A warning, O my soul, against forgetting God in pride - instead, pressforward in imitating Mary, your Mother
In the Bible we read that Lucifer was 'a model of perfection', 'full of wisdom', 'perfect in beauty'. Further, he had a living creature to guard him. He was on the holy mountain of God. His behaviour was exemplary from the day he was created.
(Ezekiel 28.12-15)
However, his 'busy trading', 'multitude of his merchandise', 'abundance of trade' was what filled him with sin. (Ezekiel 28.16) O Lord, what does this trading and merchandise refer to in the spiritual world? Does it not stand for the rapid 'give and take', the exchange of glory, which constantly occurs between our soul, God and the world?
For every grace and gift, we need to render God 'perfect praise'. When the world honours us, we need to carefully, righteously, justly, surely render God the glory which is his due. (Psalms 29.1) If we fail in this, we are filled with dishonesty. 'When someone speaks on his own account, he is seeking honour for himself; but when he is seeking the honour of the person who sent him, then he is true, and altogether without dishonesty.' (John 7.18)
His heart 'had grown proud because of his beauty', 'was lifted up with his beauty', he 'lost his wisdom in his beauty', 'corrupted his wisdom for the sake of his splendor', 'his wisdom was corrupted by his splendor'. What a sad fate! The very same beauty which should have made him praise God more and more became a cause for his falling away from grace - instead of contemplating God, the author of beauty, he lost himself in contemplating his own beauty. (Ezekiel 28.17)
By the 'immense number of his crimes', by the 'dishonesty of his trading', he defiled his sanctuary, the inner part of his spirit where pure worship took place.
Once a young disciple who was tempted by spiritual pride asked St Ignatius for a remedy. St Ignatius replied that he himself had to battle for a long time against this same evil which tempts all those who embark on the spiritual journey. Then he gave the disciple this advice, 'Strive to offer God all the good you find in yourself, and thank Him for it.' The disciple was so moved by these words that he could not restrain his tears.
Therefore as we are called to be perfect servants of God, let us sing the 'Magnificat' with all our heart day by day, that sure hymn of praise, reflecting daily on it, by which we are led safe to the Heavenly Harbour. Indeed, we should sing our own, PERSONAL MAGNIFICAT to God, like our Blessed Mother!
'My soul GLORIFIES the Lord, my spirit REJOICES in God my SAVIOUR. (Here it is good for you, O my soul, to pause and remember the suffering and death of your Lord, to dwell on the merits of the Precious Blood of Christ, by whose merits alone you LIVE and are SAVED)
He has LOOKED UPON the humiliation of his servant, yes - from now onwards all generations will call me BLESSED. ( Here remember the first day when God called you, remember your humbler circumstances, when you were fed by His hand. Esther 4.8a)
The ALMIGHTY works MARVELS for me, HOLY is His NAME. (Here remember all the miracles God worked for you)
His MERCY is from age to age on those who FEAR Him. (How many times did He not have mercy on you!)
He PUTS FORTH His arm in STRENGTH, He SCATTERS the proud hearted. (Remember, O my soul, God will never tolerate you if you become proud.)
He PULLS DOWN princes from their thrones, and RAISES the LOWLY. (Remember, O my soul, He will only raise the lowly. Today even if you are a prince, tomorrow He will pull you down.)
He FILLS the starving with GOOD THINGS, SENDS the rich away empty. (Remember, O my soul, it is good for you to starve rather than to be rich so do not be disheartened if God makes you feel hunger.)
He PROTECTS Israel His SERVANT, REMEMBERING with His MERCY, in accordance with His PROMISE, to ABRAHAM and his SONS FOREVER. (Again, remember, O my soul, the Lord shows His mercy to you not for your sake, but for the sake of His promise to Abraham. Beware of congratulating yourself on your own righteousness. Duet 9.1-6; Ephesians 2.8-10)
O Lord, in writing these lines, I do well to fall at your feet and beseech your mercy and the prayers of your saints that I may learn true humility, that I may faithfully honour you and gratefully glorify you all the days of my life.
'Hail, Sweetest Mother, hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope, hail Mother Divine, Mother humble, and Mother chaste, Hail Queen of all virtues, like Thee, may we we contemplate God with all our hearts, our souls and our minds.'
'O Mary, in Thee we trust, leave not our little and unsure hands, but guide us on the road of eternity.
(Ezekiel 28.12-15)
However, his 'busy trading', 'multitude of his merchandise', 'abundance of trade' was what filled him with sin. (Ezekiel 28.16) O Lord, what does this trading and merchandise refer to in the spiritual world? Does it not stand for the rapid 'give and take', the exchange of glory, which constantly occurs between our soul, God and the world?
For every grace and gift, we need to render God 'perfect praise'. When the world honours us, we need to carefully, righteously, justly, surely render God the glory which is his due. (Psalms 29.1) If we fail in this, we are filled with dishonesty. 'When someone speaks on his own account, he is seeking honour for himself; but when he is seeking the honour of the person who sent him, then he is true, and altogether without dishonesty.' (John 7.18)
His heart 'had grown proud because of his beauty', 'was lifted up with his beauty', he 'lost his wisdom in his beauty', 'corrupted his wisdom for the sake of his splendor', 'his wisdom was corrupted by his splendor'. What a sad fate! The very same beauty which should have made him praise God more and more became a cause for his falling away from grace - instead of contemplating God, the author of beauty, he lost himself in contemplating his own beauty. (Ezekiel 28.17)
By the 'immense number of his crimes', by the 'dishonesty of his trading', he defiled his sanctuary, the inner part of his spirit where pure worship took place.
Once a young disciple who was tempted by spiritual pride asked St Ignatius for a remedy. St Ignatius replied that he himself had to battle for a long time against this same evil which tempts all those who embark on the spiritual journey. Then he gave the disciple this advice, 'Strive to offer God all the good you find in yourself, and thank Him for it.' The disciple was so moved by these words that he could not restrain his tears.
Therefore as we are called to be perfect servants of God, let us sing the 'Magnificat' with all our heart day by day, that sure hymn of praise, reflecting daily on it, by which we are led safe to the Heavenly Harbour. Indeed, we should sing our own, PERSONAL MAGNIFICAT to God, like our Blessed Mother!
'My soul GLORIFIES the Lord, my spirit REJOICES in God my SAVIOUR. (Here it is good for you, O my soul, to pause and remember the suffering and death of your Lord, to dwell on the merits of the Precious Blood of Christ, by whose merits alone you LIVE and are SAVED)
He has LOOKED UPON the humiliation of his servant, yes - from now onwards all generations will call me BLESSED. ( Here remember the first day when God called you, remember your humbler circumstances, when you were fed by His hand. Esther 4.8a)
The ALMIGHTY works MARVELS for me, HOLY is His NAME. (Here remember all the miracles God worked for you)
His MERCY is from age to age on those who FEAR Him. (How many times did He not have mercy on you!)
He PUTS FORTH His arm in STRENGTH, He SCATTERS the proud hearted. (Remember, O my soul, God will never tolerate you if you become proud.)
He PULLS DOWN princes from their thrones, and RAISES the LOWLY. (Remember, O my soul, He will only raise the lowly. Today even if you are a prince, tomorrow He will pull you down.)
He FILLS the starving with GOOD THINGS, SENDS the rich away empty. (Remember, O my soul, it is good for you to starve rather than to be rich so do not be disheartened if God makes you feel hunger.)
He PROTECTS Israel His SERVANT, REMEMBERING with His MERCY, in accordance with His PROMISE, to ABRAHAM and his SONS FOREVER. (Again, remember, O my soul, the Lord shows His mercy to you not for your sake, but for the sake of His promise to Abraham. Beware of congratulating yourself on your own righteousness. Duet 9.1-6; Ephesians 2.8-10)
O Lord, in writing these lines, I do well to fall at your feet and beseech your mercy and the prayers of your saints that I may learn true humility, that I may faithfully honour you and gratefully glorify you all the days of my life.
'Hail, Sweetest Mother, hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope, hail Mother Divine, Mother humble, and Mother chaste, Hail Queen of all virtues, like Thee, may we we contemplate God with all our hearts, our souls and our minds.'
'O Mary, in Thee we trust, leave not our little and unsure hands, but guide us on the road of eternity.
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