Day 16 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 wondrous 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?

Readings

Traité de la Vraie Dévotion à la Sainte Vierge : #228

True Devotion To the Blessed Virgin Mary, # 228

Exercices préparatoires

Preparatory Exercises

Cógita quid fúeris, semen pútridum; quid sis, vas stercórum; quid futúrus sis, esca vérmium.
Remember what you were - corrupted seed; what you are - a body destined for decay; what you will be -food for worms.

Pendant la première semaine, 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. Pour cela, ils pourront, s’ils veulent, méditer ce que j’ai dit de notre mauvais fond et ne se regarder, les six jours de cette semaine, que comme des escargots, limaçons, crapauds, cochons et serpents et boucs; ou bien ces trois paroles de saint Bernard: Cógita quid fúeris, semen pútridum; quid sis, vas stercórum; quid futúrus sis, esca vérmium. Ils prieront Notre-Seigneur et son Saint-Esprit de les éclairer, par ces paroles: Domine, ut videam; ou Noverim me; ou Veni, Sancte Spiritus, et diront tous les jours les litanies du Saint-Esprit et l’oraison qui suit, marqués dans la première partie de cet ouvrage. Ils auront recours à la Très Sainte Vierge, et lui demanderont cette grande grâce qui doit être le fondement des autres, et pour cela ils diront tous les jours, l’Ave Maris Stella, et ses litanies. (TVDM #228)

During the first week they should employ all their prayers and pious actions in asking for a knowledge of themselves, and for contrition of their sins; and they should do this in a spirit of humility. For that end they can, if they choose, meditate on what I have said before of our inward corruption.
They can look upon themselves during the six days of this week as snails, crawling things, toads, swine, serpents, and unclean animals; Or else they may meditate on the following three considerations of St. Bernard: "Remember what you were -corrupted seed; what you are - a body destined for decay; what you will be - food for worms.".
They should pray our Lord and the Holy Ghost to enlighten them; and for that end they might use the ejaculations, Domine ut videam, ("Lord, that I may see"), or Noverim me ("Lord, let me know myself"),[1] or Veni Sancte Spiritus ("Come, Holy Spirit")[2] together with the Litany of the Holy Ghost. They will turn to our Blessed Lady and beg her to obtain for them that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of self-knowledge. For this intention they will say each day the Ave Maris Stella and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

Notes

[1] Noverim me: Written by St. Augustine (354-430).

DOMINE Iesu, noverim me, noverim te,
Nec aliquid cupiam nisi te.
Oderim me et amem te.
Omnia agam propter te.   

LORD Jesus, let me know myself and know Thee,
And desire nothing save only Thee.
Let me hate myself and love Thee.
Let me do everything for the sake of Thee.

Humiliem me, exaltem te.
Nihil cogitem nisi te.
Mortificem me et vivam in te.
Quaecumque eveniant accipiam a te.

Let me humble myself and exalt Thee.
Let me think of nothing except Thee.
Let me die to myself and live in Thee.
Let me accept whatever happens as from Thee.

Persequar me, sequar te,
Semperque optem sequi te.
Fugiam me, confugiam ad te,
Ut merear defendi a te.     

Let me banish self and follow Thee,
And ever desire to follow Thee.
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in Thee,
That I may deserve to be defended by Thee.

Timeam mihi, timeam te,
Et sim inter electos a te.
Diffidam mihi, fidam in te.
Oboedire velim propter te.

Let me fear for myself, let me fear Thee,
And let me be among those who are chosen by Thee.
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in Thee.
Let me be willing to obey for the sake of Thee.

Ad nihil afficiar nisi ad te,
Et pauper sim propter te.
Aspice me, ut diligam te.
Voca me, ut videam te,
Et in aeternum fruar te.
Amen.     

Let me cling to nothing save only to Thee,
And let me be poor because of Thee.
Look upon me, that I may love Thee.
Call me that I may see Thee,
And for ever enjoy Thee.
Amen.

 Veni, Sancte Spiritus: A traditional prayer asking for the grace of the Holy Spirit. It has been used for centuries as a prayer of private devotion. The texts appear in the propers for the feast of Pentecost in both the Mass and Divine Office, and also in the votive Mass of the Holy Spirit.

VENI, Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.

COME, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love

.
V. Emitte Spiritum tuum et creabuntur;
R. Et renovabis faciem terrae.      

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Oremus:
DEUS, qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de eius semper consolatione gaudere. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Let us pray:
O GOD, Who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Latin vocab

esca: ēsca, ae, f.: food
noverim: 1st pers sing perf subj act, from nōscō, nōvī, nōtus, 3, a.: to get knowledge of, become acquainted with; recognize 
stercorum: gen plur neut, from stercus, ŏris, n. Gr. σκώρ; gen. σκατός, dung; Sanscr. cakrt = sakart. I Lit., dung, excrements, ordure
vas: vās, vāsis, n; a vessel, dish
vermium: gen pl masc, from vermis, is, m. Gr. ἕλμις; cf. Sanscr. krmis, worm;

De Imitatione Christi

Depuis longtemps je me nourrissais de «la pure farine» contenue dans l'Imitation, c'était le seul livre qui me fît du bien, car je n'avais pas encore trouvé les trésors cachés dans l'Evangile. Je savais par coeur presque tous les chapitres de ma chère Imitation, ce petit livre ne me quittait jamais ; en été, je le portais dans ma poche, en hiver, dans mon manchon, aussi était-il devenu traditionnel ; chez ma Tante on s'en amusait beaucoup et l'ouvrant au hasard, on me faisait réciter le chapitre qui se trouvait devant les yeux.

For  a  long  time  I  nourished  my  spiritual  life  with  the  "fine  flour" contained  in  the Imitation  of  Christ. It  was  the  only  book  which  did  me good,  for  I  had  not  yet  discovered the  treasures  hidden  in  the  Holy  Gospels.  I knew by heart nearly every chapter in my beloved 'Imitation'. The little volume never left my side. In summer, I kept it in my pocket; in winter, it was in my muff. My aunt used to love turning to a page at random and asking me to recite by heart the chapter she had chanced upon.

From Chapter V of the Autobiography of a Soul, by Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. See here on our sister blog and here for copies of her manuscripts.

Liber Secúndus: Admonitiónes ad intérna trahéntes

Imitation of Christ: Book 2, Chapter 5

Cap. 5. De própria consideratióne

Chapter V - Of self-esteem

1. Non póssumus nobis ipsis nimis crédere, quia sæpe grátia nobis deest et sensus. Módicum lumen est in nobis, et hoc cito per negligéntiam amíttimus. Sæpe étiam non advértimus, quod tam cæci intus sumus. Sæpe male ágimus, et peius excusámus. Passióne intérdum movémur, et zelum putámus. Parva in áliis reprehéndimus, et nostra majóra pertransímus. Satis cito sentímus et ponderámus quid ab áliis sustinémus; sed quantum álii de nobis sústinent, non advértimus. Qui bene et recte sua ponderáret, non esset quid de álio gráviter iudicáret.

We cannot place too little confidence in ourselves, because grace and understanding are often lacking to us. Little light is there within us, and what we have we quickly lose by negligence. Oftentimes we perceive not how great is our inward blindness. We often do ill and excuse it worse. Sometimes we are moved by passion and count it zeal; we blame little faults in others and pass over great faults in ourselves. Quickly enough we feel and reckon up what we bear at the hands of others, but we reflect not how much others are bearing from us. He who would weigh well and rightly his own doings would not be the man to judge severely of another. 

Notes on Latin vocab

deest: 3rd pers sing pres indic active, from dēsum, fuī, esse, irreg. n.: to be absent
inter-dum, adv., sometimes, occasionally, now and then
pertransimus: 3rd pers plur pres indic act, from per-transĕo, īvi, īre, v. n., to go or pass through
ponderaret: 3rd pers sing imp subj active, from pondĕro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. id., to weigh a thing
zēlus, i, m., = ζῆλος, zeal, emulation; jealousy

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