Sunday, October 3, 2021

 Respect Life Sunday[1] 

The infant Christ “came into our world in a state of great vulnerability. He needed to be defended, protected, cared for and raised by Joseph”. The humble and often hidden carpenter of Nazareth accompanied Mary in her pregnancy, assisted at the birth of the Messiah in a stable, presented Jesus in the Temple, fled with his family far from their homeland to protect them, and lovingly raised Jesus as his own son in the years to come. While the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary to announce that she would bring forth the Savior of the world, it was revealed to Joseph in a series of dreams how God’s plans would be brought to fulfillment. As Pope Francis highlights, “God trusted Joseph, as did Mary, who found in him someone who would not only save her life, but would always provide for her and her child”. Like every other human family, the Holy Family had to confront real and concrete challenges. Yet, “in every situation, Joseph declared his own ‘fiat’”. His “yes” to the Lord meant that regardless of the hardship and personal sacrifice to himself, he consistently chose to put the needs of Mary and Jesus before his own. Joseph’s devotion helps reveal to us our own call to show special care for the lives of those whom God has entrusted to us. During this Year of St. Joseph, each of us can find in him “an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble”. Joseph shows us how to say “yes” to life, despite our own fears, frailties, and weaknesses. For it is Joseph who was “chosen by God to guide the beginnings of the history of redemption. He was the true ‘miracle’ by which God saves the child and his mother”. May we, too, be miracles in the lives of those who are most in need, especially at the beginning and end of life. Dear St. Joseph, you who were “able to turn a problem into a possibility by trusting always in divine providence”, help us to imitate your faithful trust and courage



[1]https://www.usccb.org/resources/respect-life-reflection-st-joseph-defender-life



DAY 50 - OUR LADY OF AMERICA, PRAY FOR US

GO WEAPONS HOT
"Go Weapons Hot" is a military command that means to make whatever preparations are necessary so that when you pull the trigger, something happens. In spiritual terms, are we using live ammunition or are we firing blanks? In other words, are we making the preparations necessary to ensure that our efforts to combat evil and rescue souls are ignited by the fire of the Holy Spirit?

What are the preparations necessary so that "something (effective) happens" as we exercise the three offices of Christ in the war "against the principalities and powers, the rulers of this world of darkness, the evil spirits in regions above" (Eph 6:10-12)? The word "hot" ("Go Weapons Hot") gives us an excellent acronym for understanding how we are best positioned to receive the free offer of God's supernatural grace: H.O.T. = Humility, Obedience, Trust.

Humility: St. Ignatius of Loyola said, "There is no doubt that God will never be wanting to us, provided that he finds in us that humility which makes us worthy of his gifts, the desire of possessing them, and the promptitude to co-operate industriously with the graces he gives us."

Obedience: St. Josemaria Escriva wrote, "The power of obedience! The lake of Gennesareth had denied its fishes to Peter's nets. A whole night in vain. Then, obedient, he lowered his net again to the water and they caught 'a huge number of fish.' Believe me: the miracle is repeated each day."

Trust: St. Alphonsus Liguori taught: "He who trusts himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things." The most important aspect of the Devotion of Divine Mercy is the need to trust in God's goodness. Jesus revealed to St. Faustina that "the vessel with which souls receive abundant graces, and special favors, is confidence!" The confident, trusting soul is like a lightning rod for God's mercy and grace. (Excerpt from Church Militant Field Manual).
PRAY A ROSARY
Choose either:
  1. Rosary of the Day: Glorious Mysteries
  2. Traditional 54 Day Rotation: Sorrowful Mysteries
PRAYERS FOR TRADITIONAL 54 DAY NOVENA

THE SORROWFUL 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, blood red roses to remind thee of the passion of thy divine Son, with Whom thou didst so fully partake of its bitterness, 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 blood red roses to remind thee of the passion of thy divine Son, with Whom thou didst so fully partake of its bitterness each rose 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 Agony in the Garden - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of resignation to the will of God and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Scourging at the Pillar - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of mortification and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Crowning with Thorns - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of humility and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

The Carrying of the Cross - Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of patience in adversity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.

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

Concluding Prayer: I bind these blood red roses with a petition for the virtue of love of our enemies 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



Eighteenth Sunday aft. Pentecost (27th S. Ord. Time)

SAINT MOTHER THEODORE GUERIN

  

Job, Chapter 39, Verse 16

She cruelly disowns her young and her labor is useless; she has no FEAR.

Job is now being confronted by He that Is. “The wings of the ostrich flap away; her plumage is lacking in feathers. When she abandons her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, she forgets that a foot may crush them, that the wild beasts may trample them; she cruelly disowns her young and her labor is useless; she has no fear. For God has withheld wisdom from her and given her no share in understanding. Yet when she spreads her wings high, she laughs at a horse and rider.

Discourse of God[1]

·         Enter God. He comes down in a whirlwind and poses a number of rhetorical questions to Job, all of which are designed to show Job how small he is in relation to the universe...which, by the way, God created. 

·         God's wisdom isn't like human wisdom. After all, God is concerned with making waves flow and the architecture of the heavens.

·         This doesn't mean that human affairs don't concern him; they're just one part of a vast, unknowable whole. 

·         Basically, Job's question is answered with a bunch of equally unanswerable questions. He is completely and totally out of his league on this one. 

·         God talks of natural things in human terms so that Job can understand them. By doing so, he illustrates how the mortal, and the immortal are so far apart even though they are physically close together (38:28).

·         Has the rain a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew?

Humility at its source is knowing that all goodness comes from the Spirit, even in the mist of our crosses.

This prayer by Saint Francis de Sales is a great consolation for those who do not understand the crosses which God has entrusted to them.[2]

Prayer

The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God.

ON KEEPING THE LORDS DAY HOLY[3]

CHAPTER III

DIES ECCLESIAE

The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday

The table of the Body of Christ

43. This "ascending" movement is inherent in every Eucharistic celebration and makes it a joyous event, overflowing with gratitude and hope. But it emerges particularly at Sunday Mass because of its special link with the commemoration of the Resurrection. By contrast, this "Eucharistic" rejoicing which "lifts up our hearts" is the fruit of God's "descending" movement towards us, which remains forever etched in the essential sacrificial element of the Eucharist, the supreme expression and celebration of the mystery of the kenosis, the descent by which Christ "humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross" (Phil 2:8).

The Mass in fact truly makes present the sacrifice of the Cross. Under the species of bread and wine, upon which has been invoked the outpouring of the Spirit who works with absolutely unique power in the words of consecration, Christ offers himself to the Father in the same act of sacrifice by which he offered himself on the Cross. "In this divine sacrifice, which is accomplished in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once and for all in a bloody manner on the altar of the Cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner". To his sacrifice Christ unites the sacrifice of the Church: "In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value". The truth that the whole community shares in Christ's sacrifice is especially evident in the Sunday gathering, which makes it possible to bring to the altar the week that has passed, with all its human burdens.

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost[4]

Sacrifice, forgiveness, and "confirmation in the end without crime" (1 Cor. 4.8)

IN the Introit of the Mass the Church prays for the peace which God has promised through His prophets. “Give peace, O Lord, to them that patiently wait for Thee, that Thy prophets may be found faithful; hear the prayers of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel. I rejoiced at the things that were said to me; we shall go into the house of the Lord.

Prayer.

We beseech Thee, O Lord, that the work of Thy mercy may direct our hearts; for without Thy grace, we cannot be pleasing to Thee.

EPISTLE, i. Cor. i. 4-8.

Brethren: I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given you in Christ Jesus, that in all things you are made rich in Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the manifestation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in the day of the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brief Lessons.

St. Paul shows in this epistle that he possesses the true love of his neighbor, by rejoicing and thanking God that He had bestowed on the Corinthians manifold gifts and graces, and thereby confirmed the testimony of Christ in them. By this we learn that we should rejoice over the gifts and graces of our neighbors; should thank God for them, and pray Him to fill all who are in the darkness of error with knowledge, and love, and all virtues.

GOSPEL. Matt. ix. 1-8.

At that time Jesus, entering into a boat, passed over the water and came into His own city. And behold they brought to Him one sick of the palsy lying in a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart, son, thy sins are forgiven thee. And behold some of the scribes said within themselves: He blasphemeth. And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee: or to say, Arise and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, then said He to the man sick of the palsy: Arise, take up thy bed and go into thy house. And he arose, and went into his house. And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.

Explanation.

The charity of those who brought the sick man to Christ was so full of faith, so pleasing to Him, that, out of regard for it, He forgave the palsied man his sins, and healed him.

Christ did not heal the man sick with the palsy until He had forgiven him his sins. By this He teaches us that sins are often the cause of the sicknesses and evils that pursue us; and that if we sincerely repent of our sins, God would be likely to remove these evils from us. This is also intimated by the words of Jesus to him who had been sick eight-and-thirty years: “Sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee” (John v. 14). This should be kept in mind by those who so impetuously be seech God to free them from their afflictions, but who do not think to free themselves from the sins which may be the cause of them, by a sincere repentance and by leading a Christian life.

“He blasphemeth.”; Thus, in their perverted minds, the Jews thought of Christ; supposing that, by forgiving the sick man his sins, He had committed an encroachment on the prerogative of God, and thereby done Him great wrong; for it is blasphemy against God to attempt to wrong Him, or to think, speak, or do anything insulting to Him or to His saints.

“And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts?” This is something to be considered by those who suppose their thoughts to be free from scrutiny, and to whom it does not even occur to make their evil thoughts matter of confession. God, the most holy and most just, will no more leave unpunished impure, proud, angry, revengeful, envious thoughts, than He will an idle word (Matt. xii. 36). Do not, therefore, give yourself up to evil thoughts; and in order to repel them, remember each time that God sees and punishes them. Would you not drive them away if men saw them?

ON INDULGENCES

 

What is an indulgence? It is the remission granted by the Church, in the name of God, and on account of the merits of Jesus Christ and of all the saints, of the temporal punishment which men must suffer, either in this world or in the world to come, for sins that have been already forgiven.

 

Whence do we know that after sins are forgiven there yet remains a temporal punishment? From Holy Scripture, thus, God imposed upon Adam and Eve great temporal punishments, although He forgave them their sin (Gen. iii.). Moses and Aaron were punished for a slight want of confidence in God (Num. xx. 24; Deut. xxxii. 51). David, though forgiven, was obliged to submit to great temporal punishments (n. Kings xii.). Finally, faith teaches us that after death we must suffer in purgatory till we have paid the last farthing (Matt. v. 26).

 

Can the Church remit all temporal punishments, even those imposed by God Himself, and why? Certainly, by virtue of the power to bind and to loose which Christ has given her (Matt, xviii. 18). For if the Church has received from God the power to remit sins which is the greater, she certainly has authority to remit the punishment of them which is the less. Moreover, it is by the bands of punishment that we are hindered from reaching the kingdom of God.

 

But if the Church can loose all bands, why not this? Finally, Jesus certainly had power to remit the temporal punishment of sins and the power which He Himself had He gave to His disciples.

 

What is required in order rightly to gain an indulgence? In order to gain an indulgence, it is necessary:

 

I. To be in the grace of God. It is proper, therefore, to go to confession every time that one begins the good works enjoined for the gaining of an indulgence. In granting partial indulgences sacramental confession is not usually prescribed, but if one who is in the state of mortal sin wishes to gain the indulgence, he must at least make an act of true contrition with a firm purpose of going to confession.

 

2. It is necessary to have at least a general intention of gaining the indulgences.

 

3. It is necessary to perform in person and with devotion all the good works enjoined as to time, manner, end, etc., according to the terms in which the indulgence is granted. To gain plenary indulgences, confession, communion, a visit to some church or public oratory, and pious prayers are usually prescribed. If visits to a church are prescribed, Holy Communion may be received in any church, but the indulgenced prayers must be said in that church in which the indulgence is granted, and on the prescribed day. As to prayers, it is recommended that there be said seven times the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, and Creed.

 

Prayer for gaining an Indulgence

 

“We beseech Thee, O Lord, graciously accept the petitions of Thy holy Church, that Thou wouldst deliver her from all adversities, root out from her all heresies, unite all Christian rulers and princes, and exalt Thy holy Church on earth, that we may all serve Thee in peace and quietness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Mother Guerin--A journey is an unshakeable trust in God[5]

 

“If you lean with all your weight upon Providence, you will find yourselves well supported”

When we think about saints, we often have this image of a perfect person without the struggles or flaws of an ordinary human being – a person not of this world who spent most of their time praying and worshiping God. We forget that they are people who often had to cope with the same issues that people face today. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin had her ups and downs. Through her own words, which have been published in Journals and Letters of Mother Theodore Guerin, we are able to see the woman behind the saint and why she continues to lead and inspire people worldwide.

·         She … and five companion sisters were homeless when they arrived in a dense Indiana forest on a dark October evening in 1840. They lived with a generous local family until a new building was completed.

·         She … experienced tragedies in her early life. Two brothers died in fires and her father, a soldier, was murdered by thieves while returning from war. She put her own dreams on hold to care for her family when her mother could not cope emotionally with her father’s death.

·         She … and her small band of sisters arrived as immigrants in a new country. They didn’t speak the language and were unfamiliar with the customs. She depended on others to help her learn and adjust.

·         She … learned survival skills and endured poverty. She and her companion sisters planted and cared for gardens to supplement their food supply. They helped care for livestock. Their cabin was so cold that their bread froze. Still they endured.

·         She … suffered from chronic health problems. Treatment for a disease early in her life caused severe damage to her digestive system. She could eat only broth and soft foods for nearly 30 years. This left her weak and frequently ill.

·         She … stood up to injustice. As a woman and a leader in the church, she endured bullying, even excommunication. She met all with grace, determination, strong leadership and compassion. And she didn’t back down. She also addressed social injustices in her day.

·         She … was a strong woman leader. Within a year of arriving in Indiana, she established the Academy, now known as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. She inspired women to follow her and founded the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, a group of vowed women who still today live out her legacy to create a more just and hope-filled world.

·         She … experienced prejudice. Many people weren’t accepting of Catholics in the 1840s, especially Catholic women who tried to do business in a “man’s world.”

·         She … knew how to turn to prayer to cope with the many challenges that confronted her. She placed complete trust in God for survival and asked for God’s support in establishing schools throughout Indiana, in leading the young Congregation and in all she did.

·         She was a teacher, a founder, a healer, a pioneer. She was a person of deep faith who led others toward God.

·         She is a very real woman. She is a role model. She is a saint.

Daily Acceptance of Death[6]

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I accept from your hands, whatever kind of death it may please you to send me today (tonight), with all its pains, penalties and sorrows, in reparation for my sins, for the souls in purgatory, for the conversion of sinners, for all those who will die today (tonight), and for your greater glory. Amen.

Pray twice daily. By Father John A. Hardon, SJ

Today is the birthday of my former wife Diane T. Havermale who succumbed to pancreatic cancer in February 2015; She is loved and remembered by her seven children: Claire, Christopher, Candace, Dara, Rachel, Nicole and Vincent. Please pray for her intentions.

 35 Promises of God[7] cont.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.”-Ps 84:11

Daily Devotions

·         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.

·         Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: An increase of the Faithful.

·         Iceman’s Total Consecration to Mary-Day 23

·         Total Consecration to St. Joseph Day 5

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Make reparations to the Holy Face

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Go to MASS



[1]https://www.shmoop.com/book-of-job/chapter-38-39-summary.html

[2]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=995

[4]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896

[6]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1108

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