Our Lady of Guidance -- Oldest of Philippine Marian devotions. This brown-faced image, of unknown origin, was found on this day in 1571 by a soldier of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi atop a pandan bush in a fishing village outside the Intramuros. She was enshrined at the Manila Cathedral until an appropriate chapel was built on the spot where she was found. This shrine became popularly known as ‘La [h]ermita’ (The Hermitage). A Royal Decree of 9 August 1758 declared her ‘Patroness of the City of Manila’. (cf Fr Charles Belmonte, “Aba Ginoong Maria”, 1990, p157)
Memorial: ‘Nuestra Señora de Salambao’ (Our Lady of ‘Salambao’) -- The image (retrieved from Manila Bay in a net called ‘salambao’ [“A Marian Pilgrimage”, vii]), with San Pascual Bailon and Sta Clara, is the object of pilgrimages by childless couples (Obando, Bulacan). The name Maria Clara is here derived. (Nicanor G Tiongson, in “Filipino Heritage”, 1977, VII:1734)
The Gift of Piety
Divine filiation is an effect of the gift of piety which inclines us to relate to God with the affection of a good son towards his father; and to regard everybody as members of the same family. Christ taught us how to address God. “When you pray, say: Father ...” (Lk 11:2)
God wants us to go to him like little children in need. And the Holy Spirit, through the gift of piety, teaches us and facilitates this trusting relationship with Him. “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 Jn 3:1) We received this gift with the grace of Baptism. Divine filiation makes us trust our Father God with great tenderness since He always wants the best for His children.
This gift of piety disposes us to promptly and easily fulfil our obligations of justice and charity; to see, as children of God, those we live with and meet daily. He loves them with a limitless love and redeemed with the Blood of His Son. Individuals of infinite value.
Moreover, the Holy Spirit makes us see Christ in our fellowmen whom we serve: “Truly I say to you: as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Mt 25:40) Piety towards others enables us to judge them always with kindness “which walks hand in hand with a filial affection for God our common Father”. (R Garrigou-Lagrange, “The Three Ages of the Interior Life”, I)
This gift makes us have a filial love for our heavenly Mother, for whom we have a most tender affection; and moves us to be devoted to the angels and saints, particularly to those having a special charge over us, (cf St Thomas, “Summa Theologiae”, II-II, 121) as well as for the holy souls in Purgatory. It makes us love the Pope, the common Father of all Christians.
It perfects the virtue of piety, inclining us to respect our parents from whom “we have received existence; God made use of them to infuse into us a soul and reason; by them we were led to the Sacraments, instructed in our religion, schooled in right conduct and holiness, and trained in civil and human knowledge”. (“Catechism of the Council of Trent”, III, 5, 9)
Moved by the Holy Spirit, Christians read Holy Scripture with love and veneration, because “in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets his children with great love and speaks with them”. (Second Vatican Council, “Dei Verbum”, 21) We are moved to have great affection for sacred things.
Among the fruits that the gift of piety produces in souls docile to the graces of the Paraclete are: serenity in all circumstances of life; trusting abandonment in Divine Providence because God cares for all his creatures particularly his children (cf Mt 6:28); cheerfulness, a proper characteristic of the children of God.
“May no one read sadness or sorrow in your face when you spread in the world around you the sweet smell of your sacrifice: the children of God should be always sowers of peace and joy.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 59) If we consider often daily that we are children of God, the Holy Spirit will foster more and more this filial and trusting relationship with our heavenly Father. Charity towards everyone also facilitates its growth in our souls.
Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:561-6
` ` ` MAY DEVOTIONS ` ` `
Mary’s Faith
“If our faith is weak, we should turn to Mary. St John tells us it was because of the miracle at the marriage feast at Cana, which Christ performed at his Mother’s request, that ‘his disciples learned to believe in him’. Our Mother is always interceding with her Son so he may attend to our needs and show himself to us in a way that we can cry out, 'You are the Son of God'." (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 285)
Let us offer our Mother: “‘The Memorare’ for whoever in our family most needs the help of Our Lady.”
Ref: Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias (Eds), “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, p310
The ‘Memorare’ -- “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions; but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.” (In Belmonte and Socias [Eds], op cit, p299)
· “Place your confidence in the Holy Rosary. Use this most powerful form of prayer with the utmost possible zeal, and let it become more and more esteemed.” -- Pius XII
· “Mary urged us to pray the Rosary, not just say it. The lip service of mumbled prayers does not please her. Mere recitation cannot bring about the changes in our lives we so much need. Only devout meditation on the events in the lives of Christ and his Mother can do that.” -- RL Rooney, SJ
Ref: In Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, pp55, 57
Dedication of Our Lady of Flines, near Douay by Peter, Archbishop of Rheims in the year 1279. This abbey of nuns, of the order of Citeaux, was given to St Bernard by Margaret de Dampierre in the year 1234. — Chronicon Fliniense. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)
Our Lady of Flines (Douay, France,1279)(http://www.divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm); (http://www.starharbor.com/santiago/m feasts.html); (MaryLinks Calendar.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
'Notre-Dame de Flines'. Douay, France. 1279. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
Ten Day Devotion to the Holy Spirit
Introductory Prayer
Come, O Holy Spirit! Enlighten my understanding in order to know your commands; strengthen my heart against the snares of the enemy; enkindle my will ... I have heard your voice, and I do not want to harden my heart and resist, saying, “Later ... tomorrow.” ‘Nunc coepi!’ Right now! Lest there be no tomorrow for me.
O Spirit of truth and of wisdom, Spirit of understanding and of counsel, Spirit of joy and of peace! I want whatever you want; I want because you want; I want as you want; I want whenever you want ...
Ref: St Josemaria Escrivà, “Prayer to the Holy Spirit”. In Postulation for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization, “Historical Registry of the Founder of Opus Dei” 20172, p145.
Consideration -- Decenary to the Holy Spirit: 7th Day
Loving God for Himself
Before being endowed with “power from on high” (Lk 24:49), the Apostles were indeed men of goodwill; but extremely weak, timid, and coward. At the Last Supper they all loudly affirmed fidelity to their Divine Master, ready to follow him to prison and to death; but when Jesus was seized, they all abandoned him and fled.
Are we also strong in promises, protests, and good resolutions; but weak and cowardly in deed? Breaking our firmest resolutions soonest after making them? Yielding to the smallest temptation? Always finding some excuse for neglecting some point of our norms, or some duty; often unable to make the slightest effort in even a trivial matter, such as awaking on time?
Our Lord wished to convince the world that his religion was not the work of men. He, therefore, chose for its propagation eleven Galilean fishermen [plus St Matthew] -- poor, ignorant, uneducated, caring only for their means of livelihood. Such were the Apostles, and such they would always have remained, without the gift of ‘knowledge’ which they received at Pentecost.
If we happen to be better educated, far advanced in secular learning, let us at least admit that we lag behind in the science of the saints. We prefer to study matters which are comparatively vain despite an obligation to aim at a high degree of sanctity, and to bring others to it by our example and teaching.
How imperfect was the love of the Apostles to Jesus! They loved him more for their self-interest than for his. Hence their cowardice and treachery towards him especially at the time of his Passion and death.
Is our attitude similar? Do we really love God for himself; not for our advantage? Is abstaining from offending him chiefly to avoid the punishment of sin, torments of hell, sufferings of purgatory? Our voluntary acts of any virtue are mainly for the promised reward?
These dispositions are not sinful or even blameworthy; but they are far from that ‘piety’, ‘filial fear’, and ‘perfect charity’ infused onto the hearts of the Apostles by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp285-7
In the Spirit Mary Continues to be the Mother of the Body of Christ
Even after the birth of Christ, [she] remained ‘in the power of the Anunciation’, ie, in the constant arrival of the Holy Spirit who continually makes her Mother, not only of Jesus, but of the body of Christ, the Church.
Mary, by giving birth to Jesus, engendered ... all of humanity. St Basil calls the birthday of Christ, ‘the birthday of humanity’ (“Homily on the Birth of Christ”). The same concept is affirmed by Nicholas Cabasilas: ‘The birth of the head [Christ] represents also the birth of the blessed members, because the members do not exist if the head is not born.’ (“Life in Christ”, IV, 4)
Mary becomes even more so the Mother of the Church in the Upper Room and at the foot of the cross. ... Thus she who is present in the mystery of Christ as mother becomes -- by the will of the Holy Spirit -- present in the mystery of the Church ... where she continues to be a maternal presence, as revealed by the words spoken from the cross; “Woman, behold your son! ... Behold, your mother” (Lk 19:27).(John Paul II, “Redemptoris Mater”, 24)
By being assumed into heaven to be with her Son, Mary continually engenders ‘spiritually’, ie, in the Spirit, Christ in his members. In this sense we can say Mary is the “Mother of the Church”, because in virtue of the Spirit she continues to engender the mystical body of Christ, the Church and every believer. “This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterrupted ... until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect.” (“Lumen Gentium”, 62)
The Spirit is always at the core of the maternity of Mary extended to all people. Everything in the order of grace, in fact, is merited by Christ and applied by the Spirit. But in the “horizontal” distribution of grace the Spirit radiates his sanctifying power through “spiritualized” persons, and no one more than Mary, the ‘pneumatophoros’ (bearer of the Spirit) to the highest degree, can contribute to transforming persons in Christ, that is, to “Christifying” them.
Mary has, therefore, a primary role in the birth of Jesus and of his ecclesial body. The latter takes place always in the power of the Spirit, which also endows her with a share in the power of the intercession of the Spirit. Thus, as Mary is in the Upper Room, among the apostles, “by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit”, (Ibid, 59), so in glory does she pray and intercede for everyone.
Similarly, as the Spirit prays and intercedes in us (see Rom 8:15-6) and is our ‘Advocate’ and ‘Counsellor’ (see Jn 14:16, 26), Mary also, as “bride of the Spirit,” continues to intercede so that the Father permanently sends the Spirit to his Church, and it is the Spirit who transforms people in Jesus the Son. Along with the Spirit, she says, “Come, Lord”, hoping even the last of her children will reach the house of the Father. ...
Mary will always remain the model and prototype of the Church as regards her ‘maternity’. Mary was fertile only by the power of the Spirit. If the Church wants to be fertile, in daily holiness, from an existential and sacramental viewpoint, it must continually renew itself in the Spirit.
As the Spirit mysteriously fertilized the Virgin and engendered Christ, so does he continually fertilize Christ’s bride, the Church. And if Mary collaborates with the Spirit so that this generation takes place, so must the Church docilely make itself available to him to become the “mother of saints and martyrs”.
This is true for the Church as a whole and also for every individual Christian. For Jesus to be born in every soul and continue the mystery of the ‘Theotokos’ (God-bearer), the Creator must put himself into the very hearts of his creatures and the divine Spirit must overshadow them.
Ref: Theological-Historical Commission, “The Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life”, 86-9, 1997
Concluding Prayer
Holy and divine Spirit! Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, your spouse, bring the fullness of your gifts into our hearts. Comforted and strengthened by you, may we live according to your Will and may we die praising your infinite mercy. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Ref: Fr James Socias, et al (Editors), “Daily Roman Missal”, 1989, p2080
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