| Mystical ecstasy: elevation of the spirit to God in such a way that
the person is aware of this union with God both internal and external senses
are detached from the sensible world. Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi so generously given this special gift of God that she is called the "ecstatic saint." • To-day is the feast of St Augustine of Canterbury In England and Wales; see May 28, his date in the general calendar. |
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Et álibi aliórum
plurimórum sanctórum Mártyrum et Confessórum,
atque sanctárum Vírginum.
Today we remember all pious and Orthodox
Christians And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins. who have fallen asleep in the Lord, and also recall the dread Day of Judgment. May Christ our God be merciful to them, and to us. May 26 - Our Lady of Caravaggio (Italy, 1432) - St Philip Neri (d. 1594) Would you like to know if this is the Virgin Mary? Saint Philip Neri was often
consulted by bishops to judge the authenticity of mystics. The practice of
humility and obedience allowed him to infallibly test false mystics, because
the devil is proud and independent. One day in 1560, the cardinals were divided
about a nun who was having visions. Since they sought his opinion, Philip
went to see the young sister. He looked at her warmly and said, "Sister,
I didn't want to see you, I wanted to see the saint."
And the verdict he gave the
Cardinals was, "It's not from God..."And the nun replied, "But I am the saint!" Philip turned on his heels, retorting, "Ah, you're the saint? Thank you." Another time, one of his penitents
confided to him that the Virgin had come in the night in her room, filling
it with joy and light! So Philip said, "Listen, the next time she comes you
should spit in her face." The following night, the apparition spoke to her
of God, but remembering the promise she had made to her spiritual director
she spat in her face. The apparition immediately disappeared in a cloud of
sulphur smoke: it was the devil. That same night, she awoke in the room full
of light with a new apparition that smiled at her. This time the figure was
not sitting on her bed, she standing in a corner of the room. The seer went
over to spit again, but the apparition just said, "You can spit if you want."
The apparition was too far to spit on, but she congratulated her for her
obedience to her spiritual director! And Father Neri told her
that that time it was the Virgin Mary.
From the magazine the Etoile
Notre Dame, October 2006.
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| 85 St. Alphaeus
father of St. James the Less, mentioned in Matthew. His legends
were popular in the early Church. Saint Carpus was one of the Seventy Apostles chosen and sent forth to preach by Christ (Luke 10:1). He was bishop of Verria in Macedonia. 106 St. Zachary Bishop and martyr of Vienne, Gaul, he was martyred during the reign of Emperor Trajan. 130 St. Quadratus Martyr Apostle of the 70 THE first of the great line of Christian apologists preached the Word of God as Bishop of Athens and at Magnesia (eastern peninsula of Thessaly) 2nd v St. Eleutherius, martyred pope; converted to the Christian faith many noble Romans Sts. Fugatius and Damian 272 SS. PRISCUS, OR PRIX, AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS 303 St. Felicissimus Martyr with Heraclius and Paulinus. They suffered martyrdom at Todi, Umbria, Italy. Romæ sanctórum Mártyrum Simítrii Presbyteri, et aliórum vigínti duórum; qui sub Antoníno Pio passi sunt. At Rome, the holy martyrs Simitrius, priest, and twenty-two others who suffered under Antoninus Pius. 6th v. ST ELEUTHERIUS, ABBOT St. Dyfan He is also called Deruvianus and Damian Missionary to the Britons sent by Pope St. Eleutherius when a local Briton king requested missionaries from the pope 600 St. Becan 6th century Irish hermit in Cork lived in the time of St. Columba and was known for his sanctity. 604 Saint Augustine was from Italy, and a disciple of St Felix, Bishop of Messana 695 St. Oduvald Scottish abbot native of Scotland entered monastic life became abbot of Melrose, then a great spiritual center of the era. 800 Saint John Psichaita the Confessor Because of his holy life and deeds, he received from God the gift to cast out demons and to heal the sick called emperor Leo the Isaurian a heretic 1050 St. Guinizo Benedictine of Spain who was a hermit at Monte Cassino, in Italy. He was greatly revered as a model eremite. 1050 St. Guinizo 1154 ST LAMBERT, BISHOP OF VENICE instructing the people and healing many sick persons by prayer and the laying-on of hands. He was famous for his learning and for his miracles. 1258 Blessed Eva of Liege together w/Blessed Juliana prioress of Mount Cornillon, their enthusiastic purpose was to obtain the institution of a feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament--granted by Pope Urban IV 1293 St. Berencardus Benedictine monk known for his charity. He was a member of the community of St. Papoul Abbey in Languedoc, France.1293 St. Berencardus 1515 George the New Holy Martyr attentively studied the Holy Scriptures pious and chaste refused to accept Islam bright light over his burnt relics 1521 Uncovering Relics of St Macarius of Kalyazin a grave was discovered, exuding an ineffable fragrance. Igumen Joasaph immediately recognized the grave of the monastery's founder, St Macarius, who reposed in the year 1483 1595 Saint Philip Neri Patron of Rome showed the humorous side of holiness known to be spontaneous and unpredictable, charming and humorous. 1645 St. Mariana de Paredes Solitary and the “Lily of Quito,” Ecuador 1747 Bl. Peter Sanz Martyred bishop in China native of Catalonia, Spain Dominican 1861 St. John Hoan Martyr of Vietnam a Vietnamese priest beheaded during the anti-Christian persecutions. Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1988. 1861 St. Matthew Phuong Martyr of Vietnam A native catechist and an ardent Christian |
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| Today we remember
all pious and Orthodox Christians who have fallen asleep in the Lord, and
also recall the dread Day of Judgment. May Christ our God be merciful to
them, and to us. Two Epistles (Acts 28:1-31, I Thess. 4:13-17)
and two Gospels (JN 21:14-25, JN 5:24-30) are appointed to be read at Liturgy.
The readings from Acts and the Gospel of St John, which began on Pascha,
now come to an end. The book of Acts does not end, as might be expected,
with the death of Sts Peter and Paul, but remains open-ended.
In his article "With all the Saints," Fr Justin Popovich says that the Lives of the Saints are nothing less than a "continuation of the Acts of the Apostles." Just as the book of Acts describes the works of Christ which the Apostles accomplished through Christ, Who was dwelling in them and working through them, the saints also preach the same Gospel, live the same life, manifest the same righteousness, love, and power from on High. As we prepare for the Sunday of All Saints, we are reminded that each of us is called to a life of holiness. On this seventh Saturday of Pascha, St John Chrysostom's "Homily on Patience and Gratitude" is appointed to be read in church. It is also prescribed to be read at the funeral service of an Orthodox Christian. |
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| 15
Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary
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 |
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On
Death and Life"Man Needs Eternity -- and Every Other Hope, for Him, Is All Too Brief" 
Saint of the Day May 26 Séptimo Kaléndas Júnii
The saints “a cloud of witnesses over our head”, showing us life of Christian perfection is possible. BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR May 2012 General Intention: The Family. That initiatives which defend and uphold the role of the family may be promoted within society. Missionary Intention: Mary, Guide of Missionaries. That Mary, Queen of the World and Star of Evangelization, may accompany all missionaries in proclaiming her Son Jesus. 
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 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary 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 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).
Catechism 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.” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 61).
Mary Mother of GOD Mary's Divine Motherhood: FEASTS OF OUR LADY 15 Promises of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary
Saint of the Day May 26 Séptimo Kaléndas Júnii
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.
breviary.net/martyrology/mart05
26
stlukeorthodox.com/html/saints/
usccb.org
ewtn.com St Patricks 0525These 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. domcentral.org/life/martyr Mar syriac oca.org glaubenszeugen.de/tage/kai/26 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 Miracles by Century 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 Miracles_BC Lay Saints 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 Doctors_of_the_Church
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.
Popes mentioned
in
articles of Saints today
Pope Urban IV Pope Urban IV (c.
1195 – 2 October 1264), born Jacques Pantaléon, was Pope from 1261
to 1264.
1258 Blessed Eva of Liege enthusiastic purpose obtain the institution of a feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. --granted by Pope Urban IV 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."
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).God calls each one of us to be a saint in order to get into heaven.
"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 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
77
Attend, O people of God, to His commandments: and forget not the Queen of grace. Open your heart to search her out: and your lips to glorify her. Let her love come down into your hearts: long to please her. Her beauty outshines the sun and the moon: she is adorned with the ornaments of virtues. Have mercy on me, O Queen of glory and honor: and keep my soul from all danger. 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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| 801 Rabi'a
al-'Adawiyya Sufi One of the most famous Islamic mystics (b. 717). This 8th century saint was an early Sufi who had a profound influence on later Sufis, who in turn deeply influenced the European mystical love and troubadour traditions. Rabi'a was a woman of Basra, a seaport in southern Iraq. She was born around 717 and died in 801 (185-186). Her biographer, the great medieval poet Attar, tells us that she was "on fire with love and longing" and that men accepted her "as a second spotless Mary" (186). She was, he continues, “an unquestioned authority to her contemporaries" (218). Rabi'a began her ascetic life in a small desert cell near Basra, where she lost herself in prayer and went straight to God for teaching. As far as is known, she never studied under any master or spiritual director. She was one of the first of the Sufis to teach that Love alone was the guide on the mystic path (222). A later Sufi taught that there were two classes of "true believers": one class sought a master as an intermediary between them and God -- unless they could see the footsteps of the Prophet on the path before them, they would not accept the path as valid. The second class “...did not look before them for the footprint of any of God's creatures, for they had removed all thought of what He had created from their hearts, and concerned themselves solely with God. (218) Rabi'a was of this second kind. She felt no reverence even for the House of God in Mecca: "It is the Lord of the house Whom I need; what have I to do with the house?" (219) One lovely spring morning a friend asked her to come outside to see the works of God. She replied, "Come you inside that you may behold their Maker. Contemplation of the Maker has turned me aside from what He has made" (219). During an illness, a friend asked this woman if she desired anything. "...[H]ow can you ask me such a question as 'What do I desire?' I swear by the glory of God that for twelve years I have desired fresh dates, and you know that in Basra dates are plentiful, and I have not yet tasted them. I am a servant (of God), and what has a servant to do with desire?" (162) When a male friend once suggested she should pray for relief from a debilitating illness, she said, "O Sufyan, do you not know Who it is that wills this suffering for me? Is it not God Who wills it? When you know this, why do you bid me ask for what is contrary to His will? It is not well to oppose one's Beloved." (221) She was an ascetic. It was her custom to pray all night, sleep briefly just before dawn, and then rise again just as dawn "tinged the sky with gold" (187). She lived in celibacy and poverty, having renounced the world. A friend visited her in old age and found that all she owned were a reed mat, screen, a pottery jug, and a bed of felt which doubled as her prayer-rug (186), for where she prayed all night, she also slept briefly in the pre-dawn chill. Once her friends offered to get her a servant; she replied, "I should be ashamed to ask for the things of this world from Him to Whom the world belongs, and how should I ask for them from those to whom it does not belong?" (186-7) A wealthy merchant once wanted to give her a purse of gold. She refused it, saying that God, who sustains even those who dishonor Him, would surely sustain her, "whose soul is overflowing with love" for Him. And she added an ethical concern as well: "...How should I take the wealth of someone of whom I do not know whether he acquired it lawfully or not?" (187) She taught that repentance was a gift from God because no one could repent unless God had already accepted him and given him this gift of repentance. She taught that sinners must fear the punishment they deserved for their sins, but she also offered such sinners far more hope of Paradise than most other ascetics did. For herself, she held to a higher ideal, worshipping God neither from fear of Hell nor from hope of Paradise, for she saw such self-interest as unworthy of God's servants; emotions like fear and hope were like veils -- i.e., hindrances to the vision of God Himself. The story is told that once a number of Sufis saw her hurrying on her way with water in one hand and a burning torch in the other. When they asked her to explain, she said: "I am going to light a fire in Paradise and to pour water on to Hell, so that both veils may vanish altogether from before the pilgrims and their purpose may be sure..." (187-188) She was once asked where she came from. "From that other world," she said. "And where are you going?" she was asked. "To that other world," she replied (219). She taught that the spirit originated with God in "that other world" and had to return to Him in the end. Yet if the soul were sufficiently purified, even on earth, it could look upon God unveiled in all His glory and unite with him in love. In this quest, logic and reason were powerless. Instead, she speaks of the "eye" of her heart which alone could apprehend Him and His mysteries (220). Above all, she was a lover, a bhakti, like one of Krishna’s Goptis in the Hindu tradition. Her hours of prayer were not so much devoted to intercession as to communion with her Beloved. Through this communion, she could discover His will for her. Many of her prayers have come down to us: "I have made Thee the Companion of my heart, But my body is available for those who seek its company, And my body is friendly towards its guests, But the Beloved of my heart is the Guest of my soul." [224] |
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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) |
