DAY 4 - MOTHER OF CHRIST, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE VIRTUE OF LOVE!
GOD'S WORD
"Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love." (John 15:9-10)
HEROES' WORDS
"Love to be real, it must cost - it must hurt - it must empty us of self." -Mother Teresa
"To love God is something greater than to know him." -St. Thomas Aquinas
"It is not hard to obey when we love the one whom we obey." -St. Ignatius of Loyola
MEDITATION
Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God (CCC 1822). Charity: The infused supernatural virtue by which a person loves God above all things for his own sake, and loves others for God's sake. It is a virtue based on divine faith or in belief in God's revealed truth, and is not acquired by mere human effort. It can be conferred only by divine grace. Because it is infused along with sanctifying grace, it is frequently identified with the state of grace. Therefore, a person who has lost the supernatural virtue of charity has lost the state of grace, although he may still possess the virtues of hope and faith. (Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary)
Jesus makes charity the new commandment. By loving his own "to the end," he makes manifest the Father's love, which he receives. By loving one another, the disciples imitate the love of Jesus, which they themselves receive. Whence Jesus says: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love." And again: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (CCC 1823).
The practice of all the virtues is animated and inspired by charity, which "binds everything together in perfect harmony"; it is the form of the virtues; it articulates and orders them among themselves; it is the source and the goal of their Christian practice. Charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love, and raises it to the supernatural perfection of divine love (CCC 1827).
PRAY A ROSARY
Choose either:
- Rosary of the Day: Glorious Mysteries
- Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Joyful Mysteries
PRAYERS FOR TRADITIONAL 54 DAY NOVENA
THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY
Prayer before the recitation: Sign of the cross. Hail Mary.
In petition (first 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I humbly kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses, snow white buds to remind thee of thy joys, each bud recalling to thee a holy mystery, each 10 bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God's graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee, thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition; from thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!
In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I gratefully kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses snow white buds to remind thee of thy joys each bud recalling to thee a holy mystery; each ten bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, Dispenser of God's graces. and Mother of all who invoke thee! thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving; from thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I despaired not of what I asked of thee, and thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.
Say: The Apostles' Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
The Annunciation - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be. Fatima Prayer.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these snow-white buds with a petition for the virtue of humility and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Visitation - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be. Fatima Prayer.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these snow-white buds with a petition for the virtue of charity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Nativity - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be. Fatima Prayer.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these snow-white buds with a petition for the virtue of detachment from the world and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Presentation - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be. Fatima Prayer.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these snow-white buds with a petition for the virtue of purity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be. Fatima Prayer.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these snow-white buds with a petition for the virtue of obedience to the will of God and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
Say: The Hail Holy Queen.
Spiritual Communion: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
In petition (first 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request, see below). Hail Mary ...
In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request, see below) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me. Hail, Mary, etc.
PETITION: For the Protection of and Provision for the Church, the Family and our Nation. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
All of the daily Novena Prayers and Reflections are also posted at
usgraceforce.com
Those who would like to pray with others via The Telephone Rosary, call 1-951-799-9866 daily at 6 pm Eastern.
Our Lady of the Pillar
Did you know that the first church dedicated to the Blessed Mother was built while she still lived?
Indeed! Here’s the marvelous story.
Venerable Maria of Agreda who was shown the life of the Blessed
Virgin Mary in detail, writes in her Mystical City of God that St.
James, brother of St. John, whom Our Lord called “Sons of Thunder”, had a
special devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Becoming
the apostle of what today is Spain, Saint James was having a hard time
evangelizing the northern region of Zaragoza. One night, as he prayed
asking help for his plight, he suddenly beheld a great light in the
midst of which he saw Our Lady surrounded by a multitude of angels.
The interesting thing is that Mary was
still living in Jerusalem at the time. But as queen of the Church, she
was given to see all that concerned her Son’s work, and being shown the
prayer of her devotee, had obtained from Jesus to help him in a special
way.
On learning of their lady’s wishes, the angels in her retinue
promptly built a throne of luminous clouds on which they sat their
queen, and swiftly carried her across the Mediterranean, serenading her
all the way.
So now, the Blessed Mother consoled her son James, and assured him
help for his endeavors. She asked him to build a shrine on the spot she
appeared, and as a token of her help to the region, left a marble column
or pillar topped by a small statue of herself holding her Infant Son.
By the pillar, she left an angel to ensure the safety of the holy
image until the end of time. According to ancient Spanish tradition,
this apparition occurred on January 2nd, 40AD. Her Feast day is
celebrated on October 12th.
St.
James indeed built the first shrine on that hallowed spot, around which
grew the present-day Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza.
Not long after, St. James was recalled to Jerusalem where he was the
first apostle to suffer martyrdom. As he prepared to endure death by
beheading, Our Lady and her angels again were visibly present to him
fortifying and consoling him.
Returned to Spain, St. James’ body rests in Compostela, a place of famous pilgrimages.
This author was able to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Zaragossa
and touch the heavenly pillar. One of the marvels concerning this pillar
is that it plunges into the earth, so that none have ever been able to
find its end. I was also told that the statue never gathers dust.
As to the angel that was left on guard at the spot, he must be still
on watch. As one peruses the architectural marvels of the
football-field-sized building, head tilting ever upwards, eyes come to a
dead halt at what looks like…bombs…hanging from the ceiling?
On alarmed inquiry, one is told that, O yes, these hit the basilica during Spain’s civil war but never detonated…
But no worries, they are defused now.
https://www.americaneedsfatima.org/Our-Blessed-Mother/the-marvelous-story-of-our-lady-of-the-pillar.html
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