Steps 1-3 (Opening, Gratitude, Petition)

Step 1: Opening prayer — "Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten me." Step 2: Gratitude — note at least 3 blessings from the day. This is critical — it retrains your mind to see God's action. Step 3: Petition — "Lord, give me wisdom to better see and understand your will and your ways." These first three steps set the tone: you approach God with gratitude and humility, not self-accusation. (Ep 641)

Catechism sources (PD) teaches:

At God's command, Moses stretched his rod over the sea, and the waters divided and stood like great walls on either side and all the people passed through the opening in the waters, on the dry bed of the sea.

(Source: baltimore_catechism.txt)

St. Thomas Aquinas teaches:

When copies of the three Gospels had come to the Evangelist John, he is reported, while he confirmed their fidelity and correctness, to have at the same time noticed some omissions, especially at the opening of our Lord’s ministry. Certain it is that the first three Gospels seem only to contain.

(Source: catena_aurea_john.txt)

Doctrinal Foundation

T3.M.004 (sententia_certa): Mary was endowed with a singular fullness of grace from the first moment of her existence, surpassing the grace given to any angel or saint. The angelic salutation "full of grace" signifies a unique and superabundant plenitude of sanctifying grace befitting the Mother of God.

• Scripture: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
• Aquinas: The Blessed Virgin had a greater fulness of grace than any other saint; for the nearer a thing is to its cause, the more it receives of the influence of that cause.
• Fathers: Hail, thou that art full of grace! No creature, whether visible or invisible, ever received such a fulness of grace.

T3.M.012 (De fide (defined dogma)): The veneration given to the Blessed Virgin Mary — called hyperdulia, a degree of honour above that given to other saints (dulia) — is fitting, proper, and in accord with Christian faith. It is essentially distinct from the worship of latria, which is due to God alone.

• Scripture: For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
• Aquinas: Hyperdulia is due to the Blessed Virgin, because she is the Mother of God. This is a higher veneration than the dulia due to the other saints, but it falls infinitely short of the latria due to God.
• Fathers: We do not worship Mary; we honour the Mother of our God.

T4.G.010 (Sententia communis (common teaching)): Prayer is a necessary means of salvation for adults. God grants the grace of perseverance to those who pray for it perseveringly. Without prayer, the necessary graces for salvation will not ordinarily be received.

• Scripture: Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you.

• Fathers: He who prays well, lives well. He who lives well, dies well. He who dies well, all is well.

From the Sources

St. Thomas Aquinas (catena_aurea_john.txt):

When copies of the three Gospels had come to the Evangelist John, he is reported, while he confirmed their fidelity and correctness, to have at the same time noticed some omissions, especially at the opening of our Lord’s ministry. Certain it is that the first three Gospels seem only to contain the events of the year in which John the Baptist was imprisoned, and put to death.

St. Thomas Aquinas (catena_aurea_john.txt):

By the act of breaking He multiplied the five loaves. The five books of Moses, when expounded by breaking, i.e. unfolding them, made many books. AUG. Our Lord by breaking, as it were, what was hard in the Law, and opening what was shut, that time when He opened the Scriptures to the disciples after the resurrection, brought the Law out in its full meaning.

St. Teresa of Avila (book_of_foundations.txt):

Remissorial process, informations in genere. 1607.

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BOOK OF THE FOUNDATIONS OPTS; TERESA

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St. Teresa of Avila (book_of_foundations.txt):

There were two little openings into the church, and two, stones for pillows; there were also crosses and skulls.

Extended Doctrinal Analysis

T4.S.031 (De fide (defined dogma)): The acts of the penitent — contrition, confession, and satisfaction — are the quasi-matter of the Sacrament of Penance. Perfect contrition, arising from the love of God, reconciles the sinner to God even before the actual reception of the sacrament, provided it includes the desire to confess.

T4.S.034 (De fide (defined dogma)): The confession of all mortal sins according to their species and number, so far as they are remembered after diligent examination of conscience, is required by divine law and is necessary for salvation.

T4.S.035 (De fide (defined dogma)): Attrition — imperfect contrition arising from a consideration of the ugliness of sin or from the fear of hell and punishment — is a true and profitable sorrow. It suffices for the valid reception of the Sacrament of Penance, provided it excludes the will to sin and includes the hope of forgiveness.

T4.S.039 (sententia_certa): The Sacrament of Penance can be received repeatedly and as often as a Christian falls into sin. Unlike the sacraments that imprint a character, Penance imposes no limit on the number of times it may be received, and the faithful are encouraged to confess frequently.

Additional Sources

St. John of the Cross (ascent_of_mount_carmel.txt):

Hence it is that contemplation, by which God enlightens the understanding, is called.

• Is. xl. 18, 19, H

98 THE ASCENT [BooK II. ]

St. John of the Cross (ascent_of_mount_carmel.txt):

This is one way in which the Holy Ghost teaches us.

St. Francis de Sales (03_catholic_controversy.txt):

The glorious miracles which Our Lord does, 0 men of this world, instead of opening your eyes, how do you speak of them ? * See Claude de Sainctes on Atheism ; Francis Feuardent in liig Dialogues ; Bellarmine Controv.

St. Francis de Sales (03_catholic_controversy.txt):

Those have gained their crown com- batting the opinions which the ministers adore; they.

CHAP, xiil] Mission. 8i

have held as heretics those whose steps you follow. Do you think that what they have judged to be error, heresy, blasphemy, in the Arians, the Manichteans, Judas, they now judge to be sanctity, reformation, restoration ?

St. Ignatius of Loyola (autobiography_oconor_1900.txt):

One day Ignatius went to Didacus to ask for alms in order to assist some poor people. He replied that he had no money. Opening, however, a chest which belonged to him, he took from it trappings of various colors, candlesticks, and other objects, which he gave to Ignatius, who distributed them to the poor.

St. Ignatius of Loyola (autobiography_oconor_1900.txt):

Trinity. While thus praying to the Blessed Trinity, the thought came of how to offer fourfold prayers to the Divinity. This thought, however, caused him little or no trouble. Once, while reciting on the steps of the monastery the little hours in honor of the Blessed Virgin, his vision carried him beyond the earth. He seemed to behold the Blessed Trinity in the form of a lyre or harp; this vision affected him so much that he could not refrain from tears and sighs.

Church Fathers (Confessiones_english.txt):

Hence it is that you bend and bow your heads to the sun, while you worship not this visible sun, but some imaginary ship, which you suppose to be shining through a triangular opening.” it. For he was not one of those loquacious persons, many of whom I had been troubled with, who covenanted to teach me these things, and said nothing; but this man possessed a heart, which, though not right towards Thee, yet was not altogether false towards himself.

Catechism sources (PD) (baltimore_catechism.txt):

At God's command, Moses stretched his rod over the sea, and the waters divided and stood like great walls on either side and all the people passed through the opening in the waters, on the dry bed of the sea. (Ex. 14). Pharao attempted to follow them, but when he and his army were on the dry bed of the sea, between the two walls of water, God allowed the waters to close over them, and they were all drowned.

Catechism sources (PD) (baltimore_catechism.txt):

In this stone are placed some relics of the holy martyrs. A piece is cut out of the stone and the relic placed in the opening. Then the bishop puts the little piece of stone back into its place over the relic, seals the opening, blesses the stone, and gives it to the Church.