Virgo Potens

2 of 2 Month of the Holy Family ~ February 19th And has not a Saint abundant reasons, from the thought of his own weakness, to live always in a state of great humility, when he knows that from one hour to another he may lose the grace of God and the kingdom of Heaven which he has merited by years of laboriously-acquired virtues? “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” [Ps. cxxvi, 1] However spiritual and holy a man may be, he cannot regard himself as absolutely secure. The Angels themselves, enriched with sanctity, were not safe in Paradise. Man, endowed with innocence, was not safe in his earthly paradise. What safety therefore can there be for us with our corrupt nature, amid so many perils and so many enemies, who within and without are ever seeking insidiously to undermine our eternal salvation? In order to be eternally damned it is enough I should follow the dictates of nature, but to be saved it is necessary that Divine grace should prevent and accompany me, should follow and help me, watch over me, and never abandon me. Oh, how right therefore was St. Paul in exhorting us to “work out our salvation”–—which is for all eternity–—“with fear and trembling”! [Phil. ii, 12] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

1 of 2 Month of the Holy Family ~ February 19th 19. In the spiritual life I can promise myself nothing without the special help of God; and most true is the teaching of the Holy Ghost: “Thy help is only in Me.” [Osee. xiii, 9] From one moment to another I may fall into mortal sin: consequently, even though I may have labored many years in acquiring virtues, I may in one instant lose all the good I have done, lose all my merit for eternity, and lose even that blessed eternity itself. How can a king rule with arrogance, when he is besieged by his enemies and from day to day runs the risk of losing his kingdom and ceasing to be a king? (continued)

Prayer in Honor of the Holy Family GRANT us, O Lord Jesus, faithfully to imitate the examples of Thy Holy Family, so that in the hour of our death, in the company of Thy glorious Virgin Mother and St. Joseph, we may deserve to be received by Thee into eternal tabernacles. Amen. (Ind. of 200 days, once a day.— Leo XIII. Feb. 6, 1893.) ~ Fr. Charles Callan O.P. and Fr. John McHugh, O.P., Blessed Be God (1925)

2 of 2 Month of the Holy Family ~ February 18th In the same way some humble persons feel pleasure in being humiliated, and some feel sadness, especially when weighed down with calumny; and yet they all belong to the sphere of the humble, because it is not the humiliation nor the suffering alone which makes the soul humble, but the interior act by which this same humiliation is accepted and received through motives of Christian humility and especially of a desire to resemble Jesus Christ, Who, though entitled to all the honors the world could offer Him, bore humiliation and scorn for the glory of His eternal Father: “For Thy sake, O God of Israel, I have borne reproach.” [Ps. lxviii, 8] The doctrine of St. Bernard is worthy of our notice: It is one thing to be humiliated, and another to be humble. It often happens that the proud man is humiliated, yet he nevertheless remains proud, receiving humiliations with anger and contempt, doing all he can to escape them with fretful impatience. It sometimes happens too that the proud man becomes humble; the humiliation teaching him to know himself as he is, and by this knowledge he learns to love this very humiliation: “He is humble who converts all his humiliations into humility and says unto God: ‘It is good for me that Thou hast humbled me.’ ” [D. Bern, serm. 34, in Cant.] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

1 of 2 Month of the Holy Family ~ February 18th 18. Although we feel the humiliation keenly when we are insulted, persecuted or calumniated, this does not mean that we cannot suffer such trials with sentiments of true humility, subjecting nature to reason and faith and sacrificing the resentment of our self-love to the love of God. We are not made of stone, so that we need be insensible or senseless in order to be humble. Of some Martyrs we read that they writhed under their torments; of others that they more or less rejoiced in them, according to the greater or less degree of unction they received from the Holy Ghost; and all were rewarded by the crown of glory, as it is not the pain or the feeling that makes the Martyr but the supernatural motive of virtue. (continued)

2 of 2 LITANY of HUMILITY Novena Day 1 - February 17th O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus. That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. ~ Cardinal Merry del Val

Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine. (300 days Indulg.) 1 of 2 LITANY of HUMILITY Novena To be prayed once a day for oneself or others to overcome the vice of pride.

Words of Our Lord On one occasion when St. Gertrude was compassionating the Adorable Face, wounded and disfigured, she asked Our Lord for a special grace for those who would practice this devotion. From His Divine lips she heard this consoling promise: "All those who meditate frequently on the vision of My Divine Face, attracted by the desires of love, shall receive within them, through My Humanity, a bright ray of My Divinity, which shall enlighten their inmost souls so that they shall reflect the light of My Countenance in a special manner throughout eternity." ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. ~. O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)

2 of 2 ACT OF CONSECRATION to OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus Shrove Tuesday Thou art the Lord and Supreme Ruler of all mankind, and we, in acknowledging this Thy dominion, consecrate ourselves to Thee now and forever. Loving Jesus, we place our family under the protection of Thy Holy Face, and of Thy Virgin Mother, Mary Most Sorrowful. We promise to be faithful to Thee for the rest of our lives and to observe with fidelity Thy holy Commandments. We will never deny before men Thee and Thy Divine rights over us and all mankind. Grant us the grace to never sin again; nevertheless, should we fail, O Divine Savior, have mercy on us and restore us to Thy grace. Radiate Thy Divine Countenance upon us and bless us now and forever. Embrace us at the hour of death in Thy kingdom for all eternity, through the intercession of Thy Blessed Mother, of all Thy Saints who behold Thee in Heaven, and the just who glorify Thee on earth. O Jesus, be mindful of us forever and never forsake us; protect our family. O Mother of Sorrows, by the eternal glory which Thou enjoyest in Heaven, through the merits of Thy bitter anguish in the Sacred Passion of Thy Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for us the grace that the Precious Blood shed by Jesus for the redemption of our souls, be not shed for us in vain. We love thee, O Mary. Embrace us and bless us, O Mother. Protect us in life and in death. Amen. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

FEAST of the HOLY FACE OF JESUS Shrove Tuesday ACT OF CONSECRATION to OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST LORD Jesus, we believe most firmly in Thee, we love Thee. Thou art the Eternal Son of God and the Son Incarnate of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thou art the Lord and Absolute ruler of all creation. We acknowledge Thee, therefore, as Universal Sovereign of all creatures. (continued)

2 of 2 Month of the Holy Family ~ February 17th There would indeed be cause for despair if on the one hand humility were necessary for salvation and on the other it were unattainable. But nothing is more natural to us than humility, because we are drawn towards it by our own misery; and nothing is easier, since it is enough for us to open our eyes and to know ourselves; this is not a virtue we need go far to seek, as we can always find it within ourselves, and we have an infinity of good reasons in ourselves for doing so. Nevertheless we must labor as long as life lasts to acquire humility, nor must we ever imagine that we have acquired it; and even should we have obtained it in some degree, we must still continue to strive after it as though we did not possess it, in order that we may be able to keep it. Let us have a true desire to be humble; let us not cease to implore God that He may give us the grace to be humble; and let us often study the motives that may help to make us humble of heart; and let us not doubt the Divine Goodness, but conform to the advice given us in Holy Writ: “Think of the Lord in goodness.” [Wisd. i, 1] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

1 of 2 Month of the Holy Family ~ February 17th 17. From what has just been said it is possible that a tormenting doubt might arise in the mind of some one who might say: If I must judge myself to be wanting in humility, I must conclude that I am lost, and such a judgment would lead me to despair. But do you not perceive the error? To speak wisely you ought to say: I know I am wanting in humility; therefore I must try and obtain it; for without humility I am a reprobate, and it is necessary to be humble in order to be among the elect. (continued)

BLESSED FEAST of the HOLY FACE of OUR LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST Shrove Tuesday

3 of 3 THE NOVENA to the HOLY FACE Ninth Day ~ The Holy Face on the Day of the Resurrection Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus ~ Shrove Tuesday III. Its praises throughout eternity. — Lord, permit me “to behold Thee”, permit me to see Thy Face in its pure and real glory; when Thy glory shall thus appear to me, then my heart will be satiated with joy. Being then, says Saint Augustine, free and disengaged from all cares, “we shall see, we shall love, we shall praise;” we shall see the Face of the divine King so ravishing and so beautiful; we shall love the Face of the Man-God, of the Son of Mary so sweet and so amiable; we shall praise the Face of the Redeemer, so victorious and so powerful. We shall behold it forever, we shall love it without distaste; we shall praise it without weariness, with transports of ever reviving, ever renewed joy, forever and ever. Amen. Act of desire. — When shall I go and appear before the Face of my God? When shall I see him face to face? Virtue to be practiced. — Detach yourself, little by little, from the deceptive and passing joys of this world; seek the treasures of Heaven where the risen Jesus awaits you. Spiritual bouquet. — May I expire thirsting with an ardent thirst to see the desirable Face of our Lord, Jesus Christ. ( Last words of Mr. Dupont) I have entreated Thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to thy promise. Make the light of Thy Face to shine upon me; save me in Thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded, because I have called upon Thee. PRAYER. — Almighty and merciful God, grant, we beg of Thee, that whilst venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in the Passion because of our sins, we may merit to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of its heavenly glory. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

2 of 3 THE NOVENA to the HOLY FACE Ninth Day ~ The Holy Face on the Day of the Resurrection Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus ~ Shrove Tuesday In this state, that which above all attracted attention, was the beauty and triumphant splendor of his Holy Face. I. Glory of the Holy Face after the Resurrection. — Look at it yourself in spirit and with the eyes of faith. What celestial fire in its eyes! What serenity on its brow! What harmony in its features! What a smiling and majestic countenance! During his Passion we beheld the Face of Jesus bleeding and full of grief; at this moment, joys beams forth from it; it overflows with consolation in proportion to the sufferings and ignominies it has suffered. Oh, adorable Face of my Saviour, it is meet that victorious now, over death and sin, you should appear dazzling in strength and splendor. Show what Thou art; shed all-around in softened majesty, the rays of honor and glory with which Thou art crowned; advance and reign over all hearts. Prospere procede, et regna. II. Joy which it communicates. — The first time that the apostles, when they were assembled together in the cenacle, saw the risen Face of their divine Master, they were thrilled, says the Evangelist, with great joy; his smile, his sweet gaze, his kind and paternal words, the breath of his lips which he shed upon them, inundated them interiorly with a delicious peace which they had never before experienced. What will be the joy of the elect, when they shall behold, in its full splendor, without a cloud, and without a shade, the glorious Face of the Incarnate Word. The sight will enable them to penetrate as through a most pure mirror, into the secrets of the divine essence, where they will find perfect beatitude and the sovereign good. They will see it even as it is, that most Holy Face and they will become like to it; perfection of soul and of body will be theirs through the light of its glory with which they will feel themselves to be penetrated. (continued)

NINTH DAY THE HOLY FACE ON THE DAY OF THE RESURRECTION At the commencement say: Lord, I desire to seek thy Face; do not Thou repel me far from it on account of my sins; do not remove Thy Holy Spirit from me. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me; teach me in the way of Thy commandments. On the day of his resurrection, our Saviour showed himself several times to his holy mother, to the holy women, and to his Apostles. He came forth from the sepulcher, endowed with a spiritual and incorruptible life, shining with glory and immortality. (continued)

2 of 2 Month of the Holy Family ~ February 16th In the same way that to recognize that we are proud is the beginning of humility, so to flatter ourselves that we are humble is the beginning of pride, and the more humble we think ourselves the greater is our pride. That self-complacency which the heart feels, making us imagine that we are humble in consequence of some agreeable reflections we have had about ourselves, is a species of vanity; and how can vanity exist with humility which is founded solely on truth? Vanity is nothing but a lie, and it is precisely from a lie that pride springs. Let us pray to God with the prophet: “Let not the foot of pride come to me.” [Ps. xxxv, 12] Grant, O my God, that I may be humble, but that I may not know that I am humble. Make me holy, yet ignorant of holiness; for if I should learn to know or even to imagine myself holy, I should become vain; and through vanity should lose all humility and holiness. ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

1 of 2 Month of the Holy Family ~ February 16th 16. We may persuade ourselves that we possess various virtues, because we have a tangible proof within us that we really have them. Thus we may judge ourselves to be chaste, because we feel really attracted to chastity; or we may think ourselves abstemious, because we are so by nature; or obedient, because we practice a ready obedience. But however much a man may exercise humility, he can never form any judgment as to his being really humble, for he who thinks himself humble is no longer so. (continued)

3 of 3 THE NOVENA to the HOLY FACE Eighth Day ~ The Holy Face on the Cross Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus ~ Shrove Tuesday III. Christian pardon.—Most Holy Face of Jesus on the cross, what a lesson Thou givest to me! Thy charity has reached even to the extent of pardoning Thy executioners and praying for them. It is, above all, for those who struck Thee, wounded Thee, dealt Thee blows, covered Thee with spittle, that Thou saidst: “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.”. When they struck Thee, Thou didst endure them, gently and in silence. Now, Thou raisest Thy voice to excuse and defend them, to obtain pardon for them; in offering for them Thy blood, Thou givest them the greatest proof of Thy love. Teach me this Thy endurance of our neighbor and this Thy generosity in pardoning even our most cruel enemies. Yes, I forgive, for love of Thee, all who have offended me. With you, I pray for the sinners who outrage Thee, for the wretched men who blaspheme Thee; I beg of Thee their conversion and their salvation. Let them but turn lo Thee, oh most Holy Face, let them invoke Thee; it is enough! Whoever looks on Thee, oh blessed Face, with faith and repentance, will escape the sting of the serpent and will find life. Act of generous love. — My God, I forget the injuries which have been inflicted on me; I pardon all those who have offended me in any way whatever; I love them sincerely, I pray for them, and I entreat thee to save them. Virtue to practice. — Bear the injuries inflicted on you and the coldness shown you by your neighbor, accept all that is painful in them to your heart and mind in reparation for what the Holy Face has suffered. Spiritual bouquet. — God our protector, cast Thine eyes upon the Face of Thy Christ. I have called upon thy Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according to Thy promises. Let the light of Thy Face shine upon me. Save me in thy mercy; Lord, I shall not be confounded because I have called upon Thee. PRAYER. — God all-powerful and merciful, grant we entreat Thee, that, venerating the Face of Thy Christ, disfigured in his Passion because of our sins, we may deserve to contemplate it eternally in the splendor of the glory of Heaven. Through the same Jesus Christ. Amen.

2 of 3 THE NOVENA to the HOLY FACE Eighth Day ~ The Holy Face on the Cross Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus ~ Shrove Tuesday I. The pardon of the Holy Face. — Raising its eyes bathed in tears towards the heavenly Father, it entreats our pardon: Pater, dimitte illis. Oh Father, remit the debt of these sinners; give back to them Thy friendship. Then turning towards us, it inclines itself lovingly, as though lo offer us the kiss of peace and of reconciliation. Oh! how touching, at that moment, is the aspect of the sorrowful Face of the Redeemer; what sufferings upon that bed of anguish! what a prolonged agony! and what patience also! what gentleness, what an ineffable serenity in its movements and its words! As often as seven times the divine Face, giving a truce to its sufferings opens its blessed lips; each one of its words is a lesson, a grace, and as it were, a reiterated and supreme adieu which it addresses to the world. It does not murmur; it is not irritated; it prays, it pardons, it blesses; at last it utters a loud cry and expires. II. The appeal made to divine mercy. — Oh God, our Creator, and our Father, we dare not raise our eyes towards Thee; for we have sinned; we have abused Thy innumerable blessings; we are guilty in the highest degree, we deserve the blows of Thy divine justice. But, Lord, behold Thy Christ on the Cross, look at his merciful and compassionate Face which implores Thee. Listen to the voice of its prayer. Behold its tears, the thorns of its crown, the blood with which it is inundated. Behold it mute, inanimate, growing cold in the death agony. It is given up to death for us, oh Father; it has taken our place before Thee, it has deserved to disarm Thy anger. Look, look at the Face of Thy well-beloved Christ, in the state to which it has been reduced. Pardon us, oh most merciful Father, and save us. (continued)