Day 14 - Wk 1 - seeking true knowledge of self

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MariaChristi

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Both the Mass Readings for today, and the Reading for the Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Prayer, are helpful to us in our seeking true knowledge of ourselves. In both we are urged to look within ourselves to the crucial center of our hearts. In the reading from Isaiah 1:16-18 in the Liturgy of the Hours, we hear:
Wash yourselves clean!
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In the First Reading at Mass from Hosea 6: 1-6, we hear:
Come, let us return to the LORD,
it is He who has rent, but he will heal us;
he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds…
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There is this mysterious working of both the heart which strives to know ourselves, and the work of the Holy Spirit who is working within us to convict us of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. (cf Jn 16: 8-11) Jesus shows us in today’s Gospel examples of the pharisee and the publican. We hear them speaking from the fullness of their hearts. As we listen to both we need to look into our own hearts and determine, who am I before God? I can only speak for myself, but with the publican I cry out, “Lord be merciful to me a sinner”. But that is not all I need to do. There needs to be further prayer to the Holy Spirit to uncover in me the sins I need to battle further. There needs to be further prayer to Mary, to obtain that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of self-knowledge. As St. Louis de Montfort encourages us:
  1. During the first week they should offer up all their prayers and acts of devotion to acquire knowledge of themselves and sorrow for their sins. Let them perform all their actions in a spirit of humility … They will ask our Lord and the Holy Spirit to enlighten them saying, “Lord, that I may see,” or “Lord, let me know myself,” or the “Come, Holy Spirit”. Every day they should say the Litany of the Holy Spirit, with the prayer that follows, as indicated in the first part of this work. They will turn to our Blessed Lady and beg her to obtain for them that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of self-knowledge. For this intention they will say each day the Ave Maris Stella and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.
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Litany of the Holy Spirit - HERE
Ave Maris Stella - HERE
Litany of the Blessed Virgin - HERE
 
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