Good Friday Indulged Prayer to the Cross

I adore You, O glorious Cross, which was adorned with the Heart and Body of my Savior Jesus Christ, stained and covered with blood. I adore You, O Holy Cross, out of love for Him, Jesus, who is my Savior and my God.

(Pope Pius IX declared that reciting this prayer five times on Friday will free five souls from Purgatory and 33 souls by reciting it on Good Friday. This prayer should be recited before a crucifix with a contrite heart and praying a few minutes for the Pope).

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Begin the Novena to the Divine Mercy Today

Jesus asked St. Faustina that a Feast of the Divine Mercy be instituted, and this feast is celebrated the Sunday after Easter. Beginning today, we will begin an extremely important Novena of Chaplets to the Divine Mercy. Say one chaplet each day following the novena intention. In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:

"On each day of the novena you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls. By this novena I will grant every possible grace to souls." (Diary 1209, 796)

First Day:

"Today bring to Me All Mankind, especially all sinners and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges me."

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins, but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

Chaplet:

(To be said on regular Rosary)

1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, one Our Father, one Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed.

2. Then on the Our Father Beads say the following: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

3. On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

(Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).

4. Conclude with (three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

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Good News for Colorado Against the Morning After Pill

With today being Good Friday, I will not be posting much at all, but I wanted to let you know that our prayers worked. Gov. Owens of Colorado has vetoed a bill that would allow the purchase of the morning after pill without a prescription. He was concerned that teenagers would purchase them. I posted about this back in March, and I'm so glad to hear this news.

This is excellent news. Today we remember the horrible death of our Savior on the Cross for our sins, please thank Him today in your prayers for everything.

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The Washing of the Feet

Tonight I will be taking part in the washing of the feet for the first time. It is such an interesting tradition, although I did feel like St. Peter at times: "Lord, you will not wash my feet." It is rather humbling especially since I'm not one to let others wash my feet. But, I know this humility is required of me: "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me."

Read of the washing of the feet in the Gospel of John

Image Source: In the Public Domain, Image by Ford Madox Brown (1821-1893)

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Prayers for Ed from "To Jesus Through Mary"

Today Ed from To Jesus Through Mary will be meeting with His bishop concerning His vocation to the priesthood. I understand how important of a meeting this is. Please pray for him today.

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Holy Thursday: Plenary Indulgence

Institution of the Eucharist by José Teófilo de Jesus

A plenary indulgence is granted under the normal conditions for those who recite the hymn Tantum Ergo (Down in Adoration Falling).

English Version:

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail,
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,
And the Son Who reigns on high
With the Holy Spirit proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honor blessing,
Might and endless majesty. Amen.

R. Thou hast given them bread from heaven.
V. Having within it all sweetness.

Let us pray: O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament left us a memorial of Thy Passion: grant, we implore Thee, that we may so venerate the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, as always to be conscious of the fruit of Thy Redemption. Thou who livest and reignest forever and ever.

R. Amen.

Latin Version:

Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui:
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui:
Praestet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.

Genitori, Genitoque
Laus et jubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque
Compar sit laudatio.
Amen.

V. Panem de caelis praestitisti eis.
R. Omne delectamentum in se habentem.

Oremus: Deus, qui nobis sub sacramento mirabili, passionis tuae memoriam reliquisti: tribue, quaesumus, ita nos corporis et sanguinis tui sacramysteria venerari, ut redemptionis tuae fructum in nobis iugiter sentiamus. Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum.

R. Amen.

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Proudly Entered the Catholic Church 2006

On April 15, 2006, at the Holy Easter Vigil, thousands of people will be received into the Catholic Church including several of our fellow Catholic bloggers. Many will receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation for the first time. I was there two years ago, so I ask everyone to please pray for and welcome these new Catholics. They have been journeying at least since last year all for this day - when they will be welcomed into the Church of Jesus Christ.

Some of these people I have known for quite a while. Others I have recently found their blogs, and yet others I have just found out about. Here are some of our new brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church.

New Catholics: Please save the above image on your computer and feel free display it on your blogs or websites. This is my present to all of you. Also, be sure to thank Owen for designing this image for all of you. He is also a convert that entered the Church in January of this year.

• Transitus Tiber
• Mormon2Catholic
• Irish and Dangerous
  
• Cjmr
• Ex Umbris et Imaginibus in Veritatem
• In Veritate Ambulare (Layla)
• Ma Beck's husband, Joe
• Dawn Eden
• Richest Man in Assisi
• Tales from the Dorkside
• The Southern Conservative
• The God Fearin' Forum 
• June 29 Update: Today is the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. Today is also the day that Chadrack from Chad is Not Enough is entering the Church. Pray for him!
• November 26 Update: Today is the Solemnity of Christ the King. Today is the day that MySaintPhilomena from CCF entered the Church. Please pray for this person!

I'm sure there are more people, so I apologize if I forgot to add you to the list. Please feel free to display that image though and display it on your blogs. If your name is not listed above and you will enter the Church this Saturday, please let me know.

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Hawaii Seeks to Protect Abortion

Update: This bill has become law, and now Hawaii will be responsible for the deaths of many more unborn babies.

Lord, have mercy on us!

Original Post:

Hawaii has just sent a bill to Gov. Linda Lingle that would keep abortion legal when Roe v. Wade is overturned. Gov. Lingle is expected to let it become law.

This is horrible. Today is Holy Thursday, the day we remember the Lord's passion in the Garden and His betrayal by Judas. How horrible that Hawaii would seek to continue to divide us and murder our brothers and sisters. In agony, the Lord prayed, "And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me; That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:20-21).

Let us pray for mercy.

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Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano Veto's Pro-life Bill

"Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano on Tuesday vetoed a bill that would allow women to know that an unborn baby will feel intense pain during an abortion procedure." The Arizona Senate passed HB 2554 on a 17-13 vote last week and the House approved the bill 36-21. There is no decision yet whether the legislature will seek to overturn the veto.

Source: Life News

Today is Holy Thursday in the liturgical year, the day we remember the institution of the Eucharist, the beginning of the priesthood, and also the betrayal of Jesus. Let us pray for mercy for the sins of our nation.

INTROIT for Palm Sunday
Psalm 21: 20, 22

O Lord, keep not Thy help far from me; look to my defense; deliver me from the lion's mouth, and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns. -- (Ps. 21. 2) O God, my God, look upon me; why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins. -- O Lord, keep not Thy help far from me . . .

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Stational Church for April 12, 2006

Today is the last day that the St. John Cantius Parish has a meditation listed for the stational Church. Today's Stations is at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

Could we have a more powerful leader to Jesus Christ on this, the last day of preparation, than Mary, our Most Holy Mother? Into thy hands, dearest Mother, we place the humble efforts we have made since Ash Wednesday. Mother of Our Savior, carry them, together with thy own most worthy and most pleasing merits, to the throne of divine mercy. Petition the eternal Father that through the infinite merits of His Son and through thy powerful intercession, He would "look down on this His family for which our Lord Jesus Christ hesitated not to be delivered up into the hands of wicked man, and to undergo the torment of the Cross."

If a few hours separate us from the arrival of the Paschal Mysteries. "Behold, the Savior comes. Behold His reward is with Him and His work before Him."

Only all men the Savior died—for Mary and for Judas, and for all who stand between these two. The winepress of the Cross has made one "Queen of all the Saints," and the other—God only knows! Lord, turn not away thy face from Thy servant. Mary, my Mother, pray for me that the Divine Blood of Thy Son be to me a laver of redemption and of life.

Source: St. John Cantius Parish

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