S. Raymund Nonnatus| Daily Meditation| Daily Quote by S. Padre Pio| Divine Mercy Reflection
Today in the Latin Calendar we celebrate the Feast Day of S. Raymund Nonnatus, Confessor. A story about this Feast Day can be found by Clicking Here.
Another Story:
Raymond became a priest due to his quiet persistence in prayer and study.
He was born to a noble Spanish family in 1204. His mother died during child birth and his father had high expectations for Raymond to serve in the country’s Royal Court. However, the young Raymond felt drawn to religious life. In an attempt to dissuade him, his father ordered him to manage one of the family farms. However, Raymond spent his time with the workers, studying, and praying. His father finally gave up and allowed Raymond to enter the Mercederians.
Fr. Raymond spent his entire estate ransoming slaves. He even offered himself as a hostage to free another. He was sentenced to death but was spared because his ransom would bring in a large amount of money.
During his imprisonment, he succeeded at converting some of his guards. To keep him from continuing his preaching, his captors bored a hole through his lips with a hot iron, and attached a padlock. He was eventually ransomed, and he returned to Barcelona in 1239.
That year, he was named a cardinal by Pope Gregory IX. The following year, in 1240, he was summoned to Rome, but barely made it out of Barcelona before he died at the age of 36.
St. Raymond is the patron saint of pregnant women, childbirth, and newborn infants.
Daily Meditation
Be Not Afraid:
Let us never be afraid to reach out to those whom we might think of as far away from God. In truth, no one is ever far from the heart of the Father no matter how hard they may try to distance themselves from him.
Quote by S. Padre Pio:
You must by no means fear that the Lord will leave you at Satan's mercy.
Divine Mercy Reflection
Reflections on Notebook Four: 237-262
We continue to the fourth notebook that Saint Faustina filled with reflections and revelations from Jesus. As we enter into this notebook, allow yourself to seek God in the silence. This chapter begins with Saint Faustina revealing that she was experiencing a “dark night” (Diary #1235). She lacked the sensory feelings of closeness to God. By analogy, it would be as if you were in a dark room filled with treasures and someone told you that all the treasures of this room were yours. You could not see them but you trusted the person who spoke about all that was around you. Knowledge of these treasures filled your mind even though the darkness hid them from your eyes.
So it is with God. Saint Faustina loved our Lord with all her heart and with every beat of her heart. She knew His closeness and love. But it appears that she could not sense this through her human senses. This gift of darkness allowed her to enter into a relationship with God on a spiritual level far deeper.
Seek this depth of relationship with God as you read through this chapter. Move beyond a desire to feel close to God and allow yourself to become close to God. He wants to enter your heart on a much deeper level than you ever knew possible. Be open to the newness of a relationship shrouded in darkness and allow the Lord to communicate His Mercy to you on this new level of love.
Reflection 243: Jesus’ Special Gift to Those He Loves
How would you treat someone you love? Typically, with family or very close friends we desire that which is best for them and that which makes them happy. God desires the same for each one of us, but we may be surprised at what God sees as the source of our happiness and what He deems to be best for us. Furthermore, though God’s love is perfect for every soul, it’s also accurate to say that God’s love deepens for those who draw close to Him. It’s not that His love changes, it’s that His love is received and encountered on a deeper level. When this happens, God is able to manifest His love in a profound way. And when God’s love is received by a soul on the deepest level, it’s often a love that calls that soul into suffering. If that surprises you just think about the Father’s perfect love for Jesus. The Father, in His perfect love for the Son, called Him to the Cross. But in that Cross, Jesus’ human soul was able to manifest the love of the Father in the most profound way. This is a mystery hard to understand, so if it’s difficult to immediately grasp do not worry. Just know that God often allows great spiritual suffering in the lives of those who have been drawn into a deep intimacy with Him (See Diary #1253).
Reflect upon the perfect love of the Father calling His Son to the Cross. Sit with that and seek to penetrate its meaning. If you can understand how the love of the Father could call the Son to this sacrifice, then you will begin to understand God’s perfect love for you as He calls you to a life of sacrifice. Do not think that God’s love will make your life “easy.” His love will make your life glorious, but most likely through suffering.
Father, the mystery of the sufferings of Jesus, Your Son, is beyond my comprehension. Help me to understand Your mysterious Will more fully and to see that suffering in this life is often a sign of Your love. Keep my eyes on the Cross in all things, dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.