Day 32 Total Consecration Preparation 2013

[Dawn Marie]

DAY 32

Today's Reading

Imitation of Christ: Book 2, Chapter 7
Of the Love of Jesus above All Things

Blessed is he that understandeth (Psalm 119:1,2) what it is to love Jesus, and to despise himself for Jesus' sake. Thou oughtest to leave thy beloved, for thy beloved (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37; Cant. 2:16); for that Jesus will be loved alone above all things.

The love of things created is deceitful and inconstant; the love of Jesus is faithful and persevering. He that cleaveth unto a creature, shall fall with that which is subject to fall; he that embraceth Jesus shall be made strong for ever.

2. Love Him, and keep Him for thy friend, who, when all go away, will not forsake thee, nor suffer thee to perish in the end. Some time or other thou must be separated from all, whether thou wilt or no. Keep close to Jesus both in life and in death, and commit thyself unto His faithfulness, who, when all fail, can alone help thee.

Thy Beloved is of that nature, that He will admit of no rival; but will have thy heart alone, and sit on His throne as King. If thou couldest empty thyself perfectly from all creatures, Jesus would willingly dwell with thee.

True Devotion To the Blessed Virgin Mary: Nos. 257–260

There are some very sanctifying interior practices for those souls who feel called by the Holy Spirit to a high degree of perfection. They may be expressed in four words, doing everything through Mary, with Mary, in Mary, and for Mary, in order to do it more perfectly through Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus, and for Jesus.

Through Mary

258. We must do everything through Mary, that is, we must obey her always and be led in all things by her spirit, which is the Holy Spirit of God. "Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God," says St. Paul. Those who are led by the spirit of Mary are children of Mary, and, consequently children of God, as we have already shown. Among the many servants of Mary only those who are truly and faithfully devoted to her are led by her spirit. I have said that the spirit of Mary is the spirit of God because she was never led by her own spirit, but always by the spirit of God, who made himself master of her to such an extent that he became her very spirit. That is why St. Ambrose says, "May the soul of Mary be in each one of us to glorify the Lord. May the spirit of Mary be in each one of us to rejoice in God." Happy is the man who follows the example of the good Jesuit Brother Rodriguez, who died a holy death, because he will be completely possessed and governed by the spirit of Mary, a spirit which is gentle yet strong, zealous yet prudent, humble yet courageous, pure yet fruitful.

With Mary

260. We must do everything with Mary, that is to say, in all our actions we must look upon Mary, although a simple human being, as the perfect model of every virtue and perfection, fashioned by the Holy Spirit for us to imitate, as far as our limited capacity allows. In every action then we should consider how Mary performed it or how she would perform it if she were in our place. For this reason, we must examine and meditate on the great virtues she practised during her life, especially: 1) Her lively faith, by which she believed the angel's word without the least hesitation, and believed faithfully and constantly even to the foot of the Cross on Calvary. 2) Her deep humility, which made her prefer seclusion, maintain silence, submit to every eventuality and put herself in the last place.

 

 

LETTER TO THE FRIENDS OF THE CROSS

St. Louis de Montfort

 

II. THE PRACTICES OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION

 

13. Christian holiness consists in this:

 

1. Resolving to become a saint: "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine;"2. Self-denial: "Let him renounce himself;"3. Suffering: "Let him take up his cross;"4. Acting: "Let him follow me."[…]

 

14. If anyone," says our Lord, to point out the small number of chosen ones willing to conform themselves to Christ crucified by carrying their cross. Their number is so small that we would be dumbfounded if we knew it.

 

It is so small that there is scarcely one in ten thousand, as has been revealed to several saints, including St. Simon Stylites (as is related by Abbot Nilus), St. Basil, St. Ephrem and others. It is so small that, should it please God to gather them together, he would have to call them one by one as he did of old through his prophet, "You will be gathered one by one;" one from this country, one from that province.

 

15. "If anyone wants," if anyone has a genuine desire, a determination, not prompted by nature, habit, self-love, self-interest, or human respect, but by the all-conquering grace of the Holy Spirit, which is not given to everyone. "It is not given to all men to know this mystery."

 

In fact, only a few people have the knowledge of how to live out the mystery of the Cross in daily life. For a man to climb Mount Calvary and allow himself to be nailed to the cross with Christ in the midst of his own people, he must be courageous, heroic, resolute; one who is close to God, and treats with indifference the world and the devil, his own body and his own desires; one who is determined to leave all things, to undertake all things, and to suffer all things for Christ.

 

You must realise, my dear Friends of the Cross, that should there be anyone among you without this determination, he is only walking on one foot, flying with one wing. He is not worthy to be one of your company, since he is not worthy to be called a Friend of the Cross, which we must, like Jesus, love "with a generous mind and a willing heart."

 

It only needs one half-hearted member to spoil the whole group, like a mangy sheep. If such a one has entered your fold through the evil door of the world, then in the name of Christ crucified drive him out as you would a wolf from the flock.

 

16. "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine." If anyone wants to follow me who so humbled and emptied myself that I became a worm rather than a man; who came into the world only to embrace the Cross, to set it in my heart, to love it from my youth, to long for it all the days of my life, to carry it joyfully, preferring it to all the joys and delights that heaven and earth could offer, and not being content till I had died in its divine embrace.

 

B. Let him renounce himself

 

17. If anyone, therefore, wants to follow me thus abased and crucified, he must glory, as I did, only in the poverty, humiliations and sufferings of my Cross. "Let him renounce himself."

 

Excluded, then, from the company of the Friends of the Cross are those who take pride in their sufferings; the worldly-wise, the intellectuals and the skeptics who are attached to their own ideas and puffed up with their own talents. Away from you those endless talkers who make a great show but produce nothing but vanity. Away from you those so- called devout Catholics who in their pride display the self-sufficiency of proud Lucifer wherever they go, saying, "I am not like the rest of men;" who cannot endure being blamed without making some excuse, being attacked without answering back, being humbled without exalting themselves.

 

Be careful not to admit into your society those delicate and sensitive people who are afraid of the slightest pin- prick, who cry out and complain at the least pain, who know nothing of the hair- shirt, the discipline or other instruments of penance, and who mingle, with their fashionable devotions, a most refined fastidiousness and a most studied lack of mortification.

 

C. Let him take up his cross

 

18. "Let him take up his cross," the one that is his. Let that man (or woman) so rare "far beyond the price of pearls," take up his cross joyfully, embrace it lovingly, and carry it courageously on his shoulders, his own cross, and not that of another - his own cross which I, in my wisdom, designed for him in every detail of number, measure and weight; his own cross which I have fashioned with my own hands and with great exactness as regards its four dimensions of length, breadth, thickness and depth; his own cross, which out of love for him I have carved from a piece of the one I bore to Calvary; his own cross, which is the greatest gift I can bestow upon my chosen ones on earth; his own cross, whose thickness is made up of the loss of one's possessions, humiliations, contempt, sufferings, illnesses and spiritual trials, which come to him daily till his death in accordance with my providence; his own cross, whose length consists of a certain period of days or months enduring slander, or lying on a sick-bed, or being forced to beg, or suffering from temptations, dryness, desolation, and other interior trials; his own cross, whose breadth is made up of the most harsh and bitter circumstances brought about by relatives, friends, servants; his own cross, whose depth is made up of the hidden trials I shall inflict on him without his being able to find any comfort from other people, for they also, under my guidance, will turn away from him and join with me in making him suffer.

 

19. "Let him take up," that is, let him carry his cross and not drag it, or shake it off, or lighten it, or hide it. Instead, let him lift it on high and carry it without impatience or annoyance, without intentional complaint or grumbling, without hesitation or concealment, without shame or human respect.

 

"Let him take it up" and set it on his brow, saying with St. Paul, "The only thing I can boast about is the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."

 

Let him carry it on his shoulders like our Lord, that it may become the source of his victories and the sceptre of his power: "Dominion is laid upon his shoulders."

 

Let him set it in his heart, where it may, like the burning bush of Moses, burn day and night with the pure love of God without being consumed!

 

20. "The cross": let him carry it, for nothing is so necessary, so beneficial, so agreeable, or so glorious as to suffer something for Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

Reflection:

 

Suffer all sorts of crosses, without exception and without choice

 

54. 10) My dear Friends of the Cross, make the resolution to suffer any kind of cross without excluding or choosing any: any poverty, injustice, loss, illness, humiliation, contradiction, slander, spiritual dryness, desolation, interior and exterior trials, saying always, "My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready." Be prepared, then, to be forsaken by men and angels, and seemingly by God himself; to be persecuted, envied, betrayed, slandered, discredited and abandoned by everyone; to suffer hunger, thirst, poverty, nakedness, exile, imprisonment, the gallows, and all kinds of torture, even though you have done nothing to deserve it.

 

Finally, imagine that you have been deprived of your possessions and your good name, and turned out of your home, like Job and St. Elizabeth of Hungary; that you are thrown into the mire, like St. Elizabeth, or dragged onto the dung heap, like Job, all covered with ulcers, without a bandage for your sores or a piece of bread to eat - something people would not refuse to a horse or a dog. Imagine that, in addition to all these dreadful misfortunes, God leaves you a prey to every assault of the devil, without imparting to your soul the least feeling of consolation.

 

You should firmly believe that this is the highest point of heavenly glory and of genuine happiness for the true and perfect Friend of the Cross.

 

Meditation:

Taken from The Glories of Mary

 

Mary Leads Her Servants to Heaven

WHAT a beautiful token of predestination it is to be a servant of Mary! The Holy Church, for the consolation of her clients, puts into her mouth the words of Ecclesiasticus, In all these I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord (Eccl. 29:2). Cardinal Hugo explains these words, and says, "blessed is he in whose house the Most Holy Virgin finds repose." Mary, out of the love she bears to all, endeavors to excite in all devotion towards herself; many either do not admit it into their souls, or do not preserve it.

How many Souls are in Heaven now who would never be there if Mary had not brought them by her powerful intercession! So we pray to her without rest, in the words of St. Ambrose: "O Mary, open the gates of Heaven to us --- you have its keys!"

Indeed, the Church calls her the very Gate of Heaven. And again she calls her Star of the Sea. For just as sailors are guided to port by a star, so Christians are guided to Heaven by Mary.

The Mother of God has already secured Heaven for us through her assistance and prayers; all that is needed is that we put no obstacle in the way.  Therefore, those who serve Mary and enjoy her intercession are as sure of Heaven as if they were there already. To serve Mary and belong to her court is the greatest honor we can have. For to serve the Queen of Heaven is the same as reigning there, and to live under her command is even better than reigning.  On the other hand, those who do not serve Mary will not be saved; for those who lack the assistance of this great Lady also lack the assistance of her Son and the whole court of heaven.   Even those who deserve Hell should never despair of reaching the kingdom of the blessed, provided they are faithful in serving this Queen .

Richard of St. Lawrence remarks that John, in his Revelation, saw Mary crowned with stars: And on her head a crown of twelve stars (12: 1). But in the Song of Songs she is said to be crowned with wild beasts, lions, and leopards: Come from Lebanon, my bride, come from Lebanon, come! You shall be crowned . . . from the haunts of lions, from the leopards' mountains (4:8).  How can this be? He answers that these beasts are sinners who, through Mary's favor and intercession, have become stars of Paradise, making a better crown for this Queen of Mercy than all the material stars of the sky.

One day during the novena before the Assumption, Sister Serafina of Capri, the virginal servant of God, asked our Blessed Lady for the conversion of a thousand sinners, but then wondered whether she had asked for too much.  The Blessed Virgin appeared to her and reproved her for her groundless anxiety. "What are you afraid on Do you think I am not powerful enough to obtain from my Son the conversion of a thousand sinners? Look --- I have already obtained such a favor." With these words Mary took her in spirit to heaven and showed her innumerable sinners who had deserved Hell. They had been saved through her intercession and were already enjoying eternal happiness.

True enough, no one in this life can be absolutely certain of salvation. Love from hatred human beings cannot tell  (Eccl. 9:1).  But St. Bonaventure says: "Sinners, let us follow Mary closely. Let us cast ourselves at her blessed feet. Let us hold her fast and never let her go till we have won her blessing ." And her blessing assures us of Paradise.  It is enough, O Lady, if you will it; our salvation is certain.   Any soul on whom Mary turns her eyes will necessarily be justified and saved.

But what ought to encourage us more than anything else to be confident of salvation is the beautiful promise our Lady herself has made to all who honor her. This is especially true of all who, by word and example, strive to make her known and loved by others: Those who serve me will never fail; those who explain me shall have life everlasting.  (Sir .24:30, 31 --- Vulgate).  "Oh, happy are they who obtain the favor of Mary!" St. Bonaventure exclaims. "The blessed will recognize them as their fellows in glory, and whoever bears her mark shall be entered in the book of life."  Why then should we trouble ourselves about the opinions of theologians on the question, Does predestination to glory precede the prevision of merits or follow it? If we are true servants of Mary and obtain her protection, we will most certainly be enrolled in the Book of Life.  The Lord knows those who are His (2 Tm. 2:19). Whoever bears the mark of devotion to Mary , God recognizes as His own. So St.

Bernard says that devotion to Mary is a most certain mark of salvation.

Blessed Alan says this: "Whoever honors our Blessed Lady with the frequent recitation of the Hail Mary has a very sure sign of salvation." And again, regarding the recitation of the rosary, he says: "Those who say it daily have a very great assurance of salvation."

 

 

 

Prayers

Litany of the Holy Ghost

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

[Alley]

With love!

[bernadette szczepkowski]

"Those who serve me will never fail; those who explain me shall have life everlasting."

[Alan]

Amen

[Cathleen]

+Amen

[Dawn Marie]

. Love Him, and keep Him for thy friend, who, when all go away, will not forsake thee, nor suffer thee to perish in the end. Some time or other thou must be separated from all, whether thou wilt or no. Keep close to Jesus both in life and in death, and commit thyself unto His faithfulness, who, when all fail, can alone help thee. Thy Beloved is of that nature, that He will admit of no rival; but will have thy heart alone, and sit on His throne as King.