Mar. 7 - Wk 1- Day 4 of our journey

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today, we continue our week of seeking “that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of self-knowledge.” St. Teresa of Avila and St. Thomas Aquinas may help us understand more:

St. Teresa defined humility as the truth. She writes: “Once I was considering why Our Lord was so fond of the virtue of humility.” She went on to say that she understood through divine illumination that “since God is the supreme Truth, and humility is to walk in truth, it is crucial not to have ourselves in high regard but to see that we are misery and nothing; and he who does not understand that is living a lie.”

For his part, St. Thomas Aquinas says that the truth of humility, “regards chiefly the subjection of man to God, for Whose sake he humbles himself by subjecting himself to others.” These are words from saints who learned from the Lord to live His Truth, so we do not want to take their words lightly. Nevertheless, neither do we want to become saddened by our own unworthiness. The Responsorial Psalm for today’s Mass helps us to remember the tenderness of God who has regard for lowliness:

Responsorial Psalm PS 34

R… From all their distress God rescues the just.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.

R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him…

R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

Let us pray fervently, with attention and devotion; and with growing Faith, Hope and above all Love:

Litany of the Holy Spirit is HERE
Ave Maris Stella is HERE
Litany of the Blessed Virgin is HERE

 

[patricius79]

Thanks, dear sister, MariaChristi.

Yes, especially for those who may suffer from anxiety/scrupulosity or depression or similar problems, we don’t want to become “too filled with wretchedness about ourselves”, as Dame Julian of Norwich said.

My prayer is to see my broken self in the light of our Lord’s Infinite Mercy in Mary, where he is–as St. Louis says–most present to us, concerned for our well-being, and sympathetic with our weaknesses.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks, dear sister, MariaChristi.

Yes, especially for those who may suffer from anxiety/scrupulosity or depression or similar problems, we don’t want to become “too filled with wretchedness about ourselves”, as Dame Julian of Norwich said.

My prayer is to see my broken self in the light of our Lord’s Infinite Mercy in Mary, where he is–as St. Louis says–most present to us, concerned for our well-being, and sympathetic with our weaknesses.

Thanks, brother Pat,

Mercy and Justice are One in God, but we can sometimes overemphasize one or the other. The Holy Spirit is sent to bring us into ALL truth and so by His Light we begin to see the light of “true self-knowledge”. How Good God is!