The Mystery of the Trinity

"O incomprehensible God, Your greatness is eternal, and Your goodness ineffable. I see the three divine Persons flowing one into another in an indescribable, inscrutable way, and I rejoice in this sight. The Father flows into the Son, the Son into the Father, and the Father and the Son flow into the Holy Spirit. Eternal God, You are unspeakably good, You who, out of goodness, communicate to a creature, aware of its nothingness, some knowledge of Your eternal Being; but although this communication is wonderful, it might be called in all truth a mere nothing, in comparison with what You really are. " (St Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi)

The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the mystery of God's intimate life, and as creatures we had no right to know it. However, God in His goodness, has willed to raise us to the dignity of sons, of friends, therefore, He made it known to us, not by the Prophets, but by His only begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is one with Him. The Son of God said: "I will not now call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends, because all things whatsoever I have heard of My Father, I have made known to you" (John 15:15). The "all things" is precisely the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity which Jesus, the Son of God, has seen and heard in the bosom of the Father. The Evangelist says: "No man hath ever seen God at any time, but the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John 1:18). Jesus came to reveal to us the mystery of the intimate life of God; He spoke of Himself as the Son of God, equal to the Father in all things: "He that sees me, seeth the Father also," because "I am in the Father and the Father [is] in Me" (John 14: 9,11). He spoke to us of the Holy Spirit, without Whom we cannot attain eternal life: "Unless a man be born again of the water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (John 3:5), and He promised us that He Himself, with the Father, would send us the Spirit who proceeds both from Him, the Word, and from the Father: "It is expedient to you that I go, For...if I go, I will send  Him to you" (John 16:7); "I will ask the Father and He shall give you another Paraclete....the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16). By repeating these words, Jesus teaches us that it is good for us to fix our gaze on the sublime mystery of the Blessed Trinity: to admire, to praise, and to return love to this One Triune God, who loves us so much that he wishes to bring us into the secrecy of His own intimate life.

Let us pray with St Catherine of Siena: "O Eternal Trinity! Who can reach You to thank You for the incomprehensible gifts and unlimited favours You have showered upon me, as well as for the doctrine of the truth You have taught me? Answer me, O Lord!...Enlighten me with Your grace, so that by this very light, I may thank You."

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The Descent of the Holy Spirit

Pentecost is the plenitude of God's gift to men. On Christmas Day, God gives us His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus, the Mediator, the Bridge connecting humanity and divinity. During Holy Week, Jesus, by His Passion, gives Himself entirely to us, even to death on the Cross. He bathes us, purifying and sanctifying us in His Blood. At Easter, Christ rises, and His Resurrection, as well as His Ascension, is the pledge of our own glorification. He goes before us to His Father's house to prepare a place for us, for in Him and with Him, we have become a part of the divine Family; we have become children of God, destined for eternal beatitude. But the gift of God to men does not end there; having ascended into heaven, Jesus, in union with the Father, sends us His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. The Father and the Holy Spirit loved us to the point of giving us the Word so loved us as to give us the Holy Spirit. Thus the three Persons of the Trinity give Themselves to man, stooping to this poor nothing to redeem him from sin, to sanctify him, and to bring him into Their own intimacy. Descending upon the Apostles under the form of tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit shows us how He, the Spirit of love, is given to us in order to transform us by His charity, and having transformed us, to lead us back to God. Our supernatural life has developed under the action of the Holy Spirit; it is caught up in the life-giving transforming current of His love. In this way we understand how the Feast of Pentecost can and should represent a new out-pouring of the Holy Spirit in our souls, a new visit in which he fills us with his gifts:

Veni Creator Spiritus - mentus tuorum visita,

Imple superna gratia - que to creasti pectora,

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

And in our hearts take up Thy rest,

Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid,

To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

Let us pray with Sr Carmela of the Holy Spirit, O.C.D: "Come, O life-giving Spirit, to this poor world and renew the face of the earth; preside over new organizations and give us Your peace, that peace which the world cannot give. Help Your Church, give her holy priests and fervent apostles. Fill with holy inspirations the souls of the good; give calm compunction to sinful souls, consoling refreshment to the suffering, strength and help to those who are tempted, and light to those in darkness and in the shadow of death"

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Today we start Novena to the Holy Ghost for the Seven Gifts - click to pray

The novena in honor of the Holy Ghost is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Ghost on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.

How to pray the Novena

Each day the meditation and prayer for the particular day is said, followed by one (1) Our Father, one (1) Hail Mary and seven (7) Glory be to the Fathers, the Act of Consecration and the Prayer for the Seven Gifts. (From Novena's text)

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Pentecost 1883, Our Lady's smile

One Sunday, during the novena (Whit Sunday, 1883), Marie went into the garden, leaving me with Leonie, who was reading near the window. After a few minutes, I began to call softly: "Marie! Marie!" Leonie, accustomed to hear me moan like that, paid no attention, so I called louder, until Marie came back to me. I saw her come into the room quite well, but, at first, I did not recognize her. I looked around myself. I glanced anxiously into the garden, still calling: "Marie! Marie!"

What unutterable anguish that forceful struggle was, and Marie perhaps suffered even more than her poor little Therese. Finally, after vain efforts to make me recognize her, she whispered a few words to Leonie, and went away pale and trembling.

Soon my dear Leonie carried me to the window. There I saw the garden, but still I did not recognize Marie, who walked slowly, held out her arms, smiling at me, and calling me tenderly: "Therese, dear little Therese!" That last attempt failed again, my dear sister came in again and knelt at the foot of my bed in tears. She turned towards the statue of Our Lady, and pleaded her with the fervor of a mother who begs for her child's life. Leonie and Celine joined Marie in prayer, and that cry of faith forced open the gates of Heaven.

I too turned to my Heavenly Mother, finding no relief on earth and nearly dead with pain, begging Our Lady from the bottom of my heart to have pity on me.  Suddenly, the statue came to life! The Virgin became very beautiful, so divinely beautiful that I shall never find words to describe her. The expression of Our Lady's face radiated an ineffable gentleness, goodness, and tenderness, but what touched me to the very depths of my soul was her gracious smile. Then, all my pain vanished; two big tears welled up in my eyes and flowed silently.

Ah, they were indeed tears of unmixed heavenly joy. "Our Blessed Lady has come to me, she has smiled at me. How happy I am, but I shall tell no one, or my happiness might disappear!" Such were my thoughts. Then, without any effort, I lowered my eyes, and I recognized my darling Marie. She looked lovingly at me, seemed very agitated, and she appeared as if she doubted the grace that I had just received.

Ah, indeed thanks to her prayers I had received the most unfathomable favor - a smile from the Blessed Virgin! Seeing my eyes fixed on the statue, she said to herself: "Therese is cured!" Yes, it was true. The Little Flower had come back to life again - a bright ray from Our Lady's glorious Sun had warmed and set her free forever from her cruel enemy. "The dark winter is past, the rain is over and gone," and the Virgin Mary's Little Flower became so strong that five years later she opened wide her petals on the fertile mountain of Carmel. (Story of the Soul, ch. 3)

 credit: after A Moment with Mary

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The Holy Spirit, sweet Guest of the Soul

In the encyclical 'Mystici Corporis' Pope Pius XII says 'the Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church', and because soul means 'principle of life', therefore, the divine Paraclete is the One who gives life to the Church. As the soul is the principle of life in the body, so the Holy Spirit is the principle of life in the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit was in Christ's soul to direct Him in accomplishment of His redemptive mission, because Jesus wished the Church to participate in it. Since the Church continues Christ's work, she needs the same impetus which guided His soul; she needs the Holy Spirit. Jesus merited His Spirit for us on the Cross; by His death, He atoned for all sin, the obstacle to the action of the Holy Spirit, and when He had ascended into heaven, He sent Him to the Apostles, who represented the whole Church. Now, seated in glory at the right hand of the Father, He intercedes continually for us, he is always sending the Holy Spirit to the Church, as He promised. The Holy Spirit operates in the Church, just as He once did in the blessed soul of Christ. He gives her impulse, moves her, and drives her to accomplish God's will, thus enabling her to fulfill His mission, the continuation down through the ages of the redemptive work of Christ. As we read in the encyclical Mystici Corporis, the Holy Spirit "is communicated to the Church abundantly, so that she herself and each one of her members may become, day by day, more like our Redeemer". Thus, the Holy Spirit exercises His influence not only in the Body of the Church, but also in each soul in which He dwells as the "sweet Guest". But if the Holy Spirit is an impulse of love that comes into us to sanctify us and bring us to God, why do we not all become saints? The Holy Spirit, with the Father and the Son, has created us free beings and he wishes us so; therefore, in coming to us, He respects our liberty and does no violence to it. He enters our soul and posses it only when we give Him free access. As St Teresa of Jesus liked to insists: "God does not force anyone, He takes what we give Him, but He does not give Himself wholly to us, until we give ourselves wholly to Him" (Way, 28). If our will would open the doors wide, the Holy Spirit would take us under His direction, and, with His help, we would become saints.

Let us pray with St John Eudes: "O Divine Spirit, I give myself entirely to You. Take possession of my soul. direct me in everything, and grant that I may live as a true child of God; grant that, born of You, I may totally belong to You, be totally possessed, animated, and directed by You"

credit: based on 'Divine Intimacy' meditaitons

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The Holy Spirit

In God there are three Persons, equal and distinct: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the effusion of the reciprocal love of the Father and the Son, an effusion so substantial and perfect that it is a Person, the third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, to whom the Father and the Son, by the sublime fruitfulness of their love, communicate their very own nature and essence, without losing any of it Themselves. Because the Holy Spirit is the effusion of divine love, He is called "Spirit" according to the Latin sense of the word which means air, respiration, the vital breath. In us, respiration is a sign of life; in God, the Holy Spirit is the expression, the effusion of the life and love of the Father and the Son, but a substantial personal effusion, which is a Person. 

Let us reflect with St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi on the Holy Spirit, the breath life and love of God: "O Holy Spirit, You come to us by a loving operation of grace....like an overflowing fountain in the soul, wherein the soul is submerged. As two rivers join and unite their waters so that the smaller one loses its name and takes that of the larger, so do You, O divine Spirit, come into the soul to unite Yourself to it. But it is necessary that the soul, which is the lesser, lose its name and leave it to You, O Holy Spirit, so as to become one spirit with You.

Holy Spirit, I see You coming down into the soul like the sun which, finding no obstacle, no impediment, illumines everything; I see You descending like a fiery thunderbolt which, in falling, goes to the lowest place it finds and there it reposes, never stopping on the way nor resting on the mountainous or high places but rather in the center of the earth. Thus you, O Holy Spirit, when You come down from heaven with the fiery dart of Your divine love, You do not repose in proud hearts or in arrogant spirits, but You make Your abode in  souls that are humble and contemptible in their own eyes"

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Waiting - Sunday after Ascension

This Sunday is like a prolongation of the Feast of Ascension. We may see in our hearts Our Lady, the Apostles, all gathered in the Upper room, united in fervent prayers while awaiting for the descend of the Holy Spirit: "Hear, O Lord, my voice calling to You....I seek Your face, O Lord, do not hide Your face from me". As long as we are on our earthly pilgrimage, far from God, He must be a constant yearning of our souls. St Peter teaches us what we must do in our life to be well prepared for our meeting with God: "Watch in prayers. But before all things, have a constant mutual charity among yourselves" (1Pt 4:7-11). This is what the Apostles did as they waited for the Holy Spirit; together in the Cenacle they were persevering in prayers in the unity of fraternal charity. God will look with favour on the prayers and sacrifices of a charitable person. Jesus has said expressly: "If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath anything against thee; leave there thy offering...and go first to be reconciled to thy brother" (Mt 5:23-24). As long as we live on earth we are liable to fall; all of us, therefore, need pardon; and "charity covers a multitude of sin" (1Pt). Let us pray with St Therese of Child Jesus: "O Lord, make me worthy to give testimony of You, not only in words, but especially in deeds, in spite of the difficulties and sufferings I may encounter. The Apostles gave testimony of You to the extent of facing death for love of You; grant that I may give testimony of You at least by a life worthy of You" (Story of the Soul, 13).

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To Jesus through Mary - our best guide and teacher

Charity is one in its essence, because of the oneness of its object: God loved in Himself, God loved in the neighbour. Hence, the more soul loves God, so much the more does it love its neighbour. Such was the characteristic of Mary's charity and she teaches us that when our love of God is really perfect, it flows at once into generous love of our neighbour, because as St Tomas says, one who loves God, love all that God loves. If then, we have to recognize that in dealing with our neighbour, we are not very charitable, nor very kind to him, nor attentive to his needs, we must conclude that out love of God is still very weak. St Bernard says: "With how much virtue, O Mary, did not infinite Goodness fill your heart during nine months He reposed within you! I know infinite Goodness filled your heart before entering your womb, and even when He left it, He did not leave your soul. If we hold in our hand a fragrant fruit for a half a day, does not our hand retain the fragrance for the rest of the day? O holy Virgin, it is just this charity, the fruit of your intimate union with God, which you pour out upon all mankind, condescending to receive them in the wide embrace of your immense love."

In Mary, we find the most perfect model for the souls aspiring to intimacy with God; at the same time, she is the surest guide for them. She leads us to Jesus and teaches us to concentrate all our affections on Him, to give ourselves entirely to Him, until we are completely lost and transformed in Him. Then through Jesus, she guides us to the life of union with the Trinity. By reason of sanctifying grace, our soul is also a temple of the Trinity, and Mary teaches us how to abide in this temple as a perpetual adorer of the three divine Persons who dwell therein.  St Elizabeth of the Trinity says: "I do not need to make any effort to enter into the mystery of the divine indwelling in the soul of Our Lady; my soul seems to abide there habitually, in the same attitude that was hers: adoring the God hidden within me" (Letters). May it also be given to us to live, under Mary's direction, in this attitude of continual adoration of the Trinity dwelling within our soul. 

Let us continue to pray with St Elizabeth of the Trinity: "O Mary, I can imagine how you must have felt when, after the Incarnation, you had within you the Word made flesh, the Gift of God! In what silence, what adoring recollection, must you have withdrawn into the depths of your soul to embrace the God whose Mother you were! Your attitude, O Blessed Virgin, during the months preceding the Nativity of Jesus, seems to be the model for interior souls...What peace and recollection accompanied your every action! You made ordinary things divine, because through them all, you remained the adorer of the Gift of God" (Letters, 1:10)

Vintage Holy card depicting Blessed Virgin with the Child Jesus from Westfries Museum collection in Belgium

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Mary's joy at the Ascension

If Mary felt a great joy when her Son lived next to her bodily, and as much joy when that same Son, after destroying death, re-emerged from the underworld, would she have had less joy when, before her eyes, her son rose to heaven in flesh and blood, which she well knew, he had taken from her?

Who would ever say such a thing, or has ever believed that her happiness at that moment could be compared to all the joys that preceded it?

Good mothers in this world are accustomed to experience great joy when their children receive earthly honors, and this mother-without a doubt a good mother-would she not have rejoiced with unutterable joy when she saw her only Son penetrate all heaven with power and dominion, rising and reaching the throne of God the Father Almighty? (St Eadmer of Canterbury)

after 'A Moment with Mary' 

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Sunday before Ascension - Carmelite reflection

In today's Gospel Jesus announces His Ascension, saying: "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world, again I leave the world, and I go to the Father." He presents the time spent on earth as a long journey, a pilgrimage. Every Christian should consider his own life, as St Teresa put it, "a night spent in a bad inn" (Way of Perfection, 40) during which his heart should be focused on eternal life. Jesus continues: "the hour cometh when I will no more speak to you in proverbs, but will show you plainly of the Father." Here He refers to the coming Pentecost, to the intervention of the Holy Spirit by whom He will enlighten the Apostles, giving them a clear understanding of the divine mysteries, so that the Father will no longer be unknown to them. If the Holy Spirit does not enlighten us, all that we can study and learn about the things of God is a dead letter, nothing. Yet, another important subject is brought today to our attention. Many times before, Jesus had spoken to the Apostles about prayer and the way they should pray; today he reveals the secret of efficacious prayer, saying: "If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it you." With these words, Jesus gives the Apostles an unfailing means of approaching the Father, to present themselves in His own Name, the Name of the God Man who, because He sacrificed Himself for the glory of His Father and for our salvation, deserves to be "heard for His reverence" (Heb 5:7). Therefore, it is clear, that our prayer, as well as all our good works, have no value unless they are founded on the infinite merits of Jesus. We have no sufficiency in ourselves for we are "unprofitable servants" (Luke 17:10), but all our sufficiency comes from the Crucified Lord. Therefore, looking at Him, the first condition of prayer made in His Name is humility, the realistic sense of our nothingness. The second condition, is the boundless confidence in the merits of Our Lord, which surpass all our poverty, misery, necessities, needs. In view of Jesus' infinite merits, we can never ask too much in His Name; we can never be too bold in imploring the plenitude of divine grace for our souls, in aspiring to the sanctity. There is no fault, no want of fidelity, no evil tendency, no sin, which, if sincerely detested, cannot be cleansed, purified, and pardoned by the Blood of Jesus; there is no weakness which He cannot cure, strengthen, and transform. Moreover, there is no creature of good will, no matter how weak and insignificant, who, in the Name of Jesus, cannot aspire to sanctity. However, there is the third condition to make the prayer efficacious. Our life MUST correspond to our prayer, our faith MUST be translated into good works: "Be you doer of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if a man be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass. For he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was." (James 1:22-27). These words of St James reminds us strongly of the practical character of Christian life. Vain is our prayer, vain our confidence in God, if we do not add our generous efforts to perform all our duties, to live up to our high vocation. We can, and we should hope for everything in the Name of Jesus, but we need to make an effort on our part to be entirely faithful to Him, and He expect this from us.

Let us pray with St Augustine: "Grant, O God, that [Your Son's] goodness may overcome my wickedness, that His meekness may atone for my perversity, that His mildness may dominate my irascibility. May His humility make amends for my pride; His patience, for my impatience; His benignity, for my harshness; his obedience for my disobedience; His tranquility, for my anxiety, His sweetness, for my bitterness; may His charity blot out my cruelty!"

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How to practice the Presence of God - Carmelite Saints tell it is worth to try, it will change our prayer lives forever.

St Teresa of Jesus strongly recommends the practice of the presence of God for souls aspiring to divine intimacy: 'We must retiring within ourselves even during our ordinary occupations...if I can recall the companionship I have within for so much as a moment, that is of great utility' (Way of Perfection, 29). In other words, devotion to the presence of God aims at engaging our soul in making strong effort to keep God always present in our mind and heart, even when we are engaged in our daily tasks. We can do this in various ways: we can use external objects, such as an image or a crucifix which we wear or put on our worktable, the sight of which will often remind us of God; we can also use our imagination to picture 'interiorly' the Lord near us. For, if the humanity of Jesus is not physically present, it is nevertheless always exercising an influence over us - even a physical one - in the communication of grace; so we can truly 'represent to ourselves' this action of Jesus within us. We can also keep a very vivid remembrance of God by using some truth of faith. For example, I can cultivate the thought of the continual presence of the Trinity within me, and try to perform all actions in honour of my divine Guests, or else I can consider my duties as so many manifestations of the will of God, and unite myself to this divine will as I perform them. Further, I can make it a practice to view all the circumstances of my life in the light of faith, and therefore, arranged by divine Providence for my good. This will incline me to accept them and to repeat continually to my heavenly Father: "I am content with everything You do for me". One might object that this method is more suitable for those who live in solitude than for those who are in constant contact with others; yet St Teresa applies it, simply and practically to the latter: "If one is speaking, he must try to remember that there is One within him to whom he can speak; if he is listening, let him remember that he can listen to One who is nearer to him than anyone else. Finally, let him realize that, if he likes, he need never withdraw from this good companionship, and let him grieve when he has left his Father, alone for so long, though his need of Him is so sore (Way of Perfection, 29). Anyone, who works, either manually or mentally, can adopt this method in all his relations with his neighbour. Nothing can hinder him from using it even inversely, that is, by applying it to the presence of God in the soul of others. If, unfortunately, God is not present at all times in all men by grace, He is present in essence, as the creator and conserver of their being. Thus a teacher may consider God present in his students, a doctor or a nurse, in their patients; a merchant or a dressmaker in their customer, and so on. This will inspire in us sentiments of kindness, charity, and respect for all those with whom we are in contact; it will lead us to be interested in them and to serve them, neither for an advantage which we may reap by so doing, nor solely from a sentiment of duty, but as homage to God whom we recognize as present in them. It means, in practical terms, to seek, serve and love God present in our brethren. This practice will be very effective in maintaining our contact with God, whether we think of Him as present in our own soul, or in that of our neighbour. "If you become accustomed to having Him at your side" says St Teresa, "and if He sees that you love Him there and are always trying to please Him, you will never be able, as we put it, to send Him away" (Way, 26). 

Let us reflect for a moment on the words of St Elizabeth of the Trinity and pray with her:

"Lord, may my motto be: Thou in me and I in Thee! How beautiful is Your presence within me, in the inmost sanctuary of my soul. May my continual occupation be to retire into myself, that I may lose myself in You, and live with You. I feel You so vividly in my soul, that I have only to become recollected to find You there within me, and in that I find all my happiness"

"O Lord, let me live with You as my friend! Help me to live in the awareness of faith always, in order that I may be united to You no matter what happens. I bear heaven in my soul, since You, who satiate the blessed in the Beatific Vision, give Yourself to me in faith and mystery."

"Grant, O my God, that my soul may be a little heaven wherein You can rest with delight. In order that I may attain this end, help me to remove everything that might offend Your divine eyes, and then permit me to live always with You in this little heaven. Wherever I am or whatever I do, You never leave me alone; grant that I, too, may always remain with You. At every hour of the day and night, in joy or sorrow, in every work or action, may I always know how to find You within me!"

"O my God, Blessed Trinity, be my dwelling, my rest, my Father's house which I shall never leave. Let me abide in You, not, not for a few minutes or hours, but permanently, habitually. may I pray in You, adore in You, love in You, suffer in You, work and act in You alone. Let me remain in You to offer myself to others through You, to attend to all my duties, while always penetrating further into Your divine depths. O Lord, grant that every day I may advance along the path of the abyss that leads me to You, that lets me slide down this slope aith a confidence full of love" (Letters, First Retreat, 1)

To read Carmelite classic "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Br Lawrence of the Resurrection click HERE

Selected previous posts on the topic HERE and HERE

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Aid to the Church in Need upcoming Birmingham Oratory meeting

I have got an email from Michael Cowie who is Area Coordinator for Aid to the Church in Need organisation. He asked me to post the link to their website where is posted information about upcoming Birmingham Oratory meeting on June 27th at 2pm: Aid to the Church in Need Birmingham Event: The Light of the World.

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St Athanasius - On the Incarnation, De Incarnatione Verbi Dei - click to read online

Today is the feast of St Athansius, Father of the Church, bishop of Alexandria, champion of orthodoxy, best remembered for his role in fighting the heresy of Arianism, which became the work of his life. Arianism was the first heresy that aroused within and rocked Catholic Church, this heresy denied Christ Divinity. Let us read excerpts from St Athanasius classic, 'On the Incarnation' of Christ. Athanasian Creed - the summary of Catholic doctrine, can be read HERE

....But, as we have already seen, men, foolish as they are, thought little of the grace they had received, and turned away from God. They defiled their own soul so completely that they not only lost their apprehension of God, but invented for themselves other gods of various kinds. They fashioned idols for themselves in place of the truth and reverenced things that are not, rather than God Who is, as St. Paul says, "worshipping the creature rather than the Creator." Moreover, and much worse, they transferred the honor which is due to God to material objects such as wood and stone, and also to man; and further even than that they went, as we said in our former book. Indeed, so impious were they that they worshipped evil spirits as gods in satisfaction of their lusts. They sacrificed brute beasts and immolated men, as the just due of these deities, thereby bringing themselves more and more under their insane control. Magic arts also were taught among them, oracles in sundry places led men astray, and the cause of everything in human life was traced to the stars as though nothing existed but that which could be seen. In a word, impiety and lawlessness were everywhere, and neither God nor His Word was known. Yet He had not hidden Himself from the sight of men nor given the knowledge of Himself in one way only; but rather He had unfolded it in many forms and by many ways....What, then, was God to do? What else could He possibly do, being God, but renew His Image in mankind, so that through it men might once more come to know Him? And how could this be done save by the coming of the very Image Himself, our Savior Jesus Christ? Men could not have done it, for they are only made after the Image; nor could angels have done it, for they are not the images of God. The Word of God came in His own Person, because it was He alone, the Image of the Father Who could recreate man made after the Image.n order to effect this re-creation, however, He had first to do away with death and corruption. Therefore He assumed a human body, in order that in it death might once for all be destroyed, and that men might be renewed according to the Image. The Image of the Father only was sufficient for this need. Here is an illustration to prove it. You know what happens when a portrait that has been painted on a panel becomes obliterated through external stains. The artist does not throw away the panel, but the subject of the portrait has to come and sit for it again, and then the likeness is re-drawn on the same material. Even so was it with the All-holy Son of God. He, the Image of the Father, came and dwelt in our midst, in order that He might renew mankind made after Himself, and seek out His lost sheep, even as He says in the Gospel: "I came to seek and to save that which was lost. This also explains His saying to the Jews: "Except a man be born anew . . .", He was not referring to a man's natural birth from his mother, as they thought, but to the re-birth and re-creation of the soul in the Image of God. Nor was this the only thing which only the Word could do. When the madness of idolatry and irreligion filled the world and the knowledge of God was hidden, whose part was it to teach the world about the Father? Man's, would you say? But men cannot run everywhere over the world, nor would their words carry sufficient weight if they did, nor would they be, unaided, a match for the evil spirits...

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No greater love - documentary on the lives of Discalced Carmelite nuns in Notting Hill Monastery, London

...'After ten years of correspondence, Michael Whyte was given unprecedented access to the monastery of the Most Holy Trinity, in London’s Notting Hill. The monastery, which was founded in 1878, is home to the Discalced Order of Carmelite Nuns. The nuns lead a cloistered life dedicated to prayer and contemplation, rarely leaving the monastery except to visit a doctor or dentist. Silence is maintained throughout the day with the exception of two periods of recreation.

No Greater Love gives a unique insight into this closed world where the modern world’s materialism is rejected; they have no television, radio or newspapers. The film interweaves a year in the life of the monastery with the daily rhythms of Divine Office and work. Centered in Holy Week, it follows a year in which a novice is professed and one of the senior nuns dies. Though mainly an observational film there are several interviews, which offer insights into their life, faith, moments of doubt and their belief in the power of prayer in the heart of the community.'...

To visit the movie producer's website clickHERE

After Vivificat blog

To read excerpts from the book 'In the silence of Mary - the life of Mother Mary of Jesus, Carmelite Prioress and Foundress 1851-1940' who was the Prioress of Notting Hill Carmel click HERE

In the words of Mother Mary of Jesus: 'Like Mary, we have to be mothers of souls. Where will we learn this maternity, the love which it asks, the mission which it constitutes, the life of sacrifice the true prayer of union with God, which it imposes? In Mary - in her silence.'

...more on the foundation of Notting Hill Carmel soon to follow...

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To Jesus through Mary - click to read Louis de Montfort classic, 'True Devotion to Mary'

...The reading of this book marked a turning point in my life. I say "a turning point" although it was actually a long interior journey, coinciding with my clandestine preparation for priesthood. At this point in time this singular treatise came into my hands; it is one of those books that is not enough to have only just "read". I remember that I carried it for long time in my pocket, even taking it with me to the factory where I worked, so that its beautiful cover became stained with lime. I often thought about the passages and went back over them again and again. I quickly realized that there was something fundamental beyond the archaic manner of the book.

From then onward, the Marian devotion of my childhood and even of my youth made way to a new attitude: a devotion that came from the deepest part of my faith, from the heart of a Trinitarian and Christological reality. Whereas before I always held back my love for the Virgin Mary in fear that my devotion to the Mother of God might mask Christ instead of yielding the way to Him, I came to understand in the light of the Treatise of Saint Louis de Montfort that it was actually the contrary. Our interior relationship with the Mother of God results organically from our bond to the mystery of Christ. It is therefore out of the question that one could prevent the other. (...) It is even possible to say that one who endeavors to know and love Jesus Christ designates Mary as his own Mother just as the disciple John did at Calvary (Andre Frossard in conversation with Pope John Paul II).

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When we consider the immensity of others' needs, we can, on the one hand, be driven towards an ideology that would aim at doing what God's governance of the world apparently cannot: fully resolving every problem. Or we can be tempted to give in to inertia, since it would seem that in any event nothing can be accomplished. At such times, a living relationship with Christ is decisive if we are to keep on the right path, without falling into an arrogant contempt for man, something not only unconstructive but actually destructive, or surrendering to a resignation which would prevent us from being guided by love in the service of others. Prayer, as a means of drawing ever new strength from Christ, is concretely and urgently needed. People who pray are not wasting their time, even though the situation appears desperate and seems to call for action alone. Piety does not undermine the struggle against the poverty of our neighbours, however extreme. In the example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta we have a clear illustration of the fact that time devoted to God in prayer not only does not detract from effective and loving service to our neighbour but is in fact the inexhaustible source of that service. In her letter for Lent 1996, Blessed Teresa wrote to her lay co-workers: “We need this deep connection with God in our daily life. How can we obtain it? By prayer”(Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est)

Pope Benedict XVI praying at the shrine of Mariazell, Austria

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Mary, a woman of faith, hope and charity, excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI encyclical 'Deus Caritas Est' - click for link

Outstanding among the saints is Mary, Mother of the Lord and mirror of all holiness. In the Gospel of Luke we find her engaged in a service of charity to her cousin Elizabeth, with whom she remained for "about three months" (Lk 1:56) so as to assist her in the final phase of her pregnancy. "Magnificat anima mea Dominum", she says on the occasion of that visit, "My soul magnifies the Lord" (Lk 1:46). In these words she expresses her whole programme of life: not setting herself at the center, but leaving space for God, who is encountered both in prayer and in service of neighbour - only then does goodness enter the world......Mary's greatness consists in the fact that she wants to magnify God, not herself. She is lowly: her only desire is to be the handmaid of the Lord (cf. Lk 1:38, 48). She knows that she will only contribute to the salvation of the world if, rather than carrying out her own projects, she places herself completely at the disposal of God's initiatives. Mary is a woman of hope: only because she believes in God's promises and awaits the salvation of Israel, can the angel visit her and call her to the decisive service of these promises. Mary is a woman of faith: "Blessed are you who believed", Elizabeth says to her (cf. Lk 1:45).

The Magnificat - a portrait...of her soul - is entirely woven from threads of Holy Scripture, threads drawn from the Word of God. Here we see how completely at home Mary is with the Word of God, with ease she moves in and out of it. She speaks and thinks with the Word of God; the Word of God becomes her word, and her word issues from the Word of God. Here we see how her thoughts are attuned to the thoughts of God, how her will is one with the will of God. Since Mary is completely imbued with the Word of God, she is able to become the Mother of the Word Incarnate.

 Finally, Mary is a woman who loves. How could it be otherwise? As a believer who in faith thinks with God's thoughts and wills with God's will, she cannot fail to be a woman who loves. We sense this in her quiet gestures, as recounted by the infancy narratives in the Gospel. We see it in the delicacy with which she recognizes the need of the spouses at Cana and makes it known to Jesus. We see it in the humility with which she recedes into the background during Jesus' public life, knowing that the Son must establish a new family and that the Mother's hour will come only with the Cross, which will be Jesus' true hour (cf. Jn 2:4; 13:1). When the disciples flee, Mary will remain beneath the Cross (cf. Jn 19:25-27); later, at the hour of Pentecost, it will be they who gather around her as they wait for the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14).

After 'A Moment with Mary' 
Picture: Benedict XVI praying in St Paul's Cathedral in Mdina, Malta

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MATER BONI CONSILII, MOTHER OF GOOD COUNSEL, PRAY FOR US! - click for link

Reading this post, please, pray for the reposal of the souls of those who died in horrific air plane crash in Smolensk on 10th of April this month. This accident took lives of almost one hundred people. Those who died were on their way to Katyn to take part in commemoration of a massacre of over twenty thousands of Polish prisoners of war army officers and intelligentsia murdered by Soviet secret services in 1940. May they rest in peace.

Novena prayer to Our Lady of Good Counsel, April 17 to April 25, vigil of Feast Day.

(State your petitions)

Holy Virgin, moved by the painful uncertainty we experience in seeking and acquiring the true and the good,  we cast ourselves at thy feet and invoke thee under the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel.  We beseech thee: come to our aid at this moment in our worldly sojourn when the twin darknesses of error and of evil that plots our ruin by leading minds and hearts astray.

Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea, enlighten the victims of doubt and of error so that they may not be seduced by evil masquerading as good; strengthen them against the hostile and corrupting forces of passion and of sin.

Mother of Good Counsel, obtain for us from thy Divine Son the love of virtue and the strength to choose, in doubtful and difficult situations, the course agreeable to our salvation.  Supported by thy hand we shall thus journey without harm along the paths taught us by the word and example of Jesus our Savior, following the Sun of Truth and Justice in freedom and safety across the battlefield of life under the guidance of thy maternal Star, until we come at length to the harbor of salvation to enjoy with thee unalloyed and everlasting peace. Amen.

(By Pope Pius XII, 23 January 1953)

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Meditative reading, meditation and conversation with God - excerpts from 'Divine intimacy'

And he was gone forth to meditate in the field, the day being now well spent (Genesis 24:63)
Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence. But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper. Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth. Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment: nor sinners in the council of the just. For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish. (Ps 1:1-6)
Give ear, O Lord, to my words, understand my cry. (Ps 5:1)
Be still and see that I am God (Psalm 45:11)
Let not the book of this law depart from thy mouth: but thou shalt meditate on it day and night, that thou mayst observe and do all things that are written in it: then shalt thou direct thy way, and understand it. Behold I command thee, take courage, and be strong. Fear not and be not dismayed: because the Lord thy God is with thee in all things whatsoever thou shalt go to. (Josue 1:8,9)
Meditate upon these things, be wholly in these things: that thy profiting may be manifest to all. (1 Tim 4:15)

The simplest way of conversing with God is the vocal prayer, but as the soul progresses in the spiritual life, it is natural for it to feel the need of a more interior prayer and so it spontaneously turns toward mental prayer. For some souls, no difficulty is experienced in recollection in God, however, there are souls that suffer from continual wanderings of the mind, in which "they go here and there, and are always upset, whether the fault is in their own nature, or whether God permits it" (St Teresa "Way of Perfection" 19). These souls are tempted to give up mental prayer, but St Teresa insists that reading devout book "will be a great help to recollection; let them read, therefore, even if only a little, but let them read" (Life, 4). St Therese, who suffered from aridity, often used this method. "In my helplessness," she says, "the Holy Scriptures and the Imitation (of Christ) are of the greatest assistance....It is from the Gospels, however, that I derive most help in the time of prayer; I find in their pages all that my poor soul needs, and I am always discovering there new lights and hidden, mysterious meanings (St Therese, Story of a Soul).

"O Lord, teach me how to seek You! Do not hide from my eyes, for I need to find You, to converse with You, to approach You, O infinite Love, to be inflamed and attracted by You" (St Peter of Alcantara)

St John of the Cross says: "The end of meditation and mental consideration of divine things is to obtain some knowledge and love of God" (Ascend 2:14). The purpose of it is to rest on "loving knowledge" which has its support in thought that is affectionate, permeated with love, and that surges from a loving heart. When we love a person we come to know him intuitively, better and more easily than those who might study him more minutely, but without love. St Teresa of Jesus speaks about prayer that consists "not in thinking much but in loving much" (Interior Castle 4:1), for thought is always subordinated to love. While we do think during meditation, our purpose is not to become more learned, but to increase our ability to love God more. Consequently, the work of the mind will be orientated especially to the realization of God's love for us; and this, by reflection on the various manifestations of infinite love. Mental prayer is an intimate conversation with God and although it is true that God is always present to us, but it is we who are not always present to Him. Therefore it is important we establish contact with Our Lord, and place ourselves near Him, by a conscious realization of His presence. We can do this for example by considering the Most Holy Trinity dwelling in our heart, or by drawing near to Jesus present in the tabernacle, or perhaps by picturing to ourselves interiorly some episode in the life or the Passion of our Saviour. Thus in the presence of God and beneath His gaze, we read the point of the meditation tranquilly, and reflect upon it calmly and gently, not as if reasoning with ourselves, but rather as if speaking to God in whose presence we are. The more the soul becomes accustomed to this way of reflecting, that is, treating and developing the subject of our meditation with God, the more quickly will this method attain its end, which is to enable the soul to converse with the Lord, to speak affectionately with Him as a son or daughter speaks with its father, as a friend with a friend. 

"Teach me, O Lord, how to meditate; teach me to pray, for I can do neither the one nor the other as I should, and You alone can teach me. Give me ears to hear You in the reading and in the meditation; inspire me with Your divine Spirit, so that He may enable me to know the subject on which I should reflect, what I should say and ask, and how I should ask in order to obtain it...Inspire me, O Lord, with a great love for Your divine truth and doctrines, so that when I read of them, I shall understand and relish them. Open my mind and my hearth; make me faithfully believe what You teach and practice what You command" (an ancient author)

Meditation, like meditative reading, is a means to attain to the heart of prayer which, according to St Teresa of Jesus, is 'nothing but friendly intercourse, and frequent solitary converse with Him who we know loves us' (Life, 8). it makes no difference whether we attain this end by means of meditation, or reading, or even by the slow, pious recitation of a vocal prayer. All these ways are good; the best for each one, however, will be that which will lead the soul more quickly to the end, that is to intimate converse with God, which is the heart of prayer. Once reached, we must learn how to persevere in it, in other words, to converse 'in friendly intercourse with the Lord'. Here, likewise, the manner will differ according to one's attraction and personal dispositions, which will often vary with the days and circumstances.
We must not believe that in order to treat intimately with God and to show Him our love, it is always necessary to do so by means of words. On the contrary - and this happens spontaneously with progress in the spiritual life - we will often prefer to be silent in order to fix our gaze calmly on the Lord, to listen to Him, the interior Master, and to return Him love in silence. The manifestation of our love thus becomes less lively and impetuous, but it gains in depth what it loves in emotion and outward appearance. We express our love more tranquilly, but the movement of our will toward God is much firmer  and more serious. Leaving aside reasoning and words, we concentrate all in a loving, intuitive look on God, and this gaze , far more than reasonings and colloquies, allows us to penetrate the depths of the divine mysteries. But let us repeat, this is not a speculative look, but a look of love which keeps the soul in intimate contact with God, in a real friendship with Him. The soul will not always be able to continue long in this contemplative look, this silent colloquy; now and again it will need to come back to reflection, to the verbal experience of its thoughts - it will be well for to do so rather often, in order to avoid vagueness and distractions. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that more is gained in these silent pauses at the feet of Our Lord than in a thousand reasonings and discourses.

'O Lord, You say to my soul, 'My kingdom is within you'  It is very comforting to know that You never leave me, and that I cannot exist without you. What more do you want, O my soul , and what do you seek elsewhere, since you possess within yourself your wealth, your love, your peace, your plenitude, and your kingdom, that is, the Beloved whom you desire and for whom you sigh? (John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle 1: 7,8)


St Teresa of Jesus recommends to interior souls another kind of prayer, much simpler and more profitable - the prayer of recollection. The foundation of this prayer is the divine presence in our souls: the presence of immensity, by which God is in us as Creator and Preserver in so real and essential manner that "in Him we live, and move, and are" (Acts 17:28), so that if He ceased to be present in us, we should cease to exist; the presence of friendship, by which in a soul in the state of grace, God is present as a Father, as a Friend and as a sweet Guest, who invites that soul to dwell with the three divine Persons: with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is the consoling promise of Jesus to the soul who loves Him: "If anyone love Me...My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make our abode with him" (Jn 14:23). Therefore, the prayer of recollection consists in the realization of this great truth: God is in me, my soul is His temple; I recollect myself in the intimacy of this temple to adore Him, love Him, and unite myself to Him. "O soul, most beautiful of all creatures," exclaims St John of the Cross, "that so greatly desireth to know the place where your Beloved is, in order to seek Him and be united with Him....it is a matter of great contentment and joy for you to see that He is so near you as to be within you. Rejoice and be glad in your inward recollection with Him, since you have Him so near. There desire Him, there adore Him, and do not go to seek Him outside yourself" (Spiritual Canticle 1:7,8). The soul who has the sense of the presence of God within it, possesses one of the most efficacious means of making prayer. "Do you believe," says St Teresa of Jesus, "that it is of little importance for a soul who is easily distracted, to understand this truth [that God is in it] and to know that, in order to speak with its heavenly Father and to enjoy His company, it does not have to go up to heaven or even to raise its voice? No matter how softly it speaks, He always hears it, because he is so near. It does not need wings to go to contemplate Him in itself." (Way of Perfection, 28). St Teresa also notes, that the prayer of recollection, which is the highest of the active forms of prayer, can be practiced by ourselves depending on our volition, for unlike a passive recollection that can only be produced by divine motion, the prayer of recollection is not a supernatural state, we can enter it by the help of God's grace of our own accord (Way of Perfection, 29).
St Teresa gives us also some practical hints how to practice of this kind of prayer: "The soul collects together [by a resolute act of will] all its faculties [the senses, imagination and intellect, which naturally tend toward exterior things] and enters within itself to be with its God" (Way, 28). The exercise of concentration on the interior things - the little heaven of the soul where the Blessed Trinity dwells - requires from the soul some effort and energy in the beginning. However, the Saint teaches, "let the soul try to cultivate the habit, despite the fatique entailed in recollecting itself and overcoming the body which is trying to reclaim its rights." Step by step, "as a reward for the violence which it has previously done to itself" (Way, 28), recollection will become easy and delightful; the senses will obey promptly, and even if the soul is not entirely free from distractions, it will not be so hard to overcome them. In this way, the soul will be able to concentrate entirely on God present within the soul, and there at His feet will be able to converse with Him to our heart's delight, and certainly, it will not be difficult to spend even the whole time of prayer in acts of faith, love and adoration, admiring and contemplating the great mystery of the indwelling of the Trinity in our poor heart, and offering our humble homage to the three divine Persons. We can also use other practices: "Hidden there within our soul, we can think about the Passion, and picture the Son, and offer Him to the Father, without tiring the mind by going to seek Him on Mount Calvary, or in the Garden, or at the Column"; or else, more simply, we can "speak with Him as with a Father, a Brother, a Lord, and a Spouse - sometimes in one way, sometimes in another...we can tell Him our troubles, beg Him to put them right, and yet realize that we are not worthy to be called His child" (Way, 28). The Saint concludes in these words: "Those who are able to shut themselves up in this way within this little heaven of the soul, where dwells the Maker of heaven and earth...may be sure that they are walking on an excellent road and will come without fail to drink of the water of the fountain" (Way, 28). 

"O my God, You are in me and I am in You. I have found my heaven on earth, since heaven is You, O Lord, and You are in my soul. I can find You there always; even when I do not feel Your presence, You are there nevertheless, and I like to seek You there. Oh! if only I could never leave You alone!" (St Elizabeth of the Trinity 'Letters')

"O Lord, You say to my soul, "My kingdom is within you." It is very comforting to know that You never leave me, and that I cannot exist without You. What more do you want, O my soul, and what do you seek elsewhere, since you possess within yourself your wealth, your love, your peace, your plenitude, and your kingdom, that is, the Beloved whom you desire and for whom you sigh?" (St John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, 1:7,8)

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Speak to Souls About this Great Mercy

"On March 25th, in the morning, during meditation, God's presence enveloped me in a special way, as I saw the immeasurable greatness of God and, at the same time, His condescension to His creatures. Then I saw the Mother of God, who said to me, 'Oh, how pleasing to God is the soul that follows faithfully the inspirations of His grace!'

'I gave the Savior to the world; as for you, you must speak to the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the second coming of Him who will come, not as a merciful Savior, but as a just judge. Oh, how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The angels tremble before it.'

'Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is still the time for (granting) mercy. If you keep silent now, you will be answering for a great number of souls on that terrible day. Fear nothing. Be faithful to the end. I sympathize with you.'" (From "Divine Mercy in My Soul, The Diary of Sister Fastyna Kowalska)

After 'A Moment with Mary'

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