Jeremiah,
Chapter 17, Verse 7-8
7 Blessed
are those who trust in the LORD; the LORD will be their trust. 8 They are like a tree planted beside the waters that
stretches out its roots to the stream: It does not FEAR heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of
drought, it shows no distress but still produces fruit.
I live in Arizona where hardly anything grows in the
desert. However, along a stream or a creek, trees do put their roots into the
bed of the water and create a mini paradise with flowers, deer and even provide
sustenance even during the hottest days. Likewise, we should sink our roots
into our Lord through our church and receive refreshment through frequent
reception of the sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist, along with
spiritual reading and time alone with our Lord. In this way we are nourished
and prepared for the work our Lord has given us.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Mt. 5:3)
Though thus says
the Lord for those who neither hope nor know Him and does not fear God: “Cursed is the man who trusts in human
beings, who makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He
is like a barren bush in the wasteland that enjoys no change of season, but
stands in lava beds in the wilderness, a land, salty and uninhabited.”
(Jer. 17:5-6)
Preparing for Battle[1]
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 Mantle of Humility.
o
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.
·
The Breastplate of Love.
o
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.
o
Being
truthful with God, yourself, and others is a spiritual form of ballistic groin
protection. Nothing can hurt like the truth.
§
We
must seek the truth and live 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 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.
·
The Helmet of Hope.
o
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.
·
Feet shod in Peace.
o
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 Shield of Faith.
o
St.
Paul reminds us that faith must be
firmly grasped and held up as a barrier between ourselves and the Enemy.
ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[2]
CHAPTER II
DIES CHRISTI
The Day of the Risen Lord
and of the Gift
of the Holy Spirit
The day of the new creation
24. A comparison of the Christian
Sunday with the Old Testament vision of the Sabbath prompted theological
insights of great interest. In particular, there emerged the unique connection
between the Resurrection and Creation. Christian thought spontaneously linked
the Resurrection, which took place on "the first day of the week",
with the first day of that cosmic week (cf. Gn 1:1 - 2:4) which shapes
the creation story in the Book of Genesis: the day of the creation of light
(cf. 1:3-5). This link invited an understanding of the Resurrection as the
beginning of a new creation, the first fruits of which is the glorious Christ,
"the first born of all creation" (Col 1:15) and "the
first born from the dead" (Col 1:18).
Septuagesima[3]Pre-Lent
Three
weeks prior to Ash Wednesday, on the day before Septuagesima Sunday, a touching
ceremony is held. A choir assembles, chants the divine office and, afterwards,
sings a bittersweet hymn bidding farewell to the word
"Alleluia":
We do not now deserve to sing the Alleluia forever; Guilt forces us to
dismiss you, O Alleluia. For the time approaches in which we must weep for our
sins.
·
So
important was Lent to both Eastern and Western Christians that they actually
had a separate season to prepare for it. Thus, the day after Septuagesima
Sunday, they would begin a period of voluntary fasting that would grow more severe as it approached the full
and obligatory fast of Lent. The amount of food would be reduced, and the
consumption of certain items, such as butter, milk, eggs, and cheese, would
gradually be abandoned. Starting on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, this
self-imposed asceticism would culminate in abstinence from meat. Thus the name
for this seven-day period before Ash Wednesday, is "Carnival,"
from the Latin carne levarium, meaning "removal of meat."
Finally, within the week of Carnival, the last three days (the three days prior
to Lent) would be reserved for going to confession This period was known
as "Shrovetide," from the old English word "to
shrive," or to have one's sins forgiven through absolution.
·
These
incremental steps eased the faithful into what was one of the holiest -- and
most demanding -- times of the year. Lent is a sacred period of forty days set
aside for penance, contrition, and good works. Just as Septuagesima imitates the
seventy years of Babylonian exile (see elsewhere), Quadragesima ("forty,"
the Latin name for Lent) imitates the holy periods of purgation recorded in the
Old Testament. The Hebrews spent forty years wandering in the wilderness after
their deliverance from the Pharoah and before their entrance into the Promised
Land. Moses, representative of the Law, fasted and prepared forty days before
ascending Mount Sinai, as did Elias, the greatest of the Hebrew prophets. (So
too did the gentile Ninevites in response to Jonah's prophecy.) Moreover, these
Old Testament types are ratified by the example of our Lord, who fasted forty
days in the desert before beginning His public ministry.
·
Given the significance of the number forty as a sign
of perfection-through-purgation, it is little wonder that Lent became
associated early on with two groups of people: public penitents and
catechumens. The former were sinners guilty of particularly heinous crimes. To
atone for their sins, they received a stern punishment from their bishop on Ash
Wednesday and then spent the next forty days wearing sackloth and ash and not
bathing. The visual, tactile, and odiferous unpleasantness of this practice was
meant to remind others-- and themselves -- of the repulsiveness of sin. These
penitents would remain in this state until they were publicly welcomed back
into the Church during a special Mass on Maundy Thursday morning. Catechumens,
on the other hand, underwent a rigorous period of instruction and admonition
during Lent. They, too, were not allowed to bathe as part of their contrition
for past sins. Near the start of Lent they would be exorcized with the formula
that is still used in the traditional Roman rite of baptism: "Depart, thou
accursed one!" In the middle of Lent they would learn the Apostle's Creed
so that they could recite it on Holy Saturday, and on Palm Sunday they would
learn the Lord's Prayer. Finally, on Holy Thursday they would bathe and on Holy
Saturday undergo a dramatic ritual during the Easter Vigil formally initiating
them into the Body of Christ. Over time, all Catholics would imitate these two
groups as a recognition of personal sinfulness and as a yearly re-avowal of the
Christian faith. Lent is thus not only a time to probe the dark recesses of our
fallen souls and to purge ourselves, with the cooperative grace of Christ, of
our stains, but to be renewed in our commitment to live a holy Christian life.
·
Lent is often thought of as an undifferentiated
block of time preceding Easter: It is not. There are actually several distinct
"mini-seasons" within Lent designed to move the believer from a more
general recognition of the need for atonement (Ash Wednesday to the third
Sunday of Lent) to a more specific meditation on the passion of Jesus Christ
(Passion Sunday and Palm Sunday). These two periods, in turn, are separated by
a brief interlude of restrained joy called mid-Lent, which begins on the
Wednesday before Laetare Sunday and ends the Wednesday after. Finally, the
meditation on our Lord's suffering culminates during Holy Week with a Mass each
day presenting a different Gospel account of the Passion, the divine office of
Tenebrae on Spy Wednesday, and the three great liturgies of the Triduum (Maundy
Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday) that dwell at length on the final
events of Christ's earthly life and the mysteries of the Christian Pasch.
·
Voluntary Fasting As mentioned elsewhere, it was customary for some
Christians to voluntarily begin fasting in preparation for the Great Fast of
Lent. Their fasts would become progressively more ascetic, culminating in the
abstinence of meat beginning on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. The name for
this period, which ends the day before Ash Wednesday, is "Carnival,"
from the Latin carne levarium, meaning "removal of meat."
The
progression of Lent can be understood as follows:
Pre-Lent:
·
Septuagesima
Sunday. Exile and the need for asceticism. (Depositio of the Alleluia the night
before.)
·
Sexagesima
Sunday. The perils of exile (persecution) and the fruits of asceticism (the
Word being sown into our hearts).
·
Thursday
after Sexagesima: Carnival
·
Quinquagesima
Sunday (a.k.a. Carnival, or Shrove Sunday). "We are going up to
Jerusalem" -- a setting of the stage for the pilgrimage of Lent, and the
one thing we must bring with us: charity. [Also, traditional time for going to
confession]
·
Shrove
Monday. [Traditional time for going to confession]
·
Shrove
Tuesday. [Traditional time for going to confession]
Lent:
·
Ash
Wednesday. The solemn season begins with a reminder of our mortality and our
profound need for repentance and conversion.
·
First
Sunday of Lent. The model for our fasting, Christ in the desert, and the kinds
of temptations we can expect to encounter.
·
Lenten
Embertide (Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday). See Ember Days, etc.
·
Second
Sunday of Lent. As Paul exhorts us to keep up our progress, we hear the story
of the Transfiguration as a heartening foretaste of Christ's ultimate triumph.
·
Third
Sunday of Lent. Christ again foreshadows His victory (this time over the
devil), but as we move closer to Passiontide, He also hints at the way in which
this will be done.
Mid-Lent:
·
Wednesday
before Laetare Sunday: beginning of Mid-Lent.
·
Fourth
Sunday of Lent (a.k.a. Laetare, or Mid-Lent Sunday). A note of joy is struck,
for having died to sin with Christ during Lent, we will rise again with Him and
be part of His mystical Body, the Church which is the new Jerusalem. Thus the
Introit: "Rejoice, Jerusalem."
·
Wednesday
after Laetare Sunday: end of Mid-Lent.
Passiontide:
·
(First)
Passion Sunday. The Jews' growing hatred of Christ recorded in today's Gospel
makes plain His imminent death.
·
Friday
after Passion Sunday: Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A
special commemoration, one week before Good Friday, of Mary's com-passion for
(literally, "suffering with") Her innocent son.
·
(Second
Passion or) Palm Sunday. Christ's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem and the
account of His Passion according to St. Matthew.
Holy
Week:
·
Christ's
Triumphant Entry in Jerusalem
·
Monday
of Holy Week. The Gospel for the Mass gives an account of Judas' character,
foreshadowing his act of betrayal.
·
Tuesday
of Holy Week. The account of Christ's Passion according to St. Mark.
·
Spy
Wednesday. The account of Christ's Passion according to St. Luke during the
daily Mass; and the nocturnal office of Tenebrae, a sustained reflection on the
treachery of Judas, the privation of holiness, and the need for conversion.
·
Maundy
Thursday. A celebration of the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood.
·
Jesus
before the High Priest
·
Good
Friday. A mournful commemoration of the death of our Lord.
·
Holy
Saturday. During the morning and afternoon, a mournful remembrance of our Lord
in the tomb.
Goffine’s 1896 Devout Instructions
WHY
is this Sunday traditionally called Septuagesima?
The word means seventy. According
to the First Council of Orleans, in the year A.D. 545, many pious ecclesiastics
and lay persons of the primitive Church used to fast seventy days before
Easter, and their fast was called, therefore, Septuagesima, a name which was
afterwards retained to distinguish this Sunday from others. The same was the
case with the three following Sundays; many Christians beginning their fast
sixty days before Easter, whence the name Sexagesima; others fifty days, whence
Quinquagesima; others forty days, whence Quadragesima.
Why
did the first Christians fast seventy days?
Alcuin and Amakrius say that the
captivity of the Jews in Babylon first suggested it; for as the Jews were
obliged to do penance seventy years, that they might thereby merit to return
into the promised land, so Christians sought to regain the grace of God by
fasting for seventy days.
Why does the Church, from this Sunday until Easter, omit all joyful chants, as the Te Deum, Alleluia, Gloria in Excelsis?
To remind the sinner of the grievousness of his errors, and to exhort him to penance. To incite us to sorrow for our sins, and to show us the necessity of repentance, the Church at the Introit in the name of all nations unites her prayers with David, saying, “The sorrows of death surrounded me, the sorrows of hell encompassed me, and in my affliction, I called upon the Lord, and He heard my voice from His holy temple. I will love Thee! O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer.”
Prayer.
EPISTLE, i. Cor. ix. 24 x. 5.
Brethren: Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So, run that you may obtain. And everyone that striveth for the mastery refraineth himself from all things, and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown: but we an incorruptible one. I therefore so run, not as an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air: but I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway. For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all in Moses were baptized, in the cloud, and in the sea: and did all eat the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink (and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them; and the rock was Christ), but with the most of them God was not well pleased.
NOTE--Reflect, O Christian, what we poor sinners ought to be willing to do to gain heaven when the great apostle suffered so much to obtain eternal life.
Prayer.
O Jesus, assist me, that with Thy holy grace I may follow the example of St. Paul, and endeavor to deny myself, to chastise my body, and, by continual exercise of every virtue, to obtain perfection and everlasting life. Amen.
GOSPEL. Matt. xx. 1-16.
At that time Jesus spoke to His disciples this parable: The kingdom of heaven is like to a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And having agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle, and he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just. And they went their way. And again, he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour: and did in like manner. But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith to them: Why stand you here all the day idle? They say to him: Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them: Go you also into my vineyard. And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward: Call the laborers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the first. When therefore they were come that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more; and they also received every man a penny. And receiving it, they murmured against the master of the house, saying: These last have worked but one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, that have borne the burden of the day and the heats. But he answering said to one of them: Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take what is thine, and go thy way: I will also give to this last even as to thee. Or is it not lawful for me to do what I will? is thy eye evil because I am good? So, shall the last be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few chosen.
In these parables what is to be understood by the master of a family, the vineyard, the laborers, and the penny?
The master of a family is God, Who calls all men as laborers to His vineyard of the true religion, or Church, and to receive the promised penny, which is the divine grace and eternal salvation.
How and when does God call men?
By the instruction of parents and teachers, by preachers and confessors, by spiritual books, edifying conversation, good examples and inspirations; in early youth, in manhood, and in old age which stages of human life are also signified by the different hours of the day.
Who are the laborers in the vineyard?
Those who work, combat, and suffer for God and His honor, for their own salvation and that of others, particularly spiritual teachers.
How should we work in the vineyard of the Lord?
As in a vineyard men must dig,
destroy the weeds, cut off what is useless and bad, manure, plant, and bind, in
like manner must we, in the spiritual vineyard of our souls, destroy the weeds
of vice by rooting out sinful inclinations and their causes, and by real
penance.
In other words:
1. We must hate every sin.
2. We must produce in ourselves a fervent desire to destroy vice.
3. We must earnestly beg God’s grace, without which we can do nothing.
4. We must attend zealously at instructions, sermons, and catechism.
5. We must often go to confession and communion and follow our confessor’s
directions.
6. Every morning, we must make firm resolutions, and every night an
examination of conscience.
7. We must read in some spiritual book, treating of the predominant sin
which we have to root out.
8. We must venerate some saint who in life committed the same sin, as,
for instance, Mary Magdalen, who from being a great sinner became a great
penitent.
9. We must fast, give alms, and do other good works.
Why did the last man, as mentioned in the gospel, receive as much as those who came first?
Because God does not reward men according to the time of their labor, but according to the zeal, love, fidelity, and humility with which they have concurred with His grace (Wis. iv. 7, 8, 11; n. Cor. ix. 6).
What is meant by “many are called, but few chosen?”
It is as if Our Savior should say, do not wonder that the last shall be first, and the first last, for many will not be received at all. From among the Jews and gentiles He has called many, but few only have followed Him, and of these again only few can be the chosen. How many Christians are there who do not accept His calling, or who fail to live according to their vocation, neither cooperating with His grace nor trying forcibly to enter the kingdom of heaven!
Prayer.
O most merciful and benign Lord, Who, without any merit of our own, hast called us, Thy unworthy servants, out of mere mercy, into Thy vineyard the Church and commanded us to work therein, grant us grace, we beseech Thee, never to be idle, but as faithful servants to be always doing Thy holy will. Whatever we have heretofore left undone, we will in future endeavor to do with persevering zeal, through the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Things to Do[4]
· Read the more detailed, corresponding passage in Matthew 5:3-12 on the Beatitudes. Choose a beatitude to focus on for the rest of this month. Write it in conspicuous places throughout your house — desk, home altar, fridge, bathroom mirror. Think of some small practical ways to put this beatitude into action in your daily life. For some ideas on how to live the poverty and detachment prescribed by the first beatitude (Blessed are the poor in spirit), read this interview with spiritual director and writer Fr. Dubay.
· Read a summary of St. Bernard's advice for living the Beatitudes, and the Holy Father's exhortation to the youth at Toronto's World Youth Day to be people of the Beatitudes.
Septuagesima
Sunday
·
Get
an indulgence
o
Visiting
the Blessed Sacrament when it is exposed during the weeks between Septuagesima
Sunday and Ash Wednesday is a traditional practice that can earn a plenary
indulgence.
o
Septuagesima
Sunday: The third Sunday before Ash Wednesday, and the ninth Sunday before
Easter.
o
Plenary
indulgence: A full remission of sins that can be earned by visiting the Blessed
Sacrament during a specified time period.
o
Confession
and Communion: A requirement for earning the plenary indulgence.
o
What
to do
§ Visit the Blessed Sacrament when it
is exposed in a church.
§ Visit for three days in any church
during the specified time period.
§ Visit on the Thursday after
Sexagesima Sunday, also known as "Giovedì grasso" in Rome.
o
Prayer
§ Some people pray before the Blessed
Sacrament, asking for pardon of sins, help from God's grace, and eternal life.
o
Generative AI is experimental.
§ [1] http://liturgialatina.org/raccolta/sacrament.htm
§ [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagesima
Total Consecration to St. Joseph-Day 1[5]
33 days to the Feast of St. Joseph
I did not understand St. Joseph
well enough, but that will change.
— St. John of the Cross
In
the 16th century, St.
John of the Cross humbly acknowledged that
he lacked a proper understanding of the greatness of St. Joseph. Inspired by
the tremendous love that his friend, St. Teresa of Avila, had for St. Joseph,
St. John of the Cross made a firm resolution to get to know and love St. Joseph
better.
What about you? Do you know St.
Joseph? Do you feel you understand his greatness
and love for you?
Saint José Manyanet, a priest in 19th-century Spain, fervently
promoted devotion to St. Joseph and the Holy Family. He prophesied that a “time
of St. Joseph” would soon arrive in the life of the Church. He wrote:
I believe that the true time of Saint Joseph has not arrived yet: after two thousand years we started only now to glimpse something of the mystery in which he is immersed.
Well, my friends, I firmly believe that in our day the Lord
wants to direct our hearts, families, parishes, dioceses, and Church to St.
Joseph in a major way. In 1961, St. Pope John XXIII made a profound statement
about St. Joseph. He wrote:
In the Holy Church’s worship, right from the beginning, Jesus, the Word of God made man, has enjoyed the adoration that belongs to him, incommunicable as the splendor of the substance of his Father, a splendor reflected in the glory of his saints. From the earliest times, Mary, his mother, was close behind him, in the pictures in the catacombs and the basilicas, where she was devoutly venerated as “Holy Mother of God.” But Joseph, except for some slight sprinkling of references to him here and there in the writings of the Fathers [of the Church], for long centuries remained in the background, in his characteristic concealment, almost as a decorative figure in the overall picture of the Savior’s life. It took time for devotion to him to go beyond those passing glances and take root in the hearts of the faithful, and then surge forth in the form of special prayers and of a profound sense of trusting abandonment. The fervent joy of pouring forth these deepest feelings of the heart in so many impressive ways has been saved for modern times!
What
the Vicar of Christ clearly stated is that now is the time
of St. Joseph. We are living in modern times, the time in which the Church is
witnessing an unprecedented era of devotion to St. Joseph. According to St.
Pope John XXIII, God desires devotion to St. Joseph to surge forth in our day
in the form of special prayers of “trusting abandonment.” This means one thing
in particular:
It’s time for total consecration
to St. Joseph!
Here is a list a list of remarkable events
that have taken place over the past 150 years that show St. Joseph’s increasing
importance in the life of the Church. They clearly indicate that we are living
in an unprecedented time of St. Joseph.
·
1868 — Blessed
Jean-Joseph Lataste, OP, writes a letter to Blessed Pope Pius IX asking him to
declare St. Joseph the “Patron of the Universal Church.”
·
1870 — Blessed Pope
Pius IX declares St. Joseph the “Patron of the Universal Church.”
·
1871 — Founding of the
Josephites by Cardinal Herbert A. Vaughan
· 1873 — Founding of the Congregation of St. Joseph by St. Leonardo Murialdo
·
1878 — Founding of the
Oblates of St. Joseph by St. Joseph Marello
·
1879 — Apparitions at
Knock, Ireland. Saint Joseph appears with the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the
Apostle, and Jesus (appearing as the Lamb of God).
·
1889 — Pope Leo XIII
writes Quamquam Pluries, an encyclical letter on St. Joseph.
·
1895 — Blessed Petra
of St. Joseph begins construction on a shrine to St. Joseph in Barcelona,
Spain. It is consecrated in 1901. At her beatification in 1994, St. John Paul
II calls Blessed Petra the “apostle of St. Joseph of the 19th century.”
·
1904 — Saint André
Bessette constructs an oratory dedicated to St. Joseph in Montreal, Canada. It
expands, is declared a minor basilica, and finally is completed in 1967. Today,
it is known as St. Joseph’s Oratory and is considered by many to be the preeminent
international center of devotion to St. Joseph.
·
1908 — Saint Luigi
Guanella begins constructing a church dedicated to St. Joseph in Rome. It is
completed and consecrated as a basilica in 1912.
·
1909 — Saint Pope Pius
X officially approves the Litany of St. Joseph.
·
1914 — Saint Luigi
Guanella founds the Pious Union of St. Joseph for the Salvation of the Dying.
·
1917 — Apparitions at
Fatima, Portugal. During the last apparition on October 13, St. Joseph appears
holding the Child Jesus and blessing the world.
· 1921 — Pope Benedict XV inserts the phrase “Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse” into the Divine Praises.
·
1947 — Spanish
Discalced Carmelites found Estudios Josefinos, the first
theological journal devoted to St. Joseph.
·
1950s — The alleged
apparitions of Our Lady of America given to Sr. Mary Ephrem emphasize a renewed
devotion to St. Joseph, and St. Joseph himself speaks to the visionary about
this devotion.
·
1955 — Venerable Pope
Pius XII establishes the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, to be celebrated on
May 1.
·
1962 — Saint Pope John
XXIII inserts St. Joseph’s name into the Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer
I).
·
1989 — Saint Pope John
Paul II writes Redemptoris Custos, an apostolic exhortation on
St. Joseph.
Whoa! Did you know all that?
Most people are unaware of these remarkable events. Without exaggeration, the
Church has done more to promote St. Joseph in the last 150 years than in the
previous 1,800 years of Christianity! But why now? Why St. Joseph?
There are many reasons, but I believe there are two that are especially
important.
First, we need the spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph to help us protect
marriage and the family. Marriage and the family have always been under attack,
but in modern times, the threats have reached extraordinary heights. Many
people no longer know what it means to be a man or a woman, let alone what
constitutes a marriage and a family. Many countries even claim to have
redefined marriage and the family. There is great confusion on these matters,
greater confusion than in any previous era of human history. The Servant of God
Sr. Lucia dos Santos, the longest-lived visionary of the Fatima apparitions,
knew the seriousness of the times and made a powerful statement about this
issue. She wrote:
The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family.
To combat and overcome Satan’s deceptions, the Church needs
St. Joseph. His example and protection are the only way out of the confusing
mess we are in. Who else can we turn to who can help us understand what
marriage and the family are all about if not to the Head of the Holy Family and
our spiritual father?
Second, the entire world needs to be re-evangelized, including the vast
majority of baptized Christians. Saint Joseph was the first missionary. Today,
he desires again to bring Jesus to the nations. Many nations and cultures that
were previously Christian have fallen away from their Christian roots and are
on a path of self-destruction. Countries once established on Judeo-Christian
principles have become overrun by ideologies and organizations that seek to
strip society of all that is sacred. Without a major turnaround, civilization
itself is going to self-destruct.
In an apostolic exhortation on St. Joseph in 1989, St. John Paul II reminded us
of the necessity of invoking St. Joseph in the work of re-evangelizing the
world. He wrote:
This patronage [of St. Joseph] must be invoked as ever
necessary for the Church, not only as a defense against all dangers, but also,
and indeed primarily, as an impetus for her renewed commitment to
evangelization in the world and to re-evangelization in those lands and nations
where religion and the Christian life were formerly flourishing and are now put
to a hard test.
Now is the time to
consecrate yourself to St. Joseph!
God is telling his Church that, in order to defend marriage and the family, elevate morals, recover lost ground, and win souls for Jesus Christ, we need to bring St. Joseph onto the battlefield. He is the Terror of Demons! With his powerful spiritual fatherhood, incredible love for his spiritual children, and constant intercession, the Church can be renewed as a light to the nations!
What exactly is consecration to St. Joseph? In other words, what does it mean
for a person to be consecrated to St. Joseph? Well, it basically means that you
acknowledge that he is your spiritual father, and you want to be like him. To
show it, you entrust yourself entirely to his paternal care so that he can help
you acquire his virtues and become holy. Total consecration to St. Joseph means
you make a formal act of filial entrustment to your spiritual father so that he
can take care of your spiritual well-being and lead you to God. The person who
consecrates himself to St. Joseph wants to be as close to their spiritual father
as possible, to the point of resembling him in virtue and holiness. Saint
Joseph, in turn, will give those consecrated to him his loving attention,
protection, and guidance.
Perhaps someone reading this has already consecrated themselves entirely to the
Blessed Virgin Mary, and is wondering if they can consecrate themselves to St.
Joseph and entrust everything to him, as well. The answer is a resounding “Yes!”
God desires that all children be committed to the love and care of a mother and
a father. You are not a member of a single-parent spiritual family. Mary is
your spiritual mother, and St. Joseph is your spiritual father. The spiritual
fatherhood of St. Joseph is extremely important for your spiritual growth.
Total consecration to Mary is not diminished by total consecration to St.
Joseph. Mary wants you to consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! Jesus wants you to
consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! Everything you have given to Jesus and Mary
can also be given to St. Joseph. The hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are one.
So, is there a book that offers a method of consecration to St. Joseph? Yes,
there is! It’s called Consecration
to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father and it follows
a method similar to the tried-and-true 33-day preparation method employed by
St. Louis de Montfort in his Marian consecration. The 33-day program can be
done by individuals, parishes, and entire diocese. Through this program, I hope
to spark the first worldwide movement of consecration to St. Joseph!
Consecration to St. Joseph has endorsements from Cardinal Raymond
Burke, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Jim Caviezel, Scott Hahn, and many others.
Get your copy of Consecration to St. Joseph and be part of
the movement! Go to www.consecrationtostjoseph.org to find out more!
Veni Sancte Spiritus[6]
Holy Spirit, God of light, fill us with your radiance
bright;
Gentle father of the poor, make us, by your help, secure;
Come, your boundless grace impart, bring your love to every
heart.
Lord
of consolation, come, warm us when our hearts are numb;
Great
consoler, come and heal, to our souls your strength reveal;
Cool,
refreshing comfort pour, and our peace of mind restore.
Light
immortal, fire divine, with your love our hearts refine;
Come,
our inmost being fill, make us all to do your will;
Goodness
you alone can give, grant that in your grace we live.
Come,
our lukewarm hearts inspire, mold our wills to your desire;
In
our weakness make us strong, and amend our every wrong;
Guide
us when we go astray, wash our stain of guilt away.
Give
to every faithful soul, gifts of grace to make us whole;
Help
us when we come to die, so that we may live on high;
Ever
let your love descend, give us joys that never end.
|
Litany of St. Joseph |
|
|
Lord, have mercy on us |
Christ, have mercy on
us. |
|
Lord, have mercy on us. |
|
|
Jesus, hear us, |
Jesus, graciously hear
us. |
|
God the Father of
heaven, |
have mercy on us. |
|
God the Son, Redeemer
of the World, |
have mercy on us. |
|
God the Holy Spirit, |
have mercy on us. |
|
Holy Trinity, one God, |
have mercy on us. |
|
Holy Mary, |
pray for us. |
|
St. Joseph, |
pray for us. |
|
Renowned offspring of
David, |
pray for us. |
|
Light of Patriarchs, |
pray for us. |
|
Spouse of the Mother of
God, |
pray for us. |
|
Chaste guardian of the
Virgin, |
pray for us. |
|
Foster father of the
Son of God, |
pray for us. |
|
Diligent protector of
Christ, |
pray for us. |
|
Head of the Holy
Family, |
pray for us. |
|
Joseph most just, |
pray for us. |
|
Joseph most chaste, |
pray for us. |
|
Joseph most prudent, |
pray for us. |
|
Joseph most strong, |
pray for us. |
|
Joseph most obedient, |
pray for us. |
|
Joseph most faithful, |
pray for us. |
|
Mirror of patience, |
pray for us. |
|
Lover of poverty, |
pray for us. |
|
Model of artisans, |
pray for us. |
|
Glory of home life, |
pray for us. |
|
Guardian of virgins, |
pray for us. |
|
Pillar of families, |
pray for us. |
|
Solace of the wretched, |
pray for us. |
|
Hope of the sick, |
pray for us. |
|
Patron of the dying, |
pray for us. |
|
Terror of demons, |
pray for us. |
|
Protector of Holy
Church, |
pray for us. |
|
Lamb of God, who takes
away the sins of the world, |
spare us, O Jesus. |
|
Lamb of God, who takes
away the sins of the world, |
graciously hear us, O
Jesus. |
|
Lamb of God, who takes
away the sins of the world, |
have mercy on us, O
Jesus. |
|
He made him the lord of
his household |
And prince over all his
possessions. |
O
God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to
be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be
worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as
our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever.
Saint
Joseph, pray for us.
·
Devotion
of the Seven Sundays: St Joseph-2nd Sunday
February
16 to April 18 (Good Friday)
The Very Powerful 54 Day Rosary Novena
Seeking Strength, Unity &
Protection
Unity in Truth
Cardinal Robert Sarah recently
wrote, "For the time foretold by Saint Paul has come, ‘when people
will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate
for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from
listening to the truth and wander into myths’ (2 Tim 4:3–4) … Church
unity is at stake because there is no unity apart from truth. Jesus told
us clearly: ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass
away’ (Mt 24:35). Let us trust in His word above any other
because ‘you have one master, the Christ’ (Mt 23:10). Church history
offers us the testimony of many Christians who preferred to say no to a world
of darkness, perversion, and moral decadence, even if it cost them their lives,
rather than to lose the treasure that they had discovered in Jesus (see Mt
13:44; Phil 1:21).” -Cardinal Robert Sarah, Catechism of the Spiritual Life.
We are engaged in a spiritual battle of historic proportions! We
are witnessing an overreach of evil never seen before. It is important to
understand Satan’s names: “diabolos” means “he who places division or
separation,” and “daio,” the root of “demon,” means “to divide.” We have all
seen how these outrageous demonic activities have caused great division in our
families and communities.
As Satan seductively coaxes more and more people away from the
designs of God, these separated people look back, pointing an accusatory finger
at those of us who choose to remain in the will of God, saying, “You are the
cause of division because you choose not to join us in the ways of the world!!”
We are called “extreme” and “fanatical” when we are simply remaining with our
Lord at the foot of the cross.
Yes! We all want UNITY! But, as Cardinal Sarah eloquently states,
“There is no unity apart from the truth.” Yet, we wonder if we will ever
restore this unity in truth again. What can we do?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “All are
called to Holiness…The way of perfection passes by way of the
Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual
battle.”
We must call out to God in prayer. We must stay as close to God
and His will as possible. We must trust in God’s supernatural power. We must go
to Mary to seek her powerful intercession. We must become holy in God’s
supernatural strength. And, we must seek God’s supernatural protection during
these historic days of persecution against those of us who are simply choosing
to unite at the foot of the cross.
Ultimately, this 54 day "Unite at the Foot of the Cross"
prayer campaign is about seeking Strength, Unity and Protection:
Strength
President Ronald Reagan once famously stated, “We maintain
the peace through our strength; weakness only invites aggression.”
St. Paul wrote, "Do not be anxious about anything, but
in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7).
But, how do we get to this place of peace? God has revealed the
prescription in so many ways that all boil down to: “When you are
well-connected with Me and supernaturally strong, you will
find peace.”
The "peace that surpasses all understanding" is what I
want for all of us, and why I wrote the Peace
Through Strength Prayer Journal. This journal guides us into
cultivating the very best ways of the spiritual life; the ways of staying as
close as possible to our Lord; the ways of becoming strong in the Lord and in
His mighty power (Eph. 6:10-12).
I highly recommend using this journal - which was
formulated with the guidance of Fr. Chad Ripperger - for this 54 day
"Unite at the Foot of the Cross" prayer campaign. You can order your
Peace Through Strength Prayer Journal HERE.
Unity
As I said, this is a historic time. The devil is emboldened like
never before.
What do we do? UNITE!! Don’t get pulled into the temptation of
“in-fighting.” That’s a favorite tactic of the devil. He is the great divider.
I am 100% dedicated to UNITING all of us to our Eucharistic Lord
and each other. We need to grow our force; our light.
The devil is a totalitarian super power right now. We must do the
“David thing” and realize that size does not matter. What matters is trust in
the power of God, united as an obnoxiously loving family.
Protection
As it says in Psalm 57 ...
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy
for in you my soul has taken refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge
till the storms of destruction pass by.
There are many prayers and sacramentals, all of which I will get
into as we pray together, but the primary way to remain safe and protected is
to stay with Him - at the foot of the cross - in fervent love and devotion.
Start your day, just right, with the few short prayers that have been revealed
to us (these are found in the Peace
Through Strength Prayer Journal). Dedication to these revealed prayers are a sign you are not
lacking in fervent love of Him; that you want to do it "His way";
that you seek His protection at all times.
PRAYER AND TRAINING IN HOLINESS!
This 54 day prayer campaign is also a Basic Training in Holiness.
Each day, along with praying your rosary and cultivating the very best habits
of prayer, holiness trainees will be provided with a 1-2 minute reflection
on the qualities of excellence. The first 27 days, trainees will read from
passages in scripture, quotes from saints and the catechism on one of the
following: Theological Virtues, Cardinal Virtues, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and
the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. The second 27 days will be excerpts from my very
first book entitled, Church
Militant Field Manual: Special Forces Training for the Life in Christ.
The daily reflections for this prayer and training campaign can be
found in these two places.
1) You can sign up to receive the 54 Day Rosary prayers with daily
reflection in your email. Click Here
to Sign Up.
2) You can join the United State Grace Force Facebook group HERE, to receive the
reflections each day.You can order the "Peace Through Strength Prayer
Journal" at romancatholicgear.com
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
Day
247 1854-1864
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER
ONE-THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Article 8-SIN
IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin
1854 Sins are
rightly evaluated according to their gravity. The distinction between mortal
and venial sin, already evident in Scripture, became part of the tradition
of the Church. It is corroborated by human experience.
1855 Mortal
sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it
turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by
preferring an inferior good to him.
Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it.
1856 Mortal
sin, by attacking the vital principle within us - that is, charity -
necessitates a new initiative of God's mercy and a conversion of heart which is
normally accomplished within the setting of the sacrament of reconciliation:
When the
will sets itself upon something that is of its nature incompatible with the
charity that orients man toward his ultimate end, then the sin is mortal by its
very object . . . whether it contradicts the love of God, such as blasphemy or
perjury, or the love of neighbor, such as homicide or adultery.... But when the
sinner's will is set upon something that of its nature involves a disorder, but
is not opposed to the love of God and neighbor, such as thoughtless chatter or
immoderate laughter and the like, such sins are venial.
1857 For a sin
to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "Mortal sin is sin
whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge
and deliberate consent."
1858 Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother." The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.
1859 Mortal
sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of
the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God's law. It also
implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned
ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the
voluntary character of a sin.
1860
Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave
offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral
law, which are written in the conscience of every man. The promptings of
feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the
offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed
through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.
1861 Mortal
sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in
the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the
state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it
causes exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our
freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However,
although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust
judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.
1862 One
commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the
standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a
grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent.
1863 Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of God; it does not break the covenant with God. With God's grace it is humanly reparable. "Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness."
While he is
in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But do not
despise these sins which we call "light": if you take them for light
when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects
makes a great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number of grains makes a
heap. What then is our hope? Above all, confession.
1864
"Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is
guilty of an eternal sin." There are no limits to the mercy of God,
but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects
the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy
Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal
loss.
Daily
Devotions/Practices
·
Today's Fast: Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: For
the Poor and Suffering
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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