23 April 2012: Memorial -- Our Lady of Good Counsel

(Fr James Socias, ‘et al’ [Eds], “Daily Roman Missal”, 1989, p1907)

Charity unites, pride divides
St Paul wrote to the Christians of Ephesus: “I beg you to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, with forbearing for one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (cf “The Navarre Bible, Captivity Epistles”)
He lists the virtues: humility, gentleness, longanimity; various manifestations of charity, the bond of unity in the Church. “The temple of the King is not ruined, or cracked or divided: the cement of the living stones is charity.” (St Augustine, “Commentary on Psalm 44”)
Charity unites, pride separates. The first Christians showed their love for the Church through a charity which overcame all barriers.
One of the earliest Apologists, in the second century, described the behaviour of the first Christians as follows: “they love one another, they do not despise widows and they rescue orphans from those who treat them with violence; and he who has, gives unbegrudgingly to him who has not.” (Aristides, “Apology”, XV, 5-7)
However, the greatest charity was directed towards strengthening the brethren in the faith. The ‘Acts of the Martyrs’ recount in almost every page specific details of this concern for fidelity of the others.
Truly “it was Love that enabled them to make their way through that corrupt pagan world” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 172). Love for the brethren and the pagans.
Let us have recourse to our Mother Mary. “May she, the Mother of love and unity, bind us closely, in order that, like the first community born from the Cenacle, we may be ‘one heart and one soul’. May she, the ‘Mother of Unity’, in whose womb the Son of God was united to humanity, inaugurating mystically the nuptial union of the Lord with all men, help us to be ‘one’ and to become instruments of unity, among Christians and among all men.” (John Paul II, “Homily”, 24 March 1980)
Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:352-4

Communion of the Saints -- If you feel the communion of saints -- if you live it -- you’ll gladly be a man of penance. And you will realize that penance is “joy in spite of hardship”, and you will feel yourself “allied” to all the penitent souls that have been, that are, and that ever will be. (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 548)

The Apostolate -- Unity. Unity and submission. What do I want with the loose parts of a clock -- even though they are finely wrought -- if they can’t tell me the time? (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 962)

Jesus reproves and instructs the two disciples
Our Lord, having drawn the prejudices and incredulity from the lips of the two disciples, severely reproves them. “O foolish and slow of heart to believe in all things the prophets have spoken.” (Lk 24:25)
Severe, but neither bitter nor in anger. The disciples received it with humility; without comment. They felt it was prompted by charity.
Nothing is more fatal than acquisition of bad habits. These slowly become part of ourselves and are very difficult to shake off. “Habit becomes second nature.” (St Augustine)
We must be vigilant about seemingly innocuous tendencies. Our directors deserve credit for spotting our omissions in time; and if necessary, reprove us before it is too late for correction.
This is a great advantage and we must appreciate it. Let us not imitate the sick man who gets angry with the surgeon, who, to cure him, is often obliged to cause him pain. Receive correction, and, as the two disciples did, without reply, humbly, gratefully, with sincere desire of amendment.
The person at fault should know he is wrong and for which he requires instruction, for correction to be of real service. This was our Lord’s way with the two disciples by explaining that the prophecies about the Messiah contradict their errors on his doctrine of self-denial and humility. He says, “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory?” (Lk 24:26)
We clearly see the only road to eternal salvation pointed out by the Infallible Word himself: the way of the cross. Should I think myself wiser to deserve an easier way than my Master? By leading a soft life? Isn’t this absurd?
“Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted the things about him.” (cf Lk 24:27) Our Lord could have enlightened them by a single ray of his grace. Why this long exposition of the prophetic writers?
To teach us that we must obtain and preserve the comprehension of doctrinal matters by diligently reading Holy Scripture and spiritual books. Is carelessness in spiritual reading the cause of our want of faith and light?
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp216-8

The use of holy water to conquer the devil
“You ask me why I always recommend, with such insistence, the daily use of holy water. I could give you many reasons. But there could be none better than that of the Saint of Avila: ‘From nothing do evil spirits flee more precipitately, never to return, than from holy water.’” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 572)
John Paul II exhorts us, when we pray, to think more about the last petition of the “Our Father: Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from Evil -- from the Evil One. Do not let us give in, Lord, to the infidelity towards which the one who has been unfaithful right from the beginning entices us.” (“General Audience”, 13 August 1986)
The best way to show that we want to replace the devil’s ‘non serviam’ with our personal ‘Serviam: I will serve you, Lord’, is by a special effort to improve in our faithfulness to what we know God wants of us.
Ref: Cf Francis Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:36

Presence of God
Make it a habit to raise your heart to God, in acts of thanksgiving, many times a day. Because he gives you this and that ... Because someone has despised you ... Because you don’t have what you need, or because you do have it.
And because he made his Mother, who is also your Mother, so beautiful. Because he created the sun and the moon and this animal or that plant. Because he made that man eloquent and you left slow of speech. ...
Thank him for everything, because everything is good.
Ref: Cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 268

• Pope Calistus III grants Indulgences to visitors of Cathedral of Arras, which holds a Marian veil and cincture (sash). 1455. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Pope Calixtus III grants indulgences to those who visit the Cathedral of Arras, where a veil and cinture of Our Lady are kept (1455). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Indulgences granted to whoever visit the Cathedral of Arras where a veil and a cincture of Our Lady are preserved. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Mende, Africa (16th Century). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (http://mariedenazareth.com)