Blessed Titus Brandsma, Priest and Martyr

Bl Titus Brandsma - for more CLICK HERE

   You hear it said that we live in a wonderful time, a time of great mem and women. It would probably be better to say that we live in an era of decadence in which many, however, feel the need to react and to defend what is most precious and sacred. The desire for the emergence of a strong, capable leader is understandable. But we want such a leader to fight for a holy cause, for and ideal based on divine design and not merely on human might.
   Neo-paganism cosiders the whole of nature as an emanation of the divine: this is what it holds about various races and peoples of the earth. But as star differs from star by reason of its light and brightness, so it considers one race more noble and pure than another, to the extent that this one race is held to embody more light within itself, it has a duty of making that life shine and enlighten the world.....From this nation derives the cult of race ad blood, the cult of the heroes of one's own people.
    From such erroenous starting-point, this view can lead to fatal errors! It is said to see how much enthusiasm and effort are placed at the service of such an erroneous and baseless idea! However, we can learn from our enemy; from his erroneous philosophy we can learn how to purify and better oue own ideal; we can learn how to foster a great love for it; how to arouse great enthusiasm. even willingness to live and die for it; how to build up the courage to incarnate it in ourselves and in others.
   We too profess our descendence form God.
   We too want what he wants.
   But we do not accept the idea of emanation from the divine; we do not DIVINISE ourselves. We admit descdendence in dependence. When we speak of and pray for the coming of the kingdom, it is not a prayer for a kingdom based on differences of race and blood but on universal brotherhood. In union with him who makes the sun rise on the good and on the evil, all men are our brothers - even those who hate us and fight us....From Discalced Carmelites Proper Offices, Fragments from the Sermon of Titus Brandsma, October 1936.

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Bl Maria Pilar and Companions, Virign Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, who offered their lives for the Church when they were martyred in Guadalajara on July 24th, 1936.

We shall weave these garlands flowering in your love and bound with one hair of mine.
This verse most appropriately refers to Christ and the Church, for in it, the Church, the Bride of Christ, addresses him saying: let us weave garlands (understanding by garlands all the holy souls engendered by Christ in the Church). Each holy soul is like a garland adorned with the flowers of virtues and gifts, and all of them together forms a garland for the head of Christ, the Bridegroom....And bound with one hair of mine - this hair is her will and the love sha has for the Beloved. This love assumes the task od the thread in a garland.
From 'Discalced Carmelite Proper Offices', the Office of Reading, Spiritual Canticle (Strophe 30, 7-8)
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