Pray for Us... at the Hour of Our Death - Cardinal Bacci

Pray for Us... at the Hour of Our Death

1. We have come to the end of this month, which we have dedicated to Mary. Let us remember, however, that apart from this month of May we should dedicate our whole lives to her up to the final moment of death. We are always in need of Mary's patronage and intercession with God. Let us always have recourse to her, therefore, especially in danger and in suffering, but most especially at the decisive moment of death, for this is the moment on which eternity depends. This day will arrive sooner or later, but it will certainly come, “at an hour that you do not expect.” (Luke 12:40)

In the second part of the Hail Mary the Church places on our lips these words of supplication: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” How many times we have recited this prayer! But do we ever think of death? Let us remember that a meditation on death is the most valuable lesson in life. One day we shall find ourselves face to face with God, drawing our last breath on earth. It may be on a sick bed, it may be in the middle of a street—we do not know. It may be after a long illness at the end of which we are comforted by the Holy Sacraments and blessed by a priest, or it may be quite unexpected. But it is certain that death will come. Let us aim, therefore, at being always prepared; so that it may not come when we have no good works to offer and when our hearts are full of ourselves and of worldly interests. Like Mary, let us lead lives of holiness, and we shall be sure to die holy deaths. Let us beseech our heavenly Mother to be by our side at that final moment to sustain us in the conflict and to consign our souls to her divine Son, Jesus.

2. Our divine Redeemer, although He was God, did not except Himself from the law of death. It was appropriate, therefore, that His divine Mother should have been no exception either. But Mary had shared in the torments of her Son's death upon Calvary and so obtained from Him the privilege of a death so sweet and gentle as hardly to justify the name at all. Her soul was separated from her body as if in an ecstasy of love and was united even more indissolubly with God. She did not die of a natural disease, but out of love for God. She had always loved God with all the ardour of the noblest of creatures and her life ended in a final outpouring of love. It was the climax of a continuous ascent towards God. Death should be like this for us also. It can be like this if we follow her example, especially in the boundlessness of her love for God.

3. O Mary, my tender Mother, be at my side throughout my life, but especially at the hour of death. Shelter me beneath your maternal mantle and never let me be far apart from you. Grant that I may have a calm and peaceful death like yours, a death made easy by a great love for Jesus and for you, as well as by the reception of the Holy Sacraments and by your special blessing. Amen.

Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Veni Praecelsa Domina

Come, o Supreme Lady,
O Mary, do thou visit us,
enlighten our sickly souls
by the example of thy life.

Come, O Salvatrix of the world,
take away the filth of sin;
by visiting thy people,
remove their peril.

Come, O Queen of nations,
extinguish the flames of guilt,
rectify what is wrong,
give us to live innocently.

Come, and visit the sick,
O Mary, fortify the strong
with thy holy vigor,
so that the brave fail not.

Come, O thou Star, and Light of Seas,
shed thy ray of peace on us;
let the heart of John exult
with joy before the Lord.

Living in the Presence of God - Cardinal Bacci

Living in the Presence of God

1. The ability to live always in the presence of God is the foundation of the spiritual life. It is an unquestionable fact that we are always in the presence of God. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) But we must be aware of this divine presence. If we really live all the time in the presence of God, we shall be able to avoid sin, practise virtue, and enjoy God's close friendship. How can we offend God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Judge, if we remember that we are being watched by Him? “If we reflect on the presence of God,” says St. Thomas, “we shall hardly ever sin.” (Opusc., 58:2) “If we keep ourselves always in the presence of God,” writes St. John Chrysostom, “we shall think no evil, say no evil, and do no evil.” (Hom. 8 ad Phil., 2)

When we are always aware of God's presence and realise that He is absolute truth, goodness and beauty, we shall be moved to love and imitate Him. “Walk in my presence and be perfect.” (Gen. 17:1) Because God is our only true good, we shall try by every means in our power to live close to Him and to offer Him all the thoughts, desires and actions of our day. The rare moments of formal prayer will not be enough for us then, but we shall long to be in constant communication with God.

When boiling water is moved away from the fire, it gradually loses its heat. It is the same with us, St. John Chrysostom remarked, when we move away from our awareness of God. We must live in His presence all the time and must check ourselves immediately if we notice that we are slipping away from this ideal.

2. The masters of the spiritual life advise us as to the best way to cultivate an awareness of the presence of God. (Cf. S Alphons., Al Divino Servizio, III, 3) This may be done by employing the intellect to form the concept of God's nearness and by using the will to offer to Him ourselves and everything around us with acts of humility, adoration and love. The intellect, enlightened by faith, tells us that God is everywhere. “Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” (Jer. 23:24) We should see Him in all His creatures which reflect His eternal glory. “Learn to love the Creator in the creature,” says St. Augustine, “so that you may not become attached to created things and so lose Him by Whom you yourself were created.” (In Ps. 19)

When we wish to revive in our minds a sense of the presence of God, we should not picture Him as a distant Being, but as our own God Who condescended to dwell within us. We should then listen to His inspirations and humbly venerate His divine majesty which resides in our souls. “Do you not know,” asks St. Paul, “that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16) God is everywhere, but He dwells in a special manner in our souls. It is difficult for us, however, to live with our minds constantly concentrated on Him. If we were able to do so, this would be an anticipation of the happiness of the Blessed in Heaven. But we should have a habitual intention, which we should renew as often as possible, of living in the presence of God and of offering Him all our desires and actions. Then our whole life will be a continual prayer of great value in the sight of God.

3. My dear Mother Mary, you who lived in the intimate presence of God, obtain for me also this great grace, so that I may avoid sin, do good, and love God upon earth in the hope of enjoying Him forever in Heaven. Amen.

Solitude - Cardinal Bacci

Solitude

1. A man who has no love for solitude does not love God. It can easily happen that worldly objects dazzle the mind and enchant the heart, so that anyone who is greatly occupied with them does not see or experience God in any way. A man who talks a lot with other men rarely speaks with God. God's voice is heard in silence and in solitude, and we must listen for it if we wish to have any ease of conversation with Him. It is fatal to allow ourselves to be deafened by the noise of the world and never to listen for the voice of God which speaks within us.

Only those who have been called to a higher vocation can live in a cloister, but a little solitude is necessary for everybody from time to time. It may be a course in the Spiritual Exercises, or a monthly day of recollection, or a quarter of an hour spent every day in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. In these moments of detachment from the world and of intimacy with God, we can enjoy conditions far above any which can be found on earth. Such moments can be the beginning of a new life. The Holy Spirit incites us through the prophet Osee to find these necessary intervals for silence and prayer: “I will allure her and will lead her into the wilderness: and I will speak to her heart.” (Osee 2:14) Jesus set the standard for us when He spent forty days alone in the desert, fasting and praying. Even though the Apostles were engaged in public missionary activity, He was anxious that they should retire from it for a while in order to refresh themselves spiritually. “Come apart into a desert place,” He said, “and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31) St. Bernard wrote that silence and peace far away from the noise of the world helped the soul to meditate on God and on spiritual matters. (Epist. 73) “Solitude is Heaven to me,” (Epist. 4 ad Rust.) said St. Jerome. The Blessed Virgin also took refuge from distraction and loved the solitude of her home in Nazareth, where the Angel first announced to her that she was to be the Mother of God.

2. A little solitude is necessary for everyone, but “it is dangerous to concentrate our attention too much on ourselves if, having discovered our own weakness we do not raise our thoughts towards God to implore His mercy.” (P. Cordovani, Breviario Spir., P. 14) It is disastrous if solitude leads to laziness or to futile mental rambling. Solitude should be active and fervent. It should be an ascent towards God. It should help us to form the habit of continual conversation with God so that nothing can break our union with Him. A man who only prays when he is on his knees prays very little. The Gospel says that we ought always to pray. Solitude of the heart enables us to obey this precept. “Of what use is the solitude of the body,” asks St. Gregory the Great, “without the solitude of the heart?” (Lib. XXX Mor., cap. 12)

If we wish to have this spiritual solitude which will keep us close to God, our hearts must be detached from worldly affairs. “If a glass vase is filled with earth,” writes St. Alphonsus, “the light of the sun cannot penetrate it. Similarly, the divine light cannot penetrate a heart which is preoccupied with the love of pleasure and of honours.” (Al Divino Servizio, III, 2)

Let us love solitude, then. Let us look for it whenever it is possible, but above all let us keep our hearts free from earthly attachments and united to God.

3. Mary, my beloved Mother, you found in spiritual solitude a true detachment from created things and a loving intimacy with God. Grant that I may not be led astray by the attractions of this world, but may focus my thoughts and affections on Heaven and on Him Who is the final end of my life and will one day be my everlasting happiness. Amen.

The Ascension of Jesus - Cardinal Bacci

The Ascension of Jesus

1. After His glorious resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to His Apostles. For forty days He instructed them concerning the kingdom of God. When He had announced to His followers that He would send the Holy Spirit to give them the enlightenment and courage to preach the Gospel, they gathered together on the Mount of Olives and saw Him taken away from them and borne upwards until a bright cloud hid Him from their view. The mystery of the Ascension contains a lesson for us. We must be detached from the world and brought closer to Heaven, which is our true home. We are so attached to earthly things because money, reputation and pleasure are closer to our hearts than the thought of God or of eternity. We shall have to leave all these things behind soon enough, however. When death comes, the world will slip away from us and the soul will stand alone before God. Let us begin to detach ourselves from worldly affairs and to make Heaven the object of our desires. Why should we be sorry or afraid to leave this earth? Remember the teaching of St. Paul. “Here we have no permanent city, but we seek for the city that is to come.” (Heb. 13:14) “For me to live is Christ,” he said, “and to die is gain... (Phil. 1:21) desiring to depart and to be Christ, a lot by far the better.” (Phil. 1:23) Let us pray in the beautiful words of the Church: “Lord, grant that while we are living in this changing world we may aspire to the true happiness of Heaven, so that in the midst of earthly vicissitudes our hearts may be content in this ambition.” (Roman Breviary) Let us not be afraid of death, for it is only the gate of Heaven.

2. Meditate on the thoughts of St. Augustine concerning the mystery of the Ascension. “Dearly beloved brethren, our Saviour has ascended into Heaven. We who remain on earth should not be too troubled about this. Rather let us raise our thoughts to Heaven and we shall find rest there. Our hearts can ascend with Christ in the expectation that one day our bodies can also ascend. Let us remember, however, that our pride, avarice and sensuality cannot go up to Christ. None of our vices can find a place alongside our divine Healer. Therefore, if we wish to ascend to our divine Healer, we must cast off vice and sin. These are like fetters which hold us back and tie us to the ground... Even as the Resurrection of Christ is our hope, so His Ascension should be the beginning of our glorification... God is high above us. If you seek to reach Him with pride, He flies from you. If on the other hand you are humble, He comes down to meet you...” (Sermo 2 de Ascens. Dom.) When we meditate on the Ascension, we should humbly ask God to give us the grace to strip ourselves of our sins and defects. Then we shall be able to fly towards Him with love and hope in this life, and when our soul has been set free from the body which imprisons it on earth we shall be able to set out on our last joyful flight into His presence. These are the reflections which should be in our minds around the feast of the Ascension. These are the desires which we should foster and the resolutions which we should form. Let us ask Our Lord to bless them.

3. O Mary, my most holy Mother, implore of your divine Son Jesus, now ascended into Heaven, that I may be more detached from the useless and passing goods of this earth. Ask Him to purify my soul from every stain of sin and to strengthen my will in its good resolutions. Ask Him that my heart may rise nearer to God and to you through its desire for perfection. Amen.

G K Chesterton on inconvenience

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered."

The Recollection of Mary - Cardinal Bacci

The Recollection of Mary

1. It is believed that when the Angel Gabriel visited the Blessed Virgin in order to tell her that she was to be the Mother of God, she was in a quiet corner of her home, absorbed in prayer. She had no love for the noise and confusion of the world, but preferred to be recollected in the company of God. This was to be the pattern of her whole life. In the midst of her domestic duties, on her journey to St. Elizabeth, and on her travels in Galilee and Judea in the wake of her divine Son, her mind and heart were always concentrated on God.

Interior recollection is a wonderful thing. It helps us to hear God's voice more clearly. It keeps us removed from the temptations of the world and assists us in sanctifying every moment of our lives.

“The cell continually dwelt in groweth sweet,” (Bk. 1, C. 20:5) says “The Imitation of Christ,” and goes on to ask: “What canst thou see elsewhere that thou dost not see here? Behold the heavens, and the earth, and all the elements; for out of these are all things made.” (Ibid. C. 20: 8) “As often as I have been amongst men,” it exclaims, “I have returned less a man.” (Ibid. C. 20:2) When we move around chattering with different people, we have lost something of ourselves by the time we return home. Perhaps we have wasted a good deal of time in useless conversation or, worse still, have seen or heard unpleasant or disturbing things. When we go about in the world, we do not often see much that is edifying or instructive and rarely meet people whose conversation does us good. For this reason, even when we cannot remain apart, we should carry in ourselves as Mary did a spirit of interior recollection and communication with God.

2. We cannot all be monks or hermits, however. Most men have to live in the world and look after their daily business. They have to deal with all kinds of people and are subject to the tremendous influences of the modern world. How can they be recollected? It is difficult, but it is possible. Most of the Saints lived in the heart of the world while still maintaining close contact with God. St. Paul the Apostle and St. John Bosco are two examples which come to mind.

St. Paul traversed the greater part of the known world. He preached in the temple of Jerusalem and on the Areopagus of Athens, in the Synagogues, squares, courtrooms, and prisons of countless cities. Through it all his heart remained united with God so that he could exclaim: “It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) “For to me to live is Christ,” he said, “and to die is gain. But if to live in the flesh is my lot this means for me fruitful labour, and I do not know which to choose. Indeed I am hard pressed from both sides—desiring to depart and to be with Christ, a lot by far the better; yet to stay on in the flesh is necessary for your sake.” (Phil. 1:21-23)

The superhuman industriousness of St. John Bosco is well known. He never rested, but his extraordinary activity derived entirely from his close and loving union with God. We also should try and preserve an oasis of silence in our hearts while we are making our way through the noisy uproar which prevails around us. We shall draw from this oasis of interior recollection the power to conquer the temptations of the world and to accomplish all the good work which God wishes us to do.

3. Holy Mary, you who are constantly close to God, obtain for me also this interior spirit of prayer. Then I shall be able to raise my thoughts to God in the midst of worldly confusion and I shall not surrender to the enchantment of worldly pleasures. Under your protection I shall always remain united to God, Who is my only true good. Amen.