Virgo Potens

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 12th And in truth He has taught us most excellently, not only by word but by deed. Let us meditate upon the life of our Lord on earth, from the cave of Bethlehem to the cross of Calvary; all breathes of humility. More than once did He declare in the Gospel that He came not to fulfill His own will but that of His heavenly Father; not to seek His own glory but that of His heavenly Father: and as He preached so He lived. He might have glorified the Divine Majesty in divers other ways; but, in His infinite wisdom, He chose the way of humility as the most suitable one for rendering unto God, by His own humility, that honour of which the pride of man has deprived Him. What humility, to be born in a stable–—He who was the King of Glory! What humility in Him, who was innocence itself, to appear as a sinner at the circumcision! What humility in the flight into Egypt to escape the persecution of Herod, as if He had been incapable of saving Himself otherwise than by flight! What humility in His subjection to Mary and Joseph, He who was King of the whole universe! What humility in living for thirty years a hidden life of poverty, He who could have been surrounded by all the splendour of the world! With what humility He bore all the insults and calumnies He received in return for the truths He preached and the miracles He worked, never complaining or lamenting those ills that were done to Him, nor the injustice that was shown to Him! Oh, if one could have looked into His Heart, one would have seen that His humility was not obligatory but voluntary, “because it was His own will.” [Isa. liii. 7] He desired to humble Himself thus in order that we might make Him our pattern, and He says to each one of us: “For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you so you do also,” [John xiii, 15] which means that He gave us this example so that we might learn to humble ourselves even as He humbled Himself from His heart. Ah, will not these examples of a God who became man and humbled Himself suffice to rouse in us the wish to become humble also? “Let man be ashamed to be proud,” says St. Augustine, “for whose sake a God became humble.” [Enarr. in Ps. xviii] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 12th 98. But the greatest motive we have to oblige us to be humble is the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came down from heaven to teach us the humility of which we stood in such need to cure our pride, the cause of all our ills, and the greatest impediment to our eternal salvation. “Therefore Christ” says St. Thomas “recommended humility to us above everything else, because by this more especially all hindrance to the salvation of men is removed.” [2a 2æ, qu. clxxi, art. 5 ad 3] (continued)

2 of 2 38.— The Final Visit 1. Our Lord's last appearance to His apostles was at Jerusalem. He seems to have talked long with them on this occasion, and to have opened their minds to a right understanding of the Scriptures, and to have explained to them their future mission. Yet even to the last their notions were confused and hazy, and they still clung to the ideas of a temporal kingdom, and asked, "Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" So slow are men to be rid of worldly hopes and aspirations, or to recognize that Christ's kingdom is not of this world. 2. After Our Lord's discourse He led them out as far as Bethany, still conversing with them, and instructing them in the work they were to do. How they hang on every word with a sort of presentiment that He is going to leave them! At length they reach the Garden of Gethsemani and ascend the Hill of Olivet. All at once He is transfigured before their eyes, and a light far brighter than the sun surrounds them; and Jesus in the midst raises His hand to bless them, as they remain in an ecstasy of joy and fear, and wonder and delight. 3. At the same time they see around them a countless number of angels come to welcome their king and their God, and hear the music of heaven and angelic strains; while in the midst their Lord, now radiant with Divine beauty and glory and majesty, is raised above the ground. The vision of Him makes them forget all else, and ravishes their souls as He pronounces the solemn words of benediction. That one moment was enough to compensate them for all they had suffered. How much more will the first moment of heaven make all earthly afflictions seem as nothing. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

THE RESURRECTION and ASCENSION of JESUS CHRIST May 12th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ 38.— The Final Visit Read St. Luke xxiv. 48-50 And you are witnesses of these things. And I send the promise of my Father upon you: but stay you in the city till you be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as Bethania: and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. (continued)

ACT of HUMILITY After Holy Communion O JESUS, my God! Thou art infinite in all perfections; and I am but dust, and unto dust shall I return. Depart from me, O Lord for I am a sinful man. Yet, O my sweet Jesus, if Thou leavest me, to whom shall I go? What will become of me? Rather will I say, “Stay with me, Lord; abide always within my heart; and may my heart make every sacrifice for Thee.” ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, My Prayer Book ~ Happiness in Goodness, 1908.

Sayings of the Saints “The very knowledge of our imperfection tends to the praise of humility.” ~ St. Augustine St. Augustine, pray for us.

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 11th When such thoughts as these arise in the secret recesses of the heart: I have made this fortune by my knowledge, by my industry; I have acquired this merit, this reputation by my own worth, my virtue, my ingenuity, it is enough to lift up one’s heart to God and say with the Wise Man: “And how could anything endure, if Thou wouldst not?” [Wisd. xi, 26] O my God, how could I have done the smallest thing, if Thou hadst not willed it? This is true humility, and in this lies true knowledge and holiness. The soul is holy in measure as it is humble, because in the same measure that it has holiness it has grace, and in the same measure that it has grace it has humility, because grace is only given to the humble. From the depths of my heart, O my God, I ask it of Thee, and with the Psalmist I exclaim: “Renew a right spirit within me.” [Ps. 1, 12] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 11th 97. It is necessary to discern in the Gospel those things which are of counsel and those which are of precept. To renounce all that one has and to suffer poverty for the love of God is only of counsel, but to renounce oneself and to be poor of heart is of precept. And in the same way certain exterior humiliations may be only of counsel, but the humility of heart is always of precept, and as it is not only possible to fulfill every precept of God’s, but also by the help of His grace it becomes easy and sweet to us to practice them; even laymen have many great opportunities of becoming holy simply by the exercise of humility. To make a worldly-minded man a Saint it is sufficient to make him a Christian. (continued)

2 of 2 37.— The Parting Advice 1. Our Lord, before His Passion, had promised His apostles they should not be left desolate, but that He would send the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, to lead them into all truth. Now that He leaves them, He renews His promise. They had not understood it when it was first made; but now it begins to dawn upon them that some wondrous power was to descend from heaven, and to fill them with strength, wisdom, prudence, and authority to carry out the task intrusted to them. God never calls men to a work without giving them all the gifts necessary to carry it out. This should be my consolation if I am inclined to despond at my own weakness. 2. But, for this gift they were to wait— "Stay in the city till you be endued with power from on high." This was to be their first lesson— to wait. It is not an easy lesson. We are so impatient and impulsive! We do not like waiting; we want to go to work at once, to see results without delay. But we must learn the lesson Christ taught the apostles, and wait. 3. To wait is the secret of success in spiritual things. Those who are willing to wait, always get what they want. We have always to wait for God's best gifts. All the saints had to wait. Our Lady and St. Joseph, above all, had to wait. Why should we be downcast if we appear to fail? It is only that God is keeping us waiting. "Oh, wait on the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thy heart." ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

THE RESURRECTION and ASCENSION of JESUS CHRIST May 11th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ 37.— The Parting Advice Read Acts i. 1-5 The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus began to do and to teach, Until the day on which, giving commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up. To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion, by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And eating together with them, he commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard (saith he) by my mouth. For John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. (continued)

Sayings of the Saints “Humility, that low, sweet root, from which all heavenly virtues shoot.” ~ St. Thomas More St. Thomas More, pray for us.

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 10th I am considered proud by those who know me, and they are not mistaken, for I show it by my vanity, arrogance, petulance and haughtiness. I only do not know myself as I am, and if I question myself: Am I proud? Oh, no, I answer, offering to myself incense which is more nauseous than all. ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 10th 96. We may compare ourselves to those who, suffering from foulness of breath consequent upon some disease, are rendered objectionable to those who approach them, although they are unaware of it themselves. In the same way when we are corrupted by interior pride we breathe the external signs of it in our words, looks and gestures and in a thousand other ways as occasion may arise, and yet, though our pride is apparent to all who approach us, we ourselves ignore it. (continued)

2 of 2 36.— The Foundations of the Church 1. During the forty days that elapsed between the Resurrection and the Ascension, Our Lord visited the apostles from time to time, and sketched out the foundations of the future Church, or, as St. Luke says (Acts i. 3), spoke to them of the Kingdom of God. How much there must have been for them to learn— the Doctrine of Infallibility, the whole Sacramental system, the Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity and the Incarnation, the position of Our Lady in the Church, of the grace of God, and the mysteries of the future resurrection, etc. How happy to have such a Teacher! He is still ready to teach every faithful soul, and to dispel its darkness respecting the mysteries of the Faith. 2. We also read that He opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures. Before this, they had read the prophecies, the psalms, all that told of the Christ to come; but the words had made no impression. Even to the last, they had not recognized in His life and death the fulfilment of what had been predicted of the Messias. Yet they were good men, docile, believing in Him. How earnestly, then, we should beg for light when we read the Word of God! How strange are the delusions of the Bible-readers outside of the Church, who fancy that they understand what they read! 3. The eleven apostles were to be the foundations of the Church; they are represented as such in the Apocalypse. They were all founded in Christ, and the Church was founded in Him; they were the witnesses to the whole world, of the truth of Christianity. With what confidence we can rest upon the solid foundation which Christ Himself laid before He ascended to heaven! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

THE RESURRECTION and ASCENSION of JESUS CHRIST May 10th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ 36.— The Foundations of the Church Read St. Luke xxiv. 44-46 And he said to them: These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. And he said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, the third day. (continued)

THE RESURRECTION and ASCENSION of JESUS CHRIST May 10th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ 36.— The Foundations of the Church Read St. Luke xxiv. 44-46 And he said to them: These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. And he said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, the third day. (continued)

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 9th How great is our self-love! Do we ever mortify our passions for the love of God as He Himself has commanded? How often do we prefer to follow our own will instead of the will of God, and as His will is contrary to our own we place ourselves in opposition to Him and desire to gain our own will instead of fulfilling His, valuing the satisfaction of our desires more than the obedience we owe to God! Is not this a worse pride than Lucifer’s? for Lucifer only wanted to make himself equal to God, whereas we wish to raise our will above God’s. Thou must humble thyself, O my soul, even below Lucifer, and confess that thou art more proud than he! ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Lucifer before the Lord (Mihály Zichy, 19th century) Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 9th 95. Lucifer sinned once only through pride of thought. Ought we not therefore to consider ourselves worse than Lucifer as our pride has become habitual through the frequent repetition of its acts? We do not consider ourselves proud, because it does not seem to us that we are rash enough in our minds either to believe that we resemble God or to rebel against God; but this is the greatest mistake we can make, because we are full of pride and will not recognize that we are proud. Even if we have not sufficient pride to rebel, to think or to speak against God, we must be fully aware that the pride which prompts our actions is far worse than the pride of thought, and is that pride which is so condemned by St. Paul: “They profess that they know God, but in their works they deny Him.” [Tit. i, 16] (continued)

2 of 2 35.— The Promise to the Apostles 1. When Our Lord sent out His apostles to convert the world, their hearts might well quail at the difficulties of the task. They, poor, ignorant, unlearned men, how would they hope to achieve a work so apparently impossible? So their Master makes them a promise, which is one to fill their hearts with confidence and with sure expectation of success. He promises that He will always be with them; that whatever they undertake in His Name shall have His Omnipotence to supply for all their weakness. "I am with you always." To us, Christ says just the same. In all that you do for Me I am always with you. What confidence this ought to give us! 2. These words meant more than this: they conferred upon the Church that He founded the promise that He would guide it to all truth; that He, through the Holy Spirit, would always be present to it, to preserve it from the least jot or tittle of error. Other religions wander off into every kind of error, and inconsistency, and contradictions; but the Church founded on the apostles has the Divine Teacher always present to it. How happy we should be to live under its roof, and to have it for our guide and teacher ! 3. This promise is made to all the successors of the apostles, to the consummation of the world; popes, and bishops, and priests, each in their own degree, speak with the authority of Christ. "He that hears you, hears Me." How reverently, then, we ought to listen to their words when they teach us truth ! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

2 of 2 35.— The Promise to the Apostles 1. When Our Lord sent out His apostles to convert the world, their hearts might well quail at the difficulties of the task. They, poor, ignorant, unlearned men, how would they hope to achieve a work so apparently impossible? So their Master makes them a promise, which is one to fill their hearts with confidence and with sure expectation of success. He promises that He will always be with them; that whatever they undertake in His Name shall have His Omnipotence to supply for all their weakness. "I am with you always." To us, Christ says just the same. In all that you do for Me I am always with you. What confidence this ought to give us! 2. These words meant more than this: they conferred upon the Church that He founded the promise that He would guide it to all truth; that He, through the Holy Spirit, would always be present to it, to preserve it from the least jot or tittle of error. Other religions wander off into every kind of error, and inconsistency, and contradictions; but the Church founded on the apostles has the Divine Teacher always present to it. How happy we should be to live under its roof, and to have it for our guide and teacher ! 3. This promise is made to all the successors of the apostles, to the consummation of the world; popes, and bishops, and priests, each in their own degree, speak with the authority of Christ. "He that hears you, hears Me." How reverently, then, we ought to listen to their words when they teach us truth ! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)