Daily Collection from the optional memorial of St. Denis, Bishop and Martyr
Collect: O God, who sent Saint Denis and his companions to preach your glory to the nations and strengthened them for their mission with the virtue of constancy in suffering, grant, we pray, that we may imitate them in disdaining prosperity in this world and in being undaunted by any trial. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son
“O God, who sent Saint Denis and his companions to preach your glory to the nations and strengthened them for their mission with the virtue of constancy in suffering”
— In proclaiming the glory of God and seeking to gain souls, the greatest asset is perseverance. As such, we praise God for granting the gift of enduring suffering to Denis because we remember that the Cross is the Christian’s true glory and that our supreme model is a crucified Lord.
“grant, we pray, that we may imitate them in disdaining prosperity in this world and in being undaunted by any trial”
— Not only should we as Christians seek to be detached form material success, we even seek the gift of being able to disdain prosperity because it so often blinds us to our true mission. Drawing on the example of St. Denis, we seek to be undaunted in proclaiming a Truth that the world often finds unbearable or even insulting. If we never experience rejection or anger from worldly people, we should be concerned that we have somehow compromised the Truth of our Lord.
Advice: How can one practice the virtue of enduring suffering? There is always prayer and, indeed, we must pray for the gift to endure the suffering which we will inevitably face if we are faithful. In addition, it is good to consider various form of penance and mortification to reign in our fleshly appetites and worldly attachments. Fasting, vigils, abstaining from television and internet on a given day – these are all worthwhile practices that dispose us to better receive the virtue of long-suffering.
As always, I recommend a nightly examination of conscience. Be sure to include the question of whether or not you have shied away from sharing a difficult truth of the Gospel due to fear.
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| St. Denis, pray for us! |