- 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 -
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from
the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand
them,
because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments
about
all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
"For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
______________________________________________________________________
No one can comprehend God (Romans 11:34), but through the guidance of the
Holy
Spirit, believer's have insight into some of God's plans, thoughts and
actions -
they, in fact, "have the mind of Christ." Through the Holy Spirit we can
begin
to know God's thoughts, talk with him, and expect his answers to our
prayers.
Are you spending enough time with Christ to have his very mind in you? An
intimate relation****p with Christ comes only from spending time
consistently
in
his presence and in his Word.
<<>><<>><<>>
April 29th - St. Hugh of Cluny, OSB Abbot (RM)
(Also known as Hugh the Great)
Born at Semur (Samur, near Autun), Burgundy, France, in 1024; died at
Cluny
in
1109; canonized by Pope Callistus III in 1120.
Hugh, eldest son of Count Dalmatius of Semur, entered the monastery at
Cluny,
France, at age 15. It was unusual that a nobleman would allow his heir to
choose
this vocation so early in life, especially when he seems destined to a
notable
career in the world. Nevertheless, Hugh's father may have realized that
his
son
was more suited for the monastery, than the court. The youth was overly
studious
and too clumsy to be a knight. In fact, though, Hugh may have professed
himself
a monk at Cluny (c. 1040) in defiance of his father.
Hugh was ordained five years later, was named prior shortly thereafter,
and
in
1049, at the tender age of 25, succeeded Saint Odilo as abbot. By then,
Hugh
had
grown tall and handsome, able and sympathetic, focused yet detached-the
perfect
person to executive the plans God had for him. The abbacy carried with it
the
leader****p of the powerful Benedictine confederation that depended upon
Cluny.
He also continued Saint Odilo's policy of bringing the more than 200
constituent
monasteries of the congregation into closer dependence on the motherhouse.
In
the 60 years of Hugh's governance, the number of dependents expanded from
about
60 to about 2,000 with various forms of association, in Italy, France,
Spain,
and England.
Hugh attended the Council of Rheims and eloquently sup****ted the reforms
of
Pope
Saint Leo IX, denouncing simony and the relaxation of clerical discipline.
Hugh
went back to Rome with Leo, attended a synod condemning Berengarius of
Tours
in
1050, and in 1057, as papal legate, effected peace between Emperor Henry
IV
and
King Andrew of Hungary.
Hugh assisted Pope Nicholas II in drawing up the decree on papal elections
at a
council in Rome in 1059 and continued in close relation****p with the Holy
See
when Hildebrand, who had been a monk at Cluny, was elected pope as Gregory
VII.
Hugh worked closely with Gregory to reform the Church and revive spiritual
life
in it. In 1068 he settled the usage for the whole Cluniac order. In 1095,
he
had
Pope Urban II consecrate the high altar of the basilica at Cluny, then the
largest church in Christendom, and was a leader at the Council of Clermont
in
organizing the First Crusade.
He served nine popes, was adviser of emperors, kings, bishops, and
religious
superiors. Hugh's list of friends could be a 'who's who' of the period:
Saint
Anselm, Blessed Urban II, and Saint Peter Damien. Hugh's integrity and
generosity were known to all; when Saint Anselm fell out with King William
II of
England, it was to Hugh at Cluny that he first went for counsel. He also
mediated in the bitter feud between Pope Gregory and Emperor Henry IV at
Canossa
in 1077. Hugh also founded a hospital at Marcigny in which he loved to
wait
upon
the lepers with his own hands.
He championed reforms wherever he went. Universally admired for his
intellectual
and spiritual attainments and as a simple man of great prudence and
justice,
he
exercised a dominant influence on the political and ecclesiastical affairs
of
his times. Hugh was a man of eminent psychological insight and diplomatic
ability. Hugh's saintly life impressed such varied men as Saint Peter
Damian
and
William the Conqueror (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia,
Farmer,
Gill, Husenbeth).
From:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0429.shtml
Quote:
The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart of the God-man,
Savior
of
the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and
profoundly
penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in
closest
intimacy and community of family life and work. Thus, if you wish to be
close to
Christ, we again today repeat, "Go to Joseph" (Gn 41:44)
-- Venerable Pope Pius XII
Bible Quote
8 He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of
the
cross. 9 For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a
name
which is above all names: 10 That in the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of
those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: (Philippians
2:8-10)
<><><><>
St. Louis de Montfort's Prayer to Jesus
O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee,
for
the grace Thou hast bestowed upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother
through
the
devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate in the presence of
Thy
majesty and my sup****t in my extreme misery. Alas, O Lord! I am so
wretched
that
without this dear Mother I should be certainly lost. Yes, Mary is
necessary
for
me at Thy side and everywhere that she may appease Thy just wrath, because
I
have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal
punishment of
Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee, speak to
Thee,
pray
to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to save my
soul
and
the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always
do
Thy
holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things. Ah, would that I could
proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown to me !
Would
that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not for Mary!
Would
that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing! Mary is in
me.
Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely
hers?
Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Saviour, send me death rather than such a
calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to
Mary.
With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have taken her a
thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to her; but
if
I
have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew this
offering
as Thou dost desire me to renew it. And if Thou seest in my soul or my
body
anything that does not belong to this august princess, I pray Thee to take
it
and cast it far from me, for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is
unworthy
of Thee.
O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces. Plant in my soul the Tree of
true
Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and
blossom
and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance. O Holy Spirit, give me
great
devotion to Mary, Thy faithful spouse; give me great confidence in her
maternal
heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy, so that by her Thou mayest truly
form
in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect
age.
Amen.
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