Patroness of Immigrants. One of eighteen children, she desired to become a nun at eighteen years old, but poor health prevented her. Helped her parents until their death, and then worked on a farm with her brothers and sisters.
One day a priest asked her to teach in a girls’ school; and stayed for six years. At her Bishop’s request, she founded the ‘Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart’ to care for poor children in schools and hospitals.
Pope Leo XIII requested her to go to the United States of America in 1889 to work among the Italian immigrants. Six Sisters accompanied her.
At the time of her death in Chicago on 22 December 1917, her institute numbered houses in England, France, Spain, the United States and South America. In 1946, she became the first American citizen to be canonized.
Ref: Rev Hugo Hoever, SOCist, PhD, “Lives of the Saints”, pp472-3
The rich young man
While Jesus was preaching, a young man appeared before him and addressed him in these words: “Good Master, what good shall I do that I have life everlasting?” (Mt 19:16)
This young man gives us an example of fervor, respect, humility, and zeal.
However, he does not ask Jesus what sins he should avoid in order to gain heaven. We, on the other hand, usually focus on our faults and the means to overcome them in our examinations of conscience.
In future let our first thought on awaking be the good we may do that day, and how we may best perform them, asking God’s blessing and making necessary resolutions. Then at night, let us thank God for the good he has enabled us to do, resolved to do even better next time.
Thus we shall serve God with love and confidence, and will infallibly make greater progress than in perpetually dwelling upon our sins and imperfections.
Jesus answers the young man, “If you will enter into life, keep the commandments” (Mt 19:17). The young man replies, “All these I have kept from my youth. What is yet wanting to me?”
Jesus says, “If you will be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me” (Mk 10:21). Our Lord held out bright inducements to the young man!
He offered eternal, not perishable, wealth. In lieu of limited earthly possessions, the boundless kingdom of heaven, and the enjoyment of glory and happiness according to the greatness of his sacrifice. But, instead of being filled with joy at these words of Jesus, he was “shocked and went away grieving; for he had many possessions” (Mk 10:22).
Was this young man saved or not? St Augustine thinks he was not saved, not because he did not follow the counsel given, but because his want of resolution led him to fall an easy prey to temptations of wealth, which he would have avoided in following his vocation.
Our Lord’s words on the young man’s departure give great weight to this opinion: “How hardly shall they who have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (Lk 18:24)
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp714-6
Humility
Our Lady teaches us the way to humility. This virtue should not be regarded in a negative sense, although it does involve a denial of one’s pride, a tempering of our ambition, and extinction of egoism and vanity. Mary did not experience any of these temptations and still was blessed with the highest degree of humility.
The word ‘humility’ is derived from the Latin ‘humus’, which means earth, soil, or dirt. Humility signifies a recognition of our human origin in the dust of which Adam was made. The virtue of humility, therefore, consists in living out of a realistic appraisal of our comparative insignificance as creatures who are totally dependent on God. (cf R Garrigou-Lagrange, “The Three Ages of the Interior Life”, II, 118)
At the very moment when God chose Our Lady to be his Mother she proclaimed herself to be his maidservant. (cf Lk 1:38) The ‘Handmaid of the Lord’ is the ‘Queen of the Universe’, the fulfilment of the words of Jesus: “He who humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Lk 14:11) The humble person will hear the Lord’s invitation: “Friend, go up higher.” (Lk 14:10)
Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 5:357-9
Divine filiation and humility
How wonderful it is to become members of God’s family ‘in’ and ‘through’ the Son. Simultaneously a gift and a mission to be carried out on earth. It is a divine gift, for whose growth we are ever to beg.
Yet we are also to ready ourselves to receive it, since it is not something conquered by strong will, but by a flowering of grace, which best nestles in a humble soul. “No one knows ... who the Father is except the Son and any to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Mt 11:27)
Recognizing our littleness is the threshold by which we partake of God, since “humility means looking at ourselves as we really are, honestly and without excuses. And when we realize that we are worth hardly anything, we can then open ourselves to God’s greatness: it is there our greatness lies.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 96)
Moreover, “it is our own wretchedness that leads us to seek refuge in God, to become Godlike. With him we can do all things.” (Ibid, 212) As we experience our weakness and frailty, we seek out our heavenly Father for protection and warmth.
A proud person “is always vainly striving to dethrone God ... so as to make room for himself and his ever cruel ways”. (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 100) Such a person ends up in an evil godliness, worlds apart from the dignity arising from sharing in divine life.
Such deception can lead to seeing oneself as “the sun and center of all those around him. Everything must revolve around himself.” (Ibid, 101)
This childlike sharing in God, or godliness, is a divine gift. God graces us so that we can receive it. Thus, he wants us to “empty ourselves, so that he can fill us. He wants us not to put obstacles in his way so that, humanly speaking, there will be more room for his grace in our poor hearts.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 98)
Ref: Francis Fernandez-Carvajal and Peter Beteta, “Children of God”, 1997, pp17-8
• Dedication of the Abbey of Bec, in Normandy, in the year 1077, by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury. This abbey of Benedictines was founded about the year 1045 by Herluin, who was its first abbot. — Gulielmus Gemiticensis, lib. vi. de ducib. Norman., cap. 9. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Dedication of the “Abbaye Notre-Dame du Bec” (Abbey of Bec) in honor of Mary. Normandy, France. 1077. [Dedication "by Lanfrance, Archbishop of Canterbury. This abbey of Benedictines was founded about the year 1045 by Herluin, who was its first abbot." Gulielmus Gemiticensis, book 6 de ducib. Norman, chapter 9.] (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Dedication of the Abbey of Bec in honor of Our Lady. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• “Notre-Dame de-Nanteuil”. Montrichard, France. Miraculous fountain from the 15th century. Pilgrimage site. Photo of church. Another photo. Article: Philippe Gabet, "La légende de Notre-Dame de Nanteuil," BSMF (Bulletin de la Société de Mythologie Française), volume 87, page 96. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of Nanteuil, France. 1st Century. (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of Nanteuil (France). (http://mariedenazareth.com)
• Our Lady of Hope. Apparition: 17 January 1871, Mayenne, France. Moveable feast -- Second Sunday of November. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of Hope (Isle of Spyros). Moveable feast -- Second Sunday of November. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) ; (www.starharbor.com/santiago/m feasts.html); (MaryLinks Calendar.htm); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
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