This just in
Introduction to Baruch[1]
Many believe this global pandemic, and subsequent distancing from Mass and Communion, has the hand of God on it. Or, at least, many believe God seeks to utilize it for His purposes. It may be that a kind of illumination is at work here. One that is calling us to a greater appreciation and love for the Most Holy Eucharist, while calling us priests and bishops to a greater fortitude, amidst the forces of evil moving, mostly, unabated in our times.
Recently, I pointed out that our First Shepherds (Apostles), when faced with a "crisis moment" (Jesus is arrested) behaved in certain way. I hypothesized that the ratio of present day Shepherds (we priests & bishops) seems similar to the first Shepherds.
To summarize:
- 1/12th of us present day Shepherds seem to have no supernatural faith, treating the Church merely as a business - like Judas.
- 10/12ths of us present day Shepherds seem to lack fortitude, like 10 of the 12 Apostles who deserted Jesus and fled, when Jesus was arrested. It seems that many of us modern day Shepherds simply allow evil to advance while we retreat in silence. However, it must be noted that the forces of evil in our times may be the strongest and most aggressive they have ever been, especially in this age of "instant information" ... "instant propaganda." Shepherds, today, are facing an enormous Goliath. We need much prayer for the strength of the Holy Spirit.
- Finally, there is the remaining 1/12th of us present day Shepherds who, like John the Beloved, courageously stay with Jesus, all the way to the foot of the cross. These modern day Shepherds fearlessly put their reputations on the line to bring the light of the Spirit of truth to outshine the evil forces of darkness.
However, don't we know that the Apostles were huddled in the Upper Room, when Jesus penetrated obstacles - a locked door - and breathed on them with the power of the Holy Spirit. In that moment, empowered by the Holy Spirit, they left their fear and timidity behind, and became courageous John the Beloved Good Shepherds. They would then go forth from the Upper Room to stand against the forces of evil in their times, bringing the Spirit of truth, even when that meant they would be martyred. They bravely accepted their call to be the "influencers of their times."
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you (John 14:15-17).
We need to call out to God for the grace of a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit for priests and bishops! We need a "Priestly Pentecost."
Priestly Pentecost
Blessed Concepción Cabrera de Armida (1862-1937) was a Mexican Roman Catholic mystic and writer. She is also referred to often simply as Conchita. She was beatified in Mexico City on 4 May 2019, as the first Mexican laywoman to receive this recognition.
The Lord revealed to Conchita the vital role of the priesthood for the world, and then the Lord revealed this:
"I want to give my Church a powerful impulse in which I will pour out the Holy Spirit over my priests like a new Pentecost. The Church and the world need a new Pentecost, a priestly Pentecost, an interior Pentecost."
Pentecost Novena Asking God for a Priestly Pentecost
A global pandemic emerges, distancing Catholics from the Mass, only a few months after our Church received a shocking new Pew Research Report that revealed 70% of professed Catholics do not believe in Jesus' Real Presence in the Eucharist. Coincidence? One wonders. This is a "crisis moment" that should not be dismissed.
Let's pray like we have never prayed before!
The Pentecost Novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church.
Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed.
Pentecost Novena Dates: The Pentecost Novena for our Priests and Bishops goes from
Friday, May 22 to Saturday, May 30 (Vigil of Pentecost).
Power Up Your Pentecost Novena: Be in a State of Grace (Go to Confession). Find time to pray, in silence, before the Blessed Sacrament. Add fasting, to whatever level God is calling you.
Simple Intention: We will seek the intercession of the Virgin Mary and Pope St. John Paul II, as our intention will be the same as that of the holy monk of In Sinu Jesu: "Johanninise the souls of our priests and bishops. Please, Lord, grant a Priestly Pentecost."
Daily Pentecost Novena Prayers Found by (I will post the daily novena prayers here) ...
- Joining the Grace Force email list: HERE
- Going to usgraceforce.com
- Joining the Grace Force Facebook group: HERE
Introduction to Baruch[1]
Baruch was Jeremiah's secretary, and he thus
lived in the 6th century B.C. (though some conjecture that the book is only
attributed to him but may have actually been written in the 2nd century B.C. to
give people hope during the Maccabean Revolt). Baruch's book offers the People
of God in either century (and our own) a second chance and reasons for hope. In
his pages, we'll read of the Jews in exile in Babylon and of his call to pray
for them, send them funds, and even pray for the ruler there, Nebuchadnezzar: delivery into
his hands had been God's will, and now the people were to pray for forgiveness
of their sins (ch. 1); we hear more about cannibalism in the next chapter, as
well as a wonderful Prayer for Deliverance (well worth our own occasional
saying) and the promise of a new Covenant ahead (ch. 2); then comes a beautiful
poem on Wisdom which should serve as a guide back into God's graces (ch. 3);
this poem continues into the next chapter which then launches into
encouragement for those in exile not to lose heart because help is on the way
and they will be free—perfect Lenten themes (ch. 4); then, just as in other
places in the Bible God gives people new names when a new divine-human
relationship is struck, so too the whole people God is saving receive new names:
“Peace-Through-Justice” and “Glory-Through-Devotion”—God was into hyphenated
names (ch. 5); the final chapter in some older Bibles actually appears as a
separate book between Lamentations and Baruch as it is a Letter of Jeremiah
which Baruch, his secretary, here incorporates into his own book: it reiterates
that the people's long captivity was due to their having turned in the past to
foolish idols (ch. 6).
Rogation Monday
This
is why you put into our hearts the FEAR
of you: that we may call upon your name, and praise you in our exile, when we
have removed from our hearts all the wickedness of our ancestors who sinned
against you.
What we are talking about is the effects of having the
sins of our forefathers having a negative influence on us. This is often
referred to as generational sin.
It is very important to remember that the sins of
previous generations can be visited upon the present generation, as well as our
sins today being visited on future generations. The Bible says in Exodus 20:5
(where God gives us His First Commandment to have no strange gods before Him),
Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18, & Deuteronomy 5:9, that the punishment for sins
can be given to the 3rd and 4th succeeding generations. You may want to think
about that while you are considering committing a mortal sin. Do you really
want the punishment for your sin given to your baby daughter, or to your
grandson? This actually happened to David, where his son was killed for
his adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:14), even after his guilt was
removed. In the New Testament, Jesus talks about the blood of the
prophets killed in previous generations being brought to bear on the current
generation in Jerusalem (Matthew 23:29-36 and Luke 11:47-51). That's a scary
thought for us alive today, with all of the blood of the 60 million or so
innocent babies who were legally killed in the womb in the USA since 1973 being
brought to bear upon us someday. There are people who don't believe in
future generations being punished for the sins of previous generations, but
then you have to remember that we are ALL still suffering for the one sin of
Adam and Eve. In 2 Maccabees 6:14, it says that God waits patiently
to punish nations until they have reached the full measure of their sins. Of
course, the really good news is that for those who love and serve Jesus, his
love is extended to a thousand generations, from Deuteronomy 7:9. So what do we
need to do about all of these inter-generational curses caused by ancestral
sins? Two things - You can recite the prayer below from Father Hampsch
and the Claretian Teaching Ministry every day. The best time to recite it
is immediately after Holy Communion, when you and Jesus Christ are one, when
you are like the Blessed Virgin Mary - a living tabernacle of The Savior.
That is when you are the holiest, and when your prayers are the most
efficacious. A few minutes of heartfelt prayer after receiving Jesus in
the Eucharist while in the state of grace are worth many hours of prayer later
on. And, you can also have the spiritual benefits of
having Holy Mass celebrated for your family tree - past, present AND future.
Prayer for Healing the Family Tree
"Heavenly
Father, I come before you as your child, in great need of your help; I have
physical health needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, and interpersonal
needs. Many of my problems have been caused by my own failures, neglect and
sinfulness, for which I humbly beg your forgiveness, Lord. But I also ask you
to forgive the sins of my ancestors whose failures have left their effects on
me in the form of unwanted tendencies, behavior patterns and defects in body,
mind and spirit. Heal me, Lord, of all these disorders. With your help I
sincerely forgive everyone, especially living or dead members of my family
tree, who have directly offended me or my loved ones in any way, or those whose
sins have resulted in our present sufferings and disorders. In the name of your
divine Son, Jesus, and in the power of his Holy Spirit, I ask you, Father, to
deliver me and my entire family tree from the influence of the evil one. Free
all living and dead members of my family tree, including those in adoptive
relationships, and those in extended family relationships, from every
contaminating form of bondage. By your loving concern for us, heavenly Father,
and by the shed blood of your precious Son, Jesus, I beg you to extend your
blessing to me and to all my living and deceased relatives. Heal every negative
effect transmitted through all past generations, and prevent such negative
effects in future generations of my family tree. I symbolically place the cross
of Jesus over the head of each person in my family tree, and between each
generation; I ask you to let the cleansing blood of Jesus purify the bloodlines
in my family lineage. Set your protective angels to encamp around us, and
permit Archangel Raphael, the patron of healing, to administer your divine
healing power to all of us, even in areas of genetic disability. Give special
power to our family members' guardian angels to heal, protect, guide and
encourage each of us in all our needs. Let your healing power be released at
this very moment, and let it continue as long as your sovereignty permits. In
our family tree, Lord, replace all bondage with a holy bonding in family love.
And let there be an ever-deeper bonding with you, Lord, by the Holy Spirit, to
your Son, Jesus. Let the family of the Holy Trinity pervade our family with its
tender, warm, loving presence, so that our family may recognize and manifest
that love in all our relationships. All of our unknown needs we include with
this petition that we pray in Jesus' precious Name. Amen.
"St. Joseph, Patron
of family life, pray for us.
Behold,
the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear him, upon those who count on his
mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive through famine.
(Ps. 33:18-19)
THE Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the
Ascension are observed as days of solemn supplication, and are called Rogation
Days. These three Rogation days serve also as a preparation for the feast of
the ascension, which reminds us that we have the most powerful intercessor in
our savior, who is now enthroned at the right hand of the father. Since 1929 many churches in the United
States have observed
Rogation Sunday as Rural Life Sunday,
or Soil Stewardship Sunday. Services on this
day examine the
religious aspects of rural life. In 1969
the Roman Catholic
Church cancelled the
Rogation Days. In their place Church
authorities instituted days of prayer for
human needs, human
works, and the
fruits of the earth.
Local bishops may
now set appropriate
dates for these
observances in their dioceses.
Rogation Days are a Roman Catholic "baptism"
of the Robigalia, a pagan procession to gain favor from the Robigo, the
Roman god of grain. Since the Church had no objection to praying for the
harvest, it threw out Robigo while keeping the procession and prayers. Today
would be a good day to reflect on what we want to harvest this fall; so like
farmers we must till the soil of our soul reflecting this day on our use of our
TIME and look at in what ways we may offer our time to Christ to help build a
harvest for His Kingdom
Catholic
Time[4]
Holy Days
Sunday: The Holy
Trinity –
Sunday is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. This is entirely fitting as Sunday is
the first day of the week and the day when we offer God, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit our praise, adoration, and thanksgiving.
Monday: The Angels – Monday is the day in which
we remember the angels. Angels are powerful guardians, and each of us is
protected by one. Many of the saints had a great devotion to the angels in
general and to their guardian angel in particular.
Tuesday: The Apostles – The Catholic Church is
apostolic. That is, it is founded on the authority and teaching of the
apostles, most especially that of St. Peter to whom Jesus gave the keys of his
kingdom. Each bishop is a direct successor of the apostles.
Wednesday: Saint
Joseph – Saint
Joseph is known as the prince and chief patron of the Church. As the earthly
father of Jesus, he had a special role in protecting, providing
for, and instructing Jesus during his earthly life. Now that Christ
is ascended into heaven, St. Joseph continues his fatherly guardianship of
Christ’s body, the Church.
Thursday: The Holy
Eucharist – Our Lord instituted the most holy
Eucharist on a Thursday, so it is fitting that we remember this greatest of
sacraments on this day. The Eucharist is the greatest gift of God to mankind,
as it is nothing less than Jesus himself. What gift could be greater?
Friday: The Passion
– Jesus was
scourged, mocked, and crucified on a Friday. Because of this, the Church has
always set aside Fridays of days of penance and sacrifice. While the U.S. sadly
does not require abstinence from meat on Fridays, penance is still required in
one form or another. This day should always be a day of repentance and a day in
which we recall Christ’s complete self-sacrifice to save us from our sins.
Saturday: Our Lady
– There are a
number of theological reasons Saturdays are dedicated to Our Lady, perhaps the
most significant is that on Holy Saturday, when everyone else had abandoned
Christ in the tomb, she was faithful to him, confidently waiting for his resurrection
on the first day of the week.
Holy Months
January: The Holy
Name of Jesus –
There is no name more powerful than the name of Jesus. The Catechism sums up
the power of this name beautifully: “The name ‘Jesus’ contains all: God and man
and the whole economy of creation and salvation. To pray ‘Jesus’ is to invoke
him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the
presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of
Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for
him” (CCC #2666)
February: The Holy
Family – The
Holy Family is an earthly reflection of the Holy Trinity. By meditating on the
Holy Family, we can learn the meaning of love, obedience, and true
fatherhood and motherhood. We are also reminded that the family is the
foundational unit of both society and the Church.
March: St. Joseph – St. Joseph is the icon of
God the Father: silent but active and perfectly providing for the needs of all.
The Church constantly invokes the protection of St. Joseph, admonishing us
to ite ad Joseph, go to Joseph.
April: The Blessed
Sacrament –
Holy Church is the guardian of
the Holy Eucharist. For two thousand years, she has
guarded this treasure, administering it to the faithful and proclaiming that it
is nothing less than Jesus himself. We can never be too devoted to the Blessed
Sacrament or show it too much honor.
May: The Blessed
Virgin Mary –
Our Lady has long been associated with the beauty of flowers and the coming of
spring. This is fitting because she is both beautiful and the Mother of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who is the life of the world. In May, the Church
remembers our glorious lady with crownings and processions in her honor.
June: The Sacred
Heart of Jesus –
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the revelation of God’s immense love for us. It is
often depicted as a fiery furnace, pierced and broken, but beating with love.
The Sacred Heart is also a profound reminder of the humanity of our Lord, for
his heart is not a mere symbol, but a true physical reality.
July: The Precious
Blood – The
blood of Christ saves us from sin. It is the blood of Christ that gives us the
hope of heaven. St. Paul tells us that Jesus reconciled “to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col.
1:20). Without the blood of Christ shed for us, all would be lost.
August: The
Immaculate Heart of Mary –
The heart of Mary is a motherly heart, a heart full of love and mercy for her
children. The heart of Mary is also the channel through which all the graces of
God flow down to us. She is “our life, our sweetness, and our hope.”
September: The Seven
Sorrows of Mary –
Aside from Jesus, no human being has suffered more than our Blessed Mother. In
perfect obedience to the will of God, she consented to her son’s torture,
humiliation, and brutal executed for our salvation. As any parent knows,
watching one’s child suffer is the greatest suffering of all. She still bears
the sufferings of her divine Son in her heart.
October: The Holy
Rosary – The
rosary is one of the most powerful weapons the Church possesses. We are
constantly exhorted by saints, popes, and Our Lord and Our Lady themselves to
pray this simple yet profound prayer. Accordingly, Mother Church has set aside
a whole month to the promotion of this prayer.
November: The Souls
in Purgatory – The souls in purgatory are
suffering a great deal, and they cannot pray for themselves. They are our
brothers and sisters, and as members of the body of Christ, we must pray and
offer sacrifices for those who have gone before us, asking that they may rest
in the light of God’s presence.
December: The Immaculate Conception – The Immaculate
Conception of Mary is a profound mystery. In the Immaculate Conception, Mary
was without sin from the first moment of her conception. She is perfectly
united forever to her spouse, the Holy Spirit. Their fruitful union produced a
wedding of heaven and earth in the Godman, Jesus Christ. We will meditate on
these truths for all eternity.
Time is a Gift
The Church takes seriously the call to sanctify all
things, even time. The Catholic significance of days and months is a
profound reminder that our lives are finite, and that time should not be
squandered. As the Psalmist said, “teach us to number our days that we may
get a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). But more than anything, it reminds us
that time is a gift from God, and with him and through him, all things are
holy, and nothing is without meaning.
Memorial Day Build Up
Every day from now to
Memorial Day I ask your prayers for each service and all of our defenders to
include police and fire on Memorial Day.
US Navy[5]
John Barry, an Irish
Catholic, was the "Father of the American Navy." He has been
forgotten by all but a few historians, but he outranks John Paul Jones and was
the official father of the Continental and U.S. Naval forces. He went to sea at
a young age in Ireland and settled in Philadelphia. In October 1775, John was
given command of the Continental Congress vessel, the Leviathan, and his
commission, the first issued, was dated Dec. 7, 1775. When the war began, John
Barry served in a spectacular manner. If his ship was shot out from under him,
he and his crew battled on land. They were with George Washington at Trenton
and Princeton. At the end of the war, Congress enacted on March 27, 1794, a law
establishing the U.S. Navy. The U. S. Senate issued the appointments of
officers made by George Washington, and John Barry's commission reads:
"Captain of the U.S. Navy...to take rank from the 4th day of June,
1784...registered No. 1." With victory in hand at the end of the
Revolutionary War, Americans in cities, towns and villages chanted a new ditty:
'Irish
Commodore'
"There
are gallant hearts whose glory
Columbia
loves to name,
Whose
deeds shall live in story
And
everlasting fame.
But
never yet one braver
Our
starry baner bore,
Then
saucy old Jack Barry,
The
Irish Commodore."
Please
pray for the intentions of my dear friend from my South Pole adventure and the
Godfather of my daughter Claire, the eminent Navy Chief James Grace.
Daily
Devotions
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