Card Index
of the Writings of Mary of the Passion
Source 4 – Meditations
MD: 1 Introduction
Themes
Meditation 77 Imitation 63
Cult 77 Mission 69
Word of God 73 Grace -
For some time now you have been asking your poor mother to give you meditations for every day of the year. It was your wish that the reflections I suggested from time to time as evening preparation should be collected in a volume.
After having prayed for light, I felt that God was asking more from me. Our holy Mother the Church has always taught that the Divine Liturgy, Holy Scripture and the examples of the saints are the very pure sources from which those who give themselves to prayer find strength for their souls. If we apply this spiritual wealth to the needs of our vocation, I believe that we shall have – for the present and for the future – the sure guidance in our efforts to practise strong and solid virtue.
The recitation of the Divine Office would have corresponded to one of the desires of our souls, but as missionaries we must forego this privilege; some compensation will be found in the fact that our meditations contain abridged texts from the Romano-Seraphic breviary.
To facilitate my work, two very rich sources were indicated: Dom Guéranger’s Liturgical Year and Father Léon de Clary’s Aureole Séraphique. In them I found many spiritual helps for my soul, and this made me think that God was giving me a pledge of the good that these meditations would do to yours.
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MD: 2 Introduction
Themes
Imitation 63 Maternal Love -
Word of God 73 Lamb -
Francis 65 Spouse 25
Union with God 86 Mary 68
Struggle 26 Mission 69
Victim 90
The work naturally fell into two divisions: a volume contains the movable feasts and the Proper of the Sundays of each season, and secondly four volumes covering three months each, containing the lives of the saints for each day.
In the mysteries of Our Lord and in the lives of the saints – particularly those of the Order – I found, without difficulty, those directives that the Institute will always need if it is to keep the spirit of the Gospel which is the spirit of Jesus Himself, that of his great servant St. Francis and of the Seraphic Order. You will find a daily application aimed at making you understand the risks proper to our way of life, the struggles with the evil one, and also the necessity of the perfect union and dedication which must be ours as victims and Franciscan Missionaries.
The meditations that I am offering you have cost me dearly: the research they necessitated took time from a day that was already more than full. Obedience gave me the courage to continue, guided me to the end and seconded my maternal love.
May all my daughters – both present and future – receive with simplicity and obedience this heavenly food that the goodness of God has prepared for them: in it they will find the secret of continuing Mary’s mission, and of being faithful to the Divine Lamb who, in his incomparable love chose them for His Brides.
In the hope that this will be so, I bless all those who belong, or who will belong to the Institute and I confide them to J.M.J. and O.F.S.F. in whom, my dear daughters, I ever remain
Your Mother and humble servant
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MD : 3 Directory
Themes
Simplicity 89 Obedience 71
Love of God 23 Contemplation/Action 27
Prayer 77 Humility 89
Eucharist 62 Respect for persons 24
Peace 72
Each one is free to follow the subject in her book and the chapel will be sufficiently lighted that all may be attentive during the time of meditation, and refer in their books to that which was previously read aloud.
Ten minutes before the end of meditation the presiding religious gives the signal and all should kneel. She then reads the third point usually composed from the prayer of the day, the ejaculatory prayer and the intention. Each one may dwell upon whatever may attract her in the body of the meditation, multiply the petitions and form a resolution according to the needs of her soul.
All should bring to the feet of Jesus in the Eucharist a heart that is simple and overflowing with love. They should not hesitate to read should the imagination be inclined to wander. It is better to have recourse to the book many times than to sleep or to have the mind elsewhere. Certain souls labour in reflection while others are given more to contemplation and the exercise of the affections. Some have great aridity and others receive sweet consolation. Let each one cling to whatever may attract her and lead her to Jesus, and let her follow in peace and humility the way which is most suitable for her. Provided she brings to mental prayer a good will and obediently follows directions, she is sure to draw great profit for her soul and for all the works and souls with which she is concerned.
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MD : 4 Directory
Themes
Prudence 89 Prayer 77
Mary 68 Chastity 25
Eucharist 62 Contemplation/Action 27
Francis 65 Silence 89
Love of God 23 Spouse 25
It is part of prudence to guard ‘the King’s secret’ and not speak of it unless to one with authority to give direction, upon the trials and graces which come to us during meditation.
The Blessed Virgin kept all the divine words, pondering them in her heart. My daughters, guard always and ponder, above all during adoration, upon the fragrance of the morning meditation. My your lives be keenly impregnated with the spirit with which Mary and Francis have placed at your disposal in these liturgical and seraphic meditations, You will then be certain to be pure, poor and obedient virgins. The Divine Spouse will admit you to the nuptial chamber because, being wise virgins you will hold in your hand the burning lamp of chastity and love.
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MD : 5 1st December
Themes
Devotions 77
Victim 90
Goodness of God 23
It is there we must penetrate today, full of compassion for our dear Faithful Departed, especially those of our Order, and still more for our Sisters of the Institute. Let us remember them and help them by all the means which the goodness of God has placed at our disposal. Let the thought of them help us also to avoid and expiate the faults which would prevent our enjoying the Beatific Vision when the time comes for our souls to appear before the Judge, the Book and the Sentence.
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MD : 6 2nd December
Themes
Victim 90 Renouncement 29
Ecce 68 Abandonment 22
Struggle 26 World _
In Advent we celebrate the feast of Bibiana, a faithful virgin, one of the glorious retinue of Mary Immaculate. Her virginal robe was dyed in the purple of the martyrs. She shed her blood under Julian the Apostate, who was striving to extinguish the light of Christianity, shed abroad over the earth by the Redeemer. If victims were needed then, they are even more necessary in our own time. More true in our days than at the time of Bibiana are the words of St. Bernard in his first sermon on Advent.
“The light of day was fading, the sun of justice had almost disappeared from the earth; there was but a glimmer of light and little warmth, for the light of divine knowledge was almost extinct and the heat of charity had been killed by widespread iniquity; no longer did angels appear on the earth, or prophets make themselves heard, for both angels and prophets were discouraged by the hardness and obstinacy of men. Then the Son of God said “Lo, I come”.
That Jesus may come again in our souls and in the world, we must say to Him, our Love, “Lo! I come”. Like Bibiana, we must despise the goods of this world, and refuse to listen to the demon who tries to turn us away from the way, the truth and the life by human attachments.
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MD : 7 2nd December
Themes
Struggle 26 Union with God 86
Detachment 29 Spouse 85
Love of God 23 Chastity 23
Fidelity 89
The demon, like this Praetor, lays many snares around us, seeking to steal our hearts from the Spouse of Virgins. If we escape them, then he will inflict on us many persecutions like “leaded whips”.
Let us have the courage of Bibiana, let us rise above, not only guilty affections or pleasures, but even those which are so purely human that they prevent our giving ourselves to Jesus, our Love. If we are faithful to Him. He will be faithful to us also, and will carry out His work of virginal union for time and for eternity.
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MD : 8 3rd December
Themes
Mission 69 Struggle 26
Love of God 23 Sanctity -
Church 60 Francis 65
Word of God 73 Earth/Heaven 83
In the days of Francis Xavier, heresy seemed to possess the world. It spoke with contempt of the holy Church, as though the vices of the children could taint the purity of their mother. At last God showed Himself in His power, and the garden of the Church was adorned with the most admirable fruits of sanctity. Whenever the knowledge of God our Creator, seemed to be disappearing from the world, God has shown Himself in His love. After the Messiah, Saint Francis of Assisi and many others have revived the spirit of the gospel. St. Francis Xavier was one of these brilliant stars who shed light upon the world.
(…)
In India and in every part of the world, the devil and heretics are still attacking the Church. Ask our Lord to raise up apostles who will preserve and extend the faith.
Let us again obtain for the Church fresh life and energy to the glory of its Head and all its members.
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MD : 9 3rd December
Themes
Mission 69 Humility 89
Suffering 82 Respect for the hierarchy 71
Victim 90 Obedience 71
Fidelity 89 Struggle 26
Church 60
There could not be a better example than St. Francis Xavier of what a missionary of God should be in the time of the Church’s trials. Since we have undertaken to work for the conversion of the heathen and the triumph of the Church, let us, like Xavier, be ready to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Crucified. How false it would be to pretend to be victims and missionaries if we could not suffer with Jesus Christ!
The lesson for the day tells us further that although Xavier was doing such great things for God, yet he was so humble that he never wrote to Ignatius, his General, but on his knees.
Fidelity to the missionary vocation can only be assured by respect and obedience for those in authority, even though they be far away. If, wherever we may be, we observe this obedience and respect for our major superiors, we shall be victorious over creatures and over ourselves. In the Missions, especially, this obedience is the greatest safeguard, for that very reason. Satan often tempts missionaries to fail in it. Pray that all who have obeyed the command “going therefore, teach all nations” may place their works and their lives under the protection of unswerving obedience.
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MD : 10 5th December
Themes
Humility 89 Eucharist 62
Renouncement 29 Faith 64
Abandonment 22 Fidelity 89
Law - Prayer 77
Passion 74 Love of God 23
Humility is born of a true conviction of one’s own poverty. He who is aware of his own weakness is easily patient and by that very fact, is docile to God’s will and submissive to His law. The Passion of our Lord, the thought of what He suffered for us, the abasement of the Eucharist – all these should fill pour hearts with love and consequently with humility.
If we have a living faith in His mysteries, we will be patient, humble and pure like Blessed Humilis. We will know how to wait nine years and more, for God’s plans to be accomplished in our souls. The full accomplishment of these plans demands that we be faithful to the end like our Blessed model, that we be contented to be in a low place as in a high one, that above all we die with Jesus Crucified, with Him deeply engraved in our hearts and in our lives.
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MD : 11 5th December
Themes
Suffering 82 Charity 24
Gentleness 39 Fidelity 89
Struggle 26
Let us learn above all else from Sabbas to pursue with gentleness and charity those who cause us to suffer and who are in the wrong. We shall conquer them more surely in this way than by complaints and petty acts of revenge.
Be faithful, therefore, to exercises of piety, like him.
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MD : 12 6th December
Themes
Hope - Justice -
Devotions 77 Truth 88
Mission 69 Salvation of souls 81
At the moment of death, would we not wish to be sustained by hope, and assisted by the angels of God like St. Nicholas? Let us try to understand the value of souls. Let us come to the aid of those who are in danger, be friends of those whom the world ignores. Let us give our support to just causes, join all who defend truth and oppose all who scandalise the weak or lead them into error.
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MD : 13 5th December
Themes
Love of God 23 Law -
Charity 24 Sanctity -
Ask St. Nicholas to let a few drops of his manna fall on our souls, and thus inspire within us his charity for God and our neighbour.
Let us never forget that the perfect practice of this one commandment makes saints, and contains the law and the prophets.
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MD : 14 7th December
Themes
World - Struggle 26
Authority 79 Duty 89
Courage 39 Abandonment 22
Saint Ambrose, one of the four doctors of the Latin Church, with Gregory, Augustine and Jerome, is an admirable model for all who are in authority. He did not attain these honours through his own efforts and plans. The Will of God was manifested by a child. But as soon as the Divine Will had placed him on the bishop’s throne, he devoted himself heart and soul to the duties which before he had feared. He preserved his flock from the Aryan heresy and dared to brave the world when it was in opposition to God. He said: