Virgo Potens

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS May 19th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 6.— Tuesday after the Ascension III.—The Gift of Knowledge 1. The gift of knowledge differs from the preceding gifts in that its province is to raise the soul from creatures to the Creator. It enables us to think of God in our daily life, and to make the things around occasions of recalling His presence. It teaches that all the beauty we see in earthly things is but a reflection of the divine beauty. It was in virtue of this that St. Ignatius declared that all the world around recalled God to him. Am I careful to refer all things to Him? (continued)

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 18th 100. (continued) Prayer O GOD, Who resistest the proud and givest Thy grace to the humble, grant us the grace of true humility, of which Thine Only begotten Son showed forth in Himself an example to the faithful, that we may never, puffed up by pride, incur Thine anger, but that, submissive to Thy will, we may receive the gifts of Thy grace. ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

2 of 2 ~ 5.— Monday after the Ascension 2. This gift of wisdom is exactly proportioned to our charity. In the saints it produces an utter indifference to all worldly things, to all the pleasures of sense and to all earthly honors; nay, it makes them love mortification and the cross, because their burning charity makes them appreciate the true value of suffering. My God, how little have I of this heavenly wisdom! How little taste for prayer and spiritual things! The reason is my selfishness, my want of charity. 3. In the gospels we notice how the apostles, in spite of Our Lord's example and teaching, took to the very end of His sacred ministry a low and earthly view of the kingdom He was come to establish, and of their own privileges in it. They thought that it was to be merely a temporal kingdom, that they were to be held in high honor in it, and actually quarreled among themselves who should be first in it. All their tastes and aspirations were after this world's honor. This was because they had not yet that gift of wisdom which would teach them to relish most the things of God, but which they were to receive at Pentecost. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS May 18th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 5.— Monday after the Ascension II.—The Gift of Wisdom 1. What is the gift of wisdom? It follows on the gift of understanding, and gives men a real taste and relish for all that is connected with God and divine things. It directs their thoughts straight to God, and teaches them to look at everything in the light of God. It makes them love prayer and spiritual reading, and holy Mass. It is the most perfect of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and rules and directs the rest as charity does the other virtues. (continued)

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 17th He is my inner self who is all vice, corruption and pride, and it is the same as if I were to say: “Deliver me, O Lord, from myself, that is, give me grace to amend and reform myself in order that I may no longer be that earthly, worldly and proud creature which I have been hitherto, dominated by passion, but that I may be renewed, and may conform to the spirit of my humble Lord and Master Jesus Christ.” “Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man; rescue me from the unjust man.” ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 17th 100. (continued) “Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man, rescue me from the unjust man.” [Ps. cxxxix, 2] Who is this wicked and unjust man from whom I pray to be delivered? (continued)

2 of 2 ~ 4.— Sunday after the Ascension The Gifts sought 2. This gift of understanding extends also to practical matters. It gives the power of perceiving the wisdom of what is done by those in authority, and in general of appreciating what is good in the actions of others. This is the reason why good men always judge so leniently and kindly of the actions of those around, and approve the decisions of authority where others condemn them. It is because they have so large a share of the gift of understanding. 3. Even after Our Lord's Resurrection, His disciples had shown a strange want of understanding of the meaning of His teaching. He Himself had reason to upbraid the eleven apostles with their incredulity and hardness of heart. He reproached the disciples on the road to Emmaus with their folly and slowness to believe the Scriptures. They needed the gift of understanding before they could see their true meaning. Without the teaching of the Holy Ghost, Scripture is a sealed book. Heretics may scratch at the surface, but they cannot make its treasures their own. For this the gift of understanding is necessary. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS May 17th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 4.— Sunday after the Ascension The Gifts sought I.—The Gift of Understanding 1. What is the gift of understanding? It is the gift that enables him who receives it to appreciate the truth and beauty of all revealed truths, and to comprehend their drift and meaning. It is not like faith, a simple intellectual assent. It furnishes reasons for making the assent. It enables the intellect to perceive the consistency and the beauty of supernatural truth. I must pray for this gift if I am to be firm in my faith. (continued)

NOTRE DAME DE GRACE Je suis la mère du Bel-Amour, et de la Sainte Espèrance. Eccle. 24. OUR LADY OF GRACE I am the mother of Fair-Love, and of Holy Hope. Eccle. 24.

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 16th 100. (continued) Let us begin to practice on earth those virtues which we hope to practice for ever and ever through all ages in Heaven: “Our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a name which is above all names.” [Phil. ii, 8, 9] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

2 of 2 ~ 3.— Saturday after the Ascension The Means employed 2. They were always in the Temple. Not only constant at its services, but standing there for long hours in silent supplication. They knew that God was specially present there, and that His ears were specially open to their petitions. So we must be often before the Blessed Sacrament, visiting from time to time the temple where Jesus Himself is truly present. This is the way to obtain graces from Him. This is the way to win His Sacred Heart. 3. They were constantly praising and blessing God. Thus even before the Holy Spirit descended, they had begun to practise as far as they could the occupation of the saints and angels in heaven. They knew that the best form of prayer is an expression of gratitude and love. Yet how much cause they had for natural anxiety! What a battle, and apparently what a hopeless battle, before them! Their overflowing love made them full of hope and joy. God will always help those who are continually praising and blessing Him. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS May 16th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 3.— Saturday after the Ascension The Means employed How did the disciples spend the time of their retreat? We are not left in ignorance here. 1. They were persevering in prayer. If there was one lesson which their Master had taught them again and again, it was the necessity of earnest, persevering, patient prayer. How He had enforced it by command, by parable, by His own example! They had learned the lesson, and now their instinct was to make prayer the chief preparation for the coming of the power from on high. It is prayer that obtains power for us— power over ourselves— power to convert others— wisdom and prudence and all we need. (continued)

ACT of HUMILITY and CONFIDENCE Before Holy Communion JESUS, my Lord, I confess that I am a sinner. But in Thy goodness Thou dost invite me to approach Thy Holy Table and to partake of Thy heavenly Banquet. Trusting in Thy mercy I come to Thee with confidence, albeit with it a contrite and humble heart. Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter. under my roof; but say only the word, and my soul shall be healed. Come to me, Jesus, come to me, and keep me in Thy love.and Thy grace forevermore. ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, My Prayer Book ~ Happiness in Goodness, 1908.

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 15th 100. (continued) O my soul, it is through humility that we shall reach Paradise. And what shall we do in paradise? There the practice of all other virtues ceases and only charity and humility remain. We shall see God, and in seeing Him we shall know that He is the infinite Good; and this perfect knowledge will bring with it more perfect love, and the more we love God, the better we shall know Him, and the better we know Him, the more humble we shall be, practicing humility through all eternity like the ancients seen in the Apocalypse by the Apostle St. John: “Who fell on their faces and adored God, saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord God almighty, who art, and who wast, and who art to come.” [Apoc. xi, 17] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us! NOVENA to OUR LADY HELP of CHRISTIANS Feast Day ~ May 24th Begins today, May 15th, at Christus Regnat ~ https://t.me/RexUniversi This year, the Feast of Pentecost falls on the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians.

2 of 2 ~ 2.— Friday after the Ascension The Preparation for Pentecost 2. The disciples, we are told, were all of one mind. There was no jealousy now, no strife, no disagreement. Jesus had left His peace with them. They had learned the lesson of charity and submission; their constant desire was to yield to others, to minister to others. They had now all one heart and one soul, because one Lord, one faith, one end in life, one object of their ambition, to serve others for love of Him. This perfect harmony is the most certain means of drawing down the Holy Spirit. Do I seek to cultivate it among those with whom my lot is cast? 3. Joined to the disciples in their retreat were Our Lady and the holy women. The presence of Mary sanctified them. She was now their Mother. Christ Himself had entrusted them to her. She had become beneath the cross the Mother of the infant Church; they consulted her, learned from her some of the secrets of divine love that filled her soul, honored her with a reverence and a devotion which corresponded to their love for Jesus. O Mary, be thou with me, now and always, as my adviser, my hope, my Lady, and my Queen ! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS May 15th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 2.— Friday after the Ascension The Preparation for Pentecost 1. When the disciples returned to Jerusalem, they went back to the Cenacle, or upper room, where Our Lord had eaten the Pasch with them, and had instituted the Blessed Eucharist. There they spent the next eight days, according to their Master's instructions, in a retreat preparatory to Pentecost. Learn from this the importance of a quiet time alone with God as a condition of receiving from Him signal graces. (continued)

Come Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful A NOVENA PRAYER to the HOLY GHOST for a Special Favor Begins tomorrow at Christus Regnat ~ https://t.me/RexUniversi

Veni, Sancte Spíritus Come Holy Ghost NOVENA to the HOLY GHOST The Novena to the Holy Ghost is traditionally prayed in preparation for the great Feast of Pentecost, from the Friday after the Ascension until the Vigil of Pentecost. It is oldest novena. No formula is specified in The Raccolta (1957), while an earlier edition (1910) says that ‘Any prayers to the HOLY GHOST may be used.’ Begins tomorrow at Christus Regnat ~ https://t.me/RexUniversi

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 14th Let us picture Mary in her room at Nazareth when it was announced to her by the Archangel Gabriel that the time had come for the Eternal Word to take flesh in her womb, through the operation of the Holy Ghost. She showed no sign of pride at being blest among women and chosen for such a high honour, but on the contrary she was distressed and “was troubled at his saying,” [Luke i, 29] without being able to understand why she was chosen for so great an honour. And what does she exclaim? I,–—the Mother of God! I, a vile creature, to become the Mother of God! I am but His servant, and it would be too much honour for me even to be His handmaid. “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” [Luke i, 38] Thus Mary humbled herself as much as lay in her power; and she continued in this deep humility all through her life, behaving in all things as the servant of the Lord, without ever attributing to herself the slightest glory for being His Mother. What a beautiful example for us! Therefore if we have devotion to our Lady we ought to try and imitate her in her humility; and in all the prayers, Communions and mortifications that we offer in her honour let us always ask her to obtain for us through her intercession the grace of holy humility. There is no grace that our Blessed Lady asks so willingly of Jesus for her devotees, and which Jesus concedes so willingly to Mary as the grace of humility, since both Jesus and Mary hold this virtue in singular affection. Let us recommend ourselves to her protection and place all our confidence in her, entreating her for the love she herself bears to humility to grant that we may also become truly humble of heart; and let us not doubt but that our earnest prayers will be heard and our desires granted. (continued) ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).