Novena for Vocations - Day One

Please join me in a novena for Vocations to the Priesthood that K has started on her blog. I'm completely humbled and so grateful that she started this novena for me!

We need priests, and we all need to follow our vocations in life. Everyone is a sinner and in need of God's strength to fulfill their vocations. Please join me in this novena for more priests, religious brothers and sisters, and more dedicated lay people. We all are in need of God's mercy, so please join me in prayer.

Visit K's Blog for Day One

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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St. Mark the Evangelist

Feast (1969 Calendar): April 25
Double of the II Class (1955 Calendar): April 25

Today is the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, as well as the Greater Litanies (Major Rogation Day).  Of St. Mark, it may be said:

• He is one of the four Gospel authors
• He was likely the unnamed young man present at Jesus' arrest (Mk 14:51-52)
• He was the son of a Christian woman in Jerusalem named Mary
• He had a miraculous escape from prison
• He was the cousin of St. Barnabas
• He had a falling out with St. Paul (later reconciled when he visited St. Paul in prison)
• His Gospel was probably written in Rome around 60 AD
• He died as a martyr after a pagan mob tied a rope around his neck and dragged him through the streets of Alexandria in Egypt.

St. Mark is the patron saint of evangelists, and we can learn so much from his example. We must also be evangelists and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ not only by our words but also by our actions. All of us are called to serve Jesus Christ in our vocation. We don't have to go to the third world and proclaim the Gospel. We can simply live prayerfully while keeping God's Commandments. By doing this, we can help convert many of those around us to the truth of the Catholic faith.

St. Mark's body is buried under the High Altar at St. Mark's Basilica in the main plaza in Venice, Italy.

St. Mark's Day As A Former Holy Day of Obligation

The first catalog of Holy Days comes from the Decree of Gratian in c. 1150 AD, which shortly thereafter gave way to Decretals of Pope Gregory IX in 1234, which listed 45 Holy Days. In 1295, Pope Boniface VIII enacted the decretal Gloriosus which "commanded that each of the feasts of the twelve apostles, four evangelists, and four doctors of the Church be celebrated as an officium duplex" (The Cambridge History of Medieval Canon Law by Anders Winroth and John Wei).

In 1642, His Holiness Pope Urban VIII issued the papal bull Universa Per Orbem which mandated the required Holy Days of Obligation for the Universal Church to consist of 34 days as well as the principal patrons of one's one locality (e.g. city and country). Those days were the Nativity of Our Lord, the Circumcision of Our Lord, the Epiphany of Our Lord, Monday within the Octave of the Resurrection, Tuesday within the Octave of the Resurrection, Ascension Thursday, Monday within the Octave of Pentecost, Tuesday within the Octave of Pentecost, Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, the Finding of the Holy Cross, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Dedication of St. Michael, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, St. Andrew, St. James, St. John (the December feast day), St. Thomas, SS. Philip and James, St. Bartholomew, St. Matthew, SS. Simon and Jude, St. Matthias, St. Stephen the First Martyr (the December feast day), the Holy Innocents, St. Lawrence, St. Sylvester, St. Joseph, St. Anne, and All Saints.  

Ultimately Universa Per Orbem helped bring more uniformity to the Church since some parts of the Catholic world observed even more holy days of double precept (i.e., mandatory attendance at Mass and rest from servile work). One of those former days kept in some places as the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. 

For instance, in modern-day Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, which were included in the ecclesiastical province of Mexico, the feasts were regulated by the Third Council of Mexico in 1585, as American Catholic Quarterly Review states: 

"In these parts besides those already mentioned, the faithful observed as holy days of obligation St Fabian and St Sebastian (January 20th), St Thomas Aquinas (March 7th), St Mark (April 25th), St Barnabas (June 1), the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin (July 2), St Mary Magdalene (July 22), St Dominic (Aug 4), the Transfiguration (Aug 6), St Francis (Oct 4), St Luke (Oct 18), St Catharine (Nov 25), the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin (Dec 18). 

And while our ancestors in the New World in Florida and Louisiana would not have kept St. Mark's Day as a Holy Day of Obligation, it was kept as a day of abstinence from meat on account of it being the Major Rogation Day. See A History of Holy Days of Obligation & Fasting for American Catholics for more information on this forgotten history.

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy

Prayer:

O God, Who didst exalt blessed Mark, Thine Evangelist, by the grace of preaching the Gospel, grant we beseech Thee, that we may ever profit by his teaching and be defended by his prayers. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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God or the Girl: First Episode

Well this last Sunday when I got back from meeting the diocese about my own vocation to the priesthood, I watched the final episode of God or the Girl. I was overall very pleased with the series although I wish more of them would have entered the seminary. I'm extremely happy for Mike, who obviously loves his job, as well as Joe, who is serving God as a lay counselor.

I was actually somewhat disappointed in Dan. I hope he serves the Lord as a youth minister, but in my own opinion, he really needs to focus more of the group's time on studying the faith and the Bible. I think that his inability to defend the Church against the fundamentalist's accusations show this. I agree with Gerald's statement that Dan is under too much of an evangelical influence; he needs to just focus on quiet contemplation and prayer and apologetics above some other things.

However, I'm very happy for all of them to have made a decision. I'm was so happy for Steve when announced his decision to enter the seminary. It was so heartfelt and poignant as he stood before his parish and announced His decision. I wish him the best, and I ask all of you to join me in praying for Him and for greater vocations to the priesthood in general. Think about it, without the priesthood we would not have the Eucharist. For hundreds of years priests and Christians in general were murdered for their faith, and today we live in an age where we can worship without fear. Yet, only a small percentage of Catholics attend Mass! Hundreds of years ago, nearly all Catholics attended Mass and would even accept martyrdom for Jesus Christ.

This series has really helped us remember the importance of vocations, but it also brought to mind the need for lay Catholics committed completely to the faith. We must be the light shinning in the darkness for Christ; we must proclaim the Good News!

Prayer for Vocations:

Compassionate Heart of Jesus, graciously listen to our prayers. Give us generous hearts to respond to your call in our lives. Lift up courageous men and women willing to follow after your heart as priests, sisters, brothers, and deacons.

Help parents and teachers to share the faith and to encourage young people to explore religious vocations. Guide all people, Lord, in your ways of compassion, truth, and peace, that we may find happiness in fulfilling our vocation. Amen.

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Turn off TV week (April 24-30th)

I'm very thankful for Dymphna's Well to post about this week to just abstain from television. Here are some statistics on her blog:

1) The average American home has the TV on for a total of 7 hours, 40 minutes per day.
2) The average American watches 4 hours of TV per day.
3) The average American child UNDER 6 spends a total of 2 hours per day watching some type of screen media.
4) The average parent spends 38.5 minutes per WEEK in meaningful conversation with their children.
5) 54% of 4-6 year olds say they would rather spend time watching TV than spend time with their fathers.
6) Between 1993 and 1996 the percentage of homicides covered by television news increased 721%. During the same period, actual homicides decreased by 20%.

Some television channels can be great including much of EWTN, but even when we watch those good programs, we can lose valuable family and prayer time. So, please join me this week in turning off the TV and spending more time in prayer.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I offer to you my life and time and ask you to bless me. Lord of mercy and goodness, I specifically offer to you my efforts to abstain from television this week. I offer them in reparation of my sins and those of the whole world. Bless me efforts Lord by your love made visible on the Cross so that my small works may serve You completely and amount to something. Amen

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Words of Inspiration: April 25, 2006

Blessed Mother Teresa: "It is a kingly act to assist the fallen"

Padre Pio: "I would undergo death an infinite number of times rather than deliberately offend the Lord" (Letters I p 910).

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Words of Inspiration: April 25, 2006

O God, Who didst exalt blessed Mark, Thine Evangelist, by the grace of preaching the Gospel, grant we beseech Thee, that we may ever profit by his teaching and be defended by his prayers. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

Image Source: Martyrdom of St. Mark, In the Public Domain (Wikipedia)

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More Saint for the Year Results

I was able to get several more results for the Saint for the Year Devotion, so I wanted to be sure to post them here:

John- St. Frances of Rome and St. Paula
Mary - St. Rose of Lima and Our Lady of Guadalupe
Stephanie- St. Mary of the Incarnation 06/02
Christine - St. Dunstan
Kalanna - Sts Philip the Apostle and James the Lesser

The response to this devotion has been incredible. I originally posted about this back in 2005, and I'm still getting requests. If you are interested in having a special patron saint chosen for you for this year, please see my original post. If you'd like to look at some of the results, see the results page.

Total # of Participants so far: 398

May the prayers and friendship of these friend's of God bring us closer to Our Lord!

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Words of Inspiration: April 24, 2006

Blessed Mother Teresa: "If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one"

Padre Pio: "The devil has only one door through which to enter into our soul; the will. There are no secret doors. There is no sin, if it has not been committed willfully. When the will does not consent, there is no sin but human weakness."

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Divine Mercy Sunday

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday and also Low Sunday. Likewise, it is the Octave Day of Easter. Our Lord revealed special messages concerning His Divine and Endless Mercy to St. Faustina. He appeared to her between 1930 and 1938, and on Good Friday of 1937, He asked for a special a Novena to precede this Sunday. Today we especially thank God for the merciful institution of the Sacrament of Confession. The title of "Divine Mercy Sunday" began on May 23, 2000.

Our Lord said to St. Faustina:

"My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the fount of My Mercy" (699).

Today is the day to turn to God again and live again the joy of Easter - Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead! For information on this day including the Chaplet and the Image of Divine Mercy, see Faustina.org

Concerning the image at the top of this post, Our Lord told St. Faustina: "I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory." (48)

St. Faustina, ora pro nobis!

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Going on a Trip

Today I'm leaving for a two-day trip, so I won't be able to blog until Sunday after I get back from my meeting with the diocese. Please keep me in your prayers during this rather busy time.

Also, please remember to pray the Divine Mercy Novena for Saturday, the final day of the novena. Here's a link to that day's prayers since I won't be able to post them.

God Bless and peace be with you all!

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