Saint David of Scotland

Saint of the day: 24th May

Saint David of Scotland

Scotland's greatest king was the sixth and youngest son of St Margaret of Scotland and Malcolm III, born in 1085. He married Matilda daughter of Waldef, the Anglo-Saxon Earl of Northampton and Huntingdon which gave him a claim to the earldom Northumberland.

For many years he waged a long and unsuccessful war against England, but after being crowned king of Scotland in 1124, around the age of 40, he devoted his life to peaceful activities and became known as a kind, just and liberal king.

Historians say he was responsible for making Scotland into a modern nation, by reforming the legal system and public administration and encouraging trade and the foundation of towns. He also reformed the Scottish church, establishing a system of dioceses. Under his rule many monasteries, hospitals and almshouses were founded.

David prayed the Divine Office daily, received Communion each week and gave generous alms to the poor - often in person as his mother had done.

He died on this day in 1153 and was buried at Dunfermline. His shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage until the Reformation. One of the patron saints of Scotland, many churches are named after him.

Waiting for the Holy Spirit with Mary the Mother of Jesus

The Cenacle Icon

Compiled from Knox-Cox “The Gospel Story”
………………. (combining extracts from: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts)

Then, from the mountain which is called Olivet, went back full of joy to Jerusalem  into the upper room where they dwelt. All with one mind, gave themselves up to prayer, together with Mary the mother of Jesus, and the rest of the women and his brethren.  Matthias was added to their number as a witness of Jesus resurrection and took rank with the eleven apostles.  They spent their time continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

When the day of Pentecost came round, while they were all gathered together in unity of purpose, all at once a sound came from heaven like that of a strong wind blowing, and filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then appeared to them what seemed to be tongues of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in strange languages, as the Spirit gave utterance to each.

Compiled by W.J.W. 

The Gospel Story, Knox and Cox. Appendix:  p.431.

'With Mary the Mother of Jesus' (p. 428)
We must go to Mary, the Mother of the Mystical Body,
for all the graces we need; no work can prosper without her prayerful assistance.

Via Lucis - Stations of the Resurrection. CTS.

Waiting for the Holy Spirit
with Mary  the Mother of Jesus

From the Acts of the Apostles

... All these joined in Continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts 1:12-14)

First Meditation

They were waiting for the Holy Spirit. After coming down from the mountain, they begin to pray. Jesus is no longer visible. The cloud of the Ascension has placed Jesus in glory. The Risen Lord, no longer visible to our

human eyes, can now only be seen with the eyes of faith. The Easter people now call on the Holy Spirit. His coming is eagerly awaited, for in the fullness of his gifts he will give birth to the Church, and guide its first steps to becoming the herald of his resurrection. The invocation of the Holy Spirit is always efficacious. This was guaranteed by Christ when he said: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him" (Lk 11:13). From this moment on the Easter people is united in the name of the Risen Lord. With him in our midst, we implore the Father for the Holy Spirit, the spirit of love who renews the face of the Earth. Then will come an eternal Pentecost. The Easter prayer is marked by the presence of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was present from the beginning at Cana, where people first began to believe in his signs. She was present at Calvary where the Church was conceived. Now she is present in the Upper Room, where the Church is born. Mary the mother of Jesus; she it is who knows best the Easter mysteries: death and life, cross and resurrection.

COMMENT: YOU AND i by Gabrielle Bossis.

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: William - - -
To: Fr Donald - - -
Sent: Wednesday, 23 May 2012, 16:38
Subject: Re: [Blog] YOU AND i

Dear Father Donald,

 

Such an exquisite expression of the living presence of Our Lord in our hearts  - and of our blindness - that is haunting me...

 

Discover, discover, until fires undreamed of are kindled within you,

and you will say, 'It was you, Lord. How blind I was! The best of me is always You.'

 

As on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:25) "How slow of comprehension" I am.

 

William

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YOU AND i = ADORATION

YOU AND i by Gabrielle Bossis.
The experience of reading her spiritual journal is something for pausing and reverse in the feelings  and thoughts.
The STOPS of music is one thing, the punctuation of poem can be another.
Below, the previous quotation spaces out the lines, ADORATION.

STOPS of Harmonium
a graduated set of organ pipes of like tone quality

Definition of poem: A verbal composition designed to convey experiences, ideas, or emotions in a vivid and imaginative way, characterized by the use of language chosen for its ...

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June 25, 1942 - Le Fresne church. Visit.

"If you could only see My splendour in the tabernacle ... 

My power and My tenderness and the guard of honour formed by My hosts of angels burning with zeal. 

What reverence, what a sense of nothingness you would feel! ( ... ) 

You would see the utter unimportance of everything that is not love. 

You would realize too, that nothing could possibly give you more joy than to give Me joy. 

And you could no longer cease to gaze on Me and on Me alone. 

For I am all attractiveness. I am Charm and the Charmer. 

I am Heaven itself.

Heaven is inside the tabernacle. 

Adore with all the heavenly hosts. 

Love with them. Sing. Praise. 

Never can you overdo it, since all you have is what I have given you and all My merits are yours for the taking.

Do you know about My merits? 
Only the Father knows them all. 

And do you realize that if it were necessary I would begin all over again? 

Find a new way of praising Me every day. 

Keep on exploring My hidden treasures. 

You can never come to the end of them. 

Discover, discover, until fires undreamed of are kindled within you, and you will say, 'It was you, Lord. 

How blind I was! The best of me is always You.'

And while you are talking to Me, I'll continue to heap blessings upon you, for My heart is filled with them, and to give eases it of its burden. 

It takes a mere nothing from you to make it overflow. 

If you only knew! My poor little ones, wake up to your power over Me. 

Get to know Me a little better. 

Stammer out your words of love. I'll complete them. 

You've seen the great sun dancing in tiny mirrors? 

Who can bear its dazzling bril­liance? 

But what is a mirror without the sun?"