Wednesday, September 20, 2023
DAY 37 - MARY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS, PRAY FOR US
Join us for Rosary Coast to Coast!
In the Battle of Lepanto, the Turks believed Christianity had become so weak, it was time to move in and "deal the last blow." Outnumbered, Pope St. Pius V called upon the world to pray the rosary. Miraculously, victory was won on October 7, 1571, which brought the Feast of Our Lady of Victory.
Here we are again, my brothers and sisters. The enemy appears to be attempting to "deal the last blow." There is no doubt we are living in diabolically influenced times. This, while Godless leaders and influencers in our nation have usurped the phrase, “This is a battle for the soul of America,” as their evil abominations unto God easily become a “new normal” in the lives of our loved ones?! Those who choose to stand in the “Spirit of Truth” are mocked, persecuted, abandoned and put out?! The time is now to do the "Lepanto thing!"
PLEASE join us for Rosary Coast to Coast on the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, October 7, 2023 at 3:00pm CST to pray the Glorious Mysteries as a nation. It simply means to gather with a group of 2 or more outside (if possible) as we call upon the powerful intercession of Our Lady to Heal Our Land!!
Go to RosaryCoasttoCoast.com to find more information and register your group.
Let’s … UNITE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS!!
SET THE WORLD ABLAZE
The word “courage” actually derives its meaning from a Latin root word “cor” which means “heart.” It means we are never more courageous than when we “have the courage of our convictions,” that is, when we live from the heart, remaining true to who we really are. Lombardi was courageous because he simply yielded to his raison d‘être, his reason for existence. St. Catherine of Siena put it this way: “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!”
Who are we, then, and what is our reason for existence? Sometimes the message escapes us in its simplicity. Jesus said, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike” (Mt 11:25). The Baltimore Catechism states who we are quite plainly: “We were made to the image and likeness of God … to know him, to love him, and to serve him in this world, and to be happy with him forever in heaven.” The spiritual master, Fr. Thomas Merton, wrote: “To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love. Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name.”
It was on the gridiron in the 1960s that Coach Vince Lombardi, fully grounded in this superior ideal, compelled his men to strive for greatness, never settling for second best. At the very same time, the Church Fathers of the Second Vatican Council were calling upon all of us to engage a spiritual heroism — the universal call to holiness — not settling for a second - or third-rate spiritual life. The challenge is to move “ALL IN” for God and his plan for our life. (Excerpt from Church Militant Field Manual).
PRAYERS FOR TRADITIONAL 54 DAY NOVENA
THE JOYFUL 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, snow white buds to remind thee of thy joys, each bud 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 snow white buds to remind thee of thy joys each bud 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 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.
FAST-Ember Wednesday
VIGIL OF ST MATTHEW-103 KOREAN
MARTYRS
Psalm 111, verse 5
5 He gives food to those who FEAR him, he remembers his covenant forever.
This is probably a
reference to the manna in the desert, which elsewhere is seen as a type of the
Eucharist. In the Gospel of John Christ states, “I have food to eat of which
you do not know.” So, the disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought
him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the
one who sent me and to finish his work. (John 4: 32-34). We like our Lord
should have the same desire to build the Kingdom of God; to create a New
Jerusalem in our home, at our work and in our communities. Our Lord asks that
we prepare ourselves for the work by eating the food he gives us which is the
new covenant. We need this food to create a change in us from the old man to
become sons of God in and through Christ which is the new covenant of His
blood. Those who love him frequent Mass and take the food He gives us through
His Priests. For this is real food
indeed. It is not food to give pleasure to the body, but it is intended
by God to give joy to the soul. According to the late Bishop Fulton Sheen,
"You can quickly become tired of pleasures, but you can never tire of
joys." Joy comes by finding God. You cannot satisfy a soul with
husks![1]
Ember
Days[2]
The profound
importance of total conversion.
Before the revision of the
Catholic Church's liturgical calendar in 1969 (coinciding with the adoption of
the Mass of Paul VI), the Church celebrated Ember Days four times each year.
They were tied to the changing of the seasons, but also to the liturgical
cycles of the Church. The spring Ember Days were the Wednesday, Friday,
and Saturday after the First Sunday of Lent; the summer Ember Days
were the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost; the
fall Ember Days were the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
after the third Sunday in September (not, as is often said, after the
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross); and the winter Ember Days were the
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the Feast of Saint Lucy (December
13).
·
The Roman Origin of Ember Days: It's common to
claim that the dates of important Christian feasts (such as Christmas) were set
to compete with or replace certain pagan festivals, even though the best
scholarship indicates otherwise. In
the case of Ember Days, however, it's true. As the Catholic Encyclopedia notes:
The Romans were originally given to agriculture, and their native gods belonged
to the same class. At the beginning of the time for seeding and harvesting
religious ceremonies were performed to implore the help of their deities: in
June for a bountiful harvest, in September for a rich vintage, and in December
for the seeding.
·
Keep the Best; Discard the Rest: The Ember Days
are a perfect example of how the Church (in the words of the Catholic
Encyclopedia) "has always tried to sanctify any practices which could be
utilized for a good purpose." The adoption of the Ember Days wasn't an
attempt to displace Roman paganism so much as it was a way to avoid disrupting
the lives of Roman converts to Christianity. The pagan practice, though
directed at false gods, was praiseworthy; all that was necessary was to
transfer the supplications to the true God of Christianity.
·
An Ancient Practice: The adoption of Ember Days
by Christians happened so early that Pope Leo the Great (440-61) considered the
Ember Days (with the exception of the one in the spring) to have been
instituted by the Apostles. By the time of Pope Gelasius II (492-96), the fourth
set of Ember Days had been instituted. Originally celebrated only by the Church
in Rome, they spread throughout the West (but not the East), starting in the
fifth century.
·
The Origin of the Word: The origin of the word
"ember" in "Ember Days" is not obvious, not even to those
who know Latin. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "Ember" is a
corruption (or we might say, a contraction) of the Latin phrase Quatuor Tempora,
which simply means "four times," since the Ember Days are celebrated
four times per year.
·
Optional Today: With the revision of the
liturgical calendar in 1969, the Vatican left the celebration of Ember Days up
to the discretion of each national conference of bishops. They're still
commonly celebrated in Europe, particularly in rural areas. In the United States,
the bishops' conference has decided not to celebrate them, but individual
Catholics can, and many traditional Catholics still do, because it's a nice way
to focus our minds on the changing of the liturgical seasons and the seasons of
the year. The Ember Days that fall during Lent and Advent are especially useful
to remind children of the reasons for those seasons.
·
Marked by Fasting and Abstinence: The Ember Days
are celebrated with fasting (no food between meals) and half-abstinence,
meaning that meat is allowed at one meal per day. (If you observe the
traditional Friday abstinence from meat, then you would observe complete
abstinence on an Ember Friday.) As always, such fasting and abstinence has a
greater purpose. As the Catholic Encyclopedia notes, through these activities,
and through prayer, we use the Ember Days to "thank God for the gifts of
nature, teach men to make use of them in moderation, and assist the
needy."
The term “Ember Days” is derived from the Latin term Quatuor Tempora, which literally means “four times.” There are four sets of Ember Days each calendar year: three days each – Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Ember Days fall at the start of a new season, and they are ordered as days of fast and abstinence. The significance of the days of the week are that Wednesday was the day Christ was betrayed, Friday was the day He was crucified, and Saturday was the day He was entombed. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the purpose of Ember Days, “besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.” [3]
Fall Ember Days[4]
Football games and pumpkin spice beverages and foods return; Autumn is upon us. Sadly, that is what the fall season means to so many people. We have lost contact the actual natural signs of the seasons of the year and turn to manmade expressions as signals for the change of seasons. But a pumpkin spice latte and football game aren’t true signals of the season change, because the specially flavored latte tends to return earlier each year, and added pre-season games blur the true end of summer and beginning of Fall. Once again, I turn to the Church’s Ember Days as an aid to looking at nature and the change of seasons and recognizing them all as a gift from God. Ember Days are a quarterly observance the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of one week of each season that “the Church is accustomed to entreat the Lord for the various needs of humanity, especially for the fruits of the earth and for human labor, and to give thanks to him publicly.” (Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 45).
In addition, the Church provides us two seasons of preparation, Advent and Lent. Both seasons are a time for change of heart and renewal. But naturally the change of seasons seems to tug and encourage us for renewal and change (spring and fall cleaning, anyone?). Although not required, the traditional fasting and abstaining of these days are an external expression of turning our hearts and focusing back to God. Practicing Ember Days is not intended to be a backward-looking movement or living in the past. Ember Days are still a part of the Church’s tradition. There is an unbroken continuum within the Church’s Liturgy. Ember Days may look a bit different than pre-Vatican II (but even before 1962 Maria von Trapp was bemoaning how they were different and disappearing in her contemporary 1955 America), but the Ember Days are still a part of the Church’s living tradition. Ember Days are part of the agrarian heritage of our Faith. The Church recognizes our dependency on God for His gifts of nature. The Liturgy has reflected this connection with nature and God. Before man become so civilized, weather, crops, farm animals and the change of seasons were a part of daily life for everyone. Not everyone lived in rural locations, but there was a recognition of that connection of the land to our life. The agrarian connection also recognized that while man could work the land, he can never control the elements.
Returning to our agricultural roots brings true humility in remembering man’s role on earth as being completely beholden to God. The gift of nature is from God, and man is not and can never be in control of it. While Liturgy always has the balance of the four forms of prayer: adoration, contrition, thanksgiving and supplication, our personal prayers tend to lean heavily on the petition form. The Ember Days were a time dedicated to continuing that petition to help us with our needs, especially with harvests, but also stressing on giving gratitude to God for His generous gifts.
The September Ember Days were one of the first Ember Days established, and they are the most prominent of the quarterly days. The Ember Days in September are outside the main liturgical seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter) and are closest to the Fall Equinox. The Church recognized the pattern of change of seasons and bringing in the harvest man needs to give thanks and renew our hearts. The public practice of Ember Days within the diocese or parish is dependent on the local Ordinary, so there are many locations that do not observe Ember Days at all. But that doesn’t mean that Ember Days can’t be observed in small ways in our domestic churches. There are prayers, food, decorations and activities that can easily be incorporated by your family. Even if no extra external activities or food are added, the Ember Days can be a simple three-day exercise of remembering to look with wonder at our gifts of nature from God, see the connections in our life, and to use this time to turn our hearts in praise and thanksgiving.
Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday after the the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross,
14 September, are known as "Michaelmas Embertide," and they come near
the beginning of Autumn (September, October, November). The Lessons focus on
the Old Covenant's Day of Atonement and the fast of the seventh month, but
start off with this prophecy from Amos 9:13-15:
Behold the days come, when the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed, and the mountains shall dop sweetness, and every hill shall be tilled. And I will bring back the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the abandoned cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine of them; and shall make gardens and eat the fruits of them; and I will plant them upon their land: and I will no more pluck them out of their land which I have given them; saith the Lord thy God.
Like all
Embertides but Whit Embertide, the Lessons end with the story of the three boys
in the fiery furnace, as told by Daniel.
The Gospel readings recount how Jesus exorcised demons from a possessed boy and
tells the disciples about fasting to cast out unclean spirits (Matthew
9:16-28), forgave Mary
Magdalen (Luke 7:36-50), and healed the woman on the sabbath after telling
the parable of the fig
tree (Luke 13:6-17).
Vigil of St Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist
INTROIT. AS for me I am like a green olive tree in the house off the Lord; by trust hath been in the tender mercy of my God: and I will hope in thy Name for thy Saints like it well.
GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that we who on this day prevent the feast of thy holy Apostle Saint Matthew, may by the devout observance of the same increase in godliness to the attainment of everlasting salvation. Amen.
Epistle. Ecclesiasticus 44:22-45:5, 7
22 THE blessing of the Lord was upon the head of the righteous. Therefore, the Lord gave him a heritage; and divided his portion among the twelve tribes.
1 And he found favor in the sight of all fleshy. And the Lord magnified him so that his enemies stood in fear of him. By his words he caused the wonders to cease: 2 he made him glorious in the sight of kings, and gave him a commandment for his people, and shewed him his glory.
4 He sanctified him in his faithfulness and meekness, and chose him out of all men.5 He gave him commandments before his face, even the law of life and knowledge, and exalted him.
7 An everlasting covenant he made with him: the Lord beautified him with ornaments of righteousness: and clothed him with a robe of glory.
The Gospel. St John 15:12-16
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
OFFERTORY. Ps. 8. Thou hast crowned him with glory and worship: and hast made him to have dominion of the works of thy hands, O Lord.
O LORD, who didst exalt thy blessed Saint Matthew to be numbered among thine Apostles: grant that we thy people, who on this day, preventing his heavenly birth, do offer unto thee these holy mysteries, may be assisted by his intercession both in the making of our supplications before thee, and in the obtaining of all that we desire.
Korean Catholics[6]
During the 17th century the Christian faith was brought to Korea through the zeal of lay persons. From the very beginning these Christians suffered terrible persecutions and many suffered martyrdoms during the 19th century. Today's feast honors a group of 103 martyrs. Notable of these were Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean priest, and the lay apostle, Paul Chong Hasang. Also, among the Korean martyrs were three bishops and seven priests, but for the most part they were heroic laity, men and women, married and single of all ages. They were canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984.
St. Andrew Kim Taegon and St. Paul Chong
Hasang and their companions
This first
native Korean priest was the son of Korean converts. His father, Ignatius Kim,
was martyred during the persecution of 1839 and was beatified in 1925. After
baptism at the age of fifteen, Andrew traveled thirteen hundred miles to the
seminary in Macao, China. After six years he managed to return to his country
through Manchuria. That same year he crossed the Yellow Sea to Shanghai and was
ordained a priest. Back home again, he was assigned to arrange for more
missionaries to enter by a water route that would elude the border patrol. He
was arrested, tortured and finally beheaded at the Han River near Seoul, the
capital. Paul Chong Hasang was a lay apostle and a married man, aged
forty-five. Christianity came to Korea during the Japanese invasion in 1592
when some Koreans were baptized, probably by Christian Japanese soldiers.
Evangelization was difficult because Korea refused all contact with the outside
world except for an annual journey to Beijing to pay taxes. On one of these
occasions, around 1777, Christian literature obtained from Jesuits in China led
educated Korean Christians to study. A home church began. When a Chinese priest
managed to enter secretly a dozen years later, he found four thousand
Catholics, none of whom had ever seen a priest. Seven years later there were
ten thousand Catholics. Religious freedom came in 1883.
When Pope John Paul II visited Korea
in 1984, he canonized Andrew, Paul, ninety-eight Koreans and three French
missionaries who had been martyred between 1839 and 1867. Among them were
bishops and priests, but for the most part they were laypersons: forty-seven
women, forty-five men. Among the martyrs in 1839 was Columba Kim, an unmarried
woman of twenty-six. She was put in prison, pierced with hot awls and seared
with burning coals. She and her sister Agnes were disrobed and kept for two
days in a cell with condemned criminals but were not molested. After Columba
complained about the indignity, no more women were subjected to it. The two
were beheaded. A boy of thirteen, Peter Ryou, had his flesh so badly torn that
he could pull off pieces and throw them at the judges. He was killed by
strangulation. Protase Chong, a forty-one-year-old noble, apostatized under
torture and was freed. Later he came back, confessed his faith and was tortured
to death.
Today there are approximately four
million Catholics in Korea.
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN
MYSTERY
SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN
SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
CHAPTER ONE-THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN
INITIATION
Article 1-THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
III. How is the Sacrament of Baptism
Celebrated?
Christian
Initiation
1229 From
the time of the apostles, becoming a Christian has been accomplished by a
journey and initiation in several stages. This journey can be covered rapidly
or slowly, but certain essential elements will always have to be present:
proclamation of the Word, acceptance of the Gospel entailing conversion,
profession of faith, Baptism itself, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and
admission to Eucharistic communion.
1230 This
initiation has varied greatly through the centuries according to circumstances.
In the first centuries of the Church, Christian initiation saw considerable
development. A long period of catechumenate included a series of preparatory
rites, which were liturgical landmarks along the path of catechumenal
preparation and culminated in the celebration of the sacraments of Christian
initiation.
1231 Where
infant Baptism has become the form in which this sacrament is usually
celebrated, it has become a single act encapsulating the preparatory stages of
Christian initiation in a very abridged way. By its very nature infant Baptism
requires a post-baptismal catechumenate. Not only is there a need for
instruction after Baptism, but also for the necessary flowering of baptismal
grace in personal growth. The catechism has its proper place here.
1232 The
second Vatican Council restored for the Latin Church "the catechumenate
for adults, comprising several distinct steps." The rites for these
stages are to be found in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
(RCIA). The Council also gives permission that: "In mission
countries, in addition to what is furnished by the Christian tradition, those
elements of initiation rites may be admitted which are already in use among
some peoples insofar as they can be adapted to the Christian ritual."
1233 Today
in all the rites, Latin and Eastern, the Christian initiation of adults begins
with their entry into the catechumenate and reaches its culmination in a single
celebration of the three sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and
the Eucharist. In the Eastern rites the Christian initiation of infants
also begins with Baptism followed immediately by Confirmation and the
Eucharist, while in the Roman rite it is followed by years of catechesis before
being completed later by Confirmation and the Eucharist, the summit of their
Christian initiation.
The
mystagogy of the celebration
1234 The
meaning and grace of the sacrament of Baptism are clearly seen in the rites of
its celebration. By following the gestures and words of this celebration with
attentive participation, the faithful are initiated into the riches this
sacrament signifies and actually brings about in each newly baptized person.
1235 The
sign of the cross, on the threshold of the celebration, marks with the imprint
of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace of the
redemption Christ won for us by his cross.
1236 The
proclamation of the Word of God enlightens the candidates and the assembly with
the revealed truth and elicits the response of faith, which is inseparable from
Baptism. Indeed Baptism is "the sacrament of faith" in a particular
way, since it is the sacramental entry into the life of faith.
1237 Since
Baptism signifies liberation from sin and from its instigator the devil, one or
more exorcisms are pronounced over the candidate. the celebrant then anoints
him with the oil of catechumens, or lays his hands on him, and he explicitly
renounces Satan. Thus prepared, he is able to confess the faith of the Church,
to which he will be "entrusted" by Baptism.
1238 The
baptismal water is consecrated by a prayer of epiclesis (either at this moment
or at the Easter Vigil). the Church asks God that through his Son the power of
the Holy Spirit may be sent upon the water, so that those who will be baptized
in it may be "born of water and the Spirit."
1239 The
essential rite of the sacrament follows: Baptism properly speaking. It
signifies and actually brings about death to sin and entry into the life of the
Most Holy Trinity through configuration to the Paschal mystery of Christ.
Baptism is performed in the most expressive way by triple immersion in the
baptismal water. However, from ancient times it has also been able to be
conferred by pouring the water three times over the candidate's head.
1240 In the
Latin Church this triple infusion is accompanied by the minister's words:
"N., I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit." In the Eastern liturgies the catechumen turns toward the
East and the priest says: "The servant of God, N., is baptized in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." At the invocation
of each person of the Most Holy Trinity, the priest immerses the candidate in
the water and raises him up again.
1241 The
anointing with sacred chrism, perfumed oil consecrated by the bishop, signifies
the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, who has become a Christian,
that is, one "anointed" by the Holy Spirit, incorporated into Christ
who is anointed priest, prophet, and king.
1242 In the
liturgy of the Eastern Churches, the post-baptismal anointing is the sacrament
of Chrismation (Confirmation). In the Roman liturgy the post-baptismal
anointing announces a second anointing with sacred chrism to be conferred later
by the bishop Confirmation, which will as it were "confirm" and
complete the baptismal anointing.
1243 The
white garment symbolizes that the person baptized has "put on
Christ," has risen with Christ. the candle, lit from the Easter
candle, signifies that Christ has enlightened the neophyte. In him the baptized
are "the light of the world."
The newly baptized is now, in the only Son, a child of God entitled to say the
prayer of the children of God: "Our Father."
1244 First
Holy Communion. Having become a child of God clothed with the wedding garment,
the neophyte is admitted "to the marriage supper of the
Lamb" and receives the food of the new life, the body and blood of
Christ. the Eastern Churches maintain a lively awareness of the unity of
Christian initiation by giving Holy Communion to all the newly baptized and
confirmed, even little children, recalling the Lord's words: "Let the
children come to me, do not hinder them." The Latin Church, which
reserves admission to Holy Communion to those who have attained the age of
reason, expresses the orientation of Baptism to the Eucharist by having the
newly baptized child brought to the altar for the praying of the Our Father.
1245 The
solemn blessing concludes the celebration of Baptism. At the Baptism of
newborns, the blessing of the mother occupies a special place.
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.
· Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
· Total Consecration to St. Joseph Day 12
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Reparations
for offenses and blasphemies against God and the Blessed Virgin Mary
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: September
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1] Fulton Sheen, Finding True Happiness.
[3]http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-articles/ember-days-in-the-catholic-liturgical-year/article/236
[4]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/blog/index.cfm?id=218#
[5] https://www.fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpentecost8.html
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