#the evangelical virtues of the blessed virgin mary

[stjohncapistrano67]

The Evangelical Virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[amicidomenicani]

Question Dear Padre Angelo, My name is David and I am a seminarian. First of all, I thank you for all that you are doing through the web used as a powerful tool of evangelization. Indeed it is true that everything contributes to the good of those who love Christ. It's been a while since I had a doubt about prayer. I am aware of the importance of prayer and its power to change history. I am a faithful witness of it, as well as many Christians and biblical characters. For example, what comes to my mind is: - Abraham's intercession on behalf of Sodom; - Moses' prayer after the complaint of the people fed up with eating the manna; - Moses' Intercession after the complaint of the people returning from Canaan and the chastisement announced by God etc. The whole Bible shows that prayer is a dialogue of the believer with God, in all circumstances of life. It can express adoration, thanksgiving, a request for help and relief for the poor and those who are suffering, protection against enemies, deliverance from the oppressors, love for God, and trust in His faithfulness. But my point is: if it is true that God hears the prayers of the poor: "this poor man cries out and the Lord hears him deliver him from all his distresses," how is it possible that the poor man has to cry out to be freed from his problem? How is it possible that we have to pray to God to change a certain situation for good and for our and other people’s salvation, when he could already take care of it without our requests? Let me explain further. For example, if God knows that one has cancer and that he is suffering because he cannot find the meaning of it in his life, why should we pray so that that person can find consolation and hope in what he is experiencing? I have often asked myself the sense of praying, especially in order to change a situation, an inconvenience, to gain some relief from suffering, or some hope in  anguish. Does God not see these situations? Of course, He does. He is Omnipotent and Omniscient. Why then? Is God waiting for our freedom? And so maybe He does not intervene to set us free. Why then does He grant the requests some other times instead? Because divine grace changes the situation and directs the other person's will toward God. Looking forward to your reflection, I pray for you. Thank you. Answer from the priest Dear David, dealing with intercessory prayer and so with prayer of request, you should remember a few things. 1. First of all, you should remember the great principle stated by St. Augustine: "A reasonable creature offers prayers to God to build himself up, not to instruct God" (De gratia N. Testam., 29). While St. Thomas says that "if we address prayers to God, it is not because it is necessary to make our needs known to him, but in order to make it clear to ourselves that in that case we must use his help" (Summa Theologica, II-II, 83, 2, ad 1). "In his liberality God grants us many things that we have not asked. But, if he demands our prayer, it is for our usefulness, to make us recognize him as the author of our goods" (Ib., II-II, 83, 2, ad 3). 2. Second of all, since the beginning God has already given us all the graces we need.Nonetheless, some of them do not bear fruits  because our openness to God is not yet sufficient to receive them. That is why in our prayers we ask for the intercession of the saints, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary. And in doing so we become capable of receiving what God has already decided to give us. This is the meaning of some of the  words used in the preface of  so many liturgical  prayers, such as when you say "Pray for us Holy Mother of God," or "Pray for us St. Anthony," the answer is "That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ." Then, this is why the Lord wants our prayer. We become able to receive the goods we ask for and use them in a holy way only by becoming holier, by living in goodness and in virtu

e.  3. This is why St. Augustine says that "God gives some things even to those who do not pray, such as the beginning of faith. But He does not give others except to those who pray" (Lib. de Persev., 0.5). And St. Thomas: "Divine Providence not only arranges the effects to be produced, but also the causes and the order in which they are to be produced. And human actions are among other causes for certain effects. So it is necessary for men to perform certain things, not in order to change by their acts the divine dispositions, but in order to implement these effects according to the order predetermined by God. The same happens with material causes. And this also applies to prayer. So we pray not for the purpose of changing divine dispositions: but in order to impart what God has disposed to be accomplished through the prayers of the saints; and that is, as St. Gregory says, so that men 'by praying may merit to receive what almighty God had disposed to bestow on them from eternity' (in Lib. 1 Dialogorum, 8)" (Summa Theologica, II-II, 83, 2). 4. Then, it seems that the first grace to ask for in our prayers of intercession is precisely to make us holier and so to make us more worthy of receiving what God has already decided to give us. If certain graces do not reach their destination, it is also because they do not yet find a ground ready to receive them. 5. You should remember that God does not grant some graces for mercy. In the Summa Theologica St. Thomas writes: "Sometimes they are not necessary, but also not clearly contrary to eternal salvation”. So, although people who pray may merit what is necessary for eternal life, nevertheless he does not deserve to obtain what he asks for. For St Augustine says: 'He who with faith prays for the necessities of the present life, with equal mercy may be heard and not heard. That is because a doctor knows better than the sick person what is good for them'. This is why St Paul was not heard when he asked to be freed from the stimulus of the flesh. It was not convenient. On the contrary,  if what is requested is useful to the blessedness of the one who prays as an indispensable element for his/hers salvation, then the same grace can be obtained   not only by praying, but also by doing other good acts. Therefore you receive what you ask, but at the proper time: 'indeed, as St Augustine notes that (Super Ioan., 102) certain things are not denied, but are deferred in order to be granted at the proper time'. However, this can be prevented if one does not insist on praying. This is why St Basil writes: 'That is why you often ask and do not obtain, because you ask badly, and with little faith, or lightly, or by asking for things that do not benefit you, or without insisting' (Const. Monast., l)", (II-II, 83, 15, ad 2). 6. In other words, just as God has disposed that men should provide for their daily food and wine  by sowing wheat and by cultivating vines, so He wanted us to receive necessary graces for salvation through prayers. Indeed, it is through prayers that we receive the enlightenment and strength to make us worthy to receive what Christ has promised to give us. Or better: God does not want to do what he has decided to do with us without us. And this is to give us greater goods together with what we ask for. I wish you a happy journey towards priesthood. I remember you to the Lord and I bless you. Padre Angelo

[seekfirst-community]

“The Immaculate Conception shines like a beacon of light for humanity in all the ages. At the beginning of the third millennium, it guides us to believe and hope in God, in his salvation and in eternal life. In particular, it lights the way of the Church, which is committed to the new evangelization.” (Pope John Paul II on Dec 8).

"And coming to her, he [the Archangel] said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus." (Luke 1: 26-

.... 38).

Thursday 8th December 2022 of the 2nd Week of Advent is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. This is the patronal feast of the United States of America. It is a holy Day of Obligation. Honor our Divine Mother by attending Holy Mass on her very special Feast Day.

What is the Immaculate Conception and why does it matter? In the first Reading today from Genesis, God said to the Serpent: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel." (Genesis 3: 15). This is the promise of our Redemption after the fall of Adam and Eve. God chose Mary before the foundation of the world and prepared her to be the sinless Mother of His Son. God preserved the Blessed Virgin Mary from original sin by virtue of the Death of her Son, Jesus the Christ which God foresaw.

Only a pure Vessel can hold a pure God. Why does this matter? Jesus is 100% God and 100% Man. Although Mary is 100% human, it is absolute necessity that the Mother of the Redeemer be not tainted with the least sin.

Mary's generosity in giving her Yes made the Incarnation possible.

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 38).

The total faith and surrender that Mary displayed here is rewarded by God's special revelation to Mary:

"For nothing will be impossible for God.” (Luke 1: 37).

Let this words nourish our faith today and always. When you are afraid, when you worry, when you are tempted to doubt God's power and promises, redouble your trust in God and remember that nothing will be impossible for God.

"Honour My Mother in the mystery of her Immaculate Conception. This is a mystery full of grace and of light for those who ponder it. It is the remedy for many of the ills that afflict My priests and poison their souls. Invoke My Mother conceived without sin and she will communicate to you something of the purity and brightness of her all-holy and immaculate Heart." (IN SINU JESU, November 29, 2008 After First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com

[pamphletstoinspire]

Now Is the Time to Consecrate Yourself to Saint 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. 2013 — Pope Francis, echoing and fulfilling the intentions of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, inserts the name of St. Joseph into all Eucharistic Prayers. He also consecrates Vatican City State to 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!

FR. DONALD CALLOWAY, MIC

[pope-francis-quotes]

26th April >> (@VaticanNews) #PopeFrancis As #Pope Francis invites everyone to pray the #Rosary throughout May, we explore the dedication of various Popes through the centuries to this ancient devotion.

The Popes and the Rosary

This May, during the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis has invited the faithful to renew their love for the Most Holy Rosary, a prayer fully immersed in the Gospel. In this article, Vatican News looks at the dedication of various Popes throughout the centuries to this ancient devotion.

John Charles Putzolu

It is necessary to go back to the 15th century to Pope Sixtus IV to find when the Rosary was officially approved by the Catholic Church. The practice probably originated with the Cistercians in the two previous centuries as an aid for illiterate people. The recitation of prayers and psalms in succession, gradually became a series of 150 Hail Marys. Greeting Mary so many times was compared to offering her a wreath of roses, the “Rosary”.

The Rosary over two centuries

Promoted by the Dominicans in the 15th century, the Rosary took the form of a meditation on the life of Christ, while the Our Father and the Hail Marys were recited. In the 16th century, the Dominican theologian, Antonio Ghislieri, who became Pope St Pius V, structured the Rosary around 15 mysteries. On 7 October 1571, he instituted the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

John Paul II in 2002 completed the Rosary with five new mysteries: The Luminous Mysteries were added to the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries.

Between 1571 and 2002, the Popes never ceased to encourage the recitation of the Rosary. In September 1893, in the Encyclical Laetitiae sanctae, Leo XIII stated that he was “convinced that the Rosary, if devoutly used, is bound to benefit not only the individual but society at large”, whose evils he denounced at the dawn of the second Industrial Revolution, which was deepening the imbalance between the social classes.

Prayer in difficult times

Pius XI foresaw the wave of National Socialism (Nazism) and Stalinism coming. In 1937, two years before the beginning of the Second World War, in his Encyclical Ingravescentibus malis, he observed that if the people of the twentieth century, “with its derisive pride, refuse the Rosary, there is an innumerable multitude of holy men of every age and every condition who have always held it dear”. He addresses the faithful, asking them to recite the Rosary at home so that “the enemies of the divine name (...) may be finally bent and led to penance and return to the straight path, trusting to the care and protection of Mary”.

Pius XI added: “The Holy Rosary, besides, not only serves admirably to overcome the enemies of God and Religion, but is also a stimulus and spur to the practice of evangelic virtues which it injects and cultivates in our souls”.

John XXIII recites the Rosary for new-borns

On May 4, 1963, while the Church was engaged in the Second Vatican Council, St John XXIII welcomed the first Italian Living Rosary pilgrimage, during which “Good Pope John” met many sick children. “You are dear to us, like the apple of our eyes,” the Supreme Pontiff said to them. “You are dear to us above all because, with the natural liveliness of your years, you are little children who pray,” he told them. He praised their “commitment to recite at least one decade of the Holy Rosary every day,” adding that a day without prayer is like “a sky without sun, a garden without flowers”.

Already in 1961, an attachment to the Apostolic Letter Il religioso convegno, noted that St John, in his daily Rosary, prayed for babies born in the past 24 hours, as he recited the third decade of the Joyful mysteries. He offered the “ten Hail Marys” in order to “recommend to Jesus all children born (...) from all human lineages, who, (...) by night, by day, have come into the world on the whole surface of the earth”.

In the Encyclical Grata recordatio of 1959, John XXIII encouraged daily recitation of the Rosary, affirming that the Rosary is an excellent means of meditative prayer, which, he said, “We never fail to recite it each day in its entirety”. He invited the faithful to pray the Rosary for the upcoming Ecumenical Council (Vatican II) and for “the renewed vigour of all the Christian virtues” expected of the Church.

In the wake of the Council, Pope St Paul VI dedicated an Apostolic Exhortation entitled Marialis cultus to Marian veneration in which he “intended to encourage the restoration, in a dynamic and more informed manner, of the recitation of the Rosary”. He also emphasized “the importance of a further essential element in the Rosary, in addition to the value of the elements of praise and petition, namely the element of contemplation. Without this the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation is in danger of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas”. St Paul VI goes on “to recommend strongly the recitation of the family Rosary”.

John Paul II’s favourite prayer

St. John Paul II, who himself was deeply devoted to the Virgin Mary (Totus Tuus was his episcopal motto), encouraged the recitation of the Rosary many times during the 27 years of his pontificate. In 2002 he published an Apostolic Letter dedicated specifically to the Rosary, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. In it, he described the Rosary as a prayer which “in the sobriety of its elements” concentrates “all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety”, and through which “the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer”. St John Paul II explains that in his youth he always gave an important place to this prayer, which was his favourite. He had already confessed this in 1978 two weeks after his election. It was in this Letter that he proclaimed the year of the Rosary from October 2002 to October 2003, inviting the faithful to “contemplate with Mary the face of Christ”.

At the dawn of the third millennium, the Polish Pope stressed “the urgent need to counter a certain crisis of the Rosary, which in the present historical and theological context can risk being wrongly devalued, and therefore no longer taught to the younger generation”. Concerned then by the critical situation of the family “increasingly menaced by forces of disintegration on both the ideological and practical planes”, he proposed the Rosary as “an effective aid to countering the devastating effects of this crisis typical of our age”.

The New Springtime of the Rosary

Benedict XVI, too, wished to revitalize the recitation of the Rosary: “The Holy Rosary is not a pious practice banished to the past, like prayers of other times thought of with nostalgia,” he said at the end of his prayer at the Roman Basilica of Saint Mary Major on 3 May 2008. “Instead, the Rosary is experiencing a new Springtime”, he said. “Without a doubt, this is one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and his Mother, Mary. In the current world, so dispersive, this prayer helps to put Christ at the centre”.

Three years earlier, in a Message to young Catholics in the Netherlands, he wrote that “The recitation of the Rosary can help you learn the art of prayer with Mary's simplicity and depth”. During an Audience in May 2006, Benedict XVI invited the faithful “to intensify the pious practice of the Holy Rosary”. He said to young spouses: “I wish you may make use of the recitation of the Rosary in your family as a moment of spiritual growth under the maternal gaze of the Virgin Mary”. Speaking to the sick, he urged them “to turn with trust to Our Lady through this pious exercise, entrusting to her all of your needs”.

Again, difficult times

In October 2018, Pope Francis asked all the faithful to pray the Rosary every day, so that the Virgin Mary may help the Church in a period marked by “the revelation of sexual abuse, power and conscience on the part of clerics, consecrated persons and lay people, causing internal divisions”.

Today Francis renews this invitation on the eve of the Marian month in 2020, in order to contemplate together “the face of Christ with the heart of Mary”. Praying the Rosary “will make us even more united as a spiritual family and will help us overcome this time of trial”, writes the Holy Father as he assures everyone, and especially “those suffering most greatly”, of his prayer.

Topics

POPE FRANCIS

PRAYER

VIRGIN MARY

CATHOLIC CHURCH

25th April 2020, 15:31

[fidei]

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

From an allocution by Pope Paul VI at the Second Vatican Council

Meditating on the close relationships between Mary and the Church, for the glory of the Virgin Mary and for our own consolation, we proclaim the Most Blessed Mary Mother of the Church, that is to say of all the people of God, of the faithful as well as of the pastors, who call her the most loving Mother. And we wish that the Mother of God should be still more honoured and invoked by the entire Christian people by this most sweet title.

  This is a title, venerable brothers, not new to Christian piety; it is precisely by this title, in preference to all others, that the faithful and the Church address Mary. It truly is part of the genuine substance of devotion to Mary, finding its justification in the very dignity of the Mother of the word Incarnate.

  Just as, in fact, the divine maternity is the basis for her special relationship with Christ, and for her presence in the economy of salvation brought about by Jesus Christ, thus it also constitutes the principal basis for the relations between Mary and the Church, since she is the mother of him who, right from the time of his Incarnation in her virginal bosom, joined to himself as head his Mystical Body which is the Church. Mary, then, as mother of Christ, is mother also of all the faithful and of all the pastors.

  It is therefore with a soul full of trust and filial love that we raise our glance to her, despite our unworthiness and weakness. She, who has given us in Jesus the fountainhead of grace, will not fail to succour the Church, now flourishing through the abundance of the gifts of the Holy Ghost and setting herself with new zeal to the fulfilment of its mission of salvation.

  And our trust is even more lively and fully corroborated if we consider the very close links between this heavenly Mother of ours and mankind. Although adorned by God with the riches of admirable prerogatives, to make her a worthy Mother of the Word Incarnate, she is nevertheless very close to us. Daughter of Adam, like ourselves, and therefore our sister through ties of nature, she is, however, the creature who was preserved from original sin in view of the merits of the Saviour, and who possesses besides the privileges obtained the personal virtue of a total and exemplary faith, thus deserving the evangelical praise, beata quae credidisti (blessed art thou who believed). In her earthly life, she realised the perfect image of the disciple of Christ, reflected every virtue, and incarnated the evangelical beatitudes proclaimed by Christ. Therefore in her, the entire Church, in its incomparable variety of life and of work, attains the most authentic form of the perfect imitation of Christ.

[z3norear]

Consecration to the Flame of Holy Love

Blessed Virgin Mary

April 16, 1995

7:00 AM Easter Sunday

Our Lady comes in white with white lilies in front of Her. Jesus' Hands with the wounds were on either side of Her. "Alleluia! Praise be to Jesus, Risen and Glorified! Take up your pen, My angel. Here is the beginning of My prayer - The Consecration to the Flame of Holy Love."

"Immaculate Heart of Mary, humbly, I ask that You take my heart into the Flame of Holy Love, that is the spiritual refuge of all mankind. Do not look upon my faults and failings, but allow these iniquities to be burned away by this purifying Flame."

"Through Holy Love, help me to be sanctified in the present moment, and in so doing, give to You, dear Mother, my every thought, word, and action. Take me and use me according to Your great pleasure. Allow me to be Your instrument in the world, all for the greater glory of God and towards Your victorious reign. Amen."

"The souls that thus consecrate themselves relinquish to Me all their faults, their sins - both past and future, their virtues - those they have and will have, their sorrows, their joys and their fears. I will reign in their hearts being victorious over besetting sins. I will take dominion over interior and exterior goods. I ask only their undying faithfulness to living in Holy Love, and to spreading the message of Holy Love. In so doing, they will be My instruments in leading souls into the New Jerusalem."

“Souls that desire to make this consecration must for three days prepare their hearts. Each day I desire that they perform some corporal work of Mercy. Each day they must evangelize the Holy Love message to at least one person. Each day they must reverently receive My Son in the Eucharist [if Catholic]. These three days of light will serve as armor against the three days of darkness that are to come. This is God's Merciful Love I am giving to humanity through you."

"Pray with Me now for unbelievers." We prayed. "Make this known to believers and unbelievers alike." She leaves.

[piouscatholic]

Today is the Feast Day of #StThérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

Below is one of the poems written by St. Thérèse.

To read more of her poems on line, go to: http://www.catholicfirst.com/thefaith/catholicclassics/sttherese/poemsofsttherese01.html

“WHY I LOVE THEE MARY”

(LAST POEM OF ST. THÉRÈSE)

Fain would I sing, 0 Mother blest!

the reasons why I love thee;

Why e’en to name thy name, with joy, O Mary! fills my heart;

And why the glorious thoughts of thee, in greatness far above me,

Inspire no fear within my soul, so dear and sweet thou art.

Yet, if I were to see thee now, in majesty stupendous,

Surpassing all the crowned saints in highest heaven above,

Scarce could I dream I am thy child, (O truth sublime, tremendous!

For I should think myself to be unworthy of thy love.

The mother, who desires to be her child’s best earthly treasure,

Must ever share its grief with it, must understand its pain.

Queen of my heart! how many years, thy sorrows had no measure;

What bitter tears thine eyes have shed, my worth­less heart to gain!

So, musing on thy earthly life, in Scripture’s sacred story,

I dare to look upon thy face, and unto thee draw nigh;

For when I see thee suffering, concealed thy mar­velous glory

It is not hard, then, to believe thy little child am I.

When Gabriel came from heaven’s courts, to ask thee to be mother

Of God Who reigns omnipotent to all eternity,

I see thee, Mary! then prefer to that great grace, an­other,

Through all thy consecrated life a virgin pure to be.

And so I now can comprehend, immaculate white maiden!

Why thou wast dearer unto God than heaven itself could be;

And how thy humble, human frame, with mortal weakness laden,

Could yet contain the Eternal Word, Love’s vast unbounded Sea.

I love thee when I hear thee call thyself the handmaid only

Of God, Whom thou didst win to earth by thy humility;

All powerful it made thee then, above all women, lonely,

And drew, into thy bosom chaste, the Blessed Trinity,

The Holy Spirit, Love Divine, o’ershadowed thee, 0 Mother!

And God the Father’s only Son incarnate was in thee.

How many sinful, sorrowing souls shall dare to call Him Brother!

For He shall be called: Jesus, thy first born, eternally.

And oh! despite my frailties, dear Mary! well thou knowest

That I at times, like thee, possess the Almighty in my breast.

Shall I not tremble at the gift, O God! that Thou bestowest ?

A mother’s treasure is her child’s: I still my fears to rest.

For I, O Mary, am thy child! O Mother dear and tender.

Shall not thy virtues and thy love plead now with God for me?

Then, when the pure white sacred Host, in all its veiled splendor,

Visits my heart, thy spotless Lamb will think He comes to thee.

Oh, thou dost help me to believe that e’en for us, frail mortals,

‘Tis not impossible to walk where we thy foot­steps see;

The narrow road before us now, thou lightest to heaven’s portals.

Who lowliest virtues here below didst practise per­fectly.

Near thee, O Mother! I would stay, little, unknown and lowly;

Of earthly glory, oh! how plain I see the vanity!

In the house of St. Elizabeth, thy cousin dear and holy,

I learn of thee to practise well most ardent charity.

There, too, I listen on my knees, great Queen of all the Angels!

To that sweet canticle that flows in rapture from thy soul;

So dost thou teach me how to sing like heavenly, glad evangels

And glorify my Jesus, Who alone can make me whole.

Thy burning words of love divine are mystic flowers victorious,

Whose fragrance shall embalm the long, long, ages yet to be.

In thee, indeed, the Almighty King hath done great things and glorious!

I meditate upon them now, and bless my God in thee.

When good St. Joseph did not know the great arch­angel’s story,

Which thou wouldst fain conceal from men in thy humility,

O tabernacle of the Lord! thou didst not tell thy glory,

But veiled the Saviour’s presence in profoundest secrecy,

Thy silence, how I love it now, so eloquent, so mov­ing!

For me it is a concert sweet, of melody sublime;

I learn thereby the grandeur of a soul that God is proving,

That only looks for help from Him and in His chosen time.

Then later still, O Joseph! and O Mary! I behold you

Repulsed in little Bethlehem by all the dwellers there;

From door to door you vainly went, for all the people told you

They had no place to shelter you, no time to give you care.

Their rooms were for the great alone; and in a stable dreary

The Queen of Heaven gave birth to Him Who made both heaven and earth.

O Mother of my Saviour! then, thou wast not sad nor weary;

In that poor shed how grand thou wert! how pain­less was that Birth!

And there when, wrapped in swaddling bands, I see the King Eternal,

When of the Word divine, supreme, the feeble cry I hear

O Mary, can I envy e’en the angels’ joy supernal?

The Master Whom they worship is My little Brother dear.

What praises must I give to thee, who, in earth’s gloomy prison,

Brought forth this lovely heaven sent Flower, be­fore our eyes to bloom!

Though unto shepherds and wise men a star had grandly risen,

These things were kept within thy heart as in some secret room.

I love thee when I see thee next, like other Hebrew women,

To Israel’s temple turn thy steps when dawned the fortieth day;

I love thee yielding humbly up, to aged, favored Simeon,

The Lord Who should redeem us all when years had fled away.

And first my happy smiles awake, to hear his glorious singing,

That “Nunc Dimittis” that shall ring till Time itself shall die;

But soon those joyous notes are changed, and my hot tears are springing;

“A sword of grief must be thy lot,” thus runs his prophecy.

O Queen of all the martyrs host! till thy life here is ended,

That sharp, sharp sword shall pierce thy heart! At once, it pierces sore.

That thy dear Child from Herod’s wrath may surely be defended,

I see thee as an exile fled to Egypt’s pagan shore.

Beneath thy veil thy Jesus slept, thy peace no fears were daunting,

When Joseph came to bid thee wake, and straight ­way flee from home;

And then at once I see thee rise, as called by angels chanting,

Content, without a questioning word, in foreign lands to roam.

In Egypt and in poverty, I think I see thee, Mary,

All glad at heart, all radiant, with joy beyond com­pare.

What matters exile unto thee? Thy true home can­not vary.

Hast thou not Jesus, with thee still? and with Him Heaven is there.

But, oh! in fair Jerusalem, a sorrow, vast, unbounded,

Indeed o’erwhelmed thy mothers heart with grief beyond compare;

For three days Jesus hid Himself; no word to thee was spoken.

Thou truly wast an exile then, and knew what exiles bear.

And when, at last, thine eyes again were thy Son’s face beholding,

And love entranced thee, watching Him among the doctors wise,

“My Child!” thou saidst, “now tell me why didst leave my arms enfolding?

Didst Thou not know we sought for Thee with tear endimmed eyes?

The Child God answered to thee then, to thy sweet, patient wooing,

O Mother whom He loved so well, whose heart was well nigh broken!

“How is it that you sought for Me? Wist not I must be doing

My Father’s work?” Oh, who shall sound the depths those words betoken?

But next the Gospel tells me that, in His hidden mission,

Subject to Joseph and to thee was Christ, the Holy Boy;

[tradcatmaria]

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us. Christ, 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 Ghost, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us,

Holy Mary, Pray for us. *

Queen of All Saints, *

Mother, Ornament of Carmel, *Saint Joseph, Protector of Our Order, *

Our holy Father, the Prophet Elias, who by thy prayer and contemplation laid the foundation of our Order on Carmel,*

Saint Eliseus, who through thy disciples didst preserve the spirit of Elias on Carmel, *

St. Telesphorus, watchful guardian of the Church, *

St. Anastasius, invincible amid the most fearful torments, *

St. Gerard, who didst die a glorious martyr’s death for the spread of the Faith, *

St. Angelus, glorified with the triple crown of Confessor, Virgin and Martyr, *

St. Peter Thomas, great servant and imitator of Mary, who adorned thee with all virtue, and strengthened thee in martyrdom, *

Blessed Dionysius of the Nativity, invincible soldier of Christ and His holy martyr, *

Bl. Redemptus of the Cross, who through thy holy zeal hast earned the martyr’s crown, *

St. Dionysius, zealous believer in the Mystery of the Holy Trinity and the defender thereof, *

St. Serapion, renowned for thy virtue and sanctity, and for thy wisdom and knowledge, *

St. Spiridion, great lover of evangelical simplicity, *

St. Cyril of Alexandria, vigilant defender of Mary, Mother of God, *

St. Albert, our most wise lawgiver and director, *

St. Andrew Corsini, wonderful peacemaker and despiser of worldly honors, *

St. Hilarion, admirable for thy life of prayer and mortification in solitude, and for thy power over evil spirits, *

St. Berthold, who didst unite the dwellers on Carmel into one ecclesiastical Order of Mary, *

St. Brocard, great zealot for the observance of religious discipline, *

St. Cyril of Constantinople, eminent for virtue, wisdom and learning, *

St. Simon Stock, privileged servant of Mary, *

St. Albert of Sicily, exalted model of unspotted purity, *

St. Avertanus, example of perfect obedience, *

St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church, and sure guide in the mystical life, *

Bl. Franco Lippi, outstanding for severe mortification and holy silence, *

Bl. Romaeus, model of humble monastic virtue, *

Bl. Angelus Augustine, marvel of eloquence in preaching the Word of God, *

Bl. John Soreth, burning with love of the primitive observance, *

Bl. Aloysius Rabatha, model of holy and severe penance, *

Bl. Jacobinus, renowned for thy profound meekness and great humility, *

Bl. Bartholomew Fanti, burning with love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, *

Bl. Nonius Pereira, loyal servant and devotee of Mary, *

St. Euphrasia, perfect example of obedience, *

St. Euphrosina, wonderful lover of purity, *

St. Teresa, illustrious reformer of Carmel, full of heavenly wisdom, *

St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, victim of crucified love, *

St. Therese of the Child Jesus, teacher of the “Little Way” and Patroness of the Missions, *

Bl. Frances of Amboise, noble by birth, but nobler in virtue and steadfast confidence in God, *

Bl. Jane Scopelli, perfect model of prayer and mortification, *

Bl. Archangela, most tender in thy love for Jesus and Mary, *

Bl. Mary of the Incarnation, lover of real meekness, *

Bl. Anne of Saint Bartholomew, one with Teresa in the reform of Carmel, *

Bl. Mary of the Angels, like to the angels in innocence and purity, *

Bl. Jane of Toulouse, admirable for love of solitude and prayer, *

Bl. Therese and Companions, martyrs for Christ in the French Revolution, *

St. Teresa Margaret, great venerator and humble disciple of the Sacred Heart,*

All ye holy Virgins and Matrons of Carmel,*

All ye holy men and women who by thy virtues have given glory to Carmel, *

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us.

V. Pray for us, all ye Saints of Carmel: R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Almighty and merciful God, Who dost rejoice us by the memory of all the Saints of the Carmelite Order: grant that, inspired by their example and merits, we may live for Thee alone in the continual observance of Thy law and in the perfect abnegation of self, and that we may attain to perfect happiness with them in heaven. Through Christ Our Lord.  Amen.

[shamballalin]

Saint Maximillian Kolbe ~ The Militia of the Immaculata ~ Virtues Path to Sainthood

The Militia of the Immaculata (MI) is a worldwide evangelization movement founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe in 1917 that encourages total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a means of spiritual renewal for individuals and society. The MI movement is open to all Catholics over 7 years old. It employs prayer as the main tool in the spiritual battle with evil. Members of the MI also immerse…

[iprayunceasingly-blog]

A good Catholic proclaims the Gospel, Pope Francis says

New Post has been published on https://pray-unceasingly.com/catholic-living/catholic-news/a-good-catholic-proclaims-the-gospel-pope-francis-says/

A good Catholic proclaims the Gospel, Pope Francis says

Vatican City, Jul 15, 2018 / 05:57 am (CNA/EWTN News).- By virtue of their Baptism, every Catholic is called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ – a mission which cannot be separated from the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said Sunday.

“It is truly [our] Baptism that makes us missionaries,” the pope said in off-the-cuff comments July 15. “A baptized person who does not feel the need to proclaim the Gospel, to announce Jesus, is not a good Christian.”

The first necessary element of all authentic missionary discipleship is the “changeless center, which is Jesus,” he said. This is because proclaiming the Gospel cannot be separated from Christ or from the Church.

Announcing the Gospel “is not an initiative of individual believers, groups or even large groups, but it is the Church’s mission inseparably united with her Lord,” Pope Francis said. “No Christian proclaims the Gospel ‘on his own,’ but only sent by the Church who received the mandate from Christ himself.”

Speaking during his weekly Angelus address, the pope reflected on the Christian’s mission as seen when Jesus sends out his disciples “two by two” to preach repentance.

Jesus’ message to his disciples in this episode of the Gospel concerns not just priests, but every baptized person, who is “called to witness, in the various environments of life, the Gospel of Christ,” he said.

Like the disciples were warned, the message may not be welcomed, but this aligns with what Jesus himself experienced, the pope said, noting that he was “was rejected and crucified.”

“Only if we are united with him, dead and risen, can we find the courage of evangelization,” Francis said.

Noting that the center of the mission must always be Christ, he pointed to examples of saints from Rome who are examples of being “humble workers of the Kingdom,” such as St. Philip Neri, St. Benedict Joseph Labre, St. Frances of Rome, and Bl. Ludovica Albertoni.  

They did not work to advance themselves or their own ideas or interests, but acted always as messengers sent by Jesus, he said.

Pointing to the Blessed Virgin Mary as “the first disciple and missionary of the Word of God,” the pope concluded by asking her help to bring “the message of the Gospel to the world in a humble and radiant exultation, beyond any rejection, misunderstanding or tribulation.”

CNA Daily News

[pamphletstoinspire]

Padre Pio The Perfect Capuchin

With Images:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/padre-pio-perfect-capuchin-harold-baines/?published=t

Today we will explore the life of St. Padre Pio, as the perfect Franciscan Capuchin. The Franciscan Order of Friars Minors, serve the needs of the community while their brother (ofm) Capuchins, spend their day in prayer and contemplation. Several excerpts have been taken from an article by Gerardo Di Flumeri on the occasion of the celebration of the 28th anniversary of Padre Pio’s blessed transit into eternal life from a homily given by Cardinal Giovanni Canestri, entitled “Padre Pio, Model of Religious Life.”

Capuchin spirituality is based on the passion of Christ. Their crosses do not bear a corpus, because it is the friar himself who is to take Christ’s place. In a quote from a prayer from Padre Pio to a spiritual daughter in the month of November, 1922, he stated: “therefore, speak to Him (i.e., to Christ) for me, that he might grant me the grace of making me a less unworthy son of St. Francis, so that I can be an example to my conferees, in order that fervor may continue to grow more more within me, making me a perfect Capuchin.

The Regola Bollata (that of 1223) of St. Francis begins with the following words, “the rule and life of the Friars minor is this, to follow the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, living in obedience, with no possessions of their own and in chastity.” Padre Pio lived continuously and heroically all of these things, from the morning of his profession (22 January, 1904) to the night of his death (23 September, 1968).

Padre Pio followed the holy Gospel, in the footsteps of our Lady who, as he was saying in his letters one: “the first to practice the Gospel in all its perfection and in all its severity, before it was even written.” The Gospel identifies with the Cross. No one practiced it like Mary, who as Our Lady of Sorrows stood at the foot of the cross. No one practiced it like St. Francis of Assisi, who for two years bore the stigmata of Jesus. No one practiced it like Padre Pio who for fifty years was pierced with the wounds of the Cross.

Padre Pio lived in obedience. Like Jesus, he was obedient unto death. St. Francis was a saint of poverty; Padre Pio was the “saint” of obedience. The documents of his life are a testimony to this fact. Samuel 1: 15 – 22, states that the Lord delights in obedience and submission to His command for it is better than sacrifice.

Padre Pio lived in poverty. Like St. Francis his Seraphic Father, the Poor One of Assisi, he loved and lived this evangelical virtue. Here are two concrete and irrefutable facts: the poverty of his cell and his detachment from money.

From 1916 to 1945, Padre Pio lived in cell number five. In it reigns the most absolute poverty. One always marvels at the thought that in that very cell, at that small, dark, simple writing table, Padre Pio wrote his sublime letters from September, 1916 on.

After 1945, the Padre lived in cell number one, today open to the public. The signs of his Franciscan poverty are easily visible and verifiable. One would not think that that cell was the abode of a man through whose hands flowed huge sums of money. And with this we are at the second concrete and irrefutable fact. Through Padre Pio’s hands there past millions and billions of lires. But he did not keep one penny. Detached from money, he collected huge sums, solely for the glory of God and the relief of the suffering of his neighbor.

Padre Pio lived a life in chastity. He was an angel in human flesh and in this fashion passed in the midst of the crowds of men and women, who each day surrounded him from morning until evening. Rarely did Padre Pio mention the virtue of chastity in his hundreds of letters. Why? Because purity is a beautiful virtue, but a virtue that is easily sullied. It is necessary to possess it in one’s soul and in one’s heart.

In his diary, Padre Agostino of San Marco in Lamis, the confessor and spiritual director of Padre Pio has left us the following testimony of his disciple, for as he is quoted as saying: “I could swear that Padre Pio has preserved until now his virginity, he has never sinned venially against this angelic virtue.”

Padre Pio is also associated with Jesus in a most profound manner. He is the first priest in the history of the Roman Catholic Church to receive the stigmata (the visible wounds of Christ Crucified). As Jesus’ heart was pierced on the cross, Padre Pio’s heart was pierced when he received the stigmata. Out of Jesus’ heart flowed blood and water for the salvation of humanity and to be a mediator to God the Father, out of Padre Pio’s wounded heart flowed humility and to be an intercessor for humanity to Jesus through Mary. In Psalm 130, we ask God the Father for forgiveness of our sins so that we may serve Him. In Padre Pio that request was answered in the confessional, where Padre Pio spent many long hours every day reconciling souls to God. He truly was a servant of God, for as Jesus states in John 12: 2426, whoever serves me must follow me and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.

Another important aspect of Padre Pio’s heart is his humility. As Jesus humbled Himself to become incarnate for the redemption of mankind and obediently accepting death, even death on the cross, Padre Pio humbled himself to have a childlike trust in God. In my opinion, it was his humility and this childlike trust in God, that was the reason why many physical and spiritual healing's are attributable to Padre Pio, for as God as highly exalted Jesus, Padre Pio has become a powerful intercessor for mankind.

The prayer that Padre Pio said to gain graces and favors for those who asked for his intercession, is that Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In Luke 11:5 – 13, Jesus says to his disciples, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. As noted in Luke 18: 9 – 14, all those who approach God in humility and ask for mercy as the tax collector did in the parable, will be justified, while the Pharisee was not justified because of his pride. Also, as noted in Psalm 51, God is looking for contrite hearts for the remission of sins. Another example of childlike trust in God is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, where we say, Jesus I trust in you.

A model of religious life, and, a perfect Capuchin. This is how Padre Pio should be considered. The relative message to be considered from Padre Pio is: through baptism, in fact, everyone has been consecrated in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Early in the morning of 23 September, 1968, Padre Pio made his last confession and renewed his Franciscan vows. As was customary, he had his rosary in his hands, though he did not have the strength to say the Hail Mary’s aloud. Until the end, he repeated the words “Gesú, Maria,” (Jesus, Mary). At around 2:30 AM, he said “I see two mothers” (taken to mean his mother and Mary). At 2:30 AM he breathed his last in his cell at San Giovanni Rotondo with his last breath whispering “ Maria.”

In summarizing how Padre Pio described his life, we can quote the words that he used:

“I want to be only a poor friar who prays…

Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry…

Worry is useless…

God is merciful and will hear your prayer…

Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart…

You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips, but with your heart…

In fact, on certain occasions you should speak to Him only with your heart…”

Like Jesus, Padre Pio was Obedient unto Death. (Caption for linked image)

[pope-francis-quotes]

23rd November >> (@zenitenglish) #PopeFrancis #Pope Francis: It is Important to Rediscover Giorgio La Pira: ‘An Exemplary Figure for the Church and for the Contemporary World’.

Pope Francis

“At a time when the complexity of Italian and international political life requires lay faithful and statesmen of great human and Christian importance for the service of the common good, it is important to rediscover Giorgio La Pira, an exemplary figure for the Church and for the contemporary world,” according to Pope Francis. “He was an enthusiastic witness of the Gospel and a prophet of modern times; his attitudes were always inspired by a Christian perspective, and his action was often ahead of its time.”

The Holy Father’s sentiments came in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, on November 23, 2018, when he received in audience the members of the “Giorgio La Pira” Foundation, on the occasion of the Fifth National Convention, currently taking place in Rome at Villa Aurelia, from 22 to 23 November 22-23, 2018.

The following is the Pope’s address to those present:

Address of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters,

It is with joy that I meet all of you who are taking part in the national convention of associations and groups dedicated to the Venerable Giorgio La Pira. I address my greetings to each one of you and I thank the president of the Giorgio La Pira Foundation for his words. I hope that your meeting for study and reflection can contribute to increasing commitment to the integral development of people in the Italian communities and regions where you are present.

At a time when the complexity of Italian and international political life requires lay faithful and statesmen of great human and Christian importance for the service of the common good, it is important to rediscover Giorgio La Pira, an exemplary figure for the Church and for the contemporary world. He was an enthusiastic witness of the Gospel and a prophet of modern times; his attitudes were always inspired by a Christian perspective, and his action was often ahead of its time.

His activity as a university professor was varied and multiform, especially in Florence, but also in Siena and Pisa. Alongside this, he gave life to various charitable works, such as the “Messa del Povero” at San Procolo and the Saint Vincenzo “Beato Angelico” Conference. From 1936 he lived in the convent of San Marco, where he studied patristics and edited the magazine Principi, in which there was no lack of criticism of fascism. He was sought by the police of the regime and took refuge in the Vatican, where for a period he stayed in the house of the Substitute Msgr. Montini, who had great esteem for him. In 1946 he was elected to the Constituent Assembly, where he contributed to the drafting of the Constitution of the Italian Republic. But his mission in the service of the common good reached its peak in the period when he was mayor of Florence in the fifties. La Pira assumed a political line open to the needs of social Catholicism and always sided with the last and with the most fragile sectors of the population.

He also undertook a major program to promote social and international peace, with the organization of international conferences “for peace and Christian civilization” and with vibrant calls against nuclear war. For the same reason, he made a historic trip to Moscow in August 1959. His political-diplomatic commitment became more and more incisive: in 1965 he convoked a symposium for peace in Vietnam in Florence, then went personally to Hanoi, where he was able to meet Ho Chi Min and Phan Van Dong.

Dear friends, I encourage you to keep alive and to spread the patrimony of ecclesial and social action of the Venerable Giorgio La Pira; in particular his integral witness of faith, his love for the poor and the marginalized, his work for peace, his implementation of the Church’s social message and his great fidelity to Catholic teachings. These are all elements that constitute a valid message for the Church and society today, supported by the exemplary nature of his gestures and words.

His example is valuable especially for those who work in the public sector, who are called to be vigilant towards those negative situations that Saint John Paul II defined as “structures of sin” (see Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo rei socialis, 36). They are the sum of factors that act in the opposite direction to the realization of the common good and respect for the dignity of the person. One yields to such temptations when, for example, one seeks exclusive personal or group profit rather than the interest of all; when clientelism prevails over justice; when the excessive attachment to power effectively blocks generational change and access to new recruits. As Giorgio La Pira said: “politics is a commitment of humanity and holiness”. It is, therefore, a demanding path of service and responsibility for the lay faithful, who are called to inspire temporal realities in a Christian way, as Vatican Council II teaches (cf. Decree on the lay apostolate Apostolicam actuositatem, 4).

Brothers and sisters, the legacy of La Pira, which you keep in your various associative experiences, constitutes for you a “handful” of talents that the Lord asks you to make fruitful. I urge you therefore to extol the value of the human and Christian virtues that are part of the ideal and also the spiritual patrimony of the Venerable Giorgio La Pira. In this way you will be able, in the territories in which you live, to be operators of peace, architects of justice, witnesses of solidarity and charity; to be a leaven of evangelical values in society, especially in the sphere of culture and politics; you will be able to renew enthusiasm for giving oneself for others, for giving them joy and hope. In his address, your president twice used the word “springtime”: today we need a “springtime”. Today there is a need for prophets of hope, prophets of holiness, who are not afraid of getting their hands dirty, to work and to go forward. Today there is a need for “swallows”: be thus.

With these wishes, which I entrust to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, I warmly bless all of you, your loved ones and your initiatives. And I ask you, please, to remember to pray for me. Thank you.

, an exemplary figure for the Church and for the contemporary world. He was an enthusiastic witness of the Gospel and a prophet of modern times; his attitudes were always inspired by a Christian perspective, and his action was often ahead of its time.

His activity as a university professor was varied and multiform, especially in Florence, but also in Siena and Pisa. Alongside this, he gave life to various charitable works, such as the “Messa del Povero” at San Procolo and the Saint Vincenzo “Beato Angelico” Conference. From 1936 he lived in the convent of San Marco, where he studied patristics and edited the magazine Principi, in which there was no lack of criticism of fascism. He was sought by the police of the regime and took refuge in the Vatican, where for a period he stayed in the house of the Substitute Msgr. Montini, who had great esteem for him. In 1946 he was elected to the Constituent Assembly, where he contributed to the drafting of the Constitution of the Italian Republic. But his mission in the service of the common good reached its peak in the period when he was mayor of Florence in the fifties. La Pira assumed a political line open to the needs of social Catholicism and always sided with the last and with the most fragile sectors of the population.

He also undertook a major program to promote social and international peace, with the organization of international conferences “for peace and Christian civilization” and with vibrant calls against nuclear war. For the same reason, he made a historic trip to Moscow in August 1959. His political-diplomatic commitment became more and more incisive: in 1965 he convoked a symposium for peace in Vietnam in Florence, then went personally to Hanoi, where he was able to meet Ho Chi Min and Phan Van Dong.

Dear friends, I encourage you to keep alive and to spread the patrimony of ecclesial and social action of the Venerable Giorgio La Pira; in particular his integral witness of faith, his love for the poor and the marginalized, his work for peace, his implementation of the Church’s social message and his great fidelity to Catholic teachings. These are all elements that constitute a valid message for the Church and society today, supported by the exemplary nature of his gestures and words.

His example is valuable especially for those who work in the public sector, who are called to be vigilant towards those negative situations that Saint John Paul II defined as “structures of sin” (see Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo rei socialis, 36). They are the sum of factors that act in the opposite direction to the realization of the common good and respect for the dignity of the person. One yields to such temptations when, for example, one seeks exclusive personal or group profit rather than the interest of all; when clientelism prevails over justice; when the excessive attachment to power effectively blocks generational change and access to new recruits. As Giorgio La Pira said: “politics is a commitment of humanity and holiness”. It is, therefore, a demanding path of service and responsibility for the lay faithful, who are called to inspire temporal realities in a Christian way, as Vatican Council II teaches (cf. Decree on the lay apostolate Apostolicam actuositatem, 4).

Brothers and sisters, the legacy of La Pira, which you keep in your various associative experiences, constitutes for you a “handful” of talents that the Lord asks you to make fruitful. I urge you therefore to extol the value of the human and Christian virtues that are part of the ideal and also the spiritual patrimony of the Venerable Giorgio La Pira. In this way you will be able, in the territories in which you live, to be operators of peace, architects of justice, witnesses of solidarity and charity; to be a leaven of evangelical values in society, especially in the sphere of culture and politics; you will be able to renew enthusiasm for giving oneself for others, for giving them joy and hope. In his address, your president twice used the word “springtime”: today we need a “springtime”. Today there is a need for prophets of hope, prophets of holiness, who are not afraid of getting their hands dirty, to work and to go forward. Today there is a need for “swallows”: be thus.

With these wishes, which I entrust to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, I warmly bless all of you, your loved ones and your initiatives. And I ask you, please, to remember to pray for me. Thank you.

© Libreria Editrice Vatican

NOVEMBER 23, 2018 17:17

FRANCIS

[fidei]

The Virgin Mary brought comfort to Juan Diego

A decree of Pope John Paul II

He has lifted up the humble. God the Father looked down onto Juan Diego, a simple Mexican Indian and enriched him not just with the gift of rebirth in Christ but also with the sight of the face of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a role in the task of evangelizing the entire continent of America. From this we can see the truth of the words of St Paul: those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen – those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything.

This fortunate man, whose name, Cuauhtlatoatzin, means “the eagle that speaks,” was born around 1474 in Cuauhtitlan, part of the kingdom of Texcoco. When he was an adult and already married, he embraced the Gospel and was purified by the waters of baptism along with his wife, setting out to live in the light of faith and in accordance with the promises he had made before God and the Church.

In December 1531, as he was travelling to the place called Tlatelolco, he saw a vision of the Mother of God herself, who commanded him to ask the Bishop of Mexico to build a church on the site of the vision. The bishop asked him for some proof of this amazing event. On 12 December the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego once more and told him to climb to the top of the hill called Tepeyac and pick flowers there and take them away with him. It was impossible that any flowers should grow there, because of the winter frosts and because the place was dry and rocky. Nevertheless Juan Diego found flowers of great beauty, which he picked, collected together in his cape, and carried to the Virgin. She told him to bring the flowers to the bishop as a proof of the truth of his vision. In the bishop’s presence Juan Diego unfolded his cape and poured out the flowers; and there appeared, miraculously imprinted on the fabric, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which from that moment onwards became the spiritual centre of the nation.

The church was built in honour of the Queen of Heaven. Juan Diego, moved by piety, left everything and dedicated his life to looking after this tiny hermitage and to welcoming pilgrims. He trod the way to sanctity through love and prayer, drawing strength from the eucharistic banquet of our Redeemer, from devotion to his most holy Mother, from communion with the holy Church and obedience to her pastors. Everyone who met him was overwhelmed by his virtues, especially his faith, love, humility, and other-worldliness.

Juan Diego followed the Gospel faithfully in the simplicity of his daily life, always aware that God makes no distinction of race or culture but invites all to become his children. Thus it was that he enabled all the indigenous peoples of Mexico and the New World to become part of Christ and the Church.

Juan Diego walked with God until his last day, in 1548, when God called him to himself. Through the centuries his memory has been associated with the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe and has reached the furthest regions of the Earth.

[z3norear]

Consecration to the Flame of Holy Love

Blessed Virgin Mary

April 16, 1995

7:00 AM Easter Sunday

Our Lady comes in white with white lilies in front of Her. Jesus' Hands with the wounds were on either side of Her. "Alleluia! Praise be to Jesus, Risen and Glorified! Take up your pen, My angel. Here is the beginning of My prayer - The Consecration to the Flame of Holy Love."

"Immaculate Heart of Mary, humbly, I ask that You take my heart into the Flame of Holy Love, that is the spiritual refuge of all mankind. Do not look upon my faults and failings, but allow these iniquities to be burned away by this purifying Flame."

"Through Holy Love, help me to be sanctified in the present moment, and in so doing, give to You, dear Mother, my every thought, word, and action. Take me and use me according to Your great pleasure. Allow me to be Your instrument in the world, all for the greater glory of God and towards Your victorious reign. Amen."

"The souls that thus consecrate themselves relinquish to Me all their faults, their sins - both past and future, their virtues - those they have and will have, their sorrows, their joys and their fears. I will reign in their hearts being victorious over besetting sins. I will take dominion over interior and exterior goods. I ask only their undying faithfulness to living in Holy Love, and to spreading the message of Holy Love. In so doing, they will be My instruments in leading souls into the New Jerusalem."

"Souls that desire to make this consecration must for three days prepare their hearts. Each day I desire that they perform some corporal work of Mercy. Each day they must evangelize the Holy Love message to at least one person. Each day they must reverently receive My Son in the Eucharist [if Catholic]. These three days of light will serve as armor against the three days of darkness that are to come. This is God's Merciful Love I am giving to humanity through you."

"Pray with Me now for unbelievers." We prayed. "Make this known to believers and unbelievers alike." She leaves.

Corporal Works of Mercy -

Feed the hungry

Give drink to the thirsty

Clothe the naked

Shelter the homeless

Visit the prisoners

Comfort the sick

Bury the dead

[piouscatholic]

#SaintoftheDay

#StAlphonsusMarydeLiguori🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

1. Hark! angelic songs resounding

Through the happy courts of heaven!

For the triumph of Alphonsus

Endless praise to God is given.

Saint Alphonsus! holy Patron

Of our confraternity.

Let thy children sing thy praises

In a blest eternity.

2. See Alphonsus silent kneeling,

Rapt in loving ecstasy,

At the altar where his Jesus

Hides in love His Majesty.

Saint Alphonsus! dearest Father!

Would our hearts were like to thine;

Make us share thy deep devotion

To this Sacrament divine.

3. By the crib where Jesus, trembling,

Lies upon a little straw,

See Alphonsus, lowly bending,

Lost in tenderness and awe.

Blessed Father I make thy children

Love the Babe of Bethlehem,

Till with thee we see His glory

In the New Jerusalem.

4. Lost in loving contemplation

Of the Passion of his Lord,

See Alphonsus, pierced with anguish,

Shares in Mary's bitter sword.

Saint Alphonsus! our offences

Nailed thy Jesus to the wood,

Pray that they may now be cancelled

By His sweet and saving Blood.

5. When Alphonsus speaks of Mary,

When his lips pronounce her name,

Every word with love is burning,

And his hearers catch the flame.

Saint Alphonsus! holy Father!

Hear our praises, grant our prayer,

Make us love our Blessed Mother,

And in heaven her glory share.

#NovenatoStAlphonsusLiguori

O my glorious and well-beloved patron, Saint Alphonsus, thou who didst toil and suffer so abundantly to assure to men the fruits of the Redemption, behold the miseries of my poor soul and have pity on me.

By thy powerful intercession with Jesus and Mary, obtain for me true repentance for my sins together with their pardon and remission, a deep hatred of sin, and strength evermore to resist all temptations.

Share with me, I pray, at least a spark of that fire of love wherewith thy heart did ever burn; and grant that, following thy example, I may make the will of God the only rule of my life.

Obtain for me likewise a fervent and lasting love of Jesus, and a tender and childlike devotion to Mary, together with the grace to pray without ceasing and to persevere in the service of God even to the end of my life, that so I may finally be united with thee in praising God and most holy Mary through all eternity. Amen

#TheLitanyofStAlphonsusLiguori

(For private recitation only)

Lord, have pity on us.

Christ, have pity on us.

Lord, have pity on us.

Christ, hear us:

Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father, from heaven, have pity on us.*

God the Son, Redeemer of the wold,*

God the Holy Ghost,*

Holy Trinity, who art one only God,*

Holy Mary, Virgin Immaculate, pray for us.**

Saint Alphonsus, model of piety from tenderest youth,**

Saint Alphonsus, preserved even till death from mortal sin,**

Despiser of the riches and vanities of the world,**

Always subject to the voice of Divine Providence,**

Rich in the treasures of Christian poverty,**

Model of patience in pains and afflictions,**

Model of meekness and of resignation in contradictions,**

Burning with a holy zeal for the salvation of souls,**

Scourge of heresies,**

Defender of the Catholic Faith,**

Always occupied in evangelizing the poor,**

Tender comforter of the afflicted.**

Instructed in the divine art of converting sinners,**

Enlightened guide in the path of perfection,**

Who became all things to all men, to gain all to Jesus Christ,**

New ornament of religion,**

Bold champion of ecclesiastical discipline,**

Model of submission and devotion to the Sovereign Pontiff,**

Who watched unceasingly over the flock committed to you,**

Full of solicitude to procure the common good of the Church,**

Glory of the Priesthood and of the Episcopate,**

Shining mirror of all virtues,**

Full of tenderest love for the Infant Jesus,**

Inflamed with divine heat in offering the Holy Sacrifice,**

Fervent worshipper of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist,**

Penetrated with lively grief at the meditation of the sufferings of our Divine Saviour,**

Specially devoted to the veneration of Mary,**

Honored by the apparition of the Blessed Virgin, while preaching in her honor,**

Of angelic life and purity,**

True Patriarch in your paternal solicitude for the people of God,**

Endowed with the gift of prophecy and miracles,**

Apostle by the extent and fruit of your labors,**

Martyr through your unheard of austerities,**

Confessor by your writings full of the Spirit of God,**

Virgin by purity of Body and soul,**

Founder of the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer,**

Model of Missionaries,**

Our tender father and powerful protector,**

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

Pardon us O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

Hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

Have pity on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

Pray for us, St. Alphonsus Liguori,

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

#Prayer:

I present myself, O Saint Alphonsus, before you, who were so inflamed with love for your neighbor, and so burning with zeal to procure the grace of conversion for sinners.

Humbly prostrate at your feet, I implore your effectual protection; obtain for me, I beg of you, a true contrition for my sins, and the entire reformation of my life.

Once more, make my heart become, and remain forever, kindled with love for God, and for the Most Holy Virgin Mary, for whom you had so tender a devotion.

Obtain for me the grace to walk in the ways of holiness and justice, that I may one day merit to enjoy my God with you eternally in heaven. Amen

http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/