“What is the Virtue of Humility?” and what happens when we lack self-knowledge?
«Part II of the CONSECRATION JOURNEY to Lourdes with our RHP Guests
“If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.” – Pope Pius XI
CONSECRATION: PART II - KNOWLEDGE OF SELF
«3rd Edition (Mon. Jan. 22, by: The Rosary Hour Podcast Team w/ Our Guests]
Welcome to Day 14 of the Consecration Journey to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Our Lady of Lourdes, a collaborative presentation by Children’s Rosary ® and The Rosary Hour Podcast.
This 33-day consecration is a unique approach to spiritual rebirth and it serves as a roadmap to begin to walk the path to holiness.
PART II: Day 14 Reflection by: Dr. Blythe Kaufman
The last servant who had received the one talent approached the master. Addressing the master, he said, “I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back” (Mt 25:24-25).
His master responded, “You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth” (Mt 25:26-30).
Goal: The Father expects to harvest where He did not sow.
RHP ANNOTATED INUQUIRY: How can we offer our lives to God today in a way that will please Him? Let us take up our Rosaries and ask for the grace to discern how we might evolve our personal call to holiness today. For those struggling with Spiritual Battle, and/or struggling greatly with evil, let us have hope and turn our eyes with great confidence to the Blessed Virgin by praying with the heart not one but two or three Rosaries a day during Part II of this consecration. Scroll below for all three toolkits, ending with the Litany.
Bishop Keenan leads Day 14 with the following video reflection:
PART II: On Making “The Litany of Humility” part of our Consecration
Last journey, we learned the words:
Da mihi animas, Cætera tolle (English "Give me souls, take the rest")
These words represent the motto of CardinalRafael Merry del Val y Zulueta, OL who was born on 10 October 1865 and died 26 February 1930. Accordingly, he was a bishop in Spain and a Cardinal who wrote the famous “Litany of Humility” that has yet to be more fully recited by the members of the Mystical Body of the Church to which it calls for an act of reparation:1
In this prayer, Cardinal Rafael teaches us so many things about Humility. In today’s reflection, we will look at the virtue of humility and its opposite: vainglory which St. Padre Pio said: “is the greatest danger to our faith.” St. Padre Pio
ITALIAN: Dagli scritti di Padre Pio:
“Aveva ben ragione san Girolamo (Cf. Ep. 22 ad Eustochium: PL22,394-425) di paragonare la vanagloria all’ombra. Difatti l’ombra segue dovunque il corpo, ne misura persino i passi. Fugge questo, fugge anche lei; cammina a passo lento, anche lei a lui si uniforma; siede ed anche allora prende la stessa posizione. Lo stesso fa la vanagloria, segue dovunque la virtù. Invano cercherebbe il corpo fuggire la sua ombra, questa sempre e dovunque la segue e le va appresso. Parimenti accade a chi si è dato alla virtù, alla perfezione: più fugge la vanagloria e più si sente da lei investito.“ (Ep.I, Pietrelcina, 2 agosto 1913, p.398, St. Padre Pio)
The above painting by Adam Bernaert is located in the Walters Art Museum. Here is the write up by the Curators:
“The Dutch "vanitas" (Latin for vanity) still life brings together the prevailing moral tone and an appreciation of everyday objects: how vain and insignificant are human concerns, and, therefore, how important it is to turn to God. The term comes from the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes (1:2)
"Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."
These objects symbolize transitory human achievement and satisfactions. The atlas is open to a map of the East Indies, source of many Dutch fortunes, and there is a city council document with an imposing seal. The other open book is a history of the early counts of Holland-whose lands were absorbed by the dukes of Burgundy in the 1400s. The lute, music, and inkstand represent creative endeavors, which, like satisfaction in beautiful objects such as pearls, are transitory pleasures. Even the heavens and the earth, represented by two globes, are effected by Time, whose relentless passage is marked by the hourglass.”
SOURCE: https://art.thewalters.org/detail/369/vanitas-still-life/ (EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY) for the SCHOOL OF OUR LADY
SELF-KNOWLEDGE: DAY 2 of 7
In today’s consecration, we added Teresa Tomeo and Dr. Lombardi who define humility and discuss the power of self-knowledge in light of the spirituality of St. Teresa of Avila. Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson also shares her thoughts on how reading can teach us humility. Link here for the Rosary Mini: Series YouTube version of this presentation.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Vainglory, on the other hand, is rooted in the idea of “vanity” and the above visual depiction explores the idea of human knowledge with its shadow side, i.e. that “learning” can also be a source of vanity and/or lead to vainglory (a denial of self-knowledge) when “progress” is accomplished without humility:2 c.f. Philippians 2:33
St. Padre Pio: On “Vainglory” — or “That which is the opposite of Humility?”
According to Letters I, Edited by Melchiorre of Pobladura and Alessandro of Ripabottoni with English Version edited by Father Gerardo Di Flumeri O.F.M. Cap. 2nd edition 1973, in his writings, St. Padre Pio comments on vainglory.
"In order that we might understand how opposed vainglory is to perfection, Our Lord shows how he reproved the Apostles when he found them full of complacency and vainglory because the devils had obeyed their commands:
“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you” (Lk 10:20) …
This vice is all the more to be feared by reason of the fact that there is no contrary virtue by which it can be fought.
In point of fact, every vice has a remedy and an opposite virtue:
anger is demolished by meekness,
envy by charity,
pride by humility and so forth.
Vainglory alone has no contrary virtue by which it can be combatted.
It seeps into the holiest acts and even in humility itself, if one is not watchful, it proudly sets up its tent.”
(Pietrelcina 2/8/1913, Letters I, p. 445/446), ST. PADRE PIO
St. Padre Pio continues in the juxtaposition of Vainglory & one’s shadow as we contemplate Knowledge of Self:
“St. Jerome was quite right (Cf. Epist 22 ad Eustachium: PL 22, 394_425) when he compared vainglory to one’s shadow.
In point of fact, our shadow follows us everywhere and even marks our steps.
If we run, it runs too.
If we proceed at a slow pace, the shadow does likewise.
If we sit down, our shadow takes the same posture.
Vainglory acts in the same way; it follows virtue everywhere.
It would be useless for the body to try to escape from its shadow which accompanies it always and everywhere.
The same thing happens to anyone who is striving for virtue, for perfection: the more he flees from vainglory the more he is beset by it.”
(Pietrelcina 2/8/1913, Letters I, p.447) ST. PADRE PIO
As we take up this second part of this Consecration Journey, we can respond with the spirituality of the Angel of Fátima who heralded the call for “penance, penance, penance”, the focus on Advent.
When we pray the Rosary every day, for God to transform our own hearts, we can perceive a value in finishing this consecration with the help of the Queen of Angels to assist us in persevering to overcome that in us which combats humility.
"Da mihi animas, Cætera tolle" ("Give me souls, take the rest"). CardinalRafael Merry del Val y Zulueta
OUTLINE OF DAYS 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 PRAYERS
In the footnotes, you can see Day 14 schedule, with all the prayers you will focus on outlined below, a quick-reference for busy people.5
The Rosary Hour Podcast Team (Dec. 4, 2023, First Edition, First Monday of Advent, Edition 3)
STEP 1: READ THE SCRIPTURE for DAY 13, KNOWLEDGE OF SELF
Luke 14:7-35 - Read the entire text with your Bible
(See below an excerpt from the “Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition”, only to verse 14)
Luke 14:7-35 (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)
CHILDREN / ADULTS can ALSO READ from DAY 14 of CHILD CONSECRATION:
PRAYERS TO BE RECITED DURING THESE NEXT SEVEN DAYS (13th Day to 19th)
STEP 2: EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
If you need help, seek a Catholic counsellor or even a spiritual director.6 Talk about vainglory, perhaps, and explore some of the citations above together in light of your life at this time.
SEE BELOW FOR THE SECTION THAT CONTAINS THE LITANY to OUR LADY
LITANY to OUR LADY pg. 2 of 4
LITANY TO OUR LADY page 3 of 4
LITANY TO OUR LADY pg. 4 of 4 with Daily Act of Consecration
Fr. Nuno has added the Litany and the Consecration to all the toolkits to model the request to Our Lady before the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This model will be featured in Portuguese with Sacred Art.
In Part II: The Rosary is a vocal prayer based up on Scripture, which has become a practice uttered mentally, and which is even more effectively recited when prayed in a community:
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20, New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition)
The act of praying the Rosary publicly responds to the Gospel teaching of Jesus, and, in so doing, we re-discover the life, death, resurrection, and glories of Christ’s ascension as well as His Mother’s assumption and crowning while also inviting Jesus to be present “in our midst”.
PLS. PRAY THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES | SCRIPTURAL READINGS8 (QUICK GUIDE)
STEP 5: PRAY THE “AVE MARIS STELLA” or SING WITH AMELIA
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STEP 6: Add any prayer to the Immaculate Conception Novena (optional).
STEP 7: Pray to your Guardian Angel
Pray each day the Angelus and insert the Guardian Angel prayer:
Romans 2:8 - “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.”
Romans 12:10 - “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.”
Galatians 5:26 - “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.”
Ephesians 5:21 - “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Philippians 1:17 - “The former, however, preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can add to the distress of my chains.”
Colossians 3:12 - “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
Note, the Padre Pio Foundation of America sells this book here: https://padrepio.com/product/letters-i-book/ but we have not been able to cross-reference the original text outside of articles with the identical texts. For now, the online blog cited here is the only source we have, as well as this excellent article in Italian.
STEP 2: EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE in light of the reading (Gospel and/or Dr. Kaufman’s reflection)
STEP 3: Pray the “Litany to the Holy Ghost” (see the white cards)
STEP 4: Pray 5 decades of the Holy Rosarywith the Litany to Our Lady (included in each Digital Toolkit to be prayed with anyone you like — the toolkits are set up to be prayed with a partner who can help you get through the consecration.
STEP 5: Pray the “Ave Maris Stella”
STEP 6: Add any prayer to the Immaculate Conception Novena (optional).
STEP 7: Pray to your Guardian Angel every day.
STEP 8: If you have not been to the mass for sometime, you can find the sacrament of reconciliation and then speak to a priest to prepare yourself to receive the Holy Communion by being in a state of grace.
ALSO listen to the daily sermon from the Shrine of the Divine Mercy here:
The power of these words of the Rosary if uttered in a group of 2-3, or more, also invites Mary to be present with us, and in this sense, unlocks the door to the School of Our Lady. According to St. Louis Marie de Montfort:
When we pray one Rosary a day, we offer one crown to Jesus and ask for the gift of grace.
When we pray two Rosaries a day, we offer one crow to Our Lady and ask for the gift of peace.
When we pray three Rosaries a day, Jesus and Mary grant us a crown of glory and ask for the gift of eternal life that mirrors the destinies of Jesus and Our Lady. The eschatological message of this final Rosary encourages us to imagine our eternal destiny by the miracle of the merciful love of Jesus.
(The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis Marie de Montfort)
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Day 14 of 33: Consecration Journey to Lourdes [Early Post for Monday, Jan. 22, 2024 - REPOST FROM ACJ w/ updates]
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Consecration Journey to Lourdes by the Rosary Hour Podcast
We invite you to pilgrimage to Lourdes with the Rosary Hour Podcast and Children's Rosary ® from January 9 to February 11, 2024. This 33-Day Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary ends with a Consecration recitation on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Join with us & our Spiritual Directors who will teach us to pray for an epiphany of peace in all hearts that will give birth to the supreme joy of Christmas discovered by the Magi who brought gifts to the Baby King, and who Simeon rejoiced over in the Temple with Our Lady and St. Joseph.
We invite you to pilgrimage to Lourdes with the Rosary Hour Podcast and Children's Rosary ® from January 9 to February 11, 2024. This 33-Day Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary ends with a Consecration recitation on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Join with us & our Spiritual Directors who will teach us to pray for an epiphany of peace in all hearts that will give birth to the supreme joy of Christmas discovered by the Magi who brought gifts to the Baby King, and who Simeon rejoiced over in the Temple with Our Lady and St. Joseph.
Day 14 of 33: Consecration Journey to Lourdes [Early Post for Monday, Jan. 22, 2024 - REPOST FROM ACJ w/ updates]