Jesus Remember Me, when you come into your kingdom. Luke 23: 32-43
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him saying, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him which said;
“This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God,, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
The Good Thief turned to Jesus at the very end of his life. He did not need to know all the answers regarding religion. He had not been baptized. He simply acknowledged his guilt and asked Jesus to remember him. Sometimes, we make faith way too complicated. All we really need to do is turn to God and ask him to lead us to the truth.
The feast day of the Our Lady of Lourdes will be celebrated on February 11th by the Catholic Church. Why do Catholics ask Mary to pray for them? What is the meaning of this feast day? What do the saints say about Mary? The early church had great reverence for Mary, the Mother of God. Because she gave birth to Jesus, Mary was full of Grace…literally! Just as Adam and Eve were created without sin, it is believed that Mary also was created without the stain of original sin. Mary’s Heart was Immaculate….free from any stain of sin, both original sin and personal sin. Mary was not God, however. All worship goes to the Trinity…the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Mary was an instrument used by God to bring Jesus into the world. We know Jesus honored and loved His Mother. Are we not called to imitate Jesus? There are many prayers and quotes by the saints for us to learn about the beliefs of the early Church.
Our Lady of Lourdes
PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF LOURDES Oh ever immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comforter of the Afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Look upon me with mercy. When you appeared in the grotto of Lourdes, you made it a privileged sanctuary where you dispense your favors, and where many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. My loving Mother, obtain my request. I will try to imitate your virtues so that I may one day share your company and bless you in eternity. Amen.
Purer than heaven’s purest angels, brighter than its brightest seraph; Mary, after her Creator, God, made her and gave her all, the most perfect of beings, the masterpiece of Infinite Wisdom, Almighty Power and Eternal Love. To such a being we cannot reasonably suppose that a perfection was denied her which had been already gratuitously bestowed on inferior creatures; on the angelic spirits
The Most Holy Virgin places herself between her Son and us. The greater sinners we are, the more tenderness and compassion does she feel for us. The child that has cost its mother the most tears is the dearest to her heart.
Our Lady is rest for those who work, consolation for those who weep medicine for the sick, a harbour for those assailed by tempests, pardon for sinners, sweet relief for the sad, succour for those who implore.
Why should we be astonished if the God who could work marvels in the scripture and through His saints should choose to reveal Himself even more marvelous by means of His Mother?
Most Holy Virgin Mary…Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, Lily of purity, Rose of patience, Paradise of delight, Mirror of chastity, Model if innocence…intercede for this poor banished pilgrim.
Remember, O most loving virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, we fly unto you, O virgin of virgins, our mother. To you we come, before you we stand, sinful and sorrowful, O mother of the Word incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me.
The Catholic Church celebrates Christmas for twelve days.
While the Nativity of Our Lord is celebrated Dec. 25, the Twelve days of Christmas begins on Christmas Day, Dec. 25(beginning at sundown), and ends at sunrise on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. During the Christmas season the priest’s vestments are gold to symbolize the sacredness of the Christmas season. The change in the color of vestments indicates that Advent is over. During Advent, the priest’s vestments are purple to symbolize the holy season of waiting and prayer.
According to legend, the song The Twelve Days of Christmas was actually written by Jesuit priests in England during the sixteenth century. It was a time of persecution and the song was used to secretly teach basic facts regarding the Catholic faith. If someone studied all the items represented in the song they knew the basics of the catholic faith.
Each number had a secret meaning:
Twelve represented the twelve teachings mentioned in the Apostles Creed;
Five represented the first books of the Old Testament;
Four represented the four gospels;
Three represented the Trinity;
Two represented the two natures of Christ…human and divine;
and One represented Jesus himself, our Lord and our God.
The Pear Tree represented the cross we must carry when we follow Christ.
The Apostles’ Creed is a summary of the faith taught by the Apostles. When we pray the Apostles Creed we are professing our faith in the church begun by the Apostles.
The Apostles’ Creed
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The resurrection of the body
and life everlasting. Amen
The Catholic Church has feast days throughout the year. Many of its feast days are in honor of the saints. The feast day given to a saint is usually the day he or she died and entered heaven.
Take a small amount of time each day during the twelve days of Christmas to meditate on the actual feast day we are celebrating.
The Holy Innocents are the innocent children murdered by King Herod after the Magi told him about birth of the new King of the Jews, called the Christ child. The little children were murdered in an attempt to find and murder Christ, “The King of the Jews”.
St. Anysia was a martyr in Greece. She lived from 284-309. She was killed with a sword after being accosted by a soldier. She used her wealth to help the poor.
The prayer of a good innocent,and obedient child is like dew from heaven falling upon his whole family.
St. Sylvester I was the Bishop of Rome. He died in the year 335 after helping to define doctrine at the Council of Nicea which proclaimed the Nicean Creed.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first native born American to be canonized. She lived in New York, dying in 1821. She is the Founder and first Superior of the Sister of Charity in the U.S.
“Be attentive to the voice of Grace.”
Quote of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
St. John N. Neumann
St. John N. Neumann; Feast Day January 5
St. John N. Neumann was born in Bohemia. He emigrated to the U.S. becoming a Redemptorist priest and the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia. He is the first American bishop to be canonized.
The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the Three Kings following the star to visit Jesus. They brought the King of the Jews gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Living Nativities and Christmas Carols Reflect Franciscan Spirituality
Christmas Nativity
The creche’ or nativity which is evident in many holiday displays actually began with a living nativity organized by St. Francis.
Before the time of St. Francis, Christmas was celebrated with a Christmas Mass which was prayed and sung in Latin, a language few people understood. It was St. Francis who decided it was time to bring exuberant joy to the celebration. Three years before he died, St. Francis was visiting the town of Grecio. After receiving permission from the pope, he arranged a living nativity. Knowing that the hermitage would be too small for midnight mass, he found a niche in the rock near town square and set up the altar.
According to St. Bonaventure who tells the story in his book The Life of St. Francis of Assisi, he prepared a manger, brought hay, an ox and an ass to the appointed place. The brethren were summoned and that venerable night was made glorious by many lights and sonorous psalms and praise. St Francis, a deacon, stood before the manger full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis. Then he preached to the people gathered around the nativity of the poor King. St. Francis, filled with much joy, referred to Jesus as the Babe of Bethlehem.
The tradition of the nativity has been carried on to this day. The nativity scene is a visible reminder of the night our savior was born.
St. Francis is also responsible for the tradition of the Christmas Carol. He decided to add religious lyrics to popular tunes of his time, which became known as Christmas Carols. The first Christmas Carol was Psalmus in Nativitate. It was written in Latin so it could be sung at Mass but sung to a popular tune all the people knew. As living nativity scenes became popular, the people began singing the carols that have become familiar to us today.
In keeping with Franciscan Spirituality, perhaps we can create new Christmas Carols using familiar tunes of our day. The following Christmas Carol is an example.
An Ode to Jesus on Christmas
By Vicki Scheenstra
(Sung to melody of Angels from the Realms of Glory)
The period of four weeks before Christmas is called Advent. It is a period of anticipation and hope. In today’s culture it is a busy time, filled with shopping and socializing. However, in ages past, it was a quiet and sacred time of prayer and waiting… anticipating the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflecting on the birth of Jesus, we look with hope to our salvation. Jesus was born of Mary. He became man to redeem us. By the cross, we are saved from our sins and have the hope of eternal life. What a tremendous mystery! How can a little baby be both human and divine?
The omnipotence of God is shown by his humbling himself and becoming a man. His humble beginnings, being born in a manger, tells us of his connection to the poor and lowly. He was not the type of king the Jewish people were expecting. The kingdom of God is an important thing to reflect on during the Christmas Season. Are we trying to follow the teachings of Jesus…to love not only our neighbor but our enemies? Are we helping the poor and downtrodden?
God is love. When we look at a little baby it is easy to define love. However, we need to be loving our neighbor at all times. Celebrating the incarnation (God becoming Man) this year, let’s try not to lose sight of the spiritual nature of Christmas. Waiting helps us to slow down. Hopefully, we will be spending time in prayer… sharing with God our hopes, difficulties, fears and love.
A soul enkindled with love is a gentle, meek, humble, and patient soul.
I try to make the serenity prayer a daily prayer. Often, it helps me to get through the most difficult moments of my life. When life is out of control, this prayer reminds me that I am not supposed to be in control of everything, only God is! I am a very visual person. When I say a prayer I often have pictures to meditate on in my mind. One day as I was praying the serenity prayer I realized my definition of serenity was wrong!
I have always considered serenity as complete calm. While praying this prayer I was picturing a calm lake on a sunny day. It was so calm there were no whitecaps on the water. It was so calm if I was on a sailboat, I would not be able to sail due to lack of wind. I was stuck! This is not serenity! We need movement in our lives! Without progress we stagnate and then we seem to go backwards or become lost.
When I am the opposite of serene, I am frantic and in a panic. This frame of mind makes it impossible to make rational decisions. I finally realized that serenity is being able to make decisions while we are in the eye of a storm! While I prefer a sunny day on the lake, I always want there to be a breeze so the sailboat I am in will actually go where I direct it.
Serenity is being calm enough during the storm to know which ropes to pull to keep the boat from turning over!
Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace
Taking, as He did, this world as it is,
Not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him,
Forever in the next.
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 centurySt. Monicarequested 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.
Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Feast of the Most Holy Rosary,
Feast Day October 7
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Staute
The Feast Day of the Most Holy Rosary is celebrated on October 7. Originally, it was known as the Feast day of Our Lady of Victory in memory of the naval victory which took place called the Battle of Lepanto in the 16th century. The Christian forces repelled a massive Turkish invasion after Pope St. Pius V urged Europe’s Christians to pray the Rosary. In 1573, St. Pius V established the feast day. It was extended to the universal church in 1716 by Pope Clement XI.
Devotion to the Rosary was begun by St. Dominic. The devotion combines meditation on the life of Christ, with memorized prayer. Tradition tells us that when Dominic became discouraged with the slow progress of his work of preaching against the Abligensianheresy, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him with a beautiful wreath of roses. She asked him to say the Rosaryevery day and to teach the people to say the Rosary. Soon the heresy began to disappear. The devotion of the rosary continues today.
The feast day of the Most Holy Rosary is a day we can take time to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary for all the times she has prayed and interceded for us. Our faith teaches us that Mary is our spiritual mother. Praying the rosary is actually a meditation on the life of Jesus. It consists of four sets of mysteries: The Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. Each set has five events in the life of Jesus to meditate on.
The Joyful Mysteries: 1. Annunciation 2. Visitation 3. Birth of Jesus 4. Presentation in the Temple 5. Finding the Child Jesus
The Luminous Mysteries: 1. Christ’s Baptism I the Jordan 2. Wedding at Cana 3. Proclamation of the Kingdom 4. Transfiguration 5. Institution of the Eucharist
Sorrowful Mysteries: 1. Agony in the Garden 2. Scourging at the Pillar 3. Crowning with Thorns 4. Carrying of the Cross 5. Crucifixion
Glorious Mysteries: 1. Resurrection 2. Ascension into Heaven 3. Descent of the Holy Spirit 4. Assumption 5. Crowning of Our Blessed Lady
When we pray the rosary we dedicate the prayer for a certain intention such as healing the sick, guiding someone in need or peace in our family. It is a personal prayer based on the life of Jesus. Thank you Mary for listening to us!
Praying the rosary is not difficult. If you would like to learn how to pray the rosary, this article will lead you through it.
Remember, Jesus loved Mary. If we want to imitate Jesus we should honor His Mother.
“It could be said that each mystery of the rosary, carefully meditated,
Mother Teresa will soon be officially declared a saint!
The day before the feast day of Bl. Mother Theresa Pope Francis will proclaim that she is a saint. Her feast day is celebrated on Sept. 5. The world remembers her as a “living saint”.
Bl. Teresa of Calcutta was born to parents Nikola and Drana Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1916 in Skopje of Macedonia and named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She was baptized on August 17, 1910 in Macedonia. She was the third child in her family, following sister Aga and a brother, Lazar. Her father, Nikola died, when she was eight years old. Her father was a traveler, an extrovert, and a businessman who spoke five languages. Her mother, Drana, was extremely pious, adopting several orphans. She was known as Gonxha (pronounced gon’KHA) which means “flower bud”.
Gonxha desired early to become a missionary. At the age of eighteen, she joined the Sisters of Loreto. Here she took the name of Sister Mary Teresa after St. Therese of Lisieux. She was sent to Calcutta, India to teach at St. Mary’s High School for Girls, which was run by the Sisters of Loreto. On May 24, 1937, she took her final Profession of Vows to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She then became known as Mother Teresa. In 1944, she became principal of the school.
Mother Teresa received a second calling while on a train. Christ spoke to her, asking her to work in the slums of Calcutta, caring for the sickest and poorest of the people.Pursuing this calling changed her life forever. In one year, she received approval to do the work she was being called to do. After six months of basic medical training she went to the slums to aid the needy and dying. Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charitywith 12 members, most of them students from St. Mary’s. She established a leper colony, an orphanage, a mission house, and several health clinics.
In 1971, Mother Teresa visited New York City, where she opened a soup kitchen and a home to care for HIV/AIDS sufferers. In 1979, she received the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 1983, Mother Teresa suffered her first heart attack. After suffering from lung, kidney and heart problems for several years, she died on Sept. 5, 1997, which is now her feast day. At the time of her death her Missionaries of Charity numbered over 4,000. She had 610 foundations in 123 countries.
Mother Teresa was beatified on October 19, 2003, after confirmation of her first miracle. The miracle was reported that a woman who had a large and very visible tumor, had stayed with the Missionaries of Charity. After she and the Sisters had prayed for Mother Teresa’s intercession, the growth, six to seven inches in length, had disappeared within several hours. Finding no other medical explanation for the sudden cure it was declared her first miracle. Over 3500 other reports are being investigated as possible miracles.
After accepting a second miracle, Pope Francis cleared the way for Mother Teresa to be declared a saint. Pope Francis signed a decree declaring that the inexplicable 2008 recovery of a Brazilian man who suddenly woke from a coma caused by a viral brain infection was due to the intercession of the Albanian nun, who died in 1997.
The Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk, the postulator spearheading Mother Teresa’s canonization case, stated that the man fully recovered following his wife’s prayers and he has since returned to work as a mechanical engineer. The couple also have had two children.
In 2003, Mother Teresa’s private correspondence revealed she had experienced a “dark night of the soul”… feeling abandoned by God and lacking in faith. This lasted unusually long; for fifty years. Many saints have experienced such feelings, described by John of the Cross, in his book Dark Night of the Soul. She was filled with loneliness, and torture, due to this lack of consolation from God.
Each image in the following list is accompanied by a quote or prayer of Mother Teresa. The images are all public domain images.
As we celebrate the sainthood and feast day of St.Teresa of Calcutta on Sept. 5, let’s remember the remarkable things she did and said.
Sisters of Charity
Prayer of Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance
everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly
that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through us and be so in us
that every soul we come in contact with
may feel your presence in our soul.
Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus.
Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.
None of it will be ours.
It will be you shining on others through us.
Let us thus praise you in the way you love best
by shining on those around us.
Let us preach you without preaching,
not by words, but by our example;
by the catching force –
the sympathetic influence of what we do,
the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.
Amen
Mother Teresa with Child/Associated Press
Mother Teresa: Smile
“Let us always meet each other with a smile for the smile is the beginning of love.”
“Peace begins with a smile.”
“Every time you smile at someone it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa: God and Faith
“We are nothing without God, but if we put our lives in God’s hands miracles happen.”
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
“Faith in action is love, and love in action is service. Byt transforming that faith into living acts of love, we put ourselves in contact with God Himself, with Jesus our Lord.”
“I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa with Pope John Paul II
Mother Teresa: Prayer
The fruit of silence is prayer.
The fruit of prayer is faith.
The fruit of faith is love.
The fruit of love is service.
The fruit of service is peace.”
Mother Teresa
Young Mother Teresa
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhju (Mother Teresa)
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is life, fight for it.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa: Abortion
“Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love but to use any violence to get what it wants.”
“It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”
“There are two victims in every abortion: a dead baby and a dead conscience.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa: Love and Forgiveness
“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put into the doing.It is not how how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.”
“I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”
“If we really want to love we must learn to forgive.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa: Helping the Sick
“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely, and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.”
“Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not come, we have only today. Let us begin.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa in service
Mother Teresa: Service
“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives; be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies; succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous, be happy anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God, it was never between you and them anyway.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa Praying
Mother Teresa: Prayer
“Love to pray. Feel often during the day the need for prayer and take trouble to pray Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of Himself. Ask and seek, and your heart will grow big enough to receive Him and keep Him as your own.”
“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa: Silence
“We need to find God and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature; trees, flowers, grass, grows in silence. See the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
The practice of praying the rosary has its historical roots with St. Dominic. St. Dominic founded the Order of Preachers or Dominicans. Monks in the monasteries recited the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) daily. This included all 150 Psalms. The lay people were unable to read so they substituted Ave Maria’s (Hail Mary’s) for the psalms. The first half of the rosary is found in the Bible.
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
This statement was made by Archangel Gabriel (Luke 1: 26). The second part of the prayer is a prayer is a request that Mary pray for us at the time of death.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
By meditating on the life of Jesus, the rosary brings Jesus into our daily life. There are four sets of mysteries which we meditate on: The Joyful , The Glorious, The Sorrowful, and the Luminous
Each set has five mysteries.
The Joyful Mysteries: 1. Annunciation 2. Visitation 3. Birth of Jesus 4. Presentation in the Temple 5. Finding the Child Jesus
The Luminous Mysteries: 1. Christ’s Baptism I the Jordan 2. Wedding at Cana 3. Proclamation of the Kingdom 4. Transfiguration 5. Institution of the Eucharist
Sorrowful Mysteries: 1. Agony in the Garden 2. Scourging at the Pillar 3. Crowning with Thorns 4. Carrying of the Cross 5. Crucifixion
Glorious Mysteries: 1. Resurrection 2. Ascension into Heaven 3. Descent of the Holy Spirit 4. Assumption 5. Crowning of Our Blessed Lady
By meditating and pondering on the life of Christ we receive grace and guidance from the Holy Spirit. A popular saying is “to Jesus, through Mary”. Mary is our spiritual mother. She always guides us to her Son. After the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary is the most popular prayer of the church.
Do Catholics actually worship Mary when they pray the rosary? Veneration and worship are two different things. To venerate is to honor. Jesus honored his mother. (Isn’t one of the commandments honor thy father and thy mother?) We are called to imitate Jesus. Why then would we pretend Mary doesn’t exist?
Worship is given to God alone (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). All Mary’s power comes from God, not from herself. But we can easily relate to Mary. She was given great responsibility. She was troubled, but her answer was
“Let it be done according to thy word.”
May we always imitate Mary when given an assignment by God!
The following website instructs on how to pray the rosary: ROSARY
Most of us have times in our lives when we can relate well to doubting Thomas. He is known for stating his disbelief. After Jesus appeared to the other Apostles, Thomas said he needed to see for himself the wounds of Christ before he would believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. After Jesus showed him his wounds Jesus stated,
“Blessed are those who have not seen, but believe.
Thomas is not afraid to question. When Jesus tells the Apostles that they will follow him, Thomas questions Him;
“How can we follow you, when we know not where you are going?”
Jesus answered him by telling him,
“I am the way the truth and the life, whoever follows me will live forever.
Today (July 3) is the feast of St. Thomas. In the Catholic Church we celebrate in mass worldwide the life and faith of St. Thomas. We reflect on how he led his life and followed Jesus. When we have questions, we should not be afraid to ask Jesus to answer them. When we are not sure about our faith, it is a good thing to ask Jesus to lead us to Him.
Many people do not have faith today and do not know how to find God. Perhaps they are looking for God as a scientist would… under a microscope. Spirituality is not found under a microscope. Being unafraid to ask God questions can lead us closer to Him.
Remember when we were little children? The questions were many. What? Why? Where? How? When?
Asking God directly to enlighten us to the truth may actually have results.
One of my favorite prayers is a simple one.
“Lead me, Lord!”
May we all be led closer to God as we pray through our doubts.
St. Thomas was was born in Sicily in the year 1225. He died in 1274. The feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas is celebrated on Jan. 28. He is considered the patron saint of students and universities.
At the age of five he was placed in the care of the Benedictines of Monte Casino.
He became a Dominican priest against his families wishes. His brothers followed careers in the military. In an attempt to end his desires to become a Dominican, his brothers hired a prostitute to seduce him. According to legend, two angels appeared to Thomas to strengthen him and increase his determination to remain celibate. He thus became known as the “Angelic Doctor”.
St. Thomas studied at Cologne under St. Albert the Great. He was called “the dumb-ox” because he was so shy and quiet. He was also of a very large stature. Actually, he was quite brilliant, eventually being declared a Doctor of the Church.
After becoming a priest he was sent to Paris. In Paris he became a friend of the King, St. Louis, dining with him frequently. He was asked to teach at the age of 22. He has published many writings. The most well known are Summa Theologica and Summa Contra Gentiles. He also wrote Hymns of Adoration which are well known today. The belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is very evident in his hymns of praise and adoration.
His well known hymns are the following:
1. Panis Angelicus (Bread of Angels) sung by Andre Bocelli
All now on earth can see what we are called to be:
Hope for a world in need, signs that love can succeed
Where true justice and peace endure.
St. Thomas Aquinas
O Salutaris Hostia ( O Saving Victim)
O saving Victim, open wide
The gate of heav’n to us below,
Our foes press on from ev’ry side;
Your aid supply your strength bestow.
To your great name be endless praise,
Immortal Godhead, One in Three;
O grant us endless length of days
In our true native land with thee.
Amen
St. Thomas Aquinas
Zion, to thy Savior; singing
Zion, To Thy Savior Singing
Zion, to Thy Savior singing,
To thy Prince and Shepherd bringing,
Sweetest hymns of love and praise,
Thou wilt never reach the measure
Of His worth, by all the treasure
Of thy most ecstatic lays.
Of all wonders that can thrill thee,
And, with adoration fill thee,
What than this can greater be,
That Himself to thee He giveth?
He that eateth ever liveth,
For the Bread of Life is He.
Fill thy lips to overflowing
With sweet praise, His mercy showing
Who this heav’nly table spread:
On this day so glad and holy,
To each longing spirit lowly
Giveth He the living Bread.
Here the King hath spread His table,
Whereon eyes of faith are able
Christ our Passover to trace:
Shadows of the law are going,
Light and life and truth inflowing,
Night to day is giving place.
Lo, this angels’ food descending
Heavenly love is hither sending,
Hungry lips on earth to feed:
So the paschal lamb was given,
So the manna came from Heaven,
Isaac was His type indeed.
O Good Shepherd, Bread life giving,
Us, Thy grace and life receiving,
Feed and shelter evermore;
Thou on earth our weakness guiding,
We in Heaven with Thee abiding,
With all saints will Thee adore.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Adore te Devote (Humbly I adore thee)
Humbly I adore thee, Verity unseen,
who thy glory hiddest ‘neath these shadows mean;
low, to thee surrendered, my whole heart is bowed,
tranced as it beholds thee, shrined within the cloud.
Taste and touch and vision to discern thee fail;
faith, that comes by hearing, pierces through the veil.
I believe whate’re the Son of God hath told;
what the Truth hath spoken, that for truth I hold.
O memorial wondrous of the Lord’s own death;
living Bread that givest all thy creatures breath,
grant my spirit ever by thy life may live,
to my taste thy sweetness never failing give.
Jesus, whom now hidden, I by faith behold,
what my soul doth long for, that thy word foretold:
face to face thy splendor, I at last shall see,
in the glorious vision, blessed Lord, of thee.
