6 April 2013 The greatest promise of Mary “The gates of hell will be closed on the First Saturdays of each month. Nobody will go to hell on those days. However, the gates of Purgatory will be open. So many souls will be able to reach heaven. It is the result of the merciful Love of My Son — It is the reward of these souls who venerate My Immaculate Heart.” Ref: “Imprimatur:” Local bishop of Hungary. Taken from the “Revue de Coeur Immacule Reine de la Paix”, Vol. I, No. 4 The perfections of Our Lord’s glorified Body As soon as our Lord’s Soul and Body were reunited, the latter, formerly subject to all human infirmities — cold, hunger, weariness, the pains and sorrows of death — became absolutely impassible and immortal: “Death shall have no more dominion over him.” (Rom 6:9) How did Jesus, as man, merit such glorious gifts? By his death and sufferings, endured for his Father’s glory and man’s salvation. We shall receive the same gifts on the same conditions. Why fear death then? Let us sanctify our sufferings by accepting them, as well as death itself, with total resignation to the will of our heavenly Father. Let us offer them up in expiation of our sins, and those of others, after the example of our Lord. The more we suffer with him, the larger our share in the wonderful perfections of his glorified body. A ‘spiritual’ body has ‘spiritual’ properties, such as the power of penetrating matter, of passing at a single act of the will from one place to another, at whatever distance. How, we cannot understand, much less explain. Nevertheless, such were the properties of our Lord’s glorified body. He proved this ability by appearing several times amidst the disciples, when the doors of the rooms in which they were gathered were shut. He disappeared again without their being able to follow him. Such will be the perfection of glorified bodies of the just. “It is sown a natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:44); provided I endeavor to live a spiritual life. “If by the spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live.” (St Paul) Does my conscience testify that I have done this? Those who walk in the dark provide themselves with a light. For Jesus risen there is no more darkness. His glorified body is its own light. The splendors of his divinity, flowing from his Soul to his Body, make him more radiant than the sun at noon. The apostles had seen something of this glory during his transfiguration. If I share the resurrection of the just, such will also be the radiance of my body. Its brilliance proportional to the mortifications it has been subjected to, and labors endured for the glory of God and salvation of souls. Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp188-90 Lourdes: The seventeenth apparition ‘Wednesday.’ Although Bernadette had been going to the grotto during the past fortnight, the Soubirous family had to be even more careful. On 27 March the Prefect sent three doctors to commit Bernadette to a mental hospital. A Bernadette officially certified as mentally ill would be very useful to him and other officials. The doctors found nothing in Bernadette that would require hospitalization. Nevertheless, the embarassed officials made them draft a statement which declared that Bernadette’s “illness does not constitute danger to her health”. It is clear why the family wanted to remain away from the public eye. Thus, the family was pretending that Bernadette was out of town. However, when she reached the grotto at 5:00 AM about a hundred people were already praying there. Among them was a scientist, Dr Douzous, whom fate chose to record the “Miracle of the Candle”, as it came to be known later. Douzous clearly observed that she was holding a lit candle with the flame beneath her left hand, apparently totally insensible; and kept that position for fifteen minutes. After the ecstasy, Douzous examined her hand. There was absolutely no sign of a burn. Ref: G Menotti, “Lourdes”, pp14-5 The Seed of Joy in Suffering In the perspective of redemption, Christ’s passion is oriented toward the resurrection. Human beings, too are thus associated with the mystery of the cross in order to share joyfully in the mystery of the resurrection. Thus, Jesus did not hesitate to proclaim the blessedness of those who suffer: “Blest too are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled.” (Mt 5:4) ... This blessedness can only be understood if one admits that human life is not limited to the time spent on earth, but is wholly directed to perfect joy and fulness of joy in the hereafter. Earthly suffering, when accepted in love, is like a bitter kernel containing the seed of new life, the treasure of divine glory to be given man in eternity. Although the sight of a world burdened with evil and misfortunes of every sort is often so wretched, nevertheless the hope of a better world of love and grace is hidden within it. It is hope that is nourished on Christ’s promise. With this support, those who suffer united with him already experience in this life a joy that can seem humanly unexplainable. Heaven in fact begins on earth, beatitude is anticipated in the beatitudes. “In holy people”, St Thomas Aquinas said, “there is a beginning of future happiness”. Ref: John Paul II, “Breakfast with the Pope”, 1995, 21 Mortification “You don’t conquer yourself, you aren’t mortified, because you are proud. You lead a life of penance? Remember: pride can exist with penance. “Furthemore: Your sorrow, after your falls, after your failures in generosity, is it really sorrow or is it the frustration of seeing yourself so small and weak? “How far are you from Jesus if you are not humble ... even if new roses blossom evey day from your disciplines!” Ref: St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 200) • Our Lady of the Conception, at the Capuchin Convent of Douai, in Flanders, where is seen a picture of the Immaculate Conception, which was miraculously preserved from fire, in the year 1553. — Amatus Franciscus, in his Manuscript Work. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Our Lady of the Conception, Flanders (1553). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html) • Our Lady of the Conception. Douai, France. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)