Rachel’s Corner
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
· do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.
· Bucket List trip: Switzerland
· Spirit Hour: Up In Smoke
Thursday Feast
Thursday is the day of the week that our Lord gave himself up for consumption. Thursday commemorates the last supper. Some theologians believe after Sunday Thursday is the holiest day of the week. We should then try to make this day special by making a visit to the blessed sacrament chapel, Mass or even stopping by the grave of a loved one. Why not plan to count the blessing of the week and thank our Lord. Plan a special meal. Be at Peace. According to Mary Agreda[13] in her visions it was on a Thursday at six o'clock in the evening and at the approach of night that the Angel Gabriel approached and announced her as Mother of God and she gave her fiat.
Dinner Menu
Best Places to Visit in April
Santa Catalina Island, California[14]
Part of the Channel Islands of California (22 miles off Southern California), I honestly believe this gorgeous spot is one of the best islands to visit in spring. For starters, there’s the stunning island scenery before the summer crowds arrive, and this time of year has a much more relaxed atmosphere. The weather averages around 67 degrees in the day, and once there, I would highly recommend just kicking back and waiting for island life to take hold!
It’s a rocky but very scenic island with white sand beaches, palm trees, a cute harbor filled with gently bobbing boats, and jaw-dropping sunsets. There are also plenty of accommodation options.
· Visitor’s Centre Address: 1 Green Pleasure Pier, Avalon, CA 90704, Phone: +1 310-510-1520
My favorite highlights…
- Experiencing the exhilarating Catalina Zip Line Eco Tour which reaches speed of nearly 40 mph at 600 feet above sea level!
- Exploring the outback on an open-air four-wheel tour to discover remote areas others don’t usually see.
- Taking part in a Happy Hour Tour where I tasted award-winning appetizers and specialty drinks.
Welcome to Arizona Tiki Oasis (April 24th-27th, 2025), an island lifestyle meet-up held in the middle of the desert at one of the best-preserved Mid-Century hotels in America — Hotel Valley Ho (est.1956). Wear your most festive aloha wear; sip crafted tropical cocktails crafted by top mixologists; browse the pop-up Art Show; relax in a cabana by the pool; learn about mid-century style, design, and lifestyle from experts; shop the outdoor marketplace with a variety of artists, makers, and traders; and, of course, enjoy the overall island-in-the-desert vibe.
Arizona Tiki Oasis benefits The Arizona Preservation Foundation.
feast of saint fidelis
1 Maccabees, Chapter 3, Verse 6-7
6The lawless were
cowed by FEAR of him, and all
evildoers were dismayed. By his hand deliverance was happily achieved, 7and
he afflicted many kings. He gave joy to Jacob by his deeds, and his memory is
blessed forever.
Judas
Maccabees was a defender of the weak that were oppressed by renegades and by
the kings of the region. To understand this better let’s look at the words’
meaning.
renegades[1]
a person who deserts and betrays an organization, country, or set of
principles.
1.
A person who behaves in a rebelliously unconventional
manner.
2.
Archaic a person who abandons religion, an
apostate.
How many of us have at times been cowed by the fleshes
weakness or the world as professed by the media and given in to false prophets
that spout the culture of death. We must
stand with the Church and not be cowed and show ourselves as people trusting in
God in the midst of troubles.
Trusting
in God in the Midst of Troubles[2]
Saint Augustine, 354 –430 A.D.
had something to say about the private storms in our lives. St. Augustine was a
philosopher and theologian who tells us, “Don't forget the presence of
Christ. When you have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by
the wind; when your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when
the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is
imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you
long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of
misfortune—shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I
mean? I mean you have forgotten His presence. Rouse him, then; remember Him,
let Him keep watch within you, pay heed to Him. Now what was your desire? You
wanted to get your own back. You have forgotten that when Christ was being
crucified, He said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Christ, the sleeper in your heart, had no desire for vengeance in his. Rouse
Him, then, call him to mind.” There will
be encounters we cannot envision; cannot see for they lie around the bend in
the roads of our life. Sometimes it takes only the ringing of the telephone to
change an entire well-made plan, bringing us to truths we hope we never hear
such as the death of a beloved relative or the news that someone we care deeply
for has an incurable illness. There might be a knock on the door that brings
life-changing news that will break our hearts.
But it is in the midst of uncertainty and trials, as we teeter on the
brim of a chasm wondering what to do, imploring God with weakening hope to come
forth for us, that we can see we are stronger than we thought. Through
faith, we are able to pull ourselves up from the edge of unspeakable hardship
to keep ploughing forward on our heaven bound journey. It is a time when we can
understand and measure our capacity to endure, to assess our strength and
continue through life’s fiercest turbulence. We look at those who are surviving
terrible calamities and adversities, and we cannot understand how they
persevere, how they can put one foot in front of the other and move on, running
toward a goal that others cannot see. These are the people with great faith,
who are willing to "let go of the branch" and depend on Jesus
Christ and His promises. “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to
help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the
mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains
tremble as the waters surge!” -Psalm 46: 1-3.
Do not let your faith be swallowed up by fear.
Do not wallow in self-pity, for
Almighty God knows your circumstances and what you are going through.
Take your supplications to God
and find the solace and comfort you need to overcome.
Be always mindful that in the
middle of the violent storms that steal away your joy, batter your dreams, and
flatten your hopes, you will find the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ Who says "I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” -Hebrews 13:5.
Thursday in the Octave of Easter or
Easter Thursday[3] is a day for Commemoration of the
departed which is a Slavic tradition. Thursday of the Dead is described as a
universal day for visiting tombs, engaged in most diligently by townspeople,
followed by fellaheen ("peasants"), and then Bedouins. Women
would go to the cemetery before sunrise to pray for the departed and distribute
bread cakes known as kaʿak
al-asfar
("the yellow roll") and dried fruit to the poor, to children, and to
relatives. Children would also receive painted eggs, generally yellow in color.
The sharing of this tradition between Christians and Muslims is thought to date
back to at least the 12th century when Saladin urged Muslims to adopt Christian
customs in order to promote religious tolerance in the region.
o Have a Mass said for the departed;
offer your daily communion.
§
Easter
Thursday in Slavic
countries, on the other hand, was reserved for remembering departed loved ones.
Mass that day would be offered for the deceased of the parish.
Novena for the Poor
Souls[4]
ON EVERY DAY OF
THE NOVENA V. O Lord, hear my prayer, R. And let my cry come unto Thee. O God,
the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant unto the souls of Thy
servants and handmaids the remission of all their sins, that through our devout
supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired, Who livest
and reignest world without end. Amen.
THURSDAY O Lord
God Almighty, I beseech Thee by the Precious Body and Blood of Thy divine Son
Jesus, which He Himself, on the night before His Passion, gave as meat and
drink to His beloved Apostles and bequeathed to His holy Church to be the
perpetual Sacrifice and life-giving nourishment of His faithful people, deliver
the souls in Purgatory, but most of all, that soul which was most devoted to
this Mystery of infinite love, in order that it may praise Thee therefore,
together with Thy divine Son and the Holy Spirit in Thy glory forever. Amen.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.
PRAYER OF ST.
GERTRUDE THE GREAT O Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of
Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world
today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory and for sinners everywhere— for
sinners in the Universal Church, for those in my own home and for those within
my family. Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE
DYING O Most Merciful Jesus, lover of souls, I pray Thee, by the agony of Thy
most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother, to wash in
Thy Most Precious Blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their
agony and who will die today. Heart of Jesus, once in agony, have mercy on the
dying! Amen.
Faith
and Healing[5]
Shallow minds are easily scandalized
at the thought that, despite Christ Jesus' divine mission and His heroic
earnestness in fulfilling it, despite the limitless possibilities of the
Sacrifice of Calvary glorified in the power of the Resurrection, even now so
many human souls are still sick and diseased, even dead in sin and seemingly
lost in impenitence. But think for a moment of some definite astounding force
in nature, as for instance lightning, or even better, of so simple a force as
the stroke of a hammer or the approach of a lighted match; notice the vast
difference in the effects produced on a block of granite, on a cake of ice, and
on a keg of powder. Even so, the definite effect of the same graces upon
different individual souls depends on the receptivity of each. Yet never doubt,
the doors of the treasury of the merits and fruits of Calvary are wide open;
the fountains of the Savior are pouring out heavenly waters to purify and cure
and refresh souls; the invitation goes out to all:
"Come, eat My bread, and drink the wine which
I have mingled for you. All you that thirst come to the waters, and you that
have no money, make haste, buy, and eat come ye, buy wine and milk without
money! Come! to experience the virtue of the waters, and of the food, and of
the medicine, and of the fire. Come and drink lest you die of thirst! Come and
eat lest your soul hunger and starve! Come, approach the fire of My charity, to
be stirred out of your spiritual coldness and numbness!"
Anointing
of the Sick[6]
The Apostles must have been astonished at their
power to heal the bodies of the faithful while on the road when Christ sent
them out before His death.
Yet, the greatest power was to come after His death
and resurrection. Jesus made it perfectly clear that the power to forgive sins
is far greater than the power to heal. (Mk. 2:9) Jesus healed people of every
disease as a sign of the greater work of forgiveness of sins. For in the gospel
he states, “That you may know that the
Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sin.” (Mk 2:10) The physical
signs were there for the sake of a spiritual reality. “Is
anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of
the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name
of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick
person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will
be forgiven.”
(Jas. 5:14-15)
This
is the sacrament we know as the Anointing of the Sick. It must be noted that grave physical
suffering is often accompanied by a great spiritual trial. Sacramental
anointing gives us the grace we need to face our trials. Oils have been used
for millennia to convey the grace and health of God. Anointing helps us
transform physical suffering into something more deeply curative, something
truly releasing. Don’t wait! At the first sign of serious ailment seek the aid
of Christ through this sacrament.
Preparation
for Death[7]
All
Christian life is a preparation for death. We cannot predict the moment of our
passing, but we should be prepared for it both remotely and near term when our
death is imminent. It is best to prepare far in advance by making a lifetime
habit of confession and reception of the Holy Eucharist. However, if seriously
ill do not wait to take action. Confession must be made while we are still
thinking clearly and have the energy for the task, and we should make
arrangements to receive sacramental anointing. Do not rely on others to do this
for you. It is important for you, if you are able, to contact the hospital
chaplain or priest. Remember there is more after our death for the church
teaches us that after our death there is judgment, heaven and hell.
·
Do
not be a nilly willy and avoid thinking about death and we should remind
ourselves that death is a normal part of life and we should have a sense of
humor and it is not a license to make others miserable.
·
We
should try to get our affairs in order so to make it easier on others.
·
We
should choose a Catholic cemetery for the burial of our mortal remains, as a
sign of our belief in the resurrection of the body. Our flesh has been
divinized in baptism, made one the flesh of Jesus in Holy Communion, and so its
repose is a matter of some consequence.
·
We
should keep in mind that at our death as said by Cardinal Newman, “Life is
changed, not ended” and “All who ever lived still live.”
Divine Mercy Novena[8]
Seventh Day - Today Bring Me the Souls Who
Especially Venerate and Glorify My Mercy.
Most
Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most
Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the
greatness of Your Mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God
Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward,
confident in Your Mercy. These souls are united to Jesus and carry all mankind
on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy
will embrace them as they depart from this life.
Eternal
Father turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your
greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the
Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands
are full of deeds of mercy and their spirit, overflowing with joy, sings a
canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God: Show them Your mercy
according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be
accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them, "I Myself
will defend as My own glory, during their lifetime, and especially at the hour
of their death, those souls who will venerate My fathomless mercy."
Saint Fidelis[9]
Saint Fidelis became a martyr and was murdered for his faith in 1622, while traveling back to his home church after preaching in Seewis, Switzerland to former Catholics who had converted to Calvinism. Saint Fidelis on the day of his martyrdom preached with great energy, he exhorted the Catholics to constancy in the faith.
After a Calvinist had discharged his musket at him in the Church, the Catholics entreated him to leave the place. He answered that death was his gain and his joy, and that he was ready to lay down his life in God's cause. On his road back to Grüsch, he met twenty Calvinist soldiers with a minister at their head. They called him a false prophet, and urged him to embrace their sect. He answered: "I am sent to you to confute, not to embrace your heresy. The Catholic religion is the faith of all ages, I fear not death." One of them beat him down to the ground by a stroke on the head with his backsword. Fidelis rose again on his knees and stretching forth his arms in the form of a cross, said with a feeble voice "Pardon my enemies, O Lord: blinded by passion they know not what they do. Lord Jesus, have mercy on me. Mary, Mother of God, succor me!"
Another sword stroke
clove his skull, and he fell to the ground and lay in a pool of his own blood.
The soldiers, not content with this, added many stab
wounds to his body with their long knives, and hacked-off his left leg, as they
said, to punish him for his many journeys into those parts to preach to them.
Men Seek Heroes[10]
God has created men by
nature and vocation with a natural desire for Himself and men can only find
happiness in God. But men become lost as they seek God due to ignorance
and sin. Realizing real dangers in the world and the God-implanted understanding
of the need for salvation, men aspire to heroic deeds and seek courageous
heroes to protect and lead them through the challenges of life. The
desire and need for true heroes is perennial in the hearts of men across time
and cultures. From an early age, boys naturally seek heroes. They look up
to their fathers, older boys and other men as role models and as
defenders/protectors. Boys are intrigued by the heroic deeds of fictional
characters (e.g. Superheroes in movies, TV and books, videogame heroes, sports
heroes, etc.). Boys admire and seek those with heroic virtues. When
grown, men continue to seek heroes. Some continue on with the fictional
heroes of youth, trading comic books for the action/superheroes and celebrities
in the media. Most men also look up to heroes in real life. Many
follow and celebrate sports teams and athletes. Others admire and follow
politicians, social activists or business leaders. Still others look up
to and follow real life heroes in the military (Medal of Honor winners),
religion (saints) and people who perform extraordinary deeds in the face of
tough challenges (911 responders, those who battle life-challenging illnesses).
All men, in some way, desire to be heroes and to associate
themselves with heroic leaders.
From the catechism:
27 The
desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and
for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find
the truth and happiness he never stops searching for:
The dignity of man rests above all on the
fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse with
God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists it is
because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold
him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely
acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator.
44 Man is by nature
and vocation a religious being. Coming from God, going toward God, man lives a
fully human life only if he freely lives by his bond with God.
397 Man, tempted by
the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his
freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of.
All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his
goodness.
Men
fall for false heroes.
Many men are confused
about the definition and true nature of heroism. Heroism is confused with
celebrity. Heroism is confused with self-serving athleticism, political
opportunists, charlatans who deceive, “anti-heroes” or outright scoundrels.
The meaning of the word “hero” has been dumbed down to the point of being
almost meaningless. Doing an Internet search for websites, news
articles or images provides ample evidence of the misuse of the word
“hero”. Heroism is associated with movie stardom, video games (Guitar
Hero), relatively routine athletic accomplishments and even a sandwich.
Sadly, many of the real-life men who masquerade as heroes, fail, and fail
spectacularly.
The
Definition of “Hero”
The word “hero” comes from
the Latin, hero, meaning,
“defender, protector” and “to save, deliver, preserve, protect.”
Closely related is the word, “Savior” which comes from the Latin, salvatorem, meaning “one who delivers or rescues from peril”
or “heals.” Modern
definitions of the word “hero” provide other characteristics of a hero. A
hero: faces danger or
adversity with courage; sacrifices
self for the greater good of humanity; displays moral excellence”; “is placed high above his fellows.”
Jesus –
The True Hero
·
Jesus
is infinitely higher above all other heroes – He is the Son of God; there can be no hero
that compares. Heroes come and go, but only Jesus is the long-awaited
Messiah. No hero, except Jesus, was anticipated for thousands of years
before His birth and remains a hero two millennia after His death (and
Resurrection).
·
He
physically protects people on earth –
He saves the Disciples who are in fear of drowning. He stands up to the
bloodthirsty mob that is going to stone the adulterous woman. He protects the
disciples from the violent legion when He is taken in the Garden. He is
the ultimate protector.
·
Jesus
is the perfect demonstration of virtue – He demonstrates prudence, temperance, justice
and fortitude and charity with perfection that no man has met, or can ever,
match.
·
He
heals people from sickness, madness and death – Jesus healed the multitudes
of every illness and raises them from the dead.
·
He
stands for Truth against falsehood –
Repeatedly, He confronts the Pharisees and the Sadducees and corrects their
falsehoods, despite their collusion to kill Him. He refuses to yield to
Pilate, even as Pilate threatens Him with death. Jesus is Truth itself.
·
Jesus
defeats man’s greatest foe, Satan –
There is no greater enemy of man than Satan. Jesus defeats Satan when
tempted in the Wilderness, by casting out demons, and by using the
Satan-inspired evil of Judas for the Glory of the Cross and Resurrection (CCC
2853). He defeats Satan on his home turf (Hell) when Jesus descends to
offer His “redemptive works to all men of all times and all places…” (CCC
634). Only Jesus delivers us from evil.
2853 Victory over the
"prince of this world" was won once for all at the Hour when Jesus
freely gave himself up to death to give us his life. This is the judgment of
this world, and the prince of this world is "cast out." "He
pursued the woman" but had no hold on her: the new Eve, "full of
grace" of the Holy Spirit, is preserved from sin and the corruption of
death (the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of the Most Holy Mother of
God, Mary, ever virgin). "Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and
went off to make war on the rest of her offspring." Therefore, the Spirit
and the Church pray: "Come, Lord Jesus," since his coming will
deliver us from the Evil One.
634 "The gospel
was preached even to the dead." The descent into hell brings the Gospel
message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus'
messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real
significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times
and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
·
He
defeats man’s greatest scourge, Sin –
He saves people from sin (CCC 2854). For example, He tells the sinful
woman at Simon the Pharisee’s house, “Your faith has saved you; go in
peace”.
2854 When
we ask to be delivered from the Evil One, we pray as well to be freed from all
evils, present, past, and future, of which he is the author or instigator. In
this final petition, the Church brings before the Father all the distress of
the world. Along with deliverance from the evils that overwhelm humanity, she
implores the precious gift of peace and the grace of perseverance in
expectation of Christ's return By praying in this way, she anticipates in
humility of faith the gathering together of everyone and everything in him who
has "the keys of Death and Hades," who "is and who was and who
is to come, the Almighty."
·
Deliver us, Lord, we beseech you, from every
evil and grant us peace in our day, so that aided by your mercy we might be
ever free from sin and protected from all anxiety, as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
·
He
sacrifices Himself for others – Jesus makes an infinite sacrifice,
for His life is of infinite value and he gives it for the sins of all
mankind. He chooses a horrible death freely, saying, “Greater love has no
man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
·
He
offers salvation for all mankind – His Name means “God saves” (CCC 430) and it is only
the name of Jesus that can actually save. “Christ’s whole life is a
mystery of redemption. Redemption comes to us above all through the
blood of His cross…” (CCC 517). “He who believes and is baptized will
be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned”. “For the
Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.” “For God so loved the
world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life.”
430 Jesus means in
Hebrew: "God saves." At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel gave him
the name Jesus as his proper name, which expresses both his identity and his
mission. Since God alone can forgive sins, it is God who, in Jesus his eternal
Son made man, "will save his people from their sins". In Jesus, God
recapitulates all of his history of salvation on behalf of men.
517 Christ's
whole life is a mystery of redemption. Redemption comes to us above all
through the blood of his cross, but this mystery is at work throughout Christ's
entire life:
- Already in his Incarnation through
which by becoming poor he enriches us with his poverty.
- In his hidden life which by his
submission atones for our disobedience.
- In his word which purifies its hearers.
- In his healings and exorcisms by
which "he took our infirmities and bore our diseases”.
- And in his Resurrection by which he
justifies us.
·
He
is recognized as a Savior during His life on earth – The Samaritans profess, “It
is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for
ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
Day 312 2387-2400
Other offenses against the
dignity of marriage
2387 The
predicament of a man who, desiring to convert to the Gospel, is obliged to repudiate
one or more wives with whom he has shared years of conjugal life, is
understandable. However, polygamy is not in accord with the moral law."
[Conjugal] communion is radically contradicted by polygamy; this, in fact,
directly negates the plan of God which was revealed from the beginning, because
it is contrary to the equal personal dignity of men and women who in matrimony
give themselves with a love that is total and therefore unique and
exclusive." The Christian who has previously lived in polygamy has a
grave duty in justice to honor the obligations contracted in regard to his
former wives and his children.
2388 Incest
designates intimate relations between relatives or in-laws within a degree that
prohibits marriage between them. St. Paul stigmatizes this especially
grave offense: "It is actually reported that there is immorality among you
. . . for a man is living with his father's wife.... In the name of the Lord
Jesus ... you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the
flesh...." Incest corrupts family relationships and marks a
regression toward animality.
2389 Connected
to incest is any sexual abuse perpetrated by adults on children or adolescents
entrusted to their care. the offense is compounded by the scandalous harm done
to the physical and moral integrity of the young, who will remain scarred by it
all their lives, and the violation of responsibility for their upbringing.
2390 In a
so-called free union, a man and a woman refuse to give juridical and public
form to a liaison involving sexual intimacy.
The expression "free
union" is fallacious: what can "union" mean when the partners
make no commitment to one another, each exhibiting a lack of trust in the
other, in himself, or in the future?
The expression covers a number
of different situations: concubinage, rejection of marriage as such, or
inability to make long-term commitments. All these situations offend
against the dignity of marriage; they destroy the very idea of the family; they
weaken the sense of fidelity. They are contrary to the moral law. The sexual
act must take place exclusively within marriage. Outside of marriage it always
constitutes a grave sin and excludes one from sacramental communion.
2391 Some
today claim a "right to a trial marriage" where there is an intention
of getting married later. However, firm the purpose of those who engage in
premature sexual relations may be, "the fact is that such liaisons can
scarcely ensure mutual sincerity and fidelity in a relationship between a man
and a woman, nor, especially, can they protect it from inconstancy of desires
or whim." Carnal union is morally legitimate only when a definitive
community of life between a man and woman has been established. Human love does
not tolerate "trial marriages." It demands a total and definitive
gift of persons to one another.
IN BRIEF
2392
"Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being"
(FC 11).
2393 By creating the human being man and woman, God gives
personal dignity equally to the one and the other. Each of them, man and woman,
should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity.
2394 Christ is the model of chastity. Every baptized person
is called to lead a chaste life, each according to his particular state of
life.
2395 Chastity means the integration of sexuality within the
person. It includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery.
2396 Among the sins gravely contrary to chastity are
masturbation, fornication, pornography, and homosexual practices.
2397 The covenant which spouses have freely entered into
entails faithful love. It imposes on them the obligation to keep their marriage
indissoluble.
2398 Fecundity is a good, a gift and an end of marriage. By
giving life, spouses participate in God's fatherhood.
2399 The regulation of births represents one of the aspects
of responsible fatherhood and motherhood. Legitimate intentions on the part of
the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example,
direct sterilization or contraception).
2400 Adultery, divorce, polygamy, and free union are grave
offenses against the dignity of marriage.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
The
Angelus[11]
V/. The
Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R/. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full
of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
V/.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
R/. Be it done unto me according to your Word.
Hail Mary…
V/. And
the Word was made flesh,
R/. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary…
V/. Pray
for us, O holy Mother of God,
R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts: that we, to
whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an
Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his
Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: An end
to the use of contraceptives.
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
[4]Schouppe S.J., Rev. Fr. F. X..
Purgatory Explained
[5]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2018-04-05
[6] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40
Catholic Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 22. Anointing of the Sick.
[7] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40
Catholic Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 39. Preparation for Death.
[8]https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/holy-week/prayers-for-easter-sunday/nine-day-divine-mercy-novena
[11]https://www.usccb.org/prayers/angelus
[13] Venerable Mary of Agreda. The
Mystical City of God: Complete Edition Containing all Four Volumes with
Illustrations (p. 770). Veritatis Splendor Publications. Kindle Edition
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