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Praising God
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Weedy
Jul 25, 2023, 4:23:30 AM7/25/23
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Praising God
"You are praising God when you do your day's work. You are praising
him when you eat and drink. You are praising him when you rest on your
bed. You are praising him when you are asleep.
So when are you not praising him?"
--St. Augustine--Commentary on Psalm 146, 2
Prayer: Human beings are your creatures, Lord, and their instinct is
to praise you.
--St. Augustine--Confessions 1, 1
<<>><<>><<>>
July 25th - St. James the Greater
St. James the Greater, Apostle, was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and
brother of St. John the Evangelist. He was the first Apostle to
receive the crown of martyrdom. Patron Saint of Spain, his name
Santiago became a war cry in the fight against the Muslims.
Anna Catherine Emmerich had a vision of St. James, which she described
in this way:
“From Jerusalem, St. James went to Sicily and then to Spain, stopping
in Cadiz for a while. He was not well received, and was saved from
being murdered by an Angel. He left Spain to seven disciples.
"Later he returned to Saragossa, where a large number of conversions
took place. Even with this good result, the dangers abounded. Often
the enemies would throw vipers on him, and he would calmly hold them
in his hand without suffering any harm. In Granada he and all his
disciples and the neophytes were put into prison. St. James implored
the help of Our Lady, who lived in Jerusalem. By the hands of the
Angels he was saved, and Our Lady commanded him to preach in Galicia.
“Later, I saw St. James in danger because of the persecution against
the faithful in Saragossa. I saw the Apostle praying at night with
some disciples near the walls of the city. He was asking for
enlightenment to know if he should stay in that region or go
elsewhere. He directed his thoughts to Most Holy Mary and asked her to
intercede with her Divine Son, Who could not deny her anything.
“Suddenly, I saw a heavenly splendor come over the Apostle. Angels,
singing harmoniously, carried down a column of light whose base they
set on the place in which a church should be built. The column was
tall and elegantly narrow, ending in the shape of an open lily which
sent sparks of light in many directions. One of them went to
Compostela. In the splendor of the lily I saw the Most Holy Mary,
transparent and white like snow, with a delicacy and beauty greater
than silk. She was standing as she used to pray. Her hands were
joined, and a long veil on her head fell to her feet, which lightly
touched the lily that shone with five rays of light. This vision of
Our Lady was the origin of the devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar.
(Virgen del Pilar)
“While the vision was taking place St. James received a message
interiorly that he should build a church on that site, and that the
devotion to Our Lady would be established there, take root, and
expand. The Holy Virgin told him that once the church was built, he
should return to Jerusalem. Indeed, later, when the work was
completed, the Apostle left it in charge of 12 disciples he had formed
and left.
“In Ephesus, he visited the Holy Virgin. Mary predicted his coming
death, consoling and comforting him greatly. Then he said farewell to
Our Lady and St. John, and left for Jerusalem. In that city he was
taken by the Jews and brought to Mount Calvary. Along the way he
continued to preach, converting and curing many. He was beheaded. Some
time later, his body was brought to Spain.”
Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)
This selection covers so many beautiful and edifying elements that it
does not permit me to make a complete commentary here.
An interesting note is to see in the lives of the Apostles and Saints,
as well as in the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, how God has marked an
hour for everything. The enemies do all they can to kill the Apostle,
but they are unable to do so. However, when the moment arrives that
God has determined St. James should die, then nothing can save him. He
is warned that he will die, and in fact, he becomes a martyr, his life
is offered in a holocaust.
This is exactly what happened with Our Lord. His life might have been
taken many times before he was taken in the Garden of Olives. He
crossed the paths of his enemies many times without a single scratch
and without one of them able to succeed in an aggression against him.
However, when His hour came according to the designs of Divine
Providence, He delivered Himself to death. Any measure to save His
life became futile.
The same thing happened with St. James. He passed through all types of
danger, and every attempt to kill him did not succeed. However, at a
certain moment he received from Our Lady the warning that his life
would end. She comforted him, and then he actually died. The design of
Divine Providence was accomplished.
The apparition to St. James in Spain is also very beautiful. There is
a contrast in the column ending in the shape of a lily spreading light
and fire. The lily is delicate, fresh and white like snow. The fire is
orange or red, hot and burns everything. But here the lily is both
snow-white and spreading fire. It has a flame that does not burn, but
enlightens and imparts spiritual ardor. It would be an interesting
work for a painter to imagine what color to use to express such a
flame coming from this lily.
The lily atop the elegant column is symbolic of the Christendom about
to be born in Catholic Spain. The column was a support for a lily full
of light and fervor--the virginal Heart of Mary--spreading flames in
all directions since Spain would be a foundation for the devotion to
Our Lady. Those flames set afire the sky all the way to Compostela,
where the devotion to the Virgen del Pilar and St. James would
flourish in the Middle Ages....Let us honor Our Lady for the glory she
received from this great servant of hers, the Apostle St. James.
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j222sd_JamesGreater_07_25.html
Saint Quote:
As there is not a moment in which man enjoys not the effects of God's
goodness, so there ought not to be a moment but he should have God
present in his thoughts.
-- St. Ambrose
Bible Quote:
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory in
Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect
you and confirm you and establish you. (1Pe 5:10) DRB
<><><><>
St. James (self-centeredness)
O Gentle Jesus, Saint James was one of Your first apostles, but he
started out as a very impulsive, self-centered man. He dared to ask
You for a place of honor in Your kingdom, and he wanted You to destroy
the villages that had rejected You, but eventually he developed a true
understanding of holiness. I ask him to pray that my humility grows
stronger than my pride, that I submit my will to Your will, and that
when I speak, my words reveal Your gentleness and love. Restrain me
when I want to rush ahead, and give me a broader perspective when I'm
seeing things through a narrow, limited view. Saint James, pray for
me. Amen.
"You are praising God when you do your day's work. You are praising
him when you eat and drink. You are praising him when you rest on your
bed. You are praising him when you are asleep.
So when are you not praising him?"
--St. Augustine--Commentary on Psalm 146, 2
Prayer: Human beings are your creatures, Lord, and their instinct is
to praise you.
--St. Augustine--Confessions 1, 1
<<>><<>><<>>
July 25th - St. James the Greater
St. James the Greater, Apostle, was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and
brother of St. John the Evangelist. He was the first Apostle to
receive the crown of martyrdom. Patron Saint of Spain, his name
Santiago became a war cry in the fight against the Muslims.
Anna Catherine Emmerich had a vision of St. James, which she described
in this way:
“From Jerusalem, St. James went to Sicily and then to Spain, stopping
in Cadiz for a while. He was not well received, and was saved from
being murdered by an Angel. He left Spain to seven disciples.
"Later he returned to Saragossa, where a large number of conversions
took place. Even with this good result, the dangers abounded. Often
the enemies would throw vipers on him, and he would calmly hold them
in his hand without suffering any harm. In Granada he and all his
disciples and the neophytes were put into prison. St. James implored
the help of Our Lady, who lived in Jerusalem. By the hands of the
Angels he was saved, and Our Lady commanded him to preach in Galicia.
“Later, I saw St. James in danger because of the persecution against
the faithful in Saragossa. I saw the Apostle praying at night with
some disciples near the walls of the city. He was asking for
enlightenment to know if he should stay in that region or go
elsewhere. He directed his thoughts to Most Holy Mary and asked her to
intercede with her Divine Son, Who could not deny her anything.
“Suddenly, I saw a heavenly splendor come over the Apostle. Angels,
singing harmoniously, carried down a column of light whose base they
set on the place in which a church should be built. The column was
tall and elegantly narrow, ending in the shape of an open lily which
sent sparks of light in many directions. One of them went to
Compostela. In the splendor of the lily I saw the Most Holy Mary,
transparent and white like snow, with a delicacy and beauty greater
than silk. She was standing as she used to pray. Her hands were
joined, and a long veil on her head fell to her feet, which lightly
touched the lily that shone with five rays of light. This vision of
Our Lady was the origin of the devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar.
(Virgen del Pilar)
“While the vision was taking place St. James received a message
interiorly that he should build a church on that site, and that the
devotion to Our Lady would be established there, take root, and
expand. The Holy Virgin told him that once the church was built, he
should return to Jerusalem. Indeed, later, when the work was
completed, the Apostle left it in charge of 12 disciples he had formed
and left.
“In Ephesus, he visited the Holy Virgin. Mary predicted his coming
death, consoling and comforting him greatly. Then he said farewell to
Our Lady and St. John, and left for Jerusalem. In that city he was
taken by the Jews and brought to Mount Calvary. Along the way he
continued to preach, converting and curing many. He was beheaded. Some
time later, his body was brought to Spain.”
Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)
This selection covers so many beautiful and edifying elements that it
does not permit me to make a complete commentary here.
An interesting note is to see in the lives of the Apostles and Saints,
as well as in the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, how God has marked an
hour for everything. The enemies do all they can to kill the Apostle,
but they are unable to do so. However, when the moment arrives that
God has determined St. James should die, then nothing can save him. He
is warned that he will die, and in fact, he becomes a martyr, his life
is offered in a holocaust.
This is exactly what happened with Our Lord. His life might have been
taken many times before he was taken in the Garden of Olives. He
crossed the paths of his enemies many times without a single scratch
and without one of them able to succeed in an aggression against him.
However, when His hour came according to the designs of Divine
Providence, He delivered Himself to death. Any measure to save His
life became futile.
The same thing happened with St. James. He passed through all types of
danger, and every attempt to kill him did not succeed. However, at a
certain moment he received from Our Lady the warning that his life
would end. She comforted him, and then he actually died. The design of
Divine Providence was accomplished.
The apparition to St. James in Spain is also very beautiful. There is
a contrast in the column ending in the shape of a lily spreading light
and fire. The lily is delicate, fresh and white like snow. The fire is
orange or red, hot and burns everything. But here the lily is both
snow-white and spreading fire. It has a flame that does not burn, but
enlightens and imparts spiritual ardor. It would be an interesting
work for a painter to imagine what color to use to express such a
flame coming from this lily.
The lily atop the elegant column is symbolic of the Christendom about
to be born in Catholic Spain. The column was a support for a lily full
of light and fervor--the virginal Heart of Mary--spreading flames in
all directions since Spain would be a foundation for the devotion to
Our Lady. Those flames set afire the sky all the way to Compostela,
where the devotion to the Virgen del Pilar and St. James would
flourish in the Middle Ages....Let us honor Our Lady for the glory she
received from this great servant of hers, the Apostle St. James.
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j222sd_JamesGreater_07_25.html
Saint Quote:
As there is not a moment in which man enjoys not the effects of God's
goodness, so there ought not to be a moment but he should have God
present in his thoughts.
-- St. Ambrose
Bible Quote:
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory in
Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect
you and confirm you and establish you. (1Pe 5:10) DRB
<><><><>
St. James (self-centeredness)
O Gentle Jesus, Saint James was one of Your first apostles, but he
started out as a very impulsive, self-centered man. He dared to ask
You for a place of honor in Your kingdom, and he wanted You to destroy
the villages that had rejected You, but eventually he developed a true
understanding of holiness. I ask him to pray that my humility grows
stronger than my pride, that I submit my will to Your will, and that
when I speak, my words reveal Your gentleness and love. Restrain me
when I want to rush ahead, and give me a broader perspective when I'm
seeing things through a narrow, limited view. Saint James, pray for
me. Amen.
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