Day 31 Total Consecration Preparation 2013

[Dawn Marie]

DAY 31

 

Today's Reading

Imitation of Christ: Book 4, Chapter 2
That the Great Goodness and Love of God
Is Exhibited to Man in This Sacrament

In confidence of Thy goodness and great mercy, O Lord, I draw near, sick to the Healer, hungry and thirsty to the Fountain of life, needy to the King of Heaven, a servant to his Lord, a creature to the Creator, desolate to my own tender Comforter. "But whence is this to me," that Thou comest unto me (Luke 1:43)? What am I, that Thou shouldest grant me Thine own self? how dare a sinner appear before Thee?

And how is it that Thou dost vouchsafe to come unto a sinner? Thou knowest Thy servant, and art well aware that he hath in him no good thing, for which Thou shouldest grant him this. I confess therefore mine own vileness, I acknowledge Thy goodness, I praise Thy tender mercy, and give Thee thanks for Thy transcendent love.

 

 

 

THE WAY OF SALVATION AND OF PERFECTION

BY ST. ALPHONSUS DE LIGUORI, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

 

Our Salvation is in the Cross.

 

"Behold the wood of the cross, on which hung the salvation of the world !" 1 So sings the

holy Church on Good Friday. In the cross is our salvation, our strength against temptations,

our detachment from early pleasures; in the cross is found the true love of God. We must,

therefore, resolve to bear with patience that cross which Jesus Christ sends us, and to die

upon it for the sake of Jesus Christ, as he died upon his cross for the love of us. There is no

other way to enter heaven but to resign ourselves to tribulations until death. And thus may

we find peace, even in suffering. When the cross comes, what means is there for not loving

peace, except the uniting of ourselves to the divine will? If we do not take this means, let us

go where we will, let us do what we may, we shall never fly from the weight of the cross. On

the other hand, if we carry it with good-will, it will bear us to heaven, and give us peace

upon earth.

What does he gain who refuses the cross? He increases its weight. But he who embraces it,

and bears it with patience, lightens its weight, and the weight itself becomes a consolation;

for God abounds with grace to all those who carry the cross with good-will in order to please

him.

 

 

Meditation:

Taken from The Glories of Mary

 

Mary Helps Her Clients in Purgatory

THE clients of this most merciful Mother are very fortunate. She helps them both in this life and in the next, consoling them and sponsoring their cause in Purgatory. For the simple reason that the Souls in Purgatory need help so desperately, since they cannot help themselves, our Mother of Mercy does so much more to relieve them.

She exercises over these Poor Souls, who are the spouses of Christ, particular dominion, with power to relieve them and even deliver them from their pains.

See how important it is then to have devotion to this good Lady, because she never forgets her servants as long as they suffer in these flames. If she helps all the Poor Souls, she is especially indulgent and consoling to her own clients.

Our Blessed Mother once said to St. Bridget, "I am the Mother of all the Poor Souls, for my prayers serve to mitigate their sufferings every single hour that they remain there."

She even condescends to go there herself from time to time and mercifully comfort her suffering children. How affable she is, how kind to the Poor suffering Souls ! Through her they receive continual consolation and refreshment.  What other consolation can they enjoy, except Mary and her merciful relief? Once St. Bridget heard Jesus say to His holy Mother: "You are My Mother, the Mother of Mercy, and the consolation of the souls in Purgatory."  Our Lady herself told St. Bridget that the poor souls are comforted in simply hearing her name spoken, just as any person, sick in bed, is relieved by some word of solace.

That loving Mother, as soon as she hears the poor souls crying to her, offers her prayers to God. And her prayers, like dew from Heaven, refresh them in their burning pains. Novarinus confirms this: Many good and reputable authors maintain that when Mary was about to enter Heaven, she begged of her Son the favor of taking all the Poor Souls with her. From then on, says Gerson, she kept the privilege of delivering her devoted clients.

St. Bernardine of Siena also positively asserts that the prayers and merits of the Blessed Virgin have the power of delivering Souls from Purgatory, and especially her own clients.

But she does more than comfort and relieve her clients. She even delivers them by her prayers. Gerson says that when she was assumed into Heaven Purgatory was emptied out.

Novarinus is of the same opinion and thinks that through Mary's merits the torments of these souls are not only softened, but actually shortened through her intercession. She has only to ask and it is done.

St. Peter Damian relates how a certain woman, named Marozia, appeared after death to her grandmother and told her that, on the feast of the Assumption, our Lady had delivered her from Purgatory, along with a multitude of others outnumbering all the people in Rome.

St. Denis the Carthusian is of the opinion that on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday our Lady, accompanied by hosts of Angels, goes down into Purgatory and brings back many Souls to Heaven with her.  Novarinus confesses that he finds it easy to believe that the same thing happens on all her own solemn feasts.

People consider it an honor to have others adopt their particular livery. In the same way our Lady is pleased when her clients wear her scapular, as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to her service and are members of the household of the Mother of God.

Modern heretics, as usual, ridicule this devotion, but the Church has long approved it. In the year 1251 the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Simon Stock, gave him the scapular, and promised that all who wore it would be saved from eternal damnation.

In a Bull long attributed to Pope John XXII, who died in 1334, we learn that our Lady wished it made known to all that on the Saturday after their death she would deliver from Purgatory all who wore the Carmelite scapular. The same promises were afterwards confirmed by several other Pontiffs, notably Paul V who, in a Bull of the year 1613, set down the conditions which must be fulfilled for the gaining of this singular mercy.

According to what is written in the solemn office of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we may piously believe that the Blessed Virgin comforts the members of the Scapular Confraternity in Purgatory with maternal love, and that she soon delivers them by her intercession and takes them to Heaven.  Besides the scapular of Mount Carmel, those of the Seven Dolors, the Blessed Trinity, and the Immaculate Conception have been enriched with indulgences. For my own part, I have been careful to receive them all.

It goes without saying, of course, what we must always presume --- that the mere mechanical performance of some exercise, apart from the proper interior dispositions, such as love of God, sorrow for sin, purpose of amendment, and so forth, is not what God desires nor what pleases this good Lady and obtains her maternal assistance.  Why should we not look for the same graces and favors, if we are devoted clients of this good Mother? And if we serve her with a very special love, why should we not expect to go straight to Heaven, without even passing through Purgatory?  This grace was granted to Blessed Godfrey. Our Lady ordered Fra Abondo to bring him this message: "Tell Brother Godfrey to advance rapidly in virtue, and he will belong to my Son and to me; and when he dies, I will spare his soul from purgatory and will bring it and offer it to my Son."

Finally, if we want to help the Poor Souls, let us do so by imploring our Lady's assistance for them in all our prayers, particularly by saying the Rosary for them.

And I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord (Sir 24: Il --- Vulgate). Devotion to the Blessed Virgin dwells in all who are the Lord's inheritance --- in all who will praise Him eternally in Heaven.

 

 

 

 

Prayers

Litany of the Holy Ghost

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

[bernadette szczepkowski]

"You are My Mother, the Mother of Mercy and the consolation of the souls in Purgatory."

[Dawn Marie]

In a Bull long attributed to Pope John XXII, who died in 1334, we learn that our Lady wished it made known to all that on the Saturday after their death she would deliver from Purgatory all who wore the Carmelite scapular.

So I'd like then to die at 11:59 and 59 seconds on a Friday :)  However I'll probably die at 12:00am some Saturday morning....

[Alan]

What does he gain who refuses the cross? He increases its weight. But he who embraces it,

and bears it with patience, lightens its weight, and the weight itself becomes a consolation;

for God abounds with grace to all those who carry the cross with good-will in order to please

him.