Leave Me a Comment, Please

Created by Paper Napkin to encourage readers who are too shy to leave a comment to speak up, De-Lurker Day has been extended to an entire week. That way everyone has a chance to work up the courage to speak up. And this is National De-Lurker Week!

So please just leave me a line or so in the comment box below. How long have you been reading my blog? Or what is your favorite book, movie, or TV show? Or what is the weather like today where you are? I'm not picky. I will repost this daily so it is always near the top of my blog this week

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St. Marguerite Bourgeoys

Memorial (1969 Calendar): January 12 

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys was born on April 17, 1620, and she was the sixth of twelve children. Her devout mother died when St. Marguerite Bourgeoys was 17, and her father died when she was only 27. At this time, the governor of Montreal, Canada was in France seeking for teachers for the New World. St. Marguerite Bourgeoys said "yes" to his invitation and spent the rest of her life in North America.

St. Marguerite gave away all of her parents' inheritance to other members of the family. In 1653, she sailed to Canada. Upon arriving, she initiated the construction of a chapel to honor Our Lady of Good Help. St. Marguerite opened her first school in 1658, and in 1659 she returned to France to recruit more teachers. She returned with four; in 1670, she went to France again and brought back six more. These courageous women became the first sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame.

What I find most amazing about St. Marguerite was her death. She was the founder of the Chapel of Notre Dame and spread the Gospel. But, it was her death that served Christ more than anything. It was her death that fulfilled Our Lord's Commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself".

On the last day of 1699, St. Marguerite Bourgeoys saw one of the sisters of her religious order dying. She begged the Lord for the sister to be well and for her to take on the illness. It was the next morning (Jan 1, 1700) that the sister became miraculously well, and St. Marguerite Bourgeois was very ill. Twelve days later, St. Marguerite died.

She was canonized on October 31, 1982, by Pope John Paul ll. She is the first canonized female saint from Canada. Her body is housed in Notre-Dame-de-Bon Secours in Montreal, Canada.

Marguerite Bourgeoys, ora pro nobis!

Prayer:

Blessed Marguerite Bourgeoys, you survived attacks of all kinds on your faith and service. Help me keep my vocation strong despite the threats of the world and my own doubts. Amen

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The Spreading of the Pro-life Message

Today I read a small article, which stated that pro-lifers are the "minority" in the abortion debate. I felt disheartened as I certainly don't feel as a minority in this situation, but God is certainly on our side. He gave us life - Life in His divine image. The Word of God, the Bible, testify to the truth of the sanctity of each human life from conception to natural death. The Church, which has been protected by Christ, has taught this from the beginning!

The truth is that we will all fail in our lives. For sin is always around us, but "Be not afraid"! It is through God's grace that we have Confession and the Sacraments. I recommend weekly Confession and daily Communion, though, once a week for either is all some can possibly do. But, don't let the other 6 days be days of sin. No, let the light shine through! This is the Light of Christ in our lives.

Once such instance happened recently when a student at a high school was told he could not wear a pro-life T-shirt. I just read that a Federal court has overruled that; a victory is spreading the pro-life message! We are certainly not in the darkness here for we follow the Church - Jesus Christ's institution on earth. We believe in life, a life for each human person. How can one ever justify a death? Let us not every justify abortion because by doing that we become pro-death.

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More St. Padre Pio Wisdom

"Do not halt in seeking the truth, in discovering God. Be docile to the influence of grace, following its inspiration and attraction. Do not be ashamed of Christ and His doctrine."

"From the time of His birth Jesus points out our mission, which is to despise what the world loves and seeks."

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And Now For a Short Intermission...

These next few days are very busy for me, so please forgive me for my sporadic posting. I will again continue the major posting on Monday.

Thank you. God Bless

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Required Contraception Classes

"Once the diocese has enough trained teachers, [Bishop] Olmsted will become one of only three bishops in the country to require a full course of natural family planning for anyone who wants a church wedding, joining his counterparts in Denver and Fargo, N.D. Natural family planning is the only church-approved method of birth control." (Source)

I'm all for the idea. I've met too many Catholics that either don't know the truth with the Church's position on contraception or either don't follow it. I think classes for married couples would be infinitely beneficial to the Church's mission - to sanctify the world.

Remember, artificial contraception is always a mortal sin. First, if you are not married then you shouldn't have sex - that's a sin. So, if you don't put yourself in that position you won't even be tempted to use artificial contraception. Second, married couples should always be open to the creation of life. If God's wills a child, then a child will be conceived. (For more info, see a past post of mine on this topic)

The article claims, "... Nine out of 10 Catholic women have used it and that 65 percent of Catholics and 40 percent of priests do not believe use of contraception is always a sin. " I pray that is the wrong and will be just the opposite.

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Our Lady of Perpetual Help

First off, thank you all so much that commented on my De-lurking post. It's so wonderful to hear that people love my blog. Thank you, all of you.

My parish has devotions each weekday after the Tuesday morning Mass to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. So, I plan to post those prayers here each Tuesday. May we all grow in deeper holiness to Our Lord through His mother.

The Novena prayer:

Behold at thy feet, 0 Mother of Perpetual Help, a wretched sinner who has recourse to thee and confides in thee. 0 Mother of mercy, have pity on me.

I hear thee called by all the refuge and the hope of sinners: be then, my refuge and my hope. Assist me, for the love of Jesus Christ; stretch forth thy hand to a miserable fallen creature who recommends himself to thee, and who devotes himself to thy service for ever.

I bless and thank Almighty God, who in His mercy has given me this confidence in thee, which I hold to be a pledge of my eternal salvation.

It is true that in the past I have miserably fallen into sin, because I had not recourse to thee. I know that, with thy help, I shall conquer.

I know. too, that thou wilt assist me, if I recommend myself to thee; but I fear that, in time of danger, I may neglect to call on thee, and thus lose my soul.

This grace, then, I ask of thee, and this I beg, with all the fervor of my soul, that in all the attacks of hell I may ever have recourse to thee. 0 Mary, help me. 0 Mother of Perpetual Help, never suffer me to lose my God.-----3 Hail Marys.

More prayers to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Baptism of Christ by Guido Reni, 1622

Second Class (1962 Calendar): January 13

"Our Lord was baptized because He wished, not to be cleansed, but to cleanse the waters, that, being purified by the flesh of Christ that knew no sin, they might have the virtue of baptism" (St. Ambrose).

Baptism is such a beautiful gift since it is through baptism that we receive sanctifying grace and are literally part of the Body of Christ. Baptism is the first step to eternal life. Why do Catholics baptize their children quickly after their birth? Because Baptism is the start of eternal life. Those that reject baptism will reject eternal life. We become members of the Church, and the stains of all sins are washed away through the Sacrament of Baptism. To read much more on Baptism, see my post: The Sacrament of Baptism. 

In the pre-1955 calendar, January 13th was known as the Octave Day of the Epiphany. Many of the Rites in the Church had special antiphons and prayers today in the Office regarding our Lord's Baptism, since the Baptism of Christ is one of the three manifestations included in our Lord's epiphany (i.e. His manifestation to the world). But the Octave Day was never liturgically known as the "Commemoration of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ." That change in name occurred after the 1955 changes that saw the Octave of the Epiphany abolished.

Meditation on the Baptism of Christ from Christ in His Mysteries by Dom Columba Marmion

And Jesus being baptized, forth with came out of the water; and lo, the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him. And behold a voice from heaven saying, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased."

Jesus stoops so low as to mingle with the multitude of sinners, and forthwith the heavens are opened to magnify Him — He acknowledges Himself worthy of the strokes of divine justice, and behold, the Father declares that He takes all His delight in Him: Humiliavit semetipsom... propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum.

It is at this moment that the mission of Jesus, as One sent by God, is declared authentic. The Father's testimony accredits, so to speak, His Son before the world, and hence this testimony relates to one of the characters of Christ's work as regards ourselves.

The mission of Jesus has a double aspect: it bears at the same time the character of redemption and of sanctification. It is to redeem souls, and, this done, to infuse life into them. That is the whole work of the Savior.

Collect:
  
O God, Whose only-begotten Son hath appeared in the substance of our flesh: grant, we beseech Thee, that by Him, in Whom outwardly we recognize our likeness, we may deserve to be inwardly created anew: Who with Thee liveth and reignth.

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Prayer for the Departed

Let us not forget to pray for those who have gone before us to Our Father's House in Glory. May they rest in peace.

Prayer For The Departed
By Saint Alphonsus Mary de Liguori

MY GOD! I recommend to Thee the souls of my relations, my benefactors, my friends and my enemies, and of those who are in Purgatory on my account. I recommend to Thee the souls of evangelical labourers, of Religious and priests, and especially of those who had charge of my soul. I recommend to Thee the souls of those who were most devout to the passion of Our Lord, to the Blessed Sacrament, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the souls who are most abandoned, those who suffer most, and those who are nearest to the entrance into paradise. Amen

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Pope's Assailant to be Freed

Pope John Paul ll's Assailant will soon be set free, as early as tomorrow! The Turkish courts ruled he had completed his sentenced.

Updated: His assailant has been re-arrested and will remain in prison until January 18, 2010.

The Holy See's response: “The Holy See has learned only from news agencies of the news of the possible freedom of Ali Agca,” [A Vatican Spokesman] said in a brief statement. “The Holy See, before a problem of a judicial nature, submits to the decisions of the tribunals involved in this matter.” (Read MSNBC for more information)

Opinion: I certainly hope he is a changed man. But, as John Paul ll showed us, we all must forgive. As pope, he forgave this man for his offense, and I say that we should also forgive. May God forgive Him and lead Him to perfect unity in Christ.

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