The Anima Christi

Say this prayer for the sick, suffering, and dying that God's mercy may intervene and save them. This prayer is from the 14th Century and commonly said after receiving Holy Communion. This prayer is one that has an indulgence attached.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ's side, 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 I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels Forever and ever
Amen

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

Memorial (1969 Calendar): August 29
Greater Double (1955 Calendar): August 29

Today, we recall the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, who baptized Christ and prepared His way by baptizing people in repentance. Specifically, today, we recall his death. Devotion to St. John the Baptist has been widespread for centuries.

According to Pius Parsch's The Church's Year of Grace, this day commemorates "the second finding of his most venerable head." As he writes: "In the year 362, pagans desecrated the grave and burned his remains. Only a small portion of his relics were able to be saved by monks and sent to St. Athanasius at Alexandria. The head of the saint is venerated at various places."

One interesting point is that in some of the Eastern Catholic Rites (e.g., the Melkite Catholic Church) the feast of the Beheading of St John the Baptist is a day of fast and strict abstinence where neither wine nor oil are allowed.

The Gospel Account of his martyrdom:

At the time Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, "This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him." Now Herod had arrested John, bound (him), and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.

His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus. (Matthew 14:3-12)

Say a prayer for St. John the Baptist's intercession that he might lead us closer to Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and Master. And like St. John, may we be willing to stand true to the Faith and morality even if it means our own martyrdom.

Dom Gueranger in "The Liturgical Year" on today's feast and what may have happened to Herod and the dancing girl in the years following:

The sacred cycle itself seems to convey to us too a similar lesson; for, during the following days, we shall see its teaching as it were tempered down, by the fewness of the feasts, and the disappearance of great solemnities until November. The school of the holy liturgy aims at adapting the soul, more surely and more fully than could any other school, to the interior teaching of the Spouse. Like John, the Church would be glad to let God alone speak always, if that were possible here below; at least, towards the end of the way, she loves to moderate her voice, and sometimes even to keep silence, in order to give her children an opportunity of showing that they know how to listen inwardly to Him, who is both her and their sole love. Let those who interpret her thought, first understand it well. The friend of the Bridegroom, who, until the nuptial-day, walked before Him, now stands and listens; and the voice of the Bridegroom, which silences his own, fills him with immense joy: ‘This my joy therefore is fulfilled,' said the precursor.

Thus the feast of the Decollation of St. John may he considered as one of the landmarks of the liturgical year. With the Greeks it is a holiday of obligation. Its great antiquity in the Latin Church is evidenced by the mention made of it in the martyrology called St. Jerome’s, and by the place it occupies in the Gelasian and Gregorian sacramentaries. The precursor’s blessed death took place about the feast of the Pasch; but, that it might be more freely celebrated, this day was chosen, whereon his sacred head was discovered at Emesa.

The vengeance of God fell heavily upon Herod Antipas. Josephus relates how he was overcome by the Arabian Aretas, whose daughter he had repudiated in order to follow his wicked passions; and the Jews attributed the defeat to the murder of St. John. He was deposed by Rome from his tetrarchate, and banished to Lyons in Gaul, where the ambitious Herodias shared his disgrace. As to her dancing daughter Salome, there is a tradition gathered from ancient authors,[5]that, having gone out one winter day to dance upon a frozen river, she fell through into the water; the ice, immediately closing round her neck, cut off her head, which bounded upon the surface, thus continuing for some moments the dance of death.

Litany of John the Baptist for private use

Lord, have mercy on us. 

Christ, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. 

Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

Queen of Prophets, pray for us.
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.

Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, precursor of Christ, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious forerunner of the Sun of Justice, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, minister of baptism to Jesus, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, burning and shining lamp of the world, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, angel of purity before thy birth, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, special friend and favorite of Christ, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, heavenly contemplative, whose element was prayer, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, intrepid preacher of truth, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, voice crying in the wilderness, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, miracle of mortification and penance, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, example of profound humility, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, glorious martyr of zeal for God's holy law, pray for us.
St. John the Baptist, gloriously fulfilling thy mission, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

V. Pray for us, O glorious St. John the Baptist,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Collect:

May the holy festival of Thy Forerunner and Martyr, St. John the Baptist, we beseech Thee, O Lord, afford us help unto salvation: Who livest and reignest.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Gospel: Who do you say that I am, Peter?

We heard those clear words in last Sunday's Gospel and then we see Peter, the first-pope-to-be, answering correctly: "We have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God." This is the first proclamation of true faith in the Gospel; someone saw Jesus as more than a man but God.

But, in today's Gospel the story changes slightly with two very important messages:

Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to Peter,"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

Then Jesus said to his disciples,"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct."

This probably seems like a colossal misinterpretation of what Peter said. He only wanted the best for Our Lord, right? But then we see the truth in Peter's words. Remember that Jesus Christ was born for one purpose: to die. He was born to die on our Cross and shed His blood for our sins and go into the ground for three days and rise again. The entire purpose the Son of God (truly God Himself too) became flesh was to die for us; Peter right here thinks he is doing good but he is really tempting Christ like Satan tempted Him in the desert. The Cross was meant for us and Christ came to take it away so that all of our crosses might unite with His.

The entire point of becoming man was to save us, and all of us too, from eternal death. It didn't matter if we would go to Mass every week, pray often, or even love Him...He died for us anyway. He died for every single soul in existence no matter how cruel that said soul was, so that he/she might be able to see His face and live in paradise. Now, Heaven still requires work - we must believe and follow the Commandments including attending Sunday Mass, etc.

Jesus must be the foundation of our lives and we must love Him with all our heart, mind, and soul and love our neighbor as ourself. Every sin no matter how small is a wedge between us and God. Let us reflect on our lives and sincerely plan to go to Confession. Let us profess our belief that Jesus is God, but go further and show good works. Let us do as Peter did and say "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" and add one important extention: "I love you."

The most touching point of the homily today was when my priest asked: "So when did Peter finally figure everything out and follow Christ?" It happened right after Jesus was arrested. He was taken and beaten and interrogated and mocked while Peter sat outside. And there Peter denied Christ three times as Our Lord said would happen. And at that moment, Peter looked up and saw Christ and Christ saw Peter; their eyes met...and Peter wept for He knew the truth. The truth is that Jesus Christ died for him too.

With the Year of the Eucharist drawing to a close very soon let us just sit before the Sacred Host for one moment, gaze into it with our heart and say: "Jesus Christ, I adore you."

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Crossing: Book Review

Here is my review of Crossing: Reclaiming the Landscape of Our Lives by Mark Barrett, OSB. I originally chose this book because it was supposed to deal with the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church's specific prayers of the day, and I wanted to learn more on the Liturgy. This book, though, took the general look at the Liturgy. I was looking for more of the common prayers and advice on praying the Liturgy of the Hours.

In the book the author describes our days as full of crossroads through a garden (the garden being a metaphor of our life), and only if we rely on God and think clearly about how to improve our lives through prayer can we hope to travel through life without going in circles. Make sure you see prayer as a personal dialogue with God and an opportunity to reflect on our day so far. If you, however, do not rely on God then we are nothing and surely can not find our way through a garden because it would undoubtedly seem a wilderness.

My review: It was full of references to works that I have never heard of, and it digressed a little too much at times. 4.0/10

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Book Review: Novena

I just checked out a fabulous book called "Novena: The Power of Prayer" by Barbara Clamari and Sandra DiPasqua. It is composed of prayers in three sections: the saints, Marian novenas, and Novenas to God. Each section briefly describes the devotion/person and then lists the novena. It's a great necessity for any devout Catholic, and I would really like to buy one of these books soon.

Rating 10/10

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Conditions on Receiving the Eucharist

As we profess, the Eucharist is the Real presence of Jesus Christ: Body, Blood, soul, and divinity. Think about the wonder and joy in receiving the Word made flesh, the Light of the world.

November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of communion. These guidelines replace the guidelines approved by the Administrative Committee of the NCCB in November 1986:

For Catholics

As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, participants should not be conscious of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. In this case, the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible (canon 916). A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all.

For our fellow Christians

We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. We pray that our common baptism and the action of the Holy Spirit in this Eucharist will draw us closer to one another and begin to dispel the sad divisions which separate us. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ’s prayer for us “that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21).

Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 § 4). Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the reception of communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 § 3).

For those not receiving Holy Communion

All who are not receiving Holy Communion are encouraged to express in their hearts a prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another.

For non-Christians

We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. While we cannot admit them to Holy Communion, we ask them to offer their prayers for the peace and the unity of the human family.

For this reason, we must ensure that we are free from mortal sin when we receive:

"Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. " (1 Cor. 11:27–28).

Let us show the Lord our love and seek Him out in the Holy Eucharist in adoration and praise; let us receive Him with a forgiven heart full of love for the Light of the World. "Whoever comes to me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life." And, then let us go forth as tabernacles of the Highest and love all others.

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St. Rose of Lima

Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): August 23
Double (1955 Calendar): August 30

St. Rose of Lima (1586 - 1617), virgin, lived for Jesus Christ. She became the first canonized saint of the Western Hemisphere and was a Dominican lay tertiary, who worked to evangelize the Indians. Her parents wanted her to marry, but she wanted to remain single and dedicate her life to Christ. St. Rose not only prayed for hours each day but took care of orphans and the elderly that needed help. She lived each day for Jesus Christ and her friends included St. Martin de Porres and St. John Masias.

In her life of penance, many people viewed her highly, and she was even a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. At age five, St. Rose devoted her life to God and served Him through all of her trials. St. Rose was born to Spanish immigrants and was a beautiful girl. At a young age, she used pepper and lye to ruin her complexion so she would not be viewed as attractive to help her vow of chastity. She had a great devotion to St. Catherine of Siena. St. Rose wore roses around her head but underneath them was a crown of thorns - it was her penance.

She was tortured physically by the devil and scolded by her family, but she thought of them as treating her better than she deserved. For fifteen years she suffered spiritual abandonment until her death when she received the companionship of Mary and her guardian angel. St. Rose of Lima even had the invisible stigmata.

Prayer:

O Almighty God, the Giver of all good gifts, Who didst will that blessed Rose, bedewed with Thy heavenly graces, should blossom forth in the Indies as a lovely flower of virginity and patience: grant to us Thy servants so to run in the odor of her sweetness, that we may be found worthy to become a sweet savor of Christ: Who with Thee liveth and reigneth.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Thoughts on God

Today was my first day back to a busy schedule of work and it may be very difficult to see God through everyday life. But He is there. He's in the small joys we see, the pleasant conversations, the joy of getting something done right. God isn't just that sensation but Our Lord and God, who watches out for us and loves us with an infinite love.

He died for you, for me, for your neighbor and everyone else. Even when life gets down, always look up and know that God is there. He is always with us through the trials and joys, and we will all ultimately arrive at the gates of the small eternal city. And what will we say: I forgot to pray; I didn't know how. Just say, "Lord I love you. Have mercy on me. Look at what I have done and look at what I have failed at but know I love you."

Trust in God must be a key factor in all of our lives. I hope it will lead us all to Heaven through the Catholic Church, which Christ has promised, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak; and the things that are to come, he shall shew you" (John 16:13)

My apologizes if I am unable to post everyday, but thank you to everyone that will still come back here and hope to read something.

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WYD 2008: Sydney

Well, World Youth Day is over and so is Pope Benedict XVI's first international trip. The next World Youth Day will be in 2008 in Sydney, Australia.

Do you think World Youth Day will bring people to the Church? Greater vocations to the priesthood

Do you think Pope Benedict XVI passed the "test" of being able to connect with the youth?

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Pro-life Posts

"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish" (Mother Teresa).

Catholic and Pro-life Issues

1. Prayer for the Helpless Unborn
2. In vitro Fertilization
3. Catholics and the End of Life issues
4. Human Cloning
5. Contraception
6. The Catechism of the Catholic Church on abortion
7. What is the Cost of abortion?
8. Petition against Planned Parenthood
9. Amnesty International and Abortion

This is a list of all of my pro-life news & legislation updates to date. (More recent at the top)

1. Partial Birth Abortion Ruled Unconstitutional
2. American Cancer Society funds Planned Parenthood
3. Colorado Gov. Signs Bill Mandating Catholic Hospitals Provide Abortion Drug
4. Portugal Legalizes Abortion
5. Fr. Frank Pavone's Homily from January 18, 2007
6. Choose Life Plates for Illinois
7. 34th Anniversary of Legalized Abortion
8. 2006 US Election Results
9. Vote Pro-life on November 7, 2006
10. FDA Guidelines on Vaccines/Aborted Fetal Cell Lines Open for Public Comment
11. Nicaragua votes to ban all abortions; UN tried to stop vote
12. Missourians: Vote NO on Amendment 2
13. The Pill causes cancer
14. Help the South Dakota Abortion Ban
15. Plan B will not stop abortions
16. FDA approves Morning after pill!
17. President Bush supports Plan B!
18. Unborn children murdered for cosmetics!
19. Ask President Bush to stop Plan B
20. Contact Ms. Magazine
21. Child Custody Protection Act passes Senate, stopped
22. Bush vetos embryonic stem cell research bill YES!
23. Crucial Stem cell research update!
24. European Union- embryonic stem cell research
25. Today's Crazy News
26. Abortion mill becomes Catholic chapel
27. Omaha abortion center closes
28. A living miracle
29. British abortion rates rise
30. Independence Day: Pro-life Wisdom
31. Curves: Pro-life
32. Alabama Pro-life law goes into effect
33. Microsoft is a huge abortion supporter
34. End of trouble at NKU
35. South Dakota abortion law to be voted on in November
36. Governor Blanco signs Louisiana abortion ban into law
37. A Child of an Abortion Practitioner Insists on Life for the Unborn
38. Annual report on Planned Parenthood
39. Ohio abortion ban
40. Philippines abolishes the death penalty
41. Start the 77 Day Novena to close Tiller's abortion mill
42. Updates on Abortion in South Dakota
43. Amnesty International and Abortion
44. Wisconsin newspaper funds Planned Parenthood
45. Blythe Danner & Gwyneth Paltrow support abortion
46. Proposition 73 is back!
47. Clinton asked to use abortion to kill the poor
48. Victory for Life in Britain
49. Andrea Clark has died
50. Colorado Governor vetos bill that would allow morning after pill without a prescription
51. Hawaii protects abortion after Roe v. Wade
52. Arizona vetos pain-awareness act bill
53. Breast cancer risks drastically increase after an abortion
54. Updates with South Dakota
55. Amazon.com gives in to abortion activists
56. Some Catholic colleges support abortion
57. Day of Prayer for the Conversion of Abortionists
58. National polls released on the South Dakota abortion ban
59. Gov. Rounds signs ban on abortions in South Dakota (Mar 2006)
60. Walmart begins to sell the morning-after-pill
61. Abortion bans in Mississippi and Missouri
62. 55 Catholic Democrats in the House support abortion
63. Gov. Rounds of South Dakota needs prayers
64. Supreme court sides with pro-lifers in regard to RICO laws
65. South Dakota passes abortion ban
66. Governor Blagojevich funds embryonic stem cell research
67. RU-486 in Australia
68. US Family Planning Funds Slashed (Feb. 16th)
69. IL Paper allows pro-life advertisements
70. "Abortions have decreased" - President Bush
71. Florida parential notification law upheld by judge
72. NARAL's abortion grades
73. US Supreme Court ruling on N. Hamsphire law
74. US Supreme Court ruling in Oregon suicide law
75. Diocese to require contraception classes
76. Pope Benedict XVI - "God loves every embryo"
77. Illinois Abortions at a 30 year low
78. Boycott American Girl
79. Best Christmas Gift for a mother
80. Umbilical Cord Blood Bill becomes Law (Dec. 21, 2005)
81. An abortion survivor's story - Read the amazing story
82. Prop. 73 will be back!
83. Phillipines support the Church on birth control
84. Prop. 73 fails in California (Nov. 13, 2005)
85. Missouri abortion clinic closed; new law (Oct. 26, 2005)
86. Don't support "Save lids to Save lives"
87. Adult Stem cells cure paraplegic
88. The Truth on Life Checks
89. UNFPA denied funding from US; Canada increases funding
90. Missouri pro-life bill signed into law on Sept. 16, 2005
91. Susan Torres's child dies on Sept. 11, 2005
92. Pro-life bumper sticker saves a life
93. Priests for life announce lay association
94. CBS pro-life statistics as of Aug. 11, 2005
95. Minnesota signs abortion-fetal pain law on Aug. 2, 2005
96. New York Contraception Bill is vetoed in Aug. 2005
97. Susan Torres gives birth
98. Embyronic Stem Cell Research
99. Benefits of adult stem cell research
100. Pro-life survey
101. Abortion laws in other countries
102. Tell Senators not to support Embryonic stem cell Research
103. If Roe v. Wade is overturned

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