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April
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2008 - May - 2008
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Padre Pio writes to his spiritual daughter Erminia Gargani in letters dated: 1917 January 12, February 9, and March 3
(The quotes are especially interesting because Padre Pio sets out a plan for his spiritual daughter to follow that would be well for us all to consider in our journey of faith.)
| 1 Do not be upset, whatever your state.
| 2 Let yourself be guided lovingly by divine Providence.
| 3 Conceive a certain joyful humility at the sight and knowledge of your miseries.
| 4 Make a preparation for the entire day, briefly in the morning, offering to God every-thing you do through-out the day.
| 5 (Practice) mental prayer ordinarily before approaching holy Communion, for about one hour.
| 6 In the evening, before going to bed, examine your conscience and consecrate yourself to God.
| 7 Choose another specific time in order to withdraw into yourself before God, with a further hour¿s meditation.
| 8 Do spiritual reading, whenever it suits you best, for no less than half-an-hour.
| 9 Let Holy Communion be daily, and when you can, hear holy Mass.
| 10 Confession should not take place less frequently than every 8 days so as not to deprive yourself of the indulgences granted.
| 11 During the day, as you go about your daily business, examine yourself as often as you can …
| 12 … see whether your love has gone too far ahead; whether it is disorganized or if you always hold on to the Lord with one hand.
| 13 Calm your soul and let it rest.
| 14 Multiply your acts of (kindness), thus you will accustom your heart to this holy exercise of meekness.
| 15 Don¿t fight little temptations with disputes and objections … (have) recourse to Jesus crucified.
| 16 Do not worry about many vocal prayers …
| 17 When you pray and feel your heart drawn to mental prayer, let it go there boldly.
| 18 We do not live for our-selves but for him who in order to render us his, desired to make himself entirely ours in such a loving manner.
| 19 Let us convince ourselves of and resign ourselves to this great truth: Self-love never dies before we do.
| 20 … still we must resign ourselves to be patient with ourselves.
| 21 In our patience, in accordance with what the divine Master tells us, we will possess our souls.
| 22 Prostrate yourself before the Lord … and tell him in a spirit of confidence and humility: Lord have mercy on me …
| 23 We must resign ourselves … to bearing our imperfections in order to arrive at perfection.Bear imperfections with patience … because humility is nourished in this suffering.
| 24 Bear imperfections with patience … because humility is nourished in this suffering.
| 25 God, in his goodness, has pity on us, is content with very little, and accepts the preparation of our hearts.
| 26 God is infinitely greater than our heart and this overcomes the whole world.
| 27 Impress well … what I am about to say to you: We sometimes desire to be good angels, but we neglect to be good (people).
| 28 Little by little we die to physical life, and this is an ordinary law held by Providence.
| 29 Practice the little virtues … patience, tolerance, neighbor, humility, (kindness), affability, bearing our imperfections …
| 30 I recommend holy simplicity to you, as it is a virtue that is very dear to my heart.
| 31 Always have a firm and general proposition to serve God with all your heart and for the whole of your life.
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MemorareRemember, O most compassionate Virgin Mary, that never was it known, that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your assistance, or sought your intercession, was left unaided.Inspired with this confidence, I fly to you, O virgin of virgins, my mother, to you I come, before you I kneel, sinful and sorrowful. Mother of the Word Incarnate (Assist me, that I may open my heart to the Word I read, and, like you, open my life to Christ, that I may live with, in and for Jesus, as you did.) Despise not my request, but in your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen.
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From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent empty away. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for He has remembered His promise of mercy, the promise He made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children for ever. |
Scripture(Read one of the following selections referring to Mary and briefly consider it. These selections will be repeated in the course of the month)
Matthew 1: 1-17 (Genealogy of Jesus) |
Adapted Litany of Our Lady(At the sign R the response will be:
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Virgin of virgins, Mother of Christ, Mother of divine grace, R
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Concluding Prayer(Thanksgiving to God for the gift of Mary)Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks; we especially praise you and proclaim your glory for the gift you gave us in the Blessed Virgin Mary. She received your Word in the purity of her heart, and, conceiving in her virgin womb, gave birth to our Savior and so nurtured the Church at its beginning. She accepted God's parting gift of love as she stood at the foot of the cross and so became the mother of all those who were brought to life through the death of her only Son. She joined her prayers with those of the apostles, as together they awaited the coming of your Spirit, and so became the perfect pattern of the church at prayer. Raised to the glory of heaven, she cares for the pilgrim Church with a mother's love, following its progress homeward until the day the Lord dawns in splendor. And so we thank you eternal and ever-living Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for Mary our Mother, through whose almighty intercession we find our way more easily to you, who live and reign foreever. Amen. |