Auxilium Christianorum - Praying for Persecuted Priests
R. Who made heaven and earth.
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.
Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father, save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, save us.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, save us.
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony, save us.
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, save us.
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, save us.
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us.
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, save us.
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, save us.
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us.
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, save us.
Blood of Christ, victor over demons, save us.
Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs, save us.
Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, save us.
Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins, save us.
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, save us.
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, save us.
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, save us.
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, save us.
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, save us.
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, save us.
Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, save us.
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, save us.
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, save 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, have mercy on us.
R. And made of us a kingdom for our God.
From hatred, fornication, and envy - We implore Thee, deliver us, O Lord.
From thoughts of jealousy, rage, and death - We implore Thee, deliver us, O Lord.
From every thought of suicide and abortion - We implore Thee, deliver us, O Lord.
From every form of sinful sexuality - We implore Thee, deliver us, O Lord.
From every division in our family, and every harmful friendship - We implore Thee, deliver us, O Lord.
From every sort of spell, malefice, witchcraft, and every form of the occult - We implore Thee, deliver us, O Lord.
From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us.
Virgin Most Powerful, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us.
All You Holy Angels, pray for us.
Trinity Sunday
JOAN
OF ARC
Romans,
Chapter 8, verse 14-15
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into FEAR, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”
By the sacrifice of Christ, we are the adopted children of God, who feared none, and by whose sufferings and glory we share; by reason of the Holy Spirits presence within us. We are thus given a new life and relationship with God.
Unconditional
Love[1]
Unconditional love is
known as affection without any limitations, or love without conditions. This
term is sometimes associated with other terms such as true altruism or complete
love. Each area of expertise has a certain way of describing unconditional love,
but most will agree that it is that type of love which has no bounds and is
unchanging. It is a concept comparable to true love, a term which is generally
used to describe love between lovers. Unconditional love is also used to
describe love between family members, comrades in arms and between others in
highly committed relationships. An example of this is a parent's love for their
child; no matter a test score, a life changing decision, an argument, or a
strong belief, the amount of love that remains between this bond is seen as
unchanging and unconditional.
One Flesh[2]
The desire to love and be
loved is the deepest need of our being. We long to be known, accepted, and
cherished by another. Yet, the ability to fully give or receive this love is
unattainable on our own. As Catholics we believe Jesus Christ has entered our
broken world to conquer sin and restore us to new life. Throughout every age he
continues to invite all women and men to follow him through his Church, to whom
he has entrusted his teaching authority, so that all can know and follow him.
Only God can give us the unconditional love and acceptance that we desire. Yet,
he has created marriage, a holy union, to mirror this supreme love on earth. At
the heart of their married love is the total gift of self that husband and wife
freely offer to each other. Because of their sexual difference, husband and
wife can truly become “one flesh.” Through the language of their bodies, their
sexual union recalls their vows: giving themselves to one another in love that
is total, faithful, and life-giving. This call to love is to follow Christ
himself, who handed himself totally over for his bride, the Church. Spouses
imitate him by giving the entirety of themselves to one another, including the
gift of their fertility and their openness to new life. Contraception and
sterilization, which deliberately suppress fertility, reduce the sexual act so
that husband and wife withhold the completeness of their total gift to each
other. This changes the meaning of their sexual union so that it no longer
expresses the fullness of their love. God our Father loves us and wants our
lives to be full and rich! He has given his Church the task of bringing women
and men to the fullness of truth which leads to our happiness in this life and
in the life to come. Jesus gives us the power and strength of the Holy
Spirit—the Spirit of Love—so that we, particularly husbands and wives, can
truly love one another. The teaching on the use of contraception and
sterilization may seem challenging, but it is to preserve the true, complete
self-gift between husband and wife, the kind of love that brings real, lasting
joy and peace. If we have failed to live this in the past, we need not be
discouraged. Our loving Father is always calling us back through the Sacrament
of Reconciliation and wanting to strengthen us in the Sacrament of the
Eucharist. When we embrace the Church’s teaching on human sexuality and
marriage and follow Jesus, we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives in a
powerful way. When we trust in the Lord’s desire for our happiness, he can
transform our love in a way that can transform the world.
Apostolic Exhortation[3]
Veneremur
Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling
of The Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of
Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My
beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Part II
I. The Graces of Holy Communion
i. Holy Communion changes and
transforms us into “Alter Christus”
40. At the end of Mass, the priest
dismisses the faithful with the words, “Go forth, the Mass is ended.”
However, the original Latin words of dismissal say: “Ite, missa est”, which
literally means “Go, you are sent.” Every time we leave the
threshold of the church after having received the Eucharist, we bring the love
of Christ to our daily activities and to every person we meet.
ii. We become “One Body and One
Spirit in Christ”
41. The ultimate effect of the Holy
Eucharist is not only the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body
and Blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ for our spiritual nourishment, but
the transformation of those who receive Holy Communion into “one body,
one spirit in Christ” (III Eucharistic Prayer and 1
Cor 12:12-13). Through this personal relationship with the Risen Jesus in
the Eucharist, we experience the self-sacrificing love of Jesus, who invites us
to imitate His love and to bring that love to everyone and every situation of
our daily life. We can see how the Eucharist changed the lives of the early
Christians. Flowing from their Eucharistic experience with the Risen Lord, they
lived, in loving communion with one another; they ate together and prayed
together in the Temple. They placed their possessions at the feet of the
Apostles for the needs of the poor. They were of “one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had
everything in common” (Acts 4:32).
42. The Eucharist also played a
central role in strengthening this communion in the life of the venerable
servant of God, Cardinal Francis Nguyen Van Thuan. As coadjutor Archbishop of
Saigon, Vietnam, he was arrested on August 15, 1975, soon after South Vietnam
fell to the Communist regime. He spent the next 13 years in prison, moving
between forced residences, re-education camps, and nine years of solitary confinement.
In his book “Testimony of Hope”, he describes how the Eucharist
became his hope and light in the darkness of prison camp. With three drops of
wine and a drop of water in the palm of his hand, he would secretly celebrate
Mass. And those Masses became for him a source of consolation and strength in
such a difficult time in his life.
To be continued…
Time After Pentecost[4]
As
both the Bible and Church Fathers attest, there are several distinct periods of
sacred history. These periods arise, are given their own set of dispensations,
and then disappear. The age before the Law was replaced by the age under it,
and that age, in turn, was closed during the time that Jesus Christ walked the
face of the earth. Likewise, the age of divine revelation (which ended at the
death of the last Apostle) gave way to a different era, the era immediately
preceding the Second Coming. It is that era in which we now find ourselves.
Despite the expanse of two thousand years and the plethora of cultural and
technological changes that separate us from the Christians who outlived the
Beloved Disciple, we are still living in the same age as they, the last
age of mankind.
Trinity Sunday[5]
Sunday
is dedicated to the worship of the Triune God, and is called accordingly the
Lord s day; but the first Sunday after Pentecost is appointed by the Church a
special feast of the Most Holy Trinity, because this mystery, as the
fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion, began at once to be preached by
the apostles, as soon as they had been enlightened and strengthened by the
descent of the Holy Ghost.
What
thoughts and affections should occupy our minds on this feast? Although the mystery of the Trinity
is incomprehensible to us, we must consider:
1.
That God would cease to be God, if our limited understanding were capable of
penetrating the substance of His nature.
2. The mystery
of the Blessed Trinity, though incomprehensible to our intellect, is yet not
without fruit in our hearts. The records of revelation show us God the Father
as our Creator, God the Son as our Redeemer, God the Holy Ghost as our
Sanctifier; and should not this move us to a child-like gratitude towards the
blessed Trinity?
In praise of
the Most Holy Trinity, the Church sings at the Introit of the Mass, Blessed be
the Holy Trinity and undivided Unity; we will give glory to Him, because He
hath shown His mercy to us. O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is Thy name in all
the earth.
Prayer.
O almighty and eternal God, Who hast created Thy servant to acknowledge the
glory of the eternal Trinity, in the confession of the true faith, and to adore
the unity in the power of Thy majesty, we beseech Thee, that by firmness in the
same faith, we may be ever protected from all adversities.
EPISTLE. Rom. xi. 33-36.
Oh,
the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How
incomprehensible are His judgments, and how unsearchable His ways! For who hath
known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counsellor? Or who hath first
given to Him, and recompense shall be made Him? For of Him, and by Him, and in
Him, are all things: to Him be glory forever. Amen.
Explanation. The
ground of St. Paul’s admiration in this epistle is the unfathomable wisdom and
love of God, by which He permitted the Jews and heathen to fall into unbelief,
that He might have mercy on all, and make all perceive that they were
justified, not through their merits, but only through His grace. But the Church
makes use of these words to express her reverent admiration for the greatness
of the mystery of the All Holy Trinity. Though we can neither measure nor
comprehend this mystery, yet no man of sound reason will hesitate to believe
it, if he considers that it is most plainly revealed by God; that as God, the
Infinite, cannot be comprehended by the spirit of man, so also He can reveal
more than we can understand; and that, finally, there are many things in man
himself, and in nature, which we acknowledge as true, but cannot comprehend.
Besides, does not our holy religion assure us, that one day we shall behold
face to face the Infinite Whose image is now reflected dimly in the mirror of
nature? Let us add hope, therefore, to our faith, and if true and sincere love
be based upon these two, our understanding and heart will have abundant
consolation in regard to this great mystery.
GOSPEL. Matt, xxviii. 18-20.
At that time
Jesus said to His disciples: All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth;
going therefore teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the
consummation of the world.
What command
does Our Savior give in this gospel?
He commands His apostles to teach all nations, and to baptize them.
Is Baptism a
sacrament? Yes,
for by it we receive the grace of God, through an outward sign instituted by
Christ.
What is the
outward sign?
Pouring water on the head of the person to be baptized and pronouncing at the
same time the words: “I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost.”
What is the
effect of the grace of Baptism?
Through water and the Holy Ghost, the baptized person is cleansed from original
sin, and from all actual sins, if he has committed such; is spiritually
new-born, and made a child of God and a joint heir with Christ (John iii. 6;
Rom. viii. 17).
What is the
use of sponsors?
1. In the name
of the child, they express the desire to be baptized, and make the profession
of faith, together with the promise to live according to the doctrine of
Christ.
2. In case the
parents should die, or neglect their duty, the godparents may provide for the
instruction of the children.
3. They are
witnesses that such a person has been baptized.
Who is God? God is an infinite being, of all possible
perfections, the most sublime and excellent of all goods, existing from all
eternity, and containing within Himself the principle of His own being and
substance; from Whom all other things have received their existence and life, “for
of Him, and by Him, and in Him are all things” (Rom. xi. 36).
What is the
blessed Trinity?
It is this one God, Who is one in nature and threefold in person, the Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost.
Is each of
these persons God?
Yes, for each possesses the divine nature and substance.
Is any of
these three persons older, more powerful, or greater than another? No; they are all three, from
eternity, equal in power, sublimity, and majesty, and must therefore be equally
adored.
From Whom is
the Father? From
Himself, before all eternity.
From Whom is
God the Son? The
Son is begotten of the Father before all ages.
From Whom is
God the Holy Ghost?
He proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Holy Sunshine and Rain[6]
After the Son revealed His
relation to the Father through Good Friday and Easter, and the Spirit revealed
Himself at Pentecost, the most Holy Trinity can now be fully worshipped.
Though the mystery of the
Holy Trinity is the greatest dogma of the Christian faith and the Feast of the
Holy Trinity one of the beloved annual feasts of Christianity, there are not
many customs or rituals quintessentially associated with this day. It has
always been the custom, however, to keep this day with great reverence and solemnity. Festivals
after Mass featuring thunderous preachers and thunderous bands
aroused their listeners to joyful heights, while Holy Trinity
Confraternities (which were once very influential)
would sponsor special events and devotions on this their name day. Superstition
also ascribed great powers to the weather on Holy Trinity Sunday,
regardless of what it was: "Trinity rain" was considered as healthy
as "Trinity sunshine."
Trinity Sunday Facts[7]
·
The Nicene Creed and similar Apostle's
Creed often recited during mass for many denominations affirms the Trinity.
The creeds are a profession of faith. The Catholic version of The
Apostle's Creed is:
I believe in God, the Father
Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our
Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered
under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended
into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall
come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the
Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
·
The Trinity does not explicitly appear in the
Bible. The interpretation and belief in the three-in-one God came out of
several councils in the early church that wrestled with the question of the
divinity of God the Creator, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
·
St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, taught
non-Christians the Trinity with a shamrock.
·
The Orthodox Church celebrates the Trinity in
its Feast of the Pentecost. Pentecost Sunday is sometimes even called
Trinity Day.
Trinity Sunday Top Events and
Things to Do
·
The
Trinity is often described as a holy mystery beyond complete human
understanding. To mark Trinity Sunday, consider other things that are
beyond human understanding, like the universe, or the concept of time never
ending.
·
Listen
to a sermon on Trinity Sunday to see what examples the pastor uses to
illustrate the concept of God in three persons.
·
Johann
Sebastian Bach wrote music to celebrate the Trinity. Listen to one of his
Trinity Sunday cantatas on YouTube.
·
Experience
the Trinity in art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
One painting that depicts this is The Trinity by Italian painter Angulo Gaddi.
Joan
of Arc-her defeat was her Victory[8]
John
McCain notes in his study of leadership that Saint Joan of Arc (feast day: May
30) was an example of leadership that was characterized by authenticity. At the
command of voices that only she could hear, she rode to battle and saved her
country. SHE COULD NOT READ OR WRITE, BUT SAINTS AND ANGELS SPOKE TO HER.
Michael the Archangel, and Catherine and Margaret, the patron saints of France,
commanded the thirteen-year-old peasant girl to pray vigilantly and attend Mass
regularly. She is remembered as very beautiful, a slight seventeen-year-old
girl with black hair who could ride for long hours in heavy armor without any
sign of discomfort. She kept silent for long periods but could be roused to
great anger at men swearing or behaving in some other sinful manner.
She prayed and
fasted often and seemed most comfortable in the company of poor priests. Before
they embarked, she had dictated to a priest a letter for the English commanders
in Orléans, warning them to “go away back to England . . . or I will drive you
out of France.” This is the first the English had ever heard of Joan of Arc. To
the French, and their dauphin, who now placed their trust in her, she was
becoming a saint. As they marched to Orléans, she saw to the spiritual needs of
her soldiers, ordering them to abandon their vices, to refrain from looting and
harming civilians, to confess their sins and attend Mass regularly, which they
did. Men who had refused to serve Charles in what they believed was a losing
cause now rushed to her standard and prepared for battle. A few days later, the
rest of her army began to arrive with much needed supplies, just as word was
received that another English army was marching to the aid of her enemies. She
went to sleep that night happy in the knowledge that the moment was at hand
when she would accomplish what her saints had commanded her to do. She awoke in
the middle of the night and stirred her generals with the news that they must
attack immediately. In fact, a battle had already begun at the nearest English
fortification. Joan commanded her page to bring her horse, as she dressed in
her armor, and then raced to join the fight carrying her banner. When she
reached her soldiers, she saw that they were losing the battle, but her
presence inspired them, and they rallied to take the fort. After the battle
Joan wept for the fallen, French and English alike. On the next day they took
another English fort, and the day after one more. But the fighting during the
third battle had been ferocious. Joan was wounded by an arrow through her
shoulder as she attempted to scale one of the fort’s walls and was carried to
safety. Seeing her hurt and carried from the field, her troops lost courage,
and the assault was suspended. Some witnesses say she removed the arrow
herself. Others remembered her soldiers treating the wound. Whatever the case,
legend has it that she responded to her soldiers’ fears by telling them to
rally to her when they saw her banner strike the fort’s wall. And when they did
see it, they recovered their courage and took the fort. The next day the
English abandoned the siege. Orléans was saved. Both English and French
generals gave the credit to Joan. She gave it to God. Then she rode to meet
Charles. When they met, she bowed to him, and urged him to hasten to Reims,
where his crown awaited him. But Charles hesitated. His will was weak, for he
was not a man of great courage, and his advisors at court, some of whom
resented Joan’s interference, cautioned him to proceed slowly, for there were
still many powerful English armies in France that had to be destroyed. Joan, as
always, rode in the front, carrying her banner, urging her soldiers to victory.
Inspired by her courage, and by the obvious favor of God that protected her,
they carried the day, routing the English and opening the road to Reims. The
English and all the French, those loyal to the dauphin and those who fought for
Henry, recognized that this strange young girl, now known as the Maid of
Orléans, must be in the service of a sovereign more powerful than any earthly
king. Joan in the end like the eternal King she served was abandoned by her
earthly King and was captured by the Burundians. John of Luxembourg took her to
his castle, where, she twice tried to escape, once by jumping from a castle
tower into the moat below. Attempts to ransom her were refused, as were French
attempts to liberate her by force. After several months, Luxembourg handed Joan
over to the English, and she was taken to the city of Rouen, where a corrupt
bishop, Pierre Cauchon, was instructed to put her on trial for heresy. The
rules of war did not permit the English to condemn Joan for opposing them in
battle. So, they sought her death by falsely accusing her of witchcraft.
Cauchon tried for weeks to compel her to confess, but despite threats of
torture and execution, she steadfastly refused to divulge her conversations
with Charles or to concede that the saints who spoke to her were demons or
merely inventions of her own blasphemy.
She was denied permission to attend Mass and receive
the sacraments.
She was often
kept in chains and became very ill. Yet she stayed true to herself, and to her
saints. She wore a dress when they brought her to a church cemetery to hear her
sentence read, condemning her to be burned at the stake. She asked that her
conviction be appealed to the pope. Her persecutors refused her. And then, Joan
of Arc, for the first and only time in her brief life, tried to be someone she
was not. Fearing the flames, she confessed to being a heretic and recanted her
claim to have heard and obeyed her saints, and begged her enemies for mercy.
Mercy they had little of but having taken from her what their armies could not,
they no longer thought her life such a great thing that it could not be spared.
She was now nothing more than a confessed imposter. They had wanted to destroy
her truth, that she was God’s messenger. Having done so, it mattered little
whether she died or suffered long imprisonment. Their work done, they left her
in her cell, to the taunts and abuses of the guards, and commanded her to dress
only in women’s clothes. When they next saw her, a few days later, she was
attired in the clothes of a boy. She had recovered her courage and her truth.
Her saints had reproached her for denying them, and she had begged their
forgiveness. She had become her true self again. She was the Maid of Orléans, a
pretty, pious nineteen-year-old girl who had left her father’s house and taken
up arms for more than a year, as heaven had commanded her. And with heaven’s
encouragement she had defeated France’s enemies in battle after battle, frightened
and awed the bravest English heart, rallied a nation to her banner, and made a
weak, defeated man a king. God’s messenger went bravely to her death, forgiving
her accusers and asking only that a priest hold high a crucifix for her to see
it above the flames. She raised her voice to heaven, calling out to her saints
and her Savior. Even her enemies wept at the sight. Her executioner was shaken
with remorse, and an anguished English soldier who witnessed the crime feared
for his soul. “God forgive us,” he cried, “we have burned a saint.”
Daily Devotions
·
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.
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
Rosary
[2]http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/love-and-sexuality/upload/USCCB-Summer-Bulletin-Insert-A_One-Flesh.pdf
[5]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[8] McCain, John and Salter, Mark. (2005) Character is destiny. Random
House, New York.
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