Love God's Creation
"Suppose a man should make a ring for his betrothed, and she should
love the ring more wholeheartedly than the betrothed who made it for
her. Certainly, let her love his gift: but if she should say, 'The
ring is enough. I do not want to see his face again,' what would we
say of her?
The pledge is given her by the betrothed just that, in his pledge, he
himself may be loved. God, then has given you all these things. Love
him who made them."
--St. Augustine--Sermon on 1 John 2, 11
Prayer: Lord, let those who understand, praise you, and let those who understand you not, praise you, too.
--St. Augustine--Confessions 11, 31
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February 17th - The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order
On the feast of the Assumption, 1233 the Blessed Virgin appeared to
seven noble Florentines exhorting them to leave the world and retire
to live in solitude and prayer.
The seven retired to La Camarzia. After a time they returned to
Florence and the inhabitants came outside the city to receive them in
great joy. Newborn infants from the arms of their mothers called out
on seeing them: “These are the Servants of Mary!”
The seven adopted that name and dedicated their lives to propagate the
devotion to the Passion of Our Lord and the Sorrows of Mary. Later, on
the Feast of the Assumption in 1240 Our Lady appeared to them carrying
a black habit, and a nearby angel bore a scroll reading Servants of
Mary. She told them:
“You will found a new Order, and you will be my witnesses
throughout the world. This is your name: Servants of Mary. This is
your rule: that of Saint Augustine. And here is your distinctive sign:
the black scapular, in memory of my sufferings at the foot of the
Cross.”
The Order developed rapidly not only in Italy but also in France and
Germany, where the Holy Founders spread devotion to the Seven Sorrows
of Mary. Their Order was duly approved by the Pope in 1259. They were
canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1888.
Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)
This is one of the oldest Orders specially dedicated to spread
devotion to Our Lady. It is a very beautiful title, The Servants of
Mary, which was miraculously inspired when infants still unable to
speak began to shout it in praise of the Seven Holy Founders who were
returning to Florence. This title designates a special devotion to Our
Lady that would reach its full form centuries later with the
explications of St. Louis Grignion de Montfort in his Treatise of True
Devotion to Mary.
Essentially to be a servant of Our Lady is the same thing as to be her
slave. It represents the renunciation of one’s past, present, and
future merits and goods – both spiritual and material. It is an
excellent designation that marks the distinction between the true
Catholic position and the revolutionary one.
Today many people, including progressivist theologians, think that it
is shameful for the modern man to be a servant or a slave of Our Lady.
It would be acceptable in the past, but since the abolition of
slavery, there should no longer be servants or slaves, even for Our
Lady. So, regarding our relations with Our Lady, we should call
ourselves her children but not her servants or slaves, because it is
not in accordance with human dignity. This is obviously an egalitarian
and revolutionary affirmation.
In reality, it is an honor to be the servant of Our Lady, who is the
Queen of Heaven and Earth. The principal desire of our lives is to be
her true slaves. Because as her servants we are also her children, a
special kind of children who desire her glory above all and renounce
everything for this end.
The name of the Order of the Servants of Mary, or Servites, was
clearly a name desired not only by the Seven Saints who founded it,
but also by Our Lady, who affirmed their choice. This name was also
endorsed when the Pope approved the Order, and when the Church
canonized the Founders in the 19th century. Therefore, it is an
excellent name.
It is a work of the Devil, the inspirer of the Revolution, to strive
to destroy every kind of superiority, not only on this earth, but even
in the supernatural order. The Revolution cannot abide acknowledging
the immense inequality God put between His Mother and all other
creatures – Angels, Saints and the rest of mankind. Between Our Lady
and all creatures there is a veritable abyss. It is irrational to deny
this or even raise a doubt about it.
Notwithstanding, this is what the Revolution does. Denial of every
hierarchy is a characteristic of its spirit. It also is the root of
Atheism, which in effect is hatred for the fact that there is a Lord
in Heaven Who reigns over all of us. The revolutionary spirit rejects
every form of lordship.
Karl Marx formulated this hatred of any superiority: he said that the
goal of Marxism was to do away with every kind of alienation. This
word originates from the Latin: alienatio, which is the transfer of
the right of ownership from one person to another. For Marx, no one
should ever cede dominion over himself to any other person. Any form
of superiority and authority would be evil because it would cause an unjustifiable alienation of the inferior person, which would be to
usurp his right and will, and to exploit his labor.
So, it causes alienation when the father commands his children; the
husband, his wife; the teacher, his pupil, employer, his employees;
the noble, his plebeians; etc. Any sort of authority would cause
alienation. The worst alienation for Marx, however, is the one
produced by God. According to him, God does not exist; God is a myth. Therefore, in addition to being hateful, the alienation toward God
would be something empty and idiotic.
What should we ask the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites? If these
13th century men were to resurrect and see what is going on in the
Church and the world today, what would they say? What kind of
indignation and censures would they make?
We should ask them to intervene for the Catholic Church and
re-enkindle true devotion to Our Lady among the faithful, along with
its correlated hierarchical sense and counter- revolutionary spirit.
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j166sd_SevenFoundersServites_2-12.shtml
Saint Quote:
Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to
satisfy the heart?
--St. Gerard Majella
Bible Quotes:
Now be patient, brethren, until the Lord's coming. Think of a farmer,
how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the earth... You too
must be patient. (James 5:7-8)
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Jesu Corona Virginum
Jesu, the Virgins' crown, do thou Accept us as in
prayer we bow; Born of that Virgin, whom alone The
Mother and the Maid we own.
Amongst the lilies thou dost feed, By Virgin choirs
accompanied; With glory decked, the spotless brides
Whose bridal gifts thy love provides.
They, wheresoe'er thy footsteps bend, With hymns
and praises still attend: In blessed troops they follow
thee, With dance, and song, and melody.
We pray Thee therefore to bestow Upon our
senses here below Thy grace, that so we may endure
From taint of all corruption pure.
To God the Father, God the Son, And God the
Spirit, Three in One, Laud, honor, might, and glory be
From age to age eternally. Amen
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