Virgo Potens

✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯ 2026 June ~ Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 31st This fault was discovered by St. Bernard: “The more subtly vain confession is, the more dangerously hurtful it is, as when, for instance, we are not ashamed to reveal our shameful deeds, not because we are humble but that we may seem to be so. What more perverse or shameful than that confession, the guardian of humility, should take service under the banner of pride?” [Serm. vi in Cant.] This kind of humility is not always desirable even outside the confessional, because it can easily lead us to create scandal by speaking of certain sins which should not even be named. If you have this strange fault, there is no reason why you should pride yourself on it, but you should rather be ashamed of it; for, as the holy abbot says: “What species of pride can this be, that thou wouldst fain be better by what thou appearest to be worse? That thou canst not be thought holy without seeming to be wicked?” ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Self-love is cunning, it pushes and insinuates itself into everything, while making us believe it is not there at all. ~ St. Francis de Sales Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 31st 108. There are some people who, under the pretext of making acts of humility, desire from time to time to accuse themselves in their confession of some grave and shameful sin of their past life. If peradventure you are among these, beware lest this arise more from a desire to appear humble than to be humble in reality. Self-love is cunning, and knows how to work secretly. (continued)

2 of 2 ~ 18.— Trinity Sunday 2. Yet this mystery is not contrary to human reason. There is nothing in it that reason revolts against, no contradiction, nothing that we can call impossible. On the contrary, the denial of it, not the assertion of it, ultimately leads to a contradiction. Thank God that you profess a faith which presupposes the full exercise of human reason, and is perfectly consistent with reason, instead of being a member of one of those various sects and false religions which ultimately lead those who profess them into an absurdity. 3. Although the mystery of the Blessed Trinity is beyond the grasp of created intellect, yet those to whom God has vouchsafed in large measure the gift of understanding see something of its truth, and glory, and harmony, and necessity in the supernatural order. To the saints it has a simplicity which is the effect of the divine light that illumines their souls. They penetrate farther than ordinary men into this deepest of all mysteries, and this because of their exalted sanctity. If the truths of Revelation are difficult to us, may it not be, in part at least, due to our own faults? ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS May 31st, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 18.— Trinity Sunday The Mystery of the Blessed Trinity 1. On the octave of Pentecost we celebrate the most mysterious and the most unsearchable of all the mysteries of faith. How God can be Triune, three Persons in one God, altogether exceeds human comprehension. Even under the light of faith we have to bow our heads, and confess the inability of the reason to grasp the divine mystery. Make an act of faith in this mystery, and pray for a humble, child-like, submissive faith. (continued)

PROPER OF THE SEASON V. Time after Pentecost During the “Time of Pentecost” Mother Church urges her children to be more docile to the promptings of the Holy Ghost Who desires to live in us and animate us with divine love, so that we shall grow in virtue and become ever more like the Holy One of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ St. Joseph Daily Missal, 1950 ✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 30th How often do you not try to appear innocent in the very act of accusing yourself of guilt–—now by excusing your sins, now by covering or diminishing their malice, now by putting the blame on others instead of taking it yourself? This is a real lack of humility, and of that humility which is not of counsel but of precept. You should say with David: “I said I will confess against myself my iniquity unto the Lord.” [Ps. xxxi, 5] The shame which prevents you from confessing your sin clearly and plainly, comes from pride alone. ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 30th 107. And how do you practice humility in your sacramental confession? It is in your confession that you should humble yourself like a guilty malefactor in the presence of your Judge. “Humble thy soul to the ancient.” [Ecclus iv, 7] This advice comes from the Holy Ghost. (continued)

A DAILY CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY GHOST MOST HOLY GHOST, receive the consecration that I make of my entire being. From this moment on, come into every area of my life and into each of my actions. Thou art my Light, my Guide, my Strength, and the sole desire of my heart. I abandon myself without reserve to Thy Divine action, and I desire to be ever docile to Thine inspirations. O Holy Ghost, transform me, with and through Mary, into another Christ Jesus, for the glory of the Father and the salvation of the world. Amen. (By the Servant of God, Fr. Felix de Jesus Rougier; M.Sp.S.) ~ The Holy Ghost Our Greatest Friend (1952)

2 of 2 ~ 17.— Saturday after Pentecost 2. They who before were timid, irresolute, almost cowardly, now became as bold and as brave as lions. They challenged the Jewish authorities with a freedom of speech that the chief priests were unable to explain, until they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. They faced the wrath of the Sanhedrin undismayed. "If it be just in the sight of God to hear you rather than God, judge ye." Have I the same boldness in advocating the cause of God and His Church, and the same superiority to human respect? 3. They who before had shrunk from suffering now courted suffering, and faced death with joy, by reason of the spirit of love, which engendered in them an invincible fortitude, and made them regard it as a privilege to suffer for Christ's sake. How little have I of this spirit! How unwilling am I to suffer! How prone to avoid all that is opposed to my natural inclinations! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS May 30th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 17.— Saturday after Pentecost The Effects of Pentecost : the Change in the Apostles themselves Hitherto wehave been dealing with the results of Pentecost on the apostles in their official character as messengers of Christ, commissioned to preach the Gospel in all the world. We must now see the change worked in their own souls. 1. They who before had been narrow, selfish, and ready to condemn others now became full of an overflowing charity to all the world. Into their hearts the spirit of love had descended. Their motto henceforth was: Caritas Christi urget nos— the charity of Christ is the one motive of all we think, and do, and say. What shall separate us from the love of Christ? (continued)

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•❃°•°❀°•°❃• REMEMBER . . . It’s Ember Saturday! Summer Ember Days ~ the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost Special days of Prayer, Penance, and Fasting •❃°•°❀°•°❃•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 29th It is for this reason that you so often fall over and over again into the same faults, because you are lacking in humility. The truly humble man is altogether diffident about himself, and putting all his trust in God, is helped in the most admirable way by Him. “Humble thyself to God and wait for His hands.” [Ecclus xiii, 9] How many times do you not say: “I have taken this firm resolution, and I mean to keep it, I am not afraid of breaking it,” trusting iniquitously in yourself, without acknowledging the Divine help in any way? Take care that you may not be counted among those reprobates ”who were destroyed trusting to their own strength.” [Ecclus xvi, 8] If you even presume only a little upon yourself, that little can be the cause of great ruin, according to the prediction of Job: “They are lifted up for a little while, and shall not stand, and shall be brought down.” [Job xxiv, 24] ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

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).

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 29th 106. The same can be said of your resolutions, which are equally necessary to render the confession valid. These resolutions must be constant and efficacious, but cannot be so without the special help of God. Do you ever think of humbling yourself and asking for that help, knowing and confessing your instability and weakness, and that you are not capable of yourself to keep the smallest resolution, either from morning till night or even from one hour to another? (continued)

2 of 2 ~ 16.— Friday after Pentecost 2. Power to convince. It was impossible to resist the force of the apostles’ arguments. They spoke of the things they had seen and heard. Man is born for truth, and God gives him the power of instinctively recognizing truth. Truth has always a strong attraction for men of good will. If I am such, I shall accept with a joyful spirit of loyalty every truth that the Church teaches. 3. Force to persuade. It would not have been enough if the apostles had power to convince the intellect. The heart must be reached, the will moved to action. This was the effect of St. Peter's first sermon. They that heard it had compunction in their heart, and said to the apostles, What shall we do? Am I moved by sermons, good books, etc., to do more for Christ? And do I carry out what God suggests to me? ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS May 29th, 2026 ✧❁❁✧✿✿✧❁❁✧ ~ 16.— Friday after Pentecost The Effects of Pentecost : the Commission to Teach The result on the apostles themselves of the descent of the Holy Spirit was that they at once began to proclaim to others the doctrines of Jesus Christ. They could not keep silence. The Holy Ghost dwelling within them spoke through their mouth. Hence they had— 1. Authority in speaking. On all who listened to them there came a strange awe. It was not poor, ignorant men whose words were listened to, but a divine power speaking through them, carrying with it the grace of the Holy Spirit. This is why Catholic priests have an influence no ordinary man possesses. They have authority to teach from God. With what reverence, then, should we listen to them, for their sacred office's sake! (continued)

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•❃°•°❀°•°❃• REMEMBER . . . It’s Ember Friday! Summer Ember Days ~ the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after Pentecost Special days of Prayer, Penance and Fasting •❃°•°❀°•°❃•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

2 of 2 Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 28th As this sorrow must be supernatural, it is certain that you could never attain to it of yourself, however much you were to try and force yourself to feel it. God alone can give it to you, and it is equally certain that this is not a debt which He owes you, but a great grace which it pleases Him to confer upon you out of His goodness alone and without any merit on your part. If, however, you desire to receive this grace, you must ask it with humility, protesting from your heart that you do not deserve it, that you are unworthy to receive it, and that you only hope for it through the merits of Jesus Christ. But do you practice this humility, which is, one may say, of precept for you, because it is an essential means of obtaining contrition? ~ Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (1660-1753), Humility of Heart. Tr. Herbert Cardinal Vaughan (1903).

Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~ May 28th 105. But the more essential the grace we are asking of God is for us, the more necessary is humility. Before going however to the tribunal of penance do you humble yourself, and ask God to give you that sorrow for your sins which is necessary for the validity of the Sacrament? (continued)