Sunday within the
Octave of the Ascension
Ephesians, Chapter 1,
Verse 11-12
11In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things
according to the intention of his will, 12so that we might exist for the
praise of his glory, we who first hoped* in Christ.
Throught Christ we have Inheritance
through the Spirit. The spiritual blessings Christians have received through
Christ are the call to holiness; the gift of divine adoption establishing a
unique spiritual relationship with God the Father through Christ; liberation
from sin through Christ’s sacrificial death; revelation of God’s plan of
salvation in Christ; the gift of election and faith in Christ bestowed upon
Jewish Christians; and finally, the same gift granted to Gentiles. In the
Christ-centered faith and existence of the Christian communities the apostle
Paul sees the predetermined plan of God to bring all creation under the final
rule of Christ being made known and carried through, to God’s glory.[1]
This Sunday is a joyous preparation
for Pentecost. Because this Sunday eagerly awaits the coming of the Holy Spirit
(see the Mass propers), it is not surprising that there was once a special
papal ceremony to foreshadow the Pentecost event. On this day the Pope would
celebrate Mass in the church of Santa Maria Rotonda, the former Pantheon in
Rome with its large opening in the ceiling. After his sermon, roses were thrown
from the opening as a symbol of the Paraclete's imminent arrival. From this
custom comes the original name of the Sunday: Dominica de Rosa.
"When. . .the
Spirit of truth. . .has come, He will bear witness concerning Me. And you also
bear witness. . .The hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he
is offering worship to God" (Gospel).
The Apostles make the
first Novena, recommended by Christ Himself, in preparation for the coming
of the Holy Spirit. The Introit presents their Novena prayer, and ours, too.
In the background
St. Stephen is shown being stoned to death. The cross upside down, indicates
how St. Peter was crucified. We are to "bear witness" to Christ and
His Church against a world that will condemn us to death. thinking that
they are "offering worship to God" (Gospel).
A witness! Yes,
interiorly, to "be watchful in prayers;" exteriorly, by "mutual
charity among yourselves" (Epistle). For this we now offer "this. .
.sacrifice" (Secret), to "purify us' from past disloyalties and to
"strengthen" us for future testimony.
Excerpted from My Sunday Missal,
Confraternity of the Precious Blood
Here are the secret whispers of Jesus to his little bride Faustina on how to protect herself from the attacks of the devil. These instructions became Faustina’s weapon in fighting the good fight.
Jesus began, “My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare” (1760).
1.
Never trust in yourself but abandon
yourself totally to My will. Trust is a
spiritual weapon. Trust is part of the shield of faith that St. Paul mentions
in chapter six of Ephesians: the armor of God. Abandonment to God’s will is an act of
trust; faith in action dispels evil spirits.
2.
In desolation, darkness and various
doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always
answer you in my name.
In times of spiritual warfare, immediately pray to
Jesus. Invoke His Holy Name that is feared in the netherworld. Bring darkness
into the light by telling a spiritual director or confessor and follow his
instruction.
3.
Do not bargain with any temptation;
lock yourself immediately in My Heart.
In the Garden of Eden, Eve bargained with the devil
and lost. We have recourse to the refuge of the Sacred Heart. In running to
Christ, we turn our backs on the demonic.
4.
At the first opportunity, reveal
the temptation to the confessor.
A good confession, a good confessor, and a good
penitent are a recipe for victory over temptation and demonic oppression—without fail.
5.
Put your self-love in the last
place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Self-love
is natural but it should be ordered, free of pride. Humility defeats the devil
that is perfect pride. Satan tempts us to disordered self-love to lead us into
his pool of pride.
6.
Bear with yourself with great patience.
Patience is a secret weapon that
helps us to keep our peace of soul even in the great storms of life. Bearing
with oneself is part of humility and trust. The devil tempts us to impatience,
to turn against our selves so we become angry. See yourself from God’s view. He is
infinitely patient.
7.
Do not neglect interior
mortifications. Scripture teaches that some demons
can only be evicted by prayer and fasting. Interior mortifications are weapons
of warfare. They can be small sacrifices offered with great love. The power of
sacrificial love evicts the enemy.
8.
Always justify to yourself the
opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Christ
is speaking to St. Faustina who lives in a convent. But we all have people in
authority over us. The devil aims to divide and conquer so humble obedience to authentic
authority is a spiritual weapon.
9.
Shun murmurs like a plague. The
tongue is a powerful vessel that can-do great harm. Murmuring, gossiping, is
never of God. The devil is a liar who stirs up false accusations and gossip
that can kill a person’s
reputation. Shun murmurs!
10. Let
all act as they like; you are to act, as I want you to. To
mind one’s
own business is key in spiritual warfare. The devil is a busybody attempting to
drag everyone down. Please God and let the opinions of others go by the
wayside.
11. Observe
the rule as faithfully as you can. Jesus is referring
to the rule of a Religious Order here. Most of us have made some vow before God
and Church and we should be faithful our promises—i.e. Marriage vows
and baptismal vows. Satan tempts to infidelity, lawlessness and disobedience.
Fidelity is a weapon for victory.
12. If
someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who
caused you to suffer. Being a vessel of divine mercy is a
weapon for good and for defeating evil. The devil is about hatred, rage, revenge,
and unforgiveness. Others have hurt us all at some time. What good can we do in
return? Returning a blessing breaks curses.
13. Do
not pour out your feelings. A talkative soul will more easily
be attacked by the devil. Pour out your feelings to the Lord only. Remember,
the good and evil spirits hear what you say aloud. Feelings are fleeting. Truth
is the compass. Interior recollection is a spiritual armor.
14. Be
silent when you are rebuked. Most of us have been rebuked at
some time. We have no control over that, but we can control our response. The
need to be right all the time can lead into demonic traps. God knows the truth.
Let it go. Silence is a protection. The devil can use self-righteousness to
trip us up also.
15. Do
not ask everyone’s
opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a
child with him. Simplicity of life can drive out
demons. Honesty is a weapon to defeat Satan, the Liar. When we lie, we put a foot
in his camp and he will try to seduce us all the more.
16. Do
not become discouraged by ingratitude. No
one likes to be taken for granted. But when we are met with ingratitude or
insensitivity, the spirit of discouragement can weigh us down. Resist all discouragement
for it is never of God. It is one of the devil’s most effective
temptations. Gratitude in all things wins the day.
17. Do
not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. The
need to know, and curiosity about the future is a temptation that has led too
many people into the backrooms of psychics, witches, etc. Choose to walk in
faith. Decide to trust in God who leads you on the path to heaven. Resist the
spirit of curiosity always.
18. When
boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and
hide in My heart. Jesus delivers the same message a
second time. Now He refers to boredom. Earlier in the Diary he told St.
Faustina that the devil most easily tempts idle souls. Beware of
boredom, a spirit of lethargy, or acedia—the noonday devil. Idle souls are
easy prey for demons. Be about the business of God.
19. Do
not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare
not attack us. Fear is the second most common
tactic of the devil (pride is the first). Courage intimidates the devil—he will flee in the
face of persevering courage that stands on Jesus, the rock. All people
struggle, God is our provision.
20. Always
fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Jesus
instructs a Sister in a convent to “fight” with conviction.
She can do so because Christ accompanies her. Christians are called to fight
with conviction against all demonic tactics. The devil tries to terrorize
souls, demonic terrorism—resist!
Invoke the Holy Sprit throughout the day.
21. Do
not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all
merit lies in the will. All merit lies in the will because
love is an act of the will. We are completely free in Christ. We must make a
choice, a decision for good or evil. What camp do we live in?
22. Always
depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. Christ
is instructing a Religious here. But, we all have the Lord as our Superior.
Dependence upon God is a weapon of spiritual warfare because we cannot win on
our own. Proclaiming Christ’s
victory over evil is part of intentional discipleship. Christ came to defeat
death & evil. Proclaim Him!
23. I
will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary,
prepare for great battles. St. Faustina suffered physically
and spiritually. She was prepared for great battles by the grace of God who
upheld her. Christ clearly instructs us in scripture to be prepared for great
battles, to put on God’s
armor and resist the devil. Be vigilant and discerning always.
24. Know
that you are on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. What
message is our life giving? What radiates from us—shades of light,
darkness or grey? The way we live attracts more light or more darkness. If the
devil does not succeed in pulling us into darkness, he tries to keep us in the
category of the lukewarm, which is not pleasing to God.
25. Fight
like a knight, so I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are
not alone. The Lord’s words to St.
Faustina can become our mantra: Fight like a knight! A knight for Christ knows
well the cause that he fights for, the nobility of his mission, the King who he
serves, and with blessed assuredness of the victory, he fights to the end, even
at the cost of his life. If a young, uneducated, simple Polish nun, united to
Christ, can fight like a knight, every Christian can do the same. Trust is
victorious.
On
those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching them out of the fire; on
others have mercy with fear, abhorring even the outer garment stained by the
flesh.
(7th Sunday of Easter)
Thou, of all
consolers best, visiting the troubled breast, Dost refreshing peace bestow.
The gift of Piety begets in our hearts a filial affection for God as our most loving Father. It inspires us to love and respect for His sake persons and things consecrated to Him, as well as those who are vested with His authority, His Blessed Mother and the Saints, the Church and its visible Head, our parents and superiors, our country and its rulers. He who is filled with the gift of Piety finds the practice of his religion, not a burdensome duty, but a delightful service. Where there is love, there is no labor.
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for His sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary
ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
Daily Devotions
·
I
will have no sweets or junk food (Exception Sundays, Holidays and Feast Days
that you fast the day before).
* A person with holy fear
of the Lord is filled with peace, faith, hope and love.
[1]
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Ephesians/1:17
[3]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2018-05-13
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