Humility.

Commentary of the Day from DGO

For the Gospel today, September 30, 2009

Saint Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556), Founder of the Jesuits 
Spiritual Exercises, 2nd.Week, 12th.Day (trans.Thomas Corbishley) 

«Follow me » 

The three ways of humility.

The first way of humility is necessary for salvation.

It consists in my subjecting and abasing myself as far as I can, 
so that I always obey the law of God our Lord, at least to this extent: 
even if men were to offer to make me Lord of the entire creation, even were 
my life threatened, I should yet not think of breaking any commandment, 
divine or human…

The second way of humility is more perfect than the first.

It means that I so submit myself that I neither seek nor desire to be rich rather than poor, I do not try to be well thought of rather than disregarded, I do not want to live many years rather than few, 
where the service of our Lord God and my own salvation are equally 
promoted…

The third way of humility is the most perfect. 
Supposing that I have attained to the first two ways, and granted an equal 
measure of praise and glory to God, I desire to be poor along with Christ 
in poverty rather than rich, to be insulted along with Christ so grossly 
insulted, rather than to be thought well of: I would rather be thought a 
helpless fool for the sake of Christ who was so treated, rather than to be 
thought «wise and prudent» in the world’s eyes (Mt 11,25).

—

 Help me be humble, O Jesus. Help me abandon everything and trust You with my everything. You are My Everything. Help me not want nor desire anything but You.

Wealth, Money and becoming rich.

I’ve taken BS Entrepreneurship in college. Hoping that someday, I’d be able to build a hotel of my own. Hoping that someday I’d have that immense wealth, that I can do anything. But during my college days, I’ve learned- that happiness is not owning a lot of things. Nor having a lot of money to buy what I want. Happiness is way different- and way harder to achieve. And for this lesson that God taught me, I am very much thankful.

————————————————————————————————

Those whose masters are believers must not take advantage of them because 
they are brothers but must give better service because those who will 
profit from their work are believers and are beloved. 
Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words 
of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching 
is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for 
arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, 
and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of 
the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain. 
Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain. 
For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take 
anything out of it. 
If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. 
Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and 
into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and 
destruction. 
For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their 
desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with 
many pains. 
But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, 
devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. 
Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were 
called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many 
witnesses. (1 Tim 6:2-12)

————————————————————

Why should I fear in evil days, when my wicked pursuers ring me round, 
Those who trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches? 
One cannot redeem oneself, pay to God a ransom. 
Too high the price to redeem a life; one would never have enough 
To stay alive forever and never see the pit. 
Do not fear when others become rich, when the wealth of their houses grows 
great. 
When they die they will take nothing with them, their wealth will not 
follow them down. 
When living, they congratulate themselves and say: “All praise you, you do 
so well.” 
But they will join the company of their forebears, never again to see the 
light. (Ps 49(48):6-7.8-10.17-18.19-20)

————————————————————————————–

Lord, please grant me this one wish of mine; that I rejoice, and give thanks to Your Holy Name whenever You have deigned to give me something, as I do not deserve to receive anything.

Moving on..

..starts with goodbye.

It may be the hardest thing to face, right now. Emotionally and physically. But getting to the greener side starts with saying goodbye to the things we are attached to right now.  Because hurting gains us merits because LOVE is ONLY NOURISHED BY SUFFERING.

And so when we suffer for love of Him- we can save a soul. Because ours He has saved already when we threw ourselves into His arms and let Him guide the way.

Blessed are they who weep, for they shall be comforted.

With this, God wants us to understand that, the path of joy lies in tears.

It is through desolation one goes to consolation;

In losing one’s life that one finds it;

In forsaking it that one possesses it;

In hating it that one loves it; in despising it that one keeps it.

(cf. Mt 16,24f.)

When Providence resolved to bring her forth.

  September 8th is the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, the Mother of God. The following text is taken from an informal lecture Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira gave on September 8, 1966. It has been translated and adapted for publication without his revision. –Ed.

Everything the Church does is wise. In Her wisdom, She classifies the different levels of honor to be paid to God, Our Lady and the saints. The first level, called latria or adoration, is only for God and Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Incarnate Word.

The cult of dulia is veneration or mediation, which the Church pays to the saints. However, there is a special category of honor that the Church only pays to Our Lady, called hyperdulia. Our Lady ranks so high above all other saints that the Church had to create a special cult to describe devotion to her. This demonstrates the unique position of Our Lady in all creation.

The Church teaches this in a number of ways. For example: Besides that of Our Lord and Saint John the Baptist, no other birthday is celebrated; no other saint has more than one feast day per year; and while the Church does not allow the same saint to be represented multiple times on the same altar, She permits any number of images of Our Lady to be placed anywhere in a church. Also, the Church celebrates dozens of calendar feasts, liturgical ceremonies and pious practices in Our Lady’s honor.

..The Nativity of Our Lady by  ..Andrea di Bartolo

Among these, Our Lady’s Holy Nativity has a special significance, since it marked a new era in the history of the chosen people.

Since the Old Testament is no more than the account of the wait for the Messias, it can be divided into two phases: The first would be the 4,000-5,000 years before Our Lady’s birth. The second is after that blessed moment in which Providence resolved to bring forth she, whose prayer would bring the Messias.

Her birth was the arrival of that perfect creature who was full of grace before God. Without her, the prayers and sufferings of all humanity would have failed to bring the Incarnation. However with her, the trajectory of history was forever changed. All prayers became more effective and a new manner of blessings and graces began producing sanctity like never before.

Our Lady served as the “Doorway to Heaven” that the hope of the Messias’ coming passed through. Her presence on earth was the occasion for signal graces. The height of her contemplation gave her a force of presence. It made her a fountain of so many and such high graces, that her very existence was an annunciation of Our Lord’s coming.

Thus, the feast of Our Lady’s nativity is very dear. It is the beginning of the Redemption that would eventually defeat the evil powers of paganism and the Gentiles.

There is a profound relationship between Our Lady’s coming and what is occurring in modern society. Once again, Our Lady has taken a pivotal role in history, by raising up souls that burn with the desire for her reign amid the darkness of neo-paganism. They clamor for it and fight for its implantation on earth.

These souls are like Our Lady of the Old Testament. The light has not yet come; neither has the redemption, victory nor liberation from the devil. However, these souls spread graces of hope and determination, in such a way, that they herald the coming victory.

Thus, Our Lady’s nativity is symbolically repeated to prepare the coming of her reign, prophesied by Saint Louis de Montfort and the apparitions of Fatima.

For those who desire Our Lady’s victory, this feast day is especially important. These should pray fervently, for the immediate coming of Her reign, when the long dark night of sin will be eclipsed by her triumph.

link

—–

Thank you, dearest Mother. For your Son and for your love ♥