20 May 2012: The Gift of Knowledge

“Creatures are a trace of the passing of God, whereby are revealed His greatness, power, wisdom and other Divine virtues.” (cf St John of the Cross, “The Spiritual Canticle”, 5, 3) Things reflect the splendor, beauty, goodness and power of God. In the words of the psalmist: “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.” (Ps 19:1) And yet, because of original sin and ensuing personal sins, men cannot perceive the signs of God in the world, fail to know him as the source of all good. This gift enables us to understand creatures as signs which lead to God. “Like the gifts of understanding and of wisdom, the gift of knowledge is a contemplative gift enabling us to see into the very mystery of God.” (MM Philipon, “The Gifts of the Holy Spirit”, Madrid) Through this gift a Christian perceives and understands that “all creation, the movement of earth and other heavenly bodies, the good actions of creatures and all the good that has been achieved in history, in short, everything, comes from God and is directed toward him.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 130) This gift is a supernatural disposition whereby the soul participates in God’s knowledge, grasps the relationship between creatures and their Creator, and perceives how creation serves man’s last end. The hymn which many Catholics use for thanksgiving after Holy Communion, clearly expresses this gift. “... all works of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and bless him forever. Angels of the Lord ... heavens ... sun and moon ... stars of heaven ... rain and dew ... nights and days ... light and darkness ... mountains and hills ... plants ... springs ... seas and rivers ... whales and fish ... birds of the air ... wild beasts and cattle ... priests of the Lord ... spirits and souls of the just ... the holy and humble in heart: praise and thank him because his mercy is everlasting.” (cf Daniel, 3:52-90) The gift of knowledge enables the Christian who is docile to the Holy Spirit to perfectly discern between what leads to God and what separates from him. Perhaps a disordered desire for material goods; so the heart is not free to serve God. Christians who must sanctify themselves in the middle of the world especially need this gift so as to direct all temporal activities to God, making them a means of holiness and apostolate. “There is something holy, something hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it.” (“Conversations with Monsignor Escrivá”, 114) In order to receive this gift we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us exercise freedom and detachment from material goods; to be more humble, so we can learn the value of things. Along with these dispositions we need to foster and increase our sense of God’s presence which helps us to see him in our work. To make us capable of possessing this gift in full, we have recourse to the Blessed Virgin, “Mother of fair love, of fear, of knowledge, and of holy hope” (Sir 24:24). “Mary is also the Mother of knowledge, for it is with her that we learn the most important lesson of all, that nothing is worthwhile if we are not close to Our Lord. All the wonders of this earth, the fulfilment of our every ambition, is worthless unless the living flame of love burns within us, unless there is the light of holy hope giving us a foretaste of never-ending love in our true homeland in heaven.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 278) Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:543-8 ` ` ` MAY DEVOTIONS ` ` ` Mary’s Hope “Our Lady, a full participant in the work of our salvation, follows in the footsteps of her Son -- the poverty of Bethlehem, the everyday work of a hidden life in Nazareth, the manifestation of his divinity in Cana of Galilee, the tortures of his passion, the divine sacrifice on the cross, the eternal blessedness of paradise. “All of this affects us directly, because this supernatural itinerary is the way we are to follow. Mary shows us that we can walk this path with confidence. She has preceded us on the way of imitating Christ; her glorification is the firm hope of our own salvation. For these reasons we call her ‘our hope, cause of our joy’.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 176) Let us offer our Mother: ‘A smile when we do not feel like smiling.’ Ref: Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias (Eds), “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, pp310-11 The Rosary, yesterday and today The Devotion of the Rosary grew tremendously through the centuries, and became, excepting the liturgical eucharistic Mass, the most popular in the Church. Saints, Popes, kings, theologians and scientists, educated and common people made it their favorite. During the third quarter of the 20th Century there occurred an unexplainable and tragic decline in this devotion due, maybe, to a new Christian mentality about the form of praying. Some people see in the Rosary only a mechanical and repetitious prayer! Thanks God there is a sincere and concrete sense of revival toward the Rosary Devotion which is strongly supported by the last Popes, through their continuous public ‘Exhortations’ and ‘Encyclical Letters’. Ref: Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, 1984, p56 · “Let the Rosary, this simple beautiful method of prayer enriched with many indulgences, be habitually recited by all and in every home. These are my last words to you, the memorial I leave behind me.” -- Pope Pius IX · “The Rosary is the Creed turned into prayer.” -- Cardinal John Henry Newman · “This simple and profound prayer, the Rosary, teaches us to make Christ the principle and end, not only of Marian devotions, but of our entire life.” -- Pope Paul VI · “The sum total of the love of all mothers for their children can never equal the love of Mary for only one soul.” -- St Alphonsus Liguori Ref: In Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, 1984, pp57, 56, 55,18 • Dedication of the church of “La Ferté”, in the diocese of Chalons in Burgundy, in honor of Our Lady. This abbey, the eldest daughter of Citeaux, was founded in the year 1113 by Savaric and William, Counts of Chalons. — Ex Archiviis Abbatis Firmitatis. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Dedication of the Church of “La Ferté” in honor of Mary. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html) • Dedication of the Church of “La Ferte” in honor of Mary. Burgundy, France 1113. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • Dedication of the Church of “La Ferté”, Burgundy, in honor of Our Lady (1113). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html) • Church of “La Ferté” dedicated to Mary. Burgundy, France. 1113. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)