Day 19-Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Syncretism
We have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts to not see fulfillment in your goodness.
We have still our tongues in the face of evil.
We have been too fearful to stand out in our culture, allowing the lure of worldly idols to turn our hearts against you.
WE have expected You to be pleased with our duplicitous hearts.
We have, at times, been a source of scandal for those searching through our sinfulness and rebellion to You.
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 syncretism and infidelity.
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.
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 faithlessness and syncretism.
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 syncretism 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 for ever and ever.
Amen.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear 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, 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.
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.
Make our hearts like unto the Heart of Jesus.
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.
FEAST OF ST. JAMES-ST CHRISTOPHER
Matthew,
Chapter 28, verse 8
Then
they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to
announce this to his disciples.
As we are awaiting the
return of our Lord, we should follow the example of these women and quickly depart
from the tomb of this world being fearful of the power of God and yet
overjoyed.
Feast of St James the Greater, Apostle[1]
JAMES, by birth a Galilean, a son of Zebedee and Salome, was brother to St. John the apostle, with whom he was called by Jesus to follow Him. He was present at the transfiguration on Mount Tabor, at the raising of the daughter of Jairus from the dead, and other like miracles, and at the bloody sweat in the Garden. After the sending of the Holy Ghost he preached the doctrines of Jesus in Judea, Samaria, and in Jerusalem, where Herod caused him to be beheaded in the year 44. His body was brought to Compostella, in Spain, where it is venerated by vast numbers of the faithful, who make pilgrimages to his grave. St. James was the first of the apostles who shed his blood for Christ.
The Introit of the Mass is as follows: To me Thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honorable; their principality is exceedingly strengthened. Lord, Thou hast proved me and known me: Thou hast known my sitting down and my rising up."
Prayer.
Be Thou, O Lord, the sanctifier and guardian of Thy people, that, defended by the protection of Thy apostle James, they may please Thee by their conduct, and serve Thee with secure minds.
EPISTLE, i. Cor. iv. 9-15.
Brethren: I think that God hath set forth us apostles the last, as it were men appointed to death: we are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ s sake, but you are wise in Christ: we are weak, but you are strong: you are honorable, but we without honor. Even unto this hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no fixed abode, and we labor working with our own hands: we are reviled, and we bless: we are persecuted, and we suffer it. We are blasphemed, and we entreat: we are made as the refuse of this world, the off scouring of all even until now. I write not these things to confound you: but I admonish you as my dearest children: for if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus by the Gospel I have begotten you.
GOSPEL. Matt. xx. 20-23.
At that time: There came to Jesus the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking something of Him. Who said to her: What wilt thou? She saith to Him: Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on Thy right hand, and the other on Thy left, in Thy kingdom. But Jesus answering, said: You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to Him: We can. He saith to them: My chalice indeed you shall drink but to sit on My right or left hand is not Mine to give to you but to them for whom it is prepared by My Father.
Explanation.
From this gospel we learn that if we wish to become partakers with Christ of the kingdom of heaven, we must drink with Him of the chalice of pain and suffering.
Prayer to St. James.
O heroic apostle, who
first of all didst, after the example of Jesus, drink of the chalice of
suffering, but now, in the kingdom of His Father, livest upon the holy mountain
of Sion, obtain for me, I beseech thee, from Jesus the grace not to shrink from
the chalice of suffering and tribulation, but patiently to accept whatever the
hand of God may present to me, whether agreeable or disagreeable, and thereby
to become worthy one day to be inebriated with the streams of heavenly joy.
The
Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela[2]
The history of the
pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela stretches back more than 1000 years to the
discovery of the body of St. James during the reign of King Alfonso II
(792-842). St. James was already believed to have been the great evangelist of
Spain and for many hundreds of years there had been a scholarly and literary
tradition supporting this belief. The discovery of the relics of St. James then
became a focal point for pilgrims. Though a few pilgrims to Santiago are
recorded in the 10th century, and many more in the 11th, it was in the early
12th century, and particularly under the energetic promotion of Archbishop
Diego Gelmírez (1100-1140), that Santiago came to rank with Rome and Jerusalem
as one of the great destinations of medieval pilgrimage. The first Cathedral
was built over the site of the tomb, and gradually houses were established, for
example by monks from Cluny in Burgundy and from Aurillac in Cantal, France,
along the developing pilgrimage route.
The 12th and 13th
centuries are considered to have been the golden age of the pilgrimage to
Santiago. Subsequently the years of the Renaissance and Reformation in Europe
led to a decrease in the number of pilgrims. However, pilgrims still made their
way to Santiago throughout the centuries. In 1884, following academic and
medical research, Pope Leon XIII issued the Bull, Deus Omnipotens, which
proclaimed that the relics in Santiago were those of St. James. This is
recognized as the start of the modern development of the pilgrimage. It was
thought that in the 20th Century the growth of mechanized means of transport
such as cars and airplanes might lead to a reduction in the number of pilgrims
travelling to Santiago on foot or on horseback. This was not to be the case and
in the last 30 years in particular there has been a huge growth in interest and
in the number of pilgrims travelling on foot, on horseback or by bicycle.
Pilgrims were encouraged by the visits by Pope John Paul II in 1982 and in 1989
when World Youth Day was held in Santiago. The number of pilgrims continues to
grow. In 1985 1,245 pilgrims arrived in Santiago. In the 2010 Holy Year 272,703
pilgrims qualified for the Compostela.
Things to
Do[3]
·
Learn more about St. James.
·
It is traditional in Spain to make a yearly
pilgrimage to St. James of Compostela on July 24. Read
more about this custom. From Catholic Culture's Library: Pilgrimage
To The Stars and Cycling
through time on the Camino de Santiago.
·
Read about Santiago de Compostela,
the third largest shrine in all of Christendom.
·
Learn more about the pilgrimage to St. James.
·
Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia
and final destination of the famous pilgrimage way is certainly among Spain's
most beautiful cities. You can take a virtual tour and learn all about this
area of the world here.
·
Watch this Spanish news
broadcast of the faithful bringing flowers for Our Lady of the Pillar on
October 12 during the celebration of the feast at the cathedral, notice the
open devotion and enthusiasm offered to Our Lady. Tradition says that Mary
appeared to St. James before her Assumption. Read more about the apparition
here.
·
Plan your own pilgrimage to a nearby shrine.
Pope John Paul II said, "To go in a spirit of prayer from one place to
another, from one city to another, in the area marked especially by God's
intervention, helps us not only to live our life as a journey, but also gives
us a vivid sense of a God who has gone before us and leads us on, who himself
set out on man's path, a God who does not look down on us from on high, but who
became our traveling companion." Read
this letter and try to incorporate its spirit into your pilgrimage.
Way of St. James[4]
Hikers travel the trail
across the Castilian plateau. It’s a long walk to Santiago de Compostela on the
Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), but the Christian faithful have made the
pilgrimage since the bones of St. James the Apostle were unearthed here in the
9th century, spreading the cultural rebirth of Europe. The apparition of St.
James was said to aid Christian armies in battles with the Moors, so Spaniards
adopted Santiago Matamoros (aka St. James, the Moor-slayer) as their patron
saint. Modern hikers follow in the footsteps of El Cid, Louis VII of France,
and St. Francis of Assisi to this pilgrimage destination that’s on a par with
Rome and Jerusalem. Whether their motives are spiritual or not, the experience
of the walk lingers. Most travelers follow a variant of the French Route, which
begins in the Basque village of Roncesvalles, in the Pyrenees at the
French-Spanish border, and trek 500 miles through the Rioja wine country (see
here) and the former kingdoms of northern Spain. Hostels, inns, and restaurants
along the entire stretch cater to the pilgrims. Those who lack time or stamina
for the 4-plus-week journey by foot walk only the final 62 miles, through
rugged but green inland Galicia. At Monte de Gozo, 2 miles from Santiago de
Compostela, tired but elated travelers typically get their first glimpse of the
twin towers of Santiago’s cathedral. Construction of the majestic Cathedral of
Santiago de Compostela began in 1078, on the site of a 9th-century basilica
destroyed by the Moors, and Maestro Mateo’s original designs rank among
Europe’s finest Romanesque art. The cathedral’s elaborate, two-towered Baroque
façade, added in the 18th century, protects the now restored original Porta de
Gloria from weathering. The impact of the cavernous interior—as simple as the
façade is ornate—is heightened by the golden-cloaked, bejeweled statue of St.
James above the main altar, embraced by arriving pilgrims. The cathedral shares
the vast Plaza del Obradoiro (“work of gold”) with the Hotel Reyes Católicos
(Catholic Kings), built by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel in 1499 as a hospice
for pilgrims. Now one of the most renowned paradors in Spain, it has rooms
overlooking the square and the cathedral and many more overlooking four
courtyard cloisters. Only a short walk away, the Palacio del Carmen has
transformed an 18th-century convent into comfortable if less majestic lodging.
Where: Santiago de Compostela is 375 miles/603 km northwest of Madrid. The most
popular route of the Camino de Santiago starts in Roncesvalle and runs 500
miles/800 km across the northern regions of Spain, from east to west. How:
U.S.-based Saranjan, Inc., offers 1- to 2-week tours by minibus, on foot, or on
bicycle. Tel 800-858-9594 or 206-720-0623; www.saranjan.com. Cost: 8-day
hiking/biking tours from $3,150; all-inclusive. Originate in León. Hotel Reyes
Católicos: Tel 34/981582200; www.parador.es; in the U.S., Palace Tours,
800-724-5120; www.palacetours.com. Cost: from $105 (off-peak), from $225
(peak). Palacio del Carmen: Tel 34/981-552444; www.palaciodelcarmen.com. Cost:
from $100 (off-peak), from $115 (peak). Best times: late Feb or early Mar for
Antroido (carnival); last 2 weeks of Jul for succession of fiestas; Jul 25 for
feast day of Santiago, celebrated with fireworks, music, and processions.
Bearer
of Christ[5]
St. Christopher's feast
day is still July 25, and the proper of the Mass in his honor is found in the
1962 edition of the Roman Missal still authorized for the Tridentine Mass. The
confusion over whether St. Christopher is still a saint arose when Pope Paul VI
revised the Liturgical Calendar, which includes the feast days of saints that
are commemorated at Mass. Due to the proliferation of the number of feast days
over the centuries, the Second Vatican Council in its "Constitution on the
Sacred Liturgy" proposed, "Lest the feasts of the saints should take
precedence over the feasts which commemorate the very mysteries of salvation,
many of them should be left to be celebrated by a particular Church, or nation,
or family of religious. Only those should be extended to the universal Church
which commemorate saints who are truly of universal importance" (No. 111).
With this in mind, a special commission — Consilium — examined the
calendar and removed those saints whose historical base was more grounded on
tradition than provable fact, changed the feast days to coincide with the
anniversary of a saint's death or martyrdom whenever possible, and added saints
that were recently canonized and had universal Church appeal. Moreover, local
conferences of bishops could add to the universal calendar those saints
important to the faithful in their own country. In no way did the Church
"de-canonize" St. Christopher or anyone else, despite the lack of historical
evidence surrounding their lives. St. Christopher is still worthy of our
devotion and prayers, and each of us should be mindful that he too is called to
be a "bearer of Christ."
Novena of St. Ann[6]
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.
NINTH DAY
Good St. Ann, I have reached
the end of this novena in your honor. I have asked and ask again. Good mother
let not your kind ear grow weary of my prayers, though I repeat them so often.
Bounteous Lady implore
for me from divine Providence all the help I need through life. May your
generous hand bestow on me the material means to satisfy my own needs and to
alleviate the plight of the poor.
Good St. Ann, fortify
me by the sacraments of the Church at the hour of my death. Admit me into the company
of the blessed in the kingdom of heaven, where I may praise and thank the
adorable Trinity, your grandson Christ Jesus, your glorious daughter Mary, and
yourself, dear St. Ann, through endless ages.
Total Consecration to St. Joseph-Day 6[7]
On Day 6 Father Calloway using the Litany points to the idea that the Holy Trinity is a family and we can be a member of that family.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
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 Spirit have mercy
on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have
mercy on us.
Father Calloway stresses on this day that:
·
St.
Joseph is the father of the Trinity on earth.
·
If you
want to be a member of the Trinitarian Family in heaven, you need to be a child
of St. Joseph on earth.
St
Joseph’s Oratory is the father house of shrine’s to St. Joseph. It is also a
basilica which is a church granted special privileges by the Pope. This shrine
was started by a man like Joseph; a simple man who also like Joseph never was a
priest and was a simple doorman of a college; known to the world as Brother
Andre. Brother Andre’s advice is:
“When you invoke
St. Joseph, you don’t have to speak much. You know your Father in heaven knows
what you need; well, so does his friend St. Joseph. Tell him, “If you were in
my place, St. Joseph, what would you do?”
THE GREAT SAINT OF EVERYDAY LIFE[8]
Saint
Joseph can be seen as the saint of everyday life, to whom one turns for help
with both minor worries and at life-defining moments. Saint Brother André had boundless
trust in Saint Joseph, his friend and guide. His dream was to build on Mount
Royal a chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph — an oratory for prayer to him. Crowds
soon flocked to the place. Following Brother André’s recommendation, the great
saint is invoked here because, according to him, “He lets no one fall by the
wayside.” Traditionally, one confides to the care of Saint Joseph issues
related to family, work, health, death and material needs.
The Spiritual Side of Saint Joseph
The Gospel of Matthew presents Joseph as a righteous man:
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they were married, she found herself to be with child, through the Holy Spirit. Joseph, being a righteous man, did not wish to disgrace her publicly, resolving instead to break the engagement privately. (Matthew 1, 18-19)
Joseph’s generosity and greatness are revealed in these few words. But Joseph went further in the gift of self by agreeing to become the real father of this child who was sent to save humanity. He served God’s purpose with dignity and deeply loved this Emmanuel, Jesus, God-with-us.
With simplicity and discretion
Joseph’s entire life as a laborer born into a modest home embodies the sanctity of daily life. He is a model for ordinary people who are called upon to live their lives as God’s children, through good and bad days, with simplicity and discretion.
The Scriptures do not contain any of Joseph’s words. The evangelists reveal a man who acts according to his conscience and obeys the instructions of the Lord’s angel. In his family life in Nazareth, he was guided by the obligation of performing everyday tasks. He passed on the values of altruism and honesty to the child Jesus, who was then an adolescent. Just like millions of other fathers, he did his best to educate his child, then let him go into the world when the time came.
An unusual vocation
In fact, Joseph was not a paragon of faith. Yet he acted like all of the faithful of his time, adhering to the commandments in the Scriptures, going on the pilgrimages required by Law and praying ardently each day. He was a genuine saint because he heard and accepted God’s call to accept a unique vocation: to become the earthly father of Jesus. He lived according to this vocation of husband, father, worker and good person. He is a just man, an inspiration and a companion to all “ordinary” believers, those who live their lives unspectacularly, and remain loyal to their faith and vocation.
Guardian,
protector, supporter
Saint
Joseph supports believers in many aspects of their lives. He has many
designations: Guardian of the Pure in Heart, Hope of the Sick, Consolation of
the Afflicted and Patron of the Dying. He is also known as a Model of Workers,
Protector of the Church, Support of Families, and Terror of Demons. These
multiple designations reveal a saint who is present in our daily lives, in
times of suffering, and in the fears and hopes of those who pray.
·
Pray the Litany of St. Joseph.
Daily
Devotions
·
Read Humanae
Vitae (July 25) which articulates Catholic beliefs about human
sexuality.
·
Saturday
Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary
·
Offering to the
sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
"Faith cannot
save without virtue"
·
Rosary
[1] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[4]Schultz,
Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: Revised Second Edition (pp.
265-266)
[6]Blessed Sacrament Fathers, ST. ANN’S SHRINE, Cleveland, Ohio
[7]https://catholicexchange.com/now-is-the-time-to-consecrate-yourself-to-saint-joseph
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