February 18, 2014

Tuesday of the sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,
for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life
that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say,
“I am being tempted by God”;
for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,
and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19

R. (12a) Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;
When cares abound within me,
your comfort gladdens my soul.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

Gospel Mk 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

From: James 1:12-18

The Value of Suffering (Continuation)

[12] Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will
receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.

The Source of Temptation

[13] Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot
be tempted with evil and He Himself tempts no one; [14] but each person is
tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. [15] Then desire when
it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.

[16] Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. [17] Every good endowment and
every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom
there is no variation or shadow due to change. [18] Of His own will He brought us
forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.

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Commentary:

12. These words, which expand on the idea contained in verses 2-4, echo our
Lord’s own words: “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and
utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for
your reward is great in Heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12). The simile of the crown — a
mark of victory and kingship—is used to convey the idea of definitive triumph with
Christ: the Lord will appear crowned in glory (Revelation 14:14); the Woman of
the Apocalypse, symbolizing the Church and the Blessed Virgin, is also des-
cribed as crowned (cf. Revelation 12:1); and this reward is promised to those
who stay true to God in this life (cf. Revelation 2:10; 3:11). It is also to be found
in other New Testament passages to convey the idea of the ultimate reward of
Heaven (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4).

This means that Christians should not be depressed or cowed by the difficulties
which God permits them to experience; on the contrary, they should see them as
a series of tests which with God’s help they should surmount in order to receive
the reward of Heaven. “The Lord does not allow His followers to experience these
trials and temptations unless it be for their greater good,” St. John of Avila com-
ments. “[...] He disposed things in this way: endurance in adversity and struggle
against temptation prove who His friends are. For the mark of a true friend is not
that he keeps you company when times are good, but that he stands by you in
times of trial [...]. Companions in adversity and later in the Kingdom, you should
strive to fight manfully when you meet opposition that would separate you from
God, for He is your help here on earth and your reward in Heaven” (”Audi, Filia”,
29).

13-18. These verses identify the source of the temptations man experiences:
they cannot come from God but are, rather, the effect of human concupiscence
(verses 16-18).

Sometimes temptation means putting a person’s faithfulness to the test; in this
sense it can be said that God “tempts” certain people, as happened in the case
of Abraham (cf. Genesis 22:1 ff). However, here the reference is to temptation in
the strict sense of incitement to sin: God never tempts anyone in this way, He
never encourages a person to do evil (cf. Sirach 15:11-20). Therefore, we cannot
attribute to God our inclination to sin, nor can it be argued that by endowing us
with freedom He is the cause of our sin. On the contrary, the natural and super-
natural gifts we have received are resources which help us act in a morally good
way.

14-15. St. James’ teaching is that the source of temptation is to be found in our
own passions. Elsewhere he says that the world (cf. 1:27; 4:4) and the devil (4:7)
are causes of temptations; but to actually commit sin the complicity of one’s own
evil inclinations is always necessary.

Concupiscence (”desire”), here as elsewhere in the New Testament (cf., e.g., Ro-
mans 1:24; 7:7ff; 1 John 2:16), means all the disordered passions and appetites
which, as a result of original sin, have a place in men’s hearts. Concupiscence
as such is not a sin; but rather, according to the Council of Trent, “since it is left
to provide a trial, it has no power to injure those who do not consent and who, by
the grace of Jesus Christ, manfully resist”; and if it is sometimes called sin (cf.
Romans 6:12ff) it is “only because it is from sin and inclines to sin” (”De Pec-
cato Originali”, 5).

Using the simile of generation St. James describes the course of sin from the
stage of temptation to that of the death of the soul. When one gives in to the se-
duction of concupiscence sin is committed; this in turn leads to spiritual death,
to the soul’s losing the life of grace. This is the opposite process to the one des-
cribed earlier (cf. verses 2-12), which begins with trials (temptations in the broad
sense: cf. note on 1:2-4) and ends up in Heaven; whereas in this passage, the
process also begins with temptation but because of sin ends up with the death
of the soul. Bl. John Paul II describes the process as follows: “Man also knows,
through painful experience, that by a conscious and free act of the will he can
change course and go in a direction opposed to God’s will, separating himself
from God (”aversio a Deo”), rejecting loving communion with Him, detaching him-
self from the life-principle which God is, and consequently choosing “death”
(”Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia”, 17).

16-18. “The Father of lights”: a reference to God as Creator of the heavenly bo-
dies (cf. Genesis 1:14 ff; Psalm 136:7-9) and, in the symbolism of light, as the
source of all good things, material and, especially, spiritual. Unlike heavenly bo-
dies, which change position and cast shadows, there is no variation or shadow
in God: no evil can be attributed to Him (cf. verse 13), but only good things.

“First fruits of His creatures”: Christians, who have been recreated by God by
“the word of truth” (the Gospel) already constitute the beginning of the New
Heaven and the New Earth (cf. Revelation 21:1) and are a sign of hope for all
mankind and for the whole of Creation (cf. Romans 9:19-23).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Mark 8:14-21

The Leaven of the Pharisees (Continuation)

[14] Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them
in the boat. [15] And He (Jesus) cautioned them, saying, “Take heed, beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” [16] And they discussed it
with one another, saying, “We have no bread.” [17] And being aware of it, Jesus
said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not
yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? [18] Having eyes do
you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? [19]
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of bro-
ken pieces did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” [20] And the seven
for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”
And they said to Him, “Seven.” [21] And He said to them, “Do you not yet
understand?”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

15-16. In another Gospel passage—Luke 13:20-21 and Matthew 31:33—Jesus
uses the simile of the leaven to show the vitality of His teaching. Here “leaven”
is used in the sense of bad disposition. In the making of bread, leaven is what
causes the dough to rise; the Pharisees’ hypocrisy and Herod’s dissolute life,
stemming from their personal ambition, were the “leaven” which was poisoning
from within the “dough” of Israel and which would eventually corrupt it. Jesus
seeks to warn His disciples about these dangers, and to have them understand
that if they are to take in His doctrine they need a pure and simple heart.

But the disciples fail to understand: “They weren’t educated; they weren’t very
bright, if we judge from their reaction to supernatural things. Finding even the
most elementary examples and comparisons beyond their reach, they would
turn to the Master and ask: ‘Explain the parable to us.’ When Jesus uses the
image of the ‘leaven’ of the Pharisees, they think that He’s reproaching them for
not having purchased bread....These were the disciples called by our Lord. Such
stuff is what Christ chose. And they remain just like that until they are filled with
the Holy Spirit and thus become pillars of the Church. They are ordinary people,
full of defects and shortcomings, more eager to say than to do. Nevertheless,
Jesus calls them to be fishers of men, co-redeemers, dispensers of the grace
of God” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 2). The same thing can happen
to us. Although we may not be very gifted, the Lord calls us, and love of God
and docility to His words will cause to grow in our souls unsuspected fruit of
holiness and supernatural effectiveness.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

First reading

James 1:12-18 ©

Happy the man who stands firm when trials come. He has proved himself, and will win the prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Never, when you have been tempted, say, ‘God sent the temptation’; God cannot be tempted to do anything wrong, and he does not tempt anybody. Everyone who is tempted is attracted and seduced by his own wrong desire. Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it too has a child, and the child is death.

Make no mistake about this, my dear brothers: it is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created.

Psalm

Psalm 93:12-15,18-19 ©

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord.

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord,

whom you train by means of your law;

to him you give peace in evil days

while the pit is being dug for the wicked.

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord.

The Lord will not abandon his people

nor forsake those who are his own;

for judgement shall again be just

and all true hearts shall uphold it.

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord.

When I think: ‘I have lost my foothold’;

your mercy, Lord, holds me up.

When cares increase in my heart

your consolation calms my soul.

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or	Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 8:14-21 ©

The disciples had forgotten to take any food and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, ‘Keep your eyes open; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ And they said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you not yet understand? Have you no perception? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ They answered, ‘Twelve.’ And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ And they answered, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Are you still without perception?’

Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: II BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Tuesdays and Fridays)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]

A Prayer for our Free Nation Under God
God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.

February Devotion: The Holy Family

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of February has been primarily asociated with the Holy Family, probably due to the feast of Our Lord's presentation at the temple, celebrated on February 2. At the very outset of Christ's work on earth, God showed the world a family in which, as Pope Leo XIII teaches, "all men might behold a perfect model of domestic life, and of all virtue and holiness." The harmony, unity, and holiness which characterized this holy Family make it the model for all Christian families.

INVOCATION
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind, Bless us now and in death's agony.

FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE HOLY FAMILY
Grant unto us, Lord Jesus, ever to follow the example of Thy holy Family, that in the hour of our death Thy glorious Virgin Mother together with blessed Joseph may come to meet us and we may be worthily received by Thee into everlasting dwellings: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal

CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FAMILY
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times.

IN HONOR OF THE HOLY FAMILY
O God, heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Holy Family Chaplet

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with me in my last hour.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul
in peace with you.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Amen.

Say 3 Our Father's, 3 Hail Mary's, and 3 Glory be's.

The Holy Family Icon by Nicholas Markell

PRAYER TO
THE HOLY FAMILY
=====================================================================================

GOD our Heavenly Father, You call all peoples to be united as one family in worshipping You as the one and true God. You willed that Your Son become man, giving Him a virgin mother and a foster father to form the Holy Family of Nazareth.

WE pray: may the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, image and model of every human family unit walk in the spirit of Nazareth and grow in the understanding of its particular mission in society and the Church. May our families be living cells of love, faithfulness and unity, thus reflecting God's covenant with humanity and Christ's redeeming love for His Church.

JESUS, Mary and Joseph protect our families from all evil; keep us, who are away from home, one in love with our dear ones.

The Holy Family

"The Holy Family with the infant St. John the Baptist ( the Doni tondo )" by Michelangelo c.1506, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence Parent's Prayer

Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.

Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys.

Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving.
Amen.

Imitating the Holy Family: Four Traits that Make It Possible
[Catholic Caucus] On the Holy Family [Angelus]
Biblical Teachings on Marriage and Family. A Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Recovering God’s Plan for Marriage and Family: A Sermon on the Feast of the Holy Family

“Why were you looking for me?" (On the Feast of The Holy Family)
U.S. Postal Service Issues Holy Family Forever Stamp
On Prayer in the Life of the Holy Family
The Holy Family - held together by Love through all their problems [Ecumenical]
Feast of the Holy Family: The Christian Family is a Domestic Church
Chesterton on "The Human Family and the Holy Family"
Joseph, Mary and Jesus: A Model Family
ADVICE TO PARENTS by Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
The Holy Family
St. Joseph as Head of the Holy Family (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family (Dom Guéranger OSB)
The Feast of the Holy Family
The Holy Family vs. The Holy Innocents: A Christmas season reflection [Catholic Caucus]
Vatican creche to place Holy Family in Joseph's carpentry workshop
The Redemption and Protection of the Family [Feast of the Holy Family]
Study Backs Tradition of Loreto House - Stones in Altar Match Those in Nazareth, It Says
Unraveling Jesus' mystery years in Egypt
Gaudi’s Church of the Holy Family to be ready for worship in 2008
Imitating the Holy Family; Four Traits that Make It Possible
Lots of Graphics: Post your favorite image of the St. Mary and Child, the Holy Family...

Daily Gospel Commentary

Tuesday of the Sixth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Gertrude of Helfta (1256-1301), Benedictine nun
Exercises, no. 5 ; SC 127 (trans. ©Cistercian publications Inc., 1989 alt.)

" Do you not yet understand or comprehend?"

“O God, my God, for you I watch at daybreak” (Ps 63[62],2 Vg)... O serenest light of my soul, very brightest morning, ah, break into day in me now and begin so to shine for me that by your light I may see light” (Ps 36,9[35,10). Through you may my night be turned into day. By the love of your love, O my dearest morning, let me reckon everything that you are not as if it were nothing and void. Ah! Visit me now in the morning at daybreak that I may be suddenly transformed entirely into you... Brought to nothing in myself, let me flow into you completely so that from now on I may never be found within myself during this fleeting time but may dwell closely bound to you for all eternity...

Oh when will such beauty refresh me? O Jesus, imperial Morning Star (Rv 22,16), refulgent with divine brightness, when will your presence enlighten me? O most loveable radiance, when will you satisfy me with yourself? If only I might here perceive the fine rays of your beauty for a little while... anticipate your gentleness for a short time and pleasantly taste you beforehand, my chosen portion (cf Ps 16[15],5)... You are the bright mirror of the holy Trinity that, there above, we are permitted to contemplate with the eye of a pure heart (Mt 5,8), but here only obscurely.

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