Mar. 18 - Wk 3 - Day 1 - "Seeking to understand Jesus Christ better."

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today begins the final week of our 33 day Journey, to give ourselves for the first time or to renew again our Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, on March 25. In his treatise on “True Devotion” St. Louis de Montfort wrote:
  1. During the third week they should seek to understand Jesus Christ better. They may read and meditate on what we have already said about Him. They may say the prayer of St. Augustine which they will find at the beginning of the second part of this book. Again with St. Augustine, they may pray repeatedly, “Lord, that I may know you,” or “Lord, that I may see.” As during the previous week, they should recite the Litany of the Holy Spirit and the Ave Maris Stella, adding every day the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.
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Please note the word “may”. St. Louis suggests, but does not insist on “many prayers” rather he is wanting us to pray well with attention and devotion. He suggests we read what he has written but does not pressure us to read a lot. We spent last week seeking to understand Mary and she gave sound advice: to do what Jesus tells us, so let us listen to today’s Gospel, and pray the Litany to the Holy Spirit, the Ave Maris Stella, and the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.
Gospel (Luke Luk 6: 36 - 38):

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
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Litany of the Holy Spirit HERE
Ave Maris Stella HERE
Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus HERE
 
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THE IMITATION OF CHRIST

THE FIRST BOOK

ADMONITIONS PROFITABLE FOR THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

CHAPTER I

Of the imitation of Christ, and of contempt of the world and all
its vanities

He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
(1) saith the Lord. These are the words of Christ; and they teach us how far
we must imitate His life and character, if we seek true
illumination, and deliverance from all blindness of heart. Let
it be our most earnest study, therefore, to dwell upon the life
of Jesus Christ.
  1. His teaching surpasseth all teaching of holy men, and such as
    have His Spirit find therein the hidden manna.(2) But there are
    many who, though they frequently hear the Gospel, yet feel but
    little longing after it, because they have not the mind of
    Christ. He, therefore, that will fully and with true wisdom
    understand the words of Christ, let him strive to conform his
    whole life to that mind of Christ.
  2. What doth it profit thee to enter into deep discussion
    concerning the Holy Trinity, if thou lack humility, and be thus
    displeasing to the Trinity? For verily it is not deep words that
    make a man holy and upright; it is a good life which maketh a man
    dear to God. I had rather feel contrition than be skilful in the
    definition thereof. If thou knewest the whole Bible, and the
    sayings of all the philosophers, what should all this profit thee
    without the love and grace of God? Vanity of vanities, all is
    vanity, save to love God, and Him only to serve. That is the
    highest wisdom, to cast the world behind us, and to reach forward
    to the heavenly kingdom.
  3. It is vanity then to seek after, and to trust in, the riches
    that shall perish. It is vanity, too, to covet honours, and to
    lift up ourselves on high. It is vanity to follow the desires of
    the flesh and be led by them, for this shall bring misery at the
    last. It is vanity to desire a long life, and to have little
    care for a good life. It is vanity to take thought only for the
    life which now is, and not to look forward to the things which
    shall be hereafter. It is vanity to love that which quickly
    passeth away, and not to hasten where eternal joy abideth.
  4. Be ofttimes mindful of the saying,(3) The eye is not satisfied
    with seeing, nor the ear with hearing. Strive, therefore, to
    turn away thy heart from the love of the things that are seen,
    and to set it upon the things that are not seen. For they who
    follow after their own fleshly lusts, defile the conscience, and
    destroy the grace of God.
(1) John viii. 12. (2) Revelations ii. 17.

Thomas A Kempis
Peace
 
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Dear hazcompat,

Thanks for the quote from Thomas a Kempis’ beautiful classic, “The Imitation of Christ”. He shares in this book, many similar graces of self-knowledge that St. Louis de Montfort and other saints have pointed to in their writings. That is why classics are so good to read.

Earlier today, praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, I was remembering Phil 2: 1-11 in which we are exhorted to have the “Mind of Christ” in us. Thomas a Kempis seems mindful of that passage of Scripture in writing the following on earnest study of Christ’s life :
  1. His teaching surpasseth all teaching of holy men, and such as
    have His Spirit find therein the hidden manna.(2) But there are
    many who, though they frequently hear the Gospel, yet feel but
    little longing after it, because they have not the mind of
    Christ.     He, therefore, that will fully and with true wisdom
    understand the words of Christ, let him strive to conform his
    whole life to that mind of Christ. (I put some words in bold for emphasis)
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St. Paul wrote :
If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions, make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

The Attitude of Christ

Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ( Phil 2: 1-11) - American Standard Version
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In pondering the Agony in the Garden, it seemed to me very much as Thomas a Kempis wrote – few of us truly have the mind of Christ. Do we empty ourselves as Christ did? Do we say as Our Mother did: “Be it done unto me” or do we, on the contrary, – like our first parents – listen to the lies of Satan and the world who oppose Jesus and Mary? Only by God’s Grace and by earnest prayer for those graces we need, can we strive to conform our whole lives to that mind of Christ.

Ah but nothing is impossible with God. By His Grace let us persevere to the end. Please let us continue to pray for one another, for the Church and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy.
 
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