Thursday, September 16, 2021

 

DAY 33 - MARY, MORNING STAR, PRAY FOR US

UNITY IN TRUTH

Devil's Tactic #2 - Divide and Conquer 

The second modern tactic of the devil is actually the very ancient military strategy of "divide and conquer." This strategy is defined as one that separates a force that would be stronger if united. As we said, the devil is roaming around like a lion that sizes up the herd to find the easiest target. He is also watching to see who is separated from the herd. Large, coordinated forces are difficult to defeat. If the enemy can separate us into small units or individuals, he can more easily defeat each one.

"Strike the shepherd and the sheep scatter" (Zec 13:7). There's no doubt that the devil has focused his assault on the religious leaders of our day. While these leaders may have had noble intentions of charity and pastoral sensitivity, the results have been devastating. Decades of lenient, non-confrontational leadership have left the faithful feeble and prone to be "conformed to the pattern of this world" (Rom 12:2). St. Augustine once said, "Charity is no substitute for justice withheld."

The unfortunate laxity of discipline has permitted confusion and strife where there should be clarity and harmony, an authentic unity based on the truth. As a result, the modern trend among those who believe and teach falsehoods that directly contradict the Church's teaching is to consider these pockets of dissent as merely "differing tribes" within the Catholic Church. In this deceptive tribal system, those who believe in and teach all that the Church teaches are then considered extreme among these tribes.

Right or wrong, religious leadership seemed to calculate that it is better to refrain from "charged issues" for fear of offending some or even losing members. However, St. Peter Canisius cautioned: "Better that only a few Catholics should be left, staunch and sincere in their religion, than that they should, remaining many, desire as it were to be in collusion with the Church's enemies and in conformity with the open foes of our faith." (Excerpt from my book, Church Militant Field Manual).

PRAY A ROSARY

Choose either:

1. Rosary of the Day: Luminous Mysteries
2. Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Glorious Mysteries

PRAYERS FOR TRADITIONAL 54 DAY NOVENA

THE GLORIOUS 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, full-blown white roses, tinged with the red of the passion, to remind thee of thy glories, fruits of the sufferings of thy Son and thee, each rose 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 full blown white roses, tinged with the red of the passion, to remind thee of thy glories, fruits of the sufferings of thy Son and thee, each rose 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 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.

For each of the following Mysteries, say: Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

The Resurrection - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of faith and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Ascension - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of hope and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Descent of the Holy Spirit - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of charity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Assumption of Mary - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of union with Christ and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Coronation of the Blessed Mother - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of union with thee 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 found in this book: 54 Day Basic Training in Holiness 

All of the daily Novena Prayers and Reflections are also posted at usgraceforce.com

Spanish language Novena prayers and reflections are available at https://rosarycoasttocoast.com/nfon-espanol/.

Those who would like to pray with others via The Telephone Rosary, call 1-951-799-9866 daily at 6 pm Eastern.

"One day through the Rosary and the Scapular, I will save the world."  The Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Dominic  www.ConfraternityCommunity.com

Job, Chapter 4, Verse 13-14

¹³ In my thoughts during visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on mortals, ¹⁴ FEAR came upon me, and shuddering, that terrified me to the bone. 

Job complained of his symptoms of insomnia[1]: 

nights of misery . . . When I lie down, I think, when shall I rise? Night drags on and I am sated with tossing’s till morning twilight (7:3-4). 

Job also complains, by night my bones feel gnawed; my sinews never rest (30:17).20 

Another translation is, . . . my arteries pulsate so strongly that I cannot sleep. 21 

This may have been a reference to pain or some other illness causing insomnia. These are typical complaints of many people with insomnia; spending the night worrying about not being able to sleep, about when they will need to wake up and tossing and turning all night long. 

There are other references in other books of the Bible to illness causing sleeplessness: Only from daybreak to nightfall was I kept whole, then it was as though a lion were breaking all my bones; I cried out until morning. . . I piped like a swift or a swallow, I moaned like a dove, as my eyes, all worn, looked to heaven: 'My Lord, I am in straits; Be my surety!' What can I say? He promised me and He it is who has wrought it. All my sleep had fled because of the bitterness of my soul (Isa. 38:12-15). For my days have vanished like smoke and my bones are charred like a hearth. My body is stricken and withered like grass; too wasted to eat my food; on account of my vehement groaning my bones show through my skin. I am like a great owl in the wilderness, an owl among the ruins. I lie awake; I am like a lone bird upon a roof (Ps. 102:4-8).

TREATMENT OF INSOMNIA 

Physical activity is suggested as a cure for insomnia in the Bible. In Ecclesiastes we are told A worker’s sleep is sweet, whether he has much or little to eat; but the rich man's abundance doesn't let him sleep (5:11). There are several interpretations of this passage. One is that the rich man worries about losing his riches, and thus also loses sleep. Another is that sleep is a blessing set upon the laborer by God, thus, to soften his difficult life. Today's research supplies yet another explanation. Studies have shown that increased exercise or physical activity improves sleep. The laboring man who is physically active will likely sleep better than the rich man who spends his time counting his money. Nightmares also hound some of the figures in the Bible. Job, for example, not only has difficulty sleeping because of pain, but also suffers from nightmares: "When I think, 'My bed will comfort me, my couch will share my sorrow,' you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions". 

Excessive daytime sleepiness, as we know today, is often a sign of not getting sufficient sleep at night. The Book of Proverbs rails against excessive sleep or sleeping too much as being synonymous with laziness and sloth. Allusions include: How long will you lie there, lazybones; When will you wake from your sleep? A bit more sleep, a bit more slumber, a bit more hugging yourself in bed, and poverty will come calling upon you. . . (6:9-11, echoed in 24:33-34); Laziness induces sleep (19:15). Do not love sleep lest you be impoverished (20:13). And if one becomes obligated to another, give your eyes no sleep, your pupils no slumber (6:4) until your obligation is fulfilled. When people are so drowsy that it becomes difficult to function, their ability to work is affected and quality of life is reduced, as it says in Proverbs, Drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags (23:21). These same allusions have been applied to patients today with undiagnosed sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy, where the patient often does want to sleep all day and is often accused of being lazy. It is unknown how common narcolepsy or sleep apnea were thousands of years ago, but there is no reason to believe that they were any less common then than they are today. 

SLEEP HYGIENE 

Treatments of all sleep disorders are likely to include teaching the patient good sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene rules advise how long to sleep and how to best optimize sleep.26 The early sources refer to some of the same sleep hygiene rules that are recommended today, including not spending too much time in bed, getting up at the same time every day, keeping the environment comfortable (not too hot and not too cold) and dark, avoiding alcohol and limiting, if not avoiding, naps.27 

CONCLUSION 

Although we think we have discovered many new features about proper sleep and sleep disorders, many of our scientific ideas were already documented in the Bible. Some of our modern scientific knowledge about sleep is not new and existed even in biblical times. Although the rabbis may not have fully understood sleep, they left enough clues and interpretations that agree with what science verified thousands of years later. This wisdom is also mentioned in the Bible: What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9). 

Five Rules for Sleep[2] 

1.     Stick to a sleep schedule. Set aside no more than eight hours for sleep. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours.
2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Don't go to bed hungry or stuffed. In particular, avoid heavy or large meals within a couple of hours of bedtime.      
3. Create a restful environment. Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Exposure to light might make it more challenging to fall asleep.
4. Limit daytime naps. Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. ...
5. Include physical activity in your daily routine. Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. Avoid being active too close to bedtime, however. 

35 Promises of God[3] cont.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
-Ex 20:12

Daily Devotions

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: For the Poor and Suffering

·         do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.

·         Iceman’s Total Consecration to Mary-Day 6

·         Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

·         Cultivate intelligent foresight in yourself

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         "Faith cannot save without virtue"

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Iceman’s 40 devotion

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Rosary

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[1] Sleep Disorders in The Bible Sonia Ancoli-Israel

[2]https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379#:~:text=Sleep%20tips%3A%206%20steps%20to%20better%20sleep%201,mind%20and%20then%20set%20it%20aside%20for%20tomorrow.

[3]http://www.aggiecatholicblog.org/2014/12/35-promises-of-god/