Heaven.

(By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Three Tabernacles, Chapter Ill)

Translated By:
Fr & Dr C Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day –21 May – On the BEAUTY and LINEAGE of MARY

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Thought for the Day –21 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

Chapter VIII
On the BEAUTY and LINEAGE of MARY

i. O Mary, illustrious Virgin, engendered from the fruitful race of Patriarchs, nourished by the holy descendants of priests, O Mary, honoured with the dignity of Pontiffs, announced by the choir of Prophets, heiress of the grandeur of Kings, illustrious daughter of the House of David, supreme glory of the Tribe of Juda.
Sacred heroine of the valiant people of Israel, living symbol of a holy nation, miraculous child of blessed parents, thou merit glory and praise, thou merit tenderness and love.
Thou art a treasure among all women, thou, who even before the beginning of time had been chosen as the Mother of God.
The Patriarchs desired thy birth, O Mary, the wise Prophets announced thee, the just men and the Kings bore witness to thee, the people of Israel sighed for thee, until the day, when at last, thou appeared, O Mary, for the salvation of this dying world.

ii. Thy name is proclaimed in the whole universe, O Mary! from the rising to the setting of the sun, among all nations, Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and Latins, Romans and Scythians, everywhere thy name is announced with the Gospel.
Everywhere, too and everyday, thy name is preached in Churches and Chapels, in cloisters, in fields, in deserts.
It is repeated by the little and the great, by priests and doctors and preachers, who all equally seek to praise thee.
Yes, O Mary, together the choir of the just unites its harmonies and its voices, in order to chant thy attractions, thy grace and thy holiness.
Its love is so great, its love is so gentle that it can, without ever tiring, chant, contemplate, meditate and fete thy mysteries.
Mindful of the words of Wisdom:
‘Those who eat of me yet hunger for this bread,
those who drink of me still thirst for this wine.’

iii. Prayer: Come then, O Mary, Sweet Virgin Whom I Love!

Come then, O Mary, sweet Virgin whom I love!
Come then, my hope and my consolation!
Come, for when I am near thee,
when I hear thy voice,
it seems, I already possess all good,
it seems, I am sheltered from all evil,
recalling thy sweet clemency,
I come to seek refuge under thine aegis,
O Mary, thou who knowest how to give,
to the weak – strength,
to the captive – freedom,
be for me, all merciful,
be, by thy love, a mother to me.
Thus I shall know,
through having experienced it.
All those who arc faithful in serving thee,
how thou console, with charm
and how thou defend, with assurance.

By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
(Soliloquy of the Soul, Chapter V)

Translated By:
Fr & Dr C Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 20 May – The Grandeurs and Tenderness of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 20 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

SERMON (VII)
The Eminent Dignity of the Mother Of God

I. In the suggestive language of poetry, when we compare God to the sun, we liken Mary to the moon, as the planet which comes immediately after the greatest.
Thus it is in reality – Mary is, after God, the most beautiful and the greatest marvel of the universe.
The dignity and the grandeur of a being is due to its functions.
What grandeur more sublime, what dignity more striking
than those of “Mother of God?”
The Greeks had created purposefully, in order to designate it, a word which applies only to Mary –Theotokos, “she who has brought forth God.”

II. In the enumeration of the privileges of Mary, the beauty, the sweetness, the power, the force and the majesty, nothing equal is found here on earth.
Just as the Temple of Solomon was unique in the world, thus Mary, is unique in the order of creation.
But, if grandeur frightens ordinarily, here it attracts, for to the grandeur, is attached too, tenderness – the tenderness of a Mother!

III. Hence, the Author asks Mary, in the final prayer, for the assistance of her power and the protection of her love – “Tutamen et solomen.”

MEDITATION
The Grandeurs and Tenderness of Mary

The enumeration of the privileges of Mary is her most beautiful eulogy, says St Germain.
Thou art, O my Mother, the panegyric of all the ages and of all spheres.
Thou ary great and thou art powerful, yjou art sovereign and thou art mistress, thou art Queen and thou art woman, thou art she, who is always named and thou
art she, who cannot be named at her worth.
Thou art the Mother and thou art the ineffable.
Thy tenderness is that of a virginal heart, inserted into the flesh of a Mother.
Just as the mother gives us both of her soul and of her body in forming us within her womb, thus thou gives us of thy heart and of thy substance when we receive Jesus, thy Son, in the Eucharist.
O inaccessible grandeur, O ineffable tenderness!

Practice:
Often recite the Litanies of the Holy Virgin which are
a summary of her privileges.

Thought:
O Mary, thou surpassest in greatness and sweetness, all
creatures – “Tn snpergressa es universas, O Maria! Thy sweetness extends throughout the universe, o Mary!

Fr & Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUEENSHIP of MARY, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 19 May – The GREATNESS and PRIVILEGES of MARY

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Thought for the Day – 19 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

Chapter VII
The GREATNESS and PRIVILEGES of MARY

i. In order to succeed in knowing, at least in part, the greatness and dignity of the Virgin Mary, briefly note, the eminent graces with which God has clothed her, while exalting her above Angels and Saints in Heaven and, above all men on earth.
She is the holy virgin, she is the beloved Mother, of whom is said in the Church and throughout the universe, “Thou art raised, Holy Mother of God, higher than the angels, raised to the throne of Heaven.“
Review with care the deeds and acts of the ancient Patriarchs.
It is from their root that Mary was born, Virgin and Mother equally, a rose without thorns amid the thickets.
Just as formerly Christ was prefigured in His Birth, in His
Death and in His Life, by Patriarchs, Prophets, and Kings, by Judges, Priests and Levites, by Doctors and finally by Scribes, in words, in symbols and in signs –
likewise, as by a Divine Ordination, the Blessed Virgin Mary was equally announced, by celebrated virgins of past epochs, by illustrious mothers, by exemplary widows,
by all women living in sanctity.

ii. By testimony of the Holy Scripture, Mary was, from all time and will be always, the holiest Virgin among all virgins, the most beautiful woman among all women, the sweetest Mother among all mothers, the purest daughter among all daughters, the gentlest mistress among all mistresses, the most illustrious Queen among all queens.
In her are found again assembled, dwelling and shining with an unequalled brilliance, all virginal beauty and all virtuous charm, all divine thought and all the love of the heart, every virtuous work and every fruit of sanctity.
Mary never had a predecessor, she has not today an equal, she will never henceforth, have a peer.
Just as formerly among the holy temples Solomon’s was the most adorned, the richest, the most renowned, the most unique – so, the symbolic temple of Mary surpasses, in excellence, the temples of the Saints.
It alone merits more of love and glory.

iii. Prayer:
O Mary, Star which Shines in the Sky,
Virgin, Queen of Heaven

O Mary, Star which shines in the sky,
Virgin, Queen of Heaven,
Sovereign ol the World,
no woman can be compared to thee,
no matter with whatever virtues
Heaven may have adorned her
because thou art unique
in the midst of the elect.
God the Father, secs thee
as thou were before all ages
and created thee upon earth,
at the selected time,
in order to make of thee the Mother of His Son.
O Miracle ineffable, O joy unhoped for!
This Son of the Living God to save the universe
becomes thy Son and thou art His mother!
Thus thou became our mediatrix,
and the mediatrix of the entire world.
O Mary, the most beautiful of all women,
let the whole world glorify thee,
honour thee, sing to thee and love thee!
May every creature repeat thy praises
in Heaven and on earth,
now and forever.

( By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Sermons to the Novices, XXV)

Posted in MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 17 May – Of the POWER and ABILITIES of MARY

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Thought for the Day – 17 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

Chapter VI
OF THE POWER AND ABILITIES OF MARY

i. Mary is faithful in her promises and generous in her gifts to her pious servants.
She enjoys the veneration of Angels but yet, she accepts the attentions of men.
She tenderly sheds tears with the unhappy; she is compassionate with the sorrows of those who suffer;
she comes to give assistance in the struggles of those who are tempted; she turns herself ever, to those who pray to her.
All those who go with confidence and devotion to seek refuge with her and call upon her name, find in her abundance and consolation.
A Queen, she commands the Angels in Heaven and can send them to succour the needy.
In the same way, she has empire everywhere over the demons and can prevent them from harming her servants.
The demons dread the Queen of Heaven and her name alone suffices to disperse them.
They tremble before the awesome and holy name of Mary,
before the name which causes joy to Christians, they no
longer dare to show themselves before us or to again try their insidious assaults.
As soon as they hear this holy name resound, they tremble, they prostrate, they flee as before a burst of thunder from the sky.
And the more often this name is pronounced by us, the more it is invoked devotedly and piously, the more quickly the demons fly from us.

ii. It is for us a duty, sacred above all, at every moment, that of loving the holy name of Mary.
It ought to be, a cult, for all the faithful; for Religious, a meditation; for people in the world, a devotion; for preachers, a veneration; for those who suffer, a consolation; in all dangers, a protection.
Mary is truly, very near to God; very dear to His Beloved Son, Jesus.
All powerful in her intercession, in obtaining pardon and succour for the unfortunate sons of Adam.
In all the circumstances of life, she intervenes with her Son to obtain mercy for the culpable.
She, too, like Jesus Himself, is always heard, because of the honour which is due to her.
Thus, therefore, let every pious Christian hurry to seek refuge near Mary, if he wishes to escape from the shipwrecks of the world and to arrive at the port of eternal salvation.
We may indeed expect much from her because, although placed above us all, she loves to come to the least of us, happy to be called Advocate of the unfortunate and more happy still, mother of orphans.

iii. Prayer: O Mary, Gentle Mother, My Cherished Queen

O Mary, gentle Mother,
beloved Mother above all,
thou art the star on the horizon of the sea,
the star which smiles on the lost mariner,
the star which leads to the haven of peace.
Let it rise to thee, O Mary,
my simple prayer.
May the flame of my desire
arise toward thee, my cherished Queen.
Defend my cause at the tribunal of thy Son,
for no-one is found innocent before Him.

(By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Sermon to the Novices, Chapter XXIII)

Translated By:
Fr & Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in DANTE ALIGHIERI!, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 16 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – The Beauties of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 16 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

SERMON (V)
Duty

I. Duty is a harsh word, when it designates the obligation which binds a man to his post.
It becomes a word full of sweetness, when it is applied to the voluntary attentions which the heart suggests for a loved one.
Our duties to Mary should be of this type.
These duties, extremely pleasing, are those of a son to his mother, of a friend to his friend.

The thought of Heaven is a force, as the thought of love is an allurement.
To raise one’s thoughts, is to raise oneself completely –Altius cogita (think higher).

II. It is in the life of the soul, as in the present life; to think
well, is the beginning of doing well.
To have great thoughts is to prepare for great actions. Mary’s example, in this case, is more than a demonstration, it is an attraction and an aid.
Mary, says the Gospel, kept all these things in her heart. As Pascal said, great thoughts come from the heart, it is they that create the action.
Too often has mysticism been reproached as being only a dream.
The mysticism of the Imitation, is an action, for it is perfection!

III. This action is arduous and often discouraging; besides, the soul begs Mary for confidence to be able to attain the goal of the spiritual life which is Heaven.

MEDITATION
The Beauties of Mary

The dream of every soul would be to see Mary in her heavenly splendour – Dante had this dream and tried to translate it into his Paradise. He represents Mary to us under the symbol of an aureole of pure gold and he refers to her only, by the names of flowers and nature – “blooming rose” “lily full of whiteness”, “perfumed stem” “fragrant tree”, “singing lyre” “sparkling sapphire” “soaring flame” “arc which riseth.”
He sees her only in the midst of flowers, surrounded by stars, crowned with splendours.
For him, she epitomises, all which is charming here below in the being of a young girl, a virgin.
The grace which extends itself in reflections, the beauty which radiates in magnificence, the love which gushes forth in transport.
Before this dazzling vision, the poet lowers his eyes and kneels with arms extended.
So, it seems, we too should do in order to contemplate the beauties of Mary.

“Now raise thy view” St Bernard then says to him, “unto the visage most resembling Christ – for, in her splendour only, shalt thou win the power to look on Him!”
Mary, indeed, is beautiful, as all souls are beautiful by the reflection of Christ in them!

Practice:
Imitate the Saints, who wore the shield and insignia of Mary, like the Scapular and the Rosary.

Thought:
The remembrance of Mary is an aid and a support –
“Adjuvat et sublevat – it aids and consoles.”

Fr & Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 15 May – OUR DUTIES TO MARY

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Thought for the Day – 15 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

Chapter V
OUR DUTIES TO MARY

i. You must still learn, my son, how to seek God as Mary did.
You must lean upon her powerful aid and be ever doubtful of your own strength, for fear of being enmeshed here below in your passions.
Everyday you should rise above yourself with new thoughts and tender your desires to Heaven, toward the Heaven in which you see Mary your Queen, near Jesus the King and in the midst of the Court of Angels.
Alas! Often our weakness will force us to descend into this vale of tears!
It is then, above all, it will be necessary to make an effort
to raise the voice in frequent supplication to Mary, who is the mother of mercy, so that she may tell her merciful Son how our soul lacks the wine of fervour, how it has need of the perfume of piety, in order to be able to praise Him as one should praise God.
Because He alone, in truth, hastens to succour those who, in order to please Him ,have scorned the world and those, who are, for His sake scorned by the world because of His Name and His holy Gospel.

ii. It is often important indeed, to know of a refuge in which one may hide oneself against storms, in the presence of tempests, of tribulation.
There is no spot, no place more secure, no port more tranquil, than the bosom of Mary.
So, there is no runner more rapid to support us against the blows of the enemy, than an ardent prayer, rising from the plain to the well-armed stronghold of the Virgin Mary. This stronghold is the same one in which Jesus entered, to be clothed therein with a body like unto an armour, so as to chase afar the prince of darkness.
Enter you too, within that fortress so as to be sheltered from those who assail you.
Remain under the mantle of the Virgin Mary; you will be protected by the arms of a mother.
The prayer of Mary puts to flight the.destructive rabble of evil enemies: her aid snatches us from imminent peril.
Near her, he who wavers, finds support and he who is abandoned, assistance.
It is a benefit, a very great benefit, for you, if you know how to
show yourself worthy in this regard and, at the same time,
strive attentively to please the Virgin Mary in everything.
You will thus merit her graces here below and His glory on
high, in the company of the Saints.
Attach yourself to her and do not leave her until she has granted you her blessing, so as to lead you to Heaven.

iii. Prayer:
O Mary, I Entrust Myself to Thine Heart

O Mary, O mistress filled with clemency,
in the name of pure love and affection,
I remain at thy feet.
I beg thee, give to my heart,
an increase of confidence.
Fear pursues me and doubt gnaws at me;
despair assails me in the midst of temptations:
only one thing is still able to console me –
it is that, I have sought
to be harkened by thee, O Mother,
I entrust myself to thine heart.

(By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Monastic Enchiridion, Chapter IV)

Translated by Fr & Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MOTHER of GOD, QUOTES on TIME, St Francis de Sales, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 14 May – The Eminent Dignity of the Mother of God

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Thought for the Day – 14 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

SERMON
The Eminent Dignity of the Mother of God

I. The dignity of a person or of a being, is measured by its
function.
There is not on earth, nor even in Heaven, a function equal to that of the Divine Maternity of Mary.
Mary is truly Theotokos, Mother of God and, at the same time, Mother of the Saviour because, in Jesus, the Divinity and the Humanity are substantially united.
There is, therefore, no dignity superior to the dignity of Mary.

II. This eminent maternal dignity confers, on Mary, divine
prerogatives, at the same time, it infuses into her, human
tenderness superior to the most exquisite tenderness of mothers on earth.
Even from the viewpoint of the physical function, of the beauty of the woman and of the mother, Mary is, above all those who have been outstanding in the world by their charms and attractions.
St Dennis, the Areopagite, a refined Athenian and disciple of St Paul, having gone to Jerusalem and having seen Mary, found her so beautiful, he wished to prostrate himself before her, as before a goddess.
Thus should we do in spirit!

III. It is what the disciple promises enthusiastically in the prayer addressed to Mary.

MEDITATION
The Use of Time

Between the past which escapes us and the future which does not belong to us, there is the present which alone we possess.
This is the time of action and of duty.
To employ the present well, is to enrich your life; to waste it, is to die with it.
The first rule to use time well, is to use it and not to lose it!
Next, to use it in time and not to act at random.
Finally, to use it profitably and not without goal and rule; put off nothing, delay nothing until later!
This is the secret, par excellence, of success.
Mary, here again, can serve us as model.
She was undoubtedly, the valiant and diligent woman of whom the Gospel speaks.
She fulfilled, with perfection, the motto of the noble Romans.
Mary, indeed, was at once Israelite by birth and Roman by adoption.
She is the perfect type of woman in the double sense of: fernina et mulier.
Let us reproduce this model and this type.

Practice:
St Francis de Sales purchased by an alms, each hour
which he thought to have lost or misused – imitate
him!

Thought:
The thought of Mary is a consolation and a protection: “Solamen et dictarnen – Comfort and diration.”

Fr & Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 13 May – The GRANDEURS and GLORIES of MARY

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Thought for the Day – 13 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

Chapter IV
The GRANDEURS and GLORIES of MARY

i. Who is she who rises from the emptiness of this world steeped in the delights of Paradise?
O Mary, greater than the heavens, thou hast the world under thy feet and thou art seated close to God, on the throne of honour which Jesus gave to thee.
Thy mercy which surpasses all mercy, draws me to thee, for thou art ever the aid and consolation of those who suffer.
I have need, O Mother, of being consoled and fortified. More than that, I have need of the grace of thy Son because I know, without it, I can accomplish nothing.
Thou art able, O my Mother, if thou wish, to lift me up and help me with thy powerful succour.
Thou canst comfort me with thine abundant consolation.
I feel myself engulfed by temptation, so I run to thee, since I feel that, near to thee, I shall find help as well as pity.

ii. And if I may approach thy majesty and greet thee with reverence and honour, I feel that I must approach thee with love.
There is no praise which I can offer thee; rather, I am forced to present to thee, supplication.
He who wishes to come near thee irreverently, will be confounded, therefore, I wish to come to thee, O Mother, with confidence, with respect, with humility, so as to merit thy clemency and thine aid.
Yes, it is with respect, with love and confidence I come, O Mary, to offer to thee, in my turn, the salutation the kneeling Angel offered thee.
I offer it to thee, arms extended and hands upraised, I offer it to thee, thousands and thousands of times and I beg everyone to offer it for me because, I know of nothing sweeter that I may give.

iii. Prayer: O Mother, More Beloved than All Mothers

O Mother, more beloved than all mothers,
O Mary, if sometimes I have forgotten thee,
I regret and weep for it today.
But thou, oh! do not forget me,
thou who alone brought forth Mercy
by giving birth to Jesus.
Kneeling, I salute thee,
I bow before thee, I join my hands
and prostrate myself,
so that thou may listen
with greater love to my prayer.
I say, before thee and I wish ever to repeat it:
“Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee;
thou art blessed among all women
and Jesus, the fruit of thy womb, is blessed!”

(By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
Soliloquy of the Soul, Chapter XXIII)

Translated by:
Fr & Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 12 May – The Active Life

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Thought for the Day – 12 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

SERMON
The Virtues a Good Servant of Mary
Ought to Practice
and the Offices He Ought to Fulfil

I. The Latins have two words to designate the good actions
to be accomplished in life. The word “virtus” in order to designate an action made with effort and goodwill and, the word “officium” in order to characterise an action accomplished as a duty but, without attachment of the heart.
That which is required here of a good servant of Mary, are virtues, which is to say, meritorious acts, élan of the heart and not only works which, domestics themselves can fulfil. There are firstly, the interior virtues – humility, patience and purity.

II. Afterwards there are the exterior virtues or virtues of action – effort in work, elevation of the mind, union in mental prayer, zeal in vocal prayer.

III. These united virtues ought to animate all practices of
devotion, if we wish these practices become spiritual acts of meritorious virtue and not only material offices of remunerated work.
Thus Mary acted; thus we ourselves should act.

IV. The servant, therefore, asks of Mary, who is a mother and a model, to aid him in this work and to console him amid the difficulties of the work.

MEDITATION
The Active Life

Life is like fire – it only preserves itself, while communicating itself.
The ancients used to represent it by a flame and that is, indeed, the truth.
To live it is necessary to act. The active life supposes –will and effort.
Mary has known and practiced this life, as all the Saints have practiced it.
Life which passes selfishly by, disillusions and engenders boredom; “taedium vitae.”
Unfortunate is the soul who permits himself to live, without rising! He will have lived most, who will have acted most, through his heart, through his soul and through his body, through love, through the mind and through works.
Is there a more beautiful model than Mary, in the Temple, at Nazareth, on Calvary, with St. John?
Such a one has lived long, who has lived little, said a wise man. Let us live like Mary and with Mary.

Practice: Do not allow a single day to pass without having
made an effort in at least one small thing.

Thought: A lukewarm life is a dull one; live as Mary did.
“Look at Mary, contemplate and marvel!
Aspice Mariam, contemplare et mirare!”

Fr and Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, QUOTES on MEEKNESS, QUOTES on MERCY, The IMITATION of MARY

Thought for the Day – 11 May – VIRTUES and TASKS of a GOOD SERVANT of MARY

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Thought for the Day – 11 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

Chapter III
VIRTUES AND TASKS OF
A GOOD SERVANT OF MARY

i. Do you always wish to do what is pleasing to Mary?
Be humble, patient, chaste, reserved in everything, full of mildness, an interior man, filled with zeal, little versed in exterior matters, recollected.
Read often, write often but most often, pray.
The service of Mary should seem, neither long nor laborious but, on the contrary always delightful, always full of happiness, always eager.
To serve with your heart and mind, such a mistress, is always a work pious and useful for salvation.
The most lowly offerings are acceptable to her, as equivalent to the most solemn, when they are proffered with love, with spontaneity and with devotion.
She knows how little we are able to give and she requires not the impossible from her children.
A merciful sovereign and queen of mildness, she is, above all, a mother. As a mother, she knows only how to be compassionate to the little and the poor, she who has given to the world, Mercy in Jesus.

ii. Learn then to call upon Jesus in everything and you will be aided, both in perils of the soul and of the body.
Have Jesus always in your heart, in happiness, and you will never be overcome by human distress.
Say the Hail Mary often – you will find joy and peace in it – no prayer is more beautiful than the Our Father – none is sweeter and gentler, than the Hail Mary.
Pray as the Angel prayed before Mary – work as a faithful servant works and you shall have, your crown and mansion in Heaven.
He who knows how to nourish his soul with prayer, he who knows how to pray with the sacred texts, will never know aridity in devotion.
Strive thus constantly, to honour the Names of Jesus and Mary in your heart and with your lips.

III. Wherever you may go, or wherever you may be, implore Jesus and call upon Mary.
Have, as a rule of life and, as a help in time ot need, this pious invocation –
“Guide, O my Lord, always guide my way in Thy presence.”
He who bears Jesus and Mary in his heart, always works well, always conducts himself well.
Sing these two Names, sing them in your heart, sing them with your lips, sing them with your hands.
Let your looks seek them, let your eyes implore them, let your arms embrace them, let your knees adore them.

iv. Prayer: O Mary, O Mother Full of Mercy,

O Mary, O Mother full of mercy,
receive close to thee,
thy servant wandering without consolation,
in the midst of his trials.
Look, O my Queen, look at my affliction
and open to me, thine heart full of consolation.
Here I am, praying and saying in my distress
that I shall not cease, nor leave thee,
until thou hast had pity on me.
I know, O Mother,
thine incomparable sweetness,
I know the maternal flame of thy noble heart,
I know the fullness of love which fils it
and that I may have full hope in thee.
I take refuge with thee too, O my Mother,
so that in joy as in sorrow,
I may receive thy watchful succour
and listen to thy maternal consolation.

(Thomas à Kempis, The Valley of Lilies,ChapterXIII)

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, ROSARY QUOTES, ROSARY REFLECTIONS and QUOTES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE, The IMITATION of MARY

Thought for the Day – 10 May – The Titles and Functions of Mary

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Thought for the Day – 10 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

PART ONE
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
Chapter II
OUR DUTIES TO MARY

SERMON
The Titles and Functions of Mary

I. Our duties toward Mary flow from the titles and functions of Mary herself. Her titles are the most beautiful and the most sweet – firstly, that of mother which one lovingly says at any age;
next, the title of model which one considers with admiration and joy.

II. Her functions are, in relation to her titles – the names
given by God are, at once, an evocation and a creation of the qualities signified by the names and titles themselves. Thus Mary, in virtue of her titles, exercises her functions of mother
who consoles, supports and nourishes, of advocate who counsels, directs and defends and lastly, of model, who exalts and attracts.

III. In a prayer exultant with joy and full of love, the faithful beg Mary to teach them to pray, as the Angels pray.
Prayer, here on earth, cries, weeps or is silent; prayer, in Heaven, is a vision, a contemplation and an ecstasy.

MEDITATION
The Supernatural Life

To live is to rise, it is to rise above the earth – see the flowers which live and those which are dead. Man loves to live so fully that he wishes to live a double life – hence, arises love which is the most beautiful possession on the earth.
This earthly existence is not, however, all of life.
There is the life of the soul, without which love itself is nothing.
Love which seems not to be immortal, does not satisfy the heart. The life which does not die is the supernatural life, the life of grace.
Mary has been given to us for a model and for a mother in this new life added to the earthly life.
He, who has not known this desire to rise still higher, has not as yet lived.
Let us live then, not in order to die but in order to attain immortality.

Practice: Reciting the Rosary, or simply carrying it, is a practice which aids the soul to rise to heavenly thoughts.

Thought: To live with Mary is to live in the security and the happiness of Heaven.
“He walks well and securely, who carries Mary in his heart.
Bene et secure ambulat qui Mariam in corde portal.”

Fr and Dr Célestin Albin de Cigala (1865-1928)
Faculty of Paris (1947)
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SIMPLICITY, QUOTES on WATCHING, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HEART, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis, To JESUS through MARY

Thought for the Day – 7 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Thought for the Day – 7 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

PART ONE
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES
Chapter I
The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

i. Many young girls, says the Author of Wisdom, have amassed riches but thou, O Mary, thou surpass them all greatly.
Children, be faithful imitators of Jesus and perfect imitators of Mary.
It matters a great deal, it matters for your salvation, for the honour of Jesus and the glory of Mary, that you always be devout in your prayers, sober in your words, discreet in your looks.
In brief, be scrupulously disciplined in all your deeds.

ii. Do you wish to praise Mary worthily; do you wish to praise her in all magnificence?
Be simple, like the simple children of God, without deception, without envy, without criticism, without murmuring and without any suspicion.
Support all adverse things with charity, with great patience and great humility.
For Jesus, for Mary and, in order to imitate the Saints, watch here below, watch and be yourselves saints!
To one who knows how to offer his life to the Divine Trinity, all which is bitter here on earth appears sweet and all which seems heavy, appears very light.
Such is the fruit of the remembrance of Mary and Jesus.

iii. Prayer: When the Heart Says: Ave Maria!

O Mary, O sweet Mother of my Jesus,
I beg you, deign to open to thy poor servant,
both thy maternal compassion and thy love,
laden with sweetness.
Pour into my heart, one drop of thy tenderness
so that I may love thee with a pure heart,
thee, O Mother, the sweetest of all mothers,
so that I may imitate thee and Jesus.
Listen to me, Mother, listen to me, Mary,
kneeling I salute thee: Ave Maria!
The sky rejoices and the earth smiles
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
Satan flies afar and all hell shudders
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
The world seems small and the flesh trembles,
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
Sadness flees and happiness reigns,
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
Lukewarmness disappears and love reappears
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
Devotion grows and compunction is born,
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
Hope gushes forth and consolation increases,
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
The whole soul rekindles and love grows tender,
when the heart says: Ave Maria!
So rich and so great is the sweetness of this prayer
that it could not be expressed in words.
Thus, again I kneel before thee,
O Mary, O Virgin, O Mother
filled with goodness and I say to thee,
over and over, with reverence and devotion:
Hail, Mary, Hail!
Receive this pious salutation and with it receive me,
O Mother, within your bosom.

(Thomas à Kempis– Discourse XXV)

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Thought for the Day – 6 May – SOLILOQUIES OF THE SOUL

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Thought for the Day – 6 May – Extracts fromThe Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

SOLILOQUIES OF THE SOUL

—Thomas à Kempis

Read, O my son, or rather, chant while reading,
These sweet versicles in honour of Mary.
Take them as a viaticum for the soul;
Take them as one does a staff for a journey.
Read often and re-read with devotion while praying.
May Jesus and Mary be for you, in life,
At all times, in every place, your sole company,
For fear that you may wander alone or unguided,
Shedding without, the perfumes from within.
You will find here a treatise on Mary, brief,
But a treatise full of sweetness for meditation.
And a treatise full of strength, to protect you well.
Meditate on it often and often, pray too,
Saying with a full heart:
Hail, Mary!

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, The IMITATION of MARY

Thought for the Day – 5 May – The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Thought for the Day – 5 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Extracts from The Imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)

I am thrilled to explore this little book with you during Our Lady’s Month of May.

Extracts from The Imitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
By Thomas à Kempis CRSA (1380-1471)
Imprimatur 17 February 1947

PREFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION

The Imitation of Christ, the most beautiful of books coming from the hand of man, ought to have, as a counterpart, The Imi¬ tation of Mary. However, we do not have it in a completely finished form; we only possess it scattered throughout the works of Thomas à Kempis.
The century which brought forth The Imitation of Christ— the 15th—is the century which saw completed, the greater part of the Gothic Churches dedicated to the Virgin in France and the Low Countries, from Notre Dame of Paris to the Cathedral of Cologne.
This is the most flourishing epoch of the cult of the Virgin, the golden age of devotion to Mary. The name of Mary is found ever at the side of that of Jesus, as, for example, on the standard of Jeanne d’Arc.

Besides, we notice with sorrow that the Author of The Imitation of Christ, does not speak a single te time of devotion to the Virgin Mary in this divine book which treats of all the subjects of Christian Mysticism.

Was it forgetfulness or negligence? Neither one nor the other.
Thomas à Kempis, Canon of Cologne and Abbe of Mount St Agnes, whose Church is dedicated to the Virgin, has written entire chapters on devotion to Mary in his divers works.
But the copyists who transcribed the first Books of The Imitation, finished by Kempis, thus leaving the fourth incomplete, did not know how to arrange the passages treating of the devotion to the Virgin Mary in the immense production of the Author.

The present work which is only the work of an analyst, we
have undertaken. We have been able to extract from the different works of Kempis, whole chapters on the devotion to Mary written in the same poetic and rhythmic language as is The Imitation. Everything seems to indicate that they were destined to form a Fifth Book of the Treatise on the Interior Life, following that of the Eucharist. One finds in it, the same doctrine of elevated theology and the same grace of poetry in its forms.

We have arranged this work according to the Mysteries of the life of Mary; joyous mysteries, sorrowful mysteries, glorious mysteries.
The reading of it will thus be easier. It is especially fitting to recall the advice of the Author: “You must read, not only with the mind but, above all, with the heart.”
We have tried to enclose our heart in that of our Mother.
Likewise, may you do, all you who shall read this book!

Dr Albin de Cigala
Faculty of Paris, 1947
Doctor of Theology and Philosophy

NOTE: The sermons and meditations are the work of Dr de Cigala who comments on the Extract of Kempis in order to aid the reader to more fully derive its fruits.

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 7 September – Most Merciful Mother of God – Thomas à Kempis

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Our Morning Offering – 7 September – Saturday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C and a Marian Saturday

Most Merciful Mother of God
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

From the Imitation of Mary

Most merciful Mother of God,
Mary ever-Virgin,
Queen of heaven,
Mistress of the world,
Joy of the Saints
and Comfort of sinners,
hear the groans of contrite hearts.
Grant the desires of the devout,
help the sick in their needs,
strengthen the hearts of the afflicted,
be present to those in their final agony.
Protect your suppliant servants
from the assaults of demons,
bring with you
all who love you
into the reward of eternal blessedness,
where, with your beloved Son,
Jesus Christ,
you reign happily forever.
Amen.most merciful mothr of god by thomas a kempis - 7 sept 2019