12 March 2012: Mother of Fair Love

“... like the vine I sprouted beautiful branches and my blossoms gave forth savory and rich fruits.” (Sir 24:17) May our souls and the souls of all Christians be full of that sweet fragrance which is devotion to our Mother; and may it bring us to trust entirely in her who watches over us at all times.
“I am the Mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.” (Sir 24:18)
This is a lesson on living a clean life, of having a sensitive and passionate heart, so that we may learn to be faithful in our service to the Church. This is no ordinary love; but Love itself.
There is no room here for betrayal, or calculation, or forgetfulness. It is a
beautiful love because its beginning and end is God, who is thrice Holy, all beauty, all goodness, and all greatness.
The reference to fear, for myself, is that of turning away from Love. God our Lord certainly does not want us to be inhibited, timid, or lukewarm about our dedication to him. He wants us to be daring, courageous, and refined. When the sacred text speaks of fear here, I am reminded of a complaint we find elsewhere in scripture: “I searched for my heart’s love, but found him not.” (Cant 3:1)
This can happen if one has not yet fully understood what it means to love God. Then our hearts can be swayed by things which do not lead to our Lord and so we lose sight of him.
Ref: Cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 277

Indulgenced Aspirations to the Blessed Virgin
1) ‘Mary.’
2) ‘Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.’
3) ‘Mary our hope, have pity on us.’
4) ‘Holy Mary, deliver us from the pains of hell.’
Ref: Very Rev Charles J Callan, OP, STM and Very Rev John A McHugh, OP, STM, “Blessed Be God”, 1925, p436

Motives for penance: The loss the sinner incurs
By mortal sin we lose God’s friendship, ‘sanctifying grace’, inheritance of the beatific vision, and all privileges received in Baptism. In a state of mortal sin we are God’s enemies; the devil’s children and slaves. We are under a curse.
Perhaps we have spent days in this miserable state; or even a great part of our lives. This bitter thought caused such deep grief to St Augustine, that his only consolation was to do constant penance daily.
During these days of universal penance, let us imitate the saint. If God’s mercy has preserved us from frequent mortal sin, recall those numerous venial sins, a sufficient cause for penance. Venial sin does not deprive us of God’s love but certainly diminishes it.
Mortal sin also deprives our soul of ‘supernatural life’: our union with God, bonded by love. Mortal sin breaks this tie. While separated from God, the soul is dead -- incapable of a meritorious action.
Our best works are inert. Every day, every month, passed in this state, is lost forever.
Venial sin does not ‘destroy’, but weakens this supernatural life. The soul is less fruitful in good works which are less pleasing to God and less meritorious. Moreover, our human imperfection is so great that it always deforms and diminishes the merit of our best works.
The saints tried to compensate for all this by great penance and constant mortification. We, who have sinned so much and repented so little must imitate them.
Mortal sin robs the soul of its ‘beauty’, and renders it ugly in the eyes of God and his holy angels. As the Scriptures say, ‘They are become abominable’. One mortal sin changed an angel into a demon, and cast him down to hell.
How, then, must a soul, defiled by numerous mortal sins, appear to God? What will be its destiny in eternity, when the punishment will be in proportion to sins committed?
We might have incurred this penalty. If so, we have a strong motive to accept hardship and penance, and persevere till the end. For, although it may be certain that we have sinned grievously, our penance could not have been sufficient.
The Church also tells us that the slightest venial fault leaves a stain upon the soul; and ‘nothing defiled can enter heaven’ are the words of the Holy Spirit. We have daily stained our souls, and made few efforts to cleanse them.
Therefore, our purgatory will last much longer. If we could but understand what for one moment is to endure the pain of purgatory, to be deprived of the beatific vision, the greatest penance would seem light.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp124-6

Who Is My Neighbor?
Do you remember? Was it not with the parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus answered a question put by a doctor of the Law? The doctor had just quoted the Law:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” (Lk 10:27)
‘The Good Samaritan is Christ.’ It is he who comes to us first, making us his neighbor, to succor us, heal us, save us. But if there be still some distance between God and us, that depends only on us, on the obstacles which we put up against such rapprochement.
The sin in our hearts, the injustices we commit, the hatred and divisions which we nourish -- all these things cause us not to love God yet with all our souls, with all our strength.
The season of lent is the privileged time for ‘purification’ and ‘penitence’, for letting the Lord make us his neighbor and save us with his love.
The second commandment is like the first (cf Mt 22:39) and forms one whole with it. We must love others with the same love which God pours into our hearts and with which he himself loves us. Here, too, what obstacles stand in the way of making the other our neighbor: we do not love God and our brethren enough.
Why still so many difficulties, raised against leaving the important but insufficient stage of reflections, declarations and professions, to become emigrants with emigrants, refugees with refugees, poor with those lacking everything?
Ref: Cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, pp146-7

The Heart of the World
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! ... Let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!” (Is 25:9)
These words of Isaiah invite us to trust in the Lord ... On the mountain of victory he is preparing a festive banquet for all peoples. Tears will be wiped away from all faces and death will be eliminated for ever. Peace will reign. Christ, Son of the Virgin Mary, will be the heart of the world.
Let us pray that the Father’s will may be done, making all people children of God through the unifying action of the Spirit.
Ref: “Breakfast with the Pope, Daily Readings”, Pope John Paul II, 1995, 120

• Our Lady of Miracles, in the cloister of St Maur des Fosses, near Paris. It is said that this image was found made when the sculptor, named, Rumold, was about to begin it. — Du Breuil, Theatre des Antiquites, lib. iv. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Our Lady of Miracles. St. Maur des Fosses. France. (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html); (http://mariedenazareth.com)
• Our Lady of Miracles. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)