Dec 14 - Wk 1 - Day 5 - Memorial of St. John of the Cross

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Sorry I wrote wrong date yesterday, somehow I guess, I was still remembering Dec 12 as Mary’s Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe instead of remembering it was St. Lucy’s Feast on Dec. 13 - Gaudete Sunday!

Today is the Memorial of St. John of the Cross, who loved Mary, very much. One of his poems is so approriate for Advent that I intended to post it here this morning. Since I cannot locate it, I’ll try to post it later. The line I remember is something like :

When Bethlehem’s coldness bids you depart
O come to my heart, dearest virgin and Mother…( or words close to that) Come to my heart!

Let us continue today listening to St. Louis de Montfort’s words in True Devotion as we continue to seek humility and true knowledge of our own hearts!

1. Thirdly, we must choose among all the devotions to the Blessed Virgin the one which will lead us more surely to this dying to self. This devotion will be the best and the most sanctifying for us. For we must not believe that all that glitters is gold, all that is sweet is honey, or all that is easy to do and is done by the majority of people is the most sanctifying. Just as in nature there are secrets enabling us to do certain natural things quickly, easily and at little cost, so in the spiritual life there are secrets which enable us to perform works rapidly, smoothly and with facility. Such works are, for example, emptying ourselves of self-love, filling ourselves with God, and attaining perfection.

The devotion that I propose to explain is one of these secrets of grace, for it is unknown to most Christians. Only a few devout people know of it and it is practised and appreciated by fewer still. To begin the explanation of this devotion here is a fourth truth which is a consequence of the third.

Fourth principle: It is more humble to have an intermediary with Christ

1. It is more perfect because it supposes greater humility to approach God through a mediator rather than directly by ourselves. Our human nature, as I have just shown, is so spoilt that if we rely on our own work, effort and preparedness to reach God and please him, it is certain that our good works will be tainted and carry little weight with him. They will not induce him to unite himself to us or answer our prayers. God had his reasons for giving us mediators with him. He saw our unworthiness and helplessness and had pity on us. To give us access to his mercies he provided us with powerful advocates, so that to neglect these mediators and to approach his infinite holiness directly and without help from any one of them, is to be lacking in humility and respect towards God who is so great and holy. It would mean that we have less esteem for the King of kings than for an earthly king or ruler, for we would not dare approach an earthly king without a friend to speak for us.

Prayers to be offered daily in Week 1:
Litany to the Holy Spirit
Ave Maris Stella
Litany to the Blessed Virgin

 

[hazcompat]

Imitation of Christ : Book 1, Chapter 24​

Of Judgment, and the Punishment of Sinners

In all things look to the end; and how thou wilt stand before that strict Judge (Heb. 10:31) to whom nothing is hid, who is not appeased with gifts, nor admitteth excuses, but will judge according to right. O wretched and foolish sinner, who sometimes art in terror at the countenance of an angry man, what answer wilt thou make to God who knoweth all thy wickedness (Job 9:2)! Why dost thou not provide for thyself (Luke 16:9) against the day of judgement, when no man can be excused of defended by another, but every one shall be a sufficient burden for himself!

Luke 16:1—8​

The Crafty Steward

And he said also to his disciples: There was a certain rich man who had a steward: and the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said to him: How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship: for now thou canst be steward no longer. And the steward said within himself: What shall I do, because my lord taketh away from me the stewardship? To dig I am not able; to beg I am ashamed. I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. Therefore calling together every one of his lord’s debtors, he said to the first: How much dost thou owe my lord? But he said: An hundred barrels of oil. And he said to him: Take thy bill and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then he said to another: And how much dost thou owe? Who said: An hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him: Take thy bill, and write eighty. And the lord commended the unjust steward, forasmuch as he had done wisely: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I found the poem I was looking for:

The Wayfaring Virgin

The Wayfaring Virgin
Word in her womb
comes walking your way-
Haven’t you room for your Virgin and Mother?
Haven’t you room?
When Bethlehem’s coldness
bids her depart
O say to the virgin:
Come to my heart
with your heavenly burden
Come to my heart.

• St. John of the Cross

My first attempt was to look in my book of the Collected Works of St. John Of the Cross, but found only one poem I’d read before and though it was a sweet verse I knew it was not the one I sought. Finally, I found the one I was looking for it on another Forum. I thought I had posted it here on CAF but couldn’t find it so went back to CCF where I may have posted it months or years ago.

I thanked the Lord for helping me to find it! Now, I intend to make a copy and keep it in my Bible so I won’t forget where it is again. Truly, I hope you are blessed as much as I am each time I read it.

St. John of the Cross, suffered a great deal in his life as did St. Louis de Montfort, and many times from other priests who did not understand them, yet they persevered in their love for Jesus and Mary. St. John of the Cross eventually reformed with St. Teresa of Avila the Carmelite Order from the “Laxity” of their times back to the rigor of their origin.

St. Louis de Montfort was the founder of the Religious order of Montfort Priests (originally called the Company of Mary), as well as two Religious communities: The Daughters of Wisdom and the Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel.

Both men sought God’s Will through great self-sacrifice. and the beauty of their lives and writings continues in the Church today by God’s Holy Will – for all of us called to holiness. May we learn from them the Wisdom God taught them, and the love with which they lived the Truth they heard in His Holy Word through Mary’s intercession.

Come Holy Spirit - fill us with Your Love and Your Truth. Jesus we trust in You! Mary, Mother and Model for the Church, pray for us.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Thanks for your reply. Certainly, we all ned to be mindful and “…look to the end and how we will stand before God”. That is another reason for being grateful for Jesus’ gift of Mary to us – from His Cross. He knows our sins and weaknesses but He tells us along with John His disciple:

Behold your Mother

Jesus knew that by God’s Grace we could “see” in her our Mother and Model for the Church. He had given her such a wondrous share of His Love for us that she would help us to love Him in return.

The parable of the “crafty steward” reminds us also, that while we have time, we need to heed Mary’s words: “Do whatever He tells you”. We need to "see"and “hear” Jesus, in the Gospel and ponder all He said and did, even as Mary our Mother pondered all in her heart.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat and Greenfields,

Thanks for your “hearts”, to witness with me and others to God’s Great love and Faithfulness to His Promises. God promised a Savior and Jesus came. Jesus promised that if we ask we would receive and He continues to share His Love with all who ask and receive; seek and find and keep knocking on the door until He opens for us.

Let us in the coming days, before Christmas especially but through all our lives on earth, keep inviting Mary into our hearts, as St. John of the Cross did, for Mary continues to carry Jesus to us.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Greenfields,

Thank you for an additional sign of your “heart” giving witness again to God’s Love – giving Mary to us that we might “see” by Supernatural Faith, what a gift she is for us!