Sunday<\/p>\n
**This week from Catholic Bishop Challoner’s Meditations<\/p>\n
….with the humble St. Francis, that what
\neach one is in the sight of God, that he is, and no more. Listen
\nagain to the FOLLOWING OF CHRIST, (ibid. cap. 14.)
\n“What is all flesh in thy sight, Lord? How can he be puffed
\nup with the vain talk of men, whose heart is truly subject
\nunto God? He will never suffer himself to be moved with
\nthe tongues of them that praise him, who hath established his
\nconfidence in God. For behold, they that talk of him are all
\nnothing, for they shall pass away with the sound of their words:
\nbut ‘the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever,’
\n”
\n(Ps. cxvi.)
\nConsider, thirdly, that this passion for glory is also unjust
\nand impious, because it pretends to appropriate to itself what
\nbelongs to God alone. “What hast thou,” saith the apostle,
\n“that thou hast not received? arid if thou hast received, why
\ndost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?” ( 1 Cor. iv. 7. )
\nIt is also pernicious; it poisons the best of our actions, and
\nmakes us liable to eternal punishment, for those very works,
\nfor which we might otherwise expect an eternal crown. “God
\nknoweth our hearts,” saith our Lord, (Luke xvi.)<\/p>\n
Prayer:\u00a0\u00a0 For as many have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ\u2026Alleluia<\/p>\n
Monday
\nCONSIDER, first, that in holy scripture covetousness is termed
\n“the serving of idols,” and the covetous man is declared
\n“an idolater,” (Eph. v. 5. Colos. iii. 5.) because he worships
\nand loves his money more than God; and he “serves the creature
\nrather than the Creator,” (Rom. i. 25.) The avaricious
\nman is ever ready to transgress the divine commandments,
\nrather than forego his worldly interest, to which he sacrifices his
\nsoul and all things; and for the sake of which he hardens his
\nheart against the cries of the poor. Ah! “there is not a more
\nwicked thing than” for a man “to love money; such a one setteth
\neven his own soul to sale,” (Eccles. x. 10.)
\nConsider, secondly, that the vice of covetousness is the mother
\nof thefts and robberies, of fraud and deceit, of oppression
\nof the poor, usury and extortion, and of all kinds of injustice.
\nIt is the cause of bribery and corruption, and of all its consequences.
\nIt has often brought forth heresy and schism, (1
\nTim. vi. 10.) and with them a deluge of other crimes: it has
\npillaged and destroyed churches, hospitals, and asylums of religion,
\nand invaded and carried off the patrimony<\/p>\n
Prayer:\u00a0 Our Father, Who art in \u00a0Heaven, hallowed by Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.<\/p>\n
Tuesday
\nConsider, secondly, that these riches, so earnestly coveted
\nby the slaves of the world, are not capable of making the possessors
\nhappy, or of satisfying the heart, even for the short
\nterm of their actual enjoyment. “A covetous man,” saith
\nSolomon, (Eccles. v. 9.) “shall not be satisfied with money:
\nand he that loveth riches shall reap no fruit from them.” This
\nwisest of men had learned by his own experience, that worldly
\nwealth, instead of affording true contentment and peace of
\nmind, is generally attended with nothing but “vanity and vexation
\nof spirit,” (Eccles. ii. 11.)
\nConsider, thirdly, that riches are truly deceitful, (Matthew
\nxiii. ) because they promise a happiness which they cannot
\ngive; they are thorns, (ibid.) that wound and gore the soul;
\nand they expose the possessors to many dreadful dangers of
\nlosing their souls for ever; because it is hard to possess them,
\nand not to abuse them, or a least set the heart too much upon
\nthem: witness that terrible sentence, (Matt. xix. 24.) “It is
\neasier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than
\nfor a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.” For
\n“the men of riches have their consolation” here, (Luke vi. 24. )<\/p>\n
Prayer:\u00a0 O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Wednesday
\nCONSIDER, first, that the “lust of the flesh” is another raging
\nplague, which has spread itself over the whole earth. It once
\nbrought down from heaven the waters of the deluge, and another
\ntime consumed with fire and brimstone, whole cities with
\ntheir inhabitants: and it daily provokes the vengeance of heaven,
\nexecuted by visible or invisible judgments upon thousands
\ncast down head-long, in the midst of their sinful course, into
\nthe bottomless pit. The word of God by a strong figurative
\nexpression says, (Gen. vi. ) the wickedness of men in this line
\nwas so odious in his sight, that “he was grieved with it to the
\nheart,” and even “repented that he had made them.”
\nConsider, secondly, that what makes lust so hateful in the
\nsight of God, is its particular opposition to his purity and sanctity.
\nIt defiles in a most shameful and beastly manner, that
\ntemple which he has sanctified for himself; more especially
\nin regard of Christians, whose bodies and souls have both been
\nconsecrated to him in their baptism, to be his temple. First,
\n“know you not that you are the temple of God,” saith St.
\nPaul, speaking to all Christians, (1 Cor. iii.) “and that the
\nSpirit of God dwell eth in you? But if any man violate the
\ntemple of God, him will God destroy.”<\/p>\n
Prayer:\u00a0\u00a0 Create in me a clean heart of God and renew a right spirit within me. \u00a0Cast 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
\nConsider,\u00a0 [against impurity] that the flight of the occasions will not
\nalone suffice to gain the victory over this vice, without frequent
\nconflicts: for whither shall we flee where the flesh and the
\ndevil will not follow? We must also be diligent in the use of
\nfervent prayer; frequent the sacraments; daily read and meditate
\non divine truths; often have recourse to the precious blood
\nof Christ by a tender devotion to his sacred passion and death;
\nand earnestly implore the intercession of the Blessed Virgin,
\nand of all the holy angels and saints: and especially at the beginning
\nof temptations, we must make a vigorous resistance,
\nand call upon God to assist us with his grace to overcome
\nthem.
\nConsider, thirdly, that we must have a lively faith and confidence
\nin Jesus Christ, with an humble diffidence of our own
\nstrength; for we are weakness and frailty itself, unless supported
\nby Him. Above all things, the fear and love of God must
\nbe our constant shield against every assault: the fear of his
\njudgments, and the dreadful punishments prepared for lust;
\nthe love of the divine goodness and perfections, to move us to
\nan abhorrence of the outrage directed against Him.<\/p>\n
Prayer:\u00a0 Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
\nV. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
\nR. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
\n*Salve Regina<\/p>\n
Friday
\n… [on chastity including faithfulness in the married state] the apostle says of this virtue, (1
\nThess. iv. 3, 7.) “This is the will of God, your sanctification;
\nthat you should abstain from fornication,” and all uncleanness;
\n“for God hath not called us to uncleanness, but to
\nholiness.” This virtue of holiness or chastity, by the law of
\nGod, and the sanctity of the Christian calling, is for all married
\nas well as unmarried. The married must be chaste, by
\nrefraining from every thought, word, or action, not referred to
\nthe holy ends for which matrimony was instituted. The unmarried
\nmust renounce absolutely all carnal pleasures, and all
\nthe irregular motions oat impressions of lust, whether in body
\nor mind.
\nConsider, thirdly, that besides the necessity of fervent prayer,
\n(for “no one can be continent except God give it,” (Wisdom
\nviii. 21. ) mortification and humility are also necessary to
\npreserve this virtue. By mortification the flesh is brought under
\nsubjection to the spirit; and by humility the spirit is subjected
\nto God.. But when the flesh is unmodified, it grows
\nheadstrong and unruly;, and when the spirit is proud, it is
\njustly abandoned by God to the most shameful passions; against
\nwhich humility alone must secure us.<\/p>\n
Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Saturday
\nCONSIDER, first, that anger, in the sense in which it is numbered
\namong the capital sins, is “an inordinate love or desire
\nof revenge-” It is, contrary to justice, whenever the person
\nwith whom we are angry, has not deserved the punishment
\nwhich we desire to inflict; or though he has deserved it, if we
\nobserve not the order of justice, but act both as executioners
\nand judges in our own cause; which is never lawful. It is
\ncontrary to fraternal charity when, let the cause be ever so
\njust, we prosecute or punish the offender out of hatred or illwill,
\nrather than the love of justice. In these cases our angey
\nis contrary to justice or charity, andhiglily criminal.
\nConsider, secondly, that anger and passion directly destroy
\nall meekness and, consequently, humility, its inseparable companion;
\nfor anger generally springs from pride and self-love:
\nit is a stranger to mercy, according to that of Solomon [Prov,
\nxxvii. 4.] “Anger hath no mercy:” it breaks peace both with
\nGod and our neighbor, and is the mortal enemy of patience
\nand long-suffering; for it will suffer nothing; much less will
\nit admit of the “renouncing of our own will,” or submit to
\n“take up the cross” virtues recommended by Jesus as the
\ntests of his disciples.
\nPrayer:\u00a0 Glory 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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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