The Traditional Catholic Mystical Wedding Theology for Every Soul continues with the Tridentine documentary's Chapter 7, "Sacrificial Reverence." What wonders! "Love is never idle." ~ Saint Teresa of Jesus
REVERENT LOVE
"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.
While the worldly wed their own will, at tremendous cost, 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.
Those in love with 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 AND ON THE WAY TO WED ONE'S SELF ANEW THIS MORNING TO CHRIST, THE DIVINE KING OF LOVE THAT SPENDS ITSELF WITH PURITY OF INTENTION, DEVOID OF SELF INTEREST
It is quiet and peaceful and calm in the car, providing an ideal environment to prepare one's heart, mind, and soul for what 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 Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
The attention is focused away from one's self and projected onto 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 AS THE ULTIMATE AND UNBLEMISHED SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS
There in the vehicle, so happy to begin this day in this manner, our Lord suddenly is asked to have something special play on the radio for this extraordinary daily occasion.
"Please pick a song, Jesus, and play the song of Your choosing for me."
Then the song of His choosing suddenly begins playing, music He favors while both escorting you to and awaiting your arrival at St. Joseph's:
"Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God), sung in Latin.
What wonders!
"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 IS MANIFESTED 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 book contain the greatest love story of all time, which all of us are part of. However, this wedding album is not limited to one wedding event in time , for it contains the wedding as well as our entire lives.
What wonders!
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, a poker chip using the poker game analogy, is placed 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 of precious personal resources prepare and adorn us to participate in and receive that which is of eternal value and of true and lasting beauty.
This Holy Sacrifice/Wedding upon which our lives are to be modeled 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." ~ Fr. Frederick William Faber
HOLY COMMUNION
"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
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 Christ.
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
