Reflection: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."

Prayer to Our Blessed Mother Mary for assistance in the Spiritual Battle  
From a book of prayers titled, "The Lion Roars, Prayers for the Remnant" by Dave VanVickle

"O Mary, conceived without sin! O Woman clothed with the Sun! Come now and intercede for us in this battle against evil. You who are despised and feared by the father of lies, help us powerfully. You whose beauty is so bright, so pure that devils tremble in fear, help us powerfully. You who strike at the head of the old serpent, the devil, help us powerfully. O Mary whose name is so sweet, come and cover us with your protective mantle and protect us in this battle with evil. O humble Woman, vanquish the evil one. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."

For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.  Ephesians 6:12  

How can you protect yourself and your loved ones from evil?

Daily Mass, Eucharist, Frequent Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, Prayer, Fasting, Pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy Daily, The Lord's Prayer, The Hail Mary, The Memorare, Prayer to St. Michael, the Archangel, Guardian Angel Prayer, House Blessing, Crucifix, Holy Water, Blessed Salt, Scapular, Miraculous Medal

I will put enmities between you (satan) and the woman, and your seed and her seed; she shall crush your head, and you shall lie in wait for her heel.  Genesis 3:15

O Mary, conceived without sin, our most powerful intercessor, bless and protect our families from evil and pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Reflection: The Conversion of St. Paul

The story of Saint Paul is the story of God's love being poured into his heart. Saul persecuted the Church without mercy. When Jesus came to Saul, from the sky, a light flashed around him. Jesus said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Saul asked who was speaking and the voice said, "I am Jesus, the Nazorean, whom you are persecuting." Saul knew that Jesus had died yet Jesus was speaking to him. Saul was persecuting His followers.

Acts 22:7-8  I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’  I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’

In an instant, Saul was forever changed. Immediately, upon hearing the voice, Saul could not see because He was blinded by the light. His friends led him and he could not see for three days. Then the Lord sent Ananias to lay hands on Saul. He regained his sight and was baptized. The Lord gave Saul three days of blindness as He worked on Saul's heart. Saul was transformed into Saint Paul because Jesus showered him with His love and mercy. Saul was the chosen instrument of Jesus.

When you have an encounter with Jesus, you are always changed. Turn to Jesus and He will restore your soul through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and strengthen you with the Eucharist. Jesus will show you the way. He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. He shines light and scatters the darkness. He gives us the Bread of Life, the Eucharist, to strengthen, heal and nourish us.

You are God's chosen instrument, just as Saint Paul. In the darkness of the world today, you will be called to stand up and speak the truth, to be God's witness. 

Jesus will entrust souls to you, souls He wants you to pray for. Offer prayers, fast and make sacrifices for the person you are praying for. Never give up praying for the conversion of a soul. Jesus has entrusted that soul to you and He hears your prayers.

Reflection: Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

Today is a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. We remember the tens of millions of little ones lost to abortion since 1973, the tragic 46th anniversary of Roe v Wade in the United States. We pray for all souls wounded  by abortion.

Let us pray one Our Father, three Hail Marys and one Glory Be for an end to abortion.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, intercede for the protection of life in the womb as you did when you appeared to Juan Diego. Merciful Jesus, we ask you to open hearts and minds to the sanctity of all LIFE. We pray through the intercession of Saint John Paul II and through his prayers and beautiful writings, Theology of the Body.

Unborn children are entitled to the unalienable Right to Life endowed by God.

From the Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776
We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

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. Deuteronomy 30:19-20

What can you do to promote a culture of life? 
Pray, Fast, Penance, Witness
Pray for all those wounded by abortion and for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life for the unborn. Fast and offer Penance for the sins against the dignity of life through abortion and Witness to the truth and sanctity of life.

Your Hands made me and fashioned me. Psalm 119:73 

As we pray for the unborn, we ask Jesus for a conversion of hearts so that every person will come to know the dignity and sacredness of all life.

Kiss of Mercy Prayer  To be recited while kissing an image of Jesus
Jesus I trust in You.  May my kiss and Your grace, convert, heal and reconcile to the Father one soul wounded by abortion. Amen,  Recite one Hail Mary.

Kiss of Mercy Prayer Apostolate for Healing from Abortion

Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us!

We celebrate today the Feast Day of Saint Agnes of Rome. She was a martyr and is the patron saint of girls, virgins, engaged couples, victims of rape and for the virtue of chastity. Agnes consecrated her life and virginity to Jesus and promised Him that He would be her spouse.

When she rejected suitors, she was punished for being a Christian. She was placed in a brothel. Miraculously, she left unharmed. One man attempted to violate her and he was struck blind. She prayed for him and he was healed. During the persecutions of Christians, which were ordered by Diocletian, Agnes was beheaded at the age of thirteen.

The name Agnes means lamb. Amidst great sufferings and persecutions, she had courage and remained steadfast in her love and promise she made to Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi,
Lamb of God, who take away sins of world,
dona nobis pacem. grant us peace.

We are witnessing persecution and martyrdom of Christians throughout the world today. Saint Agnes is our powerful intercessor. We can ask her to help us have courage and to witness to Jesus. He dispels the darkness and shines His beautiful light.

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace in our hearts, in our families, in our country and in the world.

O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You. Jesus I trust in You.  From the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us!

Reflection: "Do whatever He tells you."

At the wedding feast of Cana, Mary noticed the wine ran out. She went to Jesus and told Him they have no wine. She knows her Son. Then she said to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you." John 2:5 

Jesus revealed Himself with His first miracle by changing water into the finest wine. Mary completely trusted Jesus. When we turn to Mary, she will always lead us to her Beloved Son.

Mary is our powerful intercessor. Before Jesus performed the miracle at the wedding feast at Cana, Mary intervened. She interceded on behalf of the hosts of the wedding. Go to Mary and do whatever He tells you.

Make time to talk to Mary. Meditate on the Mysteries of the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross through the eyes of Mary. Ask her to help you trust in Him as she did.

The fruit of the 5th Glorious Mystery of the Rosary, the Coronation, is "Trust in Mary's intercession."

Do you trust in Mary's intercession?

On the Cross, Jesus gave Mary to the beloved disciple John and Jesus gave Mary to us. She is our Mother. Do you turn to her often? Do you talk to her as a beloved child? Devotion to Mary will teach you how to trust in her intercession.

How can you have devotion to Mary?

Pray the Hail Mary, the Memorare, the Angelus and the Rosary daily and make a Consecration of your life to Jesus through Mary.

His Mother said to the servers, "Do whatever He tells you." John 2:5

How do you know what Jesus is telling you to do? 

You have to be quiet. Silence opens your heart and mind so you can hear Him. When you spend time in silence, listen. Jesus will speak to you in the silence.

Pray after Mass in silence. After you have received Jesus in the Eucharist, He is with you in a most intimate way. Sit with Him, listen and let Him love you. Bring your Bible and a journal. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will place a Scripture in your thoughts or you may want to write in your journal.

When you make time to talk to Mary and listen to Jesus, you will come to know what He is telling you to do and you will see miracles in your life and the lives of those you pray for.

O Mary, Mother of our Savior, help us to listen and ponder all things in our hearts that we will do whatever He tells us, as you did.

Reflection: The March for Life

We are made in the image and likeness of God.

We pray for the March for Life in Washington, D.C. today, especially all the pro-life young people. May their powerful witness open hearts and minds that the Culture of Life will be restored to our country. Let us pray for a conversion of all who favor, promote, seek and perform abortions. 

Let us pray for all souls wounded by abortion. 
Kiss of Mercy Prayer Apostolate for Healing from Abortion

Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground." God created man in His image; in the Divine image, He created him; male and female, He created them. God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth."  Genesis 1:26-28

We are made in the image and likeness of God. What does that mean?  God created us like Him. He loves us and wants us to be with Him eternally. We were created with a body and a soul. God infused every life with a soul. God is the Giver and Author of all life. Every life has meaning. We were created to love and serve God, to pray and speak with Him and with one another.

Psalm 139 reveals the wonder of God who fashioned life of the human in the womb. The Hebrew word used to express God's forming of us in the womb, raqam, is the same term for needlework or embroidery. In other words, we are a tapestry and God is the artist who knows His creation down to the last detail. We are fashioned by God and known intimately by Him.  

"You formed my inmost being; You knit me in my mother's womb."  Psalm 139:13

Reflection: The Baptism of the Lord..."You are My Beloved Son; with You I am well pleased."

Today is the Feast Day of the Baptism of Our Lord. In the life of Christ, His Baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist marks the beginning of His public life. A dove descended upon Him representing the power of God and the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist knew his mission to proclaim the coming of the Lord had ended:

"So this joy of mine has been made complete; He must increase, I must decrease." John 3:29-30

Let us make it our mission to humbly bring others to the Lord as John the Baptist did: Jesus must increase; we must decrease.

The Baptism of Jesus occurred when He was thirty years old and marked the beginning of His three year public ministry of teaching, healing, delivering and performing miracles.

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went along doing good and healing all who were in the power of the devil, for God was with Him."  Acts 10:38

An anointing means an intimate union or covenant between God and one of His servants. God the Father speaks at this moment, to make clear who this Person is, His Divine Son, begotten from all eternity.

Through His Baptism, Jesus, the Lamb of God, who was without sin, took on Himself the sins of the world. He descended into the purifying waters and made the water holy to make us children of God and to take away our sins. His Baptism was to redeem us. Jesus went out to be baptized by John the Baptist, not for repentance, but to show us way to approach the Heavenly Father. The mystery of His Baptism is mercy.

"This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth." 1 John 5:6

After Jesus was baptized, He came up from the water and the heavens were opened for Him. He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "You are My Beloved Son; with You, I am well pleased." Luke 3:22

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism seals the Christian with an indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. CCC 1272  Baptism indeed is the seal of eternal life. CCC 1274

In the Baptism of Jesus, we see the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity. May the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with Our Blessed Mother Mary, heal and protect all those we pray for through this prayer ministry.

Reflection: "They all ate and were satisfied. "

In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus performed the miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes. He took five loaves and two fishes, said the blessing, broke the loaves, divided the fishes and gave them to His disciples to give to the crowd of five thousand men.  "They all ate were satisfied." Mark 6:42

Recall a time you ate a delicious meal and your stomach was full and you were satisfied.

Every time you go to Mass, Jesus performs a miracle on the altar through the words of the priest who changes the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. When you receive the Eucharist, Jesus nourishes you with His Body and Blood and you are satisfied. Jesus promised:  "And behold, I am with you always, even until the end of the age." Matthew 28:20

Mary is the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of the Eucharist. Make some time today to sit in her presence. Share your joys and sorrows with her and ask her to help you

Jesus is always with Mary, His Mother.

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.

Receive the Eucharist often, daily, if possible. Jesus will fill you up and nourish your soul. You will eat and be satisfied!

Jesus in the Sacred Host, comes to each of us as He did to Saint John, the Beloved Disciple, from the Cross on Calvary, "Behold thy Mother." John 19:27