#blessedvirgin — Public Fediverse posts

Quote of the day, 21 May: St. Raphael Kalinowski

My job at Kursk was to draw up the necessary plans for [construction of a railway line from Kursk, Russia to Odesa, Ukraine]. It was necessary for me to make many journeys to Putywl [Ukraine] and other places to pick up statistical and geographical ideas of which I was in need. Nowhere did I find a Catholic church…

At Kursk I lived near the Orthodox Church. I only set foot in there once, invited to a wedding by a family who were known to me. Perhaps here I could do some praying. That evening, the thought of the cemetery which was close to my room, and the cry of the owls that inhabited the neighbourhood, exercised a salutary impression on my mind.

The old sacristan who was a very honest man became a friend. When I returned after a long absence and asked him how he was, he would reply, “I am very well, thanks be to God and to your prayers.”

In all this expedition I can report only one benefit, not from my work, but from a little religious book, an anthology of prayers to the Blessed Virgin. It had been given to me by a young Polish man who helped me draw up the plans and it had been a keepsake of his mother.

The reading of this little book had a great influence on me. It instilled in me particularly a lively trust in the intercession of the Holy Virgin. One remark on the efficacy of the Hail Mary remained deeply engraved on my memory, and on one occasion when I found myself exposed to imminent danger, I recited the Ave and I emerged safe and sound.

What a powerful weapon prayer is! How easy it is to obtain everything through the intercession of Mary! What efficacious means of salvation Holy Church places in our hands through these religious books, which open the eyes of our souls to the splendor of divine truth!

Saint Raphael Kalinowski

Memoirs, ch. 2

Tierney, T  2016,  Saint Raphael Kalinowski: Apprenticed to Sainthood in Siberia,  Balboa Press  Australia.

Featured image: Antique Russian Orthodox icon. Image credit: kalichka / Adobe Stock (Asset ID#: 148978092).

Quote of the day, 20 March: Blessed Francis Palau y Quer

God in His providence has ordained not to cure our ills or grant us grace without the intervention of prayer. He wishes us to help in saving each other by means of our prayer (cf. Jas 5:16f). If the heavens showered down dew and the clouds rained the righteous One, if the earth opened to bring forth the Savior (cf. Is 45:8), it was God’s good pleasure that His coming should be preceded by the prayers of that singular Virgin who by the beauty of her virtues drew into her womb the uncreated Word of God.

The Redeemer came, and by constant prayer, He reconciled the world to the Father. If Christ’s prayer and the fruits of His redemptive work are to be applied to any nation or people, or if the gospel message is to enlighten them and they are to have someone to administer the sacraments, it is indispensable that someone or even many persons should have previously won them over and reconciled them to God by earnest entreaties and supplications, by prayers and sacrifices.

Christ prayed throughout His entire life, whereas He spent only three years preaching. Since God does not distribute His graces to men except through prayer, because He wishes us to recognize Him as the source from which all good things flow; in like manner, He does not wish to save us from danger, or cure our wounds, or console us in affliction, except by means of this same exercise of prayer.

Blessed Francis Palau y Quer

From his spiritual writings

Note: Born in Aytona (Lérida) on December 29, 1811, Blessed Francis Palau y Quer entered the Carmelite Order in 1832 and was ordained in 1836. Amid civil unrest, he lived for years in exile. Returning to Spain, he founded the School of Virtue in Barcelona, later suppressed, and was again exiled—this time to Ibiza (1854–1860), where he lived in solitude at El Vedrá and deepened his mystical insight into the mystery of the Church. He went on to found the Teresian Carmelite Missionary Brothers and Sisters and devoted himself to preaching and Marian devotion. He died at Tarragona on March 20, 1872, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980.

Catholic Church 1993, Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Rev. and augm.), Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome.

Featured image: Background: Es Vedrá is an islet in the Balearic Islands, near Ibiza, in Spain. It is part of the natural reserve of Es Vedrá, Es Vedranell and els illots de Ponent. The statue of Blessed Francis is found in the chapel of the Teresian Carmelite Missionary Sisters, Tarragona.
Image credits: Alejandro Tapia / Adobe Express (photo of the Balearic Islands) and bocachete / Wikimedia Commons (photo of the statue, public domain)

Quote of the day, 12 November: St. Thérèse

Loreto really charmed me! And what shall I say about the Holy House? Ah! how deep was my emotion when I found myself under the same roof as the Holy Family, contemplating the walls upon which Jesus cast His sacred glance, treading the ground bedewed with the sweat of St. Joseph, under this roof where Mary had carried Jesus in her arms, having carried Him in her virginal womb. I beheld the little room in which the angel had appeared to the Blessed Virgin. I placed my rosary in the little bowl of the Child Jesus. What ravishing memories!

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

Manuscript A, folio 59 verso

My dear Thérésita,

Monseigneur is awaiting the end of the trip in order to make his decision.

Today, really confide your entire affair to the Blessed Virgin. There, in that blessed house where she worked, prayed, suffered, what delightful things she is about to make your heart understand. One does not go to the Blessed Virgin’s home without coming back with hands filled with graces. Oh, little home of Nazareth, you are worth a thousand times more than all the palaces of this world! There, truly, is heaven’s vestibule!. . .

Little Friend and fiancée of little Jesus, don’t forget that He grew up under this roof of mystery. . . . Don’t forget that He wept there often, very often; He wept there with love and with the desire to see all souls take flight towards Him, and He wept with sorrow when seeing so few would love Him in the future!

When the Blessed Virgin noticed that her Darling was weeping, it was then that she quickly placed the mysterious ball in His hand, and He smiled immediately. . . on the dear ball was written this name: Thérésita of the Child Jesus.

Adieu, adieu, little pilgrim, little toy of Jesus. Fear nothing, for Jesus says to you as He said formerly to St. Teresa: “Nobody will be able to snatch you from My Hands!”

Your confidante,
Agnes of Jesus
r.c.ind.

You should also pray to good St. Joseph, for he, too, worked for Him and suffered in this little house, thrice blessed.

Your little letter pleased me very much; don’t worry about your handwriting. When we are traveling, this is insignificant.

Agnès of Jesus, O.C.D. (Pauline Martin

Letter LC 57 From Sister Agnes of Jesus to Thérèse
November 9, 1887

Note: This letter was addressed to St. Thérèse at Loreto, Italy, mailed at the same time as two letters to St. Louis Martin and Céline Martin, and a note from Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart to Thérèse. At the beginning of this letter, Pauline explains Bishop Hugonin’s decision to postpone his answer concerning Thérèse’s vocation until after the trip to Rome was over. Thérèse took this as a negative answer: “I learned from one of your letters, Mother, that he was no longer favorably disposed toward me. My only plank of salvation was in the permission of the Holy Father, but to obtain it I had to ask for it, I had to dare speak to the pope in front of everybody. This thought made me tremble” (Ms A 62r).

Thérèse of Lisieux, S & Clarke, J 1982, General Correspondence: Letters of Saint Therese of Lisieux: Volume 1 1877-1890, Centenary ed., Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington DC.

Thérèse & Foley, M 2005, Story of a Soul: The autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Study edn, translated from the French by Clarke, J, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

We always refer to the website of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux for the vast majority of our quotes concerning Saint Thérèse, Saint Zélie, and Saint Louis Martin. If you would like to purchase English translations for the collected works of St. Thérèse, please visit the website of our Discalced Carmelite friars at ICS Publications. 

Featured image: The famed image of Our Lady of Loreto in the Basilica of the Holy House. Image credit: kppl / Adobe Stock (File 207764768).

#207764768 #BlessedVirgin #CelineMartin #ChildJesus #familyLife #HolyHouseOfLoreto #PaulineMartin #pilgrimage #SantaCasaDiLoreto #StThereseOfLisieux

Today's Flickr photo was taken in Pompeii: the dome of the Santuario della Beata Vergine del Rosario (Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary).

#pompeii #church #architecture #dome #fresco #BlessedVirgin #rosary

Today's Flickr photo was taken in Pompeii: the dome of the Santuario della Beata Vergine del Rosario (Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary).

#pompeii #church #architecture #dome #fresco #BlessedVirgin #rosary

Today's Flickr photo was taken in Pompeii: the dome of the Santuario della Beata Vergine del Rosario (Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary).

#pompeii #church #architecture #dome #fresco #BlessedVirgin #rosary

Today's Flickr photo was taken in Pompeii: the dome of the Santuario della Beata Vergine del Rosario (Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary).

#pompeii #church #architecture #dome #fresco #BlessedVirgin #rosary

Today's Flickr photo was taken in Pompeii: the dome of the Santuario della Beata Vergine del Rosario (Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary).

#pompeii #church #architecture #dome #fresco #BlessedVirgin #rosary

Quote of the day, 19 January: St. Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi

Turning to an image of the Blessed Virgin, [Sister Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi] said:

“O Mary! I see after all the most pure and resplendent eyes of my Spouse, looking down upon me with a countenance no longer troubled but benign. But, pray! tell me, O my Jesus, what did I do in so short a space of time for which I may have deserved so sweet and smiling a look?”

And she was answered: “Conformity of will.”

In August of 1588, the wine in a keg in the monastery having become sour and the mother prioress having no means to provide good wine, she ordered Sister Mary Magdalen to pray to Jesus that He might be pleased to turn the spoiled wine again into good wine.

Then our Saint, strengthened by obedience, took a little framed picture which represented St. [James], and going with it to the wine cellar, after a short prayer, made the sign of the cross over the keg.

After this, the sister butler came to draw wine, and found it, in fact, restored to its former good taste. The nuns gave thanks to God, who had so miraculously provided for their needs.

A fellow sister, Mary Angiola Santucci, was then confined to her bed by a serious illness, and, on hearing of this miracle, asked for a drink of the wine. No sooner had she tasted it than she felt a notable relief from her illness, and, feeling her hope of ultimate recovery increase, she wanted to taste more of it on the following day. After this, she felt better; and on the third day, taking the same small quantity, she recovered her health entirely, to the inexpressible wonder of the sisters, who could not help being cognizant the double prodigy worked through the virtue of our humble and holy [Sister].

Father Placido Fabrini

Chapters 25 and 17 (excerpts)

Fabrini, P. & De’ Pazzi, M.M. 1900, The life of St. Mary Magdalen De-Pazzi: Florentine noble, sacred Carmelite virgin, translated from the Italian by Isoleri A., [publisher not identified] Philadelphia.

#beloved #BlessedVirgin #conformity #miracle #obedience #StMaryMagdalenDePazzi #willOfGod #wine

Quote of the day, 30 December: St. John Paul II and St. Thérèse

The Marian pope was, in an exemplary manner, a man of hope. On this point, he is particularly close to Thérèse of Lisieux, who is par excellence the Doctor of Mercy and Hope—that is, of unlimited Hope in the infinite Mercy of the Redeemer. Already, in his first encyclical, John Paul II highlighted the Mystery of Merciful Love contemplated in Christ the Redeemer:

“God is love” (1 Jn 4:8). Above all, love is greater than sin, than weakness, than the “futility of creation” (cf. Rom 8:20), it is stronger than death; it is a love always ready to raise up and forgive, always ready to go to meet the prodigal son (cf. Lk 15:11–32), always looking for “the revealing of the sons of God” (Rom 8:19), who are called to the glory that is to be revealed” (cf. Rom 8:18). This revelation of love is also described as mercy (cf. St. Thomas, Summa Theol., III, q. 46, a. 1, ad 3); and in man’s history this revelation of love and mercy has taken a form and a name: that of Jesus Christ (Redemptor Hominis, n. 9).

In the same spirit, the pope would later write the encyclical Dives in Misericordia and would beatify and canonize Sister Faustina Kowalska. Along the same lines, he named the renowned theologian Hans Urs Von Balthasar as Cardinal, who was a steadfast advocate for the universal hope of salvation. Before him, the poet Charles Péguy had discovered the same reality of hope in Mary, “All Hope,” as we will see in one of our meditations.

But there is no doubt that the principal authority on this point is Thérèse of Lisieux as a Doctor of the Church. John Paul II’s expression at the end of the Letter to the Montfort religious family is certainly inspired by Thérèse of Lisieux: “Together with the Blessed Virgin and with the same maternal heart, the Church prays, hopes and intercedes for the salvation of all men and women.”

Here, it is necessary to summarize Thérèse’s doctrine, which we will explore more deeply in upcoming meditations. Indeed, it was already with the same maternal heart that young Thérèse, at the age of 14, before entering Carmel, hoped against all hope for the salvation of the criminal Pranzini, condemned to death and unrepentant, wanting “at all costs to prevent him from falling into hell.” She herself calls him “my first child,” affirming the full certainty of hope in his regard, which has as its sole foundation the infinite Mercy of Jesus (Ms A, 45v–46v).

This extreme hope explicitly becomes hope for all on the day of her religious profession when she asks her spouse: “Jesus, allow me to save very many souls; let no soul be lost today” (Pri 2)—that is, among all those who die today, let not one go to hell. Similarly, when she offers herself “as a victim of holocaust to Merciful Love,” she expresses her desire to “save souls on earth,” meaning all souls (Pri 6).

François-Marie Léthel, o.c.d.

The Light of Christ in the Heart of the Church
Meditation 4: The Splendor of Charity, Faith, and Hope Lived by John Paul II with Mary Most Holy

Lethel, F 2011, La lumière du Christ dans le coeur de l’Église : Jean-Paul II et la théologie des saints : retraite de carême avec Benoît XVI, 13-19 mars 2011, Parole et Silence, Paris.

Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: Photographer Frank McKenna captures this image of five birds in flight above the Pacific shore at San Diego, California. Image credit: Frank McKenna / Unsplash (Stock photo)

#BlessedVirgin #DoctorOfTheChurch #FrançoisMarieLéthelOCD #hope #Pranzini #salvation #StJohnPaulII #StThérèseOfLisieux

St. Thérèse of Lisieux reflects on Mary’s quiet trust. Misunderstood, Thérèse chose to imitate Mary, who kept all things in her heart. #HolyFamily #BlessedVirgin

http://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/12/28/tej8jul97/

St. Thérèse of Lisieux reflects on Mary’s quiet trust. Misunderstood, Thérèse chose to imitate Mary, who kept all things in her heart. #HolyFamily #BlessedVirgin

http://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/12/28/tej8jul97/

St. Thérèse of Lisieux reflects on Mary’s quiet trust. Misunderstood, Thérèse chose to imitate Mary, who kept all things in her heart. #HolyFamily #BlessedVirgin

http://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/12/28/tej8jul97/

St. Thérèse of Lisieux reflects on Mary’s quiet trust. Misunderstood, Thérèse chose to imitate Mary, who kept all things in her heart. #HolyFamily #BlessedVirgin

http://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/12/28/tej8jul97/

Dear Friend,

I won’t be able to get to Alençon until Monday; the time seems so long, I can’t wait to be near you.

I don’t need to tell you that your letter gave me great pleasure, except to see that you were tiring yourself out far too much. I would therefore recommend calm and moderation, especially in your work. I have a few orders from the Compagnie Lyonnaise; once again, don’t worry so much, we’ll manage with God’s help to make a good little home.

I had the pleasure of receiving Communion at Our Lady of Victories, which is like a little paradise on earth. I also lit a candle for the whole family.

My heart goes out to you all, and I look forward to being reunited with you. I hope Marie and Pauline are well-behaved.

Your husband and true friend, who loves you for life.

Saint Louis Martin

Letter to his wife, 8 October 1863

Note: Saint Louis Martin writes while on a business trip in Paris, promoting St. Zélie’s Alençon lace business. He mentions doing business with the Compagnie Lyonnaise, a fashion retailer in Paris. Louis loved the Church of Our Lady of Victories so much that from the outset of his grand pilgrimage to Rome with Thérèse and Céline in 1887, he took the girls to see that beloved parish. St. Thérèse described their arrival: “We reached Paris in the morning [Friday, 4 November 1887] and commenced our visit without any delay. Poor little Father tired himself out trying to please us, and very soon we saw all the marvels of the Capital. I myself found only one which filled me with delight, Our Lady of Victories!” (Ms A 56v).

We always refer to the website of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux for the vast majority of our quotes concerning Saint Thérèse, Saint Zélie, and Saint Louis Martin. If you would like to purchase English translations for the collected works of St. Thérèse, please visit the website of our Discalced Carmelite friars at ICS Publications. 

of Lisieux, T 1996, Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, 3rd edn, translated from the French by Clarke J, ICS Publications, Washington, DC.

Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: The statue of Notre-Dame de Victoires stands tall in the Chapel of the Virgin in the Paris Archdiocese church that bears her name. Image credit: Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. / Flickr (Some rights reserved)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/05/19/mdj2024-ep20/

#Alençon #BlessedVirgin #business #candle #family #France #HolyCommunion #NotreDameDesVictoires #OurLadyOfVictories #paradise #Paris #StLouisMartin #StThérèseOfLisieux #StZélieMartin

Since Sister Lucia met the Lady brighter than the sun and saw the Light which is God, she never took her eyes off her face, which was etched forever in her heart.

Her eyes brightened by that unmistakable light, never strayed from this Star, which led sometimes into the midst of thick darkness, lit only by the certainty of the Mother’s promise:

I will never leave you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.

Mary is always the way, the guide, and light that leads to God, Trinity of Love.

The Discalced Carmelite nuns of Coimbra

A pathway under the gaze of Mary, XVII.3

of St. Teresa Coimbra Portugal, C 2015, A pathway under the gaze of Mary : biography of Sister Maria Lucia of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart O.C.D., translated from the Portuguese by Colson, J, World Apostolate of Fatima USA, Washington NJ.

Featured image: This stained glass window from the Shrine of Our Lady of Tylicz, Poland, depicts the three seers of Our Lady of Fatima. Image credit: Adam Ján Figeľ / Adobe Stock

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/05/12/lucia-light/

#BlessedVirgin #CarmelOfCoimbra #darkness #Fatima #guide #ImmaculateHeart #light #refuge #Trinity #VenerableMariaLuciaOfJesusAndTheImmaculateHeart #way

"On the eve #LaGritería, I can't forget Rolando, my brother #bishop of #Matagalpa. I ask the Virgin to take care of him & give him strength, and I demand, together with all the people of #Nicaragua, that he be released. #BlessedVirgin take care of Rolando and give him back to us!"
#BishopSilvioJoseBaez

#Catholic Bishop #RolandoAlvarez is a #politicalprisoner in Nicaragua. He was kidnapped on 19 August 2022 after being sequestered in his residence. His whereabouts are unknown.