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+

Prayers for the World

 My heart is saddened for the Ukrainian people right now and for the entire world.  I beg all of you to increase your prayers and penance for the people of the world and especially for the conversion of so many world leaders, and for peace throughout the entire world.  All things are possible with God!  We must pray and do penance; begin praying and fasting now for these intentions.  

Throughout history we have multiple examples of the faithful imploring heaven's help in times of war and tragedy --Mary's intercession, especially by praying the rosary and our Lord's help through devotion to the Blessed Sacrament:  the battle of Lepanto, the Muslims planned attack on the convent of the Poor Clares, and the near attack of the pirates upon Lima during the time of St. Rose to name just a few.  We must trust in God and his Mother, offering all of our prayers and penances for their help and in reparation of sin.  Remember to pray your daily rosary, imploring Mary for her intercession.

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Prayer to Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Help of Christians 

+Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother’s heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss!

+ Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ. Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquility of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.”

+ Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ’s one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality, arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number. + Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting “Magnificat” of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. Amen. 

--written by Pope Piux XII

“The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.” -- Pope Pius XI 

“The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.” --Pope Leo XIII

God bless!

+JMJ+

A Great Petition to Stand Behind

 

The following website Preserve the Latin Mass has a great, respectful petition to sign, urging the Holy Father to protect the Traditional Latin Mass and Sacraments.  I encourage all of you to sign it and forward it to others to sign as well.  We need to help Pope Francis hear the voices of the laity.  Please continue to pray for the Traditional Orders, protection of the Latin Mass, and for our Holy Father.  

May God reward you!

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayers Requested

As you probably realized by now, my schedule did  not remain as I thought it would.  Instead of birthday and feast day posts, I have a prayer request.  Last week I delivered our newest blessing from God ten weeks early by emergency c-section.  (I have not chosen an online nickname for him yet).  He is in the NICU but is doing well.  Deo gratias!  Please keep him in your prayers that he may daily grow stronger and healthier and be able to come home to our family as quickly as possible.  Please also pray for a speedy recover for me and for my entire family to have extra strength and patience during this time.  May God reward you for your kindness.

Our Lady of Perpetual Succor, pray for us!

God bless!

+JMJ+

Consecration of One's Children to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

 Merry Christmas to everyone!!!  I pray you are having a holy, joy-filled Christmas season!

I did not mean to stop blogging for so long.  The last few weeks have been busy, but very blessed.  I plan to post more regularly again and hope to write a few extra posts in addition.  I do have two birthdays coming up--one this week and one next--so hopefully I can keep up with my plans.  😊

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Remember you can find prayers for Epiphany and other related posts here, here, and here.  I also have a prayer request I would greatly appreciate you to include in your prayers.  I am currently expecting our seventh child, a boy, and until now this pregnancy has been going wonderfully.
However, I had an appointment with my doctor today (a week early because I have been experiencing quite a few headaches lately) and discovered my blood pressure has begun to climb again.  My doctor prescribed blood pressure medicine (labetalol), which I took with Erin.  Please pray the pressures improve or remain steady and do not develop into preeclampsia as they did with Moira and Erin.  My due date is mid-March, so please pray I can make it to term and our newest addition remains healthy.  Thank you so much!  May God reward you!

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As I was thinking of our little one, I thought this post would be a perfect time to provide a prayer to consecrate one's children to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.  What could be more helpful to the spiritual life of our children than to consecrate them to the Holy Family, asking them to watch over and guide them!  January seems a very fitting time to pray this consecration.  It is recommended that parents pray a consecration for their children at least once during their lives, but it would also be a wonderful tradition to pray this consecration for your children yearly.

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Consecration of One's Children to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

(Adapted from a prayer by St John Eudes.)

O Jesus, only Son of God, only Son of Mary, I come to Thee as an unworthy parent, and I humbly consecrate to thy Most Sacred Heart, now and for eternity, the soul of my child (name). I surrender him/her to Thy sweet yoke and place him/her at the foot of Thy Cross. I offer Thee for him/her the most loving Heart of Thy Most Holy Mother Mary, which is more precious and pleasing to Thee than all hearts, and I beg Thee by her merits to show Thyself to him/her a Savior.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus, I come to Thee as an unworthy parent, and I humbly consecrate to thy Most Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, now and for eternity, the soul of my child (name). I offer Thee for him/her the most adorable Heart of Thy Son Jesus, who is the life, love and joy of Thy own Heart, and I beg Thee by the infinite merits of the Divine Son, Thou who art our Mother in the order of grace, to obtain the grace of salvation for my child.

O glorious St. Joseph, I come to thee and ask thee to take under thy special protection my child (name). I consecrate him/her to thee today, that through this consecration he/she may become your foster child. Guard him/her, guide his/her steps in life, and form his/her heart after the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. O glorious St. Joseph, who felt the tribulation and worry of a parent when the child Jesus was lost, protect him/her for time and eternity. May you be his/her father and counselor. Preserve him/her from the corruption of this world, and obtain for us the grace to be united in heaven forever. Amen.

Blessed be the Most Sacred and Loving Heart of Jesus and the most Immaculate Heart of Mary in eternity and forever.  Amen.  St. Joseph, pray for us.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayers Requested and Our Lady of Fatima

 +  Please remember in your prayers Fr. Goodwin, FSSP, who suffered a major stroke today.  He is currently in the hospital in a coma.  Please pray for a speedy recovery for him, or, if it is God's will instead, his entrance into heaven.  May God reward you.  +

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Tomorrow, October 13, is the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun in connection with the appearances of Our Lady of Fatima.  To honor Mary on this day, it would be most fitting to recite the Rosary and do acts of penance, as Our Lady requested at Fatima.  Another method through which to honor our Lady of Fatima is the recitation of the following prayer, "Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima."  In this beautiful prayer we pray for Mary's intentions, rather than our own, realizing that nothing we could ask could be as perfect as her requests.  We, her children, give her our hearts, trusting her to love and guide us as our Heavenly Mother.

The prayer is labeled a novena, so it would be most appropriate to pray it nine days prior to this anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, beginning on October 4, or nine days prior to Our Lady of Fatima's feast (which is on May 13).  It could also be prayed for nine days beginning with October 13, this anniversary of her appearance, and extended from there.  Such a beautiful prayer also seems like a wonderful prayer to recite throughout October, to provide our Heavenly Mother with greater devotion and love from us.  

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima

Immaculate Heart of Mary, my Mother, I come to you this day as a little child in prayer.  I beg to make this offering of my heart as simple and childlike as I can.  The three little ones of Fatima have taught us what it is that  pleases your maternal heart.

I earnestly desire that all the people of the world be brought back to a humble knowledge and love of the Sacred Heart of your dear Son.  I pray, dear Mother of my God, that the indescribable beauty and the glow-white purity of your own Immaculate Heart may so captivate our souls that we will detest all sin and dedicate our lives to the honor and glory of the God Who created us.  As much as I feel the need of many things, I do not dare in this novena, Mother Mary, to ask one selfish petition for myself.  You revealed the secrets of your own sad heart at Fatima and begged for the restoration of the world to God.  What can I ask of greater good than to unite my heart to yours in this great yearning?  What can I add but the fervent prayer that all the world may listen to your pleading?

I give my heart to you, my heavenly Queen, and in utmost confidence I leave to you the choice of what is best for me in answer to my prayer of love and reparation.  Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, I give you my heart.  Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, I put my trust entirely in you.  

Immaculate Heart of the Mother of my God, we implore, through your powerful intercession the conversion of the hearts of men, complete victory over sin, and the return of peace which you have promised.  Amen.  

God bless!

+JMJ+

Prayers!

 +ADMG+

I will post a prayer later this evening as usual, but right now I just wanted to ask you for your prayers for my family and me as we work through another miscarriage.

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This little one's death was quite a hard hit (although all miscarriages are) as my pregnancy had been going wonderfully.  I had a sonogram at 12 weeks and could see the baby's heart beat and movement of his hands, but then suddenly half a week later my pregnancy symptoms disappeared; I began to worry, so I went in for a check-up.  (My doctor is really great about seeing his patients when needed.)  There was no longer a heartbeat or movement.  My tears began immediately, and I still have trouble holding them back.

On Sunday I was so grateful when one of the priests at our FSSP parish allowed me to go to confession and gave me anointing of the sick.  We are very lucky to belong to such a great parish!

My husband and I went in yesterday for an induced delivery (and later a D & C), but we are back home today with our other children.  The baby was a boy, and we named him Robert (after St. Robert Bellarmine).  We were given a baby coffin from a wonderful organization named Alexandra's House and have begun burial arrangements.

Please pray for us as we strive to accept God's Will with loving hearts!  I would be very grateful.  Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

"For You created my inmost being; You knit me in my mother's womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."  --Psalm 139:13-14

God bless!

+JMJ+

A Petition to Mary

***You can find the Novena for Ascension Thursday here.  This year it will begin on May 5.  

St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote the beautiful prayer below, honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom the Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of May. In this prayer we venerate our Holy Mother, expressing our love and gratitude for her help as we strive to grow in grace. We also beg for her continual prayers and guidance, even at the last moment of our death.

“A Petition to Mary” is a fitting prayer for Mary's month; not only does it beautifully honor our lady with words of love, but it also recognizes her as Mother, just as we honor our own mothers during May. Furthermore St. Alphonsus' prayer addresses Mary as Queen. Traditionally on May 31 Holy Mother Church honors Mary's Coronation (although this feast has been changed to August 22 in the new calendar).  A common practice for Catholics during the month of May is a May Crowning when a statue of the Blessed Mother is crowned with flowers, honoring her as Queen of Heaven.

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A Petition to Mary

Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to thee who art the Mother of my Lord, the queen of the universe, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day. I venerate thee, great queen, and I thank thee for the many graces thou has bestowed upon me even unto this day; in particular for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often deserved by my sins. I love thee, most dear Lady; and for the love I bear thee, I promise to serve thee willingly forever and to do what I can to make thee loved by others also. I place in thee all my hopes for salvation; accept me as thy servant and shelter me under thy mantle, thou who art the Mother of mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From thee I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through thee I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by the love thou bearest to Almighty God, I pray thee to assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until thou shalt see me safe in heaven, there to bless thee and sing of thy mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen.

--by St. Alphonsus Liguori

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A common practice for Catholics during the month of May is a May Crowning when a statue of the Blessed Mother is crowned with flowers, honoring her as Queen of Heaven.  A beautiful hymn that is sometimes sung during a May Crowning is "Bring Flowers of the Rarest.''  You can listen to a lovely rendition here.

Bring Flowers of the Rarest

Bring flow'rs of the fairest,
Bring flow'rs of the rarest,
From garden and woodland
And hillside and vale;
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest
Rose of the vale.

Chorus:
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

Our voices ascending,
In harmony blending,
Oh! Thus may our hearts turn

Dear Mother, to thee;
Oh! Thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee,
How dark without Mary
Life's journey would be.

Chorus:
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

O Virgin most tender,
Our homage we render,
Thy love and protection,
Sweet Mother, to win;
In danger defend us,
In sorrow befriend us,
And shield our hearts
From contagion and sin.

Chorus:
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

Of Mothers the dearest,
Oh, wilt thou be nearest,
When life with temptation
Is darkly replete?
Forsake us, O never!
Our hearts be they ever
As Pure as the lilies
We lay at thy feet.

Chorus:
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

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I would greatly appreciate your prayers for a family friend, Mark, who recently doctors told has leukemia.  Further tests are to be run soon for confirmation.  I know he, his wife, and children also would be very grateful for your prayers of healing and strength.  Thank you!

God bless!

+JMJ+

Please Pray for These Requests

I just wanted to ask for your prayers for a family member and a close friend of mine who both recently miscarried.  Please ask God to give them strength and healing.  May God bless them and all of you!  Thanks!

Prayers Requested

 I just wanted to ask all of you for prayers as we lost the baby last week.  Please pray for our family as we work through this loss.

May God's will be done, and may we always remember to be His instruments in all things, showing His love to the world.  May our Lady wrap us in her mantle and keep us in her care always!

Please Pray for these Requests

I just wanted to ask for your prayers for a family member and a close friend of mine who both recently miscarried.  Please ask God to give them strength and healing.  May God bless them and all of you!  Thanks!