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The Grace of God
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weedy
Nov 9, 2012, 2:12:32 PM11/9/12
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The Grace of God
No one of us does anything good unless aided by Christ's grace. What we do badly comes from ourselves; what we do well, we do with the help of God. Therefore, let us give thanks to God who made it possible. And when we do well, let us not insult anyone who does not act in the same way. Let us not extol ourselves above such a person.
--St. Augustine-- Commentary on Psalm 93, 15
Prayer.
You, O Lord, who always are, both before we were and before the world was, have become a refuge for us, within which we turn to you.
--St. Augustine-- Commentary on Psalm 89, 3
<<>><<>><<>>
November 9th - Our Lady of Almudena
The devotion to Our Lady of Almudena, patroness of Madrid, began in the 11th
century. Tradition tells us that when Dom Alfonso VI conquered Madrid in 1083,
he immediately ordered the purification of the Church of Santa Maria, which had
been profaned by the Moors.
Since the statue of Our Lady, which the Apostle St. James had placed in that
building in the early days of the Church, had disappeared, the King, together
with the religious authorities, made a procession praying to Our Lord to help
them find the statue. The pious cortege processed around the walls of the city,
singing and praying.
At a certain moment, part of the wall fell and they found the statue of Our Lady
that had been hidden there for over 300 years. On either side of the statue were
two candles - still lighted and burning - that Catholics had placed there in
homage of the Virgin before closing the niche where they had hidden her statue.
Almudena means market or granary, and this name was given to the statue because
the place where it was hidden was near the Moorish granary.
Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)
This incident from History is most beautiful. In its beauty are two remarkable
points.
First, it is beautiful to see how Our Lady rewarded the faith of those warriors,
those Crusaders, who did not find the statue but immediately made a procession -
convinced that they would recover it because they were certain of the value of
their prayers. Then, they found it and named it, giving it the title Nuestra
Señora de Almudena because it had been hidden next to the granary of the Moors,
in this way repairing the profanation the Muslims had made.
Second, it is beautiful to note how Our Lady also rewarded the faith of those
who had hidden her statue. They were Visigoth Catholics around the years 712-714
who saw that the Moors would conquer the city and were unable to carry the
statue away with them. So they closed up the statue in that niche inside the
walls of the city so that it would not be profaned by the Mohammedans.
It is interesting to observe that they lit two candles in homage of Our Lady
before they closed up the niche. One can easily see that they confided that the
statue of Our Lady would one day again be venerated. They made the small niche
like a small chapel and lighted the candles. To justify their confidence, a
miracle was worked. For more than 300 years those lamps burned continuously
inside the city wall. When the wall fell, they were still there burning. In my
opinion, it is a miracle as magnificent as the multiplication of loaves and
fishes reported in the Gospel. It is a truly marvelous thing!
This is to signify that even when the causes of Our Lady appear smashed and
defeated, there is always something irreversibly victorious in them. Those
burning lamps are the lamps of the confidence of the faithful Catholics. Where
confidence exists, there is the possibility of a resurrection, a restoration, a
victory. Even in the most hostile situations, Our Lady works miracles. For the
one who confides, nothing is impossible.
This is very important to our spiritual life. Nothing is impossible if we
confide against all hope. Even when the greatest reasons for discouragement
surround us, we must confide. Our Lady will reward us. The confidence that never
weakens, that always maintains its flame alive, is never forgotten by Our Lady.
When the hour comes, she will reward that confidence with extraordinary graces.
The Scripture affirms: Residuum revertetur (the remnant will return). It is a
promise to those who have been defeated and smashed by the enemies of the cause
of God. The continuity of those who are faithful to God will be maintained. This
should serve to stimulate in our souls the confidence to continue to burn, like
the two lamps of Our Lady, It will come, as Our Lady predicted in
Fatima.
See Images at:
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j201sd_OLMediatrix_11-8.html
Saint Quote:
But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise up us also, if we do His will,
and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all
unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, falsewitness; 'not
rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, or blow for blow, or cursing
for cursing, but being mindful of what the Lord said in His teaching: Judge not,
that ye be not judged; forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you; be merciful,
that ye may obtain mercy; with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you
again; and once more, Blessed are the poor, and those that are persecuted for
righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God
--St Polycarp (A.D. 135),
Bible Quote
And all these being approved by the testimony of faith, received not the
promise; 40 God providing some better thing for us, that they should not be
perfected without us. (Hebrews 11:39-40)
<><><><>
Prayer of St. Basil the Great before Holy Communion
O Lord, I know that I am unworthy to receive Thy Holy Body and
Precious Blood; I know that I am guilty, and that I eat and drink
condemnation to myself, not discerning the Body and Blood of Christ my
God. But trusting in Thy loving-kindness I come unto Thee who hast said:
He that eateth my Body and drinketh my Blood shall dwell in me and I in
him. Therefore, O Lord, have compassion on me and make not an example of
me, Thy sinful servant. But do unto me according thy great mercy, and
grant that these Holy Gifts may be for me unto the healing, purification,
enlightenment, protection, salvation and sanctification of my soul and
body, and to the expulsion of every evil imagination, sinful deed or work
of the Devil. May they move me to reliance on Thee and to love Thee
always, to amend and keep firm my life; and be ever in me to the increase
of virtue, to the keeping of the Holy Ghost, and as a good defence before
Thy dread Judgement Seat, and for Life Eternal. Amen.
No one of us does anything good unless aided by Christ's grace. What we do badly comes from ourselves; what we do well, we do with the help of God. Therefore, let us give thanks to God who made it possible. And when we do well, let us not insult anyone who does not act in the same way. Let us not extol ourselves above such a person.
--St. Augustine-- Commentary on Psalm 93, 15
Prayer.
You, O Lord, who always are, both before we were and before the world was, have become a refuge for us, within which we turn to you.
--St. Augustine-- Commentary on Psalm 89, 3
<<>><<>><<>>
November 9th - Our Lady of Almudena
The devotion to Our Lady of Almudena, patroness of Madrid, began in the 11th
century. Tradition tells us that when Dom Alfonso VI conquered Madrid in 1083,
he immediately ordered the purification of the Church of Santa Maria, which had
been profaned by the Moors.
Since the statue of Our Lady, which the Apostle St. James had placed in that
building in the early days of the Church, had disappeared, the King, together
with the religious authorities, made a procession praying to Our Lord to help
them find the statue. The pious cortege processed around the walls of the city,
singing and praying.
At a certain moment, part of the wall fell and they found the statue of Our Lady
that had been hidden there for over 300 years. On either side of the statue were
two candles - still lighted and burning - that Catholics had placed there in
homage of the Virgin before closing the niche where they had hidden her statue.
Almudena means market or granary, and this name was given to the statue because
the place where it was hidden was near the Moorish granary.
Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)
This incident from History is most beautiful. In its beauty are two remarkable
points.
First, it is beautiful to see how Our Lady rewarded the faith of those warriors,
those Crusaders, who did not find the statue but immediately made a procession -
convinced that they would recover it because they were certain of the value of
their prayers. Then, they found it and named it, giving it the title Nuestra
Señora de Almudena because it had been hidden next to the granary of the Moors,
in this way repairing the profanation the Muslims had made.
Second, it is beautiful to note how Our Lady also rewarded the faith of those
who had hidden her statue. They were Visigoth Catholics around the years 712-714
who saw that the Moors would conquer the city and were unable to carry the
statue away with them. So they closed up the statue in that niche inside the
walls of the city so that it would not be profaned by the Mohammedans.
It is interesting to observe that they lit two candles in homage of Our Lady
before they closed up the niche. One can easily see that they confided that the
statue of Our Lady would one day again be venerated. They made the small niche
like a small chapel and lighted the candles. To justify their confidence, a
miracle was worked. For more than 300 years those lamps burned continuously
inside the city wall. When the wall fell, they were still there burning. In my
opinion, it is a miracle as magnificent as the multiplication of loaves and
fishes reported in the Gospel. It is a truly marvelous thing!
This is to signify that even when the causes of Our Lady appear smashed and
defeated, there is always something irreversibly victorious in them. Those
burning lamps are the lamps of the confidence of the faithful Catholics. Where
confidence exists, there is the possibility of a resurrection, a restoration, a
victory. Even in the most hostile situations, Our Lady works miracles. For the
one who confides, nothing is impossible.
This is very important to our spiritual life. Nothing is impossible if we
confide against all hope. Even when the greatest reasons for discouragement
surround us, we must confide. Our Lady will reward us. The confidence that never
weakens, that always maintains its flame alive, is never forgotten by Our Lady.
When the hour comes, she will reward that confidence with extraordinary graces.
The Scripture affirms: Residuum revertetur (the remnant will return). It is a
promise to those who have been defeated and smashed by the enemies of the cause
of God. The continuity of those who are faithful to God will be maintained. This
should serve to stimulate in our souls the confidence to continue to burn, like
the two lamps of Our Lady, It will come, as Our Lady predicted in
Fatima.
See Images at:
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j201sd_OLMediatrix_11-8.html
Saint Quote:
But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise up us also, if we do His will,
and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all
unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, falsewitness; 'not
rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, or blow for blow, or cursing
for cursing, but being mindful of what the Lord said in His teaching: Judge not,
that ye be not judged; forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you; be merciful,
that ye may obtain mercy; with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you
again; and once more, Blessed are the poor, and those that are persecuted for
righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God
--St Polycarp (A.D. 135),
Bible Quote
And all these being approved by the testimony of faith, received not the
promise; 40 God providing some better thing for us, that they should not be
perfected without us. (Hebrews 11:39-40)
<><><><>
Prayer of St. Basil the Great before Holy Communion
O Lord, I know that I am unworthy to receive Thy Holy Body and
Precious Blood; I know that I am guilty, and that I eat and drink
condemnation to myself, not discerning the Body and Blood of Christ my
God. But trusting in Thy loving-kindness I come unto Thee who hast said:
He that eateth my Body and drinketh my Blood shall dwell in me and I in
him. Therefore, O Lord, have compassion on me and make not an example of
me, Thy sinful servant. But do unto me according thy great mercy, and
grant that these Holy Gifts may be for me unto the healing, purification,
enlightenment, protection, salvation and sanctification of my soul and
body, and to the expulsion of every evil imagination, sinful deed or work
of the Devil. May they move me to reliance on Thee and to love Thee
always, to amend and keep firm my life; and be ever in me to the increase
of virtue, to the keeping of the Holy Ghost, and as a good defence before
Thy dread Judgement Seat, and for Life Eternal. Amen.
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