Sunday<\/p>\n
Devotions this Week for 19th Century Catholic Bishop Richard Challoner featuring truths common to both Orthodox and Catholic teaching.<\/p>\n
CONSIDER, first, that prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance,
\nare called cardinal virtues, because they are the hinges
\nupon Avhich the whole life of a Christian, must constantly move.
\nOf these the wise man says, they are “such things as men
\ncan have nothing more profitable in life,” (Wisdom viii. 7.)
\nEvery virtue must be prudent and discreet, otherwise it degenerates
\ninto vice; it must be just both with respect to God,
\nand constant in adhering to what is right, and opposing iniquity;
\nand it must be sober and temperate, by not exceeding the
\nbounds of due moderation, prescribed by right reason and religion.
\nConsider, secondly, that Christian prudence teaches us what
\nis good, and what is evil, in every occurrance of life. It directs
\nall our words and actions in such manner, as that we
\nneither decline out of the way, or offend ourselves, nor give
\noccasion of offence to others : it makes always proper choice
\nof the means to bring us to our sovereign good. Its offices are:
\nto design and consult well, to judge right, and to direct well
\nthe execution; but all this, with dependence on divine grace,
\nand not on one’s own industry and abilities.<\/p>\n
Prayer:
\nThis is the day which the Lord has made.\u00a0 Let us rejoice and be glad therein.<\/p>\n
Monday
\nJustice lenders to every one his due,
\nand wrongs no man, in word, action, omission or desire.
\nWith regard to God, it obliges us before all things to dedicate
\nour whole heart and soul to him, to whom all is due. Fortitude
\narms the soul with invincible courage, in her warfare
\nagainst her spiritual enemies, to do her duty, and with resolution
\nto suffer all, rather than to sin. Lastly, temperance restrains
\nall immoderation in eating or drinking, with all other
\nexcesses of our passions or lusts, and keeps us within the
\nbounds of right reason, and the law of nature and religion.
\nConclude to esteem and earnestly beg of God these excellent
\nvirtues; of which we continually stand in need.<\/p>\n
Prayer:
\nBlessed by the name of the Lord from henceforth and forever more.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Tuesday
\n*This Feast was last week but the commentary is being used this week from Bishop Challoner…<\/p>\n
CONSIDER, first, that on this day the church of God honors
\nwith a solemn festival, the virtues, the triumphs and the eternal
\njubilee of all the saints and citizens of the heavenly.Jerusalem
\n1. in order to give glory and praise on their account to
\nthe God of all the saints, and to his Son Jesus Christ, the author
\nof all their virtues : 2. to encourage all her children to
\nwalk in their footsteps, in hopes of the like reward : 3. to teach
\nthem to join in the mean time, in a holy communion with
\nthem; and to procure the assistance of their prayers and intercession.
\nConsider, secondly, that all these holy ones, whose feast we
\ncelebrate this day, are entered into the never-ending joys of
\ntheir Lord, at a very cheap rate : the yoke of his divine service,
\nwhich they bore for the short time of their pilgrimage, Avas very
\nsweet to them; and their burden very light. Grace and love
\nlade all things easy, which they did for their beloved. He
\nhimself supported them in such manner, as to carry both tham
\nand their crosses too, upon his own shoulders. My soul, hast
\nnot thou the same God as they had? Hast not thou the same
\nSaviour, Jesus Christ? Hast thou not all the same helps and
\nmeans of grace as they had! Why then mayest not thou also,
\naspire to the same happiness and glory?
\nConsider, thirdly, that as divine love is the great principle
\nof all sanctity; so we have before our eyes this day the bright
\nexample of millions of heavenly lovers, to excite us to love :
\nThis most amiable and ever blessed Yirgin; these innumerable
\nlegions of angelic spirits; these cherubim and seraphim, all on
\nfire with love; these patriarchs and prophets; these apostles
\nof the Lamb, sent by him to spread over all the earth the bright
\nflames of love; those armies of martyrs, who all laid down
\ntheir lives for love; those millions of holy, confessors : in a
\nword, all those spotless virgins, the spouses of divine love;
\nwhose love of God was stronger than death. may our frozen
\nhearts receive some warmth at least, from all their flames.
\nConclude to love, honor and imitate the saints of God.
\nThus shall you experience their powerful intercession at present,
\nand enjoy their blissfull society hereafter.<\/p>\n
Prayer:
\nGlory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.\u00a0 As it was in the beginning it is now and ever shall be, world without end.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n
Wednesday
\nThe dignity of a Christian is indeed
\nvery great. He has the honor to be enrolled in the service of
\nthe great King : he is made his friend and his favorite : he is
\neven adopted through Jesus Christ, to be a child of God and
\nheir to his eternal kingdom. The Son of God has made him
\npartaker of his Spirit; of his kingly and priestly unction, and,
\nin some measure, of his divine nature. But alas! may we not
\ntoo justly apply to the greatest part of those who are raised to
\nthis inexpressible dignity, that of the royal prophet: man when
\nhe was in honor did not understand; “he hath been compared
\nto senseless beasts, and made like to them.” [Ps. xlviii. 21.]
\nConsider, thirdly, that the essential duties of every Christian,
\nare reduced by the psalmist into a small compass. “Turn
\naway from evil and do good.” The first part requires a settled
\ndetermination of the soul never to commit a wilful mortal sin,
\nfor any consideration whatever; no not even to save one’s life.
\nThe second part requires a constant attention to do the will of
\nGod in all things, and to advance every day in divine love.
\nDo this, my soul, and thou shalt be a saint.
\nConclude hence forward to have always before your eyes both
\nthe dignity and sanctity<\/p>\n
Prayer:
\nCreate in me a clean heart of God and renew a right spirit within me.\u00a0 Cast me not from thy presence nor take thy Holy Spirit from me.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and by thy governing spirit establish me.<\/p>\n
Thursday
\nGod declares in his word, that all his
\npeople ought to be saints. “Be ye holy, because I, the Lord
\nyour God am holy,” was what he continually inculcated in
\nthe Old Testament : and in the New, the Son of God cries out
\nto us all, (Matth. v. 14.) “Be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father
\nis perfect.” And the apostle tells us, [Rom. i. 7.] that
\nall Christians are “CALLED to be saints a chosen generation,
\na kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people;” [1
\nPeter ii. 9.] Hence the name of saints is appropriated by St.
\nPaul to all the faithful.
\nConsider, secondly, that though all are not commanded to
\nwork miracles, or to exercise extraordinary austerities, or to
\nretire into deserts to spend their whole time in prayer, or to
\nsell all they have and give it to the poor, (for there have been
\nmany very great saints, who have done none of these things;)
\nyet ALL are commanded to love God with their whole heart,
\nwith their whole soul, with their whole mind, and with theii
\nwhole strength. Do this, my soul, and thou also shalt be a
\nsaint : but without this, nothing else will avail.<\/p>\n
Prayer:\u00a0\u00a0 O give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.<\/p>\n
Friday
\nGod, in commanding us all to become
\nsaints, does not command, what is impossible. Witness those
\nmanifold graces and spiritual helps, with which he continually
\nfavors us; to which if we daily attended, we should all be
\nsaints. Witness that early knowledge of his heavenly truths;
\nthose repeated invitations, with which he sweetly presses us
\nto be converted from our evil ways, and to turn to him. If we
\ndid but welcome these first divine calls, they would produce in
\nour souls strong desires of Christian perfection, and that “hunger
\nand thirst after justice,” recommended by our Lord, which
\nnever fails of being filled, [Matth. v. 7.]
\nConsider, secondly, the particular means of divine grace,
\nwhich we enjoy in tbe church of God. The sacraments were
\ninstituted by Jesus Christ, on purpose to make us saints; especially
\nthat most holy sacrament and divine sacrifice of his own
\nbody and blood; in which we have always in the midst of us,
\nand may daily approach, the very fountain of all sanctity. O
\nChristian, one good and perfect communion might suffice to
\nmake you a saint ! Besides the advantages derived from the
\nfrequent hearing and reading of the word of God, from the great
\nexamples of the saints, and of the living servants of God ;
\nfrom the mysteries of our redemption so often rendered in a
\nmanner present to the eyes of our soul in the public worship of
\nthe church; and abundant other helps to perfection. If then
\nwe are not saints, the fault must be in ourselves.<\/p>\n
Prayer: Saturday Prayer: Sunday Devotions this Week for 19th Century Catholic Bishop Richard Challoner featuring truths common to both Orthodox and Catholic teaching. CONSIDER, first, that prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, are called […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-orthodox-daily-devotional","has_no_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13236,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13235\/revisions\/13236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthodoxinsight.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nI arise today
\nThrough a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
\nThrough belief in the Threeness,
\nThrough confession of the Oneness
\nof the Creator of creation.
\nFrom St. Patrick\u2019s \u2018Breastplate\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe church of God, attending
\nto the necessities of great numbers of her children departed
\nout of this life, in her faith and communion, but not without
\nsome blemish of sin in their souls; some smaller stains, at
\nleast, of “idle words,” or other venial offences; some “wood,
\nhay, or stubble” in their building, according to the language of
\nSt. Paul, which cannot stand the fire; or some debt to divine
\njustice on account of former sins not sufficiently expiated by
\npenance, turns all her prayers and sacrifices to procure for
\nthem a full pardon, and a speedy admittance into eternal rest.
\nO how holy and wholesome, is the institution of this day of expiation
\n“to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from
\ntheir sins!” (2 Macchab. xii. 46.) Alas! how few depart
\nthis life so pure, as to be immediately admitted to that blessed
\ncity above, where “nothing defiled can enter in!” (Apoc. xxi.
\nIt is then a duty of Christian charity incumbent on us all,
\nto pray for our brethren who are gone before us, that they may
\nrest in peace.
\nConsider, secondly, that the spiritual works of mercy are of
\nall the most acceptable to God; and praying for the dead is
\njustly numbered among these spiritual works of mercy, since
\nit is doing the souls of our brethren the greatest charity imaginable.
\nIn effect, we thus contribute, as far as we are able, to
\ndeliver them from their evils, and to bring them to their sovereign
\ngood. It is also a most excellent mean of obtaining
\nmercy for ourselves: “for the merciful shall obtain mercy,”
\n(Matth. xi. 7.)
\nConsider, thirdly, that fasting and other exercises of penance
\nand charity, performed in behalf of the faithful departed, according
\nto the religious custom of former ages, and the practice
\nof our pious ancestors in their doles at the funerals of the
\ndead, are of great benefit to them. But the sacrifice of the
\nbody and blood of our Lord in the holy mass, pleads still more
\npowerfully in favor of the living and the dead.
\nConclude diligently to assist the souls of the faithful departed,
\nboth by prayers, alms, and this holy oblation of the blood
\nof Christ. Your charity for them may one day prove highly
\nbeneficial to yoursel<\/p>\n
\nWe praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for thy great\u00a0 glory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"