Part 24
We beseech Thee, O Lord, that the Paraclete, Who proceedeth from Thee, may enlighten our minds, and, according to the promise of Thy Son, may lead us into all truth; through Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the unity of the same. Amen.
May the blessing, etc.
Sixth Day: Fruits Of Continence And Chastity.
_Veni Creator._
Let us prostrate ourselves before the majesty of the most Holy Trinity, and uniting our dispositions with those of our blessed Lady and the holy apostles in the upper room at Jerusalem, let us say one Our Father and one Hail Mary, to obtain, by the merits of Jesus ascended, the fruits of the Holy Ghost—continence and chastity.
Our Father, Hail Mary.
Most holy, most divine Spirit, if there be any souls in the world more needful of Thine aid than others, it is surely ours, blinded by passions, chilled with obstinate lukewarmness, and defiled with a thousand imperfections. Come, then, O divine Spirit! come and enlighten us; kindle our fervor, and destroy in us all that is displeasing in Thy sight. The greater our miseries are, so much the more glorious will be Thy triumph over our perversity. Come and create in us new hearts, which shall have all for God, and nothing for the world. Create in us clean hearts, O God. Amen.
O let us fall and worship Him, etc.
Come, Holy Spirit, etc.
_V._ and _R._ Send forth Thy Spirit, etc.
Grant unto Thy Church, O merciful God, that she, being gathered together in the Holy Spirit, may be in no wise disturbed by the incursions of her enemies; through Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the unity of the same. Amen.
May the blessing, etc.
Seventh Day: Descent Of The Holy Ghost Upon Mary At The Annunciation.
_Veni Creator._
Let us prostrate ourselves before the majesty of the most Holy Trinity, and uniting our dispositions with those of our blessed Lady and the holy apostles in the upper room at Jerusalem, let us say one Our Father and one Hail Mary in honor of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the ever‐blessed Mother of God at the Annunciation.
Our Father, Hail Mary.
Most divine Spirit, the Paraclete, we hardly dare to beseech Thee to come into our souls, knowing well how sinful and defiled they are. It seems an intolerable boldness to invite God—yea, no less a one than God!—to be a guest in a lodging so unclean. Yet Thou vouchsafest graciously to reassure us by that infinite goodness of Thine, whereby Thou dost dispose with Thy prevenient graces those hearts which Thou dost condescend to honor with Thy presence. O blessed Spirit, deign to come into us, and delay not Thy gracious coming, while we cease not calling upon Thee and beseeching Thee to console us with Thy long‐expected coming. Amen.
O let us fall and worship Him, etc.
Come, Holy Spirit, etc.
_V._ and _R._ Send forth Thy Spirit, etc.
We beseech Thee of Thy goodness, O Lord, to pour into our minds the Holy Spirit, by Whose wisdom we were created, and by Whose providence we are ruled; through Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the unity of the same. Amen.
May the blessing, etc.
Eighth Day: Descent Of The Holy Ghost Upon Jesus At The Jordan.
_Veni Creator._
Let us prostrate ourselves before the majesty of the most Holy Trinity, and uniting our dispositions with those of our blessed Lady and the holy apostles in the upper room at Jerusalem, let us say one Our Father and one Hail Mary in honor of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon Jesus at the Jordan.
Our Father, Hail Mary.
Most adorable Trinity, we venture with all humility and awe to approach the lofty throne of your exalted majesty; with our heads prostrated in the dust we adore you, and give you endless thanks for the immense blessings which you have bestowed on us miserable men. We thank Thee, O eternal Father, and Thee, O divine Son, for the gift which you have given us of the Holy Ghost; for in giving us this Love, Who proceedeth from you, you have given us your own selves. We thank Thee, O Holy Ghost, Who art at once the gift and the giver of all gifts, and we most earnestly beseech Thee to give us Thyself. No other gift but Thine own self can satisfy our souls, and having Thee alone we shall have all things. But what can we give Thee in exchange for so great benefits? O blessed Spirit, vouchsafe of Thy mercy to accept for all eternity all our thoughts, all our affections, and all ourselves. Amen.
O let us fall and worship Him, etc.
Come, Holy Spirit, etc.
_V._ and _R._ Send forth Thy Spirit, etc.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we may burn with that fire of the Holy Ghost which Our Lord Jesus Christ sent upon the earth, and which He desired to be vehemently enkindled; through Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the unity of the same. Amen.
May the blessing, etc.
Ninth Day: Transfiguration And Ascension Of Our Lord, And The Manifestations Of The Holy Ghost.
_Veni Creator._
Let us prostrate ourselves before the majesty of the most Holy Trinity, and uniting our dispositions with those of our blessed Lady and the holy apostles in the upper room at Jerusalem, let us say one Our Father and one Hail Mary in honor of the transfiguration and ascension of our most dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the ineffable love of the Holy Ghost in all His manifestations to His creatures.
Our Father, Hail Mary.
Most holy Virgin and exalted Mother of God, who wast above all creatures disposed to receive the Holy Ghost, and who didst receive Him with greater fulness than all others; dispose, we beseech thee, by thy gracious aid, our cold hearts for the approaching solemnity of Pentecost. We fly to thee, most benignant Mother of sinners, that thou mayest obtain for us a lively contrition for our sins; so that although we cannot receive the Holy Ghost, as innocent, like thyself, yet may we receive Him as true penitents, together with those Gentile penitents who received Him in the upper room. Grant this, most holy Mother, not for our merits, for we have none, but out of thine own exceeding goodness, and that great love which thou bearest to the same blessed Spirit, Who hast chosen thee for His Spouse. Amen.
O let us fall and worship Him, etc.
Come, Holy Spirit, etc.
_V._ and _R._ Send forth Thy Spirit, etc.
Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the splendor of Thy brightness may shine upon us; and that the light of Thy light may, by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, confirm the hearts of those who by grace are regenerate; through Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the unity of the same. Amen.
May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, descend upon us, and remain with us always. Amen.
SEPTEMBER. THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.
This month is generally devoted to the consideration of the Heart of Mary and her Seven Dolors. Not only should we have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but there are good reasons for us to have a devotion to the heart of Mary, so full of love for us, and to her dolors in connection with the redemption of mankind. Her life was full of sorrow, because she was actuated by the same sentiments as Our Lord in His desire to redeem us from the slavery of Satan. What heart, in fact, has ever been so intimately identified with that of Jesus as was Mary’s? He died on the cross, and Mary stood beneath it, faithful to the end.
Our Lord, in His thirty years’ ministry, labored among the people, preaching and healing the sick, and Mary was certainly in perfect sympathy with Him in His great work. We are struck with the adorable goodness of His divine Heart, and for the same reason we are attracted to the heart of Mary.
We will, then, during this month of September, pray to the heart of our beloved Mother, setting before our minds the goodness of that loving heart towards her children in this vale of tears. Let us love and honor these two hearts so intimately united; let us go to God the Father through the Heart of Jesus: and to the divine Saviour through the heart of Mary. We can obtain all things from the Father and the Holy Ghost through the Heart of Jesus; and all things from the Son through the heart of His blessed Mother.
Considerations and Prayers for Every Day.
First Day.
Nowhere in the Old Testament, do we approach God more closely than in the book of Job, where we see the great prophet of God enduring so patiently the many sufferings that God has permitted; and nowhere do we recognize Him as the great Father good and kind to His children as in the same book. Job was a figure of Christ. There is something very holy in suffering endured in compliance to the will of God. To‐day, then, we are to begin to think of Mary’s sorrowful heart, and we will contemplate how the mysterious ways of Providence, the love of God, His mercy and kindness, inflicts chastisements on the Mother of His much loved Son. In the silence of the thirty years of Christ on earth, in the silence of the hours of agony on the cross, and in the silence of Mary underneath the cross, we will see the silence of a heart filled with sorrow, which God is imposing on His children for the good of mankind. The Church sets before our minds the seven sorrows of Mary, telling us the principal causes of her great grief in the life of Jesus.
Prayer.
O heart of Mary, I offer, I consecrate to thee my heart! Thou shalt be the object of my veneration, love and confidence; I will pay thee my devotions every day; I will celebrate thy feasts with joy; I will proclaim thy greatness and thy goodness without ceasing. I will neglect no means of obtaining for thee the honor and the homage which are due unto thee. I will bring all the thoughts and affections of my heart into conformity with thine, and I will make it my duty to imitate thy virtues, especially thy purity and thy humility. Vouchsafe, O Mary, to open thy heart and receive me therein. Amen.
Second Day.
Mary’s sole enjoyment in this world was the presence of her divine Son. One never reads of her enjoying what the world calls recreation. The life of Mary was full of deep love and holy virtue, and when trials came she patiently and sweetly endured them for the love of God. It was meet, she knew, that she should suffer, for her intimate connection with the Son of God made suffering necessary. The first sword of sorrow which pierced her heart were the words of Simeon in the Temple. When the days of her purification were passed, Mary, according to the Law of Moses, came to the Temple, bearing in her arms the Infant Jesus. The spirit of God manifested in Jesus and Mary was a spirit of obedience to the Law of the time in which they lived. In comparison to Mary, the angels’ purity became dim, and still she subjected herself to the ceremony of purification. The law presupposed impurity, but in Mary we know that there was not the least stain of sin or imperfection. Humbly she carried the Lord to the Temple; and humbly, too, Joseph walked by her side, bearing the two turtle doves for a sacrifice and a ransom for the Child Jesus, which was also according to the Law.
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Third Day.
The aged arms of the feeble old priest embraced the Child, and all turned to enter the building. Simeon bore the weight of the Creator of heaven and earth, yet stood erect, strengthened and consoled. The advent of that Child must have given the old man a manifestation of the greatness and the glory of heaven, and unspeakable joy must have shone forth from his countenance. Then old Simeon remembered the revelation which he had received from the Holy Spirit: that he would not see death until he had held in his arms the anointed of the Lord; and now he bears Him, a feeble child. He finds it hard to return that precious burden to Mary, who stands there with motherly solicitude, yearning to receive back again her beloved Child. But the flood‐gates of thanks to almighty God have been opened, and Simeon’s heart and lips break forth in a most sublime and prophetic song. Zachary sang his _Benedictus_ at the circumcision of St. John; Mary sang her _Magnificat_ at Elizabeth’s home, and now Simeon pours forth his soul in a sublime prayer: “Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word in peace: because my eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.”
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Fourth Day.
But now he changes his words of joy into a sorrowful prophecy; the aged priest proceeds, “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted: and thy own soul a sword shall pierce that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.” Mary was silent, but a cloud of fear for the future passed over her, as Simeon foretold all that was to afflict her. This was her first sorrow: to be told that her Child was to be set for the fall and redemption of many. A sea of trouble flooded the soul of Mary; it seemed as if Jesus Himself was causing that sorrow, and sent it directly into her heart. But Mary was brave, as she was through all her sorrows; there was no change in her. The Light of the world had burst out, in the arms of Simeon, and then followed a dreadful darkness. Suddenly Mary found herself far from the joys of Bethlehem in the darkness of Golgotha, but she was just as resigned in her sorrow as she was content in her joy. Mary understood now that the life of her divine Son was to be a constant martyrdom, and that the end of it would be the death on the cross.
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Fifth Day.
This was the great sacrifice that Mary made of her beloved Son. She was resigned to the will of God, though she knew the unavoidable future. She had given to God a sacrifice in every way equal to God; never had such a sacrifice been made from the beginning of the world. She had surpassed the angels in constant prayer, she had made a more acceptable offering than the ancient priests of God: because here was offered to God, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, and the equal of God the Father. It was in sympathy with her divine Son and out of love for mankind that Mary offered this holy sacrifice. He was her Son, and yet, from this moment, she was not to possess Him as her own; she was only to guard the Victim for the day of the great sacrifice. Mary knew that it was not for her joy and consolation that Jesus was born; it was for a higher purpose that He came into the world. She resigned all the joy His coming brought to her, and offered Him a sacrifice to almighty God. Her heart is full of wounds as she sees the persecutions of the Jews, the infidelity and hardness of heart of many.
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Sixth Day.
What lessons may we draw from the first sorrow of Mary—from the prophecy of Simeon, which changed her whole future life? The sorrows of Mary lasted all her lifetime; she suffered without looking for consolation; she suffered in the depth of her heart, supported only by God’s goodness. Mary’s griefs were intimately united to the sufferings of Jesus; her sorrows were caused by His sufferings, and with these Mary was in perfect sympathy. It is in this way that we should live, and suffer our trials and troubles in perfect union with those of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. We can make of them a perfect sacrifice to God, simply because they are connected with a little pain. We must consider ourselves happy if God chastises us in this world, because He intends to make us better; we suffer because we have sinned; sin claims a punishment and we should be satisfied to be punished for our sins, and to give some atonement for them; they can hardly be called sacrifices when they are well‐merited punishments. Still it is possible, even while we justly suffer for our sins, to make our sufferings more meritorious by uniting them to those of Our Lord. With joy we can look up to the Mother of sorrows, and suffer, like her, with patience and resignation.
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Seventh Day.
The second sword of sorrow that pierced the heart of Mary was the flight into Egypt. Simeon was the author and instrument in the hand of God of the first sorrow; Joseph was the great figure in her second sorrow. It seems to heighten whatever sufferings we may have to undergo when they are caused by those whom we love. This was the case now, and this sword of sorrow was so much the more cruel as the visitation did not seem to come from God, but from the cruelty of men. In this sorrow the hand of man was raised against the Lord, to put Him out of the way. It was like the crucifixion on Mount Calvary, for His death was intended, and on Calvary really executed. Mary and Joseph had to make arrangements for the hasty journey to an unknown country, in order to guard the Infant Jesus from the persecutions of Herod. Mary had to go to a country where there was no worship of the true God; there were temples only of impure idolatry. Alone, destitute, and wandering about, there was no human consolation in this exile; she was deprived of the practice of her religion, her spirit yearned after the courts of the house of God, with the multitude of worshippers gathered there on feast days; she loved the ceremonies of the old synagogue. In this secret sorrow she passed the days of her exile, until God relieved her by permitting her to return.
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Eighth Day.
The most sorrowful feeling produced in the heart of Mary by her exile in Egypt, was caused by the thought of the hatred man had conceived against the Lord. This adorable Child carefully concealed every manifestation of His divine power. There was never on this earth a more lovable object than this Child, and yet man had turned against Him from the very first moment of His birth. It caused her heart great suffering to see that mankind did not appreciate the presence of the Incarnate Word; that it neglected the consideration of God’s goodness towards it. But how much more does she suffer when she beholds Him an object of persecution! He is a fugitive from the society of those very people whom He comes to save. All this Mary must have felt; for she loved her divine Son with a great natural love, and watched over Him with motherly solicitude. She loved Him also with a divine love, for she knew He was the Son of God, the Redeemer of mankind. This second sword of sorrow was not the transient realization of a mystery, which took place and then was over. No, it was a lasting sorrow, spreading itself over her whole life, for that persecution lasted until He died on the cross amid the shouts of an unfeeling people.
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Ninth Day.
The flight into Egypt has ever been a fruitful source of meditation for devout souls; it is a beautiful but at the same time a sorrowful event in the life of Christ. We, the descendants of the heathens, date God’s visitation to us from this time, because Our Lord fled from His own people and visited those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. With His presence He sanctified the heathen country, and with it all the dark continents of the world where God’s name was not known. Amid these benighted people He, at least for a time, found a refuge and found peace. The three Wise Men had departed for their own country without notifying Herod of the success of their search for the King of Jerusalem. This stirred up his cruel spirit, and with a murderous will he tried to destroy the Child. The streets of Bethlehem were stained with the blood of the little ones, but the Child Jesus, as we know, was not harmed. What a sorrow was caused by the coming of Christ! Mary knew of it, for the sound of the wailings of desolate mothers had been carried to her ears, and her heart must have been touched by their cries. But to these children what a happy day it was, on which they gave their lives for the Infant Jesus! It was their baptism of blood; the world was in sorrow, but there was joy in heaven.
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Tenth Day.
At the command of the angel, Mary and Joseph took the Child, and promptly entered upon their journey to Egypt. Without anxiety for the future, they were in no trepidation at leaving Bethlehem. Mary wrapped the Child in clothing to protect Him from the cold and pressed Him to her bosom; they then went forth into the starlit night. Poverty has not many preparations to make. The secret path which they took in this flight was one indicated by Providence. They at length arrived on the way that led to the desert, passed the boundaries of the land of Palestine, and wandered then, quietly on, until they appeared but moving specks on the wide expanse of the sands. Joseph and Mary cared tenderly for the Infant Jesus on their journey. He was the object of their continual love. Only scanty provisions had they taken with them, and water was scarce in such a region. At last they came to the shores of the Red Sea, and saw the waters that rolled between their own country and their destination. The Holy Family remained several years in Egypt, until the cruel tyrant, Herod, had died.
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Eleventh Day.
The angel of the Lord again came to Joseph, and bade him take the Child and its Mother and return to the land of Israel, for those who had sought after His life were dead. Nobody took much notice of their departure; the Holy Family were too insignificant from a human point of view to trouble any one. They made the journey back again through the desert with the same difficulties besetting the way, until at length their eyes fell on the hills of their own country: that land which God had chosen for His people. They would gladly have entered Jerusalem on their way to Nazareth, but Archelaus, the son of Herod, was reigning there, and Joseph considered it prudent to avoid that city. No doubt he had recourse to prayer for enlightenment what to do, and had received a response from heaven that he should continue without delay his journey to Galilee; then their journeyings were to be at an end, and they could live peaceably and without fear in Nazareth, a home chosen by God for the sojourn of His divine Son for nearly thirty years.
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Twelfth Day.
In this sorrow of the Blessed Virgin, her flight into Egypt, we should call to our mind first of all, the poverty and destitution of the Holy Family in their exile. We would not be her devout and loving children, nor would we be followers of the Lord, unless we showed a sympathy for the sufferings endured during this event of Our Lord’s life; unless we impressed them on our minds by pious meditation. This poverty which the Blessed Virgin endured was a part of her sorrows, and we, her children, will not forget what she must have felt for Our Lord in these reduced circumstances. Think of the hot winds of the desert, and the thirst they could not quench when, weary and footsore, they travelled on through that sandy waste. Another great concern of Mary’s was, that the sins of mankind had deprived God of His glory in the incarnation of His divine Son. Good souls feel this very much, that God is not known and honored as He ought to be; still there is no comparison between the feelings of the saints and that of the Blessed Virgin. She lived a divine life, and was intimately concerned in the providence of God, and so felt the ingratitude of man all the more.
Prayer.
O Heart of Mary, I offer, etc., etc.
Thirteenth Day.