For the Beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen

 Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, most widely known for his television program Life is Worth Living,  was born in Illinois in 1895.  Originally  named Peter John, he was nicknamed Fulton, his mother's maiden name.  After his baptism, his mother consecrated him to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and on the day of his First Holy Communion, Blessed Fulton Sheen, renewed this consecration. He was ordained a priest on September 20, 1919 and consecrated a bishop in 1951.  On October 2, 1979 Pope John Paul II embraced Archbishop Sheen, saying to him, "You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus. You are a loyal son of the Church!"  Blessed Fulton Sheen died on October 9, 1979. In 2012 Pope Benedict XVI declared Fulton Sheen venerable.

Blessed Fulton Sheen had a great love for our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and beginning with a resolve on the day of his priestly ordination in 1919 until his death in 1979, Fulton Sheen kept his resolve to make a daily holy hour. He encouraged every person, no matter their state in life to follow this practice as well.  In many of his talks and writings, he spoke of the importance of a daily holy hour. 

Archbishop Sheen said, 

“I do not know how I could live without my daily holy hour. It is the hour that makes my day."

“Because we live in a demonic age, the time has come to take seriously this Holy Hour. It is the only thing our Blessed Lord ever asked us to do, ever asked directly of His disciples: ‘Can you not stay awake one hour with me?’”

“I am asking you, every single day of your life without any exception, to make a continuous hour of adoration in the Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament…”

“Who should make it [a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration]? Bishops, for an apathetic world, so that during that Holy Hour the Blessed Lord will speak to them, as He spoke to Paul at Corinth. ‘Be courageous, be not silent, speak out, I am with you...  

Priests. Make the Holy Hour. It may be a sacramental sign of our victimhood. Would you have power in the pulpit? Would you be able to console the sick? Would you be able to make converts? Then spend the Hour with our Lord. When you mount the pulpit you will shoot forth sparks, and the people will love you...

Sisters, you wonderful women, who bear a visible sign of your union with Christ, make the Holy Hour—and understand how much the children in schools are yearning for you to come back. Married couples, make the Holy Hour, to make up for an abortion every thirty seconds. Prove that the Lord is the Lord of life and not of death.. 

All you who are engaged in social work, treating humanity in any form, make the Holy Hour. Believe me, when you begin to see the invisible Christ behind that visible sign of Bread, you will soon begin to see in the poor and the naked the invisible Christ whom they represent. That is the vision that makes Mother Teresa one of the leaders of the world in the love of the poor... 

And you young people, young men and young women, do not believe that the joy of life consists in a titillation of the flesh, but see that love is sacrificial; and when you make a Holy Hour, then you will begin to understand that the real rock is Peter, and the gates of hell shall not prevail... Everyone, make the Holy Hour, and you will discover as you leave the divine Presence that if you move among people in the world, they will say of you as the maid said of Peter, ‘You have been with Christ.’ And then at the end of a lifetime spent in adoration of the Lord, and in love of the Blessed Mother, of the Blessed Sacrament, when you come before the Lord do you know what He will say to you? He will say, ‘I heard my Mother speak of you.'"

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On this day of the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, may we remember to thank God for the example of this great priest and bishop.  Let us remember to ask Blessed Fulton Sheen to intercede with God for us that we might imitate his example in living for God.

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Prayer for a Favor

Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven and on earth, through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit. If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his prayerful intercession (mention your request here) I make this prayer confidently through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen. 

Imprimatur: +Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C., Bishop of Peoria

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In 1973 after the Supreme Court of the United States legalized abortion, Archbishop Sheen composed the following prayer.  It is a most fitting prayer to continue praying in the modern age as well. 

Prayer to Spiritually Adopt an Unborn Child 

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I love you very much. I beg of you to spare the life of the unborn child I have spiritually adopted, who is in danger of abortion. Say this prayer every day for nine months to save a baby’s life!

God bless!

+JMJ+

For the Feast of our Lady of Ransom

Holy Mother Church honors Mary under the title of Our Lady of Ransom with a feast day on September 24.  As mentioned in a previous post, during the 13th century many Spanish Catholics were enslaved by the Saracens, often tortured as a way to get them to renounce their Faith. St. Peter Nolasco worked for 15 years to ransom these captives, all the while imploring heaven's help for this task. 

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From the Office of the Feast of our Lady of Ransom:

"At the time when the Saracen yoke oppressed the larger and more fertile part of Spain, and great numbers of the faithful were detained in cruel servitude, at the great risk of denying the Christian faith and losing their eternal salvation, the most blessed Queen of heaven graciously came to remedy all these great evils, and showed her exceeding charity in redeeming her children. She appeared with beaming countenance to [St.] Peter Nolasco, a man conspicuous for wealth and piety, who in his holy meditations was ever striving to devise some means of helping the innumerable Christians living in misery as captives of the Moors. She told him it would be very pleasing to her and her only-begotten Son, if a religious Order were instituted in her honour, whose members should devote themselves to delivering captives from Turkish tyranny. Animated by this heavenly vision, the man of God was inflamed with burning love, having but one desire at heart, viz: that both he and the Order he was to found, might be devoted to the exercise of that highest charity, the laying down of life for one's friends and neighbours." "The same night, the most holy Virgin appeared also to blessed Raymond of Pegnafort, and to James king of Aragon, telling them of her wish to have the Order instituted, and exhorting them to lend their aid to so great an undertaking. Meanwhile Peter hastened to relate the whole matter to Raymund, who was his confessor; and finding it had been already revealed to him from heaven, submitted humbly to his direction. King James next arrived, fully resolved to carry out the instructions he also had received from the blessed Virgin. Having therefore taken counsel together and being all of one mind, they set about instituting an Order in honour of the Virgin Mother, under the invocation of [O]ur Lady of Mercy for the ransom of captives." "On the tenth of August, in the year of [O]ur Lord one thousand two hundred and eighteen, king James out into execution what the two holy men had planned. The members of the Order bound themselves by a fourth vow to remain, when necessary, as securities in the power of the pagans, in order to deliver Christians. The king granted them license to bear his royal arms upon their breast, and obtained from [Pope] Gregory IX the confirmation of this religious institute distinguished by such eminent brotherly charity. God [H]imself gave increase to the work, through [H]is Virgin Mother; so that the Order spread rapidly and prosperously over the whole world. It soon reckoned many holy men remarkable for their charity and piety who collected alms from Christ's faithful, to be spent in redeeming their brethren; and sometimes gave themselves up as ransom for many others. In order that due thanks might be rendered to God and [H]is Virgin Mother for the benefit of such an institution, the apostolic See allowed this special feast and Office to be celebrated, and also granted innumerable other privileges to the Order."

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In later years Pope Leo XIII encouraged the devotion of this feast as well, especially as a way to help the faithful to remember how our Lady ransoms us from the slavery of our sins.  As this feast draws near, may we look to our Lady of Ransom and beg her help.  May our Lady's intercession help free us from sin and guide us to a greater love for her Son.  May we also ask her help for the whole world, which is so entrenched in confusion and sin.  May the world learn to look to the Heavenly Mother as a beacon of peace and love and imitate her love for and service of God.

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 Supplication to our Lady of Ransom

Sweet Mother! turn those gentle eyes 

Of pity down upon me; 

Oh! hear thy suppliant’s tearful cries, 

My humble prayer, do not despise, 

Star of the pathless sea! 

In dark temptation’s dreary hour, 

To thee, bright Queen, we flee;

Oh! then exert a mother’s power, 

When storms are rough and tempests lower; 

Star of the raging sea! 

Through all my joys and cares, sweet Maid, 

May I still look on thee, 

Who bore the Price our ransom paid, 

And ne’er the suppliant’s cry hath stayed; 

Star of the azure sea! 

And when my last expiring sigh, 

My soul from earth shall free, 

Do thou, bright Queen of Saints, stand by 

And bear it up to God on high, 

Star of the boundless sea! 

***Say the Hail Mary three times followed by the Hail Holy Queen

God bless!

+JMJ+

For the Feast of St. Philomena

Holy Mother Church honors St. Philomena with a feast day on August 11. St. Philomena was the thirteen year old daughter of the king and queen of a small Grecian state.  At baptism she was given the name Philomena, which means "Friend of the Light."  During a trip with her parents to Rome to discuss peace with the emperor, she was asked by the pagan emperor to marry him in exchange for peace.  However, St. Philomena refused him, having made a vow of chastity at age 11, despite her parents and the emperor trying to persuade her.  Furious Emperor Diocletian threw Philomena into prison. For 37 days he tried to get her to agree to marriage, but when she held vast to her vow, the emperor furiously increased her torments.  

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At the end of the 37 days, the Blessed Mother and the Divine Child appeared to the young girl.  Our Lady told her that she would remain three more days in the dungeon, and on the fortieth day she would undergo cruel torture.  Mary comforted Philomena and the apparition ended.  On the fortieth day Emperor Diocletian ordered Philomena to be tied to a pillar and scourged without mercy, accompanied by horrible blasphemies.  When she returned to the prison, two angels appeared to her and healed her wounds with heavenly balm.  The next morning the emperor found her stronger and more beautiful than ever.  The order was then given to tie an iron anchor to her neck and throw her into the Tiber River.  However, two angels rescued her, bringing her to the bank completely dry. The emperor ordered her to be pierced with arrows and returned to the prison.  

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Yet the next day he found her unscathed and more beautiful.  Emperor Diocletian, enraged, ordered her to be shot with arrows again, but the arrows would not leave the bows.  He next ordered the arrows to be heated red hot, but again God protected the little saint.  The arrows turned back on the archers, six of whom were killed.  People began to convert at the miracles before them.  At last the tyrant pagan emperor ordered Philomena to be beheaded.  This act ended her life on earth and sent her soul victoriously into heaven.

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St. Philomena has been named St. Philomena, the Wonder Worker due to the great number of miracles that occurred through her intercession.  St. John Vianney held a great devotion to St. Philomena, even writing a litany in her honor.  We would do well to imitate St. John Vianney, adding devotion to this powerful young Saint to our lives.  May we strive to imitate her in her faithfulness to God, her purity, her fortitude, and her love for our Lord.  

The Novena to St. Philomena should be said from August 2-August 10, to end of the vigil of her feast day.  St. Philomena, pray for us!

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Novena to St. Philomena 

 O great St. Philomena, glorious Virgin and Martyr, wonder-worker of our age, I return most fervent thanks to God for the miraculous gifts bestowed on thee, and beseech thee to impart to me a share in the graces and blessings of which thou hast been the channel to so many souls. 

Through the heroic fortitude with which thou didst confront the fury of tyrants and brave the frowns of the mighty rather than swerve from thy allegiance to the King of Heaven, obtain for me purity of body and soul, purity of heart and desire, purity of thought and affection. Through thy patience under multiplied sufferings, obtain for me a submissive acceptance of all the afflictions it may please God to send me and as thou didst miraculously escape unhurt from the waters of the Tiber, into which thou wert cast by order of thy persecutor, so may I pass through the waters of tribulation without detriment to my soul. 

In addition to these favours, obtain for me, O faithful spouse of Jesus, the particular intention I earnestly recommend to thee at this moment. O pure Virgin and holy Martyr, deign to cast a look of pity from Heaven on thy devoted servant, comfort me in affliction, assist me in danger, above all come to my aid in the hour of death. Watch over the interests of the Church of God, pray for its exaltation and prosperity, the extension of the faith, for the Sovereign Pontiff, for the clergy, for the perseverance of the just, the conversion of sinners, and the relief of the Souls in Purgatory, especially those dear to me., and those most forgotten. O great Saint, whose triumph we celebrate on earth, intercede for me, that I may one day behold the crown of glory bestowed on thee in Heaven, and eternally bless Him who so liberally rewards for all eternity the sufferings endured for His love during this short life. Amen.

Hymn to St. Philomena

We praise thee Philomena 

Blest martyr and blest maid! 

Since Christ through thee works wonders 

We come to thee for aid. 

Red Rose of sweetest fragrance 

Glowing with charity. 

Yet white with lily whiteness 

Of angels’ purity. 

All Hail Saint Philomena 

Thou virgin of the Lord 

Help us to love and praise Him 

And make His Name adored. 

Be thou the guide of pilgrims 

Restore the steps that stray. 

Bring health to those who suffer 

Be thou their gladsome ray. 

Cheer those whose hope is waning 

And warm the hearts grown cold. 

Console the sad and lonely, 

Strengthen the weak and old. 

Thou well-beloved maiden, 

All girt with Heaven’s might. 

Help those who sit in darkness, 

Thou daughter of the Light. 

Make us who now implore Thee 

Loving and brave and wise. 

May we one day behold thee, 

Princess of Paradise.

God bless!

+JMJ+

The Grotto

 Blessed Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

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I wanted to introduce everyone to my newest page at the top of my blog, entitled Grotto.  I am very excited about this addition to my blog.  Once on the page, if you simply click on a candle, you can add your prayers intentions.  The candle will burn for 24 hours; you can watch it slowly burn down.  While your candle is lit, be assured that your intentions will be added to our family rosary each day.  Please add your intentions any time.  When you add your intentions, please pray for the other intentions on my Grotto page as well.  May our Lady watch over you and your needs.

I hope you enjoy this new addition and find it useful.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

***Please take note of the new tab at the top of my blog labeled Grotto.  I will write a brief post about it soon, but feel free to use it.  God bless!

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The entire month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  However, Holy Mother Church especially honors our Lord under the title of the Sacred Heart with a feast day on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi, which is on June 12 this year. 

Jesus spoke to St. Margaret Mary, saying, "Behold this Heart, which has so loved men, as that it has spared nothing, even to the exhausting and wearing itself out, in order to show them its love; and instead of acknowledgment I receive, from the greater number, nothing but ingratitude, by their irreverences and sacrileges, and by the coldness and contempt wherewith they treat Me, in this Sacrament of love." 

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 With the words of our Lord to St. Margaret before us, may we strive throughout this month and always to love our Lord with our whole being, offering Him adoration and thanksgiving for His love and sacrifice for us. Our Lord yearns to give us His Heart, waiting in silence for us to give ours to Him in return.  We can honor our Lord through prayers, the enthronement of His Image in our homes, and by  fulfilling the First Friday devotion, which Jesus revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. 

During the 17th century our Lord revealed to her that it was His desire that the first Friday of each month be consecrated to the devotion and adoration of His most Sacred Heart. He made twelve promises for those who sincerely practiced this devotion. 

From the writings of St. Margaret Mary, we learn of a few of them.  She wrote, 

"On Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to 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." 

In order to make this devotion of the nine first Fridays, we must receive Holy Communion, with the intention of offering reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Throughout this month of June and each time we venerate His Sacred Heart, we should remember Jesus' great love for us, flowing forth from His Heart.  In return we should strive to express our love and devotion to Him through acts of adoration and repentance. 

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus 

Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, O my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things, conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.

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The 12 Promises of Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Regarding Those Who Receive Communion on Nine First Fridays 

1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life. 

2. I will establish peace in their houses. 

3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions. 

4. I will be their strength during life and above all during death. 

5. I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings. 

6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy. 

7. Tepid souls shall grow fervent. 

8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection. 

9. I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored. 

10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. 

11. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out. 

12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Feast of St. Joan of Arc

 Blessed Feast of St. Joan of Arc!!!!

Below is a prayer for recitation on her feast day, May 30.  It seems most fitting to honor this great Saint since she is the patroness of my blog.

As we recite the Litany of St. Joan of Arc, may we pray that we will grow in the virtues of Faith, love of God, fortitude, and perseverance--virtues St. Joan clearly possessed during her life.  May we use these virtues to help transform this world to become a mirror of the love and goodness of God.  St. Joan, pray for us!

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Litany of St. Joan of Arc 

Lord, have mercy on us!

Jesus Christ, have mercy on us! 

Lord, have mercy on us! 

Jesus Christ, hear us! 

Jesus Christ, graciously hear us! 

Our Heavenly Father, Who art God, have mercy on us! 

Son, Savior of the world, Who art God, have mercy on us! 

Holy Spirit, Who art God, have mercy on us! 

Holy Trinity, Who art God, have mercy on us! 

Holy Mary, virgin Mother of God, pray for us. 

Our Lady of the Assumption, principal patron of France, pray for us. 

Saint Michael the Archangel, patron and special protector of France, pray for us. 

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, virgin and Martyr, pray for us. 

Saint Margaret of Antioch, virgin and Martyr, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, chosen by God at Domremy, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, informed by Saint Michael, the Archangel and his Angels, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, compliant to the call of God, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, confidant in and submissive to her voices, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, model of family life and labor, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, faithfully devoted to Our Lady, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, who delighted in the Holy Eucharist, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, model of generosity in the service to God, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, example of faithfulness to the Divine vocation, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, model of union with God in action, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, virgin and soldier, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, model of courage and purity in the field of battle, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, compassionate towards all who suffer, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, the pride of Orleans, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, glory of Reims, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, liberator of the Country, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, abandoned and imprisoned at Compiegne, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, pure and patient in thy prison, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, heroic and valiant before thy judges, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, alone with God at the hour of torment, pray for us. 

Saint Joan of Arc, Martyr of Rouen, pray for us. 

Saint Joan or Arc and Saint Therese of Lisieux patronesses of France, pray for us. 

All the Saints of France, intercede for us. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, 

Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, 

Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, Lord. 

Saint Joan of Arc, pray for us, that we may become worthy of the promises of Our Savior Jesus Christ. 

 Let us pray. Oh God, Who hast raised up in an admirable manner, the virgin of Domremy, Saint Joan of Arc, for the defense of the faith and country, by her intercession, we ask Thee that the Church triumph against the assaults of her enemies and rejoice in lasting peace; through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

"Hold the Cross high so I may see it through the flames." --St. Joan of Arc

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians

Our Lady's help has been invoked since Apostolic times, and during the Middle Ages the title for Mary, Help of Christians was widely used. People implored Mary's help while honoring her with the recitation of the Holy Rosary. In the 1800s the feast day for Our Lady Help of Christians was established within the Church and placed on May 24. 

In modern times we would do well to remember these Catholic traditions and implement them in our own lives. In the midst of such a troubled world, may we implore Our Lady Help of Christians, asking for her aid to bring Christ to all people and peace throughout the world. Meanwhile may we once again, like Catholics of old, hold tight to our rosaries, honoring Our Lady with this great devotion. The following prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians is a beautiful prayer to recite, asking our Lady to help each of us, the Church, and the whole world. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!

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Prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians 

Most holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, our tender Mother and mighty Help of Christians, we dedicate ourselves wholly to thy dear love and holy service. We dedicate to thee our minds and all our thoughts, our hearts and all our affections, our bodies and all our senses and all our strength; we promise to be ever willing to labor for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls. Meanwhile, do thou, O incomparable Virgin, who hast ever been the helper of the Christian people, continue to show thyself to be so in these our days. Bring low the enemies of our holy religion and frustrate their wicked designs. Enlighten and strengthen our Bishops and our priests; keep them always in close union and obedience to the Pope, their infallible Teacher; preserve thoughtless youth from sin and irreligion; increase holy vocations and multiply the number of the sacred ministers, that by means of them the kingdom of Jesus Christ may be preserved amongst us and be extended even to the uttermost parts of the earth. 

We pray thee, moreover, dear Mother, to keep thine eyes of mercy ever turned upon young men and maidens, who are exposed to so many dangers, as well as upon poor sinners and those who are dying; be thou, O Mary, to them all a source of sweet hope, thou who art the Mother of mercy and the Gate of heaven. 

But also for ourselves do we pour forth our supplications, O mighty Mother of God. Teach us to show forth in our lives thy virtues, especially angelic purity, deep humility and burning love; so by our demeanor, our words and our example may we, according as it is given to us, be living images of thy blessed Son Jesus in the midst of the world, and make thee known and loved, in the sure hope that thus we may succeed in bringing many souls to salvation. Grant unto us, O Mary, thou Help of Christians, to be gathered under thy maternal protection. May the thought of the love thou bearest toward thy devoted clients be unto us so great a source of strength as to make us victors over the enemies of our salvation, both in life and in death, that so we may come to stand about thee in the beauty of paradise. Amen 

---from the Raccolta

God bless!

+JMJ+

Daily Prayer for the Church and Government

 "It is a characteristic of any decaying civilization that the great masses of the people are unaware of the tragedy. Humanity in a crisis is generally insensitive to the gravity of the times in which it lives. Men do not want to believe their own times are wicked, partly because they have no standard outside of themselves by which to measure their times. If there is no fixed concept of justice, how shall men know it is violated? Only those who live by faith really know what is happening in the world; the great masses without faith are unconscious of the destructive processes going on, because they have lost the vision of the heights from which they have fallen." 

 --Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Our Lady of Victory, pray for us! 

Prayer for the Church and the Civil Authorities 

 Archbishop John Carroll, A.D. 1800 

We pray Thee, O Almighty and Eternal God, who through Jesus Christ hast revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy mercy; that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue, with unchanging faith, in the confession of Thy name. We pray Thee, who alone art good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal, and sanctity of life our chief bishop, Francis, the Vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ in the government of His Church; our own Bishop, (or Archbishop,) N., (if he is not consecrated, our Bishop-elect); all other Bishops, Prelates, and Pastors of the Church ; and especially those who are appointed to exercise among us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct Thy people into the ways of salvation. 

We pray Thee, O God of might, wisdom, and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgments decreed, assist, with Thy Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude, the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people, over whom he presides, by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. 

Let the light of Thy divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our role and government; so, that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge, and may perpetuate to us the blessings of equal liberty. 

We pray for his Excellency the Governor of this State, for the members of the Assembly, for all Judges, Magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare; that they may be enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability. We recommend likewise to Thy unbounded mercy all our brethren and fellow-citizens, throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge, and sanctified in the observance of most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and, after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal. 

Finally, we pray Thee, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of Thy servants departed who are gone before us with the sign of faith, and repose in the sleep of peace: the souls of our parents, relations, and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation; and particularly of such as are lately deceased; of all benefactors who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship, and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light, and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

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“A nation always gets the kind of politicians it deserves. If a time ever comes when the religious Jews, Protestants and Catholics ever have to suffer under a totalitarian state, which would deny to them the right to worship God according to the light of their conscience, it will be because for years they thought it made no difference what kind of people represented them in Congress, and because they abandoned the spiritual in the realm of the temporal.”

--Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen 

God bless! 

+JMJ+

An Ancient Prayer to St. Joseph

Holy Mother Church honors St. Joseph during the month of March with a feast day on March 19 but also by devoting the entire month to him.  Many Saints throughout the history of the Church have spoken on the virtuous life of St. Joseph.  

St. Francis de Sales stated, "Truly, I doubt not that the angels, wondering and adoring, came thronging in countless multitudes to that poor workshop to admire the humility of him who guarded that dear and divine child, and labored at his carpenter’s trade to support the son and the mother who were committed to his care."

And following a similar thought, St. Madeleine Sophia Barat spoke of St. Joseph.  "Let us love Jesus above all, let us love Mary as our mother; but then, how could we keep from loving Joseph, who was so intimately united to both Jesus and Mary? And how can we honor him better than by imitating his virtues? Now, what else did he do in all his life but contemplate, study, and adore Jesus, even in the midst of his daily labors? Behold, therefore, our model."

During this month of March and throughout Lent, may we also look to St. Joseph for his example of virtue and love of our Lord and our Lady.  May we strive to imitate him in his service to God and beg his intercession to help us on our journey to heaven.

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An Ancient Prayer to Saint Joseph 

O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in thee all my interests and desires. 

O St. Joseph, assist me by thy powerful intercession and obtain for me all spiritual blessings through thy foster Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord, so that, having engaged here below thy heavenly power, I may offer thee my thanksgiving and homage. 

O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating thee and Jesus asleep in thine arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near thy heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Devotional to Our Lady of Sorrows

With Lent beginning this next week, I wanted to repost the free devotional I created to Our Lady of Sorrows for your use throughout this penitential season.

I hope this simple devotional helps you truly honor and love our Lady of Sorrows this year during your Lenten journey or whenever you choose to pray it. It is a useful devotional for adults, children, or families. This devotional is free for your use. I simply ask if you post about or share this devotional or one of my other ideas, that you please be kind enough to link back to my original post. My ideas are not to be used for profit, and are to be used for personal use by individuals, families, and teachers.

Image of the Front Cover

I do have it available for download at the following link: Seven Sorrows of Mary. If you have difficulty with the link or prefer to receive it by email, please leave me a message with your email address, and I can send you the document for free. I will NOT post your email online. If you would rather receive a printed copy in the mail, I would have to charge a small fee for printing cost (ink and paper) and postage. If you prefer that method, please message me again with your email, and I will email you back to set it up. I am looking for other reliable methods for downloads, but I have not decided on one yet. If you have any reliable suggestions, please let me know.

Praying you have a blessed Lent!

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayer to the Most Loving Infant Jesus

 Let us bear in mind, despite the chaotic motions of the world, that Holy Mother Church celebrates the Nativity of our Lord longer than just December 25.  The holy feast of Christmas is celebrated for twelve days, from December 25 through January 5, the vigil of Epiphany.  The season of  Christmastide extends through February 2, the Feasts of the Purification of Mary and Presentation of Jesus, also known as Candlemas.  An explanation can be found here by Fr. Rock, FSSP.

May we continue to keep our focus, then, on honoring the newborn Infant Jesus with extra prayers and acts of love throughout the remainder of Christmastide.  May the innocence and virtue of the Christ Child live in us throughout our lives.

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Prayer to the Most Loving Infant Jesus

O most loving and blessed Infant Jesus! Thou great God and Lord of heaven and earth, Who hast clothed and hidden Thy Divine Majesty under the lovable semblance of a child before Whom the powers of the heavens tremble, the mighty kings of the earth bow and the evil spirits under the earth must bend; Who through the Almighty God, for love of us hast become a little Child, so that we might love Thee more ardently and serve Thee more faithfully and humbly follow Thy example in childlike purity and love. I, a poor sinner, bow down humbly before the great God concealed in this lovable Child and adore Thee! I love Thee as the highest and most loving God; I entrust myself to Thy infinite Goodness. O teach me after Thy example to love humility and crush pride, to desire to grow in virtue and childlike trust; direct and rule me and make me virtuous, that I may please Thee and be little in this world and great in the next. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

For the Feast of St. Philomena

 Holy Mother Church celebrates St. Philomena with a historical feast day on August 11.  Martyred at the age of 13 by Emperor Diocletian, this young Saint endured intense suffering for the love of God.  At the age of 11, St. Philomena consecrated herself to God, and despite the offerings of marriage to the emperor, she remained faithful to her consecration and her Faith.  Angered, Diocletian imprisoned her for 40 days, forcing her to endure tortures of scourging, drowning, and being shot by arrows.  However, each time St. Philomena was either saved or healed from her persecution.  Furious, Diocletian had her beheaded on the 40th day.  She thus began her heavenly reward with her beloved Lord.  She became known as a wonderworker, miraculously answering the prayers of many on earth.  St. John Vianney held a great devotion to her, penning the following Litany of St. Philomena.  

May we pray to this young, but powerful Saint, asking her to help us remain faithful to our Lord and Catholic Faith amidst the pull of the world.  We would do well to ask St. Philomena to increase in us the virtues of purity, fortitude, and love of God. 

Litany to Saint Philomena  

Lord have mercy on us. 

Christ have mercy on us. 

Lord have mercy on us. 

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. 

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. 

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. 

God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us. 

Holy Trinity one God, have mercy on us. 

Holy Mary, Queen of Virgins, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, pray for us. Saint Philomena, filled with the most abundant graces from the cradle, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, model of Virgins, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, temple of the most perfect humility, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, inflamed with zeal for the Glory of God, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, victim of the love of Jesus, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, example of strength and perseverance, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, invincible champion of chastity, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, mirror of the most heroic virtues, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, firm and intrepid in the face of torments, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, scourged like thy Divine Spouse, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, pierced by a shower of arrows, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, consoled by the Mother of God when in chains, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, cured miraculously in prison, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, comforted by Angels in thy torments, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who preferred torments and death to the splendors of a throne, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who converted the witnesses of thy Martyrdom, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who wore out the fury of thy executioners, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, protectress of the innocent, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, patron of youth, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, refuge of the unfortunate, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, health of the sick and the weak, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, new light of the Church Militant, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who confounds the impiety of the world, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who stimulates the faith and courage of the faithful, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, whose name is glorified in Heaven and feared in Hell, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, made illustrious by the most striking miracles, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, all powerful with God, pray for us. 

Saint Philomena, who reigns in glory, pray for us. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. 

V. Pray for us, Great Saint Philomena, R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray. We implore Thee, O Lord, by the intercession of Saint Philomena, Virgin and Martyr, who was ever most pleasing to Thine eyes by reason of her eminent purity and the practice of all the virtues, pardon us our sins and grant us all the graces we need [name any special grace you may require]. Amen.

                                                                                 --Composed by Saint John Vianney

God bless!

                                                                                                                +JMJ+

Prayer after Holy Communion by St. Bonaventure

 Holy Mother Church honors St. Bonaventure with a feast day on July 14. Born in Italy in 1221, as a young child Bonaventure was saved from death through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi, to whom Bonaventure’s mother had prayed, vowing to give her son to the Saint’s Order if he was healed. Later Bonaventure did join the order of his intercessor, the Order of Friars Minor. In his studies St. Bonaventure quickly portrayed qualities of great intelligence, wisdom, and virtue. What St. Thomas Aquinas was for the Dominican Order, so, too, St. Bonaventure was for the Franciscan Order.

St. Bonaventure not only inspired through preaching; his written works were great sources of knowledge as well. Included in his writings were works about the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Francis of Assisi, and love of God. St. Bonaventure desired always to love God through each action and thought he had and to inflame the hearts of others with that same intense love of God he possessed. Later named the Seraphic Doctor, St. Bonaventure died at age 53 and was canonized by Pope Sixtus IV. The following prayer written by the Saint illustrates this love of God that St. Bonaventure strove to live each moment. 

 Prayer after Holy Communion

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee. Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste. 

May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God; may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

For the Feast of St. Leo I

 St. Leo I is honored by Holy Mother Church with a feast day on April 11. St. Leo is one of  four Popes given the title of the Great.  The other three popes are St. Basil, St. Gregory, and St. Nicholas.  A great defender of the Church, St. Leo, whose name means lion, protected the Faith from two heresies against the Incarnation-- the Nestorian Heresy and the Eutychian Heresy.  This holy Pontiff governed the Church during the time of Attila the Hun's rule.  Known as the Scourge of God, Attila, marching toward Rome, was met by Pope Leo I.  Speaking with calm eloquence, Pope Leo awed Attila, who agreed to spare Rome.  Attila not only admired the Pontiff, but he also feared him, recognizing a heavenly power on the side of the virtuous Pope. The following hymn was written to honor Pope Leo I on his feast day. 

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Hymn Honoring Pope Leo I

O happy Pontiff! glorious Leo! thou hast been made companion of the faithful Priests and martyrs; for thou wast most invincible in battle, and immovable as a tower and fortress of religion.  Thou proclaimedst with most perfect orthodoxy and wisdom, the unspeakable generation of Christ.

O ruler of Orthodoxy, teacher of religion and holiness, light of the whole earth, divinely inspired glory of true believers, wise Leo!  thou enlightenest all men by thy teachings, O harp of the Holy Ghost!

Heir of the See of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, thou presidedst over the Church: thou hadst his spirit and was inflamed with zeal for the Faith.

Beaming with most bright light, thou, O holy Leo, didst admirable preach the ineffable and divine incarnation, teaching the two Natures, and the two Wills of the Incarnate God.

Resplendent with the knowledge of divine truths, thou scatteredst on all sides the brightness of orthodoxy, and dispelledst the darkness of heresy.  Departing this life, thou, O blessed one! now dwellest in the Light that knows no setting.

O inspired Minister of God's mysteries, thou admirably preachedst that Christ is the Only son and Lord, begotten of the Father before all ages, born for us of the Virgin, and dwelling on earth like unto us.

Seated with glory upon the throne of the Pontificate, thou didst stop the mouths of lions, and madest to shine upon thy flock the light of the knowledge of God, by proclaiming the divine dogma of the adorable Trinity.  Therefore hast thou been glorified as a holy Pontiff initiated in the grace of God.

Thou as a dazzling sun, didst rise in the west: thou wisely dispelledst the error of Eutyches, who mingled and confused the two Natures, and that of Nestorius, who divided them as though they were two Persons.  Thou taughtest us to adore one Christ in two Natures, inseparably, unchangeably, unconfusedly united.  

Inspired of God, thou appearedst to the people of God as another Moses, showing them the commandments of religion written, as it were on tables.  Thou exclaimedst in the assembly of the venerable Masters:  "Praise, O ye Priests! and bless, and extol Christ forever."

Now, O Priest of Christ! thou art brightly decked with a crown of beauty.  As a faithful Priest, thou hast put on justice. Pray unceasingly for thy flock, now that thou hast entered into the admirable joy of the Paradise of delights.

Thou, O most blessed Leo! hast worthily entered the abode where are the seats and thrones and ranks of the Patriarchs; thou hast entered as a  true Patriarch, all resplendent with faith and grace.  Therefore do we all celebrate thy name forever.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Free Lenten Devotional

  Blessed Lent to all!  

I pray this solemn season is finding you growing in love of our Lord and his most blessed Mother.  May we adore our Lord, meditating on His Passion, and honor our Lady, pierced with swords of sorrow as she stands at the foot of His Cross.

During Lent of last year for my family, I created a devotional to our Lady of Sorrows.  While my children and I focused on one of the sorrows of our Lady each week of Lent, this devotional could be prayed all at once as well.  Lent is a most fitting time to meditate on our Lady of Sorrows and her most tender heart, but this devotion can also be prayed anytime throughout the year.  I love the devotion to our Lady of Sorrows and strive to pray her chaplet daily.  

I hope this simple devotional helps you truly honor and love our Lady of Sorrows this year during your Lenten journey or whenever you choose to pray it.  It is a useful devotional for adults, children, or families.  This devotional is free for your use.  I simply ask if you post about or share this devotional or one of my other ideas, that you please be kind enough to link back to my original post. My ideas are not to be used for profit, and are to be used for personal use by individuals, families, and teachers.

I do have it available for download at the following link:  Seven Sorrows of Mary.  If you have difficulty with the link or prefer to receive it by email, please leave me a message with your email address, and I can send you the document for free.  I will NOT post your email online.  If you would rather receive a printed copy in the mail, I would have to charge a small fee for printing cost (ink and paper) and postage.  If you prefer that method, please message me again with your email, and I will email you back to set it up.  I am looking for other reliable method for downloads, but I have not decided on one yet.  If you have any reliable suggestions, please let me know.

Title page

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayers in Honor of the Holy Face of our Lord

The practice of honoring our Lord's Holy Face is not new.  During Jesus' life on earth, this devotion was seen through St. Joseph, the Blessed Mother, the Magi, and the Apostles.  We also recognize this devotion in St. Veronica's veil.  However, it was not until much later that a formal devotion began.  

In the 19th century Jesus expressed His wishes to Sister Mary of St. Peter, a Carmelite Nun in Tours, France, that a devotion to His Holy Face be established. Our Lord wanted this devotion in reparation for blasphemies against Him and His Holy Name, as well as for the profanation of Sunday. In August of 1843, Jesus dictated to her the well-known Golden Arrow Prayer, saying that those who would recite this prayer would pierce Him delightfully, and they also would heal those other wounds inflicted on Him by the malice of sinners. After receiving this prayer, Sister Mary of St. Peter was given a vision in which she saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus delightfully wounded by this "Golden Arrow" as torrents of graces streamed from It for the conversion of sinners. 

In 1885 Pope Leo XIII granted Ecclesiastical approval of the Devotion to the Holy Face and established an Archconfraternity for its honor.  It was of this Archconfraternity that St. Therese of Lisieux's entire family became members.  As a nun, St. Therese speaks of the image of the Holy Face, saying, “How well Our Lord did lower His eyes when He gave us His portrait! Since the eyes are the mirror of the soul, if we had seen His soul, we would have died from joy. Oh how much good that Holy Face has done in my life!”

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Years later during Lent of 1936, Jesus appeared to Blessed Maria Pierina De Micheli, a religious sister with the order of the Daughters of the Immaculate Conception, and told her, "I wish that My Face, which reflects the intimate sorrow of My soul, and the suffering and love of My Heart, be better honoured. He who contemplates Me consoles Me." On the Tuesday following Passion Sunday, Jesus returned to her and said: "Each time My Face is contemplated I will pour My love into hearts, and through My Holy Face the salvation of many souls will be obtained."  In 1958  Pope Pius XII formally declared Shrove Tuesday, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, to be the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus.

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The celebration of the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus is a wonderful way to prepare ourselves for the season of Lent, which begins the next day.  Remembering this devotion throughout Lent, is a method to help us remain focused on our Lenten penances, striving for reparation for our sins and the sins of the world.  The following prayers are a few that can be used to honor our Lord in this devotion.  May we employ these prayers as means to love our Lord and to help us grow in holiness as He desires. 

The Golden Arrow Prayer

May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified, in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen. 

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Prayer of St. Therese of Jesus to the Holy Face

O Jesus, Who in Thy bitter Passion didst become "the most abject of men, a man of sorrows," I venerate Thy Sacred Face whereon there once did shine the beauty and sweetness of the Godhead; but now it has become for me as if it were the face of a leper! Nevertheless, under those disfigured features, I recognize Thy infinite Love and I am consumed with with the desire to love Thee and make Thee loved by all men. The tears which well abundantly in Thy sacred eyes appear to me as so many precious pearls that I love to gather up, in order to purchase the souls of poor sinners by means of their infinite value. O Jesus, Whose adorable Face ravishes my heart, I implore Thee to fix deep within me Thy Divine Image and to set me on fire with Thy Love, that I may be found worthy to come to the contemplation of Thy glorious Face in Heaven. Amen. 

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Holy Face Prayer for Sinners

Eternal Father, since Thou hast given me for my inheritance the Adorable Face of Thy Divine Son, I offer that face to Thee and I beg Thee, in exchange for this coin of infinite value, to forget the ingratitude of souls dedicated to Thee and to pardon all poor sinners.

--by St. Therese of Lisieux

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An Aspiration to the Eternal Father to be  Frequently Recited During the Day

Eternal Father, we offer You the Holy Face of Jesus, covered with blood, sweat, dust and spittle, in reparation for the crimes of communists, blasphemers, and for the profaners of the Holy Name and of the Holy Day. Amen. 

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Prayer to Reproduce the Image of God in our Souls

I salute Thee, I adore Thee, and I love Thee, Oh adorable Face of my Beloved Jesus, as the noble stamp of Divinity!  Completely surrendering my soul to Thee, I most humbly beg Thee to stamp this seal upon us all, so that the Image of God may once more be reproduced by Its imprint in our souls.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Novena to Our Lady of Altagracia

On January 21, Holy Mother Church honors Mary under the title of Our Lady of Altagracia, also known as Our Lady of High Grace.  She is the patroness of the Dominican Order and the Dominican Republic.  The history of Mary under this title dates to the 1500s when two Spanish brothers brought her image to the island of Santo Domingo.  Later they offered it to the parish church in the city of Higuey so that all the parishioners might honor Mary.  

Popular piety states that the devout daughter of a wealthy merchant asked her father to bring her an image of Our Lady of Altagracia from Santo Domingo, but her father could not find one.  While he was at a friend's house relating his story, and elderly man passed by.  He took a rolled image from his pack, suggesting it was the image of which the merchant searched; it was in fact the image of Our Lady of Altagracia.  The two men eventually returned the painting to the church in Higuey, since the image refused to remain in the house, miraculously transporting itself outside each time it was taken inside.  The elderly man was never seen again.  

This 15th century Spanish painting depicts a nativity scene with Mary looking upon Infant Jesus with love and gentleness.  She is clothed with a blue mantle, which is covered in gold stars.  The image has been crowned by both Pope Pius XI and Pope John Paul II.

The following novena is a beautiful prayer to the Blessed Virgin under the title of Our Lady of Altagracia.  Although, as a novena, the prayer would be prayed from January 12- January 20, it can also be recited anytime as a prayer to honor Our Lady and ask for her intercession.

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Altagracia 

Preparatory Prayer 

O Dear Mother, Most Sweet Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness! Look at us here, prostrated in your presence wishing to offer you this novena in testimony of our love, and in thanksgiving for the innumerable favors we have received from your hands. You are our Advocate and, like beggars, we come to present our needs to you. You are our Teacher, and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all the love of our hearts. Receive, Dearest Mother, our praise and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen. 

Supplications 

1.- O Sweetest Mother of Altagracia, pure and immaculate since your conception! We beg you to bless our children, preserving their innocence and increasing their love for purity. (Hail Mary…) 

 2.- O Sweetest Mother of Altagracia, Admirable Mother, who in your little house of Nazareth, served as a model for Christian mothers and wives. We ask you to bless our homes so that the sanctity and holiness of marriage will flourish in them. (Hail Mary…) 

3. O Sweetest Mother of Altagracia, you who had the joy of receiving in your arms the body of your Most Holy Son who died on the cross for us, we beg you to come to our aid at the our of our death, so that by dying with the name of Jesus on our lips and hearts, we can fly to the glory of your maternal arms. (Hail Mary...)

Final Prayer 

Most Holy Virgin of Altagracia, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for the continuous blessings you pour down on us. From your hands and from your maternal heart we receive, each day, the sustenance given to us by our Heavenly Father. You are our defender when we are in danger, our aid when we are in need, and our hope in the sacrifices proper of our Christian life. Through your Immaculate Heart we want to sing a song of thanksgiving to God for all the blessings he has given us. We promise you, O Mother, gratitude and fidelity. You will reign forever in our homes and our town where we will venerate you as our Lady and Mother by growing in all your virtues. Make us worthy of being called your children so that serving God and you in this world, we will obtain the highest grace you bring to us: a holy death that will open to us the gates of heaven.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayer to the Name of Jesus

 

Prayer to the Name of Jesus 

 O good Jesus, O most compassionate Jesus, O Jesus Son of God and of the Virgin Mary, full of mercy and of pity; O sweet Jesus, have mercy on me according to Thy great mercy. O most clement Jesus, I implore Thee, by that Thy Precious Blood which Thou hast shed for sinners, that Thou wouldst wash away all my iniquities, and look down upon me, wretched and unworthy, humbly seeking Thy forgiveness and invoking this holy Name of Jesus. 

O Name of Jesus, name of sweetness! Name of Jesus, name most full of delight! Name of Jesus, name most lovely! For what is Jesus but Saviour? Wherefore, O Jesus, for Thy holy Name's sake, be to me Jesus, and save me. Suffer me not to be lost, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood. O good Jesus, let not mine iniquity destroy me, the work of Thine almighty goodness. O Jesus most benignant, have mercy on me in this day of mercy, that Thou condemn me not in the day of judgment. 

O most compassionate Jesus, if Thy stern justice incline to condemn me, I make my appeal and my refuge in Thy most pitiful mercy. O most loving Jesus, Jesus most ardently longed for, Jesus most gentle and meek, O Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, receive me into the number of Thy chosen. O Jesus, the salvation of those who believe in Thee; O Jesus, the trust of those who flee for refuge unto Thee; O Jesus, the sweetness of those who love Thee; grant that I may love Thee, and cleave faithfully to Thee, and after this most miserable life come to Thee in peace. Amen. 

 --St. Gertrude the Great 

 God bless! 

+JMJ+