- Proverbs 28:13-14 -
He who conceals his sins does not prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD,
but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is human nature to hide our sins or overlook our mistakes. But it is
hard to
learn from a mistake you don't acknowledge making. And what good is a
mistake if
it doesn't teach you something? To learn from an error you need to admit
it,
confess it, analyze it, and make adjustments so that it doesn't happen
again.
Everybody makes mistakes, but only fools repeat them.
<<>><<>><<>>
March 20th - Blessed Maurice Csaky, OP (PC)
(Also known as Blessed Maurice of Hungary)
Died 1336. Maurice, Prince of Hungary, was persecuted by his father-in-law
for
his desire to remain in the Dominican Order. He was born into the royal
house of
Hungary. There had been many heavenly signs before his birth that he was
to be
an unusual favorite of God, but for the first few years of his life he was
so
sickly that no one believed he would survive. By the time he was five, he
was a
delicate, dreamy child who played at saying Mass and leading family
prayers. The
little chapel in his father's castle was his favorite haunt, and he was
always
to be found there between sessions in the schoolroom.
When he was still quite small, an old Dominican came one day to visit his
parents, and took a great fancy to the handsome little boy. He told the
child
the story of Saint Alexis, which greatly impressed him. When Maurice knelt
to
ask the old priest's blessing, the Dominican said prophetically, "This
child
will one day enter our holy Order and will be one of its joys."
In spite of the several indications that God had designs on Maurice,
cir***stances conspired against him. His parents died when he was still
quite
young, leaving him immensely wealthy and solely in charge of his father's
estates. A brother, who had entered the Dominican novitiate, died very
young.
Relatives prevailed upon Maurice to marry. Against all his wishes, he did
so.
However, he and his young wife, the daughter of the Count of Palatine,
made a
vow of continence, and both resolved to became Dominicans as soon as it
was
possible to dispose of the estates. When his wife fled to the Isle of
Margaret
in the Danube, and took the veil in Saint Margaret's convent, her father
was
furious. He went in search of the young husband and found that he, too,
had gone
to the Dominicans. He settled the matter in the forthright fa****on of the
times
by kidnapping Maurice and locking him in a tower. Here, like another
Thomas
Aquinas, the young novice settled down to wait until someone tired of the
arrangement.
After three months of unfruitful punishment, Maurice was released as
incorrigible, and his relatives devoted their attention to getting hold of
his
estates instead. He went happily off to Bologna to complete his studies,
where
he remained for three years.
For 32 years, Maurice ignored the throne and the luxuries of the world to
live
in obscurity and poverty. The picture of him left us by the chroniclers is
an
engaging one: an earnest, pious priest who made no effort to capitalize on
his
birth or social graces; a zealous addict of poverty, who managed, by a
series of
sagacious trades, to have the oldest habit in the house and the dreariest
cell.
He is said to have said the whole Psalter daily, plus the Penitential
Psalms,
and the Litany of the Saints.
A number of curious stories are told about him. Once, when he was staying
with a
Benedictine friend, the friend noticed that he went in and out of locked
doors
with no trouble at all, and that the rooms lighted up by themselves when
he
entered. Maurice is supposed to have had the gift of prophecy. A relative
of his
had cheated the sisters out of some property that Maurice had left them.
Maurice
told him that the goods would be taken away from him, and that another
man, more
generous, would give it back to the sisters. The man died shortly
thereafter,
and the prophecy was fulfilled.
After Maurice's death at least two miracles of healing were re****ted at
his
grave: one was a cure from fever, another from blindness. Butler's Lives
of the
Saints lists him as "Blessed Maurice" and he is still venerated in
Hungary,
although his cultus has never been formally approved (Attwater2,
Benedictines,
Dorcy).
<><><><>
"Every time that one sees himself urged on, with vehemence of affection,
to any
particular work, even though it be holy and im****tant, he ought to put it
off to
another occasion, and not take it up again until his heart has recovered
perfect
tranquillity and indifference. This should be done to prevent self-love
from
sullying the purity of our intention"
-St Vincent de Paul
St. Francis de Sales once stopped in the course of a journey to visit St.
Jane
Frances de Chantal, who had been eagerly expecting him, that she might
confer
with him about her own spiritual interests. She was the more desirous of
doing
this, because she had enjoyed no such op****tunity for three years and a
half, on
account of the numerous occupations in which he was engaged. When they
met, the
holy prelate said: "We have a few hours free, Mother; which of us two
shall be
the first to speak?" "Myself" she answered, with some haste, "for
certainly my
soul greatly needs to pass under your eye." At this, the Saint, wi****ng to
correct the anxiety she showed about speaking to him, with serious but
gentle
gravity rejoined: "Do you then still nourish desires, Mother? Have you yet
a
choice? I expected to find everything angelic. We will then put off
speaking of
you until we meet next, and for the present talk about the affairs of our
Congregation" The good and holy Mother, without a word of objection, laid
aside
all that related to herself, though she was holding in her hands a list of
things she had wished to speak of; and for four successive hours they
discussed
the interests of the Institute, and then parted.
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". March - Mortification)
Bible Quote
10. Jesus answered, and said to her: If thou didst know the gift of God,
and who
he is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou perhaps wouldst have
asked of
him, and he would have given thee living water. (John 4:10)
<><><><>
PRAYER TO
SHARE THE LIFE OF JESUS
Loving Father,
faith in Your Word is the way to wisdom.
Help me to think about Your Divine Plan
that I may grow in the truth.
Open my eyes to Your deeds,
my ears to the sound of Your call,
so that my every act may help me share
in the life of Jesus.
Give me the grace to live the example of the love of Jesus,
which I celebrate in the Heart
and see in the Gospel.
Form in me the likeness of Your Son
and deepen His Life within me.
|
