Faith

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: All Souls Day, November 2

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Holy Souls in Purgatory Prayer Card
Holy Souls in Purgatory
Prayer Card

 

The feast day of All Souls’ Day is celebrated on November 2.  It is always celebrated the day after All Saint’s Day which is celebrated November 1.

The Church devotes the month of November to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

 

To understand the doctrine of purgatory, it is necessary to understand several beliefs of the catholic church.

  • It is good to pray for the dead
  • We believe in tradition
  • Nothing unclean may enter heaven

Praying for the dead is a tradition which precedes the New Testament. In 2 Maccabees 23:45-46 it says:

“But if he was looking to the splendid reward that was laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.“

Before we can enter into the presence of God in heaven we must be cleansed and purified.  This process is known as purgatory.  The bible teaches us that it is good to pray for the dead.  Praying for those souls who are in the purification process in purgatory relieves the suffering of  both the soul in purgatory and my own soul.

 

Many of the Saints had devotions of praying for the holy souls in purgatory.  St. Gertrude the Great, St. Padre Pio and St. Margaret Mary are well known for their devotion to helping the souls in purgatory through prayer.

The Catholic Church believes in the power of prayer.  When we pray for some one else this is called intercessory prayer.  We ask the saints in heaven to pray for us on our journey. (The saints are interceding for us.)   We also pray to Our Lord to guide those we love and hasten the journey of those who have died and are entering heaven.  (We are interceding for the souls in purgatory.)

 

We believe that the more souls who are praying the better! The following prayer is a popular prayer asking for mercy for those who have died.

 

 

“Eternal Father, I offer thee the most precious Blood of thy divine son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”

Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

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Faith, Prayer, Spirituality

Why Pray for the Dead?

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Candlelight Prayer
Candlelight Prayer

To understand the doctrine of purgatory, it is necessary to understand several beliefs of the catholic church.

  • It is good to pray for the dead
  • We believe in tradition
  • Nothing unclean may enter heaven

Praying for the dead is a tradition which precedes the New Testament. In 2 Maccabees 23:45-46 it says:

“But if he was looking to the splendid reward that was laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.“

It is good to pray for the dead. Why? If there are only two choices after death…heaven or hell...what purpose is there in praying for the dead? The historical practice of praying for the dead tells us that the belief that our prayer is heard and answered was an ancient belief.

The Catholic Church believes in tradition as well as scripture. The four marks of the church are stated in the Creed. We believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Being apostolic means that not only can the church be traced back to the apostles, but our beliefs can be traced back to the apostles as well. Remember, Jesus came to fulfill the law not to change it. (Matt 5:17)

Oral tradition was the method used to pass on the faith in the beginning. The bible was not even written down during the Apostolic Age. In 2 Thessalonians 2:15 we are told the following:

“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the tradition that you were taught by us either by word of mouth or by our letter.”

Praying for the dead is an established tradition of the early Christians. One example of this is that in the fourth century St. Monica requested St. Augustine to remember her in the mass after she died.

Most of us know that we are unworthy to enter heaven. Jesus came to save us, however we still need to be cleansed by purifying fire before entering heaven. In Hebrews 12:29 it states the Our God is a consuming fire. We believe that before we enter heaven the fire of God’s love consumes the scars and effects of the sins we committed in out life. This explains the doctrine of purgatory as we understand it.

It is very comforting to know that our prayers make a difference. It is also comforting to know that I will be purified before facing God in heaven. A God whose love is so strong it is compared to fire….a fire which will consume and purify me.

Another way to look at purification is a cleansing.  Before we go to a party or celebration we usually bathe and dress up to look appropriate.  The purification we receive before partaking in the heavenly banquet makes us able to see God without the stain and scars of the sin which occurred during our lifetime.

We attend the heavenly banquet appropriately cleansed and dressed!

Praying for those souls who are in the purification process in purgatory relieves the suffering of  both the soul in purgatory and my own soul.

The following prayer was given to St. Gertrude the Great by our Lord in a vision.  Her feast day is celebrated on Nov. 16.

“Eternal Father, I offer thee the most precious Blood of thy divine son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”

Just as I pray on a regular basis for my loved ones who I confidently hope are already in heaven, I pray that those who love me will in turn pray for me after my death.

Prayer can heal!  Prayer is powerful!

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Faith, Feast Days

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: All Saint’s Day, Feast Day November 1

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All Saints Day Communion by Bra Angelico Public Domain Image
All Saints Day Communion by Bra Angelico

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: All Saint’s Day .                                                                                                                                                                                                        The Solemnity of All Saints Day is also known as All Hallows Eve. It is celebrated on November 1 by Western Christianity. It honors all souls who have arrived in heaven. Many countries celebrate it as a national holiday. It is followed by All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2 in which Catholics pray for those still on their journey to heaven. This journey is known as purgatory. Catholics believe that life is a spiritual pilgrimage. Death is the beginning of our journey through purgatory to heaven. Purgatory is where a soul is prepared and purified to enter heaven.

A Saint is a person whose soul has arrived in its’ eternal home…heaven.  The journey to heaven is not easy!    We ask for the prayers of those in heaven to aid us on our journey to heaven.

 

 

True learning consists in the science of the saints:

that is to say…in knowing how to love Jesus Christ.

Quote of St. Alphonsus Liguori; Feast day August 1

 

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

 

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Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Quintin, Feast Day October 31

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St. Quintin Public Domain Image
St. Quintin

The feast day of St. Quintin is celebrated on October 31.  St. Quintin was also known as Quintinus.  He was born in the third century in Rome, Italy.  His father was a Roman senator.

St. Quintin converted to Christianity.  He was a missionary who went to Gaul with St. Lucian of Beauvais.  He won many converts with his preaching.  In 286, he was arrested during the Marmian persecution.  He was tortured and beheaded in 287 at Augusta, Gaul which is now Saint Quintin, France.  His body was thrown into the river and then recovered and buried by the people he was instrumental in converting.  His tomb was a site known for miracles.

 

“What you call folly is supreme wisdom.  What is there wiser than to recognize the unique true God and to reject with disdain the counterfeits, which are mute, false and deceiving?

Quote of St. Quintin

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

Jesuit Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, Feast Day October 30

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St. Alphonsus Rodriguez
St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

 

The feast day of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez is celebrated on October 30.  He was born in Segovia, Spain on July 25, 1532.   His father was a wealthy merchant.

At the age of 14 Alphonsus’ father died.  He left school to help his mother run the family business.  When he was 23 he married.  However, three years later his wife died during childbirth.  Within the next several years his mother died as well as his three children.  He also found it necessary to sell his failing business.

In response to his grief and suffering, Alphonsus turned to a life of prayer.  He applied  to become a Jesuit, (The Society of Jesus).  He was denied entry due to lack of education.  He returned to school and reapplied.  In 1571 he was accepted as a lay Jesuit brother.  He was sent to Montesione College on Majorca.  He served as a doorkeeper for 45 years.

As doorkeeper,  St. Alphonsus believed Christ was in every person at the door.    He ministered to both the visitors and the students.  He became friends with St. Peter Claver who was a champion of slaves rights.

St. Alphonsus developed a method for finding joy in his hardships which followed him throughout his life into old age.  He became a contemplative who meditated on the crucifix and the suffering of Christ.  He stated that by bearing his suffering  with prayer.

“I felt the grandeur of the Lord”. 

“This I encourage myself to endure for love of the Lord who is before me, until I make what is bitter sweet.  In this way, learning from Christ Our Lord, I take and convert the sweet into bitter, renouncing myself and all earthly and carnal pleasures, delights and honors of this life so that my whole heart is centered solely on God. 

St. Alphonsus Rodriguez was canonized on September 6, 1887.

 

“Whenever you do anything, you must offer it to God, at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end.”

Quote of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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Franciscan Saints, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Maria Restituta, Feast Day October 29

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Bl. Maria Restituta
Bl. Maria Restituta

 

The feast day of Bl. Maria Restituta is celebrated on October 29.  She was martyred by the Nazis when she refused to remove crucifixes from the hospital walls.

Helen Kafka was born in Vienna, Austria in 1894.  Her father was a shoemaker.  Helen’s first job was that of a salesgirl.  She then became an assistant caregiver at the Lainz public hospital.  It was at the hospital that she met the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity.  She joined the Order at the age of 20.  She took the name Restituta who was a marty in the 4th century.

Sister Restituta became a surgical nurse in 1919 working at the Moulding hospital.  After the Nazi invasion of the country she became an opponent of the Nazis.  When they ordered her to remove all the crucifixes on the walls of the hospital, she refused.  The Nazis then arrested her and charged her for “aiding and abetting the enemy in the betrayal of the fatherland and for plotting high treason”.

The last days Sister Restituta spent in prison were spent caring for other prisoners.  Even the communist prisoners spoke highly of her.  She was offered freedom if she left her religious order but she refused.

Bl. Maria was beheaded at the age of 48 on March 30, 1943 in Vienna.  Pope John Paul II beatified her on June 21, 1998.

 

“I have lived for Christ.

I want to die for Christ.”

Last words of Bl. Maria Restituta

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

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Apostle, Faith, Martyr, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Simon and St. Jude, Feast Day October 28

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St. Simon and St. Jude Public Domain Image
St. Simon and St. Jude

 

The feast day of St. Simon and St. Jude is celebrated on the same day…October 28.  They were both Apostles and Martyrs.  St. Simon is the patron saint of tanners.  St. Jude is the patron saint of impossible causes.

St. Simon was the second Bishop of Jerusalem. He preached in Egypt and Persia with St. Jude where both suffered martyrdom.

There are two stories of his death. The first has him dying by crucifixion in Samaria. The second has him sawed in half in Persia.

St. Simon and St. Jude Public Domain Image
St. Simon and St. Jude

St. Jude was the son of Cleohas, who died a martyr and Mary who stood at the foot of the cross. He was the brother of St. James the Lesser. and a cousin to Jesus. He was a fisherman.  He is not to be confused with Judas Iscariot, who was a traitor.

After the resurrection. Jude preached in Syria and Persia with St. Simon. He was a healer and an exorcist. He was beaten to death with a club then beheaded in Persia. His relics are at St. Peter’s Basilica, in Rome.

As apostles, both St. Simon and St. Jude became close to Jesus.  They truly believed he was the Lord.  After the Resurrection they spent their life spreading the good news of salvation.  Their martyrdom shows us the depth of their love for Jesus.

 

Come my light, and illumine my darkness.

Come my Life and revive me from death.

Come, my Physician, and heal my wounds.

Come, Flame of Divine Love, and burn up the thorns of my sins, kindling my heart with the flame of your love.

Come my King, sit upon the throne of my heart and reign there.

For you alone are my King and my Lord.

 

Prayer of St. Dimitri of Rostov;  Feast Day October 28

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Frumentius, Feast Day October 27

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St. Frumentius
St. Frumentius

The feast day of St. Frumentius is celebrated on October 27.  St. Frumentius was born in Lebanon.  He helped bring Christianity to Ethiopia and is considered the patron saint of Ethiopia.

Around the year 330, Frumentius and his brother Aedesius took a voyage to the coast of Arabia.  They were both students.  On the trip home their ship docked at an Ethiopian port.  A great riot occurred in which the natives massacred the crew and passengers.  The only two to survive were the two brothers who were studying under a tree.

When they were found, they were taken to the king.  He was so impressed with their knowledge that he made Aedesius his cupbearer, and Frumentius his secretary.   Before the king died, he granted the two brothers liberty in gratitude for their service.  The Queen, however, requested that they stay and help her.  They agreed to do so.

Frumentius encouraged merchants to settle in the country by granting them privileges and freedom of worship.   When the young prince became king the two brothers resigned their posts even though the young king wished them to remain.  Aedesius returned to Tyre and was ordained a priest.  Frumentius  discussed his desire to help in the conversion of Ethiopians with St. Theodosius in Alexandria.  He was consecrated bishop of Aksum to allow him to do this work in around the year 350.

 He led many souls to the faith.  He was known for miracles and his preaching. When he died around the year 383 he was reverently  called Abuna  which means Our Father and Aba Salama  which means Father of Peace. To this day Abuna is the title of the primate of the Church of Ethiopia.

 

For whoever seeks God while wanting to hold onto his own likes and dislikes, may seek him night and day but will never find him.

Quote of St. John of the Cross;  Feast Day Dec. 14

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

 

 

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Faith, Prayer, Spirituality

Do Evil Spirits Really Exist?

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The Fall of Man Michelangelo
The Fall of Man
Michelangelo

 

On Halloween, we see many representations of good and evil: angels, witches, devils, monsters, princesses, gangsters, rock stars, politicians, super heroes.

While we are made in the image of God, each of us has a temptation to do evil. Society glamorizes evil.

If we take the Bible seriously, we should not doubt the existence of Satan and evil spirits. Jesus refers to Satan and angels multiple times.

Satan is actually an angel. He fell from grace when he turned from God. He has been at war with God ever since.

It is only in modern times, that people have denied the existence of evil spirits. Halloween is a time when we should reflect on the good and evil evident around us.

Halloween (All Hallows Eve) comes on the night before All Saint’s Day. Halloween is a display of both good and evil. All Saint’s Day (November 1st) is a display of people who have overcome evil for the glory of God.

Angels have existed since the beginning of creation. They are servants and messengers of God. Unlike human beings they are pure spirits. During the life of Jesus they are always present. Archangel Gabriel announces his birth, they protect Jesus in his infancy, (Mat 4) serve him in the desert, and they strengthen him in his agony in the garden,

The Feast Day of the Archangels is celebrated on September 29.  The Feast Day of the Guardian Angels is celebrated on Oct. 2.

The Church teaches that Satan, in the beginning, was a good angel, but became evil by choice.  We learn in the bible that Jesus came to conquer evil.

“Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil;  for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.“  1 John 8

When Jesus is praying in the Garden before his crucifixion, he prayed for unity among Christians.  He also prayed for protection against satan.

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”  (John 17:15)

The fallen angels have never repented for their fall from grace. Their hatred of God leads them to seduce men into choosing their evil ways.

We have free will. God did not create evil. On Halloween, we should reflect on which path we wish to follow…the path of God…or the path of evil.

Being neutral is not an option, it is evil; the sin of omission, laziness, and being lukewarm.

The devil is always trying to tempt us to do evil.  We need to turn to God with the Lord’s prayer when we need to be strengthened.

‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.   (Matthew 6:13)

We need to be aware of the evil around us and the temptations which may cause us to go astray.  How else can we choose to do good rather than evil?   Pray!  Pray!  Pray!

 

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Franciscan Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Bonaventure of Potenza, Feast Day October 26

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San Damiono Cross
San Damiono Cross

 

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Bonaventure of Potenza,

Feast Day October 26

Bl. Bonaventure was born Jan. 4, 1651 in Naples, Italy into a poor family.  He studied Latin from a priest and became a Franciscan at the age of 15.  He was sent to Amalfi to study and was ordained a priest.

As a priest Bl. Bonaventure was known for his simple but powerful sermons.  When an epidemic broke out he served all who were sick without concern for his own health.  He was known for miraculous cures.  Bl. Bonaventure was a very effective priest.  His humility was admired and his spirituality was focused on humility, service and obedience.

After 45 years of service as a priest he died from gangrene after asking for forgiveness for his faults.  He was given a crucifix and died peacefully on October 26,  after receiving the last sacrament.

Pope Pius VI beatified Bl. Bonaventure in 1775.

 

“No none has the right to sit down and feel helpless, there’s too much to do.”

Quote of Dorothy Day, Servant of God

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Roberts, Feast Day October 25

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St. John Roberts
St. John Roberts

 

The feast day of St. John Roberts is celebrated on October 25.  He is considered one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales whose joint feast day is October 25.

St. John Roberts was born to John and Anna Roberts in 1575 at Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire, North Wales.  He studied law.  While traveling in Paris he converted to Catholicism.    After studying at the English College at Vallodolid for a year he left to join the Abbey of St. Benedict.  He was ordained a priest and soon traveled to England.

While in England, St. John Roberts was arrested several times.  He returned to England and worked serving those afflicted by the plaque.  He was arrested a second time in 1604 while traveling to Spain.  Not knowing he was a priest he was soon released but he returned again.  On Nov. 5, 1605, he was arrested again and imprisoned at Westminster for seven months and exiled in 106 for 14 months.  He founded a house for English Benedictine monks during this time which eventually became known as the Monastery of St. Gregory.

Arrested again in 1607, he escaped after several months.  Knowing he would be executed if caught again, he still returned to England.   He was arrested on Dec. 2, 1610 as the Mass he was celebrating  came to an end.  When he refused to sign the Oath of Supremacy he was tried and condemned to death.

On Dec. 10, he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn.  His body disappeared during the French Revolution.

In 1970, St. John Roberts was canonized by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.

“Were I to live longer, I would continue to do what I have been doing.”

Quote of St. John Roberts

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Anthony Mary Claret, Feast Day October 24

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St. Anthony Mary Claret Public Domain Image
St. Anthony Mary Claret

 

The feast day of St. Anthony Mary Claret is celebrated on October 24.  He is the patron saint of educators, the Catholic Press and weavers.

St. Anthony Mary Claret was the Archbishop of the Diocese of the Canary Islands. With a group of five other priests he was the Founder of the Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, also known as the Claretians.

 

St. Anthony Mary Claret was born in Catalonia, Spain in 1807. At the age of twelve he became a weaver. He entered the seminary at Vic in 1829 and was ordained to the priesthood on June 13, 1835 on the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, whom he was named after. He entered the Jesuit novitiate but had to leave due to his ill health.

St. Anthony Mary Claret was assigned to missionary work throughout Catalonia. In 1848 he was sent to the Canary Islands where he gave retreats for fifteen months. When he returned to Spain, he established the Congregation the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (The Claretians) on the feast of “Our Lady of Mt. Carmel“ (July 16, 1848).

He also founded the religious library at Barcelona called “Libreria Religiosa”. It is now known as “Libreria Claret). He was appointed Archbishop of Santiago, Cuba in 1849. Over 9,000 marriages were validated within two years of his arrival. He began a hospital and several schools. The first women’s religious institute in Cuba was begun by St. Anthony. It was known as the Religious of Mary Institute.

In 1857 he was recalled to Spain and he became the Confessor to Queen Isabella II. He became a resident of an Italian Hospice. Preaching everywhere he went, he also distributed books. Eventually, his life in danger, he went to France where he preached in Paris.

In 1869, he participated in the First Vatican Council. He had to withdraw due to poor health. He died on Oct. 24, 1870, at the age of 62 in a Cistercian monastery in France.

 

“The man who burns with the fire of divine love is a son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and wherever he goes, he enkindles that flame. He desires and works with all his strength to inflame all men with the fire of God’s love. Nothing deters him, he rejoices in poverty, he labors strenuously, he welcomes hardships, he laughs off false accusations, he rejoices in anguish. He thinks only of how he might follow Jesus Christ and imitate him by his prayers, his labors, his sufferings, and be caring always and only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.”

Quote of St. Anthony Mary Claret

 

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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