Opening Prayer
Lord, I look into the mirror of the Psalms to recognize the stirrings of my own soul and to align my emotions with Your divine standards. I recognize that the Psalter serves as a mirror of the soul, encompassing the whole of human existence and the movements of the mind. I petition for the Radiance of the Mirror to fill my spirit, allowing me to reflect Your perfections back to You in an act of constant, intentional worship.
May my soul be a clear surface that reflects the light of Your face without the distortion of pride or the obscurity of sin. Grant me the grace to recognize my own poverty in the mirror of Your greatness, leading me to a deeper humility and a more fervent gratitude. Let my life be a memorial of Your goodness, shining Your light into the darkness of the world around me through a chastened and virtuous life.
Amen.
Matthew 19:27-29
27Then Peter answering, said to him: Behold we have left all things, and have followed thee: what therefore shall we have? 28And Jesus said to them: Amen, I say to you, that you, who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting.
St. Clare of Assisi
St. Clare reiterates that Christ as the mirror without tarnish. She uses the analogy of “inward beauty” and “outward robes”. Clare’s narrative is one of “continually examining your face” in Christ to beautify yourself completely. The Gospel “Left everything” is her clinical reality; she lived in a Mansion of poverty to possess the immeasurable love. She reminds us to adorn the soul with the flowers of virtue. The spiritual paper cuts of vanity are healed when we realize that “to see God is inexhaustible”. We must strive after spiritual advancement through the charming precision of contemplative prayer.
The Psalter serves as a “mirror of the soul”, reflecting our own emotions, repentances, and tribulations within its sacred verses. By recognizing our inner stirrings in these prayers, we can align our emotional life with the standards of the Holy Spirit. This practice ensures that our dispositions are not merely fleeting reactions but are measured by the “mirror” of God’s Word.
“The humble person is like a valley that catches the rain of God’s grace. We must imitate Christ’s humility to be filled, for God casts down the proud.”
— St. Clare of Assisi
Mary and the Magisterium
Just as the Psalms act as a “mirror of the soul” to show us our true selves, Mary is the perfect Mirror of the Soul. She reflects back to us a humanity that is fully alive and perfectly aligned with the Creator.
- Does the "contemplation of Christ refresh me" as it did St. Clare?
- Am I "clothed in the robes of virtue" or am I "staining my soul through deception"?
Closing Prayer
Lord, show me Your face, and I shall be saved.
Amen.
