HOLY FACE DAY 4
Psalm 15, Verse 1-5
1 LORD, who may
abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy mountain? 2 Whoever
walks without blame, doing what is right, speaking truth from the
heart; 3 Who does not
slander with his tongue, does no harm to a friend, never defames a neighbor; 4
Who disdains the wicked, but
honors those who fear the LORD; Who
keeps an oath despite the cost, 5 lends no money at interest, [1] accepts no bribe against the innocent.
In life we are
always moving toward the future. Our destination is life eternal with our
creator. In our little sailboat of life, we tend to be either moving toward God
by taking advantage of His graces which provide the wind for our sails or we do
nothing but drift.
Napoleon Hill
noted in his manuscript on a book he never published entitled “Outwitting the
devil” stated drifting was one of the tools the devil uses to keep us off tack
and not sailing towards God’s mountain.
A Protection
against drifting lies within easy reach of every human being who has a normal
body and a sound mind. The self-defense can be applied through these simple methods:
1.
Do your own thinking on all
occasions. The fact that human beings are given complete control over nothing
save the power to think their own thoughts is laden with significance.
2.
Decide definitely what you
want from life; then create a plan for attaining it and be willing to sacrifice
everything rather than accept permanent defeat.
3.
Analyze temporary defeat, no
matter of what nature or cause, and extract from it the seed of an equivalent
advantage.
4.
Be willing to render useful
service equivalent to the value of all material things you demand of life and
render the service first.
5.
Recognize that your brain is
a receiving set that can be attuned to receive communications from the
universal storehouse of Infinite Intelligence, to help you transmute your
desires into their physical equivalent.
6.
Recognize that your greatest
asset is time, the only thing except the power of thought which you own
outright, and the one thing which can be shaped into whatever material things
you want. Budget your time so none of it is wasted.
7.
Recognize the truth that
fear generally is a filler with which the Devil occupies the unused portion of
your mind. It is only a state of mind which you can control by filling the
space it occupies with faith in your ability to make life provide you with
whatever you demand of it.
8.
When you pray, do not beg!
Demand what you want and insist upon getting exactly that, with no substitutes.
9.
Recognize that life is a
cruel taskmaster and that either you master it or it masters you. There is no
half-way or compromising point. Never accept from life anything you do not
want. lf that which you do not want is temporarily forced upon you, you can
refuse, in your own mind, to accept it and it will make way for the thing you
do want.
10. Lastly, remember that your dominating thoughts
attract, through a definite law of nature, by the shortest and most convenient
route, their physical counterpart. Be careful what your thoughts dwell upon.
A simple formula combining
all the ten points:
Be definite in everything you do and
never leave unfinished thoughts in the mind. Form the habit of reaching
definite decisions on all subjects.
Can the habit of drifting be
broken, or does it become permanent once it has been fanned?
The habit can be broken if
the victim has enough willpower, providing it is done in time. There is a point
beyond which the habit can never be broken. Beyond that point the victim is
mine. He resembles a fly that has been caught in a spider’s web. He may
struggle, but he cannot get out. Each move he makes entangles him more
securely. The web in which I entangle my victims permanently is a law of nature
not yet isolated by, or understood by, men of science.
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.
Fourth
Day
Psalm 51, 8-9.
Indeed, you love truth in the heart; then in the secret of my heart teach me Wisdom. O purify me, then I shall be clean; O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
Through the merits of Thy precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, Pardon and Mercy.
Prayer in Honor of the Dolors of the Blessed Virgin
O Most Holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs! Who stood beneath the cross, witnessing the agony of your dying Son, look down with a mother’s tenderness and pity on us as we kneel before you to venerate your Dolors, and place our requests, with filial confidence, in the sanctuary of your wounded heart. Present them on our behalf to Jesus, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with your sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy of both, obtain the favor which we humbly ask. To whom shall we go in our wants and miseries if not to you. O Mother of Mercy, who having so deeply drunk of the chalice of your Son, graciously alleviate the sufferings of those who still sigh in this land of exile. Amen.
Prayer to the Souls in Purgatory
My Jesus, by the sorrows you suffered in your agony in the garden, in your scourging and crowning with thorns, in the way to Calvary, in your crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken. Deliver them from the dire torments they endure. Call them and admit them to your most sweet embrace in Paradise. Amen.
Pray one (1) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary’s, (1) Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)
Lent is a favorable season for opening the doors to all
those in need and recognizing in them the face of Christ."-- Pope Francis
The key to fruitful observance of these practices is to recognize their link to baptismal renewal. We are called not just to abstain from sin during Lent, but to true conversion of our hearts and minds as followers of Christ. We recall those waters in which we were baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.
·
The Shield of Faith. St. Paul reminds us that faith must be firmly grasped and held up as a
barrier between ourselves and the Enemy.
·
The Helmet of Hope. It is essential for protecting
the mind. If we have no hope of winning why fight? We must never take off the helmet of hope or we will be overcome
before we start.
·
The Breastplate of Love. The breastplate protects our
heart-keeping it for God alone. Love Him with all your heart, soul, and mind;
and be rightly related to others is to love them as we love ourselves (see Mt
22: 36– 40).
·
Cincture of Truth. Being truthful with God, yourself,
and others is a spiritual form of ballistic groin protection. Nothing can hurt
like the truth. We must not let the
intimate parts of our inner selves be led astray by blinding passion, and the
Devil’s enticement. We must seek the
truth and live the truth. We must not
seek to gratify the desires of the flesh, but instead we must “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” imitating the virtues
displayed in His character.
·
Feet shod in Peace. Wherever we go, we must be prepared to bring the good news
of salvation, of peace with God, to all we may encounter. The Devil will try to
turn us back. He’ll scatter across our path, like so many rocks and thorns, a
wagonload of doubts, accusations of our inadequacy, and fear of conflict and rejection. But if we’ve put on the “boots” of
readiness— if we’ve prepared ourselves, through faithful study and prayer, to
share the gospel— then we’ll walk safely over these obstacles, crushing them as
we go.
·
The Mantle of Humility. Humility is the essential virtue
that provides the soil in which all the other virtues grow. Humility keeps us
from dangerous “high places” where the Enemy could tempt us to pride and
vainglory.
Go Gourmet in Miami[4]
Go Gourmet in Miami[4]
February 19-23
Hosted
by Food Network and
the Cooking Channel,
the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEFEST) is a
five-day, star-studded event showcasing the world’s most renowned wine and
spirits, chefs and culinary personalities from Alton Brown to Action Bronson. A
tent city on the beach known as the Grand Tasting Village is filled with
hundreds of wineries, restaurants, and spirits makers giving away samples and
providing culinary demonstrations. If you want to hob-knob with some of the
renowned chefs, tickets are available for special dinners, parties, and
seminars that take place all over Miami.
THE TREE OF HAPPINESS (Cont.)
King Richard was glad to see all the Grand knights and
their sons preparing for the Quest. Why even Sir Michael sent for his God-son
Gabriel to be part of the great quest. Gabriel was the son of Henry, Sir
Michael’s brother. Henry was not a member of the royal court and lived deep in the
forests of Utopia. Henry had renounced his birthright, by his marriage to a
simple peasantry woman, named Diane, who was known not only for her beauty but
also for her intelligent mind and loving ways. Diane and Henry had raised
Gabriel quite different from the other young men of Utopia. He was taught all
the great sciences of the time and his father trained him in the Knightly arts.
He was a young man of strength in both mind and body. That was why Sir Michael
chose him to be his Sergeant at Arms on the great crusade to find the Tree of
Happiness.
When Gabriel got the word that he was to go with his
uncle he was in his most favorite places to be. He was in the upper most
branches of the oldest oak tree in the forest. It was said of the tree that it
was used as a meeting place for Mass when St. Dennis first brought Utopia to
the church over 500 years ago and if this was true it would make the tree at
least 600 years old. Gabriel always loved it here. This was his special place.
This was the place where he spoke with his creator. It was here he developed his
strength of mind and by climbing the great tree he also developed his physical
strength.
After Gabriel joined Sir Michael, King Richard and the
rest of the Crusaders visited many faraway lands in search of the Tree of
Happiness. They fought many battles (which are stories themselves) they learned
the value of friendship, duty and the worth of selfless service. The king and
his Knights found themselves returning to the beliefs of the church and strangely
found themselves happy although suffering in hardships together. After five
years of searching, they found their selves approaching Utopia having never
found the Tree of Happiness and having a sense of failure. Gabriel now a Knight
himself, found they were approaching the tree of St. Dennis, his special place,
in the middle of a terrible storm. As they approached the tree, Gabriel was
mentioning to King Richard how this tree was a special place to him, and they
camped there for the night to wait out the storm. Gabriel had just finished
mentioning this to King Richard when a great bolt of lightning struck the great
tree splitting it. Sadly, later that night Gabriel went to bed.
In the morning Gabriel, Sir Michael, King Richard and
the company of Knights approached the split tree. As they approached, they discovered
buried within the tree a crucifix that had been attached to the tree and the
tree had grown around it. The crucifix was the cross of St. Dennis which had
the following words inscribed upon it, “Upon this tree (cross) God hung in
payment for our sins and love for us. THIS is the true Tree of Happiness.”
Today Diane T. Havermale succumbed to
pancreatic cancer in February 2015; She is loved and remembered by her seven
children: Claire, Christopher, Candace, Dara, Rachel, Nicole and Vincent.
Please pray for her intentions and those who struggle with cancer.
Daily
Devotions
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