Resolutions of a
Novice
By St. Conrad of Parzham
Resolutions taken with great deliberation and
full confidence in the assistance of Jesus and Mary to help me keep them.
1. I will strive earnestly to form the habit
of always placing myself in the presence of God and of often asking myself:
Would I do this or that if my confessor or my superior were observing me, and
especially in the presence of God and my guardian angel?
2. I will often ask myself when crosses and
pain come upon me: Conrad, why are you here?
3. I will avoid as much as possible going out
of the monastery, unless love of neighbor or obedience or health demand it, or
for some other good reason.
4. I will earnestly strive to preserve
brotherly charity in myself and in others. I will be careful never to utter a
word against charity. I will patiently bear with the faults, defects and
weaknesses of others and as far as possible I will cover them with the mantle
of charity, whenever there is no obligation to reveal them to one who has the
power to correct them.
5. I will carefully observe silence as much as
possible. I will always be sparing of my words in conversation and thereby
avoid many faults and be able to converse the better with God.
6. At table I will always place myself in the
presence of God and conduct myself with great reserve, denying myself those
dishes that I would relish most and practising especially those mortifications
which are least noticeable. Outside of mealtime I will take no food unless
comanded by holy obedience.
7. I will always go to the choir immediately
when the signal is given, if not otherwise prevented.
8. I will avoid association with persons of
the other sex as much as possible, unless obedience imposes on me a duty which
requires association with them. In that case I will be very serious and keep
my eyes in strict control.
9. I will always practise obedience exactly
and punctually, and will strive praticularly to conquer my own will in all
things.
10. I will earnestly try to be faithful even
in small matters and abhor every voluntary imperfection. I will scrupulously
observe the Holy Rule and never depart from it by even a hair's breadth, no
matter what happens.
11. I will ever strive to cultivate a tender
devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and endeavor to imitate Her virtues.
- Top
Prayer after
Communion
by St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, Doctor of the Church
Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost
soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm
and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with
entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may
long to be dissolved and to be with Thee. Grant that my soul may hunger after
Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and
supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful
taste. May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels
desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of
Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of
widsom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure,
the fulness of the house of God; may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find
Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do
all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with
love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverence to the end; and
be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my
pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my
refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my
treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted
immovably. Amen.
Top
Stabat Mater (A Prayer to
Share Mary's Sorrows)
by Friar Jacoponi da Todi
At the cross her station keeping, Stood the
mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, All His bitter anguish bearing, Now at
length the sword had pass'd.
Oh, how sad and sore distress'd Was that Mother highly blest Of the
sole-begotten One !
Christ above in torment hangs; She beneath beholds the pangs Of her dying
glorious Son.
Is there one who would not weep, Whelm'd in miseries so deep Christ's dear
Mother to behold ?
Can the human heart refrain From partaking in her pain, In that Mother's pain
untold?
Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd, She beheld her tender child All with bloody
scourges rent.
For the sins of His own nation, Saw Him hang in desolation, Till His spirit
forth He sent.
O thou Mother! fount of love! Touch my spirit from above; Make my heart with
thine accord.
Make me feel as thou hast felt; Make my soul to glow and melt With the love of
Christ our Lord.
Holy Mother! pierce me through; In my heart each wound renew Of my Saviour
crucified.
Let me share with thee His pain, Who for all my sins was slain, Who for me in
torments died.
Let me mingle tears with thee, Mourning Him who mourn'd for me, All the days
that I may live.
By the cross with thee to stay, There with thee to weep and pray, Is all I ask
of thee to give.
Virgin of all virgins best, Listen to my fond request Let me share thy grief
divine.
Let me, to my latest breath, In my body bear the death Of that dying Son of
thine.
Wounded with His every wound, Steep my soul till it hath swoon'd In His very
blood away.
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, Lest in flames I burn and die, In His awful Judgment
day.
Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, Be Thy Mother my defence, Be Thy cross
my victory.
While my body here decays, May my soul Thy goodness praise, Safe in Paradise
with Thee.
Amen.
Top
An Act of Total Consecration
to the Immaculate Virgin
By St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
O Immaculate Queen of Heaven and earth, Refuge
of sinners and Our most loving Mother, to whom God willed to entrust the
entire order of Mercy, I, an unworthy sinner, cast myself at Your feet, humbly
begging You to be so good as to accept me wholly and completely as Your
possession and property, and to do with me and with all my powers of soul and
body, with my whole life, death, and eternity, whatever pleases You.
If it pleases You, use my whole self without
reserve to accomplish what has been said of You: "She will crush your head"
(Genesis 3:15), and also: "You alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole
world" (Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary), so that I may become a
useful instrument in Your immaculate and most merciful hands for promoting and
increasing Your glory to the maximum in so many strayed and indifferent souls,
and thus extend as much as possible the blessed Kingdom of the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus.
For, wherever You enter, You obtain the grace
of conversion and sanctification, since it is through Your hands that all
grace comes to us from the Most Sweet Heart of Jesus.
R. Allow me to praise You, O most Holy Virgin.
V. Give me strength against Your enemies.
Top
A Rule of Life for
Those Consecrated to the Immaculate Virgin
By St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
1. It is my duty to be a saint and a great
saint.
2. For the glory of God, I must save myself
and all souls, present and future, through the Immaculate.
3. Before anything else flee not only from
mortal but also from deliberate venial sin.
4. Do not permit: a. that evil remain without
reparation and destruction; or b. that good be without fruit or increase.
5. Let your rule be obedience_the will of God
through the Immaculate_I am nothing but an instrument.
6. Think of what you are doing. Do not be
concerned about anything else, whether bad or good.
7. Preserve order, and order will preserve
you.
8. Peaceful and benevolent action.
9. Preparation—Action—Conclusion.
10. Remember that you belong exclusively,
unconditionally, absolutely, irrevocably to the Immaculate: Whoever you are,
whatever you have or can, whatever you do (thoughts, words, action) and endure
(pleasant, unpleasant, indifferent things) belong to the Immaculate.
Consequently, may she dispose of them according to Her will (and not yours).
In the same way it belongs to Her all your intentions; therefore, may she
transform them, add others, take them away, as She likes (in fact, She does
not offend justice).
You are an instrument in Her hand, therefore
do only what She wants; accept everything like a child to his own mother,
trust Her in everything.Take an interest about Her, Her veneration, Her things
and let Her take care of you and your loved ones. Recognize that everything
you have comes from Her and nothing from you. All the fruits of your
activities depend on the union with Her, in the same way as She is an
instrument of the divine mercy.
O Immaculate, my life (every moment of it), my
death (where, when and how) and my eternity belongs totally to you. Of
everything You do whatever You like.
Top
