The commission of the publican

Today was the 10th Sunday after Pentecost according to the Roman Missal of 1962 - which we follow in the Extraordinary Form of the mass. The gospel was from Luke 18:9-14 where Jesus speaks the parable of the Pharisee and the publican to some who trusted themselves as just, but despised others. This was particularly powerful today because of two items:

1. If you are renewing your consecration to Jesus through Mary on August 15th, during this time you are reflecting particularly on allowing God to enhance your self-knowledge and let you see what a great sinner you truly art. How in need of His Mercy you are, and how accessible that Mercy is to those who recognize how much they need it.

2. The Novus Ordo gospel for today showed us Christ instructing the Apostles to go out and make disciples of all nations.

How very amazing to have had mass in Rio available on live stream this morning, where this later gospel was read to over 3 million young catholics and was followed with a homily given by one of God's greatest manifestations of humility - our Holy Father Pope Francis. Here is the most powerful man in the world. One who, especially during this present time in salvation history, could very easily become a pharisee-esque hypocrite. Yet he is our greatest example of constant self-examination and ever increasing self-knowledge which brings out nothing but levels of humility that seem to run deeper and deeper as time goes on. May we all have the courage to continually search within ourselves just as our Supreme Pontiff does, and be always thankful that the Lord allows us short and shallow peeks into our true nature and our need for His unfathomable Mercy.

Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary - Week 1 Day 4

True Devotion To the Blessed Virgin Mary, No. 228
Preparatory Exercises

During the first week they should offer up all their prayers and acts of devotion to acquire knowledge of themselves and sorrow for their sins. Let them perform all their actions in a spirit of humility. With this end in view they may, if they wish, meditate on what I have said concerning our corrupted nature, and consider themselves during six days of the week as nothing but sails, slugs, toads, swine, snakes and goats. Or else they may meditate on the following three considerations of St. Bernard: "Remember what you were -corrupted seed; what you are - a body destined for decay; what you will be -food for worms." They will ask our Lord and the Holy Spirit to enlighten them saying, "Lord, that I may see," or "Lord, let me know myself," or the "Come, Holy Spirit". Every day they should say the Litany of the Holy Spirit, with the prayer that follows, as indicated in the first part of this work. They will turn to our Blessed Lady and beg her to obtain for them that great grace which is the foundation of all others, the grace of self-knowledge. For this intention they will say each day the Ave Maris Stella and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

Imitation of Christ: Book 2, Chapter 5
Of Self-consideration

We cannot trust over much to ourselves (Jer. 17:5), because grace oftentimes is wanting to us, and understanding also. Little light is there in us, and this we quickly lose by our negligence. Oftentimes too we perceive not our inward blindness how great it is. Oftentimes we do evil, and excuse it worse (Psalm 141:4). We are sometimes moved with passion, and we think it zeal. We reprehend small things in others, and pass over our own greater matters (Matt. 7:5). Quickly enough we feel and weigh what we suffer at the hands of others; but we mind not how much others suffer from us. He that well and rightly considereth his own works, will find little cause to judge hardly of another.