Saints of the Day January 09 Quinto Idus Januárii. The third day of the Afterfeast of Theophany The Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life and Ministry of the Priest Mary Mother of GOD 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary 
Philomena.html HEREDecember 31 Saint Maria Odigitria Church
(Rome) Catherine Labouré d. 1876
Mary's Divine Motherhood Pope Benedict XVI to The Catholic Church In China {whole article here } Nine First Fridays Devotion to the Sacred Heart From the writings of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque How do I start the Five First Saturdays? The saints “a cloud of witnesses over our head”, showing us life of Christian perfection is possible. Called in the Gospel "the Mother of Jesus," Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the Mother of my Lord" (Lk 1:43; Jn 2:1; 19:25; cf. Mt 13:55; et al.). In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos). Catechism of the Catholic Church 495, quoting the Council of Ephesus (431): DS 251. Saint John, Son of Mary (IX) - Our Lady Beyond the Tiber (Rome, Italy) After the miracle of the boiling oil, Domitian, possibly shocked or frightened, banished John to the island of Patmos, where he received 96 visions and wrote the Book of Revelation and evangelized the island with his scribe Prochorus. Some modern exegetes have raised doubts over the attribution of the Book of Revelation to John, but Tradition (Justin, Irenaeus, Jerome, Clement, etc.) is unanimous and the minimal discrepancies that existed in this regard in the 4th century were concluded by the Fourth Council of Toledo (633): "The authority of many councils and holy synod decrees by the Holy Roman College of Cardinals establish the Book of Revelation to John the Evangelist and decide that it should be kept among the final Holy Books. However, many are those who do not receive its authority and refuse to proclaim the Revelation in the Church of God. Anyone who now receives this decree and does not recognize it publicly in the Church during Mass between Easter and Pentecost will be subject to excommunication." (Ch 17, Dnz 486) (Therefore,
until the nineteenth century, Tradition was absolutely unanimous in all apostolic
Churches as well as on the island of Patmos.) Returning again to Ephesus,
John lived his most active period, in apostolic terms, according to the Apocrypha
(Acts of John, Acts of Prochorus). He eventually published in Greek, with
the help of his scribe Prochorus, the refined substance of his oral teaching.
This Gospel is all-spiritual, centered on the mystery of the Incarnation of
the Word and the divinity of Christ.
"The
acuity of his spiritual intelligence makes us compare the Apostle Saint John
to an eagle. (...) the Apostle
spoke of the divinity of the Lord as no one has ever talked about it since.
He truly
depicted what he had seen himself, as his own Gospel relates that he rested
his head on the Lord's chest during the Last Supper." (St Augustine, Treaty
36.1)
January 9 - Our Lady Beyond the Tiber (Rome, Italy) I Place my Hand in Yours In the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit. Who am I, Lord, to begin to talk about the sacrament
of your love? I have already tried so many times. As many times, bedazzled
by the magnificence of your wonders, I have remained silent without being
able to express anything. Will I be any better today? Will I remain silent
for having too much to say? I dare hope that you will be the fire of my expressions,
the intelligence of my mind, the love of my heart, the support of my weakness,
and that I will faithfully carry out your intentions.
O Mary! Throne of wisdom, safe in your
arms and in the shadow of your protection, I will gaze at the Sun of Justice.
I place my hand in yours; please lead me according to the Spirit of truth.
Pauline Jaricot (d. January 9, 1862) Excerpt from the introduction of the Infinite Love in the Divine Eucharist (Amour infini dans la Divine Eucharistie) His Gospel is unique and very important and it reflects the singular personality of its author: "We must admit that of all the Scriptures, the Gospel is the beginning and, among the Gospel stories, the Gospel according to Saint John is the beginning. No one can understand the meaning of John's Gospel without resting his head on Jesus' chest and receiving Mary from Jesus for mother." (Origen) Every aspect of priestly formation can be referred to Mary as to the human being who better than anyone has corresponded to the vocation of God; who has become the servant and disciple of the Word up until conceiving in her heart and in her flesh the Word made man in order to give him to humanity; who has been called to educate the unique and eternal Priest, docile and submissive to her motherly authority. With her example and through her intercession, the Blessed Virgin continues watching over the development of vocations and of the priestly life of the Church. To her, the Mother of the Eternal High Priest, we want to entrust our priestly vocation, received with the imposition of hands on the day of our ordination, with which we are given the unmerited gift of being Alter Christus. To her, who keeps her priests in her heart and in the Church, we want to entrust our pastoral work and the abundant harvest of the Lord. To her, who welcomed us from the beginning, who protected us in our formation, we raise our petition, that she may accompany us in our priestly lives and ministries. Excerpt from the Conference of Mons. Norberto Rivera, Archbishop, Primate of Mexico (Yamoussoukro, July 9, 1997) |
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The third day of the
Afterfeast of Theophany falls on January 9. The hymns invite us to purify our minds in order to see Christ. 303 St. Marciana Virgin martyr in Caesarea amphitheater in Mauretania St. Paschasia virgin martyr in the area of modern Dijon, France 250 St. Epicharis bishop Martyr of Africa with 7 companions 3rd v. Saint Polyeuctus first martyr in the Armenian city of Meletine; soldier 302 St. Julian Basilissa & Companions Martyr with Anastasius St. Vitalicus bishop martyrs at Smyrna Revocatus Fortunatus deacons 391
ST
PETER, Bishop OF SEBASTEA; In
this family three brothers were at the same time eminently holy bishops,
St Basil, St Gregory of Nyssa and St Peter of Sebastea; their eldest sister,
St Macrina, was the spiritual mother of many saints and excellent doctors;
and their father and mother, St Basil the Elder and St Emmelia, were banished
for their faith in the reign of the Emperor Galerius Maximian, and fled into
the deserts of Pontus. Finally, the grandmother was the celebrated
St Macrina the Elder, who was instructed in the science of salvation by St
Gregory Thaumaturgus.
683 St. Waningus
Benedictine abbot entered a monastery founded Holy TrinityChurch and Convent of Fecamp 700 St. Maurontus Benedictine abbot founder of Saint-Florentle-Vieil in Anjou 710 St. Adrian, African Abbot near Naples tomb famous for miracles 731
St. Brithwald
Benedictine Archbishop of Canterbury from 692 until 37 years; friendly relations
with St Aldhelm, St Boniface and other prominent and holy ecclesiastics; letter
written to Berhtwald by Waldhere, Bishop of London, is the first extant letter
from one Englishman to another
8th v. St. Foellan
Irishman with his mother to Scotland became monk;missionary 1569 Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow 1622 Bl. Alix Le Clercq nun founded Augustinian Canonesses Congregation of Our Lady from Rome 1975 St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer God showed him his specific mission: he was to found Opus Dei |
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1975 St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer God showed him
his specific mission: he was to found Opus Dei, an institution within
the Catholic Church dedicated to helping people in all walks of life to follow
Christ, to seek holiness in their daily life and grow in love for God and
their fellow men and women.
June 26, 1975 
St. Josemaria Escriva de BalaguerJosemaria Escriva de Balaguer was born in Barbastro, Spain, on January 9, 1902, the second of six children of Jose and Dolores Escriva. Growing up in a devout family and attending Catholic schools, he learned the basic truths of the faith and practices such as frequent confession and communion, the rosary, and almsgiving. The death of three younger sisters, and his father's bankruptcy after business reverses, taught him the meaning of suffering and brought maturity to his outgoing and cheerful temperament. In 1915, the family moved to Logrono, where his father had found new employment. Beginning in 1918, Josemaria sensed that God was asking something of him, although he didn't know exactly what it was. He decided to become a priest, in order to be available for whatever God wanted of him. He began studying for the priesthood, first in Logrono and later in Saragossa. At his father's suggestion and with the permission of his superiors at the seminary he also began to study civil law. He was ordained a priest and began his pastoral ministry in 1925. In 1927, Fr. Josemaria moved to Madrid to study for a graduate degree in law. He was accompanied by his mother, sister, and brother, as his father had died in 1924 and he was now head of the family. They were not well-off, and he had to tutor law students to support them. At the same time he carried out a demanding pastoral work, especially among the poor and sick in Madrid, and with young children. He also undertook an apostolate with manual workers, professional people and university students who, by coming into contact with the poor and sick to whom Fr. Josemaria was ministering, learned the practical meaning of charity and their Christian responsibility to help out in the betterment of society. On October 2, 1928, while making a retreat in Madrid, God showed him his specific mission: he was to found Opus Dei, an i nstitution within the Catholic Church dedicated to helping people in all walks of life to follow Christ, to seek holiness in their daily life and grow in love for God and their fellow men and women. From that moment on, he dedicated all his strength to fulfilling this mission, certain that God had raised up Opus Dei to serve the Church. In 1930, responding to a new illumination from God, he started Opus Dei's apostolic work with women, making clear that they had the same responsibility as men to serve society and the Church. The first edition of The Way,
his most widely read work, was published in 1934 under the title Spiritual
Considerations. Expanded and revised, it has gone through many editions since
then; more than four million copies in many different languages are now in
print. His other spiritual writings include Holy Rosary; The Way of the Cross;
two collections of homilies, Christ Is Passing By and Friends of God; and
Furrow and The Forge, which like The Way are made up of short points for
prayer and reflection.
The development of Opus Dei began among the young people with whom Fr. Josemaria had already been in contact before 1928. Its growth, however, was seriously impeded by the religious persecution inflicted on the Catholic Church during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The founder himself suffered severe hardships under this persecution but, unlike many other priests, he came out of the war alive. After the war, he traveled throughout the country giving retreats to hundreds of priests at the request of their bishops. Meanwhile Opus Dei spread from Madrid to several other Spanish cities, and as soon as World War II ended in 1945, began starting in other countries. This growth was not without pain; though the Work always had the approval of the local bishops, its then-unfamiliar message of sanctity in the world met with some misunderstandings and suspicions-which the founder bore with great patience and charity. While celebrating Mass in 1943, Fr. Josemaria received a new foundational grace to establish the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, which made it possible for some of Opus Dei's lay faithful to be ordained as priests. The full incorporation of both lay faithful and priests in Opus Dei, which makes a seamless cooperation in the apostolic work possible, is an essential feature of the foundational charism of Opus Dei, affirmed by the Church in granting Opus Dei the canonical status of a personal Prelature. In addition, the Priestly Society conducts activities, in full harmony with the bishops of the local churches, for the spiritual development of diocesan priests and seminarians. Diocesan priests can also be part of the Priestly Society, while at the same time remaining clergy of their own dioceses. Aware that God meant Opus Dei to be part of the mission of the universal Church, the founder moved to Rome in 1946 so as to be close to the Holy See. By 1950 the Work had received pontifical approvals affirming its main foundational features-spreading the message of holiness in daily life; service to the Pope, the universal church, and the particular churches; secularity and naturalness; fostering personal freedom and responsibility, and a pluralism consistent with Catholic moral, political, and social teachings. Beginning in 1948, full membership in Opus Dei was open to married people. In 1950 the Holy See approved the idea of accepting non-Catholics and even non-Christians as cooperators-persons who assist Opus Dei in its projects and programs without being members. The next decade saw the launching of a wide range of undertakings: professional schools, agricultural training centers, universities, primary and secondary schools, hospitals and clinics, and other initiatives, open to people of all races, religions, and social backgrounds but of manifestly Christian inspiration. During Vatican Council II (1962-1965), Monsignor Escriva worked closely with many of the council fathers, discussing key Council themes such as the universal call to holiness and the importance of laypersons in the mission of the Church. Deeply grateful for the Council's teachings, he did everything possible to implement them in the formative activities offered by Opus Dei throughout the world. Between 1970 and 1975 the founder undertook catechetical trips throughout Europe and Latin America, speaking with many people, at times in large gatherings, about love of God, the sacraments, Christian dedication, and the need to sanctify work and family life. By the time of the founder's death, Opus Dei had spread to thirty nations on six continents. It now (2002) has more than 84,000 members in sixty countries. Monsignor Escriva's death in
Rome came suddenly on June 26, 1975, when he was 73. Large numbers of bishops
and ordinary faithful petitioned the Vatican to begin the process for his
beatification and canonization. On May 17, 1992, Pope John Paul II declared
him Blessed before a huge crowd in St. Peter's Square.
He was canonized-formally declared a saint-on October 6, 2002. |
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| On Death and Life "Man Needs Eternity -- and Every Other Hope, for Him, Is All Too Brief" DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS VATICAN CITY, 19 DEC 2011 (VIS) 
Saints of the Day January 09 Quinto Idus Januárii.
The saints “a cloud of witnesses over our head”, showing us life of Christian perfection is possible. BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JANUARY 2012 General Intention: Victims of Natural Disasters. That the victims of natural disasters may receive the spiritual and material comfort they need to rebuild their lives. Missionary Intention: Dedication to Peace. That dedication of Christians to peace may bear witness to the name of Christ before all men and women of good will. 
The Rosary
html
Mary
Mother of GOD -- Her
Rosary Here Mary Mother of GOD 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary Mary's Divine Motherhood How do I start the Five First Saturdays? Called in the Gospel “the Mother of Jesus,” Mary
is acclaimed by Elizabeth,
at the prompting of the Spirit
and even before the birth of her son,
as “the Mother of my Lord” (Lk 1:43;
Jn 2:1; 19:25; cf. Mt 13:55; et al.).
In fact, the One whom she conceived as
man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was
none other than the Father's
eternal Son, the second person
of the Holy Trinity. Hence the
Church confesses that Mary is truly
“Mother of God” (Theotokos).
breviary.net/martyrology/mart01
09 stlukeorthodox.com/html/saints/
usccb.org ewtn.com St Patricks 01 09Catechism of the Catholic Church 495, quoting
the Council of Ephesus
(431): DS 251.
“The Blessed
Virgin
was eternally predestined, in
conjunction with the incarnation
of the divine Word, to be
the Mother of God. By decree of divine Providence,
she served on earth as the loving mother of
the divine Redeemer, an associate
of unique nobility, and the Lord's
humble handmaid. She conceived, brought
forth, and nourished Christ.”domcentral.org/life/martyr Jan syriac oca.org glaubenszeugen.de/tage/kai/09 Serbian http://www.copticchurch.net Melkite Monthly Saints with pics here http://www.stfrancisenid.com/memorials.htm antiochian.org/AW-WomenSaints--wonderful icons Lutheran Saints One Saint per day stthomasirondequoit.com/SaintsAlive/index.htm stjohndc.org God's Humourous Saints
THE EUCHARIST,
A MYSTERY TO BE BELIEVED POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
Morning
Prayer and Hymn
Meditation
of the Day
Prayer
for Priests
Our Bartholomew Family Prayer List
HereSACRAMENTUM CARITATIS OF THE HOLY FATHER BENEDICT XVI How to Stay Out of PURGATORY -- How to Get others Out POPES html Parents of Saints html The_Litany_of_the_Blessed_Virgin.html Patron_Saints.html Angels and Archangels html Marian Apparitions. html
We are called upon with
the whole Church militant on earth to join
in praising and thanking God for the grace
and glory he has bestowed on his saints. At the
same time we earnestly implore Him to exert His almighty
power and mercy in raising us from our miseries and
sins, healing the disorders of our souls and leading us
by the path of repentance to the company of His saints,
to which He has called us.
THE saints and just,
from the beginning of time
and throughout the world, who have been
made perfect, everlasting monuments of God’s infinite
power and clemency, praise His goodness without
ceasing; casting their crowns before His throne they
give to Him all the glory of their triumphs: “His gifts
alone in us He crowns.” They were once what we are now, travellers on earth they had the same weaknesses, which we have. We have difficulties to encounter so had the saints, and many of them far greater than we can meet with; obstacles from kings and whole nations, sometimes from the prisons, racks and swords of persecutors. Yet they surmounted these difficulties, which they made the very means of their virtue and victories. It was by the strength they received from above, not by their own, that they triumphed. But the blood of Christ was shed for us as it was for them and the grace of our Redeemer is not wanting to us; if we fail, the failure is in ourselves. |
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“The saints must be honored as friends of Christ
and children and heirs of God, as John the theologian and
evangelist says: ‘But as many as received him, he gave them
the power to be made the sons of God....’ Let us carefully observe
the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics and just
men who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their
faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering, and
perseverance unto death, so that we may also share their crowns of glory”
Exposition of the Orthodox Faith
Called in the Gospel “the Mother of Jesus,” Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at
the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her
son, as “the Mother of my Lord” (Lk 1:43; Jn 2:1; 19:25; cf. Mt 13:55;
et al.). In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy
Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other
than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy
Trinity.
Hence
the Church confesses that Mary is truly “Mother of God” (Theotokos).
Catechism of the Catholic Church 495, quoting the Council of Ephesus (431): DS 251. |
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Nine First Fridays Devotion
to the Sacred Heart ... From the writings of St. Margaret Mary
Alacoque
On Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to me, His unworthy slave, if I mistake not: “I promise you
in the excessive mercy of my Heart that its all-powerful love
will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first
Fridays of consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they
will not die under my displeasure or without receiving their sacraments,
my divine Heart making itself their assured refuge at the last moment.”
Margaret Mary
was inspired by Christ to establish the Holy Hour and to pray
lying prostrate with her face to the ground from eleven till midnight
on the eve of the first Friday of each month, to share in the mortal
sadness.
He endured when abandoned by His Apostles in His Agony, and to receive holy Communion on the first Friday of every month. In the first great revelation, He made known to her His ardent desire to be loved by men and His design of manifesting His Heart with all Its treasures of love and mercy, of sanctification and salvation. He appointed the Friday after the octave of the feast of Corpus Christi as the feast of the Sacred Heart; He called her “the Beloved Disciple of the Sacred Heart”, and the heiress of all Its treasures. The love of the Sacred Heart was the fire which consumed her, and devotion to the Sacred Heart is the refrain of all her writings. In her last illness she refused all alleviation, repeating frequently: “What have I in heaven and what do I desire on earth, but Thee alone, O my God”, and died pronouncing the Holy Name of Jesus. With regard to this promise it may be remarked: (1) that our Lord required Communion to be received on a particular day chosen by Him; (2) that the nine Fridays must be consecutive; (3) that they must be made in honor of His Sacred Heart, which means that those who make the nine Fridays must practice the devotion and must have a great love for our Lord; (4) that our Lord does not say that those who make the nine Fridays will be dispensed from any of their obligations or from exercising the vigilance necessary to lead a good life and overcome temptation; rather He implicitly promises abundant graces to those who make the nine Fridays to help them to carry out these obligations and persevere to the end; (5) that perseverance in receiving Holy Communion for nine consecutive First Firdays helps the faithful to acquire the habit of frequent Communion, which our Lord eagerly desires; and (6) that the practice of the nine Fridays is very pleasing to our Lord He promises such great reward, and all Catholics should endeavor to make nine Fridays. |
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| How do I start the Five
First Saturdays? by Fr. Tom O'Mahony On July 13,1917, Our Lady appeared
for the third time to the three children of Fatima an showed
them the vision of hell and made the now - famous thirteen prophecies.
In this vision Our Lady said that 'GOD WISHES TO ESTABLISH IN THE
WORLD DEVOTION to Her Immaculate Heart and that She would come
TO ASK FOR THE COMMUNION OF REPARATION ON THE FIRST SATURDAYS...'
Eight years later, on December 10, 1925, Our Lady did indeed
come back. She appeared (with the Child Jesus) to Lucia in the convent
of the Dorothean Sisters in Pontevedra.
The Child Jesus spoke first: 'HAVE COMPASSION ON THE HEART OF YOUR MOST HOLY MOTHER WHICH IS COVERED WITH THORNS WITH WHICH UNGRATEFUL MEN PIERCE IT AT EVERY MOMENT, WHILE THERE IS NO ONE TO REMOVE THEM WITH AN ACT OF REPARATION.' THE GREAT PROMISE Our Lady then said: 'MY DAUGHTER LOOK AT MY HEART SURROUNDED WITH THORNS WITH WHICH UNGRATEFUL MEN PIERCE IT AT EVERY MOMENT BY THEIR BLASPHEMIES AND INGRATITUDE. YOU, AT LEAST, TRY TO CONSOLE ME, AND SAY THAT I PROMISE TO ASSIST AT THE HOUR OF DEATH WITH ALL THE GRACES NECESSARY FOR SALVATION, ALL THOSE WHO, ON THE FIRST SATURDAY OF FIVE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS GO TO CONFESSION AND RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION, RECITE FIVE DECADES OF THE ROSARY AND KEEP ME COMPANY FOR A QUARTER OF AN HOUR WHILE MEDITATING ON MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY, WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING REPARATION TO ME.' The Five Reasons Lucia once asked this question
of Our Lord and received as an answer: 'MY DAUGHTER, THE MOTIVE
IS SIMPLE, THERE ARE FIVE KINDS OF OFFENCES AND BLASPHEMIES UTTERED
AGAINST THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY: (1) BLASPHEMIES AGAINST
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: (2) BLASPHEMIES AGAINST HER VIRGINITY:
(3) BLASPHEMIES AGAINST HER DIVINE MATERNITY: (4) BLASPHEMIES OF THOSE
WHO OPENLY SEEK TO FOSTER IN THE HEARTS OF CHILDREN INDIFFERENCE OR
EVEN HATRED FOR THIS IMMACULATE MOTHER: (5) THE OFFENCES OF THOSE WHO
DIRECTLY OUTRAGE HER IN HOLY IMAGES.'
From the above, it is easy to see that each of the Five Saturdays can correspond to a specific offence. By offering the graces received during each First Saturday as reparation for the offence being prayed for, the participant can hope to help remove the thorns from Our Lady's Heart. What Do I Have To Do? The devotion of First Saturdays, as requested by Our Lady of Fatima, carries with it the assurance of salvation. However, to derive profit from such a great promise of Our Lady, the devotion must be properly understood and duly performed. The requirements as stipulated by Our Lady are as follows: (1) CONFESSION, (2) COMMUNION, (3) FIVE DECADES OF THE ROSARY, (4) MEDITATION ON ONE OR MORE OF THE ROSARY MYSTERIES FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES, (5) TO DO ALL THESE THINGS IN THE SPIRIT OF REPARATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, and (6) TO OBSERVE ALL THESE PRACTICES ON THE FIRST SATURDAY OF FIVE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS. (1) CONFESSION: A reparative confession means
that the confession should not only be good (valid and licit),
but also be offered in the spirit of reparation, in this case, to
Mary's Immaculate Heart. This confession may be made on the First
Saturday itself or some days before or after the First Saturday within
the preceding octave would suffice.
(2) COMMUNION: The communion of reparation must be sacramental duly received with the intention of making reparation. This offering, like the confession, is an interior act and so no external action to express the intention is needed. (3) THE ROSARY: The Rosary mentioned
here was indicated by the Portuguese word 'terco' which is commonly
employed to denote a Rosary of five decades, since it forms a
fourth of the full Rosary of 20 decades. This too must recited in
a spirit of reparation.
(4) MEDITATION FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES: Here the meditation on one mystery or more is to be made without simultaneous recitation of the Rosary decade. As indicated, the meditation may be either on one mystery alone for 15 minutes, or on all 20 mysteries, spending about one minute on each mystery, or again, on two or more mysteries during the period. This can also be made before each decade spending three minutes or more in considering the mystery of the particular decade. This meditation has likewise to be made in the spirit of reparation to the Immaculate Heart. (5) THE SPIRIT OF REPARATION: All these acts, as said above, have to be done with the intention of offering reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the offences committed against Her. Everyone who offends Her commits, so to speak, a two-fold offence, for these sins also offend her Divine Son, Christ, and so endanger our salvation. They give bad example to others and weaken the strength of society to withstand immoral onslaughts. Such devotions therefore make us consider not only the enormity of the offence against God, but also the effect of sins on human society as well as the need for undoing these social effects even when the offender repents and is converted. Further, this reparation emphasises our responsibility towards sinners who, themselves, will not pray and make reparation for their sins. (6) FIVE CONSECUTIVE FIRST SATURDAYS: The
idea of the Five First Saturdays is obviously to make us persevere
in the devotional acts for these Saturdays and overcome initial
difficulties. Once this is done, Our Lady knows that the person
would become devoted to Her immaculate Heart and persist in practising
such devotion on all First Saturdays, working thereby for personal
self-reform and for the salvation of others.
Unless Russia is converted, the movement against God and for sin will continue to spread, promoting wars and persecutions, and making the attainment for peace and justice impossible for this world. One means of obtaining Russia's conversion is to practise the Fatima Message. The stakes are so great that to encourage Catholics to practise the devotion of the First Saturdays, Our Lady has assured us that She will obtain salvation for all those who observe the first Saturdays for five consecutive months in accordance with Her conditions. At the supreme moment the departing person will be either in the state of grace or not. In either case Our Lady will be by his side. If in the state of grace, She will console and help him to resist whatever temptations the devil might put before him in his last attempt to take the person with him to hell. If not in the state of grace, Our Lady will help the person to repent in a manner agreeable to God and so benefit by the fruits of redemption and be saved. |
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| Miracles 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 Lay Saints |
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The POPES HTML
Pius IX 1846--1878 • Leo XIII 1878-1903 • Pius X 1903-1914• Benedict XV 1914-1922 • Pius XI 1922-1939 • Pius XII 1939-1958 • John XXIII 1958-1963 • Paul VI 1963 to 1978 • John Paul • John Paul II 10/16/1975-4/2/2005 Benedict XVI "The answers to many of life's questions can be found by reading the Lives of the Saints. They teach us how to overcome obstacles and difficulties, how to stand firm in our faith, and how to struggle against evil and emerge victorious." 1913 Saint Barsanuphius of Optina The more "extravagant" graces
are bestowed NOT for the benefit of the recipients so
much as FOR benefit of others.
Non est inventus similis illis God calls each one of us to be a saint in
order to get into heaven.
Cross Not
Optional, Says Benedict XVI
Reflects on
Peter's "Immature" Faith CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 31, 2008 (Zenit.org).-
The Pope said this today
before reciting the midday Angelus with several thousand people
gathered in the courtyard of the papal summer residence at Castel
Gandolfo, south of Rome.Taking up one's cross isn't an option, it's a mission all Christians are called to, says Benedict XVI. Referring to the Gospel reading for today's
Mass, the Holy Father reflected on the faith of Peter,
which is shown to be "still immature and too much influenced
by the 'mentality of this world.'” He
explained that when Christ spoke openly about how he was
to "suffer much, be killed and rise again, Peter protests, saying:
'God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.'"
Christ also knew that "the resurrection
would be the last word," Benedict XVI added."It is evident that the Master and the disciple follow two opposed ways of thinking," continued the Pontiff. "Peter, according to a human logic, is convinced that God would never allow his Son to end his mission dying on the cross. "Jesus, on the contrary, knows that the Father, in his great love for men, sent him to give his life for them, and if this means the passion and the cross, it is right that such should happen." Serious illness
The Pope continued, "If to save us the Son of God had to suffer and die crucified, it certainly was not because of a cruel design of the heavenly Father. "The cause of it is the gravity of the sickness of which he must cure us: an evil so serious and deadly that it will require all of his blood. "In fact, it is with his death
and resurrection that Jesus defeated sin and death,
reestablishing the lordship of God."
Popes mentioned
in articles of Saints today
Quote: Pope Paul VI’s 1969 Instruction
on the Contemplative Life includes this passage:
"To withdraw into
the desert is for Christians tantamount to associating themselves more
intimately with Christ’s passion, and it enables them, in a very special
way, to share in the paschal mystery and in the passage of Our Lord from
this world to the heavenly homeland" (#1).
Paul VI_Athenagoras_05_01_1964 
Quote: Pope
Paul VI’s 1969 Instruction
on the Contemplative Life includes this passage: "To
withdraw into the desert is for Christians tantamount
to associating themselves more intimately with Christ’s
passion, and it enables them, in a very special way, to share
in the paschal mystery and in the passage of Our Lord from this
world to the heavenly homeland" (#1).
Christianity is not a moral code or a philosophy,
but an encounter
with a person”
-- Benedict XVI Benedict_XVI_Patriarch_Bartholomew
Benedict XVI_Archbishop_Hilarion 
Benedict
XVI receives Orthodox
Archbishop Hilarion
n September 18th, Pope Benedict
XVI; Archbishop Hilarion,
president of the Department for External
Church Affairs of the Patriarchate of
Moscow.The Orthodox Archbishop is currently visiting the Vatican at the invitation of Cardinal Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. This Pontifical Council underlined that the visit will confirm the ties of friendship between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, with a view to closer collaboration and to favor the presence of the Church in the lives of the peoples of Europe and the world. In addition, a further step in ecumenical relations is scheduled for the month of October in Cyprus: the meeting of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, which will address the theme of Petrine Primacy. 
Benedict XVI met
with Aram I Catholicos of Cilicia,
the highest authority of the
Orthodox Church.
The Pope remembered the
martyrs of the Armenian Church and the
Armenian genocide, without explicitly
mentioning it, and denounced the
persecution of Christians in modern
times. Benedict
XVIThat testimony culminated in the twentieth century, which proved a time of Unspeakable suffering for your people. Most recently we have all been saddened by the escalation of persecution and violence against Christians in parts of the Middle East and elsewhere. The Catholicos is based in Lebanon. That is why, the Pope said, he prays every day for peace in this country and throughout the Middle East. Benedict XVI said there will only be peace in the region when each country is free to decide its own destiny and when every ethnic and religious group accepts and respects the others. Aram I emphasized that the churches must be means for peace and to achieve that they must recognize “all” genocides, even the Armenian.. The Catholicos recalled his meeting with John Paul II, adding that this visit represents a new step for ecumenical dialogue. Our meeting is an opportunity to pray and reflect together, and to renew our commitment and efforts for Christian unity. Armenian church members from all over the world join with Catholicos in making pilgrimages to Rome. |
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| The great
psalm of the Passion, Chapter
22, whose first verse
“My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me?” Jesus pronounced on the cross, ended with the vision: “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him” For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations. All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage. And I will live for the LORD; my descendants will serve you. The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought. |
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| Pope
Benedict XVI to The Catholic
Church In China {whole
article here} 2000
years of the Catholic Church
in China The saints “a cloud of witnesses over our head”, showing us life of Christian perfection is possible. THE PSALTER OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
MARY PSALM 103
Bless, O my soul, the Virgin Mary: her honor and her magnificence forever. Thou hast clothed thyself with beauty and comeliness: thou art clad, O Lady, with a shining garment. From thee proceeds the healing of sins: and the discipline of peace, and the fervor of charity. Fill us, thy servants, with holy virtues: and let the wrath of God not come nigh unto us. Give eternal joy to thy servants: and forget them not in the death struggle. Glory
be to the Father who created Heaven and earth;
His only Son who lived and died for all of us;
and the Holy Spirit the Lord giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and Son, with the Father and Son He is Worshiped and Glorified, and He has spoken through the prophets: Amen. Join us on CatholicVote.org. Be part of a new
movement committed to using
powerful media projects to create a Culture
of Life. We can help shape the movement and
have a voice in its future. Check it out at www.CatholicVote.org
Saint Frances Xavier Seelos Practical Guide
to Holiness
1.
Go to Mass with deepest devotion. 2. Spend
a half hour to reflect upon your main failing
& make resolutions to avoid it.3. Do daily spiritual reading for at least 15 minutes, if a half hour is not possible. 4. Say the rosary every day. 5. Also daily, if at all possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament; toward evening, meditate on the Passion of Christ for a half hour, 6. Conclude the day with evening prayer & an examination of conscience over all the faults & sins of the day. 7. Every month make a review of the month in confession. 8. Choose a special patron every month & imitate that patron in some special virtue. 9. Precede every great feast with a novena that is nine days of devotion. 10. Try to begin & end every activity with a Hail Mary My God, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love
Thee. I beg pardon
for those who do not believe, do not adore,
do not
O 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 indifference by which
He is offended, and by the
infite merits of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
I beg the conversion of poor sinners, Fatima Prayer, Angel of Peace
The
voice of the Father is
heard, the Son enters the water, and the
Holy Spirit appears in the form of a dove.
THE
spirit and example of
the world imperceptibly instil the error
into the minds of many that there is a kind of
middle way of going to Heaven; and so, because
the world does not live up to the gospel, they bring
the gospel down to the level of the world. It is not by
this example that we are to measure the Christian rule, but
words and life of Christ. All His followers are commanded
to labour to become perfect even as our heavenly Father
is perfect, and to bear His image in our hearts that we may
be His children. We are obliged by the gospel to die to ourselves
by fighting self-love in our hearts, by the mastery of our
passions, by taking on the spirit of our Lord.
These
are the conditions under
which Christ makes His promises and numbers
us among His children, as is manifest from His
words which the apostles have left us in their
inspired writings. Here is no distinction made
or foreseen between the apostles or clergy or religious
and secular persons. The former, indeed, take upon
themselves certain stricter obligations, as a means
of accomplishing these ends more perfectly; but the law
of holiness and of disengagement of the heart from the
world is general and binds all the followers of Christ.
|
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|
God loves variety.
He doesn't mass-produce
his saints. Every saint is unique each the
result of a new idea.
As the liturgy says: Non est inventus
similis illis--there are no two exactly alike.
It is we with our lack of imagination, who paint the same haloes on all the saints. Dear Lord, grant us a spirit not bound by our own ideas and preferences. Grant that we may be able to appreciate in others what we lack in ourselves. O Lord, grant that we may understand that every saint must be a unique praise of Your glory. Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors
responded to God's invitation
to use his or her unique gifts.
|
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|
The 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite
the Rosary ) Revealed
to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan)
1. Whoever
shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive
signal graces. 2. I promise my special protection and the
greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. 3.
The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice,
decrease sin, and defeat heresies. 4. It will cause virtue
and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of
God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and
its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh,
that soul would sanctify them by this means. 5. The
soul that recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not
perish. 6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying
themselves to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered
by misfortune. God will not chastise them in His justice, they shall
not perish by an unprovided death; if they be just, they shall remain in
the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life. 7.
Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without
the Sacraments of the Church. 8. Those who are faithful
to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the
light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they
shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise. 9.
I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high
degree of glory in Heaven. 11. You shall obtain all
you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary. 12. I shall
aid all those who propagate the Holy Rosary in their necessities. 13.
I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall
have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at
the hour of death. 14. All who recite the Rosary are my
children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ. 15.
Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
|
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|
His Holiness Aram I, current (2008) Catholicos of Cilicia of Armenians, whose
See is located in Lebanese town of Antelias. The Catholicosate was founded
in Sis, capital of Cilicia, in the year 1441 following the move of the Catholicosate
of All Armenians back to its original See of Etchmiadzin in Armenia. The Catholicosate
of Cilicia enjoyed local jurisdiction, though spiritually subject to the
authority of Etchmiadzin. In 1921 the See was transferred to Aleppo in Syria,
and in 1930 to Antelias.
Its jurisdiction currently extends to Syria, Cyprus, Iran and
Greece. |
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|
Aramaic dialect of Edessa, now known as Syriac
The exact date of the introduction
of Christianity into
Edessa {Armenian
Ourhaï in Arabic Er
Roha, commonly Orfa or Urfa, its present
name} is not known. It is certain,
however, that the Christian community
was at first made up from the Jewish population
of the city. According to an ancient legend,
King Abgar V, Ushana, was converted by
Addai, who was
one of the seventy-two disciples.
In fact, however, the first King of Edessa
to embrace the Christian Faith was Abgar IX
(c. 206) becoming official kingdom religion.
Christian
council held at Edessa early
as 197 (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., V,xxiii).
In 201 the city was devastated
by a great flood, and
the Christian church was destroyed
(“Chronicon Edessenum”,
ad. an. 201).
In 232 the relics of the Apostle St. Thomas were brought from India,
on which occasion his
Syriac Acts were written.
Under Roman domination martyrs
suffered at Edessa:
Sts. Scharbîl
and Barsamya, under
Decius; Sts. Gûrja,
Schâmôna, Habib, and
others under Diocletian.
In the meanwhile Christian
priests from Edessa evangelized Eastern Mesopotamia and Persia, established
the first Churches in the kingdom of the Sassanides. Atillâtiâ, Bishop of Edessa,
assisted at the Council
of Nicæa (325). The
“Peregrinatio Silviæ”
(or Etheriæ) (ed. Gamurrini,
Rome, 1887, 62 sqq.) gives
an account of the many sanctuaries at
Edessa
about 388.
Although Hebrew had been the
language of the ancient
Israelite kingdom, after their
return from Exile the Jews turned
more and more to Aramaic, using it for
parts of the books of Ezra and Daniel
in the Bible. By the time of Jesus, Aramaic
was the main language of Palestine,
and quite a number of texts from
the Dead Sea Scrolls are also written in
Aramaic.
Aramaic continued
to be an important language for
Jews, alongside Hebrew, and parts
of the Talmud are written in it.
After Arab conquests of the
seventh century, Arabic quickly replaced Aramaic as the main language of
those who converted to Islam, although in out of the way places, Aramaic
continued as a vernacular language of Muslims.
Aramaic, however, enjoyed its
greatest success
in Christianity. Although
the New Testament
wins written in Greek, Christianity
had come into existence in an Aramaic-speaking
milieu, and it was the Aramaic
dialect of Edessa, now known as Syriac,
that became the literary language of a large
number of Christians living in the
eastern provinces of the Roman Empire and in the
Persian Empire, further east. Over the
course of the centuries the influence of
the Syriac Churches spread eastwards
to China (in Xian, in western China, a Chinese-Syriac inscription
dated 781 is
still to be seen); to southern India
where the state of Kerala can boast more
Christians of Syriac liturgical tradition
than anywhere else in the world.
680 Shiite saint Imam Hussein, grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad Known as Ashoura and observed by Shiites across the world, the 10th day of the lunar Muslim month of Muharram: the anniversary of the 7th century death in battle of one of Shiite Islam's most beloved saints. Imam Hussein died in the 680 A.D. battle fought on the plains outside Karbala, a city in modern Iraq that's home to the saint's shrine. The battle over a dispute about the leadership of the Muslim faith following Muhammad's death in 632 A.D. It is the defining event in Islam's split into Sunni and Shiite branches. The occasion is the source of an enduring moral lesson. "He sacrificed his blood to teach us not to give in to corruption, coercion, or use of force and to seek honor and justice." According to Shiite beliefs, Hussein and companions were denied water by enemies who controlled the nearby Euphrates. Streets get partially covered with blood from slaughter of hundreds of cows and sheep. Volunteers cook the meat and feed it to the poor. Hussein's martyrdom recounted through a rich body of prose, poetry and song remains an inspirational example of sacrifice to many Shiites, 10 percent of the world's estimated 1.3 billion Muslims. |
||
Meeting
of the Saints walis
(saints
of Allah)Great men covet to embrace martyrdom
for a cause and principle.
So was the case with
Hazrat
Ali. He could have made a
compromise with the evil forces
of his time and, as a result, could
have led a very comfortable,
easy and luxurious life.
But he was not a person who
would succumb to such temptations.
His upbringing, his education
and his training in the lap of the holy Prophet
made him refuse such an offer.Rabia Al-Basri (717–801 C.E.) She was first to set forth the doctrine of mystical love and who is widely considered to be the most important of the early Sufi poets. An elderly Shia pointed out that during his pre-Partition childhood it was quite common to find pictures and portraits of Shia icons in Imambaras across the country. Shah Abdul Latif: The Exalted Sufi Master born 1690 in a Syed family; died 1754. In ancient times, Sindh housed the exemplary Indus Valley Civilisation with Moenjo Daro as its capital, and now, it is the land of a culture which evolved from the teachings of eminent Sufi saints. Pakistan is home to the mortal remains of many Sufi saints, the exalted among them being Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, a practitioner of the real Islam, philosopher, poet, musicologist and preacher. He presented his teaching through poetry and music - both instruments sublime - and commands a very large following, not only among Muslims but also among Hindus and Christians. Sindh culture: The Shah is synonymous with Sindh. He is the very fountainhead of Sindh's culture. His message remains as fresh as that of any present day poet, and the people of Sindh find solace from his writings. He did indeed think for Sindh. One of his prayers, in exquisite Sindhi, translates thus: “Oh God, may ever You on Sindh bestow abundance rare! Beloved! All the world let share Thy grace, and fruitful be.” Shia Ali al-Hadi, died 868 and son Hassan al-Askari 874. These saints are the 10th and 11th of Shia's 12 most revered Imams. Baba Farid Sufi 1398 miracle, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki renowned Muslim Sufi saint scholar miracles 569 A.H. [1173 C.E.] hermit gave to poor, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti greatest mystic of his time born 533 Hijri (1138-39 A.D.), Hazrat Ghuas-e Azam, Hazrat Bu Ali Sharif, and Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Sufi Saint Hazrath Khwaja Syed Mohammed Badshah Quadri Chisty Yamani Quadeer (RA) 1236-1325 welcomed people of all faiths & all walks of life |
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|
To
Save A Life is Earthly; Saving A Soul is Eternal Donation by
mail, please send check or money order to: Catholic Television Network Supported entirely by donations from viewers help spread the Eternal Word, online Here 
Colombia was
among the countries Mother Angelica visited.
In Bogotá, a Salesian priest - Father Juan Pablo Rodriguez - brought Mother and the nuns to the Sanctuary of the Divine Infant Jesus to attend Mass. After Mass, Father Juan Pablo took them into a small Shrine which housed the miraculous statue of the Child Jesus. Mother Angelica stood praying at the side of the statue when suddenly the miraculous image came alive and turned towards her. Then the Child Jesus spoke with the voice of a young boy: “Build Me a Temple and I will help those who help you.” Thus began a great adventure that would eventually result in the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a Temple dedicated to the Divine Child Jesus, a place of refuge for all. Use this link to read a remarkable story about The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament Father Reardon, Editor of The Catholic
Bulletin for 14 years Lover of the poor;
“A very Holy Man of God.”
Monsignor Reardon
Protonotarius
Apostolicus Pastor 42 years BASILICA OF SAINT MARY Minneapolis MN 
America's First Basilica Largest Nave in the World
August 7, 1907-ground broke for the foundation
by
Archbishop Ireland-laying cornerstone May
31, 1908
Brief History of our Beloved Holy Priest Here and his published books of Catholic History in North America Reardon, J.M. Archbishop Ireland; Prelate, Patriot, Publicist, 1838-1918. A Memoir (St. Paul; 1919); George Anthony Belcourt Pioneer Catholic Missionary of the Northwest 1803-1874 (1955); The Catholic Church IN THE DIOCESE OF ST. PAUL from earliest origin to centennial achievement 1362-1950 (1952); The Church of Saint Mary of Saint Paul 1875-1922; (1932) The Vikings in the American Heartland; The Catholic Total Abstinence Society in Minnesota; James Michael Reardon
Born in Nova Scotia, 1872;
Priest, ordained by Bishop
Ireland;
Affiliations
and Indulgences
Litany of Loretto in Stained glass
windows
here. Nave
Sacristy and Residence
Here
Member -- St. Paul Seminary
faculty.
Sanctuary spaces between them filled with grilles of hand-forged wrought iron the life of our Blessed Lady After the crucifixon Apostle statues Replicas of those in St John Lateran--Christendom's
earliest Basilica.
Ordered by Rome's first Christian Emperor, Constantine the Great, Popes' cathedral and official residence first millennium of Christian history. The only replicas ever made: in order from
west to east {1932}.
Saints Simon
(saw), Bartholomew
(knife), James the
Lesser (book), John
(eagle), Andrew (transverse
cross), Peter keys),
Paul (sword),
James
the Greater (staff), Thomas (carpenter's
square), Philip (serpent),
Matthew (book),
and Jude sword
It Makes No Sense Not To Believe In GOD |
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| THE BLESSED
MOTHER AND ISLAM
By Father
John Corapi. Site http://www.fathercorapi
June 19, Trinity Sunday, 1991: Ordained Catholic Priest under
Pope John Paul II;
By
Father John Corapi, SOLTthen 2,000,000 miles delivering the Gospel to millions, and continues to do so. 
Among the most important
titles we have in the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are
Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced
back to one of the most decisive times in the history of the world and
Christendom. The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date of feast
of Our Lady of Rosary), 1571. This proved to be the most crucial battle
for the Christian forces against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope
Pius V led a procession around St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City praying
the Rosary. He showed true pastoral leadership in recognizing the danger
posed to Christendom by the radical Muslim forces, and in using the means
necessary to defeat it. Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons, and
this more than anything was a battle that had its origins in the spiritual
order—a true battle between good and evil.Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress—a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God—total collapse, economic, social, and national. The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation. God is not a disinterested spectator to the affairs of man. Life begins at conception. This is an unalterable formal teaching of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept this you are a heretic in plain English. A single abortion is homicide. The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition. The group singled out for death—unwanted, unborn children. No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion. As we watch the spectacle of the world seeming to self-destruct before our eyes, we can’t help but be saddened and even frightened by so much evil run rampant. Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia, North Korea—It is all a disaster of epic proportions displayed in living color on our television screens. These are not ordinary times and this is not business as usual. We are at a crossroads in human history and the time for Catholics and all Christians to act is now. All evil can ultimately be traced to its origin, which is moral evil. All of the political action, peace talks, international peacekeeping forces, etc. will avail nothing if the underlying sickness is not addressed. This is sin. One person at a time hearts and minds must be moved from evil to good, from lies to truth, from violence to peace. Islam, an Arabic word that has often been defined as “to make peace,” seems like a living contradiction today. Although it is supposed to be a religion of peace, Islam has been hijacked by Satan and now operates in the dark space of international terrorism. As we celebrate the birthday of Our Lady, I am proposing that each one of us pray the Rosary for peace. Prayer is what must precede all other activity if that activity is to have any chance of success. Pray for peace, pray the Rosary every day without fail. There is a great love for Mary among Muslim people. It is not a coincidence that a little village named Fatima is where God chose to have His Mother appear in the twentieth century. Our Lady’s name appears no less than thirty times in the Koran. No other woman’s name is mentioned, not even that of Mohammed’s daughter, Fatima. In the Koran Our Lady is described as “Virgin, ever Virgin.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen prophetically spoke of the resurgence of Islam in our day. He said it would be through the Blessed Virgin Mary that Islam would be converted. We must pray for this to happen quickly if we are to avert a horrible time of suffering for this poor, sinful world. Turn to our Mother in this time of great peril. Pray the Rosary every day. Then, and only then will there be peace, when the hearts and minds of men are changed from the inside.
Father John Corapi
goes to the heart of the contemporary world's many woes
and wars, whether
the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq,
Lebanon, Somalia, or the Congo, or the natural
disasters that seem to be increasing
every year, the moral and spiritual war
is at the basis of everything. “Our battle is
not against human forces,” St. Paul asserts,
“but against principalities and powers, against
the world rulers of this present darkness...”
(Ephesians 6:12).
The “War to end all wars” is the moral and spiritual combat that rages in the hearts and minds of human beings. The outcome of that unseen fight largely determines how the battle in the realm of the seen unfolds. The title talk, “With the Moon Under Her Feet,” is taken from the twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation, and deals with the current threat to the world from radical Islam, and the Blessed Virgin Mary's role in the ultimate victory that will result in the conversion of Islam. Few Catholics are aware of the connection between Islam, Fatima, and Guadalupe. Presented in Father Corapi's straight-forward style, you will be both inspired and educated by him. About Father John Corapi. Father Corapi is a Catholic priest
.
The pillars of father's preaching
are basically:
Love for and a relationship
with the Blessed Virgin
Mary Leading a vibrant and loving relationship with Jesus Christ Great love and reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist from Holy Mass to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament An uncompromising love for and obedience to the Holy Father and the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church |
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| LINKS: Marian Apparitions (over 2000) India Marian Shrine Lourdes of the East Lourdes Feb 11- July 16, Loreto, Italy 1858 China Marian shrines May 23, 1995 Zarvintisya Ukraine Lourdes Kenya national Marian shrine Quang Tri Vietnam La Vang 1798 Links to Related Marian Websites Angels and Archangels |
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| Doctors_of_the_Church Acts_Of_The_Apostles
Roman Catholic Popes
Purgatory
Uniates
|
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| DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION
FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS VATICAN CITY, 19 DEC 2011 (VIS)
The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and authorised the promulgation of decrees concerning the following causes: MIRACLES - Blessed Giovanni Battista Piamarta, Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth and of the Congregation of the Humble Sister Servants of the Lord (1841-1913). - Blessed Jacques Berthieu, French martyr and priest of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) (1838-1896). - Blessed Maria del Carmen (born Maria Salles y Barangueras), Spanish foundress of the Conceptionist Missionary Sisters of Teaching (1848-1911). - Blessed Maria Anna Cope, nee Barbara, German religious of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse U.S.A. (1838-1918). - Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, American laywoman (1656-1680). - Blessed Pedro Calungsod, Filipino lay catechist and martyr (1654-1672). - Blessed Anna Schaffer, German laywoman (1882-1925). - Servant of God Louis Brisson, French priest and founder of the Oblates of St. Francis of Sales (1817-1908). - Servant of God Luigi Novarese, Italian diocesan priest and founder of the Silent Workers of the Cross (1914-1984). - Servant of God Maria Luisa (nee Gertrude Prosperi), Italian abbess of the convent of the Order of St. Benedict of Trevi (1799-1847). - Servant of God Mother St. Louis (nee Maria Luisa Elisabeth de Lamoignon, widow of Mole de Champlatreux), French foundress of the Sisters of St. Louis (1763-1825). - Servant of God Maria Crescencia (nee Maria Angelica Perez), Argentinean professed religious of the Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Orchard (1897-1932). MARTYRDOM - Servant of God Nicola Rusca, Swiss diocesan priest, killed in hatred of the faith (1563-1618). - Servants of God Luis Orencio (ne Antonio Sola Garriga) and eighteen companions of the Institute of Brothers of Christian Schools; Antonio Mateo Salamero, diocesan priest, and Jose Gorostazu Labayen, layman, all killed in hatred of the faith in Spain in 1936. - Servants of God Alberto Maria Marco y Aleman and eight companions of the Order of Carmelites of the Ancient Observance, and Agustin Maria Garcia Tribaldos and fifteen companions of the Institute of Brothers of Christian Schools; all killed in hatred of the faith in Spain between 1936 and 1937. - Servants of God Mariano Alcala Perez and eighteen companions of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, killed in hatred of the faith in Spain between 1936 and 1937. HEROIC VIRTUES - Servant of God Donato Giannotti, Italian diocesan priest and founder of the Congregation of Sisters Handmaidens of the Immaculate Conception (1828-1914). - Servant of God Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus (ne Henri Grialou), French professed priest of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and founder of the Institute of Notre-Dame de Vie (1894-1967). - Servant of God Alphonse-Marie (nee Elisabeth Eppinger), French foundress of the Congregation of Sisters of the Blessed Saviour (1814-1867). - Servant of God Marguerite Lucia Szewczyk, Polish foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Sorrowful Mother of God - Seraphic Sisters (1828-1905). - Servant of God Assunta Marchetti, Italian co-foundress of the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles (1871-1948). - Servant of God Maria Julitta (nee Teresa Eleonora Ritz), German professed sister of the Congregation of Sisters of the Redeemer (1882-1966). - Servant of God Maria Anna Amico Roxas, Italian laywoman and foundress of the Society of St. Ursula (1883-1947). VIS 20111219 (580) |
