Your presence is all around me,
And Your glory shines forth
From even the smallest of Your creation.
If I were to feel Your effects all day long
I would live in tears,
Rejoicing with tearful gladness,
And weeping, conscious of my deserts.
So I avert my gaze from these flowers of love
That I may carry on
Keeping my feet anchored on earth,
Though my soul would have me take flight
And keep company with the angels.
My spirit strains upward
As over and above all
I reach for You in humility of heart,
Worn out by Your mercies,
Never tiring in Your consolation.
Come Holy Spirit!
Make Your home in me
With customary gentleness.
From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot Let us make haste to our brethren who are awaiting us.
Why should our praise and glorification, or even the celebration of this feast day mean anything to the saints? What do they care about earthly honors when their heavenly Father honors them by fulfilling the faithful promise of the Son? What does our commendation mean to them? The saints have no need of honor from us; neither does our devotion add the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them. But I tell you, when I think of them, I feel myself inflamed by a tremendous yearning.
Calling the saints to mind inspires, or rather arouses in us, above all else, a longing to enjoy their company, so desirable in itself. We long to share in the citizenship of heaven, to dwell with the spirits of the blessed, to join the assembly of patriarchs, the ranks of the prophets, the council of apostles, the great host of martyrs, the noble company of confessors and the choir of virgins. In short, we long to be united in happiness with all the saints. But our dispositions change. The Church of all the first followers of Christ awaits us, but we do nothing about it. The saints want us to be with them, and we are indifferent. The souls of the just await us, and we ignore them.
Come, brothers, let us at length spur ourselves on. We must rise again with Christ, we must seek the world which is above and set our mind on the things of heaven. Let us long for those who are longing for us, hasten to those who are waiting for us, and ask those who look for our coming to intercede for us. We should not only want to be with the saints, we should also hope to possess their happiness. While we desire to be in their company, we must also earnestly seek to share in their glory. Do not imagine that there is anything harmful in such an ambition as this; there is no danger in setting our hearts on such glory.
When we commemorate the saints we are inflamed with another yearning: that Christ our life may also appear to us as he appeared to them and that we may one day share in his glory. Until then we see him, not as he is, but as he became for our sake. He is our head, crowned, not with glory, but with the thorns of our sins. As members of that head, crowned with thorns, we should be ashamed to live in luxury; his purple robes are a mockery rather than an honor. When Christ comes again, his death shall no longer be proclaimed, and we shall know that we also have died, and that our life is hidden with him. The glorious head of the Church will appear and his glorified members will shine in splendor with him, when he forms this lowly body anew into such glory as belongs to himself, its head.
Therefore, we should aim at attaining this glory with a wholehearted and prudent desire. That we may rightly hope and strive for such blessedness, we must above all seek the prayers of the saints. Thus, what is beyond our own powers to obtain will be granted through their intercession.
The Saints are longing for us,
Longing that we share their glory.
No harm in such ambition,
Says Bernard.
This glory is to be spread abroad
By God’s sovereignty
And generosity.
This glory is none other
Than the glory in which the Father
Robed His dying Son.
It is now reflected in His Saints,
Who in life picked up their cross,
And followed Him upon their knees.
The battle they fought on Earth now is ours.
They continue with us,
The Church Triumphant,
Pleading for the Church Militant.
Blessed are those who were poor in spirit,
Who were merciful, loving their enemies,
Who mourned and who were persecuted,
Who were pure of heart,
And sought peace
Through the wood of the Cross.
Blessed are all those gathered
To the Father’s bosom.
Blessed are they and generous,
Interceding for the saints,
As they look for us to follow in their steps.
Brothers and Sisters,
Radiant in glory,
Beam forth Christ.
All happiness to His Saints
Rewarded now and forever.
All glory to the Father,
The Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen!
Mary is not a Co-redeemer, or co- redemptrix, …
Mary is not god, she is Not the saviour of the World…
Jesus christ Alone is the saviour of the world,
NO ONE comes to the father i.e.. God, But by Him,,
Acts 4:12
You need to get yourself a bible…preferably a king james bible and get a ‘reality’ check up..!!
Jesus christ Alone is the saviour of the world,
NO ONE comes to the father i.e.. God, But by Him,,
Acts 4:12
The pre-fix “co” means “with”
Luke 1: 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit”
Matt 2:1111After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Mary was the instrument of God’s chosing, whose consent God asked and honored. She is no more or less than the instrument God used to bring about Salvation when sending His Son into the world. Jesus spend 30 years with her and looked down upon her from His Cross when his friends had abandoned Him.
Jesus Christ is the sole Author of Salvation, which he purchased with HIS Blood on the Cross.
Two Other Persons participated big time in authoring Salvation and that is presented in Genesis. All Three Person are the One and Only God. Mary is not God. Mary is His lowly handmaid as she herself proclaims in all humility. What a glorious instrument in the Hands of God!
Mary, Virgin, Mother of God,
The perfectly fashioned,
And tuned instrument,
A violin,
In the hands of God,
As He plays His music
For the Son.
Mary is never described as Mother of God in the Scriptures.
The 3 magi did not worship Mary though..
You are right when you say Mary is not God and that the 3 magi did not worship Mary, neither do Catholics! According to the Catholic Church “latare” is the worship we offer only to God. “dulia” is reverence we give to those we should honor according to their office and mertit, and hyper-dulia the the reverence we owe Mary for her unique role according to God’s plan and Word. The Church is very careful in how it carries out the commandment to “honor your mother and father” as was Jesus who rightly honored His mother though He was also her God and her Son.
I do not disrespect Mary…But I will not venerate her, or attempt to pray to her, or in her name….
I agree that mary was a chosen vessel unto God,…But Mary said herself, that whatever jesus says…
that Do,…
but the catholic so called church does not do that.
I really think that not having anything to do with the catholic so called church is the best course of action..
stick to what the Bible says…
I hope you will not take offence when I say that….
Be careful when you disrespect the Catholic Church. They gave us the New Testament scriptures which we both venerate i.e. hold in high regard.
We certainly agree with Mary as she said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” I can only assume that you would agree that Jesus obeyed the commandments His Father gave and more than any other person, most perfectly, honored his motheer (4th commandment) Honor:Synonyms:
verb: honour, respect, esteem, venerate, revere, dignify
noun: honour, credit, respect, homage, dignity, glory The Catholic Church seeks only to imitate Christ in this and no more honor given to His mother is possible. If we can imitate Jesus in this we will be honoring the command Mary gave the servants.
I seriously doubt whether Jesus actually needed to learn anything at all from Mary..
She was born a sinner, died a sinner,
she did not die a virgin,…and she does not have it in her power to save anyone…
Mary was a disciple of jesus christ, and had to believe in jesus christ as lord, and saviour, to be saved herself…
which of course meant she would have had to acknowledge/repent of her sins, just like any other person..
Mary was indeed a blessed person,
but she was Not God, and Not to be prayed to.
(Not that I believe it possible to pray to Mary )…
Have you ever spent 9 months contemplating a single, solitary word? We’ll, Mary did! That word was “the Word”, spoken by God before all Ages for the glory of God and the Salvation on Man. That Word was taking flesh from her flesh and drawing nourishment fro her blood. Such is the Mystery of the Christ’s meekness and humility, coming forth according to the Father’s Will.
Mary “contemplated these things in her heart.”
In everything, “Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit.” Her “fiat” welcomed and began the unfolding of a divine mystery that now embraces us to be with God in the evangelization of all peoples throughout Time unto Eternity.
It’s time once again forSunday Snippets. We are Catholic bloggers sharing weekly our best posts with one another. Join us to read and/or contribute. To participate, go to your blog and create a post titled Sunday Snippets–A Catholic Carnival. Make sure that the post links back to here, and leave a link to your snippets post on our host, RAnn’s, site, This, That and the Other Thing.
Do you have any suggestions regarding the Rosary? Books? Audios? Ways to pray it? My Answer:
My very favorite way to pray the rosary is a scriptural rosary in which each Hail Mary is preceded by a scripture verse pertaining to the mystery being prayed. You get the picture immediately that this powerful prayer is Christ-centered and Salvation-centered; also meditation is supported throughout by the voice of scripture, loud. clear and prayerful.
Please pray for Deacon Ken Hill who is now facing his last hours:
We commend to Thee, Lord, the soul of Thy Deacon, Kenneth Hill, and we pray Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, that as in mercy to him Thou became man, so now Thou would be pleased to admit him to the bosom of Thy patriarchs. Remember, Lord, he is Thy creature, not made by strange gods, but by Thee, the only living and true God; for there is no other but Thee, and none can equal Thy work. Let his soul rejoice in Thy presence, and remember not his former iniquities. For although he has sinned, yet he has always firmly believed in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost; he has had a zeal for Thy honor, and faithfully adored Thee as his God, and Creator of all things. Remember not, Lord, we pray Thee, the sins of his youth, but according to Thy great mercy, be mindful of him in Thy Heavenly glory. Let the heavens be opened to him, and the angels rejoice with him. Let the archangel St. Michael, whom Thou didst appoint the chief of the heavenly host, conduct him. Let the holy angels come out to meet him, and carry him to the city of heavenly Jerusalem. Let blessed Peter the apostle, to whom God gave the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, receive him. Let St. Paul the apostle, who was a vessel of election, assist him. Let St. John the beloved disciple, to whom the secrets of Heaven were revealed, intercede for him. Let all the holy apostles, who received from Jesus Christ the power of binding and loosing, pray for him. Let all the saints and elect of God, who in this world have suffered torments in the name of Christ, intercede for him; that he may be admitted into the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who with Thee and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, world without end. Amen.Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
May Mary the most merciful Virgin Mother of God, kindest comforter of them that mourn, commend to her Son the soul of this His servant , that through her maternal intercession, he may overcome the dread of death and, with her as guide, joyfully reach his longed-for home in the heavenly fatherland.R. Amen.
Prayer to St. Joseph
To thee I have recourse, St. Joseph, Patron of the dying; and to thee, at whose blessed death watchfully assisted Jesus and Mary, by both these dearest pledges I earnestly recommend the soul of this servant in the sufferings of his last agony, that he may by your protection be delivered from the snares of the devil and from eternal death, and may merit to attain everlasting joy. Through the same Christ our Lord.R. Amen.
It’s time once again for
Be Holy! 
http://wp.me/p3NlHB-116
Mary is not a Co-redeemer, or co- redemptrix, …
Mary is not god, she is Not the saviour of the World…
Jesus christ Alone is the saviour of the world,
NO ONE comes to the father i.e.. God, But by Him,,
Acts 4:12
You need to get yourself a bible…preferably a king james bible and get a ‘reality’ check up..!!
Jesus christ Alone is the saviour of the world,
NO ONE comes to the father i.e.. God, But by Him,,
Acts 4:12
The pre-fix “co” means “with”
Luke 1: 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit”
Matt 2:1111After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Mary was the instrument of God’s chosing, whose consent God asked and honored. She is no more or less than the instrument God used to bring about Salvation when sending His Son into the world. Jesus spend 30 years with her and looked down upon her from His Cross when his friends had abandoned Him.
Jesus Christ is the sole Author of Salvation, which he purchased with HIS Blood on the Cross.
Two Other Persons participated big time in authoring Salvation and that is presented in Genesis. All Three Person are the One and Only God. Mary is not God. Mary is His lowly handmaid as she herself proclaims in all humility. What a glorious instrument in the Hands of God!
Mary, Virgin, Mother of God,
The perfectly fashioned,
And tuned instrument,
A violin,
In the hands of God,
As He plays His music
For the Son.
©2012 Joann Nelander
Mary is never described as Mother of God in the Scriptures.
The 3 magi did not worship Mary though..
You are right when you say Mary is not God and that the 3 magi did not worship Mary, neither do Catholics! According to the Catholic Church “latare” is the worship we offer only to God. “dulia” is reverence we give to those we should honor according to their office and mertit, and hyper-dulia the the reverence we owe Mary for her unique role according to God’s plan and Word. The Church is very careful in how it carries out the commandment to “honor your mother and father” as was Jesus who rightly honored His mother though He was also her God and her Son.
I do not disrespect Mary…But I will not venerate her, or attempt to pray to her, or in her name….
I agree that mary was a chosen vessel unto God,…But Mary said herself, that whatever jesus says…
that Do,…
but the catholic so called church does not do that.
I really think that not having anything to do with the catholic so called church is the best course of action..
stick to what the Bible says…
I hope you will not take offence when I say that….
Be careful when you disrespect the Catholic Church. They gave us the New Testament scriptures which we both venerate i.e. hold in high regard.
We certainly agree with Mary as she said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” I can only assume that you would agree that Jesus obeyed the commandments His Father gave and more than any other person, most perfectly, honored his motheer (4th commandment)
Honor:Synonyms:
verb: honour, respect, esteem, venerate, revere, dignify
noun: honour, credit, respect, homage, dignity, glory
The Catholic Church seeks only to imitate Christ in this and no more honor given to His mother is possible. If we can imitate Jesus in this we will be honoring the command Mary gave the servants.
I seriously doubt whether Jesus actually needed to learn anything at all from Mary..
She was born a sinner, died a sinner,
she did not die a virgin,…and she does not have it in her power to save anyone…
Mary was a disciple of jesus christ, and had to believe in jesus christ as lord, and saviour, to be saved herself…
which of course meant she would have had to acknowledge/repent of her sins, just like any other person..
Mary was indeed a blessed person,
but she was Not God, and Not to be prayed to.
(Not that I believe it possible to pray to Mary )…
Have you ever spent 9 months contemplating a single, solitary word? We’ll, Mary did! That word was “the Word”, spoken by God before all Ages for the glory of God and the Salvation on Man. That Word was taking flesh from her flesh and drawing nourishment fro her blood. Such is the Mystery of the Christ’s meekness and humility, coming forth according to the Father’s Will.
Mary “contemplated these things in her heart.”
In everything, “Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit.” Her “fiat” welcomed and began the unfolding of a divine mystery that now embraces us to be with God in the evangelization of all peoples throughout Time unto Eternity.
Joann Nelander
lionessblog.com