The complete reproduction of any article published in this review is forbidden without previous authorization of the editors of MAGNIFICAT magazine. ©All rights reserved MONASTERY OF THE MAGNIFICAT OF THE MOTHER OF GOD 290 7e Rang – PO Box 4478 – Mont-Tremblant – QC J8E 1A1 TEL. 819-688-5225 magnificat.ca OUR COVER: As soon as Mary became the Mother of God, She fulfilled Her role as Mediatrix on behalf of humanity. No soul has ever been sanctified without Her intercession; from time immemorial, She has interceded for every one of Her children, even those who have not had recourse to Her. Father John Gregory of the Trinity To mark the 800th anniversary of the first nativity scene, performed in Greccio at the request of Saint Francis of Assisi, the main nativity scene at the Magnificat Monastery (Chapel of Jesus Crucified) took on an exceptional dimension. The Order of the Magnificat of the Mother of God, requested by the Most Blessed Virgin Herself at La Salette, France, was founded in Canada in 1962. The Order includes priests and religious Brothers and Sisters, some of them coming from other Congregations for the purpose of preserving their respective identity and goals, but all following a common Rule: the one dictated by the Mother of God at La Salette in 1846 and approved by Leo XIII in 1879. The Order also includes disciples, that is, lay members, either single or married, who live in the community of goods with the religious and share their labors. It also includes tertiaries, lay members living in the world, but more deeply involved in the activities of the Order than the ordinary faithful. The Order of the Magnificat of the Mother of God exists and operates under its own Hierarchy. Its faith, doctrine, tradition and practices are Catholic Christian. Firmly wishing to return to the evangelical simplicity of the early days of Christianity, the Order wants to keep intact the doctrinal teachings conveyed with continuity, throughout the ages, by the Saints and Doctors of the Roman Catholic Church. The Order of the Magnificat of the Mother of God (The Apostles of Infinite Love), is legally recognized in Canada by a federal charter as well as a provincial charter in Quebec. It likewise possesses charters in the United States, France, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. The Order is also established in Italy, South Africa and Argentina. Besides perpetual adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, prayer, study and work of all kinds, the Community lends itself to all the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. However, the particular goal of the Order is the preservation of the Deposit of the Faith by religious teaching in all its forms to adults and children. Another specific goal is the fight against all the abuses that have brought about the decadence of the clergy, the religious state and Christian society. The Order also labors in view of Christian unity, so desired by Jesus Christ: unity in truth. Dépôt légal – Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 2024 Envoi de Poste-publications ISSN 0025-0007 2401-102-3080 Printed in Canada Watchword 2024: Do violence to ourselves – Wish: Holiness, by Father Mathurin of the Mother of God . . . . . Page 3 Jesus Christ, Thou alone art Holy – His kingdom come! – The freedom of the children of God – 8th centennial of the stigmata of Saint Francis – Holiness according to one’s state – Jesus, our model – God fills the hungry with good things – 4th centennial of the consecration of Canada to Saint Joseph– Supplement: To become Saints (Father John Gregory of the Trinity) A Name above all names: the Holy Name of Jesus, by Father Paul O’Sullivan, O.P. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 What is the Name of Jesus? – The Saints and the Holy Name – The power of the Holy Name – The doctrine of the Holy Name – Putting the devil to flight – A short and powerful prayer In Memoriam: Harry Bugajski (1932-2021) . . . . . . . . . 24 Yes, I do! – The great trial – A providential asset – Ascent to Calvary O.D.M. painting
Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 3 Watchword 2024: Do violence to ourselves Wish: Holiness N the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and of the Mother of God. Amen. Good Heavenly Father, as this new year dawns, we offer You our best wishes. Today better than yesterday, and even more tomorrow, we wish to glorify and honor You. Receive, good Heavenly Father, this disposition of Your children, as the finest wish we can offer You, as the thing that will delight You the most. Jesus Christ, Thou alone art Holy This year, dear brothers, dear sisters, dear friends, I offer you a wish that is far too extensive and yet contains EVERYTHING. I wish you holiness. At first glance, this wish seems far too extensive, for God alone is Holy, as we sing in our French Masses: Car c’est Vous le seul Saint – For Thou alone art holy, Thou alone art the Lord, Thou alone, O Jesus Christ, art Most High, with the Holy Ghost, in the glory of God the Father. We also sing the Gloria in Latin, but in French it is easier I The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and only the violent bear it away. St. Matthew 11:12
4 Vol. LIX, No. 1 Magnificat to understand: Vous êtes le seul Saint – Thou alone art holy. In the liturgy we have just read, the Church wishes to honor the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing...1 So, in wishing you holiness, I wish you to be like Jesus Christ, to be what He expects each one of you to be. This is the will of God, that you be holy,2 says Saint Paul. My brothers, my sisters, the more your life conforms to the will of God, to His expectations, the more you identify with Jesus, with His example, His will, the more you will be holy and glorify our good Heavenly Father. But how do we attain holiness? Do not be surprised if, this year, We give you the watchword to do violence to yourselves, precisely in order to conform to this expectation of God, to identify yourselves with Our Lord Jesus Christ. You will all agree that it is not by taking it easy that we conform to Our Lord Jesus Christ. He says to us, The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and only the violent bear it away. In giving you this watchword, it is this word of the Gospel that I want to emphasize. His kingdom come! Year after year, we talk about the kingdom of God. How many good souls – not only among us, but all over the world – long for the kingdom of God to come! How many sigh, even suffer, that God does not reign on this earth! And even more suffer because they think things are not going well in the world, without really knowing why. We comment on the news, on events that are not very good, not very positive. It is not bad to be a little informed, but what is the point of commenting on them if we do not take the means to bring about the king1. Cf. Ephesians 1:3. 2. I Thessalonians 4:3. dom of God? Is there anything greater that can happen on this earth than the kingdom of God? We want Jesus to reign, we desire it, most of us passionately. This desire to see the coming of the kingdom of God consumes us. Jesus said it like this: The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and only the violent bear it away. In short, to do violence to ourselves means to go against ourselves, against our ego, our whims, our passions, our vanities, our independence. I am speaking directly to you, my brothers, you, my sisters, you, dear friends of this Community: do violence to yourselves, in order to conform to God in the details of your life, as Jesus Himself taught us: He who is faithful in the little things shall also be faithful in the great ones.3 Throughout the History of the Church, from the very beginning, so many Saints have shed their blood for the faith! They went even to the point of martyrdom. How is it possible to be ready to die for the kingdom of God? The first Christians and all the Saints that came after them were ready to shed their blood if need be. They did not back away from martyrdom. Sometimes it was done rather quickly. Getting your head cut off is quick. Other times it was long. We read the narrative of certain martyrs. l am thinking of Gabriel Perboyre, of Theophane Venard who was held for months in a cage made of rushes. He could not even stretch or lie down to sleep. He was pricked with pointed instruments and tortured: “Apostatize. Deny your Jesus.” Where did these Saints get their strength of soul? It was no longer them, it was God’s grace at work in them. And why did they have this grace? They did violence to themselves in the little things, and God was faithful, sustaining them with His grace. Through these Saints, the faith was preserved and spread over all the earth. 3. St. Luke 16:10.
Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 5 We complain: “Things are going badly. There is no more faith.” It is true, there is no more faith; it is unfortunate. Even so, what is the point of pointing fingers at one another? Should we not rather say to ourselves: “My God, my God, what a coward I am!” Why are we so afraid of these renouncements, of doing violence to ourselves, of going against our nature? In our soul we are afraid. The devil is a specialist in frightening souls, conjuring up dreadful phantoms. Inside ourselves we are afraid, afraid of everything. We are afraid of suffering. We are afraid of being held in contempt. We are afraid of how people evaluate us. We are afraid of what others will think, of what people will say, or just of hurting in our body, in our soul. What suffering might the future bring? When you have such fears, ask yourself, “Do I have faith?” When you are afraid of doing violence to yourself in order to remain faithful and follow Jesus, do you have faith? Do you believe in Jesus’ words: My yoke is sweet and My burden light4? Our Lord speaks of a yoke and a burden, of a load, of things that are hard to bear. Doing violence to oneself is hard, yet Jesus tells us that it is sweet and light. The freedom of the children of God Most people, even good ones, believe that God imposes Himself a little too much in their life. He imposes His commandments, the precepts of the Gospel, His law, our conscience: there is no way out. Some say it directly, others do not dare to admit it, but it annoys them. “My God, give us a little space. Cut us a little slack, give us a little breathing room.” Most humans think they will have more freedom by throwing off the yoke of the Gospel. They think they will have more latitude by following the 4. St. Matthew 11:30. From his childhood, SAINT THEOPHANE VENARD had sensed his mis‐ sionary vocation: to spread the Kingdom of God everywhere, even at the risk of martyrdom. As a young seminarian, he wrote: “The Tonkin mission is the one most envied, since it offers the shortest road to Heaven... If one day I too were called to bear witness to the faith with my blood!” When he obtained his appointment, his heart was overflowing: “I am happy and free beyond expression; my heart is free and light as a bird... The mission to which I am being sent is the land of martyrs... Each year produces some, like spring its flowers and autumn its fruits.” Theophane died in Tonkin, beheaded for his faith, on February 2, 1861, at the age of 31. On February 11, 1840, SAINT JOHN GABRIEL PERBOYRE, a Lazarist missionary in China, was executed by strangulation after a year of harsh captivity interspersed with interrogations and torture. He was thirty‐eight years old.
6 Vol. LIX, No. 1 Magnificat world with its worldliness, by following their whims, their appetites, pleasures and vanities. Beware, for these ideas can manifest themselves in the life of any Christian, any disciple of Jesus who neglects to do violence to himself in order to follow his Master. When we begin to neglect ourselves and follow the world, its vanities, its way of life, its style, its manners, its thinking, it is not long before the world imposes itself. We see it, the world imposes itself. God invites us: “Will you, My child? The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and only the violent bear it away.” Jesus tells us no more, no less: If you want to establish My kingdom on earth, do violence to yourself. If you would be My disciple, deny yourself, take up your cross each day, and follow Me.5 That is an invitation. And the more we do what contradicts our nature, the sweeter the yoke becomes. The world does the opposite: it lures you, seduces you. You adopt its thinking, and eventually you are caught under its yoke. You have to follow it. And the more you follow it, the less choice you have. You have to adopt its manner, its styles, its thinking, its folly. Although the world says that following God is folly, real folly is rampant on the earth today. And the world goes even further, eventually imposing itself upon you with violence. If you do not want to follow its folly, it will persecute you. They will start by giving you a fine, and they may even put you in prison. It can go very far, and the trend is developing steadily. What is the remedy for this violence of the world imposing its diabolical, destructive folly which is contrary to God, and even increasingly contrary to humanity? The kingdom of God must come to this earth. In order for Him to reign, says Jesus, The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and 5. Cf. St. Luke 9:23. only the violent bear it away. This is the reason for the watchword I give you. I repeat what I have been saying to you for the past two years, my brothers and sisters: Do it graciously. It sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? But it is the reality. Do violence to yourselves graciously, that is, in such a way that you do not burden your neighbor. It is not to your brother or sister that you do violence. You do violence to yourself, to go against everything that might divert you from the will of God, from His expectation. We humans are so earthbound, subject to the law of gravity. Our dear Father John Gregory liked to make this comparison: We are a bit like toads that God has asked to fly. If the toad were endowed with reason and freedom, it would only have to yield and say, “God asks it, I do it,” instead of beginning to say: “But I am not made for that, I am full of warts, I am made to be on my belly, to crawl on the ground. When I jump, I can barely lift myself off the ground and then fall back on my belly. That is the way I am made. My God, do not ask me for anything else.” God asks us poor sinners to identify with His will, with the holiness of our Heavenly Father. Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.6 We have only one thing to do: do violence to ourselves to attain it – but do it graciously, without burdening our neighbor. We want so much to be pleasing to our good Heavenly Father. Under His divine gaze we languish, as it were, in the innermost depths of our being, to try to charm Him, touch Him, by accepting all the providential circumstances that make us suffer and that detach us from the earth. Instead of complaining publicly about all our little sufferings, let us do to ourselves the violence of remaining silent about the trials that visit us. As much as we can, let us maintain a certain gracious manner, first 6. St. Matthew 5:48.
Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 7 to charm our Heavenly Father, and eventually also to be pleasing to our neighbor. Be pleasing to our neighbor in order to attract him, without even speaking, towards this path of self-denial. Oh, may we have this thought of God! My yoke is sweet and My burden light7 for the one who does violence to himself. The Gospel is one. It cannot be divided, it cannot be separated. We try to overlook the pages that do not suit us. This one is all right, but that other one is too hard. No, we have to take the whole Gospel, without overlooking any pages. 8th centennial of the stigmata of Saint Francis We have just celebrated the 8th centennial of the representation of the manger inaugurated by Saint Francis of Assisi. In September of this year, 2024, we will be commemorating the 800th anniversary of the impression of his stigmata. Historians believe that it was on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14, 1224, that Saint Francis received the stigmata. The Church has established this feast on September 17. In the wild solitude of Mount La Verna, north of Assisi, Saint Francis and a few of his Brothers had built little huts out of branches to prepare for the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel by observing a Lent of fasting, prayer and penance. It was there that a Seraph appeared to him and im7. St. Matthew 11:30. printed the five wounds of Christ on his body: his hands and feet were pierced, along with his side. Before his conversion, young Francis was a pleasure-seeker. All of Assisi knew this worldly son of a wealthy cloth merchant. He was rolling in his father’s money and took advantage of it to party with his friends. And that boy was converted. He embraced a leper and even kissed his cheek. Now that is doing violence to oneself! But Francis did violence to himself so graciously that he attracted some of the youth of Assisi to follow him, and even a few older people. They followed Francis, who had adopted the Gospel in the purest, strictest, most austere spirit, the most violent, to employ Our Lord’s expression. By going against all that was worldly, Saint Francis caused a scandal, even among the clergy of his day. He embraced the spirit of the Gospel, following that path with all the perfection that God inspired in him. Holiness according to one’s state Holiness is the work of God. God does not intend the same path for every soul. All souls, however, must manifest within themselves a reflection of God’s holiness. And to attain this, He asks us to deny ourselves. Self-denial is synonymous with doing violence to oneself. Jesus says to us, If you would be My disciple, deny yourself, take up your cross each day and follow Me. To do violence to oneself, to deny oneself, to take up one’s cross, are all
8 Vol. LIX, No. 1 Magnificat the same thing. And that is how God makes saints. And it takes saints. There is no shortage of commentaries on current events. What is lacking on earth are saints. It takes saints like Saint Francis of Assisi. At the very beginning of his conversion he embraced a leper, because in him he perceived the image of the suffering Jesus. He said to himself: This man is a living, tangible manifestation of Jesus scourged, ascending Calvary, all bloody, covered in spittle and filth. When he embraced this leper, he saw only Jesus. The thought of Jesus’ Passion, of His sufferings, nourished his soul, nourished his prayer, nourished his contemplation, nourished his thought. He was so permeated by the Passion of Jesus that God imprinted the stigmata upon his flesh. Jesus told us at the very beginning of the Community: “Stand in spirit unceasingly at the foot of the crucifix, at the foot of the Cross where I, your Saviour, am nailed. Meditate continually on My Passion and you will not be so cowardly.” Contemplate, meditate on My Passion, My sufferings, the ignominies, the scorns I endured, and you will not be so cowardly. The Franciscans have the Shrine of La Verna in Italy where Saint Francis received the stigmata. Here at the Monastery, we have the mountain dedicated to Saint Francis, sanctified by the visit of this Saint who manifested himself there to our Father John Gregory, with Jesus suffering His Passion. Father John himself suffered the Passion there. Saint Francis called us my little brothers of the earth. This year, to mark the 800th anniversary of the stigmata of Saint Francis, we will be honoring our heavenly brother in a special way in this place that Heaven itself designated for us. Every Friday since the beginning of the Community, one of our Fathers has invariably made the Way of the Cross on the mountain. Some of our Sisters have also been doing so for several years. My brothers, this year we will be making a very practical gesture. More of us will be going to the mountain every week to make the Way of the Cross, in small delegated groups. Jesus, our model At Christmas we saw Jesus, the Word of God, come down from His Heaven to take on human form. The Almighty left Heaven to come to an animal food trough, a foulsmelling stable. That is where He was born. Was that not doing violence to Himself? I like to remind you of the story of Caesar, acting as if he were almighty, ordering a census of the entire known world. And The humble St. Francis chapel at the top of Via Crucis The ascent to Calvary
Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 9 God, the true Almighty, inspired Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary to obey that proud emperor. The Almighty manifests Himself to us at that moment. By obeying, He begins our salvation, our redemption. My brothers, my sisters, one good way of doing violence to ourselves – easy and accessible, but so costly to our nature – is to obey. Obedience is the wonderful way to do violence to ourselves. Joseph and Mary obeyed a pagan emperor far away in Rome. The Almighty comes in obedience, and that is how He manifests Himself, in the helplessness of a newborn child. But I hear your heart when someone speaks to you this way. You say: “Father, I have been a religious for five years, thirty years, fifty years, and I have been working at it. I renew this desire in me to do violence to myself.” Despite your efforts, you seem to be getting nowhere. Your heart is aching. Every day, my brother, my sister, my dear friend, every day, take up your cross and follow Jesus. God fills the hungry with good things In the depths of your heart, my brothers and sisters, desire, prefer the will of God, prefer this violence against yourself and all that is contrary to God. I know you suffer, my brothers and sisters, from not being successful in doing this. To Jesus, to our good Heavenly Father, say in your heart: “My Jesus, my God, I want this. I desire it. I want to do violence to myself, deny myself. I want to conform to Your will. I want Your kingdom to come on the earth. I believe in Your word, that the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and that there is no other way for it to happen in me. I believe it, my God, I believe it.” Desire it with violence, with vehemence, with intensity. According to the book of Wisdom,8 the beginning of holiness – of the love of God, of that perfection to which God invites us – is to have a true and violent desire to obtain it. Have this violent desire, now, as you listen to these poor, somewhat austere words, so that the kingdom of God may finally be established. May we not be so foolish as to increase the lot of human folly on earth, but may we be fools with the folly of God, who is true Understanding and true Wisdom. On the subject of these difficult times, we could again quote the Gospel, which says to 8. Cf. Wisdom 7:7 – I wished, and understanding was given me. Desire to attain sanctity and suffer everything to please Jesus Christ; and if we do not have this desire, pray the Lord in His goodness to grant it to us, for without a true desire to sanctify ourselves, we will never make any progress in perfection. Two great means of sanctification: DESIRE and RESOLUTION… Resolution! Resolve! The devil does not fear irresolute souls... The one who, on the contrary, is truly resolved to give himself to God will not fail to overcome what seemed insurmountable. A determined will triumphs over everything. When a soul is thus resolved, the Lord makes it fly along the path of perfection. Saint Alphonsus Liguori
10 Vol. LIX, No. 1 Magnificat us: Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice... In the Gospel, justice is synonymous with holiness. The Gospel says of Saint Joseph that he was a just man, meaning that he was holy. Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all the rest will be given you besides.9 Wanting to establish the kingdom of God on earth and working to sanctify yourself go together, they cannot be separated. The rest will be given you besides. Things are going badly in the world, and there seems to be no solution. God is taking care of it. There will be hard times, and frankly, worse than you think. Do not be preoccupied with it. Do not be troubled over it. Jesus says to us: Seek the kingdom of God and His justice, holiness. The rest will take care of itself. Jesus also said: Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be satisfied.10 I repeat, justice is holiness. The Virgin Mary sings in Her canticle of the Magnificat: He fills the hungry with good things.11 Are you hungry? Do you 9. St. Matthew 6:33. 10. St. Matthew 5:6. 11. St. Luke 1:53. really want what God expects of you, yet find yourself too cowardly to do violence to yourself and accomplish what is costly to your nature? He fills the hungry with good things. Develop that hunger, that thirst. Suffer over it! O blessed suffering! O beautiful, O good suffering! In the Gospel, we read the story of Zaccheus.12 Having heard about Jesus, he wants to see Him. Being short in stature, he climbs a tree. He separates himself from the crowd. He only wants to see Jesus. God had put this desire in him. That is how He begins His work in us. But we have to follow this attraction that God puts in our heart, in our soul. Little Zaccheus makes the effort to climb, which is more difficult for short legs. He separates himself from everyone else. He isolates himself, as it were, to see Jesus better, to contemplate Him better, to be more attentive. He makes an effort, he does violence to himself because he wants to see Jesus, to know Him. When Jesus passes, He looks up at Zaccheus. Seeing this man’s sincere desire, He forgets all about the crowd 12. St. Luke 19:1-10. A man named Zaccheus, a leading Publican and a rich man, was trying to see Jesus to know who He was. But he could not, on account of the crowd, because he was of small stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to observe Him well, for Jesus was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him: “Zaccheus, come down quickly! It is in your house that I am stopping today.” He made haste and came down and welcomed the Lord joyfully. St. Luke 19:2-6 O.D.M. painting
surrounding Him and says, “Zaccheus, I am going to your house.” You know the rest of the story. Zaccheus, the leader of the Publicans, acknowledges his faults: “If I have wronged anyone, I repay him fourfold.” He wants to correct his entire past. By acknowledging his wrongs and wanting to repair them, he is already on the path to holiness. He actually became a saint. By a sincere desire of his heart, he followed God’s lead and set out upon the road to holiness. It is not complicated, but we must do violence to ourselves. I would also like to remind you of the parable of the ten virgins.13 I find it so eloquent. Punctual in their arrival, the ten virgins waited outside the wedding hall, whereas the bridegroom was late, as the Gospel specifies. When the bridegroom’s arrival was announced, five of the virgins had run out of oil in their lamps. They said to the other five: “Give us some of your oil. We do not have enough to go to the wedding feast.” They refused, saying: “There will not be enough for us and for you. Go buy some and come back.” 13. Cf. St. Matthew 25:1-13. Jesus says that while the five had gone to get some oil, the five wise virgins entered the wedding hall with the bridegroom and the doors were closed. The other virgins arrived long afterwards. “Lord, Lord,” they cried, “open the door for us!” But the bridegroom replied, “Amen I say to you, I do not know you.” When you read this text, it almost seems as though the bridegroom is being unfair, because he was the one who was late. But with this parable, Jesus wants us to understand something very important. It is important to enter the wedding hall with Him. It is not secondary, it is not optional. The purpose of our life is to arrive with Him in His kingdom. I like to repeat: the lack of oil means that those foolish virgins were not ready for more. Some people make up their own little agenda: “I’m going to do this much and no more. That is enough for me to become a saint, to ensure my salvation. My program is made, let no one ask any more of me. I will not exceed a certain measure.” It does not work that way with God. It does not work like that, so much so that we run the great risk of stalling in front of the closed door of the kingdom of God. That is the Gospel: There was no oil in their lamps. They were not ready to go any further than the appointed hour. According to this parable, not to be ready for even more – that is, ready for anything to accomplish what God asks of us – is folly in His eyes, and the door to Heaven closes. Look at what the world asks of its followers. We have truly reached the height of human folly. You may say to yourself: “But I am a poor sinner.” Dear friends, a poor “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Conclusion of the parable of the Ten Virgins) Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 11
12 Vol. LIX, No. 1 Magnificat sinner who has this disposition in his heart is a true wise man: “I am disposed to do whatever You want of me, my God. Come to my assistance, I am only a little child. My God, help me, rescue me! I ask Your forgiveness for all that is not perfect under Your divine gaze, but I want what You want from me.” Then he applies himself and does violence to himself. My dear friends, let us ask God for this disposition of the heart, each one according to his state, to be ready for anything for God – anything, without any limits. That is wisdom. God does not like those who set limits. That is what this parable teaches us. I do not know you. And yet, the foolish virgins had also been invited. 4th Centennial of the Consecration of Canada to Saint Joseph We declare 2024 a holy year to mark the 800th anniversary of the stigmata of Saint Francis and the 400th anniversary of the consecration of Canada to Saint Joseph. We make it a holy year not by formulas, but by this desire, this application, this gracious violence – which may seem contradictory – to accomplish the expectation of God in the life of each one of us. Let each one do this under the eye of God, without looking at his neighbor. The superiors must be attentive and encourage you: “Brother, haven’t you been neglecting yourself a little? Haven’t you been straying from your ideal of perfection?” However, let the brother not look at his brother, let the sister not look at her sister. Each one of you must look at God’s expectation upon yourself. Do it graciously. This is the grace I wish for you. We are going to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, asking God to increase your desire, this vehement desire. May He put in you an aching desire to conform to Him. Jesus will console you. You will experience the sweetness of His yoke. That is the grace I wish for you. That is the intention I will have during this first Mass of the year, for you, my brothers, my sisters, for all souls of good will. I ask God to put in your hearts this hunger and thirst to conform to Him, and to take the means that are painful to our nature. I wish for you this hunger, this thirst. You will be satisfied. The word of Jesus is infallible. Remember well that the Mass is the Sacrifice of Calvary. Nothing more violent has ever happened on this earth. The Sacrifice of Calvary will now be renewed for the first time this year on this altar. Let us be attentive to it. We can obtain anything we want through the Mass. I offer it for all of you. Happy feast day to our Heavenly Mother also, for She is the Daughter of the Eternal Father and the Spouse of Saint Joseph. Virgin Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother, sustain us! p This year there is another centennial I would like to mention. Canada was consecrated to Saint Joseph 400 years ago. In 1624, Father Le Caron, a Franciscan, consecrated Canada to Saint Joseph in the presence of a few of his colleagues in religion, of Samuel de Champlain, the governor of New France, and of a few French and Aboriginal people. This took place on the banks of the St. Charles River in Quebec City, at the beginning of the colony.
Saint Paul said to the Ephesians: Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man, which has been created according to God. (Ephesians 4:23-24) This work of sanctification, this inner renewal of our spirit, does not come without effort. As Our Lord says: The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and only the violent bear it away. (St. Matthew 11:12) Let us look at what the Saints have done for God. The countless Saints canonized by the Church have had very different lives, vocations and inspirations, but in all of them, without exception, there is one thing in common: the application, the thirst to contradict nature by mortification in all its forms. Not satisfied with accepting the sufferings inherent in life, such as sickness, bad weather and necessary privations, the Saints voluntarily imposed suffering on themselves through fasting, vigils, the wearing of hair shirts, poverty of dwelling and of clothing, solitude and everything that contradicted their natural tastes. Today, many scoff at these gestures... Yet these Saints were guided by a supernatural wisdom, drawn from meditation on the life of Our Lord and His teachings. They are our big brothers, they have blazed the trail for us, and we cannot go wrong by following them. Although God does not ask us for the mortifications practiced by these Saints, He does set mortification of one’s tastes as an essential condition of the Christian life, and obviously of all holiness. How narrow the gate and close the way that leads to life! And few there are who find it. (St. Matthew 7:14) Perfectly fulfilling one’s duties of state, doing all the work imposed on us, is a good penance, the best penance of all. If we do this penance, if there is the absence of sin in our life, if we avoid all that displeases God and do all that pleases Him, we are certainly on the road to holiness. * * * * * * * O Jesus, be our strength! May the contemplation and the remembrance of Your Holy Passion give us the strength to do what You expect of us. You told us in the Gospel: The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and only the violent bear it away. Give us the courage to do violence to ourselves, for the life of man is a combat on earth. We are fallen, inclined to evil. Without Your grace, accompanied by our good will, it is impossible for us to do what is good. I can do all things in Him who strengthens me, said Saint Paul. (Philippians 4:13) The strength of Christians, the strength of martyrs, is JESUS. The most appalling torments of the martyrs cannot be compared to those of Jesus. In His Passion, He suffered more than any Saint; He tasted the bitterness of suffering as much as it was possible; He drained the cup of bitterness to the dregs. He did all this to show us the way and merit for us the courage we need to follow Him. Father John Gregory of the Trinity To Become Saints
14 Vol. LIX, No. 1 Magnificat HAT do you know, dear reader, about the Name of Jesus? You know that it is a holy Name and that you must bow your head reverently when you say it. That is very little. It is as if you looked at a closed book and merely glanced at the title on the cover. You know nothing of all the beautiful thoughts in the book itself. Likewise, when you pronounce the Name of Jesus, you know very little of the treasures hidden within it. This Divine Name is indeed a mine of riches, it is the fount of the highest holiness and the secret of the greatest happiness that a man can hope to enjoy on this earth. It is so powerful, so certain, that it never fails to produce in our soul the most wonderful effects. It comforts the saddest heart and makes the weakest sinner strong. It obtains for us all kinds of favors and graces, spiritual and temporal. Read and see.
Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 15 By Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, O.P. What does theName ofJesus mean? The Holy Name of Jesus is, first of all, an all-powerful prayer. Our Lord Himself solemnly promises that whatever we ask the Father in His Name, we shall receive.1 God never fails to keep His word. For this reason the Church ends her prayers with the words which give them a new and divine efficacy: Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, when we say the Name of Jesus, let us ask God for all that we need with absolute confidence of being heard. But the Holy Name is something greater still. Each time we say JESUS, we give God infinite joy and glory, for we offer Him all the infinite merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. Saint Paul tells us that it is by His Passion and Death that Our Lord merited the Name Jesus.2 Each time we say JESUS, we gain indulgences which we may apply to the souls in Purgatory, thus relieving and lib1. Cf. St. John 14:13. 2. Philippians 2:8-9 – He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even to death on a cross. Therefore God also has exalted Him and has bestowed upon Him the Name that is above every name. erating a great number of these holy souls from their torments. They thus become our close friends and pray to God for us with incredible fervor. Each time we say JESUS, we make an act of perfect love, for we offer to God the infinite love of His Son. The Holy Name of Jesus preserves us from countless evils and delivers us especially from the deceits of the devil, who is constantly seeking to do us harm. The Name of Jesus gradually fills our souls with a peace and a joy we never had before. It gives us such strength that our sufferings become light and easy to bear. The Saints and the Holy Name of Jesus All the Saints had an immense love for and trust in the Holy Name of Jesus. They saw in this Name, as in a clear vision, all the love of Our Lord, all His Power, all the beautiful things He said and did when on earth. They did all their wonderful works in the Name of Jesus. They worked miracles, cast out devils, cured the sick and gave
16 Vol. LIX, No. 1 Magnificat comfort to everyone, using and recommending to all the habit of invoking the Holy Name of Jesus. Saint Peter and the other Apostles converted the world with this almighty Name. The first striking miracle of the Prince of the Apostles occurred when he was going into the Temple with Saint John. A lame man, well known to the Jews who frequented the Temple, stretched out his hand expecting to receive an alms. Saint Peter said to him: “Silver and gold I have none; but what I have, I give thee. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk.” And instantly the lame man bounded to his feet and leaped for joy. The Jews were astonished, but the great Apostle said to them: “Why do you marvel at this, and why are you surprised, as though we made this man sound by our own power or holiness? No, it is by means of faith in His Name, yes, it is the power of His Name that has made whole this man whom you behold and recognize.”3 Since the days of the Apostles, the Name of Jesus has been glorified innumerable times. We will quote a few of these countless 3. Acts of the Apostles 3:6,12,16. examples, which show us how the Saints derived all their strength and consolation from the Holy Name of Jesus. Saint Paul was in a very special way the preacher and doctor of the Holy Name. At first he was a fierce persecutor of the Church, moved by a false zeal and a profound hatred for Christ. Our Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus and converted him, making him the great Apostle of the Gentiles and giving him his glorious mission, which was to preach and make known His Holy Name to all the Nations. Saint Thomas Aquinas says of him: “Saint Paul bore the Name of Jesus on his forehead because he gloried in proclaiming it to all men, he bore it on his lips because he loved to invoke it, on his hands for he loved to write it in his epistles, in his feet because he carried it everywhere, in his heart for his heart burned with love for Jesus. He tells us himself: It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.4” In his own beautiful way, he tells us two great truths about the Name of Jesus. First of all, he tells us of the infinite power of this Name. “In the Name of Jesus every knee shall bend in Heaven, on Earth and in Hell.”5 Every time we say JESUS, we give infinite joy to God, His Blessed Mother, to the Angels and the Saints, and to all who live in Heaven. Secondly, he tells us how to use it. “Whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”6 4. Galatians 2:20. 5. Philippians 2:10. 6. Colossians 3:17. Silver and gold I have none, but what I have, I give you. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk.
Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 17 All the Saints followed this advice, so that their every act was done for love of Jesus; therefore, their every act and thought won them graces and merits. It was by the Name of Jesus that they became Saints. If we follow this same advice of the Apostle, we too shall attain a very high degree of sanctity. How are we to do everything in the Name of Jesus? By acquiring the habit of repeating the Name of Jesus frequently in the course of the day. This presents no difficulty, it only demands good will. We can do it while dressing, while working, while walking, in moments of sadness, at home or on the street, everywhere. Saint Augustine (1), that great Doctor of the Church, found his delight in repeating the Holy Name of Jesus. He admitted that he found much pleasure in books which made frequent mention of this divine Name. Saint Bernard (2) felt a wonderful joy and consolation in repeating the Name of Jesus. He felt it, as he says in his beautiful hymn,7 like honey in his mouth and a delicious peace in his heart. Saint Bonaventure tells us concerning his blessed Father Saint Francis (3) that his face lit up with joy and his voice showed by its tender accents how much he loved to invoke the all-Holy Name of JESUS. It is no wonder then that he received on his hands and feet and side the marks of the Five Wounds of Our Lord, a reward of his burning love. 7. Saint Ignatius Loyola (4) was second to none in his love for the Holy Name. He gave to his great Order not his own name, but called it the Society of JESUS. This Divine Name has been, as it were, a shield and defense of the Order against its enemies and a guarantee of the holiness and sanctity of its members. Glorious, indeed is the great Society of Jesus. Saint Francis de Sales (5) had no hesitation in saying that those who have the custom of repeating the Holy Name frequently may feel certain of dying a holy and happy death. And, indeed, there can be no doubt of this, because every time we say JESUS we apply the redeeming Blood of Jesus to our Souls, at the same time we implore God to do as He has promised: to grant us everything we ask in His Name. Not only will this practice obtain for us a holy death, but it will notably lessen our time in Purgatory and may very possibly deliver us altogether from that dreadful fire. Many Saints spent their last days repeating constantly, “Jesus, Jesus.” All the doctors of the Church agree in telling us that the devil reserves his fiercest temptations for our last moments,when he fills the minds of the dying person with doubts, fears and dreadful temptations in the hope of finally carrying the unfortunate soul to Hell. Happy therefore are those who, during their lifetime, have made sure to acquire the habit of calling upon the Name of Jesus. In his continual missions, Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (6) taught the people who thronged to listen to him the wonders of the Holy Name. 7. Jesu Dulcis Memoria, attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. See p. 23. 2 1 3 4 5 6
18 Vol. LIX, No. 1 Magnificat His heart was kindled with such love that tears flowed from his eyes and from the eyes of all who heard him. The Saint strongly entreated them to put cards with the Divine Name of JESUS on their doors. This simple practice obtained the happiest results, for many were thus saved from sickness and disasters of various kinds. One, unfortunately, was prevented from doing so, for a Jew who was part-owner of the house in which he lived sternly refused to have the Name of Jesus placed on his door. His fellow lodger then decided that he would write the Holy Name on his windows, which he accordingly did. Some days later a fierce fire broke out in the building which destroyed all the apartments belonging to the Jew, while the rooms belonging to his Christian neighbor were entirely spared from the conflagration. Saint Edmund (1), the English king and martyr, had a special devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus which Our Lord Himself taught him. One day when he was alone in the country, a beautiful Child stood by him and asked, “Edmund do you not know Me?” Edmund replied that he did not. The Child replied, “Look at Me, and you will see who I am.” Edmund looked as he was bidden and saw written on the Child’s forehead: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. “Know now who I am,” said the Child. “Every night make the sign of the cross and say these words: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. If you do so, this prayer will deliver you and all who say it from a sudden and unprovided-for death.” Edmund faithfully did as Our Lord told him. The devil once tried to prevent him and held his hands so that he could not make the holy sign. Edmund invoked the Name of Jesus and the devil fled in terror, leaving him unmolested afterwards. Saint Frances of Rome (2) enjoyed the extraordinary privilege of constantly seeing and speaking to her Guardian Angel. When she pronounced the Name of Jesus, the Angel was radiant with happiness and bowed down in loving adoration. Sometimes the devil dared to appear to her, seeking to frighten her and do her harm. But when she pronounced the Holy Name, he was filled with rage and hatred and fled in terror from her presence. Saint Jane de Chantal (3) so loved the Name of Jesus that she actually wrote it with a hot iron on her breast. Blessed Henry Suso (4) had done the same with a pointed steel rod. We may not all aspire to such holy daring. It takes a special inspiration from God. But we may follow the example of another dear Saint, Blessed Catherine of Racconigi (5), a Dominican Sister who repeated the Name of Jesus so frequently and lovingly that after her death, the Divine Name of Jesus was found engraved in letters of gold upon her heart. Saint Gemma Galgani (6) also had the privilege of frequent and intimate converse with her Guardian Angel. Sometimes the Angel and Gemma entered into a holy contest as to which one could say the Name of Jesus more lovingly. 2 1 3 4 5 6
Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 19 The pow er of the Holy Name We shall now quote a few examples to show the power of the Holy Name of Jesus. The World in danger, saved by the Holy Name In the year 1274, great evils threatened the World. The Church was assailed by fierce enemies from within and without. So great was the danger that Pope Gregory X called a Council of Bishops in Lyons in order to determine the best means of saving society from ruin. Among the many means proposed, the Pope and the Bishops chose what they considered the easiest and most efficacious of all: frequent repetition of the Holy Name of Jesus. The Holy Father then begged the bishops and priests throughout the whole world to call unceasingly on the Name of Jesus and to urge their faithful to place all their confidence in this almighty Name, repeating it constantly with boundless trust. The Pope entrusted the Dominicans especially with the glorious task of preaching the wonders of the Holy Name in every country, a work they accomplished with unbounded zeal. Their Franciscan brothers ably seconded them. Saint Bernardine of Siena, Saint John of Capistrano and Saint Leonard of Port Maurice were ardent Apostles of the Holy Name of Jesus. Their efforts were crowned with such success that the enemies of the Church were overthrown, the dangers that threatened society disappeared, and once more peace reigned supreme. This is a most important lesson for us, because in these our own days dreadful sufferings are crushing many countries and still greater evils threaten all the others. No government seems strong and wise enough to stem this awful torrent of evils. There is but one remedy, and that is prayer. Every Christian must turn to God and ask Him to have mercy on us. It is amazing what one person who prays can do to save his country and to save society. We read in Holy Scripture how Moses saved the people of Israel from destruction by his prayer, how one pious woman, Judith of Betulia, saved her city and her people when the rulers were in despair and about to surrender to their enemies. If the prayers of one person can do much what will the prayers of many not do? The Name of Jesus is the shortest, easiest and most powerful prayer of all. Everyone can say it, even in the midst of his daily work. God cannot refuse to hear it. Let us therefore invoke the Name of Jesus, asking Him to save us from the calamities that threaten us. The Plague in Lisbon In 1432, a devastating plague broke out in Lisbon. All who were able to, fled in terror from the city and thus carried the plague to every corner of Portugal. Thousands of men, women and children of all classes were swept away by the cruel disease. So virulent was the epidemic that men died everywhere: at the table, in the streets, in their homes, in the shops, in the market places, in the churches. Among those who assisted the dying with unflagging zeal was a venerable Bishop, Saint Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) A tireless preacher, he promoted the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, symbolized by the trigram J.H.S. (Jesus Saviour of Men).
20 Vol. LIX, No. 1 Magnificat Monsignor Andre Dias. This holy man, seeing that the epidemic, far from diminishing, was growing in intensity every day, and despairing of human help, urged the unhappy people to call on the Holy Name of Jesus. “Write the Name of Jesus on cards,” he said, “and keep those cards on your person, place them at night under your pillow, place them on your door, but above all constantly invoke this most powerful Name with your lips and in your heart.” Then, summoning them to the great Church of St. Dominic, he spoke to them again of the power of the Name of Jesus. Then he blessed some water in the Name of Jesus Christ and commanded all the people to sprinkle themselves with it and to sprinkle it on the faces of the sick and dying. Wonder of wonders! The sick got well, the dying arose from their agony, the plague ceased, and in a few days the city was delivered from the most awful scourge that had ever visited it. For many centuries, the grateful people continued their love and confidence in the Name of our Saviour, so that in all their troubles, in all dangers, when evils of any kind threatened them, they invoked the Name of Jesus. Confraternities were formed in the churches, monthly processions of the Holy Name were made, altars were raised in honor of this blessed Name, so that the greatest curse that had ever fallen upon Portugal was transformed into the greatest blessing. Healed by the Holy Name Saint Gregory of Tours relates that when he was a boy, his father fell gravely ill and lay dying. Young Gregory prayed fervently for his recovery. One night when he was asleep, Gregory’s Guardian Angel appeared to him and told him to write the Name of Jesus on a card and place it under the sick man’s pillow. In the morning, Gregory acquainted his mother with the Angel’s message, which she advised him to obey. He did so and placed the card under his father’s head. To the delight of the entire family, the patient grew rapidly better. The doctrine of the Holy Name You may ask, dear reader, how it is that one word can work such wonders? I answer that with one word, God created the World. With His word, He called out of nothing the sun, the moon, the stars, the high mountains and the vast oceans. By His word He sustains the entire universe. Does not the priest, too, in Holy Mass, work a wonder of wonders, does He not transform the little white host into the God of Heaven and earth by the words of the Consecration? And though God alone can pardon sin, does not the priest also in the confessional pardon the blackest sins and the most awful crimes? JESUS! JESUS! O adorable Name! Name full of charm and goodness! Name of ineffable sweetness! Name of light and truth! Name of mercy and love! Name of strength and victory! Often say this thrice-holy Name! JESUS! JESUS! This Name alone is enough to enlighten your steps, calm your mind, purify and warm your heart, strengthen your will, sanctify your soul! Father Eugene Prevost
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