A newly released collection of meditations and devotions of Cardinal John Henry Newman gives insight into the prayers that formed his soul.
As we begin October, we can turn with him toward Our Lady with this meditation about the kindness with which she dealt with all those around her, while her heart was fixed on Jesus alone.
That
soul is virginal which is ever looking for its Beloved
who is in heaven, and which sees Him in whatever
is lovely upon earth, loving earthly friends very
dearly, but in their proper place, as His gifts, and
His representatives, but loving Jesus alone with sovereign affection,
and bearing to lose all, so that she
may keep Him
O Mary, I wish I could see how you used to
behave towards father and mother, especially towards
St. Anne; and then how you behaved towards the
priests of the temple; and then towards St. Joseph;
and towards St. Elizabeth, and St. John Baptist; and
afterwards towards the Apostles, especially towards
St. John. I should see how sweet and lovely you were
to every one of them; but still your heart was with
Jesus only. And they would all feel and understand
this, however kind you were to them.
Conclusion.—O Mary, when will you gain for me
some little of this celestial purity, this true whiteness of
soul, that I may fix my heart on my true love?
~
See this and more from Prayers, Verses And Devotionhere.
And today we celebrate...