Wisdom from Our Holy Founder
While our chaplain, Fr. Lou Caporiccio, CPM was spending a few days visiting his confreres at the Fathers of Mercy Generalate, we were blessed by the presence of Fr. Arthur Carrillo, CP. Hailing from the community of Passionist Fathers in Chicago, Fr. Arthur came to offer Mass and take a few days of solitude in our Guest House.
In each of his homilies, he brought out some words of our holy founder, St. Paul of the Cross, written during his 40-day retreat in 1720. This retreat was made immediately after St. Paul received the holy habit from Bishop Gattinara on November 22nd, and it was at this time that he wrote the rule for the Passionist Congregation he would later found. The spiritual diary kept by St. Paul during that retreat remains a great treasure, as it gives much insight into our founder's life of prayer and inspirations for the foundation of the Passionists; we can "follow his footsteps" by reading each day what he wrote of his experiences.
Here is some spiritual wisdom from St. Paul of the Cross's entry on November 30th, 297 years ago!
I remember that I kept praying to my Jesus to grant me the greatest degree of humility. I wanted to be the least of mankind...and I kept praying to the Blessed Virgin with many tears to obtain this grace for me....Because, just as the devil desired the highest place in paradise and for his pride was cast into the very depths of hell, so, on the contrary, the soul which humbles itself below hell makes the devil tremble and overcomes him, and the Sovereign Good exalts it to paradise.
-St. Paul of the Cross
Saturday, November 30, 1720
Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle
Advent is right around the corner, and today our "Kitchen Sisters," with the help of many hungry nuns, are clearing out the meat from the pantry to get ready for this season of extra fasting and abstinence as we prepare our hearts to receive anew the joy of Christ's Incarnation at Christmas. We pray that each of you have a blessed beginning to the Advent season!
Maranatha, Come, Lord Jesus!