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Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
St. Faustina's Prayer to be Merciful to Others
O Most Holy
Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many
times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to
glorify your mercy.
I want to
be completely transformed into your mercy and to be Your living reflection O
Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of your unfathomable
mercy pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.
Help me O
Lord that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from
appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors souls and come to
their rescue.
Help me O
Lord that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors
needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.
Help me O
Lord that my tongue may be merciful so that I should never speak negatively of
my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.
Help me O
Lord that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do
only good to my neighbors and take upon my self the more difficult and toilsome
tasks.
Help me O
Lord that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor,
overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my
neighbor.
Help me O
Lord that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings
of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with
those who will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most
merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May your
mercy O Lord rest upon me.
You
yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first; the act
of mercy of whatever kind. The second; the word of mercy – if I cannot carry
out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third; prayer – if I cannot
show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches
out even there where I cannot reach out physically. O my Jesus, transform me
into yourself, for you can do all things.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Prayer Calendar and Folder
I have just uploaded the new prayer calendar folder and Prayer Calendar (monthly View). Download it by right-clicking on it!
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Unaware that his 'good things' were from the Lord, the greedy landowner in today's parable thinks he is the source of all that he has. He thinks he can store it all. In the end, greed is the opposite of thankfulness.
when we become aware of all that we have and in reality all that we are is from God, we avoid greed and live lives of gratitude, trying to return to the Lord with thanks for all the good that He has done.
when we become aware of all that we have and in reality all that we are is from God, we avoid greed and live lives of gratitude, trying to return to the Lord with thanks for all the good that He has done.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Lord teaches us to pray, but in the end, seems to say it is not as much about how we say it, but rather that we be persistent and it be in line with God's will. God is good, and He desires us to be in relationship with Him, so we continue to grow in prayer.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Martha and Mary are often depicted as two forms of Christians, the active and the contemplative. In reality, though, neither is sufficient on their own - the one caught in activity needs to spend time with Jesus, but the contemplative also needs to do something. In the case of Mary, however, she is active listening to Jesus! How necessary both forms (especially in Religious life) are needed!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us that being a neighbor is not necessarily about sharing a language, culture, or style of dress. In fact, the Samaritan would not have lived anywhere near the (presumably) Jewish victim, but simply recognized the man as in need of help, and he acted in mercy. That's what a neighbor is - the one who is need, and the one who shows mercy!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
"The kingdom of God is at hand", the message that Jesus sends these 72 out to proclaim. It is a message that is still to be proclaimed. Perhaps it was because of the urgency of the message that Jesus sends them out with the instruction to take nothing with. How we can get weighted down with too much 'stuff', and perhaps we should lighten our loads and get back to the message!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Following Christ is not a part-time occupation, but something that must occupy the entirety of our lives. We cannot simply start out and keep looking back, but must move ahead, keeping our eyes on the Savior who leads us to peace.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
If Jesus is truly the Son of God (and He truly is), we must live our lives differently. We must be willing to follow Him everyday in taking up our cross. We proclaim Him savior and Lord, and so we take up the Cross of our vocations, finding there life and holiness.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
A sinful woman finds forgiveness because she has demonstrated her love and contrition to the Lord. When we respond to the Lord's ail for our lives, we, too, come to His feet and honor him with our love and commitment.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jesus raises the widow's son and gives him back to his mother. Perhaps it was because He knew the grief that His own mother would feel as she would stand beneath His cross, and wanted to give her a sense of hope. He looked with compassion on the widow, no matter the reason. The young man must have lived his life differently because of Jesus' compassion. We, too, have been snatched from death by Jesus - do we live differently?
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
New edition of the Vocation Views Newsletter
I have posted the June '13 edition of the Vocation View Newsletter . Enjoy!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ reminds us of the absolute centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. Jesus Christ gives us this gift to make us the Church, and gives the priesthood to continue to offer the memorial sacrifice He initiated on the cross.
The sequence that the Church gives provides much reflection:
Sion, lift thy voice and sing;
Praise thy Savior and thy King;
Praise with hymns thy Shepherd true:
Dare thy most to praise Him well;
For He doth all praise excel;
None can ever reach His due.
Special theme of praise is thine,
That true living Bread divine,
That life-giving flesh adored,
Which the brethren twelve received,
As most faithfully believed,
At the Supper of the Lord.
Let the chant be loud and high;
Sweet and tranquil be the joy
Felt to-day in every breast;
On this festival divine
Which recounts the origin
Of the glorious Eucharist.
At this table of the King,
Our new Paschal offering
Brings to end the olden rite;
Here, for empty shadows fled,
Is reality instead;
Here, instead of darkness, light.
His own act, at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
In His memory divine;
Wherefore now, with adoration,
We the Host of our salvation
Consecrate from bread and wine.
Hear what holy Church maintaineth,
That the bread its substance changeth
Into Flesh, the wine to Blood.
Doth it pass thy comprehending?
Faith, the law of sight transcending,
Leaps to things not understood.
Here in outward signs are hidden
Priceless things, to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things, are all we see:-
Flesh from bread, and Blood from wine;
Yet is Christ, in either sign,
All entire confessed to be.
They too who of Him partake
Sever not, nor rend, nor break,
But entire their Lord receive.
Whether one or thousands eat,
All receive the selfsame meat,
Nor the less for others leave.
Both the wicked and the good
Eat of this celestial Food;
But with ends how opposite!
Here 'tis life; and there 'tis death;
The same, yet issuing to each
In a difference infinite.
Nor a single doubt retain,
When they break the Host in twain,
But that in each part remains
What was in the whole before;
Since the simple sign alone
Suffers change in state or form,
The Signified remaining One
And the Same forevermore
Lo! upon the Altar lies,
Hidden deep from human eyes,
Angels' Bread from Paradise
Made the food of mortal man:
Children's meat to dogs denied;
In old types foresignified;
In the manna from the skies,
In Isaac, and the Paschal Lamb.
Jesu! Shepherd of the sheep!
Thy true flock in safety keep.
Living Bread! Thy life supply;
Strengthen us, or else we die;
Fill us with celestial grace:
Thou, who feedest us below!
Source of all we have or know!
Grant that with Thy Saints above,
Sitting at the Feast of Love,
We may see Thee face to face. Amen
The sequence that the Church gives provides much reflection:
Sion, lift thy voice and sing;
Praise thy Savior and thy King;
Praise with hymns thy Shepherd true:
Dare thy most to praise Him well;
For He doth all praise excel;
None can ever reach His due.
Special theme of praise is thine,
That true living Bread divine,
That life-giving flesh adored,
Which the brethren twelve received,
As most faithfully believed,
At the Supper of the Lord.
Let the chant be loud and high;
Sweet and tranquil be the joy
Felt to-day in every breast;
On this festival divine
Which recounts the origin
Of the glorious Eucharist.
At this table of the King,
Our new Paschal offering
Brings to end the olden rite;
Here, for empty shadows fled,
Is reality instead;
Here, instead of darkness, light.
His own act, at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
In His memory divine;
Wherefore now, with adoration,
We the Host of our salvation
Consecrate from bread and wine.
Hear what holy Church maintaineth,
That the bread its substance changeth
Into Flesh, the wine to Blood.
Doth it pass thy comprehending?
Faith, the law of sight transcending,
Leaps to things not understood.
Here in outward signs are hidden
Priceless things, to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things, are all we see:-
Flesh from bread, and Blood from wine;
Yet is Christ, in either sign,
All entire confessed to be.
They too who of Him partake
Sever not, nor rend, nor break,
But entire their Lord receive.
Whether one or thousands eat,
All receive the selfsame meat,
Nor the less for others leave.
Both the wicked and the good
Eat of this celestial Food;
But with ends how opposite!
Here 'tis life; and there 'tis death;
The same, yet issuing to each
In a difference infinite.
Nor a single doubt retain,
When they break the Host in twain,
But that in each part remains
What was in the whole before;
Since the simple sign alone
Suffers change in state or form,
The Signified remaining One
And the Same forevermore
Lo! upon the Altar lies,
Hidden deep from human eyes,
Angels' Bread from Paradise
Made the food of mortal man:
Children's meat to dogs denied;
In old types foresignified;
In the manna from the skies,
In Isaac, and the Paschal Lamb.
Jesu! Shepherd of the sheep!
Thy true flock in safety keep.
Living Bread! Thy life supply;
Strengthen us, or else we die;
Fill us with celestial grace:
Thou, who feedest us below!
Source of all we have or know!
Grant that with Thy Saints above,
Sitting at the Feast of Love,
We may see Thee face to face. Amen
Sunday, May 26, 2013
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Gives us an opportunity to reflect on who God is in Himself, not just what He does for us. When we say God, we are speaking of a mystery - three persons united in one existence. Our minds cannot grasp it, but the goal of our lives are to experience the vision of God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - for the rest of eternity in heaven
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Pentecost Sequence
For our prayer, I am posting the Pentecost Sunday Sequence. It is a beautiful prayer of the Church.
Come, O Holy Spirit, come!
From Your bright and blissful Home
Rays of healing light impart.
Come, Father of the poor,
Source of gifts that will endure
Light of ev'ry human heart.
You of all consolers best,
Of the soul most kindly Guest,
Quick'ning courage do bestow.
In hard labor You are rest,
In the heat You refresh best,
And solace give in our woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Let Your radiance in us shine,
And our inmost being fill.
Nothing good by man is thought,
Nothing right by him is wrought,
When he spurns Your gracious Will.
Cleanse our souls from sinful stain,
Lave our dryness with Your rain,
Heal our wounds and mend our way.
Bend the stubborn heart and will,
Melt the frozen, warm the chill,
Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful who in You,
Trust with childlike piety,
Deign Your sevenfold gift to send.
Give them virtue's rich increase,
Saving grace to die in peace,
Give them joys that never end. Amen. Alleluia.
Come, O Holy Spirit, come!
From Your bright and blissful Home
Rays of healing light impart.
Come, Father of the poor,
Source of gifts that will endure
Light of ev'ry human heart.
You of all consolers best,
Of the soul most kindly Guest,
Quick'ning courage do bestow.
In hard labor You are rest,
In the heat You refresh best,
And solace give in our woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Let Your radiance in us shine,
And our inmost being fill.
Nothing good by man is thought,
Nothing right by him is wrought,
When he spurns Your gracious Will.
Cleanse our souls from sinful stain,
Lave our dryness with Your rain,
Heal our wounds and mend our way.
Bend the stubborn heart and will,
Melt the frozen, warm the chill,
Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful who in You,
Trust with childlike piety,
Deign Your sevenfold gift to send.
Give them virtue's rich increase,
Saving grace to die in peace,
Give them joys that never end. Amen. Alleluia.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Ninth Day of Novena to the Holy Spirit
We join in the final day of our novena.
NINTH DAY (Saturday, Vigil of Pentecost)
Thou, on those who evermore Thee confess and Thee Adore, in Thy sevenfold gift, Descend; Give Them Comfort when they die; Give them Life with Thee on high; Give them joys which never end. Amen
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
The gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.
Prayer
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, "Speak Lord for Your servant heareth." Amen.
To be recited daily during the Novena
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.
(To be recited daily during the Novena)
NINTH DAY (Saturday, Vigil of Pentecost)
Thou, on those who evermore Thee confess and Thee Adore, in Thy sevenfold gift, Descend; Give Them Comfort when they die; Give them Life with Thee on high; Give them joys which never end. Amen
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
The gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.
Prayer
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.
Our Father and Hail Mary ONCE. Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, "Speak Lord for Your servant heareth." Amen.
To be recited daily during the Novena
PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.
(To be recited daily during the Novena)
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