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Luke 13:1-5
Examples inviting Repentance
And there were
present, at that very time, some that told him of the Galileans, whose
blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answering, said
to them: Think you that these Galileans were sinners above all the men
of Galilee, because they suffered such things? No, I say to you: but
unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish. Or those
eighteen upon whom the tower fell in Siloe, and slew them: think you,
that they also were debtors above all the men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
No, I say to you; but except you do penance, you shall all likewise
perish.
True Devotion to
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Nos. 81 and 82
We Need Mary in order to Die to Ourselves
Secondly, in
order to empty ourselves of self, we must die daily to ourselves. This
involves our renouncing what the powers of the soul and the senses of
the body incline us to do. We must see as if we did not see, hear as if
we did not hear and use the things of this world as if we did not use
them. This is what St. Paul calls "dying daily". Unless the grain of
wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain and
does not bear any good fruit. If we do not die to self and if our
holiest devotions do not lead us to this necessary and fruitful death,
we shall not bear fruit of any worth and our devotions will cease to be
profitable. All our good works will be tainted by self-love and
self-will so that our greatest sacrifices and our best actions will be
unacceptable to God. Consequently when we come to die we shall find
ourselves devoid of virtue and merit and discover that we do not
possess even one spark of that pure love which God shares only with
those who have died to themselves and whose life is hidden with Jesus
Christ in him.
Thirdly, we must choose among all the devotions to the Blessed Virgin
the one which will lead us more surely to this dying to self. This
devotion will be the best and the most sanctifying for us.
Prayers for the First Week
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