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Do you trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary? Speak to her with this prayer…

tonia

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October 22, 2021

Do you trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary? Speak to her with this prayer…

“Thank you for being a mother who will never leave me….”

What better describes a mother than unconditional love for her children, her willingness to succor them, to lift them when they fall, guide them when they are losing their way? Do children always know, though, how to call out “Mama, help!” once they have grown? When we feel too big for a Mama, how do we come to Mary, our Mother, and ask her to succor us, lift us, and guide us?

Do you trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary? Speak to her with this prayer…

“Dear Mother, I surrender to you all that I am and have. I am called to give you my life. It doesn’t matter that I am broken. It doesn’t matter that I am wounded. My wound becomes a fissure that opens me. I don’t want to close the wound. I don’t want to seal the fissure.

Thank you, Mother, for loving me. [T]hank you for being with me. Thank you for walking at my side every step of the way. [T]hank you for being a mother who will never leave me in times of difficulty. [T]hank you for being my Mother.”

I can give everything when I know that arms are waiting to hold me up.

Fr. José Kentenich once said, “To strengthen my childlike trust, I will be aware at all times that the Heavenly Father is all-powerful, good, and faithful. Our greatest concern must be to live each second infinitely unconcerned. This lack of worry is not born from an attitude of negligence but trust in God. We are not unconcerned because we disconnect from what is happening on the earth; no, we concern ourselves for earthly things in just measure, but behind our work shall always be the unmovable confidence expressed in the words: ‘Mater habebit curam’ — the Mother will take care of it.

I know it’s true. She will look after my life. And I want to learn to abandon myself, to let go of the reins, to leave aside what burdens and constrains me. I like that attitude of trust to fix my gaze on she who sustains me on my way.

[I] want to learn to live like that, completely carefree, totally trusting in God’s plans.

I want to live to believe, trust, knowing that God walks at my side. [I] need to ask Jesus, “Increase my faith.” I will be happy if I believe. If I trust, I will be even happier. Like Mary, who believed beyond all hope, she believed and was happy.

I look to Mary, who has believed. To her, who remained faithful, prostrate before her God. And she believed and embraced God’s will with tears in her soul. “Blessed is she who believed.” And her life became full of hope.

The biblical & historical roots of praying to Mary and Saints

gabriel

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October 22, 2021

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The biblical & historical roots of praying to Mary and Saints

The Saints in the Bible invoked the heavens:

St David’s prayers in the psalms:

“Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will!” Psalm 103:20-21
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!” Psalm 148:1-2

Those in heaven pray for us too:

“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people” — Revelation 5:8

These elders are Saints of God in heaven, they offer prayers for “God’s people”, some translations render it “saints”, and both of these means the people of God on earth.

“Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God from the hand of the angel.” – Revelation 8:3-4
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew. 18:10

“Seeing the Father” means they intercede for the little ones too.

Communion of Saints:

Praying through Mary and the Saints is the fruit of a mature understanding of the “Communion of Saints”. We the Church believe, as taught by St Paul, that “we are one body, one Spirit in Christ”. To the mind of the Church, this has a certain literalness in terms of religious actions. So that when you do good, the entire body is healthy and is affected and when you sin, you affect the entire body. When you pray as well the other members (parts) of this body is equally affected.

Christ came to the world as man and God, establishing his authority and dominion as Lord of the Living, both because he lived, died and resurrected. But also Lord of the dead because through this resurrection he conquered death. Since life springs from him only, and since he has walked the roads of the underworld, he himself has power that penetrates the grave.

His Body, the Church

This power is also inherited by his Body the Church, so that she is never torn apart or broken by death. NO ! She is actually strengthened by the death of a faithful since her glory shines as more members are glorified.

These glorified members since they are still attached to Christ’s body also help in its nourishment. So that when they praise God by chants, or pray to Him, the effects reach the entire body; the effect reach you and me. So even without asking for it, the saints pray for us. And we can raise our hearts to them since we’re bound; one body and spirit in Christ to aid us in our needs.

The biblical & historical roots of praying to Mary and Saints

Historical roots: The Church Fathers and early Christians:

Clement of Alexandria speaking about the true christian wrote:

“In this way is he always pure for prayer. He also prays in the society of angels, as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy keeping; and though he pray alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him” (Miscellanies 7:12 [A.D. 208]).

Origen: Not only Jesus prays for us:

“But not the high priest alone prays for those who pray sincerely, but also the angels . . . as also the souls of the saints who have already fallen asleep” (Prayer 11 [A.D. 233]).

St Cyprian:

“Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity. On both sides [of death] let us always pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence the first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father’s mercy” (Letters 56 [60]:5 [A.D. 253]).

Methodius:

“Hail to you for ever, Virgin Mother of God, our unceasing joy, for unto thee do I again return. Thou are the beginning of our feast; you are its middle and end; the pearl of great price that belongs unto the kingdom; the fat of every victim, the living altar of the Bread of Life. Hail, you treasure of the love of God. Hail, you fount of the Son’s love for man. . . . You gleamed, sweet gift-bestowing mother, of the light of the sun; you gleamed with the insupportable fires of a most fervent charity, bringing forth in the end that which was conceived of thee . . . making manifest the mystery hidden and unspeakable, the invisible Son of the Father–the Prince of Peace, who in a marvelous manner showed himself as less than all littleness” (Oration on Simeon and Anna 14 [A.D. 305]).

Cyril of Jerusalem, speaking about Eucharistic prayer:

“Then we make mention also of those who have already fallen asleep: first, the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that through their prayers and supplications God would receive our petition . . . ” (Catechetical Lectures 23:9 [A.D. 350]).

Methodius:

“Therefore, we pray thee, the most excellent among women, who glories in the confidence of your maternal honors, that you would unceasingly keep us in remembrance. O holy Mother of God, remember us, I say, who make our boast in thee, and who in hymns august celebrate the memory, which will ever live, and never fade away” (ibid.).

Hilary of Poitiers:

“To those who wish to stand [in God’s grace], neither the guardianship of saints nor the defenses of angels are wanting” (Commentary on the Psalms 124:5:6 [A.D. 365]).

Ephraim the Syrian:

“Remember me, you heirs of God, you brethren of Christ; supplicate the Savior earnestly for me, that I may be freed through Christ from him that fights against me day by day” [A.D. 370].

The Liturgy of St. Basil

“By the command of your only-begotten Son we communicate with the memory of your saints . . . by whose prayers and supplications have mercy upon us all, and deliver us for the sake of your holy name” (Liturgy of St. Basil [A.D. 373]).

Ephraim the Syrian

“You victorious martyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of the God and Savior, you who have boldness of speech toward the Lord himself, you saints, intercede for us who are timid and sinful men, full of sloth, that the grace of Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us that so we may love him” (Commentary on Mark [A.D. 370]).

Methodius

“And you also, O honored and venerable Simeon, you earliest host of our holy religion, and teacher of the resurrection of the faithful, do be our patron and advocate with that Savior God, whom you were deemed worthy to receive into your arms. We, together with thee, sing our praises to Christ, who has the power of life and death, saying, Thou art the true Light, proceeding from the true Light; the true God, begotten of the true God” (ibid.).

John Chrysostom

“He that wears the purple [i.e. a royal man] . . . stands begging of the saints to be his patrons with God, and he that wears a diadem begs the tent-maker [Paul] and the fisherman [Peter] as patrons, even though they be dead” (Homilies on 2 Corinthians 26 [A.D. 392]).

“When you perceive that God is chastening you, fly not to his enemies . . . but to his friends, the martyrs, the saints, and those who were pleasing to him, and who have great power [in God]” (Orations 8:6 [A.D. 396]).

Ambrose of Milan

“May Peter, who wept so efficaciously for himself, weep for us and turn towards us Christ’s benign countenance” (The Six Days’ Work 5:25:90 [A.D. 393]).

Jerome

“You say in your book that while we live we are able to pray for each other, but afterwards when we have died, the prayer of no person for another can be heard . . . But if the apostles and martyrs while still in the body can pray for others, at a time when they ought still be solicitous about themselves, how much more will they do so after their crowns, victories, and triumphs?” (Against Vigilantius 6 [A.D. 406]).

Augustine

“A Christian people celebrates together in religious solemnity the memorials of the martyrs, both to encourage their being imitated and so that it can share in their merits and be aided by their prayers” (Against Faustus the Manichean [A.D. 400]).

“There is an ecclesiastical discipline, as the faithful know, when the names of the martyrs are read aloud in that place at the altar of God, where prayer is not offered for them. Prayer, however, is offered for the dead who are remembered. For it is wrong to pray for a martyr, to whose prayers we ought ourselves be commended” (Sermons 159:1 [A.D. 411]).
“At the Lord’s table we do not commemorate martyrs in the same way that we do others who rest in peace so as to pray for them, but rather that they may pray for us that we may follow in their footsteps” (Homilies on John 84 [A.D. 416]).
“Neither are the souls of the pious dead separated from the Church which even now is the kingdom of Christ. Otherwise there would be no remembrance of them at the altar of God in the communication of the Body of Christ” (The City of God 20:9:2 [A.D. 419]).

Sozomen

“Gregory of Nazianz presided over those who maintain the consubstantiality of the Holy Trinity, and assembled them together in a little dwelling, which had been altered into the form of a house of prayer, by those who held the same opinions and had a like form of worship. It subsequently became one of the most conspicuous in the city, and is so now, not only for the beauty and number of its structures, but also for the advantages accruing to it from the visible manifestations of God. For the power of God was there manifested, and was helpful both in waking visions and in dreams, often for the relief of many diseases and for those afflicted by some sudden transmutation in their affairs. The power was accredited to Mary, the Mother of God, the holy virgin, for she does manifest herself in this way” (Church History 7:5 [A.D. 444]).

Pope Leo I

“Let us rejoice, then, dearly beloved, with spiritual joy, and make our boast over the happy end of this illustrious man in the Lord [the martyr Laurentius] . . . By his prayer and intercession we trust at all times to be assisted . . .” (Sermons 85:4 [A.D. 450]).

The biblical & historical roots of praying to Mary and Saints

What the immaculate conception is and what it is not:

Many people confuse the Immaculate conception with the “Virgin Birth,”; which means that Christ was conceived in the womb of Mary without any intervention of a human father. Others think that the Immaculate Conception means that Mary was conceived the same way as Christ: through the power of the Holy Spirit and without a human father. But neither of these is true. Immaculate conception means that Mary, who was conceived the regular way (Father and mother), was preserved from every taint of Original Sin (from the moment of her conception, not at birth) and was infused with Sanctifying Grace. “Original Sin” essentially means the absence of this Grace, and Mary didn’t have a problem with that since she was always “full of grace.”

Full of Grace; the greeting of Angel Gabriel:

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” — Luke 1:28.

The phrase “full of grace” is translated from Greek kecharitomene. This word is more of a proper name of the person addressed, so it expresses a characteristic quality of the Blessed Mother.

More recent translations differ from the traditional kecharitomene,. Some go with “highly favored daughter,” and although one can call Mary that, but the translation is watered down from what the original Greek actually means. It leaves out the fact that this word kecharitomene, has charis at its core and is of a singular and permanent nature. This indicates that Mary was a perfection of Grace. Not only was she found at the time to be full of Grace, she as herself always full of God’s Grace: a perfect ark to carry a perfect God.

“Through the centuries, the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

‘The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin'”.
CCC 491

Does this mean Mary didn’t need a Savior?:

Christ saved everyone. The power of God transcends time and space. So that while I am typing these words, God is applying the merits of the passions of Christ from thousands of years ago to my life and those of the faithful. I am able to go to Mass, receive communion and watch the reenactment of that same Calvary Sacrifice. From the moment of her conception, Mary was saved too from Original Sin and kept safe all her life from all taint of imperfection.

This was done in anticipation of the Passions of Christ. So that before Christ was born, his merits saved the Virgin Mary, and after he had gone, his merits continues to save us. Just as we are baptized, and consequently cleansed of Original Sin, and receive Sanctifying Grace. Mary was infused with this Grace from the moment of conception. She was, in a sense, “Baptized” by God. But the difference is, we continue to struggle with sin even after baptism while she went throughout her life without sinning.

Mary needed to be saved in a different way than us. Having been born, we need Christ to make us holy, and she needed Christ so she could stay holy. Still, she needed a savior.

The “splendor of an entirely unique holiness” by which Mary is “enriched from the first instant of her conception” comes wholly from Christ: she is “redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son”. The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and chose her “in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love”.
CCC 492

She is much more than other “highly favored” women. Mary is “full of grace”:

Throughout the Old Covenant, the mission of many holy women prepared for that of Mary. At the very beginning there was Eve; despite her disobedience, she receives the promise of a posterity that will be victorious over the evil one, as well as the promise that she will be the mother of all the living. By virtue of this promise, Sarah conceives a son in spite of her old age. Against all human expectation, God chooses those who were considered powerless and weak to show forth his faithfulness to his promises: Hannah, the mother of Samuel; Deborah; Ruth; Judith and Esther; and many other women. Mary “stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from him. After a long period of waiting the times are fulfilled in her, the exalted Daughter of Sion, and the new plan of salvation is established.”
CCC 489

Proof of the Immaculate Conception

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A post we made on the Immaculate conception years ago:

A good sister asked for “evidence” for the validity of the immaculate conception dogma.

We briefly Explained:

God only dwells in the holiest of places, and if he ever came into the womb of Mary (which he did), he must have prepared it free from every stain of sin. Her womb, like heaven, became unstained with even the slightest taint of original or actual sin.

Again if Jesus were to save us from sin, he too would not be affected by original sin. If Mary were affected by original sin, then Christ too would have suffered this and would therefore be unable to save us since he would be in this sin with us. However, if Christ would save, he needed to be outside this pit of sin to draw us out of it. And Mary’s immaculate conception was a way for Christ to be free from this sin and be in a good position to pull us from it. Not that Christ could have ever been under sin, this is just theoretical. Plus, he also has revealed this truth to the Church over the years.

When the inquirer asked, “So the Dogma is based on assumption?”

The matter is apparent; God has given us the power to discern what he will and won’t do; this kind of argument is drawn from REASON. God also has given us the gift to believe what he says to us even if we do not understand them; this is called FAITH.

The Dogma of the immaculate conception is supported by reason and is revealed by God himself (Faith). The Faith of the Church is that God who is all Good, Perfect, cannot have any taint of sin, and since he has all the power, he actually makes it that sin has no place in his incarnation; this is simple logic. He also has revealed this truth to his Church by the Magisterial Authority bestowed upon her.

Proof of the Immaculate Conception

What of the underworld?

Amid all this confusion is a friend whose hands are long enough to reach us even in the underworld, whose feet have walked those paths, whose power conquered the darkness therein, Jesus is his name. If our lives have been one of friendship and service to the Lord, we shall be sure his power and mercy will lead us to our homeland. No friend is more important than Jesus, for at last, when our feet are prepared to walk the longest distance of all, he will be there to walk each step with us.

Why then would someone ever replace pleasing Jesus with pleasing men who have no true love for us? Men who would lie to take advantage of us, men who, even though they are faithful to us, cannot keep their promise of “loving us forever” of “always being there” since if we do not die and leave, they die and abandon us. Men who would only weep, wipe their eyes and quickly replace us with someone probably better than us.

What a friend we have in Jesus !!!

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SHARE, TOUCH SOMEONE’S HEART TODAY!

Lovers will always lie, here’s why

Fear

One of the things that eat deep into our hearts is FEAR. We are scared of very many things, even things that do not exist. One of the significant obstacles to the spiritual life is this vice’s second face: Cowardice.

So many Christians are afraid of changing their lives; they do not know what life will be like if they were to live without being attached to certain things, including sins.

At one time in our lives, the Holy Spirit offers us a chance to run away from the bondage of sin, but due to this crippling fear of the “Unknown.” We choose to remain in the “known” even though we are not perfectly happy in it; we decide to stay in the sin toward which we have formed strong, disorderly love. We dread the thought of living without telling a lie; how can I succeed in my business without cheating? Is what we ask ourselves. It eludes us how we can manage to survive a day/week without illicit sex; the thought is we might drop dead if we deny ourselves the deadly pleasure of illegitimate sexual intercourse.

Our minds; seeds of eternity

However, since the mind is prone to exaggeration, this, in turn, affects the way we evaluate things. We believe many things to be this way while they are that way and ascribe qualities to something we have not even seen. Sometimes we decide even God’s nature, crafting our own gods in our little heads. We imagine that the spiritual life will be dreary, unadventurous, sad, annoying, and highly depressing. Worst of all, we reject any truth that tries to correct our many lies.

As a living testimony, I say I have never been happier in my life than when I quit my active attachment to sin and began a sincere journey into the Mystery of God; Jesus let me into his heart, and I realized how foolish I had been all along. I believed the pleasures I enjoyed could never be equated with anything; I believed my heart could not survive without the companionship of a lover. But then, immediately after my initial conversion, I couldn’t imagine being with any other lover but the Lord and his Mother.

Let go; don’t be scared.

Then I began to understand how difficult it is to repent, exactly because we humans DO NOT WANT TO LET GO, not because God does not grant the grace needed. We are scared to come out in the light, preferring to hide in our darkness; the shadow of this light is mostly as far as we can go. We like to remain locked in a city we have built, rejecting the possibility of having any better city, even the one built by God himself is to us tiring and depressing. Always running to seek out happiness, to suck it from every empty container, to scrape it from every little waste we find, feeding on every refuse dump to sap even rotten/wasted happiness.

Jesus has invited us to soar up high like the eagle, gaining interior peace, becoming free as the children of God should be; we choose instead to remain in our own yokes; to remain slaves to our own passions, we loathe anything or anyone that advises us to change, we threaten anything that disturbs our ears with the Lord’s message to repentance, we eliminate anything that troubles our consciences; anything that threatens our little world of clay. We may accept his promises of blessings and protection; we may listen to his consoling words, but never to his summons to a true change of heart.

Arise, Now!

Jesus is calling you today. Jesus loves you. Come on into this love union with Jesus; nothing can be sweeter than it! Every other thing shall begin to make more sense when you are in God. The whole of creation will serve to bring his word to your soul. Then you shall taste a love so powerful you can never sleep at night in sorrow or pain. Love so powerful you can never be afraid of the Lord’s anger anymore since you have great confidence in his love and mercy upon you. A love so powerful you will be lost in God, lost in his immensity, become just like Jesus and confuse even the devil himself with this new identity.

Love so powerful that you will be transformed into the Living Flame of the Lord’s light. You will begin to breathe the fire of his love, spiting tiny little fires of love everywhere you go. Caring for all of creation as the Lord intended, bringing light to those in darkness; announcing the message of freedom to all in captivity, raising those who have fallen asleep in sin, and bringing all men who encounter you to the God of your heart—setting all things ablaze! Since you are already aflame with God’s Spirit, you cannot help but set everything you touch on fire with God.

You can, right now. Here, now!

YOU, yes, YOU can become like Jesus. Only start right now. Not tomorrow, HERE and NOW, part ways with your sins, throw the devil away from your house, give him all his property, and he will depart, but if you keep as little as a pin that belongs to him, he will always have the right into your heart.

Brethren, I wish I could make you understand the urgency of this message. I wish you could see through my heart right now; these words have made me feel like a woman in labor. I hope that in giving it out, it might be born in Your HEART; that in your heart may dwell these and similar words of God, drawing all men to salvation through repentance and adherence to God in his Church.

HELP US SHARE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU CAN. CALL OTHERS TO REPENTANCE!

Satan uses fear to keep us in sin: How to break free

A new prayer for the Virgin Mary has gone viral and thanks to her “for being a mother who will never leave” us.

Father Joseph Kentenich, the founder of the Schoenstatt Movement, is known for his focus on the Blessed Virgin Mary as a model for the ideal Christian life, his teachings emphasize on the importance of a deep meaningful spiritual relationship with the Blessed Mary. Seeing her as a spiritual Mother, guardian and Intercessor. A book by Father Jose Kentenich in his work, Ninos ante Dios, [Children Before God], contains a new Marian prayer. We wanted to share this prayer with you, so you too can thank Mary for her presence in your life.

Here is the incredible new Marian prayer:

“Dear Mother, I surrender to you all that I am and have. I am called to give you my life. It doesn’t matter that I am broken. It doesn’t matter that I am wounded. My wound becomes a fissure that opens me. I don’t want to close the wound. I don’t want to seal the fissure. Thank you, Mother, for loving me. Thank you for being with me. Thank you for walking at my side every step of the way. Thank you for being a mother who will never leave me in times of difficulty. Thank you for being my Mother.”

Kentenich wrote the prayer as a reminder that he should not worry, “Mother will take care of it.” This is true. Our Mother in heaven takes care of us and she never leaves us. Moreover, She did not leave Christ even when he was being crucified. She will not leave us, no matter what happens in our lives.

Even when we face trouble, we need only to remember that Our Lady is with us. It will help relieve our worries. Let us recite this Marian prayer often. Let us take a moment to thank Our Mother. Amen.

Prayer for this Morning (Friday, October 22)

raphael

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October 22, 2021

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Prayer for this Morning (Friday, October 22)

Our prayer for this morning is that through the intercession of Saint John Paul II, we may make better choices in life.

Prayer for the Morning

Christ is our light: come, let us adore!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia!

Hymn

O sister dawn, how light your touch;

How bright your face upon the earth!

Awakened are we all to life

As you call us from sleep’s small death.

You, sister, graced that Easter morn,

When Life, entombed, was lost from sight.

You roused the women with their spice

And guided them to greet the Light!

Your dawning opens wide our eyes;

Our talents are awakened, too!

Our hands, so grasping, rest has freed

To welcome gifts we never knew.

With dawn and all the gifts of day,

We praise you, Abba, Breath and Word:

A world so prodigal and free

Reveals your loving hand, O God!

Psalm 19:2-7

For you who fear my name, there will arise/ the sun of justice with its healing rays. (Mal 3:20)

Saint John Paul II liked to quote Saint Augustine: “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!” Through years of painful unity with Christ’s cross, he focused always on the Resurrection. Just as every Sunday is a little Easter, so is every single sunrise a reminder of God’s glorious victory over sin and death.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God

and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

and night unto night makes known the message.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,

their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

There he has placed a tent for the sun;

it comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his tent,

rejoices like a champion to run its course.

At the end of the sky is the rising of the sun;

to the furthest end of the sky is its course.

There is nothing concealed from its burning heat.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Malachi 1:11)

From the rising of the sun, even to its setting,/ my name is great among the nations;/ And everywhere they bring sacrifice to my name,/ and a pure offering;/ For great is my name among the nations,/ says the Lord of hosts.

Those in the west shall fear the name of the Lord,/

and those in the east, his glory. (Is 59:19a)

Canticle of Zechariah

The daybreak from on high will visit us! (Lk 1:78)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

In this morning hour, we pray:

R/Sun of Justice, light our way.

In all our work at home or away from home,

– illumine our choices by the light of the Gospel: R/

In all our dealings with loved ones or strangers,

– enlighten our hearts with the light of your love: R/

In all our decisions,

– shed upon our path the light of your will: R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

You are our light and our salvation, Lord. Through the intercession of Saint John Paul II, grant us light to see your truth, and wisdom to love what we see, that we may walk in your ways today and all the days of our life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lessons from the last words of St John Paul II

gabriel

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October 21, 2021

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Lessons from the last words of St John Paul II

How would it feel:

I usually imagine what it would feel like for me, lying in bed knowing my death is approaching. I am way different from the Saintly Pope, so I know I might be a little (or even a lot) scared. Whenever I do something wrong or dabble in the many sins I struggle against; I wonder what my conscience will be like when the end approaches. That is if I do not die suddenly. The last words of the Pope were full of confidence:

“Struggling to swallow and breathe, Pope John Paul II mumbled his final words weakly in Polish: ‘Let me go to the house of the Father.’ Six hours later, the comatose pontiff died, the Vatican says. (from NBC news online)

Other Last words

These words remind me of those of Christ and St Paul. St Paul’s were very bold and even somewhat scary to me. It sounded a little proud and arrogant at first glance, but later, just scary. They were not really “last words,” but still, he was talking about his exit:

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith. From now on, the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me but to all who crave His appearing”. — 2 Timothy 4:7

The words of St John Paul II and that of St Paul were not hinged on some presumptuous fantasy. They were hinged on Faith that there is a better place, in the hope that God will give it to them and in the love that has transformed their lives to the living Flame of God’s love.

Christ gets brutal: ‘I NEVER knew you.

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’ ” Matthew 7:22-23

These two, as other saints who have exited this world with such great hope and love, have spent all of their lives in God’s vineyard. They recognized the importance of living the very life of Christ, of carrying their crosses every day and walking in the path marked out by Jesus. These sought only to do what God wanted and shunned as much as possible every human comfort. They gave up everything: family, human love, wealth, and worldly power. They became poor and ‘lonely’ for the kingdom of Christ. Like Christ, they were totally spent for love.

So finally, at the end of their journey, they could look to God, who is love and mercy, and utter those words in confidence.

Christ’s words:

“Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit.”

Christ was himself the Father’s ‘Apostle,’ doing only the Father’s bidding while on earth. So, at last, when it was time to breathe his last, he committed his guilt-free soul to God’s hands. His was a life of total obedience, the degree to which no man can attain. His very birth was an answer to the call of the Father, and his death too was the fulfillment of that call.

We who are alive:

There is a big difference between doing what God wants (obedience) and doing the things you think God wants. So many people who believe they are evangelizing or living the life of Faith are, in reality serving their egos. Some have ulterior motives or bask too much in the love of men to the point that these become their primary goal. Christ obeyed the Father in all things, hence his confidence. Sts John Paul and Paul followed Christ in all things, hence their hope. The secret lesson to be learned from the life of St. John Paul II is obedience. Obedience to the call of Christ and steadfastness in doing his work.

Life of service

This may be the same with obedience, but there’s something I want to add here. St John Paul II was very zealous. He never relented or excused himself from the Mass or from prayer because of his health. I watched the Pope, who was practically hunched over by several sicknesses and old age, still perform his duties as Pope. It was touching to watch him during the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, how difficult it was for him to speak, yet still zealous in the work of the Lord. Even until his death, he was more than willing to participate in the celebration of Mass:

The Vatican account describes the pontiff as experiencing various levels of participation in what was going on around him.

John Paul’s eyes were practically closed during a Mass celebrated at the foot of his bed in the late afternoon of March 31, the account said.

“But at the moment of the consecration, he weakly raised his right hand two times, that is, on the (raising up) of the bread and wine. He made a gesture indicating he was trying to strike his chest during the recitation” of the Lamb of God prayer, the Vatican said. (From NBC News online)

“He was a very disciplined man from the point of view of moral ethics,” he (Cardinal Dziwisz) said. “Even at work, he never wasted time. He always had time for prayer.”

In fact, for John Paul II, prayer was never separated from work, Cardinal Dziwisz said. “He was immersed in God and in everything he did, he always walked with God and in prayer.” (From CNA Online)

Obedience

The beauty of obedience is it makes you feel less responsible for the work you have done. In a sense, you can go, “I did what you asked me.” If Jesus gives you little to work with, you are expected to produce little. So there’s little or no pressure on your part. God wants an ear that listens more than he wants hands that dispel demons. I am always thrilled every time I read the last words of the Saintly Pope because I learn from it to work too towards becoming hopeful in God’s mercy at the hour of my death. Because I know that if I have done nothing but seek my own pleasure all my life, I cannot possibly hope but presume upon God’s mercy. But if I keep up this struggle, trying very hard to keep listening and following his commands, I will be at peace then.

Love, the law is love:

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.”

It is not so difficult to understand. Love of God means obeying him. Love of God means love of neighbor and of the creatures of God. It means using all things and caring for all things the way God wants. It means taking care of the world too and keeping it healthy for the next generation, sharing with the underprivileged, and lending your neighbor a hand and giving alms to the poor and clothing to the naked, food to the hungry, and words of encouragement to the depressed. Love means letting the Spirit of Christ possess you, so he can walk, talk, and move in you. At last, after having lived his life on earth, you will continue living his life in heaven for all eternity.

THE LAW IS LOVE. THE KEY TO HEAVEN IS LOVE!

Lessons from the last words of St John Paul II

Why the devil wants you to wait till death to repent and why you shouldn’t

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gabriel

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October 21, 2021

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Why the devil wants you to wait till death to repent and why you shouldn’t

“Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death”

Is the second part of the “Hail Mary” and was officially included in the Catechism of the Council of Trent in 1556.

The Hour

You know how the Devil tempts you in life? Have you ever had a very violent temptation where it seemed like you had no control at all?. Well, the “hour of death” is the final struggle the Devil has to put up for your soul. It is the fiercest battle you will ever engage in. This is why we repeatedly ask for assistance for that moment, as it is very decisive for the final destination of our souls.

Objectively speaking: If we have led a life of devotion, and finally, at the hour of death, deny God’s mercy and light, we will lose our souls. And if we have led a horrible life but embrace God’s Love at death, we can hope for salvation. But the problem with these is, they rarely ever work this way. God cannot abandon a person at death who has been with him steadfastly in life. And someone who has rejected God all their lives finds it hard to surrender to his Love in death.

A Habit, an outlook:

Do you know faith is a gift? It takes over your whole being. Do not think it’s some psychological ability you summon and say, “I believe.” Faith is a supernatural gift that enlightens the eye of reason and allows you to stare God in the face. Yes, you begin to see God in the world, in human beings, in the suffering, and in those in pain. In those losing hope and dying. You will see him in his Church and follow her motherly counsel. This is what faith does. You will begin to move as Christ would; talk and heal as Christ would. Healing everywhere the effects of sin and discord among people. That is what faith does: it moves you to acts of love and hope.

When, on the other hand, you have not believed in God all your life. You have not shown your love for him by constantly struggling to please him and avoid sin. Not only by avoiding sin but by seeking his face and doing his work on earth. You will be overtaken by a certain outlook, one which totally negates faith, one which compels you to choose doubt over faith, fearful regret over hopeful remorse. You cannot believe unless you know, and you cannot know better unless you have believed.

The Devil: the spirit of ‘tomorrow.’

It is presumptuous to believe that at death, everything will fall in place, and you’d be fine. It is very dangerous to hold this view. The Devil tempts people to promise themselves tomorrow. He always talks about “tomorrow”, never allowing one to seize the moment, to use the present for anything positive. When he tempts, he says, “you will be like God when you eat.” However, when you ask for the fulfillment of the promise, he keeps saying, “tomorrow you will have it, take more and eat.” He keeps on postponing the satisfaction, yet we keep eating and eating more forbidden fruit.

Why? Because we do not perfectly grasp the sweeping speed by which time passes. We keep basking in the euphoria of tomorrow and other false hopes. We cannot like St Augustine say:

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow?” Why not now? Why not is there this hour an end to my uncleanness?

The Preparation:

The Lord’s last words were, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Jesus said this at the hour of his death. It wasn’t like he was very bothered about his spirit or anything, but this shows there’s a struggle, and in his humanity, he needed the aid of the Father to be safe.

You spend your entire life preparing for that hour because then there would be many things to distract and tempt you.

Possibilities:

What if one dies suddenly without any chance of repentance?
Consider if one loses his consciousness and is unable to think or speak?
Or suddenly loses the use of his senses and is unable to feel sorry or say anything?
One could be overcome by grief, having the image of their entire lives flashing in front of their eyes that they feel so ashamed to approach God that they die without asking for pardon. Or asking without believing in his mercy?
Others could be tempted to glory in their sins at death by wishing they had another life to relive them.
The possibilities are endless, all scenarios where one loses his balance and falls into despair or presumption and faces the high risk of eternal loss.

What to do

The preparation for death begins in life, not at the last hour. We need God’s grace for everything. Everything that leads to God is received as gifts; we cannot manufacture any of them. Even real contrition is achieved by the help of God’s Spirit in us. That is why I usually pray for such graces before going to confession. It would be best if we begin now. The Devil wants us to keep putting it off because he knows how much more challenging it will be at the last hour. He knows then we’d depend on God’s mercy while fighting all of Hell and even our own humanity. But if we have believed in God all our lives, we will know he is Love and will confidently approach him through Christ.

The time is now!

————————————————————————–

Keep these prayers, memorize them:

To Mary at each visit to the Blessed Sacrament. By St Alphonsus Liguori:

Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, it is to you, who are the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the advocate, the hope and the refuge of sinners, that I have recourse today, I, who most of all am deserving of pity. Most humbly do I offer you my homage, O great Queen, and I thank you for all the graces you have obtained for me until now, and particularly for having saved me from Hell, which, by my sins, I have so often deserved.

I love you, O most lovable Lady, and because of my Love for you, I promise to serve you always and to do all in my power to win others to love you also. In your hands I place all my hopes; I entrust the salvation of my soul to your care. Accept me as your servant, O Mother of Mercy; receive me under your mantle. And since you have such power with God, deliver me from all temptations, or rather, obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until death. Of you I ask the grace of perfect Love for Jesus Christ. Through your help I hope to die a happy death. O my Mother I beg you, by the Love you bear my God, to help me at all times, but especially at the last moment of my life. Do not leave me, I beseech you, until you see me safe in Heaven, blessing you and singing your mercies for all eternity, amen. So I hope, so may it be.

To St Joseph:

O Blessed Joseph, you gave your last breath in the loving embrace of Jesus and Mary. When the seal of death shall close my life, come with Jesus and Mary to aid me. Obtain for me this solace for that hour – to die with their holy arms around me. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I commend my soul, living and dying, into your sacred arms. Amen.

Why the devil wants you to wait till death to repent and why you shouldn’t

The Phrase

You may be familiar with the phrase extra Ecclesiam nulla Salus, which means: “outside the Church, there is no salvation.” This does not mean that anyone who is not a member of the Catholic Church will not be saved or that the Church is absolutely necessary for salvation. (Mind you, I said “absolutely.” The Church IS NECESSARY for salvation, but God can bring the inculpably ignorant to salvation too).

This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience—those too may achieve eternal salvation. — CCC 847

All this holds true not only for Christians but for all men of goodwill in whose hearts grace works in secret. For, since Christ died for all men, and since the ultimate vocation of man is, in fact, one and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery. — Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et Spes.

The easiest path to heaven, how to use the shortcut

The Church is necessary:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it. (CCC 846)

No place for guess-work

You know there are no do-overs when it comes to salvation. One cannot wake up in hell and yell, “cut, cut cut.” Once one falls into that pit, that is the end. Therefore there’s a need for serious care in working towards heaven. The discussion here is not hugely on the phrase discussed above or on the virtues needed for heaven. We all know the whole gist: love God above all, stay away from sin. DO GOOD by loving and caring for the things and people God loves. This means to care for everyone with love and for the environment too.

The Shortcuts

Sacraments: Do you know how difficult it must be to have the mercy of God with certainty without the Sacrament? Yes, it is true; God forgives everyone who calls on him with a sincere heart. However, you cannot compare this with the assurance in your heart when you hear the words of absolution: “Ego te absolvo,” “I absolve thee.” You must have the conditions necessary for receiving this Sacrament before it is valid, though. Read about that here. That is why I say it must be really difficult to be a protestant. Everything is dependent on me; there is little or no help of grace flowing from the seven Sacraments of the Church.

The Virgin Mary

Aha, finally, the living ‘shortcut.’ I know many might dispute this, and this is not discussed as an official position of the Church but as a personal opinion. Several Saints have also expressed this.

“Have you strayed from the path leading to heaven? Then call on Mary, for her name means “Star of the Sea, the North Star which guides the ships of our souls during the voyage of this life,” and she will guide you to the harbor of eternal salvation.” ― St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret Of The Rosary.

He who is devout to the Blessed Mother will certainly never be lost. – St. Ignatius of Antioch

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, always smile on your spirit, obtaining for it, from her Most Holy Son, every heavenly blessing. – St. Padre Pio

If the hurricanes of temptation rise against you, or you are running upon the rocks of trouble, look to the star-call on Mary! – St. Bernard of Clairvaux

As sailors are guided by a star to the port, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary. – St. Thomas Aquinas

Only after the last judgment will Mary get any rest; from now until then, she is much too busy with her children. – St. John Vianney

Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother. – St. Padre Pio

Devotions:

I would have included miracles associated with the praying of the Rosary, but I will mention my experience in passing. I have never had a difficult health situation where I called Mary, and she did nothing. This started happening to me since I was a little boy. It might be only in my head, that’s definitely a possibility, but anytime I am in pain and call Mary, something different almost always happens.

Anyone who says the Rosary daily is assured of Mary’s friendship. And anyone who uses the Brown Scapular too is closer to the heart of Mary than anything. These are her dual weapons against all the powers of hell.

Truly the Sacraments are the surest means of salvation. But we also have to turn to Mary because, as in Canaan, she gets our backs whenever we run out of wine. Out of the wine of strength, of grace, of virtue, of peace, of love, and of hope. We can always depend on Mary to obtain the best of graces from Jesus, her son. This is the surest and easiest path to heaven. Holding onto Jesus, his Church, and his Mother. Let others know!

“[The] Blessed Mother… is the safest, easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus“

– St Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.

The easiest path to heaven, how to use the shortcut

sharing the faith received

sharing the faith received

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Saints and More

Recent Comments

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Prayers

Exhortations

Saints and More

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The Saints in the Bible invoked the heavens:

St David’s prayers in the psalms:

Those in heaven pray for us too:

Communion of Saints:

His Body, the Church

Historical roots: The Church Fathers and early Christians:

Clement of Alexandria speaking about the true christian wrote:

Origen: Not only Jesus prays for us:

St Cyprian:

Methodius:

Cyril of Jerusalem, speaking about Eucharistic prayer:

Methodius:

Hilary of Poitiers:

Ephraim the Syrian:

The Liturgy of St. Basil

Ephraim the Syrian

Methodius

John Chrysostom

Ambrose of Milan

Jerome

Augustine

Sozomen

Pope Leo I

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Does this mean Mary didn’t need a Savior?:

She is much more than other “highly favored” women. Mary is “full of grace”:

A post we made on the Immaculate conception years ago:

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When the inquirer asked, “So the Dogma is based on assumption?”

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Our minds; seeds of eternity

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You can, right now. Here, now!

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A new prayer for the Virgin Mary has gone viral and thanks to her “for being a mother who will never leave” us.

Here is the incredible new Marian prayer:

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Hymn

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Canticle of Zechariah

Intercessions

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How would it feel:

Other Last words

Christ gets brutal: ‘I NEVER knew you.

Christ’s words:

We who are alive:

Life of service

Obedience

Love, the law is love:

The Hour

A Habit, an outlook:

The Devil: the spirit of ‘tomorrow.’

The Preparation:

Possibilities: