DAY 20 - VIRGIN MOST FAITHFUL, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE FRUIT OF KINDNESS
GOD'S WORD
HEROES' WORDS
MEDITATION
PRAY A ROSARY
- Rosary of the Day: Luminous Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries
Those who would like to pray with others via The Telephone Rosary, call 1-951-799-9866 daily at 6 pm Eastern.
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT-SKYSCRAPER DAY
Acts,
Chapter 9, Verse 31
The
church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the FEAR of the Lord, and with the
consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.
The church was at peace because the apostles trusted in the power of God and accepted Saul as Paul. Saul was the major threat to the fledgling church until Christ stopped Saul in his tracks.
For those who do not fear God let us pray that Christ stops us knocks us to the ground and delivers us as He did Saul.
Christ chose Saul because he was an earnest man first.
The great
need at this hour is manly men. We want not goody-goody piety; we have too much
of it. We want men who will do right, though the heavens fall, who believe in
God, and who will confess Him. Rev. W. J. Dawson.
Great men of the bible realize that we are both body and spirit. They took great care of the body and honored God with the use of it. Our examples are Moses, Sampson, David, Saint Joseph and even Jesus Himself.
Nature and function of the Angels[1]
Angels are often represented in
art as having wings which attest to their ability to transcend time and space.
In fact, angel’s true nature is in reality more like that of a mirror
reflecting the infinite perfections of the Triune God. Just like men no two
angels are alike. No two men, no two women are identical. Yet, with angels the
difference between them is vast and complete and every species of angel is
incredibly lovely, and they are perfect having no shadows of imperfection or
defect. It is of paramount importance for us to realize and ask these holy
beings to assist us in our pursuit of happiness for they wish in every way to
share with us God’s love. Their generosity knows no bounds and to receive their
assistance we have only to ask. Unfortunately, we limit their efforts for our
welfare and constantly impede them by our sins and imperfections. Yet they love
men even as imperfect as they are because of the love of God that flows through
them. It is an indescribable delight for them when they are certain that the
merits of the redemption through the Divine Blood of Christ will not be lost on
the souls committed to their care.
St. Gregory the Great’s 30 Masses[2]
The history of the “Thirty Mass” practice goes back to the year 590 A.D. in St. Andrew’s Monastery in Rome, founded by St. Gregory the Great in his own family villa around 570. It is now known as the Monastery of St. Gregory the Great. The account of the incident which gave rise to it is recounted by St. Gregory himself in his Dialogues.
After his election as Pope in 590, one of the monks, Justus by name, became ill. So he admitted to a lay friend, Copiosus, that he had hidden three gold pieces among his medications years before, when he was professed a monk. Both, in fact, were former physicians. And sure enough, the other monks found the gold when seeking the medication for Justus.
The founder and former abbot of the monastery, now Pope Gregory, hearing of this scandalous sin against the monastic Rule, called in the new Abbot of his beloved monastery, and ordered the penalty of solitary confinement for Justus, even though he was dying, and ordered that his burial not be in the cemetery but in the garbage dump. Copiosus told his wretched friend of this decision. Moreover, the community were to recite over his dreadful grave the words of St. Peter to Simon the Magician: “May your money perish with you” (Acts 8:20).
The Pope’s desired result was achieved: Justus made a serious repentance, and all the monks a serious examination of conscience. Justus then died, but the matter did not, for thirty days later Pope Gregory returned to the monastery filled with concern for Justus, who would now be suffering the grim temporal punishment of Purgatory’s fire for his sins. “We must,” said Gregory to the Abbot, “come by charity to his aid, and as far as possible help him to escape this chastisement. Go and arrange thirty Masses for his soul, so that for thirty consecutive days the Saving Victim is immolated for him without fail.” And so, it was done.
Some days later, the deceased
monk, Justus, appeared in a vision to his friend Copiosus and said, “I have
just received the Communion pardon and release from Purgatory because of the
Masses said for me.” The monks did a calculation, and noted that it was exactly
thirty days since the thirty Masses had begun for Justus. They shared this great
consolation with each other, with their Abbott and with Pope Gregory. The Pope
included a full account of this episode.
Skyscraper Day[3]
The construction of tall buildings has become so
commonplace in cities around the globe that the general public gives little
thought to the visionaries responsible for creating a city’s unique skyline.
Skyscraper day provides the opportunity to learn more about the architects who
commit a dream to paper and the construction crews that make it reality.
Whoever it was that first considered placing dwellings on top of each other
instead of side-by-side would be astounded at how modern buildings literally
seem to touch the sky. What they may also find interesting is the status that
is often attached to living or working at the highest level. Although this
analogy is obvious there is another to be drawn from the consequences of a
power failure. These are just a few aspects to ponder on a day that is set
aside to reflect on man’s apparent conquest of upper space.
35 Promises
of God[4]
cont.
3. “For
surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare
and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”
-Jer 29:11.
Daily Devotions
·
do
a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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