Commentary on Psalm 118 (29), 1
If the cry to the Lord uttered by those who pray is made with the sound of
the
bodily voice without the heart being turned to God, who can doubt that it
is
made in vain? But if it comes from the heart, even if the bodily voice is
silent, it can be concealed from everyone else but not from God.
Therefore, when we pray--whether aloud as required or silently--to God,
our
cry
must come from the heart. St. Augustine -- Commentary on Psalm 118 (29), 1
-St. Augustine
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May 11th - St. Mayeul
In 973, Abbot Mayeul was returning home after a visit in Rome, accompanied
by a large group of men from other countries who felt more secure
traveling
in the company of the saint. On their passage through the Alps, they were
attacked by the Saracens of Freysinet, who took them captive and enchained
them. Greatly afflicted, the holy Abbot prayed to God that none of his
company would be killed, and his prayers were heard.
On one occasion, some of the Moors who were holding the captives began to
mock the Catholic Religion. St. Mayeul made a strong response, showing the
truth of our Faith and the falsity of theirs. Irritated by this, they
closed
up the saint in a deep cave.
In it he found a book, Treatise of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin,
attributed to St. Jerome. He asked the Virgin Mary that he might be free
to
celebrate the feast day of the Assumption among Catholics. After making
his
prayer, he miraculously found himself free of his chains. The Arabs,
stupefied, began to treat him with respect. He also wrote to Cluny asking
them to send his ransom fee and that of his companions. During the time
awaiting the response, the Arabs prepared special bread for him, since he
would not partake of theirs.
Once a Saracen stepped on St. Mayeul's Bible, and was reprehended by his
companions. That day the same man got into a fight with another Arab, and
in
it he lost the very foot that he had used to step on the Holy Book.
When the ransom money arrived, he was freed and was able to celebrate a
Mass
on the Feast of the Assumption, just as he had asked. Not long after his
release, the Saracens of Freysinet were defeated by Catholic troops. This
was considered a divine punishment for having imprisoned the holy Abbot.
Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)
One can see how God in a marvelous way gives different graces that
correspond to different souls and their calls to sanctity. This episode
from
the life of St. Mayeul shows how God tested the confidence of the
companions
of the Abbot of Cluny. They had the good idea to ask to travel with the
saint because they felt more secure from danger with him in their midst
than
by themselves. Instead of finding safety, however, they were captured by
the
Saracens and put in chains. It could appear that God had fooled them. But
this is not true. Let us analyze what happened in reality, beneath the
surface.
First, they heard the saint asking that their lives be spared, and saw
that
God listened to his prayer. Not one of them died or was killed. Therefore,
they were not disappointed in their primary hope to preserve their lives.
Second, not only was their confidence justified by the preservation of
their
lives, but they received much more than they had asked for. They were able
to share the day-to-day life with St. Mayeul, which was a great grace.
There is a maxim that says: what the devil promises a man, he ends by
taking. God is the opposite. He returns to the person the very thing He
seems to take from him. When He seems to be taking something, He is more
often just testing the confidence of His children. This is evident in this
incident from the life of St. Mayeul. To all appearances He deprived the
travelers of their liberty. But in reality He gave them the op****tunity to
witness a series of miracles that did an enormous good for their souls.
They saw the saint dispute with the Saracens and were thus given the
op****tunity to realize the glory of the Catholic Religion, since the Moors
were unable to reply to his arguments. This is why they became irritated
and
imprisoned St. Mayeul.
They could also witness the saint finding the book about Our Lady, making
his request, and her eventual response with his liberation. They also saw
the chains of the saint miraculously break, so that he was freed and able
to
walk out of the deep cave. They saw the stupefaction of the Moors at
seeing
this miracle and how they started to treat him better. They also saw that
the Arab who stepped on the Abbot's Bible lost that foot on the same day,
and they understood the divine intervention puni****ng the bad man.
They could also measure the extent of human evil - even after the Saracens
had seen all these things and received these graces, they did not convert.
Finally, they could consider the divine chastisement that fell on those
same
Saracens who were defeated in battle some time later. You can see,
therefore, that Divine Providence gave those travelers abundantly more
than
what they were expecting.
The lesson is that we should confide in Providence. Sometimes Divine
Providence asks a blind confidence from us. It is a kind of confidence
that
trusts against all appearances and remains faithful despite appearances to
the contrary. If we make it a habit to practice this heroic confidence, we
accumulate for ourselves a great treasure of mercy.
Let us say, for example, that someone founds a school. After a certain
period of time, the school fails. He thinks: God abandoned me. Another
individual tries to convert certain persons and is not successful. Still
another tries to establish a movement for the glory of Our Lady, and the
movement does not go forward. They can all be tempted to think: God
abandoned me. It is not true. Very often God gives the success by means of
many apparent abandonments. We have to walk through many real catastrophes
and at the end we will harvest the victory. By the good acceptance of all
these intermediary catastrophes, we merit in the end the thing we had
hoped
for.
Sometimes it is very hard to understand what is happening, what is the
plan
of Our Lady for us. But if we confide against all appearances, we will
receive more than what we have asked for. This is what happened with the
men
who accompanied the saint.
Then, let us ask St. Mayeul for the grace to see this represented in our
own
lives and to understand how the hand of God is guiding us through the
perplexing tunnels and catastrophes we face; how the care and love of Our
Lady is ever with us, preparing us to receive more than what we have asked
for.
See Images at:
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j022sdSt.Mayeul.htm
Saint Quote:
Let nothing be innovated beyond what is traditional.
-Pope St. Stephen (253-257)
Bible Quote
29 I know that, after my departure, ravening wolves will enter in among
you,
not sparing the flock. 30 And of your own selves shall arise men speaking
perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch,
keeping in memory, that for three years I ceased not, with tears to
admonish
every one of you night and day. 32 And now I commend you to God, and to
the
word of his grace, who is able to build up, and to give an inheritance
among
all the sanctified. (Acts 20:29-32)
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A prayer to Our Lord:
O most merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I pray Thee by the
most sorrowful agony of Thy most Sacred Heart, and by
the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother, wash in Thy
Blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in
their agony, and are to die this day. Amen.
Imprimatur: +John Farley, Archbishop of New York, Sept. 19, 1908.
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