August 31, 2011
Draw me close to You, Jesus
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from thee.
From the malicious enemy defend me.
In the hour of my death call me.
And bid me come unto Thee,
That with all Thy saints,
I may praise thee
Forever and ever. Amen.
The actual origins of the Anima Christi are uncertain but the prayer has been widely attributed to Saint Ignatius Loyola, who was the key founding member of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits, in the 16th century. This religious order, dedicated to serving the pope and the Church through education and missionary work, is still well known today. However, the Anima Christi dates back to the 14th century and was popular enough that it turned up in prayer books way before Saint Ignatius featured it in his classic work Spiritual Exercises in the 16th century. He designed this book, still popular today both for retreats and private use, to bring souls closer to God through a series of meditations and prayers.
The Anima Christi has rich imagery. As we are called in our prayer life to be one with Jesus, we ask here that His soul may purify us and give us holiness. Christ’s body is the bread of life essential for our Salvation, as He himself said in John6:51-59. We receive Him in communion not as a symbol but truly as discussed here in “body, blood, soul and divinity," as is said at Mass. The Anima Christi (Latin for “Soul of Christ”) is a prayer inviting us to ask our Lord for comfort, strength, and guidance. It offers us a chance to meditate on His Passion and pray for His help to gain Eternal Life. The Anima Christi is profoundly Christ-centered.
May Jesus draw us close to Him.
August 30, 2011
Come Holy Spirit!
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:7-9
Prayer to the Holy Spirit,
Spouse of Our Blessed Mother Mary
O Holy Spirit, Beloved of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do. Give me Your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your Will. Amen
Prayer to the Holy Spirit,
Spouse of Our Blessed Mother Mary
O Holy Spirit, Beloved of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do. Give me Your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your Will. Amen
August 28, 2011
Saint Augustine
Today is the Feast Day of Saint Augustine. Through trust and persistent prayer of Saint Monica, his mother, Augustine converted and became one of the most influential thinkers of the Church. Saint Monica's life can never be separated from that of her son, the great Saint Augustine, convert, bishop, and Doctor of the Church. What we know of her, for the most part, is the account that Augustine gives of her in his Confessions. The story of Augustine's life, up until his conversion, is written in the autobiographical Confessions, the most intimate and well-known glimpse into an individual's soul ever written, as well as a fascinating philosophical, theological, mystical, poetic and literary work.
Monica's almsgiving and her habits of prayer annoyed her husband, but he treated her with a sort of reverence. By Monica’s sweetness and patience, she began a successful apostolate among the wives and mothers of her native town. They knew that she suffered, as they did, and her words and example had a proportionate effect. All Monica's anxiety centered on her son Augustine. He was wayward and lazy. Monica prayed constantly to God for the soul of her son. She went tearfully to the bishop to ask him to help and he responded famously,
"the child of those tears shall never perish."
Augustine went to Rome and then Milan in 386. Monica followed him and they met Saint Ambrose, who was able to see the conversion of her son and his Baptism after Monica's years of tears and prayer. Saint Ambrose, the bishop and Doctor of the Church, gave sermons that inspired Augustine to look for the truth he had always sought in the faith he had rejected. He received baptism and soon after, his mother, Saint Monica, died with the knowledge that all she had hoped for in this world had been fulfilled.
On a visit to Hippo, he was proclaimed priest and then bishop against his will. He later accepted it as the will of God and spent the rest of his life as the pastor of the North African town, from where he spent much time refuting the writings of heretics. Saint Augustine grew to become one the most significant and influential thinkers in the history of the Catholic Church. Augustine was a great seeker of truth. His teachings were the foundation of Christian doctrine for a millennium.
Words of Pope Benedict XVI
"Saint Augustine understood that it was not he who had found Truth, but that Truth itself, which is God, pursued found him," the Pontiff reflected. Referring to a passage from Augustine's Confessions, in which the saint is with his mother and both "for a moment touch the heart of God in the silence of creatures," the Holy Father said: "creatures must be silent so that there will be a silence in which God can speak. This is also true in our time: Sometimes there is a sort of fear of silence, of recollection, of reflecting on one's acts, on the profound meaning of one's life. There is fear of seeking the Truth, or perhaps there is fear that the Truth will find us, will grip us and change our life, as happened to St. Augustine."
"Dear brothers and sisters," the Pope concluded, "I would like to say to all, also to those in a difficult moment in their faith journey, those who do not participate much in the life of the Church, or those who live 'as if God did not exist' that they not be afraid of the Truth, that they never interrupt their journey toward it, that they never cease to seek the profound truth about themselves and about things with the internal eyes of the heart. God will not fail to give Light so that one can see," he said, "and Warmth to feel the heart that loves us and that wants to be loved."
Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.
Excerpt from the Confessions of Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine and Saint Monica, pray for us and for all the names we receive through this baby prayer ministry.
Monica's almsgiving and her habits of prayer annoyed her husband, but he treated her with a sort of reverence. By Monica’s sweetness and patience, she began a successful apostolate among the wives and mothers of her native town. They knew that she suffered, as they did, and her words and example had a proportionate effect. All Monica's anxiety centered on her son Augustine. He was wayward and lazy. Monica prayed constantly to God for the soul of her son. She went tearfully to the bishop to ask him to help and he responded famously,
"the child of those tears shall never perish."
Augustine went to Rome and then Milan in 386. Monica followed him and they met Saint Ambrose, who was able to see the conversion of her son and his Baptism after Monica's years of tears and prayer. Saint Ambrose, the bishop and Doctor of the Church, gave sermons that inspired Augustine to look for the truth he had always sought in the faith he had rejected. He received baptism and soon after, his mother, Saint Monica, died with the knowledge that all she had hoped for in this world had been fulfilled.
On a visit to Hippo, he was proclaimed priest and then bishop against his will. He later accepted it as the will of God and spent the rest of his life as the pastor of the North African town, from where he spent much time refuting the writings of heretics. Saint Augustine grew to become one the most significant and influential thinkers in the history of the Catholic Church. Augustine was a great seeker of truth. His teachings were the foundation of Christian doctrine for a millennium.
Words of Pope Benedict XVI
"Saint Augustine understood that it was not he who had found Truth, but that Truth itself, which is God, pursued found him," the Pontiff reflected. Referring to a passage from Augustine's Confessions, in which the saint is with his mother and both "for a moment touch the heart of God in the silence of creatures," the Holy Father said: "creatures must be silent so that there will be a silence in which God can speak. This is also true in our time: Sometimes there is a sort of fear of silence, of recollection, of reflecting on one's acts, on the profound meaning of one's life. There is fear of seeking the Truth, or perhaps there is fear that the Truth will find us, will grip us and change our life, as happened to St. Augustine."
"Dear brothers and sisters," the Pope concluded, "I would like to say to all, also to those in a difficult moment in their faith journey, those who do not participate much in the life of the Church, or those who live 'as if God did not exist' that they not be afraid of the Truth, that they never interrupt their journey toward it, that they never cease to seek the profound truth about themselves and about things with the internal eyes of the heart. God will not fail to give Light so that one can see," he said, "and Warmth to feel the heart that loves us and that wants to be loved."
Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.
Excerpt from the Confessions of Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine and Saint Monica, pray for us and for all the names we receive through this baby prayer ministry.
August 27, 2011
Saint Monica
Next to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Monica is one of the best examples of Christian motherhood. Today we celebrate her Feast Day. For years, she prayed for the conversion of her son. Her persistence was answered with abundant grace. Her son, Augustine, became a saint and a Doctor of the Church. Like all God's saints Monica is a woman "for all seasons." Her advice and her powerful example as a wife can be an inspiration and a model for domestic peace and stability. Monica's years of caring and crying, coupled with continual prayer, speak eloquently of her perseverance and trust in God's providence. Monica did not plead for a miracle; she prayed and sacrificed for the conversion of her son. Her prayers, disappointments, and tears were all means of drawing her closer to God. In her heroic efforts for her son's conversion, she herself became a saint. Monica's whole life, as well as her sanctification, was inextricably bound up with Augustine's, her faith, hope, and love were heroically tested and proved pure in the crucible of suffering.
Her marriage to Patricius, a pagan Roman official, does not appear to have been a particularly happy one, but it was peaceful and stable due mainly to the patience and prudence of Monica. Patricius was often a volatile man, and though he was often unfaithful to Monica, at heart he was a good father to Augustine. With Monica, he made many personal sacrifices to educate their promising son. This cooperative effort probably brought them together. Patricius became a Christian before he died. When her circle of friends asked her how she lived with such an excitable man and not be battered, Monica replied that there were two things necessary for domestic peace: firstly, she recalled the matrimonial contract which they agreed to; secondly, she counseled silence when the husband was in a bad mood. Augustine adds that those women who took her advice found peace and better treatment from their husbands.
Saint Monica faced a culture in which Christianity had not yet fully taken hold. We live in a culture in which Christianity is increasingly marginalized and children are pulled from the Faith. This prayer for her intercession, therefore, is particularly appropriate today.
Prayer to Saint Monica for Mothers
Exemplary Mother of the great Augustine, you perseveringly pursued your wayward son not with wild threats, but with prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our day so that they may learn to draw their children to God. Teach them how to remain close to their children, even the prodigal sons and daughters who have sadly gone astray.
Prayer of Adoration
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? For thou only art holy: for all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments are manifest. Revelation 15:4
Prayer and Meditation: Praise to You, Heavenly Father, to Jesus Christ Your Son, and to the Holy Spirit. We adore and thank you for the gift of the Blessed Mother. As I walk with the Mother of Jesus today, I honor her sorrow and her tears. As she is known to do with all her children who make such journeys, she ultimately brings me here, to the Father's throne room and to the feet of Jesus. I beg you to honor my efforts as I join with the Blessed Mother and ask that the hearts of prodigal Catholics be softened and opened to allow them to search for and discover the truth. I pray this prayer in the Jesus' name. Amen.
Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
Saint Monica, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us and for our children.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in You.
Her marriage to Patricius, a pagan Roman official, does not appear to have been a particularly happy one, but it was peaceful and stable due mainly to the patience and prudence of Monica. Patricius was often a volatile man, and though he was often unfaithful to Monica, at heart he was a good father to Augustine. With Monica, he made many personal sacrifices to educate their promising son. This cooperative effort probably brought them together. Patricius became a Christian before he died. When her circle of friends asked her how she lived with such an excitable man and not be battered, Monica replied that there were two things necessary for domestic peace: firstly, she recalled the matrimonial contract which they agreed to; secondly, she counseled silence when the husband was in a bad mood. Augustine adds that those women who took her advice found peace and better treatment from their husbands.
Saint Monica faced a culture in which Christianity had not yet fully taken hold. We live in a culture in which Christianity is increasingly marginalized and children are pulled from the Faith. This prayer for her intercession, therefore, is particularly appropriate today.
Prayer to Saint Monica for Mothers
Exemplary Mother of the great Augustine, you perseveringly pursued your wayward son not with wild threats, but with prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our day so that they may learn to draw their children to God. Teach them how to remain close to their children, even the prodigal sons and daughters who have sadly gone astray.
Prayer of Adoration
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? For thou only art holy: for all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments are manifest. Revelation 15:4
Prayer and Meditation: Praise to You, Heavenly Father, to Jesus Christ Your Son, and to the Holy Spirit. We adore and thank you for the gift of the Blessed Mother. As I walk with the Mother of Jesus today, I honor her sorrow and her tears. As she is known to do with all her children who make such journeys, she ultimately brings me here, to the Father's throne room and to the feet of Jesus. I beg you to honor my efforts as I join with the Blessed Mother and ask that the hearts of prodigal Catholics be softened and opened to allow them to search for and discover the truth. I pray this prayer in the Jesus' name. Amen.
Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
Saint Monica, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us and for our children.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in You.
August 21, 2011
The Queenship of Mary
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy
Today is the Feast Day of the Queenship of Mary. Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954, but Mary’s Queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, Mary is closely associated with Jesus: Her Queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship. In the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court. In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen” and Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the eleventh to thirteenth centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.”
The feast is celebrated on the octave day of the Feast of the Assumption. In his encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pope Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with the redemptive work of Jesus, because of her perfection and her intercessory power.
Mary was assumed into Heaven by Jesus and the angels. That means she was carried. Jesus ascended into Heaven, which is a different word. He went up to Heaven by His own power. Mary doesn't have that kind of power, so Jesus carried her. After she was assumed into Heaven, Jesus took His Mother to a throne next to His own. Since He is King and Lord of all, then as His Mother, she was to become Queen. Jesus, God our Father and the Holy Spirit placed a beautiful crown of twelve stars on her head. All the angels and saints sang wonderful songs praising her as their Queen. The Blessed Virgin Mary now shares in the glory of her Risen Son, because shares in His work of saving souls. As His Mother, she carried Him in her womb, gave Him birth, raised Him through childhood and into adulthood and stayed with Him when He was on the Cross. She is Queen to all of us. She obtains all graces for us through her prayers. As our mother and as Jesus's Mother, she will always intercede for us to her Son, and lead us closer to Him. Let us bring all our needs and prayers to her.
Today is the Feast Day of the Queenship of Mary. Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954, but Mary’s Queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, Mary is closely associated with Jesus: Her Queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship. In the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court. In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen” and Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the eleventh to thirteenth centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.”
The feast is celebrated on the octave day of the Feast of the Assumption. In his encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pope Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with the redemptive work of Jesus, because of her perfection and her intercessory power.
Mary was assumed into Heaven by Jesus and the angels. That means she was carried. Jesus ascended into Heaven, which is a different word. He went up to Heaven by His own power. Mary doesn't have that kind of power, so Jesus carried her. After she was assumed into Heaven, Jesus took His Mother to a throne next to His own. Since He is King and Lord of all, then as His Mother, she was to become Queen. Jesus, God our Father and the Holy Spirit placed a beautiful crown of twelve stars on her head. All the angels and saints sang wonderful songs praising her as their Queen. The Blessed Virgin Mary now shares in the glory of her Risen Son, because shares in His work of saving souls. As His Mother, she carried Him in her womb, gave Him birth, raised Him through childhood and into adulthood and stayed with Him when He was on the Cross. She is Queen to all of us. She obtains all graces for us through her prayers. As our mother and as Jesus's Mother, she will always intercede for us to her Son, and lead us closer to Him. Let us bring all our needs and prayers to her.
August 19, 2011
Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary
"O Jesus, I offer you all the boundless love of your heart, of the adorable heart of your Divine Father, the lovable heart of your Holy Mother, and of all the hearts that love you in heaven and on earth. I ardently desire that all creatures of the universe be transformed into flaming fires of love towards you."
Saint John Eudes
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Saint John Eudes
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
August 15, 2011
The Assumption of Mary
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Revelation 12:1
Today is the Feast of the Assumption of Our Blessed Mother Mary. This day has always been loved by the children of Mary who try to live each day in the School of Mary. It is a sign to us that someday, through God's grace and our efforts, we too may join the Blessed Mother in giving glory to God. The Assumption is a source of great hope for us because it points the way for all followers of Christ who imitate her fidelity and obedience to God's Holy Will. Where she now is, we are meant eventually to be, and may hope to be through Divine grace. Mary was taken to heaven, body and soul, after her life on earth was ended because of her Immaculate nature, uniquely protected by God's grace from personal sin. May we seek to imitate her self-sacrificing love, her indestructible faith and her perfect obedience. Mary chose, with the God’s grace, to preserve her God-given purity throughout the whole of her life. It is fitting that she who knew no sin should know no decay and no delay in enjoying the full fruits of her Son’s work. It is fitting that she who stood by Christ under the Cross should stand by him bodily at the right hand of the Father.
The Queen stands at your right hand, in gold of Ophir.
Psalm 45
Blessed is she who trusted that the Lord's words to her would be fulfilled. May we see heaven as our final goal and come to share her glory. Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, pray for us and all those for whom we pray.
August 13, 2011
Ave Maris Stella
Promises to those who sing the Ave Maris Stella
During a riot at Rome, a mob came to the house where Saint Bridget lived; a leader talked of burning Bridget alive. She prayed to Our Blessed Lord to know if she should flee to safety and He assured her to stay, saying: "It doesn't matter if they plot thy death. My power will break the malice of thy enemies: If mine crucified me, it is because I permitted it."
Ave Maris Stella (Latin, "Hail Star of the Sea") is a plainsong Vespers hymn to Mary. It is of uncertain origin and can be dated back at least as far as the eighth century. It was especially popular in the Middle Ages and has been used by many composers as the basis of other compositions. The creation of the original hymn has been attributed to several people, including Saint Venantius Fortunatus and Hermannus Contractus. The melody is found in the Irish plainsong "Gabhaim Molta Bríde", a piece in praise of Saint Bridget. The popular modern hymn Hail Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star, is loosely based on this plainsong original. It finds particular prominence in the "Way of Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary" by Saint Louis de Montfort.
O Holy Spirit, plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance. O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary.
Saint Louis de Montfort
During a riot at Rome, a mob came to the house where Saint Bridget lived; a leader talked of burning Bridget alive. She prayed to Our Blessed Lord to know if she should flee to safety and He assured her to stay, saying: "It doesn't matter if they plot thy death. My power will break the malice of thy enemies: If mine crucified me, it is because I permitted it."
Ave Maris Stella (Latin, "Hail Star of the Sea") is a plainsong Vespers hymn to Mary. It is of uncertain origin and can be dated back at least as far as the eighth century. It was especially popular in the Middle Ages and has been used by many composers as the basis of other compositions. The creation of the original hymn has been attributed to several people, including Saint Venantius Fortunatus and Hermannus Contractus. The melody is found in the Irish plainsong "Gabhaim Molta Bríde", a piece in praise of Saint Bridget. The popular modern hymn Hail Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star, is loosely based on this plainsong original. It finds particular prominence in the "Way of Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary" by Saint Louis de Montfort.
O Holy Spirit, plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance. O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary.
Saint Louis de Montfort
August 11, 2011
Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop
The feast day of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop was celebrated on August 8th. Mary MacKillop co-founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1867, and gained a reputation as the first Australian nun to leave the cities to administer to the the nation's isolated, rural poor. The order grew to include 300 nuns in Australia and New Zealand by 1891 and now has about 1,200 members. MacKillop died in 1909 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995. The church credits her with miraculously helping to cure a woman named Kathleen Evans of cancer. Pope Benedict XVI recognized the cure as a miracle in December 2009 and announced two months later that MacKillop would be canonized. He praised her "courageous and saintly example of zeal, perseverance and prayer" in canonizing her as Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
Saint Mary MacKillop Prayer
Ever generous God,
You inspired Saint Mary MacKillop
To live her life faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and constant in bringing hope and encouragement
to those who were disheartened, lonely or needy.
With confidence in your generous providence
and through the intercession of Saint Mary MacKillop
We ask that you grant our request……………….
We ask that our faith and hope be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit
so that we too, like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage, trust and openness.
Ever generous God hear our prayer.
We ask this through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us and all the names we receive through this baby ministry.
Saint Mary MacKillop Prayer
Ever generous God,
You inspired Saint Mary MacKillop
To live her life faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and constant in bringing hope and encouragement
to those who were disheartened, lonely or needy.
With confidence in your generous providence
and through the intercession of Saint Mary MacKillop
We ask that you grant our request……………….
We ask that our faith and hope be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit
so that we too, like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage, trust and openness.
Ever generous God hear our prayer.
We ask this through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us and all the names we receive through this baby ministry.
Saint Clare of Assisi
The Contemplative Life
Today is the Feast Day of Saint Clare. When Clare heard Saint Francis of Assisi preach his Lenten homilies at the Church of San Giorgo, she felt a fire stir within her soul and became determined to live the Gospel in a radical way. On the evening of Palm Sunday, at the age of 18, she secretly left her home with her cousin Pacifica, never to return. In the middle of the night, Clare met Francis and his friars at the Portiuncola, the little chapel of ‘Mary of the Angels’. Francis cut her long blond hair and Clare laid aside her fine clothes, clothing herself in a simple dress of sackcloth and a thick veil. She vowed from that moment on to give herself totally to God, her eternal spouse.
Clare was placed by Francis temporarily with the Benedictine nuns until Francis built with his own hands a cloister for her and her community, the Order of Poor Ladies, later known as the Poor Clares. The Poor Ladies lived apart from the world and supported Francis and his followers through their hidden life of prayer and sacrifice.
Lover of the Eucharist
Clare loved to come before the Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament. She looked to the Lord in the Eucharist as her dearest Love. She received Jesus in Holy Communion as often as she was permitted. One day after she had received Holy Communion, the Child Jesus came to visit her. He lay in her arms and covered her with kisses.
In speaking of Eucharistic Adoration, Saint Clare said,
"Gaze upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him."
And, imitate Him she did. Due to her great zeal and deep devotion for the Holy Eucharist, Clare came to resemble that which she consumed and gazed upon so frequently during her life. Blessed John Paul II said of Saint Clare: "her whole life was a Eucharist because from her cloister she raised up a continual thanksgiving to God in her prayer, praise, supplication, intercession, weeping, offering and sacrifice. She accepted everything from the Father in union with His only begotten Son."
“Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! And transform your entire being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation." Saint Clare
Today is the Feast Day of Saint Clare. When Clare heard Saint Francis of Assisi preach his Lenten homilies at the Church of San Giorgo, she felt a fire stir within her soul and became determined to live the Gospel in a radical way. On the evening of Palm Sunday, at the age of 18, she secretly left her home with her cousin Pacifica, never to return. In the middle of the night, Clare met Francis and his friars at the Portiuncola, the little chapel of ‘Mary of the Angels’. Francis cut her long blond hair and Clare laid aside her fine clothes, clothing herself in a simple dress of sackcloth and a thick veil. She vowed from that moment on to give herself totally to God, her eternal spouse.
Clare was placed by Francis temporarily with the Benedictine nuns until Francis built with his own hands a cloister for her and her community, the Order of Poor Ladies, later known as the Poor Clares. The Poor Ladies lived apart from the world and supported Francis and his followers through their hidden life of prayer and sacrifice.
Lover of the Eucharist
Clare loved to come before the Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament. She looked to the Lord in the Eucharist as her dearest Love. She received Jesus in Holy Communion as often as she was permitted. One day after she had received Holy Communion, the Child Jesus came to visit her. He lay in her arms and covered her with kisses.
In speaking of Eucharistic Adoration, Saint Clare said,
"Gaze upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him."
And, imitate Him she did. Due to her great zeal and deep devotion for the Holy Eucharist, Clare came to resemble that which she consumed and gazed upon so frequently during her life. Blessed John Paul II said of Saint Clare: "her whole life was a Eucharist because from her cloister she raised up a continual thanksgiving to God in her prayer, praise, supplication, intercession, weeping, offering and sacrifice. She accepted everything from the Father in union with His only begotten Son."
“Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! And transform your entire being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation." Saint Clare
August 08, 2011
Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic certainly led an eventful life. He unsuccessfully tried to convert non-believers to Catholicism, experienced apparitions of Blessed Mother Mary, was directly linked to the Middle Ages Inquisition by the Catholic Church, the Saint Dominic rosary provided the structure of the modern day Holy Rosary, and he founded the Order of Dominicans. Today is his Feast Day.
Dominic was born of Spanish parents in Spain and spent his early years there. In neighboring southern France in those same years was a religious sect called Cathars. This sect had some elements of the Catholic faith, but held a fundamental belief which Catholicism considered heresy. Cathars believed there was an evil god that created the material world and a good god that created the spiritual world. .
Cathars' main heresy was their belief in dualism: the evil God created the materialistic world and the good God created the spiritual world. The Pope dispatched missionaries to southern France, including Saint Dominic, to convert the Cathars, accept Catholic teaching and cease belief in separate gods.
Saint Dominic was especially devoted to what is now considered the predecessor of the modern rosary. This was simply a tallying mechanism to count the number of prayers recited which in early times was called paternoster, which translates roughly from Latin as father (pater) and ours (noster). Often the person reciting a penance would recite 150 Our Fathers and use the paternoster to keep an accurate count. In the year 1214, Saint Dominic was in anguish because his attempt to convert the Cathars was basically a failure because he converted so very few. Saint Dominic attributed this to the deepness and gravity of sinfulness of the people. He went alone in to the forest and wept and prayed continuously for three days to appease the anger of Almighty God. After three days of this, he passed in to a coma.
Dominic experienced an apparition of Blessed Mother Mary while in the coma, which forever links Saint Dominic and the rosary. Mary appeared and asked St. Dominic : "Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?" Dominic's response was Blessed Mary knew better than he because she is a part of our salvation.
Mary continued : "I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Psalter which is the foundation stone of the New Testament. Therefore if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter" which is the rosary.
Shortly after this apparition he preached the Holy Rosary to the unconverted Carthars. To modify the paternoster (150 Our Fathers) and in compliance with the instruction in the apparition, the design of the Saint Dominic rosary came in to being. He set apart 15 mysteries of the rosary, grouped them in to 3 sets of 5 decades each.
From the Encyclical of Pope Benedict XV on Saint Domonic, FAUSTO APPETENTE DIE "Saint Dominic had a most zealous piety towards the Mother of God by Divine revelation of the victory of Lepanto achieved at that very moment when through the Catholic world the pious sodalities of the Holy Rosary implored the aid of Mary in that formula initiated by the Founder of the Friar Preachers and diffused far and wide by his followers. Loving the Blessed Virgin as a Mother, confiding chiefly in her patronage, Dominic started his battle for the Faith."
Mother of Grace, Mother of Mercy, help us turn to you by praying the Rosary.
Our Lady of the Rosary, Saint Dominic, pray for us.
Dominic was born of Spanish parents in Spain and spent his early years there. In neighboring southern France in those same years was a religious sect called Cathars. This sect had some elements of the Catholic faith, but held a fundamental belief which Catholicism considered heresy. Cathars believed there was an evil god that created the material world and a good god that created the spiritual world. .
Cathars' main heresy was their belief in dualism: the evil God created the materialistic world and the good God created the spiritual world. The Pope dispatched missionaries to southern France, including Saint Dominic, to convert the Cathars, accept Catholic teaching and cease belief in separate gods.
Saint Dominic was especially devoted to what is now considered the predecessor of the modern rosary. This was simply a tallying mechanism to count the number of prayers recited which in early times was called paternoster, which translates roughly from Latin as father (pater) and ours (noster). Often the person reciting a penance would recite 150 Our Fathers and use the paternoster to keep an accurate count. In the year 1214, Saint Dominic was in anguish because his attempt to convert the Cathars was basically a failure because he converted so very few. Saint Dominic attributed this to the deepness and gravity of sinfulness of the people. He went alone in to the forest and wept and prayed continuously for three days to appease the anger of Almighty God. After three days of this, he passed in to a coma.
Dominic experienced an apparition of Blessed Mother Mary while in the coma, which forever links Saint Dominic and the rosary. Mary appeared and asked St. Dominic : "Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?" Dominic's response was Blessed Mary knew better than he because she is a part of our salvation.
Mary continued : "I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Psalter which is the foundation stone of the New Testament. Therefore if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter" which is the rosary.
Shortly after this apparition he preached the Holy Rosary to the unconverted Carthars. To modify the paternoster (150 Our Fathers) and in compliance with the instruction in the apparition, the design of the Saint Dominic rosary came in to being. He set apart 15 mysteries of the rosary, grouped them in to 3 sets of 5 decades each.
From the Encyclical of Pope Benedict XV on Saint Domonic, FAUSTO APPETENTE DIE "Saint Dominic had a most zealous piety towards the Mother of God by Divine revelation of the victory of Lepanto achieved at that very moment when through the Catholic world the pious sodalities of the Holy Rosary implored the aid of Mary in that formula initiated by the Founder of the Friar Preachers and diffused far and wide by his followers. Loving the Blessed Virgin as a Mother, confiding chiefly in her patronage, Dominic started his battle for the Faith."
Mother of Grace, Mother of Mercy, help us turn to you by praying the Rosary.
Our Lady of the Rosary, Saint Dominic, pray for us.
August 05, 2011
Our Lady of the Snows
The most important church in the city of Rome dedicated to Our Lady is the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, erected around the year 352, during the reign of Pope Liberius. (352-366). Today is the Feast Day of the Dedication of Saint Mary Major. According to legend, a member of an aristocratic family, John and his wife were childless and prayed that the Blessed Mother might designate an heir to bequeath their wealth. They were favored with a dream in which Our Lady appeared to them on the night of August 4-5. She requested that they build a church in her honor on the Esquiline hill and the sign to accompany this dream is that the exact location would be marked out in snow.
During that hot summer evening, a miraculous snowfall traced the form of the basilica on the hill. Our Lady also appeared to Pope Liberius in a dream that same night so that he too could arrive at the location to see the miraculous snowfall. Many people gathered to see the unusual event of snow glistening in the August sun. Upon awakening, John and his wife rushed to the site and Pope Liberius arrived in solemn procession.
Realizing that the snow marked the exact location of the church, the people staked off the area before the snow melted. The basilica was completed within two years and consecrated by Pope Liberius; that is why it is sometimes referred to as the Basilica Liberiana, after the Pope who consecrated it.
When the Council of Ephesus defined Mary as Theotokos, the God-bearer, in 431 A.D., Pope Sixtus III (432-440) rebuilt and embellished the basilica. From the seventh century onward, it was referred to as Saint Mary the Great or Major. The Basilica has also been called Our Lady of the Snows in commemoration of the miraculous snowfall. The imposing facade was built by Pope Eugene III (1145-1153).
Among its great treasures is a painting of the Madonna and Child known as the Salus Populi Romani, the Protectress of the People of Rome, which is attributed to St. Luke. This image had been brought back from the Holy Land by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, who also located the true cross and other relics of the Passion in Jerusalem. The venerable picture hung in the private chapel of Pope Liberius, and he ordered that it be brought to the Basilica for public veneration by the faithful. Throughout the centuries, there has been a special devotion to this famous picture of Our Lady.
Our Lady of the Snows, pray for us and all those for whom we pray through this ministry.
During that hot summer evening, a miraculous snowfall traced the form of the basilica on the hill. Our Lady also appeared to Pope Liberius in a dream that same night so that he too could arrive at the location to see the miraculous snowfall. Many people gathered to see the unusual event of snow glistening in the August sun. Upon awakening, John and his wife rushed to the site and Pope Liberius arrived in solemn procession.
Realizing that the snow marked the exact location of the church, the people staked off the area before the snow melted. The basilica was completed within two years and consecrated by Pope Liberius; that is why it is sometimes referred to as the Basilica Liberiana, after the Pope who consecrated it.
When the Council of Ephesus defined Mary as Theotokos, the God-bearer, in 431 A.D., Pope Sixtus III (432-440) rebuilt and embellished the basilica. From the seventh century onward, it was referred to as Saint Mary the Great or Major. The Basilica has also been called Our Lady of the Snows in commemoration of the miraculous snowfall. The imposing facade was built by Pope Eugene III (1145-1153).
Among its great treasures is a painting of the Madonna and Child known as the Salus Populi Romani, the Protectress of the People of Rome, which is attributed to St. Luke. This image had been brought back from the Holy Land by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, who also located the true cross and other relics of the Passion in Jerusalem. The venerable picture hung in the private chapel of Pope Liberius, and he ordered that it be brought to the Basilica for public veneration by the faithful. Throughout the centuries, there has been a special devotion to this famous picture of Our Lady.
Our Lady of the Snows, pray for us and all those for whom we pray through this ministry.
August 04, 2011
Saint John Vianney
Today is the Feast Day of Saint John Vianney, patron of parish priests. He was known as the "Cure of Ars." Saint John Mary Vianney was ordained a priest in 1815. Three years later he was made parish priest of Ars, a remote French hamlet, where his reputation as a confessor and director of souls made him known throughout the Christian world.
He studied for the priesthood at the age of twenty, but was drafted into the army while he was studying. He left the army and went to the Lyons seminary in France in 1813. Primarily because of his notable holiness he was ordained a priest, but he lacked in his knowledge of religious studies. He was assigned to a church at Ecully. In 1818, he became the pastor of the Catholic Church in Ars, France.
At his parish in Ars he used the Confessional as a primary means of converting souls, spending 16 to 18 hours a day, hearing confessions and absolving sinners all year around including in the very, hot summers without air conditioning and in the cold winters with insufficient heat. He fasted constantly, eating small morsels of rotten potatoes for his sustenance. Ten of thousands of souls were converted to Christ through his heroic efforts. Because he was converting so many souls, the demons were constantly attacking him, and on one occasion they set his bed on fire. He received spiritual gifts from God, including the discernment of souls and visions. This great mystic had the gift of tremendous patience. He was called a wonderworker who was loved by the crowds, but he retained a childlike simplicity, He remains to this day the living image of the priest after the heart of Christ.
Saint John Vianney had a great devotion to Saint Philomena. He regarded her as his guardian and erected a chapel and shrine in honor of the saint. During May 1843, he fell so ill he thought that his life was coming to its end. He asked Saint Philomena to cure him and promised to say 100 Masses at her shrine. Twelve days later, he was cured and he attributed his cure to her. He promoted devotion to Saint Philomena, a saint who was martyred for Jesus at the age of thirteen by the Roman government. His life was filled with works of charity and love. It is recorded that even the staunchest of sinners were converted at his mere word. He died August 4, 1859, and was canonized May 31, 1925.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER: Let us ask Saint John Vianney to give us the grace to go to confession often during our life on this earth so that our love for Jesus will be very pure.
"My little children, your hearts, are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven and something of paradise comes down upon us. Prayer never leaves us without sweetness. It is honey that flows into the souls and makes all things sweet. When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun." Saint John Vianney
"We should consider those moments spent before the Blessed Sacrament as the happiest of our lives." Saint John Vianney
August 02, 2011
The Feast of Portiuncula
August 2nd is the feast of Portiuncula. Saint Francis repaired three chapels. The third was popularly called the Portiuncula or the Little Portion, dedicated to Saint Mary of the Angels. It is now enclosed in a sanctuary at Assisi. The friars came to live at the Little Portion in early 1211. It became the “motherhouse” of the Franciscans. This is where Saint Clare came to the friars to make her vows during the night following Palm Sunday in 1212 and where death came to Francis in 1226.
The shrine is described as a replica of the little church, the "Portiuncula" or "little corner of the world" in Assisi where Saint Francis began to understand his vocation to follow the Gospel and give up all worldly goods, pray for and advocate peace, as well as take care of the poor and sick.
Because of the favors from God obtained at the Portiuncula, Saint Francis requested the Pope to grant remission of sins to all who came there. The privilege extends beyond the Portiuncula to others churches, especially held by Franciscans, throughout the world.
A plenary indulgence is a mighty tool for works of mercy and weapon in our ongoing spiritual warfare. A plenary indulgence is the remission, through the merits of Christ and the saints, through the Church, of all temporal punishment due to sin already forgiven.
To obtain the Portiuncula plenary indulgence, a person must visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels at Assisi, or a Franciscan sanctuary, or one’s parish church, with the intention of honoring Our Lady of the Angels. Then perform the work of reciting the Creed and Our Father and pray for the Pope’s designated intentions. You should be free, at least intentionally, of attachment to venial and mortal sin, and truly repentant. Make your sacramental confession 8 days before or after. Participate at assist at Mass and receive Holy Communion 8 days before or after.
"The Portiuncula indulgence, given until the end of time, is the first plenary indulgence that was ever granted in the Church. There were indeed indulgences at all times, but they were only partial, and only a partial remission of the temporal punishments could be obtained by them. He who gains the Portiuncula indulgence is freed from all temporal punishments and becomes as pure as after Holy Baptism. This was also the reason why Pope Honorius was astonished when Saint Francis petitioned for the confirmation of this indulgence. Such an indulgence, up to that time, had been entirely unknown. It was only after he had come to the conviction that Jesus Christ himself wished it, that he granted the petition of the saint and confirmed the indulgence."
A plenary indulgence is available to anyone who will:
1. Receive sacramental confession (8 days before of after)
2. Receive the Holy Eucharist at Holy Mass on August 2nd
3. Enter a parish church and, with a contrite heart, pray the Our Father, the Apostles Creed and a prayer of his/her own choosing for the intentions of the Pope.
Saint Bonaventure reported that, "because of his reverence for the angels, and of his great love of the Mother of Christ, Saint Francis dedicated the Portiuncula to her." Saint Francis intended to honor Mary by rebuilding the little chapel. The Portiuncula remains an inspiration to everyone because it was a source of Saint Francis' adoration of God. It keeps his message of peace and love alive through the turmoil of today's world. In 1216, Jesus is said to have appeared to Saint Francis in a vision and granted Saint Francis' request that all who entered the Portiuncula be pardoned. The Portiuncula is one of the rare Holy Places in the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
