|
And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins. Пресвятая Богородице спаси нас! (Santíssima Mãe de Deus, salva-nos!)
Every Day, Every Hour Billions
of people all over the world become Saints As the Holy Eucharist
enters their bodies from the Sanctified hands of Priests.
St
Josaphat Kunsevich was canonized in 1867,
Ukrainians and others keep it on November 12, or the ‘Sunday
following, according to the Julian calendar.’the first saint of the Eastern churches to be formally canonized after process in the Congregation of Sacred Rites. Fifteen years later Pope Leo XIII gave his feast to the whole Western church for this date November
12 - Our Lady of the Secret Tower (Turin, Italy, 1863) The Blessed Virgin's
Predestination (I)
I saw in my mind how his Majesty is in himself; infinite in his substance and attributes, united in essence and in the trinity of Persons, eternally equal yet distinct. I first beheld him in a vast desert void of all the creatures of whom he had no need, and I witnessed his decree to accomplish works ad extra, i.e. to draw out of nothingness all the beings present in his mind. At that moment I had the boldness to ask his majesty what hierarchy he chose in that desert so as to know what rank the Mother of God was to occupy. He deigned to satisfy this desire and I will now tell the order I discovered in his thoughts. Excerpts from City of God or the Divine History and Life of the Virgin Mother of God (Part 1, chapter I) manifested to Mary of Agreda November 12 - Our Lady of the Tower (Eriburg,
Germany) A Son of Israel Converts (II)
From that day on his entire life was devoted to the love of
Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and to Our Lady, in particular the apostolate
of the Scapular of Our Lady of Carmel Mount. He established an association
whose mission was the exposition and nocturnal adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
He entered the order of Carmel on October 6, 1849, and received the habit
under the name of Brother Augustine Mary of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Hermann aspired to a life completely hidden in God, but his Superiors sent him to travel throughout Europe to preach. He brought God back into the hearts of innumerable Jews, Protestants and nonbelievers. In 1868, he finally obtained permission from his superiors to withdraw into "solitude". However, he was struck by a new trial: an illness in his eyes. Placing his confidence in the Virgin of Lourdes, he made a novena in the grotto of the apparitions, washing his eyes every day at the miraculous spring. On the ninth day, he experienced a sudden and complete cure-it was an obvious miracle. He was the first Jew miraculously cured at Lourdes. In November 1870 he was sent as chaplain of the French prisoners in Berlin, where he contracted small pox administering Extreme Unction to prisoners. He died there in Berlin, a victim of his devotion and his immense charity. The evening of January 19, he made his confession peacefully, and received Holy Communion. His calm breathing continued until around 10 o'clock the next morning, when, as the nun who sat up with him sang the Salve Regina at his request, he gently expired. Adapted from an article by Patricia Viscomte
Our Lady of Modern Times (Notre-Dame des Temps Nouveaux) #1, 1973 As Saint Josaphat battled to bring back his straying sheep,
personal opposition against him became increasingly intense. Surrounded
one day by an angry mob, he said, "You people of Vitebsk want to put me
to death...I am ready to die for the holy union, for the supremacy of St.
Peter and of his successor, the Supreme Pontiff." Sometime later a gang entered
his church. Crying out, “Kill
the papist,”
they shot the archbishop, crushed his skull, and threw his body into the
river.
St. Josephat's death served only to encourage Ukrainians in their loyalty to the pope. In our own more ecumenical days, the Catholic Church is striving to reestablish unity with all the Orthodox churches through loving dialogue. “To the work of reconciliation, we may be sure, St. Josaphat is adding his own powerful prayers.” Father Robert F. McNamara 960
B. C. The Holy Prophet Ahijah, (cf.
1/3 Kgs 11:29 ff.)
Contemporary
of Solomon, and was born in the city of Shiloh. The prophet predicted to
Jeroboam his kingly rule over the ten Tribes of Israel, which God would
grant him, snatching them away from the hands of Solomon. Afterwards Ahijah
predicted to Jeroboam the perishing of all his line. All the predictions
of the prophet were fulfilled. The Prophet Ahijah died in old age 960 years
before the birth of Christ.
The All-Merciful Kykko Icon of the Mother of God: Kykko_Theotokos.jpg This icon was painted, according to Tradition, by the holy Evangelist Luke. It received its name "Kykkiotisa" from Mount Kykkos, on the island of Cyprus. Here it was placed in an imperial monastery (so designated because it was built with donations from the Emperor), in a church named for it. Before coming to the island of Cyprus, the wonderworking icon of the Mother of God was brought throughout the region by the will of God. At first, it was in one the earliest Christian communities in Egypt, and then it was taken to Constantinople in 980, where it remained in the time of Emperor Alexius Comnenos (end of the eleventh to early twelfth century). During these years it was revealed to the Elder Isaiah through a miraculous sign, that by his efforts the wonderworking image painted by the Evangelist Luke would be transferred to Cyprus. The Elder exerted much effort to fulfill the divine revelation. When the icon of the Mother of God arrived on the island, many miracles were performed. The Elder Isaiah was instrumental in building a church dedicated to the Theotokos, and placing the Kykko Icon in it. From ancient times up to the present day, those afflicted by every sort of infirmity flock to the monastery of the Mother of God the Merciful, and they receive healing according to their faith. The Orthodox are not the only ones who believe in the miraculous power of the holy icon, but those of other faiths also pray before it in misfortune and illness. Inexhaustible is the mercy of the Most Holy Theotokos, Mediatrix for all the suffering, and Her icon fittingly bears the name, the "Merciful." The wonderworking "Kykkiotisa" Icon of the Mother of God possesses a remarkable peculiarity: from what time period is unknown, but it is covered by a half shroud from the upper left corner to the lower right, so that no one is able to see the faces of the Mother of God and the Divine Infant. The depiction of the Mother of God appears to be of the Hodigitria ("Directress") type, as is also the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. The head of the Mother of God is adorned with a crown. A copy of this icon is particularly venerated
at the women's Nikolsk monastery in the city of Mukachev.
|
|||
| Coptic St. Athanasius
and His Sister, Irene. Departure
of Coptic
St. Cyriacus;
Departure of; brought to Abba Peter, Bishop of Corinth, his
cousin,; he ordained him reader. Cyriacus read continually searched interpretations
of Holy Scriptures surpassed many in it; went to Jerusalem, met bishop Abba Cyril; sent to Euthymius (Otimus) Palestine; lived virtuous life much asceticism humility,
godliness devoutness; God bestowed the gift of healing; He healed all who
came to the monastery all kinds of sicknesses or infirmities; His virtues
and holiness spread everywhere
They suffered many tortures at the hands of Maximianus. 150 St. Patiens Patron saint of Metz, France fourth diocesecan bishop 2nd v. Aurelius and Publius bishops who wrote against the Montanists or Cata-Phrygians BM (RM) 200 St. Rufus and Avignon first bishop of Avignon France 430 St. Nilus the Elder Bishop and friend of St. John Chrysostom 422 St. Renatus First bishop of Angers, France, and Sorrento, Italy 574 St. Emilian Cucullatus shepherd hermit priest patron saint of Spain favoured with many miracles 6th v. St. Machar founder of Aberdeen, Scotland companion of St. Columba 610 St Imerius of Immertal monk-hermit and a missionary in the district of the Swiss Jura Abbot (AC) 616-620 Saint John the Merciful, monk, Patriarch of Alexandria; spiritual exploits won honor among men, even the emperor; charitable to all; ransomed prisoners, Wed & Fri he received everyone in need; settled quarrels, helped the wronged, ;distributed alms. 3x's times a week visited the sick-houses, rendered assistance to the suffering. 633 St Cunibert of Trèves untiring builder of churches and monasteries B (RM) 650 St. Livinus Martyred Irish bishop 655Complúti, in Hispánia, natális sancti Dídaci Confessóris, ex Ordine Minórum, humilitáte célebris; quem Xystus Quintus, Póntifex Máximus, Sanctórum catálogo adscrípsit. Ipsíus autem festum sequénti die celebrátur. At Alcala in Spain, the birthday of St. Didacus, confessor, a member of the Order of Friars Minor well known for his humility. Pope Sixtus V included him in the catalogue of the saints and his feast is celebrated on the day following. November 13 Pope St. Martin I defender of the faith buried in the church of Our Lady, called Blachernæ, near Cherson, many miracles are related wrought by St Martin in life and after death 665 St. Cummian Fada Irish monastic founder defender of Roman liturgical customs 689 St. Cadwallader king of Saxon peoples 726 St. Paternus Benedictine monk of Saint Pierre le Vif 773 St. Lebuin Benedictine called Leaf Wine in his native England 800 St. Namphasius Hermit monk Soldier and friend of Charlemagne 830 St. Ymar Benedictine martyred by marauding Danes of England 1005 St. Benedict Companions Italian Benedictine martyrs 1035 St. Astericus Benedictine bishop ambassador to King Stephen Hungary 1040 St. Anastasius XIX first Archbishop of Hungary companion of St. Stephen 1304 BD RAINERIUS OF AREZZO town had an altar set up in his honour and record kept of attributed Miracles 1332 BD JOHN DELLA PACE founder of the Fraticelli delta Penitenza at Pisa was at one time a hermit 1433 Blessed John Cini "della Pace," bred to arms. In 1396 he became a Franciscan tertiary and founded several charitable organizations and a confraternity of flagellants OFM Tert. 1456 Blessed Gabriel Ferretti scion of the counts Ferretti OFM (AC) 1464 1500 Blessed Christopher of Portugal beheaded for the faith by the Islamic prince of Ceylon M (PC) 1580 Blessed John the Merciful of Rostov (also known as "the Hairy") Living in humility, patience and unceasing prayer, he spiritually nourished many people 1623 St. Josaphat of Polotsk an Eastern Rite bishop martyr 1651 Saint Nilus
the Myrrh-Gusher of Mt Athos predicted telephone, airplane submarine
warned that people's minds would be clouded by carnal passions, "dishonor
lawlessness grow stronger." Men indistinguishable from women because of
"shameless dress and style of hair." lamented Christian pastors, bishops
priests, become vain, morals and traditions of the Church would change.
Few pious God-fearing pastors remain, ad many people stray from the right
path because no one would instruct them.
|
|||
| 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. God calls each one of us to be a saint in order to get into heaven: only saints are allowed into heaven. The more "extravagant" graces are bestowed NOT for the benefit of the recipients so much as FOR the benefit of others. |
|||
649-655 Pope
St. Martin I defender of the faith; buried in the church of Our Lady, called Blachernæ,
near ChersonSancti Martíni Primi, Papæ et Mártyris, cujus dies natális sextodécimo Kaléndas Octóbris recensétur. The Feast of St. Martin I, pope and martyr, whose birthday is mentioned on the 16th day of September. Many miracles are related wrought by St Martin in life and after death; Pope St. Martin I of noble birth, great student, commanding intelligence, profound learning, great charity to the poor Saint Martin the Confessor, Pope of Rome native of the Tuscany convened Lateran Council at Rome condemn Monothelite heresy; “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
|
On
Death and Life"Man Needs Eternity -- and Every Other Hope, for Him, Is All Too Brief" 
Saints of November 12 Sancti Prídie Idus
Novémbris.
The saints “a cloud of witnesses over our head”, showing us life of Christian perfection is possible. As the Church prepares to welcome seven new saints this month remarkable servants of God. 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. God calls each one of us to be a saint in order to get into heaven: ONLY Saints are allowed into heaven. The more "extravagant" graces bestowed NOT for the benefit of the recipients so much as FOR the benefit of others. Pope BENEDICT XVI'S Holy Father's Prayer Intentions For November 2012 General Intention: Ministers of the Gospel. That bishops, priests, and all ministers of the Gospel may bear the courageous witness of fidelity to the crucified and risen Lord. Missionary Intention: Pilgrim Church. That the pilgrim Church on earth may shine as a light to the nations 
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 Fatima Prayer, Angel of Peace 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. Pope Benedict XVI Catholic Church In China {article here} 1648 to1930 St. Augustine Zhao Rong and 120 Companions Christianity arrived in China by way of Syria -- 600s. Depending on China's relations with outside world, Christianity for centuries was free to grow or forced to operate secretly. 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 of the Virgin Mary to those who recite the Rosary
Saints of November 12 Sancti Prídie Idus
Novémbris.
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/mart11
12 stlukeorthodox.com/html/saints/
usccb.org
ewtn.com
St Patricks
11 12These 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/12 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 Acts of the Apostles
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. |
||
|
“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. |
||
|
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. |
||
| 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. |
||
|
Miracles
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 Lay Saints |
||
|
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
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. |
||
| 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. |
||
| 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 83
How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lady of hosts: how delightful are the tents of thy redemption. Honor her, O ye sinners: and she will obtain grace and salvation for you. Her prayer is incense above frank-incense and balsam: her supplications will not return to her bare, void, or empty. Intercede for me, O Lady, with thy Christ: neither do thou forsake me in death or in life. For thy spirit is kind: thy grace fills the whole world. 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.
|
||
|
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.
|
||
|
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.
|
||
|
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. |
||
|
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 |
||
| 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] |
||
|
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 |
||
| 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. 
|
