5th Day of the Novena for the Protection of the Unborn

Today is my 5th day of the Novena for the Unborn, but it still isn't too late to join in praying. Please do so if you are not yet praying along for the unborn.

Read more >>

Feast of the Circumcision

Double of the II Class (1955 Calendar): January 1

Today is the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a Holy Day of Obligation in most countries. Today is also the Octave Day of Christmas.

On the Octave Day of Christmas each year (January 1st), we recall that Our Lord and Our Lady both perfectly observed the Law of Moses. On this day, the author of the Law subjected Himself to the Law and shed the first drops of His Precious Blood for our salvation.  In Old Testament Law, a child wasn't a son of Abraham or a true part of the family until his circumcision at 8 days of age.

Jesus respected the sacredness of the Old Law and submitted to its ceremony of circumcision. The rite officially incorporated Him into the Jewish religion and was a figure of Christian Baptism. The Savior came to complete the Old Law and to incorporate people of all nations into His Mystical Body through Baptism. From Him, the Head, they receive all the graces needed to live worthily as His members. We become "acceptable" to God in the measure that we are cleansed from sin, give God His due worship and obedience, and render our fellow men everywhere on earth both full justice and Christ-like charity.

From The Church's Year:

What was the Circumcision?

It was an external sign of the Old Law, by which the people of that day were numbered among the chosen people of God, as now they become, by baptism, members of the Church of Christ.

What is the signification of Circumcision in the moral or spiritual sense?

It signifies the mortification of the senses, of evil desires, and inclinations. This must be practiced by Christians now, since they have promised it in baptism which would be useless to them without the practice of mortification; just as little as the Jew by exterior Circumcision is a true Jew, just so little is the baptized a true Christian without a virtuous life. Beg of Christ, therefore, today, to give you the grace of the true Circumcision of heart.

Why did Jesus submit to Circumcision?

That He might show His great love for us, which caused Him even at the very beginning of His life, to shed His blood to cleanse us thereby from all our sins. Furthermore to teach us obedience to the commandments of God and His Church, since He voluntarily subjected Himself to the Jewish law, although He was not in the least bound by it, which ordered that every male child should be circumcised on the eighth day after its birth (Lev. 12:3).

Why was He named Jesus?

Because Jesus means Redeemer and Savior, and He had come to redeem and save the world (Mt. 1:21). This is the holiest, most venerable, and most powerful name by which we can be saved.

What power has this name?

The greatest power, for it repels all attacks of the evil Spirit, as Jesus Himself says (Mk. 16:17). And so great is the efficacy of this most holy name that even those who are not righteous, can by it expel devils (Mt. 7:22). It has power to cure physical pains and evils, as when used by the apostles (Acts. 3:3-7), and Christ promised that the faithful by using it could do the same (Mk. 16:17). St. Bernard calls the name of Jesus a "Medicine"; and St. Chrysostom says, "This name cures all ills; it gives succor in all the ailments of the soul, in temptations, in faintheartedness, in sorrow, and in all evil desires, etc." "Let him who cannot excite contrition in his heart for the sins he has committed, think of the loving, meek, and suffering Jesus, invoke His holy name with fervor and confidence, and he will feel his heart touched and made better," says St. Lawrence Justinian. It overcomes and dispels the temptations of the enemy: "When we fight against Satan in the name of Jesus," says the martyr St. Justin, "Jesus fights for us, in us, and with us, and the enemies must flee as soon as they hear the name of Jesus." It secures us help and blessings in all corporal and spiritual necessities, because nothing is impossible to him who asks in the name of Jesus, whatever tends to his salvation will be given him (Jn. 14:13). Therefore it is useful above all things, to invoke this holy name in all dangers of body and soul, in doubts, in temptations, especially in temptations against holy chastity, and still more so when one has fallen into sin, from which he desires to be delivered; for this name is like oil (Cant. 1:2) which cures, nourishes, and illumines.

The Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord as explained by Dom Prosper Gueranger:

Our newborn King and Savior is eight days old today; and therefore the Son of Man must be circumcised on this day. This first sacrifice of His innocent Flesh must honor the eighth day of His mortal life.

The Child subjects Himself to this painful ceremony, to this symbol of one devoted to the divine service, in order that He may fulfill all justice.

Being now circumcised, He is not only a member of the human race; He is made today a member of God's chosen People. He receives, at the same time, His holy Name. The Name is Jesus, and it means a Savior. A Savior! Then, He is to save us? Yes; and He is to save us by His Blood. Such is the divine appointment, and He has bowed down His will to it. The Incarnate Word is upon the earth in order to offer a Sacrifice, and the Sacrifice is begun today.

This first shedding of the Blood of the Man-God was sufficient to the fullness and perfection of a Sacrifice; but He is come to win the heart of the sinner, and that heart is so hard that all the streams of that Precious Blood, which flow from the Cross on Calvary, will scarcely make it yield. The drops that were shed today would have been enough to satisfy the justice of the Eternal Father, but not to cure man's miseries, and the Babe's Heart would not be satisfied to leave us uncured. He came for man's sake, and His love for man will go to what looks like excess - He will carry out the whole meaning of His dear Name - He will be our "Jesus," our Savior.

But Our Lord's Circumcision and receiving of His holy Name are not the only mysteries to which this day's feast is devoted. Holy Church is mindful also today, on this great Solemnity, of the Blessed Virgin Mary's august prerogative as the Mother of God. Though a mere creature, Her divine Maternity made Her the cooperatrix with Jesus in the great work of man's salvation.

Thus today, also, we pour forth all the love of our hearts for the Virgin Mother and rejoice with Her in the exceeding happiness She feels at having given birth to Her and our Lord. During Advent, we contemplated Her as pregnant with the world's salvation; we proclaimed the glory of that Ark of the New Covenant, whose chaste womb was the earthly paradise, chosen by the King of Ages for His dwelling place. Now that She has brought Him forth, the Infant God, She adores Him, Who is Her Son. She has the right to call Him Her Child; and He, God as He is, calls Her in strictest truth His Mother.

Let us not be surprised, therefore, at the enthusiasm and profound respect wherewith the Church extols the Blessed Virgin and Her prerogatives. Let us, on the contrary, be convinced that all the praise the Church can give Her, and all the devotion she can ever bear towards Her, are far below what is due to Her as Mother of the Incarnate God.

No mortal will ever be able to describe or even comprehend how great a glory accrues to Her from this sublime dignity. For as the glory of Mary comes from Her being the Mother of God, one would have first to comprehend God Himself in order to measure the greatness of Her dignity. It is to God that Mary gave our human nature; it is God Whom She had as Her Child; it is God Who, inasmuch as He is Man, gloried in rendering Himself subject to Her: hence, the true value of such a dignity, possessed by a mere creature, can only be appreciated in proportion to our knowledge of the sovereign perfections of the great God Who thus deigns to make Himself dependent upon that favored creature. Let us therefore bow down in deepest adoration before the Majesty of our God; let us therefore acknowledge that we cannot respect, as it deserves, the extraordinary dignity of Her whom he chose for His Mother.

The same sublime Mystery overpowers the mind from another point of view - what were the feelings of such a Mother towards such a Son? The Child She holds in Her arms and presses to Her Heart is the Fruit of Her virginal womb, and She loves Him as Her own; She loves Him because She is His Mother, and a mother loves her child as herself, nay, more than herself: but when She thinks upon the infinite majesty of Him Who has thus given Himself to Her to be the object of Her love and Her fond caresses - She trembles in Her humility, and Her soul has to turn, in order to bear up against the overwhelming truth, to the thought of the nine months She held this Babe in Her womb, and of the filial smile He gave Her when Her eyes first met His.

These two deep-rooted feelings - of a creature that adores, and of a Mother that loves - are in Mary's Heart. The being Mother of God implies all this - and may we not well say that no pure creature could be exalted more than She? and that only God's infinite wisdom could plan such a work, and only His infinite power accomplish it?

A Mother of God! It is the mystery whose fulfillment the world, without knowing it, was awaiting for four thousand years. It is the work which, in God's eyes, was incomparably greater than that of the creation of a million new worlds, for such a creation would cost Him nothing; He has but to speak, and all whatsoever He wills is made. But that a creature should become Mother of God, He has had not only to suspend the laws of nature by making a Virgin Mother, but also to put Himself in a state of dependence upon the happy creature whom He chose for His Mother. He had to give Her rights over Himself, and contract the obligation of certain duties towards Her. He had to make Her His Mother, and Himself Her Son.

It follows from this that the blessings of the Incarnation for which we are indebted to the love wherewith the Divine Word loved us, may and ought to be referred, though in an inferior degree, to Mary Herself. If She be the Mother of God, it is because She consented to it, for God vouchsafed not only to ask Her consent, but, moreover, to make the coming of His Son into this world depend upon Her giving it. As this His Son, the Eternal Word, spoke His Fiat over chaos, and the answer to His word was creation; so did Mary use the same word Fiat: - let it be done unto me, She said. God heard Her word and, immediately, the Son of God descended into Her virginal womb. After God, then, it is to Mary, His ever Blessed Mother, that we are indebted for our Emmanuel.

The divine plan for the world's salvation included there being a Mother of God: and as heresy sought to deny the mystery of the Incarnation, it equally sought to deny the glorious prerogative of Mary. Nestorius asserted that Jesus was only man; Mary, consequently, he impiously raved, was not Mother of God, but merely Mother of a Man called Jesus. This blasphemous doctrine roused the indignation of the Catholic world, and the East and West united in proclaiming that Jesus was God and Man, in unity of Person; and that Mary, being His Mother, was, in strict truth, "Mother of God."

This victory over Nestorianism, won at the Council of Ephesus, was hailed by the Christians of those times with an enthusiasm of faith, which proved the tender love they had for the Mother of Jesus.

Prayer:

O God, Who by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary hast bestowed upon mankind the rewards of eternal salvation: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may experience her intercession for us, though whom we have been made worthy to receive the Author of Life, Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord: Who with Thee liveth and reigneth.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

Read more >>

Saint for the Year Results

Thank you to everyone that asked for and helped pass on word for the Saint for the Year project. As of right now I have posted all the results (except 2 that I just got today) for anyone that asked. All results were drawn randomly and I trust that we all can learn a lot from our saints as they all have one thing in common - they're in Heaven. And that is all of our goals.

See the Results page! Also, if you didn't see my original post, see the Saints for the Year post. I will still take requests for patron saints for 2006 if anyone is interested.

God Bless

Read more >>

Beginning a New Year

"Through Divine Grace we are at the beginning of a new year. God alone knows whether we shall reach the end of it, so we should spend it in reparation for the past and in preparing for the future with good resolutions. Good works go hand in hand with good intentions" (St. Padre Pio).

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

Read more >>

Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Today is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Here is Pope Benedict XVI's homily for this Solemnity:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In today's liturgy our gaze continues to be turned to the great mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, while with particular emphasis we contemplate the Motherhood of the Virgin Mary.

In the Pauline passage we have heard (cf. Gal 4: 4), the Apostle very discreetly points to the One through whom the Son of God enters the world: Mary of Nazareth, Mother of God, Theotokos.

At the beginning of a new year, we are invited, as it were, to attend her school, the school of the faithful disciple of the Lord, in order to learn from her to accept in faith and prayer the salvation God desires to pour out upon those who trust in his merciful love.

Salvation is a gift of God; in the first reading, it was presented as a blessing: "The Lord bless you and keep you!... The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!" (Nm 6: 24, 26).

This is the blessing that priests used to invoke upon the people at the end of the great liturgical feasts, particularly the feast of the New Year. We are in the presence of a text packed with meaning, punctuated by the Name of the Lord which is repeated at the beginning of every verse. This text is not limited to the mere enunciation of principles but strives to realize what it says.

Indeed, as is widely known, in Semitic thought the blessing of the Lord produces well-being and salvation through its own power, just as cursing procures disgrace and ruin. The effectiveness of blessing is later more specifically brought about by God, who protects us (v. 24), favours us (v. 25) and gives us peace, which is to say in other words, he offers us an abundance of happiness.

By having us listen once again to this ancient blessing at the beginning of a new solar year, the liturgy, as it were, encourages us in turn to invoke the Lord's blessing upon the New Year that is just beginning, so that it may be a year of prosperity and peace for us all. It is precisely this wish that I would like to address to the distinguished Ambassadors of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See who are taking part in today's liturgical celebration.

I greet Cardinal Angelo Sodano, my Secretary of State. With him, I greet Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino and all the members of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. I am particularly grateful to them for their commitment to disseminating the annual Message for the World Day of Peace, addressed to Christians and to all men and women of good will.

I also offer a cordial greeting to the many choirboys who with their singing add to the solemnity of this Holy Mass, during which we ask God for the gift of peace for the whole world.

By choosing the theme "In truth, peace" as the Message for the World Day of Peace, I wanted to express the conviction that "whenever men and women are enlightened by the splendour of truth, they naturally set out on the path of peace" (n. 3). How can we not see in this an effective and appropriate realization of the Gospel just proclaimed, in which we contemplated the scene of the shepherds on their way to Bethlehem to adore the Child? (cf. Lk 2: 16).

Are not those shepherds, whom the Evangelist Luke describes to us in their poverty and simplicity, obedient to the Angel's order and docile to God's will, perhaps the image most easily accessible to each one of us of the person who allows himself to be enlightened by the truth and is thereby enabled to build a world of peace?

Peace! This great, heartfelt aspiration of every man and every woman is built day after day by the contribution of all and by treasuring the wonderful heritage passed down to us by the Second Vatican Council with the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, which says, among other things, that humanity will not succeed in "the establishment of a truly human world for all men over the entire earth, unless everyone devotes himself to the cause of true peace with renewed vigour" (n. 77).

The time in history when the Constitution Gaudium et Spes was promulgated, 7 December 1965, was not very different from our time. Then, as unfortunately also in our day and age, tensions of various kinds were looming on the world horizon. In the face of the lasting situations of injustice and violence that continue to oppress various parts of the earth, in the face of those that are emerging as new and more insidious threats to peace - terrorism, nihilism and fanatical fundamentalism - it is becoming more necessary than ever to work together for peace!

A "start" of courage and trust in God and man is necessary if we are to choose the path of peace. And it must be on the part of all: individuals and peoples, international organizations and world powers.

In the Message for today's event, I wanted in particular to call the United Nations Organization to a renewed awareness of its responsibilities in encouraging the values of justice, solidarity and peace in a world that is ever more marked by the vast phenomenon of globalization.

If peace is the aspiration of every person of good will, for Christ's disciples it is a permanent mandate that involves all; it is a demanding mission that impels them to announce and witness to "the Gospel of Peace", proclaiming that recognition of God's full truth is an indispensable pre-condition for the consolidation of the truth of peace.

May this awareness continue to grow so that every Christian community becomes the "leaven" of a humanity renewed by love.

"And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart" (Lk 2: 19).

The first day of the year is placed under the sign of a woman, Mary. The Evangelist Luke describes her as the silent Virgin who listens constantly to the eternal Word, who lives in the Word of God. Mary treasures in her heart the words that come from God and, piecing them together as in a mosaic, learns to understand them.
Let us too, at her school, learn to become attentive and docile disciples of the Lord. With her motherly help, let us commit ourselves to working enthusiastically in the "workshop" of peace, following Christ, the Prince of Peace.

After the example of the Blessed Virgin, may we let ourselves be guided always and only by Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and for ever! (Heb 13: 8). Amen.

© Copyright 2006 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Read more >>

Catholic Resolutions 2006

Everyone always makes New Years Resolutions, but how about we make some Catholic Resolutions too. How can we improve our relationship with Christ this Year? List the Top 3 things that you'd like to do.

2006 Catholic Resolutions:

1. Pray the Morning prayer of the Breviary each weekday
2. Pray the Rosary at least once a week
3. Visit other Catholic churches around me and meet other priests and people
4. Read the entire Bible in 1 year
5. Read the readings for Mass each morning

Read more >>

Upcoming Indulgences

If you don't know what an indulgence is or how to get one, please view my Indulgences post.

December 31 Indulgence: A PLENARY INDULGENCE is granted when the Te Deum is recited publicly on the last day of the year. Otherwise a partial indulgence is granted to those who recite the Te Deum in thanksgiving.

January 1 Indulgence: A PLENARY INDULGENCE is granted when the Veni, Creator Spiritus is recited on the first of January or Pentecost.

Thanks to St. Peter's Helpers for pointing this out.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

Read more >>

The Pope Has an Adviser?

Yes, he does. And it makes since as I read the article on Catholic News. While Pope Benedict XVI is a great theologian, he has had help by theologian advisers. It's not that the Pope is unsure, but there is just so much to do. The adviser helps by writing the papal documents and speeches. Many times words are taken the wrong way by non-Catholics that the adviser helps the Holy Father by constantly revising words for them not to be taken any way out of context.

Let us pray for non-Catholics and all others that they come to the fullness of the truth of Jesus Christ in His Catholic Church; let us pray for Christian unity as Our Savior cried out in the Garden on the night He was betrayed, "Let them be one".

And, Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical called "God is Love" will be released to the public shortly. I will certainly be linking to that when it becomes available.

Read more >>

A prayer to Venerate any Saint

ETERNAL Father, I wish to honor St. (Name), and I give You thanks for all the graces You have bestowed upon him (her). I ask You to please increase grace in my soul through the merits of this saint, and I commit the end of my life to him (her) by this special prayer, so that by virtue of Your goodness and promise, St. (Name) might be my advocate and provide whatever is needed at that hour. Amen.

PROMISE: "When you wish to honor any particular saint and give Me thanks for all the graces I have bestowed on that saint, I increase grace in your soul through the merits of that saint. When you commit the end of your life to any of the saints by special prayers, I appoint those saints to be your advocates and to provide whatever you need at that hour."-Our Lord to St. Gertrude

From the book: Prayers and Heavenly Promises, Compiled from Approved Sources, by Joan Carroll Cruz.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain


NOTE: Catholics Don't "worship" saints; we simply honor them for their great lives for Our One Lord, Jesus Christ. We are called to imitate our Lord and the saints give us a model to follow in the imitation of Christ.

Read more >>

Novena for the Unborn

Today is my 3rd day in praying the Novena for the Unborn, but anyone can still join in praying it.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

Read more >>

Feast of the Holy Family

Greater Double (1955 Calendar): Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany (or January 12th if Jan 13th falls on a Sunday)

Second Class (1962 Calendar): Sunday after the Epiphany

"The Feast of the Holy Family is of recent origin. In 1663 Barbara d'Hillehoust founded at Montreal the Association of the Holy Family; this devotion soon spread and in 1893 Leo XIII expressed his approval of a feast under this title and himself composed part of the Office. The Feast was welcomed by succeeding Pontiffs as an efficacious means for bringing home to the Christian people the example of the Holy Family at Nazareth, and by the restoration of the true spirit of family life, stemming, in some measure, the evils of present-day society. These motives led Benedict XV to insert the Feast in the universal Calendar, and from 1921 it has been fixed for this present Sunday."

Traditional Mass Propers for the Holy Family

INTROIT
The Father of the just one greatly rejoices. Let your father and your mother be joyful, and let her who bore you be glad. Ps. 83:2, 3. How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul yearns and faints for the courts of the Lord. V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT - O Lord Jesus Christ, You sanctified home life with untold virtues by being subject to Mary and Joseph. May they assist us to imitate the example of Your Holy Family, so that we may share with them their eternal happiness; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

Commemoration of the First Sunday After The Epiphany - O Lord, mercifully hear the plea of those who call upon You, that Your people may understand their duty and be strengthened to fulfill it. Through Our Lord . . .

EPISTLE
Col. 3:12-17
Brethren: Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: Bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another. Even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly: in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

GRADUAL
One thing I have asked of the Lord; this will I seek after: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Happy they who dwell in Your house, O Lord! They shall praise You forever and ever.

Alleluia, alleluia! Verily You are a hidden king, the God of Israel, the Savior. Alleluia!

GOSPEL
Luke 2:42-52

And when he was twelve years old, they going up into Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast, And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem. And his parents knew it not. And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day's journey and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance. And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom and his answers. And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: "Son, why hast thou done so to us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." And he said to them: "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be about my father's business?" And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and grace with God and men.

OFFERTORY
Luke 2:22
The parents of Jesus took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.

SECRET O Lord, we offer You this sacrifice in atonement for our sins. May the intercession of the Virgin Mother of God and blessed Joseph, ever bestow Your peace and grace upon our families. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION
Luke 2:51
Jesus went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them.

POST COMMUNION - We are refreshed by Your heavenly Sacrament, O Lord Jesus. Help us always to follow the example of Your Holy Family, that Your glorious Virgin Mother and blessed Joseph may meet us at the hour of our death, and find us worthy to enter with You into Your eternal home; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

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

Consecration to the Holy Family:

O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou protect us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace and concord in Christian love: in order that by living according to the divine pattern of Thy family we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by the kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary, help us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal needs; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity. Amen.

Say an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be three times.

Read more >>

The Angel's Prayer at Fatima

"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 indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners. "

Don't be cotsent with knowing about Christ, but truly seek to love Him. He said, "Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world" (Matthew 28:20). He is truly with us in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar - our God is present. Love Him, do not just know about Him. It is for this reason that Eucharist Adoration is one of my favorite forms of prayer.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain, From the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX)

Read more >>

Pope Benedict: "God Loves Every Embryo"

Pope Benedict XVI recently announced that God does love every embryo. Life is life regardless, as life begins at the moment of conception. It was still when Our Lord was in the womb, that St. John the Baptist, also leapt in His womb out of joy. St. John the Baptist felt Our Lord's shining presence while both of them were still unborn!

Today we live in a society where people take such sinful acts as artificial contraception and abortion much lighter than they truly are. Let us remain faithful in opposition to such horrible practices. Please, join with me in my Novena for the Unborn.

St. Augustine: "Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it; right is right even if no one is doing it."

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

Read more >>

My Catholic Reflections Blog

Thank you, Thank you

So many people have asked for saints, and I have been able to meet many other bloggers. I haven't been able to visit all of the bloggers, but I found one blog that is very good, My Catholic Reflections. Please check it out.

Read more >>

Feast of the Holy Innocents

Feast (1969 Calendar): December 28
Double of the II Class (1955 Calendar): December 28

Besides the 4th Day in the Octave of Christmas, today is also the Feast Day of the Holy Innocents. Today in times past was also a Holy Day of Obligation.

Matthew 2:13-18 (Douay Rheims):

And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him. Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod: That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

From the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy:

Since the sixth century, on December 28, the Church has celebrated the memory of those children killed because of Herod's rage against Christ (cf. Mt 2:16-17). Liturgical tradition refers to them as the "Holy Innocents" and regards them as martyrs. Throughout the centuries Christian art, poetry and popular piety have enfolded the memory of the "tender flock of lambs"(125) with sentiments of tenderness and sympathy. These sentiments are also accompanied by a note of indignation against the violence with which they were taken from their mothers' arms and killed.

In our own times, children suffer innumerable forms of violence which threaten their lives, dignity and right to education. On this day, it is appropriate to recall the vast host of children not yet born who have been killed under the cover of laws permitting abortion, which is an abominable crime. Mindful of these specific problems, popular piety in many places has inspired acts of worship as well as displays of charity which provide assistance to pregnant mothers, encourage adoption and the promotion of the education of children.

Traditional Mass (1962 Rubrics) said on December 28, 2018, at the St. Mary's Oratory in Rockford.

The following is an explanation of today's feastday with the pre-1955 traditions. The main differences between the pre-1955 liturgy for the Holy Innocents and the one used in the 1962 Missal is that the vestments are purple before 1955 and the gradual and alleluia are omitted today:

Holy Innocents or "Childermas Day" is celebrated on December 28. The Gospel tells the story simply. "Herod sent and slew all the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old or under." He had intended to include the Son of God among the murdered babies. To recall the grief of their mothers the Church wears purple today. In Mass she hushes her joyous Gloria in Excelsis and the Alleluias. And yet there is joy in her services. Children sing with the choirs in the great cathedrals; and in ancient times other functions were given to them — hence the name "Childermas" or Children's Mass.  

The feast of the Holy Innocents is an excellent time for parents to inaugurate the custom of blessing their children. From the Ritual comes the form which we use on solemn occasions, such as First Communion. But all parents need to do is to sign a cross on the child's forehead with the right thumb dipped in holy water and say: May God bless you, and may He be the Guardian of your heart and mind — the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Source: Catholic Culture 

Holy Innocents Day As A Day of Penance?

At some point in the past, at least in one place, there was a fast and abstinence from flesh meat and foods cooked in fats on Holy Innocents Day. Cardinal Schuster and Fr. Lasance mention the fast, which would seem appropriate in honor of the children who were martyred on this day. This is a worthwhile optional practice we may want to do as well, and we can offer up this penance for the souls of the unborn.

Reminder to Pray for the Unborn:

Today we remember the brutal murder of those little martyrs. Yet, today we still have the same assault on the little ones among us - the unborn. Please pray for the unborn today that we might all respect such small lives. Today is a great day to begin a novena for the unborn. This is even more important than ever since the souls of aborted children do not enter Heaven. Unlike the Holy Innocents who died before Baptism was made necessary for salvation by the command of Christ, today's children (born and unborn) must be baptized.

Prayer:

O God, Whose praise the martyred Innocents on this day confessed, not by speaking, but by dying: destroy in us all the evils of sin, that our life also may proclaim by deeds Thy faith which our tongue professes. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

Mass:


The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form celebrated on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, Dec 28, 2007, by Fr. Jason Vidrine at Our Lady of Wisdom Church on the UL Campus in Lafayette, LA

Read more >>

A Holy Family Prayer

This prayer is taken from Prayer Book for Religious, compiled by Fr. F. X. Lasance, S.J. (Benziger Brothers, 1904)

O most loving Jesus, Who by Thy sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, obedience, poverty, modesty, charity, patience and gentleness, and by the example of Thy domestic life, didst bless with peace and happiness the family Thou didst choose on earth, in Thy clemency look down upon this household, humbly prostrate before Thee and imploring Thy mercy. Remember that this family belongs to Thee; for to Thee we have in a special way dedicated and devoted ourselves. Look upon us in Thy loving kindness; preserve us from danger; give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in the imitation of Thy Holy Family; that having revered Thee and loved Thee faithfully on earth, we may bless and praise Thee eternally in heaven.

O Mary, most sweet Mother, to thy intercession we have recourse, knowing that thy Divine Son will hear thy prayers.

And do thou, O glorious Patriarch, St. Joseph, assist us by thy powerful mediation, and offer, by the hands of Mary, our prayers to Jesus. Amen.

Read more >>

Saint of the Year Project

Thank you all for the strong interest. As soon as I get a saint for those of you who recently asked, I will post it here. Thanks again for the interest.

Read more >>

Mycatholic.com Fundraiser

MyCatholic.com is a great site. It is a customizable Catholic homepage where you can add links, weather, and other features. You can even subscribe to blog feeds like mine and get a preview on that site. Right now Mycatholic.com is hosting a fundraiser to stay running through 2006. If you can, please make a donation there.

To put my blog's feed on Mycatholic.com, click here.

Read more >>

Illinois Abortions at 31 year low!

It is great news to hear that in 2004 Illinois abortions reached a 31 year low. In 2004, 41,577 abortions were performed, a two percent decrease from the 42,228 that were done in 2003. But, this is still so many little lives slaughtered. Don't be content with just this. Let us continue to stand up for life and fight it no matter what state we may life in.

Source: Life Site News

Christ reign in your hearts. May He guard all of His children, born and unborn. Amen

Thanks to Catholic Fire linking to the story

Read more >>

St. John the Apostle and Evangelist

"When Jesus, therefore, had seen His mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He saith to His mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, He saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own." (John 19:26-27, Douay Rheims)

Feast (1969 Calendar): December 27
Double of the II Class (1955 Calendar): December 27

Besides the 3rd Day in the Octave of Christmas, today is also the Feast Day of St. John. Today in times past was also a Holy Day of Obligation.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, when Our Lord was taken from us and sentenced to death, all his disciples left him - every last one except one. St. John the Apostle was the only one to return to the Cross. It was there that He saw the love of the Lord - for Jesus Christ willingly gave up His life for us. St. John was given the gift of Mary, Our Lord's Mother, and Mary was given to us then. That day we were redeemed and Mary became Our Mother as well. It was St. John who was there. It was also St. John who wrote the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John. 

St. Jerome (ca. 347 to ca 420) wrote about St. John in his Lives of Illustrious Men. His short biography portrays a man dedicated to bringing the word of God to others despite many obstacles:

 

"John, the apostle whom Jesus most loved, the son of Zebedee and brother of James…wrote a Gospel, at the request of the bishops of Asia, against Cerinthus and other heretics and especially against the then growing dogma of the Ebionites, who assert that Christ did not exist before Mary. On this account, he was compelled to maintain His divine nativity. But there is said to be yet another reason for this work, in that when he had read Matthew, Mark, and Luke, he approved indeed the substance of the history and declared that the things they said were true, but that they had given the history of only one year, the one, that is, which follows the imprisonment of John and in which he was put to death. So passing by this year the events of which had been set forth by these, he related the events of the earlier period before John was shut up in prison so that it might be manifest to those who should diligently read the volumes of the four Evangelists….

"In the fourteenth year then after Nero, Domitian having raised a second persecution he was banished to the island of Patmos, and wrote the Apocalypse, on which Justin Martyr and Irenaeus afterwards wrote commentaries. But Domitian having been put to death and his acts, on account of his excessive cruelty, having been annulled by the senate, he returned to Ephesus under Pertinax and continuing there until the time of the emperor Trajan, founded and built churches throughout all Asia, and, worn out by old age, died in the sixty-eighth year after our Lord’s passion and was buried near the same city" (Wace and Schaff, eds. 1892. pg. 364-365)

St. John is truly the Apostle of Charity: "The Blessed Evangelist John lived at Ephesus down to an extreme old age, and, at length, when he was with difficulty carried to the Church and was not able to exhort the congregation at length, he was used simply to say at each meeting, My little children, love one another. At last, the disciples and brethren were weary with hearing these words continually, and asked him, Master, wherefore ever sayest thou this only? Whereto he replied to them, It is the commandment of the Lord, and if this only be done, it is enough" (Divinum Officium Website. 1960 rubrics, Matins, December 27. Reading 6)

For more on the lives of all the Apostles, pick up a copy of "The Twelve: Lives and Legends of the Apostles" on paperback or as part of the online course on the Apostles, which includes a Certificate of Completion.

Blessing of Wine

Some people even have traditions on this Feast day of Blessing Wine. For information on this and the prayers, visit the link. Keep this tradition alive.

Octave of St. John

Traditionally, before the 1962 changes, there was an Octave associated with the Feast of St. John.  January 3rd was the Octave Day of St. John.  Those attached to this older calendar may still pray the Breviary on January 3rd using the prayers for the Octave Day of St. John

Collect:

Of Thy goodness, O Lord, shine upon Thy Church, that, enlightened by the teachings of blessed John, Thine Apostle and Evangelist, she may attain to everlasting gifts. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

Read more >>