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Prayer for this Morning (October 8.)

raphael

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October 8, 2021

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Prayer for the Morning

O Lord, open my lips

and my mouth shall declare your praise. (Ps 51:17)

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

Have mercy, Lord, on me,

For you are ever kind;

Let me, oppressed with loads of guilt,

Your faithful mercy find.

Wash off my foul offense,

And cleanse me from my sin;

For I confess my crime and see

How great my guilt has been.

Against you, Lord, alone

And only in your sight,

Have I transgressed; and, though condemned,

Must own your judgment right.

Blot out my crying sins,

Nor me in anger view;

Create in me a heart that’s clean,

An upright mind renews.

The joy your favor gives

Let me again obtain;

And your free Spirit’s firm support

My fainting soul sustains.

Psalm 51:3-6a, 8-9, 12-15

I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners. (Lk 5:32)

The most difficult part of ongoing conversion is admitting that we really are sinners and allowing God to see and forgive us as we are, with all our faults and all our flaws showing, especially the ones over which we seem to have no control.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

In your compassion blot out my offense.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

and cleanse me from my sin.

My offenses truly I know them;

my sin is always before me.

Against you, you alone, have I sinned;

what is evil in your sight I have done.

Indeed you love truth in the heart;

then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.

O purify me, then I shall be clean;

O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help;

with a spirit of fervor sustain me,

that I may teach transgressors your ways

and sinners may return to you.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (1 John 1:8-10)

If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Lord, have mercy!

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Jesus said to them, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.” (cf. Lk 5:31)

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

God knows our failings through and through, yet never turns away from us. With humble, contrite hearts, let us pray:

R/Have mercy, God, in your kindness.

When we are reluctant to own our sins as sins: R/

When we are afraid, in our sinfulness, to pray: R/

When we feel hopeless about the sinful patterns in which we are trapped: R/

When we refuse to forgive others because we cannot forgive ourselves: R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

O God of forgiveness, you sent your only Son to live and die among us in order to set us free from the merciless snares of sin and death. Forgive what we cannot forgive; heal what we dare not face; grant humility where we take refuge in false pride. Grant us singleness of heart and a steadfast spirit, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Why Jesus chose Bread and Wine?

Q&A

gabriel

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October 8, 2021

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Why Jesus chose Bread and Wine? Jesus gave us the Eucharist as a gift at the Last Supper. He used Bread and Wine:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 26:26-28

These have a connection to the Jewish Passover celebration but had even more profound symbolism.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:

“This [Jesus] did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us‘”.
CCC 1323

The question is, why did God choose bread and wine when there are many other things he could have gone with, maybe even some meat? I have heard someone wonder if you will give someone your “flesh and blood,” shouldn’t you provide then something that comes closer to those?

That might sound like it makes sense, but the reality is, God does what he will. We can understand some of his actions from his words, others we will wait to know when we meet him. But here’s the first reason we can point to right now for why he chose bread and wine:. They are part of his Old Testament revelations.

The Catechism says:

In the Old Covenant, bread and wine were offered in sacrifice among the first fruits of the earth as a sign of grateful acknowledgment to the Creator. But they also received a new significance in the context of the Exodus: the unleavened bread that Israel eats every year at Passover commemorates the haste of the departure that liberated them from Egypt; the remembrance of the manna in the desert will always recall to Israel that it lives by the bread of the Word of God; their daily bread is the fruit of the promised land, the pledge of God’s faithfulness to his promises.
The “cup of blessing” at the end of the Jewish Passover meal adds to the festive joy of wine an eschatological dimension: the messianic expectation of the rebuilding of Jerusalem. When Jesus instituted the Eucharist, he gave a new and definitive meaning to the blessing of the bread and the cup.
CCC 1334

Symbols

All of the Old Testament revelations point to the New, so most times to understand the New, we refer to the Old. God knew he would be using bread and wine, so he began to prepare us in the people of Israel thousands of years before. So many of their experiences prefigured the Eucharist.

Another reason we can profer is: He likely chose bread and wine because of its symbolism in how they are made. As St Augustine noted in his sermon about the symbolism of making bread:

In this loaf of bread, you are given clearly to understand how much you should love unity. I mean, was that loaf made from one grain? Weren’t there many grains of wheat? But before they came into the loaf, they were all separate; they were joined together by means of water after a certain amount of pounding and crushing. Unless wheat is ground, after all, and moistened with water, it can’t possibly get into this shape which is called bread. In the same way, you too were being ground and pounded, as it were, by the humiliation of fasting and the sacrament of exorcism.

Then came baptism, and you were, in a manner of speaking, moistened with water in order to be shaped into bread. But it’s not yet bread without fire to bake it. So what does fire represent? That’s the chrism, the anointing. Oil, the fire-feeder, you see, is the sacrament of the Holy Spirit … You see, he breathes into us the charity which should set us on fire for God. And have us think lightly of the world, and burn up our straw, and purge and refine our hearts like gold. So the Holy Spirit comes, fire after water, and you are baked into the bread, which is the body of Christ. And that’s how unity is signified.

This calls to mind the words of St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians: the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:17).

Another thing to remember is, bread is a staple food virtually in every culture in the world. Jesus loved simple symbols everyone could understand, something universal.

For the wine symbolism, St Augustine gives something similar again:

But just as one loaf is made from single grains collected together and somehow mixed in with each other into the dough. so in the same way, the body of Christ is made one by the harmony of charity. And what grains are for the body of Christ, grapes are for his blood; because wine too comes out from the press, and what was separated one by one in many grapes flows together into a unity and becomes wine. Thus both in the bread and in the cup, there is the mystery, the sacrament, of unity.
Sermon 229A

Why Jesus chose Bread and Wine?

Prayer for this Evening (Wednesday, October 6)

raphael

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October 8, 2021

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Prayer for this Evening (Wednesday, October 6)

INTRODUCTION

O God, come to our aid.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

Hymn

When God made man, he gave him all the earth,

All growing things, with every bird and beast;

Then Adam named them at the Lord’s command,

Subdued the greatest of them, and the least.

In his own image, God created man,

And when from dust he fashioned Adam’s face,

The likeness of his only Son was formed:

His Word incarnate, filled with truth and grace.

To God the Father and to Christ his Son

And blessed Spirit heaven and earth give praise.

Creation with tremendous voice cries out:

All holy is the mighty Lord of Days.

Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

Psalm 134 (135)

Praise the Lord, the wonder-worker

The Lord is great: our God is high above all gods.

Praise the name of the Lord:

praise it, servants of the Lord,

you who stand in the house of the Lord,

in the courts of the house of our God.

Praise the Lord, for the Lord, is good;

sing to his name, for it brings happiness.

For the Lord chose Jacob for his own,

he chose Israel for his possession.

I know how great is the Lord,

how great is our God above all gods.

The Lord accomplishes all that he wills,

in the heavens and on the earth,

in the sea and the depths of the oceans.

He brings in clouds from the ends of the earth,

makes lightning for the rain clouds,

from his storehouse he calls forth the winds.

He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,

of man and of beast alike.

He sent signs and wonders among them,

to Pharaoh and all his servants.

He shattered nation after nation,

killed powerful kings:

Sihon, king of the Amorites,

Og, the king of Bashan,

all the kingdoms of Canaan.

He gave their lands as a birthright,

as a birthright for Israel his people.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord is great: our God is high above all gods.

Psalm 134 (135)

House of Israel, bless the Lord! Sing a psalm to his name, for he is loving.

Lord, your name is forever;

Lord, your name will be remembered

by generation after generation.

For the Lord will give judgment for his people,

he will look with kindness upon his servants.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,

the work of the hands of men.

They have mouths but will not speak,

[t]hey have eyes and will not see.

They have ears and will not hear,

there is no breath in their mouths.

They will be like them, those who make them;

and all who put their trust in them.

House of Israel, bless the Lord;

[h]ouse of Aaron, bless the Lord;

house of Levi, bless the Lord;

you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.

Blessed be the Lord from Zion,

whose abode is Jerusalem.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

House of Israel, bless the Lord! Sing a psalm to his name, for he is loving.

Canticle (Apocalypse 15)

A hymn of adoration

All the peoples will come and adore you, Lord.

Great and wonderful are your deeds,

O Lord God the Almighty!

Just and true are your ways,

O King of the ages!

Who shall not fear and glorify your name, O Lord?

For you alone are holy.

All nations shall come and worship you,

for your judgments have been revealed.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

All the peoples will come and adore you, Lord.

Short Reading James 1:2-4

My brothers, you will always have your trials but, when they come, try to treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is only put to the test to make you patient, but patience too is to have its practical results so that you will become fully developed, complete, with nothing missing.

Short Responsory

Christ loved us and has washed away our sins with his blood.

– Christ loved us and has washed away our sins with his blood.

He has made us a line of kings, priests to serve God.

– Christ loved us and has washed away our sins with his blood.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Christ loved us and has washed away our sins with his blood.

Canticle (Magnificat)

My soul rejoices in the Lord

The Lord has come to help us, his servants: he has remembered his mercy.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.

For he has shown me such favor –

me, his lowly handmaiden.

Now all generations will call me blessed,

because the mighty one has done great things for me.

His name is holy,

his mercy lasts for generation after generation

for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:

he has scattered the proud and conceited,

torn princes from their thrones;

but lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things;

the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,

he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord has come to help us, his servants: he has remembered his mercy.

Prayers and intercessions

Father, Christ prayed that we be forgiven through his passion. As you accepted him, accept his prayer for all sinners.

– Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Through his beloved disciple, Jesus gave us Mary to be our mother;

with her, we pray to you for all her children.

– Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Father, heed the anguish of those who cry out to you with your Son:

‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

– Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Help us to hear the cry, ‘I thirst’;

help us to see your Son, even in the least of his brothers.

– Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

To the man dying with him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I say to you, this day you will be with me in Paradise.’

Father, let these words be heard again by those who die tonight.

– Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

We pray for those who have gone before us, signed with the sign of the cross:

may they rise with Christ in power when his voice resounds again through the universe: ‘It is consummated.’

– Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Holy Father and Lord,

you willed that Christ your Son

should be the price of our salvation.

Give us grace so to live

that through sharing his sufferings

we may be strengthened by the power of his resurrection.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

(one) God, forever and ever.

Amen.

The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.

Amen.

Saint of the Day: Our Lady of the Rosary

raphael

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October 7, 2021

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Saint of the Day: Our Lady of the Rosary

The Story of Our Lady of the Rosary

Saint Pius V established this feast in 1573. Originally, the celebration was dedicated to Mary under her title Our Lady of Victories. The aim was to thank God for the great victory of Christians over the Turks at Lepanto. This victory was attributed to praying the holy rosary.

In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of the celebration to “Our Lady of the Rosary.” It was only in 1716 that Pope Clement XI extended the feast to the universal Church.

For prayer and reflection

The development of the rosary has a long history. First, a practice developed includes praying 150 Our Fathers in imitation of the 150 Psalms. Then, there was a parallel practice of praying 150 Hail Marys. Soon a mystery of Jesus’ life was attached to each Hail Mary. Though Mary’s giving of the rosary to Saint Dominic is recognized as a legend, the development of this prayer form owes much to the followers of Saint Dominic. One of them, Alan de la Roche, was known as “the apostle of the rosary.” He founded the first Confraternity of the Rosary in the 15th century. In the 16th century, the rosary was developed to its present form—with the 15 mysteries: joyful, sorrowful, and glorious. In 2002, Pope John Paul II added the five Mysteries of Light to this devotion.

“With the Rosary, the Christian people sit at the school of Mary and are led to contemplate the beauty of the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.” —Pope Saint John Paul II

Prayer

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,

your grace into our hearts,

that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son

was made known by the message of an Angel,

may, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

by his Passion and Cross

be brought to the glory of his Resurrection.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, forever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal)

Our Lady of the Rosary

Our Prayer this Morning is that God through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary will answer those who await deliverance from suffering and death

Prayer for this Morning

Let us proclaim God’s goodness

in the assembly of the faithful!

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

The gladness of thy motherhood,

The anguish of thy suffering,

The glory now that crowns thy brow,

O Virgin-Mother, we would sing.

Hail, blessed mother, full of joy

In thy consent, thy visit too;

Joy in the birth of Christ on earth,

Joy in him lost and found anew.

Hail, sorrowing in his agony—

The blows, the thorns that pierced his brow;

The heavy wood, the shameful Rood—

True queen and chief of martyrs thou!

Hail in the triumph of thy Son,

The quick’ning flames of Pentecost;

Shining a queen in light serene,

When all the world is tempest-tossed.

O come, you nations, roses bring

Culled from these mysteries divine,

And for the mother of your King

With loving hearts your chaplets twine.

PSALM 86:1-6, 11-13

All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. (Acts 1:14)

Mary, Mother of the Church, prays with us and for us. Through her example and intercession, we learn the lesson of faithful prayer, just as through our meditation on the mysteries of the rosary we learn the lesson of faithful life taught by Mary and by her Son Jesus.

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer

for I am poor and needy.

Preserve my life, for I am faithful:

save the servant who trusts in you.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,

for I cry to you all the day long.

Give joy to your servant, O Lord,

for to you I lift up my soul.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,

full of love to all who call.

Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer

and attend to the sound of my voice.

Show me, Lord, your way

so that I may walk in your truth.

Guide my heart to fear your name.

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart

and glorify your name for ever;

for your love to me has been great:

you have saved me from the depths of the grave.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Ephesians 6:18)

With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones.

When you call me, when you go to pray to me,

I will listen to you. (Jer 29:12)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

As for me, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you and to teach you the good and right way. (1 Sam 12:23)

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

Let us ask Mary’s intercession on behalf of all who are in need:

R/Lord, hear your Mother’s prayer.

Mother of good counsel, you prayed with the disciples as they waited in the Upper Room:

– pray for all those who await deliverance from suffering and death. R/

Mother of our Savior, you watch with a mother’s care over the whole Body of Christ:

– pray for all those in need of salvation. R/

Mother of God, you dwell in glory before the face of God:

– pray always for your children. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

Loving Father, increase our devotion to the most holy rosary and draw us ever closer to you through the intercession of the Mother of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

what are your intentions for prayer this morning?

Finding Our way to Christ through the Rosary

Sr. Lucia, who saw Our Lady at Fatima, says there is a “new efficacy” granted to the Rosary for our times.

The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given new efficacy in the recitation of the Holy Rosary. She has given this efficacy to such an extent that there is no problem; no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual; in the personal life of each one of us; of our families … that cannot be solved by the Rosary.

There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.

The Popes on Rosary

We desire to welcome the Virgin’s maternal request, committing ourselves to saying the rosary with faith for peace in our families, in countries, and in the whole world.

— Zenit.org, 10/07/07

Many of the popes have described the Rosary as a powerful, multifaceted devotion. Romano Guardini, a popular Theologian, described praying the rosary as; “participation in the life of Mary, whose focus was Christ.”

Pope Leo XIII also viewed the rosary as a necessary means to participate in the life of Mary; and to find the way to Christ.

Throughout Church history, the popes have said over and over again that the Rosary is a key to everything from family harmony to world peace. The saints have said the same …

The Rosary is a true channel of contemplative prayer, a true summary of the Gospels (life of Christ), a way to triumph over the devil, and even has physiological benefits!

A Short Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima

O Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, you were pleased to appear to the children of Fatima and reveal a glorious message.

We implore you, inspire in our hearts a fervent love for the recitation of the Rosary.

By meditating on the mysteries of the redemption that are recalled therein may we obtain the graces and virtues that we ask, through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer.

Evening Prayer (Wednesday, October 6)

raphael

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October 6, 2021

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INTRODUCTION

O God, come to our aid.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

To thee our inmost heart doth cry,

Our voice resounds in melody,

For thee, chaste love with longing yearns,

Our humbled soul doth worship thee.

And when dense blackness falls to close

The day in thickest folds of night,

Let not our faith such darkness know,

But by that faith let dark be light.

Allow thou not our souls to rest;

Our sins in rest, we pray thee, bind:

Let pure, refreshing faith be strong

To cool all dreams that heat the mind.

Stripped clean from senses’ danger, let

Our inmost heart dream deep of thee;

Let not our envious foe disturb

Our rest with guile and treachery.

PSALM 125 (126)

Gladness and hope in the Lord

Those who were sowing in tears will sing when they reap.

When the Lord gave Zion back her captives, we became like dreamers.

Our mouths were filled with gladness and our voices cried in exultation.

Among the Gentiles, they were saying,

“By his deeds, the Lord has shown himself great.”

The Lord’s deeds showed forth his greatness

and filled us with rejoicing.

Give us back our captives, O Lord,

as you renew the dry streams in the desolate South.

Those who sow in tears will rejoice at the harvest.

They wept as they went, went with seed for the sowing;

but with joy, they will come, come bearing the sheaves.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Those who were sowing in tears will sing when they reap.

PSALM 126 (127)

Without the Lord, we labour in vain

The Lord will build a house for us; he will watch over our city.

If the Lord does not build the house,

its builders labour in vain.

If the Lord does not watch over a city,

its watchmen guard it in vain.

It is vain for you to rise before the dawn

and go late to your rest,

eating the bread of toil –

to those he loves, the Lord gives sleep.

The Lord bestows sons as an heirloom,

the fruit of the womb as a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior –

so are the sons of one’s youth.

Happy the man who fills his quiver thus:

when he disputes with his enemies at the gate,

he will not be the loser.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord will build a house for us; he will watch over our city.

CANTICLE (Colossians 1)

Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead

He is the first-born of all creation, he is supreme over all creatures.

Let us give thanks to God the Father,

who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints’ inheritance?

He has rescued us from the power of the shadows

and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

in whom we have redemption

and the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God,

the first-born of all creation,

for in him all things were created,

in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

thrones and dominations,

principalities and powers.

All things were created through him and for him:

he is before all things,

and in him, all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the Church.

He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead,

and so he is pre-eminent above all.

For it was the Father’s will that the fullness of God should dwell in him,

and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself.

Through the blood of the Cross, he brought peace to all things,

both on Earth and in the heavens.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

He is the first-born of all creation, he is supreme over all creatures.

Short Reading (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Glory be to him whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; glory be to him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.

Short Responsory

Redeem me, Lord, and show me your mercy.

– Redeem me, Lord, and show me your mercy.

Do not cast me away with sinners.

– Redeem me, Lord, and show me your mercy.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Redeem me, Lord, and show me your mercy.

CANTICLE (Magnificat)

My soul rejoices in the Lord

The Almighty has done great things for me; holy is his name.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.

For he has shown me such favour –

me, his lowly handmaiden.

Now all generations will call me blessed,

because the mighty one has done great things for me.

His name is holy,

his mercy lasts for generation after generation

for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:

he has scattered the proud and conceited,

torn princes from their thrones;

but lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things;

the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,

he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Almighty has done great things for me; holy is his name.

Prayers and intercessions

I may have faith strong enough to move mountains: but if I have no love, I am nothing. With this in mind we pray:

– Lord, grant us your love.

Lord, sustain us as we build and grow towards you:

increase our faith as we work.

– Lord, grant us your love.

We are assailed by doubts and weighed down by uncertainties,

release our hearts, to journey towards you with hope.

– Lord, grant us your love.

Love keeps no score of wrong, and does not gloat over evil:

help us to delight in the truth, and rejoice in your gifts to others.

– Lord, grant us your love.

Confirm the pilgrim Church in the faith of the apostles:

help us to encourage each other, sharing our gifts.

– Lord, grant us your love.

Bring those who have died in your peace to that knowledge which fulfils faith and answers hope,

grant them the fullness of your love.

– Lord, grant us your love.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Let your people’s cry come into your loving presence, Lord.

Forgive them their sins,

so that by your grace they may be devoted to your service

and rest secure under your protecting hand.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

(one) God, forever and ever.

Amen.

The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.

Amen.

5 Short powerful prayers given to us from Heaven

raphael

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October 6, 2021

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5 Short powerful prayers given to us from Heaven

These 5 Short powerful prayers were given to us from Heaven. Around the Apparition of Mary in Fatima, the three shepherd children received visions of Mary and Angel. Both gave different powerful prayers to us.

Aside from the repeated exhortation to pray the Rosary every day, the following prayers were given:

From the Angel

The angel identified himself as “the Angel of Peace” and “the Angel of Portugal”.

And then we began to see, in the distance, above the trees that stretched to the east, a light whiter than snow in the form of a young man, quite transparent, and as brilliant as crystal in the rays of the sun. As he came near we were able to see his features. We were astonished and absorbed and we said nothing to one another. And then he said:

Do not be afraid. I am the angel of peace. Pray with me.

He knelt, bending his forehead to the ground. With a supernatural impulse we did the same, repeating the words we heard him say:

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You.

After repeating this prayer three times the angel rose and said to us:

Pray in this way. The hearts of Jesus and Mary are ready to listen to you.

And he disappeared. He left us in an atmosphere of the supernatural that was so intense we were for a long time unaware of our own existence.

On another occasion, the three children saw the angel prostrate himself before a host and chalice that hung in the air. Worshiping the Eucharist, the angel prayed:

Most Holy Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.

The Eucharistic Prayer

Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee! My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

From the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The Blessed Mother taught the children to offer all their personal sacrifices to God by praying:

O My Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Rosary Decade Prayer

Remember, you must not tell this to anyone except Francisco.

When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need.

5 Short powerful prayers given to us from Heaven

4 Ways to Use Holy Water

Articles

gabriel

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October 6, 2021

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4 Ways to Use Holy Water. We all know the basics, when you get to the Church, dip your hand in the holy water and make the sign of the cross. Very few understand the significance of this simple gesture, blessing oneself, or that we are supposed to recall our baptismal promise to renounce Satan and sin.

From long experience I have learned that there is nothing like holy water to put devils to flight and prevent them from coming back again. They also flee from the Cross, but return; so holy water must have great virtue. For my own part, whenever I take it, my soul feels a particular and most notable consolation.
St. Teresa of Avila

We forget a few things about the Holy Water, for one it is a very powerful Sacramental and the Church exhorts us to use it regularly. Daily if possible.

Here are things you can do with Holy Water:

1. Bless yourself and your family

The obvious one, bless yourself and your family daily, don’t wait to get to the Church first. You can keep it in a container in the house, people can spray themselves and you can do so while blessing your children as well.

You can also have a small bottle for when you are leaving the house.

2. Bless Your House, Garden and other stuff

Blessing your home is a special ritual to entrust your house to God’s protection and heavenly care. Remembering the Church is the domestic church and should be as sacred as possible. You can have this done by a priest or you can do it yourself. The special prayer and the ordination of the priest make this more powerful and formal, but in the absence of a priest, you can do this yourself. Insofar as you are baptized.

Holy water can also be used to bless other things in the house. You can also bless your garden. This is actually an old practice: Catholics would sprinkle their vegetable gardens with holy water. This was because at the time many depended heavily on farming and this was a way to ask for God’s protection and favorable weather.

Your car too can be blessed with the Holy water to ask God to keep you from accidents. Another common practice by Catholics.

3. Bless the sick:

You can use Holy water to pray for the sick in your family and your friends too. If you visit sick people you can bless them and their surroundings with holy water.

4. Bless Your Pets

There are prayers in the Church asking God for pets. These are loved companions and we sometimes have very strong bonds with them and consider them family. They too can be blessed with holy water. Even livestock, if we have a farm, this is also applicable.

Prayer:

Very simple prayer while using Holy Water:
“By this holy water and by Your Precious Blood, wash away all my sins, O Lord. Amen.

4 Ways to Use Holy Water

How is the Eucharistic bread made?

Articles
Q&A

gabriel

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October 6, 2021

0

How is the Eucharistic bread made? The Church teaches, like the Apostles did, that the Eucharist is the actual Body and Blood of Christ. The Bishop, a successor of the Apostles ordains priests, sharing his apostolic power especially to celebrate the Eucharist. When a dully-ordained priest stretches his hands over the bread and wine, they miraculously become Christ’s body and blood. But the question is, how do the bread and wine get made?

The Church does not use just any bread or wine, in fact, there are serious regulations on what kind to use and how they are made.

Can. 924 §1 The most holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist must be celebrated in bread, and in wine to which a small quantity of water is to be added. §2 The bread must be wheaten only, and recently made so that there is no danger of corruption. §3 The wine must be natural, made from grapes of the vine, and not corrupt. Can. 925 Holy communion is to be given under the species of bread alone or, in accordance with the liturgical laws, under both species or, in case of necessity, even under the species of wine alone. Can. 926 In the eucharistic celebration, in accordance with the ancient tradition of the Latin Church, the priest is to use unleavened bread wherever he celebrates Mass.
Can. 924-926

The instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum adds a few other qualifications.

It follows therefore that bread made from another substance, even if it is grain, or if it is mixed with another substance different from wheat to such an extent that it would not commonly be considered wheat bread, does not constitute valid matter for confecting the Sacrifice and the Eucharistic Sacrament. It is a grave abuse to introduce other substances, such as fruit or sugar or honey, into the bread for confecting the Eucharist.The wine that is used in the most sacred celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice must be natural, from the fruit of the grape, pure and incorrupt, not mixed with other substances.

There are a few exceptions to the rule though, this is because some people are allergic to gluten and some can’t drink alcohol.

There are companies that specialize in the creation of the bread used for consecration. They are fully aware of these rules and follow guidelines. So many of the makers are nuns too who belong to religious congregations who sell this and other sacred items to churches.

There are some exceptions to the rules above, including low-gluten hosts and a form of wine permitted for those who should not consume alcohol. In general, however, these basic rules govern what type of bread and wine can be used at Mass.

They start their workday by mixing water and flour to make paste. Back in 1951 when the monastery began making altar bread, they measured flour and water with measuring cups. Now that the business has expanded to 100 parishes nationwide, they have to measure with scales.The paste is ladled onto “bakers,” a machine similar to a waffle iron, except that instead of a grid, the Chi-Rho symbol is embossed onto the bread. Once the 14-inch plates are cooked, they’re stacked and stored overnight in a humidifier so they can be cut without breaking the next day. The moistened plates are assembled in stacks of 72 and cut into small and medium-sized wafers. Once cut, the wafers dry out in dish pans, to be packaged later by 91-year old Sister Paul for distribution.
Loyola Press

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:

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For the wine symbolism, St Augustine gives something similar again:

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Psalm 134 (135)

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Short Reading James 1:2-4

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For prayer and reflection

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From the Angel

The Eucharistic Prayer

From the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The Rosary Decade Prayer

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1. Bless yourself and your family

2. Bless Your House, Garden and other stuff

3. Bless the sick:

4. Bless Your Pets

Prayer:

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The instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum adds a few other qualifications.

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