Ijournal entry 112816 #49. Advent, week 1. November, Month of The Holy Souls. Maxim by Blessed John Henry Newman. Quotes by St. Clare of Assisi, Book of Common Prayer, and Book: "Meditations for Advent and Easter". Book: "Grace in Every Season", by Catherine De Hueck Doherty. "The Silence of the Heart of Jesus", from the book Meditations for Advent and Easter. Audio presentation: Msgr. Stuart Swetland - "Living Advent in the Catholic Tradition".
Remember we need to catechize and help children, teens, and young adults alike, to live their lives for heaven and not for avoid hell or purgatory stays. Need a bit of evidence? If you so care to believe in private revelations, presenting St. John Bosco and Lucia from Fatima:
🔥St. John Bosco: "I looked up in terror and saw in the distance someone racing down the path at an uncontrollable speed. I kept my eyes on him, trying to identify him, and as he got closer, I recognized him as one of my boys. His disheveled hair was partly standing upright on his head and partly tossed back by the wind. His arms were outstretched as though he were thrashing the water in an attempt to stay afloat. He wanted to stop, but could not. Tripping on the protruding stones, he kept falling even faster. "Let's help him, let's stop him," I shouted, holding out my hands in a vain effort to restrain him. "Leave him alone," the guide replied. "Why?" "Don't you know how terrible God's vengeance is? Do you think you can restrain one who is fleeing from His just wrath?"
Meanwhile the youth had turned his fiery gaze backward in an attempt to see if God's wrath were still pursuing him. The next moment he fell tumbling to the bottom of the ravine and crashed against the bronze portal as though he could find no better refuge in his flight. "Why was he looking backward in terror?" I asked. "Because God's wrath will pierce Hell's gates to reach and torment him even in the midst of fire!" As the boy crashed into the portal, it sprang open with a roar, and instantly a thousand inner portals opened with a deafening clamor as if struck by a body that had been propelled by an invisible, most violent, irresistible gale. As these bronze doors -- one behind the other, though at a considerable distance from each other -- remained momentarily open, I saw far into the distance something like furnace jaws sprouting fiery balls the moment the youth hurtled into it. As swiftly as they had opened, the portals then clanged shut again"
Info from this site: http://www.todayscatholicworld.com/bosco_hell.htm
🔥Lucia narrated the following about her conversation with Our Lady of Fatima
- I asked: “Will I go to Heaven?”
- “Yes, you will go.”
- “and Jacinta?”
- “She will go too”
- “and Francisco?”
- “He will also go, but he has to pray many rosaries first.” Then I remembered two of my sister’s friends who died recently.”
- “ s Maria de las Nieves in Heaven?”
- “Yes she is.”
- “and Amelia, whose between 18 - 20 years old?”
- “She will be in purgatory until the end of the world.”
Info from this site: http://www.piercedhearts.org/hearts_jesus_mary/apparitions/fatima/fatima_apparitions.htm
During one of her visions Jesus told ST. Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said:
'Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family’
Approval and Recommendation by Cardinal Pahiarca, Lisbon, Portugal, March 4, 1936.
If one prays the entire St. Gertrude Chaplet (see below), which is said on an ordinary rosary, Our Lord releases 50,000 souls from purgatory each time it is said! How easy it would be to empty out purgatory if we each prayed this form of the rosary just once a day!
CHAPLET OF SAINT GERTRUDE. The Chaplet of Saint Gertrude is prayed on an ordinary Rosary.
Beginning at the Cross, pray the "Apostle's Creed". This is followed by 1 "Our Father", 3 "Hail Mary" and 1 "Glory be".
Starting on the Medal and then on the 4 large beads between each decade (sets of 10 beads), pray the "Our Father."
On each of the small beads (in the sets of 10 beads), say the following prayer:
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family. Amen."
At the end of each set of 10 beads, say the following prayers:
"Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, open the hearts and minds of sinners to the truth and light of God, the Father."
"Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for the conversion of sinners and the world."
and 1 "Glory be."
Then on the next large bead start again with the "Our Father". Repeat above to the end of the Rosary.
🔥St. John Bosco: "I looked up in terror and saw in the distance someone racing down the path at an uncontrollable speed. I kept my eyes on him, trying to identify him, and as he got closer, I recognized him as one of my boys. His disheveled hair was partly standing upright on his head and partly tossed back by the wind. His arms were outstretched as though he were thrashing the water in an attempt to stay afloat. He wanted to stop, but could not. Tripping on the protruding stones, he kept falling even faster. "Let's help him, let's stop him," I shouted, holding out my hands in a vain effort to restrain him. "Leave him alone," the guide replied. "Why?" "Don't you know how terrible God's vengeance is? Do you think you can restrain one who is fleeing from His just wrath?"
Meanwhile the youth had turned his fiery gaze backward in an attempt to see if God's wrath were still pursuing him. The next moment he fell tumbling to the bottom of the ravine and crashed against the bronze portal as though he could find no better refuge in his flight. "Why was he looking backward in terror?" I asked. "Because God's wrath will pierce Hell's gates to reach and torment him even in the midst of fire!" As the boy crashed into the portal, it sprang open with a roar, and instantly a thousand inner portals opened with a deafening clamor as if struck by a body that had been propelled by an invisible, most violent, irresistible gale. As these bronze doors -- one behind the other, though at a considerable distance from each other -- remained momentarily open, I saw far into the distance something like furnace jaws sprouting fiery balls the moment the youth hurtled into it. As swiftly as they had opened, the portals then clanged shut again"
Info from this site: http://www.todayscatholicworld.com/bosco_hell.htm
🔥Lucia narrated the following about her conversation with Our Lady of Fatima
- I asked: “Will I go to Heaven?”
- “Yes, you will go.”
- “and Jacinta?”
- “She will go too”
- “and Francisco?”
- “He will also go, but he has to pray many rosaries first.” Then I remembered two of my sister’s friends who died recently.”
- “ s Maria de las Nieves in Heaven?”
- “Yes she is.”
- “and Amelia, whose between 18 - 20 years old?”
- “She will be in purgatory until the end of the world.”
Info from this site: http://www.piercedhearts.org/hearts_jesus_mary/apparitions/fatima/fatima_apparitions.htm
During one of her visions Jesus told ST. Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said:
'Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family’
Approval and Recommendation by Cardinal Pahiarca, Lisbon, Portugal, March 4, 1936.
If one prays the entire St. Gertrude Chaplet (see below), which is said on an ordinary rosary, Our Lord releases 50,000 souls from purgatory each time it is said! How easy it would be to empty out purgatory if we each prayed this form of the rosary just once a day!
CHAPLET OF SAINT GERTRUDE. The Chaplet of Saint Gertrude is prayed on an ordinary Rosary.
Beginning at the Cross, pray the "Apostle's Creed". This is followed by 1 "Our Father", 3 "Hail Mary" and 1 "Glory be".
Starting on the Medal and then on the 4 large beads between each decade (sets of 10 beads), pray the "Our Father."
On each of the small beads (in the sets of 10 beads), say the following prayer:
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family. Amen."
At the end of each set of 10 beads, say the following prayers:
"Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, open the hearts and minds of sinners to the truth and light of God, the Father."
"Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for the conversion of sinners and the world."
and 1 "Glory be."
Then on the next large bead start again with the "Our Father". Repeat above to the end of the Rosary.
By Blessed John Henry Newman
Maxims of the Kingdom of Heaven:📖Habakkuk 2:20 "But the LORD is in his holy temple; silence before him, all the earth"
MTA= It seems to me another way to keep silent before the Lord is avoid the din of anxiety, fear, worry, mistrust, unbelief, anger, impatience, selfishness, all these things are very noisy in the presence of God. They interfere with the sound waves of love constantly being emitted from the heart of God. Peace and trust are noise silencers.
Maxims of the Kingdom of Heaven:📖Habakkuk 2:20 "But the LORD is in his holy temple; silence before him, all the earth"
MTA= It seems to me another way to keep silent before the Lord is avoid the din of anxiety, fear, worry, mistrust, unbelief, anger, impatience, selfishness, all these things are very noisy in the presence of God. They interfere with the sound waves of love constantly being emitted from the heart of God. Peace and trust are noise silencers.
🎾 "Rejoice and be glad that so great and good a Lord, on coming into the Virgin's womb, willed to appear despised, needy, and poor in this world, so that men who were in dire poverty and suffering great need of heavenly food might be made rich in him". By St. Clare of Assisi
🔵 Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen". Book of Common Prayer
🔴"A broad, deep river rolls on in majestic stillness to the ocean, while the shallow rivulet may be heard dashing over the stones, even at a distance. Consider the silence of Jesus. How sublime, how noble, how beautiful. He who has created speech, is speechless; He who has devised language, uses no words; He who knows all things, appears as if He knew nothing; and we, who are ignorance itself, not only talk but teach, and are seldom silent, even when silence would be our truest wisdom.
Let us learn to practise silence that we may be wise. Let us study each virtue which He practices, as far as it may be given to our weakness to do so, until we learn to love what we have studied, and to imitate what we love"
🔵 Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen". Book of Common Prayer
🔴"A broad, deep river rolls on in majestic stillness to the ocean, while the shallow rivulet may be heard dashing over the stones, even at a distance. Consider the silence of Jesus. How sublime, how noble, how beautiful. He who has created speech, is speechless; He who has devised language, uses no words; He who knows all things, appears as if He knew nothing; and we, who are ignorance itself, not only talk but teach, and are seldom silent, even when silence would be our truest wisdom.
Let us learn to practise silence that we may be wise. Let us study each virtue which He practices, as far as it may be given to our weakness to do so, until we learn to love what we have studied, and to imitate what we love"
John 14:15-17 "If you love me, keep my commandments. I will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always. He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. But you recognize him, because he lives with you and will be in you" |
1 Corinthians 2:7-13 "No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit.For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths" |
Last year some of my prayer time during Advent was spend listening to the Father. Sitting on His lap was a delight. The year before, time was spent with Blessed Mary Immaculata as she shared her perspective with me about preparing for the birth of her Son, Jesus. For the first time ever, this year feel inspired to spend time daily with the Holy Spirit. The text mess being shared below, sent out one day ago, might be a motivator for someone to embark upon the meditative journey in some way this Advent
Text Mess:
📞Meditations for Advent &Easter:“Mental prayer is da end of meditation, because prayer is dat which unites us most closely 2 God. We meditate R think about holy things, in order dat our thinking may end in praying; even as we meditate R think about what we're going 2 do, dat our thinking may end in doing. Da planning & thinking about a journey would never take us a step on da road, unless we acted on what we thought; &all da acting might end very badly, if “we acted without thinking" R meditating B 4 hand. & if we should consider a person very foolish who undertook any important duty R occupation—who began 2 build a house, R set out on a journey without having thought of what they were going 2 do—how much mo foolish should we consider those who never think about those duties which R of da greatest importance—bout dat journey which cannot B performed a second time, 2 repair da errors of da 1st. We cannot over-estimate da importance of daily meditation. There R few persons in da world so occupied dat they could not give 10 minutes every day 2 dis duty. 10 minutes 4 God, leaves 23 hours & 3-quarters 4 da world & self”
(MC=The season of Advent is here, prepare ye, 1 & all. May da Lord come in 2 our hearts in a new way dis Christmas, 4 it is a chance of a life time, as we cannot recapture time dat have passed away. Commit to 10 min. minimum everyday this Advent & journal UR thoughts during da time if it so pleases you. A present 2 da Lord from the heart. B assured self & da world will pass away, but UR soul lives on 4 ever, in one place R another)
This contemplation was written down three years ago, now seems the time to share this one since it is the Holy Spirit who will be covering me with His wings as we spend time together. In the contemplation thoughts came about how the Holy Spirit is able to cook up delights unto the glory of God, if we but let Him take control. For sure, there is nothing like a good home cooked spiritual meal. That represents our own prayers when we are in constant communication with God. For what is prayer, but a good down home conversation with the Lord our God. We can also live united to Him in thought and in interior silence which is indeed a conversation in itself. Prayers of others, as frozen dinners are good, and there is always a place and time for them, but nothing like presenting God a good, home cooked meal from scratch.
Very important it is to take time to sit down at the spiritual table, and not let the norm be eating on the run. In the world, there is so much chatter and busybodies operating everywhere. All that noise distracts and prevents interior silence which allows God to speak and commune effectively with God. For prayer is a two lane highway, one coming and one going, a lane for talking and the other one for listening. The next phase of cruising results in an deeper understanding of what each other is saying. Assimilation is a must. Once this have taken place, a general consensus is born, which results in a bond of unity and fruitfully living the spiritual life. A vibrant, living relationship unfolds in accordance with all that have been communicated. As all this is perfected, by the power of the Holy Spirit day by day, we grown as a deeper union ensues, and two become as one.
Text Mess:
📞Meditations for Advent &Easter:“Mental prayer is da end of meditation, because prayer is dat which unites us most closely 2 God. We meditate R think about holy things, in order dat our thinking may end in praying; even as we meditate R think about what we're going 2 do, dat our thinking may end in doing. Da planning & thinking about a journey would never take us a step on da road, unless we acted on what we thought; &all da acting might end very badly, if “we acted without thinking" R meditating B 4 hand. & if we should consider a person very foolish who undertook any important duty R occupation—who began 2 build a house, R set out on a journey without having thought of what they were going 2 do—how much mo foolish should we consider those who never think about those duties which R of da greatest importance—bout dat journey which cannot B performed a second time, 2 repair da errors of da 1st. We cannot over-estimate da importance of daily meditation. There R few persons in da world so occupied dat they could not give 10 minutes every day 2 dis duty. 10 minutes 4 God, leaves 23 hours & 3-quarters 4 da world & self”
(MC=The season of Advent is here, prepare ye, 1 & all. May da Lord come in 2 our hearts in a new way dis Christmas, 4 it is a chance of a life time, as we cannot recapture time dat have passed away. Commit to 10 min. minimum everyday this Advent & journal UR thoughts during da time if it so pleases you. A present 2 da Lord from the heart. B assured self & da world will pass away, but UR soul lives on 4 ever, in one place R another)
This contemplation was written down three years ago, now seems the time to share this one since it is the Holy Spirit who will be covering me with His wings as we spend time together. In the contemplation thoughts came about how the Holy Spirit is able to cook up delights unto the glory of God, if we but let Him take control. For sure, there is nothing like a good home cooked spiritual meal. That represents our own prayers when we are in constant communication with God. For what is prayer, but a good down home conversation with the Lord our God. We can also live united to Him in thought and in interior silence which is indeed a conversation in itself. Prayers of others, as frozen dinners are good, and there is always a place and time for them, but nothing like presenting God a good, home cooked meal from scratch.
Very important it is to take time to sit down at the spiritual table, and not let the norm be eating on the run. In the world, there is so much chatter and busybodies operating everywhere. All that noise distracts and prevents interior silence which allows God to speak and commune effectively with God. For prayer is a two lane highway, one coming and one going, a lane for talking and the other one for listening. The next phase of cruising results in an deeper understanding of what each other is saying. Assimilation is a must. Once this have taken place, a general consensus is born, which results in a bond of unity and fruitfully living the spiritual life. A vibrant, living relationship unfolds in accordance with all that have been communicated. As all this is perfected, by the power of the Holy Spirit day by day, we grown as a deeper union ensues, and two become as one.
Book: "Grace in Every Season", by Catherine De Hueck Doherty
Excerpts from Preparing for Christ's coming:
"My mother used to say that the days of Advent were the days of building a golden stairway that would bring us to a star, the star of Bethlehem, that in turn would bring us straight to the Christ Child! So now place yourself in Nazareth in Mary’s time of waiting when nobody paid any attention to her. You pay attention to her. You sweep for those who don’t sweep the cobwebs and the dirt from their souls. Sweep in the Nazareth of human minds and hearts. Prepare that inn eternally, every day, for the child to be born in, the child who was denied the inn in reality, and still is denied the inns of our hearts. Smaller and smaller is the group of people who believe, and still smaller those who believe and will lay their life down for him. Begin to lay your life down now in the exacting, disciplining, routine, monotonous, repetitious work of your day, cleaning or whatever. Remember that your humble tasks, done well with great love for Christ, can lift the world! This is your strength. You can lift the communists, the ones who hate, the ones who are indifferent. Do your work. Offer it up. Pray. Don’t pray with words—pray with the work of your hands.
Once again we are in Advent, reminding us vividly, beautifully, of Christ’s first Advent in time. Even while he is coming, he is also with us now, in many ways. He is with us in the tabernacle. Incredible Love that he is, he could not separate himself from us. He also walks among us in all his priests. Through their hands, he multiplies himself in consecrated Hosts so that they can feed us with the Bread of Life—himself. How immense must be his love for us! Meditate for a moment. Allow a few moments of silence to interrupt reading this page, then resume reading. Try to comprehend the lavishness of God’s love for you. Daily, millions of Hosts are given in Holy Communion to the faithful throughout the world! Yet each Host is Christ, coming in tremendous love to be united to one and all!
Let every day be the day of beginning again, of loving him a little more, of hungering for him a little more, of turning your face to him. All you have to do is to look at the person next to you. Never forget that you shall be judged on love alone. There is only one way to love God and to prove it to him, and that is by loving your neighbor—the person next to you at any given moment. I repeat, turning your face and heart to Christ simply means turning your face to the one who is next to you at this moment in your life. If you do that, dearly beloved, you shall become a saint"
Excerpts from Preparing for Christ's coming:
"My mother used to say that the days of Advent were the days of building a golden stairway that would bring us to a star, the star of Bethlehem, that in turn would bring us straight to the Christ Child! So now place yourself in Nazareth in Mary’s time of waiting when nobody paid any attention to her. You pay attention to her. You sweep for those who don’t sweep the cobwebs and the dirt from their souls. Sweep in the Nazareth of human minds and hearts. Prepare that inn eternally, every day, for the child to be born in, the child who was denied the inn in reality, and still is denied the inns of our hearts. Smaller and smaller is the group of people who believe, and still smaller those who believe and will lay their life down for him. Begin to lay your life down now in the exacting, disciplining, routine, monotonous, repetitious work of your day, cleaning or whatever. Remember that your humble tasks, done well with great love for Christ, can lift the world! This is your strength. You can lift the communists, the ones who hate, the ones who are indifferent. Do your work. Offer it up. Pray. Don’t pray with words—pray with the work of your hands.
Once again we are in Advent, reminding us vividly, beautifully, of Christ’s first Advent in time. Even while he is coming, he is also with us now, in many ways. He is with us in the tabernacle. Incredible Love that he is, he could not separate himself from us. He also walks among us in all his priests. Through their hands, he multiplies himself in consecrated Hosts so that they can feed us with the Bread of Life—himself. How immense must be his love for us! Meditate for a moment. Allow a few moments of silence to interrupt reading this page, then resume reading. Try to comprehend the lavishness of God’s love for you. Daily, millions of Hosts are given in Holy Communion to the faithful throughout the world! Yet each Host is Christ, coming in tremendous love to be united to one and all!
Let every day be the day of beginning again, of loving him a little more, of hungering for him a little more, of turning your face to him. All you have to do is to look at the person next to you. Never forget that you shall be judged on love alone. There is only one way to love God and to prove it to him, and that is by loving your neighbor—the person next to you at any given moment. I repeat, turning your face and heart to Christ simply means turning your face to the one who is next to you at this moment in your life. If you do that, dearly beloved, you shall become a saint"
"The Silence of the Heart of Jesus", from the book Meditations for Advent and Easter.
Excerpts from the book:
"Consider how we may imitate our sweet Infant Jesus in the blessed lessons He teaches us. Let us learn to imitate His silence of action, by restraining our impetuosity, eager to do so much, without considering whether we may not be wasting time by doing too much, as some waste it by doing too little. Let us be very sure that our actions, when we ought to act, are the actions God demands from us, and not the actions of our own choice. Alas! how many spend their lives in busy restlessness, and dignify their impetuosity with the name of zeal! Let us pray in our measure for the grace of the silence of suffering. Let us try to bear suffering as Jesus bore it in the manger, manifesting it as little as possible by our exterior, either in word or manner. Oh, how blessed and holy are those souls, who, like the Infant Jesus, soothe and comfort all who come to them by their gentle sympathy, while they bear in silence the deepest mental and the severest bodily suffering! If we may not attain such heights of sanctity, at least let us try to ascend a few steps towards its attainment"
"A threefold silence which our sweet Jesus practised in His Incarnation
🙊1st = the silence of preparation
How solemn and mysterious was His long silence of preparation! For thirty years we do not hear that Jesus either preached or taught. Men passed Him by as one unnoticeable. No one thought of asking His opinion on any subject. How many conversations He must have heard, in which the grossest errors were advanced, the most absurd statements asserted, the truth denied or misunderstood! But Jesus was silent. His silence was a preparation for speech. He would teach us that there is a time when silence is wisdom, even though the truth should be assailed and denied in our presence. He would teach us that if we would desire to speak for His glory and the good of others, we must prepare for speaking by a long novitiate of silence.
Jesus teaches us in this mystery. He would teach us the silence of preferring, when speech is necessary, that others should speak instead of ourselves. It was necessary that S. Joseph should be told of the danger which threatened the " Child and His mother," when Herod sought to slay the Infant Jesus \ and we might naturally have supposed that Jesus would tell Joseph or His blessed Mother of this danger, and how they would best avoid it. But no; Jesus is silent. Too often—when we think so much depends upon our speech, and our pride helps us to break the silence which true humility would find the safest as well as the holiest course.
Sweet Jesus, teach us the silence of preparation, that we may be able to speak well and wisely when duty requires it—that we may know how to distinguish between the pride which urges us to speak to display our knowledge, and the pride which would keep us silent when it might be a duty to speak.
🙊2nd = the silence of action;
The silence of action. The more we meditate on this mystery of love, the more we must see its marvellous silence of action. The greatest event which has occurred in the world's history, is manifested in one simple act which has few details. Jesus is born in Bethlehem. He lies in the manger, silent as regards speech, silent as regards action. Had the Infant God acted as men would act, how different would have been all the circumstances of His birth! How loudly His glory would have been proclaimed to the whole world! How manifestly His power would have been displayed by signs and prodigies! But we do not hear that Jesus worked a single miracle in His infancy or in His childhood. We have only the tradition of the destruction of the Egyptian idols. Thus is He silent in act; and by this silence He prepares for the sublimest actions the world has seen, or can ever see. How different from the heathen, alas! how different even from the Christian idea of greatness.
🙊3rd = the silence of suffering.
Jesus practises another silence, if possible more sublime and more meritorious than the silence of speech or of action, and this is the silence of suffering. With all the full powers of an intelligent human being, with all the faculties and senses of a man, He still maintains absolute silence as to all He suffers. We may sometimes practise silence of speech under trying circumstances, we may practise silence of action under great provocation to act when action would be wrong; but we seldom attain to the sublime perfection of the silence of suffering. It is as natural to us to express and to complain of the pain we endure, as it is to utter an exclamation when we are suddenly hurt. Do we ever meditate on the silence of Jesus in regard to all He suffered at Bethlehem, remembering that He was not like other infants, who cannot exercise the power of speech, and feel no inconvenience or mortification in not exercising it?"
Excerpts from the book:
"Consider how we may imitate our sweet Infant Jesus in the blessed lessons He teaches us. Let us learn to imitate His silence of action, by restraining our impetuosity, eager to do so much, without considering whether we may not be wasting time by doing too much, as some waste it by doing too little. Let us be very sure that our actions, when we ought to act, are the actions God demands from us, and not the actions of our own choice. Alas! how many spend their lives in busy restlessness, and dignify their impetuosity with the name of zeal! Let us pray in our measure for the grace of the silence of suffering. Let us try to bear suffering as Jesus bore it in the manger, manifesting it as little as possible by our exterior, either in word or manner. Oh, how blessed and holy are those souls, who, like the Infant Jesus, soothe and comfort all who come to them by their gentle sympathy, while they bear in silence the deepest mental and the severest bodily suffering! If we may not attain such heights of sanctity, at least let us try to ascend a few steps towards its attainment"
"A threefold silence which our sweet Jesus practised in His Incarnation
🙊1st = the silence of preparation
How solemn and mysterious was His long silence of preparation! For thirty years we do not hear that Jesus either preached or taught. Men passed Him by as one unnoticeable. No one thought of asking His opinion on any subject. How many conversations He must have heard, in which the grossest errors were advanced, the most absurd statements asserted, the truth denied or misunderstood! But Jesus was silent. His silence was a preparation for speech. He would teach us that there is a time when silence is wisdom, even though the truth should be assailed and denied in our presence. He would teach us that if we would desire to speak for His glory and the good of others, we must prepare for speaking by a long novitiate of silence.
Jesus teaches us in this mystery. He would teach us the silence of preferring, when speech is necessary, that others should speak instead of ourselves. It was necessary that S. Joseph should be told of the danger which threatened the " Child and His mother," when Herod sought to slay the Infant Jesus \ and we might naturally have supposed that Jesus would tell Joseph or His blessed Mother of this danger, and how they would best avoid it. But no; Jesus is silent. Too often—when we think so much depends upon our speech, and our pride helps us to break the silence which true humility would find the safest as well as the holiest course.
Sweet Jesus, teach us the silence of preparation, that we may be able to speak well and wisely when duty requires it—that we may know how to distinguish between the pride which urges us to speak to display our knowledge, and the pride which would keep us silent when it might be a duty to speak.
🙊2nd = the silence of action;
The silence of action. The more we meditate on this mystery of love, the more we must see its marvellous silence of action. The greatest event which has occurred in the world's history, is manifested in one simple act which has few details. Jesus is born in Bethlehem. He lies in the manger, silent as regards speech, silent as regards action. Had the Infant God acted as men would act, how different would have been all the circumstances of His birth! How loudly His glory would have been proclaimed to the whole world! How manifestly His power would have been displayed by signs and prodigies! But we do not hear that Jesus worked a single miracle in His infancy or in His childhood. We have only the tradition of the destruction of the Egyptian idols. Thus is He silent in act; and by this silence He prepares for the sublimest actions the world has seen, or can ever see. How different from the heathen, alas! how different even from the Christian idea of greatness.
🙊3rd = the silence of suffering.
Jesus practises another silence, if possible more sublime and more meritorious than the silence of speech or of action, and this is the silence of suffering. With all the full powers of an intelligent human being, with all the faculties and senses of a man, He still maintains absolute silence as to all He suffers. We may sometimes practise silence of speech under trying circumstances, we may practise silence of action under great provocation to act when action would be wrong; but we seldom attain to the sublime perfection of the silence of suffering. It is as natural to us to express and to complain of the pain we endure, as it is to utter an exclamation when we are suddenly hurt. Do we ever meditate on the silence of Jesus in regard to all He suffered at Bethlehem, remembering that He was not like other infants, who cannot exercise the power of speech, and feel no inconvenience or mortification in not exercising it?"
Audio presentation: Msgr. Stuart Swetland - "Living Advent in the Catholic Tradition"
Link to YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/IsfZhZJFGfo
Link to YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/IsfZhZJFGfo
Book: Meditations for Advent and Easter, by the author of "Meditation For Lent". Printed in 1866
Link for a free pdf copy:
http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/Anonymous%20-%20Meditations%20for%20Advent%20and%20Easter.pdf
Link for a free pdf copy:
http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/Anonymous%20-%20Meditations%20for%20Advent%20and%20Easter.pdf