Saturday, July 18, 2020

Day 12-Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Pornography

My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

At a word from you the devil and his minions flee in terror.

You are the source of all truth. You are the source of all strength.

By the power of your Cross and Resurrection, we beseech you, O Lord

To extend your saving arm and to send your holy angels

To defend us as we do battle with Satan and his demonic forces.

Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses your Bride, The Church,

So that within ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation

We may turn fully back to you in all fidelity and trust.

Lord, we know if you will it, it will be done.

Give us the perseverance for this mission, we pray.

Amen

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception ... pray for us

St. Joseph ... pray for us

St. Michael the Archangel ... pray for us

(the patron of your parish) ... pray for us

(your confirmation saint) ... pray for us

"Freedom from Pornography" by Fr. Bill Peckman

In 79 AD, the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under the ash of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. In the mid 1700's, when the cities were discovered and excavated, we got a good look into life in the earliest days of the spread of Christianity and the culture they were up against. In the ruins were many results of pornography in brothels and even common homes. The sexual promiscuity of the Roman culture was no secret even if the practice of it was kept behind closed doors in the name of being discreet. How much it saturated the society was a bit of a shock.

Pornography has been with humanity for a very long time. The word comes from the Greek words 'porne' (prostitute) and graphos (to write). As prostitution is a deliberate cheapening of the human dignity of the woman or man exploited by the sexual gratification of another, pornography further cheapens that dignity by reducing the person to nothing more than an image with which to self-pleasure.

In 1953, we saw the eventual mainstreaming of pornography with the playboy mentality of Hugh Hefner. Within 50 years, the acceptability of pornography, had grown so much as to be seen as both healthy and normative behavior. It is now a 97 billion dollar industry where human trafficking is used (4.5 million men, women, and children are forced into the sex trades, which include the making of pornography and are trained how to 'perform' by use of pornography), and the consumer is trained to completely objectify the human person as a means of self-gratification. There are fewer more potent cancers in our society today than pornography.

It is legion in our society. Both in soft and hard core versions (everything from 'romance' novels to violence), it permeates the entertainment industry at all levels. It is sung about in music, lauded on TV and in motion pictures as normal guy behavior, and now with the internet and social media has spread to the point where our children are taking nude pictures of themselves and sending it to others via texting. It influences how we dress, what we show, and the way we interact. It does permanent damage to the human brain especially if the person starts using it in adolescence. It is known to inhibit the development of the ability to enter into adult relationships. It is estimated that even among Christians, 64% of men use pornography. In a study done on sex human trafficking, it was remarked that pornography is the gateway to prostitution.

The issue with pornography is that it reduces sex to something outside of the marital bond. It is easy adultery. It divorces sex from the marriage. It trains those within a marriage who use how to objectify each other as a means to an end. The grim reality with porn is that it is a total rejection of God's plan for human sexuality. As the US Bishops wrote in their 2015 pastoral letter, "Create a Clean Heart In Me", Deliberately viewing pornography is a grave sin against chastity. Sexual intimacy and the pleasure that derives from it are gifts from God and should remain personal and private, enjoyed within the sacred bond of marriage alone. Such intimacy should not be put on display or be watched by any other person, even if that person is one's own spouse. Nor should the human body be unveiled or treated in a way that objectifies it sexually and reduces it to an erotic stimulant. Jesus is clear in his teaching that sexual immorality is not only a matter of one's actions but also a matter of one's heart: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:27-28).

Pornography is likewise a grave sin against human dignity. As the Catechism says, "filming or taking pictures of the intimate parts of the body or of sexual acts does 'grave injury' to the person(s) 'performing,' to anyone responsible for its making or production, and to the general public. 33 Pornography dehumanizes the persons depicted, making them into objects of use. Those who produce and distribute pornography harm the common good by encouraging and even causing others to sin. They do serious harm to the women and men who consent to be in pornographic material, often out of desperation for money or out of an impoverished sense of self-worth. 34 Even worse, in some cases pornographers take advantage of those who cannot even give consent-children and other victims of human trafficking-which is both a grave sin and a heinous crime."

Pornography in its legion of forms (print, movie, virtual, tv, music) must be purged from a faithful Catholic's home. It must be treated as the voracious cancer it is. It may well be with us from antiquity, but its influence must be curtailed so that a renewed respect for the human person's dignity and integrity may be restored.

Prayer of Reparation

My Lord and my God,
We have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts to objectify our fellow man as a means for self-gratification.
We have stilled our hearts to the suffering of those who are filmed.
We have been too fearful to stand out in our culture, allowing the scorn of the world tom quiet us in our defense of human dignity and chastity.
In our fear, we have allowed the ancient foe to advance.
We turn to You Lord, in our sorrow and guilt, and beg Your forgiveness for our use of pornography in all its forms.
We beg for the grace of Your goodness to build up within us what You sought to build up in Your apostles in that tempest tossed boat.
We know, Lord, if You will it, it will be done.
Trusting in You, we offer our prayer to You who live and reign forever.
Amen.

Prayer of Exorcism

Lord God of Heaven and Earth,
In Your power and goodness, You created all things.
You set a path for us to walk on and a way to an eternal relationship.
By the strength of Your arm and Word of Your mouth
Cast from your Holy Church every fearful deceit of the Devil
Drive from us manifestations of the demonic that oppress us and beckon us to the use of pornography.
Still the lying tongue of the devil and his forces so that we may act freely and faithfully to Your will.
Send Your holy angels to cast out all influence that the demonic entities in charge of pornography have planted in Your church.
Free us, our families, our parish, our diocese, and our country from all trickery and deceit perpetrated by the Devil and his hellish legions.
Trusting in Your goodness Lord,
We know if You will it, it will be done in unity with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever.
Amen.

Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Heart of Mary, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, like unto the Heart of God, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, united to the Heart of Jesus, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, instrument of the Holy Ghost, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, sanctuary of the Divine Trinity, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, tabernacle of God Incarnate, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, immaculate from thy creation, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, full of grace, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, blessed among all hearts, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, throne of glory, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, most humble, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, holocaust of Divine Love, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, fastened to the Cross with Jesus Crucified, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, comfort of the afflicted, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, refuge of sinners, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, hope of the agonizing, Pray for us.
Heart of Mary, seat of mercy, Pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Immaculate Mary, meek and humble of heart,
Make our hearts like unto the Heart of Jesus.

Let Us Pray.
O most merciful God, Who, for the salvation of sinners and the refuge of the miserable, wast pleased that the Most Pure Heart of Mary should be most like in charity and pity to the Divine Heart of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, grant that we, who commemorate this sweet and loving Heart, by the merits and intercession of the same Blessed Virgin, may merit to be found like unto the Heart of Jesus, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.

To see the Goals, Methods and Levels of "Let Freedom Ring," go HERE.

NELSON MANDELA DAY

 

Matthew, Chapter 15, verse 32

Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for FEAR they may collapse on the way.” 

This chapter of Matthew records the feeding of the four thousand. Some would say that God has no fear but here we see that Christ was afraid for the welfare of the multitude. He knows our needs and is concerned for them. After all, “I am the good shepherd… I know my sheep, and mine know me.” (John 10:14) 

Christ knows that even if our hearts desires are in the right place and we have perfect self-control we must acknowledge the legitimate needs of the body. We are both spirit and body; the perfection of the creator, which the fallen angels despise. We must care for both because both are the gift of God. 

Christ says, “They have been with me now for three days and have had nothing to eat”. I suggest that we follow His advice starting this week if we can participate in Mass sometime during our midweek so we may not collapse along the way. 

I also suggest now would be a good time to look for a retreat of three days in which you can be with the Lord knowing He will not send you away hungry. 

Nelson Mandela International Day[1]

 

Nelson Mandela Day seeks to celebrate the political and social achievements of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Mandela, who spent three decades in prison for his political activism, became the first black president of the Republic of South Africa in 1994. His presidency ended the long-standing apartheid in which whites ruled over blacks and saw the birth of democracy and equality among all citizens. He was also active in combatting poverty, encouraging land reform, expanding health services, supporting education and setting an example of peace, anti-racism and human rights adherence for other nations.

Nelson Mandela International Day was designated by the United Nations and the Nelson Mandela Foundation in 2009. It is celebrated on Mandela's birthday, July 18th, in an effort to recognize the impact of Mandela's values and his contribution to humanity.   Mandela passed away in December of 2013 at the age of 95.

 

Nelson Mandela International Day Facts & Quotes 

·         Nelson Mandela has received several awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, the Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St. John and the Order of Merit from the Queen Elizabeth II and the Order of Canada.

·         When Nelson Mandela was born his name was Rolihlalala Mandela, which meant, to pull a branch off a tree and trouble maker. He was given the name Nelson in school when he was seven years old.

·         Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison and ended up spending over 27 years in prison. He was eventually released from prison due to secret talks he had with the president of South Africa at the time, F.W. de Klerk.

·         It is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build. - Nelson Mandela

·         We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. – Nelson Mandela 

Things to do 

·         Devote 67 minutes of your day to helping others (volunteering, helping mom, cleaning, etc.). For 67 years, Nelson Mandela fought for humanity and on every July 18th, Mandela's birthday, the UN and the NMF ask citizens of the world to devote 67 minutes of time to helping others.

·         Watch one of the movies detailing the life of Nelson Mandela or apartheid. Some suggestions are: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), Invictus (2009), and Mandela and de Klerk (1997).

·         Nominate someone or an organization that you think serves every day.  If you think they make a positive change in your community, you can nominate those you think deserve acknowledgement as a Madiba Change Maker by sharing their stories on social media with the hashtag #Time2Serve.

·         Spread awareness by using the hashtags #NelsonMandelaInternationalDay, #MandelaDay and #mandela.

·         Research South African history to gain a better understanding of how the apartheid system came about, what it entailed and learn more about the segregation in the country. Books such as The History of South Africa and South African History shed light on the colonial periods and the beginning of state-run segregation.

 

Novena of St. Ann[2]

 

Daily Prayer to Saint Ann

 

O glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those who invoke you and with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present intention which I recommend to you in your special care.

Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen.

 

Our Father, . . . Hail Mary . . .

 

O Jesus, Holy Mary, St. Ann, help me now and at the hour of my death. Good St. Ann, intercede for me.

 

SECOND DAY

 

From the depths of my heart, good St. Ann, I offer you my homage this day and ask you to shelter me under the mantle of your motherly care. You know, good mother, how much I love you, how gladly I serve you, how happy I am to praise you, how eager I am to call on you in time of distress.

 

Good St. Ann be pleased to extend your helping hand in all my wants. Listen to my prayers, for I place my trust in your gracious bounty. Make all my thoughts and desires worthy and righteous.

Jesus, I thank You for all the graces which in Your infinite goodness You have lavished upon St. Ann; for having chosen her, among all women, to be Your grandmother on earth and exalted her in heaven with such great and miraculous powers. In the name of her merits, I humbly recommend myself to Your infinite mercy.

 

Daily Devotions

·         Saturday Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Practice fidelity to baptismal vows

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Iceman’s 40 devotion

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary

---

[1] http://www.wincalendar.com/Nelson-Mandela-Day

[2]Blessed Sacrament Fathers, ST. ANN’S SHRINE, Cleveland, Ohio