Saturday, December 14, 2024

Chapter 7: "Sacrificial Reverence"

Subtitle, "Reverentia." From the Tridentine documentary's script, for every soul. "Love is never idle." ~ Saint Teresa of  Jesus


REVERENT LOVE

While the worldly wed their own will, at tremendous cost and on a daily basis, God's people willingly renounce their own will and strive to accomplish the perfect will of God at all times and through all circumstances, come what may.

"The love which audaciously urges the soul on to the conquest of Divine union is, at the same time, full of reverence and respect, for the soul understands, much better than before, how sublime and lofty is the majesty of God." ~ Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., "Divine Intimacy," p. 1084.

Those loving God in return strive with all of His Almighty might to live sacramental lives of heroic virtue through the spending of the self as He wills, in imitation of and in union with Christ the Divine Bridegroom of every soul, for the greater honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity first and foremost and then for the sake of all souls, including one's own. 

“Love teaches us at all times how much is due God.”  ~ Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., "Divine Intimacy," p. 1085

WHILE ON THE WAY TO THE CHURCH IN THE HOLY SILENCE AND IN THE HOLY REVERENCE TO WED ONE'S SELF ANEW THIS MORNING TO CHRIST, THE DIVINE KING, OF LOVE THAT SPENDS ITSELF WITH PURITY OF INTENTION AND DEVOID OF SELF INTEREST

It is quiet, peaceful, and calm in the vehicle, providing an ideal environment to prepare one's heart, mind, and soul for what, and for Who, is coming in church.

There is no superficial fanfare; no crowds line the streets waving and cheering, and nothing had been announced in advance except for the day and time of the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 

The attention is focused away from one's self and is focused instead on God alone.  

"...love makes the soul esteem God so highly that, while ardently desiring to possess Him, it is profoundly convinced of being absolutely incapable of reaching Him. On the other hand, although humble and reverent, love maintains its characteristic audacity and the soul does not cease to aspire to Divine union." ~ Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., "Divine Intimacy," p. 1086.

AGNUS DEI - LAMB OF GOD: JESUS THE ULTIMATE AND UNBLEMISHED SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS

There in the vehicle, so happy to begin this new day in this manner, our Lord is suddenly asked to have something special play on the radio for this extraordinary daily occasion.

"Please pick a song, Jesus; play the song of Your choosing for me on this morning."

Suddenly the song of His choosing begins playing, music He favors while both escorting you to and while awaiting your arrival at St. Joseph's:

A magnificent "Agnus Dei" (“Lamb of God”) sung in Latin.

What wonders!

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT LOVE THIS GREAT CAN CONTINUE TO GROW AND GROW AND GROW AND GROW?

"Jesus reveals God to us; He manifests Him to us in Himself, His works, and His words. Hence, Jesus is the perfect Teacher of holiness. He teaches us that God wants us to be holy, shows us God as the supreme, infinite ideal of holiness, and enables us to start out toward this sublime ideal." ~ Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., "Divine Intimacy," pp. 155-156

THE ROMAN MISSAL CONTINUES TO BE MANIFESTED IN THE SUPERNATURAL THERE IN THE NATURAL AS THE "WEDDING ALBUM" DURING THE OFFERING OF THE MAJESTIC TRADITIONAL TRIDENTINE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS CELEBRATED IN LATIN

“Prayer and communion are not to be made or desired for the sake of the devotion we feel in them, for that is seeking self and not God; but we must be frequent in both the one and the other in order to become humble, obedient, gentle, and patient.” ~ Saint Philip Neri  

The pages of this extraordinary wedding “album” contain the greatest love story of all time.

It is also not restricted to, or limited to, one wedding event in time.

In addition, its contents contain all the events of each person’s life.  

Imagine the significance, and value, of such an extraordinary wedding album to Christ for every soul.

THE CONSECRATION

"We will profit from the Mass in the exact degree that we practice the virtue that Christ lived and (I don’t know how this is going to sound) died. Christ “died” a virtue when He offered Himself on Calvary in order that we might live, and perpetuate this cosmic event in our midst until the end of time. The Mass in which we believe is the Mass we are called upon to live. Living that Mass will mean dying the Mass. It means dying a thousand deaths to self until happily one day we shall die, like Christ, commending our spirit into the hands of the God from whom we came." ~ Father John A. Hardon, S.J., "Praying the Mass"

The collection obtained through the spending of one's self as Almighty God wills, guided by the Holy Ghost, in imitation of and in union with Christ continues to grow as another Sacred Host, is placed in spirit on the collection accruing in the supernatural on the High Altar, this time through the Immaculate Mother of God, the Mediatrix of all God's lavish Divine supernatural graces. 

The church is decorated in the same manner that God's people are outfitted for this magnificent occasion of immeasurable worth: with utmost reverence for this wedding to Christ as our Triune God alone is first and foremost worshiped and adored.

The cost to and of one’s self, each one’s most precious resource, outfits and adorns us properly for our participation in the Holy Sacrifice and to receive the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, our Treasure of eternal worth and lasting beauty. 

This Holy Sacrifice/Wedding upon which our entire lives are to be modeled and through which we are supernaturally strengthened comes at great personal cost, at the expense of one's self, for it involves HEAVEN'S CURRENCY.

"...the contemplation of His (Christ's) grandeurs is not merely a joy...it does an actual work in our souls...which the grace of perseverance can make immortal." ~ Father Frederick William Faber 

HOLY COMMUNION

At the foot of the Cross on Mount Calvary, at Christ's High Altar, there is deep reverence for Jesus crucified on the Cross between two thieves for our sake - just prior to receiving and being unified with Him in the Holy Eucharist as two moments in time converge into one on this the soul's daily wedding day to our Redeemer, the Divine Bridegroom of every soul. 

"Yes, Jesus is ready to meet all souls of good will, to come to your soul and raise it to the much desired union, but He would have you know how to await Him with fidelity, fully and generously devoted to His service."  ~ Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., "Divine Intimacy," p. 1086

Reverentia!

"The love which audaciously urges the soul on to the conquest of Divine union is, at the same time, full of reverence and respect, for the soul understands, much better than before, how sublime and lofty is the majesty of God." ~ Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., "Divine Intimacy," p. 1084  


    Joseph Karl Publishing

The Work of Reparation to the Holy Face of Jesus

Traditional Catholic Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.