Psalm 49, Verse 6-7
6
Why should I FEAR in evil days, with the iniquity of my assailants surrounding
me, 7
of those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches?
Trust in
Christ our savior and live the virtues of our Lady: humility, generosity,
chastity, patience, temperance and love of fellow man. Do not put your faith in
coin for the bankruptcy of our cultural heart is that we allow the innocent to
be killed in this nation. God cries over the sacrifices of future unborn
children for the dreams of the mother. No amount of future happiness or gain in
independence is worth the life of an innocent. Know that life is greater than
liberty and liberty is greater than wealth.
Beloved:
Teach and urge these things. Whoever teaches something different and does not agree
with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is
conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments
and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions,
and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the
truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain. Indeed, religion with
contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, just as we
shall not be able to take anything out of it. If we have food and clothing, we
shall be content with that. Those who want to be rich are falling into
temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which
plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all
evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and
have pierced themselves with many pains. But you, man of God, avoid all this.
Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called
when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. (Tm.
6:2-12)
If
we truly wish to build back better; we ourselves must grow in holiness and then in turn our families will build holy
communities and holy communities will build a Holy Nation.
NOVENA TO THE
HOLY FACE
DAILY
PREPARATORY PRAYER
O Most Holy and Blessed
Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced through
by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we ask your
help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with all His
sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the
Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most
Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. Amen.
Fourth
Day
Psalm 51, 8-9.
Indeed, you love truth in the heart; then in the secret of my heart teach me
Wisdom. O purify me, then I shall be clean; O wash me, I shall be whiter than
snow.
O Lord Jesus, who has
said, learn of me for I am meek and gentle of heart, and who did manifest upon
Thy Holy Face the sentiments of Thy divine heart, grant that we may love to
come frequently and meditate upon Thy divine features. We may read there
Thy gentleness and Thy humility and learn how to form our hearts in the
practice of these two virtues which Thou desires to see shine in Thy servants.
Mary our Mother and Saint Joseph help us.
Through the merits of Thy
precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, Pardon and
Mercy.
Prayer in Honor of the
Dolors of the Blessed Virgin
O Most Holy and afflicted
Virgin, Queen of Martyrs! Who stood beneath the cross, witnessing the agony of
your dying Son, look down with a mother’s tenderness and pity on us as we kneel
before you to venerate your Dolors, and place our requests, with filial
confidence, in the sanctuary of your wounded heart. Present them on our behalf
to Jesus, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together
with your sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united efficacy
of both, obtain the favor which we humbly ask. To whom shall we go in our wants
and miseries if not to you. O Mother of Mercy, who having so deeply drunk of
the chalice of your Son, graciously alleviate the sufferings of those who still
sigh in this land of exile. Amen.
Prayer to the Souls in
Purgatory
My Jesus, by the sorrows
you suffered in your agony in the garden, in your scourging and crowning with
thorns, in the way to Calvary, in your crucifixion and death, have mercy on the
souls in Purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken. Deliver
them from the dire torments they endure. Call them and admit them to your most
sweet embrace in Paradise. Amen.
Pray one (1) Our Father,
(3) Hail Mary’s, (1) Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)
Lent begins next Wednesday[1]
During Lent, we are asked
to devote ourselves to seeking the Lord in prayer and reading Scripture, to
service by giving alms, and to sacrifice self-control
through fasting. Many know of the tradition of
abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice
self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Contemplate the
meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms
is one way to share God's gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but
through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us:
"Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and
deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).
Lent is a favorable season for opening the doors to all
those in need and recognizing in them the face of Christ."-- Pope Francis
In Lent, the baptized are
called to renew their baptismal commitment as others prepare to be baptized
through the Rite of Christian Initiation of
Adults, a period
of learning and discernment for individuals who have declared their desire to
become Catholics.
The key to fruitful
observance of these practices is to recognize their link to baptismal renewal.
We are called not just to abstain from sin during Lent, but to true conversion
of our hearts and minds as followers of Christ. We recall those waters in which
we were baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life
in Christ.
Preparing for Battle[2]
Know Your Armor
Prayer and fasting,
worship and adoration, Scripture and sacraments and sacramentals all provide
the weapons of our spiritual warfare. With them we go on the offensive against
the Evil One. But the virtues provide our defensive armor. St. Paul sums it up:
“Put on, therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of mercy,
kindness, humility, meekness, patience. Bear with one another, if anyone has a
grievance against any other; even as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive. But above all these things
have charity, which is the bond of perfection” (Col 3: 12– 14). Only with such
armor will we be fully covered and protected from the Evil One’s attacks.
·
The Shield of Faith. St. Paul reminds us that faith must be firmly grasped and held up as a
barrier between ourselves and the Enemy.
·
The Helmet of Hope. It is essential for protecting
the mind. If we have no hope of winning why fight? We must never take off the helmet of hope or we will be overcome
before we start.
·
The Breastplate of Love. The breastplate protects our
heart-keeping it for God alone. Love Him with all your heart, soul, and mind;
and be rightly related to others is to love them as we love ourselves (see Mt
22: 36– 40).
·
Cincture of Truth. Being truthful with God, yourself,
and others is a spiritual form of ballistic groin protection. Nothing can hurt
like the truth. We must not let the
intimate parts of our inner selves be led astray by blinding passion, and the
Devil’s enticement. We must seek the
truth and live the truth. We must not
seek to gratify the desires of the flesh, but instead we must “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” imitating the virtues
displayed in His character.
·
Feet shod in Peace. Wherever we go, we must be prepared to bring the good news
of salvation, of peace with God, to all we may encounter. The Devil will try to
turn us back. He’ll scatter across our path, like so many rocks and thorns, a
wagonload of doubts, accusations of our inadequacy, and fear of conflict and rejection. But if we’ve put on the “boots” of
readiness— if we’ve prepared ourselves, through faithful study and prayer, to
share the gospel— then we’ll walk safely over these obstacles, crushing them as
we go.
·
The Mantle of Humility. Humility is the essential virtue
that provides the soil in which all the other virtues grow. Humility keeps us
from dangerous “high places” where the Enemy could tempt us to pride and
vainglory.
Every Wednesday is
Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
· Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
II. Transmit the faith: catechesis
5 "Catechesis is an education in the faith of children, youth and adults, which especially includes a teaching of Christian doctrine, generally given in an organic and systematic way with a view to initiating them in the fullness of Christian life" ( CT 18).
Daily Devotions
·
Pray Day 4 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
54 Day Rosary for
Priest’s and Religious Day 4
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 8
·
Manhood of
the Master-week 1 day 4
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
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