[Saint Bonaventure – XIII Century AD: born: Civita di Bagnoregio, Papal States/died: Lyon, Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles; (aged 52-53); Cardinal, Bishop, Doctor of the Church, Seraphic Doctor, Teacher of the Faith, Writer, Philosopher] CHAPTER IV -- THE NAME OF THE BLESSED MARY IS FREE FROM ALL VICE AND RESPLENDENT WITH EVERY VIRTUE Hail Mary. This most sweet and affectionate name, so full of grace and so noble, so glorious and so worthy, excellently befits Our Lady. For most fittingly is so loving a virgin named Mary. For she is Mary, in whom there is no vice, and who is glorious with every virtue. She is Mary, who was entirely immune from the seven capital sins. She was most humble in opposition to pride; most loving by charity in opposition to envy; most meek against anger by her gentleness; indefatigable by her diligence against sloth; Mary by her poverty was detached against avarice; against gluttony she was most sober by her temperance; against lust she was most chaste by her virginity …More
"Behold Mary, who is without all sin, submitted herself to the law of purification, and thou, a wretch full of sins, submittest not to the law of satisfaction."
"The person who is foreseen to be more fervent in resolution of will and more steadfast in humility and perseverance receives grace in the beginning, and it continues to the end. A person who struggles against vice and yearns to be better deserves to be called toward the end of life. An ungrateful person, however, does not deserve to be admitted to his mother's breast.”
[Saint Bridget of Sweden – XIV Century AD; born: Uppland, Sweden/died: Rome, Papal States; Patron Saint of Europe, Widow, Mystic, Spiritual Writer] Answer to the sixth question. ”As to why the wicked sometimes have greater worldly success than the good" Answer to the sixth question. ”As to why the wicked sometimes have greater worldly success than the good, I answer: This is an indication of my great patience and love and a testing of the righteous. If I were to give temporal goods to my friends alone, then the wicked would despair and the good would grow proud. Instead, temporal goods are granted to all, so that I, God, the giver and Creator of all things, may be loved by all and so that good people who become proud may be taught righteousness by means of the wicked. It is also in order that everyone may realize that temporal things are not to be loved or preferred to me, God, but are only to be possessed for the sake of sustenance, and in order that they may be all the more zealous in …More
[Saint HILDEGARD OF BINGEN ~ XI-XII Century AD; born: Bermersheim, Holy Roman Empire/died: Bingen am Rhein, Holy Roman Empire, aged 81; Abbess, Polymath, Writer, Composer, Mystic, Visionary, Philosopher, Medical Writer and Practitioner, Composer of Sacred Monophony, Virgin, Founder, Doctor of the Church] 16. Teachings on the Church (from Scivias) [The principles on which Hildegard based her advice and admonitions to the principal churchmen and politicians of her day are set out extensively in the pages of Scivias, from which the following extracts are taken. The book was much in demand: in the early 1150s, for instance, Archbishop Arnold of Cologne expressed a wish to have a copy, for he was ‘unable and unwilling to be without it’. 1 In responding to his request, Hildegard sent the following message as a covering letter: Now, as you wished, shepherd of your people, I (a poor woman) have sent you my writings of the true visions to you. They contain nothing of human ingenuity and nothing …More
"‘Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?’ Who are these who have withdrawn in their hearts from earthly and fleshly desires in order to soar in full devotion towards heavenly things? They strengthen their bodily senses in dovelike simplicity, without bitter gall."
St. Charbel Maklouf ~ If you wish to be saved easily, have a special devotion to the Virgin Mary. She is capable of saving those who have a true devotion to Her.
[Saint Benedict of Nursia; V-VI Century AD; born: Nursia, Kingdom of Italy/died: Mons Casinus, Eastern Roman Empire; aged 67; Father of Western Monasticism ~ Order of Saint Benedict, Patron of Europe, Rule of Saint Benedict, Saint Benedict Medal] Chapter IX ~ Of a huge stone which was removed BY THE AID OF THE SAINT'S PRAYERS. ONE day, as the monks were erecting the walls of the monastery, there was a stone hard by which they wished to place in the building. Two or three being unable to remove it, several others came to assist them, but the stone remained as immovable as if it were profoundly rooted in the earth. This made them think the devil was seated thereon, since it could not be even stirred by so many hands. To overcome this difficulty they sent to the man of God that he would vouchsafe to come and banish the enemy by his prayers, so that they might succeed in lifting the stone. The saint came immediately, prayed and gave his blessing, whereupon the stone was lifted as easily as …More
"ONE day, as the monks were erecting the walls of the monastery, there was a stone hard by which they wished to place in the building. Two or three being unable to remove it, several others came to assist them, but the stone remained as immovable as if it were profoundly rooted in the earth. This made them think the devil was seated thereon, since it could not be even stirred by so many hands."
[Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort – XVII-XVIII Century AD; born: Montfort-sur-Meu, France/died: Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, France; aged 43, Total consecration to Jesus through Mary] 5. Exterior practices 60. Besides interior practices, which we have just mentioned, this devotion has certain exterior practices which must not be omitted or neglected. Consecration and its renewal 61. The first is to choose a special feast-day to consecrate ourselves through Mary to Jesus, whose slaves we are making ourselves. This is an occasion for receiving Holy Communion and spending the day in prayer. At least once a year on the same day, we should renew the act of consecration. Offering of a tribute in submission to the Blessed Virgin 62. The second is to give our Lady every year on that same day some little tribute as a token of our servitude and dependence. This has always been the customary homage paid by slaves to their master. This tribute could consist of an act of self-denial or alms, or a …More
"63. The third practice is to celebrate every year with special fervour the feast of the Annunciation of our Lord. This is the distinctive feast of this devotion and was chosen so that we might honour and imitate that dependence which the eternal Word accepted on this day out of love for us."
[Saint Bridget of Sweden – XIV Century AD; born: Uppland, Sweden/died: Rome, Papal States; Patron Saint of Europe, Widow, Mystic, Spiritual Writer] Answer to the sixth question. ”As to why the wicked sometimes have greater worldly success than the good" Answer to the sixth question. ”As to why the wicked sometimes have greater worldly success than the good, I answer: This is an indication of my great patience and love and a testing of the righteous. If I were to give temporal goods to my friends alone, then the wicked would despair and the good would grow proud. Instead, temporal goods are granted to all, so that I, God, the giver and Creator of all things, may be loved by all and so that good people who become proud may be taught righteousness by means of the wicked. It is also in order that everyone may realize that temporal things are not to be loved or preferred to me, God, but are only to be possessed for the sake of sustenance, and in order that they may be all the more zealous in …More
"The person who is foreseen to be more fervent in resolution of will and more steadfast in humility and perseverance receives grace in the beginning, and it continues to the end. A person who struggles against vice and yearns to be better deserves to be called toward the end of life. An ungrateful person, however, does not deserve to be admitted to his mother's breast.”
”As to why the wicked sometimes have greater worldly success than the good, I answer: This is an indication of my great patience and love and a testing of the righteous. If I were to give temporal goods to my friends alone, then the wicked would despair and the good would grow proud."
[Saint Jerome – IV-V Century AD; born: Stridon, Roman Empire/died: Bethlehem, Palaestina Prima; aged 75-78, Translation of the Bible into Latin – Vulgate; Doctor of the Church] Chapter 35 Irenæus, a presbyter under Pothinus the bishop who ruled the church of Lyons in Gaul, being sent to Rome as legate by the martyrs of this place, on account of certain ecclesiastical questions, presented to Bishop Eleutherius certain letters under his own name which are worthy of honour. Afterwards when Pothinus, nearly ninety years of age, received the crown of martyrdom for Christ, he was put in his place. It is certain too that he was a disciple of Polycarp, the priest and martyr, whom we mentioned above. He wrote five books Against heresies and a short volume, Against the nations and another On discipline, a letter to Marcianus his brother On preaching, a book of Various treatises; also to Blastus, On schism, to Florinus On monarchy or That God is not the author of evil, also an excellent Commentary …More
"Afterwards when Pothinus, nearly ninety years of age, received the crown of martyrdom for Christ, he was put in his place. It is certain too that he was a disciple of Polycarp, the priest and martyr..."
[Saint Victorinus – III-IV Century AD; born: Roman Greece/died: Pettau, Roman Greece; Spiritual Writer; Martyr under Diocletian] From the Sixth Chapter 1, 2. And when the Lamb had opened one of the seven seals, I saw, and heard one of the four living creatures saying, Come and see. And, lo, a white horse, and He who sat upon him had a bow. The first seal being opened, he says that he saw a white horse, and a crowned horseman having a bow. For this was at first done by Himself. For after the Lord ascended into heaven and opened all things, He sent the Holy Spirit, whose words the preachers sent forth as arrows reaching to the human heart, that they might overcome unbelief. And the crown on the head is promised to the preachers by the Holy Spirit. The other three horses very plainly signify the wars, famines, and pestilences announced by our Lord in the Gospel. And thus he says that one of the four living creatures said (because all four are one), Come and see. Come is said to him that is …More
"3, 4. And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red, and to him that sat upon him was given a great sword. The red horse, and he that sat upon him, having a sword, signify the coming wars, as we read in the Gospel: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes in various places. This is the ruddy horse."
Vatican II ~ Sacrosanctum Concilium ~ This sacred Council has several aims in view - it desires to...adapt more suitably to the needs of our own times.