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.
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 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
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception...pray for us 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
"Freedom from Predation" by Fr. Bill Peckman
The devil is the ultimate predator. St. Peter warns his readers, "Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). The devil is always looking for any opening in which he can pounce and destroy. He uses everything from occult practices to our concupiscence (our predilection to sin) to gain a beachhead. He will also teach us how to follow him as predators ourselves.
We live in a society that encourages predation. From the mobster who shakes down the local merchant for protection, to the sex trafficker and pornographer, to the predatory interest charged in so many loans, to the endless scams used to bilk people out of money, to the common bullying (cyber and otherwise), to those engaged in domestic violence - our society is full of predators looking for their mark, looking for their next meal. Many hide behind the cover of darkness, anonymity, or even behind the law.
Our Church has been rocked over the past half century by predation. The most obvious examples have stemmed from the scandals in which clerics preyed on their own flocks for sexual gratification, heinously even preying on the lambs of their flock. Others have preyed on their flock through financial malfeasance by defrauding their parishes or dioceses of funds. Many are also complicit in withholding from their flocks how to stave off predation. In abandoning their flocks, they are every bit as guilty as the wolves they welcomed.
Certainly, we can extend these behaviors to the most basic building block of the Church: the domestic church, or the family. In these places we can see domestic violence, molestation, and other nefarious abuses of power that have their roots in the diabolic. The demonic mimicking of the predatory behaviors of the devil must be purged from all levels of the Church.
All predatory behavior stems from selfishness: the person's needs or wants are so important that all means to satisfy them are justified. For a predator, his or her satiation is of far greater value than your happiness, security, or life. While a predator may be infatuated by their prey, they cannot love them. Their intent is to eventually destroy or discard, after they have taken all they want. What force could possibly stand up against such an insatiable beast?!
We look to Christ the Good Shepherd for our answer! Christ does not prey on His flock. No, He places Himself between His flock and that which would destroy them. He stands in that breech, sacrificing Himself for their salvation. Jesus tells us, "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep" (John 10:11). Why would He do this? Because He loves them. It is impossible to love someone and prey on them at the same time. Hence, the virtue we cultivate to conquer the desire to be a predator is the theological virtue of love. Love, divine love (or agape) is completely selfless. Instead of focusing on one's own desires and satiation, love allows you to look to the good of others, even when doing so incurs suffering or sacrifice. Love, because it is of God, chases away the devil and his minions. It helps us, as St. Paul says of himself, to be "poured out like an oblation" (2 Timothy 4:6).
Prayer of Reparation
My Lord and my God, we have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts to prey on those we deem weaker or disposable. We have stilled our tongues in the face of such evil. We have been too fearful to stand out in our culture, allowing selfish desires to suffocate Your love that is to dwell within us. In our fear, we have allowed the ancient foe to advance. We turn to You Lord, in our sorrow and guilt, and beg Your forgiveness for our selfishness and silence. We beg for the grace of Your goodness to teach us to shepherd rightly those You place in our care, and the courage to stand in the breech between them and the demonic. Help us to love as You love. We know, Lord, if You will it, it will be done. Trusting in You, we offer our prayer to You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of Exorcism
Lord God of heaven and earth, in Your power and goodness, You created all things. You set a path for us to walk on and a way to an eternal relationship. By the strength of Your arm and Word of Your mouth, cast from Your Holy Church every fearful deceit of the devil. Drive from us manifestations of the demonic that oppress us and beckon us to selfishness and predation. Still the lying tongue of the devil and his forces so that we may act freely and faithfully to Your will. Send Your holy angels to cast out all influence that the demonic entities in charge of predation have planted in Your Church. Free us, our families, our parish, our diocese, and our country from all trickery and deceit perpetrated by the devil and his hellish legions. Trusting in Your goodness Lord, we know if You will it, it will be done, in unity with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. 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 Ghost, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Heart of Mary, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, like unto the Heart of God, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, united to the Heart of Jesus, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, instrument of the Holy Ghost, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, sanctuary of the Divine Trinity, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, tabernacle of God Incarnate, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, immaculate from thy creation, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, full of grace, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, blessed among all hearts, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, throne of glory, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, most humble, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, holocaust of Divine Love, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, fastened to the Cross with Jesus Crucified, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, comfort of the afflicted, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, refuge of sinners, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, hope of the agonizing, Pray for us. Heart of Mary, seat of mercy, Pray for 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, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
Immaculate Mary, meek and humble of heart, Make our hearts like unto the Heart of Jesus.
Let Us Pray. O most merciful God, Who, for the salvation of sinners and the refuge of the miserable, wast pleased that the Most Pure Heart of Mary should be most like in charity and pity to the Divine Heart of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, grant that we, who commemorate this sweet and loving Heart, by the merits and intercession of the same Blessed Virgin, may merit to be found like unto the Heart of Jesus, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Daily Checklist
__ Prayer for Freedom from the Devil __ 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)
Genesis, Chapter 50, Verse 16-19
16So they sent to Joseph and said:
“Before your father died, he gave us these instructions: 17‘Thus you shall say to Joseph:
Please forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers, who treated you
harmfully.’ So now please forgive the crime that we, the servants of the God of
your father, committed.” When they said this to him, Joseph broke into tears. 18Then his brothers also proceeded to
fling themselves down before him and said, “We are your slaves!” 19But Joseph replied to them: “Do notFEAR. Can I take the place of God?
So,
joseph now had his brothers within his power to crush them and he did not. No,
Joseph wept and made peace with his brothers knowing the intent of God is that
all men be free in mind, body and spirit. Joseph knew that only free men can sow their gifts before God and that “Whoever sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap
bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor. 9:7-8) You cannot give what you do not
own; therefore, each must be free to give back to God; Joseph is the precursor
of Christ who fulfills the gospel of abundance proclaim by our loving God. Here
Joseph was able to find the peace that only God can give by sincerely wanting
God’s will. Joseph found this peace only by trusting and having courage to live
entirely by God’s way.
Friday In the Octave of Christmas ST SYLVESTER-NEW YEARS EVE Sirach, Chapter 2, Verse 15-17 15 Those who FEAR the Lord do not disobey his words; those who love him keep his ways. 16 Those who fear the Lord seek to please him; those who love him are filled with his law. 17 Those who fear the Lord prepare their hearts and humble themselves before him. “Perfect love casts out all fear .” Many of us are conscious of our sins and failures. The older we get, the more we become aware that we have not measured up to what God had in mind for us from all eternity. We begin to worry about Judgment Day. Fear . Even when we are younger, if we have a good conscience, we worry over our sins. Remember that God loved us so much that he sent his Son to save us. Remember that Jesus gave his life for each of us personally. Remember that God is not like us: He loves us with an everlasting love. We need to realize this love of God so that it will cast out all fear from our hearts. We
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 slaughter the Jews on th
Saints, Feast, Family - Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring - July 6 Saint of the day: Saint Nazaria Ignacia March Mesa Patron Saint of Missionaries of the Crusade Vinny’s Corner · Roy Rogers King of Cowboys RIP 1998 Today Party like you are Capt. Kidd Capt. Kidd arrested 1699 Tomorrow Start Let Freedom Ring: 40 Days to Freedom from the Devil [1] July 7-August 15, 2024 It is right and good for us to prepare ourselves as her retainers in her battle with Satan from now until the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven Goal: Through acts of reparation, fasting, penance, charity, and prayer (both personal and sacramental) we call upon the power of God to release ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation from all demonic influence and oppression. Method : Each day will be broken into prayer, reflection, and reparation. Reflection : A reflection (rotating from Fr. Peckman, Fr. Altman & Fr. Heilman) will
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 harden
Eat Something with Spinach today OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL Isaiah, Chapter 7, Verse 3-6 3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field, 4 and say to him: Take care you remain calm and do not fear ; do not let your courage fail before these two stumps of smoldering brands, the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans and of the son of Remaliah— 5 because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you. They say, 6 “Let us go up against Judah, tear it apart, make it our own by force, and appoint the son of Tabeel king there . These verses contain a series of oracles and narratives, all closely related to the Syro-Ephraimite war of 735–732 B.C. Several passages feature three children whose symbolic names refer to the Lord’s purposes: Shear-jashub, Emmanuel, and Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Judah and its Davidic dynasty should trust Go
Monday Night at the Movies Luis Bunuel, Simon of the Desert, 1965 SAINT MOTHER THEODORE GUERIN Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verse 21 Indeed, so FEARFUL was the spectacle that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.” Moses was the heir apparent to the throne of Egypt in his youth. As a member of the Egyptian court, he would have seen many fearful spectacles yet imagine what it must have been like to have been a witness of God descending on Mount Sinai to give the law. He was terrified and trembling. Again, now imagine if Moses was somehow resurrected and was able to walk into an ordinary catholic church that has a very modest Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Do you think his reaction would be any different than the first time he encountered the living God? Be Still and Know that I am God [1] On the evening of October 1995, John Paul II was scheduled to greet the seminarians at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. It had been a very full day that began with a Mass at Oriole Park in Camden Y
Saints, Feast, Family - Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring - July 15 Saint of the day: Saint Vladimir of Kiev Monday- Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop ST. SWITHUN Monday Night at the Movies Raffaello Matarazzo, The White Angel, 1955. Deuteronomy, Chapter 31, Verse 8 It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not FEAR or be dismayed.” For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. The Lord our God calls us to His service. This is the message of St. Therese of Lisieux that we are all called, and we should have great confidence and humility seeking to bring the kingdom in small ways and asking our Lord to multiply our efforts. The greatest way we can bring about the Kingdom is in our own families. This is the reason Pope Francis made such efforts to attend the family symposium in Philadelphia in 2015. Yes, families
Drink Beer Try the Chimay Saints, Feast, Family - Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring - July 18 Saint of the day: Saint Arnulf of Metz Patron Saint of Beer When I was stationed in Belgium me and my family were not told in advance when staying in the temporary quarters not to drink the water; as a result we were all very sick due to the water was tainted; we should have drank the beer. ST. CAMILIUS DE LELLIS -Nelson Mandela Day-St. Ann Day 2 Deuteronomy, Chapter 32, Verse 26-27 26 I said: I will make an end of them and blot out their name from human memory, 27 had I not FEARED the provocation by the enemy, that their foes might misunderstand, and say, “Our own hand won the victory; the LORD had nothing to do with any of it.” Meditate on the humility of Saint Joseph this day; ask for his assistance and special protection. Prayer to St. Joseph. O most chaste Joseph, who, by thy purity and other exalted virtues, wast worthy to be c
Saints, Feast, Family - Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring - July 12 Saint of the day: Saint Veronica Patron Saint of the images; laundry workers, pictures, photos, photographers NIC’s Corner- What was the Physicality of Christ like? Here is what I got from Co-pilot: In the tapestry of Jesus Christ’s life, His teachings, miracles, and spiritual legacy are threads that have woven a history-changing narrative. Yet, among these divine aspects, the humble profession of carpentry attributed to Jesus during His time on Earth offers a unique perspective on His human experience. According to biblical references, Jesus was indeed a carpenter. Mark 6:3 explicitly asks, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” This direct association with carpentry provides a rare glimpse into Jesus’s day-to-day life before His public ministry began . [1] Carpentry
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 places." ( Ephesians 6:12 ) The me
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