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.
Tuesday of the Octave of Pentecost
ST. MARY MAGDALENE
DE PAZZI
1 Samuel, Chapter 23, Verse 17
He said to him: “Have
no FEAR, my father Saul shall not lay
a hand to you. You shall be king of Israel and I shall be
second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”
This
is the last statement of Jonathan to David where he openly acknowledges that
David will be king. Jonathan does not live to see David made king. Jonathan’s
visit strengthens David and attests to the hidden care of the Lord for him.
During this time David is in his wilderness strongholds.
Q: There are those who say that David and
Jonathan had a homosexual relationship to justify the modern homosexual agenda.
Father Edart[1]:
The account in 1 Samuel 18:1-5 shows gestures and words that express a profound
attachment between Jonathan and David. Although the terms used describe a real
affective bond, their usual use in the Old Testament in no way allows for
seeing a homosexual relationship there. For an example you can see Jacob and
his son Benjamin in Genesis 44:30-31. The expression "to love as
oneself" — as his soul — is frequent — Leviticus 19:18.34. The verb
"to love," in a context of alliance, takes on a political dimension,
the beneficiary being considered as partner or superior. Moreover, the gift
that Jonathan made to David of his weapons illustrates the transfer of his
prerogatives, among which was the right of succession to his father's throne.
It's a political gesture. In the account, nonetheless, David ends up replacing
Jonathan — 1 Samuel 23:17. Other passages, developed by Innocent Himbaza in our
book, illustrate the friendship between Jonathan and David. All the gestures
posed between these two men, however, can take place between parents and
children — Jacob and Benjamin; between brothers — Joseph and his brothers;
between father-in-law and son-in-law — Jethro and Moses; between close friends
— Jonathan and David; between warriors — Saul and David, Jonathan and David;
and between brothers and sisters in the faith — Paul and the Ephesians. We risk
interpreting the latter askew here, but these are actually normal and usual
gestures for people who feel close to one another. We can affirm that nothing
in the texts we are faced with allow for seeing any homosexuality between David
and Jonathan, not even implicitly. If at times an expression is ambiguous for a
modern spirit, reading it in context removes that possibility.
Q: The Church preaches love of neighbor,
but is often reproached for wanting to put "barriers" to love, for
not understanding every person's profound need to love. If the Church does not
approve homosexuality, what message of hope can she give to a person who finds
in homosexuality the means to give himself and to love?
Father Edart: The
suffering of a homosexual person can be very great and not accessible to people
who do not experience this situation. Indeed, our whole world is marked by this
fundamental fact of heterosexual love. Even the Chinese civilization, hardly
susceptible to having been shaped by Judeo-Christian culture, also lives this
reality. In that civilization, homosexuality is also perceived as outside the
norm. The homosexual person experiences an internal suffering, attested by
psychological studies, but he also suffers from his confrontation with a world
that very often will judge and condemn him. This rejection will often even be
violent. In fact, everybody passes a phase in their psychological development
of ambiguity on the sexual plane in adolescence. A person might be, for some
time, attracted by persons of the same sex, without being for all that a
homosexual! If this stage of growth is badly lived or unfinished, it results in
psychic suffering. Subsequently, every confrontation with homosexuality will
trigger this suffering, which will be translated in violent behavior. To learn
to consider a homosexual person without reducing him to his sexual orientation
can be difficult and lead to recognizing one's personal poverty. In the face of
this situation, the Church, in fidelity to the Bible, recognizing that active
homosexuality cannot be a good for the person, forcefully affirms, in the same
fidelity to the word of God, that every person, regardless of his sexual
orientation, has the same dignity and in no way must be the object of unjust
discrimination.
As every baptized person,
homosexual persons are called to holiness and to live here and now a living
relationship with Christ in the Church. The message of the Gospel is a source
of hope for these persons and the Church witnesses to this. Christian
communities can be places where people see their personal suffering accepted
and understood. The latter will then be able, with the support of these
communities, to seek to correspond to God's call. The development of friendly
and fraternal relations lived in chastity is an important place of
psychological and spiritual healing. Friendship with Christ is certainly the
principal support and guide on this path. He is the best of friends. This
friendship is nourished in the life of faith, prayer and the sacraments. The
homosexual person desirous of progressing toward Christ will find an indispensable
support there. He wants to be in alliance with each one by meeting the person
just as he is and to conduct him to himself gradually with the continuous and
unconditional support of his mercy. It's a long and difficult but possible
path. It is certain that the development of homosexuality in our Western
society is an appeal to Christians to create new places to help those who are
wounded in their sexuality.
SIXTH AND NINTH
COMMANDMENTS, AND SIXTH COMMANDMENT OF THE CHURCH.[2]
[I.
These commandments ordain, first, that those united in marriage should love and
respect each other, support each other’s failings, and devote themselves
harmoniously to the great object of the Sacrament of Matrimony, the bringing up
of their children in the love and fear of God.
II.
These commandments forbid, in the married, all violation of the marriage-bed,
and, in all, every sin in thought, word, or deed against that sovereign purity
of soul and body which our holy religion enjoins upon us. They not only forbid
adultery, fornication, and every sin of impurity with ourselves and others, but
also require us to seek the virtue of purity and chastity in its highest
perfection.]
DUTY
OF HUSBAND AND WIFE.
By thought. Courted danger by thoughts which
could alien ate from our lawful spouse been unfaithful in thought or desire
entertained feelings of anger, hatred intended to deceive?
By word. Been unreserved in speech so as
to excite jealousy spoken unkindly had harsh and angry disputes?
By action. Married secretly, or when any
impediment existed not been united by a lawful pastor not prepared for the
sacrament been unfaithful? (If a husband) treated my wife harshly or with
neglect deprived her of necessary or proper apparel, etc. exposed her to
danger? (If a wife) been wanting in submission dressed extravagantly or with
evil motives-maintained acquaintances without a husband’s knowledge abandoned
each other refused to be reconciled?
By omission. Neglected to retain the affection
of each other not prayed for each other not sought to maintain each other in
God s service neglected the care of your children, if God has blessed you with
any neglected your household duties (if a wife), or to support your family (if
a husband)?
SINS
AGAINST PURITY.
We shall not enter into details on this subject. It is
a pitch which defiles. Those who sin against these two commandments know it well:
those who do not should never learn. One thing is certain, there is nothing
light in this matter it is almost impossible to sin only venially. It is a pest
which infests the whole being. If attacked, we must examine all our faculties,
memory, understanding, and will; all the senses, hearing, sight, and touch;
sound our thoughts, words, and actions; our very dreams, to know whether we
have consented on waking, or caused them voluntarily; see whether we have
caused or taken pleasure in ir regular sensations; examine whether we have led
others to sin by letters, messages, presents, songs, indecent actions, or bad
example; exposed one’s self to sin by permitting dangerous or for bidden
pleasures. We must examine whether we have dressed with bad intentions or
contrary to decency gone to church with evil intentions omitted to pray when
violently tempted. It is necessary to state the condition of the person with
whom we have sinned or desired to sin that is, whether married or not, bound by
vows or not and also our own. We must also state whether the sin is habitual or
not.
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 I
II. The Mass as the eternal
memorial of Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross
22. For the title of this Exhortation,
I have chosen the words “Veneremur cernui” which comes from the hymn Tantum
Ergo that we sing at the end of solemn adoration and benediction. These
words composed by Saint Thomas Aquinas can be translated as “may we adore
with body prostrated” or “down in adoration falling”. My dear sons
and daughters, Jesus our Lord and God is present to us in the Sacrament of the
Eucharist in His self-offering to the Father and His merciful outpouring of
love for us. Let us adore Him with ever increasing reverence!
23. Whether we may be weak or strong,
I encourage you to pray for the grace of faith in God’s presence in the
Eucharist as well as the grace to worship as the angels do. This is what the
Church prays when she ends the preface and begins the Eucharistic prayer with
the words, “May our voices, we pray, join with theirs in humble praise, as
we acclaim: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts” (Roman Missal,
Preface of Eucharistic Prayer I).
24. It is in the Eucharist where Our
Lord meets us and becomes our faithful companion along every instance of our
life. After Mass, the remaining consecrated Hosts are reserved in the
tabernacle so that Holy Communion can be brought to the sick and throughout the
week we can come and pray in His presence. He wants to remain with us so that
whenever we need Him, we will find Him there to be our light, strength,
comfort, and guidance.
25. “I will be with you always
until the end of times.” (Mt 28:20). Since that Last Supper of Holy
Thursday until now, Our Lord Jesus has faithfully kept His promise – wherever
there is a tabernacle in the world that contains the Eucharist, there is Jesus
truly present among us. His presence is not like a memory or a symbol that a
person keeps in a photo album. He is truly, really, and substantially present
in the Eucharist. The Catechism affirms: “In the most blessed sacrament of
the Eucharist, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of our
Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really and
substantially contained” (CCC 1374). The same Jesus that walked the
countryside of Palestine, the same Jesus that preached, cured the sick and
raised the dead, the same Jesus who suffered, died, and rose is truly present
in the Eucharist. Indeed, our Lord is ever near us, and we might recall with
joy the exultant words of Deuteronomy 4:7: “What great nation is there that
has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us?”.
26. Immeasurable is the value of every
Mass! Unfathomable is the grace made so accessible to us in the Mass, where
Jesus Christ is ever present! It is here that a quality and abundance of life
beyond this world is given to us.
To be continued…
Devotions for Holy Communion[4]
PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION.
St.
Francis de Sales says that Our Savior can never be seen more amiable and more
tender, in all that He has done for us, than in holy communion, in which He, so
to say, annihilates Himself and becomes food, that He may unite Himself to the hearts
and bodies of His faithful.
Therefore,
the learned Gerson used also to say, that there was no means more efficacious
than holy communion whereby to enkindle devotion and the holy love of God in
our souls. And, indeed, if we speak of doing something agreeable to God, what
can a soul do more agreeable to Him than to receive communion?
St.
Denis teaches us that love always tends towards perfect union; but how can a
soul be more perfectly united with Jesus than in the manner of which He speaks
Himself, saying: He that eateth My
flesh, and drinketh My blood, abideth in Me, and I in him " (John vi. 57)
St. Augustine says that if every day you receive this sacrament, Jesus will be
always with you, and that you will always advance in divine love.
Again,
if there be question of healing our spiritual infirmities, what more certain
remedy can we have than holy communion, which is called by the sacred Council
of Trent a remedy whereby we may be freed from daily faults, and be preserved
from mortal sins? Whence does it come, asks Cardinal Bona, that in so many souls
we see so little fruit with such frequent communions, and that they constantly
relapse into the same faults?
He
replies: The fault is not in the food, but in the disposition of him who
receives." "Can a man," says Solomon, "hide fire in his
bosom, and his garments not burn?" (Prov. vi. 27.) " God is a
consuming fire." He comes Himself in holy communion to enkindle this
divine fire; how is it, then, says William of Paris, that we see such a
diabolical miracle as that souls should remain cold in divine love, in the
midst of such flames?
All
comes from the want of proper dispositions, and especially from want of
preparation. Fire immediately inflames dry but not green wood; for this latter
is not disposed to burn. The saints derived great benefit from their communions
because they prepared themselves with great care. St. Aloysius Gonzaga devoted
three days to his preparation for holy communion, and three days he spent in
thanksgiving to his Lord. To prepare well for holy communion, a soul should be
disposed on two main points: it should be detached from creatures and have a
great desire to advance in divine love.
In
the first place, then, a soul should detach itself from all things, and drive
everything from its heart which is not God. He that is washed, saith Jesus,
needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly" (John xiii. 10);
which signifies, as St. Bernard explains it, that in order to receive this
sacrament with great fruit, we should not only be cleansed from mortal sins,
but that our feet also should be washed, that is, be free from earthly
affections; for being in contact with the earth they excite a sort of
repugnance in God, and soiling the soul prevent the effects of holy communion.
St. Gertrude asked Our Lord what preparation He required of her for holy
communion, and He replied: I only ask
that thou shouldst come empty of thyself to receive Me.
In
the second place, it is necessary in holy communion to have a great desire to
receive Jesus Christ and His holy love. In this sacred banquet, says Gerson,
only those who are famishing receive their fill; and the most blessed Virgin
Mary had already said the same thing: He hath filled the hungry with good
things (Luke i. 53). As Jesus, writes the venerable Father Avila, only came
into this world after He had been much and long desired, so does He only enter
a soul which desires Him; for it is not becoming that such food should be given
him who has a loathing for it. Our Lord one day said to St. Matilda: No bee
flies with such impetuosity to flowers, to suck their honey, as I fly to souls
in holy communion, driven by the violence of My love.
Since,
then, Jesus Christ has so great a desire to come into our souls, it is also
right that we also should have a great desire to receive Him and His divine
love by holy communion. St. Francis de Sales teaches us that the principal
object which a soul should have in view in communicating should be to advance
in the love of God; since He Who for love alone gives Himself to us should be
received for love.
St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi[5] Carmelite
mystic from Italy
Baptized Caterina, and affectionately known as "The Passion Flower
of the Eucharist," St. Mary Magdalene was taught mental prayer, also known
as meditation, at the tender age of nine, at the request of her mother. By age
10 she received her First Holy Communion and began experiencing mystical
ecstasies. When one experiences ecstasy, one is so filled with the Divine
Presence that the faculties of the soul (intellect, will, etc.) are
"suspended" and one is utterly filled with the love of God that you
might even fall unconscious.
Saint Mary Magdalene's first ecstasy happened at the sight of a beautiful
sunset. She was so struck by the beauty of God's creation that she trembled and
became speechless. Have you ever spent time just taking in the beauty of God's
creation? Especially now that summer is set to begin, take time to put down the
cell phone, shut off the television, and go outside and enjoy a gorgeous summer
sunset. Take in the grandeur of God's creation, and find the Creator of Love in
the simplest of things, or rather, let Him find you.
Soon after her first ecstasy and intimately encountering her Beloved,
Mary Magdalene made a private vow of virginity to the Lord. When her parents
wanted her to marry, as she was their only daughter, she revealed to them her
vow to the Lord, and she soon entered a Carmelite monastery. Her great love and
devotion to the Eucharist is what led her to enter the Carmel of St. Mary's of
the Angels, who had a special dispensation to daily receive Communion, which
was almost unheard of at the time. In her first ecstatic experience after
entering, her sisters found her weeping before a crucifix and crying out,
"O Love, you are neither known nor loved." She experienced within her
soul the pain that her Beloved Jesus experiences from the rejection of so many
souls on the earth. No doubt her tears, prayers, and penances brought
consolation to the wounded heart of Jesus, and you too can console his heart by
your prayers and penances. You may or may not have emotional experiences or
ecstasies in this lifetime, but your meditation on His passion and your prayers
and penances in reparation for those who reject His love can bring great consolation
to His heart.
For the majority of her time as a religious, St. Mary Magdalene endured
great physical suffering and illness. While experiencing excruciating
suffering, our Lord consoled her with His overwhelming presence and love. Mary
Magdalene was quite embarrassed by the attention this brought her. Some sisters
ridiculed her, and some sisters wished they experienced ecstasy like her. She
would say to those sisters that they should be thankful that they are strong
enough to advance in holiness without the Lord Jesus having to give extra
graces to keep them going. She was convinced of her misery and weakness because
Jesus would grant her so many graces while in suffering. That being said, she
also endured a five-year period of great dryness and severe temptations against
purity and to suicide. She received visions of the souls in Purgatory during
her time of purification and also received the sacred stigmata invisibly, as
she begged the Lord to keep it hidden. What is at the heart of this lesson is being
thankful for whatever season you are in with the Lord in your life. Whether in
a time of great consolation or desolation, the key is to persevere in prayer
and penance, in gratitude for God and always seeking His will.
Lastly, St. Mary Magdalene was known to have
playful, bantering tones with Jesus. One account given was that of Jesus
offering her a crown of thorns and a crown of flowers. She always insisted on
the crown of thorns, desiring to suffer for Jesus, but He would always insist
on giving her the crown of flowers. When He admonished her, "I called and
you didn't care," she came back with, "You didn't call loudly
enough" and told the Lord to shout His love. I would encourage those of
you reading this to grow in your personal relationship with Jesus. Talk with
Him throughout your day, make Him your best of friends, because He wants to be!
Don't be afraid to "be real" with Him, to share your struggles and
emotions, and also thank Him! Get to know Jesus, love Jesus, and ask for St.
Mary Magdalene de Pazzi's intercession so that her cry, "O Love, you are
neither known nor loved," can be changed to, "You are known and
loved!"
Memorial Day Build Up
Every day from now to Memorial Day I
ask your prayers for each service and all of our defenders to include police
and fire on Memorial Day.
US Marine Corp[6]
Where
the mighty go; God goes with them!
·
At
Iwo Jima, Marine Chaplain Father Charles Suver celebrated Holy Mass shortly
before the raising of the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi by the Marines. Debate
has been inconclusive whether it was the first less known or the second more
well-known raising of the flag that is now immortalized in history. Regardless
of which flag raising it was Father Suver could still hear Japanese voices
in the nearby caves as he said the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!
·
Fr.
Charles Watters in Vietnam shortly before his death in November, 1967. Chaplain Watters was awarded the Medal of
Honor for bravery
under fire. Once he linked up with the Marines they told him to leave as it was
too dangerous. Father McGonigal refused and ministered aid and Last Rites to
the wounded and dying. He was killed on February 17, 1968 trying to rescue a
wounded Marine. The Marines later dedicated a chapel at Camp Pendleton in his
honor to the service he gave to the Marines at Hue.
Please
pray for the intentions of my youngest son Vincent Michael (Conqueror-Who is
like God) whose birthday is today.
Daily
Devotions/Practices
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 7 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary.
[1]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=7822&repos=1&subrepos=0&searchid=1710959
[2] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[4] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
[5]https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/who-was-st-mary-magdalene-de-pazzi
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