DAY 26 - MARY, SINGULAR VESSEL OF DEVOTION, PRAY THAT WE RECEIVE THE FRUIT OF CONTINENCE!
GOD’S WORD
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” (Proverbs 25:28)
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27)
HEROES’ WORDS
“He who is chaste in flesh should not be proud, for he should know that he owes the gift of continence to another.” -Pope St. Clement I
“I thought that continence was a matter of our own strength, and I knew that I had not the strength: for in my utter foolishness I did not know the word of your Scripture that none can be continent unless you give it.” -St. Augustine
“Great are those two gifts, wisdom and continence: wisdom, forsooth, whereby we are formed in the knowledge of God; continence whereby we are not conformed to this world.” -St. Augustine
MEDITATION
Fruit of Self-Control (or Continence): The virtue by which a person controls the unruly movements of sexual desire or other bodily emotions. It is connected with the virtue of temperance. It generally means the chastity to be observed by the unmarried. But it may also refer to the abstinence, in marriage, voluntarily agreed upon by both parties or forced by circumstances to abstain from marital intercourse. (Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary)
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: May our Church and our country find hope as we unite at the foot of the cross. (Please add your own petitions to this powerful novena)
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
You can join the United State Grace Force Facebook group HERE, to receive the reflections each day.
Spanish language Novena prayers and reflections are available at https://rosarycoasttocoast.
Those who would like to pray with others via The Telephone Rosary, call 1-951-799-9866 daily at 6 pm Eastern.
Enroll in the worldwide Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary! Click here: https://championshrine.
You are welcomed to join Fr. Richard Heilman as he prays the rosary "over our country" at sunrise from a lookout tower atop Blue Mounds State Park:
SELICHOT
Over
Jerusalem I placed Hanani, my brother, and Hananiah, the commander of the
citadel, who was more trustworthy and GOD-FEARING than most.
If
you want the job done right always select a God-fearing
person for the job.
Selichot[1]
Selichot
(Hebrew: סליחות)
means 'sorry/forgiveness prayers'. Selichot are recited from the Sunday
before the Jewish New Year until the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Selichot are aimed for both the individual and communities to atone their
sins between man and God. They are intended for Jews to reflect on their
actions of the past year and to refrain from committing the same sins in the
next New Year.
Selichot
Facts
· For many Orthodox Jews, Selichot
prayers are added to the daily cycle of religious services. Selichot are
recited before normal daily shacharit (morning prayers) service. They add
about 45 minutes to the regular daily service in a typical service.
· A fundamental part of selichot
service is the repeated recitation of the Thirteen Attributes, a list of God's
thirteen attributes of mercy that were revealed to Moses after the sin of the
golden calf (Ex 34:6-7): Ha-shem [1], Ha-shem [2], God [3], merciful [4], and
gracious [5], long-suffering [6], abundant in goodness [7] and truth [8],
keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation [9], forgiving iniquity [10] and
transgression [11] and sin [12], who cleanses [13].
· This is the season to begin the
process of asking forgiveness for wrongs done to other people. According
to Jewish tradition, God cannot forgive us for sins committed against another
person until we have first obtained forgiveness from the person we have
wronged.
· Many of the Selichot prayers are in
the form of a main Selichah (forgiveness) prayer and a Pizmon (chorus), which
is repeated after each changing Selichah prayer. Some of these Selichot have
cantorial music for the Selichah and a repeating tune for the chorus.
Selichot
Top Events and Things to Do
· Consider your position in life and
ask God for forgiveness. Use this time to reset your daily habits and think how
to change them to the better.
· Use this period of time to forgive
others and as well as ask others for forgiveness. This is often most difficult
to do between life partners, parents and children.
· Many people visit cemeteries at
this time, because the awe-inspiring nature of this time makes us reflect on
our own life, death, and mortality. Consider visiting the graves of your
ancestors, soldiers, or anyone who may have made a positive impact on society.
· Attend to a Selichot prayer
ceremony or watch one on YouTube. A popular Selichot rendition is by Yitzchak Meir Helfgot.
Preaching God's Forgiveness[2]
Much has been written about the great challenges the Church
faces in contemporary culture. The great modern "isms" confront us
daily—relativism, individualism, and consumerism, to name a few.
·
″Relativism holds that absolute truth and
enduring values are illusory.
·
″Individualism gives "strong
emphasis [to] the individual and individual choice, which often eclipses the
sense of community or of the common good."
·
″Consumerism puts "focus on material
satisfaction to the detriment of spiritual values".
Given this cultural climate, it is hardly surprising that
there is a lack of a sense of sin and a dropping rate of participation in
Church life. In fact, the heart of every person in Christ must be about the
heart of Jesus Christ, and the central mystery of his life, the Paschal
Mystery: "The person and mission of Jesus, culminated in his Death and
Resurrection, this is ultimately the central content of all the
Scriptures". People of God can understand their own lives properly and be
able to see their own experience in the light of the Death and Resurrection of
Jesus". In a culture often dominated by relativism, individualism, and
consumerism, the proclamation of the salvation of Christ is truly Good News. It
allows people to see there is another way; it paves the way for conversion; it
brings hope. God can open up a space in the human heart, a space that he alone
can fill. Christ is about calling persons back to fruitful participation in the
Sacrament of Penance, especially if it has been years since their last
confession.
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN
MYSTERY
SECTION ONE-THE
SACRAMENTAL ECONOMY
CHAPTER TWO-THE SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION OF
THE PASCHAL MYSTERY
Article 1-CELEBRATING THE CHURCH'S LITURGY
I. How is the Liturgy
Celebrated?
Signs and symbols
1145 A sacramental celebration is
woven from signs and symbols. In keeping with the divine pedagogy of salvation,
their meaning is rooted in the work of creation and in human culture, specified
by the events of the Old Covenant and fully revealed in the person and work of
Christ.
1146 Signs of the human world. In
human life, signs and symbols occupy an important place. As a being at once
body and spirit, man expresses and perceives spiritual realities through
physical signs and symbols. As a social being, man needs signs and symbols to
communicate with others, through language, gestures, and actions. the same
holds true for his relationship with God.
1147 God speaks to man through the
visible creation. the material cosmos is so presented to man's intelligence
that he can read there traces of its Creator. Light and darkness, wind and
fire, water and earth, the tree and its fruit speak of God and symbolize both
his greatness and his nearness.
1148 Inasmuch as they are
creatures, these perceptible realities can become means of expressing the
action of God who sanctifies men, and the action of men who offer worship to
God. the same is true of signs and symbols taken from the social life of man:
washing and anointing, breaking bread and sharing the cup can express the
sanctifying presence of God and man's gratitude toward his Creator.
1149 The great religions of mankind
witness, often impressively, to this cosmic and symbolic meaning of religious
rites. the liturgy of the Church presupposes, integrates and sanctifies
elements from creation and human culture, conferring on them the dignity of
signs of grace, of the new creation in Jesus Christ.
1150 Signs of the covenant. the
Chosen People received from God distinctive signs and symbols that marked its
liturgical life. These are no longer solely celebrations of cosmic cycles and
social gestures, but signs of the covenant, symbols of God's mighty deeds for
his people. Among these liturgical signs from the Old Covenant are
circumcision, anointing and consecration of kings and priests, laying on of
hands, sacrifices, and above all the Passover. The Church sees in these signs a
prefiguring of the sacraments of the New Covenant.
1151 Signs taken up by Christ. In
his preaching the Lord Jesus often makes use of the signs of creation to make
known the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. He performs healings and
illustrates his preaching with physical signs or symbolic gestures. He
gives new meaning to the deeds and signs of the Old Covenant, above all to the
Exodus and the Passover, for he himself is the meaning of all these signs.
1152 Sacramental signs. Since
Pentecost, it is through the sacramental signs of his Church that the Holy
Spirit carries on the work of sanctification. The sacraments of the Church do
not abolish but purify and integrate all the richness of the signs and symbols
of the cosmos and of social life. Further, they fulfill the types and figures
of the Old Covenant, signify and make actively present the salvation wrought by
Christ, and prefigure and anticipate the glory of heaven. Words and actions
1153 A sacramental celebration is a
meeting of God's children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit;
this meeting takes the form of a dialogue, through actions and words.
Admittedly, the symbolic actions are already a language, but the Word of God
and the response of faith have to accompany and give life to them, so that the
seed of the Kingdom can bear its fruit in good soil. the liturgical actions
signify what the Word of God expresses: both his free initiative and his
people's response of faith.
1154 The liturgy of the Word is an
integral part of sacramental celebrations. To nourish the faith of believers,
the signs which accompany the Word of God should be emphasized: the book of the
Word (a lectionary or a book of the Gospels), its veneration (procession,
incense, candles), the place of its proclamation (lectern or ambo), its audible
and intelligible reading, the minister's homily which extends its proclamation,
and the responses of the assembly (acclamations, meditation psalms, litanies,
and profession of faith).
1155 The liturgical word and action
are inseparable both insofar as they are signs and instruction and insofar as
they accomplish what they signify. When the Holy Spirit awakens faith, he not
only gives an understanding of the Word of God, but through the sacraments also
makes present the "wonders" of God which it proclaims. The Spirit
makes present and communicates the Father's work, fulfilled by the beloved Son.
Singing and music
1156 "The musical tradition of
the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that
of any other art. the main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a
combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of
solemn liturgy." The composition and singing of inspired psalms,
often accompanied by musical instruments, were already closely linked to the
liturgical celebrations of the Old Covenant. The Church continues and develops
this tradition: "Address . . . one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your
heart." "He who sings prays twice."
1157 Song and music fulfill their
function as signs in a manner all the more significant when they are "more
closely connected . . . with the liturgical action," according to
three principal criteria: beauty expressive of prayer, the unanimous
participation of the assembly at the designated moments, and the solemn
character of the celebration. In this way they participate in the purpose of
the liturgical words and actions: the glory of God and the sanctification of
the faithful:
How I wept, deeply moved by your
hymns, songs, and the voices that echoed through your Church! What emotion I
experienced in them! Those sounds flowed into my ears distilling the truth in
my heart. A feeling of devotion surged within me, and tears streamed down my
face - tears that did me good.
1158 The harmony of signs (song,
music, words, and actions) is all the more expressive and fruitful when
expressed in the cultural richness of the People of God who celebrate. Hence
"religious singing by the faithful is to be intelligently fostered so that
in devotions and sacred exercises as well as in liturgical services," in
conformity with the Church's norms, "the voices of the faithful may be
heard." But "the texts intended to be sung must always be in
conformity with Catholic doctrine. Indeed they should be drawn chiefly from the
Sacred Scripture and from liturgical sources."
Holy images
1159 The sacred image, the
liturgical icon, principally represents Christ. It cannot represent the
invisible and incomprehensible God, but the incarnation of the Son of God has
ushered in a new "economy" of images:
Previously God, who has neither a
body nor a face, absolutely could not be represented by an image. But now that
he has made himself visible in the flesh and has lived with men, I can make an
image of what I have seen of God . . . and contemplate the glory of the Lord,
his face unveiled.
1160 Christian iconography
expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates by
words. Image and word illuminate each other:
We declare that we preserve intact
all the written and unwritten traditions of the Church which have been
entrusted to us. One of these traditions consists in the production of
representational artwork, which accords with the history of the preaching of the
Gospel. For it confirms that the incarnation of the Word of God was real and
not imaginary, and to our benefit as well, for realities that illustrate each
other undoubtedly reflect each other's meaning.
1161 All the signs in the
liturgical celebrations are related to Christ: as are sacred images of the holy
Mother of God and of the saints as well. They truly signify Christ, who is
glorified in them. They make manifest the "cloud of witnesses" who
continue to participate in the salvation of the world and to whom we are
united, above all in sacramental celebrations. Through their icons, it is man
"in the image of God," finally transfigured "into his
likeness," who is revealed to our faith. So too are the angels, who
also are recapitulated in Christ:
Following the divinely inspired
teaching of our holy Fathers and the tradition of the Catholic Church (for we
know that this tradition comes from the Holy Spirit who dwells in her) we
rightly define with full certainty and correctness that, like the figure of the
precious and life-giving cross, venerable and holy images of our Lord and God
and Savior, Jesus Christ, our inviolate Lady, the holy Mother of God, and the
venerated angels, all the saints and the just, whether painted or made of
mosaic or another suitable material, are to be exhibited in the holy churches
of God, on sacred vessels and vestments, walls and panels, in houses and on
streets.
1162 "The beauty of the images
moves me to contemplation, as a meadow delights the eyes and subtly infuses the
soul with the glory of God." Similarly, the contemplation of sacred
icons, united with meditation on the Word of God and the singing of liturgical
hymns, enters into the harmony of the signs of celebration so that the mystery
celebrated is imprinted in the heart's memory and is then expressed in the new
life of the faithful.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Purity
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Rosary
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