First Friday Devotion for November

Today is the First Friday of November. Because today is the first Friday of the Month, many Catholic parishes will have special Masses today for the First Friday Devotion.

"With foresight, the divine heart of Christ merited and ordered all the favors which we have received, disposing them for each of us in particular. How our hearts would be inflamed with love for so many favors! Consider that they were destined for us by the will of the Father, to be borne in the heart of the Savior, Who earned them for us by His sufferings, above all by His passion." - St. Francis de Sales

Beginning on December 27, 1673, through 1675, Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque asking her to receive Him in Holy Communion on the first Friday of every month and to meditate on His passion from 11:00 PM to 12:00 midnight each Thursday. He also revealed to her twelve promises for all who are devoted to His Sacred Heart; he asked for a Feast of the Sacred Heart to be instituted in the liturgical calendar of the Church. Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque with twelve promises for those devoted to His Most Sacred Heart.

Promises for those devoted to the Sacred Heart:

1. "I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life."
2. "I will establish peace in their homes."
3. "I will comfort them in their afflictions."
4. "I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death."
5. "I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings."
6. "Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy."
7. "Tepid souls shall grow fervent."
8. "Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection."
9. "I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored."
10. "I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts."
11. "Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out."
12. "I promise thee in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment."

Prayer of Reparation:

O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore thee profoundly. I offer thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of thee the conversion of poor sinners.

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Incorruptible Body of St. Charles Borromeo

In honor of today's feast day of St. Charles Borromeo, I present some images taken this summer of the incorruptible body of St. Charles Borromeo.  His body rests in a crypt of the Duomo in Milan, Italy.

CatechismClass.com has adopted St. Charles Borromeo as its patron saint.

Prayer: 

O Saintly reformer, animator of spiritual renewal of priests and religious, you organized true seminaries and wrote a standard catechism. Inspire all religious teachers and authors of catechetical books. Move them to love and transmit only that which can form true followers of the Teacher who was divine. Amen.

Images are mine and are copyrighted. You are free to share them if you cite them and include a link back to this post.

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St. John Cantius Displays Over 1,000 Relics for All Saints Day

For the 1st Class Feast of All Saints, St. John Cantius Parish in Chicago had on display over 1,000 relics of our heavenly brethren in the Church Triumphant.

Traditionally, November 5th is regarded as the Feast of the Sacred Relics.  As such, this is a worthy day to visit the relics near you and pray for the intercession of the heavenly host for us and for the repose of the souls of our departed friends and loved ones.

 

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Traditional Mass Propers: 23rd Sunday after Pentecost

INTROIT
Jer. 29:11, 12, 14 Said the Lord: "I think thoughts of peace and not of affliction. You shall call upon Me and I will hear you, and I will bring you back from captivity from all places." Ps. 84:2. Lord, You have blessed Your land; You have restored Jacob from captivity. V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT - Forgive the offenses of Your people, O Lord, so that through Your merciful goodness we may be freed from the bondage of sin into which we were led by our own weakness. Through Our Lord . . .

EPISTLE
Philipp. 3:17-21; 4:1-3
Brethren: Be ye followers of me, and mark those who walk after the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I have told you often (and now tell you weeping) that they are enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction: whose God is their belly: and whose glory is in their shame: who mind earthly things. But our conversation is in heaven: from whence also we look for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory, according to the operation whereby also he is able to subdue all things unto himself. Therefore my dearly beloved brethren and most desired, my joy and my crown: so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beg of Evodia and I beseech Syntyche to be of one mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, my sincere companion, help those women who have labored with me in the gospel, with Clement and the rest of my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life.

GRADUAL
You have freed us from those who afflict us, O Lord, and You have put to shame those who hate us. V. In God we will glory all the day, and praise Your name forever.

Alleluia, alleluia! Ps. 129:1-2 V. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer! Alleluia!

GOSPEL
St. Matthew 24:15-35

At that time, as Jesus was speaking these things unto them, behold a certain ruler came up, and adored him, saying: "Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." And Jesus rising up followed him, with his disciples.

And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself: "If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed." But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: "Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole." And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus was come into the house of the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the multitude making a rout, He said: "Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth." And they laughed him to scorn. And when the multitude was put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand. And the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that country.

OFFERTORY
Ps. 129:1-2
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my prayer, out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord.

SECRET We offer this sacrifice of praise, O Lord, to fulfill our debt of service to You. May Your blessings which we cannot merit, continue to reach us through Your boundless mercy. Through Our Lord . . .

COMMUNION
Mark 11:24
Amen I say to you, all things whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you shall receive, and they shall come to you.


POST COMMUNION - You have given us the happiness of participating in this Heavenly Banquet, O Almighty God. Let us not now fall victim to any human danger. Through Our Lord . . .

Sources: Saint Andrew Daily Missal and the Marian Missal , 1945

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Mass Offered for the Donors to the Shrine of Christ the King's Fire Restoration Fund

On Friday, October 23, 2015, Canon Matthew Talarico offered Mass for the intentions of all contributors to the Shrine's Fire Restoration Fund, the fund set up in the aftermath of the October 7 fire. As they state on their GoFundMe Page:

Your friendship and generosity have moved us more than words can express, and for which no material gift can repay. In gratitude, Holy Mass was offered for you and your intentions. 

The Mass was celebrated in the chapel of the priory, adjacent to the fire-ravaged Shrine of Christ the King. Although the priory was not damaged in the fire, it did sustain smoke and water damage that required extensive restorative cleaning. Earlier this week, the priests and candidates were allowed to return to the priory after the cleaning.  

A Mass will be offered weekly for the intentions of all donors. Your kindness and generosity will not be forgotten. Thank you again!

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Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

This prayer is similar to the Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart. This prayer was written by Pope Leo XIII in 1889 and included in his encyclical Annum sacrum.

Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar. We are Thine, and Thine we wish to be; but, to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart.

Many indeed have never known Thee; many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee; grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father's house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.

Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism, and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may it now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life.

Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: "Praise be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor for ever." Amen.

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Prayer for the Printing of Good Books

This prayer to St. Paul is listed in the Raccolta as having an indulgence of 300 days.  I have highly recommended the propagation of good books and the destruction of evil books.  As I posted before, evil books that attack the Faith need to be destroyed and we should do what we can to help destroy materials offered by the pro-abortion and anti-catholic organizations.  This was taught clearly by St. Pius X who wrote in his catechism:  "A Christian to whom a Bible has been offered by a Protestant or an agent of the Protestants should reject it with disgust, because it is forbidden by the Church. If it was accepted by inadvertence, it must be burnt as soon as possible or handed in to the Parish Priest" (Catechism of Pius X).

Prayer for the Printing of Good Books

O glorious Apostle of the Gentiles, Saint Paul, who with such zeal didst busy thyself in destroying at Ephesus those books which thou knewest well would have perverted the minds of the faithful: turn upon us thy gracious eyes also at this present day. Thou seest how an unbelieving and licentious press is attempting to rob our hearts of the precious treasure of faith and spotless morals. Enlighten, we beseech Thee, O holy Apostle, the minds of so many perverted writers, that they may cease once for all to do harm to souls with their evil doctrines and lying insinuations; move their hearts to hate the evil that they have done and are doing to the chosen flock of Jesus Christ. For us, too, obtain the grace of being ever docile to the voice of the Supreme Pontiff, that so we may never allow ourselves to indulge in the reading of bad books, but may seek instead to read and, so far as it is given to us, to diffuse those books which by their salutary doctrine shall assist all of us to promote the greater glory of God, the exaltation of His Church and the salvation of souls. Amen.

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Shrine of Christ the King: Post Fire Relics

Last week's devastating fire destroyed the entirety of the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago. The Shrine is my spiritual home, so I have personally felt the trial from this loss. Despite this great trial, there have been consolations.

Last Sunday a Solemn High Mass was said at the neighboring St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church.  On display were a number of items salvaged from the fire-ravaged building.  The images of them are below.

Please say a prayer for the Shrine's priests, the Faithful who call the Shrine home, and the neighboring community.

Please consider making a donation to help this monumental rebuilding using the Shrine's Go Fund Me.

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Veneration of St. Maria Goretti's Relics: Pilgrimage of Grace

Last night I was privileged with the grace of venerating the sacred remains of St. Maria Goretti, the youngest canonized saint in the Church and the patron saint of young people.  St. Maria Goretti's story of forgiveness is powerful - consider how she forgave her attacker who brutally stabbed her and how she prayed for his soul.

Her attack, Alessandro Serenelli, would later while in prison receive a vision of St. Maria Goretti.  As eyewitnesses testify, his entire disposition afterwards was changed and he spent his remaining life in penance.  After spending nearly 30 years in prison, he was released and became a Third Order Franciscan and begged the mother of St. Maria for forgiveness.  Like her saintly daughter, the mother forgave the murderer of her own child, in imitation of the mercy of Jesus Christ.

Alessandro testified in favor of St. Maria Goretti's canonization.  It was the first time in Church history that the murdered did so.  It was also the first time that a saint's mother attended her daughter's canonization.  And in another first, it was at the time - in 1950 - the largest attended canonization in history with over 250,000 people in attendance.

Last night, at 7:30 PM a Pontifical Solemn High Mass was said by Bishop Joseph Perry, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago.  The church of St. John Cantius was filled beyond capacity with crowds gathering outside and around the building.  More than 2,000 souls were present for the Mass and original estimates were for 20,000 to come to the parish to venerate her body during the 24 hours of public veneration.  The Mass was so well attended that Bishop Perry had to even perform a second consecration.

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us.  Pray for our world.  Pray for us to learn forgiveness.  Pray for us before the face of the Lord, who you now behold face to face.  You, O Holy Saint, chose to sacrifice your body to save your soul.  May we have the courage to do likewise in the face of adversity.

And may Alesssandro Serenelli, the repentant murderer, who lived the remainder of his life in penance and reparation, have received forgiveness he sought.  May he too be raised to the glory of sainthood and serve as a model for all of us sinners.

Learn if the body of St. Maria will be in your area by clicking here.

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Shrine of Christ the King Vows to Rebuild

Yesterday a devastating fire destroyed much of my spiritual home, the Shrine of Christ the King.  This loss is especially profound as the Shrine has been under renovation since 2004 and was in its 3rd and final stage of restoration.

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21)

I ask for your prayers and support on behalf of the Shrine of Christ the King, a beautiful Shrine that has exclusively offered the Tridentine Latin Mass now for over a decade.  Please click here to donate to the Shrine of Christ the King - donations are very much needed at this time.

Hours after the last flames had been put out, a firefighter walked down the blackened steps of Shrine of Christ the King Church on Wednesday and handed over a statue covered in gold vestments and topped with a crown. 

The statue, known as the Divine Infant Jesus, was made in Spain in the 1700s. It was presented to the 92-year-old church in Woodlawn 10 years ago after the church was spared the wrecking ball and the parish began the long work of restoration.
Smudged but otherwise undamaged, the statue survived an extra-alarm fire overnight that was touched off by renovation work and severely damaged the roof and interior, according to fire officials. To the priests of the parish, it symbolized their intent to rebuild again. 

"The statue is the spiritual centerpiece of our shrine and its community, so people really spiritually identify with it," said the Rev. Matthew Talarico. 

"It's iconic to symbolize all the work and the mission that we do at the church," he said. "It's important that people see that this has been preserved from past years, and this is the first step on the journey forward and that Christ is still with us."
...
Inside the church, charred rubble covered the floor and water soaked the walls and pillars inside. Most of the roof was gone. 

But Talarico remained positive, emphasizing that the parish will still have Masses and carry on other services. 

"The message is that you need to have Good Friday before you can have Easter Sunday," Talarico said with a laugh. 

"We're not starting all over again. This is just another chapter. Our community is here, and we will continue to move forward step by step together. Sometimes circumstances like this bring people even closer together because that common goal really unites us in Christ and with each other. 

"We won't miss a beat," he said, noting that the church has escaped destruction before. 

Source: Chicago Tribune

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