Day 13 of 33 for Jesus through Mary

DEUXIÈME PÉRIODE : Trois semaines consacrées à se remplir de Jésus-Christ par la Sainte Vierge

Second period: Three weeks consecrated to absorbing Jesus Christ through the Blessed Virgin

Première semaine (Jours 13 à 19): Connaissance de soi

First week (days 13-19): Self-knowledge

Démarche : Prières, examens/réflexions, actes de renoncement à sa propre volonté, de repentir de ses fautes, de mépris de soi-même… le tout aux pieds de Marie. Car c’est d’elle que nous espérons la lumière dont nous avons besoins pour se connaître soi-même. Et c’est près d’elle que nous serons capable de mesurer l’abîme de nos misères sans désespérer (Et donc, non pas d’abord de me regarder, de me triturer, mais de me laisser regarder, de me mettre sous le regard aimant de Jésus et de Marie.).
Programme: Prayers, examinations, reflection, acts of renunciation of our own will, of contrition for our sins, of contempt of self... all performed at the feet of Mary, for it is from her that we hope for the light we need to know ourselves. It is close to her, that we shall be able to measure the abyss of our miseries without despairing. (And so, do not at the outset focus on yourself and rack yourself but allow Jesus and Mary to look upon you, place yourself under their loving gaze)

« Pendant la première semaine, dit saint L.-M. de Montfort, ils emploieront toutes leurs oraisons et actions de piété à demander la connaissance d’eux-mêmes, et la contrition de leurs péchés : et ils feront tout en esprit d’humilité ».
''During the first week,'' says saint L.-M. de Montfort, ''they will direct all their prayers and pious works towards seeking self-knowledge and sorrow for their sins; they will do all this in a spirit of humility.''

Durant cette semaine, nous regarderons moins l’opposition entre l’esprit de Jésus et le nôtre, que l’état misérable où le péché nous a réduit. D’autre part, la « Vraie dévotion » étant une voie facile, courte, sûre et parfaite pour arriver à l’union avec Notre-Seigneur, but de la vie chrétienne, nous devons savoir que nous n’entrerions pas sérieusement dans cette magnifique voie d’amour surnaturel, si nous n’étions fortement convaincus de notre misère et de notre impuissance. Or, comment y arriver sans la connaissance de nous-mêmes ?
During this period, we shall consider not so much the opposition that exists between the spirit of Jesus and our own, as the miserable to which our sins have reduced us. Moreover, the ''True Devotion'' being an easy, short, sure and perfect way to arrive at union with Our Lord, the aim of Christian life,  we should realize that we won't be able to enter seriously upon this wondous path of supernatural love unless we are firmly persuaded of our own wretchedness and helplessness. But how can we attain this without a knowledge of ourselves?

Saint Luke - Chapter 11

Lord, teach us to pray... J-J Tissot.

[1] Et factum est : cum esset in quodam loco orans, ut cessavit, dixit unus ex discipulis ejus ad eum : Domine, doce nos orare, sicut docuit et Joannes discipulos suos.
And it came to pass, that as he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him: Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

[2] Et ait illis : Cum oratis, dicite : Pater, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum.
And he said to them: When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.

[3] Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie.
Give us this day our daily bread.

[4] Et dimitte nobis peccata nostra, siquidem et ipsi dimittimus omni debenti nobis. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.
And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.

[5] Et ait ad illos : Quis vestrum habebit amicum, et ibit ad illum media nocte, et dicet illi : Amice, commoda mihi tres panes,
And he said to them: Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and shall say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves,

[6] quoniam amicus meus venit de via ad me, et non habeo quod ponam ante illum,
Because a friend of mine is come off his journey to me, and I have not what to set before him.

[7] et ille de intus respondens dicat : Noli mihi molestus esse, jam ostrium clausum est, et pueri mei mecum sunt in cubili : non possum surgere, et dare tibi.
And he from within should answer, and say: Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

[8] Et si ille perseveraverit pulsans : dico vobis, etsi non dabit illi surgens eo quod amicus ejus sit, propter improbitatem tamen ejus surget, et dabit illi quotquot habet necessarios.
Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend; yet, because of his importunity, he will rise, and give him as many as he needeth.

[9] Et ego dico vobis : Petite, et dabitur vobis; quaerite, et invenietis; pulsate, et aperietur vobis.
And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you.

[10] Omnis enim qui petit, accipit : et qui quaerit, invenit : et pulsanti aperietur.
For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Notes (from Cornelius A Lapide)

St Luke

[2] Et ait illis : Cum oratis, dicite : Pater, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum.
And he said to them: When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.

When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. S. Matthew adds this prayer to the sermon on the mount, whilst S. Luke places it at a later period. Either, therefore, Christ taught His disciples this prayer on two separate occasions, or S. Matthew added it to the sermon on the mount, in order to make that sermon a complete summary of evangelical doctrine.

Here we may observe, that S. Matthew makes this prayer consist of seven petitions, but S. Luke of five. The latter evangelist unites two, because they are contained in the others. Hence, because S. Luke omits the last petition, “deliver us from evil,” the Pelagians argued that although we might pray against being led into temptation, we ought not to pray for deliverance from evil.

NB: For the full commentary from CAL on Matthew 9-13, see Day 2 of 33 here.

[5] Et ait ad illos : Quis vestrum habebit amicum, et ibit ad illum media nocte, et dicet illi : Amice, commoda mihi tres panes,
And he said to them: Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and shall say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves,

And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight.

At midnight, i.e. at a most inconvenient time.

Christ puts forth this parable to teach His disciples not to be disheartened, nor to cease to pray because their petitions are unanswered, but to persevere, for if they do this, God will listen to their prayers and grant them their requests.

[6] quoniam amicus meus venit de via ad me, et non habeo quod ponam ante illum,
Because a friend of mine is come off his journey to me, and I have not what to set before him.

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him. My friend, hungry and wearied with his journey, seeks refreshment, and I have nothing to set before him.

[7] et ille de intus respondens dicat : Noli mihi molestus esse, jam ostrium clausum est, et pueri mei mecum sunt in cubili : non possum surgere, et dare tibi.
And he from within should answer, and say: Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not. He makes excuse that he cannot wake his children from their sleep and disturb his household.

[8] Et si ille perseveraverit pulsans : dico vobis, etsi non dabit illi surgens eo quod amicus ejus sit, propter improbitatem tamen ejus surget, et dabit illi quotquot habet necessarios.
Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend; yet, because of his importunity, he will rise, and give him as many as he needeth.

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Importunity—ἀναίδειαν, i.e., impudence, used as the Latin word impudens—e.g., labor impudens (i.e. unceasing labour) omnia vincit.

Here S. Augustine asks, “Why because of his importunity? Because he continued to knock and did not go away because his request was denied him. He who was unwilling to give what his friend had need of, gave at last because the other continued his demands. Much more then will God who in His goodness bids us make known our requests to Him, and is displeased with those who seek Him not, grant our requests.”

God wills that we should continue instant in prayer, and is pleased with our “importunity,” for persistent prayer is “violence pleasing to God.” Tertullian.

[9] Et ego dico vobis : Petite, et dabitur vobis; quaerite, et invenietis; pulsate, et aperietur vobis.
And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you.

And I say unto you, ask and it shall be given you. (See S. Matt. 7:7.)

CHRYS. Now by asking, He means prayer, but by seeking, zeal and anxiety, as He adds, Seek, and you shall find. For those things which are sought require great care. And this is particularly the case with God. For there are many things which block up our senses. As then we search for lost gold, so let us anxiously seek after God. He shows also, that though He does not forthwith open the gates, we must yet wait. Hence he adds, Knock, and it shall be opened to you; for if you continue seeking, you shall surely receive. For this reason, and as the door shut makes you knock, therefore he did not at once consent that you might entreat.

Note from author

Light of the World. 

Holman Hunt (1827-1910) painted three versions of 'The Light of the World', the last one being finished towards the end of his life as he was going blind. The following words are displayed at the foot of the copy hanging in St Paul's Cathedral, London. 

< William Holman Hunt [Public domain]

[20] Ecce sto ad ástium, et pulso : si quis audiérit vocem meam, et aperúerit mihi jánuam, intrábo ad illum, et coenábo cum illo, et ipse mecum.[20] Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock. If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. [Revelation 3, 20]

It is a striking thought: Christ has assured us, in the words recorded by St Luke, that we have only to ask, seek and knock; but St John's words in the Apocalypse reveal that we must also listen,  so as to be able to open our soul when Christ, the Light of the World, comes knocking. When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid in fear. The Lord asked, calling out: Adam, where art thou? [Gen 3, 9]. He sought an explanation by knocking on the door of Adam's soul. 


One of the sons of Adam, ''poor banished children of Eve,'' was also hiding in fear. He heard the words: 'Where art thou?'  This son of Adam by nature dares to ask, seek and knock, praying that he may obtain the hope of sonship by grace and become once more an adopted son of God and co-heir with Christ. One of the poor, banished children of Eve prays that the second Eve, the Virgo Virginum et Mater Divinae Gratiae, may guide him towards the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

Refugium peccatorum, ora pro nobis.

Prayers for the first week

Litany of the Holy Ghost (pre-published as pre-published as a post on 16 November).
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Litany of Loreto): (pre-published as a post on 16 November).
Ave Maris Stella

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam