MAY 18 – Magnanimity

Carnation in cluster

Among the various species of carnation there is one that blooms throughout the season, grows its slender straight stem and gives forth a pine cone of buds and when these buds burst open, they form a cluster. Although they are not as large as the others of its specie, they have however the gift of opening many at one time in the same pine cone: with its special odor.

Magnanimity and magnificence

Order your life according to God and in God, and once the order has been set, the soul must be readied for two acts. One consists in executing what the law orders, what God inspires and conscience dictates; and the other consists in maintaining steadily and firmly and with invincible determination the order established in our life, in the midst of battles, contradictions and oppositions the virtue encounters everywhere; and these acts belong to magnanimity. This virtue provides us with a big heart, capable of undertaking whatever God orders. The languishing of spirit, the disheartening of moral energies or pusillanimity kill the soul. If the undertaking that God orders brings with it considerable cost in its execution and we need another virtue the companion of magnanimity, it is magnificence.

These virtues in Mary

Mary was magnanimous throughout her life. She saw us all lost, she made up her mind to save us; she persevered in her determination and achieved it. During the death of her Son “stabat Mater”, she felt in her heart the terrible blows that fell on him; the lance pierced her soul but she was neither daunted nor terrified nor fainted

Carnation in cluster to Mary

Once you have promised, decided and resolved to practice virtue, how do you behave when the occasion arises in time of trials, temptations and contradictions. Does your spirit fade? Do you get discouraged? Do you weaken and default? Does your heart remain always open, great, invincible, firm, and invulnerable? Meditate on it well and guard yourself against pusillanimity and spiritual bashfulness. Take this magnanimity and upon giving the flower to Mary, say:

Magnanimous Judith: Receive the flower for today, the cluster of carnation, emblem of my magnanimity. I promise you; I resolve to keep my spirit upright, sincere, never discouraged nor faint-hearted in times of trial and temptation. Unite my spirit to yours and I shall be magnanimous; I entrust it to your maternal care and solicitude.

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