Monday's Resolution

Resolution - Animated with grateful love, I will begin a life of love and sacrifice.

Spiritual Bouquet - "I have said it: 'Today I will begin.' "

Affections - O dear Jesus, to prove Thy infinite love for me Thou didst will to shed Thy Precious Blood. Should not the consideration of such love fill me with sincere gratitude, and cause me to exclaim: "lord, I will give Thee love for love, sacrifice for sacrifice. Thou offers for me today the first droplets of Thy Precious Blood, and I give Thee the first moments of the new year which, with the assistance of Thy grace, I resolve to spend in earnest pursuit of genuine virtue and sanctity. Support my good will, dear Jesus. May Thy holy name be my strength, my hope, my salvation, my consolation, and my life. In thy name. I shall courageously undertake the battle against the enemies of my soul, and shall carry the yoke of Thy law with unflinching fidelity."

 

Sunday's Resolution

 Resolution: Today I will perform all my duties with especial fervor and zeal.

Spiritual Bouquet: "Work whilst it is day."

Affections: O my God, what a plentitude of graces and benefits has Thy infinite generosity bestowed upon me during the past year? Can I ever thank Thee adequately? Alas! To my great confusion I must acknowledge that I justly deserve Thy chastisements because of my ingratitude and my abuse of Thy benefits. Pardon, O benign Father, the negligence, the indolence and the infidelity of Thy poor, weak child. By means of prayer and the Sacraments, Thou didst offer me abundant graces to enable me to fulfill Thy holy Will zealously in the duties of my vocation, but I have shamefully abused Thy love by resisting grace. Do Thou, O my beloved Jesus, supply all my negligences through Thy infinite merits; increase Thy love in my heart, that in the future I may courageously and steadfastly follow Thee on the way of the cross, to Thy glory. 

 

Saturday's Resolution

 Resolution: With zeal and joy, we will fulfill the holy will of God in our daily prayers.

Spiritual Bouquet: "Let us go over to Bethlehem and let us see what the angel has announced to us, this word that is come to pass."

Affections: O my beloved Savior, filled with joy, I also appear at Thy crib, in order to offer Thee the gratitude of my heart, in union with the happy shepherds. How pleasing to Thee were the faith, the simplicity, the candor of these loyal childlike souls! How bounteously didst Thou reward them with graces and blessings! Oh, let my heart be filled with their sentiments! Let me participate in the enlightenment and operations of grace which Thou dost so generously impart to simple, candid souls who seek Thee alone in the fulfillment of their duties. Grant me zeal animated by Thy love, the I may lead others to Thee, so Thou mayest be known, loved and praised by all in time and in eternity.

Friday's Resolution

 Resolution: We will unite ourselves frequently during the day with the holy angels, to offer the Christ Child our adoration.

Spiritual Bouquet: "Glory to God in the highest: and peace to men of good will!"

Affections: O Divine Savior, Thou joy of angels and of men, I prostrate myself in adoration before Thy crib and offer Thee, in reparation for my unworthiness, the pure and lofty homage which the angelic choirs present to Thee unremittingly. In profound reverence, I consecrate my heart and soul, all that I am and have to thee, to be employed in Thy service, solely for Thy honor and glory. O Divine Infant, that camest down to earth to restore the honor of the Heavenly Father, give me the good will that seeks naught, desires naught, but to please God alone and win all hearts for Him. Grant us, O Lord, Thy peace which is the embodiment of all good and the pledge of the blissful peace that awaits us in heaven. 

Thursday's Resolution

 Resolution: I will unite the mortifications that God may require of me today, with the sufferings that my dear Savior endured for me in the crib.

Spiritual Bouquet: "To those who love God, all things tend to good."

Affections: O Divine Child, Who camest into the world to redeem and sanctify us, what great sacrifices didst Thou not impose upon Thyself, even in the crib, that I might recognize that only a penitential, mortified life can lead to Thy love, and to perfect union with Thee. Yes, henceforward, with the help of Thy grace, I will work zealously at my sanctification. With childlike confidence I will submit to the direction of Thy Divine Providence. Through the voluntary acceptance of the daily contradictions, I will try to secure strength and courage to overcome all difficulties in the road to perfection.

Wednesday's Resolution

 Resolution: For the love of Jesus and Mary, and to merit their especial pleasure, I will aspire to great purity of heart.

Spiritual Bouquet: "He that loveth cleanness of heart . . . shall have the King for his friend."

Affections: St. John, the Apostle of love, who wast so dear to the Heart of the Divine Master, who didst penetrate with the vision of spotless purity the mystery of the Incarnate Eternal wisdom, lead us to the manger of Him Whose delight it is to be with the children of men, Who seeks pure hearts, for His abode. Obtain for us the grace that Mary, given to us as Mother through thee, take us under her patronage and help us according to thy example to imitate her virtues and render ourselves daily more worthy of the title "children of Mary." Let us ever experience, especially in the hour of death, how good it is to love Mary.

Tuesday's Resolution

 Resolution: I will beg St. Stephen for great love of God and of neighbor.

Spiritual Bouquet: "I see heavens opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7, 55).

Affections: O Divine Savior, is it not the self-same immeasurable love and mercy that revealed Thee yesterday in the poverty and lowliness of the manger, in the weakness and amiability of childhood, that today reveals Thee in heavenly glory encouraging Thy holy martyr to persevere in the struggle, by holding out to him the crown of victory? yes, O my Jesus, Thou wouldst say: The more you resemble Me in renunciation and patience, in humility and faithful imitation on the way of the cross, the more glorious will be your portion in me and My glory! Oh enrich us with Thy graces, enrich us with the love of God and of neighbor, that therein we may find strength to fight for Thee, in order to enter Thy glory, to which Thou didst today call Thy faithful servant. 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.

Merry Christmas Resolution

 Resolution: With heartfelt joy and gratitude, we will renew our good resolves at eh crib of the Divine Child. 

Spiritual Bouquet: "This day is born to you a Savior." (Luke 2, 11).

Affections: O Divine Savior, Who dost love the pure, the simple and the humble of heart, and callest such to Thy manger, behold, I give Thee my poor heart; infuse into it the virtues of Thy holy Childhood, that my whole life may redound to Thy glory, and I become worthy, in union with Mary and Joseph, and all the angels and saints,  to thank Thee for all eternity for the inestimable benefit of the Incarnation. O holy, mysterious night, so full of grace, in which the Eternal Word descended from His heavenly home and became Man! Rejoice and be glad with us, ye heavenly hosts, for the Almighty has worked an incomprehensibly great wonder. The King of eternal glory has assumed the form of a servant, and appeared in this world as a delicate, tender, loving Child. The glory of His splendor illuminates the spiritual darkness. He came, our sweetest Savior, to make us children of God, for it is His pleasure to dwell among us. O Thou amiable, Divine Child, when I consider the incomprehensible love and mercy that induced Thee to assume our human nature, my heart overflows with joy, admiration, adoration and thanksgiving, and my lips must remain silent. No tongue can worthily praise and extol the glory and grace of Thy Holy Incarnation. Thou art the great God, the Prince of Peace, the heavenly Bridegroom of our souls. Thou art our Peace, our Salvation, our Bread off life. What can we give Thee in this hour, other than the oblation of our good will, according to the angels' bidding! We lay it, with the promise of our love and fidelity, at Thy feet. Strengthen and confirm in us the holy sentiments inspired by Thy grace. O Mary and Joseph, in your midst let us lay at the feet of the Holy Infant our tribute of adoration and fervent love, singing with the angels: "Glory to God, in the highest!" (Luke 2, 14). Praise and thanksgiving be to the Blessed Savior Who replenishes our souls with His divine peace!

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.

Sunday's Resolution

 Resolution: I will often today be mindful of the presence of God, and by numerous acts of humility, meekness and patience prepare a worthy resting place in my heart for my Divine Savior.

Spiritual Bouquet: "They found no room in the inn."

Affections: What a sublime example of virtue dost Thou set me in Thy journey to Bethlehem, O Virgin Mother of my Savor, and thou, her purest bridegroom, St. Joseph! What humility and obedience do I admire in you! Ye have truly imbibed the spirit of Jesus; love of poverty and seclusion has captivated your hearts. Oh, let me hasten to Bethlehem in your holy company, to behold the wonders of the Most High! Let me share your ardent love, your fervor. Divine Savior, behold we are preparing for Thy gracious advent. Thou shalt not first knock at the door of our hearts to beg admittance; no, we entreat Thee, come into our hearts, watching and expecting we stand at the door until Thou comest! Oh, yes, come soon that Thou mayest no longer be our Emmanuel, but also our Jesus, our Savior. With all the ardor of our soul, we cry to Thee: "O Emmanuel,  our King and Lawgiver, the expectation of the Gentiles, and their Savior, come and save us, O Lord our God."

Saturday's Resolution

 Resolution: By fervor in the practice of virtue, I will strive to prepare m heart ever better for Holy Communion.

Spiritual Bouquet: "I am the living Bread; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever."

Affections: O my Jesus, Thou didst not despise the little town of Bethlehem but didst choose it for Thy birthplace. Thou dost, likewise, not disdain to take up Thy abode in a poor unworthy heart, provided it is free from sin and adorned with virtues. I realize full well how much there is yet lacking before I can truly say that my heart is a worthy resting place for Thee. To whom shall I have recourse in my poverty and need but to Thee, O Jesus, Thou truly Good Shepherd my soul, Who dost so lovingly invite the burdened and the heavily laden, in order to refresh them? Thou gavest me all when Thou gravest Thyself in this Sacrament of Love. I, too, offer myself entirely to Thee, with all that I have and am. Oh, great that through Thy all-powerful grace, I may remain most intimately united with Thee in life and in death! With the universal Church, we cry to Thee today: "O King of the Gentiles and their desired one, the cornerstone that joints two walls; come and save man, whom Thou didst form out of slime.

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio. 

Friday's Resolution

 Resolution: I will strive to be recollected in God today, and frequently excite acts of faith and love.

Spiritual Bouquet: "My Lord and my God!"

Affections: O glorious Apostle, St. Thomas, who hast let so great a number of infidel nations to Christ, we pray thee guide us to the manger of our Emmanuel, Who will manifest Himself to His Church in a few days. In order to appear worthily in His holy presence, we stand in need of heavenly light, and a living faith. Obtain it for us, O holy Apostle, together with that ardent love which thou didst draw from the Heart of the Savior. We, too, wish to be of the number of those who, not seeing, still believe; we long to prostrate ourselves before the new-born Savior, and lovingly to cry out in all humility: "My Lord and my God!" Pray also, O glorious Apostle, for all missionaries, who are thy successors, that the Sun of Justice may anew enlighten the countries moistened and fructified with thy blood. Therefore, we pray today, with the universal Church: "O repent, Brightness of Eternal Light, King of Glory, come and enlighten those that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death."

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio. 

Thursday's Resolution

 Resolution: I will frequently retire into my heart in the course of the day, and in silence hold communion with my Savior.  

Spiritual Bouquet: "Behold, I stand at the gate and knock."

Affections: What happiness, O Lord, to hear Thy voice "Behold, I stand at the gate and knock" (Apocalypse. 3, 20). Lord, Thou wilt enter my heart! Oh, what an inexpressible grace for me! In Thy ineffable goodness Thou hast overlooked all my defects and shortcomings. Though I love Thee, Lord, and strive for virtue, I must fear Thou wilt find nothing in my heart that will please Thee. Oh, may Thy almighty grace inflame my poor, cold heart with the fire of holy love, so that in future it may belong wholly to Thee, that Thou canst possess it and rule it according to Thy good measure. O Mary, Mother of God, who was so intimately united with Him, Whom heaven and earth cannot contain, prepare our hearts, that thou mayest be able to deposit thy Son therein with joy and pleasure when He deigns to visit us in Holy Communion. With all the faithful of Holy Church we cry: "O Key of David and Scepter of the house of Israel, who openest and no man shutteth; who shuttest and no man openeth; come and take out of prison him who is in fetters, and who sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death."

Jesus, The Model of Religious

Frederick Pustet Co., 

New York, 1925

Translated from the German of a Religious of the Congregation of St. Charles Borromeo, by a Sister of Notre Dame, Cleveland, Ohio. 

Wednesday's Resolution

 

Resolution: I will prepare for the advent of the Lord by silence and fervent prayer.

Spiritual Bouquet: "The Lord is nigh" (Ps. 44, 19).

Affections: O Divine Savior Whose infinite sanctity becomes more and more manifest to us in meditation, we realize how zealously we must cleanse ourselves of our faults. Thy ineffable clemency has called us to intimate union with Thee even in this life, and one day to behold Thee face to face in heaven. Oh, render us worthy of such a sublime calling; Thou alone canst do it by Thy all-powerful grace. We entreat Thee, by the ever blessed Virgin Mary who gave Thee, the Source and Author of all graces, to the world. Through Mary and in union with her, we dare to approach Thee and pray with all the ardor of our souls: "O Thou Root of Jesse, Who art a signal to the people in whose presence the Kings are silent, and unto whom the nations cry 'Come and deliver us now and delay no longer.' "

Tuesday's Resolution

 

Resolution: Today I will often implore God for a sincere, righteous and self-immolating heart.

Spiritual Bouquet: "Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. 50, 12)

Affections: O my God, enlightened by Thy grace, what weakness do I detect in myself, what bitterness and harshness in my character! How insincere and perverse is my will! O Lord, give me with this knowledge of self also the strength to remove all these hindrances from my heart. This, however, cannot be done without the true spirit of immolation, without mortification and self-denial. Oh, give me these so necessary virtues, that I may practice them on all occasions and thus experience that Thy yoke is sweet and Thy burden light. Give me that sincerity and uprightness of mind, which characterizes Thy true children and which I should strive pre-eminently to acquire in my holy state. O holy Virgin, Mother of God send the fire of thy love into my heart warm it and complete its purification by thy powerful intercession, that our Emmanuel, when thou wilt give Him to us, shall find no obstacle to His entrance into our hearts. With what love and eagerness do we not anticipate His coming! "O Adonai, Thou Leader of the House of Israel, Who didst appear to Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him Thy law on Mt. Sinai, come and stretch out Thy arm to redeem us."

Monday's Resolution

 

Resolution: I will often entreat God for true self knowledge and sincere contrition.

Spiritual Bouquet: "A contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise."

Affections: O Divine Savior, teach me to understand that the best preparation for Thy coming consists in true humility. Let me endeavor with all my heart to acquire this virtue, that Thou mayest delight to take up Thy abode in my heart and pour out upon me the abundance of Thy graces. Thou alone, O my Savior, canst give me this so necessary virtue; without Thee all my desires will vanish like vapor; without Thee my resolutions will never be executed. Turn then Thy gracious eyes upon me, O Jesus, and grant that my heart may resemble Thine in humility, meekness and amiability.

     O Holy Virgin, who through thy profound humility, wast a blessed valley which drew the heavenly graces into it, obtain for us all divine light that we may recognize what we are before God and what we ought to be, according to His all-merciful designs. With Holy Church we beg today for Divine Wisdom, which Jesus is ready again to bestow upon us in most generous measure. "O Most High, reaching from end to end, with might and sweetness disposing all things-come and lead us on the path of humility and self-knowledge, which alone leads to eternal salvation."

Sunday's Resolution

 

Resolution: In order to acquire thorough knowledge of self, I will make my daily examen with increased fervor and zeal.

Spiritual Bouquet: "There hath stood One in your midst Whom you know not."

Affections: O my Divine Saviour, how consoling and honorable for Thy holy precursor, to be the voice crying out to men to prepare the way of the Lord! Rejoicing with her whole heart, Holy Church, at Thy approaching advent, invites all her children to participate in her joy. With a tender love we will respond to her invitation, ever mindful that Thou art nigh to each one of us. Thou desires to be near us with Thy grace and Thy peace: but how many remain at a distance, because they know Thee not, nor do they desire to know Thee. O Divine Saviour, enlighten these blinded souls, draw them unto Thee by the sweet power of Thy grace. Compel the obdurate to enter into themselves and remove the obstacles that oppose Thy bountiful advent in their hearts. True to the admonition of the Apostle, we will hasten to meet Thee with prayers, fasting, impetration and thanksgiving, to participate in Thy peace, which surpasses all comprehension.

Saturday's Resolution

 

Resolution: I will obey cheerfully and readily, when called to a duty, be it by the voice of my superior or by the precepts of our Holy Rule. (from a religious sisters book)

Spiritual Bouquet: "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy word!"

Affections: O Mary, happy Virgin, thou callest thyself a handmaid but thou art also His Mother, His Spouse. Thou art a handmaid, but at the same time Queen of Angels, Thou art the servant most pleasing to God and the object of His tenderest love. Oh, obtain for me the grace always and everywhere to say with ardent love: Behold, O Lord, I am Thy handmaid, be it done unto me according to Ty word. Henceforth I will no longer close my ears to Thy holy inspirations. Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth! Thy servant is ready to do Thy Will. But assist me with Thy grace, that I may perfectly fulfill, not only Thy commands, but even Thy slightest wish. 

Friday's Resolution

Resolution: In all difficulties, I will humbly have recourse to God.

Spiritual Bouquet: "Nothing shall be impossible with God."

Affections: O purest Virgin, enhanced by thy wisdom and humility, virginity shines forth in thee in all its splendor. Thou has merited to conceive and to present to us Him Who comes as the "Blessed in the name of the Lord." Thou fillest heaven with exultation and bliss, and earth with joy and delight. O Mary, who hast found grace which establishes peace between God and man, obtain for thy children, a share of this blessed peace. Obtain for us thy profound humility, thy heavenly purity, thy fiery steadfast love of God, that nothing may be impossible for us, and that with implicit trust in God we may accomplish all His sacred delights.  

Thursday's Resolution

Resolution: I will cherish recollection of the presence of God and perform all my actions in union with Him.

Spiritual Bouquet: Lord, abide with me by Thy grace that I may remain faithful to Thee.

Affections: O holiest Virgin, with profound reverence I say with the angel; "The Lord is with thee." Yea, He is with thee, who art blessed among women, and He will be with thee through all eternity. With the greatest joy, I contemplate the inexpressible happiness that thou, O holy Virgin, didst find in the possession of God. In Him thou dost possess the source of all graces, the vast wealth of heavenly treasures. Oh, obtain for me a share in the glorious happiness of union with God. Pray your Divine Son to be ever near with His grace that I may be firmly riveted to Him by the bond of love, that I may live in Him and He in me through all eternity.

Wednesdays Resolution

Resolution: During the holy season of Advent, I will say the Angelus with special devotion.

Spiritual Bouquet: "Hail, full of grace!"

Affections: We salute thee, O ever blessed Virgin, fun of grace, our mediator and intercessor. We rejoice in the glory and wealth of graces with which God endowed thee. No tongue can tell their immensity. Not even the holy archangel Gabriel could adequately extol the plentitude of divine grace of which thou wert the recipient. The Lord endowed thee so lavishly because from all eternity thou wert chosen to be the Mother of the Eternal Word, because thou wert to be the dispenser of divine grace, the Mother of the redeemed. Be mindful, therefore, of the countless souls who have recourse to thee, in the trials and hardships of life. Entreat for us grace that will make us pleasing to the Son and to thee, but especially obtain for us perfect love of God and perseverance to the end.

Tuesdays Resolution

Resolution: We will follow the inspirations of grace and strive to maintain interior recollection and solitude as much as possible, during this holy season.

Spiritual Bouquet: "A virgin hath brought forth One Who was both God and man."

Monday's Resolution

Resolution: We will often beg the Blessed Virgin to teach us how to prepare our hearts for the advent of the Savior by fidelity to grace.

Spiritual Bouquet: "The Most High has sanctified His own tabernacle" (Ps. 45, 5).

Immaculate Conception Part 2

Click on Image to Enlarge

Science teaches us that, where there is an apparent gap in the chain of life, there must be some being which fills it. There was one important deficiency; there was no example of a simple human being who was sinless and full of grace. The only two who were so created hastened promptly to disembarrass themselves of the great privilege at the mere word of the tempter. The completeness of God's work in Creation and Redemption required that there should be an example of what His grace was able to effect in human nature, a being that we could look up to as the ideal of simple creatures in the class below the Divine Man. Many had risen to great holiness by repentance for their sins, others by innocence which they never lost; Jeremias and John the Baptist had further been purified from sin before their birth. Still, in one remote corner of human life Satan had found a strong hold; all were, in the first moments of existence, subject to him by original sin. It was necessary in one case to drive him from that last retreat, and exhibit one being absolutely free from sin and full of all human perfection, For the glory of God, the Blessed Virgin was preserved from even the indeliberate inherited stain of sin; she was conceived immaculate. Honor her as the delight of the Almighty, the highest of His works, the fullest manifestation of His power and holiness, the example of perfect human life among mere creatures.

Continue Reading.

 

The Immaculate Conception Part 1

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Adam and Eve came into existence immaculate, in the state of grace. This was to have been the birthright of humanity; but Adam, at the suggestion of Satan, chose the lower state of the mere natural existence, and so lost the power of transmitting what He had rejected. Thenceforth all men are born defective, deprived of supernatural life; and in that fallen state they resemble Satan in his inaptitude for God and propension towards evil. This privation of grace and the higher life is the state of original sin. From this the Blessed Virgin was preserved. She was antecedently liable to it, as being descended by ordinary generation from Adam. She was saved by the Redemption, as we are, but in a better way, by prevention, and not by cure. No act of hers nor of her parents, but the intervention of the merits of her Divine Son, saved her from the torrent which was about to descend upon her. She came into life then, like Adam and Eve, adorned with sanctifying grace, living with the supernatural life, possessing God with her. This is her Immaculate Conception. Our Lady can say, and she alone: "I am clean and without sin ; I am unspotted and there is no iniquity in me 1 (Job xxxiii. 9). Admire here the great goodness of God, the great power of the merits of Jesus, who is "wonderful in His saints"(Ps. Ixvii. 36), and most of all in His Mother. 

Continue Reading.

 

Advent Friday Resolution

Resolution: We will be attentive to the interior enlightenments and movements of grace and seek to correspond to them zealously.

 

Spiritual Bouquet:  "Let the earth be opened and bud forth the Savior."

Jesus , Model of Religious, 1925

Advent Thursday Resolution

Resolution: We will frequently excite in our hearts a burning desire for Jesus and His grace. 

 

Spiritual Bouquet:  "Drop down ye heavens the Just!"

Jesus , Model of Religious, 1925

Advent Wednesday Resolution

Resolution: We will perform all our actions, especially those that are repugnant to nature, for the love of Jesus.

 

Spiritual Bouquet: "God so loved the world as to give His only begotten Son."

Jesus , Model of Religious, 1925

Advent Tuesday Resolution

In the struggles and trials of the day, we will call to mind that by patience and fidelity we must conquer the enemy and acquire merit.  

Jesus , Model of Religious, 1925