Sunday, July 25, 2021
Let Freedom Ring: Freedom from Syncretism
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
Christ, have mercy. R. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us. R. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, R. have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, R. have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, R. have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, Divine Victim on the Altar for our salvation, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, hidden under the appearance of bread, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, dwelling in the tabernacles of the world, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, really, truly and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, abiding in Your fulness, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, Bread of Life, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, Bread of Angels, R. have mercy on us.
Jesus, with us always until the end of the world, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, sign and cause of the unity of the Church, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, adored by countless angels, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, spiritual food, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, Sacrament of love, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, bond of charity, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, greatest aid to holiness, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, gift and glory of the priesthood, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, in which we partake of Christ, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, in which the soul is filled with grace, R. have mercy on us.
Sacred Host, in which we are given a pledge of future glory, R. have mercy on us.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
For those who are indifferent to the Sacrament of Your love, R. have mercy on us.
For those who have offended You in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, R. have mercy on us.
That we may make suitable preparation before approaching the Altar, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may receive You frequently in Holy Communion with real devotion and true humility, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may never neglect to thank You for so wonderful a blessing, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may cherish time spent in silent prayer before You, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may grow in knowledge of this Sacrament of sacraments, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That all priests may have a profound love of the Holy Eucharist, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That they may celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in accordance with its sublime dignity, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may be comforted and sanctified with Holy Viaticum at the hour of our death, R. we beseech You, hear us.
That we may see You one day face to face in Heaven, R. we beseech You, hear us.
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us, O Lord.
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.
Most merciful Father, You continue to draw us to Yourself through the Eucharistic Mystery. Grant us fervent faith in this Sacrament of love, in which Christ the Lord Himself is contained, offered and received. We make this prayer through the same Christ our Lord.
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)
Ninth
Sunday after Pentecost (17th S. Ord. Time)
FEAST
OF ST. JAMES-ST CHRISTOPHER
Judith, Chapter 2,
Verse 28
FEAR
and dread of him fell upon all the inhabitants of the coastland, upon those in
Sidon and Tyre, and those who dwelt in Sur and Ocina, and the
inhabitants of Jamnia. Those in Azotus and Ascalon also FEARED him greatly.
The
people of Israel by ignoring the elephant in the room which was Nebuchadnezzar
and thus wounding his ego along with all the people West of Syria are now a
target and they are afraid; very afraid.
·
Nebuchadnezzar’s
siege of Jerusalem will succeed.
·
Nebuchadnezzar
declares his intention of taking revenge on the whole world.
·
Nebuchadnezzar
is represented by his general in chief, Holofernes; Yahwah by the holy woman
Judith.
·
Holofernes
army is 120,000 troops and 12,000 calalry.
· Fear extends to the whole earth.
ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[1]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The Eucharistic assembly
33. At Sunday Mass, Christians relive with particular intensity the experience of the Apostles on the evening of Easter when the Risen Lord appeared to them as they were gathered together (cf. Jn 20:19). In a sense, the People of God of all times were present in that small nucleus of disciples, the first fruits of the Church. Through their testimony, every generation of believers hears the greeting of Christ, rich with the messianic gift of peace, won by his blood and offered with his Spirit: "Peace be with you!" Christ's return among them "a week later" (Jn 20:26) can be seen as a radical prefiguring of the Christian community's practice of coming together every seven days, on "the Lord's Day" or Sunday, in order to profess faith in his Resurrection and to receive the blessing which he had promised: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (Jn 20:29). This close connection between the appearance of the Risen Lord and the Eucharist is suggested in the Gospel of Luke in the story of the two disciples of Emmaus, whom Christ approached and led to understand the Scriptures and then sat with them at table. They recognized him when he "took the bread, said the blessing, broke it and gave it to them". The gestures of Jesus in this account are his gestures at the Last Supper, with the clear allusion to the "breaking of bread", as the Eucharist was called by the first generation of Christians.
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost[2]-The
necessity of being faithful to the end
Call upon God for
help and assistance against all temptations of your enemies, both visible and
invisible, and say with the priest, in the Introit of the Mass, “Behold, God is
my helper, and the Lord is the protector of my soul; turn back the evils upon
my enemies, and cut them off in Thy truth, O Lord, my protector. Save me, O
God, by Thy name, and deliver me in Thy strength” (Ps. liii.).
Prayer. Let the ears of Thy mercy, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy suppliants,
and that Thou mayest grant what Thy petitioners desire, make them ask those
things which are pleasing to Thee.
EPISTLE, i. Cor. x.
6-13.
Brethren: We should not covet evil things, as they also coveted. Neither become ye idolaters, as some of them: as it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and there fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ: as some of them tempted, and perished by the serpents. Neither do you murmur as some of them murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them in figure: and they are written for our correction, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall. Let no temptation take hold on you, but such as is human: and God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it.
Can we sin by thought and desire alone? Certainly, if we desire evil and unlawful things, or of our own free will dwell upon them with pleasure.
What is it to tempt God? It is presumptuously to expect signs of God
s omnipotence, benignity, providence, and justice. Such a sin it would be,
1,
to desire that matters of faith should be made known and confirmed by new miracles.
2,
to expose ourselves unnecessarily to danger of body or soul, expecting God to
deliver us;
3,
to reject the ordinary and natural means of deliverance in sickness or other
peril, trusting in God s immediate assistance.
GOSPEL. Luke xix. 41-47.
At that time, when Jesus drew near Jerusalem, seeing the city, He wept over it, saying: If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace, but now they are hidden from thy eyes. For the days shall come upon thee: and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee round: and straiten thee on every side: and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee, and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation. And entering into the temple, He began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought, saying to them: It is written: My house is the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. And He was teaching daily in the temple.
Why did the Savior weep over the city of Jerusalem? Because it had not known and profited by its time of visitation and through impenitence was hastening to destruction.
What was the time of its visitation? The period in which God sent to the Jews one prophet after another, whom they derided and calumniated, stoned and put to death (Matt, xxiii. 34). But especially was it the time of the ministry of Christ, who so often proclaimed His life-giving doctrine; pointed out and demonstrated, by the greatest miracles, that He was the Messias and the Saviour of the world, and yet was despised by this hardened and impenitent city, and even put to death on the cross.
Does God hide from the wicked the truths of salvation? No; but sinners so blind themselves by their sins that the divine inspirations fail to move them to penance.
What do we learn by Jesus casting out of the temple those who sold and bought? We learn how severely He will punish those who in church forget where they are; forget that Jesus Christ is present in the tabernacle; who laugh, talk, amuse themselves, cherish sinful thoughts, and give scandal by their improper dress and unbecoming behavior.
Prayer: O Jesus, who didst weep over the city of Jerusalem because it knew not the time of its visitation, I beseech Thee enlighten my heart, that I may know and profit by the season of grace; and grant that I may always behave with reverence in Thy church, and never turn it into a resort for evil thoughts and desires or for worldly cares.
LESSONS UPON DEATH-BED
REPENTANCE
Can the sinner rely upon being converted at the end of his life? No for this would be to sin against the mercy of God, which is much the same as the sin against the Holy Ghost. Says St. Augustine, “usually punishes such sinners by allowing them at the last to forget themselves, who in the days of their health and strength have allowed themselves to forget Him. “God Himself also says: They have turned their back to Me and not their face, and in the time of their affliction they will say, Arise and deliver us. Where are thy gods whom thou hast made thee? Let them arise and deliver thee in the time of thy affliction” (Jer. ii. 27, 28). It is true we have a consoling example of conversion at the moment of death in the penitent thief, but, as St. Augustine further says, while this one example is given so that no sinner may despair, it is the only one, so that no sinner may defer repentance through presumption.
What may we hope of those who are converted at the close of life? Everything that is good, if they be really converted; but this is a most rare thing. (Of the hundreds of thousands whose lives have been wicked,” writes St. Jerome, “hardly one will be converted at the hour of death and obtain forgiveness of his sins.” And St. Vincent Ferrer says it would be a greater miracle for a person who has lived wickedly to die well than for one who is dead to be restored to life. And no wonder; for repentance at the hour of death is generally but an extorted repentance. It is not so much that the sinner forsakes his sins as that his sins forsake him; and the resolution of amendment is one which he would hardly make, were he not driven to it by the agonies of death.
What is there to expect from such repentance? When, therefore, ought we to do penance? While we are in possession of our reason and strength; for, as St. Augustine says, the repentance of the sick is a sickly repentance. In time of sickness, as experience teaches, the pains of disease, the hope of recovery, the fear of death, the torments of conscience, the temptations of the devil, and the care of all depending on him, so continually distract a man that he can hardly collect his thoughts at all, much less bestow them upon a work of a true repentance. If to many it is so difficult to do penance while they are yet in health and hindered by nothing from raising their thoughts to God, how much more difficult will it be when the body has already become weak! We have heard a number of persons who had been sick admit after their recovery that they had no knowledge of what happened to them during their illness, and even had no recollection of having received the holy sacraments. Accordingly, Isaias admonishes us: “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near (Isaias Iv. 6). And Christ says: You shall seek Me and shall not find Me, and you shall die in your sin” (John vii. 34; viii. 21). If, therefore, you have committed mortal sin, delay not to return to God, by perfect contrition and a good confession. Put it not off from one day to another; for repentance thereby becomes more and more difficult; for, as St. Gregory says, one unrepented sin by its own weight impels a man to still further sins, and all the while makes him the weaker, and his adversary, the devil, the stronger; so that at last he cannot be converted without the extraordinary grace of God.
But how can the presumptuous sinner expect such grace? God will laugh in his destruction, in like manner as he has despised His instruction, counsel, and reproof (Prov. i. 26-28). “Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good.” (Gal. vi. 10), for who knows whether we may not be suddenly prevented, by severe sickness, from working out our salvation!
National NFP Awareness Week – JULY
25-31
Life is God’s Gift[3]
Love,
Naturally! Is love something natural and part of being human? Of course, it is.
Many of us may not be able to find the precise words to define love, but we
know what it feels like when love is missing in our lives. We also know how
satisfied we feel when we have love. And, even better— we know the deep fulfillment we
feel when we offer our love to others and they accept it. The natural ability
to know, give, and receive love is a gift from God.
As
Scripture teaches, it is rooted in our nature, being made in God’s image and likeness (Gen 1:27).
How often have we heard this building block of our faith but have not thought
about it? This basic truth of our humanity has profound implications for all
human relationships, especially for those of us who are called to the vocation
of marriage. All are called to love God has written the capacity to give and to
receive love into the hearts of every man and woman. As St. Paul says, love is
the greatest gift (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is the foundation for other
important characteristics such as gratitude, thankfulness, forgiveness, mercy,
and selflessness, all of which foster good relationships. One beautiful
expression of God’s
plan of love is that He created us with sexuality— male and female.
Being
made male or female is the means through which we express love and form
relationships. This can take many forms as we relate to neighbors, workmates,
friends, and family members. It is precisely through human sexuality that
husband and wife can form their family. These small “communions of persons” mirror the inner love of God as a
Trinity of three loving persons. Human sexuality—being created a man or a woman—is woven into our very bodies.
This
is true despite the many wounds to their sexuality that some people may
experience. Human sexuality holds the powers of both love and life. The gift of
fertility is a particular awe-inspiring attribute since it enables
participation in God’s
creation of new life. It is vital to be good stewards of these sacred gifts.
Chastity
helps us to love well in a world wounded by sin, the virtue of chastity
strengthens us to express love in ways that are holy and genuine—whether we are married, single,
celibate, or vowed in religious life. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church
teaches, chastity enables us to maintain “the
integrity of the powers of life and love”
therefore helping us to respect ourselves and the personal boundaries of other
people (2338).
Marriage
and parenthood of the various profound forms of human relationships, marriage—or more properly, Holy Matrimony—was willed by God as a blessing. If
you have forgotten that, look up the second chapter of Genesis (Genesis
2:18-25) of which Jesus Himself quotes in the Gospels when defending marriage
to some Pharisees (see Mt 19:1-6). God did not want the man to be alone. God
made a suitable partner for him. That partner is woman. She is equal to man in
being made in God’s
image, and she is also very different. She complements him. Together, they make
the one flesh union of marriage which has the potential to give life and create
a family. God intended marital love to be total, faithful, permanent, and
fruitful—accepting
and nurturing the powers of love and life.
The
nature of marriage calls husband and wife to sacred responsibilities. Within
this vocation, a husband and wife are able to celebrate human sexuality in all
its fullness. Their conjugal love is “meant
to express the full meaning of love,”
as willed by God, “its
power to bind a couple …
and its openness to new life”
(USCCB, Married Love and the Gift of Life, 4). Being “open” to life does not mean that married
couples have to intend to get pregnant every time they have sexual relations.
It means that children are not a mere footnote to marriage—they are a gift from God.
It
is the responsibility of the married couple to respect God’s design and to be generously open
to His call to receive and nurture new life. This is true despite the fact that
some couples may not be able to have their own children.
How
can husband and wife properly exercise their mutual stewardship over God’s gifts of love and life? Some may
wonder if married couples are expected to leave their family size entirely to
chance. The Church teaches that “a
couple may generously decide to have a large family, or for serious reasons” (e.g., financial, physical, psychological,
etc.), choose to postpone attempting a pregnancy temporarily or indefinitely
(see Humanae vitae 10). That is where the methods of Natural Family Planning
(NFP) enter. NFP—cooperating
with God’s design
for married love in marriage, when serious reasons arise, a husband and wife
may need to limit the size of their family. The ever-present temptation is to
use a form of contraception to limit or avoid having children. But
contraception is not the answer since it harms God’s creation and rejects His good
gifts. It does this by blocking human fertility.
What
are the moral methods of authentic family planning that couples can use?
Authentic family planning honors God’s
design by supporting the love-giving and lifegiving nature of sexual
intercourse. It promotes openness to new life and the value of the child. And,
it helps to enrich the marital bond between husband and wife. Authentic family
planning builds healthy and holy families. Only NFP methods can boast of all
these characteristics! NFP methods make use of fertility education. NFP
education teaches husband and wife about their fertile time (the time of the
wife’s
ovulation, when an egg is released from the ovary). NFP methods can be used to
either attempt a pregnancy or to avoid one. When avoiding, couples simply
abstain from conjugal relations during the wife’s fertile time. No drugs, devices
or surgical procedures are used. Any woman, no matter the variety in her
menstrual cycle, can use an NFP method. That’s because NFP methods help the wife
to recognize her unique signs of fertility which she can observe on a daily
basis. Love, naturally Take the time to learn, reflect, and pray about God’s marvelous plan for men, women,
and Holy Matrimony. Answer the call to cooperate with God’s design for married love! Let
these divine gifts “inform
and transform”
your marriage so that you and your family may flourish!
Celebrate and reverence God's vision of human
sexuality[4]
Natural Family
Planning Awareness Week is a national educational campaign. The Natural Family
Planning Program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops develops a
poster each year with basic supportive materials. It is the individual
dioceses, however, that offer a variety of educational formats in the local
church to focus attention on Natural Family Planning methods and Church
teachings that support their use in marriage.
The
dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlight the anniversary of
the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25) which articulates Catholic beliefs
about human sexuality, conjugal love, and responsible parenthood. The dates
also mark the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the
Blessed Mother. Pope Francis has designated that feast as World Grandparents
Day, a fitting commemoration during National NFP Awareness Week!
Feast of St James the Greater, Apostle[5]
JAMES, by birth a Galilean, a son of Zebedee and Salome, was brother to St. John the apostle, with whom he was called by Jesus to follow Him. He was present at the transfiguration on Mount Tabor, at the raising of the daughter of Jairus from the dead, and other like miracles, and at the bloody sweat in the Garden. After the sending of the Holy Ghost he preached the doctrines of Jesus in Judea, Samaria, and in Jerusalem, where Herod caused him to be beheaded in the year 44. His body was brought to Compostella, in Spain, where it is venerated by vast numbers of the faithful, who make pilgrimages to his grave. St. James was the first of the apostles who shed his blood for Christ.
Prayer to St. James.
O heroic apostle, who first of all didst, after the
example of Jesus, drink of the chalice of suffering, but now, in the kingdom of
His Father, livest upon the holy mountain of Sion, obtain for me, I beseech
thee, from Jesus the grace not to shrink from the chalice of suffering and
tribulation, but patiently to accept whatever the hand of God may present to
me, whether agreeable or disagreeable, and thereby to become worthy one day to
be inebriated with the streams of heavenly joy.
The Pilgrimage to
Santiago de Compostela[6]
The history of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela stretches back more than 1000 years to the discovery of the body of St. James during the reign of King Alfonso II (792-842). St. James was already believed to have been the great evangelist of Spain and for many hundreds of years there had been a scholarly and literary tradition supporting this belief. The discovery of the relics of St. James then became a focal point for pilgrims. Though a few pilgrims to Santiago are recorded in the 10th century, and many more in the 11th, it was in the early 12th century, and particularly under the energetic promotion of Archbishop Diego Gelmírez (1100-1140), that Santiago came to rank with Rome and Jerusalem as one of the great destinations of medieval pilgrimage. The first Cathedral was built over the site of the tomb, and gradually houses were established, for example by monks from Cluny in Burgundy and from Aurillac in Cantal, France, along the developing pilgrimage route.
The 12th and 13th
centuries are considered to have been the golden age of the pilgrimage to
Santiago. Subsequently the years of the Renaissance and Reformation in Europe
led to a decrease in the number of pilgrims. However, pilgrims still made their
way to Santiago throughout the centuries. In 1884, following academic and
medical research, Pope Leon XIII issued the Bull, Deus Omnipotens, which
proclaimed that the relics in Santiago were those of St. James. This is
recognized as the start of the modern development of the pilgrimage. It was
thought that in the 20th Century the growth of mechanized means of transport
such as cars and airplanes might lead to a reduction in the number of pilgrims
travelling to Santiago on foot or on horseback. This was not to be the case and
in the last 30 years in particular there has been a huge growth in interest and
in the number of pilgrims travelling on foot, on horseback or by bicycle.
Pilgrims were encouraged by the visits by Pope John Paul II in 1982 and in 1989
when World Youth Day was held in Santiago. The number of pilgrims continues to
grow. In 1985 1,245 pilgrims arrived in Santiago. In the 2010 Holy Year 272,703
pilgrims qualified for the Compostela.
Things to
Do[7]
·
Learn more about St. James.
·
It is traditional in Spain to make a yearly
pilgrimage to St. James of Compostela on July 24. Read
more about this custom. From Catholic Culture's Library: Pilgrimage
To The Stars and Cycling
through time on the Camino de Santiago.
·
Read about Santiago de Compostela,
the third largest shrine in all of Christendom.
·
Learn more about the pilgrimage to St. James.
·
Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia
and final destination of the famous pilgrimage way is certainly among Spain's
most beautiful cities. You can take a virtual tour and learn all about this
area of the world here.
·
Watch this Spanish news
broadcast of the faithful bringing flowers for Our Lady of the Pillar on October
12 during the celebration of the feast at the cathedral, notice the open
devotion and enthusiasm offered to Our Lady. Tradition says that Mary appeared
to St. James before her Assumption. Read more about the apparition
here.
·
Plan your own pilgrimage to a nearby shrine.
Pope John Paul II said, "To go in a spirit of prayer from one place to
another, from one city to another, in the area marked especially by God's
intervention, helps us not only to live our life as a journey, but also gives
us a vivid sense of a God who has gone before us and leads us on, who himself
set out on man's path, a God who does not look down on us from on high, but who
became our traveling companion." Read
this letter and try to incorporate its spirit into your pilgrimage.
Way of St. James[8]
Hikers travel the trail across the Castilian plateau. It’s a long walk to Santiago de Compostela on the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), but the Christian faithful have made the pilgrimage since the bones of St. James the Apostle were unearthed here in the 9th century, spreading the cultural rebirth of Europe. The apparition of St. James was said to aid Christian armies in battles with the Moors, so Spaniards adopted Santiago Matamoros (aka St. James, the Moor-slayer) as their patron saint. Modern hikers follow in the footsteps of El Cid, Louis VII of France, and St. Francis of Assisi to this pilgrimage destination that’s on a par with Rome and Jerusalem. Whether their motives are spiritual or not, the experience of the walk lingers. Most travelers follow a variant of the French Route, which begins in the Basque village of Roncesvalles, in the Pyrenees at the French-Spanish border, and trek 500 miles through the Rioja wine country (see here) and the former kingdoms of northern Spain. Hostels, inns, and restaurants along the entire stretch cater to the pilgrims. Those who lack time or stamina for the 4-plus-week journey by foot walk only the final 62 miles, through rugged but green inland Galicia. At Monte de Gozo, 2 miles from Santiago de Compostela, tired but elated travelers typically get their first glimpse of the twin towers of Santiago’s cathedral. Construction of the majestic Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela began in 1078, on the site of a 9th-century basilica destroyed by the Moors, and Maestro Mateo’s original designs rank among Europe’s finest Romanesque art. The cathedral’s elaborate, two-towered Baroque façade, added in the 18th century, protects the now restored original Porta de Gloria from weathering. The impact of the cavernous interior—as simple as the façade is ornate—is heightened by the golden-cloaked, bejeweled statue of St. James above the main altar, embraced by arriving pilgrims. The cathedral shares the vast Plaza del Obradoiro (“work of gold”) with the Hotel Reyes Católicos (Catholic Kings), built by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel in 1499 as a hospice for pilgrims. Now one of the most renowned paradors in Spain, it has rooms overlooking the square and the cathedral and many more overlooking four courtyard cloisters. Only a short walk away, the Palacio del Carmen has transformed an 18th-century convent into comfortable if less majestic lodging. Where: Santiago de Compostela is 375 miles/603 km northwest of Madrid. The most popular route of the Camino de Santiago starts in Roncesvalle and runs 500 miles/800 km across the northern regions of Spain, from east to west. How: U.S.-based Saranjan, Inc., offers 1- to 2-week tours by minibus, on foot, or on bicycle. Tel 800-858-9594 or 206-720-0623; www.saranjan.com. Cost: 8-day hiking/biking tours from $3,150; all-inclusive. Originate in León. Hotel Reyes Católicos: Tel 34/981582200; www.parador.es; in the U.S., Palace Tours, 800-724-5120; www.palacetours.com. Cost: from $105 (off-peak), from $225 (peak). Palacio del Carmen: Tel 34/981-552444; www.palaciodelcarmen.com. Cost: from $100 (off-peak), from $115 (peak). Best times: late Feb or early Mar for Antroido (carnival); last 2 weeks of Jul for succession of fiestas; Jul 25 for feast day of Santiago, celebrated with fireworks, music, and processions.
Bearer
of Christ[9]
St. Christopher's feast day is still July 25, and the proper of the Mass in his honor is found in the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal still authorized for the Tridentine Mass. The confusion over whether St. Christopher is still a saint arose when Pope Paul VI revised the Liturgical Calendar, which includes the feast days of saints that are commemorated at Mass. Due to the proliferation of the number of feast days over the centuries, the Second Vatican Council in its "Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy" proposed, "Lest the feasts of the saints should take precedence over the feasts which commemorate the very mysteries of salvation, many of them should be left to be celebrated by a particular Church, or nation, or family of religious. Only those should be extended to the universal Church which commemorate saints who are truly of universal importance" (No. 111). With this in mind, a special commission — Consilium — examined the calendar and removed those saints whose historical base was more grounded on tradition than provable fact, changed the feast days to coincide with the anniversary of a saint's death or martyrdom whenever possible, and added saints that were recently canonized and had universal Church appeal. Moreover, local conferences of bishops could add to the universal calendar those saints important to the faithful in their own country. In no way did the Church "de-canonize" St. Christopher or anyone else, despite the lack of historical evidence surrounding their lives. St. Christopher is still worthy of our devotion and prayers, and each of us should be mindful that he too is called to be a "bearer of Christ."
Novena
of St. Ann[10]
Daily Prayer to Saint Ann
O
glorious St. Ann, you are filled with compassion for those who invoke you and
with love for those who suffer! Heavily burdened with the weight of my
troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present
intention which I recommend to you in your special care.
Please recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and place it
before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Continue
to intercede for me until my request is granted. But, above all, obtain for me
the grace one day to see my God face to face, and with you and Mary and all the
saints to praise and bless Him for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father, . . . Hail Mary . . .
O Jesus, Holy Mary, St. Ann, help me now and at
the hour of my death. Good St. Ann, intercede for me.
NINTH
DAY
Good St. Ann, I have reached the end of this
novena in your honor. I have asked and ask again. Good mother let not your kind
ear grow weary of my prayers, though I repeat them so often.
Bounteous Lady implore for me from divine
Providence all the help I need through life. May your generous hand bestow on
me the material means to satisfy my own needs and to alleviate the plight of
the poor.
Good St. Ann, fortify me by the sacraments of
the Church at the hour of my death. Admit me into the company of the blessed in
the kingdom of heaven, where I may praise and thank the adorable Trinity, your
grandson Christ Jesus, your glorious daughter Mary, and yourself, dear St. Ann,
through endless ages.
Daily Devotions
·
Read Humanae
Vitae (July 25) which articulates Catholic beliefs about human
sexuality.
·
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
·
Go to MASS
·
Rosary
[2]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[3]http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/awareness-week/index.cfm
[4]https://www.usccb.org/topics/natural-family-planning/national-nfp-awareness-week
[5] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[8]Schultz,
Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: Revised Second Edition (pp.
265-266)
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