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| World's first baby is born from a transplanted uterus implanted by a robot |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-06-2023, 08:57 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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World's first baby is born from a transplanted uterus implanted by a robot
- and it brings hope to tens of thousands of American women who lack a womb
![[Image: 71789615-12161741-image-a-35_1685988039285.jpg]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/06/05/19/71789615-12161741-image-a-35_1685988039285.jpg)
Surgeons used robots to help carry out the surgery in Sweden, which are less invasive and reduce the risk of developing an infection
Daily Mail [adapted] | 6 June 2023
A baby boy carried in a uterus implanted into his mother by a robot was born in a world first.
The youngster, who has not been named, weighed six pounds and 13 ounces when he was born via planned C-section in Sweden last month. Both the child and his 35-year-old mother are doing well.
The pregnancy was made possible when a family member agreed to donate their uterus to the mother, who then had a fertilized egg implanted into it via IVF. The case marks the first time robots have been used for the procedure.
It will give hope to the tens of thousands of American women who don't have a uterus — which can be due to cancer or a medical condition — or have one unable to carry infants.
The case was revealed by surgeons at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, a leader in uterus transplants. ...
Surgeons inserted cameras and robotic arms with surgical instruments attached through the small entry holes in the lower belly to carry out the procedure — with the robotic arms being the first for this type of surgery.
The arms were steered via joysticks, with surgeons using consoles to see 3D images of the patient's insides simultaneously.
This method is less invasive than the standard uterus transplant, which involves opening up larger openings in patients.
It is also thought to reduce the risk of infections, hemorrhages and allow patients to return to their daily lives faster.
The transplant occurred in October 2021 at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Ten months later, an embryo was created via IVF before being inserted in the transplanted uterus, and a few weeks later, pregnancy was verified.
Dr Pernilla Dahm-Kähler said they were able to carry out ultra-fine surgery with robots. Dr Niclas Kvarnström added: 'With the robot-assisted technique, procedures can be done that were previously considered impossible to perform with standard keyhole surgery.'
The mother-to-be felt well throughout her pregnancy, which has thus now concluded with a planned C-section in the 38th week at the end of May 2023.
Pernilla Dahm-Kähler, adjunct professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, was the principal surgeon in the complex operation on the recipient.
She said: 'With robot-assisted keyhole surgery, we can carry out ultra-fine precision surgery.
'The technique gives very good access to operate deep down into the pelvis. This is the surgery of the future, and we’re proud and glad to have been able to develop uterine transplantations to this minimally invasive technical level.'
Dr Niclas Kvarnström, the transplant surgeon who performed the complicated blood-vessel suturing in the recipient, added: 'With the robot-assisted technique, procedures can be done that were previously considered impossible to perform with standard keyhole surgery.
'It is a privilege to be part of the evolution in this field with the overall goal to minimize the trauma to the patient caused by the surgery.'
The work is headed by Mats Brännström, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and gynecologist and senior consultant doctor at the University Hospital.
He said: 'This is the 14th baby born in the uterus transplantation project at Sahlgrenska Academy, and more births are awaited this summer.
'The research project continuously evaluates numerous variables in donors, recipients, and children after the uterus transplantation, following up the operation for several years afterward.
'All this is done to maximize the efficacy of the operation and minimize side effects in the patients.'
About one in 5,000 women in the US is born with a genetic condition that means they do not have a uterus.
Women can also have a uterus that is not structurally able to hold a developing fetus. It may also need to be removed due to conditions like uterine cancer, which affects about 3,300 women under 40 years old annually.
Uterus transplants have been available for women since 2014, although not using robotic arms.
A total of 33 have been carried out in the US to date, with the majority completed at Baylor University's medical center in Texas.
Globally, an estimated 90 uterus transplantations worldwide have been performed, and some 50 babies have been born as a result.
Previous patients have included mother-of-five Aprill Lane, who donated her own uterus at the age of 39 years so that another woman could have children.
The research group has spread the methods and techniques further through direct knowledge transfer to several centers worldwide.
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| Kansas City: Invalid Eucharists for Years? |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-06-2023, 07:01 AM - Forum: Vatican II and the Fruits of Modernism
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Kansas City: Invalid [Consecrations]for Years?
gloria.tv | June 5, 2023
Two newly appointed Kansas City priests discovered in their three different parishes that they have used a "wine" that was an invalid matter for consecration for years, Archbishop Joseph Naumann wrote in a May 31 letter (PillarCatholic.com).
Therefore, the Eucharists were possibly invalid and the intentions not fulfilled. Naumann has asked Francis' Vatican for guidance - although Francis couldn't care less.
Naumann tells his priests that altar wine must be made from grapes, without additives, and be "vinified for sacramental use" (although the Vatican has said that the latter is not necessary).
It's unknown what the Eucharists have been celebrated with (grape juice?). Naumann simply states that many commercial wines contain additives like elderberry extract, sugar, alcohol, etc. which could invalidate the Eucharist.
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| Universal Basic Income To Be Trialed In England |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-06-2023, 06:51 AM - Forum: Global News
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Universal Basic Income To Be Trialed In England
![[Image: 2023-06-05_15-04-40.jpg?itok=vMYQzcSY]](https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/2023-06-05_15-04-40.jpg?itok=vMYQzcSY)
ZH | JUN 06, 2023
Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,
The scheme will see participants receive £1,600 a month for two years...
Plans have been announced to trial a universal basic income (UBI) in England that would see up to 30 people receive an unconditional payment of £1,600 (€1,854) a month.
Under the scheme, which is the first of its kind in England, residents in central Jarrow, northeast England, and East Finchley, north London, will be handed the funds each month for two years, and researchers will monitor the effect the payment has on their work ethic and mental well-being.
The trial run has been organized by the progressive Autonomy think tank, which is seeking to fund the £1.6 million (€1.85 million) scheme through private donors.
The initiative is not being paid for by U.K. taxpayers and is not affiliated with the British government.
Quote:“Our society is going to require some form of basic income in the coming years, given the tumult of climate change, tech disruption and industrial transition that lies ahead,” claimed Will Stronge, Autonomy’s director of research.
“This is why building the evidence base and public engagement now is so important, so the ground is well prepared for national implementation.”
He explained that researchers were interested to note the effect the UBI payment would have on people’s mental and physical health, as well as their desire to continue working.
Recipients will be free to carry on earning their own salary if they wish and will receive the payment on top of any employment income.
“All the evidence shows that UBI would directly alleviate poverty and boost millions of people’s well-being: the potential benefits are just too large to ignore,” Stronge added.
UBI schemes have recently been piloted elsewhere in Europe, most notably in Finland where a government-backed initiative saw 2,000 unemployed citizens of working age receive a more modest €560 a month in January 2017.
One proponent of UBI is U.S. billionaire Elon Musk who believes the scheme could be an adequate response to the inevitable continuous infringement of artificial intelligence in the workplace.
Quote:“UBI means that unemployed people will be paid across the globe,” Musk told a tech summit in Dubai back in 2017.
“Machines, robots are taking over. There will be fewer and fewer jobs that a robot cannot do better,” he added.
Critics, however, consider the concept to be far too expensive to roll out nationally, would undermine productivity and prevent the government from investing in other priorities, as well as result in citizens relying even more on the state.
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| WHO Body Calls For 'Simulation' To Prep For Next Global Health Crisis |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-06-2023, 06:47 AM - Forum: Global News
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WHO Body Calls For 'Simulation' To Prep For Next Global Health Crisis
ZH | JUN 06, 2023
Authored by Kevin Stocklin via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
As 194 nations continue to work through drafts of pandemic agreements that would grant more authority to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB), a body convened by the WHO, has called for a worldwide pandemic simulation to be carried out by the end of this year to test the effectiveness of the new terms before member nations sign them in 2024.
“We feel very strongly that we cannot wait for the next emergency to find out how well the pandemic accord and the IHR amendments will work; we need to know now,” Joy Phumaphi, co-chair of the GPMB, stated on May 22. “We therefore suggest that Member States, together with other key stakeholders, carry out a simulation exercise based on the draft accord and draft IHR amendments later this year, before they are finalized and adopted.”
International negotiations to centralize pandemic-related action within the WHO have been ongoing throughout this spring. They include a “zero draft” WHO pandemic accord and amendments to International Health Regulations (IHRs), as well as discussions among various WHO subcommittees, U.N. organizations, and finance arms like the World Bank. The current round of negotiations on the pandemic accord and IHR amendments have gone on behind closed doors in Geneva, but statements from some of the ancillary groups like the GPMB may shed light on the tone of the discussions.
Phumaphi said that the GPMB’s “Manifesto for Preparedness” includes three “tests” for the treaty and IHR amendments. These are whether the treaty and IHR amendments are “sufficiently powerful,” whether they “deliver equity and coherence,” and whether they “have robust mechanisms for monitoring and accountability.”
Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto is currently negotiating terms of the WHO pandemic accord on behalf of the United States. While the language of the accord and IHR revisions is often opaque and bureaucratic, analysts say the ultimate goal of the reforms is to vest more pandemic authority within the WHO and have this authority extend beyond pandemic emergencies.
“The trajectory is about centralizing power over health emergencies,” David Bell, a public health physician and former WHO staffer specializing in epidemic policy, told The Epoch Times. “It will centralize authority within the WHO, particularly in the director general, and it will broaden the scope to what they call One Health.”
Negotiations Proceed in Secret
In April, delegates from the United States agreed with a Chinese proposal that new IHR drafts would not be shared with the public. Hamamoto stated that “at this stage, I have some concern about sharing the draft to all stakeholders given where we are in the process.”
In response, several nonprofit organizations and health experts wrote a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Secretary of State Antony Blinken protesting the secrecy of the negotiations.
“The attempt to create a veil of secrecy now surrounding the substantive and technical text-based negotiations on the WHO pandemic treaty sets a dangerous precedent for norm-setting at the multilateral level,” they wrote. “It also undermines trust in the process at a time when attacks on the WHO and on the pandemic accord are increasing.”
The GPMB’s Manifesto for Preparedness states that “the success of these reforms will largely be dependent on the adoption of a coordinated, One Health approach to PPPR that involves all countries, international and regional organizations, financial institutions, and the private sector.”
PPPR is the WHO acronym for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. “One Health” refers to the broadening of pandemic response to potentially include things like farming, poverty, and climate change, which could either cause or exacerbate outbreaks, or impair peoples’ health in other ways.
“One Health is anything in the biosphere that affects human well-being in its current definition,” Bell said. Current terms being negotiated, he said, would not only broaden the scope of the WHO’s mandate but would also grant it authority to act when a pandemic “threat” is perceived, as opposed to an actual pandemic emergency.
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for the Week after the Ascension |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-06-2023, 05:54 AM - Forum: Easter
- Replies (6)
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God, who loves us and desires to see us happy, cries out and makes known to all: If any man thirst, let him come to me. I will give him the Holy Ghost Who will make him blessed in this life and in the next. Riga quod est aridum! O my Jesus, I beseech Thee, give me the water of Thy love which will make me forget the earth, and live for Thee alone Who art the infinitely amiable One!
I.
Love is called a living fountain, fire, Charity. Fons vivus, ignis, Charitas. Our Blessed Redeemer said to the Samaritan woman: But he that shall drink of the water that I shall give him, shall not thirst for ever (John iv. 13). Love is the water which satisfies our thirst; for he that truly loves God with his whole heart, neither seeks nor desires anything else: because in God he finds every good. Hence, happy in possessing God. he frequently exclaims with joy: My God and my All! Almighty God complains of many who seek for fleeting, miserable pleasures from creatures, and leave Him, Who is Infinite Goodness, and the Fountain of all joy: They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have digged to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water-(Jer. ii.. 13) Meanwhile God, Who loves us and desires to see us happy, cries out and makes known to all: If anyone thirst, let him come to me-(John vii. 37). He who desires to be happy, let him come to Me, and I will bestow upon him the Holy Ghost, Who will make him blessed, both in this life and in the next.
Domine, da mihi hanc aquam! Lord, give me of this water!-(John iv. 15). O Jesus, with the Samaritan woman I beseech Thee, give me of this water of Thy love, which will make me forget the earth, and live only for Thee alone, Who art the infinitely amiable One. Riga quod est aridum! My soul is a barren soil, which produces nothing but the weeds and thorns of sin. Oh, water it with Thy holy grace, that it may yield some fruit to Thy glory, before it leaves this world in death!
II.
He, then, that believes in Jesus Christ, and loves Him, shall be enriched with so many graces, that from his heart shall spring up fountains of holy virtues, which shall not only preserve his life, but also give life to others. And indeed this water is the Holy Ghost, the sustaining love which Jesus Christ promised to send from Heaven, after His Ascension: Now this he said of the Spirit, which they should receive who believed in him: for as yet the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not glorified-(John vii. 39).
The key which opens the channels of this blessed water is holy prayer, which obtains all good things in virtue of the promise: Ask and you shall receive. We are weak, and blind, and poor, and miserable, but prayer will obtain for us strength, and light, and wealth, and happiness. Theodoret says: “Prayer, though, but one, can effect all things.” He who prays receives all he asks for. God desires to give us His graces, but He desires that we should pray for them.
O Fountain of living water, O sovereign Good, how often have I deserted Thee for the defiled waters of the earth, which have deprived me of Thy love! O that I had rather died than offend Thee! But for the future I will seek after nothing but Thee, my God. Succour me, and make me always faithful to Thee. Mary, my hope, keep me always under thy holy protection.
Spiritual Reading
THE SUBLIME DIGNITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD
In his Epistle to the Christians of Smyrna, St. Ignatius, Martyr, says that the priesthood is the most sublime of all created dignities: “The apex of dignities is the priesthood.” St. Ephrem calls it an infinite dignity: “The priesthood is an astounding miracle, great, immense, and infinite.” St. John Chrysostom says, that though its functions are performed on earth, the priesthood should be numbered among the things of Heaven. According to Cassian, the priest of God is exalted above all earthly sovereignties, and above all celestial heights -he is inferior only to God. Innocent III says that the priest is placed between God and man; inferior to God, but superior to man.
St. Denis calls the priest “a divine man.” Hence he has called the priesthood “a divine dignity.” In fine, St. Ephrem says that the gift of the sacerdotal dignity surpasses all understanding. For us it is enough to know, that Jesus Christ has said that we should treat His priests as we would His own person: He that heareth you, heareth me; he that despiseth you, despiseth me-(Luke x. 16). Hence St. John Chrysostom says, that “he who honours a priest, honours Christ, and he who insults a priest, insults Christ.” Through respect for the sacerdotal dignity, St. Mary of Oignies used to kiss the ground on which a priest had walked.
The dignity of the priest is estimated by the exalted nature of his office. Priests are chosen by God to manage on earth all His concerns and interests. “Divine,” says St. Cyril of Alexandria; “are the offices confided to priests.” St. Ambrose has called the priestly office “a divine profession.” A priest is a minister destined by God to be a, public ambassador of the whole Church, to honour Him, and to obtain His graces for all the faithful. The entire Church cannot give to God as much honour, nor obtain so many graces, as a single priest by celebrating a single Mass; for the greatest honour that the whole Church without priests could give to God would consist in offering to Him in sacrifice the lives of all men. But of what value are the lives of all men compared with the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which is a Sacrifice of infinite value? What are all men before God but a little dust? As a drop of a bucket . . as a little dust-(Is. xl. 15, 17). They are but a mere nothing in His sight. All nations are before him as if they had no being at all. Thus, by the celebration of a single Mass, in which he offers Jesus Christ in Sacrifice, a priest gives greater honour to the Lord, than if all men by dying for God offered to Him the sacrifice of their lives. By a single Mass he gives greater honour to God than all the Angels and Saints, along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, have, given or shall give to Him; for their worship cannot be of infinite value, like that which the priest celebrating on the altar offers to God.
Moreover, in the holy Mass the priest offers to God an adequate thanksgiving for all the graces bestowed even on the Blessed in Paradise; but such a thanksgiving all the Saints together are incapable of offering to God. Hence it is that on this account also the priestly dignity is superior even to all celestial dignities. Besides, the priest, says St. John Chrysostom, is an ambassador of the whole world, to intercede with God and to obtain graces for all creatures. The priest, according to St. Ephrem, “treats familiarly with God.” To priests every door is open.
Jesus has died to institute the priesthood. It was not necessary for the Redeemer to die in order to save the world; a drop of His Blood, a single tear, or prayer, was sufficient to procure salvation for all; for such a prayer, being of infinite value, would be sufficient to save not one but a thousand worlds. But to institute the priesthood, the Death of Jesus Christ has been necessary. Had He not died, where should we find the Victim that the priests of the New Law now offer? Where find a victim altogether holy and immaculate, capable of giving to God an honour worthy of God? As has been already said, all the lives of men and Angels are not capable of giving to God an infinite honour like that which a priest offers to Him by a single Mass.
Evening Meditation
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST
III.-HE THAT LOVES JESUS CHRIST AVOIDS LUKEWARMNESS AND SEEKS PERFECTION
I.
The evil of tepidity arises from the little love men have for Jesus Christ. They who are puffed-up with self-esteem; those who frequently take to heart occurrences that fall out contrary to their wishes; who practise great indulgence towards themselves on account of their health; who keep their heart open to external objects, and the mind always distracted, with an eagerness to listen to, and to know, so many things that have nothing to do with the service of God, but merely serve to gratify private curiosity; who are ready to resent every little inattention from others, and consequently are often troubled, and grow remiss in prayer and recollection who one moment are all devotion and joy, the next all impatience and melancholy, just as things happen according to or against their humour; all such persons do not love Jesus Christ, or love Him very little, and cast discredit on true devotion.
But suppose anyone should find himself sunk in this unhappy state of tepidity, what has he to do? Certainly, it is a hard thing for a soul grown lukewarm to resume her ancient fervour; but our Lord has said, that what man cannot do, God can very Well do. The things that are impossible with man, are possible with God-(Luke xviii. 27). Whoever prays and employs the means is sure to accomplish his desire.
Now, the first means is the desire of perfection. Pious desires are the wings which lift us up from earth; for, as St. Laurence Justinian says, desire “supplies strength, and lightens pain.” It gives strength to walk towards perfection, and lightens the fatigue of the journey. He who has a real desire of perfection fails not to advance continually towards it; and so advancing, he must finally arrive at it. On the contrary, he who has not the desire of perfection will always go backwards, and always find himself more imperfect than before. St. Augustine says, that “not to go forward in the way of God is to go backwards.” He that makes no effort to advance will find himself carried backwards by the current of his corrupt nature.
II.
They, then, who say, “God does not wish us all to be saints,” make a great mistake. Yes; for St. Paul says, This is the will of God, your sanctfication-{1 Thess. iv. 3). God wishes us all to be saints, and each one according to his state of life: the Religious as a Religious; the secular as a secular; the Priest as a Priest; the married as married; the man of business as a man of business; the soldier as a soldier; and so of every other state of life. Most beautiful, indeed, are the instructions which my great patroness, St. Teresa, gives on this subject. She says, in one place, “Let us enlarge our thoughts; for hence we shall derive immense good.” Elsewhere: “We must beware of having poor desires; but rather put our confidence in God, in order that, by forcing ourselves continually onwards, We may by degrees arrive where, by the Divine grace,so many Saints have arrived.” And in confirmation of this she quoted her own experience, having known how courageous souls make considerable progress in a short period of time. “Because,” said she, “The Lord takes as much delight in our desires, as if they were put into execution.” In another place she says: “Almighty God does not confer extraordinary favours, except where His love has been earnestly sought after.” Again, in another passage, she remarks: “God does not fail to repay every good desire even in this life, for He is the Friend of generous souls, provided only they do not trust in themselves.” This Saint herself was endowed with just such a spirit or generosity; so that she once even said to our Lord, that were she to behold others in Paradise enjoying Him more than herself, she would not care; but were she to behold anyone loving Him more than she should love Him, this she declared she knew not how she could endure.
We must, therefore have great courage: The Lord is good to the soul that seeketh him-(Lam. iii. 25). God is surpassingly good and liberal towards a soul that heartily seeks Him. Neither can past sins prove a hindrance to our becoming Saints, if only we have the sincere desire to become so. St. Teresa remarks: “The devil strives to make us think it pride to entertain lofty desires, and to wish to imitate the Saints; but it is of great service to encourage ourselves with the desire of great things, because, although the soul has not all at once the necessary strength, yet she nevertheless makes a bold flight, and rapidly advances.” , The Apostle writes: To them that love God, all things work together unto good (Rom. viii. 28). And the Gloss adds “even sins”; even past sins can contribute to our sanctification, inasmuch as the recollection of them keeps us more humble, and more grateful, when, we witness the favours God lavishes upon us, after all our outrages against Him. I am not capable of anything, the sinner should say, nor do I deserve anything; I deserve nothing but hell; but I have to deal with a God of infinite bounty, Who has promised to listen to all that pray to Him. Now, as He has rescued me from a state of damnation, and wishes me to become holy, and now proffers me His help, I can certainly become a saint, not by my own strength, but by the grace of my God, Who strengthens me: I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me-(Phil. iv. 13). Once, thus, we have good desires, we must take courage, and trusting in God, endeavour to put them into execution; but if afterwards we encounter any obstacle in our spiritual enterprises, let us repose quietly on the will of God. God’s will must be preferred before every good desire of our own. St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi would sooner have remained without perfection than possess it without the will of God.
O Holy and Divine Spirit, I will no longer live to myself. I will spend all the days that remain to me of life in loving and pleasing Thee.
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for the Sixth Week after Easter |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-06-2023, 05:36 AM - Forum: Easter
- Replies (6)
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The whole life of the Saints has been one of meditation and prayer; and all the graces by means of which they have become Saints have been received by them in answer to prayer. If therefore we are to be saved and become Saints, we should ever stand at the gates of Divine mercy and beg and pray, as for an alms, all that we stand in need of. Ask and you shall receive.
I.
Ask and you shall receive. We are poor in all things; but if we pray we are rich in all things; for God has promised to grant the prayer of him who prays to Him. He says: Ask and you shall receive. What greater love can one friend show towards another than to say to him: Ask of me what you will and I will give it to you? This is what the Lord says to each one of us. God is Lord of all things. He promises to give us as much as we ask Him for; if, then, we are poor, the fault is our own, because we do not ask Him for the graces of which we stand in need. And it is on this account that mental prayer is morally necessary for all, inasmuch as when it is laid aside, while we are involved in this world’s cares, we pay but little attention to the soul; but when we practise it we discover the wants of the soul, and then we pray for the corresponding graces and obtain them.
The whole life of the Saints has been one of meditation and prayer; and all the graces by means of which they have become Saints have been received by them in answer to prayer. If, therefore, we would be saved and become saints, we should ever stand at the gates of Divine Mercy to beg and pray, as for an alms, all that we stand in need of. We need humility: let us ask for it and we shall be humble. We need patience under tribulations: let us ask for it and we shall be patient. The Divine love is what we desire: let us ask for it, and we shall obtain it. Ask and it shall be given you-(Matt. vii. 7} is God’s promise, which cannot fail. And Jesus Christ, in order to inspire us with the greater confidence in our prayers, has promised us that whatever be the graces we shall ask of the Father in His Name, for the sake of His love or His merits, the Father will give us them all: Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in my name he will give it to you (John xvi. 23). And in another place He says that if we ask of Him anything in His own Name and through His merits, He will grant it: If you ask me anything in my name, that will I do-(John xiv. 14}. Yes; because it is of Faith that whatever God can do can also be done by Jesus Christ, Who is His Son.
II.
The Council of Trent teaches, in the words of St. Augustine, that, though man is not able with the aid of the grace ordinarily given to fulfil all the Commandments, still he can, by prayer, obtain the additional helps necessary for their observance. “God does not command impossibilities,” says St. Augustine, “but by His precepts He admonishes you to do what you can, and to ask what you cannot do; and He assists you that you may be able to do it.” To this may be added another celebrated passage of St. Augustine: “By our Faith, which teaches that God does not command impossibilities, we are admonished what to do in things that are easy, and what to ask in things that are difficult.”
But why does God, Who knows our weakness, permit us to be assailed by enemies which we are not able to resist? The Lord, answers the holy Doctor, seeing the great advantages which we derive from the very fact that we have of necessity to pray to Him, permits us to be attacked by enemies more powerful than we are, that we may ask His assistance. Hence they who are conquered cannot excuse themselves by saying that they had not strength to resist the assault of the enemy; for had they asked aid from God He would have given it; and had they prayed, they would have been victorious. Therefore, if they are defeated, God will punish them. St. Bonaventure says that if a general lose a fortress in consequence of not having sought timely succour from his sovereign, he shall be branded as a traitor. Thus, God regards as a traitor the Christian who, when he finds; himself assailed by temptations, neglects to seek the Divine aid. Ask, says Jesus Christ, and you shall receive. Then, concludes St. Teresa, he that does not ask does not receive. This is conformable to the doctrine of St. James: You have not, because you ask not -(James iv. 2). St. John Chrysostom says that prayer is a powerful weapon of defence against all enemies. “Truly prayer is a great armour.” St. Ephrem writes that he who fortifies himself beforehand by prayer prevents the entrance of sin into the soul. “If you pray before you work, the passage into the soul will not be open to sin.” David said the same: Praising I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from my enemies. -(Ps. xvii. 4). If we wish to lead a good life, and to save our souls, we must learn to pray. “He,” says St. Augustine, “knows how to live well who knows how to pray well.”
Spiritual Reading
VITA, DULCEDO! HAIL, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS!
XXVII.-MARY IS OUR SWEETNESS; SHE RENDERS DEATH SWEET TO HER CLIENTS
Such also will be your death if you are faithful to Mary. Though you may have hitherto offended God, she will procure you a sweet and happy death. And if by chance at that moment you are greatly alarmed and lose confidence at the sight of your sins, she will come and encourage you, as she did Adolphus, Count of Alsace, who abandoned the world and entered the Order of St. Francis. In the Chronicles of the Order we are told that he had a tender devotion to the Mother of God, and that when he was at the point of death his former life and the rigours of Divine justice presented themselves before his mind, and caused him to tremble at the thought of death, and fear for his eternal salvation. Scarcely had these thoughts entered his mind, when Mary, who is always active when her servants are in pain, accompanied by many Saints, presented herself before the dying man, and encouraged him with words of the greatest tenderness, saying: “My own beloved Adolph, thou art mine, thou hast given thyself to me, and now why dost thou fear death so much?” On hearing these words the servant of Mary was instantly relieved, fear was banished from his soul, and he expired in the midst of the greatest peace and joy.
Let us, then, be of good heart, though we be sinners, and feel certain that Mary will come and assist us at death, and comfort and console us with her presence, provided only that we serve her with love during the remainder of the time that we have to be in this world. Our Queen, one day addressing St. Matilda, promised that she would assist all her clients at death, who, during their lives had faithfully served her. “I as a most tender Mother, will faithfully be present at the death of all who piously serve me, and will console and protect them.” O God, what a consolation will it be at that last moment of our lives when our eternal lot has so soon to be decided, to see the Queen of Heaven assisting and consoling us with the assurance of her protection.
Besides the cases already given in which we have seen Mary assisting her dying servants, there are innumerable others recorded in different works. This favour was granted to St. Clare; to St. Felix, of the Order of Capuchins; to St. Clare of Montefalco; to St. Teresa; to St. Peter of Alcantara. But, for our common consolation, I will relate the following: Father Crasset tells us that Mary of Oignies saw the Blessed Virgin at the pillow of a devout widow of Willembroc, who was ill with a violent fever. Mary stood by her side, consoling her, and cooling her with a fan. Of St. John of God, who was tenderly devoted to Mary, it is related that he fully expected that she would visit him on his death-bed; but not seeing her arrive he was afflicted, and perhaps even complained. But when his last hour had come the divine Mother appeared, and, gently reproving him for his little confidence, addressed him in the following tender words, which may well encourage all servants of Mary: “John, it is not in me to forsake my clients at such a moment.” As though she had said: “John, of what wast thou thinking? Didst thou imagine that I had abandoned thee? And dost thou not know that I never abandon my clients at the hour of death? If I did not come sooner, it was because thy time was not come; but now that it is come, behold me here to take thee; let us go to Heaven.” Shortly afterwards the Saint expired and fled to that blessed kingdom, there to thank his most loving Queen for all eternity.
Evening Meditation
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST
XXXIII.-“CHARITY ENVIETH NOT “-HE THAT LOVES JESUS DOES NOT ENVY THE GREAT ONES OF THE WORLD, BUT ONLY THOSE WHO ARE GREATER LOVERS OF JESUS CHRIST.
I.
The following are the signs which indicate whether we work solely for God in any spiritual undertaking.
1.-If we are not disturbed at the failure of our plans, because when we see it is not God’s will, neither is it any longer our will.
2.-If we rejoice at the good done by others as heartily as if we ourselves had done it.
3.-If we have no preference for one charge more than another, but willingly accept that which obedience to superiors enjoins on us.
4.-If after our actions we do not seek the thanks or approbation of others, nor are in any way affected, if we be found fault with or scolded, being satisfied in having pleased God.
And if when the world applauds us we are not puffed up, but meet the vainglory, which might make itself felt, with the reply of the Blessed John of Avila: “Begone! Thou comest too late, for all has been already given to God.” This is to enter into the joy of the Lord; that is, to enjoy the enjoyment of God, as is promised to His faithful servants: Well done, thou good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over a few things .. enter thou into the joy of thy Lord-(Matt. xxv. 23).
And if it falls to our lot to do something pleasing to God, what more, asks St. John Chrysostom, can we desire? “If thou art found worthy to perform something that pleases God, dost thou seek other recompense than this?” The greatest reward, the brightest fortune that can befall a creature is to give pleasure to his Creator.
II.
And this is what Jesus Christ looks for from a soul that loves Him: Put me, He says, as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm-(Cant. viii. 6). He desires us to place Him as a seal on our heart and on our arm : on our heart, in order that whatever we intend doing we may intend solely for the love of God; on our arm, in order that, whatever we do, all may be done to please God; so that God may be always the sole end of all our thoughts and of all our actions. St. Teresa said that he who would become a Saint must live free from every other desire than that of pleasing God; and her first daughter, the Venerable Beatrice of the Incarnation, said: “Nothing whatever could repay the slightest thing done for God.” And with reason; for all things done to please God are acts of Charity which unite us with God, and obtain for us everlasting rewards.
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Fifth Week after Easter |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-06-2023, 05:21 AM - Forum: Easter
- Replies (7)
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St. Jerome says that anger is the door by which all vices enter the soul. Let us implore God to preserve us from yielding to any strong passion, and particularly to anger. For he that submits to such a passion is exposed to great danger of falling into grievous sin against God or his neighbour. Let us look on Jesus Crucified and we shall not dare to complain.
I.
St. Jerome says that anger is the door by which all vices enter the soul. According to St. Bonaventure, an angry man is incapable of distinguishing between what is right and what is wrong. The anger of man worketh not the justice of God-(James i. 20). He that submits to such a passion is exposed to great danger of falling into grievous sin against God, or his neighbour. Thus, when we receive an insult, we must do violence to ourselves and restrain our anger. Let us either answer with meekness or let us remain silent; and thus, as St. Isidore says, we shall conquer. But, if you answer through passion, you will do harm to yourselves and others. It would be still worse to give an angry answer to a person who corrects you. St. Bernard says that some are not angry though they ought to be indignant with those who wound their souls by flattery; but they are filled with indignation against the person who corrects them in order to heal their irregularities. Against the man who abhors correction, the sentence of perdition has, according to the Wise Man, been pronounced. Because they have despised all my reproofs . . . the prosperity of fools shall destroy them-(Prov. i. 30, 32). Fools regard as prosperity to be free from correction, or to despise the admonitions they receive; but such prosperity is the cause of their ruin. When you meet with an occasion of anger you must be on your guard not to allow anger to enter your heart. Be not quickly angry-(Eccles. vii. 10). Some persons change colour and get into a passion, at every contradiction: and when anger has got admission, no one knows to what it shall lead them. Hence it is necessary to foresee these occasions in our meditations and prayers; for, unless we are prepared for them it will be as difficult to restrain anger as to put a bridle on a runaway horse. If, however, we have the great misfortune to permit anger to enter the soul, let us be careful not to allow it to remain. Jesus Christ tells all who remember that a brother is offended with them not to offer the gift which they bring to the altar without being first reconciled to their neighbour. Go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift-(Matth. v. 24). And he who has received any offence should endeavour to root out of his heart not only all anger but also every feeling of bitterness towards the persons who have offended him. Let all bitterness, says St. Paul, and anger and indignation … be put away from you-(Ephes. iv. 31). As long as anger continues, follow the advice of Seneca: “When you shall be angry do nothing, say nothing which may be dictated by anger.” Like David, be silent, and do not speak when you feel that you are disturbed. I was troubled, and I spoke not-(Ps. lxxvi. 5). How many, when inflamed with anger, say and do what they afterwards in their calmer moments regret.
II.
It is necessary, of course, to remember that it is not possible for human weakness, in the midst of so many occasions, to be altogether free from every motion of anger. No one, as Seneca says, can be entirely exempt from this passion. All our efforts must be directed to the moderation of the feelings of anger which spring up in the soul. How are they to be moderated? By meekness. This is called the virtue of the lamb-that is, the beloved virtue of Jesus Christ. Because like a lamb, without anger or even complaint, He bore the sorrows of His Passion and Crucifixion. He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth-(Is. liii. 7). Hence He taught us to learn of Him meekness and humility of heart. Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart–(Matth. xi. 29).
Oh, how pleasing in the sight of God are the meek, who submit in peace to all crosses, misfortunes, persecutions, and injuries! To the meek is promised the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land-(Matth. v. 4). They are called the children of God. Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God-(Matth. v. 9). Some boast of their meekness but without any grounds; for they are meek only towards those who praise and confer favours upon them, but to those who injure or censure them they are all fury and vengeance. The virtue of meekness consists in being meek and peaceful towards those who hate and maltreat us. With them that hated peace I was peaceful-(Ps. cxix. 6).
We must, as St. Paul says, put on the bowels of mercy towards all men, and bear one with another. Put ye on the bowels of mercy, humility, modesty, patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another?-Col. iii. 12). You wish others to bear with your defects, and to pardon your faults; you should act in the same manner towards them. Whenever, then, you receive an insult from a person enraged against you, remember that a mild answer breaketh wrath-(Prov. xv. I). A certain monk once passed through a cornfield: the owner of the field ran out and spoke to him in very offensive and injurious language. The monk humbly replied: Brother, you are right; I have done wrong; pardon me. By this answer the husbandman was so much appeased that he instantly became calm, and even wished to follow the monk and enter into Religion. The proud make use of the humiliations they receive to increase their pride; but the humble and the meek turn the contempt and insults offered to them into an occasion of advancing in humility. “He,” says St. Bernard, “is humble who converts humiliation into humility.”
“A man of meekness,” says St. John Chrysostom, “is useful to himself and to others.” The meek are useful to themselves because, according to Father Alvarez, the time of humiliation and contempt is for them the time of merit. Hence Jesus Christ calls His disciples happy when they shall be reviled and persecuted. Blessed are ye when they shall trevile you and and persecute you-(Matth. v. 11). Hence the Saints have always desired to be despised as Jesus Christ was despised. The meek are useful to others, because, as the same St. John Chrysostom says, there is nothing better calculated to draw others to God than to see a Christian meek and cheerful when he receives an injury or an insult. The reason is because virtue is known by being tried; and, as gold is tried by fire, so the meekness of men is proved by humiliation. Gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation-(Ecclus. ii. 5).
Spiritual Reading
VITA, DULCEDO![b] HAIL, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS![/b]
XX.-MARY IS OUR LIFE, BECAUSE SHE OBTAINS FOR US PERSEVERANCE
Final perseverance is so great a gift of God that, as was declared by the Holy Council of Trent, it is quite gratuitous on God’s part, and we cannot merit it. Yet we are told by St. Augustine that all who seek for it obtain it from God; and, according to Father Suarez, they obtain it infallibly, if only they are diligent in asking for it to the end of their lives. For, as Blessed Bellarmine well remarks, “that which is daily required must be asked for every day!” Now, if it is true (and I hold it as certain, according to the now generally received opinion) that all the graces God dispenses to men pass through the hands of Mary, it will be equally true that it is only through Mary that we can hope for this greatest of all graces-perseverance. And we shall obtain it most certainly, if we always seek it with confidence through Mary. This grace she herself promises to all who serve her faithfully during life, in the following words of Ecclesiasticus, and which are applied to her by the Church on the Feast of her Immaculate Conception: They that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting-(EccIus. xxiv. 30).
In order that we may be preserved in the life of grace, we require spiritual fortitude to resist the many enemies of our salvation. Now this fortitude can be obtained only by means of Mary, and we are assured of it in the Book of Proverbs, for the Church applies the passage to this most Blessed Virgin. Strength is mine; by me kings reign-(Prov. viii. 14); meaning by the words strength is mine that God has bestowed this precious gift on Mary in order that she may dispense it to her faithful clients. And by the words ‘By me kings reign’ she signifies that by her means her servants reign over and command their senses and passions, and thus become worthy to reign eternally in Heaven. Oh, what strength do the servants of this great Lady possess to overcome all the assaults of hell! Mary is that tower spoken of in the sacred Canticles: Thy neck is as the tower of David, which is built with bulwarks; a thousand bucklers hang upon it, all the armour of valiant men-(Cant. iv. 4). She is as a well defended fortress in defence of her lovers who, in their wars, have recourse to her. In her do her clients find all shields and arms to defend themselves against hell.
Evening Meditation
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST
XXVI.-” CHARITY IS PATIENT.”-THE SOUL THAT LOVES JESUS CHRIST LOVES TO SUFFER
I.
A soul that loves God has no other end in view than to be wholly united with Him; but let us learn from St. Catherine of Genoa what is necessary to be done to arrive at this perfect union: “To attain union with God, adversities are indispensable,” she says, “because by them God aims at destroying all our corrupt propensities within and without. And hence all injuries, contempt, infirmities, abandonment by relations and friends, Confusion, temptations, and other mortifications-all are in the highest degree necessary for us in order that we may carry on the fight until by repeated victories we come to extinguish within us all vicious movements, so that they are no longer felt; and we shall never arrive at Divine union until adversities, instead of seeming bitter to us, become all sweet for God’s sake.”
II.
It follows, then, that a soul that sincerely desires to belong to God must be resolved, as St. John of the Cross writes, not to seek enjoyments in this life, but to suffer in all things; she must embrace with eagerness all voluntary mortifications, and with still greater eagerness those which are involuntary, since they are the more welcome to Almighty God: “The patient man is better than the valiant.” God is pleased with a person who practises mortification by fasting, cilices, and disciplines, on account of the courage displayed in such mortifications; but He is much more pleased with those who have the courage to bear patiently and gladly such crosses as come from His own Divine hand. St. Francis de Sales said: “Such mortifications as come to us from the hand of God, or from men by His permission, are always more precious than those which are the offspring of our own will; for it is a general rule that wherever there is less of our own choice, God is better pleased, and we ourselves derive greater profit.” St. Teresa taught the same thing: “We gain more in one day by the oppositions which come to us from God or from our neighbour than by ten years of mortification self-inflicted.”
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for First Week of Pentecost |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-05-2023, 09:55 AM - Forum: Pentecost
- Replies (6)
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Morning Meditation
HOLY COMMUNION THE MEANS OF PERSEVERANCE IN DIVINE GRACE
St. Denis says that when Jesus Christ comes to a soul in Holy Communion, He brings with Him boundless treasures of grace; and therefore after Communion, we can truly say: Now all good things come to me together with it.
I.
When Jesus comes to the soul in the Holy Communion He brings with Him every good, every grace, and especially the grace of holy perseverance. The principal effect of the Holy Sacrament of the Altar is to nourish the soul that receives it with the Bread of Life, by imparting great strength to advance towards perfection, and to resist those enemies who seek to effect its eternal ruin. Hence Jesus Christ calls Himself in this Sacrament heavenly Bread: I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever-(Jo. vi. 51, 52). As earthly bread maintains the life of the body, so this heavenly Bread maintains the life of the soul by enabling it to persevere in the state of God’s grace. Hence the Council of Trent teaches that the Holy Communion is “a medicine which frees us from daily faults and preserves us from mortal sins.”
Oh, how miserable I am O Lord, bewailing my weakness while at the same time I stay away from Thee! How can I resist my internal enemies without Thee, Who art my Strength? Had I approached Thee more frequently in the Holy Communion, I should not have been so frequently overcome by my enemies. For the future it shall not be so: In thee, O Lord, have I hoped; let me not be confounded forever-(Ps. xxx. 2). No, I will no more rely on my own strength, but will place my whole confidence in Thee, my Jesus, Who will give me strength to fall no more into sin.
II.
Innocent III says that Jesus delivers us by His Passion from sins committed, and by the Holy Eucharist from those which we might otherwise commit. Hence St. Bonaventure says that sinners should not stay away from Holy Communion because they have been sinners; but for this very reason should receive it more frequently, for “the more infirm a person is, the more does he stand in need of a physician.”
I am weak, O my Jesus, but Thou by the Holy Communion wilt make me strong against all temptations – I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me (Phil. iv. 13). Pardon me, O Jesus, all the injuries I have committed against Thee for which I am sorry with my whole soul; I am resolved rather to die than wilfully offend Thee any more; and I trust in Thy Passion that Thou wilt help me to persevere in Thy grace to the end of my life. In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded. And with St. Bonaventure I will say the same to Thee, O Mary, my Mother: “In thee, that is, in thy holy intercession, O Blessed Lady, have I hoped; let me never be confounded for ever!”
Spiritual Reading
CORAM SANCTISSIMO
FOURTH VISIT
Her conversation hath no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness-(Wisd. viii. 16). Friends on earth find such pleasure in being together, that they lose entire days in each other’s company; with Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament, those who love Him not, get weary. After her death, St. Teresa, who was already in Heaven, said to a nun: “Those who are in Heaven and those who are on earth should be one and the same in purity and in love; we enjoying, and you suffering; and that which we do in Heaven with the Divine Essence, you should do on earth With the Most Blessed Sacrament.” Behold, then, our Paradise on earth-the Most Blessed Sacrament!
O Immaculate Lamb, sacrificed for us upon the Cross, remember that I am one of those souls Thou hast redeemed by so many sufferings and by Thy Death. Grant that Thou mayest be mine and that I may never lose Thee, since Thou has given Thyself to me, and givest Thyself every day, sacrificing Thyself for my love on the altar; and grant that I may be all Thine. I give myself to Thee without reserve, that Thou mayest dispose of me as Thou pleasest. I give Thee my will; chain it with the sweet bonds of Thy love, that it may forever be the slave of Thy most holy Will. I wish no longer to live for the satisfaction of my desires, but only to please Thy goodness. Destroy in me all that does not please Thee; grant me the grace never to have any other thought than to please Thee, any other desire than that which Thou desirest. I love Thee, O my dear Saviour, with my whole heart; I love Thee because Thou desirest that I should love Thee; I love Thee because Thou art indeed worthy of my love. I grieve that I love Thee not as much as Tbou deservest. I desire, Lord, to die for Thy love; accept my desire, and give me Thy love. Amen.
Ejac. O good pleasure of my God, I sacrifice myself all to Thee!
AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that Thou art truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love Thee above all things, and I desire to possess Thee within my soul. Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace Thee as already there, and unite myself wholly to Thee; never permit me to be separated from Thee.
VISIT TO MARY
Mary says: I am the mother of fair love-(Ecclus. xxiv. 24). That is to say, she is the Mother of that love which beautifies souls. St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi saw the Most Blessed Virgin Mary going about dispensing a sweet liquid, which was divine love. This gift. is dispensed only by Mary; from Mary let us seek it.
Ejac. My Mother, my hope, make me belong wholly to Jesus.
Concluding Prayer
Most holy Immaculate Virgin and my Mother Mary, to thee, who art the Mother of my Lord, and Queen of the world, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I have recourse today I, who am the most miserable of all. I render thee my most humble homage, O great Queen, and I thank thee for all the graces thou hast conferred on me until now, particularly for having delivered me from hell, which I have so often deserved. I love thee, O most amiable Lady; and for the love which I bear thee, I promise to serve thee always, and to do all in my power to make others love thee also. I place in thee all my hopes; I confide my salvation to thy care. Accept me for thy servant, and receive me under thy mantle, O Mother of Mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or rather obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until death. Of thee I ask a perfect love of Jesus Christ. From thee I hope to die a good death.
O my Mother, for the love which thou bearest to God, I beseech thee to help me at all times, but especially at the last moment of my life. Leave me not, I beseech thee, until thou seest me safe in Heaven, blessing thee, and singing thy mercies for all eternity. Amen. So I hope. So may it be.
Evening Mediation
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST
“Charity is not puffed up.”
XVII.-HE THAT LOVES JESUS CHRIST IS NOT VAIN OF HIS OWN WORTH, BUT HUMBLES HIMSELF, AND IS GLAD TO BE HUMBLED
I.
A proud person is like a balloon filled with air, which seems, indeed, great; but whose greatness in reality, is nothing more than a little air; which, as soon as the balloon is opened is quickly dispersed. He who loves God is humble, and is not elated at seeing any worth in himself; because he knows that whatever he possesses is the gift of God, and that of himself he has only nothingness and sin; so that his knowledge of the Divine favours bestowed on him, humbles him more, for he is conscious of being so unworthy, and yet so favoured by God.
St. Teresa says, in speaking of the especial favours she received from God: “God does with me as they do with a house, which, when about to fall, they prop up with supports.” When a soul receives a loving visit from God, and feels within herself an unwonted fervour of Divine love, accompanied with tears, or with a great tenderness of heart, let her beware of supposing that God so favours her in reward for some good action; but let her then humble herself the more, concluding that God caresses her in order that she may not forsake Him; otherwise, were she to make such favours the subject of vain complacency, imagining herself more privileged because she receives greater gifts from God than others, such a fault would induce God to deprive her of His favours. Two things are chiefly requisite for the stability of a house, the foundation and the roof: the foundation in us must be humility, in acknowledging ourselves good for nothing, and capable of nothing; and the roof is the Divine assistance, in which alone we ought to put all our trust.
II.
Whenever we behold ourselves unusually favoured by God, we must humble ourselves the more. When St. Teresa received any special favour, she used to strive to place before her eyes all the faults she had ever committed; and thus the Lord received her into closer union with Himself: the more a soul confesses herself undeserving of any favours, the more God enriches her with His graces. Thais, who was first a sinner and then a Saint, humbled herself so profoundly before God, that she dared not mention His Name; so that she did not dare to say, “My God,” but “My Creator, have mercy on me! Plasmator meus, miserere mei.” And St. Jerome writes that, in recompense for such humility, she saw a glorious throne prepared fer her in Heaven. In the Life of St. Margaret of Cortona we read how, when our Lord visited her one day with greater tokens of tenderness and love, she exclaimed: “But, O Lord, have You, then, forgotten what I have been? Is it possible that You can repay all my outrages against You with such exquisite sweetness?” And God replied that when a soul loves Him and cordially repents of having offended Him, He forgets all her past infidelities; as, indeed, He formerly spoke by the mouth of Ezechiel: But if the wicked do penance . .. I will not remember all his iniquities-(Ezech. xviii. 21-22). And in proof of this, He showed her a high throne which He had prepared for her in Heaven in the midst of the Seraphim. Oh, that we could only well comprehend the value of humility! A single act of humility is worth more than all the riches of the universe.
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| Love of the Sacred Heart as illustrated by Saint Mechtilde |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-05-2023, 09:44 AM - Forum: Resources Online
- Replies (6)
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Foreword
All lovers of the Sacred Heart were delighted to see in the year of grace 1920 the long wished for canonization of Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), whom God raised up in recent centuries to revive the fire of devotion to the divine Heart of our Lord, which had well-nigh been extinguished by the frost and drought of the Jansenist heresy. The devotion to the Sacred Heart is too often spoken of and thought of as a “modern” devotion, and in one sense it is such. The life-work of Saint Margaret Mary has not only given that sweetest of devotions a much greater vogue and a deeper intensity throughout the world, but it has even in our own times led to still further and wider developments, such as the beautiful and providential practice, whose world-wide spread we owe to the blessing and encouragement of Pope Pius XI mean the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in the home, which, thank God, is becoming yearly more popular in our own country. But the present book will show that in another sense the devotion is by no means “modern.” As will be seen, the first part consists of copious translations from the marvelous mystical revelations of a lover of the Sacred Heart of a much earlier century, the Benedictine nun Saint Mechtilde (1241-1298), whose enraptured utterances surpass in some respects those of her better known friend and disciple the great Saint Gertrude, and whose significance as the type of mystic theology has been immortalized by Dante in his mighty epic. It will not fail to be observed how extraordinarily similar a great deal of the inspired language and profound imagery of the Saint of the thirteenth century is to that of the one who was canonized last year; although I am not aware that there is evidence of Margaret Mary having been a student of the works of her illustrious predecessor. It is surely both significant and instructive that our divine Lord deigned to make known the mysteries and treasures of the unfathomable abyss of His divine Love in a manner so similar, often identical, to two of His chosen spouses, at an interval of several centuries. The pious translator of the following treatises, however, very truly remarks that in the revelations of the earlier of these Saints, the mystic doctrines of the Sacred Heart are presented more especially for the guidance and edification of the chosen few, especially of the inmates of the cloister, called to the more hidden life. On the other hand, the cult of the Sacred Heart in these last three centuries has become, and is becoming daily more and more, the common property of all the children of the Church, of the laity as well as of the clergy and the religious, of the working man and woman as well as of the theologian, and even of the little children as well as of Christians of mature years. And that recent form of it to which I have alluded above the Enthronement in the home, whether the palace or the cottage has further widened it to become the property and the privilege not merely of the individual soul, but of the whole Christian family. May every reader of these pages pray for her who in the midst of grave sickness and pain during her last illness compiled them out of her abounding love to the Sacred Heart of our Blessed Lord.
+ Bishop Louis Charles Casartelli, Diocese of Salford, England, Octave of the Epiphany, 1922
Introductory
The Revelations to Saint Mechtilde
Chapter 1 – The Book of Special Grace
The Revelations of Saint Mechtilde are contained in a book entitled The Book of Special Grace. This book was written almost entirely without her knowledge, and is based on the recitation of her communications with our divine Master. Two of the Saint’s companions, of whom Saint Gertrude was one, had arranged together to write it. It was nearly finished when Saint Mechtilde became aware of it. While she was hearing Mass a mysterious voice made one of the culprits known to her and at the same time asked her this question: “What shall be her reward for what she has written?” Very much astonished Saint Mechtilde asked her friend if she had been in the habit of writing down what she told her. She, not wanting to acknowledge it, made some excuse, telling the Saint to ask our Lord about it. Saint Mechtilde, having thus been made aware of the truth, was so grieved as to be inconsolable. She therefore went to our Lord, her ordinary refuge, and told Him confidingly of her sorrow. Our Lord appeared to her at once, holding the book on His Heart with His right hand. He kissed it, and said to her: “All that is found written in this book has flowed from My divine Heart, and will return to it.”
Saint Mechtilde asked our Lord if now she should cease communicating to others the graces she received from God. Our Lord answered: “Give Me to others with the liberality of My generous Heart. Give Me to others according to My goodness and not according to thine.” She answered: “What will they do with this book after my death and what good will result from its being written?” The Lord replied: “All those that seek Me therein with a true heart shall rejoice; those that love Me will be more inflamed with My love; and those in sorrow shall be consoled.” Mechtilde again asked what name the book should bear, and our Lord answered: “They shall call it The Book of Special Grace.”
So our Lord Himself approved of the book being written and also watched over it, so that no error should appear in it.
One day Mechtilde, remembering this book, asked our Lord this question: “How am I to know whether what they have written is correct, as I have neither seen nor approved of it; and even if I read it carefully now, I could not be sure if I remembered correctly?” Our Lord replied: “I am in the hearts of those who hear you and I execute their desires. I am their understanding as they listen, and it is through Me they are able to comprehend what you say. I am also in their mouth, when they speak of it. I guide their hands, when they write it. I am their Helper and co-operator in all, and so, in Me and by Me, who am the Truth, all that they dictate and write is true. The elegance of style with which I speak to you is wanting, but by My grace, all is approved and confirmed in the truth, you have so often besought Me never to allow you to fall into any error, that you have good reason to believe that, in My goodness, I have heard Your prayer.” She then saw three rays of light from the divine Heart fall on the two persons who wrote this book, and understood from this that it was by the inspiration and strength of divine grace that they devoted themselves to this work, and that therefore they generously accepted all the fatigue that came to them from it.
The book could therefore be finished and would do great good to souls. Mechtilde’s two friends congratulated themselves and thanked our Lord…. ” Blessed be God, the Author of all good; it is by His Will and blessing that this book is published. It is by no private design nor presumption in those who have written, but by the advice and command of their Abbess and with the approval of their Bishop.
“May we be forgiven the mistakes in composition and in elegance of style which will be met with; we are not accustomed to writing, and Saint Augustine says: A characteristic of a good mind is to love the truth in the words, not the words themselves.'” (Prologue.)
The servant of God was moreover able to obtain the book, correct it and give it her sanction. It was not, however, without great resistance on the part of her two companions, who constantly refused to allow her to see it from fear of causing her pain. Our Lord had once more to interfere, and He reassured Saint Mechtilde, saying to her: ” Fear not, all comes from Me, all is My work. I gave you the gift, and as it comes from Me, it is also just as truly by My inspiration that Your companions have undertaken and carried on this work. So, fear not and be not alarmed, I will Myself preserve this book from all error. Every word that has been written has been dictated by the Holy Spirit, and all are as pearls that shall adorn their crown in My eyes eternally.”
From this time the two friends, reassured by this vision, showed the book to Saint Mechtilde whenever she wished it, or they read it to her faithfully. In doubtful passages the Saint consulted our Lord, and so He corrected it Himself.
After Saint Mechtilde’s death Saint Gertrude saw her in glory, and asked if she were pleased or otherwise with the publication of this book. “It is my greatest joy,” she replied. “I see it will contribute to the glory of God, to the fulfillment of His will, and to my neighbours good. The book shall also be named The Light of the Church. They who read it shall recognize themselves in the brightness of the light. They will see by what spirit they are animated. The sorrowful shall find in it consolation.” The Saint compared the readers of this book to those who should receive a present from a King through a messenger. They would possess and reap as much benefit as if they had received the gift direct from the King’s hand.
Such was the origin of the Book of Special Grace. It would be impossible to tell the history of its beginning more simply or to establish better its truth and worth. Its composition extended over several years. It was begun in 1291, when Mechtilde was fifty years of age. It could only have been finished shortly before her death, which took place in 1298. Saint Gertrude, who was one of the collaborators, had begun her own book, The Herald of Divine Love, the 25th of March, 1289, so that these two admirable works date from the same time.
They are both incomparable treasures of doctrine on the Sacred Heart, for rarely before and never since have the relations of the divine Heart with the other divine Persons or with the souls of men been treated of so fully or with so much exactness and brilliancy.
From this treasure we are going to drink deeply. But first let us cast a glance at the holy soul who thus reveals to us the secrets of the divine Heart, Our faith in her words will surely be the firmer.
Chapter 2 – Life of Saint Mechtilde
The first and final chapter of the Book of Grace had been carefully hidden from Saint Mechtilde’s sight. Her humility would certainly have taken alarm at the praises there bestowed on her. These pages, though too few, are enough to make us appreciate her great virtues. We will here give the principal details.
The first chapter begins as follows:
This virgin was from her earliest infancy prevented by divine grace. At her birth, as it was feared that she was about to expire, they carried her in haste to be baptized by a priest of great holiness who was just preparing to celebrate the Holy Mass. After baptizing her he pronounced these words which we love to think prophetic: “Why do you fear? This child will not die, but will become a holy religious. By her God will work great wonders and she will finish her life at a good old age, full of merits.” When she was seven years of age her mother took her to visit the convent which was near her parents residence. Once there she refused to leave, notwithstanding her mother’s desire for her to return home. Full of delight, she begged the Sisters, one by one, to receive her into their company; and neither threats nor coaxing could move her to leave them.
What do we know of the family that the Saint deserted at so early an age, and what of the monastery in which she had come to bury her young life?
Mechtilde belonged to the family of Hackborn. She was born in 1241. The monastery into which she entered in 1248 was at that time at Rodarsdorf in the vicinity of her parent’s chateau. In 1258 this monastery was transferred to Helfta, on land which was given by her brothers the Lords Albert and Ludwig of Hackborn. This monastery was near the small town of Eisleben in Saxony, where, two centuries later, Luther was born.
Saint Mechtilde advanced rapidly from virtue to virtue. “She had a wonderfully sweet disposition, profoundly humble, most patient, a sincere lover of poverty, and very fervent and devoted. But it was especially in her love for God and her neighbour that she made the greatest progress; she showed herself pleased and amiable to all, full of tender compassion towards the afflicted or those in trouble. She was like a loving mother to those, showering on them consolation and help, and so no one went near her without being comforted and strengthened. She was much loved by all. Everyone wanted to be with her, and this often caused her some inconvenience.”
So perfect a religious must have been a treasure in the Convent of Helfta. Not only had God enriched her with spiritual gifts, but also with those of nature learning, a wide knowledge of literature, a beautiful voice, everything that could make her useful to the monastery. It seemed as if God would not allow her to want for anything. Her beautiful voice caused her to be appointed Cantor to the Convent. Many times she gained by her singing what she prized more than the applause of men, the approval of her divine Spouse, to whom she had entirely consecrated her voice. She also had charge of the School, where Saint Gertrude soon became one of her pupils. “She taught Christian doctrine with such efficiency that we have never had, and fear we never shall have, anyone in our Monastery to equal her. The Sisters gathered around her as around a preacher to hear the word of God. She dictated and taught them prayers, and they were so numerous that if gathered together they would make a larger book than all the psalms.
“Besides all this she was a perfect religious ready to renounce her own will and full of self-contempt, prompt in obedience, zealous for prayer and contemplation; she also had the gift of tears. She so practiced poverty as to refuse herself even what was necessary. It was only through obedience that she possessed a mantle, and her other garments were made of the commonest materials and mended and patched all over. Being immersed in the love of our divine Lord she so forgot herself that she lost the use of her exterior senses, as we read of Saint Bernard. She ate rotten eggs without perceiving it and before those near her could prevent it. Sometimes, when visitors were at the Monastery and she had refused to eat meat, they gave it to her and she ate it, until from their laughter she saw something unusual had occurred and came to herself.
“This great lover of suffering mortified her body for the conversion of sinners. During Lent, hearing the people shouting and singing, she felt consumed with zeal for God’s honour and also touched with great compassion. To offer God some small reparation she placed pieces of broken glass and other sharp objects in her bed and rolled on them until her flesh was torn and she was covered with wounds and blood; the pain afterwards prevented her from either sitting or lying down. During Passiontide she was so full of compassion she could not speak of the sufferings of Christ without shedding tears. When she spoke either of the sufferings or of the love of Christ she was filled with such fervour that her face and hands became quite red. And we think that she very often shed her blood spiritually for the love of Christ”.
In enumerating her virtues Mechtilde’s companions often compared her with the different orders of Saints and Angels. They said: “This angelic virgin deserves to be compared above all with the Seraphim; united so frequently, in an intimate manner, with that love which is God Himself; and clasped with so much affection to His Heart, so full of fire, she became one spirit with Him.” She was never tired of speaking of God, and with so much fervour and divine Love that she enkindled the same in the hearts of all who heard her. Indeed, one might say of her, as of the Prophet Elias, that her words ” burnt like a torch.”
When did Mechtilde receive the first confidences of the Sacred Heart? We are told by her companions that, from her earliest infancy, God commenced to reveal His secrets to her, but she says that one of the first graces she received was the gift of the Sacred Heart. So we may conclude, that for many years, if not all her life, she had had a true devotion to this worthy object of our love. Our Blessed Lord not only revealed to her His Sacred Heart, but He would place it as a pledge in the breast of His holy Spouse. She de scribes the event in these words: “On Wednesday in Easter Week hearing at Mass the words Venite benedicti Patris mei, she was filled with a sweet and extraordinary joy and said to our Lord: Oh that I may be one of those blessed souls who shall hear those sweet words from Your mouth. Our Lord replied: “You may be very sure you wilt be, and to prove it, I give you My Heart to keep always, and only to be given back to Me when I shall have fulfilled Your desire. I give you My Heart as a place of refuge; at the hour of Your death it will be impossible for you to lose thyself on any other road, you wilt only have My Heart wherein to rest eternally.”
This gift was the forerunner of many she was to receive from God. She began to have a very great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ; whenever our Lord appeared to her she nearly always received some special favour from His Heart, as may be seen from many places in this book. She often loved to say: “If all the graces that have come to me from the Sacred Heart of Jesus were written down, a book larger than a Breviary would not suffice in which to narrate them.”
Chapter 3 – Saint Mechtilde’s Mission
As far back as the thirteenth century the Sacred Heart enriched this chosen soul with His most extraordinary favours. Like the well-beloved Apostle, Mechtilde often leaned her head on the breast of the Man-God. She drank from the same source as that from which the Apostle had drawn the floods of truth contained in his Gospel. She had free entrance into this sanctuary of perfect praise. She found in this shrine the treasures of all graces and also that of divine love, and her heart was filled with the fire which inflamed the Seraphim. Also she received the Sacred Heart itself in some mysterious way, and bore it in her breast until her death.
In the wonderful favours granted by God to this humble daughter of Saint Benedict He had special designs. No doubt He wished to manifest His marvelous condescension. He loves to lower Himself towards souls who sink into their own nothingness, but He wished also to give Mechtilde special tokens of His liberality, so that she might be received as the accredited messenger of His Sacred Heart. The writing of the Book of Special Grace was not the result of a little pious indiscretion, but a providential fact, instigated by our Lord Himself. Several times He intervened to calm the fears of the humble Benedictine, to guide the pen of her companions, or to give to the entire book His formal approbation, affirming that all contained therein had originated in His divine Heart. He also declared that that Heart would bless those who on reading this book became enamoured of the gift of special grace.
We must, however, make one remark. Mechtilde did not receive any mission to convert souls, but only to enlighten those to whom the Sacred Heart had made itself known. As the prophets of the ancient law were only sent to the people of Israel, so the Virgin of Helfta was only sent to the privileged friends of the Sacred Heart. The devotion to this adorable Heart was for three centuries to be the reward of the perfect. Even the title of the book and the kind of grace of which it records the marvels indicate this restriction. It is the Book of Special Grace. That of universal grace was only to appear in the seventeenth century, and was also inspired by the Sacred Heart and written by the timid hand of Margaret Mary.
All are now called to know the Sacred Heart. The Book of Special Grace must henceforth be known by the second name given it by Saint Mechtilde, The Light of the Church: Liber namque ille Lumen Ecclesiae vocabitur, a prophecy which is fulfilled in our days. Thanks to the labours of the Benedictine Fathers of Solesmes, there is now a new translation of Saint Mechtilde’s works, which gives pious readers the opportunity of tasting the sweetness and unction contained in them. Their doctrinal value is admirably described by the translator as follows: “The mystery of the Incarnation holds the first place, or rather is seen and felt, in all its manifestations. The Man-God is not only Saviour but Mediator between God and man. And what strong incentive caused His intervention and led Him to carry out this role even to the end? It was love. Yes, love which is charity, and charity which is God Himself (John 4:8). Love in human form seized upon the Son of God and caused Him to descend into the womb of a virgin-daughter of Adam; then, leading Him through the rough ways of poverty and suffering to the Cross on Calvary, raised Him up again, and followed Him to heaven, to the right hand of His Father, whence she always inclines the God head towards the children of earth…. The divine Heart is always seen to be a source of love and also of the operations of love. Mechtilde presents us with more pictures than Gertrude, and this applies to all her visions, which are nearly always represented to us under a more sensible form than those of Saint Gertrude. What is more delightful or lovingly divine than the gift our Lord made of His Heart to Mechtilde, as a pledge which He would require of her at the moment of death, and this promise made to all: “I will drink of all the hearts who drink of Mine”?
The works of Saint Mechtilde raise the veil which here below hides the Sacred Heart from our longing gaze. We might also state, though that is out of our province, that their literary beauty is of a very high order. Dante was several times inspired by the Book of Special Grace, and the question is discussed to-day whether a person introduced into the Divina Commedia under the name of Matelda is not intended to be the Virgin of Helfta. We may leave this question to the decision of the learned, and for ourselves gather together all the passages wherein the Sacred Heart speaks to us in the Book of Special Grace.
The Rev. Dom Paquelin marks the different divisions to which we can devote our attention:
1. The dispositions of the Heart of Jesus from the moment when in the bosom of the Father He was seized by love and cast into the womb of Mary to the day when He returned triumphant to heaven.
2. The relations of the Sacred Heart with each one of us in the mysteries of grace and of the Holy Eucharist.
3. Our acts of worship towards the Sacred Heart. A summary of these extracts would form a very complete code of doctrine of the Sacred Heart. So that the first pages of this book might be called A Sixteenth Century Treatise on Devotion to the Sacred Heart.
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| Archbishop Viganò: Finding La Salette - Consecration at the Top of the World |
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Posted by: Stone - 06-03-2023, 05:23 AM - Forum: Archbishop Viganò
- Replies (2)
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Introduction by Michael Matt
“Rome will lose the Faith and become seat of the Antichrist.” These foreboding words form the most controversial part of the message of Our Lady of La Salette, delivered in 1846 to little Maximin Giraud and Mélanie Calvat in La Salette-Fallavaux, France.
Though the message includes not a few hope-filled promises of heavenly intervention and even divine protection, it is described as “Our Lady’s Apocalypse” for a reason. It is not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, it was officially approved by the Church, and the Basilica of Notre-Dame de La Salette was designated as such by Pope Leo XIII. Alas, even this was not enough to prevent La Salette – the message and the seer – from becoming the subject of a brutal campaign of opposition that began almost immediately after the little cowherders had first encountered Our Lady silently weeping in their mountain pasture.
Given that Our Lady of La Salette had come to warn the world against corrupt churchmen who would betray her Son, it is hardly surprising that there was a massive push, initiated by the Modernists, to discredit and bury Our Lady of La Salette.
However, given the startling manner in which Our Lady’s warnings have become our horrific reality today, we decided to stand with Our Lady against her detractors by traveling up into the French Alps after this year’s successful Pilgrimage to Chartres to consecrate ourselves, our families, and our nations to Our Lady of La Salette.
On June 3, 2023, I led some 50 Americans up the mountain in La Salette, where Remnant Tours chaplain, Fr. Anthony Dorsa, led us all in praying the following Act of Consecration, which was written by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano specifically for this occasion. MJM
✠ ✠ ✠
Act of Consecration and Reparation to Mary Most Holy, Queen and Mother of the Church
at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of La Salette
O August Queen, Most Holy Mother of God and Mother of the Church, Our Lady, our Hope, Help of Christians, to whose name the hosts of Angels bow down and the infernal hordes withdraw in terror: kneeling at the foot of your throne we invoke You, and we ask You to listen to our prayer
Tormented by the grave apostasy which strikes a mortal blow against humanity and by the crisis which afflicts the members of the Mystical Body of your Son, [in these places blessed by your apparition to Mélanie and Maximin,] we consecrate ourselves, our homeland and the Holy Church to You, so that thanks to Your powerful intercession and by virtue of the merits of Your compassion and co-redemption, You may deign to implore the divine Majesty to spare us from the punishments that loom over the world and over nations.
We offer our nothingness to You, aware that we are completely indebted to Your Divine Son; to you we entrust and consecrate ourselves, our families, and our loved ones, so that every breath of ours, every beat of our heart may be an act of praise to the One who as a provident and most loving Mother has so often admonished and called us to correspond to the infinite Love of our Creator and Redeemer by a virtuous life following the Commandments. Protect us in this terrible battle against the Enemy of the human race, who seems to be unleashed today as never before in order to snatch souls from Heaven whom Jesus Christ has redeemed at the price of His Most Precious Blood.
To you we offer and consecrate our homeland, begging you to implore for it the Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ. Grant us good and holy rulers, who will govern the nation according to justice and respect for the Law of God. Inspire in them the strength to resist the snares of our enemies, the courage to fight them fiercely, and the humility to place all hope in Our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom all earthly power belongs. Obtain for the United States of America protection and defense from the furious assault of Satan: may Your virginal foot crush the head of the ancient Serpent and thwart the infernal plans of his servants. Hear the prayer of so many good souls and spare America, as you spared the inhabitants of the repentant city of Nineveh.
To You, Queen and Mother of the Church, we consecrate the Spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and in particular the Hierarchy and the Ministers of Your Son: remove from us the scourges that [here] in La Salette you announced as impending on all of us all because of their infidelity. Confirm in your love the clergy and religious who have remained faithful to your Son, and move to true conversion those who afflict his Most Sacred Heart with their sins, scandals, and sacrileges. Let the Holy City of Rome rediscover the Faith and be a beacon of Truth for all nations, and not – as you have revealed – the seat of the Antichrist. O Mary, our Advocate, offer to the Most Holy Trinity the sacrifices, penance and fasts that so many of your children carry out in union with the Passion of the Lord Jesus. May the voice of the many priests who are persecuted because of their fidelity to the Gospel rise to the throne of God’s Majesty, as well as the voice of the faithful who, thanks to them, are able to feed on the Bread of Angels and sanctify themselves through the Holy Sacraments. May the Graces of which you are the Mediatrix descend upon all of them, upon all of us.
Finally, accept, as reparation for our sins, the sins of the Nations, and the sins of your Son’s Ministers, our humble act of submission, by which we proclaim and acknowledge You as our Queen and Lady, and Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and King. Preserve us in Your love, accompany us with Your intercession during this earthly exile, and welcome us into the blessed glory of Heaven. And so may it be.
+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop
Beatæ Mariæ Virginis Reginæ
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