Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus

There is one Church

2011-12-17T08:53:00.001-08:00

There is one God, and Christ is one, and there is one Church, and one chair founded upon Peter by the word of the Lord. Another altar cannot be constituted nor a new priesthood except the one altar and the one priesthood.
~ St. Cyprian, 3rd century A.D. ~

Pope St. Pius X's Oath Against Modernism

2011-12-17T08:07:00.001-08:00

The New Evangelization !!!

2011-10-15T02:08:00.001-07:00

The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization is hosting an event at the Vatican called "New Evangelizers for the New Evangelization: The Word of God Grows and Spreads."

Archbishop Fisichella said the meeting will hopefully "quash" any illusions that "everything was alright in the past," or that "everything will be fine in the future" thanks to the invention of a "new formula."

He said that, though the mission of the Church has always been evangelization, and that it has been going on now for more than 2,000 years, the Church needs to find "a new language, a new lifestyle, one that is respectful but has a deeply rooted identity," with evangelizers "who have a profound sense of belonging to the Church and the Christian community, but at the same time who are open to others (!!! )."

News Source :
Zenit

Prayer for restoration of our Holy Catholic Church

2011-10-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Quote Pope Paul VI ( Nostra Aetate ) In our time, when day by day mankind is being drawn closer together, and the ties between different peoples are becoming stronger, the Church examines more closely her relationship to non-Christian religions. In her task of promoting unity and love among men, indeed among nations, she considers above all in this declaration what men have in common and what draws them to fellowship.

The truth is that Catholic Church is called to promote the Holy Catholic Universal Church , as it was in the beginning until the end of times . The true Catholic Church has no connection with heretics or pagans, there is no way to make compromises or consider brothers in faith . The only thing would be to try to convert them in the way of salvation , because we all know and confess that there is no other salvation outside the true - traditional Catholic Church . For what kind of reason - the Heaven is filled with Martyrs of Crusades , they shed their blood fighting against pagans and heretics , for what kind of vatican 2 mockery - was the Battle of Lepanto when our Lady Rosary had won a great victory against heretics .( For the records of Vatican 2 , I will remember them that - at that very moment, at dawn on October 7, 1571-- as Vatican Archives later revealed--Pope Pius V, accompanied by many faithful, was praying the Rosary in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. From dawn to dusk the prayers continued in Rome as the Christians and the Muslims battled at Lepanto. When it was all over the Muslims had been defeated. Of some 270 Moslem ships, at least 200 were destroyed. )
I'm the end of my sorrowful post I'll pray for the salvation of the Holy Church from the hand of usurpers - those protestant like - humanists - illuminati - what ever kind they are ..

Oremus/ Let us pray :
We beseech Thee, O Lord, mercifully to receive the prayers of Thy Church : that all adversity and error being destroyed, she may serve Thee in security and freedom. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ: Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God ,forever and ever.Amen.

“We are spiritually very close to you”: Vatican’s Ramadan message to Muslims

2011-10-14T04:32:00.000-07:00

!!!!!!Spiritually very close to you !!!!!!!!

The letter was from Cardinal Tauran, head of the Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and addressed simply to his “Dear Muslim friends.” Putting aside 1300 years of bitter rivalry, Cardinal Tauran called on his Muslim friends to unite with the Church to combat a common foe: you, me, and everyone else who objects to God expert domination of society. Cardinal Tauran warned Muslims to face up to “ a reality which Christians and Muslims consider to be of prime importance … the challenges of materialism and secularisation.” Then he got down to brass tacks:

The transmission of such human and moral values to the younger generations constitutes a common concern. It is our duty to help them discover that there is both good and evil, that conscience is a sanctuary to be respected, and that cultivating the spiritual dimension makes us more responsible, more supportive, more available for the common good.

Christians and Muslims are too often witnesses to the violation of the sacred, of the mistrust of which those who call themselves believers are the target. We cannot but denounce all forms of fanaticism and intimidation, the prejudices and the polemics, as well as the discrimination of which, at times, believers are the object both in the social and political life as well as in the mass media.

There are more code words here than you can shake a stick at. “Conscience is a sanctuary to be respected” is a code word for placing God experts above the law, so they can ignore rules that apply to the rest of us because God’s commandments (as communicated by them) are superior to the common sense solutions devised by mere mortals. Thus, for example, religious organizations must be free to discriminate against Jews and same-sex married couples, whether or not the law allows anyone else to do so. “Transmission of such human and moral values to the younger generations” is a code word for taxpayer financial support for the religious brainwashing of children, teaching them that people like you and me deserve to be tortured in hell forever. “Discrimination in the mass media” is a code word for the free expression of views like those you are reading now, views which I would have a hard time publishing in, say, Iran – a state of affairs leaving Cardinal Tauran green with envy.

Source :
Vatican Insider- La Stampa

Assisi 3 will be on October 27 - what's next ?? Bali 2012

2011-10-14T03:48:00.000-07:00

Muslim students invite the pontiff to Bali conference , anyone wonder or ponder why ??

http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/muslim-students-invite-pope-bali-conference

FIDES, the Vatican’s missionary news agency, reports that the HMI delegation met with Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

During the Vatican visit, the Indonesian students shared their ideas with Cardinal Tauran on ways to promote dialogue and religious pluralism through creating collaborations between Islamic and Roman Catholic communities.

Fides characterized the visit by the HMI showed how the organization has become a voice for promoting dialogue and interreligious harmony in combating extremism.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... I should add in the title : Vatican 2 mocking the Catholic Crusades . "Well done" conciliar church , keep ruin the values of our Holy Catholic Faith

Sin and Its Consequences ( Henry Edward Manning (1808-1892)

2011-10-04T06:26:00.000-07:00

Sin and Its Consequences is based on a series of eight Lenten lectures. The first four chapters deal with the problem of sin. After explaining the nature sin, Manning explains the distinction between mortal and venial sins. He further discusses sins of omission which, if left unchecked, can all too easily lead to more serious sins. In the fifth chapter, Manning shows how the Sacrament of Penance is a most effective remedy for actual sins committed after Baptism. He gives practical advice for avoiding the occasions that lead to sin and illustrates how Jesus Himself overcame temptations during His earthly life. Finally, he describes the joys that await those who sincerely repent and conform their wills to the divine will, for those who live and die in solidarity with Jesus Christ, shall rise with Him to everlasting life and glory

Even the Third Secret of Fatima is still unrevealed and still ignored ..

2011-06-08T04:14:00.000-07:00

.. we can still fight against Last Times Apostasy , we can fight through Mary under victorious title of Our Lady of Fatima

The Last Times Remedies, given by Our Lady at Fatima and spoken by Sister Lucia ar two-fold:

1. The Rosary Devotion

2. The Five First Saturday Reparatory Devotion and Consecration of Russia.

The Rosary Devotion consists of the praying the Rosary daily, as well as offering up our daily sacrifices and duties in reparation or apology to God for the sins committed. We must remember to first apologize to God for sins, and then all things will be given afterwards. So this first step, the Rosary devotion, repairs for sins and helps to save souls from going to Hell.

Our Lady said :“Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to Hell because there is no one to pray and make sacrifices for them.”

This is a Daily Consecration formula that can be used:

"Dear Queen and Mother, who promised at Fatima to convert Russia and bring peace to all mankind, in reparation to Thy Immaculate Heart for my sins and the sins of the whole world, I solemnly promise:

"To offer up every day the sufferings and sacrifices demanded by my daily duty; (through the Morning Offering prayer);

"To pray the rosary daily while meditating on the Mysteries;

"To wear the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel as a profession of this promise and as an act of consecration of myself to Thee, and to renew this promise often, especially in moments of temptation."

The second remedy

The second remedy is The Five First Saturday Reparatory Devotions, which was requested by Our Lord to repair the damage of the five offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Act of Consecration and Reparation to Mary's Immaculate Heart

O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of heaven and earth and most tender Mother of men, in accordance with Thy ardent wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate to Thee myself, my family, my brethren, my country, and the whole human race.

Reign over us and teach us how to make the Heart of Jesus reign and triumph in us an around us, as it has reigned and triumphed in Thee.

We desire to atone for the many grievous sins and offenses committed against Jesus and Thee. We desire to call down upon our country and the whole world, the peace of God in justice and charity.

We promise to imitate Thy virtues by the practice of a Christian life without regard to human respect. We resolve to receive Holy Communion on the First Saturday of each month, and to offer Thee five decades of the Rosary each day, together with our sacrifices, in the spirit of reparation and penance. Amen.

This is more than revolting .. Fatima official site is not "dangerous"

2011-06-08T03:38:00.000-07:00

.. the heresy lies on the other side -> Catholic Culture . How dare them to publish this kind of list of unwanted sites , it's a kind of communist censure..

http://www.catholicculture.org/search/resultslist.cfm?resourcetype=2&requesttype=sitebrowserate&fidelity=red&resources=0&useability=0

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quote :
Description

This site is devoted to promoting the message of Fatima, particularly from the viewpoint of Fr. Nicholas Gruner, and to promoting The Fatima Crusader. While the site does present some useful information regarding the apparition, we have to advise extreme caution. The Fatima Network, and its website, is headed by Fr. Nicholas Gruner. Fr. Gruner has been suspended from priestly ministry and does not have ecclesiastical approval of his activities. Gruner has been in conflict with Church authorities for over 20 years because of his insistence that the Fatima message has gone unheeded. He has rejected the assurances of both Pope John Paul II and Sister Lucia, the surviving Fatima seer, that the directive of the Virgin Mary has been fulfilled, and Russia has been consecrated to her Immaculate Heart.

Review Ratings what do these ratings mean?

Fidelity: Danger!

Resources: Fair

Useability: Normal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Lady of Fatima and LaSalette , ora pro nobis

The truth is that the Third Secret of Fatima is still unrevealed , clearly, the conditions for the conversion of Russia have not been met and the Reign of Mary will not come without a chastisement. Russia has not converted and is again openly spreading its communist errors. On the world front, news of religious wars and ethic clashes fill the daily papers to the point that almost no one can keep up with them.

Therefore, nothing would seem more important today than for the Supreme Shepherd to speak to the Catholic flock about the Fatima message, to make the Consecration of Russia following Our Lady's specifications, to exhort the faithful to follow the First Saturday devotion, to insist on the daily Rosary, and to speak out against the new forms of Communism emerging across Europe, Africa and Latin America.

Vice President Biden Meets With Pope Benedict | Daily News | NCRegister.com

2011-06-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Vice President Biden Meets With Pope Benedict | Daily News | NCRegister.com: "

“I have no comment. It was a totally private meeting, and there will no communiqué,” Vatican spokesman Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi told CNA on June 3"

I just wonder how they were shaking their hands ? like this ?..

Daily affirmations about Novus Ordo Seclorum

2011-06-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Second Vatican Council Was Not Infallible

The Second Vatican Council (1963-1965) was not intended to be an infallible doctrinal council but was conceived as a “pastoral” renewal of the Church to bring it into line with the Revolution of 1789. Paul VI admitted it to be a disaster. For proof, we shall quote the addresses of Popes John XXIII († 1963) and Paul VI († 1978) at the opening and closing of the Council, as well as other material from Popes, cardinals and bishops.

The Testimony of John XXIII

Pope John XXIII himself stated in his Opening Address at the beginning of Vatican II that the Council was not intended to be a doctrinal council concerned with defining any articles of Faith; rather it was to be a “pastoral” council that was concerned with representing the Catholic Faith in a manner acceptable to the modern world.

..but the "fruits" of Second Vatican Council were ...

Pope Paul VI, who promulgated the Council, witness to its destructive fruits.

“The Church finds herself in an hour of anxiety, a disturbed period of self-criticism, or what would even better be called self-destruction. It is an interior upheaval, acute and complicated, which nobody expected after the Council. It is almost as if the Church were attacking itself. We looked forward to a flowering, a serene expansion of conceptions which matured in the great sessions of the Council. But one must notice above all the sorrowful aspect. It is as if the Church were destroying herself.” (Address to the Lombard Seminary at Rome, December 7, 1968)

Indeed, half the priests in the world simply walked out within a decade of the Council. The Church has been destroying itself ever since, and has adopted just about every harmful or scandalous policy it possibly could to hasten the destruction. Paul VI went as far as to state the following about the Church in the post-conciliar period.

“We have the impression that through some cracks in the wall the smoke of Satan has entered the temple of God: it is doubt, uncertainty, questioning, dissatisfaction, confrontation. […] We thought that after the Council a day of sunshine would have dawned for the history of the Church. What dawned, instead, was a day of clouds and storms, of darkness, of searching and uncertainties.” (Sermon during the Mass for Sts. Peter & Paul in St. Peter’s Basilica, on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of his coronation, June 29, 1972)

“The tail of the devil is functioning in the disintegration of the Catholic world. The darkness of Satan has entered and spread throughout the Catholic Church even to its summit. Apostasy, the loss of the faith, is spreading throughout the world and into the highest levels within the Church.” (Address on the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions, October 13, 1977)

Our Lady of Fatima and LaSalette , ora pro nobis .

Liberal Catholic Blah Blah

2011-06-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

The Third Secret of Fatima

2011-03-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

"In the Third Secret we read, among other things, that the great apostasy in the Church begins at the top."

---Cardinal Luigi Ciappi, Papal theologian for 40 years to five popes

Based on what those who have read the Third Secret have said about it, we can deduce the warnings it contains...

( Facsimile of the third part of the Fatima Secret )

It warns that the dogma of the faith will be lost in some parts of the world,---possibly most of Europe, and other places too.

It warns of the subsequent loss of morals, both as a cause of loss of faith and then as a result of the loss of the faith.

It predicts that as a chastisement, God allows the Church to be infiltrated by bad clergy and the bad clergy then accelerate the apostasy of the faithful. Diabolical disorientation results in the Hierarchy and in lay people.

One of the sins that brings upon the diabolical disorientation of the lay people is the sin of contraception, as St. Raphael the Archangel explains to Tobias:

"Do you want to know over whom the devil has power? It is over those who go at marriage like the horse and the mule." (Tob. 6:16-17)

The Third Secret tells how the large masses of Catholics are deceived in their own hearts with diabolical disorientation. They in turn accept the wrong leadership that comes out of the ambiguous passages of Vatican Council II, especially regarding the New Mass, as well as the false theories of Ecumenism, Collegiality and Religious Liberty.

The betrayal known as the Vatican-Moscow Agreement (1962) allows Communists, radicals and Masons to enter our seminaries, our ranks of the priesthood and even be promoted to be bishops, both at home and abroad, even to enter the Vatican itself.

The Third Secret makes it plain that, above all, this is a spiritual war waged between the Blessed Virgin Mary---the Woman of Revelation---the Woman of the Apocalypse (Ch. 12) against Satan, Lucifer, the devil, and his followers. The only way we will be, and stay, on the right side is to stay close to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The ways we will distinguish between the good and bad clergy are by seeing if they uphold dogma, if they uphold Tradition, if they uphold what the Church has always taught and always stood for.

We need to look for these things in their words, but above all, in their lives. Do they make us follow Jesus and Mary, or do they draw us after themselves?

We must be careful not to judge by appearances but we must be on our guard against even bad bishops and Cardinals. We must even be on our guard to respect the Pope but be careful to not follow him if a reigning Pope were to give a bad example.

The Secret warns us of all these things and does it with an economy of words. Quite possibly it points us to certain passages of Scripture, notably Apoc. 12:1-4 as applying to our time with Our Lady's brief explanation of it.

It is most notable that Sister Lucy said that the Secret is contained in chapters 8 through 12 of the Apocalypse. This appears to be verified by Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI who both, in reference to Fatima, quoted from Chapter 12 of the Apocalypse.

There is nothing in the already published texts on Fatima about the Apocalypse. Thus, Fatima's most apocalyptic warnings must be contained in that part of the Secret that has yet to be released.

The Fatima Crusader

The Myth of Religious Tolerance

2011-03-19T01:31:00.000-07:00

Excellent and high inspired article published in the Inside Catholic , written by Rev. Thomas D. Williams, L.C.:

The vehement, sometimes acrimonious debates that accompanied the drafting of the Vatican II declaration on religious freedom, Dignitatis Humanae, yielded an exceptionally precise and carefully worded document. Noteworthy in the 5,700-word declaration is the absence of even a single reference to religious "tolerance" or "toleration."

The choice of religious "freedom" or "liberty" as the proper category for discussion and the exclusion of "tolerance" flies in the face of the societal trend to deal with church-state issues in terms of religious tolerance.

As one notable example, along with the 40th anniversary of Dignitatis Humanae, 2005 also marked the tenth anniversary of the United Nations' "Year for Tolerance." Back in early 1995, Federico Mayor, director-general of UNESCO, made the following remarks in New York:

Fighting intolerance takes both state action and individual responsibility. Governments must adhere to the international standards for human rights, must ban and punish hate crimes and discrimination against all vulnerable groups, must ensure equal access to justice and equal opportunity for all. Individuals must become tolerance teachers within their own families and communities. We must get to know our neighbors and the cultures and the religions that surround us in order to achieve an appreciation for diversity. Education for tolerance is the best investment we can make in our own future security.

If the umbrella of tolerance necessarily covers hate crime legislation and "appreciation for diversity," with all that has come to signify, these remarks may well give pause. In modern discourse tolerance is never just tolerance; and even if it were, it would hardly present the best category for describing attitudes toward religion. Rather, we would do well to heed the wisdom of the Council Fathers regarding the true meaning of religious freedom.

More about :
The Myth of Religious Tolerance

Dancing with the saints: Retreat master says that's the key to Lent

2011-03-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Lord have Mercy , Christ have Mercy !
I just wonder how far Vatican II can go ..

Carmelite Father Francois-Marie Lethel gives one of 17 talks during a March 13-19 Lenten retreat for Pope Benedict XVI and his top aides in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel at the Vatican. The theme of the retreat was: "The Light of Christ in the Heart of the Church: John Paul II and the Theology of Saints." (CNS/L'Osservatore Romano)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The saints aren't just people to turn to when something is lost or a situation seems hopeless; they are examples to follow in prayer and in efforts to reform and renew the church, said the priest who was preaching Pope Benedict XVI's Lenten retreat.

Carmelite Father Francois-Marie Lethel, secretary of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, led the pope and his top aides in their Lenten reflections March 13-19.

He said his 17 talks during the week would focus on the saints and Pope John Paul II.

In addition to helping Pope Benedict and Vatican officials prepare for Easter, Father Lethel said he wanted to help them prepare for the beatification May 1 of Pope John Paul.

"This beatification, which will be an event of immense importance for the church and the entire world, requires deep spiritual preparation involving the entire people of God and, in a particular way, the Holy Father and his closest collaborators," Father Lethel wrote in the introduction to the retreat program handed out to participants.

The tradition of having weeklong, preached "spiritual exercises" for the pope and members of the papal household began with Pope Pius XI in 1925. But for more than 35 years it was an Advent, not a Lenten retreat.

Pope John XXIII broke the Advent tradition in 1962 when he spent a week in September on retreat to prepare for the Second Vatican Council. His successor, Pope Paul VI, made the retreats a Lenten staple in 1964 and hugely broadened the list of preachers, who almost always had been Jesuits.

Father Lethel is the first Carmelite to be chosen to preach the pope's retreat, and three famous Carmelites figured prominently in his meditations: Sts. Therese of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.

The three were chosen, though, not because they were Carmelites, but because of their influence on Pope John Paul, Father Lethel said in an interview with L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper.

More about this heresy :

No Communion with Heretics

2010-10-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

No Communion With Heretics

The Holy Church: Papal Infallibility

2010-10-20T13:58:00.001-07:00

Just saying that ...

2010-10-20T05:12:00.000-07:00

.. I love the Holy Father , no matter what ..even ..
( please read down the picture )

We have a great passage written by Dr. Scott Hahn about the mission of Vicar of Christ and Papal Infallibility :

Quote :
So when we look at the Pope, as we will this morning, we are going to be looking at him, not as some tyrant, not as some authoritarian "know-it-all" and not as some magician who can just kind of concoct a new revelation to satisfy all parties, or anything like that. We are going to be looking at a father figure that Christ has established over the family that He has purchased with His own blood.

Now, there are many misconceptions that people have. They sometimes think that the teaching of the Church is that the Pope is infallible; therefore, he can't sin. That's nonsense, although the present Pontiff goes to confession, I understand, at least once a week. He's got to have something to confess for it to be a valid sacrament administered to him. Others think that he always says the best thing at the right time. No, the Church has never insisted upon the fact that the Pope will always say the best thing at the right time. Rather, the teaching of the Church would allow for the Pope perhaps to postpone out of cowardice, a right thing. Or when he says the truth, when he teaches the truth, he might do so in a way that includes an ambiguity.

So we are responsible as Catholics to understand, not only what the Church teaches, but what the Church doesn't teach to help clear up these misconceptions. The Church teaches in a simple summary that the Holy Father, the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, as the successor to Peter and the Vicar of Christ, when he speaks as the universal teacher from the Chair of Peter in defining faith and morals does so with an infallible charism or an infallible gift through the Holy Spirit so that we can give to him the full assent of our intellect and our will, and we can hear the voice of Christ coming to us through the voice of the Pope when he is speaking in this capacity.
[...]
Infallibility, in a sense, is a negative gift. It doesn't mean he always says the right thing, it's always the right time; but that when he speaks with the authority that Christ gives to him, we have this Divine guarantee, because Christ promises that "I will build my Church." The Church of Christ is not a human institution first and foremost. Jesus identifies it as His own. "My church" and the institution and edification and up-building of the Church Jesus claims for himself, "I will build my Church." So, whatever instruments that Jesus chooses to use, ultimately are going to be under His control and He is going to be using them with this ultimate intention in mind, of building His Church, of governing His family and thus bringing about the guarantee that He imparts in Matthew 16, as we will see, that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church, and will not prevail against the Rock which is Peter and the Popes who are in the line of succession with Peter.
[...]
One of the greatest Protestant Biblical scholars of the century supports this -- W. F. Albright, in his Anchor Bible Commentary on Matthew. I opened it up. I was surprised to see, "Peter as the Rock will be the foundation of the future community, the church. Jesus here uses Aramaic and so only the Aramaic word which would serve His purpose. In view of the background in verse 19, one must dismiss as confessional interpretation any attempt to see this rock as the faith or the confession of Peter."

Read more about here

Exodus 8 : 23 ~And I will put a division between my people and thy people: tomorrow shall this sign be.

2010-10-20T01:09:00.000-07:00

A DETAILED REFUTATION OF INTER-RELIGIOUS PRAYER MEETINGS (PLURALISM) BASED ON SCRIPTURE

One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Roman Church

2010-10-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Pope Pius XII said in Mystici Corporis: "If we would define this true Church of Jesus Christ - which is the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Roman Church - we shall find nothing more noble, more sublime, or more divine than the expression 'the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ'- an expression which springs from and is, as it were, the fair flowering of the repeated teaching of the Sacred Scriptures and the Holy Fathers."

There is no such thing as a "partial communion" between the Roman Catholic Church and non-Catholic religions or sects . To assert that there is a partial communion between the Roman Catholic Church and non-Catholic sects is overtly heretical, since it is directly contrary to the Church's teaching.

Pope Pius IX: "None [of these religious societies differing among themselves and separated from the Catholic Church], not even taken as a whole, constitutes in any way and are not that one, Catholic Church founded and made by Our Lord and which He wished to create. Further, one cannot say in any way that these societies are either members or parts of that same Church, because they are visibly separated from Catholic Unity."

Pope Leo XIII: "Jesus Christ never conceived of nor instituted a Church formed of many communities which were brought together by certain general traits - but which would be distinct one from another and not bound together among themselves by ties which make the Church one and indivisible - since we clearly profess in the Creed of our Faith: " 'I believe in one...Church.' "

Pope Pius XI: "It is absurd and ridiculous to say that the Mystical Body can be formed out of separated and disjunct members."

Pope Pius XI: "It is to depart from divine truth to imagine a Church which one can neither see nor touch, which would be nothing more than spiritual in which numerous Christian communities would be united by an invisible bond, even though they are divided in faith

Benedict XVI's most heretical speech ?

2010-10-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

The Mystery of the Catholic Mass

2010-10-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

There is only One , Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ

2010-09-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

I am the Lord thy God, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me .

811 "This is the sole Church of Christ, which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic."256 These four characteristics, inseparably linked with each other, 257 indicate essential features of the Church and her mission. The Church does not possess them of herself; it is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes his Church one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, and it is he who calls her to realize each of these qualities.

812 Only faith can recognize that the Church possesses these properties from her divine source. But their historical manifestations are signs that also speak clearly to human reason. As the First Vatican Council noted, the "Church herself, with her marvelous propagation, eminent holiness, and inexhaustible fruitfulness in everything good, her catholic unity and invincible stability, is a great and perpetual motive of credibility and an irrefutable witness of her divine mission."258

Beatification of Father Jerzy Popieluszko , Praise the Lord !

2010-06-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

"CZESTOCHOWA, Poland, MAY 7, 2010 (Zenit.org) - In Poland, true patriotism is united to the Catholic faith, as shown by Father Jerzy Popieluszko, who was assassinated by Communist secret service agents and will be beatified June 6.

Father Mariusz Frukacz of the Archdiocese of Czestochowa, journalist and editor of the Catholic weekly Niedziela, emphasized this in an interview with ZENIT.

The 37-year-old priest was the chaplain of the Polish Solidarity movement, and was martyred in 1984 when Communist agents beat him and threw him into the icy waters of the Vistula River.

Some 400,000 people attended his funeral, and since that day, 17 million have visited his tomb. Every October 19, a 24-hour vigil is held to commemorate the day he was killed.

A national Polish hero, he has been recognized by the Catholic Church as a martyr and will be beatified in Warsaw's Pilsudski Square on June 6."

Pope recalls confident hope of the Virgin Mary :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

2010-06-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

the faithful, can now “live in the same confident hope that the Word made flesh in Mary’s womb will never abandon us. He, the Son of God and Son of Mary, strengthens the communion that binds us together, so that we can bear witness to him and to the power of his healing and reconciling love."

Pope recalls confident hope of the Virgin Mary

Benedict XVI: The Cross saves the world

2010-06-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

The world needs the cross, the pope said, celebrating Mass in Nicosia in the second day of his trip to Cyprus. The Cross is not just a private symbol of devotion, it has nothing to do with the imposition of a creed or a philosophy by force.. It speaks of hope, it speaks of love, it speaks of the victory of non-violence over oppression, it speaks of God raising up the lowly, empowering the weak, conquering division, and overcoming hatred with love. A world without the cross, the Pope added, would be a world without hope, a world in which torture and brutality would go unchecked, the weak would be exploited and greed would have the final word .

ANGELUS 2010-06-06

2010-06-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you Holy Father for the awesome Angelus of the Corpus Christi Sunday

Pope: Europe, and the whole world, needs Jesus

2010-06-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

Pope asks Mary to protect families from falling apart

2009-09-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of the Oak as part of his pastoral visit to area surrounding Viterbo. While at the shrine the Pope prayed before the Blessed Sacrament and read out a prayer calling upon the Virgin Mary to protect families that are at risk of being divided .
Addressing the religious the Holy Father said: "To you I entrust my intentions, the intentions of the pastor of this diocese and the needs of everyone who lives in this land. In this Year for Priests I especially entrust you with clergy, seminarians and vocations. ... Offer the Lord the sacrifice of your lives for their sanctification and for the good of souls.”

Returning to his request for his prayer in his role as a successor to St. Peter, Benedict XVI asked Mary to extend her “maternal protection" to him and “the Church entrusted to his care.” “Queen of peace,” he prayed, “obtain the gift of harmony and peace for peoples and for all humankind.”

The Holy Father also prayed that the Blessed Virgin would "keep our families united, which today suffer threats from all sides, and make them centers of serenity and harmony where patient dialogue dissipates difficulties and contrasts. Watch especially over those that are divided or in crisis."

Those who seek to spread the Gospel to the world were also on the Pope's mind as he prayed, "make the will of those whom the Lord of the harvest calls to be workers in His vineyard firm and decided, so that, resisting all the temptations and pitfalls of the world, they may persevere generously in following the path they have taken and, with your maternal help, be witnesses of Christ, attracted by the brilliance of His Love.”

Finally, Pope Benedict implored Mary to: "Console those who weep, who suffer for human injustice; support those who waver under the burden of fatigue and look to the future without hope; encourage those who work to build a better world in which justice many triumph and fraternity reign, in which egoism, hatred and violence may end. May every form and expression of violence be overcome by the pacifying power of Christ.”

Benedict XVI: The source of joy is the goodness of God

2009-09-02T14:58:00.001-07:00

The source of joy is the goodness of God.
Benedict XVI recalled this at the end of the General Audience catechesis on Wednesday, September 2nd, which was held in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall before approximately 8 thousand people .

Pope praying for spread of Gospel and Christian courage in September

2009-09-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Sep 1, 2009 <>(CNA).-

As Pope Benedict winds down his time at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, he is also praying for the spread of the Gospel and that Christians in Asia are not deterred from witnessing to Christ.

For the month of September, Pope Benedict XVI's general intention is: "That the word of God may be better known, welcomed and lived as the source of freedom and joy."
His mission intention is: "That Christians in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, who often meet with great difficulties, may not be discouraged from announcing the Gospel to their brothers, trusting in the strength of the Holy Spirit "

Habemus Papam!

Pope praying for spread of Gospel and Christian courage in September

2009-09-01T23:59:00.001-07:00

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Sep 1, 2009 / 09:54 am (CNA).- As Pope Benedict winds down his time at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, he is also praying for the spread of the Gospel and that Christians in Asia are not deterred from witnessing to Christ.

For the month of September, Pope Benedict XVI's general intention is: "That the word of God may be better known, welcomed and lived as the source of freedom and joy."

His mission intention is: "That Christians in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, who often meet with great difficulties, may not be discouraged from announcing the Gospel to their brothers, trusting in the strength of the Holy Spirit."

Pope praying for spread of Gospel and Christian courage in September

Shared via AddThis

The Year of The Priests 2009-2010

2009-08-04T15:05:00.001-07:00

ANGELUS 2009-08-02

2009-08-03T05:56:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday dearest Holy Father , Pope Benedict XVI

2009-04-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

Today, April 16th, marks the 82nd birthday of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
Let us pray for Benedict, our Pope.
May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. [Ps 40:3]
Our Father, Hail Mary.

God our Father,
Shepherd and Guide,
look with love on Pope Benedict XVI Your servant,
the pastor of Your Church.
May his word and example inspire and guide the Church,
and may he, and all those entrusted to his care,
come to the joy of everlasting life.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever.Amen

Remembering the Pope of all souls John Paul II

2009-04-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today, on April 2, 2005, Pope John Paul II died after 26 and a half years as Pope — one of the longest and most event-filled pontificates in the history of the Church.
He showed that one could lead by faith instead of force, justice instead of injustice, humanity instead of inhumanity.
He had an unshakeable conviction that the message of his Founder was a wiser way to govern the world. As he said:
"When good overcomes evil, love prevails and where love prevails, there peace prevails."
His great message enobles the human spirit, challenging all to the greatness to which they are called .
He is gone - but his message is not. It never will. The people of this world will not let that flame die, for it is the flame of life itself. As he said:
"Peace is the outcome of a long and demanding battle which is only won when evil is defeated by good."
As he lay on his death bed, his final words to the world was:
"I am happy . . you should be."
Now I'm happy that Holy See hopes to raise John Paul II to the altars “as soon as possible” . In an interview with Vatican Radio, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, said that like many people in the world, the Holy See hopes the beatification of John Paul II will occur “as soon as possible” but that the normal process would be followed.
During the solemn Mass celebrated for the 4th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s death, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged young people to follow the example of his predecessor, who did not accept any compromise when the Truth was at stake.
Thank you Holy Father Benedict for remembering Pope John Paul II .

Let us faithfuly pray :
O Blessed Trinity
We thank You for having graced the Church
with Pope John Paul II
and for allowing the tenderness of your Fatherly care,
the glory of the cross of Christ,
and the splendor of the Holy Spirit,
to shine through him.
Trusting fully in Your infinite mercy
and in the maternal intercession of Mary,
he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd,
and has shown us that holiness
is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life
and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you.
Grant us, by his intercession, and according to Your will,
the graces we implore,
hoping that he will soon be numbered
among your saints.
Amen.

An Open Letter

2009-04-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

The chosen one must be laughing in a very sarcastic manner to Father Jenkins's Petition , even the message is clearly : Stay away from Notre Dame !

" It is an outrage and a scandal that “Our Lady’s University,” one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage.
This nation has many thousands of accomplished leaders in the Catholic Church, in business, in law, in education, in politics, in medicine, in social services, and in many other fields who would be far more appropriate choices to receive such an honor from the University of Notre Dame.
Instead Notre Dame has chosen prestige over principles, popularity over morality. Whatever may be President Obama’s admirable qualities, this honor comes on the heels of some of the most anti-life actions of any American president, including expanding federal funding for abortions and inviting taxpayer-funded research on stem cells from human embryos. [..]
We prayerfully implore you to halt this travesty immediately. We do so with the hope that Catholics nationwide will likewise call on you to uphold the sacred mission of your Catholic university. May God grant you the courage and wisdom to do what is right."

What honest Fr. Jenkings doesn't remember is that evil has nerve and insolence ! Of course that mr.pres shall expose himself and he will never give up to his very little victory : being awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Notre Dame . But hey mr.chosen one , that's such a small victory , very small ... exactly like evil is , insignifiant ! The one who laughs last, laughs best !

Notre Dame Students Condemn University President for Allowing Obama Speech

2009-03-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

All this story is remembering me a scene from a movie : devil's Advocate , the scene when evil had the nerve to come inside the cathedrale and makes the water boil in the entrace holy water fount .
The same nerve is having the chosen one , his desire is look like as price of glory to come inside of catholic Notre Dame College , to mock all values of catholicism , to gain another kind virtual ( and very ephemere ) victory ( with the help of some arrogant pseudo - catholics )
In response to the announcement that the pro-abortion “rights” Obama will deliver the commencement address at Notre Dame, CatholicVote.org has partnered with the Cardinal Newman Society to establish a web petition for Catholics and others who wish to protest the university’s invitation of the president. Petition protesting Obama speech at Notre Dame nearing 90,000 ( this detail is for the anonymous comments )
While much of the condemnation of the speech pro-abortion Obama will be allowed to give at Notre Dame's graduation ceremony has come from outside the university, an ad hoc assembly of student groups representing thousands of students is opposing the decision.
"In defense of the unborn, we wish to express our deepest opposition to Reverend John I. Jenkins' invitation of pr.Obama to be the University of Notre Dame’s principal commencement speaker and the recipient of an honorary degree," the groups said .
Also Notre Dame students said that the social justice issue of our day is the deliberate, legal attack on the most vulnerable members of society, the unborn. To award a Notre Dame law degree to a lawyer and politician who has used the law to deny equality to the unborn diminishes the value of the degree itself.
Standing for their rights

Read more about , in Notre Dame Response

Our Lady Weeps, The Struggle for Notre Dame is Engaged

2009-03-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Great article about Honorary Doctor of Law Degree to President Barack Obama , wriiten by Deacon Keith Fournier
There is a struggle underway for the Catholic identity of “Our Lady’s University” and the faithful have been roused again to a new Catholic Action.
One after another, lay defenders of the Catholic faith used their perches at the intersection of faith and culture to call attention to the troubling announcement that one of the Nation’s premier Catholic Universities, the University of Notre Dame, was going to award an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree to President Barack Obama and have him send off the graduating class of 2009 as their Commencement speaker.
Pro-life leaders including Joe Scheidler, Deal Hudson, Austin Ruse, Patrick Reilly, Drew Mariani…. all denounced the invitation, calling attention to the fact that this President, in less than 100 days in office, has demonstrated by his executive orders and political appointments that he does not recognize the fundamental human Right to Life, and fails to hear the cry of those whom Mother Teresa rightly called, the “poorest of the poor”, children in the first home of the whole human race. Patrick Reilly, through the outstanding work of the “Cardinal Newman Society” immediately launched a massive petition effort http://www.notredamescandal.com/
The Catechism in Paragraph 972 quotes this insight from the 2d Vatican Council: “…the Mother of Jesus, in the glory which she possesses in body and soul in heaven, is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise she shines forth on earth until the day of the Lord shall come, a sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim People of God.” The University of Notre Dame is “Our Lady’s University”. As such, it is a symbol of the Catholic Church for the whole world.
With this choice, I believe the University has made Our Lady Weep. I encourage all who read this article to continue to strongly and loudly protest this choice by the leadership of Notre Dame and try to have it rescinded. If we are unsuccessful, then let us all take our cue from the Catholics of Connecticut whose Catholic Action recently prevented the passage of anti-Catholic legislation in Hartford. Let’s get the busses ready for a trip to South Bend, Indiana.
The Struggle for Notre Dame is engaged.

Read whole article here

Papal Message to Conference on Women

2009-03-24T01:29:00.000-07:00

Women have a crucial role to play in promoting human rights, the dignity of life and the family, Pope Benedict XVI said to all participants in an international congress on the theme "Life, Family, Development: The Role of Women in the Promotion of Human Rights," which took place Friday and Saturday in the Vatican . This important event was organized and sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations and the Rome-based World Women's Alliance for Life and Family.
The Holy Father asked participants carry on the task of correcting the misconception "that Christianity is simply a collection of commandments and prohibitions." He wonderfully said : "as you reflect on the role of women in the promotion of human rights, I invite you to keep in mind a task to which I have drawn attention on several occasions: namely, to correct any misconception that Christianity is simply a collection of commandments and prohibitions. The Gospel is a message of joy which encourages men and women to delight in spousal love; far from stifling it, Christian faith and ethics make it healthy, strong and truly free. This is the exact meaning of the Ten Commandments: they are not a series of "noes" but a great "yes" to love and to life .
Deo Gratias for this charismatic and insightful message , God bless and keep our Holy Father Benedict XVI

The Holy Father asked to live this Lent season as a period of conversion and reconciliation of all Christians

2009-02-28T01:22:00.000-08:00

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 27, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI will be praying in March that all nations grow in appreciation of the dignity and value of women and their roles in society.
The Apostleship of Prayer announced this general intention chosen by the Pope.
The Holy Father also chooses an apostolic intention for each month. In March, he will pray for Church unity in China, as enjoined in the letter he sent to the Chinese faithful in 2007.
The intention reads: "That all the bishops, priests, consecrated persons, and laity of the Catholic Church in China may strive to be instruments of unity, communion and peace."
Also the Holy Father wrote and asked to live this Lent season :"as a period of conversion and reconciliation of all Christians, so that the noble aspirations of the human heart can be fulfilled and an
authenticPeace prevail among peoples and communities."
The Pontiff pointed out that Lent "invites us to fight with every effort to do the good, precisely because we know how difficult it is for men to seriously decide to practice Justice."
The Holy Father affirmed, that even if we obtain "a fair distribution of wealth and a harmonious organization of society," some things will never disappear, such as "the pain of illness, of misunderstanding and loneliness, of the death of loved ones, of the experience of our own limitations."
The Lord, he says, "abhors injustices and condemns those who commit them," but "respects the freedom of the individual, and for this reason allows them to exist, because they are part of the human condition after original sin."
Benedict XVI added that Christ's Heart, full of Love for man led Him to carry, along with the cross, all these torments: our suffering, our sorrow, our hunger and thirst for Justice.

May God bless and keep the Holy Father !

Bishop Williamson expresses ‘regret’ for Holocaust comments’ effects

2009-02-26T13:58:00.000-08:00

Regrets ? I really hope that Bishop Williams has been honest today , when he made this public statement :
"I can truthfully say that I regret having made such remarks, and that if I had known beforehand the full harm and hurt to which they would give rise, especially to the Church, but also to survivors and relatives of victims of injustice under the Third Reich, I would not have made them"
More than strange the attitude of many 'catholics' beside Bishop Williams and antisemitic reactions , as much having deep sympathy for the chosen one Hussein Obama , 'catholics' giving him all the support in all his pro-choice and homosexual agenda .
All my best thoughts and blessings !

Sunday urged to be ‘day of fervent prayer’ for Pope Benedict XVI

2009-02-22T01:09:00.000-08:00

O Lord, we are the millions of believers,
humbly kneeling at Thy feet
and begging Thee to preserve,
defend and save the Sovereign Pontiff for many years.
He is the Father of the great fellowship of souls
and our Father as well. On this day,
as on every other day,
he is praying for us also,
and is offering unto Thee with holy fervour
the sacred Victim of Love and Peace.

Of Thy great mercy grant, O Lord,
that not one of us may be far from his mind
and his heart in the hour that he prays
and offers unto Thee the Sacrifice of Thy blessed Son.
At the moment when our venerable High Priest,
holding in His hands the very Body of Jesus Christ,
shall say to the people over the Chalice of benediction these words:
"The peace of the Lord be with you always,"
grant, O Lord, that Thy sweet peace
may come down upon our hearts and upon all the nations
with new and manifest power. Amen

Pope Rebukes Pelosi, Tells Her Catholic Legislators Obligated to Protect Life

2009-02-19T06:11:00.000-08:00

15-minute meeting with the Pope , the unusual meeting between Pelosi's superficiality with the wisdom of Holy Father

Such encounters with the Pope are treasured by politicians for the photo opportunity they provide. Pelosi, however, was not afforded that customary photo by the Vatican. The Associated Press reports that "the Vatican said it was not issuing a photo of the meeting -- as it usually does when the pope meets world leaders -- saying the encounter was private."
Pelosi said happily : "It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI today," . "In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church's leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming ( ???? ) , as well as the Holy Father's dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel."
( ohh really.. )
Pelosi's positive spin on the meeting is not being swallowed even by left-leaning Papal watchers. Vatican correspondent John Allen, who writes for the National Catholic Reporter, noted that "routine Vatican declarations after diplomatic meetings also generally sum up the range of issues discussed rather than concentrating on a particular point. In that sense, the statement can only be read as a rejection of Pelosi's statements last summer, and, in general, of her argument that it's acceptable for Catholics in public life to take a pro-choice position."
Many pro-life organizations from the US and Canada expressed their serious concerns to the Holy See that Mrs. Pelosi was going to be received by the Holy Father. Some of these organizations sent to different Vatican authorities comprehensive memoranda in which they showed in a detailed and precise way the anti-life statements and the pro-death voting record of Mrs. Pelosi.
Catholic sources in Rome, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were "very much encouraged by this statement," saying that it shows that the "Holy Father is ready to stand up with courage to politicians that claim they are Catholics but their voting record denies those hypocritical assertions."

May God long keep and bless our Pope

2009-02-13T05:38:00.000-08:00

for his righteousness and true defender of Truth .
Holy Father said that Holocaust denial is intolerable and unacceptable .

VATICAN CITY, 12 FEB 2009 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy Father received members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations.

Speaking English, the Pope began his remarks by recalling his first visit to a synagogue, in the German city of Cologne in August 2005. He then mentioned his trip, in May of the following year, to the extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. "As I walked through the entrance to that place of horror, the scene of such untold suffering", he said, "I meditated on the countless number of prisoners, so many of them Jews, who had trodden that same path into captivity at Auschwitz and in all the other prison camps".

"How can we begin to grasp the enormity of what took place in those infamous prisons? The entire human race feels deep shame at the savage brutality shown to your people at that time", he said.

The Pope then noted how today's visit "occurs in the context of your visit to Italy in conjunction with your annual Leadership Mission to Israel. I too am preparing to visit Israel, a land which is holy for Christians as well as Jews, since the roots of our faith are to be found there".

"The Church is profoundly and irrevocably committed to reject all anti- Semitism and to continue to build good and lasting relations between our two communities. If there is one particular image which encapsulates this commitment, it is the moment when my beloved predecessor Pope John Paul II stood at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, pleading for God's forgiveness after all the injustice that the Jewish people have had to suffer"

"The hatred and contempt for men, women and children that was manifested in the Shoah was a crime against God and against humanity. ... It is beyond question that any denial or minimisation of this terrible crime is intolerable and altogether unacceptable".

"This terrible chapter in our history must never be forgotten. Remembrance - it is rightly said - is 'memoria futuri', a warning to us for the future, and a summons to strive for reconciliation. To remember is to do everything in our power to prevent any recurrence of such a catastrophe within the human family by building bridges of lasting friendship.

"It is my fervent prayer that the memory of this appalling crime will strengthen our determination to heal the wounds that for too long have sullied relations between Christians and Jews", Benedict XVI concluded. "It is my heartfelt desire that the friendship we now enjoy will grow ever stronger, so that the Church's irrevocable commitment to respectful and harmonious relations with the people of the Covenant will bear fruit in abundance".

Latest News

2009-02-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

Thank you dearest Pope , may Lord bless and keep you !

The Vatican has demanded that British Bishop Richard Williamson retract statements on the Holocaust before being fully readmitted into the Roman Catholic Church. The Vatican also said in a statement that Pope Benedict XVI didn't know about Bishop Richard Williamson's views when he agreed to lift his excommunication on January 21. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday urged the pontiff to make a clearer denunciation of Holocaust denials. Williamson told Swedish television that the Nazis killed 200,000 to 300,000 Jews, far fewer than the six million Jews historians accept. Williamson also denied the existence of gas chambers. Denying that the Holocaust took place is a criminal offence in Germany that carries a maximum five-year jail sentence.

http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/dinamiche/b2_en.htm

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,12215_cid_4002469,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

Time to prepare ourself

2009-01-29T17:08:00.000-08:00

I'm Blue ...: )))))

2009-01-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

I'm a surfer ( and bookmarker ) in the infinite virtual world of blogs .

Sometimes I found great ideeas or funny stuffs like this quiz ( founded on ...and-if-not... )

BLUE

You give your love and friendship unconditionally. You enjoy long, thoughtful conversations rich in philosophy and spirituality. You are very loyal and intuitive.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

Day by day take your time to pray , take time to talk with God

2009-01-18T10:11:00.000-08:00

We hear people say "I don't have time to pray." With this type of focusing and active consciousness, we find ourselves surprised at the time we really do have. There are dozens of times in all of our days during which our minds are occupied with something: a song, re-playing the last event, practicing a conversation with someone, having an imaginary argument with someone, thinking through the "to do" list of the day. We can learn to fill these times with whatever we choose.
If we choose to let it be about our relationship with our Lord, it transforms our lives.
It all begins with our mornings. This week, when we first get up and perhaps for a few moments in the shower or getting dressed, let's tell the Lord that what we desire today is to be more conscious of how what we do this day is responding to his call to me to be his disciple. Then, during the day, in those moments while driving or shopping or walking down the hall to a meeting, we can talk about how we are living our call in this or that activity we are engaged in . Let us talk with God the Father , The Redeemer and the Comforter , let us pray :
Dear Lord, at times, my heart is quite sluggish. Give me hope today. Lift my spirits and give me perspective. When I find myself stiff and inflexible, make me into a new wineskin to receive the alive, new wine with which you wish to fill me. And let me be open to your call to discipleship today. What are the opportunities to preach your Word today? Where can I drive out demons, rather than sit with their discouragement and division? Please fill my home, my workplace, my heart with your Spirit and be always with me . Amen

Daily Gospel ( January 18 , 2009 )

2009-01-18T01:19:00.000-08:00

The first reading is taken from the first Book of Samuel 3:3b-10, 19 and gives an account of Samuel's vocation to take over the leadership of the Chosen People.
The second reading is from the first Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20 in which St. Paul makes it crystal clear that justifying fornication as part of Christian liberty is an incorrect interpretation of his preaching and that the body must be preserved from all immorality.
The Gospel is from St. John 1:35-42 and gives an account of the vocation of the first four Apostles who followed Jesus.

It was a momentous event in the history of salvation. It was the beginning of a stream of vocations that would grow and spread down through the ages until the end of the world.
It was momentous, firstly, in that Christ, who had come to open heaven for all men and who could find means of bringing them all to that eternal home without help from any man, decided instead to let men co-operate with Him in this divine task. He decreed to set up a kingdom in this world—His Church—which would be run by mere mortals for their fellow-mortals, but which would be under his protection and assisted by His divine aid until the end of time.
Christ chose this very human way, in order to make his Church more acceptable to our limited, human understanding and more approachable for sinful, human nature.
Today, let us thank our blessed Lord who provided so humanly—and yet so divinely for our eternal welfare. In the Church, which He founded on the lowly but solid foundation of simple fishermen of Galilee, He erected an institution against which the gates of hell, the power of all the enemies of our salvation, cannot prevail, for His divine guidance and help will be with it forever. Christ Church has had enemies and opposition from the beginning; they may be more numerous and more destructive than ever today. But the promise of Christ still holds good, his word cannot fail. Therefore, neither the opposition of materialistic enemies from without, nor the even more insidious attacks from faint-hearted and worldly-minded members from within, nothing can affect the safety and permanence of the building which Christ built on the Rock.

God Bless you all reading !

January 2009 ( Liturgical Year )

2009-01-18T00:46:00.000-08:00

The month of January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus

The opening days of January may be cold and nature bleak, but the domestic church still glows warm with the peace and joy of Christmas. We dedicate the New Year to Mary on the January 1st Solemnity honoring her as Mother of God; and on January 4, the Solemnity of Epiphany, we rejoice with her, as her Son is adored by the three Wise Men.
Herald John, who ushered in the Advent season, is present once again to close Christmastide on the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord (The First Luminous Mystery), and to open the Season of Ordinary Time. He points to Jesus, the Lamb of God who unites time and eternity in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and even January’s diminishing darkness seems to echo St. John’s prayer: “He must increase and I must decrease.”
In this liturgical season the Church eagerly follows Our Lord as he gathers his apostles and announces his mission. At Cana’s wedding feast (The Second Luminous Mystery) he performs his first public miracle at the request of his Mother, and his disciples saw his glory and believed in him.
We, his present-day disciples, pray for a like faith as we contemplate the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb and the unique role of the Blessed Mother in the plan of salvation. May we wholeheartedly obey her words of counsel: “Do whatever he tells you.”
The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of January are:

1. Mary, Mother of God, Solemnity
2. Basil the Great; Gregory Nazianzen, Memorial
4. Epiphany of the Lord, Solemnity
5. John Neumann, Memorial
6. Bl. Andre Bessette, Opt. Mem.
7. Raymond of Penafort, Opt. Mem.
11. Baptism of the Lord, Sunday
13. Hilary; Kentigern (Scotland), Opt. Mem.
17. Anthony, Memorial
18. 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
20. Fabian; Sebastian, Opt. Mem.
21. Agnes, Memorial
22. Vincent of Saragossa, Opt. Mem.
24. Francis de Sales; Our Lady of Peace, Memorial
25. Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday
26. Timothy and Titus, Memorial
27. Angela Merici, Opt. Mem.
28. Thomas Aquinas, Memorial
31. John Bosco, Memorial

Advent daily prayer and meditation ( third week )

2008-12-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

Let us pray
that God will fill us with joy at the coming of Christ.
Lord God,
may we, Your people,
who look forward to the birthday of Christ
experience the joy of salvation
and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Daily Meditation:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks.

We begin this third week of Advent asking to feel the joy
that comes from knowing our Lord's coming to us is near.
In these precious days ahead, we are praying, longing, hoping
in the background of our everyday lives.

His mission is to the poor, the brokenhearted, prisoners and captives.
His mission is for us. It is good news, full of healing, liberty and release.
We can smile today as we imagine the freedom He has won for us
and how liberating it will be to live it, with Him, for others.
It is right to give our God thanks and praise.

The one who calls you is faithful,
and He will also accomplish it. 1 Thes. 5

As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations. Is. 61

Intercessions:
To God our Father, who has given us the grace
to wait in graceful hope for the revelation of
our Lord Jesus Christ, let us make our prayer:
Show us Your mercy, Lord.

Sanctify us in mind and body,
to keep us without sin until the coming of Your Son.

Make us walk this day in holiness,
to and live upright and devout lives in this world.

May we be clothed in our Lord Jesus Christ,
to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Lord, help us to stand watchful and ready,
until Your Son is revealed in all his glory.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Sunday Advent prayer and meditation

2008-12-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

We begin this third week of Advent asking to feel the joy that comes from knowing our Lord's coming to us is near.
In these precious days ahead, we are praying, longing, hoping in the background of our everyday lives.
His mission is to the poor, the brokenhearted, prisoners and captives.
His mission is for us. There are good news full of healing, liberty and release.
We can smile today as we imagine the freedom He has won for us and how liberating it will be to live it, with him, for others.
It is right to give our God thanks and praise.

The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it. 1 Thes. 5

As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations. Is. 61

Intercessions:
To God our Father, who has given us the grace
to wait in graceful hope for the revelation of
our Lord Jesus Christ, let us make our prayer:

Show us Your mercy, Lord.
Sanctify us in mind and body,
- keep us without sin until the coming of Your Son.
Make us walk this day in holiness,
- and live upright and devout lives in this world.
May we be clothed in our Lord Jesus Christ,
- and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Lord, help us to stand watchful and ready,
- until Your Son is revealed in all His glory

Let us pray, this Advent for joy and hope in the coming Lord :
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
ever faithful to Your promises
and ever close to Your Church:
the earth rejoices in hope of the Savior's coming
and looks forward with longing
to His return at the end of time.

Prepare our hearts and remove the sadness
that hinders us from feeling the Joy and Hope
which His presence will bestow,
for He is Lord for ever and ever.
We lift our heart up to You, Lord,
to thank You for the blessings
You shower on us each day.
You are the 'joy of our soul.'
We know that in Your great love,
we are held and protected by You.
We rejoice, we rejoice, down to our soul.
Help us to prepare our heart
to be open and able to receive Your immense love

Amen

Third week of Advent : Gaudete Week

2008-12-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

The week begins with "Gaudete" Sunday. Gaudete means "Rejoice" in Latin. It comes from the first word of the Entrance antiphon on Sunday.

The spirit of joy that begins this week comes from the words of Paul, "The Lord is near."
This joyful spirit is marked by the third candle of our Advent wreath, which is rose colored, and the rose colored vestments often used at the Eucharist.
The second part of Advent begins on December 17th each year - this year, in 2008, it is Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent. For the last eight days before Christmas we enter into the story of how Jesus' life began. These stories are filled with hints of what his life will mean for us. Faith and generosity overcome impossibility. Poverty and persecution reveal glory.
We prepare this week by feeling the joy. We move through this week feeling a part of the waiting world that rejoices because our longing has prepared us to believe the reign of God is close at hand. And so we consciously ask:
Prepare our hearts
and remove the sadness
that hinders us from feeling
the joy and hope
which his presence
will bestow.
Each morning this week, in that brief moment we are becoming accustomed to, we want to light a third inner candle. Three candles, going from expectation, to longing, to joy. They represent our inner preparation, or inner perspective. In this world of "conflict and division," "greed and lust for power," we begin each day this week with a sense of liberating joy.

Perhaps we can pause, breathe deeply and say,
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my savior."
Each day this week, we will continue to go through our everyday life, but we will experience the difference our faith can bring to it. We are confident that the grace we ask for will be given us. We will encounter sin - in our own hearts and in our experience of the sin of the world. We can pause in those moments, and feel the joy of the words,
"You are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people
from their sins." Mt 1:21
We may experience the Light shining into dark places of our lives and showing us patterns of sinfulness, and inviting us to experience God's mercy and healing. Perhaps we wish to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconcilation this week. We may want to make gestures of reconcilation with a loved one, relative, friend or associate. With more light and joy, it is easier to say, "I'm sorry; let's begin again."
Each night this week we want to pause in gratitude.

Whatever the day has brought, no matter how busy it has been, we can stop, before we fall asleep, to give thanks for a little more light, a little more freedom to walk by that light, in joy.
Our celebration of the coming of our Savior in history, is opening us up to experience his coming to us this year, and preparing us to await his coming in Glory.

God bless and be with all of you !

Daily Advent Prayer ~ Thursday ~

2008-12-10T23:20:00.000-08:00

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Almighty Father,
give us the joy of Your love
to prepare the way for Christ our Lord.
Help us to serve You and one another.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Daily Meditation:

The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain
The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.

So often we are "afflicted and needy" and we seem to "seek water in vain."
Today we listen to a refreshing promise of how much our Lord desires to refresh us.
Each of us can fill in what we need the most and ask, with trust, for our Lord to come and save us.

I am the LORD, your God, who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, "Fear not, I will help you." Isaiah 41

Whoever has ears ought to hear. Matthew 11

Intercessions:
Let us pray to God our Father who sent his Son to save
mankind:
Show us your mercy, Lord.

Father most merciful, we confess our faith in your Christ
with our words,
- keep us from denying him in our actions.

You have sent your Son to rescue us,
- remove every sorrow from the face of the earth and
from our country.

Our land looks forward with delight to the approach of
your Son,
- let it experience the fullness of your joy.

Through your mercy makes us live holy and chaste lives in
this world,
- eagerly awaiting the blessed hope and coming of Christ
in glory.

Closing Prayer:
Lord, like a loving parent,
you offer me your comforting hand
and tell me not to be afraid.

Help me to wait for your coming with patience
and to listen to what you ask of me.

I want so much to be one of "your people"
and to live my life in you.

Thank you for the way you bless my life.
Thank you for listening to my prayers
and for planting deep in my heart
the knowlege that with you,
nothing is impossible.
Amen

Preparing our Hearts and asking for the Grace of Christmas

2008-12-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

Here we are in the middle of the second week of Advent .

Each morning this week, if even for that brief moment at the side of our beds, we should try to light a second inner candle. We should try to let it represent "a bit more hope." Perhaps we can pause, breathe deeply and say,
"Lord, I place my trust in you."
Each day this week, as we encounter times that are rushed, even crazy, we can take that deep breath, and make that profound prayer. Each time we face some darkness, some experience of "parched land" or desert, some place where we feel "defeated" or "trapped," we hear the words, "Our God will come to save us!"
The grace we desire for this week is to be able to hear the promise and to invite our God to come into those real places of our lives that dearly need God's coming. We want to be able to say:
"Lord, I place my trust in your promise. Please, Lord, rouse your power and come into this place in my life, this relationship, into this deep self-defeating pattern. Please come here and save me."
Each night this week we can look back over the day and give thanks for the moments of deep breath, that opened a space for more trust and confidence in God's fidelity to us. No matter how difficult the challenges we are facing - from the growing realization of our personal sinfulness, to any experience of emptiness or powerlessness, even in the face of death itself - we can give thanks for the two candles that faithfully push back the darkness. And, we can give thanks for the graces given us to believe that "Our God will come to save us" because we were given the courageous faith to desire and ask boldly.
Come, Lord Jesus. Come and visit your people.
We await your coming. Come, O Lord.

This day meditation and prayer

2008-08-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 3:3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

God knows the state of your heart at all times. The testimony of Christ working in your life is written upon your heart. When God sees you, His eyes gaze upon your heart. When God talks to you, He sends His message within your heart. God does not care about how you look on the outside. God cares about how you carry His words and love within your heart. It is through your heart others come to know Him. To be right in your heart with Christ is the greatest way to be near God. Uprightness in your heart is the best way to show others the way to Christ. When you hurt, take your heart to God. When you hurt, He will touch your heart and His touch will be seen by others.. When you are full of thanksgiving, take your heart to God. In your thanksgiving, He will touch you and rejoice with you. When you are in despair, take your heart to God. He will lift your heart up. Then others will see His touch upon you.

Let us pray :

My Lord and Saviour Jesus ,
Most Merciful God Almighty Father
Truly Awesome And Ever-present Holy Spirit…
Give me a clear mind and an open heart to see you and know You.
Give me a clear mind and an open heart to take in Your love.
Bestow upon me a quiet humility.
Let me never be proud or arrogant.
Let me own up to my failings and mistakes
In Your Love and in Your Grace, may my faith be everlasting.
In Your Love and in Your Grace, may I always stand secure in knowing You love me and You gave Your life for me.
All these things I humbly pray in the name of my most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, my Mighty God, and my Ever-present Holy Spirit upon whom I can rely.
Amen

Daily meditation and prayer

2008-08-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

Mark 6:34
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (NIV)

We are all fallible. We all make mistakes. We all experience the trials of falling down. After falling down, we sometimes we have a difficult time recovering. We all get lost. Even if we are afraid to venture out, we can still get lost in our fear and anxiety. No matter how invincible we might think we are, eventually we become like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus is portrayed many ways to us in the New Testament. In the verse above, He is shown to us to be a teacher with great compassion for us. Jesus not only has great compassion for us, He also wants us to learn from Him. In everyday life, this means we should learn from the Bible and apply its truth. If we are open and trusting, we can learn His ways and receive His blessings

Let us pray :

Most Precious Lord Jesus, Gentle And Wonderful God, Truly Awesome And Ever-present Holy Spirit,
Precious Lord Jesus, I love you.
You are my Lord, in you I have peace.
You are my Shepherd and I am one of your flock.
When I was without hope, you gave me eternal life.
When I turned to my own way, you called my name and saved me from falling down into the eternal abyss.
When I was injured, because you love me, you bound up my wounds and healed me.
When I was weak, you strengthened me.
In your love, because of you, I shall have eternal life and never die.
In your love, I no longer want.
In your love, you lead me to lie down in green pastures.
In your love, you lead me to drink from still waters.
In your love, you lead me in the paths of righteousness for your names sake.
In your love, you restore my soul.
Now I live in the shadow of the most high where there is no shadow.
Now I live in the shadow of your cross where there is no shadow.
Thank you, Precious Lord Jesus.
All these things I humbly pray in the name of my most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, my Mighty God, and my Ever-present Holy Spirit upon whom I can rely.
Amen

25 Ways to Spend an Hour with Jesus

2008-08-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

1. Slowly read Scripture until something hits you. Then listen.
2. Pray the Rosary.
3. Let God look at you.
4. Tell Him something that made you happy. Then listen.
5. Tell Him what you are afraid of. Then listen.
6. Tell Him what angers you. Then listen.
7. Speak about you loved ones.
8. Pray for an enemy.
9. Talk to Him about work.
10. Sing a song for Him in your heart.
11. Promise to trust Him.
12. Imagine mary sitting next to you and praying with you.
13. Renew your loyalty to His Church.
14. Lean on Him. Tell Him you love Him.
15. Thank Him for the Sacraments.
16. Tell Him your failures. Ask for help. Then listen.
17. Slowly recite the Beatitudes.
18. Say one Our Father slowly.
19. Say one Hail Mary slowly.
20. Say the Creed slowly.
21. Pray for vocations.
22. Ask Him to show you the next step.
23. Look at yourself. Count your gifts. Then thank Him.
24. Pray for the world.
25. Enjoy just being in His presence.

God Bless you all !

April is ~~ God bless you all

2008-04-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

The month of April is dedicated to The Holy Spirit.

To believe in the Holy Spirit is to profess that the Holy Spirit is one of the persons of the Holy Trinity, consubstantial with the Father and the Son: "with the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified." (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
The Holy Spirit is the Person of Love in the life of God. He is also like a breath, an aspiration of infinite Love, from which we draw the breath of life.
Everything depends on the Holy Spirit's operation in us. The more fully we allow ourselves to be drawn and guided by the Holy Spirit, the closer we shall come to Jesus and His mysteries and graces. The Holy Spirit must draw us to every good thought, word and deed. Every act of faith, of hope and of love for God requires the inspiration and help of the Holy Spirit. If our virtues and our deeds are to be truly perfect and worthy of God, they need the special and continual touch of the Holy Spirit. Even though we are endowed with all the supernatural virtues, we still remain mere apprentices in the spiritual life. We know what we must do; and yet lack the virtue and the faculty to perform these things with ease. The Holy Spirit must guide us. He must seize our intellect and our wills and guide us in prayer, in work, in the decisions we have to make, and in the difficulties we encounter every day. He must share with us His manner of seeing, of loving, of thinking, and of working.

The entire month falls during the liturgical season of Easter. The liturgical color is white — the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence .
After our solemn commemoration of the last days and death of Our Lord we will spend the month of April celebrating. As Spring breaks forth even nature will join us as buds and blooms begin to surface and we spend this month basking in the joy of the Resurrection. We continue throughout the entire month our cry, "Christ is risen, Christ is truly risen."

The saints that we will focus on this month — those who have already shared in the rewards of the Resurrection — are St. Francis of Paola (April 2), St. Isidore (April 4), St. Vincent Ferrer (April 5), St. John Baptist de la Salle (April 7), St. Stanislaus (April 11), St. Bernadette (April 16), St. Anselm (April 21), St. George and St. Adalbert (April 23), St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen (April 24), St. Mark (April 25), Our Lady of Good Counsel (April 26), St. Louis Mary de Montfort and St. Peter Chanel (April 28), St. Catherine of Siena (April 29) and St. Pius V (April 30).

The feast of St. Martin I (April 13) falls on Sunday.
The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of April are:

2. Francis of Paola, Opt. Mem.
4. Isidore of Seville, Opt. Mem.
5. Vincent Ferrer, Opt. Mem.
6. Third Sunday of Easter, Sunday
7. John Baptist de la Salle, Opt. Mem.
11. Stanislaus of Cracow, Opt. Mem.
13. Fourth Sunday of Easter, Sunday
20. Fifth Sunday of Easter, Sunday
21. Anselm, Opt. Mem.
23. George; Adalbert, Opt. Mem.
24. St. Fidelis, Opt. Mem.
25. St. Mark, Feast
26. Our Lady of Good Counsel (Can), Opt. Mem.
27. Sixth Sunday of Easter, Sunday
28. Peter Chanel (NZ, Feast); Louis Mary de Montfort, Opt. Mem.
29. Catherine of Siena, Memorial
30. Pius V; Bl. Marie de l'Incarnacion (Can), Memorial

Many blessings in Jesus Christ our ressurected Lord and Savior

Feast of Annunciation

2008-03-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

Beautiful meditation today on the Feast of the Annunciation from Catholic Exchange :

Today, when we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation, we not only celebrate the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, but also the great mystery of the Incarnation, taking place at the moment Mary declares, in obedience to the Lord, “be it done.” The dialogue we observe between Mary and the angel (found in Luke, chapter 1) is rather concise; the angel’s greeting to Mary, the announcement of God’s plan, and Mary’s humble acceptance to be the Lord’s handmaid. But in this short narration- just a few handfuls of sentences- a great deal of information and meaning is conveyed.

First there is the greeting God’s messenger uses to address Mary; “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (Lk 1:28), indicating that even at this point, Mary is already filled with God’s grace. Mary’s reaction here, first unassuming silence, and then humbly asking how God’s intentions for her will be carried out, is fitting of one who was, as we know, conceived free from original sin. We see Mary react to the angel Gabriel with humility and obedience, even fear- a sharp contrast to the actions of Eve in the garden. St. Irenaeus, considered to be the first great Catholic theologian, elaborates on the contrast between Eve and the Blessed Virgin in book 5 of Against Heresies:
“For as Eve was seduced by the word of an angel to flee from God, having rebelled against his Word, so Mary by the word of an angel received the glad tidings that she would bear God by obeying his Word (Luke 1:38). The former was seduced to disobey God [and so fell], but the latter was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of the virgin Eve. As the human race was subjected to death through [the act of] a virgin, so was it saved by a virgin, and thus the disobedience of one virgin was precisely balanced by the obedience of another.”
And when Mary readily submits to God’s will, she does it in a most humble way, as apologist Dr. Scott Hahn describes in his book Hail, Holy Queen:
“A True Mother, Mary considers none of her glories her own. After all, she points out, she is only doing God’s bidding: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). Even when she recognizes her superior gifts, she recognizes that they are gifts: “All generations will call me blessed” (Lk 1:48). For her part, Mary’s own soul “magnifies” not herself, but “the Lord” (Lk 1:46).”
Stepping back from Mary’s role, which was chosen by God from the very beginning, we can also take a moment to contemplate why the annunciation took place as it did. God is not bound to our expectations, and the virginal conception had been foretold, so why was it necessary for God’s messenger to announce God’s plan to Mary? St. Thomas Aquinas explains the logic of announcing to the Virgin Mary what was to be done to her in his magnum opus, the Summa Theologica:
“It was reasonable that it should be announced to the Blessed Virgin that she was to conceive Christ. First, in order to maintain a becoming order in the union of the Son of God with the Virgin-namely, that she should be informed in mind concerning Him, before conceiving Him in the flesh. Thus Augustine says (De Sancta Virgin. iii): “Mary is more blessed in receiving the faith of Christ, than in conceiving the flesh of Christ”; and further on he adds: “Her nearness as a Mother would have been of no profit to Mary, had she not borne Christ in her heart after a more blessed manner than in her flesh.”
Secondly, that she might be a more certain witness of this mystery, being instructed therein by God.
Thirdly, that she might offer to God the free gift of her obedience: which she proved herself right ready to do, saying: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.”
Fourthly, in order to show that there is a certain spiritual wedlock between the Son of God and human nature. Wherefore in the Annunciation the Virgin’s consent was besought in lieu of that of the entire human nature.”
To understand, more fully, Mary’s role in the Redemption of the human race, we recommend Adrienne Von Speyr’s Mary in the Redemption.
Rejoice O Virgin, Birthgiver of God, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. For you have born the Savior of our souls. Amen.

Feast of Annunciation

2008-03-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Angelus
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. [Recite the Hail Mary]
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R. Be it done unto me according to Thy word. [Recite the Hail Mary]
V. And the Word was made flesh. R. And dwelt among us. [Recite the Hail Mary]
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray :
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.
Promise : "Whoever shall devoutly recall to me the joy I felt upon uttering the words, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord," I will most truly show him that I am his Mother, and unfailingly, I will succor him." ----- The Blessed Mother to St. Gertrude the Great

Regina Coeli

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia: For He whom thou merited to bear, Alleluia, Has risen, as He said, Alleluia. Pray for us to God, Alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia.
R. Because the Lord is truly risen, Alleluia.
Let us pray :
O God, Who by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted joy to the whole world: grant, we beg Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may lay hold of the joys of eternal life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Regina Coeli carries a Partial Indulgence like the Memorare.

Divine Mercy Sunday

2008-03-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Let us pray the prayer is read to the pilgrims publicly in the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland

Oh Jesus, your pierced heart is the Ocean of infinite Mercy from which your Blood and Water so generously emanate over us. Your Blood that set us free from our sins, and water that purifies and enlivens our hearts. You are the open fountain of Salvation in which we desire to submerge ourselves, so that we may be transformed by the redemptive power of Your Mercy.

Jesus, in this image of Your Merciful Heart revealed to Saint Faustina, You have offered us a vessel through which we can come to the fountain of Mercy to receive without limit, your abundant graces of conversion, healing and redemption.

Oh Jesus, I trust in You! To You I entrust my entire life, my heart, my fears, my fragilities, my dreams, and all the sufferings of my body as well as the most intimate sufferings of my heart and soul.

I trust in You, oh Divine Mercy! You, who see my weakness with compassionate eyes; You, who lift up my misery with the power of your love; You, who give life to my unfruitfulness and who trust in me in spite of my failings.

In You, I trust! You who calm the tempests of the soul and the great storms that violently assail the ship of our lives, our families, communities, nations and the entire world. In You, Jesus, I entrust the past that in so many ways crushes us; the present that causes much anxiety and the future that often times, we face with anguish.

Oh, Merciful Heart! In your sacred wound we hide, finding our refuge and our rest… our everlasting peace. In the unfathomable ocean of your Heart, we sinners submerge ourselves today, awaiting with confidence the greatest gift of your love for humanity: your Mercy.”

Divine Mercy Sunday ( prayer and meditation )

2008-03-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

What is the Divine Mercy? It is a special devotion to Jesus that calls us to a deeper understanding of God's unlimited love and forgiveness. This mercy is available to everyone who seeks it with a repentant heart, even the greatest sinners.

"Do all you possibly can for this work of My mercy. I desire that My mercy be worshiped, and I am giving mankind the last hope of salvation; that is, recourse to My mercy" (The Diary of St. Faustina, 998).

Contemplating the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ means pondering a sublime mystery. When we consider His proposal of forgiveness and His promise of mercy, we can barely approach an understanding of His perfect goodness and love.

In our sinfulness, even the most pious of us can not fathom such perfect mercy. We're unable to practice it ourselves and have never been recipients of it through human nature. It is more than we can believe that such a treasure, unmerited, would be ours through the merits of God Himself.

"I am Love and Mercy itself. There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted — it increases. The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I Myself take care of it" (1273).

God's mercy, taught in scripture and in tradition, takes on a life-altering power in the Divine Mercy's devotion and spirituality. In this great gift of His limitless forgiveness, Christ brings to us the intimacy of a personal relationship in which love overcomes all sin. He urges us to call upon Him with trust, to receive His mercy and to let it flow to others in forgiveness and joy. In this way He chooses to draw all people to Himself.

As we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, we commit ourselves to trusting completely in the infinite mercy of God to save His people despite their sins: "Eternal Father, I offer You the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and for those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

"Jesus, I trust in You," we pray as we consider the Divine Mercy which flows from Christ and seeks to inundate our lives with grace. It is a divine mystery that defies the logic of the world and raises our heads to the supernatural Truth, to the God who loves us.

Divine Mercy Sunday

2008-03-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

Today is the Second Sunday of Easter known as Divine Mercy Sunday .
Our Holy Father John Paul II had proclaimed, "I give thanks to divine Providence that I have been enabled to contribute personally to the fulfillment of Christ's will, through the institution of the Feast of Divine Mercy." Our Lord also insisted that it be celebrated on a specific day - the Sunday after Easter
During the Mass of canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000, the year of the Great Jubilee, Pope John Paul II proclaimed: "It is important then that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church, will be called Divine Mercy Sunday." The readings on that Sunday are always about mercy, trust and the forgiveness of sins.
By the words "the whole message," the Holy Father was referring to the strict connection between the "Easter Mystery of the Redemption" -- the suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, followed by the sending of the Holy Spirit -- and this Feast of Divine Mercy, the Octave Day of Easter. This feast adds so much more meaning to the Easter celebrations. It was Jesus, Himself who asked for it to be celebrated on this particular Sunday following Easter.

This Feast of Mercy is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Day of Atonement (see Lv 16, Lv 23:29-32 and Sir 50) which was an annual feast where all sins and punishment were washed away. The Feast of Mercy is an annual celebration, which, as Jesus revealed, also has the promise of the total forgiveness of sins and punishment. Our Lord Jesus said, "The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain the complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened." (Diary, 699) .

Divine Mercy Novena Day 9

2008-03-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

Divine Mercy Novena Day 8

2008-03-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

"Today bring to Me
the souls who are detained in purgatory,
and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy.
Let the torrents of My Blood
cool down their scorching flames.
All these souls are greatly loved by Me.
They are making retribution to My justice.
It is in your power to bring them relief.
Draw all the indulgences
from the treasury of My Church
and offer them on their behalf.
Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer,
you would continually offer for them
the alms of the spirit
and pay for their debt to My justice."

Most Merciful Jesus,
You Yourself have said that You desire mercy;
so I bring into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory,
souls who are very dear to You,
and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice.
May the streams of Blood and Water
which gushed forth from Your Heart
put out the flames of Purgatory,
that there, too,
the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.

Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze
upon the souls suffering in Purgatory,
who are enfolded
in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus.
I beg You,
by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son,
and by all the bitterness
with which His most sacred Soul was flooded:
Manifest Your mercy to the souls
who are under Your just scrutiny.
Look upon them in no other way
but only through the Wounds of Jesus,
Your dearly beloved Son;
for we firmly believe
that there is no limit
to Your goodness and compassion.

Amen.

In the end of Novena pray Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Divine Mercy Novena Day 7

2008-03-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

"Today bring to Me
the souls who especially venerate
and glorify My mercy,
and immerse them in My mercy.
These souls sorrowed most over my Passion
and entered most deeply into My spirit.
They are living images
of My Compassionate Heart.
These souls will shine
with a special brightness in the next life.
Not one of them will go into the fire of hell.
I shall particularly defend
each one of them at the hour of death."

Most Merciful Jesus,
whose Heart is Love itself,
receive into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart
the souls of those who particularly extol
and venerate the greatness of Your mercy.
These souls are mighty
with the very power of God Himself.
In the midst of all afflictions
and adversities they go forward,
confident of Your mercy;
and united to You, O Jesus,
they carry all mankind on their shoulders.
These souls will not be judged severely,
but Your mercy will embrace them
as they depart from this life.

Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls
who glorify and venerate
Your greatest attribute,
that of Your fathomless mercy,
and who are enclosed
in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus.
These souls are a living Gospel;
their hands are full of deeds of mercy,
and their hearts,
overflowing with joy,
sing a canticle of mercy to You,
O Most High! I beg You O God:
Show them Your mercy according to the hope
and trust they have placed in You.
Let there be accomplished in them
the promise of Jesus,
Who said to them that during their life,
but especially at the hour of death,
the souls who will venerate
this fathomless mercy of His,
He, Himself, will defend as His glory.

Amen.

Divine Mercy Novena Day 6

2008-03-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

"Today bring to Me
the meek and humble souls
and the souls of little children,
and immerse them in My mercy.
These souls most closely resemble My Heart.
They strengthened Me during My bitter agony.
I saw them as earthly Angels,
who will keep vigil at My altars.
I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace.
Only the humble soul
is capable of receiving My grace.
I favor humble souls with My confidence."

Most Merciful Jesus,
You yourself have said,
"Learn from Me
for I am meek and humble of heart."
Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart
all meek and humble souls
and the souls of little children.
These souls send all heaven into ecstasy
and they are the heavenly Father's favorites.
They are a sweet smelling bouquet
before the throne of God;
God Himself takes delight in their fragrance.
These souls have a permanent abode
in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus,
and they unceasingly sing out a hymn
of love and mercy.

Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls,
upon humble souls,
and upon little children
who are enfolded in the abode
which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus.
These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son.
Their fragrance rises from the earth
and reaches Your very throne.
Father of mercy and of all goodness,
I beg You by the love You bear these souls
and by the delight You take in them:
Bless the whole world,
that all souls together
may sing out the praises of Your mercy
for endless ages.

Amen.

In the end of Novena pray Divine Mercy Chaplet

Divine Mercy Novena Day 5

2008-03-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

"Today bring to Me
the souls of those who have separated themselves
from My Church,
and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy.
During My bitter Passion
they tore at My Body and Heart,
that is, My Church.
As they return to unity with the Church
My wounds heal
and in this way they alleviate My Passion."

Most Merciful Jesus,
Goodness itself,
You do not refuse light
to those who seek it of You.
Receive into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart
the souls of those who have separated themselves
from Your Church.
Draw them by Your light
into the unity of the Church,
and do not let them escape
from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart;
but bring it about that they, too,
come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.

Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze
upon the souls of those who have separated themselves
from Your Son's Church,
who have squandered Your blessings
and misused Your graces
by obstinately persisting in their errors.
Do not look upon their errors,
but upon the love of Your own Son
and upon His bitter Passion,
which He underwent for their sake,
since they, too,
are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart.
Bring it about that they also
may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages.

Amen.

In the end of Novena pray Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Divine Mercy Novena Day 4

2008-03-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

Today bring to Me
those who do not believe in God
and those who do not yet know Me.
I was thinking also of them
during My bitter Passion,
and their future zeal comforted My Heart.
Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."

Most Compassionate Jesus,
You are the the Light of the whole world.
Receive into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart
the souls of those who do not believe in God
and of those who as yet do not know You.
Let the rays of Your grace
enlighten them that they, too,
together with us,
may extol Your wonderful mercy;
and do not let them escape
from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.

Eternal Father,
turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls
of those who do not believe in You,
and of those who as yet do not know You,
but who are enclosed
in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus.
Draw them to the light of the Gospel.
These souls do not know what great happiness
it is to love You.
Grant that they, too,
may extol the generosity of Your mercy
for endless ages.

Amen.

In the end of Novena pray Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Divine Mercy Novena Day 3

2008-03-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Third Day

"Today bring to Me all Devout and Faithful Souls,

and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."

Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.

In the end of novena we pray Divine Mercy Chaplet :

Divine Mercy Novena Day 2

2008-03-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

Second Day

"Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious,
and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind."

Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service,* that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.

In the end of second day of novena pray Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Divine Mercy Novena Day 1

2008-03-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

First Day

"Today bring to Me All Mankind, especially all sinners and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me."

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins, but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

In the end pray Divine Mercy Chaplet

Divine Mercy Novena

2008-03-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

I missed one day from this Novena , but given the nature of Divine Mercy, I doubt Christ will mind this little mistake. Better start this lovely novena late than never and today I'll pray two novena's days in one

From EWTN :
Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said:"These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy."In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls."
The different souls prayed for on each day of the novena are:

DAY 1 (Good Friday) - All mankind, especially sinners
DAY 2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious
DAY 3 (Easter Sunday) - All devout and faithful souls
DAY 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him DAY 5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethren
DAY 6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children
DAY 7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy
DAY 8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory;
DAY 9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm.

God Bless you all praying and preparing for the great joy of our Lord and Saviour Resurrection

The Prayer Stabat Mater Dolorosa

2008-03-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

At the Cross her station keeping
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her Heart, His sorrow sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Lo! the piercing sword had passed.

O how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother, highly blessed,
Of the Sole-Begotten One.

Mournful, with Heart's prostration,
Mother meek, the bitter Passion
Saw She of Her glorious Son.

Who on Christ's dear Mother gazing,
In Her trouble so amazing,
Born of woman, would not weep?

Who on Christ's dear Mother thinking,
Such a cup of sorrow drinking,
Would not share Her sorrow deep?

For His people's sins rejected,
Saw Her Jesus unprotected.
Saw with thorns, with scourges rent.

Saw Her Son from judgement taken,
Her Beloved in death forsaken,
Till His Spirit forth He sent.

Fount of love and holy sorrow,
Mother, may my spirit borrow
Somewhat of your woe profound.

Unto Christ with pure emotion,
Raise my contrite heart's devotion,
To read love in every wound.

Those Five Wounds on Jesus smitten,
Mother! in my heart be written,
Deep as in your own they be.

You, your Saviour's Cross did bare,
You, your Son's rebuke did share.
Let me share them both with Thee.

In the Passion of my Maker,
Be my sinful soul partaker,
Weep 'til death and weep with you.

Mine with you be that sad station,
There to watch the great salvation,
Wrought upon the atoning Tree.

Virgin, you of virgins fairest,
May the bitter woe Thou bearest
Make on me impression deep.

Thus Christ's dying may I carry,
With Him in His Passion tarry,
And His Wounds in memory keep.

May His Wound both wound and heal me,
He enkindle, cleanse, strengthen me,
By His Cross my hope and stay.

May He, when the mountains quiver,
From that flame which burns forever,
Shield me on the Judgement Day.

Jesus, may Your Cross defend me,
And Your Mother's prayer befriend me;
Let me die in Your embrace.

When to dust my dust returns,
Grant a soul, that to You yearns,
In Your paradise a place.

Amen.

Also we can pray and meditate over this prayer :

Our God , Creator of the whole world ,
Into Your Hands I entrust *
For You are our Saviour ,
Eternal and Almighty God
Amen

( Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be)

Jesus-Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

* (name someone or an intention, etc.)

Wednesday of the Holy Week

2008-03-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

Many Christian traditions call this day of the Holy Week "Silent Wednesday" because it is believed the Bible tells us very little about Christ's actions on this day. In the Catholic tradition, this is also called Dark Wednesday or the Wednesday of Darkness, to underscore the loneliness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus.
Also Wednesday of this week marks what has been known for centuries as Spy Wednesday -- traditionally, the day on which Judas spied for an opportunity to betray Jesus. It's thought to be the day when Christ's betrayer may have clinched the deal with the high priests.
In the Gospel of Today's Mass( http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew26.htm#v14that ) Judas began to look for an opportunity to betray Our Divine Lord to his enemies—to spy on him—in order to earn the thirty pieces of silver they had promised him. And the main theme for this day in the liturgy is the OBEDIENCE of Our Lord. The entrance antiphon of today’s Mass says: “Christ became obedient for us even to death, dying on a cross.” Notice: “obedient for us.” He is always obedient to the Father, since the three divine Persons are totally conformed one to the others in their Divine Will. But Jesus became obedient FOR US even to the terrible extreme of dying on a cross.

Father,
in your plan of salvation
your Son Jesus Christ accepted the cross
and freed us from the power of the enemy.
May we come to share the glory of his resurrection,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
one God, for ever and ever.

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Daily meditation and prayer

2008-03-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

for Thursday of the FifthWeek of Lent ( Genesis 17:3-9Psalm 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9John 8:51-59 )

We hear – but, we do not understand.
In today’s Gospel, the Jews heard, but, they did not understand.“…whoever keeps my word will never see death.” I understand that statement of Jesus within the context of eternal life – and, not simply one’s physical life on earth. If I keep His Word, I will not see [eternal] death.I read the liturgical Readings of today and realize from both the Old Testament and the New Testament that God’s covenant is kept if we do our part. Both the Genesis Reading and Responsorial Psalm 105 emphasize the keeping of God’s covenant with Abraham. This theme of ‘covenant keeping’ is re-iterated by Jesus.

In today’s Gospel, we are asked to allow God to work within ourselves to change us. We are asked not to pursue Earthly things, but to pursue Heavenly things! We must not glorify ourselves, but allow God to glorify us, as Jesus says. We must remain faithful to God, and we “shall not taste death.”

How do we do that? How do we strive to remain faithful to God and be all that God wants us to be in this era? How do we live up to that potential that God wants us to? I don’t have any answers for these questions. These are all things which I struggle with constantly. We all have times that we have fallen short of what God wants from us. Sometimes I get so busy that I don’t take time for others. Sometimes, it’s easier and more convenient for me to make my own plans instead of discerning what it is that God wants from me.

We must remember that we have a forgiving God. When we don’t do everything we can to follow God, we have been blessed with the opportunity to ask God for forgiveness. Whether that is through personal prayer or a formal reconciliation service, we have the opportunity to receive forgiveness and continue to keep God at the front of our lives.

"If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;? but it is my Father who glorifies me." John 8:54

Novena to Saint Joseph ( Spouse of the Blessed Virgin, Virginal Father of Jesus and Patron of the Universal Church († ca. 30)

2008-03-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you

O Saint Joseph,
my patron and my advocate,
to you do I have recourse
that you may obtain for me that grace for which I humbly pray.
It is that the disappointments
and the bitterness in my life
are the just punishment for my sins.
But even If I recognize my own guilt,
need I lose hope in obtaining the help of the Lord?
‘Oh no,’ would be the answer of your devoted client,
Saint Theresa, ‘indeed, nor all you poor sinners.
No matter how great your needs,
turn to the powerful help of Saint Joseph.
Go to Saint Joseph with sincere confidence
and rest assured that your pleas will be heard.’

Following the teaching of Saint Theresa,
therefore, I present myself before your glorious throne,
0 Holy Saint Joseph
and beg for your powerful intercession in my present tribulations. Bring my petitions before the throne of God,
that by your power and mercy
I may obtain that which of myself
I would not be worthy to receive.
And grant that having obtained the favorable answer to my petition,
I may return to your altar
and there fulfill my devotion of praise and thanksgiving for your Intercession.

Remember O most merciful foster father of the Lord Jesus,
that no one who has ever had recourse to you was left unaided.
Countless are the graces and favors which you have obtained
in answer to the prayers addressed to you.
The sick, the oppressed, those who suffer injustice,
the betrayed, the abandoned, in short,
all who have had recourse to your protection
were aided in their afflictions.

O Holy Saint Joseph,
do not leave me to be the only one to be deprived of your help.
Show yourself kindly and generously even to me,
so that my prayers of thanksgiving for your mercy
may rebound for the greater glory of God.
O Saint Joseph,
head of the Holy Family,
I venerate you from the profoundest depth of my heart.
To the afflicted who have appealed to you before me,
you have granted comfort and peace.
Console even my own poor afflicted soul.
You know all my needs, Saint Joseph,
even before I set them before you in prayers.
O powerful Saint Joseph,
you know how important this petition is for me.
I place all my hope in your intercession.

Grant me the answer to the favor
for which I so desperately pray
and I pledge myself to spread your devotion everywhere and to support,
within the limits of my abilities,
those charities which, in your name,
aid the afflicted and the dying throughout the world.

Saint Joseph,
consoler of the afflicted,
have mercy on my Sorrow.

Amen.

Saint Joseph have mercy and save my mother from all her illness , help her in all her weakness and let her live a long life with us . Please save my mother , blessed Head of the Holy Family , foster father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus .

2008-03-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

Saint Joseph , Spouse of the Blessed Virgin, Virginal Father of Jesus and Patron of the Universal Church († ca. 30) Novena

Saint Joseph was by birth of the royal family of David, but was living in humble obscurity as a carpenter, until God raised him to the highest office ever accorded a mortal man, by choosing him to be the spouse of the Virgin Mother, the virginal father and guardian of the Incarnate Word. Joseph, says Holy Scripture, was a just man. He was innocent and pure, as became the husband of Mary; he was gentle and tender, as one worthy to be named the father of Jesus; he was prudent and a lover of silence, as became the master of the holy house; above all, he was faithful and obedient to divine calls.

His conversation was with Angels rather than with men. When he learned that Mary bore within Her womb the Lord of heaven, he feared to take Her as his wife; but an Angel bade him put his fear aside, and all doubts vanished. When Herod sought the life of the divine Infant, an Angel told Joseph in a dream to fly with the Child and His Mother into Egypt. Joseph at once arose and obeyed. This sudden and unexpected flight must have exposed both him and his little Family to many inconveniences and sufferings; the journey with a newborn infant and a tender virgin was long, and the greater part of the way led through deserts and among strangers. Yet Saint Joseph alleges no excuses, nor inquires at what time they were to return.

Saint Chrysostom observes that God treats in this way all His servants, sending them frequent trials to clear their hearts from the rust of self-love, but intermixing with afflictions, seasons of consolation. It is the opinion of the Fathers that when the Holy Family entered Egypt, at the presence of the Child Jesus all the oracles of that superstitious country were struck dumb, and the statues of their gods trembled, and in many places fell to the ground. The Fathers also attribute to this holy visit the spiritual benediction poured on that country, which made it for many ages fruitful in Saints.

After the death of King Herod, of which Saint Joseph was informed in another vision, God ordered him to return with the Child and His Mother into the land of Israel, which our Saint readily accomplished. But when he arrived in Judea, hearing that Archelaus had succeeded Herod in that part of the land, and apprehensive that the son might be infected with his father’s vices, he feared to settle there, as he would otherwise probably have done, for the education of the Child. Therefore, directed by God through still another angelic visit, he retired into the dominions of Herod Antipas in Galilee, and to his former habitation in Nazareth.

Saint Joseph, a strict observer of the Mosaic law, journeyed each year at the time of the Passover to Jerusalem. Our Saviour, in the twelfth year of His age, accompanied His parents. Having participated in the usual ceremonies of the feast, the parents were returning with many of their neighbors and acquaintances towards Galilee, and never doubted that Jesus was with some of the company. They traveled on for a whole day’s journey before they discovered that He was not with them. But when night came on and they could find no trace of Him among their kindred and acquaintances, they, in the deepest affliction, returned with the utmost haste to Jerusalem. We are left to imagine their tears and their efforts to find Him. After an anxious search of three days they discovered Him in the Temple, discoursing with the learned doctors of the law, and asking them such questions as aroused the admiration of all who heard Him. His Mother told Him with what grief and earnestness they had sought Him and asked, “Son, why have You dealt with us in this way? Behold, Your Father and I have searched for You in great affliction of mind.” The young Saviour answered, “How is it that You sought Me? Did You not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” In this way Jesus encourages all young persons who are called to serve God to persevere in that high vocation, whatever the cost. But we are told that although He had remained in the Temple unknown to His parents, in all other things He was obedient to them, returning with them to Nazareth, and living there in all dutiful subjection to them.

As no further mention is made of Saint Joseph, he must have died before the marriage feast of Cana and the beginning of our divine Saviour’s ministry. We cannot doubt that he had the happiness of the presence of Jesus and Mary at his death, praying beside him, assisting and comforting him in his last moments; therefore he is invoked for the great grace of a happy death and the spiritual presence of Jesus in that hour.

2008-01-25T01:02:00.000-08:00

Lord, look upon me with eyes of mercy, may your healing hand rest upon me, may your lifegiving powers flow into every cell of my body and into the depths of my soul, cleansing, purifying, restoring me to wholeness and strength for service in your Kingdom.

Join me in praying Christmas Novena

2007-12-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

Heavenly Father, You made Christmas night radiant with the splendor of Jesus Christ our light. I welcome Him as Lord, the true light of the world. Bring me to the joy of His heavenly kingdom.

We are filled with the new light by the coming of Your Word among us. May the light of faith shine in my words and actions.

Lord God, I praise You for creating man, and still more for restoring Him in Christ, Your Son shares our weakness: may I share His glory. Make me faithful to Your Word, that I may bring Your life to others. He made me Your child. May He welcome me into His Kingdom.

God of power and life, glory of all who believe in You, fill the world with Your splendor and show the nations the light of Your truth. May the simple beauty of Jesus' birth summon us always to love what is most deeply human and to see Your Word made flesh reflected in those whose lives we touch.

Father, in the wonder of the Incarnation Your eternal Word has brought to the eyes of faith a new and radiant vision of Your glory. In Him we see You, our God, made visible and so are caught up in love of the God we cannot see.

At Christmas You fill our hearts with joy as we recognize in Christ the revelation of Your love. No eye can see His glory as our God, yet now He is seen as one like us. Christ is Your Son before all ages, yet now He is born in time. He has come to lift up all things to Himself, to restore unity to creation, and to lead mankind from exile into Your heavenly Kingdom.

At Christmas in Jesus a new light has dawned upon the world: God has become one with man, and man has become one again with God. Your eternal Word has taken upon Himself our human weakness, giving our mortal nature immortal value. So marvelous is this oneness between You, our God, and man, that in Christ man restores to man the gift of everlasting life.

For the love of Jesus, Your Divine Son, become Man for us, I beg of You, grant me rich graces during this joyful season of Christmas. I ask especially for this favor: (Mention your re-quest).

In honor of the birth of Jesus, grant what I ask if it be Your holy Will.

Prayer to Our Newborn Savior

Divine Infant Jesus, with Mary and Joseph I kneel down in devout worship as I gaze upon You lying in Your crib. You wished to enter the world as a child in order to prove Yourself to be true Man; for by Your weeping and by Your need for rest and nourishment You prove that You have truly taken on human nature. You become human that I may be able to see You, listen to You, imitate You, and unite myself to You.

Even though You are God, You are now able to suffer for us, atone for our sins, and merit graces for our souls. It is through the flesh that man turns away from God; it is in taking on the flesh that You, our God, deliver us.

But You become Man also that man may become like God. In exchange for the humanity which You take from us, You wish to make us share in Your Divinity by sanctifying grace, that You may take complete possession of us.

May the mystery of Your birth bring me the grace to be born anew and live a new, Divine life, more free from sin and from too great an attachment to myself and creatures, a life for God alone.

As it was Mary's joy to form You in her own body, may her joy now be to form You in my soul, so that I may be more like You.

Jesus, I believe that the greatest proof of God's goodness and love toward us is His gift to us of You, His only beloved Son. All love tends to become like that which it loves. You loved man; therefore, You became man. Infinite love and mercy caused You, the Second Person of the most Holy Trinity, to leave the Kingdom of eternal bliss, to descend from the throne of Your majesty, power, and glory, to become a helpless child, to suffer and die for us, that we might live.

In Your crib I see the most wondrous love that ever was–the love of God humbling Himself so low to beg the love of our hearts. Give me the grace to love You in return with a deep, true, personal love. I surrender to Your gentle saving influence my heart and mind and will, so that my life may be lived in You, and You may become my intimate daily Companion, Consoler, and Friend.

May I come eagerly and often to unite myself closely to You in your Sacrament of Love. The church shall be my Bethlehem; the altar, the crib; the sacred species of bread and wine, the swaddling clothes by which I can recognize you as my God, and under which I can, as Mary and Joseph and the shepherds did, take You into my arms; yes, even receive You into my heart–a grace which even the Angels envy me.

Jesus, from the crib You teach the world the true dignity of humility. Poverty, suffering and humiliation stand by Your Cross and by Your crib. Your becoming a child for love of us is the greatest act of humility the world has ever seen. Although heaven and earth cannot contain You, although You are the Creator of all and King of glory, You humble Yourself to such a degree that You need human help. The infinite Lord of all becomes a servant; the Almighty, a helpless creature; the Immortal, mortal. Your Divine love chose this way of raising fallen mankind to its former dignity, for nothing draws the hearts of people so easily to God as Your stooping so low to reach them.

Draw me and all mankind to yourself by the example of Your loving humility. Teach me that my true glory consists in humbling myself, for You said, "I assure you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of God" (Mt 18:3).
Prayer to Jesus, God Made Man

Jesus, Son of the glorious Virgin Mary and only Son of the living God, I adore You and acknowledge You as my God, the only true God, one and infinitely perfect. You have made out of nothing all things that are outside of You, and You preserve and govern them with infinite wisdom, sovereign goodness, and supreme power.

I beg of You, by the mysteries that were fulfilled in Your sacred Humanity, to cleanse me in Your Blood from all my past sins. Pour forth abundantly upon me Your Holy Spirit, together with His grace, His virtues, and His gifts. Make me believe in You, hope in You, love You, and labor to merit the possession of You through each of my actions. Give Yourself to me someday in the brightness of Your glory, in the company of Your Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, and all Your Saints.

Why praying without ceasing ?

2007-12-13T21:43:00.000-08:00

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, promulgated by Pope John Paul II, recommends this prayer to Catholics.

" 2667 This simple invocation of faith developed in the tradition of prayer under many forms in East and West. The most usual formulation, transmitted by the spiritual writers of the Sinai, Syria, and Mt. Athos, is the invocation, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners." It combines the Christological hymn of Philippians 2:6-11 with the cry of the publican [Lk 18:9-14] and the blind men begging for light.[Matt. 9:27] By it the heart is opened to human wretchedness and the Savior's mercy.
2668 The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always. When the holy name is repeated often by a humbly attentive heart, the prayer is not lost by heaping up empty phrases, but holds fast to the word and "brings forth fruit with patience." This prayer is possible "at all times" because it is not one occupation among others but the only occupation: that of loving God, which animates and transfigures every action in Christ Jesus."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We must pray literally without ceasing - without ceasing; in every occurrence and employment of our lives. You know I mean that prayer of the heart which is independent of place or situation, or which is, rather, a habit of lifting up the heart to God, as in a constant communication with Him."
- Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton -

Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus

There is one Church

Pope St. Pius X's Oath Against Modernism

The New Evangelization !!!

Prayer for restoration of our Holy Catholic Church

“We are spiritually very close to you”: Vatican’s Ramadan message to Muslims

Related articles

Assisi 3 will be on October 27 - what's next ?? Bali 2012

Sin and Its Consequences ( Henry Edward Manning (1808-1892)

Even the Third Secret of Fatima is still unrevealed and still ignored ..

This is more than revolting .. Fatima official site is not "dangerous"

Review Ratings what do these ratings mean?

Vice President Biden Meets With Pope Benedict | Daily News | NCRegister.com

Daily affirmations about Novus Ordo Seclorum

Liberal Catholic Blah Blah

The Third Secret of Fatima

The Myth of Religious Tolerance

Dancing with the saints: Retreat master says that's the key to Lent

No Communion with Heretics

The Holy Church: Papal Infallibility

Just saying that ...

Exodus 8 : 23 ~And I will put a division between my people and thy people: tomorrow shall this sign be.

One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Roman Church

Benedict XVI's most heretical speech ?

The Mystery of the Catholic Mass

There is only One , Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ

Beatification of Father Jerzy Popieluszko , Praise the Lord !

Pope recalls confident hope of the Virgin Mary :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Benedict XVI: The Cross saves the world

ANGELUS 2010-06-06

Pope: Europe, and the whole world, needs Jesus

Pope asks Mary to protect families from falling apart

Benedict XVI: The source of joy is the goodness of God

Pope praying for spread of Gospel and Christian courage in September

Pope praying for spread of Gospel and Christian courage in September

The Year of The Priests 2009-2010

ANGELUS 2009-08-02

Happy Birthday dearest Holy Father , Pope Benedict XVI

Remembering the Pope of all souls John Paul II

An Open Letter

Notre Dame Students Condemn University President for Allowing Obama Speech

Our Lady Weeps, The Struggle for Notre Dame is Engaged

Papal Message to Conference on Women

The Holy Father asked to live this Lent season as a period of conversion and reconciliation of all Christians

Bishop Williamson expresses ‘regret’ for Holocaust comments’ effects

Sunday urged to be ‘day of fervent prayer’ for Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Rebukes Pelosi, Tells Her Catholic Legislators Obligated to Protect Life

May God long keep and bless our Pope

Latest News

Time to prepare ourself

I'm Blue ...: )))))

Day by day take your time to pray , take time to talk with God

Daily Gospel ( January 18 , 2009 )

January 2009 ( Liturgical Year )

Advent daily prayer and meditation ( third week )

Sunday Advent prayer and meditation

Third week of Advent : Gaudete Week

Daily Advent Prayer ~ Thursday ~

Preparing our Hearts and asking for the Grace of Christmas

This day meditation and prayer

Daily meditation and prayer

25 Ways to Spend an Hour with Jesus

April is ~~ God bless you all

~~ Feast of Annunciation ~~

Feast of Annunciation

Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy Sunday ( prayer and meditation )

Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy Novena Day 9

Divine Mercy Novena Day 8

Divine Mercy Novena Day 7

Divine Mercy Novena Day 6

Divine Mercy Novena Day 5

Divine Mercy Novena Day 4

Divine Mercy Novena Day 3

Divine Mercy Novena Day 2

Divine Mercy Novena Day 1

Divine Mercy Novena

The Prayer Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Wednesday of the Holy Week

Feast of Annunciation