An Eternal Alliance with Mary

Mary, Temple of the Trinity,
Mary, Hearth of Divine Fire,
Mary, Mother of the Mercy,
you bore the fruit of life; you saved mankind,
since it is in your flesh that Christ repurchased us.

Yes, Jesus Christ redeemed us by His Passion,
and you became our Co-Redemptrix,
by the pains both in your heart and in your body.

Mary, Ocean of Rest,
Mary, Source of Peace!
Mary, Vase of Humility,
where the light of true science shone,
God raised you above yourself.

You charmed the Celestial Father and He charmed you.
He captivated you in the bonds of an unutterable love,
and by this light, this heat of your charity, this flame of your humility,
you overcame it yourself, and you forced His divinity to go down in you.
His infinite kindness for the men was your accomplice (...)

Mary, the Divinity is so united and incorporated with you in our humanity,
that nothing now can separate us, not even death and our ingratitude.
Because, as the Divinity remained with the Christ’s Body in the sepulchre,
and the Heart of Jesus Christ in limbo, then with His Heart and His Body after Resurrection,
our alliance with the Blessed Virgin is never broken, and never
will it become for all eternity.

By Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380),
First woman to be proclaimed Doctor of the Church,
Excerpts from a prayer written in Rome, on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Virgin

Remember Devotion to Mary always leads to Jesus Christ!

Image Source: Assumption of Mary, Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Words of Inspiration: May 1, 2006

"To know history is to cease to be a Protestant" (John Henry Cardinal Newman, former Anglican clergyman and Catholic convert)

Image Source: Chapel of Ecce Homo, Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Novena for Vocations: Day Six

K has posted the six day of this wonderful novena to St. John Vianney. Please join us in praying for greater vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Image Source: Unknown, Believed to be in the Public Domain

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May Rosary Intentions

Please pray for Pope Benedict XVI's intentions this month:

General: That the abundance of the gifts the Holy Spirit bestows on the Church may contribute to the growth of peace and justice in the world.

Missionary: That in the mission countries those responsible for the public institutions may, with suitable laws, promote and defend human life from its conception to its natural termination.

Please also pray for those intentions listed on the Catholic Community Forum's May Intentions list.

May is the Month of Mary. So please pray the Rosary more this month.

Image Source: Unknown

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Beatification of Father Augustine Thevarparampil

Father Augustine Thevarparampil (1891-1973) , known as the apostle of the untouchables, was born in Ramapuram, India on April 1, 1891. At the age of 33, on Dec. 17, 1921, he was ordained by the Servant of God Mar Tommaso Kurialacherry. He was commonly called "Kunjachan" which means "little priest". In 1923 he was sent as vice parish priest for the Church of St. Sebastian in Kadanad, but his poor health forced him to return to his former village in 1926.

During this time of illness, Father Augustine became aware of the miserable living conditions of the untouchables - the lowest caste of the Indian society forced to perform degrading works. Father Augustine devoted his life to evangelization and fighting for better treatment of the poor including the untouchables. He baptized over 6,000 people during his life.

Father Augustine rose at 4 AM each day, celebrated Holy Mass, and then he went out into the world for Christ. He helped resolve disputes, preached the Gospel, and cared for the sick. Father Augustine would particularly love to visit children. The children would flock to his side when he visited their village, and he would give them any sweets that he had on him.

Father Augustine lived modestly and entirely spiritually. He was a servant of God. His will begins: "I possess neither land nor money, and I owe no one anything. I want my funeral to be a very simple one."

On October 16, 1973, at age 82, Father Augustine, the priest that cared for the poorest of the poor, died. His tomb attracts thousands of pilgrims.

He was declared a Venerable by Pope John Paul ll back in June 2004. His canonization process, which began on August 11, 1987, continues now. A miraculously healing of a boy's clubfoot was attributed to his intercession leading to his beatification today. Cardinal Varkev Vithayathil presided in name of Pope Benedict XVI at the beatification of Father Augustine Thevarparampil.

Please say a prayer for his canonization and if you receive favors through Blessed Kunjachan's intercession, inform the following people so that he might be formally canonized. If you have information relevant to the canonization of Blessed Augustine, please contact:

The Vice-Postulator
Cause of Blessed Kunjachan
St. Augustine's Forane Church
Ramapuram Bazar P.O
PIN: 686576- Kerala, India

Ph: 04822-262481, 260323
E-mail: bvlpala@yahoo.com

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Novena for Vocations: Day Five

Day Five of this novena for greater vocations to the priesthood is up at K's blog.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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The Da Vinci Protest

Catholic Online has an article concerning the upcoming debut of the "DaVinci Code" as a movie. This movie, along with the book, promotes heresy, including claims that Jesus had children with Mary Magdalene.

Someone might counter and say that the book is fiction, but apparently, the author doesn't think so. The wholly fabricated rituals and claims in this book are obviously believed by the author, Dan Brown.

When appearing on “The Today Show,” host Matt Lauer asked him, “How much of this is based on reality in terms of things that actually occurred?” Dan Brown responded: “Absolutely all of it. Obviously, there are - Robert Langdon is fictional, but all of the art, architecture, secret rituals, secret societies, all of that is historical fact.” (Source)

This book is an attack on Our Lord's Divinity and on His Catholic Church! We shall protest this heresy!

As the controversy around the upcoming Da Vinci Code movie grows, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) and its America Needs Fatima campaign announced plans to hold 1,000 peaceful prayer vigils outside theaters nationwide beginning May 19.

“These public acts of reparation will literally blanket the country. From Alaska to Alabama, from California to Connecticut, dedicated volunteers are banding together for protest prayer vigils in front of movie theaters showing the blasphemous Da Vinci Code movie,” said America Needs Fatima director Robert Ritchie.
...

“Interest is overwhelming. The phones haven’t stopped ringing. Catholics are joining in droves. We have protest leaders of all ages who are very devoted people: priests, college students, parents, and grandparents,” Ritchie explained. “They’re motivated because they realize that if our culture doesn’t respect the rights of God, it won’t respect its own leaders and fellow citizens.”

Referring to the woman who according to tradition wiped Jesus’ face on the way to Calvary, the TFP spokesman said: "Veronica is a good example for us to follow. She saw Our Lord wounded and bleeding, carrying the Cross. Her love for Jesus moved her to take her veil and wipe His face. God inspired her. What she did was heroic. Alone, she faced the guards to console Jesus. Today we have the chance to console Our Lord at hundreds of movie theaters, where He will be mocked again by blasphemy.”

(Source: CatholicPRWire)

Join me in praying against the DaVinci Code. I pray that this book may not lead anyone from the faith of Jesus Christ. Please join me as the debut date of May 19, 2006, approaches.

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Quotations from Mother Teresa and St. Pio

Blessed Mother Teresa:

"I believe in person to person. Every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the one person in the world at that moment."

Padre Pio:

"Do not abandon your soul to temptation, says the Holy Spirit, because the joy of the heart is the life of the soul, it is an inexhaustible treasure of sanctity; while sadness is the slow death of the soul and it is of no use to anyone."

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St. Clare of Assisi, Words of Inspiration: April 30, 2006

 

"Praise and glory be to you, O loving Jesus Christ, for the most sacred wound in your side . . . and for your infinite mercy which you made known to us in the opening of your breast to the soldier Longinus, and so to us all. I pray you, O most gentle Jesus, having redeemed me by baptism from original sin, so now, by your Precious Blood, which is offered and received throughout the world, deliver me from all evils, past, present and to come."

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St. Catherine of Siena

Memorial (1969 Calendar): April 29
Double (1955 Calendar): April 30

St. Catherine was born on March 25, 1347, as the 23rd child of twenty-five children. Her twin, the 24th child, died at birth. St. Catherine was the daughter of Giacomo di Benincasa, a cloth dyer, and, Lapa Piagenti, the daughter of a local poet.

At the young age of six, St. Catherine received a vision of Jesus coming to her and blessing her. At age seven, St. Catherine consecrated her virginity completely to Jesus Christ. She became a Dominican tertiary when she was only 16 years old. She lived and subjected herself to long periods of fasting, where the only thing she consumed was the Holy Eucharist.

In 1366, St. Catherine received the most important vision of her life. She described it as a spiritual marriage with Christ where the Infant Child of Jesus presented her with a ring. She saw it on her hand each day of her life from that moment as a reminder of her union to serving the Lord. Following this, she began writing letters, begging for peace, and serving the sick and dying. She truly lived the life that Jesus calls each of us to live. St. Catherine was even a counselor to Pope Gregory XI and Pope Urban VI.

St. Catherine was also privileged to bear the sacred wounds of Our Lord - the Stigmata. She died on April 29, 1380, and she was canonized as a saint by Pope Pius II in 1461.

Prayers:

Precious Blood, Ocean of Divine Mercy: Flow upon us! Precious Blood, Most Pure Offering: Procure us every Grace! Precious Blood, Hope, and Refuge of sinners: Atone for us! Precious Blood, Delight of holy souls: Draw us! Amen.

- By Saint Catherine of Siena

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who commemorate the heavenly birthday of blessed Catherine, Thy Virgin, may rejoice in her yearly festival and profit by her example of great virtue. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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