Feast of Mary Queen of Apostles[1]
The feast of the Queen of Apostles was established on the
first Saturday after the Ascension by the Sacred Congregation of Rites at the
request of the Pallottine Fathers. Mary initiated her mission as Queen of
Apostles in the Cenacle. She gathered the apostles together, comforted them,
and assisted them in prayer. Together with them she hoped, desired and prayed;
with them her petitions were heeded, and she received the Holy Spirit on the
day of Pentecost.
Mary is Queen of Apostles because she was chosen to be the
Mother of Jesus Christ and to give him to the world; she was made the apostles'
Mother and our own by our Savior on the cross. She was with the apostles while
awaiting the descent of the Holy Spirit, obtaining for them the abundance of
supernatural graces they received on Pentecost. The most holy Virgin was and
always will be the wellspring for every apostolate.
·
She exercised a universal apostolate, one so
vast that it embraced all others. The apostolate of prayer, the apostolate of
good example, the apostolate of suffering--Mary fulfilled them all. Other
people have practiced certain teachings of the Gospel; Mary lived them all.
Mary is full of grace, and we draw from her abundance.
·
Mary attracts the zealous to the various
apostolates, then protects and defends all these works. She sheds on each the
warmth of her love and the light of her countenance. She presented Jesus in a
manner unparalleled throughout the ages. Her apostolate is of the highest
degree--never to be equaled, much less surpassed.
·
Mary gave Jesus to the world and with Jesus came
every other blessing. Thus, because of Mary we have the Church: "Mary is the
Mother of the Church not only because she is the Mother of Christ and his most
intimate associate in 'the new economy when the Son of God took a human nature
from her, that he might in the mysteries of his flesh free man from sin,' but
also because 'she shines forth to the whole community of the elect as a model
of the virtues' (Lumen Gentium. 55, 65).
·
She now continues to fulfill from heaven her
maternal function as the cooperator in the birth and development of the divine
life in the individual souls of the redeemed" (The Great Sign, by Paul
VI). What do we have of value that we have not received through Mary? It is
God's will that every blessing should come to us through her.
·
Because the Blessed Mother occupies a most
important position in God's plan of salvation, all humanity should pay homage
to her. Whoever spreads devotion to the Queen of Apostles is an apostolic
benefactor of the human race, because devotion to Mary is a treasure. Blessed
is the person who possesses this treasure! Mary's devotees will never be
without grace; in any danger, in every circumstance they will always have the
means to obtain every grace from God.
Mary - Mother of Christ, Mother of
the Church[2]
963 Since the Virgin Mary's role
in the mystery of Christ and the Spirit has been treated, it is fitting now to
consider her place in the mystery of the Church. "The Virgin
Mary. . . is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of
God and of the redeemer. . . . She is 'clearly the mother of the
members of Christ’. . . since she has by her charity joined in
bringing about the birth of believers in the Church, who are members of its
head.""Mary, Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church."
Mary's
Motherhood with Regard to the Church
Wholly
united with her Son. . .
964 Mary's role in the Church is
inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. "This
union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from
the time of Christ's virginal conception up to his death";504 it is
made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion:
Thus,
the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully
persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in
keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity
of his suffering, joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart, and
lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given,
by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with
these words: "Woman, behold your son."
965 After her Son's Ascension,
Mary "aided the beginnings of the Church by her prayers." In her
association with the apostles and several women, "we also see Mary by her
prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in
the Annunciation."
966 "Finally the Immaculate
Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her
earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and
exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more
fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and
death." The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular
participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection
of other Christians:
In
giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the
world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived
the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death.
. . .
She is our Mother in the order of grace
967 By her complete adherence to
the Father's will, to his Son's redemptive work, and to every prompting of the
Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church's model of faith and charity. Thus
she is a "preeminent and.. . Wholly unique member of the
Church"; indeed, she is the "exemplary realization" of the
Church.
968 Her role in relation to the
Church and to all humanity goes still further. "In a wholly singular way
she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the
Savior's work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason, she is
a mother to us in the order of grace."
969 "This motherhood of Mary
in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she
loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering
beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to
heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold
intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation.
. . . Therefore, the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under
the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix."
970 "Mary's function as
mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ,
but rather shows its power. But the Blessed Virgin's salutary influence on men
. . . flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ,
rests on his mediation, depends entirely on it, and draws all its power from
it." "No creature could ever be counted along with the Incarnate
Word and Redeemer; but just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various
ways both by his ministers and the faithful, and as the one goodness of God is
radiated in different ways among his creatures, so also the unique mediation of
the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation
which is but a sharing in this one source."
Devotion
to the Blessed Virgin
971 "All generations will
call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is
intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the
Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin
has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the
faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special
devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given
to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and
greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to
the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of
the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Mary
- Eschatological Icon of the Church
972 After speaking of the Church,
her origin, mission, and destiny, we can find no better way to conclude than by
looking to Mary. In her we contemplate what the Church already is in her
mystery on her own "pilgrimage of faith," and what she will be in the
homeland at the end of her journey. There, "in the glory of the Most Holy
and Undivided Trinity," "in the communion of all the saints," the
Church is awaited by the one she venerates as Mother of her Lord and as her own
mother.
In
the meantime, the Mother of Jesus, in the glory which she possesses in body and
soul in heaven, is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be
perfected in the world to come. Likewise she shines forth on earth until the
day of the Lord shall come, a sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim
People of God.
973 By pronouncing her
"fiat" at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation,
Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish.
She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body.
974 The Most Blessed Virgin Mary,
when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul
into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son's
Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his Body.
975 "We believe that the Holy
Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to
exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ" (Paul
VI, CPG § 15).
Saturday in the Octave of Ascension
SAINT
BERNARD
Daniel,
Chapter 10, Verse 7
What
have you to fear with God at your back? We as the heirs of God’s promises to
the Hebrews must have the courage to support and defend Israel at each
threshold of change that God brings about. Yes, there will be suffering and we
must be up to the challenge; to carry our cross, as God wills it. The Lord is
patient and kind yet He is also just. He will right the evil of man. When man
goes too far God intervenes. Is another intervention coming? Is there a breach
in the lines of defense against the forces of darkness? Have we become fat and
gross and gorged with secularism? Have we forsaken the God who made us and
scorned Him? Have we sacrificed to demons, to “no-gods,”?
Good men heed the
message and seek the Divine Mercy of God while there is still time and then
join the battle of God coming into the breach. Read the online message of the
Bishop of Phoenix and be prepared to fight and defend our church.[1]
Apostolic
Exhortation[2]
Veneremur
Cernui – Down in Adoration Falling
of The Most
Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix,
to Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix
on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
My
beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Part II
I. The Graces of Holy Communion
i. Holy Communion changes and
transforms us into “Alter Christus”
33. The Eucharistic presence of
Jesus is not only to be with us, but also to be our strength and nourishment.
Jesus does this by choosing the elements of nature – bread and wine – the food
and drink that man must consume to maintain his life. The Eucharist is
precisely this food and drink for they contain in themselves all the power of
the Redemption wrought by Christ. The Eucharist is the only nourishment that
brings us true, lasting happiness and leads us to eternal life. It is capable
of transforming man’s life and open before him the way to eternal life. How is
this possible?
34. While going through a
period of conversion, one day Saint Augustine was granted a vision in which a
voice said to him: “I am the food of the mature: grow, then, and you shall
eat me. You will not change me into yourself like bodily food; but you will be
changed into me” (Confessions, VII, 10, 18). There is a popular saying that
goes, “You are what you eat.” How true this is when we apply this to the
Eucharist. Ordinary food is absorbed by us and becomes a part of our bodies.
But when we receive the Eucharist, it absorbs us; a Christian becomes truly
what he eats; he is transformed into Christ. Centuries ago, Saint Leo the Great
wrote: “Our partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ tends only to make us
become what we eat”.
35. The Fathers of the Church
took the example of physical food to explain this mystery. We know that the
stronger form of life normally assimilates the weaker and not vice versa. The
vegetative world assimilates the minerals, and the animals assimilate the
vegetables, and the spiritual assimilates the material. When we receive the
Body of Christ, we do not change Christ into our own substance. Instead, we are
changed into Christ Himself. The normal food that we eat is not a living thing
and therefore cannot give us life. It is a source of life only because it
sustains the life we have. Instead, the Bread of Life, that is Jesus, is the
living Bread and those who receive it, live by it. So, while the normal food
that nourishes the body is assimilated by the body and becomes a part of it,
the complete opposite takes place with the Bread of Life.
Devotions for Holy Communion[3]
PRAYER BEFORE COMMUNION.
O
compassionate Lord Jesus Christ, I, a sinner, nothing presuming on my own
merits, but trusting in Thy mercy and goodness, draw near with awe and
trembling to the table of Thy sweetest banquet. For my heart and my body are
stained with many sins, my mind and my tongue have not been kept with fitting
diligence and circumspection. "Wherefore, O compassion ate Godhead, O
dread and awful Majesty, I, Thy wretched creature, who am fallen into a great
strait, betake myself to Thee, the Fountain of mercy; to Thee I hasten that I
may be healed; beneath Thy protection I make my refuge; I long to have Thee for
my Savior, before Whom I can in no wise stand as my Judge. To Thee, O Lord, I
now show my wounds; before Thee I lay bare all this my shame. I know my sins,
so many and so great, by reason of which I am afraid. I hope in Thy mercies,
which are past numbering. Look on me with the eyes of Thy mercy, O Lord Jesus
Christ, everlasting King, God and man, Who wast crucified for man. Graciously
hear me who hope in Thee; have mercy on me who am full of miseries and of sins,
O Thou full and over-flowing Fountain of pity and of mercy. Hail, Thou saving Victim,
offered for me and all mankind upon the tree of the cross. Hail, thou noble and
precious blood, which dost ever flow forth from the wounds of my crucified Lord
Jesus Christ, and wash away the sins of the whole world. Remember Thy creature,
O Lord, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thine own blood. I grieve that I have
sinned; I do earnestly desire to amend what I have done amiss. Wherefore, O
most merciful Father, take away from me all my iniquities and my sins, that,
being cleansed in soul and in body, I may worthily receive the holy food of the
holy ; and grant that the sacred taste of Thy body and blood, which I unworthy
am about to receive, may be to me the remission of my sins, the perfect
expiation and cleansing of all my faults, and the putting to flight of evil
thoughts, the quickening and renewal of all good feelings, the healthful energy
of all good works, the most assured protection of my body and soul from all the
snares of my enemies. Amen.
St. Bernard of Montjoux-Patron of Mountaineers[4]
Historically
today is the feast of St. Bernard of Montjoux, an Italian churchman, founder of
the Alpine hospices of Saint Bernard. He is most famous for the hospices he
built on the summits of passes over the Alps. Many pilgrims from France and
Germany would travel over the Alps on their way to Rome, but it was always a
possibility that one would die from freezing along the way. In the 9th century
a system of hospices had been attempted but had lapsed long before Bernard's
time. Bernard's hospices in the 11th century were placed under the care of
clerics and laymen and were well equipped for the reception of all travelers. A
now-famous breed of dogs, known for its endurance in high altitude and cold,
was named in honor of this saint. Bernard's life has been the focus of many
romantic plays and stories. Many of us may remember childhood stories of St. Bernard’s
dogs coming to the rescue of stranded or injured victims on Alpine slopes. The
dogs almost always seem to have a cask of Brandy attached to their collars and
when the victims were revived by a good drink the dogs would lead them to
safety.
Things
to Do
·
Read
History of the Grand St Bernard pass for background.
·
If
you like dogs, you might find this history of the Saint Bernard Dog interesting.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART
ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
SECTION
TWO I. THE CREEDS
CHAPTER
THREE-I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
ARTICLE 8-"I BELIEVE IN
THE HOLY SPIRIT"
IV. The Spirit of Christ in the Fullness of Time
John, precursor, prophet, and Baptist
717 "There was a
man sent from God, whose name was John." John was "filled with
the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb" by Christ himself, whom
the Virgin Mary had just conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary's visitation to Elizabeth
thus became a visit from God to his people.
718 John is
"Elijah (who) must come." The fire of the Spirit dwells in him
and makes him the forerunner of the coming Lord. In John, the precursor, the
Holy Spirit completes the work of "[making] ready a people prepared for
the Lord."
719 John the Baptist
is "more than a prophet." In him, the Holy Spirit concludes his
speaking through the prophets. John completes the cycle of prophets begun by
Elijah. He proclaims the imminence of the consolation of Israel; he is the
"voice" of the Consoler who is coming. As the Spirit of truth
will also do, John "came to bear witness to the light." In
John's sight, the Spirit thus brings to completion the careful search of the
prophets and fulfills the longing of the angels. "He on whom you see
the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
and I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.... Behold,
the Lamb of God."
720 Finally, with John
the Baptist, the Holy Spirit begins the restoration to man of "the divine
likeness," prefiguring what he would achieve with and in Christ. John's
baptism was for repentance; baptism in water and the Spirit will be a new
birth.
"Rejoice, you who are full of
grace"
721 Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the
masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time.
For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared
her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could
dwell among men. In this sense the Church's Tradition has often read the most
beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and
represented in the liturgy as the "Seat of Wisdom." In her, the
"wonders of God" that the Spirit was to fulfill in Christ and the Church
began to be manifested:
722 The Holy Spirit
prepared Mary by his grace. It was fitting that the mother of him in whom
"the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily" should herself be
"full of grace." She was, by sheer grace, conceived without sin as
the most humble of creatures, the most capable of welcoming the inexpressible
gift of the Almighty. It was quite correct for the angel Gabriel to greet her
as the "Daughter of Zion": "Rejoice." It is the
thanksgiving of the whole People of God, and thus of the Church, which Mary in
her canticle lifts up to the Father in the Holy Spirit while carrying
within her the eternal Son.
723 In Mary, the Holy
Spirit fulfills the plan of the Father's loving goodness. With and through the
Holy Spirit, the Virgin conceives and gives birth to the Son of God. By the
Holy Spirit's power and her faith, her virginity became uniquely fruitful.
724 In Mary, the Holy
Spirit manifests the Son of the Father, now become the Son of the Virgin. She
is the burning bush of the definitive theophany. Filled with the Holy Spirit
she makes the Word visible in the humility of his flesh. It is to the poor and
the first representatives of the gentiles that she makes him known.
725 Finally, through
Mary, the Holy Spirit begins to bring men, the objects of God's merciful
love, into communion with Christ. and the humble are always the first to
accept him: shepherds, magi, Simeon and Anna, the bride and groom at Cana, and
the first disciples.
726 At the end of this
mission of the Spirit, Mary became the Woman, the new Eve ("mother of the
living"), the mother of the "whole Christ." As such, she
was present with the Twelve, who "with one accord devoted themselves to
prayer," at the dawn of the "end time" which the Spirit was
to inaugurate on the morning of Pentecost with the manifestation of the Church.
Christ Jesus
727 The entire mission
of the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the fullness of time, is contained in this:
that the Son is the one anointed by the Father's Spirit since his Incarnation -
Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.
Everything in the second chapter of the Creed is to be read
in this light. Christ's whole work is in fact a joint mission of the Son and
the Holy Spirit. Here, we shall mention only what has to do with Jesus' promise
of the Holy Spirit and the gift of him by the glorified Lord.
728 Jesus does not
reveal the Holy Spirit fully, until he himself has been glorified through his
Death and Resurrection. Nevertheless, little by little he alludes to him even
in his teaching of the multitudes, as when he reveals that his own flesh will
be food for the life of the world. He also alludes to the Spirit in
speaking to Nicodemus, to the Samaritan woman, and to those who take
part in the feast of Tabernacles. To his disciples he speaks openly of the
Spirit in connection with prayer and with the witness they will have to
bear.
729 Only when the hour
has arrived for his glorification does Jesus promise the coming of the Holy
Spirit, since his Death and Resurrection will fulfill the promise made to the
fathers. The Spirit of truth, the other Paraclete, will be given by the
Father in answer to Jesus' prayer; he will be sent by the Father in Jesus'
name; and Jesus will send him from the Father's side, since he comes from the
Father. the Holy Spirit will come and we shall know him; he will be with us
forever; he will remain with us. the Spirit will teach us everything, remind us
of all that Christ said to us and bear witness to him. the Holy Spirit will
lead us into all truth and will glorify Christ. He will prove the world wrong
about sin, righteousness, and judgment.
730 At last Jesus'
hour arrives: he commends his spirit into the Father's hands at the
very moment when by his death he conquers death, so that, "raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father," he might immediately give the Holy
Spirit by "breathing" on his disciples. From this hour onward,
the mission of Christ and the Spirit becomes the mission of the Church:
"As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."
Memorial Day Build Up
Every day from now to Memorial Day I
ask your prayers for each service and all of our defenders to include police
and fire on Memorial Day.
The U.S. Space Force (USSF) is a new
branch of the Armed Forces. It was established on December 20, 2019 with
enactment of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act and will
be stood-up over the next 18 months. The USSF was established within the
Department of the Air Force, meaning the Secretary of the Air
Force has overall responsibility for the USSF, under the guidance
and direction of the Secretary of Defense. Additionally, a four-star general
known as the Chief of Space
Operations (CSO) serves as the senior military
member of the USSF. The CSO is a full member of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
Mission
The USSF is a military service that
organizes, trains, and equips space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied
interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force. USSF
responsibilities include developing military space professionals, acquiring
military space systems, maturing the military doctrine for space power, and
organizing space forces to present to our Combatant Commands.
Space
Capabilities
The new, independent U.S. Space
Force will maintain and enhance the competitive edge in space while adapting to
new strategic challenges. Spacelift operations at the East and West Coast
launch bases provide services, facilities and range safety control for the
conduct of NASA and commercial space launches. Through the command and control
of all defense satellites, satellite operators provide force-multiplying
effects – continuous global coverage, low vulnerability and autonomous
operations. Satellites provide essential in-theater secure communications,
weather and navigational data for ground, air and fleet operations and threat
warning. Ground-based and space-based systems monitor ballistic missile
launches around the world to guard against a surprise missile attack on North
America. A global network of space surveillance sensors provides vital
information on the location of satellites and space debris for the nation and
the world. Maintaining space superiority is an emerging capability required to
protect U.S. space assets from hostile attacks.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Binding
and suppressing the Devils Evil Works
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Total
Consecration to Mary Day 31
·
Rosary
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