Vultus Christi
A dear friend alerted me to a blog that I had not been aware of. It is entitled Vultus Christi, and is part of the spiritual ministry of Father Mark, a Cistercian monk at the Abbey of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Rome.
Today’s post reflects on the spirituality of John Henry Newman. He quotes from a booklet on Newman that speaks of “the three kinds of divine presence in which Newman’s prayer unfolded: the presence of the indwelling Trinity, the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and the presence of Christ in Sacred Scripture.”
And Father Mark adds one of his favorite prayers of Newman:
O my God, my whole life has been a course of mercies and blessings shown to one who has been most unworthy of them.
I require no faith, for I have a long experience,
as to Thy providence towards me.
Year after year Thou hast carried me on —
removed dangers from my path —
recovered me, recruited me, refreshed me,
borne with me, directed me, sustained me.
O forsake me not when my strength faileth me.
And Thou never wilt forsake me.
I may securely repose upon Thee.
Sinner as I am, nevertheless, while I am true to Thee,
Thou wilt still and to the end,
be superabundantly true to me.
I like Newman.
A lovely prayer.
In clicking around in Fr. Mark’s blog, I came across the following thoughtful comments by him on praying the Rosary and on Rosary beads as sacramentals. (I happen to prefer very simple Rosary beads, but I see his point.)
“The Rosary is, I am convinced, the surest and easiest school of contemplative prayer. The Rosary decapitates pride, the single greatest obstacle to union with God. The repetition of the Aves, like a stream of pure water, cleanses the heart.”
….
“There is a certain comfort in praying on beads that are beautiful and sturdy, beads that somehow feel like they were destined to be held, caressed, and cherished. The beads are, after all, a visible, tangible sign of the prayer by which we place our hand in the hand of Mary, and bind our heart to hers.
Sacramentals should be things of beauty. The soul thrives in an environment of chaste loveliness, harmony, and order. Finely crafted beads invite to prayer. There is no shame in going to God by means of the senses He has given us. The Word became flesh so that we, in our flesh and not in spite of it, might be able to go to God.”