Ecce Verbum
she_leadeth_me_with_cover(1).pdf
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and for all who do not have recourse to thee, especially for the Jews, Freemasons, all enemies of the Church and for those, whom we consecrate to you.
St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe
#prayer
St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe
#prayer
Ecce Verbum
St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe- a martyr of charity 8 January 1894 – 14 August 1941 As a child, St. Maximilian had a vision of Mary, in which the blessed Mother offered him two crowns. The first, the white crown of virginity. The second, the red crown of martyrdom.…
Maximilian_booklet_EN.pdf
1.5 MB
St. Maximilian - His life, apostolate and spirituality
Published by Militia Immaculatae
This book not only portrays St. Maximilian’s great love for the Blessed Mary Virgin, but also includes many examples from his spirituality, his writings, from the prayers he composed and used, and from his publications. Its aim, above all, is to enthuse faithful Catholics, and non-Catholics for that matter, with a love greater than his own for “his Immaculata”, and through her and his own example, to win souls for Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Published by Militia Immaculatae
This book not only portrays St. Maximilian’s great love for the Blessed Mary Virgin, but also includes many examples from his spirituality, his writings, from the prayers he composed and used, and from his publications. Its aim, above all, is to enthuse faithful Catholics, and non-Catholics for that matter, with a love greater than his own for “his Immaculata”, and through her and his own example, to win souls for Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
SCRUPLES.pdf
49 KB
What are scruples?
Explanation and practical solutions
Scruples are a malady that affects the mind: or rather that particular activity of the mind which has to do with judging right and wrong, and which is called conscience.
The scrupulous person has a sick conscience. In other things his mind works perfectly, and even in some matters of conscience it may function correctly. But there is always at least one sphere of conscience in which it is completely unreliable. This unfortunate person is forever hesitating between right and wrong; he can never make up his mind about it. Sin
faces him everywhere. He cannot distinguish between temptation and consent. Every thought that flashes into his mind, every feeling that assails him seems to be a sin, He lives in a kind of straight-jacket that robs him of all freedom.
He is almost afraid to do anything.
#scrupulosity
Explanation and practical solutions
Scruples are a malady that affects the mind: or rather that particular activity of the mind which has to do with judging right and wrong, and which is called conscience.
The scrupulous person has a sick conscience. In other things his mind works perfectly, and even in some matters of conscience it may function correctly. But there is always at least one sphere of conscience in which it is completely unreliable. This unfortunate person is forever hesitating between right and wrong; he can never make up his mind about it. Sin
faces him everywhere. He cannot distinguish between temptation and consent. Every thought that flashes into his mind, every feeling that assails him seems to be a sin, He lives in a kind of straight-jacket that robs him of all freedom.
He is almost afraid to do anything.
#scrupulosity
Audience members’ hearts beat together at the theatre
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pals/news/2017/nov/audience-members-hearts-beat-together-theatre
When lovers touch, their breathing, heartbeat syncs, pain wanes, study shows
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170621125313.htm
Human Heart Rhythms Synchronize While Co-sleeping
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.00190/full
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pals/news/2017/nov/audience-members-hearts-beat-together-theatre
When lovers touch, their breathing, heartbeat syncs, pain wanes, study shows
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170621125313.htm
Human Heart Rhythms Synchronize While Co-sleeping
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.00190/full
Ecce Verbum
Blessed Bartolo Longo - a lawyer, a sinner and a satanic high priest, who converted to Christianity, devoted his life to social work and became known as the "Apostle of the Rosary" “I renounce spiritualism because it is nothing but a maze of error and falsehood.”…
Another article on Bartolo Longo that I found recently.
https://www.returnoftheking.live/poor-in-spirit/from-satanic-priest-to-apostle-of-the-rosary
https://www.returnoftheking.live/poor-in-spirit/from-satanic-priest-to-apostle-of-the-rosary
Return of the King
From Satanic Priest to Apostle of the Rosary — Return of the King
Bartolo Longo was born in 1841 in Latiano; a small town near Brindisi in southern Italy. He was born into a wealthy family of devout Catholics, living in a large house with servants. Bartolo described himself as a child in these words: "A lively and impertinent…
Ecce Verbum
Another article on Bartolo Longo that I found recently. https://www.returnoftheking.live/poor-in-spirit/from-satanic-priest-to-apostle-of-the-rosary
"Just as two friends, frequently in each other's company, tend to develop similar habits, so too, by holding familiar converse with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin, by meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary and by living the same life in Holy Communion, we can become, to the extent of our lowliness, similar to them and can learn from these supreme models a life of humility, poverty, hiddennes, patience and perfection."
Blessed Bartolo Longo
Blessed Bartolo Longo
Saint Andrew Bobola- venator animarum of the Orthodox, a Saint for the difficult
times
(1591-1657) He gave his life during the conflict between Catholics and Orthodox that formed part of the war between Polish and Russian forces in the mid-seventeenth century. Cossacks, opposed to the Jesuit's forceful defense of Catholics, butchered Bobola but could not break his faithful commitment to the Church. The Saint suffered a cruel death by the hands of Cossacks in Janow Poleski on May 16th, 1657.
He was born in southern Poland to a family that was part of the lesser nobility. He studied at a Jesuit school and then entered the novitiate in 1611. After studying philosophy and theology at Vilnius, he was assigned to be the pastor of the Jesuit church in Nesvizh where he made many converts. After two years there, he returned to Vilnius for 16 years during which he became known for his preaching and for developing sodalities whose members performed ministry to prisoners and taught catechism to children. He and the sodalists also acted heroically during two periods when the plague struck Vilnius.
In 1630 he moved to Bobruisk in eastern Poland where the majority of people were Orthodox and many Catholics had given up their faith, partly because they did not have their own priests and churches. Bobola took on a variety of works in various towns, until poor health restricted what he could do and he returned again to Vilnius.
He began his work in Polesia in 1562. Father Bobola went on his mission with the conviction that he would pay for this activity with his life. The apostolate was hampered both by external circumstances and the spiritual atmosphere. The lack of roads and the consequently difficult access to the people, isolated from the world and living on sandy soil amidst marshland, meant that the religious and moral condition of the Poles was deplorable. They followed a variety of superstitions. Although they went to town in large numbers on Sundays, they would only come to church or the Orthodox Church for a blessing before the end of Mass, and would spend the rest of the time in the tavern.
The Orthodox called Andrew the hunter of souls (venator animarum), because under the influence of his teachings many Orthodox were converted to Catholicism. At times, the Orthodox called him "Lach" with revulsion. On more than one occasion, he entered Orthodox churches and there he zealously lectured the people about the holy Catholic Church. He disputed with the Orthodox priests, proving clearly and emphatically the errors and falsities of heresy. His reading of the writings of the Fathers of the Greek Church, aided by his good knowledge of the language from Jesuit secondary school, meant that he emerged victorious from every dispute. One of his greatest achievements was the conversion to Catholicism of two entire villages: Balandichi and Udrozhyn.In proportion to his apostolic achievements, resentment towards Andrew grew in the opposing camp. When, despite his weakened health, he kept going from village to village, he was pelted not only with insults but also with mud and stones.
The agreement of the Union of Brest-Litovsk (1596) had attempted to resolve the conflict between the Orthodox and Catholic churches so they could coexist. Unfortunately some Orthodox joined forces with the Cossack leader Bogdan Chmielnicki who aimed to drive out the Catholics; by 1655 he was successful in controlling large areas of what is now Belarus. At the same time Russia and Poland were at war. On Aug. 8, 1655, the tsar's army marched into Vilnius and sacked the city. Bobola went to Pinsk to encourage Catholics to remain firm, and his success only increased the sectarian conflict. People harassed the Jesuit as he walked around the streets. Two years later the Cossacks occupied Pinsk and forced the Poles and Catholics to flee into the forests. Then they attacked Janów where they massacred Catholics and Jews. Bobola was in a nearby town, but some people told the Cossacks where to find him.
times
(1591-1657) He gave his life during the conflict between Catholics and Orthodox that formed part of the war between Polish and Russian forces in the mid-seventeenth century. Cossacks, opposed to the Jesuit's forceful defense of Catholics, butchered Bobola but could not break his faithful commitment to the Church. The Saint suffered a cruel death by the hands of Cossacks in Janow Poleski on May 16th, 1657.
He was born in southern Poland to a family that was part of the lesser nobility. He studied at a Jesuit school and then entered the novitiate in 1611. After studying philosophy and theology at Vilnius, he was assigned to be the pastor of the Jesuit church in Nesvizh where he made many converts. After two years there, he returned to Vilnius for 16 years during which he became known for his preaching and for developing sodalities whose members performed ministry to prisoners and taught catechism to children. He and the sodalists also acted heroically during two periods when the plague struck Vilnius.
In 1630 he moved to Bobruisk in eastern Poland where the majority of people were Orthodox and many Catholics had given up their faith, partly because they did not have their own priests and churches. Bobola took on a variety of works in various towns, until poor health restricted what he could do and he returned again to Vilnius.
He began his work in Polesia in 1562. Father Bobola went on his mission with the conviction that he would pay for this activity with his life. The apostolate was hampered both by external circumstances and the spiritual atmosphere. The lack of roads and the consequently difficult access to the people, isolated from the world and living on sandy soil amidst marshland, meant that the religious and moral condition of the Poles was deplorable. They followed a variety of superstitions. Although they went to town in large numbers on Sundays, they would only come to church or the Orthodox Church for a blessing before the end of Mass, and would spend the rest of the time in the tavern.
The Orthodox called Andrew the hunter of souls (venator animarum), because under the influence of his teachings many Orthodox were converted to Catholicism. At times, the Orthodox called him "Lach" with revulsion. On more than one occasion, he entered Orthodox churches and there he zealously lectured the people about the holy Catholic Church. He disputed with the Orthodox priests, proving clearly and emphatically the errors and falsities of heresy. His reading of the writings of the Fathers of the Greek Church, aided by his good knowledge of the language from Jesuit secondary school, meant that he emerged victorious from every dispute. One of his greatest achievements was the conversion to Catholicism of two entire villages: Balandichi and Udrozhyn.In proportion to his apostolic achievements, resentment towards Andrew grew in the opposing camp. When, despite his weakened health, he kept going from village to village, he was pelted not only with insults but also with mud and stones.
The agreement of the Union of Brest-Litovsk (1596) had attempted to resolve the conflict between the Orthodox and Catholic churches so they could coexist. Unfortunately some Orthodox joined forces with the Cossack leader Bogdan Chmielnicki who aimed to drive out the Catholics; by 1655 he was successful in controlling large areas of what is now Belarus. At the same time Russia and Poland were at war. On Aug. 8, 1655, the tsar's army marched into Vilnius and sacked the city. Bobola went to Pinsk to encourage Catholics to remain firm, and his success only increased the sectarian conflict. People harassed the Jesuit as he walked around the streets. Two years later the Cossacks occupied Pinsk and forced the Poles and Catholics to flee into the forests. Then they attacked Janów where they massacred Catholics and Jews. Bobola was in a nearby town, but some people told the Cossacks where to find him.
Ecce Verbum
Saint Andrew Bobola- venator animarum of the Orthodox, a Saint for the difficult times (1591-1657) He gave his life during the conflict between Catholics and Orthodox that formed part of the war between Polish and Russian forces in the mid-seventeenth century.…
First they tried to permit Bobola to renounce his religion. When he refused, they stripped him and tied him to a hedge and whipped him cruelly. Mocking his faith, they placed a crown of twigs on his head and then dragged him to his place of execution, a butcher's shop. He still refused to apostatize, so they placed him on the butcher's table and tortured him cruelly, tearing the skin off his chest and back and cutting holes in the palms of his hands. They continued to torture him for two hours. before finally driving an awl into his heart. Then they strung him up by his feet and killed him with a saber blow.
Just as he died, a band of Poles arrived at Janów in a vain attempt to rescue him. They took his body back to Pinsk where they placed it in the crypt beneath the Jesuit church.
The cult of the saint grew, and crowds came to the grave. In the first half of the eighteenth century 300 graces and miracles took place.
In 1714, the Polish Jesuits began efforts to beatify their confrere. Reports of miraculous healings prompted the laity, including King August II, to send requests to Rome for the beatification of Fr. Bobola. In 1808, a coffin with the corpse of Fr. Bobola was transferred to Połock. In the meantime, Poland was annexed. Połock with the grave of Father Bobola was under Russian rule.
It was not until Pope Pius VII officially restored the Jesuit order that the martyr's beatification was renewed. Bobola was beatified by Pope Pius IX in Rome in 1853.
Meanwhile, on June 23rd, 1922, the Bolsheviks took away the body of St. Andrew Bobola from Polotsk to Moscow and after examination they put him on public display at the Museum of Hygiene. This insult outraged the Poles.
In 1924, the papal mission to help the starving Russians regained the relics of the martyr and transported them to Rome. There the body of St. Andrew was placed in the Jesuit church of the Gesù. Confirmed miracles contributed to the canonisation of St. Andrew in Rome by Pope Pius XI in 1938.
After the canonisation efforts were made to bring the relics of St. Andrew Bobola to Poland. On June 8th, 1938, the coffin in procession was transported through Slovenia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia to Poland. The Vatican Congregation for Sacred Rites and Ceremonies said that no martyrdom as cruel as this had been recorded in the history of the Church.
Also Pope Pius XII, Andrew Bobola's apostolic zeal in his encyclical "The Invincible Mighty One of Christ", emphasized with the words: Swordsman of Christ, Soulmaker, that is, hunter of immortal souls, tireless Apostle of Christ, Holy Polish Martyr. Andrew Bobola was all his life on the road, in constant motion. He travelled vast distances, and this at a time when on trackless and dirt roads one travelled by horse-drawn carriage, and more often by cart. It took character and courage to cope with such a pilgrim life in times of constant war. An impetuous, proud nobleman from the Lesser Poland region with vices characteristic of his time and origin, he worked hard on his character, as Pope Pius XII reminded him: "Having in mind this so important admonition of Christ: <Whoever wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and, taking up his cross every day, let him follow me> (Lk 9:23), he set about earnestly acquiring Christian humility through self-denial. And because by nature he had a certain tendency to haughtiness and impatience and a touch of stubbornness, he gave himself an unrelenting battle. Through this struggle, as it were, he took the Cross of Christ on his shoulders and walked with it to Calvary, so that at its summit he might attain at the same time, by the grace of God, that perfection of humility longed for and fervently won by prayers, through which one attains to all the splendours of Christian holiness."
Andrew Bobola's desire to follow the way of Jesus, his stubbornness, his consistency, his courage, led him to the heights of Christian charity, to the point of sacrificing his life.
#saints #bobola
Just as he died, a band of Poles arrived at Janów in a vain attempt to rescue him. They took his body back to Pinsk where they placed it in the crypt beneath the Jesuit church.
The cult of the saint grew, and crowds came to the grave. In the first half of the eighteenth century 300 graces and miracles took place.
In 1714, the Polish Jesuits began efforts to beatify their confrere. Reports of miraculous healings prompted the laity, including King August II, to send requests to Rome for the beatification of Fr. Bobola. In 1808, a coffin with the corpse of Fr. Bobola was transferred to Połock. In the meantime, Poland was annexed. Połock with the grave of Father Bobola was under Russian rule.
It was not until Pope Pius VII officially restored the Jesuit order that the martyr's beatification was renewed. Bobola was beatified by Pope Pius IX in Rome in 1853.
Meanwhile, on June 23rd, 1922, the Bolsheviks took away the body of St. Andrew Bobola from Polotsk to Moscow and after examination they put him on public display at the Museum of Hygiene. This insult outraged the Poles.
In 1924, the papal mission to help the starving Russians regained the relics of the martyr and transported them to Rome. There the body of St. Andrew was placed in the Jesuit church of the Gesù. Confirmed miracles contributed to the canonisation of St. Andrew in Rome by Pope Pius XI in 1938.
After the canonisation efforts were made to bring the relics of St. Andrew Bobola to Poland. On June 8th, 1938, the coffin in procession was transported through Slovenia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia to Poland. The Vatican Congregation for Sacred Rites and Ceremonies said that no martyrdom as cruel as this had been recorded in the history of the Church.
Also Pope Pius XII, Andrew Bobola's apostolic zeal in his encyclical "The Invincible Mighty One of Christ", emphasized with the words: Swordsman of Christ, Soulmaker, that is, hunter of immortal souls, tireless Apostle of Christ, Holy Polish Martyr. Andrew Bobola was all his life on the road, in constant motion. He travelled vast distances, and this at a time when on trackless and dirt roads one travelled by horse-drawn carriage, and more often by cart. It took character and courage to cope with such a pilgrim life in times of constant war. An impetuous, proud nobleman from the Lesser Poland region with vices characteristic of his time and origin, he worked hard on his character, as Pope Pius XII reminded him: "Having in mind this so important admonition of Christ: <Whoever wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and, taking up his cross every day, let him follow me> (Lk 9:23), he set about earnestly acquiring Christian humility through self-denial. And because by nature he had a certain tendency to haughtiness and impatience and a touch of stubbornness, he gave himself an unrelenting battle. Through this struggle, as it were, he took the Cross of Christ on his shoulders and walked with it to Calvary, so that at its summit he might attain at the same time, by the grace of God, that perfection of humility longed for and fervently won by prayers, through which one attains to all the splendours of Christian holiness."
Andrew Bobola's desire to follow the way of Jesus, his stubbornness, his consistency, his courage, led him to the heights of Christian charity, to the point of sacrificing his life.
#saints #bobola
Prayer To St Andrew Bobola
In this Hour of Darkness – Pray for us.
We pray for your intercession before our Most Glorious Lord Jesus Christ that we may have the strength to endure the unendurable, that we may obtain the Protection of the Great God Almighty in the midst of persecution and
the Grace to accept his will…whatever it may be.
St Andrew Stand with us.
Give us fortitude and peace of soul.
Let not our Faith waiver.
Let us stand faithfully in union with the Sacred Heart of Christ, under the protection of His Immaculate Mother
Always Trusting in the Infinite Mercy and Love of God – Our Father.
Save us from moral corruption, which places people in terrible slavery to Satan, takes away their spiritual strength and leads to ruin. Support us through your intercession so that, with our fruitful participation, the civilisation of love may grow in our homeland, in Europe and in the world, through Christ our Lord.
Amen
#prayer
In this Hour of Darkness – Pray for us.
We pray for your intercession before our Most Glorious Lord Jesus Christ that we may have the strength to endure the unendurable, that we may obtain the Protection of the Great God Almighty in the midst of persecution and
the Grace to accept his will…whatever it may be.
St Andrew Stand with us.
Give us fortitude and peace of soul.
Let not our Faith waiver.
Let us stand faithfully in union with the Sacred Heart of Christ, under the protection of His Immaculate Mother
Always Trusting in the Infinite Mercy and Love of God – Our Father.
Save us from moral corruption, which places people in terrible slavery to Satan, takes away their spiritual strength and leads to ruin. Support us through your intercession so that, with our fruitful participation, the civilisation of love may grow in our homeland, in Europe and in the world, through Christ our Lord.
Amen
#prayer
St. Andrew Bobola- patron saint of evangelisation and unity of the Church
In the time of Andrew Bobola, inter-religious, cultural and social differences were more significant and more tense than in contemporary Europe. The Borderlands, where the Martyr worked, was an area of mutual interpenetration of Eastern and Western cultures, where political-economic, cultural and ethnic boundaries were not clear or permanent, where there were both integrative and disintegrative tendencies.In the east of the Commonwealth (today's Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus) the influences of the Catholic, Orthodox and Uniate Churches intermingled, but many simple people did not know Christ.
This inter-civilisational meeting of people of different nationalities - Poles, Ukrainians, Belarussians, Lithuanians, Jews and Germans, who were characterised by linguistic affinity and common descent, was at the same time a meeting of people of different faiths: Catholic, Orthodox, Uniate or Judaism. Both special bonds and antagonisms arose here. The above-mentioned conditions, together with the vast spaces, the almost universal poverty, the civilisational backwardness and the ruthlessness in the struggle for influence and religious convictions, were a significant challenge for the Catholic missionary advocating the Union of Brest, who was striving for Christlike unity.
The Apostle of Polesie fulfilled his ministry by being present in different cultural and social circles. He transmitted the spirit of the Gospel to the villagers, bringing faith in the Loving Father. He was a member of the Jesuit community and a counsellor at the royal court of John II Casimir Vasa. He entered into dialogue with Orthodox priests. He yearned for the unity of the Church, for which he was ready to give his life, just like the fifty of his confreres who died at that time in Polesie.
Nearly half a century after his death, Orthodox, Catholics and Uniates prayed together at the coffin with his body. Many of them experienced miracles.
The multinational Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was still a power in Andrew's time, although it was weakened by conflict with Russia and ravaged by the Cossack Wars and the Swedish Deluge. Following the thought of his brother Piotr Skarga, the Jesuits in the Commonwealth became involved in winning over the clergy and faithful of the Orthodox dioceses lying within the borders of the Polish-Lithuanian state to an ecclesiastical union of Eastern Rite Christians with Rome, as a result of which they were to recognise the authority of the Pope. The Union of Brest, which was supported by the Jesuits, was an attempt to save not only the community of faith, but also the community of the Republic. The Apostle of Pinsk left traces of his presence all over the country.
During Andrew's lifetime, the Republic was a state with strong social divisions. Andrew overcame them. He - a nobleman by birth - went to the poor, the uneducated, those living in paganism, bringing the Good News and bread, forming a community with them. He did not desire a life of comfort in the courts of the mighty or the royal court, nor the glory of a scholar. Defying his influential family, he chose the wilderness on the outskirts of the Republic, the wilderness and danger, to lead people to Christ.
When, in the summer of 1920, the million-strong Bolshevik army marched on Warsaw, the Polish bishops meeting in Częstochowa sent a fervent request to the Vatican for Blessed Andrew's canonisation, expressing their conviction that his protection would save Poland from annihilation.
In this spirit, a novena was celebrated in the Warsaw archdiocese between 6 and 15 August. On 8 August, the relics of Blessed Andrzej Bobola and Blessed Władysław of Gielniów were carried during a procession in the capital, with the participation of 100,000 people and the sound of the cannons of the armies fighting near Warsaw.
In the time of Andrew Bobola, inter-religious, cultural and social differences were more significant and more tense than in contemporary Europe. The Borderlands, where the Martyr worked, was an area of mutual interpenetration of Eastern and Western cultures, where political-economic, cultural and ethnic boundaries were not clear or permanent, where there were both integrative and disintegrative tendencies.In the east of the Commonwealth (today's Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus) the influences of the Catholic, Orthodox and Uniate Churches intermingled, but many simple people did not know Christ.
This inter-civilisational meeting of people of different nationalities - Poles, Ukrainians, Belarussians, Lithuanians, Jews and Germans, who were characterised by linguistic affinity and common descent, was at the same time a meeting of people of different faiths: Catholic, Orthodox, Uniate or Judaism. Both special bonds and antagonisms arose here. The above-mentioned conditions, together with the vast spaces, the almost universal poverty, the civilisational backwardness and the ruthlessness in the struggle for influence and religious convictions, were a significant challenge for the Catholic missionary advocating the Union of Brest, who was striving for Christlike unity.
The Apostle of Polesie fulfilled his ministry by being present in different cultural and social circles. He transmitted the spirit of the Gospel to the villagers, bringing faith in the Loving Father. He was a member of the Jesuit community and a counsellor at the royal court of John II Casimir Vasa. He entered into dialogue with Orthodox priests. He yearned for the unity of the Church, for which he was ready to give his life, just like the fifty of his confreres who died at that time in Polesie.
Nearly half a century after his death, Orthodox, Catholics and Uniates prayed together at the coffin with his body. Many of them experienced miracles.
The multinational Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was still a power in Andrew's time, although it was weakened by conflict with Russia and ravaged by the Cossack Wars and the Swedish Deluge. Following the thought of his brother Piotr Skarga, the Jesuits in the Commonwealth became involved in winning over the clergy and faithful of the Orthodox dioceses lying within the borders of the Polish-Lithuanian state to an ecclesiastical union of Eastern Rite Christians with Rome, as a result of which they were to recognise the authority of the Pope. The Union of Brest, which was supported by the Jesuits, was an attempt to save not only the community of faith, but also the community of the Republic. The Apostle of Pinsk left traces of his presence all over the country.
During Andrew's lifetime, the Republic was a state with strong social divisions. Andrew overcame them. He - a nobleman by birth - went to the poor, the uneducated, those living in paganism, bringing the Good News and bread, forming a community with them. He did not desire a life of comfort in the courts of the mighty or the royal court, nor the glory of a scholar. Defying his influential family, he chose the wilderness on the outskirts of the Republic, the wilderness and danger, to lead people to Christ.
When, in the summer of 1920, the million-strong Bolshevik army marched on Warsaw, the Polish bishops meeting in Częstochowa sent a fervent request to the Vatican for Blessed Andrew's canonisation, expressing their conviction that his protection would save Poland from annihilation.
In this spirit, a novena was celebrated in the Warsaw archdiocese between 6 and 15 August. On 8 August, the relics of Blessed Andrzej Bobola and Blessed Władysław of Gielniów were carried during a procession in the capital, with the participation of 100,000 people and the sound of the cannons of the armies fighting near Warsaw.
Ecce Verbum
St. Andrew Bobola- patron saint of evangelisation and unity of the Church In the time of Andrew Bobola, inter-religious, cultural and social differences were more significant and more tense than in contemporary Europe. The Borderlands, where the Martyr worked…
On 15 August - on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and at the same time on the last day of the novena to Blessed Andrew - the Polish army won a great victory over the Red Army, and this event went down in history as the 'Miracle on the Vistula'.
In the difficult times of communism, Saint Bobola was the patron of the Jasna Góra Vows of the Polish Nation, which the Primate of the Millennium - Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński wrote on 16 May 1956, the day of his patronal feast. These vows were taken on 26 August, the three-hundredth anniversary of the Lwów Vows of King John II Casimir Vasa, the authorship of which is attributed to Saint Andrew Bobola.It is said that it was on the initiative of Saint Andrew that the Vows of John Casimir concerning the entrustment of Poland to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of the Polish Crown were written. This was recalled by the Primate of the Millennium - Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, when he wrote the Jasna Góra Vows of the Nation on the day of St Andrew's commemoration, 16 May 1956.
"Further, verily I say unto you, If two of you on earth shall ask for anything, all things shall my Father grant unto them. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am among them" (Mt,18,19-20).
May St. Andrew be a guide for us in the times of confusion and crisis in the Church.
Saint Andrew, patron of the unity of the Church, ora pro nobis.
In the difficult times of communism, Saint Bobola was the patron of the Jasna Góra Vows of the Polish Nation, which the Primate of the Millennium - Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński wrote on 16 May 1956, the day of his patronal feast. These vows were taken on 26 August, the three-hundredth anniversary of the Lwów Vows of King John II Casimir Vasa, the authorship of which is attributed to Saint Andrew Bobola.It is said that it was on the initiative of Saint Andrew that the Vows of John Casimir concerning the entrustment of Poland to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of the Polish Crown were written. This was recalled by the Primate of the Millennium - Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, when he wrote the Jasna Góra Vows of the Nation on the day of St Andrew's commemoration, 16 May 1956.
"Further, verily I say unto you, If two of you on earth shall ask for anything, all things shall my Father grant unto them. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am among them" (Mt,18,19-20).
May St. Andrew be a guide for us in the times of confusion and crisis in the Church.
Saint Andrew, patron of the unity of the Church, ora pro nobis.
Dom Lorenzo Scupoli lays down seven methods to benefit from prayer
1. Have a sincere desire to serve God in the manner that is agreeable to Him. God deserves our homage and service. We will only triumph over the devil, master ourselves, and be children of God by observing His law and doing our duty.
2. Have vibrant faith and firm confidence that God will supply the necessary assistance for you to work out your salvation. "A soul rekindled with this holy confidence is like a sacred vessel into which divine Mercy pours the treasures of His grace; and the larger the vessel, the greater the abundance of Heavenly blessings it receives through prayer. "The greater your trust, the more you will receive".
3. The motive of your prayer must be the will of God, not the will of self. We must not wish anything that is not in utter conformity to God's will. Our intention in prayer must be to form the human will in complete harmony with the Divine will. Our intention cannot make the Divine will subservient to our own.
4. For prayer to be efficacious, our actions must suit our petitions. In other words, we must be worthy of the favours we ask. If you ask for a particular virtue, you need to be making an effort to practice it.
5.Before asking things of God, first humbly thank Him for all the benefits He has bestowed upon you. Always ask in a spirit of humility and gratitude.
6. Conclude your petitions by remembering the merits of Jesus Christ and His promise to hear our requests.
7. Be persistent in prayer. Our favors may not be immediately granted- but an infinitely good God cannot ignore our humble perseverance. Do not lose confidence in His goodness. Never forget the immense power that God possesses. Never cease to thank God whether He grants or refuses your petitions.
#mentalprayer
1. Have a sincere desire to serve God in the manner that is agreeable to Him. God deserves our homage and service. We will only triumph over the devil, master ourselves, and be children of God by observing His law and doing our duty.
2. Have vibrant faith and firm confidence that God will supply the necessary assistance for you to work out your salvation. "A soul rekindled with this holy confidence is like a sacred vessel into which divine Mercy pours the treasures of His grace; and the larger the vessel, the greater the abundance of Heavenly blessings it receives through prayer. "The greater your trust, the more you will receive".
3. The motive of your prayer must be the will of God, not the will of self. We must not wish anything that is not in utter conformity to God's will. Our intention in prayer must be to form the human will in complete harmony with the Divine will. Our intention cannot make the Divine will subservient to our own.
4. For prayer to be efficacious, our actions must suit our petitions. In other words, we must be worthy of the favours we ask. If you ask for a particular virtue, you need to be making an effort to practice it.
5.Before asking things of God, first humbly thank Him for all the benefits He has bestowed upon you. Always ask in a spirit of humility and gratitude.
6. Conclude your petitions by remembering the merits of Jesus Christ and His promise to hear our requests.
7. Be persistent in prayer. Our favors may not be immediately granted- but an infinitely good God cannot ignore our humble perseverance. Do not lose confidence in His goodness. Never forget the immense power that God possesses. Never cease to thank God whether He grants or refuses your petitions.
#mentalprayer
Ecce Verbum
Dom Lorenzo Scupoli lays down seven methods to benefit from prayer 1. Have a sincere desire to serve God in the manner that is agreeable to Him. God deserves our homage and service. We will only triumph over the devil, master ourselves, and be children of…
spiritual_combat (1).pdf
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"The Spiritual Combat
And a Treatise on Peace of Soul"
Dom Lorenzo Scupoli
Lorenzo Scupoli (ca. 1530 – 28 November 1610) was a Catholic priest and a philosopher.
"The Spiritual Combat" is one of the most important works of Catholic spirituality.
"Salvation and spiritual perfection should not be sought haphazardly; a strategy is needed to win the battle for our souls. The Spiritual Combat, first published in 1589, provides timeless guidance in spiritual discipline. St. Francis de Sales (1576-1622) read from it himself every day and recommended it to everyone under his direction. Vigorous, realistic and full of keen insight into human nature, The Spiritual Combat consists of short chapters based on the maxim that in the spiritual life one must either "fight or die". Fr. Scupoli shows the Christian how to combat his passions and vices, especially impurity and sloth, in order to arrive at victory."
#spiritualbattle
And a Treatise on Peace of Soul"
Dom Lorenzo Scupoli
Lorenzo Scupoli (ca. 1530 – 28 November 1610) was a Catholic priest and a philosopher.
"The Spiritual Combat" is one of the most important works of Catholic spirituality.
"Salvation and spiritual perfection should not be sought haphazardly; a strategy is needed to win the battle for our souls. The Spiritual Combat, first published in 1589, provides timeless guidance in spiritual discipline. St. Francis de Sales (1576-1622) read from it himself every day and recommended it to everyone under his direction. Vigorous, realistic and full of keen insight into human nature, The Spiritual Combat consists of short chapters based on the maxim that in the spiritual life one must either "fight or die". Fr. Scupoli shows the Christian how to combat his passions and vices, especially impurity and sloth, in order to arrive at victory."
#spiritualbattle
The rule of Praesupponendum
Saint Ignatius Loyola, Spiritual Exercises
Praesupponendum means "Presupposition of Charity", whereby a person assumes the best intentions behind another person's statements. It is the principle of kindness and understanding, also called the rule of agreement and dialogue.
The Instruction indicates the attitudes which should be adopted in Ignatian interpersonal communication. These are: listening directed towards the interlocutor, trust, respect for the diversity of others and telling the truth in the atmosphere of love. What is characteristic of Ignatian interpersonal communication is the mutual exchange, acceptance, understanding, careful consideration of what you want to say and above all trust and listening, which allow you to enter the space of the other person.
Saint Ignatius writes:
•"In order that we may help one another and act [in goodness], it should be presupposed that every good Christian ought to be more eager to put a good interpretation on a neighbor’s statement than to condemn it. Further, if he cannot interpret it favorably, one should ask how the other means it. If that meaning is wrong, one should correct the person with love; and if this is not enough, one should search out every appropriate means through which, by understanding the statement in a good way, it may be saved (SE 22).
•“Beware of condemning any man's action. Consider your neighbor's intention, which is often honest and innocent, even though his act seems bad in outward appearance.”
•"Be slow to speak, and only after having first listened quietly, so that you may understand the meaning, leanings, and wishes of those who do speak. Thus you will better know when to speak and when to be silent.”
This is what Saint Ignatius says about the behaviour of man in relation to others. For man, this 'rule' must be one of the fundamental ones in our way of speaking, discussing, dialoguing.
St. Ignatius advised his brothers to ‘govern using “all the love and modesty and charity possible.”
We must never forget that there are always two (or more persons) in a relation, and they have the same dignity and the same right to say what they think and to be understood. It is precisely here where the Ignatian rule ought to be applied. The great danger lies in the fact that each person remembers only about their own dignity and rights. They perceive the other person only through their own prism of thinking. Where tension or discord arise, we ought to strive to discern what the other person is actually arguing.
We are obliged to try to understand the motives that lead our brethren to their conclusions. We are to be characterised by an attitude of defending, protecting, caring for, helping the other. The purpose of the encounters between people is to help each other to come closer to God, so we should approach everyone with compassion and mercy.
Moreover, Ignatius foresaw the possibility in which the utterance of the other cannot be saved. In such a case, he invites us to ask how the person understands the topic in question. "If he understands it wrongly", "let us correct him with charity"- This instruction does not require us to naively and blindly accept error or animosity, but tells us that our first step ought to be one of compassion and understanding.
•“It is a great help to progress to possess a friend who is privileged to point to you your failings.”
We should also take into account the possibility of a mistake, a misunderstanding on the part of the other person, and also on our part - we need patience to listen with our full attention. How many times do we happen to misunderstand the other person?
•“The evil man is ready to suspect others, like a man attacked by giddiness who thinks that all things are whirling round him.”
Why should we apply the rule of Praesupponendum in our lives? To help each other on the way to Heaven - to speak well, to understand well, to communicate one's thoughts skilfully without imposing one's own will on the other, to correct charitably.
#stignatius #charity #speech
Saint Ignatius Loyola, Spiritual Exercises
Praesupponendum means "Presupposition of Charity", whereby a person assumes the best intentions behind another person's statements. It is the principle of kindness and understanding, also called the rule of agreement and dialogue.
The Instruction indicates the attitudes which should be adopted in Ignatian interpersonal communication. These are: listening directed towards the interlocutor, trust, respect for the diversity of others and telling the truth in the atmosphere of love. What is characteristic of Ignatian interpersonal communication is the mutual exchange, acceptance, understanding, careful consideration of what you want to say and above all trust and listening, which allow you to enter the space of the other person.
Saint Ignatius writes:
•"In order that we may help one another and act [in goodness], it should be presupposed that every good Christian ought to be more eager to put a good interpretation on a neighbor’s statement than to condemn it. Further, if he cannot interpret it favorably, one should ask how the other means it. If that meaning is wrong, one should correct the person with love; and if this is not enough, one should search out every appropriate means through which, by understanding the statement in a good way, it may be saved (SE 22).
•“Beware of condemning any man's action. Consider your neighbor's intention, which is often honest and innocent, even though his act seems bad in outward appearance.”
•"Be slow to speak, and only after having first listened quietly, so that you may understand the meaning, leanings, and wishes of those who do speak. Thus you will better know when to speak and when to be silent.”
This is what Saint Ignatius says about the behaviour of man in relation to others. For man, this 'rule' must be one of the fundamental ones in our way of speaking, discussing, dialoguing.
St. Ignatius advised his brothers to ‘govern using “all the love and modesty and charity possible.”
We must never forget that there are always two (or more persons) in a relation, and they have the same dignity and the same right to say what they think and to be understood. It is precisely here where the Ignatian rule ought to be applied. The great danger lies in the fact that each person remembers only about their own dignity and rights. They perceive the other person only through their own prism of thinking. Where tension or discord arise, we ought to strive to discern what the other person is actually arguing.
We are obliged to try to understand the motives that lead our brethren to their conclusions. We are to be characterised by an attitude of defending, protecting, caring for, helping the other. The purpose of the encounters between people is to help each other to come closer to God, so we should approach everyone with compassion and mercy.
Moreover, Ignatius foresaw the possibility in which the utterance of the other cannot be saved. In such a case, he invites us to ask how the person understands the topic in question. "If he understands it wrongly", "let us correct him with charity"- This instruction does not require us to naively and blindly accept error or animosity, but tells us that our first step ought to be one of compassion and understanding.
•“It is a great help to progress to possess a friend who is privileged to point to you your failings.”
We should also take into account the possibility of a mistake, a misunderstanding on the part of the other person, and also on our part - we need patience to listen with our full attention. How many times do we happen to misunderstand the other person?
•“The evil man is ready to suspect others, like a man attacked by giddiness who thinks that all things are whirling round him.”
Why should we apply the rule of Praesupponendum in our lives? To help each other on the way to Heaven - to speak well, to understand well, to communicate one's thoughts skilfully without imposing one's own will on the other, to correct charitably.
#stignatius #charity #speech
Dietrich von Hildebrand and St. Thomas Aquinas on Goodness and Happiness – St. Paul Center
Inspired by a share of @aristotelianthomist
https://stpaulcenter.com/09-nv-1-2-waldstein/
Inspired by a share of @aristotelianthomist
https://stpaulcenter.com/09-nv-1-2-waldstein/
St. Paul Center
Dietrich von Hildebrand and St. Thomas Aquinas on Goodness and Happiness
Michael WaldsteinNova et Vetera, Fall 2003 (Vol. 1, No. 2)SubscribePurchase This Issue< Previous Article Next Article >
Ecce Verbum
The rule of Praesupponendum Saint Ignatius Loyola, Spiritual Exercises Praesupponendum means "Presupposition of Charity", whereby a person assumes the best intentions behind another person's statements. It is the principle of kindness and understanding,…
Ignatian conversation
St. Ignatius and the early Jesuits lived at a time of profound religious and political division. Disputes about religion could lead to imprisonment, banishment or death in the time of upheaval around the Reformation.
For Ignatius, the other person is a child of God and a person deserving respect and consideration, no matter what opinion the person holds or the history of the relationship with this person.This does not mean that one needs to sit and endure vile and hateful speech. But it does suggest that even if people express their thoughts imperfectly and inartfully, we should go easy on quick condemnations. Ignatius encourages calm and humility in presenting a position. When we engage each other positively, we see God working with us even as we struggle and disagree.
Ignatian conversations have these attributes
Be slow to speak
Listen attentively
Seek the truth in what others are saying
Disagree humbly and thoughtfully allow the conversation the time it needs
#speech
St. Ignatius and the early Jesuits lived at a time of profound religious and political division. Disputes about religion could lead to imprisonment, banishment or death in the time of upheaval around the Reformation.
For Ignatius, the other person is a child of God and a person deserving respect and consideration, no matter what opinion the person holds or the history of the relationship with this person.This does not mean that one needs to sit and endure vile and hateful speech. But it does suggest that even if people express their thoughts imperfectly and inartfully, we should go easy on quick condemnations. Ignatius encourages calm and humility in presenting a position. When we engage each other positively, we see God working with us even as we struggle and disagree.
Ignatian conversations have these attributes
Be slow to speak
Listen attentively
Seek the truth in what others are saying
Disagree humbly and thoughtfully allow the conversation the time it needs
#speech
Ecce Verbum
We should feel it a duty to edify others by our conduct. "The Holy Spirit wishes to chisel the features of Jesus in us, transforming us into living images of the Saviour, therefore, He gently and unceasingly urges us to be merciful. He puts into our hearts…
It is not enough to love God if my neighbour does not love Him
(From "Conferences to the Priests of the Mission" by St Vincent de Paul)
"Our vocation is to go and enflame the heart of men, to do what the Son of God did, He who brought fire into the world to set it alight with His love. What else can we wish for, than for it to burn and consume all things?
Thus it is true that I have been sent not only to love God, but also to make men love Him.
It is not enough to love God if my neighbour does not love Him. I must love my neighbour as the image of God and the object of His love, and do everything so that in their turn men love their Creator who knows and considers them as His brothers, whom He has saved; I must obtain that they love each other with mutual love, out of love for God who loved them to the point of abandoning to death His very Son. So that is my duty. Now, if it is true that we are called to bear God's love near and far, if we must set nations alight, if our vocation is to go and spread this divine fire in the whole world, if it is so, my brothers, if it is really so, how must I myself burn of this divine fire!
How can we give love to others, if we do not have it among us? Let us look if it is so, not generally, but if each one has it within himself, in due amount; because if love is not on fire in us, if we do not love each other as Jesus Christ loved us and if we do not act as he did, how can we hope to spread such love throughout the world? You cannot give what you do not have.The precise duty of charity consists in doing to others what you reasonably would like done to yourself. Do I really behave towards my neighbour as I wish he would towards me?
Let us look at the Son of God. Only our Lord can be so taken by love for creatures so much as to leave His Father's throne and take a body subject to infirmity.And why? In order to establish among us, with His word and example, the love of our neighbours. This is the love that led Him to the Cross and accomplished the wonderful work of our redemption.If we had a little of such love, would we stay here with folded arms? Oh! no, love can not remain barren, it urges us to obtain salvation and relief for others."
Prayer
O Saviour, who gave us the law to love our neighbour as ourselves, who practised it in such perfect fashion towards men, let you yourself be, O Lord, your eternal thanks!O Saviour, how happy I am to be in the state of loving my neighbour! Grant me the grace to acknowledge my good fortune, to love this blessed state, and to ensure that this virtue may be revealed now, tomorrow and always.
Amen
#charity
(From "Conferences to the Priests of the Mission" by St Vincent de Paul)
"Our vocation is to go and enflame the heart of men, to do what the Son of God did, He who brought fire into the world to set it alight with His love. What else can we wish for, than for it to burn and consume all things?
Thus it is true that I have been sent not only to love God, but also to make men love Him.
It is not enough to love God if my neighbour does not love Him. I must love my neighbour as the image of God and the object of His love, and do everything so that in their turn men love their Creator who knows and considers them as His brothers, whom He has saved; I must obtain that they love each other with mutual love, out of love for God who loved them to the point of abandoning to death His very Son. So that is my duty. Now, if it is true that we are called to bear God's love near and far, if we must set nations alight, if our vocation is to go and spread this divine fire in the whole world, if it is so, my brothers, if it is really so, how must I myself burn of this divine fire!
How can we give love to others, if we do not have it among us? Let us look if it is so, not generally, but if each one has it within himself, in due amount; because if love is not on fire in us, if we do not love each other as Jesus Christ loved us and if we do not act as he did, how can we hope to spread such love throughout the world? You cannot give what you do not have.The precise duty of charity consists in doing to others what you reasonably would like done to yourself. Do I really behave towards my neighbour as I wish he would towards me?
Let us look at the Son of God. Only our Lord can be so taken by love for creatures so much as to leave His Father's throne and take a body subject to infirmity.And why? In order to establish among us, with His word and example, the love of our neighbours. This is the love that led Him to the Cross and accomplished the wonderful work of our redemption.If we had a little of such love, would we stay here with folded arms? Oh! no, love can not remain barren, it urges us to obtain salvation and relief for others."
Prayer
O Saviour, who gave us the law to love our neighbour as ourselves, who practised it in such perfect fashion towards men, let you yourself be, O Lord, your eternal thanks!O Saviour, how happy I am to be in the state of loving my neighbour! Grant me the grace to acknowledge my good fortune, to love this blessed state, and to ensure that this virtue may be revealed now, tomorrow and always.
Amen
#charity
Ecce Verbum
On being kind towards our neighbours "Adapt yourself with gracious and charitable compliance to all your neighbor’s weaknesses. In particular, make a rule to hide your feelings in many inconsequential matters. Give up all bitterness toward your neighbor,…
The Saints on love of our neighbor
"I give unto you: a new commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"
Jn 13,34.
“He who has the goods of this world and sees his brother in need and closes his heart to him, how does the love of God abide in him?”
1 Jn 3:17
•“Let us be kind to one another after the pattern of the tender mercy and goodness of our Creator.”
St. Clement of Rome (1st century)
•“The Lord does not say that the proof of His disciples’ faithfulness will be the working of wondrous miracles…What does He tell them? ‘You shall be known as my disciples if you love one another.”
St. Basil the Great (4th century, Doctor of the Church)
•“To harbor no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have charity for them. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil, because it is the law. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil – such is the disposition to do good to those who hate us belongs to perfect spiritual love.”
St. Peter Chrysologus (5th century, Doctor of the Church)
•“If you hope for mercy, show mercy. If you look for kindness, show kindness. If you want to receive, give. If you ask for yourself what you deny to others, your asking is a mockery.”
St. Maximus the Confessor (6th-7th centuries)
•“We can never tell how patient or humble a person is when everything is going well with him. But when those who should cooperate with him do the exact opposite, then we can tell. A man has as much patience and humility as he has then, and no more.”
St. Francis of Assisi (12th-13th centuries)
•“So long as we are in this place of pilgrimage, so long as men’s hearts are warped and prone to sin, lazy and weak in virtue, we need to be encouraged and stirred up, so that brother may be helped by brother, and the eagerness of heavenly love rekindle the flame in our spirit which our daily carelessness and lukewarmness tend to put out.”
St. Jordan of Saxony (12th-13th centuries)
•“It is easy enough to feel drawn to good, healthy people who have pleasant manners, but that is only natural and not charity. A mother does not love her sick, deformed child because he is lovable, but because she is his mother, and we must pray the Holy Ghost to put into our hearts that selfless devotion which nature has put in hers.”
St. Robert Bellarmine (16th-17th centuries, Doctor of the Church)
•“Resist your impatience faithfully, practicing, not only with reason, but even against reason, holy courtesy and sweetness to all, but especially to those who weary you most.”
•“We can be excused for not being always cheerful, for cheerfulness is not ours to summon up at will. But we have no excuse for not being always kindly, accessible, courteous; that is always within the scope of our will power. All we need to do is make up our minds to rise above our mood, our tendency to do the opposite.”
St. Francis de Sales (16th-17th centuries, Doctor of the Church
•“We must above all show charity to our enemies. ‘Do good to those that hate you’. By this you may know that a man is a true Christian, if he seeks to do good to those who wish him evil.”
St. Alphonsus Liguori (17th-18th centuries, Doctor of the Church)
•“Here I am in the midst of my dear lepers. They are hideous to look at but they have souls redeemed at the price of the blood of our Savior.”
St. Damien de Veuster (19th century)
•“We are to love our neighbor not because he is sympathetic, useful, rich, influential or even grateful. Such motives are entirely too base and unworthy of a Knight of the Immaculata. True love rises above creation and is steeped in God. In Him and for Him and through Him such love of neighbor embraces all, the good and the bad, friends and enemies. Such love extends its arms in loving embrace and prays for all, suffers for all, wishes well to all, and desires the happiness of all – because God wills it!”
St. Maximilian Kolbe (19th-20th centuries)
#charity
"I give unto you: a new commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"
Jn 13,34.
“He who has the goods of this world and sees his brother in need and closes his heart to him, how does the love of God abide in him?”
1 Jn 3:17
•“Let us be kind to one another after the pattern of the tender mercy and goodness of our Creator.”
St. Clement of Rome (1st century)
•“The Lord does not say that the proof of His disciples’ faithfulness will be the working of wondrous miracles…What does He tell them? ‘You shall be known as my disciples if you love one another.”
St. Basil the Great (4th century, Doctor of the Church)
•“To harbor no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have charity for them. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil, because it is the law. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil – such is the disposition to do good to those who hate us belongs to perfect spiritual love.”
St. Peter Chrysologus (5th century, Doctor of the Church)
•“If you hope for mercy, show mercy. If you look for kindness, show kindness. If you want to receive, give. If you ask for yourself what you deny to others, your asking is a mockery.”
St. Maximus the Confessor (6th-7th centuries)
•“We can never tell how patient or humble a person is when everything is going well with him. But when those who should cooperate with him do the exact opposite, then we can tell. A man has as much patience and humility as he has then, and no more.”
St. Francis of Assisi (12th-13th centuries)
•“So long as we are in this place of pilgrimage, so long as men’s hearts are warped and prone to sin, lazy and weak in virtue, we need to be encouraged and stirred up, so that brother may be helped by brother, and the eagerness of heavenly love rekindle the flame in our spirit which our daily carelessness and lukewarmness tend to put out.”
St. Jordan of Saxony (12th-13th centuries)
•“It is easy enough to feel drawn to good, healthy people who have pleasant manners, but that is only natural and not charity. A mother does not love her sick, deformed child because he is lovable, but because she is his mother, and we must pray the Holy Ghost to put into our hearts that selfless devotion which nature has put in hers.”
St. Robert Bellarmine (16th-17th centuries, Doctor of the Church)
•“Resist your impatience faithfully, practicing, not only with reason, but even against reason, holy courtesy and sweetness to all, but especially to those who weary you most.”
•“We can be excused for not being always cheerful, for cheerfulness is not ours to summon up at will. But we have no excuse for not being always kindly, accessible, courteous; that is always within the scope of our will power. All we need to do is make up our minds to rise above our mood, our tendency to do the opposite.”
St. Francis de Sales (16th-17th centuries, Doctor of the Church
•“We must above all show charity to our enemies. ‘Do good to those that hate you’. By this you may know that a man is a true Christian, if he seeks to do good to those who wish him evil.”
St. Alphonsus Liguori (17th-18th centuries, Doctor of the Church)
•“Here I am in the midst of my dear lepers. They are hideous to look at but they have souls redeemed at the price of the blood of our Savior.”
St. Damien de Veuster (19th century)
•“We are to love our neighbor not because he is sympathetic, useful, rich, influential or even grateful. Such motives are entirely too base and unworthy of a Knight of the Immaculata. True love rises above creation and is steeped in God. In Him and for Him and through Him such love of neighbor embraces all, the good and the bad, friends and enemies. Such love extends its arms in loving embrace and prays for all, suffers for all, wishes well to all, and desires the happiness of all – because God wills it!”
St. Maximilian Kolbe (19th-20th centuries)
#charity
The history behind a certain photograph
After the arrest of the residents of Niepokalanów on 19 September 1939, German Werhmacht troops and German civilians were stationed in Niepokalanów. From Saturday, 20 April 1940, the City of Mary was 'decorated' with a red flag with a black swastika, much to Father Kolbe's regret, recommending prayers that this shameful symbol should cease to disfigure the cloistered walls dedicated to the Immaculate.
Beginning from September 1940, Fr. Iwo Achtelik guarded the gate of the monastery. He knew the German language, so he could better serve the Werhmacht soldiers and German civilians coming through the gate. Shortly afterwards, Father Kolbe told him to go to the sick Wehrmacht soldiers staying in a building near the gate. He wished them a speedy recovery and instructed the friars to bring tea to the sick.
These gestures of kindness led one of the officers of the garrison stationed at Niepokalanów, an approximately 40-year-old Wehrmacht lieutenant from Bavaria, to approach Fr. Achtelik and ask Father Maximilian to paint a picture of the Immaculate for a gift for the officer's mother. Father Maximilian commissioned Fr. Lechosław. Shortly afterwards, the officer came to Father Maximilian to say goodbye to him because he had been transferred to another place. He left an address to which he asked that the painting be sent once it had been painted, and also asked if he could stand with him for a photograph under the statue of the Immaculate which stands in the monastery. As Br Iwo Achtelik - a witness to the event - recalls, "Father Maximilian readily agreed. This officer stood in the middle, facing the statue of the Immaculate, Father Maximilian on his right, and I was told by Father Maximilian to stand on the left." This photograph was taken by the late Fr. Boniface. It was at the end of January 1941."
This is how one of the last photographs of Father Maximilian was taken, which can be seen in the St. Maximilian Museum at Niepokalanów.
Sources: Documents on Father Maximilian M. Kolb. Statements of religious confreres, Niepokalanów 1953 (mps Niepokalanów Archives), pp. 13-14; C. R. Foster, Knight of Mary. The mission and martyrdom of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Niepokalanów 2007, pp. 582, 623-624
https://niepokalanow.pl/klasztor/archiwum/1941-historia-fotografii-oficera-werhmachtu
False accusations against Saint Maximilian and false information about him and his activities constantly appear or are reproduced by imprudent and unreliable authors of various publications or videos.
If you have any questions or doubts, I leave the contact to the archive.
E-mail: archiwum@niepokalanow.pl
Tel.: +48 46 864 21 44
#kolbe
After the arrest of the residents of Niepokalanów on 19 September 1939, German Werhmacht troops and German civilians were stationed in Niepokalanów. From Saturday, 20 April 1940, the City of Mary was 'decorated' with a red flag with a black swastika, much to Father Kolbe's regret, recommending prayers that this shameful symbol should cease to disfigure the cloistered walls dedicated to the Immaculate.
Beginning from September 1940, Fr. Iwo Achtelik guarded the gate of the monastery. He knew the German language, so he could better serve the Werhmacht soldiers and German civilians coming through the gate. Shortly afterwards, Father Kolbe told him to go to the sick Wehrmacht soldiers staying in a building near the gate. He wished them a speedy recovery and instructed the friars to bring tea to the sick.
These gestures of kindness led one of the officers of the garrison stationed at Niepokalanów, an approximately 40-year-old Wehrmacht lieutenant from Bavaria, to approach Fr. Achtelik and ask Father Maximilian to paint a picture of the Immaculate for a gift for the officer's mother. Father Maximilian commissioned Fr. Lechosław. Shortly afterwards, the officer came to Father Maximilian to say goodbye to him because he had been transferred to another place. He left an address to which he asked that the painting be sent once it had been painted, and also asked if he could stand with him for a photograph under the statue of the Immaculate which stands in the monastery. As Br Iwo Achtelik - a witness to the event - recalls, "Father Maximilian readily agreed. This officer stood in the middle, facing the statue of the Immaculate, Father Maximilian on his right, and I was told by Father Maximilian to stand on the left." This photograph was taken by the late Fr. Boniface. It was at the end of January 1941."
This is how one of the last photographs of Father Maximilian was taken, which can be seen in the St. Maximilian Museum at Niepokalanów.
Sources: Documents on Father Maximilian M. Kolb. Statements of religious confreres, Niepokalanów 1953 (mps Niepokalanów Archives), pp. 13-14; C. R. Foster, Knight of Mary. The mission and martyrdom of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Niepokalanów 2007, pp. 582, 623-624
https://niepokalanow.pl/klasztor/archiwum/1941-historia-fotografii-oficera-werhmachtu
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