The Gift of Therese

In 'Mary Day By Day' marian meditations for every day, introduction by Rev. Charles G. Fehrenback, C.SS.R. here is a portion of todays reflection:

Live in Mary's heart, love what she loves, and desire what she desires.
                                                                        St. John Eudes

I am just finishing up reading "The Story of A Soul" the most extraordinary autobiography of
St. Therese of Lisieux.

She was in love with Jesus from the moment of her birth! All she ever wanted to do, and to be, in this life was someone praying for priests, praying for all others, giving to the world in her "little way."

Our Holy Father Pope Benedict recommended reading this book this Lent, and it is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read!  Please do read this little gem for yourself!

Lenten Meditation

Every morning I receive an email called Gracelines.  They are simple, time-tested reflections to ponder all day long. 
Here is today's:

Jesus:

O Mother dear, didst thou but hear
My plaint of desolation,
Thy tender heart would burst apart
With grief of separation!
I am not stone, yet all alone
I hush My soul's outcrying, --
Alone to tread the wine-press red,
To bear the pain of dying.
My lips are dumb, the night has come;
Ah! Solace I might borrow
Had I but thee to bide with Me
In this wild waste of sorrow.

Mary:
"Gentle moon and start of midnight,
Day's fierce orb, and brooklets fair,
Golden apples born of sunshine,
Precious pearls and jewels rare, --
All things glorious, all things shining,"
Thus the sorrowing Mother spake;
"E'en ye bright, transfigured faces,
Mourn with me for Jesus' sake.
"Sparkle, gleam, and glow no longer:
Only moan and mourn for Him.
Shine not, shine not, weep forever,
Till your thousand eyes are dim;
For the mighty One has fallen,
And my Beautiful is slain;
In the dense wood pierced, my Shepherd, --
Weep ye, weep ye for my pain!
O most oppressed of all oppressed,
Heart of my heart, my all, my Son!
Grief's keenest sword doth pierce my breast:
I die with Thee, my only one!
Alas! The pain is all too great,
Since, living, still I share Thy fate.
"Yes, mine Thou wert to bear and rear
Through life and light, and pain and loss;
And now, ten thousand times more dear,
I yield Thee to the cruel cross!"

Frederick Spee, S. J. (1591-1635) Translated from the German by Mary E. Mannix

I hope your Lent is going well.

Tomorrow Lent begins. Spring is trying to break into the coldness of these winter days. I actually heard birds chirping this morning when I took the dogs out. The sun is so much stronger than it was even last month, and this weekend the clocks go ahead once again, to my disgust. Why are we always hurtling ourselves ahead, when this hour is all we really need?  Why not s-l-o-w down and listen.

"Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity."  Ste. Therese of Lisieux

Do we notice? Can we see it? Our awareness is oftentimes taken up with the mundane things of this world. Things which have been going on before we were born, and which will continue to go on after we are dead.  How important do we actually think we are?

Now is the time to turn inward. For the next 40 days, we have a chance to know our Lord. And his Mother.

In today's Divine Intimacy it is written

"O my God, My Love, permit me one question:  When the world was languishing in sickness, You sent Your only Son to be its physician . . . and now what means will You use to revive again this world which lies once more in death? "

As winter gives way to spring, as the last of the snows melt under the suns rays and are washed away by nature's rain, let us too, transform our lives. Into something better. Into something worthy.Then when we throw open the windows at long last, we will be renewed. We will be stepping into a new Season.

Let us begin.

Totus Tuus

I, (name), a faithless sinner,

renew and ratify today in your hands, O Immaculate Mother,
the vows of Baptism;
I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works;
and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate
Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life,
and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before.
In the presence of all the heavenly court,
I choose you this day for my Mother and Queen,
I deliver and consecrate to you, as your slave, my body and
soul, my goods, both interior and exterior,
and even the value of all my good actions,
past, present, and future;
leaving to you the entire and full right of disposing of me, and
all that belongs to me, without exception, according to your
good pleasure, for the greater glory of God,
in time and eternity. Amen.

(St. Louis Marie de Montfort)

Things to come . . .

Chalice & Host surrounded by garlands of flowers (1648) - Jan Davidsz de Heem

It is hard to believe that we are in the last day of October. This month has flown by, much like the ever-present, and very irritating wind that is now present for months to come. May winter days be as the rainless days of summer were. . . snowless!

In these last weeks of Ordinary Time in the church year, we should be thinking on the Last Things. Not costumes, candy, vampires, and monsters, but death, judgement, heaven and hell. Some would say there are some similarities here. Tomorrow we should surround ourselves with the communion of saints; that litany of the dead who can teach us so many things in this life of ours! Understanding about the communion of saints, we can find in them an understanding of the Eucharist.

That is why in this Halloween madness, I would sooner focus in on the Eucharist. Mystery of mysteries! The very heart of the mystery of faith. Because no matter where you ponder on the last things, you have the reassurance of the Eucharist. And the mystery of the eucharist is not something which is to be solved; rather, it is a mystery to enter into.

We, now, are still the living. Where once family and friends mouthed the very words we do, they are no longer with us. Yet, we are all one family; God's family. They pray as we do, they worship as we do. Only it is not they who join us, it is us who join them.

In faith, hope and love. The three theological virtues. The chalice itself represents these virtues. The base is indicative of our being rooted in Faith. The stem rises straight up in Hope, as a flower seeks the suns rays. The cup of the chalice opens like a flower which is in full bloom; it represents the flowering of our Love which we seek and receive in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Sursum corda!

October Going . . .

Today is the feast of St. Paul of the Cross. He founded the Passionist Order of priests, here and there I often find little gems in his writings. He held fast to his faith; his example is especially fitting in today's world. Blessed Henry Newman, who was beatified just last month by Pope Benedict, was brought into the church through a Passionist priest.

Here is an example:
"When we speak to Jesus in the language of love, let us say, "O my Spouse, O my life, O fountain of love! Do me the favor of giving me something to drink! How thirsty I am, O dear Jesus!'
Then draw near to the Heart of Jesus. Drink and satisfy your thirst. Drink, drink, rivers of Divine Love, drink oceans, but rivers and oceans of fire."

As simple as all that!

Mary Is the Heart of the Church

Today is the feast of St. Luke. He leads us to understand that our Blessed Lady is at the very heart of the Church. Just as she is at the very heart of me.

There is a parallel between the first chapter of the book of St. Luke in the Gospel, and the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. There is the same mystery here, repeated on two different levels.

"In the first chapter of the Gospel the Holy Spirit comes upon Mary and thus she gives birth to and gives us the Son of God. In the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, Mary is at the center of Jesus' disciples who are praying all together, pleading with the cloud of the Holy Spirit. And thus from the believing Church, with Mary at its heart, is born the Church, the Body of Christ. This dual birth is the only birth of the Christus totus, of the Christ who embraces the world and all of us. " (See Vultus Christi)

How can anyone believe otherwise!