Tuesday, November 21, 2023
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PRESENTATION of the Virgin Mary-World Television Day
I do not FEAR, then, thousands of people arrayed against me on every side.
This is a psalm of
David, when he fled from his son Absalom who for all intents and purposes
wanted him dead. David is surrounded. God is (hopefully) ready to answer his
prayers. David’s faith is tested because so many say there is no God or that
there is no salvation in God. Yet, David cannot and will not doubt in God who
helped him conquer the giant Goliath. David is confident in the Lord yet his
heart breaks because his own has turned against him. Today remember our Lord
who suffered death via His own. It is when we are at our weakest and our most
vulnerable that the Lord will give protection. David boasts that the Lord will
give protection to him even when he is lying down to sleep. David prays that
the Lord, like a warrior, will defeat the evil that surrounds him. He knows
salvation will come without fail as when he faced Goliath. He builds his
confidence in the Lord,
“I do not fear, then, thousands of people
arrayed against me on every side.”[1]
Say this every morning for ten days and see what happens!
Like David we should approach God in humility and reverence with
childlike confidence and love. Thus, prepared for prayer we will be pleasing to
God. To give our mind this disposition is the purpose of the preface: "Our
Father, who art in heaven." Hence this preface should be said with
devotion and piety. The seven petitions of the "Our Father" contain
everything a Christian ought and may ask for. But what may and should a
Christian ask for? For all things necessary and serviceable for the proper
fulfilment of his life work. This prayer contains petitions for everything
necessary for the attainment of the last end for which we were created, and
that is, in the first place, the glorification of God, and, in the second
place, our eternal salvation. In the first four petitions Christ teaches us and
commands us to beseech for the things that pertain to this last end, and in the
last three petitions for protection against the things which hinder the
attainment of this end.[2]
Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary[3]
THE Blessed Virgin was presented in
the temple at Jerusalem by her pious parents, Joachim and Ann, there to be
educated in the service and the law of the Lord in order that she might be
guarded against the defilements of the world. From this we learn:
Joachim and Ann offered to the Lord
their only and most beloved child and gave her up entirely to His service.
Great as the sacrifice was, they yet made it. The preservation of the innocence
of their daughter was to them above all else. Parents, God requires of you that
you should not merely offer your children to Him in the temple, but that you
should take care to keep them pure and holy, as living temples which have been
consecrated in Baptism.
Mary gives and dedicates herself to God as soon as she is capable of serving Him, and that without any reservation, for all time, and irrevocably.
·
When
then, shall we give ourselves in earnest to God? True, we have been given to
Him in holy Baptism, we have been consecrated as His temples, we have renounced
the devil and the world, we have vowed to live only for God, and this vow we
have, perhaps, often renewed; but have we kept it?
·
What
we gave with one hand have we not taken it away with the other? Have we not
denied the temple of our hearts by shameful lusts, lived for the world and
vanity more than for God? Ah, when shall we give ourselves up to God sincerely
and forever? Perhaps when we are old! But will God accept our offering then?
·
Will
He be pleased that we begin to serve Him only when we can no longer serve the
world? That we first begin to live for Him when our life is soon to cease? No;
God is a jealous Lord and is not pleased with a heart divided between Him and
creatures. He requires us to love Him with all our heart and all our soul, and
to serve Him with all our powers. Let us, then, do this, and do it from our
youth; let us keep ourselves in body and soul undefiled for the Lord; such
love, and such love only, will He reward as perfect.
Prayer.
O God, Who wast pleased that the blessed Mary, ever
vir gin, the habitation of the Holy Ghost, should oh this day be presented in
the temple, grant, we beseech Thee, that by her intercession we may deserve to
be presented in the temple of Thy glory.
EPISTLE. Ecclus. xxiv. 14-16.
From the beginning, and before the world, was I
created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy
dwelling-place I have ministered before Him. And so was I established in Sion,
and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I
took root in an honorable people, and in the portion of my God His inheritance,
and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.
GOSPEL. Luke xi. 27, 28.
And it
came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd lifting
up her voice said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that
gave Thee suck. But He said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of
God and keep it. Explanation. By His answer Jesus would have us understand that
His Mother was not to be blessed merely because she bore Him, the Son of God,
but rather because she at all times endeavored to keep the word of God in her
heart and to observe it in her life. If you would be blessed, learn to be not
only a hearer, but a doer, of the word of God.
Things to Do[4]
·
Meditate
on the mystery of Mary's temporary dwelling in the sanctuary of the Old
Covenant as preparation for the approaching season of Advent.
·
Locate
the order of contemplative nuns closest to you and visit their monastery (you
may want to request their prayers and you might consider supporting them
financially), they are the privileged souls who, by the grace of their
vocation, are even here below dwellers in the house of the Lord.
·
Spend
30 minutes reading the Bible.
·
Learn
more about Mary in the
Byzantine Liturgy and say one of the beautiful
prayers of the Eastern liturgy in honor of Mary.
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.
(Start novena)
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)
World Television Day[5]
World
Television Day celebrates the daily value of television as a symbol of
communication and globalization. Television is one of the single greatest
technological advances of the 20th century, serving to educate, inform,
entertain and influence our decisions and opinions. It is estimated that
approximately 90% of homes around the world have televisions; however, with the
introduction of internet broadcasting, the number is declining in favor of
computers. World Television Day was proclaimed by the United Nations
in 1996. It is celebrated annually on November 21.
World
Television Day Facts & Quotes
·
TV
stimulates the economy by providing countless avenues for jobs. Over 1.2
million people in the European Union alone are employed in the media sector.
·
In
France, 63% of children
between the age of 0 and 15 live in a household with 4 screens (TV, computer,
tablet etc.).
·
Television
creates authority. When something is shown on TV it has a particular authority
about it because you know that you and millions of other people are seeing it
and that professionals have produced it.
·
In
Canada, nearly 95% of people aged 18-34 watch TV each month, which results in
12 and a half hours of weekly TV watching.
· Television is a medium because anything well done is rare. - Fred Allen, American comedian and radio show host.
Donate to catholic Television today if you can!
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN
MYSTERY
SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN
SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
CHAPTER THREE-THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION
Article 7-THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY
IV. The Effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony
1638 "From a valid marriage
arises a bond between the spouses which by its very nature is perpetual and
exclusive; furthermore, in a Christian marriage the spouses are strengthened
and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and the dignity of their state by a
special sacrament."
The marriage bond
1639 The consent by which the
spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself. From
their covenant arises "an institution, confirmed by the divine law, . . .
even in the eyes of society." The covenant between the spouses is
integrated into God's covenant with man: "Authentic married love is caught
up into divine love."
1640 Thus the marriage bond has
been established by God himself in such a way that a marriage concluded and
consummated between baptized persons can never be dissolved. This bond, which
results from the free human act of the spouses and their consummation of the
marriage, is a reality, henceforth irrevocable, and gives rise to a covenant
guaranteed by God's fidelity. the Church does not have the power to contravene
this disposition of divine wisdom.
The grace of the sacrament of
Matrimony
1641 "By reason of their state
in life and of their order, [Christian spouses] have their own special gifts in
the People of God." This grace proper to the sacrament of Matrimony
is intended to perfect the couple's love and to strengthen their indissoluble
unity. By this grace they "help one another to attain holiness in their
married life and in welcoming and educating their children."
1642 Christ is the source of this
grace. "Just as of old God encountered his people with a covenant of love
and fidelity, so our Savior, the spouse of the Church, now encounters Christian
spouses through the sacrament of Matrimony." Christ dwells with them,
gives them the strength to take up their crosses and so follow him, to rise
again after they have fallen, to forgive one another, to bear one another's
burdens, to "be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ," and
to love one another with supernatural, tender, and fruitful love. In the joys
of their love and family life he gives them here on earth a foretaste of the
wedding feast of the Lamb:
How can I ever express the
happiness of a marriage joined by the Church, strengthened by an offering,
sealed by a blessing, announced by angels, and ratified by the Father? . . .
How wonderful the bond between two believers, now one in hope, one in desire,
one in discipline, one in the same service! They are both children of one
Father and servants of the same Master, undivided in spirit and flesh, truly
two in one flesh. Where the flesh is one, one also is the spirit.
Daily
Devotions/Practice
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: For
the intercession of the angels and saints
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 3 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Monday: Litany of Humility
·
Rosary
[1] The Collegeville Bible Commentary,
1986.
[2]Frings, Math Josef. The Excellence of
the Rosary Conferences for Devotions in Honor of the Blessed Virgin (Kindle
Locations 520-521).
[3]Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
[5] http://www.wincalendar.com/World-Television-Day
Ermanno Olmi, Tree of the Wooden Clogs, 1978.
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