aeternus

I was reading some of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection today and thought I would share this meditation. It comes from a letter probably written to a Prioress…

“You so earnestly desire that I describe the method by which I arrived at that habitual sense of God’s presence, which our merciful Lord has been pleased to grant me. I am complying with your request with my request that you show my letter to no one. If I knew that you would let it be seen, all the desire I have for your spiritual progress would not be enough to make me comply.

The account I can give you is: Having found in many books different methods of going to God and divers practices of the spiritual life, I thought this would serve rather to puzzle me than facilitate what I sought after, which was nothing but how to become wholly God’s. This made me resolve to give the all for the All. After having given myself wholly to God, to make all the satisfaction I could for my sins, I renounced, for the love of Him, everything that was not He, and I began to live as if there was none but He and I in the world.

Sometimes I considered myself before Him as a poor criminal at the feet of his judge. At other times I beheld Him in my heart as my Father, as my God. I worshipped Him the oftenest I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence and recalling it as often as I found it wandered from Him. I made this my business, not only at the appointed times of prayer but all the time; every hour, every minute, even in the height of my work, I drove from my mind everything that interrupted my thoughts of God.

I found no small pain in this exercise. Yet I continued it, notwithstanding all the difficulties that occurred. And I tried not to trouble or disquiet myself when my mind wandered. Such has been my common practice ever since I entered religious life. Though I have done it very imperfectly, I have found great advantages by it. These, I well know, are to be imputed to the mercy and goodness of God because we can do nothing without Him; and I still less than any.

When we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy presence, and set Him always before us, this hinders our offending Him, and doing anything that may displease Him. It also begets in us a holy freedom, and, if I may so
speak, a familiarity with God, where, when we ask, He supplies the graces we need. Over time, by often repeating these acts, they become habitual, and the presence of God becomes quite natural to us.

Please give Him thanks with me, for His great goodness towards me, which I can never sufficiently express, and for the many favors He has done to so miserable a sinner as I am. May all things praise Him. Amen.”

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FIFTH DAY, EXERCISE I.

Meditation on Our Lord in the Desert

Jesus alone in the desert with beasts and
Satan. Solitude, fast, and prayer are the prepara
tions which our Lord makes against temptation.
He wishes to set us the example, and to show us
that it is against the just and unworldly man that
the devil looses himself with more fury and tenacity
of purpose. Solitude, fast, and prayer, there
indeed is the life of Carmel. Oh ! Sisters, be
faithful unto it. Prayer above all things, and con
stant prayer, is the preparation which our Lord
expects of you in everything that He wishes to do
with you, or by you. It is the better preparation;
it is the action of the Holy Ghost on the soul. But
do not forget that the soul in solitude is liable to
temptation. So it will be for you in the silence of
your solitude, in your desert. But courage, fear
not ; you are prepared for fighting, you shall be also
prepared for victory !
Secondly, Temptation. Let us contemplate
our Lord far removed from any human being in
a desert, in the midst of beasts. And the beasts
may well represent to us Satan, that fierce beast,
who dares to contemplate our Lord, to approach
His Admirable Person, and to offer Him bread, the
bread of corruption, Him, Who is the Glory of
the World, and the Benefactor of the Earth. But
this spectacle is given us to be our consolation and
strength ; for the things which Satan here offers
our Lord, the Holy of Holies, he will present to us
likewise. We shall be tempted by pride, tempted
by sensuality. Our Lord has vouchsafed to undergo
this humiliation in order to give us a lesson of
consolation, and an example to follow; and with
precept and example, we earn victory. With what
energy He repels the tempter ! He does not
reason with him, but says :”Get thee behind Me,
Satan, for it is written, Not in bread alone doth man
live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth
of God” O fundamental and encouraging words,

which reveal to us the basis and the structure of our
faith ! It is written in the Book of Truth Whom I
ought to adore, Whom I ought to love, what I ought
to do : therefore, I do not reason with the Spirit of
Lies, but I believe. It is written that we shall be
never tempted beyond our strength ; this is an article
of faith, which we must believe. Whatever temp
tation we experience, we shall have victory always,
if we ask for it ; for God is faithful, He never
abandons a soul, and in solitude above all He is
with her, and fights with her and on her behalf.
So you too, Sisters, blessing Him, loving Him, and
adoring Him, must also endeavour in your solitude
to fight with your good Master, and Satan shall be
conquered. It is true he goes only for a time, he
will return, but always to be conquered !
Thirdly, Consolation. Satan withdraws to a
distance, and angels take his place. Observe,
Sisters, it is after prolonged solitude in the desert
in the midst of beasts, after a threefold temptation,
that our Lord calls angels unto Him. Such is the
law, whatever God reserves to us, pain, suffering,
temptation ; whatever happens to our soul, there is
the compensation on the part of God; so it is
always, always. Angels shall be sent to minister to
this tried, though faithful, soul ; because God is the
God of all consolation, and He tries the soul by
temptation; after the conflict He hearkens to the
afflicted soul with the riches and pleasures of His
magnificence.
And angels ministered unto Him, and set before
Him a feast. And a feast is set before us likewise ;
a feast which brings us heavenly joy, the feast of
the Blessed Eucharist, a divine repast served by
angels; this is our strength, our life, divine strength,
divine life, and against which Satan can do nothing.
But we know well that this Bread of the Strong was
given us here below only to excite us still to con
flict, and to assure us of victory with God always.
Consolation bespeaks trial ; temptation will then
return. But at length life will come to a close, and
then what joys after the trial ! What ineffable
happiness ! Come, Sisters, we must be brave.
Let us pray to our Lord to obtain courage ; let us
pray without ceasing until we come face to face with
God and His angels in heaven.

Image above: Ivan Kramskoj - Christ in the desest

Ravignan’s last retreat : given to the Carmelite Nuns of the monastery rue de Messine, Paris, in November, 1857 (1859) Author: Ravignan, Gustave François Xavier de Lacroix de, 1795-1858 Publisher London : Burns and Oates ; New York : Catholic Publication Society co Copyright Status NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT

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I thought I would continue with some of the Retreat given to the French Carmelite nuns at their monastery in Paris by Fr. Ravignan in November, 1865. The retreat was given in the form of Saint Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises, but were converted to Carmelite thought and practice. It is very interesting. I have made bold some of the words which grabbed my attention…

EXERCISE III.
CONFERENCE ON TRUE DEVOTION TO OUR LORD.

From this moment, from this day forth, you
understand perfectly, beloved Sisters, that we must
endeavour to dwell in, and have constant inter
course with, our Lord. Our first thought when
awaking, when, so to speak, we resume life,
should be our Lord. In like manner, in all these
exercises it is His Adorable Person, His words,
His actions, that we should consider. And in this
the first moment in which we apply ourselves in a
special manner to the attachment of the Divine
Saviour, we ought to fortify ourselves by every means
in our resolutions, and be devoted to Him.

Let us consider one of the chief obstacles which
prevent a soul from becoming attached to our
Lord.

There is a kind of half-will, which is neither good
nor bad ; I am fully assured that it is not yours ;
but it may attack religious souls as well as others,
in order to prevent them from going to the Divine
Master. There is then a bad midway, which I
shall call hesitation, and which may be thus ex
plained, To will and not to will ; to know and
not to know. In this melancholy midway, people
hesitate and do nothing. There may be in this a
want of light, but there may also be weakness,
laxity, and I know not what inclination of the soul,
which we have called hesitation, and which is the
contrary to decision. Now, to answer our Lord s
call, it is evident there is needed decision, con
stant, true, assiduous decision, a decision conform
able to His intentions and your desires ; we must
be willing to, and must actually make war on
everything that is changeable and uncertain. Thus
to know or not to know, to do or not to do, is a
bad midway ; and you are more unfitted than
anyone to stop at this. This hesitation is so much
to be avoided that the author of the holy Exercises
does not speak of them, or even imagine them ; he
recognises only two things, to will, and not to will ;
but there is no question of indecision in so far as
the rules of the government of the spirit, or any
thing else is concerned, because S. Ignatius has no
advice to give for a disposition which ought not to
exist. Not to will is bad, very bad, but at least it
is something ; to will and not to will is not a state
or a vocation, is not a disposition of Providence,
it is nothing.

Sisters, give not the least entrance into your
heart to this will and will not. For you above all
others, and in your life, it is error, delusion, and
the most dangerous of all things. It is not, it
cannot be your life ; for you it is nameless. We
must then hate this shameful indecision. To hesi
tate, to balance, to waver, belongs not to a true
daughter of S. Theresa ; it is impossible to a child
of Carmel. Take care then, the enemy of salvation
is there ; the soul that is willing may be very im
perfect, but then she wills, and there is hope. On
the other hand, the soul that wavers pleases the
devil, who greatly loves hesitation ; she borders on
lukewarmness. and lukewarmness of the most
dangerous kind. Our Lord has said, Better crime.,
better death, for then at least there is sometimes a
chance of repentance. Far better those follies that
are so commonly known, provided only that one
gives them up, and preserves the disposition of going
to our Lord.

Sisters, sound your soul, descend into it torch in
hand, asking our Lord to descend with you into
her most hidden depths ; and there look and ask
yourselves if there is not uncertainty, hesitation, the
will and the will not there ; then throw into all your
actions a disposition of decisiveness, to will, and
to will even unto folly to cast yourselves on God.
O my Saviour, I protest that my deliberate decision
is to follow Thee. With that, perhaps, you will
say, we should also pray and fight, since this is life ;
but is not to will to pray and to fight ? Yes, and
our Lord is satisfied therewith, because this is what
He requires, what He expects ; and He makes to
Himself great peace in the soul. Our Lord wishes
for these souls, He seeks them, He asked them of
S. Theresa, He has numbered them among His
daughters ; and thus numbered fear not, you have
peace. If trouble comes, it will only come from
the devil, and this is a good sign, because then he
is displeased. Behold then laid the first foundation
of devotion to our Lord, to be decisive, to have no
hesitation, to be willing to follow this divine Master,
and to become firmly attached to Him.

But what is the meaning of becoming attached
to our Lord. It is this. Let us put aside spiritual
labour which is good, but which we leave for the
moment, and let us approach God from our heart.
In order to approach our Lord, and to become
attached to Him, we must ardently desire to know
Him familiarly in the different stages of His mortal
life. By this means I shall love Him the more, I
shall follow Him more closely, I shall know His
spirit, the business and the desire of His heart in
everything that He has done, in His words, actions,
sufferings, and in all that He now inspires me with
in the bottom of my heart. Oh ! let us ask for
this profound knowledge of His Sacred Humanity,
His life, and His works ; let us apply our hearts
and our minds thereto, and think not by this means,
Sisters, that you will withdraw from the path of
prayer and true and solid devotion. This thought
on occurring to you should be banished with indig-
nation and anger. Remember what S. John of the
Cross and your holy Mother say to you on this
point, A soul which is attached to our Lord, as we
have just said, hears His voice. Now our Divine
Saviour speaks to us, and calls us incessantly in
three ways, by His lessons, by His example, and
by the inspirations of His grace ; but, above all, by
the eminent grace of vocation.

But, again, what is the meaning of becoming
attached to our Lord ? It is to offer ourselves to
Him, and to become devoted to His service always
and entirely, with all the perfection indicated in
your vows and rule. Now, Sisters, to make this
offering of yourselves and to be devout is your life ;
for immolation is the essence of your soul, your
element. Suffer, oh ! suffer your soul to be pene-
trated with this desire; you must not lessen the
grace of your vocation ; that would not be humility,
but disdain and laxity. Desire, oh ! desire to dis
tinguish yourselves in the service of your God, to
please Him, to love Him before any other ; this
need not prevent you from rejoicing when others
do better than you ; you should rejoice, and any
other disposition would show that it was your own
glory, not God s, that you desired. Come, Sisters,
no hesitation, no fear, since it is your God that
calls you. Come and follow Me. To hesitate, I
say again, is a disease worse than death. You
must, therefore, give yourselves to our Lord. But
this is already done. We must at least believe so ;
but neither must we believe that there is to be no
fresh beginning; on the contrary, we must always
begin anew. Then you must have the universal
desire of devoting yourselves, not as you wish of
yourselves, but as it shall please the Lord to choose
for you. As for that, you have only to follow the
path which this good Master has chosen for you,
this life of Carmel to which you are called. To be
sure, you can perform, or not perform a journey,
follow, or not follow a path ; but when you do
perform a journey, when you do follow a path, be
sure that you perform it well, that you follow it well.
Come, Sisters, and perform this journey of the
religious life, follow this path of Carmel, but per
form it, follow it in the company of our Lord ;
remain at His side by your fidelity, by your zeal, by
your obedience ; make Him a truly general offering
of yourselves.

Behold then the meaning of becoming attached
to our Lord. Is there yet another thing? Yes,
here it is, a simple, but a most direct way, and that
is to love what He loved, to reject what He re
jected, to choose what He chose. And what did
this good Saviour, the King of heaven, the God of
our hearts, love ? What did He love ? The oppo
site of that which the world loves, the opposite of
nature, of flesh, of the senses. What did He
choose ? Warfare, suffering, contradiction, the
cross. What did He love with the love of predi
lection ? Poverty. He loved poverty in a special
manner ; it was His mother next to Mary His
Mother. And it is after His example that all the
founders of Orders say to us in their writings :
“You must love poverty as your mother”. For
the rest, I have only to regard Jesus Christ to say
to myself, “Poverty is my mother, she it is that
makes me a religious “. Then what did our good
Master love ? Humiliation and contempt, beneath
which He was always patient, always mild, always
good. What indulgence, what mercy in all His
Admirable Person. The virtue of our Divine
Master is no better virtue, and yet His heart was
oppressed with sorrow, but still compassionate as
ever. And should we not therefore, Sisters, love
humiliation and contempt ? Should we not desire
them ? Would to God that we were called to shun
with Jesus this better part of self-denial. Ah !
would to God !

We shall conclude this meditation by asking of
the Heart of Jesus the grace to love what He loved,
and to become attached to His service, by devoting
ourselves to the better part. When He took a
heart, everything is told ; it is done. Let us in
like manner pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
to obtain for us the fullness of grace and blessings.
    Ravignan’s last retreat : given to the Carmelite Nuns of the monastery rue de Messine, Paris, in November, 1857 (1859) Author: Ravignan, Gustave François Xavier de Lacroix de, 1795-1858 Publisher London : Burns and Oates ; New York : Catholic Publication Society co Copyright Status NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT

Top image: The weeping wall is a geological formation found along Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, in the U.S. state of Montana. It is a natural waterfall that seeps out from the side of cliffs, and is fed by runoff from snowmelt. From Wikipedia.

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Thanks once again to my very dear friend who is becoming my Novena secretary (ie. she is always letting me know when to begin all the most important Novenas! God Reward Her!!) I am now passing this notification on to all you great prayer warriors!Novena for the Holy Souls in Purgatory composed by the great Saint, St. Alphonsus Ligouri.

Day 1

Jesus, my Savior I have so often deserved to be cast into hell how great would be my suffering if I were now cast away and obliged to think that I myself had caused my damnation. I thank Thee for the patience with which Thou hast endured me. My God, I love Thee above all things and I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee because Thou art infinite goodness. I will rather die than offend Thee again. Grant me the grace of perseverance. Have pity on me and at the same time on those blessed souls suffering in Purgatory. Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession. Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory .

Day 2

Woe to me, unhappy being, so many years have I already spent on earth and have earned naught but hell! I give Thee thanks, O Lord, for granting me time even now to atone for my sins. My good God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. Send me Thy assistance, that I may apply the time yet remaining to me for Thy love and service; have compassion on me, and, at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory .

Day 3

My God! because Thou art infinite goodness, I love Thee above all things, and repent with my whole heart of my offenses against Thee. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me, and, at the same, on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. And thou, Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory .

Day 4

My God! because Thou art infinite goodness, I am sorry with my whole heart for having offended Thee. I promise to die rather than ever offend Thee more. Give me holy perseverance; have pity on me, and have pity on those holy souls that burn in the cleansing fire and love Thee with all their hearts. O Mary, Mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers.

Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory .

Day 5

Woe to me, unhappy being, if Thou, O Lord, hadst cast me into hell; for from that dungeon of eternal pain there is no deliverance. I love Thee above all things, O infinite God and I am sincerely sorry for having offended Thee again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me, and, at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory .

Day 6

My Divine Redeemer, Thou didst die for me on the Cross, and hast so often united Thyself with me in Holy Communion, and I have repaid Thee only with ingratitude. Now, however, I love Thee above all things, O supreme God; and I am more grieved at my offences against Thee than at any other evil. I will rather die than offend Thee again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me, and, at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. Mary, Mother of God, come to their aid with thy powerful intercession.

Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory .

Day 7

God, Father of Mercy, satisfy this their ardent desire! Send them Thy holy Angel to announce to them that Thou, their Father, are now reconciled with them through the suffering and death of Jesus, and that the moment of their deliverance has arrived.

Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory .

Day 8

Oh my God! I also am one of these ungrateful beings, having received so much grace, and yet despised Thy love and deserved to be cast by Thee into hell. But Thy infinite goodness has spared me until now. Therefore, I now love Thee above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. I will rather die than ever offend Thee. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me and, at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. Mary, Mother of God, come to their aid with thy powerful intercession.

Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory .

Day 9

My God! How was it possible that I, for so many years, have borne tranquilly the separation from Thee and Thy holy grace! O infinite Goodness, how long-suffering hast Thou shown Thyself to me! Henceforth, I shall love Thee above all things. I am deeply sorry for having offended Thee; I promise rather to die than to again offend Thee. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance, and do not permit that I should ever again fall into sin. Have compassion on the holy souls in Purgatory. I pray Thee, moderate their sufferings; shorten the time of their misery; call them soon unto Thee in heaven, that they may behold Thee face to face, and forever love Thee. Mary, Mother of Mercy, come to their aid with thy powerful intercession, and pray for us also who are still in danger of eternal damnation.

Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary,

and the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior

for the Holy Souls in Purgatory .

Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

O most sweet Jesus, through the bloody sweat which Thou didst suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on these Blessed Souls. Have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer during Thy most cruel scourging, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in Thy most painful crowning with thorns, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in carrying Thy cross to Calvary, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer during Thy most cruel Crucifixion, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in Thy most bitter agony on the Cross, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

O most sweet Jesus, through the immense pain which Thou didst suffer in breathing forth Thy Blessed Soul, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

(Recommend yourself to the Souls in Purgatory and mention your intentions here)

Blessed Souls, I have prayed for thee; I entreat thee, who are so dear to God, and who are secure of never losing Him, to pray for me a miserable sinner, who is in danger of being damned, and of losing God forever. Amen.

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My son has gone on retreat today with his classmates. I am amazed that young children are so privileged to have this blessing. I only went on retreat for the first time after he was born! In any case there will be also some fun and team building as they navigate a high wire course through the trees and have a caving expedition! Sounds like a dream for a young boy!

In thinking, and worrying about this three day adventure (as any mother would!) I came across this beautiful retreat in a very old book. It seems to be given in the form of Saint Ignatius’s spiritual exercises to Carmelites. Here is what was said in the introduction of the book followed by a preparatory conference before the retreat. I think I will continue to post on this retreat because it is so edifying…

THE discourses composing this Retreat were
delivered by Pere de Ravignan, three months
before his death, to the Carmelite nuns of the
Monastery of the Rue de Messine. They
themselves, with pious care, gathered together
the last apostolic words let fall from a mouth
so revered. They thought they ought not bury
this treasure in the earth, but ought rather
share it with their Sisters in the different
convents which follow the rule of S. Theresa,
and with all religious souls, both in and out
of the cloister, who love to feed on the holy
teachings of evangelical perfection.

MEDITATION FOR THE EVE OF THE RETREAT.

BELOVED Sisters, you are entering on retreat, and the first thing you ought to do is to ask yourselves this question: What is retreat? What is the intention of our Lord towards
us in giving us these holy and precious days?What is the intention of our Blessed Mother
who looks down on us from the heights of heaven ?

We find the answer in the teachings of the holy Exercises, as they have been modelled and bequeathed to us by the soldier of Maureze, who himself received them from the Holy Ghost, his first and only Master. Not a word has been changed in them since that time. In this golden book we find the conditions necessary to be fulfilled in order to profit by these holy Exercises ; two words sum up everything under this head, retreat is the labour of the soul. The one with the other, the one by the other ; labour by rest, and rest by labour.

And first, rest, the salutary and wonder fully efficacious rest of the soul. Why? Because the first thing you ought to do on entering on this retreat, Sisters, is tocast your selves into the hands of your Creator, like a block of clay, in order that He may remodel you; in order that He may work in your favour a new creation, a new being. My God, create in me a pure heart, and renew the spirit of uprightness and justice within me. O my God, I give myself to Thee to do unto me according to Thy will.; This offering must be made with the desire of forgetting the world, and of abandoning yourselves ; it must be made with a generous heart. There must be no hesitating weakness, no, Sisters, but great courage, because God requires much of us during retreat What is it that God requires of you ? You know not at the end of these holy days, and, in fine, neither is it the time to know. Later, the light will come. From this time until then, whenever anything causes you uneasiness, or fear, you must banish it, because it would impair your rest.

This rest has still another element, solitude. But are you not always in solitude? That may be ; but you need a more perfect solitude, a more absolute interior solitude by even separation from your customary occupations, and, above all, by the entire separation of yourselves in order that you may find God alone. Now, the solitude and the separation of retreat consist in the religious and conscientious observance of silence. Retreat is perpetual silence ; there must not be a word beyond what the strictest necessity requires, there must not be a voluntary thought to distract you from God. Be ye, Sisters, penetrated with this idea. Have nothing more at heart than the offering of all that you are to God, by silence and rest ; you shall draw therefrom marvellous fruits.

Saint Ignatius says that retreat is more profitable to the soul than any other exercise to which she can devote herself, because, in retreat, the soul is exclusively united to God. Believe me, there is immense profit in the solitude of these days ; the world can still penetrate behind the cloister and the gratings ; but in retreat there is a more complete separation than ever, there is silence, calm, rest, certain progress.

We have already said, Sisters, that retreat is the labour of the soul. The soul needs exercise as much as the body, and this exercise, or labour of the soul, consists in examination, meditation, and contemplation, which prepare and dispose it to a second very important and very needful labour. At certain periods of our lives we require to reckon with ourselves, and to see if there is not in our soul some inclination, some desire, contrary to the rule of our holy vows, and contrary to what God expects of us. Then I stand in presence of myself, I reckon with my conscience, I weigh my inclinations, and more than once do I say to myself : “That is not right” When we discern our failings, and see what is not conformable to our holy state, we must immediately uproot and check our ill-regulated passions, and make way for the restoration of free will, in order to seek and to find the will of God for the reformation of our lives. That labour is expressed in one word, you know it well, victory over self. Victory over self ! it is a great word! victory over self always ! There will be always battles to fight and victories to gain. We must always recommence our lives, and let us, therefore, cast ourselves into the hands of our Creator, in order that He may remodel us. In Him, by Him, and for Him, we see what ought to be checked, and what ought to be practiced ; then, we are free to act with
the light of understanding. You must, therefore, be careful in retreat, and above all at its close, to devote yourselves to one thing, to approaching God, and tasting of His favours. For the soul the all-important point is to reach God ; if she becomes wedded to many things her occupations distract her from Him ; she loses recollection, strength, and vigour ; it becomes impossible for her to reach God alone. But remember, Sisters, that prayer is every thing.

This labour of retreat is in the spirit of prayer ; because, since we are bound to seek virtue and to check vice, we are bound above all to co-operate with grace, and to cast ourselves into the hands of God. How can we do this ? By prayer. Is not prayer the rest of the soul ? Should we not seek in prayer peace and strength alike ? You may then say with S. Augustine : “Thou alone art sufficient for me, O my God !” and again, “Give me, O Lord, Thy commandments, and command me according to Thy will!”

Retreat, then, in two words is, Rest and Labour. Rest, separation, recollection, silence. Labour, seeking the will of God, ascertaining the will of the infinite charity of Jesus towards us, and conforming ourselves thereto. You see that this labour and rest consist first in seeking God, in order that He may operate upon us ; and, secondly, in destroying in our selves everything that is not God. Sisters, enter on this labour with joy and generosity of purpose, and, believe me, you have much to obtain from it. Enter, too, on this rest with pleasure. Enter on it with Mary Immaculate, with your Blessed Mother, and, believe me, you shall draw therefrom lasting consolations.



Ravignan’s last retreat : given to the Carmelite Nuns of the monastery rue de Messine, Paris, in November, 1857 (1859) Author: Ravignan, Gustave François Xavier de Lacroix de, 1795-1858 Publisher London : Burns and Oates ; New York : Catholic Publication Society co Copyright Status NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT

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Yesterday at the children’s school they celebrated a special feast day to Mater Admirabilis (Mother most Admirable) a traditional remembrance at Sacred Heart Schools all over the world. The origin of this title of Our Lady came from a Jesuit priest who was told in prayer that this was a favorite of Our Mother’s titles. She wished for a sanctuary to be erected in her name in Rome and she would honor this by making it the site of many cures and conversions. I’m actually not sure this happened at the time, but 200 years later a fresco painting was made at the Sacred Heart’s Monastery of the Trinity in Rome.

The nuns of the Sacred Heart (begun by Saint Madeline Sophie Barat and continued in the United States by Saint Rose Phillipine Duchesne) did not know of our Lady’s fondness for this title when one young artist (and eventual religious of their order) painted the fresco of Our Lady. The fresco shows our Lady at the age of about 15 seated and in quiet prayer as she is about her business of sewing. There are lilies at her side as she listens and meditates on the word which is to be made flesh. The painting was then known around the monastery as “the Madonna of the Lily”.

A priest was supposed to come and bless the new painting, but for some reason or other, he changed his mind and refused. He said he would send someone else in his place. Well, that someone turned out to be Pope Pius IX! When the sister’s uncovered the painting the Pope exclaimed “Mater Admirabilis” and so she got her name! He was so moved by this image that he not only conferred this title upon her but granted that October 20th would always be the feast day in her honor.

Today the children at the school honor her everyday and at her shrine in the upper school hallway they give thanks to her by adorning her with their school accomplishments (see all the trophey’s!) It is also a tradition to leave prayerful petitions on slips of paper which are then placed in her lap. My daughter placed a special petition at the end of the last school year to request her teacher for this year. We did a little prayerful dance and song of happiness when she did get this teacher this year!

Here is a prayer to Mater from the Association Alumnea and Alumni of the Sacred Heart:

Mater Admirabilis, to your friends you open the way of Interior Progress. In contemplating you, O Admirable Mother, the soul thrills with a holy desire to penetrate into that world of love and grace in which your would as made its dwelling. Who better than you can reveal to us this interior life? Who better than you can open us to the life of Jesus and trace in us His divine characteristics? O Mother, let us look at you; in the end a child resembles its mother when its gaze never leaves her face.

You are the silent Virgin!
You are the utterly humble Virgin!
You are the faithful Virgin!

O silent Virgin, you teach us that silence creates in us the gravity that befits our waiting on God; and are we not always waiting thus? Silence, too, must protect God’s dwelling-place; such silence is both an expression of love and a protection for love. O Mother, keep calm and secluded the dwelling of our soul into which Jesus descends every day.

O utterly humble Virgin, you teach us, too, that there can be no progress without a loyal and generous tendency to humility. God’s gifts are only safe in souls who attribute nothing to themselves and are conscious of their poverty. Teach us that unpretentious littleness that knows how to be docile, loves to serve and then slips willingly away. The humility of your heart rose up to God like a melody; it delighted His heart; may ours bring Him down to us.

O faithful Virgin, you are the one who always responded to God’s expectations, who never set the shadow of a hesitation between the call of grace and its realization. Give us that promptitude in love, that soaring eagerness of faith. May sacrifice never halt us; but in the joy which increases our gift a hundredfold, may we answer every grace that solicits us: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord!”

Mother Most Admirable, pray for us!

This is a pretty photo of the school’s chapel after mass. The light was so beautiful coming in from the stained glass on the wall. And in the next photo, you can see all the beautiful “pink” in honor of Mater.

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As I am suffering I went to Faustina to ask help in understanding that she might make my mind clear as I read along with all of her trials and misfortunes which she wrote about in her diary. That was a good idea and I thank dear Jesus for most His abundant mercy which flows from His most Sacred Heart.

These quotes are from the passage that helped me. They are in Divine Mercy In my soul The Diary of the Saint Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska Perpetually Professed member of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy NOTEBOOK V

“J.M.J.
The barque of my life sails along
Amid darkness and shadows of night,
And I see no shore;
I am sailing the high seas.

The slightest storm would drown me,
Engulfing my boat in the swirling depths,
If you yourself did not watch over me, O God,
At each instant and moment of my life.

Amid the roaring waves
I sail peacefully, trustingly,
And gaze like a child into the distance without fear,
Because You, O Jesus, are my Light.

Dread and terror is all about me,
But within my soul is peace more profound than the depths of the sea,
For he who is with You, O Lord, will not perish;
Of this Your love assures me, O God.

Though a host of dangers surround me,
None of them do I fear, for I fix my gaze on the starry sky,
And I sail along bravely and merrily,
As becomes a pure heart.

And if the ship of my life sails so peacefully,
This is due to but one thing above all:
You are my helmsman, O God.
This I confess with utmost humility.

“Jesus, how truly dreadful it would be to suffer if it were not for You. But it is You, Jesus, stretched out on the cross, who give me strength and are always so close to the suffering soul…

…After having tasted the above sufferings and spent a whole night in bitterness, the next morning, when the chaplain (Father Theodore) brought me Holy Communion, I had to control my self by sheer effort of will to keep from crying out at the top of my voice, “Welcome, my true and only Friend.” Holy Communion gives me strength to suffer and fight…

…Today, during Mass, I saw the Lord Jesus in the midst if His sufferings, as though dying on the cross. He said to me, My daughter, meditate frequently on the sufferings which I have undergone for your sake, and then nothing of what you suffer for Me will seem great to you. You please Me most when you meditate on my Sorrowful Passion. Join your little sufferings to My Sorrowful Passion, so that they may have infinite value before My Majesty.

Jesus said to me today, You often call Me your Master. This is pleasing to My Heart; but do not forget, My disciple, that you are a disciple of a crucified Master. Let that one word be enough for you. You know what is contained in the cross.

I have learned that the greatest power is hidden in patience. I see that patience always leads to victory, although not immediately; but that victory will become manifest after many years. Patience is linked to meekness.”

Divine Mercy In my soul The Diary of the Saint Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska Perpetually Professed member of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy

Marians of the Immaculate Conception Stockbride, Massachusettes 01263 2003

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I really did think I was doing the right thing - I guess I was not…

Two Sunday’s ago I made an entry in my blog. I’m not entirely sure what the exact subject was but it was probably no different than most of my posts here.

I linked a photograph which I admired with the post and put a link to the photographer’s website saying go and see more of his wonderful photography. The photographer was not to pleased with this. He demanded payment for the use of the photograph. I could not pay his fee so about 5 hours after I posted, and immediately after receiving his email, I removed the photo and then the post.

I thought the matter to be finished, but I was naive.

After much defamation of my character for being a deadbeat and a Catholic I have now found out that the photographer (to remain nameless) has been busy emailing everyone of you who have read or have anything else to do with this blog. I am pretty sure he has said some terrible things. This has upset me GREATLY as I feel the conflict between the photographer and I was personal and now everyone who reads this blog has become affected.

We are to give to Ceaser what is Ceaser’s and to God that which is Gods. Therefore, even though I am not using his photograph, I have paid him the fee to use it. The matter is closed. A lesson learned.

I apologize from my heart for any harm this has caused any reader. I am embarrassed that all this has happened as it seems to me to be very silly and childlike behavior. I will have to discern whether or not I should continue the blog at all.

I have had so many wonderful private emails and wonderful comments in the blog and I love an appreciate all of your generous support! It seems one bad apple shouldn’t spoil the whole bunch, but I just want to be quiet for awhile and say sorry.

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I am just back from a beautiful mass at the Carmel of St. Joseph where we celebrated the feast of Teresa of Jesus. What a gift to the church is the spirit of Carmel and what a gift to Carmel is St. Teresa, “La Madre”! The doctor of prayer (and for my part Doctor of Determination) who has taught us so well how to manage and navigate our pathways to eternity.
Here is a hymn from the Carmelite morning office about her:

Noonday blaze of virtues rare,
Highest gifts of grace and prayer,
You have lived, in deep repose,
All that faith on us bestows.

Wedded to the Father’s Word.
Word of light, in silence heard,
Leaning on the Savior’s breast,
Guided by the Spirit blest,

Blest the mind refined by fire
To receive divine desire,
Wisdom’s secrets in your heart,
Opened by the heav’nly dart.

Christ drew you to his embrace
By the fragrance of his grace;
In you reaching we confide,
Trusting you, our heav’n-sent guide.

Truth eternal, One and Three,
May Teresa constantly
Lead us up the mountain’s ways
To the realms of joy and praise.

Please visit the Meditations from Carmel Podcast to hear some wonderful inspirationals from Saint Teresa!

From the Book of her Life MP3 

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From the Way of Perfection…

“Now let me address myself to those souls I
mentioned who can neither recollect themselves,
nor concentrate their minds on mental prayer, nor
can they meditate. We must not mention either
of these words before them, for they will not
hear of such things. In fad:, many people are
terrified at the mere name of mental prayer or
meditation, yet perhaps some such persons may
enter this convent, for as I said, all are not led by
the same way. What I will advise you about, or
I may say teach you (for as Prioress, I am your
mother, and have the right to teach), is how to
pray vocally, because you ought to understand the
words you utter. Since long prayers may tire one
who cannot fix her mind on God, I will not speak
of them, but only of those which, as Christians,
we are bound to repeat namely the Pater Noster
and the Ave Maria.

Clearly, we ought to attend to how we say
our prayers; then no one can say we speak without
understanding our own words. Perhaps we think
it is enough for us to pray as a matter of habit and
that it suffices if we simply pronounce the words.
Whether it suffices or no, is not for me to say: I
leave the decision to theologians: God will give
them light to guide those who consult them, and
as to those who do not belong to our state of life,
it is no business of mine. But, my daughters, I do
not wish us to content ourselves with this. When
I recite, in the Credo, I believe . . . it seems
to me that I ought to know and to understand
what it is that I believe/ If I say, Our Father ,
love requires that I should know Who is our
Father , and Who the Master that teaches us this
prayer, for there is an immense difference between
one master and another. If you tell me, that it is
enough to know this once for all and to think no
more about it, you might as well say that it is
enough to recite the prayer itself once in a life-time.
It is shameful to forget even our human teachers,
especially if they were very holy and were our
spiritual guides: we could not do so if we were
faithful pupils. We should preserve a strong affec
tion and respect for them, and should often speak
of them. God forbid, then, that whenever we say
this prayer we should not think of such a Master,
so loving and desirous of our good. Still, human
nature is so frail that we may often forget Him.

You know that His Majesty taught us that
the first point is that prayer should be made in
solitude.

He practised this Himself; not because
it was requisite for Him, but for the sake of our
instruction. I have already explained that we can
not speak both to God and to the world at the
same time. Yet what else are we doing if, while
we pray, we listen to other people s conversation
or let our thoughts dwell unchecked on whatever
subject occurs to them? I am not alluding to times
when people are out of health (especially if they
suffer from melancholia), or when their brains are
tired, for then no effort will control the attention.
On other occasions God permits a tempest of
difficulties to assault His servants for their greater
good: then, though the soul may grieve at its
distractions and try to stop them, this is found to
be impossible. Such a person cannot attend to
what she is saying, strive as she may, nor can she
fix her thoughts on any other subject: indeed she
seems bereft of reason and her wits wander still
the pain this state causes her proves her to be
blameless in the matter. She should not trouble
herself about it; this would only increase the evil :
let her not tire herself by trying to reduce her mind
to reason, of which in such a state it is incapable.
Let her pray as best she can, or leave off praying
and rest her brain as if she were ill, occupying
herself with some other good work. This advice
applies to persons who watch carefully over them
selves and who grasp the truth that they cannot
speak both to God and to the world at the same
time.

On our part, we can endeavor to be alone
God grant this may suffice to make us realize in
Whose Presence we are and how He answers our
petitions. Do you suppose He is silent, though
we cannot hear Him? He speaks to our hearts
when our hearts speak to Him. It would be good
for us to believe that He teaches this prayer to each
one of us in particular. This Master is never so
far off that His scholars need raise their voices to
make Him hear: He keeps very close to them.
I want to show you that, to say the Pater Noster
well, you must not leave the side of the Tutor
Who teaches it you. Perhaps you will say that
this is meditation, and that you cannot pray except
vocally nor do you wish to do so. Some people
are impatient and self-indulgent, and find it diffi
cult to collect their thoughts when they begin to
pray, being unused to the habit; therefore to avoid
some little trouble, they say they do not know
how, nor can they do more than pray vocally. You
are right in calling that which I am speaking of
mental prayer , but I assure you that vocal prayers,
properly recited, cannot be separated from it if we
are to realize with Whom we are speaking. We
are bound to pray with attention, and may God
grant that, with the aid of all these means, we may
succeed in saying the Pater Noster well without
wandering thoughts. I sometimes suffer from
them, and I find that the best remedy is to keep
my mind fixed on Him to Whom my words are
addressed. You must be patient, and try to accus
tom yourselves to this most necessary practice,
which for nuns and, in my opinion, for all good
Christians is indispensable.”

–Teresa of Jesus

THE WAY OF PERFECTION TRANSLATED FROM THE AUTOGRAPH OF SAINT TERESA OF JESUS 

BY THE BENEDICTINES OF STANBROOK INCLUDING ALL THE VARIANTS FROM THE ESCORIAL 

AND VALLADOLID EDITIONS  Revised with notes and an introduction by the Very

Reverend F. BENEDICT ZIMMERMAN O. C. D. Prior. SECOND EDITIONWITH ADDITIONAL 

NOTES BY THE TRANSLATOR  LONDON : THOMAS BAKER  1919  All rights reserved. 

Image above:

“The Crucifixion”
by Carl Heinrich Bloch, 1870

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Teresa of Avila, as I said in the previous post, was one of the most modest of souls who had the ability to see her own smallness as compared to God’s great eternity. We should not get the idea that she really was some horrible and uncontrolled woman, no, she just knew how little and helpless we are without God’s grace. I like this small passage which talks about entering the mystical desert in search of our Lord. She shows us how to humble ourselves as it is so necessary in order to become a child of God…

This, I believe, must have been the reason why
some of the Saints withdrew into the desert. And it is
a kind of humility in man not to trust to himself, but to
believe that God will help him in his relations with
those with whom he converses ; and charity grows by
being diffused ; and there are a thousand blessings
herein which I would not dare to speak of, if I had
not known by experience the great importance of it.
It is very true that I am the most wicked and the basest
of all who are born of women ; but I believe that he
who, humbling himself, though strong, yet trusteth not
in himself, and believeth another who in this matter has
had experience, will lose nothing. Of myself I may
say that, if our Lord had not revealed to me this truth,
and given me the opportunity of speaking very fre
quently to persons given to prayer, I should have gone
on falling and rising till I tumbled into hell. I had
many friends to help me to fall ; but as to rising again,
I was so much left to myself , that I wonder now I was
not always on the ground. I praise God for His mercy ;
for it was He only Who stretched out His hand to me.
May He be blessed for ever ! Amen.

CHAPTER VII. LUKEWARMNESS. THE LOSS OF GRACE. INCONVENIENCE OF LAXITY IN RELIGIOUS HOUSES. The Life of ST. TERESA OF JESUS, OF THE ORDER OF OUR LADY OF CARMEL.WRITTEN BY HERSELF TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH BY DAVID LEWIS. Third Edition Enlarged. “With additional Notes and an Introduction by REV. FR. BENEDICT ZIMMERMAN, O.C.D. LONDON : THOMAS BAKER. MCMIV. THE COPYRIGHT OF MR. LEWIS TRANSLATION IS THE PROPERTY OF THE ” ST. ANSELM SOCIETY.” ALL OTHER MA1TER CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME IS THE PROPERTY OF THE PRESENT PUBLISHER.

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Determination.

It is perhaps this singular word which makes me love Saint Teresa of Avila so much. Though I appreciate her great witty style of prose, her humble, self-deprecating demeanor and her obvious intelligence of soul, it is Teresa’s ability to practice a determined spirit of life which attracts me so much to her. For she knew, in keen awareness of her own human nature, that it is no easy road which we climb as we set our journey upwards and home-wards to our eternity.

Teresa does not teach us about things which can not be attained for through determination she attained them. (And by the way, I am not talking about the effects of mystical prayer which ONLY God can bestow upon a soul. I am talking about the determined effort we can use for ourselves in ordering and centering our lives on prayer and adoration of our Lord and God.)

Teresa teaches us how to leave the daily grind and superfluous chatter behind us, to allow it only to be a “white noise” in the background. She teaches us to focus our spiritual capacities on Him and only Him. To do ALL for Him and whatever is not of Him and only of ourselves to fall away. We become impoverished souls emptying our self-centered worth to become rich in Him.

I thought to present as an example of this determination, a passage from Teresa’s autobiography (The Book of Her Life). Here she talks of a soul who has begun this life of dedicated prayer and who must now remain faithful through a determined spirit so they are not lost. And, please, you gotta love this woman who is so humble as to compliment herself as a “vile worm!” - what a hoot! I LOVE HER! She makes my sides hurt from laughter!

Notice how strong the soul feels in this stage after prayer. It is would gladly give itself up a thousand times for God for it is feeling a heroic determination of spirit. But when it is again placed in this world, it sees itself plainly (warts and all as they say!). This is how God teaches us. To know Him and to see ourselves and how desperately far from perfection we are! But His mercy and love is so great that if a soul loves God, God can not help but love it. For God is love and He can not deny Himself…

Let us listen to dear Teresa’s words…

CHAPTER XIX. The effects of this Fourth State of Prayer. Earnest exhortations to those who have attained to it not to go back, nor to cease from prayer, even if they fall. The great calamity of going back…

There remains in the soul, when the prayer of
union is over, an exceedingly great tenderness ; so
much so, that it would undo itself not from pain, but
through tears of joy : it finds itself bathed therein,
without being aware of it, and it knows not how or
when it wept them. But to behold the violence of the
fire subdued by the water, which yet makes it burn the
more, gives it great delight. It seems as if I were
speaking an unknown language. So it is, however.

It has happened to me occasionally, when this
prayer was over, to be so beside myself as not to know
whether I had been dreaming, or whether the bliss I
felt had really been mine ; and, on finding myself in a
flood of tears which had painlessly flowed, with such
violence and rapidity that it seemed as if a cloud from
heaven 1 had shed them to perceive that it was no
dream. Thus it was with me in the beginning, when
it passed quickly away. The soul remains possessed
of so much courage, that if it were now hewn in pieces
for God, it would be a great consolation to it. This is
the time of resolutions, of heroic determinations, of the
living energy of good desires, of the beginning of hatred
of the world, and of the most clear perception of its
vanity. The soul makes greater and higher progress
than it ever made before in the previous states of
prayer ; and grows in humility more and more, because
it sees clearly that neither for obtaining nor for re
taining this grace, great beyond all measure, has it ever
done, or ever been able to do, anything of itself. It
looks upon itself as most unworthy for in a room into
which the sunlight enters strongly, not a cobweb can be
hid ; it sees its own misery ; self-conceit is so far away,
that it seems as if it never could have had any for
now its own eyes behold how very little it could ever
do, or rather, that it never did anything, that it hardly
gave even its own consent, but that it rather seemed as
if the doors of the senses were closed against its will
in order that it might have more abundantly the
fruition of our Lord. It is abiding alone with Him :
what has it to do but to love Him ? It neither sees nor
hears, unless on compulsion : no thanks to it. Its past
life stands before it then, together with the great mercy
of God, in great distinctness ; and it is not necessary
for it to go forth to hunt with the understanding,
because what it has to eat and ruminate upon, it sees
now ready prepared. It sees, so far as itself is con
cerned, that it has deserved hell, and that its punish
ment is bliss. It undoes itself in the praises of God,
and I would gladly undo myself now.

Blessed be Thou, O my Lord, who, out of a pool
so filthy as I am, bringest forth water so clean as to be
meet for Thy table ! Praised be Thou, O Joy of the
Angels, who hast been thus pleased to exalt so vile a
worm !

The Life of ST. TERESA OF JESUS, OF THE ORDER OF OUR LADY OF CARMEL. WRITTEN BY HERSELF TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH BY DAVID LEWIS. Third Edition Enlarged. “With additional Notes and an Introduction by REV. FR. BENEDICT ZIMMERMAN, O.C.D. LONDON : THOMAS BAKER. MCMIV. THE COPYRIGHT OF MR. LEWIS TRANSLATION IS THE PROPERTY OF THE ” ST. ANSELM SOCIETY.” ALL OTHER MA1TER CONTAINED IN THIS VOLUME IS THE PROPERTY OF THE PRESENT PUBLISHER.

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As it is Sunday, we must first remember Christ’s incredible actions in His holy suffering and death which gained for we unworthy souls our redemption. However, we can also notice that today would have been the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary. I am sure though we are all paying particular attention to Our Mother as October is HER month.

One other bit to remember is that on the holy feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, we may begin a novena to St. Teresa of Avila — “La Madre” as the Carmelites know her dearly. I will write more about this INCREDIBLE woman over these next few days as we prepare for her feast. For now, here is a novena prayer which can be said daily. There is also a great Novena to St. Teresa written by a great admirer of her, Saint Alphonse Ligouri. Saint Alphonse surely appreciated and understood her mystical life of prayer and he kept her close his heart.

You can listen along and pray with the Meditations from Carmel podcast HERE.


Hail, through the most adorable Heart of Jesus,
O seraphic virgin, St. Teresa. We rejoice in your
glory, we give thanks to Our Lord for the favors
and graces bestowed upon you; we praise and
glorify His divine Majesty.

O blessed Saint, vouchsafe continually to pray
for your poor children.

O amiable Teresa, pity our prayers and sighs,
and show us your most ardent charity; secure
for us that divine love which wholly possessed
your inflamed heart. O powerful Teresa, intercede
for us. Obtain for us the graces and favors
we ask in this novena. (Pause for requests to be
made.)

O strong Teresa, fortify us. O heavenly Teresa, pray for us.

O faithful Teresa, most compassionate of our
miseries, look upon your exiled children and
direct our hearts to your amiable Spouse, Jesus
our Redeemer, that we may worthily praise Him
and, with all the love of our hearts, say to Him:
Come, O sweet Jesus, draw us after You and we
will sing Your mercies forever. Amen

St. Teresa, pray for us.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Graciously hear us, O God our
Salvation, that as we rejoice in the commemoration
of the blessed Teresa, Your virgin and our mother,
so we may be nourished by her heavenly doctrine
and draw from it the fervor of a tender
devotion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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I thought I might wait until after 3 today to write and say Happy Feast Day Saint Faustina! There is lots I wish to write, but I think I had better keep these things inside. Instead I will present a few images to ponder on…

The church of St. Joseph is the resting place of Saint Faustina Kowalska and hold the painting of Jesus as the Lord of Divine Mercy. His instructions to Trust in His Infinite Mercy are a most glorious consolation to all souls. Though I have never been to Poland (YET!) I know that this old chapel now stands aside the giant Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy which is quite contemporary in its style. I really like looking at photographs of the altar though. It is quite contemporary but I love the sculpted tree branches that remind me of flames in the wind.

Apparently there is also a small side chapel for Eucharistic Adoration and the monstrance and Jesus look so lovely. I will send my heart there today since I can not be there in person…

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To give thanks, is to offer unto God an offering
equal to that which we have received, but after Com-
munion it is to render God to God.

Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is an offering worthy
of the Divine Majesty, and equal to His infinite great-
ness. By a Holy Communion I render unto God as
much as He has given to me. The gift that I receive
becomes the price of my gratitude. Oh, if we under-
stood all that God has done for us, in giving us Jesus
Christ, and all that we owe to Him in return, with
what fervour should we not communicate, in order
to thank Him, and to promote His glory.

At the Altar, our Lord bore me on His Heart, and
covered all my defects by His merits; now it is in
my own heart that He listens to my prayers, and
offers up His requests to God. If by the Incarnation
I am become the debtor of a God, my gratitude for
that divine gift, as manifested by the offering which
I now make of Jesus Christ to His Father, is equal to
the divine liberality itself. It is most true that the
numberless benefits which have been so freely be-
stowed upon me during my whole life time, are not
worth more than the offering of a single Communion.
My God, I offer Thee the Body of Jesus Christ Thy
Son, who is my life, and His Adorable Blood, which
has purchased my salvation the Blood from which
I have received strength to obtain the victory over
sin, and to look with sure and certain hope to my
reward in heaven. Give me grace to return to-morrow,
or as soon as I possibly can, to this Sacred Banquet,
and let not my frequent access to so great and pre-
cious a means of grace weaken my feelings of rever-
ence and holy fear. I offer to Thee again the gift
which I implore, and I hope that having conferred
upon me that great and wondrous gift, Thou wilt be
graciously pleased to receive It again for Thy greater
glory.

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

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