Jesus Christ - A Divine Friend

Lately, I have had the unfortunate reality of encountering several individuals that have been confused regarding the nature of our Divine Lord.  Recall that our Blessed Lord, the Savior of the world, has said, "Be perfect just as your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48), and only by imitating our Lord can we attain the perfection required to enter Heaven.  For those of you who desire greater intimacy with our Lord by imitating Him, I can not highly recommend enough the work of Thomas A Kempis in The Imitation of Christ.

It has come up in conversation as of late with individuals that our Blessed Lord was both a divine and a human person.  This is not correct.  It is true that it is a dogma of our Faith that our Lord has both a perfectly divine and a perfectly human nature, the only one in the history of the world to have both.  However, our Lord is not a human person, even if He has a human nature.  Rather, our Lord is a Divine person.  Understanding this is necessary to knowing our Lord and imitating Him.  As the Compendium states, "The Church calls the mystery of the wonderful union of the divine and human natures in the one divine Person of the Word the 'Incarnation'" (Paragraph 86).

There has also arisen in conversations lately and even in some comments on A Catholic Life, that our Lord is our "brother."  While it is true that our Blessed Lord has made us sharers of the glory to come, He never refers to the apostles in the Gospels as His brother.  Instead, He refers to Himself as their friend (cf Matthew 26:50), even as He is being betrayed and delivered up to the cruelty of death.

Try to put these realities together - the only Divine Person in the history of the world is our friend.  This reality should be the source of great consolation and peace.  However, this friendship, like the protestants would claim, is not guaranteed. We are not guaranteed to be "saved."  Our Lord says, "If you love me, keep my commandments " (John 14:15).  If we are His friends, then we will love Him.  How can someone remain another's friend without loving them?  It is not possible.  And yet, our Lord says that if we love Him, our deeds shall manifest our love.  How can we truly say that we are friends of our Lord and worthy of divine filiation and redemption if we do not keep His Commandments (and therefore do not love Him)?

In the Ascension, we hear in the Preface the meaning of our Lord's Ascension, which further illumines this reality of His friendship:

It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God: through Christ our Lord. Who, after His Resurrection, appeared openly to all His disciples, and, while they looked on, was taken up into Heaven, that He might grant unto us to be sharers in His own divinity.

Our Lord ascended into Heaven so that we might become sharers of His own divinity. The only Divine Person in the world extends His friendship to us. What marvel is this!  O How Great is our Redeemer.  Praise be to Him!

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Prayers in Times of Bad Weather

Preface: For a listing of hundreds of prayers with indulgences and special blessings attached to them, be sure to refer to a copy of the Raccolta often.  Click here to order one.

The Prayer or Blessing Against Storms

(At each '†', make the Sign of The Cross)

Jesus Christ a King of Glory has come in Peace.† God became man,† and the Word was made flesh.† Christ was born of a Virgin.† Christ suffered.† Christ was crucified.† Christ died.† Christ rose from the dead.† Christ ascended into Heaven.† Christ conquers.† Christ reigns.† Christ orders.† May Christ protect us from all storms and lightning† Christ went through their midst in Peace,† and the word was made flesh.† Christ is with us with Mary.† Flee you enemy spirits because the Lion of the Generation of Juda, the Root David, has won.† Holy God!† Holy Powerful God!† Holy Immortal God!† Have mercy on us. Amen!

A Prayer for Hurricane Season

O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former quietude; you are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. During this hurricane season, we turn to You, O loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with the passing of time. O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son in our behalf, so that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of gratitude, we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a storm-less eternity awaits us. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR HURRICANE SEASON

(Our Lady of Prompt Succor)

Our Father in Heaven through the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, spare us during this Hurricane season from all harm. Protect us and our homes from all disasters of nature. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Another Prayer to Avert Storms and Hurricanes

Father, all the elements of nature obey your command. Calm the storms and hurricanes that threaten us and turn our fear of your power into praise of your goodness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Chaplet of Protection
(To be prayed on ordinary rosary beads)

The chaplet is said by starting with the Crucifix and reciting the Apostles' Creed, then the Our Father, followed by three Hail Mary's on the group of three beads nearest the Crucifix.

First Hail Mary in praise of God the Father; Second Hail Mary in petition or (request); Third Hail Mary in thanksgiving with confidence that your request will be granted.

Instead of the Glory be to the Father..., recite "Holy God, Holy Omnipotent One, save us who dwell in this land."

On EACH decade, instead of the Hail Mary, recite "Jesus Savior, merciful Savior, spare your people."

.....it is recommended that you complete 15 decades in this manner....

Upon completion of the final decade, recite "Son of God, Eternal Son, thank You for the things You have done. Amen."

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Remember the Promise of the Brown Scapular

I have in the past written on the benefits of the Brown Scapular and today added to my prior post this video. Please do not forget about the benefits of the Brown Scapular and the eternal rewards from wearing it. If you have fallen away from using it, come back to the Scapular.

Always remember the words of our Lady: "Whoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire."

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