The Madonna and the Holy Eucharist are united inseparably "even to the end of the world." Matthew 28:20 Mary's body and soul are the heavenly tabernacle of God. She is the incorruptible Host, holy and immaculate.
Prayer to Mary Mother of the Eucharist
Hail Mary, sweet Mother of the Eucharist, with sorrow and much love, You have given us your son Jesus while hanging from the Cross. We, weak creatures, anchor ourselves to You to be worthy sons of this great LOVE and SORROW. Help us to be humble and simple, help us to love all men, help us to live in grace always to be ready to welcome Jesus into our heart.
O Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, we, by ourselves, will never be able to understand this great mystery of love. Gain for us the light of the Holy Spirit, because only in that moment we will be able to perceive even for just one instant, all the infinite love of your Jesus in giving Himself to us. Amen.
When we go before Jesus on the altar, we always find Him "with Mary His Mother," as the Magi did at Bethlehem. Matthew 2:11 Jesus in the sacred Host, from the altar of our hearts, can repeat to each of us what He said to Saint John the Evangelist from the altar of Calvary, "Behold thy Mother." John 19:27
January 30, 2012
January 23, 2012
A Child's Prayer
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I consecrated you; a prophet to the nations I appointed you. Jeremiah 1:5
"It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop." Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life
At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:1-4
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a "Gospel of life." It invites all persons and societies to a new life lived abundantly in respect for human dignity. God entrusted His Son to Mary for the redemption of the world.
Mary, patroness of America, renew in us a love for the beauty and sanctity of the human person from conception to natural death; and as Your Son gave His life for us, help us to live our lives serving others. Mother of the Church, Mother of our Savior, open our hearts to the Gospel of life, protect our nation, and make us witnesses to the truth.
January 22, 2012
All LIFE is sacred
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land which the LORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
On this day, we remember all the lives lost in our country since January 22, 1973 through abortion. We pray for the restoration of the Right to Life and for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. All life is sacred.
Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, that in thy celestial apparitions on the mount of Tepeyac, thou didst promise to show thy compassion and pity towards all who, loving and trusting thee, seek thy help and call upon thee in their necessities and afflictions. Thou didst promise to hearken to our supplications, to dry our tears and to give us consolation and relief. Never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, either for the common welfare, or in personal anxieties, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Mary, ever Virgin Mother of the True God! Though grieving under the weight of our sins, we come to prostrate ourselves in thy august presence, certain that thou wilt deign to fulfill thy merciful promises. We are full of hope that, standing beneath thy shadow and protection, nothing will trouble or afflict us, nor need we fear illness, or misfortune, or any other sorrow. Thou hast decided to remain with us through thy admirable image, thou who art our Mother, our health and our life. Placing ourselves beneath thy maternal gaze and having recourse to thee in all our necessities we need do nothing more. O Holy Mother of God, despise not our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer us.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine of the Holy Innocents
National Shrine of The Divine Mercy
Stockbridge MA
For the Protection of all LIFE in the womb and for the lives of the Holy Innocents, let us pray five Hail Marys in gratitude for the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
January 21, 2012
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
The Hail Mary
by Victor Hoagland, C.P.
In heaven God said, "One day I will send my Son to help all people and show them how to live. And I choose Mary to be the mother of Jesus, my Son. So God sent his angel Gabriel to Mary and the angel said:
Hail Mary,
The angel Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth, in Galilee. The angel said to Mary that God loved her. She was
full of grace,
The angel Gabriel told Mary that God, who was in heaven so far away, had come to be close to her. She was to be the mother of Jesus. The angel said,
the Lord is with you.
After the angel left her, Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. her cousin knew how good God was to Mary. Elizabeth said,
Blessed are you among women
Mary's cousin Elizabeth knew that Mary was going to be the Mother of Jesus Christ. Elizabeth said,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
We pray to Mary because she is so close to God, and because she is so close to her Son, Jesus Christ. And so we say,
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
Like a good mother, Mary always hears us when we call to her. She hears us now, at this very moment; and when we come to the last moment of our life. And so we pray,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Today is the Feast Day of Saint Agnes of Rome, holy martyr and patron saint of girls. According to tradition, she was a beautiful virgin, who turned away all suitors, declaring that she could have no spouse, but Jesus. The rejected suitors informed Roman officials that she was a Christian and she was punished by being exposed in a brothel. There she was left miraculously unharmed; the only man who attempted to violate her was struck blind, and she healed him with prayer. She was murdered at the age of 13, during the persecutions ordered by Diocletian. The name Agnes means lamb.
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, who take away sins of world, dona nobis pacem. grant us peace.
Saint Agnes, virgin, courageous witness and martyr, we ask for your intercession. You would not let sufferings, persecutions and confinement break your committment to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. You are a model for girls, as was Mary, Our Most Blessed and Holy Mother.
Hail Mary, Holy Mary, Mother of Mercy, we entrust all these little ones and their families to you.
The Hail Mary
by Victor Hoagland, C.P.
In heaven God said, "One day I will send my Son to help all people and show them how to live. And I choose Mary to be the mother of Jesus, my Son. So God sent his angel Gabriel to Mary and the angel said:
Hail Mary,
The angel Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth, in Galilee. The angel said to Mary that God loved her. She was
full of grace,
The angel Gabriel told Mary that God, who was in heaven so far away, had come to be close to her. She was to be the mother of Jesus. The angel said,
the Lord is with you.
After the angel left her, Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. her cousin knew how good God was to Mary. Elizabeth said,
Blessed are you among women
Mary's cousin Elizabeth knew that Mary was going to be the Mother of Jesus Christ. Elizabeth said,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
We pray to Mary because she is so close to God, and because she is so close to her Son, Jesus Christ. And so we say,
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
Like a good mother, Mary always hears us when we call to her. She hears us now, at this very moment; and when we come to the last moment of our life. And so we pray,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Today is the Feast Day of Saint Agnes of Rome, holy martyr and patron saint of girls. According to tradition, she was a beautiful virgin, who turned away all suitors, declaring that she could have no spouse, but Jesus. The rejected suitors informed Roman officials that she was a Christian and she was punished by being exposed in a brothel. There she was left miraculously unharmed; the only man who attempted to violate her was struck blind, and she healed him with prayer. She was murdered at the age of 13, during the persecutions ordered by Diocletian. The name Agnes means lamb.
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, who take away sins of world, dona nobis pacem. grant us peace.
Saint Agnes, virgin, courageous witness and martyr, we ask for your intercession. You would not let sufferings, persecutions and confinement break your committment to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. You are a model for girls, as was Mary, Our Most Blessed and Holy Mother.
Hail Mary, Holy Mary, Mother of Mercy, we entrust all these little ones and their families to you.
January 19, 2012
Image and likeness of God
You show me the path of life, in your presence there is fullness of life. Psalm 16:11
Man is set apart because he is a person. Made in the image and likeness of God, he is conscious and responsible. Even in his spiritual dimension, he experiences the succession of different phases, all equally fleeting. Saint Ephrem, the Syrian, liked to compare our life to the fingers of a hand, both to emphasize that its length is no more than a span, and to indicate that each phase of life, like the different fingers, has its particular character, and “the fingers represent the five steps by which man advances.”
With the Sign of the Cross, we send a visible sign to the world and follow the advice of Saint Ephrem of Syria (died A.D. 373):
"Mark all your actions with the sign of the life giving Cross. Do not go out from the door of your house till you have signed yourself with the Cross. Do not neglect that sign whether in eating or drinking or going to sleep, or in the home or going on a journey. There is no habit to be compared with it. Let it be a protecting wall round all your conduct, and teach it to your children that they may earnestly learn the custom."
In one of Saint Ephrem's hymns, he speaks of the pearl as a symbol of the riches and beauty of faith: "I placed the pearl, my brothers, on the palm of my hand, to be able to examine it. I began to look at it from one side and from the other: it looked the same from all sides. Thus is the search for the Son inscrutable, because it is all light. In its clarity, I saw the Clear One who does not grow opaque; and in his purity, the great symbol of the Body of Our Lord, which is pure. In his indivisibility, I saw the truth which is indivisible."
Lord, grant that we may lovingly accept Your Will, and place ourselves each day in Your merciful hands. Mary, Our Mother, pray for us, “now and at the hour of our death.” Keep us ever close to Jesus, your Beloved Son, the Lord of life and Giver of life. Amen.
Man is set apart because he is a person. Made in the image and likeness of God, he is conscious and responsible. Even in his spiritual dimension, he experiences the succession of different phases, all equally fleeting. Saint Ephrem, the Syrian, liked to compare our life to the fingers of a hand, both to emphasize that its length is no more than a span, and to indicate that each phase of life, like the different fingers, has its particular character, and “the fingers represent the five steps by which man advances.”
With the Sign of the Cross, we send a visible sign to the world and follow the advice of Saint Ephrem of Syria (died A.D. 373):
"Mark all your actions with the sign of the life giving Cross. Do not go out from the door of your house till you have signed yourself with the Cross. Do not neglect that sign whether in eating or drinking or going to sleep, or in the home or going on a journey. There is no habit to be compared with it. Let it be a protecting wall round all your conduct, and teach it to your children that they may earnestly learn the custom."
In one of Saint Ephrem's hymns, he speaks of the pearl as a symbol of the riches and beauty of faith: "I placed the pearl, my brothers, on the palm of my hand, to be able to examine it. I began to look at it from one side and from the other: it looked the same from all sides. Thus is the search for the Son inscrutable, because it is all light. In its clarity, I saw the Clear One who does not grow opaque; and in his purity, the great symbol of the Body of Our Lord, which is pure. In his indivisibility, I saw the truth which is indivisible."
Lord, grant that we may lovingly accept Your Will, and place ourselves each day in Your merciful hands. Mary, Our Mother, pray for us, “now and at the hour of our death.” Keep us ever close to Jesus, your Beloved Son, the Lord of life and Giver of life. Amen.
January 17, 2012
The Eucharist and Saint Anthony
Born into a wealthy family near Lisbon, Portugal, Saint Anthony of Padua, also known as Saint Anthony the Wonder-Worker, entered the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine at age 15 over his parent's objection. He excelled in his studies of Scripture and the Church Fathers, and, after two years, he convinced his superiors to transfer him to the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Cóimbra, Portugal, so that he could continue his education without distraction from his family. Today we celebrate his feast day.
In 1220, five Franciscans whom Saint Anthony had met were martyred at the hands of Muslims in Morocco. Saint Anthony received permission to leave the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine and to become a Franciscan. He took the name Anthony at that time and set off for Morocco to preach the Faith, fully expecting to suffer a martyr's death as well. Becoming severely ill, he tried to return to Portugal, but his ship was stranded on the coast of Sicily. When he recovered, he traveled to Assisi for a general meeting of the Franciscan order, and he would spend the rest of his life in Italy and France.
In Italy, his preaching came to the attention of Saint Francis, the founder of the Franciscans, who directed him to teach theology to the Franciscan brothers. He preached so strongly the Cathars and Albigenses that he earned the title "Hammer of the Heretics." During his life, he performed many miracles, including rendering poisoned food innocuous by making the Sign of the Cross over it; bilocating (appearing in two places at one time) so that he could celebrate Mass and sing the Divine Office; and reattaching an amputated foot.
Saint Anthony is often portrayed with the Infant Jesus in his arms, in honor of an apparition of the Infant Jesus, in which He kissed Saint Anthony and told him He loved him for his zealous preaching. He died on June 13, 1231, and his feast is celebrated on that day. His canonization took less than a year. In 1263, Saint Anthony's tomb was opened to transfer his relics, and his tongue was discovered to be incorrupt, which the great Franciscan Saint Bonaventure took as a sign that God had been pleased with Saint Anthony's preaching. On January 16, 1946, in recognition of that preaching, Pope Pius XII declared Saint Anthony a Doctor of the Church.
There is a story in the official Butler's lives of the Saints of Saint Anthony's encounter with an Jewish man. This man contested the "Real Presence of the Eucharist; so one day he approached Saint Anthony publicly and after spelling out all of his reasons for not believing in such a "fable" as the Real Presence, he challenged Anthony to a contest. He bet that the Real Presence was a lie, and he proposed to "starve a donkey" for three days---no hay, and see if the donkey would choose to eat hay or preferred the Eucharist. Saint Anthony, being publicly "put on the spot" accepted the challenge. So the wealthy merchant brought out his donkey, publicly hitched him to a post where he could be observed by all; and proceeding to "starve the donkey" for three days. Simultaneously, Saint Anthony went into the forest and "fasted" for three days---taking no food. When the day of trial came, Anthony emerged from the forest and sought out a local Church where he took the Eucharist and returned to the spot where the donkey was tied. Meanwhile, the challenger had placed a large pile of hay about 20 ft away from the donkey.
Anthony took out the Eucharist holding it in his hands; the merchant untied the donkey, who needless to say, made a "beeline" for the pile of hay. Just as the donkey was about to reach the hay, Saint Anthony elevated the Eucharist and shouted in a loud voice: "Mule, in the Name of the Lord Our God, I command you to come here and adore your Creator! " The donkey "reared up" on his hind legs as if someone had pulled him by a bridle; he spun around, and ran to Saint Anthony, dropping to his forelegs, hind legs still extended; and put his head down to the ground in a "posture of adoration" before the Eucharist which Saint Anthony continued to hold elevated. The Jewish merchant, stunned by what occurred begged Saint Anthony's forgiveness, converted on the spot, and donated the money to build a new Catholic Church, his newfound faith. On the cornerstone of the Church, he had engraved a picture of Saint Anthony holding the Eucharist aloft and the donkey, "kneeling on his forepaws" in adoration of the Body of Christ.
As Saint Anthony knew, prayer along with fasting is powerful! Saint Louis de Montfort once said that when you hear these miraculous stories about the saints, believe them. The worldly find them difficult to believe, but to the faithful, God does great things for those who truly follow Him.
Saint Anthony, pray for us and for all those for whom we pray.
January 13, 2012
Saint Michael the Archangel
Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host by the Divine Power of God, cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
On Sunday April 24th 1994, Pope John Paul II recommended this prayer be used by all Catholics as a prayer for the Church when he said:
'"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told about in the Letter to the Ephesians: 'Draw strength from the Lord and from His mighty power.' Ephesians 6:10 The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel. Revelation 12:7 Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last century, he introduced a special prayer to St. Michael throughout the Church. Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world."'
Saint Michael has four main roles. His first role is the leader of the Army of God and the leader of heaven's forces in their triumph over the powers of hell. He is viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of the spiritual warrior, with the conflict against evil at times viewed as the battle within.
The second and third roles of Michael in Catholic teachings deal with death. In his second role, Michael is the angel of death, carrying the souls of all the deceased to heaven. In this role, at the hour of death, Michael descends and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing, thus consternating the devil and his minions. Catholic prayers often refer to this role of Michael. In his third role, he weighs souls in his perfectly balanced scales (hence Michael is often depicted holding scales).
In his fourth role, St Michael, the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament, is also the guardian of the Church; it was thus not unusual for the angel to be revered by the military orders of knights during the Middle Ages. This role also extends to his being the patron saint of a number of cities and countries.
Saint Michael the Archangel, we entrust to your protection all the names we receive through this baby ministry.
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host by the Divine Power of God, cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
On Sunday April 24th 1994, Pope John Paul II recommended this prayer be used by all Catholics as a prayer for the Church when he said:
'"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told about in the Letter to the Ephesians: 'Draw strength from the Lord and from His mighty power.' Ephesians 6:10 The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel. Revelation 12:7 Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last century, he introduced a special prayer to St. Michael throughout the Church. Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world."'
Saint Michael has four main roles. His first role is the leader of the Army of God and the leader of heaven's forces in their triumph over the powers of hell. He is viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of the spiritual warrior, with the conflict against evil at times viewed as the battle within.
The second and third roles of Michael in Catholic teachings deal with death. In his second role, Michael is the angel of death, carrying the souls of all the deceased to heaven. In this role, at the hour of death, Michael descends and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing, thus consternating the devil and his minions. Catholic prayers often refer to this role of Michael. In his third role, he weighs souls in his perfectly balanced scales (hence Michael is often depicted holding scales).
In his fourth role, St Michael, the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament, is also the guardian of the Church; it was thus not unusual for the angel to be revered by the military orders of knights during the Middle Ages. This role also extends to his being the patron saint of a number of cities and countries.
Saint Michael the Archangel, we entrust to your protection all the names we receive through this baby ministry.
January 06, 2012
The Holiness of Mary
Mary conceived the Word, the promise of God's love for us. The Word that was revealed through the prophets, from generation to generation, was the Word that Mary attentively listened to and she carefully kept in her heart.
There is so much to contemplate in the Virgin Mary’s Heart. She “carefully kept all these things,” reveals to us the Virgin Mother’s contemplative and prayerful dimension. To keep and to guard is to take care of something treasured; it is to preserve, to gather what is valued, and to set it in a secure place: the heart. To keep, like the soil keeps the seed, is an attitude of the heart that is born and blossoms in prayer, in internal recollection, and in mature reflection of the Word. It requires an openness to purification so the Word is not diluted or accommodated to our wills.
In order to “keep” the Word one must first hear it; to hear it one must be recollected; and to be recollected one must first have a prayerful heart. Loving prayer was the Virgin Mary’s fountain of life, the strength of her heart. In prayer, she learned how to be in total communion with God, how to belong totally to Him, and how to be generously disposed to His designs.
Our Lady prayed and kept all things in her heart. In prayer, she kept her heart in a constant and loving dialogue with God’s Heart. In prayer, she kept “all things.” This includes even more so what she did not comprehend, what She could not see, what seemed beyond her capacity or strength, what was beyond her understanding. All of these things she kept in her heart to immerse them in God’s love and light, through the prayer of a Virgin’s heart. Her prayer was the prayer of a pure heart with her human love in perfect harmony with Divine Love. Her prayer was the one God needed to find in a human heart in order to bring about His plan of salvation. In her Heart, the Lord’s desires were heard, perceived, and received with perfect docility, with full openness, and with perfect obedience. In her, the Lord’s plan could be fulfilled because her heart, matured in prayer, had day after day carefully kept all the promises, words, gestures and deeds of God.
We are called to pray like the Blessed Mother. We are to be receivers of the Word; we are to be men and women of prayer, rich and fertile soil for the seed. It is in the imitation of the Virgin’s attitude of interior recollection that our identification with Mary begins. She learned to be a daughter of the Father in prayer; she preserved the fullness of her grace in prayer; she grew in her spousal dimension through prayer; she prepared the Temple of Her heart and Womb in prayer; She lived her docility to the movements of the Spirit in prayer; and in prayer, her heart was formed into a servant’s heart, totally disposed to letting the Will of God be done in her.
Like our Blessed Mother, we must learn to keep all things with care and to protect our hearts, the soil where the Word must be enfleshed. We must take care of the soil through internal recollection and mature discernment. There is too much noise inside and outside of us. Too many words and too many voices speak to our hearts and suffocate the fruitfulness of the Word of God in us. Being careful is to be responsible, recognizing that the treasure is too valuable to leave it exposed for thieves. Being careful is to be wise enough to recognize that the treasure placed in our hearts is a precious pearl that cannot be exchanged for just any rock, for any thing that glitters, for any word, or for any teaching that is spoken to us. For there exist many lights, particularly in our time, that appear to be very bright; yet, they are false or temporary imitations of the only true treasure: the Word of God, revealed to us and united with a Marian heart.
"And Mary kept all these things, pondering upon them in her heart." Luke 2:19
O Mother Mary, we ask you to keep all the intentions we receive through this ministry in your most loving heart.
There is so much to contemplate in the Virgin Mary’s Heart. She “carefully kept all these things,” reveals to us the Virgin Mother’s contemplative and prayerful dimension. To keep and to guard is to take care of something treasured; it is to preserve, to gather what is valued, and to set it in a secure place: the heart. To keep, like the soil keeps the seed, is an attitude of the heart that is born and blossoms in prayer, in internal recollection, and in mature reflection of the Word. It requires an openness to purification so the Word is not diluted or accommodated to our wills.
In order to “keep” the Word one must first hear it; to hear it one must be recollected; and to be recollected one must first have a prayerful heart. Loving prayer was the Virgin Mary’s fountain of life, the strength of her heart. In prayer, she learned how to be in total communion with God, how to belong totally to Him, and how to be generously disposed to His designs.
Our Lady prayed and kept all things in her heart. In prayer, she kept her heart in a constant and loving dialogue with God’s Heart. In prayer, she kept “all things.” This includes even more so what she did not comprehend, what She could not see, what seemed beyond her capacity or strength, what was beyond her understanding. All of these things she kept in her heart to immerse them in God’s love and light, through the prayer of a Virgin’s heart. Her prayer was the prayer of a pure heart with her human love in perfect harmony with Divine Love. Her prayer was the one God needed to find in a human heart in order to bring about His plan of salvation. In her Heart, the Lord’s desires were heard, perceived, and received with perfect docility, with full openness, and with perfect obedience. In her, the Lord’s plan could be fulfilled because her heart, matured in prayer, had day after day carefully kept all the promises, words, gestures and deeds of God.
We are called to pray like the Blessed Mother. We are to be receivers of the Word; we are to be men and women of prayer, rich and fertile soil for the seed. It is in the imitation of the Virgin’s attitude of interior recollection that our identification with Mary begins. She learned to be a daughter of the Father in prayer; she preserved the fullness of her grace in prayer; she grew in her spousal dimension through prayer; she prepared the Temple of Her heart and Womb in prayer; She lived her docility to the movements of the Spirit in prayer; and in prayer, her heart was formed into a servant’s heart, totally disposed to letting the Will of God be done in her.
Like our Blessed Mother, we must learn to keep all things with care and to protect our hearts, the soil where the Word must be enfleshed. We must take care of the soil through internal recollection and mature discernment. There is too much noise inside and outside of us. Too many words and too many voices speak to our hearts and suffocate the fruitfulness of the Word of God in us. Being careful is to be responsible, recognizing that the treasure is too valuable to leave it exposed for thieves. Being careful is to be wise enough to recognize that the treasure placed in our hearts is a precious pearl that cannot be exchanged for just any rock, for any thing that glitters, for any word, or for any teaching that is spoken to us. For there exist many lights, particularly in our time, that appear to be very bright; yet, they are false or temporary imitations of the only true treasure: the Word of God, revealed to us and united with a Marian heart.
"And Mary kept all these things, pondering upon them in her heart." Luke 2:19
O Mother Mary, we ask you to keep all the intentions we receive through this ministry in your most loving heart.
January 04, 2012
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Today is the Feast Day of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Many separations from dear ones by death and distance, served to draw Elizabeth's heart to God and eternity. The accepting and embracing of God's will would be a keynote in her spiritual life.
Elizabeth's deep concern for the spiritual welfare of her family and friends eventually led her into the Catholic Church. In Italy, Elizabeth captivated everyone by her own kindness, patience, good sense, wit and courtesy. During this time, Elizabeth became interested in the Catholic Faith, and over a period of months, her Italian friends guided her in Catholic instructions.
Elizabeth's desire for the Bread of Life was to be a strong force leading her to the Catholic Church. Having lost her mother at an early age and being rejected by her stepmother, Elizabeth felt great comfort in the idea that the Blessed Virgin was truly her Mother. She asked the Blessed Virgin to guide her to the True Faith. Elizabeth finally joined the Catholic Church in 1805.
Dedicated to following the will of God, Elizabeth Ann had a deep devotion to the Eucharist, Sacred Scripture and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The 23rd Psalm was her favorite prayer throughout her life.
Elizabeth opened the first Catholic school in America in Baltimore, Maryland. She and two other young women, who helped her in her work, began plans for a Sisterhood. When the young community adopted their rule, they made provisions for Elizabeth to continue raising her children. On March 25, 1809, Elizabeth Seton pronounced her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, binding for one year. From that time she was called Mother Seton.
Although Mother Seton became afflicted with tuberculosis, she continued to guide her children. The Rule of the Sisterhood was formally ratified in 1812. It was based upon the Rule Saint Vincent de Paul had written for his Daughters of Charity in France. By 1818, in addition to their first school, the sisters had established two orphanages and another school. Today six groups of sisters trace their origins to Mother Seton's initial foundation.
"We must pray literally without ceasing, without ceasing, in every occurrence and employment of our lives . . . that prayer of the heart which is independent of place or situation, or which is rather a habit of lifting up the heart to God as in a constant communication with Him." Elizabeth Ann Seton
For the last three years of her life, Elizabeth felt that God was getting ready to call her, and this gave her joy. Mother Seton died in 1821 at the age of 46, only sixteen years after becoming a Catholic. She was canonized on September 14, 1975.
Praise to the holy woman whose home is built on faithful love and whose pathway leads to God.
Proverbs 14:1-2
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us and for all the intentions we receive through this baby ministry.
Elizabeth's deep concern for the spiritual welfare of her family and friends eventually led her into the Catholic Church. In Italy, Elizabeth captivated everyone by her own kindness, patience, good sense, wit and courtesy. During this time, Elizabeth became interested in the Catholic Faith, and over a period of months, her Italian friends guided her in Catholic instructions.
Elizabeth's desire for the Bread of Life was to be a strong force leading her to the Catholic Church. Having lost her mother at an early age and being rejected by her stepmother, Elizabeth felt great comfort in the idea that the Blessed Virgin was truly her Mother. She asked the Blessed Virgin to guide her to the True Faith. Elizabeth finally joined the Catholic Church in 1805.
Dedicated to following the will of God, Elizabeth Ann had a deep devotion to the Eucharist, Sacred Scripture and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The 23rd Psalm was her favorite prayer throughout her life.
Elizabeth opened the first Catholic school in America in Baltimore, Maryland. She and two other young women, who helped her in her work, began plans for a Sisterhood. When the young community adopted their rule, they made provisions for Elizabeth to continue raising her children. On March 25, 1809, Elizabeth Seton pronounced her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, binding for one year. From that time she was called Mother Seton.
Although Mother Seton became afflicted with tuberculosis, she continued to guide her children. The Rule of the Sisterhood was formally ratified in 1812. It was based upon the Rule Saint Vincent de Paul had written for his Daughters of Charity in France. By 1818, in addition to their first school, the sisters had established two orphanages and another school. Today six groups of sisters trace their origins to Mother Seton's initial foundation.
"We must pray literally without ceasing, without ceasing, in every occurrence and employment of our lives . . . that prayer of the heart which is independent of place or situation, or which is rather a habit of lifting up the heart to God as in a constant communication with Him." Elizabeth Ann Seton
For the last three years of her life, Elizabeth felt that God was getting ready to call her, and this gave her joy. Mother Seton died in 1821 at the age of 46, only sixteen years after becoming a Catholic. She was canonized on September 14, 1975.
Praise to the holy woman whose home is built on faithful love and whose pathway leads to God.
Proverbs 14:1-2
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us and for all the intentions we receive through this baby ministry.
January 01, 2012
Mary Mother of God
Let us pray this novena to Mary beginning on this first day of January through January ninth, asking Mary for her protection over all these babies and little ones.
Mother of God Novena Prayer
Lord Jesus, we come before you this day mindful of the presence of your Mother Mary. As we pray this novena we are aware of how Mary proclaimed her yes, her Fiat with joy. We reflect on how Mary lived each and every event in her life with deep trust in God, with the assurance that God was with her every step of the way and with the love of God constantly dwelling within her being. During this novena, may we grow in our trust in God, deepen our longing to know God and proclaim everyday our belief in the almighty and everlasting God who is constantly calling us to live a grace filled life. Like Mary, may we be able to say Yes, to proclaim our Fiat, with the sure and constant faith that allowed Mary to walk the path of life God called her to live. We ask this in your name. Amen
The Church Fathers gave witness in the following passages to their recognition of the sacred truth and great gift as Mother of God, that was bestowed upon Mary, the humble handmaid of the Lord. Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Mary Mother of God.
Irenaeus "The Virgin Mary, being obedient to his word, received from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God" (Against Heresies, 5:19:1 [A.D. 189]).
Hippolytus "To all generations they [the prophets] have pictured forth the grandest subjects for contemplation and for action. Thus, too, they preached of the advent of God in the flesh to the world, his advent by the spotless and God-bearing (theotokos) Mary in the way of birth and growth, and the manner of his life and conversation with men, and his manifestation by baptism, and the new birth that was to be to all men, and the regeneration by the laver [of baptism]" (Discourse on the End of the World 1 [A.D. 217]).
Gregory the Wonderworker "For Luke, in the inspired Gospel narratives, delivers a testimony not to Joseph only, but also to Mary, the Mother of God, and gives this account with reference to the very family and house of David" (Four Homilies 1 [A.D. 262]). "It is our duty to present to God, like sacrifices, all the festivals and hymnal celebrations; and first of all, [the feast of] the Annunciation to the holy Mother of God, to wit, the salutation made to her by the angel, ‘Hail, full of grace!’" (ibid., 2).
Peter of Alexandria "They came to the church of the most blessed Mother of God, and ever-virgin Mary, which, as we began to say, he had constructed in the western quarter, in a suburb, for a cemetery of the martyrs" (The Genuine Acts of Peter of Alexandria [A.D. 305]).
Methodius "While the old man [Simeon] was thus exultant, and rejoicing with exceeding great and holy joy, that which had before been spoken of in a figure by the prophet Isaiah, the holy Mother of God now manifestly fulfilled" (Oration on Simeon and Anna 7 [A.D. 305]).
Cyril of Jerusalem "The Father bears witness from heaven to his Son. The Holy Spirit bears witness, coming down bodily in the form of a dove. The archangel Gabriel bears witness, bringing the good tidings to Mary. The Virgin Mother of God bears witness" (Catechetical Lectures 10:19 [A.D. 350]).
Ephraim the Syrian "Though still a virgin she carried a child in her womb, and the handmaid and work of his wisdom became the Mother of God" (Songs of Praise 1:20 [A.D. 351]).
Athanasius "The Word begotten of the Father from on high, inexpressibly, inexplicably, incomprehensibly, and eternally, is he that is born in time here below of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God" (The Incarnation of the Word of God 8 [A.D. 365]).
O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother. You are our most powerful intercessor. We thank you and we entrust our lives, our families and all those for whom we pray through this baby ministry to YOU.
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