Caritas in Veritate
Development needs Christians with their arms raised towards God in prayer, Christians moved by the knowledge that truth-filled love, caritas in veritate, from which authentic development proceeds, is not produced by us, but given to us. For this reason, even in the most difficult and complex times, besides recognizing what is happening, we must above all else turn to God’s love. Development requires attention to the spiritual life, a serious consideration of the experiences of trust in God, spiritual fellowship in Christ, reliance upon God’s providence and mercy, love and forgiveness, self-denial, acceptance of others, justice and peace. All this is essential if “hearts of stone” are to be transformed into “hearts of flesh” (Ezek 36:26), rendering life on earth “divine” and thus more worthy of humanity. All this is of man, because man is the subject of his own existence; and at the same time it is of God, because God is at the beginning and end of all that is good, all that leads to salvation: “the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; and you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor 3:22-23). Christians long for the entire human family to call upon God as “Our Father!” In union with the only-begotten Son, may all people learn to pray to the Father and to ask him, in the words that Jesus himself taught us, for the grace to glorify him by living according to his will, to receive the daily bread that we need, to be understanding and generous towards our debtors, not to be tempted beyond our limits, and to be delivered from evil (cf. Mt 6:9-13).
Pope Benedict XVI
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May Our Lady’s Mantle surround you,and protect you always.
I raised my arms in praise-filled prayer with my Blessed Mother Mary a few days ago as I humbly but joyfully responded to a call from the Holy Spirit to “conceive in your womb, and bear a son” as I was meditating on Luke 1:26-38. This was my Magnificat:
AN INVITATION TO SPIRITUAL MOTHERHOOD
Come, dance with me, Spirit of LIfe!
Your will be done…
Come, touch my womb, Spirit of Love!
Your will be done…
In me, with me, through me!
Your will be done…
Open my hands, my heart, my womb!
Espouse me,
that I might conceive and bear a son.
You change my mourning into dancing;
Your mercies are new every morning.
Open me wide. Open me deep.
Enter me and create new life!
I receive fron You the gift
of Spiritual Motherhood,
in favor of priests,
a total giving of my life
in priestly prayer and sacrifice.
Only You can satisfy my longing!
Only You can bring to me new life!
I open the virgin soil within me to
receive new seeds of life,
for the sanctification of priests,
for the priest of Your choosing;
In me, with me, and
Through our prayers and sacrifice.
And I call upon Mary, Your Spouse and my Mother,
Immaculate Mother of God,
The best of all mothers:
To take me by the hand;
To show me how to nurture
By the womb of my sacrifice
And by the milk of my prayers;
To love and to shape a priest,
Sanctified and holy by the touch of
Your Hand.
I am Your daughter, full of grace.
You are with me.
Blessed am I among women!
Thank You so much Father Mark for your faithfulness before the Blessed Sacrament and for your beautiful words of encouragement and wisdom. I have learned so much in following Vultus Christi. Pray with me that as I take this to my parish priest that more interest will be generated in my diocese and across the country in providing formation and support for women being called into Spiritual Motherhood in favor of priests. God bless you and keep you in all that you do!
Cynthia
Big Bear City, California