Virgo Potens

Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus ~ July 31st 145. The holy pope St. Gregory discerns pride in all kinds of people and describes its characteristics. Some, he says, are proud of their possessions, others of their eloquence, some are proud of mundane things and some of things of the Church and the gifts of God, although blinded by vanity we are unable to discern it; and whether we exalt ourselves above others on account of worldly glory, or of spiritual gifts, pride has never left our heart because it is domiciled there, and, to disguise itself: assumes a false appearance. ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

St. Jean-Marie Vianney , pray for us. NOVENA to ST. JEAN-MARIE BAPTISTE VIANNEY, the Curè of Ars (July 31st ~ August 8th) Traditional Feast Day ~ August 9th Begins today, July 31st, at Christus Regnat ~ https://t.me/RexUniversi

Sang précieux de notre Rédempteur, c’est par vous que nos àmes seront sauvées. Precious Blood of Our Saviour, it is through thee that our souls will be saved.

MARY’S SHEEP Living waters Mary’s sheep shall only slake her thirst at the Saviour’s living fountains. Month of the Precious Blood ~ July 31st The Mystery of the Precious Blood Sinner, saint, and common Christian, all in their own ways, require the Precious Blood each moment of their lives; and as the manna in the mouths of the Israelites had the savour which each man wished it to have, so is it with the sweetness, the variety, and the fitness of the graces of the Precious Blood. ~ Frederick William Faber, D.D., The Precious Blood: or, The Price of Our Salvation (1860)

Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus ~ July 30th [144. continued] Practically we notice that all men desire to be distinguished in their own particular art, however inferior it may be, and all seek first to be esteemed as much as others, and then to be distinguished more than others –— ”I will ascend,” each one in his own sphere and also outside his own sphere. The rich man regards himself as greater than the learned man on account of his riches; the learned man as greater than the rich man on account of his learning; the chaste man esteems himself better than the one who gives alms, and the one who gives alms esteems himself more highly than the man who is chaste. Oh, what pride!–—and yet few people are willing to recognize that they are proud. ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Precious Blood ~ July 30th The Mystery of the Precious Blood It is by the Blood of Jesus that the soul becomes ever more and more radiant. It is the secret source of all mystical transformations of the soul into the likeness of its Crucified Spouse. It is the wine which "inebriates" the virgins of God. Out of it come raptures, and extasies; and by it the strength of faith grows even to the gift of miracles. It fills the mind with heavenly visions, and peoples the air with divine voices. All the new nature of the man, who is "renewed in Christ Jesus," comes from this Blood, whether it be his love of suffering, his delight in shame, his grace of prayer, his unworldly tastes, his strange humility, his shy concealment, his zeal for souls, his venturous audacity, or his obstinate perseverance. ~ Frederick William Faber, D.D., The Precious Blood: or, The Price of Our Salvation (1860)

Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus ~ July 29th [144. continued] And, moreover, we ought also to observe what the same holy pontiff tells us, that we often fall into this the worst kind of pride: “Into this fourth kind of pride the human mind falls very frequently”; and there is no doubt that it is really a grievous sin, for we thereby offend both God and our neighbour. And how many men and women there are, both religious and secular, of every state and condition, who commit this sin of pride so frequently that it becomes a predominant habit with them. (continued) ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Precious Blood ~ July 29th The Mystery of the Precious Blood To its fountains, God calls the sinner, that he may be lightened of his burdens. There is no remission for him in anything else. Only there is his lost sonship to be found. But the saints are no less called by God to these invigorating streams. It is out of the Precious Blood that men draw martyrdoms, vocations, celibacies, austerities, heroic charities, and all the magnificent graces of high sanctity. The secret nourishment of prayer is from these fountains. They purge the eye for sublime contemplations. They kindle the inward fire of self-sacrificing love. They bear a man safely, and even impetuously, over the seeming impossibilities of perseverance. ~ Frederick William Faber, D.D., The Precious Blood: or, The Price of Our Salvation (1860)

Ihesus noster Pelicanes Jesus Our Pelican Precious Blood, ocean of divine mercy: Flow upon us. Precious Blood, most pure offering: Procure us every Grace! Precious Blood, hope and refuge of sinners: Atone for us! Precious Blood, delight of holy souls: Draw us! Amen. ~ St. Catherine of Siena

Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus ~ July 28th [144. continued] St. Gregory in fact makes this reflection that there is no pride which resembles the diabolical pride so much as this: This comes very near to a diabolical likeness.” [Lib. 23. Mor. cap. iv] Whoever wishes to exalt himself above others imitates Lucifer who desired to be first among the Angels and nearest to the throne of God. This was the sin of Lucifer when he dwelt upon his desire to be exalted: “And thou saidest in thy heart, I will ascend.” [Isai. xiv, 13] And those who are always scheming for their own advancement, and are discontented with their own state sin even as Lucifer sinned: “I will ascend”; and we ought to guard against this diabolical sin, as St. Paul says: “Lest being puffed up with pride we fall into the judgment of the devil.” [1 Tim. iii, 6] (continued) ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

O Jésus, que votre sang précieux sanctifie les justes et rende la vie aux pêcheurs! O Jesus, may Thy precious blood sanctify the righteous and give life to sinners! Month of the Precious Blood ~ July 28th The Mystery of the Precious Blood Nevertheless the Precious Blood belongs in an especial manner to men. Much more, therefore, does God invite them to come to its heavenly baths, and receive therein, not only the cleansing of their souls, but the power of a new and amazing life. Every doctrine in theology is a call to the Precious Blood. Every ceremony of the Church tells of it. Every sermon that is preached is an exhortation to the use of it. Every Sacrament is a communication of it. Every supernatural act is a growth of it. Everything that is holy on the earth is either leaf, bud, blossom, or fruit of the Blood of Jesus. ~ Frederick William Faber, D.D., The Precious Blood: or, The Price of Our Salvation (1860)

Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus ~ July 27th [144. continued] It is with this pride that the Pharisee in the Temple regarded his own goodness, and placed himself above others, especially the publican. “I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican.” [Luke xviii, 11] He esteemed himself above all, and was in reality the proudest of all. It was with this pride, too, that the disciples sinned when they glorified in their singular gift of being able to cast out devils: “And they returned with joy, saying: ‘Lord, the devils also are subject to us,’ ” [Luke x, 17] and our blessed Lord answered them most justly: “I saw Satan like lightning falling from Heaven,” as if He almost meant to say “Take care that you do not exalt yourself like the proud Lucifer, lest you fall as he did.” (continued) ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

2 of 2 Month of the Precious Blood ~ July 27th Yet there was not a single grace in any angel which was not merited for him by the Blood of Jesus, and which had not also its type and counterpart in that Precious Blood. The Precious Blood, man’s blood, was as the dew of the whole kingdom of the angels. It would have redeemed them, had they needed to be redeemed, or were allowed to be redeemed. But as it was not so, it merited for them, and was the source of, all their grace. Well may the angels claim to sing the song of the Lamb, to whose outpoured Human Life they also owed so much, though not because it was outpoured. ~ Frederick William Faber, D.D., The Precious Blood: or, The Price of Our Salvation (1860)

La source des graces. The source of graces. Month of the Precious Blood ~ July 27th The Mystery of the Precious Blood He showed them in that Blood the source of all their graces. Each Angel perhaps had thousands of beautiful graces. To many of them we on earth could give no name, if we beheld them. But they were all wonderful, all instinct with supernatural holiness and spiritual magnificence. (continued)

Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus ~ July 26th 144. The fourth way in which we sin through pride is when we use any gift we may possess in order to appear distinguished or to think ourselves better than others, and to be more esteemed and honoured than they. Whatever good we have, whether of body or soul, of nature, fortune or grace, is a gift of God, and to use these gifts in order to try and be more conspicuous than others is pride. (continued) ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Precious Blood ~ July 26th The Mystery of the Precious Blood He showed them His beloved Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, in His Sacred Humanity, united to a lower nature than their own, and in that lower nature crowned their King and Head, to be worshipped by them with absolute and unconditional adoration. The Son of a human mother was to be their Head, and that daughter of Eve to be herself their queen. ~ Frederick William Faber, D.D., The Precious Blood: or, The Price of Our Salvation (1860)

2 of 2 Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus ~ July 25th Therefore it is worse to affect to be holy than to affect to be noble or rich, because sanctity is a greater gift than rank or wealth. And the habit of excusing the sins we have committed also belongs to this kind of pride, because when we excuse ourselves and say that we are not guilty, we assert our innocence and accredit ourselves with an innocence which we do not possess. And how often do we sin thus through pride without even knowing it! And St. Thomas also attributes to pride the endeavour to conceal our sins and so excuse and palliate the wickedness thereof in our confessions. [Ibid. art. 4] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus ~ July 25th [143. continued] Sometimes it may be that the sin is not so grave, either because this is not a deliberate wish, or else because the nature of the offense is very slight; but on the other hand it is in itself always a very grave sin, because through this pride man no longer remains subject to that rule which has been given him by God–—to be contented in his own state. St. Thomas says: “This is evidently of the nature of mortal sin,” [2a 2æ, qu. clxii, art. 5 et 6] and his doctrine on this point is that the greater the gift may be in which we glory, although we do not possess it, the greater is our pride. (continued)

Month of the Precious Blood ~ July 25th The Mystery of the Precious Blood The angels wonder more than men, because they better understand it. Their superior intelligence ministers more abundant matter to their love. From the very first He invited the angels to adore it. He made their adoration a double exercise of humility, of humility towards Himself, and of humility towards us their inferior fellow-creatures. It was the test to which He put their loyalty. ~ Frederick William Faber, D.D., The Precious Blood: or, The Price of Our Salvation (1860)