This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8). This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.
Friday, November 20, 2020
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DAY 12 - MOTHER OF GOOD COUNSEL, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE GIFT OF FORTITUDE!
GOD'S WORD
"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4)
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13)
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7)
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)
HEROES' WORDS
"The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly rather than to attack them" -St. Thomas Aquinas
MEDITATION
The Gift of Fortitude: One of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; it gives a person a special strength of will. This gift confers an extraordinary readiness to undergo trials for love of God or in fulfillment of the divine will; unusual courage to bear difficulties even for many years; firmness in carrying arduous tasks to their completion; perseverance in a lifetime fidelity to one's vocation in spite of heavy trials or disappointments sent by God; and gladness in being privileged to suffer persecution or humiliation in union with Christ and for the sake of his name. (Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary)
PRAY A ROSARY
Choose either:
Rosary of the Day: Sorrowful Mysteries
Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Glorious Mysteries
PRAYERS FOR TRADITIONAL 54 DAY NOVENA
THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY
Prayer before the recitation: Sign of the cross. Hail Mary.
In petition (first 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I humbly kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses, full-blown white roses, tinged with the red of the passion, to remind thee of thy glories, fruits of the sufferings of thy Son and thee, each rose recalling to thee a holy mystery, each 10 bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God's graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition; from thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!
In thanksgiving (last 27 days):Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I gratefully kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses full blown white roses, tinged with the red of the passion, to remind thee of thy glories, fruits of the sufferings of thy Son and thee each rose recalling to thee a holy mystery; each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving; from thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I despaired not of what I asked of thee, and thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.
Say: The Apostles' Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
For each of the following Mysteries, say: Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
The Resurrection - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of faith and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Ascension - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of hope and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of charity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Assumption of Mary - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of union with Christ and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Coronation of the Blessed Mother - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of union with thee and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
Say: The Hail Holy Queen.
Spiritual Communion: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
In petition (first 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request, see below). Hail Mary ...
In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request, see below) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me. Hail, Mary, etc.
PETITION: May truth be revealed, and may America and the Catholic Church become strong in God's power. - Ephesians 6:10
Please consider adding these prayers, until the election is called (more information HERE):
Fr. Ripperger's Recommended Prayers for
Breaking Oppression and Sending Back Evil
Until the Election is Called
Consecration of One's Exterior Goods to the Blessed Virgin Mary
(This prayer is particularly useful for breaking various forms of oppression. By relinquishing what belongs to us into the hands of the Blessed Virgin, Satan cannot touch them. This is a strong prayer of protection on you and yours):
I; (Name), a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before. In the presence of all the heavenly court, I choose thee, O Mary, this day for my Mother and Mistress. Knowing that I have received rights over all my exterior goods by the promulgation of the Natural Law by the Divine Author, I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, all of my exterior goods, past, present and future; I relinquish into thy hands, my Heavenly Mother, all rights over my exterior goods, including our President, the fairness, honesty and accuracy of the outcome of the election, and our country and I retain for myself no right of disposing the goods that come to me but leave to thee the entire and full right of disposing of all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God in time and in eternity. As I now interiorly relinquish what belongs to me exteriorly into thy hands, I entrust to thee the protection of those exterior goods against the evil one, so that, knowing that they now belong to thee, he cannot touch them. Receive, O good and pious Virgin, this little offering of what little is, in honor of, and in union with, that subjection which the Eternal Wisdom deigned to have to Thy maternity; in homage to the power which both of You have over this poor sinner, and in thanksgiving for the privileges with which the Holy Trinity has favored thee. Trusting in the providential care of God the Father and thy maternal care, I have full confidence that thou wilst take care of me as to the necessities of this life and will not leave me forsaken. God the Father, increase my trust in Thy Son's Mother; Our Lady of Fair Love, give me perfect confidence in the providence of Thy Son. Amen.
Sending Evil Back
(Fr. Chad Ripperger comments that the following prayer may appear harsh, in that it seems to seek evil befall on another, yet it is meant to expose evil and to teach that evil does not win. And, in fact, choosing evil will, eventually, lead to bad repercussions)
Jesus and Mary, I ask that if it be Your Holy Will, that any curses or evil sent against the President or the election process be sent back from whence they came.
All of the daily Novena Prayers and Reflections are also posted at usgraceforce.com
Those who would like to pray with others via The Telephone Rosary, call 1-951-799-9866 daily at 6 pm Eastern.
It
seems we have come to the end of our almost two-year journey exploring all the
bible verses that contain the words fear or afraid. Throughout this journey we
have discovered that there are many types of fear some good (Holy) and some not
so good (servile). Yet, along the way hopefully we have discovered the ultimate
will of God is that we have peace, faith, hope and love. Acknowledging this to
finish out this journey we will be focusing our research on the New Testament
verses that expound on the fruit of a life lived in grace trusting in our Holy
God.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every
matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and
a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time
to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a
time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to
gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from
embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to
cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a
time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for
peace.[1]
A
few years ago, I was assigned jury duty and while on the way to the court I saw
spray painted John 3:16and I thought I know that verse and
said it in my head. That morning at court my group was not selected for the
morning session and we were released for lunch. I thought maybe today I will
skip lunch and go to the Basilica for Mass. I had for some time now been very
unhappy with my place of employment and thought perhaps the Lord will give me
some direction. The Basilica was the same church that Saint Pope John Paul II
said his Mass in Phoenix when he was there. To my surprise the Mass was a
memorial Mass for the anniversary of the death of Saint John Paul II and the
reading during the Mass was John 3:16. I said to myself recognizing the Holy
Spirit, “Speak Lord your servant is listening”. I thought well I am unhappy at
work and John Paul II was a great teacher perhaps I am to become a teacher
again. I immediately went over to the Diocese office to pursue a teaching job,
but the doors were locked. I thought ok Lord maybe not and started walking back
to the courthouse for the afternoon session. On the way my mind was filled with
questions about where the Lord is taking me when all of the sudden a bum walked
up to me and handed me a “Chick” publication. I opened it and the first verse I
seen was John 3:16. Ever since that day I still am looking for what the Lord
was trying to tell me that day. Perhaps it is simply. I love you. Love and be loved.
Universal Children's Day
aims to create a day of international fraternity and understanding between
children all over the globe. The holiday's secondary purpose is to promote the
objectives and ideals of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention
on the Rights of the Child through activities and awareness. Children are the
future of the planet, but they are a vulnerable group exposed to abuse and
exploitation on a daily basis. As young dependents, children rely on adults for
everything from food to shelter to education and it is imperative that their
rights be heard if they are to survive and develop into the next generation of
world citizens. Universal Children's Day was declared on in 1954 by the United Nations
General Assembly as a day to be celebrated on November 20, the anniversaries of
the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of
the Child, both of which protect the human rights
of children.
Universal Children's Day Facts
& Quotes
·The
UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child in November 1989. The United States drafted and signed the treaty;
however, it is currently the only member county that has not ratified it,
meaning that the US is not legally bound by the Convention. Ratifying the
treaty would go against certain laws currently in place in the US, most
notably, the treaty forbids life imprisonment without parole for children under
18.
·According
to UNICEF, 22,000 children die every day as a result of poverty, often due to
preventable diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia.
·As
of 2013, 21.8 million children worldwide in their first year of life had not
received adequate vaccine doses against diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria
and pertussis.
·The
poor are hungry and their hunger traps them in poverty. - The World Food Program
·What
is at stake is nothing less than the survival and well-being of a generation of
innocents. - Antonia Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Universal Children's Day Top Events
and Things to Do
·Read
the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of
the Child to learn more about how these treaties can impact your community.
·Spend
the day playing with your children, your nieces and nephews, your grandchildren
or other children that you know. Take them to the beach, a playground, a movie,
or any other outing of their choosing.
·Donate
your time to American organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
or UNICEF that constantly need volunteers to organize and execute activities
for children in needy communities.
·Watch
a movie that touches on children's rights. Our picks are In This World (2012),
Arna's Children (2002) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Claire’s Corner · Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet. · Bucket List Trip: Around the World “Perfect Weather” o Darjeeling , India. · Spirit Hour: St Lawrence cocktail · Foodie: Thukpa On Sundays Pray: Glorious Queen of Heaven and Earth, Virgin Most Powerful, thou who hast the power to crush the head of the ancient serpent with thy heel, come and exercise this power flowing from the grace of thine Immaculate Conception. Shield us under the mantle of thy purity and love, draw us into the sweet abode of thy heart and annihilate and render impotent the forces bent on destroying us....
Candace’s Corner · 10 coolest summer getaways in Arizona: Mountains, lakes and a chilly cave trek · Bucket List: Vineyard World Tour: o Black Dog Vineyard, Carlton, Or . · St. Anthony Novena 9-on thirteen consecutive Tuesdays. · Pray Day 2 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops · Foodie: Beef Stroganoff with Wild Mushrooms · Spirit Hour: Angelica · Elvis Week Continues till August 16 Five Catholic Facts About Elvis [3] I have a grave confession to make. I own some Elvis CDs. In fact, I used to be quite keen on his music, and one has to admit that, despite hi...
30 Days of Women and Herbs – Frauendreissiger Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) 2 Maccabees, Chapter 15, Verse 8 He urged his men not to fear the attack of the Gentiles, but mindful of the help they had received in the past from Heaven, to expect now the victory that would be given them by the Almighty. As an old, retired military man it was common for us to say while we were loading our magazines with bullets, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." We knew that without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Optimists see steppingstones where pessimists see stumbling blocks. Heavenly Intercession [1] "Stretching out his right hand, Jeremiah presented a gold sword to Judas. As he gave it to him, he said 'Accept this holy sword as a gift from God; with it you shall crush your adversaries.' " —2 Maccabees 15:15-16 Nicanor planned to slaughte...
Dara’s Corner Bucket List Trip: “ The World ” next port of call: Syracuse, Sicily Spirit Hour: Etna Rosso Foodie- Pasta alla Siracusana Do not be a “Material Girl” · Let Freedom Ring Day 31 Materialism o Materialism comes from a very dark place. It is a Godless place. Philosophically, materialism holds that all that is true is made up of material or comes from material interactions. Even the mind is subservient to the material world. In essence, all we have is what is measurable. No God. No heaven. No hell. No devil. Our life ends when we die. There is nothing beyond the grave. Hence, our only true happiness can be found in the accumulation of wealth, power, pleasure, and honor. Life becomes a mad dash of consumption and manipulation. Materialism is like a creeping vine; if not pulled up right away it will insinuate itself into your life and choke off any fr...
📖 Introduction to Acts: A Catholic Perspective The Acts of the Apostles , written by St. Luke, is a continuation of his Gospel and serves as a bridge between the life of Christ and the life of the Church. It chronicles the birth and expansion of the early Christian community, empowered by the Holy Spirit and led by apostles like Peter and Paul. From a Catholic viewpoint, Acts is not merely historical—it’s theological and pastoral. It reveals how the Church, under divine guidance, confronts fear, persecution, and uncertainty with faith, courage, and communal strength. 😨 Lessons of Fear in Acts: Catholic Reflections Fear in Acts is not condemned—it’s transformed. Here are key episodes and their spiritual lessons: 1. Pentecost and the Fear of Speaking Truth (Acts 2) Context : The apostles, once timid and hiding, are emboldened by the Holy Spirit. Lesson : Fear is overcome through divine empowerment. Catholics see Pentecost as the birth of the Ch...
Switch of Manliness Legacy OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA Acts, Chapter 10, verse 1-4 1 Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Cohort called the Italica, 2 devout and God-fearing along with his whole household, who used to give alms generously to the Jewish people and pray to God constantly. 3 One afternoon about three o’clock, he saw plainly in a vision an angel of God come into him and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 He looked intently at him and seized with FEAR , said, “What is it, sir?” He said to him, “Your prayers and almsgiving have ascended as a memorial offering before God. Cornelius’ Cohort was an auxiliary unit of archers, men who are expert at hitting a mark or target. Sin is the act of violating God's will. Sin can also be viewed as anything that violates the ideal relationship between an individual and God, or as any diversion from the ideal order for human living. To sin has been defined as "to miss the mark" to have a h...
Auxilium Christianorum - Praying for Persecuted Priests Monday, May 24 is the Feast of Mary Mother of the Church. It is also the Feast of Mary Help of Christians (Auxilium Christianorum). Please consider joining this Auxilium Christianorum family to pray daily for our holy and courageous persecuted priests. The Church teaches us that it is divided into the Church Triumphant (which includes the members of the Church in heaven), the Church Suffering (this includes the members of the Church in purgatory), and the Church Militant (this refers to those members of the Church who are alive in this world). Because we are part of the Church Militant, we are in a spiritual warfare and this spiritual warfare requires that we recognize, as Saint Paul teaches us "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high ...
Judith, Chapter 10, Verse 16 When you stand before him, have no fear in your heart; give him the report you have given us, and he will treat you well.” Judith prepares for war with prayer and by the enhancement of her beauty. She is so strikingly beautiful that in this verse one of the guards of the Assyrian camp advises her to be confident in the presence of Holofernes. Beauty and the Beast [1] After bathing (during a drought) she uses all the human arts available to her to make herself beautiful and captivating: perfumed ointment, hair, clothing and jewelry. She understands the goodness of her body. She knows physical beauty is good and comes from God. She also knows that the power of her beauty comes from within her, from her holiness, from her faithfulness to God. Since both her exterior and interior beauty come from God, her beauty must be devoted to the service of God. God intends to use her beauty as a weapon to liberate the people. She will wield the weapon t...
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