MAY 20 – Perseverance

The spotted white-crimson carnation and zamba

The zamba is an herb cultivated in all gardens as fragrant and very aromatic plant. It does not bear flower but put together with the carnation family it adorns and embellish them.

Perseverance

If pains and contradictions come because of God and of the virtue for long duration and continue until death, in order to persevere in the pressure of trials, we need another special virtue that belongs to fortitude, called perseverance. Its most important act is martyrdom, and the most noble and heroic martyrdom is to suffer firmly to the extent of giving away one’s life for God. There are carnations that are white spotted with blood red; these are the most appropriate to symbolize this virtue; but as in the pressure and in the tribulation these acts are made, we need another herb that would exudes its perfume when stepped on and compressed: such is the zamba (toronjina); and this form with the carnation a beautiful and fragrant bouquet.

Perseverance in Mary

Mary suffered from her immaculate conception to the incarnation because she saw us without redemption. She conceived in her pure and virginal womb the Redeemer, suffered the persecution because of her Son. Jesus died, and she suffered the persecution that came upon the newly born Church, and she suffered with equanimity until death; she suffered for us a spiritual martyrdom that lasted all her life and she bore it with great, manly and heroic courage.

Perseverance to Mary

A sorrow prolonged for many years or during the entire life of a person brings him to the last degree of affliction and purifies his patience, tests his constancy, his firmness and his fortitude. Examine your conscience well and see what you are doing. How do you behave during a prolonged tribulation that occurs because of virtue? Do you recede and run away? Do you weaken? Do you renounce the good beginning? Ah! this flower is found in a well-cared and cultivated garden. When the tribulation comes and is prolonged are you constant and would be constant until death? Meditate on it well. If you do not have good disposition you are lacking in perseverance; search for it, prepare yourself ahead of time and when you present your flower tell to your Queen:

Lady, there you have my bouquet as a sign of my resolutions and constancy to suffer and to suffer even to the extent of giving my life for you. My life and my blood belong to you; I offer them to you. I promise to persevere, firm in your service until the hour of my death. Accept my offering.

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