feast of st. agatha/novena to the holy face (Day 2)
Sirach,
Chapter 50, Verse 28-29
28 Happy those who meditate upon these
things; wise those who take them to heart! 29 If they put them into practice, they can
cope with anything, for the fear of the LORD is their lamp.
The
human heart is the seat of the human will. May He illuminate our hearts to
serve Him.
What is meant by serving God? Doing the will
of God in all things which He requires of us, in whatever state of life we may
be placed, and doing this with fidelity, with unwearied zeal, and out of love
for Him. (Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896) When we are bored and familiar
with routine work, let us generously offer ourselves to the Lord for He indeed
knows our needs and will take care of our well-being.
Let
us remember Christ’s words to us on service, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross,
and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.” (Mk. 8:34-35)
Life seen as mere self-centered earthly existence and lived in denial of Christ
ends in destruction, but when lived in loyalty to Christ, despite earthly
death, it arrives at fullness of life. True discipleship is total commitment to
Christ through self-renunciation and acceptance of the cross of suffering, even
to the sacrifice of life itself.
FEAST of Saint AGATHA[1]
Agatha
came from, Catania, a city in Sicily. I was stationed there while in the Navy
and lived in a small town of Nicolosi which was situated on the Volcano (Etna)
near the city of Catania. I was impressed and formed as a young man by the
faith and beauty of the people of Sicily.
Agatha
was born in Sicily and died there a martyr. She belonged to a rich, important
family. When she was young, she dedicated her life to God and resisted any men
who wanted to marry her or have sex with her. One of these men, Quintian, was
of a high enough rank that he felt he could force her to acquiesce. Knowing she
was a Christian in a time of persecution, he had her arrested and brought
before the judge - - himself. He expected her to give in to when faced with
torture and possible death, but she simply affirmed her belief in God by
praying: "Jesus Christ, Lord of all,
you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep:
make me worthy to overcome the devil." Quintian imprisoned her in a
brothel in order to get her to change her mind. He brought her back before him
after she had suffered a month of assault and humiliation in the brothel, but
Agatha had never wavered, proclaiming that her freedom came from Jesus.
Quintian sent her to prison, instead of back to the brothel -- a move intended
to make her more afraid, but which probably was a great relief to her. When she
continued to profess her faith in Jesus, He had her tortured. He refused her
any medical care but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a
vision of St. Peter. When she was tortured again, she died after saying a final
prayer: "Lord, my Creator, you have
always protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the
world and given me patience to suffer. Receive my soul." Because one
of the tortures she supposedly suffered was to have her breasts cut off, she
was often depicted carrying her breasts on a plate. It is thought that blessing
of the bread that takes place on her feast may have come from the mistaken
notion that she was carrying loaves of bread. Because she was asked for help
during the eruption of Mount Etna she is considered a protector against the
outbreak of fire. She is also considered the patroness of bell makers for an
unknown reason -- though some speculate it may have something to do with the
fact that bells were used as fire alarms.
Prayer: Saint Agatha, you suffered sexual assault and indignity because of your
faith. Help heal all those who are survivors of sexual assault and protect
those women who are in danger. Amen
Central elements of consecrated virginity
Central elements of consecrated virginity
From the Code of Canon Law:
• The virgin is consecrated to God by the diocesan Bishop according to a rite approved by the church. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 922-924]
• She is betrothed mystically to Christ and dedicated to the service of the church.
• She enters a public state of consecrated life in the Church.
• She lives her life individually, under the direction of the diocesan Bishop.
From the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity:
• The consecrated virgin is constituted a sacred person in the Church. [Introduction, No. 1]
• No particular service or spirituality is imposed; the consecrated virgin's time is spent in works of penance and of mercy, in apostolic activity, and in prayer, in accord with her state of life and spiritual gifts. [No. 2]
• She is strongly advised to recite the Liturgy of the Hours daily, and is committed to praying Morning and Evening Prayer. [No.2]
• Her life is one of perpetual virginity. [No.5]
Secular State:
The consecrated virgin remains in the secular state, providing completely for her own material needs, medical care, and retirement. At no time is the diocese financially responsible for her. [Sr. Sharon Holland, Consecrated Virgins for Today's Church, 1998, as printed in Consecrated Life, Vol. 24, No.2, pp. 257-75]
The consecrated virgin does not wear habit or veil, nor use the title "Sister," nor write "OCV" after her name. She witnesses subtly, but publicly and powerfully, by her virginal life given exclusively to Jesus Christ. Consecrated virgins today wear their ring, but their comportment, modesty in dress, simplicity in lifestyle all betoken their living of the evangelical counsels
Taken from The Companion Discernment Guide to Consecrated Virgins in Today's Church, USACV, 2005, page 7
NOVENA TO THE HOLY FACE
DAILY PREPARATORY PRAYER
We now implore all the Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Second Day
Psalm 51, 5-6a. My offenses truly I know them; My sin is always before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done.
Most Holy Face of Jesus, we are truly sorry that we have hurt you so much by constantly doing what is wrong; and for all the good works we have failed to do. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saint Joseph, intercede for us, help us to console the Most Holy Face of Jesus. Pray that we may share in the tremendous love Thou hast for one another and for the most Holy and Blessed Trinity. Amen.
Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, Pardon and Mercy.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Pray one (1) Our Father, (3) Hail
Mary’s, (1) Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)
Daily
Devotions
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