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.
Prayer and duties are never incompatible
The Apostles prayed without neglecting their duties. The apostasy of Judas had apparently upset the plans of Jesus, who had chosen ‘twelve’ Apostles to be witnesses throughout the world of his resurrection and teaching. But the malice of men cannot hinder God’s designs.
Peter, the head of the Apostolic College, felt inspired from on high, rose and said, “Men, brethren ... the Scriptures must be fulfilled; ... for it is written in the book of Psalms ... ‘And his ministry let another take’ ... Wherefore of these men who have been in our company all the time that the Lord Jesus moved among us, ... one of these must be made a witness with us of his Resurrection” (Acts 1:16-22). The whole assembly agreed, and at once took steps to ascertain God’s choice.
When one is tempted to abandon his vocation, he cannot enjoy the folly or vanity of supposing that the cause of God, or that of his group, will suffer from his defection. On the contrary, we learn by this episode that God will provide a worthier substitute. He alone will be the loser; another will wear his crown.
The votes of the assembly being equally divided between “Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias” (Acts 1:16-23), there seemed to be some risk of contention in making a decision.
To put an end to the doubt, they had recourse to prayer, and cast lots to discover the will of God. All with one voice said, “‘Thou, Lord, who knows the hearts of all men, show who of these two you have chosen’, and they gave them lots” (Acts 1:24-6).
We, too, sometimes have doubts and perplexities. We are at a loss on how to decide. Let us follow the example of the Apostles -- pray that God would make known his will to us.
“The lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles.” (Acts 1:26) The will of God being manifested, every one submitted unanimously. All discord instantly ceased. They readily acknowledged the elect of God. Matthias did not show any hint of pride, nor Barsabas of jealousy.
Be ready to practise the golden rule of St Augustine -- ‘In things doubtful and not decided by authority, let every one be free to think or choose as he will; but in what is authoritatively laid down, let there be perfect unanimity both in thoughts and words.’
This rule is an excellent means for preserving peace and charity among colleagues. Let us be faithful to it.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp281-3
Mary, a Vessel of the Spirit
The Creed professes that Jesus was “born of the Virgin Mary by the work of the Holy Spirit”. The Holy Spirit who descends on Mary and surrounds her is “he who gives life”. It is he who from the beginning of time has progressively made known in history the Word of God. And, now, in the fullness of time, the Son of God, through the Spirit’s power, is made man in the womb of the Virgin.
The Fathers of the Church affirm: “When Mary gave her answer to God, she received the Spirit, who molded in her that flesh equal to God.”
Why does this “becoming flesh” of the Word, his becoming man, take place in the very womb of Mary, the Virgin of Nazareth? Why has such an involvement between a human creature and the Holy Spirit never happened in any other moment of human history? In Mary all this took place with the minimum resistance.
“It is no wonder then that it was customary for the Fathers to refer to the Mother of God as all holy and free from every stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature.” (“Lumen Gentium”, no. 56)
Thus did the Spirit, through her and in her, without resistance render the Word fully present. Through the Spirit the Word was ‘introduced into history’.
The Spirit united the visible to the invisible and fulfilled the eternal design of God to ‘recapitulate all things in Christ’. Ancient Church tradition affirms that God the Father, making Mary a ‘vessel of the Spirit’, renders Mary’s womb ‘fertile’ thus ‘the ineffable triumph of virginal conception takes place’ (Andrew of Crete).
By reason of Mary’s total ‘spiritualization’, she could offer the gift of Christ. She who was ‘full of grace’, that is, the Spirit, in her total capacity to receive the Spirit can communicate divine life in the Spirit.
Ref: Theological-Historical Commission, “The Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life”, 84-5, 1997
The hiddenness of the Holy Spirit’s Work
You have only to go on as you are doing, but explain yourself in a way that would distress those without experience of this state of prayer [of divine repose].
You say that you do nothing, and yet you are always doing something or you would be in a state of pure idleness; but your soul acts so gently that you do not perceive your interior acts of consent and adherence to the Holy Spirit.
The stronger these inspirations are, the less you should act; you should merely follow what is drawing you and allow yourself to be drawn gently on ...
Your manner of behaving in times of storm and upset enchants me: submission, total self-abandonment without reserve, being content with lack of contentment when God wills it. In those conditions one advances more in one day than in a hundred, filled with sweetness and consolations.
Your total, continual and universal self-abandonment to God through a sentiment of confidence and union with Jesus Christ, always doing the will of his Father, is the most divine and surest method of success in everything; try to communicate it to everyone.
Finally, if there is some little act of reparation to be made to our neighbor, let us never fail in this duty, but take the opportunity to conquer generously our pride and human respect.
Ref: “The Fire of Divine Love: Readings from Jean-Pierre de Caussade”, Edited by Robert Llewelyn, 1995, p45
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
Our Lady -- “Be Mary’s, and you will be ours.” (cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 494)
• Institution of the nuns of the Visitation of Our Lady, founded at Annecy in Savoy, in the year 1610 by St Francis of Sales, Bishop of Geneva, and St Jane Frances Fremiot de Chantal, who was the first nun. — Henri de Maupas du Tour, 2' partie, cn. 1. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Institution of the Nuns of the Visitation of Our Lady, by St Francis de Sales (1610). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Founding of the Nuns of the Visitation of Our Lady by St. Francis de Sales 1610. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
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