Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Elitism
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
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
"The ruling class are society's 'ins.' This class comprises persons in government, those who depend for their livelihoods on government, and whose socio-economic prospects and hopes are founded on government. Thus, it includes most people in the educational establishment, the media, and large corporations. Its leading elements and its major voting constituencies are the Democratic party. But it transcends political parties because any number of Republicans aspire to its privileges and share its priorities.
Above all, the ruling class defines itself by a set of attitudes, foremost of which is contempt for those outside itself. This contempt stems from the rather uniform education that the ruling class's members absorbed from universities and which they developed by living in their subculture. Believing themselves intelligent apostles of scientific truth, they regard others as dumb and in the grip of religious obscurantism. Religion is the greatest of the divides between the ruling class and those it deems its inferiors. Whereas they believe themselves morally good and psychologically sound, they regard others as suffering from psychological dysfunctions and phobias - effectively as bad people. The ruling class does not believe that those outside itself have the right or capacity to conduct their own lives."
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
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.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Illustrious son of David, etc.
Light of the patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
Foster-father of the Son of God,
Watchful defender of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most valiant,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of workmen ,
Glory of domestic life,
Guardian of virgins,
Pillar of families,
Solace of the afflicted,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of demons,
Protector of Holy Church,
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.
And prince over all His possessions.
O God, Who in Thine ineffable providence didst choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most Holy Mother, grant that as we venerate him as our protector on earth, we may deserve to have him as our intercessor in Heaven, Thou Who livest and reignest forever and ever. R. Amen.
__ Daily reflection and prayers
__ Litany of the day
__ Pray a Rosary
__ Divine Mercy Chaplet
__ Spiritual or corporal work of mercy
__ Fast/abstain (according to level)
__ Exercise (according to level/ability)
__ Refrain from conventional media (only 1 hr. of social)
__ Examination of conscience (confession 1x this week)
Ember Wednesday-fast day
Only do not rebel against the Lord!
You need not be AFRAID of the people
of the land, for they are but food for us! Their protection has left
them, but the Lord is with us. Do not FEAR
them.”
There’s
a happy thought, “the people of the land…are but food for us!” The Israelites
were a hard people, selfish people, but little did they know that God would
turn that around to Him being food for us. Yes, we are all hard people. Yes, we
eat our young. Look at the comments coming out of Planned Parenthood about
making so much money from tissue sales they will be driving Lamborghinis.
Look
at the world we can see that more and more there is a battle between the light
and the dark. Look at advertising, marketing, media, politics; all are fighting
either for Him who is or him who thinks he is. Choose…but choose-wisely: -do
not fear them.
Our
Lady tells us the battle is already won-their protection has left them!
Ember Days[1]
One question that comes up
repeatedly is why are the Ember Days only Wednesday, Friday and Saturday? Is
there any rhyme or reason to these days?
In the days of the early
church, Mass was originally only on Sundays. Gradually other days were added,
the development can be seen in connection with the Roman Station Churches, as I
wrote about last year in Roman Pilgrimage: Station Churches. The Ember Days fall on the days
that had assigned stational churches, originally Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
and Sunday. Station churches for Thursdays were a much later addition and are
not included in the Ember Days.
Unique
Character of the Spring or Lent Ember Days
The Lent Ember Days fall
on the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday during the first week of Lent. There are
four major intentions of the Quarterly Ember Days, but each set of days has a
different flavor according to the corresponding liturgical season.
The Lent Ember Days were
the last ones added to the liturgical calendar, and they have a slightly
different character than the other three. Since the Lenten season already had
fasting and abstinence, observing Ember Days in Lent only added a little extra
in penance to the already formerly strict laws of Lent.
The focus of the Lenten
Ember Days:
1.
Consecration of the New Season. The other Ember Days
marked thanksgiving for different harvests, but the Lent Ember Days did not. Instead,
this was a time of consecrating the new spring to God and asking blessing on
the upcoming growing season. This was also a time of thanksgiving for the gift
of light. Instead of harvest offerings on Ember Wednesday, flowers were usually
presented and blessed. The symbol of the Lenten Ember Days is the Paschal and
baptismal candles. (I have not found any evidence, but I conjecture that
perhaps the wax harvest from the honeybee might have been featured during these
Lenten Ember Days? It would seem to be a logical connection.)
2.
Days of Spiritual Renewal. Holy Mother
Church provides us so many opportunities to redirect, refresh and renew. The
Lenten Ember Days blends with the season of Lent, providing reminders to
continue and persevere in the spirit of conversion and penance.
3.
Praying for Priests. The Church no longer regularly
ordains priests during the Quarterly Ember Days, but this is a special time,
particularly Ember Saturday, to pray for priests and for seminarians,
particularly the ones who are about to be ordained within the year.
4.
Reflecting the Spirit of the Season. Each set of
Ember Days reflect the season of the Liturgical Year in which they occur. The
Lenten season focuses on our conversion
of our hearts, and also a focus on the supernatural life we receive at
baptism, whether it be as a catechumen or a renewal of baptismal promises.
Wednesday in the
First Week of Lent[2]
EPISTLE, m. Kings
xix. 3-8.
IN those days came Elias to Bersabee of Juda, and left his servant there, and he went forward one day s journey into the desert. And when lie was there, and sat under a junipertree, he requested for his soul that he might die, and said: It is enough for me, Lord, take away my soul: for I am no better than my fathers. And he cast himself down and slept in the shadow of the juniper-tree: and behold an angel of the Lord touched him and said to him: Arise and eat. He looked and behold there was at his head a hearth-cake, and a vessel of water: and he ate and drank, and he fell asleep again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said to him: Arise, eat: for thou hast yet a great way to go. And he arose, and ate, and drank, and walked in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God, Horeb.
GOSPEL. Matt. xii. 38-50.
At
that time, some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Jesus, saying: Master, we
would see a sign from Thee. Who answering said to them: An evil and adulterous
generation seeketh a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of
Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was in the whale’s belly three days and three
nights: so, shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and
three nights. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation
and shall condemn it: because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And
behold a greater than Jonas here. The queen of the south shall rise in judgment
with this generation and shall condemn it: because she came from the ends of
the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold a greater than Solomon here.
And when an unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places
seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith: I will return into my house from
whence I came out. And coming he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then
he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and
they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is made worse
than the first. So, shall it be also to this wicked generation. As He was yet
speaking to the multitudes, behold His Mother and His brethren stood without,
seeking to speak to Him. And one said unto Him: Behold Thy Mother and Thy
brethren stand without, seeking Thee. But He answering him that told Him, said:
Who is My Mother, and who are My brethren? And stretching forth His hand
towards His disciples, He said: Behold My Mother and My brethren. For whosoever
shall do the will of my father, that is in heaven, he is My brother, and
sister, and mother.
Prayer. Mercifully hear our prayers, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and against all our adversaries extend the right hand of Thy majesty. Amen.
What are the Ember-Days?
Days instituted to thank God, each
season of the year, for the benefits received during that season, and to remind
the faithful, each quarter of the year, of the duty of penance; also, to pray
to God for deserving priests, for on those days the ordination of priests
usually takes place. (Goffine’s Devout Instructions)
·
The Ember Days are four series of Wednesdays,
Fridays, and Saturdays which correspond to the natural seasons of the year.
Autumn brings the September, or Michaelmas, Embertide; winter, the Advent
Embertide; Spring, the Lenten Embertide; and in summer, the Whit Embertide
(named after Whitsunday, the Feast of Pentecost).
·
The English title for these days,
"Ember," is derived from their Latin name: Quatuor Temporum,
meaning the "Four Times" or "Four Seasons."
·
The
Embertides are periods of prayer and fasting, with each day having its own
special Mass.
·
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday were days of
particularly devotion in the early church: Wednesday, as recalling the betrayal
of our Lord, and Friday in memory of His Passion, Saturday was later added to
these days of prayer and penance as a continuation of Friday, and as far back
as the second century they were set apart as Stational days, that is as days of
special religious service and fasting.
· The Ember Days, although the occasion of their institution is uncertain, are a reminder of these ancient days of devotion. Their purpose is to thank God for the fruits of the earth and other gifts of nature, to teach moderation in their use, and to assist the needy. From the time of Pope Gelasius in the fifth century it has been allowed to confer the diaconate and priesthood on the Saturdays of Ember weeks.
The Four Occurrences of Ember Days are as Follows:
· Winter: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of St. Lucy.
· Spring: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Ash Wednesday.
· Summer: the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost.
·
Fall:
the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of the Holy Cross.
Lenten Calendar[3]
Read: Pope Francis’s 2019 Message for Lent. . . .
Reflect “…we could also say that there is only one real kind of poverty: not living as children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ.” (Pope Francis, Message for Lent, 2014)
Pray: Today is the sixth anniversary of Pope Francis’s election as Supreme Pontiff. Take time to pray for him.
Act: Having read the pope’s Message for Lent 2019, take time to journal about what struck you most about his message.
Ember Day
Prayers[4]
Prayer: Antiphon: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
never forget all He hath done for thee.
V. Lord, Thou has been our
refuge. R. From generation
to generation.
Let us Pray: Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty
God, that as year by year we devoutly keep these holy observances, we may be
pleasing to Thee both in body and soul. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In Honor of Christ's
Betrayal and Passion
O
God, Who for the world's Redemption was pleased to be born, circumcised,
rejected by the Jews, betrayed by the kiss of traitor Judas, bound with chains,
led like an innocent lamb to sacrifice, and shamefully presented before Annas,
Caiphas, Pilate, and Herod, accused by false witnesses, beaten with whips,
buffeted, insulted, spat upon, crowned with thorns, smitten with a reed,
blindfolded, stripped of Thy garments, fastened with nails to the cross and
lifted up on high, reputed among thieves, made to drink gall and vinegar and
wounded by a lance; oh, by these most sacred sufferings, which, unworthy as I
am, I thus commemorate, and by Thy holy cross and death, deliver me, Lord, from
the pains of hell, and deign to lead me where Thou didst lead me where Thou
didst lead the penitent thief, who was crucified by Thy side. Who, with the
Father and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, etc.
five times.
Prayer for God's Blessing on
our Labors
O
Lord, graciously look down upon Thy servants and upon the work of their hands,
and do Thou, Who givest food to every creature, bless and preserve the fruits
of the earth, that the needy may be filled with good things and that all may
praise the glory of Thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Vocations to the
Priesthood
Antiphon. Why stand ye all the day idle, go
ye into my vineyard.
V. Ask the Lord of the harvest.
R. That He send laborers
into His vineyard.
Let us Pray God, who willest not the death of
the sinner, but rather that he be converted and live; grant, by the
intercession of blessed Mary ever Virgin and of all saints, laborers for Thy
Church, fellow laborers with Christ, to spend and consume themselves for souls.
Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in
the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer
Source: Blessed
Be God: A Complete Catholic Prayer Book by Charles J. Callan,
OP, S.T.M, P. J. Kenedy & Sons, 1961
Preparing for Battle[5]
Know Your Commander and Comrades
Our Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Conqueror of hell and death, calls us to battle alongside Him against the Enemy so that we can have a share in His victory. To fight the good fight, however, we must know not only our adversary and his strategies; we must also know the comrades that our great Commander has given to us. Our comrades in arms are our Lady and the Saints. Just as Eve’s yes to the Enemy’s temptation brought death and the Devil’s domination into the world, so Mary’s yes to God opened the door for the ultimate victory of her Son over Satan.
Whenever the Enemy’s assaults on us seem to multiply, we should call on Mary not just as our Blessed Mother, but as a mighty warrior before whom the demon’s tremble. St. Bonaventure once put it: “Men do not fear a powerful, hostile army as much as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary.”
We also have the aid of St. Michael and the Angels. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them” (Ps 34: 7).
We also have our fellow Christians. We must not focus
so much on heavenly warriors that we forget our earthly comrades-in-arms. Our
brother and sister soldiers in the battles of this life need our support, and
we need theirs. We should be praying daily with them and for them, spiritual
soldiers “vigilant in all perseverance and supplication for all” our fellow
combatants (Eph 6: 18). We should be offering them encouragement and counsel
when we find them weary or confused, tempted by the Devil’s lies, accusations,
doubts, enticements, and provocations. Roman soldiers were taught to fight
alongside comrades with their backs toward one another. That way, as they
battled the enemy, they were protecting one another’s backs. One man’s sword
was another man’s shield. If they didn’t fight in this way, they were exposed
to mortal danger. The same is true in spiritual warfare. Wherever a fellow soldier
is vulnerable to the Enemy’s onslaught, we must make up the difference with the
shield of our faith. This is one important reason why Our Lord established the
Church. His grace to conquer the Enemy comes to us through her worship, her
sacraments, and her teaching.
Every Wednesday is Dedicated
to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
·
Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
·
Do Day 27 of the Consecration to St. Joseph
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
Daily
Devotions
·
Litany of the Most
Precious Blood of Jesus
·
Manhood of
the Master-week 2 day 1
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Rosary
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