Then today could be your day. Today is October 13 and the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima in 1917, which was witnessed by thousands. It is truly an amazing miracle.Read on the Miracle and visit the photo source
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Then today could be your day. Today is October 13 and the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima in 1917, which was witnessed by thousands. It is truly an amazing miracle.Read on the Miracle and visit the photo source
The Miraculous Medal is a devotion to the Virgin Mary called the "Miraculous" Medal for the many miracles associated with those that wear it. It is one of my favorite medals to wear.The Miraculous Medal came to the world through an Apparition of the Virgin Mary to Catherine Labouré in Paris, France in 1830. In Mary's second apparition, she asked that "a medal should be struck in this image. The people wearing it will receive my indulgence and those who piously say this short prayer will enjoy my very special protection".
One of the most famous conversions due to the miraculous medal was that of Alphonse Ratisbonne, an anti-Catholic Jewish banker. He received a vision of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. After his conversion, he became a priest and worked for the conversion of the Jewish people.
Click here to read Fr. John Hardon's testimony of a miracle brought about in front of him because of the Miraculous Medal.
English Translation of the Traditional Prayer Said by the Priest to Bless the Miraculous Medal:
The priest who is to bless the sacred medal of the Immaculate Conception, vested in surplice and white stole, says:
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All: Who made heaven and earth.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty and merciful God, who by the many appearances on earth of the Immaculate Virgin Mary were pleased to work miracles again and again for the salvation of souls; kindly pour out your blessing + on this medal, so that all who devoutly wear it and reverence it may experience the patronage of Mary Immaculate and obtain mercy from you; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
The priest sprinkles the medal with holy water, and presents it to the person, saying:
Take this holy medal; wear it with faith, and handle it with due devotion, so that the holy and immaculate Queen of heaven may protect and defend you. And as she is ever ready to renew her wondrous acts of kindness, may she obtain for you in her mercy whatever you humbly ask of God, so that both in life and in death you may rest happily in her motherly embrace.
All: Amen.
The priest continues:
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Our Father (the rest inaudibly)
P: And lead us not into temptation.
All: But deliver us from evil.
P: Queen conceived without original sin.
All: Pray for us.
P: Lord, heed my prayer.
All: And let my cry be heard by you.
P: The Lord be with you.
All: May He also be with you.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, who willed that your Mother, the blessed Virgin Mary conceived without sin, should become illustrious through countless miracles; grant that we who ever seek her patronage may finally possess everlasting joys. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever.
All: Amen.
AN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL
Virgin Mother of God, Mary Inmmaculate, we dedicate and consecrate our selves to thee under the title of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. May this Medal be for each one of us a sure sign of thy affection for us and a constant reminder of our duties toward thee. Ever while wearing it, may we be blessed by thy loving protection and preserved in the grace of thy Son. O most powerful Virgin, Mother of our Savior, keep us close to thee every moment of our lives. Obtain for us, thy children, the grace of a happy death; so that, in union with thee, we may enjoy the bliss of heaven forever. Amen.
V. O Mary, conceived without sin,
R. Pray for us who have recourse to thee. ( 3 times.)
Well, Priests for Life has a new brochure called You can save someone's life today (PDF file). Please pass along the information inside especially pregnany numbers. If you can't read that here is a HTML version.Abortion is not a choice; it is murder. If you are pregnant don't think you don't have other options. God created us all to live in happiness, and only He has the right to take life being the Creator of Life. What if Mary hadn't had Jesus? Think about how much of a saint any unborn child can become. Trust in God and know that abortion is death. God is calling all to life. Trust in Him since He believed in you to the death.
Carenet/Heartbeat 1-800-395-HELP
Crisis Pregnancy Helpline 1-888-4-OPTIONS
Birthright 1-800-550-4900
National Life Center 1-800-848-LOVE
Bethany Christians Services 1-800-238-4269
Image Source: Believed to be in the public domain, source unknown
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
I don't know about everyone else, but I really enjoy forums and reading and posting at them. Usually all of them are Catholic forums and my favorite questions asked are those of people trying to understand the Catholic faith. It is indeed a great gift to aid another in their journey to Christ, and God calls each of us to serve Him. I choose to serve Him by spreading the Gospel.
So, I'm commonly asked questions about the faith and try to answer them although if I could create one post on each topic here including links for more information and references from the CCC and Bible along with the Church's position and teachings this could be extremely valuable to spreading the Church to others. John Paul ll said, "How can they believe if they have not heard?" I'm hoping others will join me in working together this way to spread the Christ to others.
Would anyone care to do this? Do you think it's a good idea?
(I'm unsure on the first topic to cover although I'd like to do it on devotion to Mary or the saints and why we pray to them)
Read more >>
So, I'm commonly asked questions about the faith and try to answer them although if I could create one post on each topic here including links for more information and references from the CCC and Bible along with the Church's position and teachings this could be extremely valuable to spreading the Church to others. John Paul ll said, "How can they believe if they have not heard?" I'm hoping others will join me in working together this way to spread the Christ to others.
Would anyone care to do this? Do you think it's a good idea?
(I'm unsure on the first topic to cover although I'd like to do it on devotion to Mary or the saints and why we pray to them)
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
I'd like to make this blog more open to conversation like a forum, so would anyone care to participate in a reading of the Gospel? I will post the Gospel (if not daily at least a few times a week) and I'll post a commentary on the text. This will help us correct error in interpretation draw upon the Word of God, who is the person of Jesus Christ, during the day.Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain, Priest chanting the Last Gospel at a Tridentine Mass
The word "Angelus" comes from the Latin "Angelus Domini" meaning "Angel of the Lord". This is a prayer of the Church said three times a day at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM. The present-day form of the Angelus traces back to 1560 and is a prayer composed of a short sentence followed by a response and then followed by a Hail Mary. It is an excellent prayer reminding all of Christ's Incarnation the gift of Himself - born to come, to die, and to save. The Church also blesses this devotion with indulgences.
The Angelus is prayed three times daily and is said year long except during Easter Time (From Easter Sunday until the end of the Octave of Pentecost) when the Regina Coeli is prayed. Traditionally, the Angelus is prayed while kneeling except on Sundays and Holy Days when it is prayed standing with a genuflecting (bowing on one knee) during the statement: "And dwelt among us".
If you are praying in a Group the leader saying the "V" parts and you say the "R" part, but if you are praying alone you will pray all parts.
The Prayer:
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary…
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary…
V. And the Word was made flesh,
R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary…
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
V. Let us pray.
R. Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross, be brought to the glory of His Resurrection; through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Monday, October 10, 2005
In the agony of the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ knew that He was to be mocked, tortured, beaten, deprived of friendship, and killed; yet His love remained. And in His agony, knowing His coming brutal death, He cried out in prayer. Read the 17th Chapter of the Gospel of John.Let us pray with this prayer I found in a Catholic prayer book:
God our Father, it is your purpose to bring the whole of creation into unity with you. Give us the grace to further this aim and to live out your truth on earth. Bring all your people closer to one another and unite us in the sharing of your good news. Come, Holy Spirit, and help us to join into one community of believers. Amen
Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain
Sunday, October 9, 2005
The process of sainthood is such: Servant of God - Venerable - Blessed - Saint (Read Roman Catholic sections) If you are unfamiliar with devotion to saints then please read further on the subject.I just finished watching an EWTN special for the Beatification Mass of Cardinal Clemens August von Galen this evening. First, if you are unaware for the process of being declared a saint, someone in Heaven, then please read the Wikipedia article on sainthood.
Today I watched the Beatification Mass celebrated by Cardinal Saraiva Martins celebrated at Saint Peter's Basilica for the Beatification of Cardinal Clemens August Graf von Galen (1878 - 1946). And although Pope Benedict XVI did not celebrate the Mass since a beatification is more of a regional celebration than a declaration of sainthood, the Holy Father did arrive near the end to bless the crowd and speak. Although not spoken by Our Holy Father, I found these words spoken on the Eucharist very refreshing and brilliant. It was said that in receiving the Eucharist one's "...Heart becomes the throne of the Son of God." Is your heart worthy? After this life we will be seeing our God with our own eyes, touching Him with our own hands, but our you worthy? If not then seek His mercy in the Sacrament of Confession, the delight of souls where every single soul, by the power of God, is washed clean from sin. Thanks be to God for His immeasurable gift - His only Son, eternally begotten of the Father!
Cardinal Clemens August Graf von Galen was a huge critic of the Nazi regime. He lived the Truth in the midst of the darkness of World War II.
If you have information relevant to the canonization of Blessed Clemens, please contact:
Domkapitular Martin Hülskamp
Horsteberg 18, 48143
Münster, Germany
After seeing the US devestated by hurricanes, the world is again struck by a natural disaster in Asia with a 7.6 magnitude earthquake with a death toll near 20,000 now! Please start praying for these people. Let's start a Rosary network for these people praying our Rosary and leaving them in Mary's arms that she might take them to Christ, the Divine Healer, the Only Truth. Last Thurday was the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, a day commemorating a Christian naval victory attributed to the continuous prayer of the Rosary. With Mary's intercession in mind, let us walk together to Christ that we might not just save these people physically but in mind, body, and spirit. Let us pray completely for them that Christ might heal them and reign in their hearts.
Christ-Haunted, a reader of this site and a blogger, posted about the site, AsiaNews.it for more information to keep up on the subject. And if you can give monetary aid please do so through Catholic Charities (This link is for Catholic Charities USA).
Read more >>
Christ-Haunted, a reader of this site and a blogger, posted about the site, AsiaNews.it for more information to keep up on the subject. And if you can give monetary aid please do so through Catholic Charities (This link is for Catholic Charities USA).
This website, Catholic Tuner, looks like a good find with Holy Family Radio, Ave Maria Radio, Relevant Radio, EWTN, and more. And best of all, it's completely free to listen to it.
Read more >>
Image Source: Bartolomé Estéban Murillo. The Blessed Giles Levitating before Pope Gregory IX, about 1645-46 Oil on canvas, 65 1/2 x 73 1/4 in. (166.3 x 186.0 cm.)"No man can attain to the knowledge of God but by humility. The way to mount high is to descend. "– Blessed Giles of Assisi
I just found this quotation today and wanted to share it with everyone before I will be going to Mass.
After all, we are all unworthy servants. We all sin and some are worse than others, but those truly repentant and loving are certainly in Christ's eternal heart. God knows we can't do anything by ourselves so He saves us continuously again. Some say they don't "see" God, they just can't say yes or no. And I tell you then to open your heart see the joy of the world, the complexity of the universe, the miracle of life, the joy of the Catholic faith, and the greatest source of all beauty - the Holy Eucharist. Why don't you get out of your house and look at the world and see it isn't something anyone on earth could possibly imagine. Sir Issac Newton in the preface to "Principia" translates as such, "...to lay forth the laws of nature with such clarity that no thinking man may deny the existence of God"
"Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. The humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of all things, who made them what they are" (CCC 159)Above all it comes down to the fact that God made science and therefore is still outside of it. His beauty and majesty can not be reached by a microscope or a telescope or by sitting in life waiting around. The greatest thing is that Christ died for everyone one of us and wants to know us all in such a personal way and the ONLY way to do this is the pray. Start out slow with vocal prayers and eventually move on. Throughout this whole life Christ is the source of Mercy. Come to Him as St. Faustina taught us to pray, "Jesus, I trust in you."
Remember our Lord's teachings in the Gospel, all that humble themselves will be exulted and all that exult themselves will be humbled. Do you think Christ is only in a book? No! He is in His Church preserved from the time of Our Lord's Resurrection of His teachings. The Holy Spirit is guiding us, but then again, we must humble ourselves. None of us are worthy of any grace of God, rather it is only through His mercy that we are healed.
Saturday, October 8, 2005
I know that several of my readers are very good at apologetics (defending the Catholic faith), so I'm posting this hear to see if anyone wants to participate in a discussion on the faith. I am a member of the Catholic Community Forum. In the debate boards I have recently engaged in a few discussions on the Catholic Church's teachings.If anyone here wants to help respond and defend the Church just join the Catholic Community Forum (My username there is Moneybags), and visit these two discussions. You don't have to join to just read the posts.
1. Indulgences
2. Blessed Virgin Mary
Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain
Friday, October 7, 2005
"We need no wings to go in search of Him, but have only to look upon Him present within us."-- Saint Teresa of Avila
We don't need to search any further for Christ than first within us as it was through His divine will that He gave us light - a spark of His divine love. As Pope Benedict XVI said, "Each of us is the result of a thought of God," and before anything else we must find a personal relationship with Christ. We don't have to search for Christ over the Internet, in a book, or anything first. In reality, we must find Him first within us and respond by loving Him. Only if we love Him may we receive His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist the source of the greatest graces.
I said it before and will say it as much as necessary - our faith is completely on love because we will be judged on only one thing - how much did we love (St. John of the Cross). Every single day we are to love and give as much as possible. I know someone that even took in Hurricane Katrina evacuees. God knows how much you can give of time, talent, and treasure. Give what you can from each area and do it with love.
As Saint Teresa of Avila said, we don't have to make life more complex. Trust in God and find Him within yourself, in the Catholic Church and love Him "who humbled Himself to death even death on a cross."
Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain
The "Choose Life" license plate that originated in Florida in 1999 has been approved in 13 states to date. Already, more than 60,000 motorists have raised over $5 million dollars to fund pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes by using these license plates.On March 9, 2006, Choose Life License Plates succeeded in New York when an appelate court dismissed a lawsuit by pro-abortion groups seeking to stop them.
In Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, Tennessee, South Dakota, Montana, and now New York, Choose Life plates are onsale. These plates promote adoption and have certainly saved thousands of unborn lives. South Carolina's law was ruled unconstitutional. Most states donate the proceeds to adoption groups, but Alabama, Hawaii, Maryland and Montana donate some of the funds collected to pro-life organizations.
Updates:
- In June 2006, Indiana has approved Choose Life Plates
- New Jersey lawsuit against Choose Life Plates thrown out
- In November 2006, Georgia has approved Choose Life Plates
- In January 2007, Illinois has approved Choose Life Plates
- In Februrary 2007, Pennsylvania now sells Choose Life Plates
Unfortunately, Hawaii and Montana also have license plates supporting abortion.
If you live in the US and your state does not yet have Choose Life plates then please select your state and see what you can do to help. You may just need to sign a petition.
Thursday, October 6, 2005
Does it mean putting another title next to my name? Does it mean getting up early ever Sunday? Is it the same as other Christian religions?No. Our society is living in a culture of death where lies spread because some prefer the darkness to the light. These people hate the Truth - the Truth that Jesus Christ started the Catholic Church (Matthew 16:18) and the Seven Sacraments of that Church. Through the ages the manipulations by others have taken the teachings of Christ and not simplified them but changed them! They call Christ liars!
I, however, do not blame anyone today at all. Above all, being Catholic is to love Christ completely. When we enter the Church in baptism we have our sins forgiven by the power of Christ working through His priests. This command he gave to His disciples at the end of the Gospel of Matthew: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
In this great Sacrament of baptism, we literally enter the Catholic Church and in turn become part of the Mystical Body of Christ. We are baptized into Christ's body and therefore salvation is possible. Salvation outside of baptism is unrealistic because salvation outside of baptism is available only to those that truly didn't know of Christ - not those that refused Him.
We as Catholics are not hypocrites. We know the Mass - the form of worship started by Christ where at every single Catholic Mass Christ, the Good Lord - is the bloodless sacrifice of the Cross. We remember His death as in the words of the Gospels: "Do this in memory of Me." And through the Mass we reach a question: Can't I just stay at home and pray the same?
No! Is God physically present in your room? No, but at the Mass at the very most solemn moment, by the power of God and through His teachings in the Gospel of John 6, the Bread and Wine truly become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ not by the priest's power but God's power working through the priest.
We as Catholics are not idolaters and pray to statues and we don't worship Mary at all. We are not liars and wrongdoers but followers of Christ and His teachings before those came to corrupt them so that these anti-Christs might bring others down with them.
Look to Christ. So many people spend YEARS looking for life and its purpose, and in truth it only has one word: God. Look to God alone and trust in Him. Love Him who died for you and rose again so that you might live in His glory. Is Heaven easy? Certainly not, look to the lives of the saints and martyrs who died for their beliefs. Look to those in everyday life standing against the majority to support Christ's teachings and not trying to reason around opinions against the Church. Heaven is the narrow road that few shall find (Matthew 7:13)
Trust in God. He is there, waiting...Patiently in the Holy Eucharist for us to adore Him. In this year of the Eucharist may we grow more in love for our Savior and God and serve Him alone. That His not our way may be done.
The Council of Nicea (325 AD) wrote the following Profession of Faith. This is what Catholics believe. It should be solemnly proclaimed each Sunday Mass:
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary , and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.Catholics also must never support abortion, embryonic stem cell research, homosexual marriage, human cloning, euthanasia, or artificial contraception. A Catholic must believe all dogmas of the Catholic Church declared over the past 2,000 years since.
For more information see Apologetic Posts. Are you, Interested in becoming Catholic? If so, look at the online resources available through CatechismClass.com.
Tuesday, October 4, 2005
I recently read of an incident at a Church where a group of people after Communion ran up to the altar and smashing it onto the ground and destroying it. Today, I read a follow-up where the vandals claimed that a vision from Heaven led them to do it. And this article also stated they did it because Catholics don't care at the Mass. They just say the words with no feeling; they worship the idol - the altar.I was deeply saddened by this and for that reason I wanted to start a "Return to the Basics" this week and I would appreciate others bloggers doing the same. I'd like to post links to my articles on the true teachings of the Church as we are NOT idolaters.
Basics:
Praying to Saints? Is this wrong?
Prayer
The Mass
Purgatory
Indulgences
Sacraments
Eucharist
Confession
Prayer to Mary
Dogma of the Immaculate Conception
Image Source: Images in the Public Domain. If you are interested in obtaining all of the images of this series in high resolution, please click here to visit my post to obtain them.
Greater Double (1955 Calendar): October 4
Francis Bernardone was born in 1181 in Assisi, Umbria, Italy, to his who father was a wealthy merchant and to Pica, his mother. At his baptism, St. Francis received the name Giovanni (John), but his father changed it Francesco for France, where his business as a clothes merchant led him at that moment. He became a favorite of the nobles in Assisi and lived a life of a noblemen delighting in noble clothing and other possessions.
At the age of 20, after living a life away from God, Francis went to war against Perugia, but was captured and imprisoned for a year. While there, he received a fever that appears to have turned his thoughts to the things of eternity. However, he still wanted a military career. The very night before his departure, he experienced a vision of Christ that changed his life.
When he was approached by his noble friends afterward, his demeanor was utterly changed. He was a man of the spirit. They asked him if he was to be married. St. Francis said, "Yes", and he wanted to take as his bride Lady Poverty. He gave up his attire and sinful ways and submitted himself to a life of prayer and solitude although he was still uncertain over his change in life
St. Francis of Assisi was what we would call today a "radical". He loved God in such a radical way that from the moment of his conversion he served God completely. Once he saw a leper and was horrified by the man and kept walking until he realized his sin and turned around. He not only gave the man his money but...a kiss. Lepers were not only considered hideous but their odor was equally as disgusting as their appearance. And St. Francis fought against these desires of "Me" and "I" and turned them around to serving God through our neighbors.
"If anyone says: I love God, but he hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother"(1 John: 4:20-21)
St. Francis was not a priest but a holy man who did receive the five wounds of Christ - the stigmata and lived a life devoted to God.
Once Christ on the crucifix in a church actually spoke to him asking Him to rebuild His Church, which he did. His intense love of God one day even became a visible fire around his church where numerous people came and tried to put it out and realize it was not a fire but an intense love manifested - similar to a halo.
St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and was not a vegetarian but specifically would not eat lamb because Christ identified himself with the lambs as the Lamb of God. St. Francis said, "If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."
Let us also be especially kind to those animals of the world. This week, give up meat in one extra meal (in addition of course to the required Friday abstinence) and give that money in the Sunday collection. Or, if you are able to fast, do so and spend extra time in prayer. I conclude with my favorite quotation by him, which he sang while lying on the ground dying: "Lead me out of my prison, that I may give thanks to your name" (Psalm 142).
Traditional Matins Reading:
Francis was born at Assisi in Umbria, and, after his father’s example, followed from his youth a mercantile career. One day, contrary to his custom, he repulsed a poor man who begged an alms of him for Christ’s sake; but, immediately repenting of what he had done, he bestowed a large bounty upon the beggar, and at the same time made a promise to God, never to refuse an alms to any one that asked him. After this he fell into a serious illness; and on his recovery, devoted himself more eagerly than ever to works of charity, making such rapid progress in this virtue, that, desirous of attaining evangelical perfection, he gave all he had to the poor. His father, angered at his proceedings, brought Francis before the bishop of Assisi, that, in his presence, he might formally renounce all claim to his patrimony. The saint gave up all to his father, even stripping off his garments, that he might, he said, for the future, have more right to say: Our Father who art in heaven.
After hearing one day this passage of the Gospel: Do not possess gold nor silver, nor money in your purses; nor scrip for your journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, he took it for his rule of life, laid aside his shoes, and kept but one tunic. He gathered together twelve disciples and founded the Order of the Minors. In the year of our salvation 1209, he went to Rome, to obtain the confirmation of his rule and Order from the apostolic See. Pope Innocent HI at first refused to see him; but having in sleep beheld the man he had repulsed supporting with his shoulders the Lateran basilica which was threatening to fall, he had him sought out and brought to him; and receiving him kindly confirmed the whole system of his institute. Francis then sent his brethren into every part of the world to preach the Gospel. He himself, desirous of an opportunity of martyrdom, sailed into Syria; but the Soldan treated him most kindly; so that, unable to gain his end, he returned into Italy.
He built many convents of his Order, and then retired into solitude on Mount Alvernia; where he fasted forty days in honor of the Archangel St. Michael. On the feast of the Exaltation of the holy Cross, he had a vision of a seraph bearing between his wings the figure of the Crucified, who impressed the sacred stigmata on his hands and feet, and side. St. Bonaventure says he heard Pope Alexander IV, while preaching, relate how he had himself seen these wounds. These signs of Christ’s exceeding love for his servant excited universal wonder and admiration. Two years later, Francis grew very ill, and was carried, at his own request, into the church of St. Mary of the angels; that he might give up his mortal life to God, in the very place where he had commenced his life of grace. There, after exhorting the brethren to poverty and patience, and the preservation of the faith of the holy Roman Church, he said the psalm: I cried to the Lord with my voice. When he reached the verse: The just wait for me, until thou reward me, he breathed forth his soul, on the fourth of the Nones of October. He was renowned for miracles and Pope Gregory IX enrolled him among the saints.
Auspicato Concessum:
A happy circumstance enables the Christian world to celebrate, at a not far distant interval, the memory of two men who, having been called to receive in heaven the eternal reward of their holiness, have left on earth a crowd of disciples, the ever-increasing off-spring from their virtues. For, after the centenary solemnities in honor of St. Benedict, the father and lawgiver of the monks of the West, the opportunity of paying public honors to St. Francis of Assisi will likewise be furnished by the seventh centenary of his birth. It is not without reason that We see therein a merciful intention of Divine Providence. For, by calling on men to celebrate the birthdays of these illustrious Fathers, God would seem to wish that they should be induced to keep in mind their signal merits, and at the same time to understand that the Religious Orders they founded ought on no account to have been the objects of such unbefitting acts of violence, least of all in those States where the seeds of civilization and of fame were cast by their labor, their genius, and their zeal.
Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 17, 1882.
Writings:
A letter by St. Francis of Assisi
Prayers:
O God, Who, through the merits of blessed Francis didst give increase to Thy Church by enriching her with new offspring: grant us, that following his example we may despise earthly goods and ever be glad to partake of Thy heavenly gifts. Through our Lord.
Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
Monday, October 3, 2005
What does this mean?
Well, several days ago Justice John Roberts was confirmed to the Supreme Court and with cases coming VERY soon on assisted suicide laws in Oregon and the abortion parental-notification law in New Hampshire we will soon know Justice Roberts position. Let us pray, especially with last Sunday being Sanctity of Life Day, that Justice Roberts will protect life along with the other justices.
Today, Oct. 3rd, Harriet Miers has been nominated to take Sandra Day O'Connor's position and many are uncertain on her nominated. She, however, has apparently fought against abortion before and certainly, in my opinion, is a good choice for the court. Now, I'd like to share a quotation I read on a Family Research Council letter:
"[The] culture of life cannot be sustained solely by changing laws. We need, most of all, to change hearts" (President Bush)
Read more >>
Well, several days ago Justice John Roberts was confirmed to the Supreme Court and with cases coming VERY soon on assisted suicide laws in Oregon and the abortion parental-notification law in New Hampshire we will soon know Justice Roberts position. Let us pray, especially with last Sunday being Sanctity of Life Day, that Justice Roberts will protect life along with the other justices.
Today, Oct. 3rd, Harriet Miers has been nominated to take Sandra Day O'Connor's position and many are uncertain on her nominated. She, however, has apparently fought against abortion before and certainly, in my opinion, is a good choice for the court. Now, I'd like to share a quotation I read on a Family Research Council letter:
"[The] culture of life cannot be sustained solely by changing laws. We need, most of all, to change hearts" (President Bush)
Sunday, October 2, 2005
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." (Matthew 18:10)
Memorial (1969 Calendar): October 2
Greater Double (1954 Calendar): October 2
Just a few days after the The Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel, we have the Feast of the Guardian Angels. Dom Gueranger writes:
Each of us has a specific guardian angel to watch over us night and day (Ps 34:7, Mt 18:10, Ac 12:15), but what do we do concerning them? Do we ask for their guidance daily or ignore them? Everyday when we rise to go about our day and make a morning offering let us thank God for His mercy and pray that our guardian angel protects our body and soul in the day ahead. Please take advantage of this - for we are not alone in life! Our guardian angel is always with us! As stated in the Baltimore Catechism, "Our Guardian Angels pray for us, protect and guide us, and offer our prayers, good works and desires to God" (223).Although the solemnity of September 29 celebrates the praises of all the nine glorious choirs, yet the piety of the faithful, in the latter ages, desired to have a special day consecrated to the Guardian Angels. Several churches having taken the initiative, and kept the feast under various rites and on different days, Paul V (1608) authorized its celebration ad libitum. Clement X (1670) established it by precept as a feast of double rite on October 2, the first free day after Michælmas, on which it thus remains in some way dependent. [Note: After his work was written, Pope Leo XIII raised the feast to the rank of Greater Double].
And each of our parishes and countries has its own individual guardian angels as well. St. Frances de Sales writes of this:
And as a reminder, we do not become angels as some people seem to believe. Angels are completely different creatures; what we hope to become is a saint (no matter how old we are when we die), and then we will be in Heaven with the angels praising God: "Hoshana in the Highest, Lord God of Peace." People can't be angels just like they can't be dogs after they die - we are completely different creatures.
For more information, please see my post: What are Angels? A Summary & Exposition on Angels for Catholics
"And so, that nothing in heaven should be wanting in your concern for us, You send those blessed spirits to serve us, assigning them as our guardians and our teachers. 'He has given his angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.' These words should fill you with respect, inspire devotion and instill confidence: respect for the presence of angels, devotion because of their loving service, and confidence because of their protection. And so the angels are here; they are at your side, they are with you, present on your behalf. They are here to protect you and to serve you. But even if it is God who has given them this charge, we must nonetheless be grateful to them for the great love with which they obey and come to help us in our great need.
"So let us be devoted and grateful to such great protectors; let us return their love and honor them as much as we can and should. Yet all our love and honor must go to Him, for it is from Him that they receive all that makes them worthy of our love and respect. We should then, my brothers, show our affection for the angels, for one day they will be our co-heirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father. We are God's children although it does not seem so, because we are still but small children under guardians and trustees, and for the present little better than slaves.
"Even though we are children and have a long, a very long and dangerous way to go, with such protectors what have we to fear? They who keep us in all our ways cannot be overpowered or led astray, much less lead us astray. They are loyal, prudent, powerful. Why then are we afraid? We have only to follow them, stay close to them, and we shall dwell under the protection of God's heaven."
Votive Mass of the Angels:
Missa Cantata on a side altar at St. Josaphat's Church in Detroit Michigan, said by Fr. Hrytsyk
"The great Peter Faber, the first priest, the first preacher, and the first proposer of divinity in the Holy Society of Jesus, and the companion of St. Ignatius, its founder, returning from Germany, where he had done great service to the glory of our Lord, and travelling through this diocese, the place of his birth, related, that having passed through many heretical places, he had received innumerable consolations from the guardian angels of the several parishes, and that on repeated occasions he had received the most sensible and convincing proofs of their protection. Sometimes they preserved him from the ambush of his enemies, at other times they rendered several souls more mild, and tractable to receive from him the doctrine of salvation: this he related with so much earnestness, that a gentlewoman then very young, who heard it from his own mouth, related it but four years ago, that is to say, about threescore years after he had told it, with an extraordinary feeling. I had the consolation last year to consecrate an altar on the spot where God was pleased this blessed man should be born, in a little village called Vilaret, amidst our most craggy mountains. Choose some particular saint or saints, whose lives may please you most, and whom you can best imitate, and in whose intercession you may have a particular confidence. The saint, whose name you bear, is already assigned you, from your baptism."
Above all, get to know your guardian angel. Request their aid even in computer and Internet trouble or traffic jams. Angels are spiritual creatures with remarkable intelligence yet no free will. As stated in the Baltimore Catechism Q 216: "Angels are pure spirits without a body, created to adore and enjoy God in heaven." They serve God completely and devotion to our guardian angels can only lead us closer to Jesus Christ. Early Christians were devoted to angels. Origen writing in 225 AD declared: "Every believer — although the humblest in the Church — is said to be attended by an angel, who the Savior declares always beholds the face of God the Father. Now, this angel has the purpose of being his guardian."
And as a reminder, we do not become angels as some people seem to believe. Angels are completely different creatures; what we hope to become is a saint (no matter how old we are when we die), and then we will be in Heaven with the angels praising God: "Hoshana in the Highest, Lord God of Peace." People can't be angels just like they can't be dogs after they die - we are completely different creatures.
For more information, please see my post: What are Angels? A Summary & Exposition on Angels for Catholics
No evil shall befall you, nor shall affliction come near your tent, for to His Angels God has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways. Upon their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone (Psalm 91: 10-12)
From St. Bernard:"And so, that nothing in heaven should be wanting in your concern for us, You send those blessed spirits to serve us, assigning them as our guardians and our teachers. 'He has given his angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.' These words should fill you with respect, inspire devotion and instill confidence: respect for the presence of angels, devotion because of their loving service, and confidence because of their protection. And so the angels are here; they are at your side, they are with you, present on your behalf. They are here to protect you and to serve you. But even if it is God who has given them this charge, we must nonetheless be grateful to them for the great love with which they obey and come to help us in our great need.
"So let us be devoted and grateful to such great protectors; let us return their love and honor them as much as we can and should. Yet all our love and honor must go to Him, for it is from Him that they receive all that makes them worthy of our love and respect. We should then, my brothers, show our affection for the angels, for one day they will be our co-heirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father. We are God's children although it does not seem so, because we are still but small children under guardians and trustees, and for the present little better than slaves.
"Even though we are children and have a long, a very long and dangerous way to go, with such protectors what have we to fear? They who keep us in all our ways cannot be overpowered or led astray, much less lead us astray. They are loyal, prudent, powerful. Why then are we afraid? We have only to follow them, stay close to them, and we shall dwell under the protection of God's heaven."
Votive Mass of the Angels:
Missa Cantata on a side altar at St. Josaphat's Church in Detroit Michigan, said by Fr. Hrytsyk
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever be at my side to light and to guard, to rule and to guide.
Collect:
O God, Who in Thine ineffable Providence hast deigned to send Thy holy Angels to keep watch over us: grant to us Thy suppliant people, that we may always be defended by their protection, and may rejoice in their fellowship for ever. Through our Lord.
Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
Today is finally the Sanctity of Life Day. Please, pray the Rosary today. Pray it for all those that are thinking of abortion, have had one, and the children in the womb. Today is our chance to make a difference - our chance to help others in carrying their crosses - our chance to help Our Lord. Did He not say thus:
"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. . . . Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." -- Jesus Christ (Matthew 25:40, 45)
Wouldn't you help our Lord if He were in the womb? If you answered yes then PLEASE pray the Rosary. Through the Rosary, Mary will pray for us and her prayers can only lead to her Divine Son - Our Lord, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us.
Peace be with you all
Image Sources: Created by a user of Phatmass Phorums. Used with permission.
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