my chaste spouse the blessed virgin mary

8/14/2019 My Chaste Spouse the Blessed Virgin Mary

1/35

My Chaste Spouse: The Blessed Virgin MaryBy: Phil Friedl

Behold my beloved speaketh to me:Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come.I

1


2/35

Profession of Faith

And I say to you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man alsoconfess before the angels of God. But he that shall deny me before men, shall be deniedbefore the angels of God. II

Profession of The Tridentine Faith From The Bulls of Pope Pius IV

I. I, Phil Friedl, with a firm faith believe and profess all and everyone of the things containedin that creed which the holy Roman Church makes use of: I believe in one God, the FatherAlmighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; and in one LordJesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and born of the Father before all ages; God of God,Light of Light, true God of true God; begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father byWhom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heavenand was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; crucified also forus under Pontius Pilate, He suffered and was buried; and He arose again on the third day,according to the Scriptures; and He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of the

Father; and again He will come with glory to judge the living and the dead; of Whose kingdomthere shall be no end; and in the Holy Ghost the Lord and Giver of life, Who proceedeth fromthe Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son together is adored and glorified;Who spoke by the prophets; and one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess onebaptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of theworld to come. Amen.

II. I most steadfastly admit and embrace Apostolic and ecclesiastical traditions, and all otherobservances and constitutions of the same Church.

III. I also admit the Holy Scriptures, according to that sense which our holy mother Church

has held and does hold, to whom it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of theScriptures; neither will I ever take and interpret them otherwise than according to theunanimous consent of the Fathers.

IV. I also profess that there are truly and properly seven sacraments of the New Law,instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, and necessary for the salvation of mankind, though not allfor every one, to wit: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, HolyOrders and Matrimony; and that they confer grace; and that these Baptism, Confirmation,and Holy Orders cannot be reiterated without sacrilege. I also receive and admit the receivedand approved ceremonies of the Catholic Church, used in the solemn administration of theaforesaid sacraments.

V. I embrace and receive all and everyone of the things which have been defined and declaredin the holy Council of Trent concerning original sin and justification.VI. I profess, likewise, that in the Mass there is offered to God a true, a proper andpropitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead; and that in the most holy Sacrament of theEucharist there is truly, really and substantially the body and blood, together with the souland divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ; and that there is made a change of the whole essence ofthe bread into the body, and of the whole essence of the wine into the blood; which change the

2


3/35

Church calls transubstantiation.

VII. I also confess that under either kind alone Christ is received whole and entire, and a truesacrament.

VIII. I firmly hold that there is a purgatory, and that the souls therein detained are helped bythe suffrages of the faithful. Likewise, that the saints reigning with Christ are to be honoredand invoked, and that they offer up prayers to God for us, and that their relics are to be had inveneration.

IX. I most firmly assert that the images of Christ, and of the perpetual Virgin, the Mother ofGod, and also of other saints, ought to be had and retained, and that due honor andveneration are to be given them. I also affirm that the power of indulgences was left by Christin the Church and that the use of them is most wholesome to Christian people.

X. I acknowledge the holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church for the mother and mistress of allchurches; and I promise and swear true obedience to the Bishop of Rome, successor to St.Peter, Prince of the Apostles and Vicar of Jesus Christ.

XI. I likewise undoubtingly receive and profess all other things delivered, defined anddeclared by the Sacred Canons and General Councils, and particularly by the Holy Council ofTrent; and I condemn, reject and anathematize all things contrary thereto, and allheresies which the Church has condemned rejected and anathematized.

XII. I do, by this present, freely profess and truly hold this true Catholic faith,without which no one can be saved; and I promise most constantly to retain and confessthe same entire and inviolate with God's assistance to the end of my life. And I will take care,as far as in me lies, that it shall be held, taught and preached by my subjects, or by those thecare of whole shall appertain to me in my office. This I, Phil Friedl, promise, vow and swear-

so help me God, and these holy Gospels of God.

Table of Contents

To Whom My Souls Languishes With LoveProfession of FaithIntroductionSacrament of Marriage, Lowest Choir: Angels

Under his wings thou shalt trust.For he hath given his angels charge over thee.See that you despise not one of these little ones.

Sacrament of Holy Orders, Highest Choir: SeraphimSaraphSinging HymnsSetting the world on fire with Divine Love

My Chaste SpouseHow do I choose a suitable spouse?

Spouses of the Reprobate

3


4/35

Spouses of the Elect

To Whom My Souls Languishes With Love

Oh Mary, my precious peril! It is God from all eternity thought about my love for thee.Oh how little my love is compared to the love thou hast for a wretched sinner like me! How

true is the saying that opposites attract. Thou, Mary, art full of grace, and I am full ofiniquities and sins! How can I ever praise thee enough? Thou art beautiful, O my love.IIIIt isthee that intercedes for me with the Most High. It is thee that comforts me during this exile.Oh Mary, my lady of light, who is full of grace! Thou art so full of grace you must look to sucha sinner as myself to make sure the graces given to thee from God are not lost! Oh how Itrampled on those precious gifts you have given to me, my love! My beloved is white andruddy, chosen out of thousands.IVEver since I was eight years old I had thought about thewoman I wish to marry. How come I did not think of thee? Every time it rained, the rain dropsmust have resembled thy tears of sorrow. When I thought about other women, thy own soul asword shall pierce. V

Oh Mary how many times have you cried: Turn thy eyes from me, for they have made

me fly away,VI

because I have loved another woman other than thee! How long have youwaited for me my love? Oh Mary, lady of light, you are as a lily among thorns. VIIAll thesewomen of today cast away their precious chastity. It seems that thee alone I am safe with. Youdo not seek to destroy my chastity like most women would want to do, but rather protect mybeloved chastity as an angel, terrible as an army set in array. VIII Oh my love, my chastespouse! I wish that I can become a religious so I can devote my life to honoring such a lady asthee. Oh Immaculate Virgin, I wish to be a saint, alas I am but a wretched sinner, I can onlygive thee my innumerable infidelities.

Oh Mary, lady of light, advocate for the maimed, for the blind, for the deaf, for thedumb, those who lost all their senses to sin. It has never been known that whoever has hadrecourse to thee, my love, has never been left unaided! Oh Mary, O thou whom my soul

loveth,

IX

I wish to be thy chaste spouse! Oh Mary, one sigh in front of the Most High, isenough to convert all sinners into great saints and all the souls in purgatory pardoned of theirsins. My love, I cannot wait for the day when I profess my vows, of poverty, of chastity, and ofobedience, to thee MaryX because I languish with love, XI my chaste spouse. That is when Iwill die of joy proclaiming, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shallcleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. XII

Introduction

What is this paper about you might ask? It is to show you, the reader, that theSacrament of Holy Orders is a better state in life than those who choose the Sacrament of

Marriage. The Sacrament of Holy Orders allegorically and symbolically is very similarly to theSacrament of Marriage. I am going to present to you out of the nine choirs of angels, two forcomparison. The Choir of Seraphim are the highest of all the angelic orders. They are going torepresent the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The lowest order is that of the Choir of Angels. Theyrepresent the Sacrament of Marriage. This paper is also for those people who wish to knowhow the Blessed Virgin Mary attracted my heart to the religious life.

4


5/35

The Council of Trent, Article 5, He Descended Into Hell, Page 72:The principal signs of this resurrection from sin which should be noted aretaught us by the Apostle. For when he says: If you be risen with Christ, seekthings that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, (Col. 3.1)he distinctly tells us that they who desire to possess life, honor, repose and riches,there chiefly where Christ dwells, have truly risen with Christ. When he adds:Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth, he gives,as it were another sign by which we may ascertain if we have truly risen withChrist. As a relish for food usually indicates a healthy state of the body, so withregard to the soul, if a person relishes whatever things are true, whatever modest,whatever just, whatever holy, (Phil. 4.8) and experiences within him thesweetness of heavenly things, this we may consider a very strong proof that sucha one has risen with Christ Jesus to a new and spiritual life.

Sacrament of Marriage, Lowest Choir: Angels

What Is An Angel?The Angels are spirits, says St. Augustine, but it is not because they are spiritsthat they are Angels. They become Angels when they are sent, for the name Angelrefers to their office not their nature.

The Supreme HierarchySeraphim - Cherubim - Thrones

Middle HierarchyDominations - Virtues - Powers

Lower HierarchyPrincipalities - Archangels - Angels XIII

The Angels, Fr. Pascal P. Parente, Pages 125-130: In the Catholic doctrineon Guardian Angels we find one of the most touching traits of Divine Love andDivine Providence in behalf of man. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux grew mosteloquent whenever writing or speaking about our Guardian Angels: "O wonderfulcondescension of God! O love truly marvelous!... The Most High has commandedthe Angels, his Angels, those sublime spirits, so blessedly happy and so near histhrone, his familiar, his closest friends. He has given his Angels charge over thee.Who art thou? What is man, that thou art mindful of him?... And what thinkestthou he has ordered them in thy account?To protect thee.

Nothing reminds man more vividly of his superior spiritual nature and ofhis glorious destiny in heaven than this unseen heavenly escort given us duringour earthly pilgrimage. Just as kings give their children a tutor, an attendant fromtheir own court, so the King of Heaven has given men, His adoptive childrenthrough grace, tutelary spirits, guardians and protectors from His own court.What are, in particular, the duties of our Guardian Angels? Analyzing theseduties, Saint Bernard says that the Angels constantly surround the souls of thefaithful in their charge with the most tender care and love. They have but onegreat desire, that of leading us safely through life till we attain the glory and peace

5


6/35

which they themselves possess and fully enjoy while in our company here onearth. They protect both our spiritual and our corporal life. They defend andprotect our immortal soul from the seduction of the world and the wiles of Satan.They often shield us from sudden dangers that threaten our life, or come to ourrescue when some harm has befallen us. This becomes often manifest with littlechildren who quite often come out of serious accidents without any injury. Themind of the little children cannot be reached with warnings and inspirations,because it is not yet functioning; and thus the Guardian Angel must take directaction in case of danger. Adult persons, in the full use of reason, are warned andcautioned by their Angel, but because they remain free to heed or to ignore suchwarnings of their Angel, many unfortunate things happen to them in spite of theirheavenly protector.

The most important of all the duties of a Guardian Angel is that ofpositively helping man in the tremendous work of saving his immortal soul. Theyaccomplish this by exciting in our hearts pious and salutary thoughts and desiresor, at times, salutary fear of God's judgments. They become intermediariesbetween God and man, as they lay our needs and our fears before Him, offeringGod our desires and our prayers, and in return they bring us His grace and His

gifts. The often-mentioned activity of the Archangel Raphael, in favor of oldTobias and his son, is the best illustration of the manifold duties of a GuardianAngel. The entire book Tobias gives us not only an example of patience andcharity in the holy man Tobias, but also reveals to us the wonderful and lovingministry of our Guardian Angels.

Occasionally the Angel, in order to give us an opportunity to do penanceand to atone for our faults, allows that trials and suffering come our way, or thatviolent temptations humble our pride and warn us in our complacency. Thus theyare truly Pedagogues, as the Greek Fathers often called them, or, better still,spiritual masters and directors. We read often in the life of some Saints whoenjoyed the privilege of seeing with their bodily eyes their Guardian Angel almost

constantly (as was the case with Saint Frances of Rome and Saint GemmaGalgani, as we shall report later in this book), that the Angel often dis appearedfrom their sight, either to try them or to punish them for some little fault they hadcommitted; the devil would then appear and afflict them in various manners.

Indirectly, the Angels help man by keeping the devil away or at leastrestraining him from causing all the harm and the spiritual ruin which he sopersistently tries to bring upon us, not excluding physical violence and evendeath. Thus they eliminate many occasions of sin, reduce the number oftemptations, and break their force, and in this manner they actually fulfill in ourbehalf what, in a symbolical language, was expressed in Psalm 90: "In their handsthey [the Angels] shall bear thee up; lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou

shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk; and thou shalt trample under foot thelion and the dragon." The lion, in this text, is actually the devil himself, of whomSaint Peter writes: "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth aboutseeking whom he may devour." The dragon again is another name for Satan:"That great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil andSatan, who seduceth the world, and he was cast out unto the earth." Against allthese invisible enemies of mankind stands as shield and protection our Guardian

6


7/35

Angel whose struggles and victories are known to God alone.Our Guardian Angels pray for us and with us, and they offer our prayers,

our suffering, and our good desires to the throne of God. This most consolingtruth is revealed by the glorious Archangel Raphael: "I discover then the truthunto you, and I will not hide the secret from you. When thou didst pray withtears, and didst bury the dead, and didst leave thy dinner and hide the dead byday in thy house, and bury them at night, I offered thy prayer to the Lord." Wesee here how this Archangel offered not only Tobias' prayers but also his tears,his great works of mercy, his self-denial in leaving his dinner untouched in orderto bury the dead. For all this, Tobias had received nothing but great trials andfinally blindness: "And because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessarythat temptation should prove thee." No doubt the Archangel who watched overTobias so carefully could have prevented the accident that caused his blindness,but he did not, in order to offer him an occasion for even greater virtue and moremerit.

Another duty of our Angels is that of praising God, and they wish us tojoin them in this heavenly occupation. This is the first thing that the ArchangelRaphael demanded before revealing his identity: "Bless ye the God of heaven,

give glory to him in the sight of all that live, because he has shown his mercy toyou." When the faithful soul, leaving this mortal body, shall look for the first timeupon the enchanting features of her heavenly guide and try to offer thanks for hisloving service, she will probably hear the same answer that the grateful Tobiasreceived from the Archangel Raphael: "Peace be to you, fear not; for when I waswith you, I was there by the will of God: bless ye him, and sing praises to him!

The loving kindness of our Guardian Angels is such that they often go onerrands here on earth in behalf of their proteges, or help them with their work.This feature of their ministry will be explained with actual examples in thefollowing chapter. Suffice it here to mention a well-known custom, in our day,with devout persons who have met the saintly Padre Pio of Pietrelci-na, the

stigmatic Capuchin priest living at S. Giovanni Rotondo, Italy: When in need ofspiritual assistance or in order to ask for prayer, theyat Padre Pio's suggestionsend their own Guardian Angel to him and often with happy results. It is reportedby one, associated with the good Padre, that one morning he complained aboutthe constant arrival of Guardian Angels with various petitions during the night,saying: "Those Guardian Angels didn't let me sleep a moment last night!

It is at the hour of death that the good Angel shows the greatest zeal inprotecting and defending the soul committed to his care, invoking often theassistance of other Angels against the wiles and the fury of Satan. According toOrigen, "At the hour of death the celestial escort (psychopompe) receives the soulthe moment it leaves the body." This common Christian belief, of the soul being

accompanied by its Angel to the Divine Tribunal is based on the words of OurLord: "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angelsinto Abraham's bosom." The same truth finds expression in the liturgical prayersof the Church, especially in the burial service for adults: "May the Angels leadthee into Paradise, may the Martyrs receive thee at thy coming, and take thee toJerusalem the holy City. May the choirs of the Angels receive thee, and mayestthou with the once poor Lazarus have rest everlasting.... Come to his assistance ye

7


8/35

Saints of God; meet him ye Angels of the Lord. Receive his soul and present it tothe Most High. May Christ who called thee receive thee, and may the Angels leadthee into the bosom of Abraham."

Should the departed soul be not quite ready to enter heaven because ithas not fully satisfied Divine Justice for its faults, and must therefore remain forsome time in Purgatory, the Guardian Angel will lead it to the place of expiation.The same Angel will often visit it and comfort it in company of other good Angels.In the meantime, while the soul is suffering in Purgatory, the Guardian Angelgoes around inspiring and prompting some of the friends and relatives or othergood souls here on earth to pray and to offer Masses for its release fromPurgatory. The Guardian Angel will not rest till the day when he shall introducethe soul into Paradise, where it can share with him the blessed vision of God andjoin in the never-ending hymn of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord of Heaven.

Under His Wings Thou Shalt Trust

Q. How are my parents fulfilling the role of an angel?

A. Your parents represent the lowest choir of angels because they are most active with theearthly ministry.

The Angels, Fr. Pascal P. Parente, Pages 81-82: Taken in the specific senseof a particular Choir, the Angels fill up and complete the lowest Choir of all theHierarchies of the celestial Intelligences, since they are the last of the heavenlybeings possessing angelic nature. And they, indeed, are more properly namedAngels (i.e. Messengers) by us than are those of a higher rank, because their Choiris more directly in contact with visible and earthly things. By their nature andduties, the Angels are closer to man than any other celestial spirit. When thepsalmist says that God made man 'a little less than the Angels,' he was probably

referring to those holy spirits of the last Choir, the closest link between the spiritworld and rational man. It is from the ranks of this Choir that Guardian Angelsare ordinarily, yet not exclusively, taken for the guidance and protection ofindividual souls during this earthly pilgrimage, as we shall explain later.Your parents are messengers from God, allegorically and literally. They hold the

Christian Faith,XIVthey are passing on a blessing also a tradition to you, which is yourCatholic faith. Without your faith you will not obtain Heaven. Without a key, you cannotopen a locked door, and you remain stuck on the outside. You parents have receivedtheir gift of faith from God through the ministry of the Church. XVWhat is the definitionof an angel? It means messenger. Your parents are fulling the role by transmitting thefaith to you and protecting you from the poison of error as the title states: Under hiswings thou shalt trust.

For He Hath Given His Angels Charge Over Thee

Q. How are my parents represent corporeally and spiritually as an angel?A. There are two answers to this question. The first answer is the following quote. The secondis after the quote.

8


9/35


10/35

attainment. The virtue of Charity causes us to find satisfaction in God, and toseek to please Him by keeping His commandments.

These virtues are fitly termed theological, because God Himself is theirobject, their motive, and their Author. God is the object of faith; that is to say, webelieve what God has revealed, and all that has reference to God Himself, to Hisbeing, His attributes, His works and His will. God is the motive of faith, for webelieve that which He has revealed because He is omniscient and the highesttruth. God is the object of hope; for we hope for the eternal happiness after death,to see God and enjoy Him forever. God is the motive of hope, for we hope foreternal felicity because He is almighty, most bountiful, and faithful to Hispromises. God is the object of charity, for all our love centers in Him. God is themotive of charity, since we love Him because He is supreme beauty and sovereigngoodness. God is also the Author of the three theological virtues, as the followingreasons demonstrate:

We receive the three theological virtues to render us capable ofperforming good works simultaneously with sanctifying grace. When the HolyGhost enters into the soul, He transforms the powers of the mind, so that it canrise to God with greater facility. When he comes and imparts to use sanctifying

grace, a light shines in our heart that awakens faith and hope (2 Cor. IV. 6), and afire is ignited, that kindles a flame of charity (Rom. V. 5). This action of the HolyGhost within the soul is called the infusion of the three theological virtues. Thethree theological virtues are infused into the soul (Council of Trent, 6, ch. 7). Theinfusion of these virtues has a similar effect as have the rays of the sun inimparting light and warmth to the atmosphere. God does not force these virtuesupon us; the freedom of the will is in no wise interfered with. The power ofexercising the three theological virtues is imparted in Baptism, and if it be lost, itis given again in the Sacrament of Penance. As the seed lies dormant in thebosom of the earth, until, under the influence of the sun and rain, it germinatesand grows, so the three theological virtues at first lie dormant in the soul of the

child until he attains the use of reason, and through the action of grace andreligious instruction they are developed and come to sight (in works). Thebaptized child resembles one who is asleep, who possesses the power of sight, butsees nothing, until he awakens from sleep and makes use of that power. So thepower to exercise faith, hope, and charity are latent in the soul of the child, untilwith the use of reason they are brought into play, and their existence is madeapparent.

See That You Despise Not One Of These Little Ones

Q. How do my parents prepare me for life as the angels do?A. By preparing their children for either Sacrament of Marriage or Holy Orders.

The Angels, Fr. Pascal P. Parente, Pages 20: What are, in particular, theduties of our Guardian Angels? Analyzing these duties, Saint Bernard says, thatthe Angels constantly surround the souls of the faithful in their charge with themost tender care and love. They have but one great desire, that of leading ussafely through life till we attain the glory and peace which they themselves

10


11/35

possess and fully enjoy while in our company here on earth. They protect bothour spiritual and our corporal life.

(Need to Expand On This)A person is known to have a true vocation to enter a particular career in life,writes

Father C. Coppens, S.J., if he feels sincerely convinced, as far as he can judge with Godsgrace, that such a career is the best for him to attain the end for which God places him on

earth, and is found fit by his talents, habits and circumstances, to enter on that career with afair prospect of succeeding in the same. XXI

Pre Poulain, S.J., the great French ascetical writer, adds:In order to judge whetherwe have a vocation that is inspired by God, it is not usually sufficient to satisfy ourselvesthat we have a persistent attraction for it. This mark is not certain unless a naturalcondition is fulfilled, namely, that we have certain physical, moral and intellectual qualitiesalso. XXII

The Guardian Angels Our Heavenly Companions, They Protect Us InPerils, Page 19-21: A touching story of a Guardian Angel's protection of aninnocent youth is related by the renowned Jesuit, Father Coret. One day in 1638,

a young nobleman appeared at the monastery at noon and asked to see a certainpriest. The priest came and, immediately upon seeing the stranger, received theimpression that this was an Angel. The heavenly appearance, the majestic bearingand the angelic demeanor of the young man were most striking. His countenancewas fair, his eyes exceedingly kind, his hair blond, his features mild and delicate.The noble visitor apologized for coming at so inconvenient a time, but added,The zeal with which you labor for the honor of God and the salvation of youthurges me to leave nothing undone when the innocence and perhaps the eternalsalvation of one of your pupils is in peril. You are acquainted with the youth,N.? The young man in question was a nobleman, about sixteen years of age, veryhandsome, possessed of great virtue and beloved by all. Oh, how you would lovehim if you knew him as I do! continued the stranger. He is an angel, but alas,into what danger of temptation will he be led today! He has been invited to abanquet. If he goes, it will be at the price of his innocence;he will suffer anirreparable loss! Naturally, the priest was greatly surprised at this statement.He inquired of the stranger who he was and how he had learned of the snareswhich had been laid for the youth, but he received no other answer than that theyouth was a pure as an angel,very dear to God, and that his Guardian Angel wasmost solicitous to preserve his innocence. Then the stranger added, Often I amin the midst of those who would lead him astray. I come in the name of God andconjure you to prevent so great an evil. Be convinced that as the demons exertall their power to corrupt you, the Guardian Angels likewise do their utmost toprotect them. The stranger took his leave, and the priest hasten to inform the

mother and the son of what had happened. He then made a search for hisdistinguished visitor, but he was never seen again, and the priest never doubtedthat this had been the youth's Guardian Angel.

It is evident that there are only two real choices in our life. That is consecrating yourselfto God or not. Your parents, who ought to live a spotless life like angels, must prepare you forthe state in life that God wishes you to be in. Not your parents, not your friends, not your

11


12/35

family, especially not yourself, but what God wishes. It is for that specific reason why youcame to this earth, to serve God. True, I am afraid there is another route, just like the maximof Satan: I will not serve, no doubt you will be cast into Hell, where such a soul woulddeserve to go for not serving such a generous, fatherly, loving Master. Not every one thatsaith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will ofmy Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.XXIII It is Jesus Christwho gave us the prayer of the Our Father. Within that prayer it states: Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Praise not any man before death, for a man isknown by his children. XXIV

The Sacrament of Holy Orders, Highest Choir: Seraphim

The True Spouse of Jesus Christ, St. Alphonsus De Liguori, Page54-55: Some are deterred from entering religion by the apprehension that theirabandonment of the world might be afterwards to them a source of regret.But inmaking choice of a state of life I would advise such persons to reflect not on thepleasures on this life, but on the hour of death, which will determine their

happiness or misery for all eternity.And I would ask if, in the world, surroundedby seculars, disturbed by the fondness of children, from whom they are about tobe separated forever, perplexed with the care of their worldly affairs, anddisturbed by a thousand scruples of conscience, they can expect to die morecontented than in a house of God, assisted by their holy companions, whocontinually speak of God; who pray for them, and console and encourage them intheir passage to eternity? Imagine you see, on the one hand, a princess dying in asplendid palace, attended by a retinue of servants, surrounded by her husband,her children, and relatives, and represent to yourself, on the other, a religiousexpiring in her convent, in a poor cell, mortified, humble; far from her relatives,stripped of property and self-will; and tell me, which of the two, the rich princess

or the poor nun, dies more contented? Ah! The enjoyment of riches, of honors,and pleasures in this life do not afford consolation at the hour of death, but ratherbeget grief and diffidence of salvation; while poverty, humiliations, penitentialausterities, detachment from the world render death sweet and amiable, and giveto a Christian increased hopes of attaining that true felicity which shall neverterminate.

The True Spouse of Jesus Christ, St. Alphonsus De Liguori, Pages56-57: St. Thomas teaches that the perfect consecration which a religious makesof herself to God by her solemn profession remits the guilt and punishment of allher past sins.But, he says, it may reasonably be said that a person by enteringinto religion obtains the remission of all sins. For, to make satisfaction for allsins, it is sufficient to dedicate one's self entirely to the service of God byentering religion, which dedication exceeds all manner of satisfaction. Hence, heconcludes, we read in the lives of the Fathers, that they who enter religionobtain the same grace as those who receive baptism. The faults committed afterprofession by a good religious are expiated in this world by her daily exercises ofpiety, by her meditations, Communions, and mortifications. But if a religiousshould not make full atonement in this life for all her sins, her purgatory will not

12


13/35


14/35

on the verge of apostasy and of falling back to Moses, their contention being that theMosaic Law was superior to the new law, the law of Christ, because it had beengiven to Moses by Angels. Saint Paul, in the first two chapters of this Epistle,contrasts the Son of God, as author of the new Covenant, with those Angels whorevealed the old Covenant on Mount Sinai, and shows Christ's superiority to Mosesand to the Angels who revealed the Old Law to him. In the second verse of the secondchapter of this same Epistle, Saint Paul writes: "For if the word, spoken by angels,

proved to be valid and every transgression and disobedience received a justpunishment, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" Thetranscending superiority of Christ to these Angels implies superiority of the law ofChrist over the Law of Moses, of the New Testament over the Old. From all thiswe gather that the Angels mentioned here in these two chapters, and specifically inthe text brought forward in support of their opinion, are the Angels who wereinstrumental in revealing the Law of Moses. Nobody would suppose that thisrevelation of the Old Law was made by those myriads and myriads of heavenlyspirits that form the Angelic world. We have seen in the first part how one singleAngel was able to kill a whole army of one hundred and eighty five thousand soldiers,in one night. There seems, therefore, to be no reason to assign millions upon

millions of Angels to a much simpler task, that of dictating the Law of Moses.Regardless of the pious meditations and ideas of some Saints, like SaintMathilde, Saint Gertrude, Saint Hildegarde, and the opinions of Tauler, Denys theCarthusian and a few others, we believe that the Guardian Angels are ordinarilytaken from the Choir of Angels, sometimes from that of the Archangels, and onlyexceptionally, if ever, from the Choir of Principalities, all belonging to the lowest ofthe three Angelic Hierarchies. This opinion is more in accordance with Scriptureand Tradition and it still remains the more common opinion of Theologians. "TheAngels fill up and complete the lowest Choir of all the Hierarchies of the celestialintelligences since they are the last of the celestial beings possessing the angelicnature. And they indeed are more properly named Angels by us than are those of ahigher rank because their choir is more directly in contact with manifested and

earthly things."Saint Thomas closely follows the doctrine of Dionysius, as SaintGregory the Great had done before him, and concludes his article on this subjectwith the words: "We must simply say with Dionysius that the higher Angels are neversent out for external [i.e., earthly] ministry."To this we may add that if the higherAngels are never sent out on an earthly mission, much less would they be employedfor a lifelong service as Guardian Angels. Their mission is not one of messengers andlegates but as attendants at the court of heaven, and the nature of this, theirmission, remains as much a mystery to us as the life of heaven itself.

For we are the children of saints, and we must not be joined together like heathensthat know not God. XXVBoth men and women wish to be married one day. All young couples

desire it. Their hearts are inflamed with chaste love. I ask who would be a better spouse for awoman, Jesus Christ or another man? Jesus Christ, has infinite power, beauty, wisdom,justice, and mercy etc. What does the other man have? His sins? Jesus Christ created Heaven,Earth, and the stars. What did the other man create? Jesus Christ loved her from all eternity.How about the other man? This can go on and on...

This woman who having lived a life of an angel wishes to choose a spouse. She goesthrough her options very carefully. There is a perfect man, she exclaims. She begins to think

14


15/35

about Him, she sees what wonderful attributes He has. The first virtue she falls in love with ishumility. This knight in shining armor is faithful in all things. She sees Him devote manyhours to the widows and orphans. Her heart just melts and is very much touched by thoseactions. She asks one of her best friends if she knows this man and her best friend replies, wehave been best friends since the day I can remember. She tells her friend that she has acrush on that handsome gentleman. Eventually with the help of her best friend they ended updating for a few years. After all this time her heart began to fall in love more and more. Shefinally tells her family of her plans with the man she fell in love with. The parents rejoice atsuch great news. She then pronounced her perpetual profession of poverty, chastity, andobedience. She married the love of her life, Jesus Christ for all eternity.

This is where her life begins to flower. Let him kiss meXXVIwith the kiss of his mouth:for thy breasts are better than wine, Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oilpoured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee. Behold thou art fair, O my love,behold thou art fair, thy eyes are as those of doves. Behold thou art fair, my beloved, andcomely. Our bed is flourishing. XXVII

For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth. XXVIII The more and more she receives inpain due to her faults the more and more she is becomes detached from the world. The foodthat she eats to continue on are the mysteries of the holy Rosary. Her most delightful one is

the first joyful mystery, the Annunciation to Mary, for it reminds her of her spouse enteringinto her body consuming her with divine love; which is the Holy Eucharist. By her prayers, herfasts, and her mortifications she conceives many spiritual children over time. Her spiritualchildren are those apostates, sinners, heretics, schismatics, infidels, and lukewarm souls shebrings back to the one true faith, the Catholic Faith. A single burning prayer of the seraphicSt. Theresa (as was learned through a highly credible revelation) converted ten thousandheretics. And her soul, all on fire for Christ, could not conceive of a contemplative life, aninterior life, which would take no interest in the Saviour's intense anxiety for the redemptionof souls. 'I would accept Purgatory until the Last Judgment, she said, to deliver but one ofthem.'XXIX Does her heart cool after giving birth to those spiritual children? No, her loveincreases in proportion with the amount of children she bears with her spouse. All she thinks

about is wishing to conceive with her holy spouse; she exclaims,Our bed is flourishing. Shedoes as much as a spouse can do before she enters her eternal rest. And I heard a voice fromheaven, saying to me: Write: Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord. From henceforthnow, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; for their works follow them.XXXThose who have taken the Sacrament of Marriage may only receive a few children, some areblessed as many as sixteen. But the spouse of Christ could conceive as many as thousands oreven millions of spiritual children.

Now what about the Blessed Virgin Mary? She is Immaculate. Her physical beauty isbeyond all creatures and angels combined. Her virtues go beyond any other woman or angel.Her voice is more prettier than any other woman's.XXXI So why my fellow brothers do you wishany less in a potential spouse? Her poor heart was crucified for your sake at Calvary. How

much more love does she need to show? And a great sign appeared in heaven: A womanclothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars:And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered. XXXII Youare to preach to the poor apostates, heretics, schismatics, infidels, and sinners. But rememberyou must have an interior life, without it you will may conceive only a few spiritual children ifany. You may suffer excruciating tortures and martyrdom for your spouse and for yourspiritual children, that is why she cried travailing in birth. It is here were she demonstrates

15


16/35

her love for her spouse through the power of the Holy Rosary and the Brown Scapular. Whichis personally your sword (Holy Rosary) and shield (Brown Scapular). In all things taking theshield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the mostwicked one. And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which isthe word of God). XXXIII This is the way she conceives her spiritual children with her spouse,by crushing the foot of Satan. She shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for herheel.XXXIVThe spouse to the Blessed Virgin Mary tells others about the miraculous powersthat his love has over Satan. And he said to them: I saw Satan like lightening falling fromheaven. XXXV

Now those who embrace the Sacrament of Marriage will experience many joys andsorrows. Firstly after losing their physical beauty their spark of love will cool. That is not thesame for those who have taken the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Those women who embracelovingly Jesus Christ as their spouse, will not only maintain that that spark of chaste love, butit will grow in due time. Jesus Christ will always be beautiful for He is God. Thus she willalways be attracted chastely to His physical beauty despite even if she were to live at an olderage. He can maintain her fervor that young couples experience. It is the similar for those menwho embrace Holy Orders. Mary, who is heaven has an eternal beauty because she is safefrom the dangers the world, that is sin. She is not subject to time and will maintain her

physical beauty forever.The most sorrowful part about the Sacrament of Marriage is seeing the one you love die

because of the punishment of sin, whether original or actual sin. Those who marry themselvesto Jesus Christ or the Blessed Virgin Mary are not subject to that sorrow, only if they lost theirsouls through their own fault. But for those who embrace the Sacrament of Holy Orders, theirjoy will begin at death. That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered intothe heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him.XXXVI Now whichmarriage should one really ought to prefer that of the Sacrament of Holy Orders or theSacrament of Marriage? Pagans and infidels hold lust as their highest good. When you look ata lion for example, during mating it lasts no more than a few minutes. If we assume you hadobtained that same legitimate pleasure through marriage for the sake of childbearing; XXXVII

your joy only lasted but for a few minutes and now you must take care of a new soul cominginto the world! That is your child. Now for those few minutes of pleasure you enjoyed, youmust continually care for this child for the next twenty years or more. Teaching your child bygood example of what is it means to be a Catholic. Not only are you responsible for theiractions but also their sins whether committed by omission or commission. Praise not anyman before death, for a man is known by his children.XXXVIIIFor what little pleasure youobtain for cooperating with God in making a child, through the Sacrament of Marriage, whatburden is placed upon thee!

Saraph

The Angels, Fr. Pascal P. Parente, Page 72: Seraphim, from the HebrewSaraph: to burn. This is the first Choir of the supreme Hierarchy of the Angels.The name Seraphim is the plural form of the word; the singular is Seraph. Thisname occurs only twice in Sacred Scripture. It is found in chapter 6 of Isaiaswhere they are described as standing upon the throne where the Lord was sitting,having each six wings, and singing constantly the hymn of glory: Holy, Holy,Holy. The description here given by the prophet, their very name, which meansthe burning ones, their very name, which means burning ones, their position

16


17/35

next to the throne of the Most High God, the act of purging the lips of the prophetwith fire (a live coal taken from the altar) are all circumstances that in a sensibleform reveal the exalted position of the Seraphim in the Court of heaven. I sawthe Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated, and his train filled the temple.Upon it stood the seraphims: the one had six wings, and the other had six wings:with two they covered his face, with two they covered his feet and with two theyflew. (Isa. 6:1) The meaning of burning ones, implied by the etymology of thename Seraphim, is to be understood in both the transitive and the intransitivesense of the verb. In this epistle to Pope Damasus, Saint Jerome notes thatSeraphim translated from the Greek means the inflaming ones, or, the burningones. They are described as having each three pairs of wings with one of whichthey covered their face as a token of profound reverence and in order not be seen,with another they covered their feet out of modesty and respect, with the thirdthey flew. A general resemblance to a human figure seems to be implied, but it isnot said what their face looked like. The love of God wherewith they glow keepsthem close to the throne of the Divine Majesty, but their profound humility andreverence interpose the screen of their wings between themselves and thesuperbrilliant splendors of the Glory of the Most High.

The Seraphim are the closest angels to God and thus burn the greatest with divine love.Just like wood is consumed as fuel for the fire, a soul is consumed with divine love when theyoffer their vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. Let me ask all of those who are in arelationship. Both of you have fallen in love for one another is that right? Do you feelsometimes you are in so much love that if you had any more you would die? How much morein love are seraphim than you. If God granted you that love the seraphim bore you couldsimply not live. The Seraphim are completely consumed with love. The state of religious is thesame, if they have lived up to their office, they would be consumed with the love of God. Justlike those who have taken the Sacrament of Marriage being two in one flesh, XXXIX similarlytoo are those who offer themselves to God. Those religious give their wills over to their spouse

allegorically speaking, as a sacrifice, for their love. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by themercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, yourreasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness ofyour mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will ofGod. XL This is the work that lies before you, the work God looks to you to do strengtheningthe Faith that St. Patrick, St. Francis Xavier, St. Alphonsus and other saints left us, preachingthe truth to an unbelieving world, sacrificing yourselves, as your ancestors did before,leaving home and friends, and, for the sake of God, giving your life that others may besaved. XLI

To keep the fire of divine love flowing from the heavens unto the earth is the mainpurpose of the religious. It is to pass on the torch from generation to generation of divine love.

The fire of divine love consists in the interior life with God. The life of the apostolic man is alife of prayer. And the Saint of Ars says: The life of prayer is the one big happiness on thisearth. O marvelous life! The wonder of the union of a soul with God! Eternity will not belong enough to understand this happiness...The interior life is a bath of love, into which thesoul may plunge entirely...And there the soul is, as it were, drowned in love...God holds theinterior soul the way a mother holds her baby's head in her hand, to cover him with kissesand caresses. The heart of an interior soul, says the Cure d'Ars, stands in the middle of

17


18/35

humiliations ans sufferings like a rock in the midst of the sea. A holy, perfect and virtuousman, said St. Theresa, actually does far more good to souls than a great many others whoare merely better educated or more talented. XLII

These souls that God chooses must radiate with the fire of purity both of spiritually(soul) and corporeally (body). As silver is tried by fire, and gold in the furnace: so the Lordtrieth the hearts. XLIIIThe greatest attribute of this consecration, which is a form of marriage,is that one preserves their state of virginity, which would have otherwise been lost throughchildbearing. Just as the Apostle stated: he that giveth his virgin in marriage, doth well; andhe that giveth her not, doth better.XLIVThis marriage, a soul consecrating itself to God, is agreater marriage because its a marriage between a soul and God. While the other is merelyjust between man and woman. Matrimony may, therefore, be defined as the sacrament bywhich a Christian man and woman bind themselves together forever as husband and wife, andreceive grace to discharge the duties of their state faithfully until death. XLV

Singing Hymns

The Angels, Fr. Pascal P. Parente, Page 72: The primary duty of the

Seraphim is to sing without ceasing to God, celebrating above all the otherattributes the Holiness of God, a perfection which characterizes all of God'sattributes, for holy is His Justice, holy His Goodness, holy His Mercy, holy HisPower, holy His Beauty, holy His Wisdom, etc. Hence the Seraphic hymn of gloryheard by the Prophet was this: Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord God of hosts, all theearth is full of his glory. (Isa. 6:3) The vehemence of their feelings and of theirdevotion appears from the fact that their song is such powerful cry that lintels ofthe doors were moved at the voice of him that cried, namely the Seraphim whocried one to another. The temple, where this vision appeared, was filled withsmoke, a symbol perhaps of that fire of love of the Seraphim, the Burning Ones.

What is the purpose of the interior life? The purpose of the interior life is to advance

continually in a relationship with God until death and your personal judgment. By the interiorlife you continually think and praise God. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heartalso.XLVIIs God not your ultimate end? Should He not be your ultimate treasure?

Summa Theologica, I-II, Q.1, A.5: A man desires for his ultimate end thatwhich he desires as his perfect and crowning good...It is therefore necessary forthe last end so to fill mans appetite that nothing is left beside it for man to desire.Which is not possible if something else be required for his perfection.Consequently it is not possible for the appetite so to tend to two things as thougheach were its perfect good.

As each day passes love will begin to enhance and overwhelm the senses spiritually inaddiction to perfecting the prayer of a Christian because the heart will be filled with divinelove and not self love. Also depending on the gender of the soul which consecrates itself forthe service of Church, they must have a intimate love with their spouse, either Jesus Christ (aSister) or the Blessed Virgin Mary (a brother or a priest). The interior life is really onecontinuous song and praise to God. When one says Hail Mary, every time they took a step towalk, that would be a prayer. To say Hail Mary every time they chewed on a piece of meat or

18


19/35

bread at meal time. That is a prayer. Our Saviour stated to us, we ought always to pray,and not to faint. XLVIIPraying is simple, especially for those whom are in love, that is in lovewith God. Those who are not in love, it is will be a battle until they are truly determined tochange their life from sin. For your heart is set on earthly things, that is vanity and sin. Butonce you create a habit of prayer it will be easy. Just look at a student who studiesmathematics for his major in college. He made it a habit for himself to study all differentvariations of mathematics. There is practical (applied) and theoretical (research)mathematics. If you ask this student to take a test in English, Art, Nursing, or Engineering. Iwould suspect he would not do very well, because that is not his field of study. But if he wereto take a test in mathematics I would suspect he would do much better. It was all because hehad a habit in studying in that particular field. Let us go back to praying now. You then askyourself, must we continually pray? Yes, why are you upset? Why are you discouragedalready, you have not even begin to start praying? The reason why that student did well in hismathematics courses is because he studied everyday. Thus over a number of days he created ahabit. It only takes twenty one consecutive days to create a habit. St. Teresa of Avila stated:The devil knows that he has lost the soul that perseveringly practices mental prayer. Avery pious priest said once to a young woman: If you have had the courage to imitate MaryMagdalen in her sins, have the courage to imitate her penance! You must strive to pray

every moment of the day.XLVIII She was forgiven because she loved God very much and waspierced from sorrow at what she had done to Him.

Without the interior life, a Christian simply ceases to live spiritually. Take a heart out ofa living man or woman, and the body dies on the spot. Take the interior life away from theChristian, the soul dies, by committing a mortal sin. And in all things whatsoever you shallask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.XLIX If you do not ask to be protected from mortalsin, how then will you be aided against temptations from the devil? You are never very faraway from committing sin, especially mortal. Fear and trembling work out your salvation.L

When a professed religious make their vows they are training for their heavenlyvocation, among the choir of angels. If the professed religious fulled their vocation, this is thewill of God your sanctification, then she will be admitted into the choir of angels depending

on the proportion of her fervor in divine love she was in at the moment of death. The Lordkeepeth all them that love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.LI One has to remember thatif one dies in the state of mortal sin, they will perish to Hell. There is no need of thinking ofHeaven, for that will be the torture, for having lost God through their own fault.

The Angels, Fr. Pascal P. Parente, Page 117: Saint Gregory the Great haddone before him, and concludes his article on this subject with the words: We mustsimply say with Dionysius that the higher Angels are never sent out for external[i.e., earthly] ministry.LIITo this we may add that if the higher Angels are never sentout on an earthly mission, much less would they be employed for a lifelong serviceas Guardian Angels. Their mission is not one of messengers and legatesbut asattendants at the court of heaven, and the nature of this, their mission,

remains as much a mystery to us as the life of heaven itself.(Need to Expand On This)Those who choose the Sacrament of Holy Orders are the attendants at the court of

Heaven. They are the ones that are plunged into the infinite depths of the Christian religion.They are not occupied with earthly or vain ideals, but the for the salvation of souls and the reliefof the poor souls in purgatory. What do the Angels and Saints do in heaven? They praise theinfinite perfections of God. Seeing that there are an infinite amount, they will need all eternity

19


20/35

to praise Him. There work will never finish for it will last forever.

What do we do at Holy Mass? Praise, honor, sing His glories. That God will be mercifulto us sinners, that the just will not fall into sin, that the souls in purgatory may be pardoned oftheir sins and admitted into heaven. The devotion one has at Holy Mass is the precursor toheaven. If one is consumed with divine love and is totally absorbed in the Holy Eucharist, thatsoul would be a Christian. If one has no devotion for the Holy Mass or is careless about itsduties at Mass, that would explain to me in their actions that they are very tepid or like chaff(which is separated from the wheat), is useless and thus thrown into the fire.

The Guardian Angels Our Heavenly Companions,The Bread of Angels,Page 43-44: St. Francis de Sales had special devotion toward the holy Angelscharged with the guardianship of the tabernacles. His veneration for theseAngelic Guardians was increased by an instance which showed that these purespirits revere not only the Sacred Species, but also the ministers who consecrateand handle them. After having conferred Holy Orders on a pious young man, St.Francis noticed that the newly ordained priest hesitated before a door as if to letsomeone pass before him. Why do you pause? asked the Saint. God favors mewith the sight of my Guardian Angel, replied the priest. Before I was ordained

to the holy priesthood, my Angel always remained at my right and preceded me.Now he walks at the left and refuses to go before me.

It is related of St. Catherine of Siena, who was also favored with thevisible presence of her Guardian Angel, that once while praying in the church sheturned her head slightly to gratify her curiosity. Her Guardian Angel gave her sosevere a look for her disrespect in the presence of the Most Holy that for severaldays St. Catherine was inconsolable and performed severe penance inatonement.

Blessed Veronica of Binasco relates a similar experience: Once, shewrites, when, prompted by curiosity, I happened during the time of Mass to lookat one of the Sisters who was kneeling near the altar, the Angel of God who is

constantly beside me rebuked me with such severity that I almost fainted withterror. How threateningly he looked at me as he said, Why dost thou not keepwatch over thy heart? Why does thou gaze thus curiously at thy sister? Thouhas committed no slight offense against God. Thus spoke the Angel, and byChrist's command he enjoined on me a heavy penance for my fault, which forthree days I bewailed with tears. Now, when I hear Mass, I never venture so muchas to turn my head, for fear of incurring the displeasing of the Divine Majesty.

Setting The World On Fire With Divine Love

The Angels, Fr. Pascal P. Parente, Page 72: Another duty is made

Manifest in this vision of Isaias by the action of one of the seraphim, namelypurging with fire: One of the seraphims flew to me: and in his hand was a livecoal, which he had taken with tongs off the altar. And he touched my mouth, andsaid: Behold this hath toughed thy lips, and thy iniquities shall be taken away,and thy sin shall be cleansed. From the notion of burning contained in theirname, it was obvious to the popular mind to regard the Seraphim as the spirits oflove. Seraphic, today, is said of a person whose life is completely ruled by divine

20


21/35


22/35

theologians ex opere operato. Considering only what is produced ex opereoperantis, we recall that if the apostle carries out the principle of "He whoabideth in Me and I in him," the fecundity of his work, willed by God, isguaranteed: "the same beareth much fruit." Such is the plain logic of this text.After such an authority, there is no need to prove this thesis. Let us simplyconfirm it by facts. For more than thirty years we have been able to observe, fromafar, the progress of two orphanages for little girls, maintained by two separatecongregations. Each one had to go through a period of evident decline. To befrank: out of sixteen orphans, all of whom had entered under the same conditionsand had left upon coming of age, three from the first house and two from thesecond had passed, in from eight to fifteen months, from the practice of frequentCommunion to the most degraded level of the social scale. Of the eleven others,one alone remained deeply Christian. And yet every one of them had been placed,on leaving, in a good situation.

In one of these orphanages, eleven years ago, there was a single change: anew Mother Superior was installed. Six months afterwards a radicaltransformation was apparent in the spirit of the house. The same transformationwas observed three years later in the other orphanage because, while the same

superior and the same sisters remained, the chaplain had been changed. Nowsince that time, not a single one of the poor girls who left, at the age of twenty-one, has been dragged down by Satan into the gutter. Every one, every single oneof them without exception, has remained a good Christian. The reason for theseresults is very simple. At the head of the house, or in the confessional, thespiritual direction previously given had not been really supernatural. And thiswas enough to paralyze, or at least to cripple, the action of grace. The formersuperior in one case and the former chaplain in the other, although sincerelypious people, had had no deep interior life and, consequently, exercised no deepor lasting influence. Theirs was a piety of the feelings, produced by theirupbringing and environment, made up exclusively of pious practices and habits,

and giving them nothing but vague beliefs, a love without strength, and virtueswithout deep root. It was a flabby piety, all in the show-window, mawkish,mechanical. It was a fake piety, capable of forming good little girls who would notmake a nuisance of themselves, affected little creatures, full of pretty curtsies butwith no force of character, dragged this way and that by their feelings andimaginations. A piety powerless to open up the wide horizons of Christian life,and form valiant women, ready to face a struggle; all it was good for was to keepthese wretched little girls locked up in their cages, sighing for the day when theywould be let out.That was the poor excuse for a Christian life produced byGospel-workers who knew almost nothing of the interior life. In the midst ofthese two communities, a superior, a chaplain, are replaced. Right away the face

of things is altered. What a new meaning prayer begins to take on; what a newfruitfulness in the Sacraments. How different are the postures and bearing inchapel, even at work, at recreation. Analysis shows up a deep transformationwhich also manifests itself in a serene joy, a new enthusiasm, the acquisition ofvirtues, and in some souls an intense desire for a religious vocation. To what issuch a transformation to be ascribed?

The new superior, the new chaplain, led lives of prayer. No doubt an

22


23/35


24/35

repeat the miracle of the Upper Room. His way is to leave the graces for oursanctification to fight it out with the free and arduous correspondence of Hiscreature. But in making Pentecost the official birth-jay of the Church, did He notgive us a clear enough indication that his ministers would have to make the firststep, in their work as co-redeemers, the sanctification of their own souls?Therefore, all true apostolic workers expect much more from their sacrifices andprayers than from their active work. Father Lacordaire spent a long time inprayer before ascending the steps of the pulpit, and on his return he had himselfscourged. Father Monsabre, before speaking at Notre Dame, used to say allfifteen decades of the Rosary on his knees. "I am taking my last dose of tonic," hesaid with a smile to a friend who questioned him about this practice. Both thesereligious lived according to St. Bonaventure's principle, that the secret of afruitful apostolate is to be found much more at the foot of the Cross than in thedisplay of brilliance.

"These three remain: word, example, prayer; but the greatest of these isprayer," cries St. Bernard. A very strong statement, but it is simply acommentary on the resolution taken by the Apostles to leave certain works alonein order to give themselves first of all to prayer, orationi; and only after that to

preaching, ministerio verbi. Have we not often enough pointed out, in thisconnection, what a fundamental importance the Savior gave to this spirit ofprayer? Looking out upon the world and upon the ages that were to come, Hecried out in sorrow: "The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few."What would He propose as the quickest way to spread His teaching? Would Heask his apostles to go to school in Athens, or to study, at Rome, under theCaesars, how to conquer and govern empires? You men of active zeal listen to theMaster. He reveals a program and a principle full of light: "Pray ye therefore theLord of the harvest that He send forth laborers into the harvest." No mention oftechniques of organization, of raising funds, building churches or putting upschools. Only "pray ye"Rogate. This one fundamental truth of prayer, and the

spirit of prayer, is something the Master constantly repeated. Everything else,without exception, flows from it. Pray ye therefore! If the faint murmur ofsupplication from a holy soul has more power to raise up legions of apostles thanthe eloquent voice of a recruiter of vocations, who has less of the spirit of God,what are we to conclude? Simply that the spirit of prayer, which goes hand inhand, in the true apostle, with zeal, will be the chief reason for the fruitfulness ofhis work.

Pray ye therefore! First of all, pray. Only after that, does Our Lord add"going, teach . . . preach. Of course, God will make use of this other means; butthe blessings that make a ministry fruitful are reserved for the prayers of a man ofinterior life.Such prayer will have the power to bring forth from the bosom of God

the strength for an apostolate that souls cannot resist. The voice of one so great asPius X throws the following highlight upon the theme of this our book: "Torestore all things in Christ by the apostolate of good works, we need divinegrace, and the apostle will only receive it if he is united to Christ. Not until wehave formed Christ within ourselves will we find it easy to give Him to familiesand to societies. And therefore all those who take part in the apostolate mustdevelop a solid piety."

24


25/35


26/35

is, himself, a hard worker and a man of fortification. When he exhorts them tolove one Mother, he will find them ready to listen to him ifhe is himself careful tospread throughout his flock the good odor of Christ, and if the gentleness andhumility of the divine Exemplar are reflected in his own conduct. "A pattern ofthe flock from the heart."

The professor who has no interior life imagines he has done all that isrequired of him if he keeps within the limits of the program of his examination.But if he is a man of prayer some word will now and again slip out, not only fromhis lips but from his heart: some sentiment or other will show itself in hisexpression, some significant gesture will escape him, yes, the mere way he makesthe Sign of the Cross, or says a prayer before or after classeven a class inmathematics!may have a more profound influence on his students than a wholesermon.A sister in a hospital or an orphanage has the power and the effectivemeans to sow in souls a deep love of our Lord and His teachings, even whileremaining prudently within the limits of her duties. But if she has no interior life,she will not even suspect the presence of such a power, or it will not occur to herto do anything more than encourage acts of exterior piety.

Long and frequent discussions did far less to spread Christianity than the

sight of Christian conduct, so opposed to the egotism, injustice, and corruption ofthe pagans. Cardinal Wiseman, in his masterpiece, Fabiola, brings out what apowerful effect the example of the early Christians had upon the souls even ofthose pagans who were most prejudiced against the new religion. The story showsus the progressive and almost irresistible advance of a soul towards the light. Thenoble sentiments, the virtues, whether modest or heroic, which the daughter ofFabius found in various persons of all classes and conditions, excited heradmiration. But what a change took place in her, what a revelation it was for hersoul, when she found out, one by one, that all those whose charity, devotion,modesty, gentleness, moderation, love of justice and chastity she admired, allbelonged to that sect which had always been represented to her as worthy of

execration. From that time forth she was a Christian.Is there anyone who can keep himself from exclaiming, on finishing this

book: "Oh! If only present-day Catholics, or at least their active workers, hadsomething of this splendid Christian life which the great Cardinal here portraysand which, nevertheless, is nothing but the Gospel put into practice! Howirresistible would then be their apostolate among the modern pagans, who aretoo frequently prejudiced against Catholicism by the calumnies of hereticalsects, or repelled by the bitterness of our own answers to our opponents, and bya certain way we sometimes have of asserting our rights in a tone that suggestswounded pride far more than the desire to maintain the interests of Christ!"

What tremendous power there is in the influence radiated by a soul united

to God! It was the way Fr. Passerat celebrated Mass that convinced the youngDesurmont that he should enter the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemerin which he himself was later to achieve such holiness and importance.The public has a sort of intuition that cannot be fooled. When a real man of Godpreaches, people come in crowds to hear him. But as soon as the conduct of anapostle ceases to measure up to what is expected of him, no matter how ably hisenterprise is run, it will be much harmed, and perhaps ruined beyond recovery.

26


27/35

"Let them see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."saidOur Lord. Good example is something St. Paul stressed over and over again inwriting to his two disciples, Titus and Timothy. "In all things show thyself anexample of good works." "Be thou an example of the faithful in word, inconversion, in charity, in faith, in chastity." He himself says: "The thing whichyou have seen in me, these do you.""Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ."And these words full of truth sprang from a confidence and a zeal that far fromexcluded humility, and were of the same kind as those which prompted OurLord's own challenge: "Which of you shall convince me of sin?"

Under these conditions the apostle, following in the footsteps of Him ofwhom it is written: "He began to do and to teach" will soon become operariuminconfusibilem"a workman that need not to be ashamed." "Above all, my dearsons," said Leo XIII "remember that the indispensable condition of true zeal, andthe surest pledge of success is purity and holiness of life.""A holy, perfect andvirtuous man," said St. Theresa, "actually does far more good to souls than a greatmany others who are merely better educated or more talented." Pius X declaredthat: "If our own spirit does not submit to the control of a truly Christian andholy way of life, it will be difficult to make others lead a good life."And he adds,

"All those called to a life of Catholic Works ought to be men of a life so spotlessthat they may give everybody else an effective example."

The Soul of the Apostolate, Principles and Hints, Footnote from St.Augustine, Page 242: Praise the Lord, but praise Him from the very roots ofyour being, that is, not let only your tongues and voices praise the Lord, but alsoyour conscience, your lives, and all that you do. Just as men expect you to be asaint when you present yourself among them as God's delegate, so God demandsit of you when you appear before Him to intercede for mankind. An intercessor isone sent from the the misery of this earth to parley with the justice of God. Now,St. Thomas says, two things are necessary, in an envoy if he is to be favorably

received. The first is that he be a worthy representative of the people who sendhim, and the second that he be a friend of the prince to whom he is sent. Youpriests, who have no esteem for your sanctity, can you call yourself a worthyrepresentative of the Christian people when you do not show forth thecompleteness of the Christian virtues? Can you call yourself the friend of God,when you do not serve Him faithfully? If this is true of the indifferent mediator,how much more so of one who is in sin! How can words be found to express theanomalies of his appalling situation? Good souls come to you and say:Pray forme, Father, you have credit in the sight of God.But would you like to know whatefficacy there is in the protection thus piously invoked? God is more pleased withthe barking of dogs, than with the prayer of such clerics.

The Soul of the Apostolate, Action Made Fruitful, Page 127: It is aterrible misfortune when there is not to be found one really interior soul amongall those at the head of important Catholic projects. Then it seems as though thesupernatural had undergone an eclipse, and the power of God were in chains.And the saints teach us that, when this happens, a whole nation may fall into adecline, and Providence will seem to have given evil men a free hand to do all the

27


28/35

harm they desire.

My Chaste Spouse

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women,and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for

us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

How Do I Go About Choosing A Suitable Spouse?

There are two categorical ways about choosing a spouse you wish to marry. First I am going togive you the categories in which pagans choose their spouse. I use the numbering system forthe purpose of importance. The first being of the highest importance etc. After I explain howthe pagans choose their spouses, I will talk about how Christians choose their spouses.

Spouses of the Damned

1. Physical Beauty This is strictly for lustful reasons. There is little that needs to be added to this most

obvious trait. It is justly explained by the Archangel St. Raphael: Hear me, and Iwill show thee who they are, over whom the devil can prevail. For they who insuch manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves, and fromtheir mind, and to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule, which havenot understanding, over them the devil hath power. LIII

2. Piety: Love of the World This is piety in the sense of godlessness. These are children of the reprobate, they

wish to have nothing to do with God. They despise holiness, just like Satan despisesholy water. Every time Satan touches holy waters he receives the greatest pain, justlike their father, these children have no peace. The sting of their conscience is everat their side leaving them no rest. Where are the princes of the nations, and theythat rule over the beasts that are upon the earth? They that take their diversionwith the birds of the air; that hoard up silver and gold wherein men trust, andthere is no end of their getting; that work in silver and are solicitous, and theirworks are unsearchable? They are cut off and are gone down to hell, and othersare risen up in their place. LIV

The Sinners Guide, Venerable Louis Of Granada, Love of theWorld, Page 235: Observe how strongly the idea of punishment in thislife is shown by the expressions forthwith, without delay, immediately.

They clearly indicate that besides the future punishment of their crimes,the wicked will suffer for them even in this world. Hence the manycalamities which they endure. Hence the incessant trials, anxieties,fatigues, and necessities, of which they are keenly sensible, and which, intheir blindness, they regard as the inevitable conditions of nature ratherthan the punishment of their sins. For as they do not recognize naturaladvantages as benefits from God, and therefore do not thank Him for

28


29/35

them, neither do they regard the calamities which overtake them as themarks of His displeasure, and consequently receive no benefit from them.Other misfortunes, such as imprisonment, banishment, loss of fortune,come upon the wicked through God's representatives upon earth, theministers of justice. Dearly bought, then, is the pleasure of sin, for whichthey pay a hundredfold even in this life.

3. Personality: Wicked The Sinners Guide , Venerable Louis Of Granada, Presumptuously

Continuing in Sin, Page 212: As an increase in virtue is the effect and reward ofvirtue, so likewise an increase in sin is the effect and punishment of sin. Indeed, it isone of the greatest chastisements that can be inflicted on us, when we arepermitted, through blindness and passion, to rush headlong down the broad road ofvice, adding sin to sin everyday and hour of our lives. This is but just; for whenman once mortally sins he loses all right to any help from God. It is owing solely tothe divine mercy when he is converted. Look, therefore, over the world, and beholdthe greatness of its iniquity. Think of the millions who are living in infidelity andheresy. Think how many calling themselves Christians are daily betraying their

name by their scandalous lives.

4. Intelligence: Being Highly Esteemed Those who seek to be the smartest in the world, at college, at high school, at work,

what I ask does it avail poor pagan? Why do you seek to be the greatest? Neversuffer pride to reign in thy mind or in thy words, for from it all perdition took itsbeginning. LV

The Sinners Guide, Venerable Louis Of Granada, Love of theWorld, Page 233-234, 259: What has become of the wise men, thescholars, the searchers into the secrets of nature? Where is the famousAlexander? Where is the mighty Assuerus? Where are the Caesars and the

other kings of the earth? What does it now avail them that they lived inpomp and glory, that they had legions of soldiers, and servants, and flattersalmost without number? All have vanished like a shadow or a dream In onemoment all that constitutes human happiness fades away as the mistbefore the morning sun. Behold, then, dear Christian, how brief it is. Firstreflect on the terrible punishment which the angels brought uponthemselves by one sin of pride. They were instantly cast from Heaven intothe lowest depths of Hell. Consider how this fall transformed Lucifer, theprince of the angelic hosts, and the bright beautiful star surpassing insplendor the sun itself. In one moment he lost all his glory, and became notonly a demon but the chief of demons. If pure spirits received such

punishment, what can you expect, who are but dust and ashes? God is everthe same, and there is no distinction of persons before His justice. Pride isodious to Him in a man as in an angel, while humility is equally pleasing toHim in both. Hence St. Augustine says,Humility makes men angels, andpride makes angels devils. And St. Bernard tells us,Pride precipitatesman from the highest elevation to the lowest abyss, but humility raiseshim from the lowest abyss to the highest elevation. Through pride the

29


30/35

angels fell from heaven to Hell, and through humility man is raised fromearth to Heaven.

5. Wealth: Being Rich In Materials The Sinners Guide , Venerable Louis Of Granada, Remedies against

Covetousness, Page 273:We cannot better explain this doctrine than by thewords of St. Gregory:Remember that the riches you have unlawfully acquiredremain in this world, but the sins you committed in obtaining them willaccompany you into the next How great is your folly, then, to leave your profithere and to take only your loss with you-to afford others gratification in thisworld while you endure everlasting sufferings in the world to come!

6. Wanting a family: Passing The Legacy of their Godlessness to their Children

The Sinners Guide , Venerable Louis Of Granada,Virtue Considered TooDifficult, Page 224: But let us suppose that the path of virtue is sown withdifficulties and hardships. Will this prove that you ought not walk in it? Oh, no! Areyou not expected to do something for the salvation of your sou? Will you not do at

least as much as for this grand purpose, for eternity, as you do for your body and fortime, which for you is rapidly passing away and will soon leave you at the tomb?What is a little suffering in this life, if you are spared everlasting torments? Think ofthe rich glutton, now burning in Hell. What would he not do to expiate his sins,could he return to this world? There is no reason why you should not now do asmuch, if you feel that you have ever offended God.

7. Faithful: Being An Obstinate Sinner Until Death deferring their conversion until death 198 Sin and Its Consequences , Henry Edward Manning Cardinal Archbishop

of Westminster, Page 107: There can only be a moral limit, and a moral limit

there is, but what is it? I said before:All sin and all blasphemy shall be forgivenunto men, save only the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost; that shall never be forgivenin this world or in the world to come. (Matt. 12:31-32) But what is blasphemy of theHoly Ghost? It is resistance to the known truth. It is the refusal of the grace ofpenance. It is the outrage done to the Absolver Himself, the Giver of Life; and thatby the impenitence of the sinner. The one only sin which the Precious Blood cannotabsolve, is the sin that is not repented of; that is the sole and only sin that shall notbe washed as white as snow.

The Sinners Guide, Venerable Louis Of Granada, Peace ofConscience, Page 127-129: Thus we are told that King Antiochus,during his sickness, was so assailed by the thoughts of his past crimes that

the grief they occasion brought on his death. I remember, he cried, theevils that I did in Jerusalem, whence also I took away all the spoils of goldand of silver that were in it, and I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judawithout cause. I know, therefore, that for this cause these evils have foundme; and behold I perish with great grief in a strange land. Thus does HolyScripture portray the torments of which the heart of the sinner is both thetheater and the victim. A philosopher was wisely said that by an eternal law

30


31/35


32/35

ever enamored of thee and of thy beauty.' Mary was graciously pleasedonce more to satisfy him, and again consoled him with her presence; butbecause this loving Queen can never injure any one, she not only did notdeprive him of the sight of the other eye, but even restored him the one hehad lost.

The Glories of Mary, St. Alphonsus Liguori, On the Assumptionof Mary, 400-401: Csarius relates, that a Cistercian who was verydevout to the Blessed Virgin desired to receive a visit from this dear Lady,and continually asked for it in his prayers. Being one night in the garden, ashe was looking up to heaven and sighing with the desire of seeing her, hebeheld a beautiful virgin coming down from heaven surrounded with light,who said to him, 'Thomas, would you hear me sing?' 'Certainly,' hereplied. And forthwith the virgin sang with such sweetness, that the monkbelieved himself to he in paradise. As soon as she had ceased to sing, shedisappeared leaving him full of desire to know who she was. But behold,another most beautiful virgin appeared to him who also let him hear hersing. Upon this he could no longer restrain himself from asking who she

might be. She replied,'She whom you saw just now was Catherine, and Iam Agnes, both martyrs of Jesus Christ; and we are sent by our Lady toconsole you. Give thanks to Mary, and prepare yourself to receive agreater favor.' And saying this she disappeared. But the monk had nowgreater hopes to see at last his Queen. He was not deceived; for hepresently saw a bright light, and felt his heart filled with a new joy; and,behold, the Mother of God appeared in the midst of that light, surroundedby angels, and of a beauty incomparably greater than that of the two otherSaints, and said to him, 'My dear servant and son, I have accepted yourdevotion to me, and have heard your prayers: you have desired to see me;behold me, and I will allow you to hear me also sing.' The most Holy

Virgin began to sing; and so great was the sweetness, that the pious monklost his senses, and fell with his face to the ground. The bell for matinsrang; the monks assembled in choir, and not seeing Thomas, sought forhim in his cell and in other places. At last they found him in the garden, asit were dead. The Superior ordered him to relate what had happened tohim; and then coming to himself, through virtue of obedience he related allthe favors he had received from the Divine Mother.

2. Charity towards God3. Humility4. Divine Wisdom

5. Poverty: Rich in Graces and Merits6. Charity towards Spouse7. Obedience

32


33/35

Works Cited

The AngelsThe True Spouse of Jesus ChristThe Glories of MaryThe Soul of the Apostolate

The Catechism ExplainedThe Sinners Guide

33


34/35

I Canticles 2:10

II Luke 12:8-9III Canticle of Canticles 6:3

IV Canticle of Canticles 5:10

V Luke 2:35

VI Canticle of Canticles 6:4

VII Canticle of Canticles 1:2

VIII Canticle of Canticles 6:3

IX Canticle of Canticles 1:6X Preparation For Consecration To Jesus Through Mary recommended by St. Louis de MontfortXI Canticles 2:5

XII Ephesians 5:31

XIII Angels, Page: 52XIV The Catholic Faith alone is Christian. He who is not Catholic is not Christian. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism.

XV The One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church which is currently headed by Pope Michael.XVI The Ten Commandments:1. Thou shalt have no strange gods before Me.

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

3. Thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath day.

4. Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother, that thou mayst be long-lived upon the land which the Lord thy God

will give thee.

5. Thou shalt not kill6. Thou shalt not commit adultery

7. Thou shalt not steal

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor his servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is his.

XVII The Six Precepts of the Church:1. To hear Mass on Sundays and Holydays of obligation.

2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed.

3. To confess at least once a year.

4. To receive the Holy Eucharist during the Easter time.

5. To contribute to the support of our pastors.

6. Not to marry persons who are not Catholics, or who are related to use within a forbidden

my chaste spouse the blessed virgin mary

Documents