aeternus

Today, though we are in the middle of our Novena to St. Therese, we should also remember (and thanks to my dear friend for reminding me so that I may remind anyone who happens to be reading today…) that we may begin our Novena to St. Faustina. This is a novena especially to ask for the intercession of Faustina on the anniversary of her death which will be next Friday, October 5.

Not unlike Therese, Faustina was only seven years-old when she first heard Jesus’ voice in her soul. It was his first invitation to her, and stirred her to unite her life totally with His Divine Being. Thus a life devoted to proclaiming His Divine Mercy was initiated. How Faustina gave herself over completely to God by honoring each of His requests to tell the entire World of His Mercy is a heroic tale. And while He blessed her with many consolations, the agony she suffered during the times she felt alone and in the dark were great. As she was battling her own wits and the evil machinations of the diabolical one it was indeed God who was her strength in true faith. However, it is a testament to determination of spirit and complete love of God and abandonment of ones-self that we may admire and imitate in Faustina’s character.

There is another religious to consider this week among the faithful of God’s Holy Will. I am only just learning, but it was Sr. Mary Ephrem, as she was instructed by Our Heavenly Mother to let our country know of her desire for purity of soul to help reclaim the family who is so under assault here in America. (And while this devotion is a private revelation, it has been approved by prominent Bishops, and so can be trusted to be authentic. With the approval of Archbishop Burke, as I have said, I feel completely safe in reading and learning about this particular devotion. Back to the story…) A contemplative, Sr. Ephrem would have greatly realized the necessity of uniting the family in purity so that it may attempt to emulate the purity of the Holy Family of Nazareth. That was the holy home where the Holy Spirit found its indwelling in love uniting God with creation through the Immaculate and her Divine Son. Within this structure came also the love of a most good and humble protector and guardian, Joseph, who’s obedience and nonresistance to the Holy Will of God allowed the completion of the mystery. September 25th was the 51st anniversary of the Virgin appearing to Sr. Ephrem. Here is her account:

On the eve of the feast of the North American Martyrs, September 25, 1956, as I was making the Holy Hour from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., I was conscious of the distinct and special feeling of the presence of Our Lady. She stood by my side and spoke to me. I felt, rather than saw her, though I did see a part of her white gown and a small portion of her blue sash. I was under the impression that she came as Our Lady of Lourdes, and she herself confirmed this. Our Lady promised that greater miracles than those granted at Lourdes and Fatima would be granted here in America, the United Stares in particular, if we would do as she desires.

These are the words she spoke to me at this time:

“I am pleased, my child, with the love and honor my children in America give to me, especially through my glorious and unique privilege of the Immaculate Conception. I promise to reward their love by working through the power of my Son’s Heart and my Immaculate Heart miracles of grace among them. I do not promise miracles of the body, but of the soul.”

Our lady emphasized this very much. She is anxiously concerned about our inner life.

So, let us pay attention to our inner life today. We could not ask for help from better guides and holy navigators than Saints Therese and Faustina. And, there is NO greater guide to humility and obedience to the Will of our Heavenly Father than our exemplar of most pure body and soul than Our Mother Mary. Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee…

Here is the novena prayer to St. Faustina:

Saint Maria Faustina, you told us that your mission would continue after your death and that you would not forget us. (Diary of St. Faustina, 281, 1582).

Our Lord also granted you a great privilege, telling you to “distribute graces as you will, to whom you will, and when you will” (31).

Relying on this, I ask your intercession for the graces I need, especially

(here mention your special intentions)

Help me, above all, to trust in Jesus as you did and thus to glorify His mercy every moment of my life.

Amen.

The image above was taken on my trip to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa near Doylestown, Pa.

There are only a few more days, 5 in fact, to get ready for the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux.

When I was tucking my daughter into bed last evening we finished up praying our Novena prayer to Therese and got to talking about other preparations we could be making for the big feast. Naturally her thoughts turned to yummy food (maybe I should have given her a bigger bed time snack!) Anyway, I promised I’d look around to see if there was a special “Therese Feast Day Treat” we could make together. Sadly, after spending a little while searching, I am coming up cold. SO, if anyone out there has any special Therese Treats please let me know!

I am gratefully yours…

Since we missed St. Pio’s (Padre Pio) feast day (September 23) because it fell on a Sunday, I thought we could still think about him today. It was St. Pio who said, “Prayer is the oxygen of the soul” and so we should remember that when we are feeling a little out of breath due to stress or anxiousness! Indeed, it would be a great virtue to try and take a “few breaths of oxygen” today for those souls who need your help breathing too!

As Padre Pio was so good in reminding us to pray for the souls in purgatory perhaps we can pray for those souls today (well, we really should everyday). The Padre Pio Prayer Group at St. John Cantius Church in Chicago has a beautiful listing of the prayers they recite for the poor souls. Today I have a very special intention to pray for which involves a terrible tragedy and a now orphaned 7 year old boy. I hope that you too may keep his parents and him in prayer as you pray this prayer…

Monday
Father I implore you by the precious blood your divine Son shed in his cruel scourging, deliver the souls in purgatory. Have mercy especially on that soul nearest the entrance into your glory.
Our Father…

Hail Mary…

Glory be…
Eternal rest grant onto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

Amen.

Image above: Philippe Agius – Depiction of Padre Pio Receiving the Stigmata

I beseech thee O Holy Lady Mary,

Mother of God most full of pity,

the daughter of the highest king,

mother most glorious, mother of orphans,

the consolation of the desolate,

the way of them that go astray,

the safety of all that trust in thee,

a virgin before childbearing,

a virgin in childbearing,

and a virgin after childbearing:

the fountain of mercy,

the fountain of health and grace,

the fountain of consolation and pardon,

the fountain of piety and gladness,

the fountain of life and forgiveness.

By that holy unspeakable gladness,

by the which thy spirit did rejoice that hour,

wherein the Son of God was unto thee

by the Angel Gabriel declared and conceived.

And by that holy unspeakable humility,

in which thou didst answer the

Archangel Gabriel:

Behold the handmaid of our Lord,

be it unto me according unto thy word:

and by that divine mystery,

which the Holy Ghost as then did work in thee:

and by the unspeakable grace,

pity, mercy, love, and humility

by the which thy son our Lord Jesus Christ

came down to take human flesh

in thy most venerable womb:

and by the most glorious joys,

which thou hadst of thy son

our Lord Jesus Christ:

and by that holy and most great compassion,

and most bitter grief of thy heart,

which thou hadst when as thou didst behold

thy son our Lord Jesus Christ,

made naked before the cross,

and lifted up upon the same,

hanging, crucified, wounded, thirsting,

and the most bitter drink of gall

and vinegar put unto his mouth.

Thou heardst him cry Eli,

and didst see him die.

And by those five wounds of the same

thy son and by the sore shrinking together

of thy inward parts,

through the extreme grief of this wounds,

and by the sorrow which thou hadst

when thou didst behold him wounded.

And by the fountains of his blood:

and by all his passion,

and sorrow of thy heart,

and by the fountains of thy tears,

that thou wouldst come with all the Saints

and elect of God and hasten unto my help,

and my counsel in all my prayers, and petitions,

in all my distresses and necessities.

As also in all those things,

wherein I am to do anything, speak,

or think,

all the days and nights, hours, and moments of my life.

And obtain for me thy servant of thy beloved son

Our Lord Jesus Christ

the accomplishment of all virtues,

with all mercy, and consolation, all counsel and aid,

all benediction and sanctification,

all salvation, peace and prosperity,

all joy and gladness:

also abundance of all spiritual good things,

and sufficiency of corporal,

and grace of the Holy Ghost,

which may well dispose me in all things,

and may guard my soul,

govern and protect my body,

stir up my mind, order my manners,

approve my acts, suggest holy cogitations,

pardon my evils past,

amend things present, and moderate things to come:

bestow on me an honest, and chaste life,

grant me faith, hope, and charity:

make me firmly to believe the articles of the faith,

and to observe the precepts of the law:

rule and protect the senses of my body,

and evermore deliver me from mortal sins,

and defend me to my life’s end:

that he may graciously and meekly hear,

and receive this prayer,

and give me life everlasting.

Hear and make intercession for me

most sweet virgin Mary Mother of God,and Mercy.

Amen.

O Untouchable, and forever blessed,

singular and incomparable virgin Mary Mother of God,

most grateful temple of God,

the sacristy of the Holy Ghost,

the gate of the kingdom of heaven,

by whom next unto God the whole world liveth,

incline O Mother of Mercy the ears of thy pity unto my unworthy supplications,

and be pitiful to me a most wretched sinner, and be unto me a merciful helper in all things.

O most blessed John, the familiar and friend of Christ,

which of the same Lord Jesus Christ was chosen a virgin,

and among the rest more beloved,

above all instructed in the heavenly mysteries,

for thou wast made a most worthy Apostle and Evangelist:

thee also I call upon with Mary mother of the same Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour,

that thou wouldst vouchsafe to afford me thy aid with hers.

O ye two celestial jewels, Mary, and John.

O ye two lights divinely shining before God.

Chase away by your bright beams the clouds of my offences.

For you are those two in whom the only begotten Son of God,

for the merit of most sincere virginity,

hanging upon the cross confirmed the privilege of his love,

saying thus to the one of you: woman,

behold thy son: and then unto the other:

behold thy mother.

In the sweetness therefore of his most sacred love,

through which by our Lord’s own mouth,

as mother and son you were joined in one,

I a most wretched sinner recommend this day to you both my body and soul that at all hours and moments,

inwardly and outwardly,

you would vouchsafe to be unto me firm guardians,

and before God devout intercessors:

ask earnestly for me I beseech you, health of body and soul.

Procure I beseech you, procure by your glorious prayers,

that the pure spirit,

the best giver of graces,

may vouchsafe to visit my heart and dwell therein,

which may thoroughly purge me from all filth of vice,

lighten and adorn me with sacred virtues:

cause me perfectly to stand,

and persevere in the love of God and my neighbour,

and after the course of this life the most benign comforter may bring me to the joys of his elect,

who with God the Father,

and the Son

liveth and reigneth world without end.

Amen.
This prayer was a favorite of the faithful during the Middle Ages and comes before the The Hours of the Virgin as receited in the Book of Hours. It is from the Latin/English Primer of 1599. The Book of Hours is a prayer book intended for the laity and were based upon the much longer Liturgy of the Hours recited by clergy and religious. Often these books would contain three sets of Hours; the Hours of the Blessed Virgin, the Hours of the Cross, and the Hours of the Holy Spirit. In addition to the Hours, a number of other prayers and popular devotions were often included.

Thank you to the work of Glenn Gunhouse for making it available on his website!

Image above is from Horae Beatae Mariae ad usum Romanum and shows the Nativity of our Lord.

Our Lord prepares the Eucharistic Banquet in every
place, and invites us to it at all times, by the precepts
of the Church, by the voice of our spiritual guides, and
by a sensible attraction to Holy Communion. This is
the hour in which we are called to partake of it. Come
with faith, and sit down to this heavenly Banquet of
the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and take your fill
of His sacred delights. Pour out your soul in gratitude
to Jesus, who invites you to it, who admits you to such
close communion with Him, that He may lend a favour-
able ear to your petitions, and bestow upon you His
greatest benefits.

Can it be possible for Jesus to express His desire to
bring me near to Him more strongly, than by a direct
invitation to His Table. No favour upon earth can
equal this, for it proceeds from an excess of love, of
which the secret, with that also of my predestination,
is hidden in His Heart. Am I able to tell Him in
return that I have ever received His love with eager
thankfulness, and that I have at present one desire
only, to make the best use of all His bounties ?

O Lord and my God, I fear and yet long to receive
Thee. I fear my own misery, my sins and stains. I
fear lest I should be found without that wedding
garment, in which only I can enter Thy presence
without reproof. Grant to me all holy dispositions ;
grant that, drawn powerfully by Thy grace, I may rise
above this world and myself, and may attain even
unto Thee.

Reflections and Prayer for Holy Communion (1876)

Imprimatur. Henricus Edawardus, Cardinal Archiep. Westmon.

Translated from the French

with a preface by His Eminence Cardinal Manning

London: Burns & Oats, Limited

Photograph from Pilgrimage dot com

If you have not yet seen Our Lady of America in New York City, you will be lifted up to see her amongst the people there by watching this video at Air Maria. The pictures are wonderful and the video is worth a million words!

The following is a wonderful reflection I found to meditate on before communion (before you even get to the church even) that I would like to share. The meditation comes from a book translated by the late Henry Cardinal Manning of Westminster Cathedral in London. Cardinal Manning was a convert from Anglicanism and apparently had a great influence over the mind and philosophy of the great British writer Hilaire Belloc. This is the 13th Meditation in the book and is entitled, “The Prelude to Heaven”.

Ask Him that Holy Communion may deliver you
from having the misfortune to offend Him, and may
support you in the trials which are inherent in every
situation in life.

Preparation.

ENTER the church with as much joy as if you knew
that you were going there to behold Jesus in His
glory. For although He is obliged to hide His visible
majesty and glory from our feeble sense, He is none
the less truly in the tabernacle, in all His beauty and
grandeur, and as fully deserves the respect and love
which you would show to Him if He were to appear
visibly before our mortal eyes.

This idea is so truly Catholic, that the entrance of
the church was formerly called Paradise (now abbre-
viated to farvis) because by it we really enter the
presence of God. As soon as you have chosen your
place, prostrate yourself as if Jesus were about to
appear to you. He does more than that in giving
Himself to you.

I. Earth Heaven.

When we remember that the whole world was
created for the use of man, we may imagine the
admiration, the transports of love into which saints
would be thrown by the sight of an exquisite flower,
when they said, God created this flower for me. This
thought applied to all the noble and lovely works of
God that met their eye, filled them with lively and
uninterrupted gratitude. But compared to Jesus in
the Blessed Sacrament, the most magnificent works
of creation sink into insignificance; and my heart is
more deeply affected when I consider the tabernacle,
which was also erected for me, than when I look at
all the marvellous works that the Almighty Hand of
God has created out of nothing. For then all the
beauties of earth dwindle into insignificance in the
presence of their Creator. When I look abroad I
say, My God, how beautiful are Thy works ! They
incline my soul to love Thee ; but I feel more strongly
inclined by far to forget all besides in the contempla-
tion of the Sacred Host, in which I adore and love
the Eternal Creator of all perishable things.

In permitting me to receive Holy Communion, our
Lord bestows upon me the most wonderful gift, except
the Incarnation, that the power of God has made.

It is a marvel which surpasses the Creation as much
as heaven surpasses earth; and this marvellous thing
is but the prelude to heaven.

But if you wish to enjoy celestial things, you must
impose silence upon your thoughts; repress every
word which is contrary to charity ; refrain from scru-
tinizing the intentions of your neighbour; fix the eyes
of your heart upon heaven alone; and you will then
find it easy to let earthly things pass away from your
mind without causing you any further distraction or
agitation. Look steadfastly at heaven and at the
tabernacle. In these two directions you are certain
to find Jesus, and when you fix your eyes upon Him
let them be accompanied by your heart.

In everything you do, Sursum corda, So will you
find peace; and peace in this world is equivalent to
happiness.

Yes, you should lift up your eyes to heaven, your
country, your everlasting resting-place. There you
will shed no more tears ; you will feel no more sad-
ness. God will be known, loved, possessed eternally
by you. Is not this hope satisfying enough to make
you forget yourself and fix your heart on things
above?

How glorious are Thy tabernacles; how dear are
they to me, O my God! If I find such happiness in
them upon earth, what shall I feel when I enter Thine
abode in heaven? My soul rejoices to enter into
the house of the Lord ; it rejoices still more in the
assurance that it will not quit His abode until it has
itself become His sanctuary and dwelling-place. Thy
tabernacle, O my Jesus, is the place of my repose.
I come to ask Thee for grace to forget myself in
thinking of Thee alone; for grace to love Thee only,
like the saints in heaven, who can never cease to
think of Thee and to love Thee for ever.

II. The Eucharistic joys are mingled with our tears.

Eternal happiness is but a transfiguration of our
souls in an ever-increasing glory: it is the eternal
flight of created love towards the Infinite. Heaven
is its glorious region above ; but we must not forget
that love must first commence its flight upon earth
before it can reach those blessed abodes where sorrow
shall be no more. Before we attain the heights of
heaven we must traverse the * valley of tears/ With-
out reckoning the adversities of life, the pious soul can
find in its ordinary occurrences abundant cause for
tears. The instinct derived from that infinite love of
which we are the objects causes us to feel the utter
impossibility of finding any affection upon earth which
is able to give full satisfaction to the soul. Sadness
arises in every soul that feels an unsatisfied craving
for the love of God. It finds itself pent in and cir-
cumscribed upon earth without knowing the true
cause of its uneasiness and longing desires. For on Y

the other side, our Lord presses our hearts in order
to wear out the life of nature in them and lead them
to seek the higher life of grace. We then feel deprived
of all outward or inward support, and attribute to
ordinary causes or chance events that distress of mind
which should be the first step to our spiritual trans-
formation. Out of Jesus we can find no rest. Our
sufferings, although they are severe, are yet not entirely
without sweetness, because God brings with Him a
feeling of celestial happiness, which the soul enjoys
without knowing from whence it derives it. This
feeling appears strange at first, because nothing upon
earth resembles it. We experience a sudden thrill of
happiness, strong as love, rapid as lightning, which
passes through the soul, leaving an impression of
sadness behind, because it is the remembrance of a
happiness which has passed away.

The soul that loves Jesus Christ only, finds no
difficulty in praying, humiliating itself, renouncing
worldly pleasures, and suffering patiently. The more
it acts, wearies itself, or suffers for Him, the more it
desires to act and suffer. Nothing can satisfy its
ardour, because love is a consuming fire that grows
by the sacrifices upon which it feeds, and it never
thinks it can do enough or devote itself sufficiently.
It is by love that Jesus rules the heart

O Jesus ! sorrow is one of the conditions of my
union with Thee. Receive, then, all that I suffer in
my heart, and my senses, as my preparation
for receiving Thee.

My cup of life is filled with bitterness. I might,
like many others, have only touched it with my lips,
and turned away without ever draining the bitter
dregs, or receiving the fullness of Thy heavenly con-
solations. But such was not Thy will, O my God.
The mournful shadows which have darkened my life
have always been brightened by the soft rays of the
Holy Eucharist. It is not in a complaining spirit that
I now speak of my trials; it is only in hopes of
receiving a little consolation. And yet I prefer the
grace of suffering to all the joys of earth, and I would
not exchange my tears for any worldly happiness.
O Jesus ! leave the sadness which oppresses me
always at the surface of my heart, and may its depths
be stirred only by the joy of Holy Communion,
mingled with perfect resignation to Thy will.

III. Preparing our souls to receive grace from God.

Lord Jesus, behold me before the Altar as if in the
porch of heaven and divided from Thy presence only
by a veil. Send Thine angels to purify my heart,
which is soon to be Thy abode, and to adorn it as
they invisibly adorn the Altar upon which Thou art
going to descend. On the day of my first Commu-
nion I was permitted to obtain a glimpse of heaven,
and the beatitude which my heart then first enjoyed
has been prolonged since then by successive Com-
munions, so that it has now only the intuitive vision
and perpetuity of enjoyment to expect in heaven.
But that I may really enjoy this beatitude, I must
faithfully preserve the graces of each succeeding
Communion.

What praise and blessings do I owe Thee, O my
God, for so mercifully admitting me to partake by
anticipation of the happiness of angels and saints !
But as a perfect union must embrace all our outward
and inward acts, I beseech Thee to enable me to
live in the purity of true love. Transform my whole
life by the uprightness of my desires, by the veracity
of my acts of love, into a succession of preparations
for Communion, followed by continual acts of thanks-
giving. Deign to establish my soul in such an union
with Thee as shall make it in some measure a partaker
of the lot of those blessed ones above, who enjoy the
unclouded sight of Thy Divine Essence.

O Jesus ! give my heart grace to love Thy house
upon earth. Its doors are always open to my desires.
I can go in and out freely; but grant also that nothing
may prevent me from enjoying to the full the infinite
good that I go thither to seek.

Reflections & prayers for Holy Communion by His Eminence, Cardinal Archiep. Westmon.

translated from the French by His Eminence, Cardinal Manning, Henry Edward

1876

Today’s Carmelite feast day for St. Albert of Jerusalem who was born in 1215 has a great significance. For it is in this year that we celebrate the 800th anniversary of his rule for the Carmelite Order.

Pope Benedict congratulates the Carmelite celebration:

“With their eyes fixed on Christ and trusting in the help of the saints who during the last eight centuries have incarnated the dictates of the Rule of Carmel, each member of the Order of Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel feels called to be a credible witness of the spiritual dimension of every human being,” Benedict XVI said.

The lay faithful, the Pope added, can find in Carmelite communities authentic “’schools’ of prayer, where the meeting with Christ is expressed not just in imploring help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion, until the heart truly ‘falls in love.’”

The approval [of the Rule of St. Albert] was the “first recognition by the Church of this group of men, who left everything to live in reverence of Jesus Christ, imitating the sublime examples of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the prophet Elijah,” the Pontiff said.

Albert ’s rule, if we can condense it to one all important message is:

‘Each of you is to stay in his own cell or nearby, pondering the Lord’s law day and night and keeping watch at his prayers, unless attending to some other duty’”.

In honor of the 800 year celebration it was said, “Mount Carmel, in Carmelite terms, had ceased to be a mountain in Palestine. It had become a place in the heart – whose ascent is precisely the journey inwards, from the edges of our lives to the centre.” [Tony Leste: The Carmelite Way of Life: Commemorating the Rule of St. Albert]

Here is the second reading in the Office from the Rule of St. Albert which is a great meditation…

But because life on earth is a time of trial, and all who
seek to live devoutly in Christ suffer persecution, and
because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion prowls
about seeking someone to devour, every care must be taken
to put on the armor of God, that you may stand firm
against the cunning devices of the enemy.

Encircle your loins with the belt of chastity. Defend
your breast with holy meditation, for Scripture says: Holy
meditation will save you.

Put on the breastplate of justice so that you may love
the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole
soul and your whole strength, and your neighbors as
yourselves.

In all things take up the shield of faith by which you
can extinguish every flaming dart from the evil one, for
without faith it is impossible to please God.

Then set the helmet of salvation on your head, that you
place your hope of salvation only in the Savior, who
rescues His people from their sins. Next may you possess
the sword of the spirit, which is God’s word, abundantly in
your mouth and in your hearts. Just so whatever you do, let
it be done in the Lord’s word.

The Apostle recommends silence, for he specifies that
one should work in it. In the same way the Prophet
witnesses: Silence fosters righteousness; and again: In
silence and hope will lie your strength.

Be careful to avoid excessive talking, for as Scripture
puts it, and experience teaches nothing less, In much
talking sin will not be far away, and The one who is
careless in speech will come to harm. Also, Many words
bring the soul to grief. Again, the Lord says in the Gospel:
For every rash word uttered you will have to render an
account on the day of judgment.

So let each one make a balance for his words and a
careful rein for his mouth lest he stumble and fall in
speech, and the fall be incurable, even mortal. With the
Prophet let him be careful of his ways, that his tongue give
no offense; and let him carefully and studiously cultivate
silence, in which lies the fostering of righteousness.

More about Albert from Butler’s Lives of the Saints.

Above Image: The beginning of the Carmelite Rule according to an ancient codex
known as the “Avila” codex

It was very joyful this morning at mass. On this feast of the Triumph of the Cross the Carmelite Sisters traditionally renew their holy vows. These vows bind them to their own crosses as they intercede contemplatively to God on our behalf. Each of them quietly abandoning themselves to physical poverty and lives of prayerful penance because their love for God supersedes any other desire imaginable.

In thinking about this abandonment and poverty I was reading a very old book containing meditations of St. Teresa of Avila. While most of her writing has been translated into modern language, it was very interesting to read a book where every letter “s” was represented by a “f”. It took a little while for my brain to work it out, but it was worth it. Saint Teresa is speaking about her own littleness and poverty of spirit.

Here is a sample which I have replaced the f’s and s’s for you…

How does this life of mine subsist, at a distance from him who is my true life ? What am I doing ? What am I capable of doing, in this (late of separation from my God? Alas! I can do nothing but what is made up of sin and imperfection.

What rest can my soul find in the tempestuous sea of this world? I bewail my present misery, but I bewail still more my former condition when I lived exempt from sorrow. O Lord, how sweet are thy ways ! yet who can walk in them without fearful anxiety ? I dare not live without endeavoring to serve thee, and when I attempt to acquit myself of this duty, overpowered by the immensity of my obligations to thee, I find nothing that is worthy of thy acceptance. I am desirous of spending myself in thy service; but when I look well to the miserable state I am in, I feel myself incapable of all that is good, unless thou art pleased — to bestow it upon me.

O my gracious and most merciful God, what mall I do to correspond with the great things thou hast wrought in my behalf! All thy works are holy, just, infinitely important, and full of heavenly wisdom, since thou art who performed them, art the Essential Wisdom nevertheless I experience that while my understanding employs itself in contemplating these works, my affections are restrained from indulging themselves in the unconfined manner they desire in the sweet exercise of loving thee: In this slate, the former strives in vain to reach thee in thy inaccessible grandeur, and the latter to enjoy thee in the straight prison of this mortal body. Hence every exterior object becomes irksome and painful to me soul, although at a former period, O my God, I am forced to acknowledge, that the federation of thy greatness, by which she was enabled to estimate her own littleness and imperfection, was of signal service to her.

But why do I repeat all this, O my God ? Whom am I complaining to, or who else hears me except thou my Father and my Creator? And what need is there of words to thee, who so manifestly resident in the centre of my soul? Such is my weakness.

But alas, O my God, how am I assured of this ? How do I know that I am not at this moment deprived of thy grace? O this life of mine, which must necessarily continue in uncertainty, concerning a thing of such infinite importance, as the possession of God’s favor. What is there desirable in it, since the only advantage it possesses, that of pleasing God in all things, is in itself of so uncertain and precarious a nature?

EXCLAMATIONS OF THE SOUL TO GOD OR THE MEDITATIONS OF St. Teresa AFTER COMMUNION. By the Rev. John Milnew, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. LONDON; Printed by J P. COGHLAN, No. 37. Duke-Sire?;-, Grosvenor-Square ; and Sold by Meilrs. Pater-Nostcr Row. M,DCC,A-C. 1790 Public Domain Work.

I was just going through my son’s notebook from school because I decided to see what he was working on. After noticing some rather boring “Grammer” notes, I turned to his religion section. I see they are studying different types of prayer (ie. Adoration, Penitence, Petition, Thanksgiving, Intercession…). Though “contemplative prayer” was not mentioned, I was still suitably impressed. However, when I turned the page and read what he had wrote I was so touched. I asked him where he found this prayer and he said he made it up himself.

Here it is…

Praise be O Lord

How great is the mercy flowing from your heart.

Love is eternally burning in you.

Given to your children who graciously accept.

The Creator of all everlasting Master

We give thee our praise.

Amen.

Be still my motherly heart…

Praise be the Most Holy name of Mary

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!

Here is a lovely interview at AveMaria about how Our Lady of America got to New York… WOW!

And for our Mother from the Catholic Tradition Website:

The Woman prophesied in Eden . . . The Virgin prophesied by Isaias . . . The Beautiful One of the Canticles . . . When the time had finally come, the world knew Her name at last: “And the Virgin’s name was Mary.” This woman uniquely honored with the title, Co-Redemptrix, was rewarded by Her Lord and Redeemer with a queenly crown in His Kingdom . . . and with the role of Mediatrix of All Graces, to dispense those graces which had cost Her Son so dearly on the Cross.

And so, we call out to this Mother and Queen in confidence: Ave Maria . . . Salve Regina . . . Ave Maris Stella . . . Ave Regina Caelorum. Because of this, we honor, respect and set aside in our hearts a special place for Her Holy Name, “Mary,” for it was the beacon of our redemption. During the nine months that Jesus rested in His Mother’s womb, no one encountered Christ except through Mary…

My heart has been converted to Our Lady of America. I thought at first I should be cautious (I can’t help to first examine and make reason with an intellectual appraisal of a new devotion to which I had previously known nothing about.) And still, I am but a novice in my knowledge of Sr. Mary Ephrem’s private revelation, but after gazing at this most beautiful statue of Our Mother and talking with some devotees of her, I can not help but love her more and more. (It doesn’t hurt that my wonderful Archbishop has given his approval of this devotion for he is certainly a most insightful, spiritual, learned, sensible and sagacious shepherd!)

On Saturday morning my family and I attended a prayer service with Benediction and the rosary at the Basilica of St. Louis King of France. It was prayerfully attended by about 100 other faithful who have a devotion to Our Lady of America. There were young families, older families, a group of a couple dozen young teenage girls, heads that were veiled and those that were not. The most reverend presider of the ceremony was Fr. Elias of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate from Bloomington, Indiana and he spoke so wonderfully about the importance of Our Lady’s message and call to purity in our Nation.

How fortunate we are to know that our Mother has such faith in us as a nation that she implores us to prayerfully help her in this our Christian duty. She could have chosen another country who was more able or willing to exercise this action, but she chose America to set an example. She asks us to help elevate our moral code, and my friends, if she wants this, we must do it for her! We must oppose our culture by organizing a pure and loving witness to the evils against humanity. Of course we all know this includes the most obvious evils of filthy pornography and indiscriminate promiscuity. And also, we must again cherish LIFE which is a gift from our Heavenly Father above and not something we are some scientific masters over! It is HIS will which must command our lives, not the whim and fancy of contemporary culture and its quasi intellectualism centered on a deformed conscience of individualism and rationalism. We need to get a grip on right and wrong again and Our Mother is waking us up to that! And, Praise God to give us such a good mother to help us!

But back to the statue image…

I was talking with a wonderful group of women after the ceremony as the men folk were doing their very best to carefully pack our Lady in a giant protective box and take her to her next appointment in New York. (Our Lady will be consoling the citizens of the city at the Church of St. Peter near the epicenter of the tragedy of 9-11.) The women I spoke with were from the Legion of Mary and they talked with such love about our Heavenly Mother that it warmed my heart so very much. There was a story told of one of their own earthly mother’s who had passed on to her just reward. In a dream this woman saw her mother again. The mother was beaming and joyful and just kept saying to her daughter, “You can not believe how beautiful Our Mother Mary is in person!”. This dream gave the woman great joy and she recalled it to me as she was starring at Our Lady of America. With a tear in her eye, admiring the most exquisite and stunning representation of Our Heavenly Mother Mary in this fashioned presence, she could only marvel at just how beautiful she will be when we are lucky enough to see her in our own eternities (–God willing of course!)

And so I am now captivated by her too as her most refined and resplendent smile and her sublime and pleasing eyes. Her Immaculate Heart blazing with holy love for her children calls everyone to her pure and honorable side. I can not imagine anyone unwilling to have such a mother. A mother who comforts and protects and who gives us her Divine Son as our Redeemer and Lord. May we, through the graces given to us from God through our Lady of America, cooperate with this divine call to purity and help to influence those around us to do the same.

Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God…
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, pray for us.

Our Lady of America, pray for us.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

A group of young ladies gathers for a photograph in front of Our Lady of America.

Father Elias at Benediction on the holy altar at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis King of France.

To keep ourselves in the presence of God and to place ourselves in the presence of God are, in my opinion, two different things. For to place ourselves in this presence it is necessary to recall our minds from every other object and render it actually attentive to the divine presence…

But after placing ourselves in the presence of God, we keep ourselves there by making certain acts toward God, either by understanding or by will. We can make these acts by looking at Him or by looking at some other thing for love of Him.We can make them by looking at nothing, and instead by speaking to Him. Lastly, we can make them by neither looking nor speaking, but simply by staying where He has put us, like a statue in its niche.

When there is added to this simple staying some feeling that we belong completely to God, and that He is our all, we must indeed give thanks to His goodness. If a statue that had been placed in a niche in some room could speak and was asked, “Why are you there?” it would say, “Because my master has put me here.”

“Why don’t you move?”

“Because he wants me to remain immovable.”

“What use are you there; what do you gain by being so?”

“It is not for my profit that I am here; it is to serve and obey the will of my master.”

“But you do not see him.”

“No, but he sees me, and takes pleasure in seeing me where he has put me.”

“Would you not like to have movement, so that you could go nearer to him?”

“Certainly not, except when he might command me.”

“Don’t you want anything, then?”

“No; for I am where my master has placed me, and his good pleasure is the unique contentment of my being.”

My God! What a good prayer and a good way to keep in the presence of God, to keep ourselves in His will and His good pleasure! I think that Magdalen was a statue in her niche, when without speaking, without moving, and perhaps without looking at Him, she listened to what our Lord said, seated at His feet. When He spoke she heard; when He paused from speaking, she ceased to listen, and still stayed ever there.

A little child who is on the bosom of its sleeping mother is truly in its good and desirable place, although it says no word to her nor she to it.

My God! How glad I am, my child, to speak a little of these things with you! How happy we are when we will to love our Lord! Let us, then, love Him well. Let us not set ourselves to consider too exactly what we do for His love, provided we know that we will to do nothing but for His love.

For my part, I think we keep ourselves in the presence of God even while sleeping. For we go to sleep in His sight, by His will, and at His pleasure; and He puts us there like statues in a niche. And when we wake we find that He is there near us; He has not moved any more than we; we have then kept in His presence, but with our eyes shut and closed. . . .

Be resolute, dear child; doubt not. God holds you with His hand, and will never leave you. Glory be to Him for ever and ever! Amen.

Letter written to (saint) Jane de Chantal (1611) by Saint Francis de Sales

As today is the anniversary of her death, let us reflect upon some golden wisdom given to us from the mouth of dear Blessed Mother Teresa…

“Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.”

“Let us make one point, that we meet each other with a smile, when it is difficult to smile. Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family.”

“The success of love is in the loving – it is not in the result of loving. Of course it is natural in love to want the best for the other person, but whether it turns out that way or not does not determine the value of what we have done.”

“People are generally irrational, unreasonable and selfish. They deserve to be loved, anyway.”

“Show kindness through your face, your eyes, your smile and through the warmth of your greetings. You must bear a cheerful smile. Don’t only give your care, but give your heart as well.”

“The Mass is the spiritual food that sustains me—without which I could not get through one single day or hour in my life.”

–Mother Teresa

AMEN

A SECOND MEDITATION on THE AWFUL JUDGMENT: FOR AWAKENING FEAR IN ONESELF.

My life affrights me. For when carefully reviewed, its whole course shows in my sight like one great sin; or at least it is well-nigh nothing but barrenness. Or, if any fruit is seen in it, that fruit is so false, or so imperfect, or in some way or other so tainted with decay and corruption, that it must needs either fail to satisfy God, or else utterly offend Him.

So then, sinner, thy life, so far from being almost all, is altogether all steeped in sin, and therefore worthy of condemnation; or else it is unfruitful, and deserving of disdain. But why distinguish the unfruitful from the damnable? For surely, if it is unfruitful, it is damnable by that very fact. For what the Truth hath spoken is as evident as it is true: ‘Every tree that doth not yield good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire’ (St. Matt. iii. 10). For if I employ myself in constructing something useful or serviceable, surely I do not value the result of my labour at the price of the bodily sustenance which I consume while employed on the work. Who feeds a flock, pray, which is to bring in less than the value of its pasturage? And yet Thou, O God, Thou dost all too bountifully feed and foster me; and dost await me, good-for-nothing worm and foul sinner that I am. O, how less offensive is a dead dog to the human senses than a sinful soul is to God; how much more loathsome to God is this than that is to men! Ah, no; call not the sinner a man, but a reproach, a disgrace to humanity; viler than a brute, more odious than a carcase. My soul is aweary of my life; I am ashamed to live; I am afraid to die.

What, then, remains for thee to do, O sinner, but all through thy whole life to bewail thy whole life, and in such wise to do so as that all thy whole life may be a bewailing of itself?

But here again my soul is sadly bewildered, and bewilderingly sad as well; for it grieves not in proportion to its knowledge of itself, but slumbers on in such security as if it knew not in what plight it is. O barren soul, what art thou doing? O sinful soul, why dost thou slumber? The day of judgment is coming, the great day of the Lord is at hand; at hand, I say, and all too swift. The day of wrath that day shall be; the day of tribulation and anguish, the day of calamity and misery, the day of darkness and gloom, the day of cloud and whirlwind, the day of trumpet and the trumpet-cry. O bitter voice of the day of God! Why dost thou slumber, thou lukewarm soul? thing neither hot nor cold, and fit only to be vomited out of the mouth, why dost thou slumber? He that awakes not, he that trembles not, at such thunders is not asleep but dead. O barren tree, where are thy fruits? Tree fit only for the axe and the fire, fit to be cut down and burnt, what are thy fruits? Why, they are only pricking thorns and bitter sins I Would to God the thorns pricked thee to repentance and so got broken; would to God those bitter fruits dropped off and perished!

Perhaps thou thinkest some sin or other a little thing. Would that thy strict Judge thought any sin a little thing! But, ah me, does not every sin by its unholiness dishonour God? What then; will the sinner dare to call a sin a little thing? When is it a little thing to dishonour God? O dry and useless tree, worthy of eternal flames, what wilt thou answer in that day when a strict account, down to the twinkling of an eye, shall be required of thee of all the time dealt out to thee for living in, as to how it has been spent by thee? Ay, then will be condemned whatsoever shall be found in thee of labour or of leisure, of speech or of silence, down to the slightest thought; even the very fact that thou hast lived; if that life has not been ruled and directed to the will of God. Alas, how many sins will then start into view, as from an ambush, which now thou seest not! More, assuredly, and more terrible, it may be, than those which thou now seest. How many things which thou now thinkest not at all wicked, how many which thou now believest to be good, will then stand forth unmasked, sins of the deepest, blackest die! Then without doubt thou wilt receive according as thou hast done in the body; then, when there shall be no more time of mercy; then, when no repentance shall be accepted, when no promise of amendment may be made.

Here reflect on what thou hast done, and what award thou must receive. If much good and little evil, rejoice much; if much evil and little good, grieve much. What! O good-for-nothing sinner, are not thy evil deeds enough to extort a great and bitter cry? Are they not enough to distil thy blood and thy marrow into tears? Wo to the strange hardness, which such heavy hammers are too light to break! O, insensible torpor, that such sharp goads are not sharp enough to waken! Alas for the deadly sleep, that thunders so terrific are too dumb to startle! O worthless sinner, all this should be enough to prolong a ceaseless grief; and surely it is enough to draw perpetual tears!

But why should I smother in silence aught of the weight or of the magnitude of the misery that threatens? Why cheat the eyes of my soul? Shall I do so, that sudden sorrow may rain all unforeseen on the sinner; or that the intolerable storm may pelt upon him unawares? Surely this is riot for his interest. But if I should put into words whatever I might contrive to conjure up in imagination, yet that could never bear any sort of comparison with the reality.
Therefore let my eyes drop tears all day and all night, and never rest. Come, sinner, come; add fresh griefs to thy load of griefs; add terror to terror; add cry to cry; for He the very God will judge thee, in despite of whom I sin in every act of disobedience, and in every waywardness; He who has returned me good for evil, whilst I have given Him evil for good; who is now most long-suffering, but will then be most severe; who is now most merciful, and will then be most just.

Wo is me! wo is me! Against Whom have I sinned? I have dishonoured God; provoked the Omnipotent. Sinner that I am, what have I done! Against Whom have I done it! How wickedly have I done it! Alas, alas! O wrath of the Omnipotent, fall not on me; wrath of the Omnipotent, where could I endure thee? There is no place in all of me that could bear thy weight. O anguish! Here, sins accusing; there, justice terrifying; beneath, the yawning frightful pit of hell; above, an angry Judge; within, a burning conscience; around, a flaming universe! The just will scarcely be saved; and the sinner entangled thus, whither, whither shall he fly? Tight bound, where shall I crouch and cower; how shall I show my face? To hide will be impossible, to appear will be intolerable; I shall long for the one, and it is nowhere; I shall loathe the other, and it is everywhere! What then? what then? What will happen then? Who will snatch me from the hands of God? Where shall I find counsel, where shall I find salvation? Who is He that is called the Angel of great counsel, that is called the Saviour, that I may shriek His Name? Why, here He is; here He is; it is Jesus, Jesus the very Judge Himself, in whose hands I am trembling!

Breathe again, sinner, breathe again; do not despair; trust in Him. thou fearest. Fly home to Him from Whom thou hast fled away; cry cravingly to Him Whom thou hast so proudly provoked. Jesus, Jesus; for the sake of this Thy Name, deal with me according to this Name. Jesus, Jesus; forget Thy proud provoker, and bend Thine eye upon the poor invoker of Thy Name, the Name so sweet, the Name so dear, the Name so full of comfort to a sinner, and so full of blessed hope. For what is Jesus but Saviour? Therefore, Jesus, for Thine own self’s sake be a Jesus to me; Thou who formedst me r that I perish not; who redeemedst me, that Thou condemn me not; who createdst me by Thy goodness, that Thy handiwork perish not by my iniquity. Recognise and own, Benignest, what is Thine; take away what is another’s. Jesus, Jesus r mercy on me, while the day of mercy lasts, that Thou damn me not in the day of judgment. For what profit shalt Thou have in my blood, if I go down into eternal corruption? ‘For the dead shall not praise Thee, O Lord, nor any of them that go down to hell’. If Thou fold me in the wide, wide Bosom of Thy mercy, that Bosom will be none the less wide on my account. Therefore admit me, O most desired Jesus, admit me into the number of Thine elect; that with them I may praise Thee, and enjoy Thee, and make my boast in Thee amongst all who love Thy Name; who with the Father and the Holy Ghost reignest gloriously throughout unending ages. Amen.

ST. ANSELM’S
Book of Meditations and Prayers at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library

I was just entering chapel last week when I was pulled outside to talk by a man who was in a fury. He is a wonderful, prayerful man who is zealous in his activities for the Lord. To me, and to many others, this man is a great inspiration. I gave him my attention while he heaved out in a sigh, “have you heard about Mother Teresa and the article in Time Magazine?”

Well, I was taken aback. If there was an article in Time Magazine about Mother Teresa surely it would be B A D for in my reformed journalistic opinion, nothing good (for the sake of Catholicism at least) can come from such a wretched periodical. (Shame on me for being so completely nasty, but… well you can see I have a long way to go on my road of purgation!)

I had actually heard a brief account of what was in this Time story, so I muttered that I did not read the article, but I was not hopeful because it erred on the side of Atheism. But my friend, this good and righteous man, was so very quick to point out his utter enthusiasm and happiness with the article. Bless his heart, he was so happy to know that even Mother Teresa suffered the Dark Night. He knew, just as many prayerful and spiritual people understand, that the road to heaven is not always lit up as a shiny and sparkley path of glory and rainbows! Indeed, most of the time it is a rough and dark road navigated only through blind faith and courageous trust in God.

This news about Mother Teresa’s darkness gave my friend an even more sincere love and admiration for this great Blessed of Calcutta. Truly, it was wonderful to see the happiness in his face because this man knows and can relate to the torture of a soul lost in this abyss of darkness.

I have been thinking about dear, dear Mother Teresa a whole lot this past week. At first I wanted to read the story about her in Time, but I decided against that (for I am afraid I would not be as forgiving as my friend if I read one bad word about this heroic woman). Instead I spent the week musing on the different aspects of Mother and of her Sisters and the influence they have had on me over the years.

The first time I actually saw, in person, religious Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity was in JFK airport. I was 18 years old and on my way to London with a friend and her family. The airport was packed and there was hardly any room to move about. But in a flash, amidst the flailing throng of travelers I saw their white and blue saris blurred ahead of me. I knew exactly who they were and my whole person just stopped. Stopped dead in my tracks. I was unable to move, unable to speak and immediately tears filled me eyes. I just stood there frozen and starred. It was like getting hit over the head with a brick and you never saw it coming. The beauty before me was tremendous and I knew it deep inside. I was being jostled and bumped about by an anxious scurry around me but I still could not move. Eventually my friend noticed I was no longer walking with her and that there was something amiss. Heading back through the crowd she found me and shook me out of my sweet reverie. I shall never forget that instance of my first encounter…

There have been numerous other encounters since that time. Stories of small miracles, stories of prayer, stories of humility and grace – each tale as beautiful as you can imagine. But the most important one to date occurred this past spring. I was at mass with my children on a Saturday morning when three Missionaries of Charity came and sat a couple of pews ahead of us. After mass was over they came over to my daughter (age 6) and knelt down to her. With great love and affection they looked her straight in the eye and told her she was a beautiful soul. Smiling and patting her little head they told her with beautiful voices that Jesus loved her very much. My daughter was so taken by this, so moved, that she could not stop beaming the most happy smile for the rest of the day. Indeed, there was nothing which could dare extinguish that joy and when it came time for bed she wanted to recount the story to me again and again. In fact, she still likes to recall this event, and each time it is with the same joy. What a blessing! What a great and tremendous blessing! Thank you Jesus for showing your love to this little girl! May the name of the Lord be praised!

So that is what I have tried to think of this week in meditation. I have tried to focus on how great a suffering our dear Mother Teresa endured. She always spoke of Jesus’ suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane as being far more painful than the pain endured during His crucifixion. For in the Garden He suffered eternally in His Spirit. The physical suffering of His torture, though this be of a magnitude unimaginable, did present itself a limit in death. But the suffering in the garden was a suffering for all time. It knows not time, past or future, it is a abyss of suffering for souls which lasts for ever

How great than was Mother’s spiritual suffering. How alone the humble soul felt by not feeling God’s presence. Indeed, her desire to keep loving the poor, her desire to serve them and humble herself to them was all for love of Jesus. There is NO lack of faith in this what so ever, NONE at ALL! Instead it is itself a brilliant paradox. Her faith was TRUE faith. It was not based in feelings or emotions. It was pure, blind, courageous faith!

How much more should we admire her and take her for our example during our own attempts at purification of our egos and temperments. Dear, dear Mother, thank you so much for all you still continue to give us as you lead us to your Jesus. May you be serving Him now as you served Him with us…. AMEN.

Here is a nice little tid bit from the Newswire…

28-August-2007 — ZENIT.org News Agency
Mother Teresa’s Dark Night Unique, Says Preacher VATICAN CITY, AUG. 27, 2007 (Zenit.org).

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s dark night of the soul kept her from being a victim of the media age and exalting herself, says the preacher of the Pontifical Household. Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa said this in an interview with Vatican Radio, commenting on previously unpublished letters from Mother Teresa, now made public in Doubleday’s book “Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light,” edited by Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, postulator of the cause of Mother Teresa’s canonization.

In one of her letters, Mother Teresa wrote: “There is so much contradiction in my soul. Such deep longing for God — so deep that it is painful — a suffering continual — and yet not wanted by God — repulsed — empty — no faith — no love — no zeal. Souls hold no attraction. Heaven means nothing — to me it looks like an empty place.”

Father Cantalamessa explained that the fact that Mother Teresa suffered deeply from her feeling of the absence of God affirms that it was a positive phenomenon. Atheists, he contended, are not afflicted by God’s absence but, “for Mother Teresa, this was the most terrible test that she could have experienced.” He further clarified that “it is the presence-absence of God: God is present but one does not experience his presence.” Martyrdom Father Cantalamessa contended that Mother Teresa’s spiritual suffering makes her even greater. He said: “The fact that Mother Teresa was able to remain for hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament, as many eye-witnesses have testified, as if enraptured … if one thinks about the condition she was in at that moment, that is martyrdom!

“Because of this, for me, the figure of Mother Teresa is even greater; it does not diminish her.” The Capuchin priest further lauded Mother Teresa’s ability to keep her spiritual pain hidden within her. “Maybe, this was done in expiation for the widespread atheism in today’s world,” he said, adding that she lived her experience of the absence of God “in a positive way — with faith, with God.”

Not scandalous Father Cantalamessa affirmed that Mother Teresa’s dark night should not scandalize or surprise anyone. The “dark night,” he said, “is something well-known in the Christian tradition; maybe new and unheard of in the way Mother Teresa experienced it.” He added: “While ‘the dark night of the spirit’ of St. John of the Cross is a generally preparatory period for that definitive one called ‘unitive,’ for Mother Teresa it seems that it was one stable state, from a certain point in her life, when she began this great work of charity, until the end. “In my view, the fact of this prolongation of the ‘night’ has meaning for us today. I believe that Mother Teresa is the saint of the media age, because this ‘night of the spirit’ protected her from being a victim of the media, namely from exalting herself. “In fact, she used to say that when she received great awards and praise from the media, she did not feel anything because of this interior emptiness.”