Something which absolutely needs to be discussed is the fact that Francis is a Black Pope, a Jesuit.
Being a Jesuit means something. But, most Catholics do not understand what it means to be formed as a Jesuit.
Examining a few elements of Jesuit may help understand what, how, and why the Pope is acting.
First of all, imagine what is it to be a Jesuit and a Pope. Imagining thinking like a Jesuit in the Vatican.
And, in order to think like a Jesuit, one must understand Jesuit spirituality and mission to a certain extent. I cannot cover all the aspects, which, if you can imagine a prism, send out hues coloring the entire Jesuit approach to life.
However, here a a few points which might help the layperson understand our Pope.
One, the Jesuits believe that God is an active God. God is involved in people's lives, guiding, directing, moving souls, minds, hearts. This aspect of the prism colors how a Jesuit thinks of other people, trusting that God works through other people. The Pope would promote collegiality to a certain extent because of the Jesuit belief that God works in this way. Jesuits also believe that all people have gifts and talents which need to be recognized, even in different cultures. They would be open to the new and the different, discussion and deliberating as did the first Jesuit fathers.
Second, Jesuits learn to be attentive to the movements of the Holy Spirit within themselves and others, through discernment. Being attentive to God means listening within the attitude of reflection and prayer. This takes time. Nothing is rushed. Peace indicates the Will of God and doubt indicates one has not yet determined God's Will. When the Pope refers to making a "mess", he means examining the movements of doubt and uncertainty in order to find the Will of God. This type of discernment is usual, daily, and involves both the heart and the head. However, one would hope that the deep prayer and examination of conscience both accompany this attentiveness.
Third, a subtle but strict hierarchical structure is the form of Jesuit organization. This means that the Pope would choose men to support his ideas in the military-like functioning of the Order. While wanting this strict order of command, the Jesuit does not want it to be obvious. Authority is taken seriously within the Order.
A leader could, for example, ask his subordinates to go to the missions immediately. Jesuits are still trained to move fast, but under the strictures of the leader. The Pope definitely sees himself as part of a hierarchy. This ability to move fast, however, means that the Pope would expect and want change if things seemed stagnant to him. Flexibility has always been the mark of the Jesuit in the missions.
Fourth, a Jesuit is always aware of the interesting split in the Order between this strict hierarchical structure and the singularity of the man in the mission. A Jesuit may be sent out with only one companion, or work in a small group, not in a larger community, such as the Benedictines. This tension between strict hierarchical structure and independence "in the field" is part of the structure of the Jesuits. Jesuits learn to be companions in the Lord. Perhaps one of the difficulties for Pope Francis is that he is isolated from this friendship, this communal aspect of his Order.
Fifth, freedom marks the Jesuit's mind-set despite the strict order of command. This means that a certain independence marks each Jesuit, as he learns to have confidence in God but only through detachment from things and people, and through humility, Humility is a goal of the true Jesuit. That the Pope speaks of humility and acts in certain ways means that he is aware of the Ignatian aspiration for humility, which must underline discernment.
Sixth, "for the greater glory of God" is the Jesuit motto. This means that God's Glory is to be seen in the world. The experience of Ignatius in seeing the world in a new way after his conversion colors the view of the world for the Jesuit. The Jesuit stands firmly in the real world, not leaving it, but facing suffering, difficulties, for God's Glory There is no sense of leaving the world with a monastic mind, but engaging the world. The Jesuit, through his own personal encounter with God through others and in the world, is to transform the world. The Jesuit is always, "in the world" but with God's Glory as the goal. This is another tension for Francis in Rome--engaging in Europe, yet looking for a way to bring about God's Glory. Dialogue with and in the world marks the Jesuit vocation.
Seventh, some Jesuits use the phrase "creative polarity" to describe being a contemplative in the world, yet being active. This is yet another tension in the Order and means a Jesuit must be dedicated to prayer and action. Of course, this tension involves daily examination of conscience and repentance. Because of this aspect of the prism, I trust this Pope will be true to his calling as Vicar of Christ through the daily examen.
Eighth, ‘Ego ero vobis Romae propitius’. Christ, carrying His Cross, said to St. Ignatius, "You will be favored in Rome". I am sure the Pope thinks of this phrase. I believe Francis has a confidence now that God has favored him in this position, which would account for some of his actions and words.
Ninth, Mary appeared to Ignatius, giving him hope and consolation. This Pope has great love for Mary, which should be an excellent sign of hope for the Church, despite all.
Tenth, poverty is key to the Jesuit. Francis' preoccupation with the poor and statements about the politics surrounding the poor are part of the Jesuit charism, and to be expected as part of the Jesuit Order's commitment to social justice.
Eleventh, consistency against heretics was, in the past, a mark of the Jesuit Order. One thinks of the great Bellarmine. We know that the Pope dealt with Liberation Theology in the seminaries of Argentine. Let us pray Francis sees the moral heresies rearing their hydra heads in Rome, and, also, learns to deal with those modernist fantasies with the same consistency as Ignatius.
I could write more, but this is a short compendium of some of the aspects of seeing the Pope through the prism of the Jesuit Order.
to be continued, maybe....
Sunday, 16 November 2014
The Growing Shadow of Mordor
It is interesting that the prequel game related to the LOTR came out this past September.
Some Catholics and I have been experiencing the long arm of Mordor. Some of us are exhausted by the spiritual warfare coming out of Rome and the final public heads of the enemies coming above the trenches. Those who hate Christ and His Church, who are within the Church, now are obvious.
We call it the Shadow of Mordor.
My energies have been sapped by the level of evil coming out of those leaders, who are schismatic and bringing their flocks to perdition.
Some of my good Catholic friends have felt the shadow of evil falling upon their parishes, neighbourhoods, towns, cities, nations.
The shadow is beginning to cover Malta. When the majority of people turn away from God and His Church and live, as one good layman said today, a life of immorality and selfishness, the shadow is fed. The shadow is being fed by those who do not love Christ or His Church.
This miasma is like a fog of pestilence moving into the churches with great speed and clutching at the heels of the Faithful to bring them down.
Like a plague, this shadow interrupts normal daily life.
A friend of mine shared with me a terrible vision this evening. He saw nations with two classes-the rulers and the slaves, as in the movie The Time Machine, which I wrote about on this blog years ago. The rulers will feed off the slaves. I can believe this type of time may come. The man who shared this with me is holy and sensitive to God's Ways. He feels the pressure of this shadow which I feel as well.
Another holy layman told me last week that he sees shadows on those who are not walking with God, the unbaptized, the unrepentant. He sees a growing number of people in Malta with a shadow on their faces.
I believe God is allowing the forces of evil to come out of this shadow and be more obvious. I had wondered why some people on the bus and in the street stare at me when I am out. My friend said it was because they see the light in those of us in sanctifying grace and they wonder at this. Light is getting lighter and dark is getting darker. Some are attracted to the light, which is Christ and some are repelled.
I shall have to change my habits and go into my cell more, as the fighting of the enemy is wearing me out. Pray God leads me soon to a community. Like a lone guerrilla soldier, I need a break and am not getting it. I need a pod.
Neither are many of my friends getting rest, those who are isolated, who absolutely need daily Mass and the rosary.
We are the vanguard, and I am warning all of you it will come to this, into your lives.
My entire life has been one of prophetic movements, which God has allowed. What I have experienced privately, the Church has experienced.
As one who loves the Church passionately, I have felt on my own body the whips satan uses against Holy Mother Church.
Grieving over the great ruptures in the unity of Catholicism, which have been there my entire adult life, but which are now obvious. forms part of this suffering.
God will prevail. The Church will remain until Christ comes again.
But, those of us in the remnant may have to learn to live under the shadow of evil, without giving in.
We are a generation like our fathers or grandfathers who fought in WWII. Get ready. The battle is real and it is hard.
Yes! Two People on Perfection and One on Predominant Faults
This morning at the Co-Cathedral in Valletta, the priest spoke of being perfect in order to get to heaven. He addressed both the reading on a perfect wife and the Gospel on the talents.
The Canon of St. Augustine noted that perfection means fulfilling one's duties and using the gifts God has given us. But, he went on to say that perfection comes with purification. Yes, he used the term purifying before death. To be able to use our gifts, we must work hard to become perfect.
I was so pleased at his comments.
Then, on this same day, I read a comment by Raissa Maritain on perfection. I shall return to that later. But, she also comments on the predominant faults of each person, which I want to highlight today.
Here is it:
"If we are to be merciful and compassionate towards our neighbour, we ought to be so above all when we know his dominant fault. The first impulse is to bring all our severity to bear on it, but on the contrary, it is one that we must concentrate all our charity: for it is a weakness which ought to be sacred to us for God alone can deal with it and cure it. These great defects of our brothers are like a nakedness we are not permitted to look at. But let each one of us bring his infirmities before the eyes of God, humbly imploring him to cure us. For this divine gaze may see all nakedness, moreover everything is naked before him, who heals and reclothes with light."
From Southern Orders, A Blog I Follow--Video of Burke
Sunday, November 16, 2014 http://southernorderspage.blogspot.com/2014/11/bombshell-post-demoted-raymond-leo.html
(Not a numbers game, of course...)
BOMBSHELL: POST-DEMOTED RAYMOND LEO CARDINAL BURKE GIVES MORE INTERVIEWS AND REITERATES HIS CALL TO POPE FRANCIS TO CLARIFY CHURCH TEACHING
The following is from an Irish on-line service, RTE News. Cardinal Burke reiterates that it is long past time for the pope to clarify Church teaching. The extended interview with Joe Little is well worth watching! There are some bombshell statements, mostly by listening between the lines, about what is needed today. There is a statement by Cardinal Burke on Archbishop Cupich.
BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO LINK OF THE EXTENDED INTERVIEW WITH CARDINAL BURKE BY JOE LITTLE! IT IS STUNNING TO HEAR A CONSERVATIVE CARDINAL SPEAKING SO BLUNTLY ABOUT A REIGNING POPE. PRESS THIS LINK:
Watch Joe Little's extended interview with Cardinal Raymond Burke HERE.
BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO LINK OF THE EXTENDED INTERVIEW WITH CARDINAL BURKE BY JOE LITTLE! IT IS STUNNING TO HEAR A CONSERVATIVE CARDINAL SPEAKING SO BLUNTLY ABOUT A REIGNING POPE. PRESS THIS LINK:
Watch Joe Little's extended interview with Cardinal Raymond Burke HERE.
RELATED AUDIO & VIDEO
Cardinal would refuse Communion to pro-gay marriage Catholic legislators
One of Pope Francis' most vocal critics, who was demoted last week from his leadership of the Vatican's Supreme Court, has said he would refuse Holy Communion to any Catholic legislator who voted for same-sex marriage.
Speaking before a Limerick conference on the Catholic family, Cardinal Raymond Burke declined to comment on the Government's planned referendum over gay and lesbian marriage.
However, he said he would refuse Communion to pro-gay marriage Catholic legislators in the same way he did in the case of pro-choice legislators in his native United States.
He also reiterated his call to the Pontiff, made during last month's Synod on the Family, to clarify "at this point" where the Catholic Church stands on homosexual relations and on giving Holy Communion to divorced and civilly remarried couples.
Cardinal Burke told RTÉ News there is growing confusion about what the Church really teaches and that the impression is being given that it is a democracy in which a second synod of bishops will vote on these matters next year.
Cardinal Burke, who is now the Cardinal Patron of the Order of Malta, said neither Catholic doctrine nor discipline is decided by the votes of bishops.
The conference in Limerick is being organised by "The Catholic Voice" newspaper and was attended by the Bishop of Limerick, Dr Brendan Leahy and the former MEP Dana Rosemary Scallon.
Watch Joe Little's extended interview with Cardinal Raymond Burke here.
Speaking before a Limerick conference on the Catholic family, Cardinal Raymond Burke declined to comment on the Government's planned referendum over gay and lesbian marriage.
However, he said he would refuse Communion to pro-gay marriage Catholic legislators in the same way he did in the case of pro-choice legislators in his native United States.
He also reiterated his call to the Pontiff, made during last month's Synod on the Family, to clarify "at this point" where the Catholic Church stands on homosexual relations and on giving Holy Communion to divorced and civilly remarried couples.
Cardinal Burke told RTÉ News there is growing confusion about what the Church really teaches and that the impression is being given that it is a democracy in which a second synod of bishops will vote on these matters next year.
Cardinal Burke, who is now the Cardinal Patron of the Order of Malta, said neither Catholic doctrine nor discipline is decided by the votes of bishops.
The conference in Limerick is being organised by "The Catholic Voice" newspaper and was attended by the Bishop of Limerick, Dr Brendan Leahy and the former MEP Dana Rosemary Scallon.
Watch Joe Little's extended interview with Cardinal Raymond Burke here.
If I only had time to teach one thing for the rest of my life....
22 Sep 2014
The newer rite tends to emphasize becoming a part in the body of Christ, which is fine and good, but it is at the expense of the reality that baptism is our rebirth in water and spirit which is necessary as the Gospels tell us.
22 Jan 2014
I shall get back to Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical on love after this post. I must write about the terrible confusion in the Church regarding the sacrament of Baptism. Now, I have written about this before, but the confusion is so ...
06 May 2012
OK, back to the necessity of Baptism. Today, a person in my parish noted that it was not necessary to get babies baptized who were seriously ill in the hospital, (are you ready for this?) because one could not have a baptismal ...
04 May 2012
I shall get back to Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical on love after this post. I must write about the terrible confusion in the Church regarding the sacrament of Baptism. Now, I have written about this before, but the confusion is so ...
10 Mar 2013
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the ...
11 Apr 2013
Good answer to a question on the baptism of a child of lesbian parents.... Posted by Supertradmum · http://relevantradio.com/dailyquestions/some-friends-of-mine ... Labels: baptism, same sex marriage debate ...
28 Dec 2012
1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua),4 and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn ...
02 Jun 2013
Magical thinking seems to be the most common problem I constantly meet with Catholics regarding Baptism, Confirmation and the Last Rites. Serious problems exist because many Catholics do not understand that the ...
13 Jan 2013
A good Jesuit priest gave an excellent sermon today for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Today, one of the three Epiphanies of Christ, the other two being the Feast of the Three Kings, and the other the Wedding Feast at ...
04 Jan 2014
1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.60 He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them.61 Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the ...
10 Jun 2013
You will probably be expected to attend some form of preparation before the baptism, commonly two sessions. This is partly to enable you to participate actively in the service, but also because baptism has always been seen ...
Perfection Series VII Part IX Prayers for Adoration
Prayers Before The Blessed Sacrament from Jesus Our Eucharistic Love
by Father Stefano Minelli: from Chapter Seven
Preparation
Faith
My Lord Jesus Christ, with all my soul I believe that You are really present in the Sacrament of the Altar. I believe it because You have said it — You Whom I adore as Supreme Truth. Addressing You in the sacred Host, I declare with St. Peter: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Adoration
I adore You and acknowledge You as my Creator, Lord, Redeemer, and my Supreme and only Good.
Hope
O Lord, I hope that as You have given Yourself wholly to me in this divine Sacrament, You will exercise Your mercy and grant me the graces I need in order to gain Paradise more easily.
Love
O Lord, I love You with all my heart above all things because You are my infinitely lovable God. Forgive me for having loved You so little up to now. I would like to love You with the ardor of the Seraphims and with the Heart of Mary Immaculate, Your Mother and mine.
For Your sake, O Jesus, I wish to love my neighbor as myself.
Humility
O Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word, and my soul will be healed.
Sorrow
Before approaching You, O Jesus, I ask You once more for the pardon of my sins. You have loved me so much as to die for me, and I have been so evil, and have offended You countless times. Have mercy on me! Forgive me! By Your grace wipe away every smallest stain of sin. I wish to approach You with an angelic purity so that I can worthily receive Thee.
Desire
My God, come into my soul that You may make it holy. My God, come into my heart to purify it. My God, enter my body in order to keep it and so that I will never separate myself from Your love.
Destroy everything You see in me that is unworthy of Your presence and can hinder Your grace and Your love.
(Remember within a few minutes Jesus will be within you. This is the most beautiful and greatest moment of your day.
Be well prepared. Present to Jesus a heart ardent in its love and desire for Him. Be fully aware that you are undeserving of such great favor, and do not go to Communion with your soul stained with mortal sin.
Endeavor to let your Holy Communion be during Holy Mass. But if this is not possible, go ahead and receive Holy Communion outside Mass, so that you will not miss a day without receiving Jesus.
Remember that a fervent Holy Communion 1) preserves and increases sanctifying grace in you, 2) takes away venial sins, 3) protects you from falling into mortal sin, 4) brings you consolation and comfort, with an increase of charity and hope of eternal life.)
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Thanksgiving
(As Jesus is now with you, you have become a living tabernacle. Keep recollected and adore your Lord. Express to Him the fullness of your joy in possessing Him. Open your heart to Him and speak to Him with great confidence.)
Prayer
O Jesus, I find myself deeply moved in the presence of Your infinite love. How grateful I am to You! I do not know how to do anything else but repeat: Thank You, O Jesus! What shall I do for You, O Lord, in return for Your Gift?
I hear Your sweet voice repeating to me: “My son, give Me thy heart” (Prov. 23:26). Yes, Lord, I offer You my heart and my soul. I consecrate to You my whole life. I want to belong entirely to You forever.
To Jesus Crucified
Behold, O good and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in Thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul, I pray and beseech Thee that Thou wouldst impress upon my heart lively sentiments of Faith, Hope, and Charity, with true contrition for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment; while with deep affection and grief of soul I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate Thy five most precious wounds, having before my eyes that which David the Prophet spoke of Thee, my good Jesus: “They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have numbered all My bones.” (Our Father, Hail Mary)
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Invocations
Soul of Christ, make me holy. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, cleanse me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds, shelter me. Do not permit me to be separated from Thee. From the wicked enemy defend me. At the hour of my death, call me, and bid me to come to Thee, that with Thy Saints I may praise Thee forever. Amen.
Prayer of Saint Bonaventure
Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus Christ, mine inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, with true, serene, and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with love and longing for Thee, that it may yearn for Thee and faint for Thy courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with Thee. Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of taste. Let my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor. May it ever thirst after Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the richness of the house of God. May it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, attain to Thee, meditate upon Thee, speak of Thee, and do all things to the praise and glory of Thy Holy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with readiness and affection, and with perseverance unto the end. Be Thou alone ever my hope and my whole confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure and my joy; my rest and tranquility; my peace, my sweetness and my fragrance; my sweet savor, my food and refreshment; my refuge and my help; my wisdom, my portion, my possession and my treasure, in whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm, and rooted immovably. Amen.
Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas
I give Thee thanks, O holy Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal God, who has vouchsafed, not through any merits of mine, but out of the condescension of Thy great mercy, to nourish me a sinner, thine unworthy servant, with the precious Body and Blood of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that this Holy Communion be not to me a condemnation unto punishment, but a saving plea unto forgiveness. May It be unto me the armor of faith and the shield of good purpose. May It cause the emptying out of my vices and the extinction of all concupiscence and lust; an increase of charity and patience, of humility and obedience, and of all virtues. May It be unto me a strong defense against the snares of all my enemies, visible and invisible; the perfect quieting of all my evil impulses both fleshly and spiritual; may It cause me to firmly cleave unto Thee, the one true God; and may It make my death holy and happy. And I pray Thee that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring me, a sinner, to that ineffable banquet, where Thou, with Thy Son and Thy Holy Spirit, art to Thy saints true light, fulness of content, eternal joy, gladness without alloy, and perfect happiness. I ask this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy Communion With Mary
(Meditating on the Hail Mary)
Preparation
O holy Virgin, I am about to receive Your Jesus. I wish my heart were like Yours when You became Mother of the Savior at the time of the Annunciation of the Angel.
Hail Mary
I greet You, good Mother. Allow me to unite myself with You to adore Jesus. Lend me Your affections, Your sentiments. Moreover I ask You, in fact, to adore Him for me. Hail, O true Body of Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary! I believe, and I adore You.
Full of grace
You, Mary, were worthy to receive the all-holy God, for You were full of grace from the first moment of Your life. But I am poor and sinful. My evil ways make me unfit to go to Communion. O my Mother, cover me with Your merits and lead me to Jesus.
The Lord is with Thee
The Lord is with Thee, O most Holy Virgin. By Your ardent longing You drew Him down from Heaven into Your heart. Instill also in my heart an ardent longing and an insatiable hunger for Jesus, so that I can truly say, “Come, O my Jesus, I long for You with the heart of Mary, Your Mother and mine.”
Blessed art Thou among women
Blessed art Thou, O Mary, who have never known the remorse that comes from committing sin; for You are free of every kind of sin and imperfection. But I know I have sinned, and I am not sure that I have been sufficiently sorry. Make me understand the evil of my sins and the goodness of God Whom I have offended. I weep for my sins. Present me thus penitent to Your Jesus.
And blessed is the Fruit of Thy womb
Ah, good Mother! What a great gift You have given us in giving us our Savior, Jesus! And behold, He wants to come to me to make me an especially beloved child of Your heart. I go with confidence to receive Him, and I say to Him: “My Jesus, I abandon myself to You. Come to give me strength to serve You faithfully, and the hope of enjoying You forever with Your Mother in Heaven.”
Jesus
Grant, O Mother, that I experience those sentiments that You experienced as You lived in Jesus' company, as You called Him by name. I am now about to receive Him. Allow me to be able to say to Him: “Come, O my Jesus. You will find in me the same welcome that You had from Your Mother on earth. I hope that through Her intercession You will welcome me into Heaven.”
Thanksgiving
Holy Mary, Mother of God
O my Mother, how happy I am to be united with my Jesus! But how do I deserve to have my Lord come down to me? O Mary, who are holy and Immaculate, offer Him worthy thanks for me.
O Thou who from the first perceived the heartbeats of that Jesus Whom I now welcome within me, Thou who loved Him more than all the Saints together have loved Him, and who lived for Him alone when You were on earth, grant that I may now share Your sentiments and Your love.
And Thou, O Jesus, accept the love of Your Mother as though it were my own and do not deny me a tender glance while I also say to Thee with all my heart, “I love Thee.”
Pray for us sinners
Pray for me, O Mary. At this time unite Your prayers to mine. And now that Jesus has come into my heart, ready to grant me all graces, I wish to ask Him above all that I never separate myself from Him by sin. And You, O Mary, preserve me from evil, and be my refuge in temptation.
Now
For now and from now on, beloved Mother, I beg for all the graces that are profitable to my soul. Obtain for me this favor: that I be clothed with the virtues of goodness and meekness and that my life be one of spotless purity.
And at the hour of our death
From now on my prayer, O Jesus, is that I may receive You worthily at the time of my death and that my death may be a holy one. I accept it, when and how You shall send it to me — I welcome it in union with Your sacrifice fulfilled on the Cross. I accept it in order to submit myself to the divine Will, for the glory of God, for my salvation, and for the salvation of souls.
O Sorrowful Virgin, assist me as You have assisted Jesus in His last agony.
“Amen”
“So be it.” O Jesus, here is the word that I want to repeat at every instant, both during my youth and throughout my life. May Thy Will be done always. And all that You provide is the best thing for me, and from now on I accept it and give You thanks. Amen.
Before The Holy Eucharist
The Visit to the Blessed Sacrament
My Lord Jesus Christ, Who, for the love You bear towards men, remain in this Sacrament night and day, filled with compassion and love, waiting, calling, and welcoming all who come to visit Thee: I believe that Thou art present in the Sacrament of the Altar; I adore Thee from the abyss of my nothingness, and I thank Thee for all the graces Thou hast given me, particularly for having given me Thyself in this Sacrament, for having given me Thy Most Holy Mother Mary as my Advocate, and for having called me to visit Thee in this church.
I pay reverence to Thy most loving Heart today, and this for three purposes: first, in thanksgiving for this great Gift; second, to make reparation for all the outrages Thou hast received from all Thy enemies in this Sacrament; third, I intend by this visit to adore Thee in all the places on earth in which Thou art present in this Sacrament, and in which Thou art least honored and most abandoned.
My Jesus, I love Thee with all my heart. I repent of having so often displeased Thy infinite Goodness in the past. I resolve with the help of Thy grace not to offend Thee ever again in the future; and for the present, poor sinner though I be, I consecrate myself wholly to Thee. I renounce and surrender to Thee my whole will, my affections, my desires, and all that belongs to me. From this day forward do whatever You please with me and what belongs to me. I ask and wish only of Thee Thy holy love, final perseverance, and the perfect fulfillment of Thy Will.
I recommend to Thee the souls in Purgatory, especially those most devoted to the Most Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I also recommend to Thee all poor sinners.
O my beloved Savior, I unite all my affections with the affections of Thy most loving Heart, and thus united, I offer them to Thy Eternal Father, and I beg Him in Thy name that for love of Thee He accept them and heed them. Amen.
Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that You are really present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love Thee above all things, and I desire to possess Thee within my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.
(Make a brief pause, and during it unite yourself with Jesus.)
I embrace Thee as being already there and unite myself wholly to Thee. Never, never permit me to be separated from Thee. Amen.
Visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary
O most holy, Immaculate Virgin and my Mother Mary, to Thee who are the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the Advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I, who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse today. I venerate Thee, O great Queen, and I thank Thee for all the graces Thou hast conferred on me until now, especially for having delivered me from hell, which I have so often deserved. I love Thee, O Most amiable Lady, and because of the love I bear Thee, I promise to serve Thee always and do all in my power to make Thee loved by others. I place in Thee all my hopes; I confide my salvation to Thy care. Accept me as Thy servant, and shelter me under Thy mantle, O Mother of Mercy. And since You are so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until my death.
Of Thee I ask a perfect love of Jesus Christ. From Thee I hope to die a good death. O Mary, my Mother, for the love You bear to God, I beg You to help me always, but especially at the last moment of my life. Leave me not, I beseech Thee, until Thou seest me safe in Heaven, blessing Thee and singing Thy mercies for all eternity. Amen. So I hope. So may it be.
— St. Alphonsus Liguori
end of Series VII
end of Series VII
A Small Point
Catholics do not have to believe any private revelations. We honor Mary on the calendar under the name of Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima, and other titles from apparitions. We honor the saints to whom she appeared.
But, we do not have to believe or accept any of the statements. Of course, if the Church approves an apparition, we can happily read, study, and pray over these. We should not pay attention to any which are not approved.
The sayings of the seers, even those approved, are not infallible.
And, we do not have to follow those.
Just a reminder.
Perfection Series VII Part VIII Mary and The Eucharist
One time, I was at Adoration with a group of very mature in the faith Catholic women. This was in a private chapel. We said the rosary together and during the rosary, it was clear that all of us were being moved in a special way. In my mind's eye, I could see Mary, Our Mother, kneeling before the Eucharist and bowing her head. Others felt very keenly the Presence of God, the Holy Spirit. Mary was in the room, like she was at Pentecost with the apostles.
Mary did not need to receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. She lived her entire life, in her entire being in the Trinity. Quite rightly is Mary the Co-Redemptrix, the Mediatrix of All Graces.
I hope this present pope declares this as a dogma. A new life would enter the Church in great power if this dogma were declared to the entire world.
The Holy Eucharist is the Bread that comes from our Heavenly Mother. It is Bread produced by Mary from the flour of Her immaculate flesh, kneaded into dough with Her virginal milk. St. Augustine wrote, “Jesus took His Flesh from the flesh of Mary.“
We know, too, that united to the Divinity in the Eucharist there is Jesus' Body and Blood taken from the body and blood of the Blessed Virgin. Therefore at every Holy Communion we receive, it would be quite correct, and a very beautiful thing, to take notice of our Holy Mother's sweet and mysterious presence, inseparably united with Jesus in the Host. Jesus is always the Son She adores. He is Flesh of Her flesh and Blood of Her blood. If Adam could call Eve when she had been taken from his rib, “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh“ (Gen. 2:23), cannot the holy Virgin Mary even more rightly call Jesus “Flesh of My flesh and Blood of My blood“? Taken from the “intact Virgin“ as says St. Thomas Aquinas, the flesh of Jesus is the maternal flesh of Mary, the Blood of Jesus is the maternal blood of Mary. Therefore it will never be possible to separate Jesus from Mary.
For this reason at every Holy Mass which is celebrated, the Blessed Virgin can repeat with truth to Jesus in the Host and in the Chalice, “You are My Son, today I have generated You“ (Ps 2:7). And justly St. Augustine teaches us that in the Eucharist “Mary extends and perpetuates Her Divine Maternity“, while St. Albert the Great exhorts with love, “My Soul if you wish to experience intimacy with Mary let yourself be carried between Her arms and nourished with Her blood“ ... Go with this ineffable chaste thought to the banquet of God and you will find in the Blood of the Son the nourishment of the Mother.
Many Saints and theologians (St. Peter Damien, St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure, St. Bernadine ... say that Jesus instituted the Eucharist above all for Mary and then through Mary, the Universal Mediatrix of All Graces, for all of us. And from Mary therefore Jesus comes to be given to us day by day; and in Jesus is always the Immaculate flesh and the Virginal blood of His Most Holy Mother which penetrates into our hearts and inebriates our souls. In an ecstasy during the celebration of Holy Mass, St. Ignatius of Loyola contemplated one day the reality revealed by this most sweet truth and he remained celestially moved for a long time.
Furthermore, if we reflect that Jesus, the Fruit of Mary's immaculate womb, constitutes all of Mary's love, all of Her sweetness, all of Her tenderness, Her whole riches, Her whole life, then we see that when we receive Him we cannot fail to also receive Her who, by ties of the highest love, as well as by ties of flesh and blood, forms with Jesus one unity, one whole, as She is always and inseparably “leaning upon Her Beloved“ (Cant. 8:5). Is it not true that love, and above all divine love, unites and unifies? And aside from the Unity in the bosom of the Blessed Trinity, can we think of a unity more close and total than that between Jesus and the Virgin Mary?
Mary's purity, Her virginity, Her tender ways, Her sweet manner, Her love, and even the very features of Her heavenly face — all these we find in Jesus; for the most holy humanity assumed by the Word is wholly and only Mary's humanity, on account of the great mystery of the virginal Conception accomplished by the Holy Spirit, Who made Mary Jesus' Mother, while consecrating Her as a Virgin that would be forever undefiled and glorious in soul and body.
And thus “The Eucharist,“ writes St. Albert the Great, “produces impulses of a love that is angelic, and It has the unique power to put in souls a holy feeling of tenderness toward the Queen of Angels. She has given us what is Flesh of Her flesh and Bone of Her bone, and in the Eucharist She continues to give us this sweet, virginal, heavenly banquet."
Finally, in the eternal generation of the Word in the bosom of the Trinity, the Father gives Himself wholly to the Son, Who is “Mirror of the Father“, similarly in the temporal generation of the same Word in the bosom of humanity, the Mother of God gives Herself wholly to the Son, to Her Jesus, “the virginal Flower of the Virgin Mother“ (Pius XII). And the Son in His turn gives Himself wholly to the Mother, making Himself similar to Her and making Her “fully Godlike“ (St. Peter Damian).
St. Peter Julian Eymard, that Saint so totally devoted to the Eucharist, declared that even in this world, after Jesus' Ascension into Heaven, the Blessed Virgin “lived a life in and by the Blessed Sacrament“; and thus he liked to call Her “Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.“ And Padre Pio of Pietrelcina would sometimes say to his spiritual children, “Do you not see the Madonna always beside the tabernacle?“ And how could She fail to be there — She who “stood by the cross of Jesus“ on Calvary (John 19:25)? Therefore St. Alphonsus Liguori, in his book of devotions, used to always join a visit to the Blessed Virgin Mary to each visit to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. And Saint Maximilian M. Kolbe used to recommend that when we go before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, we never fail to remember Mary's presence, calling on Her and associating ourselves with Her, at least seeing to it that Her sweet name comes to mind.