tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36294969157700616412024-02-22T08:08:32.098-08:00a year of prayer: 365 RosariesJacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.comBlogger1413125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-60101271317518637712015-09-08T17:40:00.001-07:002015-09-08T17:40:50.782-07:00September 8: The Nativity of Mary, Our Blessed Mother<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20SEPTEMBER/98mary5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20SEPTEMBER/98mary5.jpg" height="320" ox="true" width="220" /></a><em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Thy birth, O Virgin Mother of God,</strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong></strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>heralded joy to all the world.</strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>For from thou hast risen the Sun of justice,</strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Christ our God.</strong></span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Destroying the curse, He gave blessing;</strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>and damning death, He bestowed on us</strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>life everlasting.</strong></span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Blessed art thou among women</strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.</strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>For from thou hast risen of Sun of justice,</strong></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Christ our God.</strong></span></em><br />
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Today, September 8, we celebrate the feast of the <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary</span></strong>. Our Blessed Mother is one of only three people the Church celebrates on the day of their birth (the other two being Christ on Christmas, born without sin, and <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/06/june-24-solemnity-of-nativity-of-saint.html">Saint John the Baptist</a>, free from sin at birth after being cleansed of his sins by Christ during the <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/05/second-joyful-mystery-visitation-of.html">Visitation</a> of Mary to Elizabeth). The remainder of the saints are celebrated on their date of death—their birth into everlasting life with Christ. The Blessed Virgin, however, was conceived without sin because the Lord, in His wisdom, had chosen her to become the Mother of God. Nine months after our celebration of the Immaculate Conception, we celebrate the Nativity of our hope and light of salvation!<br />
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As the Liturgy proclaims: <em><span style="color: #e06666;">"Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Virgin Mary, of whom was born the Sun of Justice.... Her birth constitutes the hope and the light of salvation for the whole world.... Her image is light for the whole Christian people"</span></em><br />
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No reference is made to the birth of Mary in Scripture, but the names of her parents, <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/07/july-26-feast-of-saints-joachim-and.html">Joachim and Anna</a>, are recorded in the Protoevangelium of James (excerpted below), an apocryphal writing from the 2nd century. We learn from this text that Our Mother’s parents were both beyond the years of conceiving and bearing children, but due to their faith—manifested through prayer and fasting—the Lord granted their request for a child with an extraordinary gift!<br />
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We remember today the dawn of our hope—that after the world struggled under the weight of sin, with the birth of the Mother of God, the <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/05/marian-mondays-mary-theotokos-mother-of.html">Theotokos</a>, the sun rises on a new salvation for mankind. She is the New Eve, leading us to her son, leading us to redemption. Through her fiat --her obedience to the will of God-- she opened the doors of redemption and salvation to all her children which had been closed by Eve in her disobedience. As Saint Jerome wrote: <strong><span style="color: #45818e;">"Death through Eve, life through Mary."</span></strong> <br />
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Mary draws us to Jesus, into God’s eternal plan for our salvation. As <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/04/april-28-saint-louis-mary-grignion-de.html">Saint Louis de Montfort</a> said, <em><span style="color: #e69138;">"She is an echo of God, speaking and repeating only God. If you say "Mary" she says "God.” There is a bond of love between Mary and God like no other."</span></em><br />
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As the Mother of God, Mary is radiantly beautifully. She is totally pure, modest, chaste, humble, obedient. Her soul is immaculate -- free from the stain of original sin. On Our Lady's birthday, the Church celebrates the first dawning of redemption with the appearance in the world of the Savior's mother, Mary, and anticipates through her the Incarnation of Jesus. The Blessed Virgin occupies a unique place in the history of salvation, and she has the highest mission ever commended to any creature. We rejoice that the Mother of God is our Mother, too. Let us often call upon the Blessed Virgin as "<em><span style="color: #e69138;">Cause of our joy</span></em>,” one of the most beautiful titles in her litany.<br />
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<em><span style="color: #a64d79;">"Rejoice, O earth, because from the womb of Anna, as from a fertile vine, has sprung a sweet ripe cluster. To the harvesting of this vineyard all are invited, none are excluded - it is the joy of all."</span></em> (<a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/08/saint-john-damascene-on-assumption-of.html">Saint John Damascene</a>)<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #f1c232;">Father of mercy,</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #f1c232;">give your people help and strength from heaven.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #f1c232;">The birth of the Virgin Mary's Son</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #f1c232;">was the dawn of our salvation.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #f1c232;">May this celebration of her birthday</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #f1c232;">bring us closer to lasting peace.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #f1c232;">Grant this though our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #f1c232;">who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit. Amen.</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><strong>From the Protoevangelium of James</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><em>The Birth of Mary the Holy Mother of God, and Very Glorious Mother of Jesus Christ.</em> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">1. In the records of the twelve tribes of Israel was Joachim, a man rich exceedingly; and he brought his offerings double, saying: There shall be of my superabundance to all the people, and there shall be the offering for my forgiveness to the Lord for a propitiation for me. For the great day of the Lord was at hand, and the sons of Israel were bringing their offerings. And there stood over against him Rubim, saying: It is not meet for you first to bring your offerings, because you have not made seed in Israel. And Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and went away to the registers of the twelve tribes of the people, saying: I shall see the registers of the twelve tribes of Israel, as to whether I alone have not made seed in Israel. And he searched, and found that all the righteous had raised up seed in Israel. And he called to mind the patriarch Abraham, that in the last day God gave him a son Isaac. And Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and did not come into the presence of his wife; but he retired to the desert, and there pitched his tent, and fasted forty days and forty nights, saying in himself: I will not go down either for food or for drink until the Lord my God shall look upon me, and prayer shall be my food and drink.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">2. And his wife Anna mourned in two mournings, and lamented in two lamentations, saying: I shall bewail my widowhood; I shall bewail my childlessness. And the great day of the Lord was at hand; and Judith her maid-servant said: How long do you humiliate your soul? Behold, the great day of the Lord is at hand, and it is unlawful for you to mourn. But take this head-band, which the woman that made it gave to me; for it is not proper that I should wear it, because I am a maid-servant, and it has a royal appearance. And Anna said: Depart from me; for I have not done such things, and the Lord has brought me very low. I fear that some wicked person has given it to you, and you have come to make me a sharer in your sin. And Judith said: Why should I curse you, seeing that the Lord has shut your womb, so as not to give you fruit in Israel? And Anna was grieved exceedingly, and put off her garments of mourning, and cleaned her head, and put on her wedding garments, and about the ninth hour went down to the garden to walk. And she saw a laurel, and sat under it, and prayed to the Lord, saying: O God of our fathers, bless me and hear my prayer, as You blessed the womb of Sarah, and gave her a son Isaac. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">3. And gazing towards the heaven, she saw a sparrow's nest in the laurel, Tobit 2:10 and made a lamentation in herself, saying: Alas! Who begot me? And what womb produced me? Because I have become a curse in the presence of the sons of Israel, and I have been reproached, and they have driven me in derision out of the temple of the Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like the fowls of the heaven, because even the fowls of the heaven are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like the beasts of the earth, because even the beasts of the earth are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like these waters, because even these waters are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like this earth, because even the earth brings forth its fruits in season, and blesses You, O Lord. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">4. And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by, saying: Anna, Anna, the Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth; and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world. And Anna said: As the Lord my God lives, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God; and it shall minister to Him in holy things all the days of its life. 1 Samuel 1:11 And, behold, two angels came, saying to her: Behold, Joachim your husband is coming with his flocks. For an angel of the Lord went down to him, saying: Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God has heard your prayer. Go down hence; for, behold, your wife Anna shall conceive. And Joachim went down and called his shepherds, saying: Bring me hither ten she-lambs without spot or blemish, and they shall be for the Lord my God; and bring me twelve tender calves, and they shall be for the priests and the elders; and a hundred goats for all the people. And, behold, Joachim came with his flocks; and Anna stood by the gate, and saw Joachim coming, and she ran and hung upon his neck, saying: Now I know that the Lord God has blessed me exceedingly; for, behold the widow no longer a widow, and I the childless shall conceive. And Joachim rested the first day in his house.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">5. And on the following day he brought his offerings, saying in himself: If the Lord God has been rendered gracious to me, the plate on the priest's forehead will make it manifest to me. And Joachim brought his offerings, and observed attentively the priest's plate when he went up to the altar of the Lord, and he saw no sin in himself. And Joachim said: Now I know that the Lord has been gracious unto me, and has remitted all my sins. And he went down from the temple of the Lord justified, and departed to his own house. And her months were fulfilled, and in the ninth month Anna brought forth. And she said to the midwife: What have I brought forth? And she said: A girl. And said Anna: My soul has been magnified this day. And she laid her down. And the days having been fulfilled, Anna was purified, and gave the breast to the child, and called her name Mary.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">6. And the child grew strong day by day; and when she was six months old, her mother set her on the ground to try whether she could stand, and she walked seven steps and came into her bosom; and she snatched her up, saying: As the Lord my God lives, you shall not walk on this earth until I bring you into the temple of the Lord. And she made a sanctuary in her bed-chamber, and allowed nothing common or unclean to pass through her. And she called the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, and they led her astray. And when she was a year old, Joachim made a great feast, and invited the priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and all the people of Israel. And Joachim brought the child to the priests; and they blessed her, saying: O God of our fathers, bless this child, and give her an everlasting name to be named in all generations. And all the people said: So be it, so be it, amen. And he brought her to the chief priests; and they blessed her, saying: O God most high, look upon this child, and bless her with the utmost blessing, which shall be for ever. And her mother snatched her up, and took her into the sanctuary of her bed-chamber, and gave her the breast. And Anna made a song to the Lord God, saying: I will sing a song to the Lord my God, for He has looked upon me, and has taken away the reproach of mine enemies; and the Lord has given the fruit of His righteousness, singular in its kind, and richly endowed before Him. Who will tell the sons of Rubim that Anna gives suck? Hear, hear, you twelve tribes of Israel, that Anna gives suck. And she laid her to rest in the bed-chamber of her sanctuary, and went out and ministered unto them. And when the supper was ended, they went down rejoicing, and glorifying the God of Israel. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">7. And her months were added to the child. And the child was two years old, and Joachim said: Let us take her up to the temple of the Lord, that we may pay the vow that we have vowed, lest perchance the Lord send to us, and our offering be not received. And Anna said: Let us wait for the third year, in order that the child may not seek for father or mother. And Joachim said: So let us wait. And the child was three years old, and Joachim said: Invite the daughters of the Hebrews that are undefiled, and let them take each a lamp, and let them stand with the lamps burning, that the child may not turn back, and her heart be captivated from the temple of the Lord. And they did so until they went up into the temple of the Lord. And the priest received her, and kissed her, and blessed her, saying: The Lord has magnified your name in all generations. In you, on the last of the days, the Lord will manifest His redemption to the sons of Israel. And he set her down upon the third step of the altar, and the Lord God sent grace upon her; and she danced with her feet, and all the house of Israel loved her.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">And I James that wrote this history in Jerusalem, a commotion having arisen when Herod died, withdrew myself to the wilderness until the commotion in Jerusalem ceased, glorifying the Lord God, who had given me the gift and the wisdom to write this history. And grace shall be with them that fear our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory to ages of ages. Amen.</span> <br />
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<strong>Additional Holy Writings regarding the Nativity of Our Blessed Mother</strong><br />
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<a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/09/saint-andrew-of-crete-nativity-of-our.html">Saint Andrew of Crete: "The Nativity of Our Lady, the Theotokos"</a><br />
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<a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/09/saint-anselm-prayer-in-honor-of-our.html">Saint Anselm: "Prayer in Honor of Our Lady's Nativity"</a><br />
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<a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/09/saint-john-damascene-on-dormition-of.html">Saint John Damascene: "On the Dormition of Mary"</a>Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-78376886644286899832015-08-21T14:27:00.002-07:002015-08-21T14:27:53.393-07:00Pope Saint Pius X: "Pope of the Blessed Sacrament"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong><em><span style="color: #cc0000;">“Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven.” </span></em></strong><br />
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Today, August 21, we celebrate the feast day of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Pope Saint Pius X</span></strong> (1835-1914), Confessor, reformer, and the two hundred-fifty-ninth pope. Referred to as the “Pope of the Blessed Sacrament,” Pope Pius X is perhaps remembered best for his encouragement of frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist, especially for children. He urged all Catholics to look to Our Blessed Mother, and to “Restore all things in Christ” for the betterment of personal lives and of the world—a world plunged into war during his papacy. Throughout his life, Pope Pius X never forgot his humble beginnings, and lived a life of poverty, service, and humility. His last will and testament proclaims this sentiment:<em><span style="color: #0b5394;"> "I was born poor, I have lived in poverty, and I wish to die poor."</span></em><br />
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A contemporary of this great holy man, Baron von Pastor, stated of him: <em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">"He was one of those chosen few men whose personality is irresistible. Everyone was moved by his simplicity and his angelic kindness. Yet it was something more that carried him into all hearts: and that 'something' is best defined by saying that all who were ever admitted to his presence had a deep conviction of being face to face with a saint.” </span></em><br />
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Born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto in the small village of Reise, Venetia, the future pope experienced poverty and demonstrated humility from an early age. Giuseppe’s father was the town postman and with his mother, the couple struggled to financially support ten children. Despite their poverty, both parents highly valued education, and rather than working, Giuseppe walked six kilometers to school each day to receive his education.<br />
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As a child, Giuseppe demonstrated aptitude for learning and devotion to the Lord. He studied Latin with a local priest, and through his hard work, secured himself a scholarship to attend Seminary in Padua—something his family could not have afforded. Ordained at the age of twenty-three, he served as curate, and then labored for 17 years as a parish priest. As a priest, Giuseppe sought to prefect his knowledge of theology by assiduously studying Saint Thomas and canon law. At the same time he established a night school for adult students, and devoted himself of the ministry of preaching in other towns to which he was called. Giuseppe was elected bishop of Mantua, and in 1892 was advanced to Cardinal, and appointed to the metropolitan see of Venice with the honorary title of Patriarch. Noted for his keen intelligence, diligent work, and great piety, he was sought out for prestigious positions and advanced rapidly. Through all of his work, Giuseppe obediently answered the call of the Lord, never seeking election or promotion, but accepting that which was thrust upon him.<br />
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Giuseppe was elected Pope in 1903, taking the name Pius X, described as <em><span style="color: #b45f06;">"a man of God who knew the unhappiness of the world and the hardships of life, and in the greatness of his heart wanted to comfort everybody."</span></em> The primary goal and aim of his papacy was to <strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">“Renew all things in Christ”</span></strong> <em>("instaurare omnia in Christo").</em> He preached frequent reception of Holy Eucharist, a restoration of church music—including Gregorian Chant, encouraged daily Bible reading and renewal and reform of institutions to teach Biblical matters, reorganized the Roman ecclesiastical offices, and codified Canon Law—all in attempts to draw the faithful to Christ and renew the Church in His presence.<br />
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As Pope and spiritual director of the Church on earth, he displayed untiring self-sacrifice and great energy. Above all things, he defended the purity of Christian doctrine. He realized to the full the value of the liturgy as the prayer of the Church and the solid basis that it furnishes for the devotion of Christian people. He promoted sacred music so that the congregation may better participate in holy prayer, and had choir books printed for the congregation. Above all, his holiness shone forth conspicuously. From Pius X we learn again that "the folly of the Cross", simplicity of life, and humility of heart are still the highest wisdom and the indispensable conditions of a perfect Christian life, for they are the very source of all apostolic fruitfulness. <br />
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On the eleventh anniversary of his election as pope, Europe was thrust into the first World War. Taking ill with bronchitis, he wrote, <strong><em><span style="color: #0b5394;">“This is the last affliction the Lord will visit on me. I would gladly give my life to save my poor children from this ghastly scourge.”</span></em></strong> Pope Saint Pius X died a few days later, on August 20, 1914. His sanctity and power to work miracles had already been recognized. He was the first Pope canonized since Saint Pius V in 1672. <br />
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<strong>Selected Quotations of Pope Saint Pius X:</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">“Truly we are passing through disastrous times, when we may well make our own the lamentation of the Prophet: “There is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1). Yet in the midst of this tide of evil, the Virgin Most Merciful rises before our eyes like a rainbow, as the arbiter of peace between God and man.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">“God could have given us the Redeemer of the human race, and the Founder of the Faiths in another way than through the Virgin, but since Divine Providence has been pleased that we should have the Man-God through Mary, who conceived Him by the Holy Spirit and bore Him in her womb, it only remains for us to receive Christ from the hands of Mary.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">“Sanctity alone makes us what our divine vocation demands, men crucified to the world and to whom the world has been crucified, men walking in newness of life who, in the words of St. Paul, show themselves as ministers of God in labors, in vigils, in fasting, in chastity, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere charity, in the word of truth; men who seek only heavenly things and strive by every means to lead others to them.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">“My hope is in Christ, who strengthens the weakest by His Divine help. I can do all in Him who strengthens me. His Power is infinite, and if I lean on him, it will be mine. His Wisdom is infinite, and if I look to Him for counsel, I shall not be deceived. His Goodness is infinite, and if my trust is stayed in Him, I shall not be abandoned.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">“Let the storm rage and the sky darken – not for that shall we be dismayed. If we trust as we should in Mary, we shall recognize in her, the Virgin Most Powerful “who with virginal foot did crush the head of the serpent.” </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">“The collection of psalms found in Scripture, composed as it was under divine inspiration, has, from the very beginnings of the Church, shown a wonderful power of fostering devotion among Christians as they offer “to God a continuous sacrifice of praise, the harvest of lips blessing his name.” Following a custom already established in the Old Law, the psalms have played a conspicuous part in the sacred liturgy itself, and in the divine office. Augustine expresses this well when he says: “God praised himself so that man might give him fitting praise; because God chose to praise himself man found the way in which to bless God.” The psalms have also a wonderful power to awaken in our hearts the desire for every virtue. Athanasius says: “The psalms seem to me to be like a mirror, in which the person using them can see himself, and the stirrings of his own heart; he can recite them against the background of his own emotions.” Augustine says in his Confessions: “How I wept when I heard you hymns and canticles, being deeply moved by the sweet singing of your Church. Those voices flowed into my ears, truth filtered into my heart, and from my heart surged waves of devotion.” Indeed, who could fail to be moved by those many passages in the psalms which set forth so profoundly the infinite majesty of God, his omnipotence, his justice and goodness and clemency, too deep for words, and all the other infinite qualities of his that deserve our praise? Who could fail to be roused to the same emotions by the prayers of thanksgiving to God for blessings received by the petitions, so humble and confident, for blessings still awaited, by the cries of a soul in sorrow for sin committed? Who would not be fired with love as he looks on the likeness of Christ, the redeemer, here so lovingly foretold? His was “the voice” Augustine heard in every psalm, the voice of praise, of suffering, of joyful expectation, of present distress.” </span><br />
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<strong>From AD DIEM ILLUM LAETISSIMUM (On the Immaculate Conception), Papal Encyclical:</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">10. For is not Mary the Mother of Christ? Then she is our Mother also. And we must in truth hold that Christ, the Word made Flesh, is also the Savior of mankind. He had a physical body like that of any other man: and again as Savior of the human family, he had a spiritual and mystical body, the society, namely, of those who believe in Christ. "We are many, but one sole body in Christ" (Rom. xii., 5). Now the Blessed Virgin did not conceive the Eternal Son of God merely in order that He might be made man taking His human nature from her, but also in order that by means of the nature assumed from her He might be the Redeemer of men. For which reason the Angel said to the Shepherds: "To-day there is born to you a Savior who is Christ the Lord" (Luke ii., 11). Wherefore in the same holy bosom of his most chaste Mother Christ took to Himself flesh, and united to Himself the spiritual body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Savior within her, may be said to have also carried all those whose life was contained in the life of the Savior. Therefore all we who are united to Christ, and as the Apostle says are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones (Ephes. v., 30), have issued from the womb of Mary like a body united to its head. Hence, though in a spiritual and mystical fashion, we are all children of Mary, and she is Mother of us all. Mother, spiritually indeed, but truly Mother of the members of Christ, who are we (S. Aug. L. de S. Virginitate, c. 6). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">11. If then the most Blessed Virgin is the Mother at once of God and men, who can doubt that she will work with all diligence to procure that Christ, Head of the Body of the Church (Coloss. i., 18), may transfuse His gifts into us, His members, and above all that of knowing Him and living through Him (I John iv., 9)? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">12. Moreover it was not only the prerogative of the Most Holy Mother to have furnished the material of His flesh to the Only Son of God, Who was to be born with human members (S. Bede Ven. L. Iv. in Luc. xl.), of which material should be prepared the Victim for the salvation of men; but hers was also the office of tending and nourishing that Victim, and at the appointed time presenting Him for the sacrifice. Hence that uninterrupted community of life and labors of the Son and the Mother, so that of both might have been uttered the words of the Psalmist “My life is consumed in sorrow and my years in groans" (Ps xxx., 11). When the supreme hour of the Son came, beside the Cross of Jesus there stood Mary His Mother, not merely occupied in contemplating the cruel spectacle, but rejoicing that her Only Son was offered for the salvation of mankind, and so entirely participating in His Passion, that if it had been possible she would have gladly borne all the torments that her Son bore (S. Bonav. 1. Sent d. 48, ad Litt. dub. 4). And from this community of will and suffering between Christ and Mary she merited to become most worthily the Reparatrix of the lost world (Eadmeri Mon. De Excellentia Virg. Mariae, c. 9) and Dispensatrix of all the gifts that Our Savior purchased for us by His Death and by His Blood. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">13. It cannot, of course, be denied that the dispensation of these treasures is the particular and peculiar right of Jesus Christ, for they are the exclusive fruit of His Death, who by His nature is the mediator between God and man. Nevertheless, by this companionship in sorrow and suffering already mentioned between the Mother and the Son, it has been allowed to the august Virgin to be the most powerful mediatrix and advocate of the whole world with her Divine Son (Pius IX. Ineffabilis). The source, then, is Jesus Christ "of whose fullness we have all received" (John i., 16), "from whom the whole body, being compacted and fitly joined together by what every joint supplieth, according to the operation in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in charity" (Ephesians iv., 16). But Mary, as St. Bernard justly remarks, is the channel (Serm. de temp on the Nativ. B. V. De Aquaeductu n. 4); or, if you will, the connecting portion the function of which is to join the body to the head and to transmit to the body the influences and volitions of the head - We mean the neck. Yes, says St. Bernardine of Sienna, "she is the neck of Our Head, by which He communicates to His mystical body all spiritual gifts" (Quadrag. de Evangel. aetern. Serm. x., a. 3, c. iii.). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">14. We are then, it will be seen, very far from attributing to the Mother of God a productive power of grace - a power which belongs to God alone. Yet, since Mary carries it over all in holiness and union with Jesus Christ, and has been associated by Jesus Christ in the work of redemption, she merits for us de congruo, in the language of theologians, what Jesus Christ merits for us de condigno, and she is the supreme Minister of the distribution of graces. Jesus "sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high" (Hebrews i. b.). Mary sitteth at the right hand of her Son - a refuge so secure and a help so trusty against all dangers that we have nothing to fear or to despair of under her guidance, her patronage, her protection. (Pius IX. in Bull Ineffabilis). </span><br />
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<em><span style="color: #674ea7;">Glorious Pope of the Eucharist, Saint Pius X, you sought "to restore all things in Christ." Obtain for me a true love of Jesus so that I may live only for Him. Help me to acquire a lively fervor and a sincere will to strive for sanctity of life, and that I may avail myself of the riches of the Holy Eucharist in sacrifice and sacrament. By your love for Mary, mother and queen of all, inflame my heart with tender devotion to her. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #674ea7;">Blessed model of the priesthood, obtain for us holy, dedicated priests, and increase vocations to the religious life. Dispel confusion and hatred and anxiety, and incline our hearts to peace and concord. so that all nations will place themselves under the sweet reign of Christ. Amen. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #674ea7;">Saint Pius X, pray for me. </span></em><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #b45f06;">Father,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #b45f06;">to defend the Catholic faith</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #b45f06;">and to make all things new in Christ,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #b45f06;">You filled St. Pius X</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #b45f06;">with heavenly wisdom and apostolic courage.</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #b45f06;">May his example and teaching</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #b45f06;">lead us to the reward of eternal life.</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #b45f06;">Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #b45f06;">who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #b45f06;">one God, for ever and ever. Amen.</span></em></strong><br />
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<br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-72502169573746909812015-08-10T19:19:00.002-07:002015-08-10T19:19:38.824-07:00Rosary Construction Milestone Reached: 2000 Rosaries!This week, we reached an exciting milestone in our Rosary Construction mission: 2,000 Holy Rosaries constructed. As you know, spiritual aids are distributed to those in need around the world, as well as military personnel stationed overseas. <br />
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These Rosaries (picture above, in progress) are for military personnel. All black, and constructed of soft plastic and cord, they are able to be taken into the field without worry of injury or difficulty. <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">We pray for all military personnel, regardless of nationality, that these Rosaries bring hope, peace, encouragement, and safe returns home to loved ones.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Thank you to all of you who have contributed to our mission through your continued prayers and financial donations. We couldn't do it without you! With your help, we will reach 3000!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In the peace of Christ-</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">jacob @ 365Rosaries</span></span>Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-2169284204891025102015-08-07T15:00:00.002-07:002015-08-07T15:00:33.682-07:00Novena to Saint Cajetan, Prayers for the Unemployed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, August 7, we celebrate the feast of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3629496915770061641#editor/target=post;postID=6620435431359065735;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=1;src=postname">Saint Cajetan of Thiene</a></span></strong> (also known as Saint Gaetano, 1480-1547), zealous reformer of the clergy, founder of the Theatine Order, and patron saint of the unemployed. As many of the prayer requests that I receive involve prayers for those who are unemployed or seeking work, I will pray this novena to Saint Cajetan beginning today, for the next nine days—for all those who are seeking employment, both requested on this blog and maintained in the quiet of their hearts. <br />
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<em>For those of you who wish to join me in this novena to Saint Cajetan, each day of the novena begins with the prayer for that day, followed by saying the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, and Doxology (Glory Be) three times each. The intercession, <strong><span style="color: #990000;">“Saint Cajetan, pray for us”</span></strong> is prayed three times, followed by the daily prayer (below).</em><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Saint Cajetan, pray for us. Intercede for us with Jesus Our Lord!</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Daily Prayer <em>(said each day)</em></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><em>O glorious St. Cajetan, you studied to be a lawyer, but when you felt that the Lord was calling you to his service, you abandoned everything and became a priest. You excelled in virtues, shunning all material rewards for your labor, helping the many unemployed people of your time. You provided loans without interest and you attracted a lot of benefactors who donated to your resources so that you could go on with your activities. Look on us with mercy. We wish to find employment that could help us and our families live with dignity. Listen to our petitions, dear saint; you who could easily give up the food on your table for the needy, bring our petitions to Jesus (here make your request). Amen.</em></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #990000;">First Day</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">You were a model of virtue among the priests of your time, O St. Cajetan. You sought not to receive payments from your ministry, and you taught people how to pray the rosary and develop devotions to saints. You were truly a spiritual shepherd, and your concern was always focused on the salvation of souls. But despite this, you were also aware that with hungry stomachs, the faithful would have difficulty in understanding God’s Word. You embarked to help them, not just by giving them bread but helping them gain their living by work. Look on us with pity, O glorious saint. We have many unemployed people in our midst and their families go hungry. We ask you to guide the fathers and mothers who are looking for work. Amen.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Second Day</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">Despite your busy schedule, dear saint, you spent eight hours a day in prayer. Your happiness consists in being united with Jesus, to savor his presence in the Eucharist. Guide us to be like you by giving priority to prayer in our life. Enable us to savor Jesus’ presence and help us become contemplatives like you. Inspire us to understand that prayer is not just asking Jesus for our needs, but being with him, delighting in his presence. We ask you, dear saint, to lead us in this direction that we may learn to delight in Jesus’ presence. Amen.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Third Day</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">Since your death, dear St. Cajetan, the unemployed people of the world had sought your intercession. Work is the key to a happy life. Look with pity on the millions of people in our country who wake up each morning without certainty of finding food because they don’t have work. These people become victims of desperation and some even resort to crimes to survive. Help our government leaders formulate policies that will bring about employment. You who established a bank for the needy inspire our leaders to extend loans for the poor so that they may provide for the needs of their families. Amen.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Fourth day</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">O glorious St. Cajetan, like the society where you lived, we are also beset by the same economic set up where the poor are becoming poorer and the rich, richer. You fasted so that the money you saved could be used to buy food for the poor, you did not accept any payment for your ministries because you wanted people to help the needy. You lived very frugally because you wanted to teach the rich about the need to share. Look with pity on our society where resources are wasted in buying useless goods, while the poor and the needy among us have not received the basic necessities. Inspire us to share that nobody among us would go hungry, and that everybody may live with dignity. Amen.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Fifth day</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">O glorious St. Cajetan, you spent long hours helping the sick and worked yourself to exhaustion in helping victims of plagues which were frequent in your time. You cared for the sick not just to heal them, but to guide them to a happy death. You wanted their souls, not their bodies. Help us to understand that we have to prepare ourselves to a happy death. May we likewise see that the most terrible sickness is our sinfulness, and we always have to examine ourselves for the sins we commit daily. Inspire us to have repentant hearts that we may always be prepared to meet the Lord. Amen.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">O humble St. Cajetan, you spoke with rulers and kings, but you never gave them much importance. You know that prestige, honor, and positions in society could only be good if they are use to help the needy and the poor. For this reason, you also confronted tyrants and stood against armies that looted, killed, and raped. Your humility did not prevent you from becoming a prophet. You only feared Jesus. Help us to remain humble and self-effacing, knowing that before God, we remain nothing. We can only be someone if we stand close to Jesus. Inspire us to follow your footsteps so that we, too, may fight for justice and help stop corruption in our government. Amen.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Seventh Day</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">O glorious St. Cajetan, your unceasing fasting and penance help people understand that God must be loved above all things and above all persons. You sacrificed anything or anyone that could block you from loving God with your whole soul, mind, heart and body. By eating little, you showed to others that man does not live on bread alone. You renewed the faith of many people, touched their hearts, and helped much in the reformation of the Church. Inspire us to fast and do penance for our sins. Instill on us the spirit of sacrifice that we, too, may love God intensely as you did. Amen.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Eighth Day</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">O glorious St. Cajetan, it pained you to see the Catholic Church divided into hostile groups. You always prayed for unity in the Church, asking laypersons, priests, and bishops to support the Pope through preaching, prayer, and sacrifices. You see the Church as the bride of Christ, the sacrament by which men and women can become holy. You worked hard for the return of the Protestants to the Catholic Church, and you preached against Protestant reformers who were attacking the heart of Catholic teachings. Teach us then to work for unity in our Church and at the same time, to defend her from sects and religious movements that attack her. Inspire us to follow your path. Amen.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Ninth day</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">O glorious St. Cajetan, you received many special blessings from Jesus, visions and mystical experiences because of your union with him. While contemplating the mystery of incarnation, Mary appeared to you and put on your lap the baby Jesus. You held on to the baby and made your heart his dwelling place. Jesus truly loved you and his Mother trusted you. Listen then to our petitions on this last day of our novena and bring them to Jesus. Prove to us that now in heaven you are closer to Jesus and he listens to you. Amen.</span>Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-66204354313590657352015-08-07T14:57:00.000-07:002015-08-07T14:57:29.821-07:00Feast of Saint Cajetan, Patron Saint of the Unemployed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, August 7, we celebrate the feast of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint Cajetan of Thiene</span></strong> (also known as Saint Gaetano, 1480-1547), zealous reformer of the clergy, founder of the Theatine Order, and <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/08/novena-to-saint-cajetan-of-thiene.html">patron saint of the unemployed</a>. Throughout his life, Saint Cajetan demonstrated concern and care for those less fortunate than himself, speaking out against exploitation of workers, poor wages, and unhealthy working conditions. Such zeal did he show for the salvation of his fellowmen that he was surnamed the "<em><span style="color: #0b5394;">huntsman for souls."</span></em> Deeply devoted to Our Blessed Mother, Saint Cajetan was graced by numerous visions of Mary, including at the hour of his death. <br />
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Born in Vincenza Italy, of pious and noble parents, Cajetan was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin at birth. From childhood, he was recognized as a saint, given his obedience, temperance, and charity. A distinguished student, he served as a model for his peers in academic achievement and morality, achieving a law degree in Padua. Even as a university student, however, all he wished was to enter the priesthood, although as his diary entries suggest, he did not consider himself worthy:<br />
<em><span style="color: #b45f06;">“I know too well, o Lord, that I am not worthy to be admitted among the consortium of these earthly angels</span></em> [his way of viewing the priesthood], <em><span style="color: #b45f06;">I wish even so to merit it. You can see my burning desire to bind myself to you forever with priestly promises. Why therefore do you not console me, my dearest goodness? Anyway, my desire is not to want my way but your way. Accept at least these</span></em> <em><span style="color: #b45f06;">my heart’s desires which in front of you become so real even when they cannot become a reality for me.”</span></em><br />
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Following his graduation as an attorney, he left that city to seek out humble obscurity in Rome. However, once arriving, he was “invited” by Pope Julius II to accept the position of apostolic protonotary, a high office. Reluctantly, Cajetan accepted the offer, and subsequently joined the Confraternity of Divine Love. Working with his fellow members, Cajetan introduced the concept of frequent Communion, and elsewhere through their influence.<br />
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Pope Julius II saw to Cajetan’s ordination, after which he offered many fervent Masses. He was reported to spend at least eight hours each day in solitary prayer. On Christmas Eve at the <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/08/august-5-dedication-of-basilica-of.html">Church of Saint Mary Major</a> he was greeted with his first vision of Our Blessed mother. When he entered the church he saw the Mary, radiant with light, who came to him and placed Her divine Infant in his arms. These are the words he used to describe his vision: <em><span style="color: #b45f06;">“....I boldly found myself, at the time of the Holy Nativity, in this crib; to give me courage I had with me Saint Jerome my father, who had the crib so close to his heart and whose remains were placed at the entrance of the same crib; and with a little bit of encouragement from the old man (St. Joseph), from the hands of the Virgin Mary, I took into my arms that little Baby: the Eternal Word Who became flesh. My heart was really hard, you must believe me, because if it were not as hard as a diamond, it was sure to liquefy at that moment... patience...”</span></em> Later in his life, Saint Cajetan would introduce the Forty Hours’ Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, as an antidote to the heresy of Calvin.<br />
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On the death of Pope Julius II, as well as the death of his mother, Cajetan returned to Vincenza. There he sought out the poorest and sick, transporting them to the Hospital of the Incurables, and joining the Confraternity of Divine Love with that of the Confraternity of Saint Jerome whose members were drawn from the lowest classes. His noble family was appalled by his association with the lower class, but Cajetan paid them no heed, spending his fortune in building hospitals and nursing the plague-stricken. He told his brothers, <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">"In this oratory we try to serve God by worship; in our hospital we may say that we actually find him."</span></strong><br />
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Out of obedience to his spiritual director, Saint Cajetan traveled to Venice, enacting immediate reform in the lives of the clergy there. He realized that to reform the Church, a obedient and zealous clergy was the manner in which to inspire the congregation. Along with Paul Caraffa, then Bishop of Theata in the kingdom of Naples (who later would become Pope Paul IV), and two other fervent Christians, he instituted the first community of Regular Clarks, known as Theatines. They devoted themselves to preaching, the administration of the Sacraments, and the careful performance of the Church's rites and ceremonies. Members of the Order lived apostolic lives, looking with disdain upon all earthly belongings, receiving no income, and accepting no salaries from the faithful. Only from that which was freely offered were they allowed to retain the means of livelihood. Thus they were to rely unreservedly upon Divine Providence.<br />
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The patron saint of the unemployed, Saint Cajetan further demonstrated considerable care for the livelihood of his parishioners. Not only did he work for wage reform, he founded a bank to help the poor and offer an alternative to usurers (loan sharks). This bank later became the Bank of Naples. Today also known as the patron saint of gamblers, he is remembered for a gentle game he played with parishioners in which he would bet prayers, rosaries or devotional candles on whether he would perform some service for them. Of course, he always performed the service, and the parishioners always had to “pay” by saying the prayers they had bet against him.<br />
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Having returned to Rome, Cajetan was captured and scourged by the invading Germans, who were hoping to discover where he had hidden his “riches.” Of course, Saint Cajetan had long since spent all that he had in service to the poor and struggling. Once let out of prison, he never recovered from the vicious torture. Having returned home, his doctors tried to get him to rest on a softer bed then the boards he slept on, but Cajetan answered:<strong><span style="color: #b45f06;"> "My savior died on a cross. Let me die on wood at least."</span></strong> It was then, when St. Cajetan was on his death-bed, that he again beheld the Blessed Virgin, surrounded by ministering seraphim. In profound veneration, he said, <span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong>"Lady, bless me!”</strong></span><br />
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Mary replied, <strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">"Cajetan, receive the blessing of my Son, and know that I am here as a reward for the sincerity of your love, and to lead you to paradise."</span></strong> She then exhorted him to patience in fighting an evil spirit who troubled him, and gave orders to the choirs of angels to escort his soul in triumph to heaven. Then, turning her countenance full of majesty and sweetness upon him, she said,<strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> "Cajetan, my Son calls thee. Let us go in peace."</span></strong> Saint Cajetan died peacefully, surrounded by the choirs of heaven. His relics are interred in the church of San Paolo Maggiore in Naples, outside of which is located the Piazza San Gaetano, with a statue of the saint.<br />
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Saint Cajetan sought first and foremost the will of the Lord in his life. Dedicated not only to Church reform, but to also reform of the evils of the world he encountered on a daily basis, this humble saint gave all that he had to service of those around him. He worked with the poorest of the poor, the sickest of the sick, the most undesirable souls he could find—nursing them physically back to help, assisting with their finances, and saving and converting their souls. Saint Cajetan is a model of obedience, service, and Christian charity—three virtues we can all ascribe to. We pray for the intercession of saint Cajetan, that we, too, may turn our gaze from our own lives to those around us in greater need.<br />
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<strong>Selected Quotations of Saint Cajetan:</strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #f1c232;">“I am a sinner and do not think much of myself; I have recourse to the greatest servants of the Lord, that they may pray for you to the blessed Christ and his Mother. But do not forget that all the saints cannot endear you to Christ as much as you can yourself. It is entirely up to you. If you want Christ to love you and help you, you must love Him and always make an effort to please Him. Do not waver in your purpose, because even if all the saints and every single creature should abandon you, He will always be near you, whatever your needs.”</span></em></strong><br />
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>“There is no one, O Most Holy Mary, who can know God except through thee; no one who can be saved or redeemed but through thee, O Mother of God; no one who can be delivered from dangers but through thee, O Virgin Mother; no one who obtains mercy but through thee, O Filled-With-All-Grace!”</strong></span></em><br />
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<strong>Prayer of Saint Cajetan</strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">Look down, O Lord, from Your sanctuary, from Your dwelling in heaven on high, and behold this sacred Victim which our great High Priest, Your Holy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, offers up to You for the sins of His brethren and be appeased despite the multitude of our sins. Behold, the voice of the Blood of Jesus, our Brother, cries to You from the cross. Listen, O Lord. Be appeased, O Lord. Hearken and do not delay for Your own sake, O my God; for Your Name is invoked upon this city and upon Your people and deal with us according to Your mercy. Amen.</span></em></strong><br />
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<em><span style="color: #741b47;">Lord,</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">You helped Saint Cajetan</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">to imitate the apostolic way of life.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">By his example and prayers</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">may we trust in You always</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">and be faithful in seeking Your kingdom.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">one God, for ever and ever. Amen.</span></em><br />
<br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-86964274554646740682013-08-17T14:59:00.003-07:002013-08-17T14:59:45.576-07:00Prayer Requests: July & August<br />
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As many of you know, I recently returned from Guatemala (see the lovely Mayan Crucifix, left), where I had the privilege of meeting some incredible families, blessed by the Lord in faith, hope, love, and enduring spirit! I will be writing more about that trip soon. In the meantime, I have been trying to "catch up," which has been difficult, so I apologize for the lack of recent posts. <br />
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Please join me in praying for the intentions submitted by readers over the past several weeks. I had over 100 requests awaiting me upon my return! Together, as a prayer community, we can accomplish great things!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">Prayer Requests: July and August</span></b></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">During this month, please join me in lifting the following intentions submitted through this blog, to Our Lord and Savior, through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother:</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Healing for a cancer survivor, financial security,
protection of children (C, USA-VA); Financial support for a struggling school
(P, India); Successful employment (N, Trinidad & Tobago); Blessings upon a
family, freedom from sin (R, USA-CT); For specific intentions of hope and
healing (A, Philippines); Reconciliation of relationship between granddaughter
and mother (C, USA-NY); Successful employment (A, India); Healing of a mother
post-surgery (L, USA-PA); Hearts of hope and faith (N, Switzerland); Repose of
soul of husband, financial security (R, USA-CA); Success in job and business
(B, Ireland); Healing of a mother and the ill (R, Philippines); Blessed custody
arrangement, family harmony (I, USA-CA); Blessings upon a family, healing, hope
(S, USA-NJ); For Catholic parishioners in Lesotho (T, Lesotho); Healing,
strength, confidence for a daughter (J, Australia); Financial security, health
and safety (M, Philippines); Employment and financial security (C, Nigeria);
Healing, children blessed by God (M, Lesotho); Successful studies and
employment for daughter, freedom from anxiety and worries (M&C, United
Kingdom); Successful employment, financial security (R, Cameroon); Freedom from
mental illness and anxiety, marriage blessed by God (M, Denmark); Blessings upon
a Catholic school (K, USA-MT); Healing of a wife’s eyesight (R, USA-NV); For
healing (R, USA-MD); Successful employment, financial security (K, South
Africa); Successful employment, financial security (I, USA-FL); Financial
security and health for a family (D, USA-PA); Blessings upon a marriage,
financial security (N, USA-MI); Conversion of a husband (B, United Kingdom);
Successful employment, financial security (J, USA-NY); Blessings of children
(M, USA-CT); Healing of a brain tumor (J, United Kingdom); End to family
distress (I, India); Blessings upon a family (S, USA-TX); Financial security
(D, India); Employment of husband (B, United Kingdom); Healing of arthritis and
diabetes (I, Zimbabwe); Safety and protection of a son (M, USA-VT); Blessings
and guidance (E, USA-NY); Successful employment, financial security (G,
USA-OR); Health, blessings, and financial security (M, USA-CA); Healing and
discernment (M, USA-TX); Peace and reconciliation of family, discernment in
vocation (G, Uganda); Freedom from addiction (F, Australia); Healing of a
relationship with mother (L, India); Blessings upon a parish family (A,
USA-FL); Successful local employment (K, Ireland); Blessings upon a family (J,
Brazil); The Lord’s mercy upon a father (J, USA-NY); Financial security,
successful business (R, India); Healing of many, financial security (D, United
Kingdom); For a family to heed the Lord’s will (B, USA-MA); Successful
employment, financial security (R, USA-LA); Healing and comfort (M, India);
Location of lost important items (J, Philippines); Relationship blessed by God
(M, Philippines); Healing on a family, deeper relationship with Christ (G,
Philippines); Freedom from addiction, healing, blessings upon a relationship
(T, USA-CO); Repose of souls (M, USA-NJ); Blessings and healing upon children
(S, USA-NY); Blessings and healing for a family (B, France); Successful studies
and examinations (A, Philippines); Healing for a family (A, Philippines);
Healing of a family, healing of the mentally ill (B, USA-MA); Relationship blessed
by God (C, Philippines); Successful sale of home (T, Canada); Blessings upon a
family (L, Nigeria); Relationship blessed by the Lord (M, India); Successful
fundraising for academics, health of aging parents (E, Kenya); Deepening
relationship with God, blessings and conversion for children and grandchildren
(P, USA-CA); Healing, protection, guidance, security for a family (J, Nepal);
Blessings upon a family, employment, children (C, United Arab Emirates);
Blessings and a positive attitude (A, Qatar); Discernment regarding religious
life (M, Ghana); Healing from cancer, blessings upon a relationship (O,
Ireland); Successful academic studies (J, England); Financial security, healing
and guidance (P, Uganda); Healing and an end to addiction (D, India); Blessings
from God on relationships, healing, strength (R, USA-NJ); Reconciliation of a
relationship (L, India); Success in occupational and academic pursuits (C,
Philippines); Resolution of legal difficulties (R, India).</span></div>
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Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-18794691114766970232013-07-28T10:01:00.000-07:002013-07-28T10:01:00.171-07:00July 28, 2013: Saint Pantaleon the Healer, Patron Saint of Physicians<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, July 28, we celebrate the feast day of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint Pantaleon the Healer</span></strong> (also known as Saint Panteleimon, died 303), physician, confessor, and martyr for the faith. While serving as physician to the Emperor Maximianus, Saint Pantaleon lived his faith loudly, despite persecution of Christians, and through his witness and charity to the poor and enslaved, earned the martyrs’ crown. He is considered a contemporary to <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/09/september-26-saints-cosmas-and-damian.html">Saints Cosmas and Damian</a>, also Christian physicians who suffered for their faith. Saint Pantaleon, whose name means the “all-compassionate one,” is the patron saint of physicians.<br />
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While at the royal court, Pantaleon fell further from the faith, deceived by hearing the false maxims of the world applauded. It was then that the Lord sent a model of the faith, a zealous and prudent Christian named Hermolaus, to Pantaleon, to serve as advisor and friend. Hermolaus took special notice of the young physician and awakened his conscience, telling him that although the famous physicians of ancient times had possessed the science which cures bodies, Jesus Christ was a far more excellent Physician, able to cure not only bodies, but souls, by His divine doctrine. Through continued discussion and counsel, Pantaleon came to accept Christ into his heart. <br />
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Soon thereafter, Pantaleon experienced a miraculous healing, saving a child from certain death after being bitten by a viper. Needing no further proof of the power of the Lord, he was baptized into the faith, and undertook a rigorous course of study on the Sacraments of the Church, Holy Communion, and the teachings and practices of the faithful. Through his faith, he subsequently cured a man of blindness, which led him to the faith. Similarly, his father, hearing of his son’s healings, converted, receiving Christ into his heart.<br />
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When Eustorgus, his father, died, Saint Pantaleon liberated all his slaves on the family estate, and, having sold most of his possessions, gave to the liberated ones and others the assistance their poverty required. He cured other illnesses and soon became renowned in Nicodemia, attracting the attention of competing physicians. They wished to betray him to the Emperor, who was actively persecuting Christians. <br />
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Pantaleon was ordered to appear before the Emperor, who described the charges against him. The emperor had grown to like and trust Pantaleon, and attempted to save him by offering him the chance to make sacrifice to the pagan Roman gods. Of course, Pantaleon refused, and it was ordered that he be tortured and killed. After multiple attempts to kill him—which he miraculously survived—Saint Pantaleon was beheaded. <br />
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The body of Saint Pantaleon was anointed with myrrh and buried outside of the city. His remains, or a portion of them, were later translated to Constantinople, where they are venerated today. It is said that his blood, conserved in a small vial, liquefies on his feast day, becoming oxygenated. Some of his relics, including his head, were later again translated to France by Charlemagne, and reside in the abbey of Saint Denys near Paris and in Lyons.<br />
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<strong>Prayer of the Sick to Saint Pantaleon</strong><br />
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<em><span style="color: #cc0000;">Saint Pantaleon, you know that it is hard to be ill without hope to get well again. Sometimes it is even more difficult to see someone suffer whom we love and whom we cannot help. Pray for the doctors in whom we trust. Give them wisdom and patience for the right way of treatment. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #351c75;">You emulated God's mercy, and He granted you the power of healing, o Pantaleon, victorious martyr of Christ. Heal our spiritual diseases through your intercession, and as we constantly cry out to the Lord, 'Save us!' take away the temptations which the enemy always places before our steps. Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that by the prayers of thy holy Martyr blessed Pantaleon, we may be delivered from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul.</span></em><br />
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<br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-28940020734367818152013-07-27T10:00:00.000-07:002013-07-27T10:00:02.537-07:00July 27, 2013: The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, July 27, we celebrate the feast day of the <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Seven Sleepers of Ephesus</span></strong>-- Saints Maximian, Malchus, Martinian, Dionysius, John, Serapion, and Constantine—martyrs for the faith. As recorded in the Golden Legend, the story of the Seven Sleepers is one where good men fall asleep, only to wake up to a world changed for the better. Akin to the resurrection of the body, which we shall all experience on earth, the story of the seven sleepers is a foretaste of the glory of the Risen Christ. The Church’s martyrology describes the feast as the <em>"Commemoration of the seven Holy Sleeper of Ephesus, who, it is recounted, after undergoing martyrdom, rest in peace, awaiting the day of resurrection."</em></div>
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It was during the time of Christian persecution that our story unfolds. Emperor Decius (249-251) traveled to the town of Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey) to enforce his laws against Christians. In Ephesus, Decius found seven noble young men (depicted in art as beardless, and often in legend referred to as “boys”), named Maximian, Malchus, Martinian, Dionysius, John, Serapion, and Constantine. Each of these young noblemen had proclaimed the Christian faith, being baptized into it. Following a brief trial, Decius sentenced them to death, but gave them some time to consider changing their faiths. He declared that should they still be Christian upon his return to the town, they would be executed.<br />
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Following his departure, the young men held firm in their faith. They gave their property to the poor, and taking only a few coins with them traveled to a cave on Mount Anchilos to pray and prepare for death. There they lived in hermitude, contemplation, and holy prayer until the emperor returned to Ephesus. Upon his return, he asked their whereabouts, and upon his approach to their cave, the martyrs said their last prayer, giving themselves up, and falling asleep. Decius told his soldiers to find them, and when they were found asleep in the cave, he ordered it to be closed up with huge stones and sealed. Buried alive, and deprived of food and water, the seven became martyrs for the faith. Shortly thereafter, local Christians visited the sealed entrance to the cave, and wrote the names of the seven and their story on the cave wall for all to see. Their sacrifice became a living witness to the Christian faith.</div>
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<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/727seven11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/727seven11.jpg" width="268" /></a>Two centuries later, during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Younger (408-450), persecution of Christians had ceased in Europe. In fact, Christianity was now the official faith of the empire. In is during this time that some heretics denied the resurrection of the body. While this controversy went on, a rich landowner named Adolios had the Sleepers' cave opened, to use it as a cattle-stall. The seven youth awoke from their sleep, unaware that almost two hundred years had passed. Their bodies and clothing were completely undecayed. They discovered they were preserved when one went into the city to buy bread and heard the name of Jesus spoken freely, presenting an outdated coin with the image of Decius to buy bread. Bewildered he was taken to the Bishop of Ephesus who eventually spoke to all seven youths and discovered that God allowed this miracle to end the dispute concerning the resurrection of the dead. The Emperor also went to Ephesus to examine this miracle and after speaking with them they were allowed to go back into their cave without the royal honors the Emperor wanted to lavish on them, and there they fell asleep permanently. Overall it has been determined that the holy youths fell asleep in the cave in 250 and awoke in 434, which means that they slept for 184 years. Each year, their feast is celebrated in the cathedral built atop the cave. The cave in which their bodies were found became a place famous for devout pilgrimages, and is still shown to travelers.</div>
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The lives of the Seven Sleepers marks a true historical event. While the length of their sleep, and the eventual resurrection of their bodies is difficult to confirm, archeological remains indicate that seven young men were buried in the cave in question in Turkey—the tombs and relics remain, dated from the time period in which the miracles were said to have occurred. The lives of the Seven Sleepers are recorded in numerous sources, including the Koran.<br />
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The Seven Sleepers give us hope and confidence in the Lord. Whether historically accurate, or a more mystical metaphor for the joy of the resurrection, we look forward to the moment when our sleeping selves awaken to grace, and purified, and then rest in the Lord for all eternity!<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #e69138;">From the Lives of the Seven Sleepers (as recorded in the Golden Legend):</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #e69138;"><em>And as soon as the blessed saints of our Lord saw the emperor come, their visages shone like to the sun. And the emperor entered then, and glorified our Lord and embraced them, weeping upon each of them, and said: I see you now like as I should see our Lord raising Lazarus. And then Maximian said to him: Believe us, for forsooth our Lord hath raised us tofore the day of the great resurrection. And to the end that thou believe firmly the resurrection of the dead people, verily we be raised as ye here see, and live. And in like wise as the child is in the womb of his mother without feeling harm or hurt, in the same wise we have been living and sleeping in Lying here without feeling of anything. And when they had said all this, they inclined their heads to the earth, and rendered their spirits at the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so died. Then the emperor arose, and fell on them, weeping strongly, and embraced them, and kissed them debonairly. And then he commanded to make precious sepulchers of gold and silver, and to bury their bodies therein. And in the same night they appeared to the emperor, and said to him that he should suffer them to lie on the earth like as they bad lain tofore till that time that our Lord had raised them, unto the time that they should rise again. Then commanded the emperor that the place should be adorned nobly and richly with precious stones, and all the bishops that would confess the resurrection should be assoiled. It is in doubt of that which is said that they slept three hundred and sixty-two years, for they were raised the year of our Lord four hundred and seventy-eight, and Decius reigned but one year and three months, and that was in the year of our Lord two hundred and seventy, and so they slept but two hundred and eight years.</em></span></strong><br />
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<em></em><br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-4769581577663023462013-07-26T09:59:00.000-07:002013-07-26T09:59:00.619-07:00July 26, 2013: Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of Our Blessed Mother, Grandparents of Jesus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Mother Anne, be joyful; </span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">sing, O mother holy,</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Since thou art the parent</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">O God's Mother lowly.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Praise thy wondrous daughter;</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Joachim, too raises</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">To the Virgin Mary</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">His paternal praises.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">For in her our planet</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">First hath benediction</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Which hapless Eva</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Suffered malediction.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Therefore take the praises</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Joyous hearts are paying;</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">And from all defilement</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Cleanse us by thy praying.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Father, Son eternal,</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Holy Ghost supernal,</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">With one praise we bless Thee,</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Three in One confess Thee. Amen.</span></strong></em><br />
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Today, July 26, we celebrate the feast day of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint Joachim and Saint Anne</span></strong>, parents of Our Blessed Mother, and grandparents to Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. By tradition Joachim and Anne are considered to be the names of the parents of Mary, although as they are not mentioned in the Scriptures, some historians believe this to be legend. The apocryphal Protoevangelium of James (written in the second century) describes the life of Saints Anne and Joachim, as well as the circumstances of the conception of the Blessed Virgin. While some disagree on whether these facts are historically accurate, whatever their names or the facts of their lives, the truth is that it was the parents of Mary who nurtured her, taught her, and brought her up to be a worthy Mother of God. It was their teaching that led her to respond to God's request with faith, acclaiming her fiat: <em>"Let it be done to me as you will."</em> It was their example of parenting that Mary must have followed as she brought up her own son, Our Lord and Savior.<br />
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Both Joachim and Anne were form the royal lineage of David, and we are led to believe that their lives were wholly occupied in prayer and good works. Joachim (whose name means “Yahweh prepares”) was recognized as a prominent and respected man in the community around Galilee (they later moved to Jerusalem, where Mary was raised). We know that they assiduously divided their income into three parts—one third supporting the poor, one third supporting the temple, and one third supporting the running of their household. Their marriage, per Saint Ignatius, was one of perfect simplicity—a model of behavior for all individuals in their approach to union with the Lord. The only thing lacking, per Jewish custom, was a child. <br />
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According to the Protoevangelium of James, Anne (whose name means “Grace”), wife of Joachim, was advanced in years and that her prayers for a child had not been answered. Once as she prayed beneath a laurel tree near her home in Galilee, an angel appeared and said to her, "<em><span style="color: #38761d;">Anne, the Lord hath heard thy prayer and thou shalt conceive and bring forth, and thy seed shall be spoken of in all the world."</span></em> Anne replied, <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"As the Lord my God liveth, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God; and it shall minister to Him in holy things all the days of its life.”</span></strong> And thus Anne was to become the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.<br />
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According to the Chelidonius, a Benedictine monk from the 15th century: <em><span style="color: #a64d79;">"Overjoyed Anne threw herself into the arms of her husband; together they rejoiced about the honor that was to be granted them in the form of a child. For they knew from the heavenly messenger that the child would be a Queen, powerful on heaven and on earth.”</span></em><br />
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At length, when Anne was quite old, Mary was born, the fruit of grace and nature, and a child more of God than of man. Conceived and born without sin, Mary was unlike any other child, and it was her parents that raised her to be faithful to God’s word and remain free of sin. With the birth of Mary, Saint Anne began life anew, caring for her with maternal and reverent tenderness, sanctified by the presence of the immaculate child. True to her word, she vowed her daughter to the Lord. <br />
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As a child, tradition tells us that Mary was taken to the temple, where she was offered to God. Saints Joachim and Anne suffered great sorrow, but at the same time, experienced great joy for fulfilling the vows they had made to the Lord. As a young girl, Mary spent time in service to the Temple, working and learning with other girls. It is likely, however, that her parents taught her to read, and certainly Joachim and Anne who taught her to love and follow God’s word and to know and understand the Scriptures<br />
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Saint John Damascene wrote this of the holy grandparents of Jesus:<br />
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<em><span style="color: #674ea7;"><strong>Joachim and Anne, how blessed a couple! All creation is indebted to you. For at your hands the Creator was offered a gift excelling all other gifts: a chaste mother, who alone was worthy of him.</strong></span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #674ea7;"><strong>Joachim and Anne, how blessed and spotless a couple! You will be known by the fruit you have borne, as the Lord says: "By their fruits you will know them." The conduct of your life pleased God and was worthy of your daughter. For by the chaste and holy life you led together, you have fashioned a jewel of virginity: she who remained a virgin before, during, and after giving birth. She along for all time would maintain her virginity in mind and soul as well as in body.</strong></span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #674ea7;"><strong>Joachim and Anne, how chaste a couple! While leading a devout and holy life in your human nature, you gave birth to a daughter nobler than the angels, whose queen she now is!</strong></span></em><br />
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<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/726JA15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/726JA15.jpg" width="176" /></a>The lives of Saints Joachim and Anne remain shrouded in mystery, lost to history. While we might not know the exact circumstances of their lives, what we do know is left in the legacy of their daughter, Mary—the woman entrusted by God the Father to become the Mother of God. We can believe, therefore, that the parents who nurtured, taught, and raised Mary filled her with the faith and love of God required for such a monumental task. It was their teaching that led to her fiat. It was their example of parenting that Mary must have followed as she brought up her own son, Jesus. It was their faith that laid the foundation of courage and strength that allowed her to stand by the cross as her son was crucified and still believe.<br />
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<em><span style="color: #e06666;"><strong>PRAYER TO ST JOACHIM AND ST ANNE</strong></span></em><br />
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<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/726JA18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/726JA18.jpg" width="193" /></a><em><span style="color: #e06666;">Great and glorious patriarch, St Joachim, and good St Anne, what joy is mine when I consider that you were chosen among all God’s holy ones to assist in the fulfillment of the mysteries of God, and to enrich our earth with the great Mother of God, Mary most holy. By this singular privilege, you have become most powerful with both the Mother and her Son, so as to be able to obtain for us the graces that are needful to us.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #e06666;">With great confidence I have recourse to your mighty protection, and I commend to you all my needs, both spiritual and temporal, and those of my family. Especially do I entrust to your keeping the particular favor that I desire and look for from your intercession.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #e06666;">And since you were a perfect pattern of the interior life, obtain for me the grace to pray earnestly, and never to set m heart on the passing goods of this life. Give me a lively and enduring love for Jesus and Mary. Obtain for me also a sincere devotion and obedience to Holy church and the sovereign pontiff who rules over her, in order that I may live an die in faith and hope and perfect charity. Let me ever invoke the holy Names of Jesus and Mary. And may I thus be saved. Amen.</span></em><br />
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<em></em><br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-6057055750988959232013-07-25T09:58:00.000-07:002013-07-25T09:58:00.139-07:00July 25, 2013: Saint James the Greater, "Son of Thunder"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, July 25, we celebrate the feast day of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint James the Greater</span></strong> (died 44), Disciple and friend of Christ, “Son of Thunder,” and first martyr of the Church. Impetuous and quick to temper, James was also a faithful companion to Our Lord, present at significant moments in His life. A gifted preacher, following the death of Jesus, James spent the days until his martyrdom in Spain, establishing the still-popular pilgrimage site of Santiago de Compostela. According to Saint Epiphanus and other historians, he also conserved his virginity in consecration to the Lord. He is honored as the patron of Spain, equestrians, blacksmiths, tanners, veterinarians, and many other locales and professions.<br />
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<em>(For “James the Greater,” General Audience delivered by Pope Benedict XVI, June 21, 2006, visit <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/07/saint-james-greater-general-audience-of.html">here</a>.)</em><br />
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Saint James was the son of Zebedee, a Galilean fisherman, and Salome, a pious woman who tended after Christ. He and his younger brother, Saint John, were called as disciples just after Simon Peter and Andrew were called.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">19</span>When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">20</span>Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(Mark 1: 19-20)</span></strong><br />
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Saint James, along with Peter and John, are often mentioned together in Scripture, as the closest companions of Jesus. They were present at the healing of Peter’s mother in law:<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">29</span>As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">30</span>Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">31</span>So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(Mark 1:29)</span></strong><br />
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… and the raising of Jairus’ daughter:<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">51</span>When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">52</span>Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">53</span>They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">54</span>But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">55</span>Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">56</span>Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(Luke 8: 51-56)</span></span></strong><br />
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Saint James, Peter, and John were present at the <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/02/fourth-luminous-mystery-transfiguration.html">Transfiguration</a> of Our Lord:<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">2</span>After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">3</span>His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">4</span>And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">5</span>Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">6</span>(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">7</span>Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">8</span>Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(Mark 9:2-8)</span></strong><br />
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… and the Lord’s <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/04/first-sorrowful-mystery-agony-in-garden.html">Agony in the Garden</a> of Gethsemane:<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">36</span>Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">37</span>He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">38</span>Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." </span></strong><strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">39</span>Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">40</span>Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">41</span>"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." </span></strong><strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">42</span>He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." </span></strong><strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">43</span>When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">44</span>So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">45</span>Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">46</span>Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(Matthew 26: 36-46)</span></strong><br />
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Earning their nickname “<em>Sons of Thunder</em>,” James and his brother John are recorded as wishing to reign down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village which refused them hospitality:<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">51</span>As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">52</span>And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">53</span>but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">54</span>When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">55</span>But Jesus turned and rebuked them, <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">56</span>and they went to another village. </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(Luke 9: 51-56)</span></strong><br />
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Perhaps James is remembered most for the conversation his mother, Salome, had with Jesus, requesting that her two sons be placed at His right and left-- not realizing the crucifixion and death that lie in store for Christ, but rather imagining an earthly kingdom and throne:<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">20</span>Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. </span></strong><strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">21</span>"What is it you want?" he asked. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">22</span>"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"We can," they answered. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">23</span>Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father." </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">24</span>When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">25</span>Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">26</span>Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">27</span>and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">28</span>just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."</span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;"> (Matthew 20: 20-28)</span></strong><br />
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Following the death of Christ, James was present in the <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/05/come-holy-spirit-come.html">Upper Room</a>, and on more than one recorded appearance of the Resurrected Jesus. From the time of Jesus’ <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/05/second-glorious-mystery-ascension-of.html">Ascension</a> into Heaven, there is little recorded history of James’ missionary activity until that of his martyrdom. Biblical scholars suggest that he probably traveled between Judea and Samaria, and tradition speaks of his journey to Spain, where later his mortal remains were received. <br />
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Saint James was the first of the apostles to suffer martyrdom, in Jerusalem, in approximately 44. After nine years preaching in Spain, he had returned to Jerusalem, and was brought before King Herod Agrippa. The Apostle had been preaching fearlessly there, curing the sick and the blind, and delivering possessed persons. Herod promptly sentenced James to execution, reported sparsely by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles: <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">“About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the Church, and he killed James, the brother of John with the sword”</span></strong> <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(Acts 12, 1-2).</span> As Clement of Alexandria, James died by beheading after having converting his accuser: <em><span style="color: #741b47;">“He who had brought him to the tribunal was so moved seeing him give testimony that he also confessed to being a Christian himself.”</span></em><br />
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<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/725james13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/725james13.jpg" width="129" /></a>Tradition holds that following his martyrdom in Jerusalem, his followers are believed to have carried his body down the coast and placed it in a stone boat—which was carried by angels to the northern coast of Spain. There, his remains were buried, and promptly forgotten about until the ninth century, when a hermit was led by heavenly vision to the spot. The tomb was rediscovered, and the relics authenticated. From that time, the spot-- Santiago (Iago translating as James) de Compostela—became a center of miracle and pilgrimage-- so much so that Compostela became the third greatest place of pilgrimage, just after Jerusalem and Rome. Today, pilgrims continue to flock to Compostelo, taking one of the many routes known as the “Camino." Pilgrims attach cockleshells—the symbol of Saint James-- or their facsimile to their hats or clothes as "pilgrim badges," signs that they'd venerated the holy relics of the great saint. <br />
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<em>(For a recipe for Coquilles St. Jacques à la Provençale, traditionally eaten on the feast of Saint James, see <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/07/feast-on-feast-of-saint-james-greater.html">here</a>.)</em><br />
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<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/725james6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/725james6.jpg" width="159" /></a>Saint James is also recognized as having appeared in corporeal form, during the Spanish defense of their land and Christianity from the invading Moors. The saint is said to have appeared on a white horse at the Battle of Clavijo, adorned in cockle shells, in 844, while the Christians were in retreat before the onslaught of the Arab and Berber invaders. Thanks to James’ miraculous appearance, the Moors were defeated. The rallying cry of the Spanish troops, from that time, became “Santiago!”</div>
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Saint James the Greater is recognized for his special place within the Disciples of Christ-- having been selected by Our Lord because of his burning, impetuous, and outspoken faith. Through his interaction with Jesus, these qualities were purified, and the former “Son of Thunder” could then proclaim the Gospel of peace. We could all benefit from the same purification, the conversion of our anger, temper, and frustration to righteous instruments of peace and Christian virtue. We look to Saint James today, for inspiration and intercession, that we might better embody the peaceful message of Jesus Christ.<br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Almighty Father,</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #45818e;">by the martyrdom of Saint James you blessed the work of the early Church.</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #45818e;">May his profession of faith give us courage and his prayers bring us strength.</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Grant, O merciful God, that as thine holy Apostle Saint James, leaving his father and all that he had, without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him; so we, forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.</span></strong></em><br />
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<br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-6631160360669596492013-07-24T09:56:00.000-07:002013-07-24T09:56:00.044-07:00July 24, 2013: Saint Charbel Makhlouf, "Wonderworker of the East"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, July 24, we celebrate the feast day of<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"> Saint Charbel Makhlouf</span></strong> (also known as Sharbel, 1828-1898), “Hermit of Lebanon,” Maronite Catholic monk, and “Wonderworker of the East.” Pope Paul VI said of him, <em><span style="color: #e06666;">“a hermit of the Lebanese mountain is inscribed in the number of the blessed, a new eminent member of monastic sanctity is enriching, by his example and his intercession, the entire Christian people. May he make us understand, in a world largely fascinated by wealth and comfort, the paramount value of poverty, penance and asceticism, to liberate the soul in its ascent to God..." </span></em><br />
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Youssef Makhlouf was born in 1828 in Bika’Kafra, the highest village of Lebanon, near the grove of the still-conserved famous cedars of Lebanon. He was the youngest of five children born to a pious mother, who lived the life of a religious within their home. Youssef worked as a shepherd in the fields for most of his childhood, especially following the death of his equally pious father. Following his father’s death, the family was supported by a kind and generous uncle. Youseff was profoundly affected by the example of his two other maternal uncles, who were both monks of the Maronite Lebanese Order. These monks lived in a hermitage approximately three miles away, and young Youssef would often visit them—first with his mother, and late on his own. They would tell him repeatedly: <em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">“All here below is nothing, the world is vanity, life is short. The true beauty is God, near Him there is true happiness. Wisdom is to not find oneself with empty hands at the supreme hour.”</span></em></div>
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<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/724charbel9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/724charbel9.jpg" /></a>Youssef grew in maturity and piety. He spent hours each day praying and reading Holy Scriptures and Christian literature. His favorite book was Thomas a Kempis's “<em>The Imitation of Christ</em>,” which he began in earnest attempting to follow. Youssef served Mass every morning, and in that function, on the alter, he discovered the true purpose of his existence: to be, like his Savior, a victim to be offered, with Christ, to His Father.<br />
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At the age of 23, Youssef left home one morning without warning, and walked to the monastery of the Maronite Order. There, he entered the order, with the support of his mother, and received the habit only one week later. He chose the name of Saint Charbel, a martyr of the church of Antioch. At the monastery of Annaya, Charbel served his community for two years, as a novice. He was then sent to prepare for ordination to the priesthood at Saint Cyprian of Kfifan. Six years later, at the age of 31, he was ordained. For sixteen years her served the members of his congregation and community, a model of Christian humility, obedience, patience, and love. He dedicated himself totally to Christ to live, work and pray in silence<br />
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At forty-seven, he returned to the hermitage near Annaya, where he would remain until his death. There, he lived a life of contemplation, penance, and mortification. During the extreme cold of the winters, he refused to put on additional clothes, shivering through his prayers in simple robes. Following his death, the monks who trembled with cold during the night when they kept vigil at his coffin before his funeral, said: <em><span style="color: #45818e;">“See how we find ourselves unable to endure for a single night, the rude cold of this chapel! How could this priest live here for twenty-three years, on his knees, like a statue before the altar, every night from midnight until eleven in the morning, when he rose to say his Mass? Blessed is he, for he undoubtedly receives at present his reward with God!”</span></em> Saint Charbel also gained a reputation for holiness, and despite his wish to live in isolation, was much sought for counsel and blessing. He had a great personal devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and was known to levitate during his prayers. He reportedly never raised his eyes from the ground, his face shrouded by his cloak, unless his gaze was fixed on the tabernacle during the Eucharist.<br />
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The week before Christmas, while Saint Charbel was offering Mass, paralysis struck him suddenly as he elevated the Eucharist during the consecration. For one week, he suffered in agony, repeating the prayer he was unable to complete during the Mass: <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">“O Father of truth, behold Your Son, victim to please You; condescend to approve [this offering], because for me He endured death, to give me life...”</span></strong> <br />
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On the evening of his funeral, his superior wrote: <em><span style="color: #3d85c6;">“Because of what he will do after his death, I need not talk about his behavior.”</span></em> A few months later, a bright light was seen surrounding his tomb. The superiors ordered the tomb to be opened, and they found his body perfectly preserved, incorrupt (as it remains today). Scientific experts and doctors have been unable to explain this phenomenon. Since his death, thousands of miracles have been attributed to his intercession, giving him the title “Wonderworker of the East.” Sick and infirm people of every religion and nationality have been healed: deaf, dumb, blind, paralytic, those with cancer, mental illness, and many others. God worked these wonders either when people touched the body of the holy saint, were anointed with the oily liquid that sweats miraculously from his precious remains, or when they touched cloth soaked with this liquid or which had belonged to him.<br />
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<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/724charbel16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/724charbel16.jpg" /></a>At the closing of the Second Vatican Council, in 1965, Charbel was beatified by Pope Paul VI who said: <em><span style="color: #351c75;">"Great is the gladness in heaven and earth today for the beatification of Sharbel Makhlouf, monk and hermit of the Lebanese Maronite Order. Great is the joy of the East and West for this son of Lebanon, admirable flower of sanctity blooming on the stem of the ancient monastic traditions of the East, and venerated today by the Church of Rome.”</span></em><br />
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Bishop Zayek wrote: “<em><span style="color: #a64d79;">Saint Charbel is called the second Saint Anthony of the Desert, the Perfume of Lebanon…Charbel is like a Cedar of Lebanon standing in eternal prayer, on top of a mountain.”</span></em> Saint Charbel lived a life of silence, mortification, deprivation and total gift of self, concentrating fully and completely on Christ. We might take a lesson from his simple acts of sacrifice and service, looking to our Savior with the same love, devotion, obedience, and longing exhibited by Saint Charbel.<br />
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A beautiful ode to Saint Charbel, written by J. Michael Thompson:<br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">The mountain heights of Lebanon</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Resound with songs of joy;</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">The cedars of that ancient land</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Stand tall as we employ</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Our hymns of praise and thankfulness</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">For Sharbel's saintly ways,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Lived out in strict humility</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">That guided all his days.</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">True monk and hermit of the hills,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Saint Maron's modest son</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Scorned wealth and comfort in his life</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">That heaven's crown be won.</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Of Mary, heaven's Queen and Gate,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Devoted son was he,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Who cherished all the ancient rites</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">With great humility.</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Fierce lover of the lowly life,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">True father of the poor,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">As you have done, so help us all</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">To struggle and endure,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">That Christ be praised in ev'ry life,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">That riches not ensnare</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Or rule us in our daily walk;</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">That strong may be our prayer!</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">O Father, Son, and Spirit blest,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">One God in persons three,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Receive this hymn we offer now,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">And keep your Church e'er free</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">To follow, as Saint Sharbel did,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">Enflamed with love so bright</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">That we, with eyes fixed firm on Christ,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e69138;">May vanquish sin's dark night.</span></em></strong><br />
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<br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-9934124342554545012013-07-23T09:55:00.000-07:002013-07-23T09:55:00.072-07:00July 23, 2013: Saint Phocas the Gardener<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, July 23, we celebrate the feast day of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint Phocas the Gardener of Sinope</span></strong> (died 303), Martyr for the faith. Saint Phocas is considered the patron saint of gardeners, as despite being quite poor himself, spent his time growing crops to feed those who were hungry. His charity and care for others—even the soldiers who were dispatched to execute him—remind us of our call to social justice, service, and care for our fellow man.<br />
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Saint Phocas was a Christian gardener, who lived at Sinope on the Black Sea, in Paphiagonia (modern-day Turkey). He earned his living by cultivating a garden near the city gate, where he spent his days in quiet prayer and contemplation while he tilled his soil and created a beautiful green space. Despite his own poverty, he shared whatever he grew with those who were poorer than he, and opened his home to poor travelers who had no place to stay. Over time, through his quiet witness, he became known readily as a pious Christian man, and attracted the attention of the pagan Roman authorities during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian. <br />
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Roman soldiers were dispatched to find and arrest him. Having traveled a long way, the solders arrived in Sinope tired and hungry, and found themselves at the door of a kindly man who offered them food and lodging. Unaware this was the man they were charged with capturing, they accepted his gracious offer, speaking throughout dinner of the mission they were on. Once his soon-to-be-captors were asleep, Phocas spent the evening in prayer, outside the home, while digging his own grave. <br />
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In the morning, after feeding the soldiers breakfast, Phocas led them to his grave and confirmed his identity. When they were aghast and hesitated to execute him as ordered, he encouraged them to complete their task and behead him. Eventually, the soldiers did as commanded, and Saint Phocas was beheaded, earning the golden crown of the Martyrs.<br />
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<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/325%20Rosaries-%202%20JULY/723phocas3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" m="" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/325%20Rosaries-%202%20JULY/723phocas3.jpg" true="" /></a>The soldiers, with deep respect, buried the holy martyr Phocas in the grave that he had prepared in the garden. The place of his burial was glorified by miracles, and later a church was built there. Saint Phocas is venerated as a patron saint of both gardeners and mariners. Phocas is the Greek word for "seal,” which may explain his patronage of sailors and mariners. A sailors' custom was to serve Phocas a portion of every meal; this was called "the portion of Saint Phocas." This portion was bought by one of the voyagers and the price was deposited in the hands of the captain. When the ship came into port, the money was distributed among the poor, in thanksgiving to their benefactor for their successful voyage.<br />
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Saint Phocas remains a reminder of our duty as Christians to espouse virtuous charity: complete selfless concern for the good of others, regardless of whether we like them or not, and regardless of what we will get in return. We pray today for the strength and obedience to live loving and charitable lives.<br />
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<em><span style="color: #cc0000;">Keep me, O God, from pettiness; let me be large in thought, in word, in deed. Let me be done with fault-finding and self-seeking. May I put away all pretense and meet everyone face to face without self-pity and without prejudice. May I never be hasty in judgment and always generous. Let me take time for all things. Make me grow calm, serene and gentle. Teach me to put into action my better impulses, straightforward and unafraid. Grant that I may realize it is the little things of life that create differences and that in the big things of life we are one. And, O Lord God, let me not forget to be kind! Amen.</span></em>Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-62900001776728859692013-07-22T09:53:00.000-07:002013-07-22T09:53:00.074-07:00July 22, 2013: Saint Mary Magdalene<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, July 22, we celebrate the feast day of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint Mary Magdalene</span></strong> (dates unknown, first century), friend and disciple of Jesus, honored woman of Scripture, Penitent, and “Apostle of the Apostles.” What we know of the life of this saintly woman comes directly from Scripture:<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">1</span>After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">2</span>and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">3</span>Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(Luke 8: 1-3)</span></strong><br />
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From this passage in Luke, we understand that Mary was offering support—possibly financial support, as well as tending to basic needs-- of Jesus and His disciples. She further is described as having been exorcised of seven demons, although some scholars belief this to be a description of illness (mental), rather than an indication of a past sinful life. In either case, it is clear that the grace of the Lord, through the love of Jesus Christ, healed Saint Mary Magdalene.<br />
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Despite being mentioned by name in all the Gospels, Biblical scholars are divided on the identity of Mary Magdalene throughout the Bible. In the sixth century, Pope Saint Gregory the Great conflated Mary Magdalene with the nameless woman who washed Christ's feet with her tears (Luke 7:36-50): <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">36</span>Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">37</span>When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">38</span>and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">39</span>When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner." </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">40</span>Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"Tell me, teacher," he said. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">41</span>"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">42</span>Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">43</span>Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"You have judged correctly," Jesus said. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">44</span>Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">45</span>You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">46</span>You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">47</span>Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">48</span>Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">49</span>The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">50</span>Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(Luke 7: 36-50)</span></strong><br />
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Pope Saint Gregory the Great also identified Mary Magdalene as Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42):<strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">38</span>As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">39</span>She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">40</span>But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">41</span>"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">42</span>but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(Luke 10:38-42)</span></strong><br />
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Combining these Scriptures into the same figure gives the Church, and indeed the faithful, a powerful figure of repentance and spiritual renewal. Saint Mary Magdalene is at once a reformed prostitute—a penitent. She is identified as the first contemplative, sitting at the feet of Christ. She is one of the very few who stayed with Christ at the Crucifixion. And as we know from the Gospel of Saint John, Mary was chosen by the Lord to be the first witness to the Resurrection. For this, she has earned the title: the Apostle to the Apostles.<br />
<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">1</span> Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">2</span>So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">10</span>Then the disciples went back to their homes, <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">11</span>but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">12</span>and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">13</span>They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">14</span>At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">15</span>"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">16</span>Jesus said to her, "Mary." </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">17</span>Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: xx-small;">18</span>Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her. </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-small;">(John 20: 1-2; 10-18)</span></strong><br />
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Pope Saint Gregory the Great said of Saint Mary Magdalene in a homily: <strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">“When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and did not find the Lord’s body, she thought it had been taken away and so informed the disciples. After they came and saw the tomb, they too believed what Mary had told them. The text then says: “The disciples went back home,” and it adds: “but Mary wept and remained standing outside the tomb.” We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tell us: 'Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.'”</span></strong><br />
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After Jesus ascended into heaven, Saint Mary Magdalene continued to be a vibrant and powerful witness to the people who knew her of the life transforming power of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. She is thought to have worked under both Saints Peter and Paul, in Rome and Ephesus during that time. Tradition holds that fourteen years after Our Lord's death, she was put in a boat by the Jews without sails or oars along with Saints Lazarus and Martha, Saint Maximinus (who had baptized her), Saint. Sidonius ("the man born blind"), her maid Sera, and the body of Saint Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin. Per Holy Legend, these holy men and women were sent drifting out to sea and miraculously landed on the shores of Southern France, where Mary spent the rest of her life as a contemplative hermitess in a cave known as Sainte-Baume. She is said to have fasted so rigorously that angels delivered the Holy Eucharist to her as her only sustenance. Reportedly dying at age 72, Saint Mary was transported miraculously by nine angels, just before she died, to the oratory of Saint Maximinus (in Aix), where she received the last sacraments.<br />
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The relics of Mary Magdalene were interred in the oratory of Saint Maximinus, and later (approximately 745) translated to Vezelay (to protect them from Saracen invaders). In the thirteenth century, the relics were re-interred at the Dominican convent at the hermitage on La Sainte-Baume. During the French Revolution, the relics were secured in a sarcophagus sent by Pope Clement VIII, and were not re-consecrated until 1814, when the church on La Saint-Baume was restored. In 1822, the grotto at La Saint-Baume was re-consecrated, the head of this holy saint interred at the chapel. La Saint-Baume remains a vibrant center of pilgrimage for the faithful.</div>
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<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/722mary18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/722mary18.jpg" width="219" /></a><a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/05/saint-bede-venerable.html">Saint Bede</a> asserted that <strong><span style="color: #674ea7;">"what Magdalene once did, remains the type of what the whole Church does, and of what every perfect soul must ever do."</span></strong> Saint Mary Magdalene is an example of profound repentance and forgiveness. Her life, explained through the Holy Scriptures, reminds us of the mystery of Christianity—the absolute transition from sinfulness to sanctity possible through the grace of God. We pray today, on the feast of this Apostle of the Apostles, that we may undergo a miraculous transformation in our own lives, washed clean and made holy, repentant and joyful in the light of Christ! </div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">your Son first entrusted to Mary Magdalene</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">the joyful news of His resurrection.</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">By her prayers and example</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">may we proclaim Christ as our living Lord</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">and one day see Him in glory,</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">one God, for ever and ever. Amen.</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Praise be to Thee, O Christ, Creator, Redeemer, and Savior,Of heaven and earth and seas, of angels and of menWhom we confess to be both God and Man,Who didst come in order to save sinners,Thyself without sin, taking the appearance of sin.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Among this poor flock, Thou didst visit the Canaanite woman and Mary Magdalene.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">From the same table Thou didst nourish the one with the crumbs of the Divine Word, the other with Thy inebriating cup.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">While Thou art seated at the typical feast in the house of Simon the Leper.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">The Pharisee murmurs, while the woman weeps, conscious of her guilt.</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">The sinner despises his fellow-sinner, Thou, sinless one hearest the prayer of the penitent, cleanses her from stains, lovest her so as to make her beautiful.</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">She embraces the feet of her Lord, washes them with her tears, dries them with her hair: washing and wiping them, she anoints them with sweet ointment, and covers them with kisses.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Such, O Wisdom of the Father, is the banquet that delights Thee!</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Though born of a Virgin, Thou cost not disdain to be touched by a sinful woman.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">The Pharisee invited Thee but it is Mary that gives Thee a feast.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Thou forgivest much to her that loves much, and that falls not again into sin.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">From seven devils cost Thou free her by Thy sevenfold Spirit.</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">To her, when Thou risest from the dead, Thou showest Thyself first of all.</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">By her, O Christ. Thou cost designate the Gentile Church, the stranger whom Thou callest to the children's table;</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Who, at the feast of the Law and at the feast of grace, is despised by the pride of Pharisees, and harassed by leprous heresy.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Thou knowest what manner of woman she is, it is because she is a sinner that she touches Thee, and because she longs for pardon.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">What could she have, poor sick one, without receiving it, and without the physician assisting her?</span></strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">O King of kings, rich unto all, save us, wash away all the stains of our sins, O Thou the hope and glory of the saints. Amen.</span></strong></em><br />
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<em></em><br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-28337246417752981402013-07-21T09:52:00.000-07:002013-07-21T09:52:00.775-07:00July 21, 2013: Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, July 21, we celebrate the feast day of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint Lawrence of Brindisi</span></strong> (1559-1619), Doctor of the Church. One of the most famous Capuchin preachers and theologians of the sixteenth century, Saint Lawrence is renowned for his complete and thorough refutation of the doctrines of Martin Luther. Like his spiritual father, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Lawrence embodied a deep devotion to the Our Blessed Mother, Mary, and was among the first to write on all aspects of theology that concerns the Blessed Virgin. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1959 by Pope John XXIII, the writings of Saint Lawrence remain a treasure of the faith today, particularly those expounding upon the majesty and importance of the Virgin Mother of Christ (for examples, see <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/07/saint-lawrence-of-brindisi-on-mary.html">here</a> and <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/07/saint-lawrence-of-brindisi-on.html">here</a>).<br />
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Born Julius Caesar at Brindisi in Naples, Lawrence received his saint’s name upon entering the Capuchins at age 16, following his education by Franciscans at the Venice College of Saint Mark. A gifted scholar, Saint Lawrence learned and mastered Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish, and French, as well as his native Italian. Able to read Scriptures in the languages they were originally written in, he further excelled at theological studies, and during his education was recognized for his piety and abilities to interpret and explain both Scripture and Church doctrine.<br />
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As a member of the Capuchins, following his ordaining, he became known for his extraordinary sermons, specifically on the Mother of God. He was dispatched by the pope to establish Capuchin houses throughout Germany and northern Europe, founding friaries at Prague, Vienna, and Gorizia (modern provinces of Bohemia, Austria, and Styria). Lawrence further served as chaplain to the Christian soldiers defending Hungary against the invading Muslims, organizing the troops, and leading them into battle. Despite being greatly outnumbered, Saint Lawrence—through his ardent faith—convinced the generals to lead the troops into battle. He is largely regarded as being responsible for the Christian victory, and the repulsion of the Muslim invaders. Further, as founder of the Catholic League, he rallied Christian leaders from Germany, Hungary, and Spain to defend Christians on the European continent.<br />
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Saint Lawrence is also remembered for his compassion for the poor, sick, and needy. At age 33 he was elected minister-general of the Capuchins, after which he visited every friary in the thirty-four provinces of the order across Europe, directing the work of over nine thousand brothers. His combination of brilliance, human compassion and administrative skill allowed him to carry out his duties with great success. Instrumental in the Catholic Restoration, he attended and facilitated the Council of Trent, described by Pope Benedict XV as having earned <em><span style="color: #e69138;">"a truly distinguished place among the most outstanding men ever raised up by Divine Providence to assist the Church in time of distress."</span></em><br />
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Saint Lawrence is also remembered for his sanctity and miracle working. While he was Provincial Superior of his order he cured a blind man in front of many witnesses. At the court of Philip III of Spain he cured a woman who was paralyzed. Once while stopping with some companions at an inn a rowdy customer began to ridicule the friars. Getting no reaction he resorted to blasphemy and even mocked the crucifix that the saint was wearing. “To vindicate the honor of this cross which you have blasphemed, may God punish you!” Immediately the man dropped dead to the floor before the stunned diners. Finally, at Milan, there was a young boy covered with sores and so deformed that he could not remove his head from his left shoulder while his right arm was held fast to his chest. After receiving a blessing from Father Lawrence the boy’s wounds dried up and his head and limbs were set free in the sight of family and neighbors. His Masses often lasted six to ten hours, the longest taking sixteen hours. One witness observed him levitate three feet above the floor for an hour and a half while celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.<br />
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Saint Lawrence fell ill while traveling between Italy and Spain on a mission of mercy, and passed away in Lisbon exactly 60 years to the date of his birth. His body was buried in the church of the Poor Clares at Villafranca del Bierzo in Spain. As a Doctor of the Church, his legacy in prolific writing remains, as well as his ardent faith and courage in defense of the Lord. <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Selected Quotations from Saint Lawrence of Brindisi:</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">"For the word of God is a light to the mind and a fire to the will. It enables man to know God and to love him. And for the interior man who lives by the Spirit of God through grace, it is bread and water…For the soul is a spiritual treasure of merits yielding an abundance of gold and precious stones. Against the hardness of heart that persists in wrongdoing, it acts as a hammer. Against the world, the flesh and the devil it serves as a sword that destroys all sin."</span><br />
<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/721lawrence7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/721lawrence7.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="color: #a64d79;">"God is love, and all his operations proceed from love. Once he wills to manifest that goodness by sharing his love outside himself, then the Incarnation becomes the supreme manifestation of his goodness and love and glory. So, Christ was intended before all other creatures and for his own sake. For him all things were created and to him all things must be subject, and God loves all creatures in and because of Christ. Christ is the first-born of every creature, and the whole of humanity as well as the created world finds its foundation and meaning in him. Moreover, this would have been the case even if Adam had not sinned.”</span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Lord,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">for the glory of your name and the salvation of souls</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">you gave Lawrence of Brindisi</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">courage and right judgment.</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">By prayers</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Help us to know what we should do</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">and give us the courage to do it.</span></em></strong><br />
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<em><span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">who lives and reigns with you ad the Holy Spirit,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">one God, for ever and ever. Amen.</span></em></strong><br />
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<br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-63582574492876673232013-07-20T09:51:00.000-07:002013-07-20T09:51:00.115-07:00July 20, 2013: Saint Margaret of Antioch<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/720margaret7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/720margaret7.jpg" /></a>Today, July 20, we celebrate the feast day of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint Margaret of Antioch</span></strong> (died 304), Virgin of the Church, and martyr for the faith. As with other early saints, much of what we know of Saint Margaret may be the stuff of pious legend, embroidered with medieval fantasy, somewhat “far-fetched” by today’s scientific standards. Stripping away the dragons, however, we are left with a young woman, committed to Christ, obedient to her calling, who suffered and died for her faith… and those “facts” are enough to inspire us today.<br />
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Saint Margaret was born in Antioch (modern day Turkey) near the end of the third century. Margaret’s father was a pagan priest and her mother died when Margaret was very young. Her nurse, a pious Christian woman, raised Margaret, instructing her in the Christian faith against her father’s wishes. When this betrayal was discovered, Margaret’s father disowned her, and she left the home, continuing to live with her nurse. Before the age of 10, Margaret consecrated herself to Jesus, pledging to remain a virgin, a pure bride of Christ.<br />
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Margaret spent her days in prayer and contemplation, tending sheep in the fields. One bright day, a local Roman prefect, Olybrius, observed her during her prayer, and was taken by her delicate beauty. He attempted to court her, but she refused his advances. In retaliation, he accused her of being a Christian, which was forbidden at that time under the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Christians were actively persecuted upon discovery, and Margaret, who did not deny the charge, was no exception. She was brought to trial, to which she offered no defense, and was sentenced to execution upon refusing to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. <br />
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While imprisoned, Margaret is said to have been visited by the Devil, in the form of a hideous, scaly dragon. Holy legend tells us that the dragon, offended by her faith and purity, swallowed her whole. However, the crucifix that Margaret carried with her so irritated his throat, that she was coughed up, indigestible due to her faith, unharmed. Following her emergence from the demon, the dragon transformed into a handsome young man, whom Margaret immediately attacked, resisting his charms. Throwing him to the ground, she exclaimed, <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">“Proud demon, lie prostrate beneath a woman’s foot!”</span></strong> foreshadowing the triumph of the Blessed Virgin over Satan. For this reason, due to her delivery from the belly of the beast, it is believed that Margaret is the patron saint of pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. She is considered one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, assisting in safe delivery of children.<br />
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Multiple attempts were made to martyr Margaret, but each time her prayers kept her safe. First, she was set afire, but remained miraculously unharmed. Next, she was boiled in a large cauldron, and again, emerged unscathed. Finally, at approximately age 15, Saint Margaret was beheaded, the name of Christ upon her lips until the final moment of her life.<br />
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Following her death, Saint Margaret is believed to have visited with Saint Joan of Arc, one of the heavenly voices that assisted Joan in her holy mission in France. At her trial, Saint Joan said: <em><span style="color: #741b47;">"Saint Michael, when he came to me, told me that Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret would come to me and that I should act by their advice, that they were bidden to lead me in what I had to do and that I should believe in what they would say to me and that it was by God's order." </span></em><br />
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Saint Margaret’s body was buried at Antioch, but her remains were taken translated to Italy where they were divided between shrines in Montefiascone and Venice. She remains a popular saint today throughout Europe, with a common belief that those who read and spread her story will receive an eternal crown in heaven. She is also invoked frequently by women during childbirth, whom she promised to pray for following her encounter with Satan.<br />
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Fantastical though it may be, Saint Margaret of Antioch was a young woman who resisted the temptations of the world. Remaining pure in body, spirit, and faith, she went to her death with a confidence far beyond her years, remaining true to the Lord. Whether she physically battled with the Devil, we can be certain that she did so spiritually each day, and in the end, triumphed over him, receiving the martyr’s crown, and taking her rightful place in heaven with the saints.<br />
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<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/720margaret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" hw="true" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/365%20Rosaries-%20JULY/720margaret.jpg" width="186" /></a><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Jesus, Lover of chastity, Mary, Mother most pure, and Joseph, chaste guardian of the Virgin, to you I come at this hour, begging you to plead with God for me. I earnestly wish to be pure in thought, word and deed in imitation of your own holy purity.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Obtain for me, then, a deep sense of modesty which will be reflected in my external conduct. Protect my eyes, the windows of my soul, from anything that might dim the luster of a heart that must mirror only Christlike purity.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">And when the "Bread of Angels becomes the Bread of me" in my heart at Holy Communion, seal it forever against the suggestions of sinful pleasures.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Heart of Jesus, Fount of all purity, have mercy on us.</span></em><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Amen.</span></em><br />
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Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-58246394173626967532013-07-19T09:49:00.004-07:002013-07-19T09:49:50.542-07:00Pre-Mission Prayer Requests & Guatemalan Rosary Construction<a href="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/Rosary%20Construction/P7190368_zpsb7cc0cfd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k27/jakyl32/Rosary%20Construction/P7190368_zpsb7cc0cfd.jpg" width="320" /></a>I leave this evening for my week-long trip to the Guatemalan highlands to serve those in need, build our international Catholic community of faith, and distribute some of the reader-donated Rosaries that I have been able to repair:<br />
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... as well as some of the mission-style Rosaries built by our Rosary Construction Mission (and funded by your donations!):<br />
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I humbly ask that you pray for myself and my travelling companions during our week of prayer, service, and community!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">Prayer Requests: July</span></b></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">While I am travelling, please join me in lifting the following intentions submitted through this blog, to Our Lord and Savior, through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother:</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #38761d;">For love; Professional advancement (O, United
Kingdom); Healing of a grandmother, academic success (O, Nigeria); Protection,
sale or property, true conversion (E, Oman); Healing and recovery (A,
Philippines); For a sister to find employment (P, South Africa); Reunification
of a son and family (T, USA); Blessings upon children, successful employment
(C, Philippines); Successful conception, financial security, true conversion,
love (P, USA-PA); For a son suffering with mental illness (B, USA); For an end
to depression (B, United Kingdom); Health, protection, Successful employment, A
relationship blessed by God (K, Spain); Successful resolution of a difficult
situation for son (M, USA-OH); Safety and protection during travels (A,
USA-MN); Repose of a departed wife’s soul, financial security, strength and
courage (J, USA-CA); Healing of an ill father (M, USA-TX).</span></span></div>
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Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-28866858397777552842013-07-16T12:12:00.001-07:002013-07-16T12:12:31.016-07:00July 16, 2013: Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, July 16, we celebrate the feast of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Our Lady of Mount Carmel</span></strong>, the Madonna of the Brown Scapular. It is our Lady of Mount Carmel who appeared to <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-15-saint-simon-stock-and-brown.html">Saint Simon Stock</a>, providing gentle instruction on Consecration to Her Sacred Heart through the Scapular, which led to the growth of the Carmelite Order. Consecration to Our Blessed Mother through wearing of the Scapular, however, is not reserved only for the Carmelites. Rather, it is a Church tradition available to all. As Pope Pius XII proclaimed, <strong><span style="color: #e69138;">“Let the Scapular be for them a sign of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary."</span></strong><br />
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Similarly, Pope John Paul II, on the 750th anniversary of the Brown Scapular to Saint Simon Stock, declared: <br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><em>“The sign of the Scapular nourishes the devotion of believers and makes them sensitive to the Virgin Mother's loving presence in their lives. The Scapular is essentially a 'habit'. Those who receive it are associated with the Order of Carmel and dedicate themselves to the service of Our Lady for the good of the whole Church.</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><em>Therefore two truths are evoked by the sign of the Scapular:</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><em>- the constant protection of the Blessed Virgin, not only on life's journey but also at the moment of passing into the fullness of eternal glory</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><em>- the awareness that devotion to Mary cannot be limited to prayers and tributes in her honor on certain occasions, but must become a 'habit', that is, a permanent orientation of one's own Christian conduct, woven of prayer and interior life, through frequent reception of the sacraments and the concrete practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.”</em></span><br />
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While we may traditionally view Our Blessed Mother’s appearance to Saint Simon Stock, and the subsequent bestowal of the Brown Scapular to him and the world as the origin of devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, this devotion mystically (and somewhat miraculously) precedes these events. In fact, devotion to Our Blessed Mother—not yet born—dates back to the 8th century before Christ when the prophet Elias ascended the holy mountain of Carmel in Palestine, beginning a long tradition of contemplative monastic life and prayer. At that time, long before the glorious plan of God had reached fruition, Elias and his followers dedicated themselves to God’s “Mother-to-come,” Mary, Virgin of Mount Carmel. Nearly three thousand years later, today, this devotion continues on Mount Carmel—an active monastic religious community dedicated to contemplation, prayer, and devotion to Our Blessed Mother.<br />
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Following the time of Christ, on the Feast of Pentecost, the spiritual descendants of Elias and his followers came down from Mount Carmel. They were among the first to accept the message of Christ and to be baptized by the disciple. Upon meeting Our Lady, and hearing the sweetest words from Her lips, they were overcome with a sense of majesty and sanctity—a love and gentleness they never forgot. Returning to their holy mountain, these first Carmelites erected the first chapel built in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. From Butler’s <em>Lives of the Saints</em>:<br />
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<em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">“</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">When on the holy day of Pentecost the Apostles, through heavenly inspiration, spake in foreign tongues, and worked many wonders by the invocation of the most sacred Name of Jesus ; it is said that many men, who were walking in the footsteps of the holy prophets Elijah and Elisha, and had been prepared for the coming of Christ by the heralding of John the Baptist, saw and were assured of the truth. They at once embraced the faith of the Gospel, and began to venerate the most blessed Virgin (whose conversation and familiar intercourse they were happily able to enjoy) with a certain peculiar affection, so that they, before all others, built a chapel to that purest of Virgins on that very spot of Mount Carmel where Elijah of old had seen a cloud arising, a remarkable symbol of the Virgin.”</span></em><br />
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From that time devotion to God's Mother was handed down by the hermits on Mount Carmel as a treasured spiritual legacy. In the twelfth century, the Carmelite Order was officially founded.<br />
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From the Divine Office: <span style="color: #3d85c6;">“Sacred Scripture celebrated the beauty of Carmel where the prophet Elijah defended the purity of Israel's faith in the living God. In the twelfth century, hermits withdrew to that mountain and later founded the Order devoted to the contemplative life under the patronage of Mary, the holy Mother of God.”</span><br />
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As written about previously (see <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-15-saint-simon-stock-and-brown.html">here</a>, the Feast of Saint Simon Stock), the Blessed Virgin appeared to Saint Simon, bestowing upon him the Brown Scapular. Saint Simon was a hermit who eventually joined the Carmelite Order, and after many years of tireless work in service of his brothers, was elected Vicar General. Following his election, he was graced with a visitation of Our Blessed Mother. According to Carmelite tradition, July 16, 1251, St. Simon Stock was given the Brown Scapular by the Blessed Virgin Mary, who said to him:<br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">“Receive, my dear son, this scapular of thy Order, as the distinctive sign of my confraternity, and the mark of the privilege which I have obtained for thee and the children of Carmel. It is a sign of salvation, a safeguard in danger, and a special pledge of peace and protection till the end of time. Whosoever dies wearing this shall be preserved from eternal flames.”</span></em></strong><br />
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In order to share in the merits of the Scapular devotion to Our Blessed Mother, one who wears the Scapular must: 1)Shun sin, and, according to his state of life, live chastely; 2)Say every day, if possible, seven times, Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father; 3) Strive to serve God by venerating Mary, and imitating her virtues.<br />
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Father Gabriel of Saint Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, OCD, an authority on Carmelite spirituality, wrote that devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel means:<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">“a special call to the interior life, which is preeminently a Marian life. Our Lady wants us to resemble her not only in our outward vesture but, far more, in heart and spirit. If we gaze into Mary's soul, we shall see that grace in her has flowered into a spiritual life of incalcuable wealth: a life of recollection, prayer, uninterrupted oblation to God, continual contact, and intimate union with him. Mary's soul is a sanctuary reserved for God alone, where no human creature has ever left its trace, where love and zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of mankind reign supreme. Those who want to live their devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to the full must follow Mary into the depths of her interior life. Carmel is the symbol of the contemplative life, the life wholly dedicated to the quest for God, wholly orientated towards intimacy with God; and the one who has best realized this highest of ideals is Our Lady herself, 'Queen and Splendor of Carmel'."</span> <br />
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We pray today for the grace and peace of Our Blessed Mother, through our total consecration to her sacred heart. May she never cease her intercessions on our behalf with Our Loving God in heaven. We pray for those who, through devotion to Mary, wear the Scapular- an external sign of love for Mary, of the trust her children have in her, and of the commitment to live like her.<br />
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(For a detailed explanation of the Scapular, written by Carmelite Sisters, click <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/07/our-lady-of-mount-carmel-brown-scapular.html">here</a>.)<br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">A PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN, OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">Fruitful Vine,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">Splendor of Heaven,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">Blessed Mother of the Son of God,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">Immaculate Virgin,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">assist me this my necessity.</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">O Star of the Sea,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">help me and show me herein you are my Mother.</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">O Holy Mary,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">Mother of God,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">Queen of Heaven and Earth,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">to succor me in this necessity;</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">there are none that can withstand your power.</span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">O, show me herein you are my Mother,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">O Mary, conceived without sin,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">pray for us who have recourse to thee. </span></em></strong><br />
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<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">Sweet Mother,</span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: #e06666;">I place this cause in your hands. </span></em></strong><br />
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<br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-73950526665133928722013-07-16T00:30:00.000-07:002013-07-16T00:30:02.105-07:00July 16: Guatemalan Mission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At the end of the week, I will be heading to Guatemala for a week of outreach to families, sponsored by the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA). During the week-long visit, we will meet with numerous communities in the Guatemalan highlands, spreading the Gospel. I also hope to distribute some of the Holy Rosaries we have been constructing as part of our "365 Rosaries Construction Mission."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrsgPcILKanFiwGHMJZCt6LlNUArV5TULr1XGKh1GbnMOIyAD-mGPi4d34cmwo0gRdUAxi8HsgIkt0S5LKp_IqkrSYjVatri525MW236moibG6sY30aH1OufmH9tn807tC9Cd1WB48Pk/s1600/CFCA.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrsgPcILKanFiwGHMJZCt6LlNUArV5TULr1XGKh1GbnMOIyAD-mGPi4d34cmwo0gRdUAxi8HsgIkt0S5LKp_IqkrSYjVatri525MW236moibG6sY30aH1OufmH9tn807tC9Cd1WB48Pk/s1600/CFCA.png" /></a>CFCA, which is a non-profit organization founded by lay Catholics in 1981, allows sponsorship of families from around the world who live in poverty. Through their work, the organization is able to assist families in accessing better education, housing, water, and safety. This sponsored trip allows us to visit with these families, share in their religious communities, and spread the Gospel throughout the world.<br />
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CFCA’s mission is to walk with the poor and marginalized of
the world (from their website):</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">We provide personal attention and direct benefits to
children, youth, aging and their families so they may live with dignity,
achieve their desired potential and participate fully in society.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">We invite people of good will to live in daily solidarity
with the world’s poor through one-to-one sponsorship.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">We build community by fostering relationships of mutual
respect, understanding and support that are culturally diverse, empowering and
without religious or other prejudice.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Please join me in prayer for a successful, enriching, and safe trip. May the Lord and Our Blessed Mother watch over all those involved!</span><br />
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<br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-87435452564462874972013-07-15T11:58:00.002-07:002013-07-15T11:58:37.212-07:00July 15, 2013: Saint Bonaventure, Doctor of the Church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, July 15, we celebrate the feast day of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint Bonaventure</span></strong> (1225-1274), Cardinal, and Doctor of the Church. Saint Bonaventure’s life of humility and service to others, as well as his prolific writings on <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/07/saint-bonaventure-marian-psalter.html">Mary, the Mother of God</a>, Scriptures, and the <a href="http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2010/07/saint-bonaventure-sacred-heart-of-jesus.html">Sacred Heart of Jesus</a>, inspire us to lives of deeper faith and connection to Our Lord. Today, on his feast day, we reflect on the Christian philosophy and tenets of our faith as put forth by Saint Bonaventure. He said, <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"The fear of God,"</span></strong> said St. Bonaventure, <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"forbids a man to give his heart to transitory things, which are the true seeds of sin."</span></strong><br />
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Saint Bonaventure was born in Bagnorea (Tuscany), Italy. Baptised as John, he was frail and sick as a child. His mother sought out Saint Francis of Assisi—recognized as a saint throughout Italy even while alive-- to heal him, promising to entrust him to the Franciscan Order if cured. A few months before the death of Saint Francis, he visited the family, and the child was cured. Saint Francis himself gave John his new name-- in reference to the miraculous cure, and in knowledge of the piety of the child before him-- he prophetically exclaimed of the infant, <strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">“O buona ventura!”</span></em></strong> (That is, <strong><em><span style="color: #6aa84f;">“O good fortune!”</span></em></strong>). From then on, John became Bonaventure.<br />
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The young life of Saint Bonaventure was that of piety and study. He entered the Franciscan Order, excelling at studies and philosophy, and earning the respect of the academic community. Among his contemporaries was Saint Thomas Aquinas. Despite his achievements, he remained at heart a poor Franciscan friar, who exhibited and modeled to others humility and mortification. After Bonaventure and Saint Thomas received their doctorates in Paris, Thomas asked him from what source he drew his great learning, Bonaventure replied by pointing to his crucifix. Another time Saint Thomas found him in ecstasy while writing about the life of Saint Francis. He said, while retiring quietly, <strong><em><span style="color: #c27ba0;">“Let us leave a Saint in peace, to write of a Saint!”</span></em></strong><br />
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Saint Bonaventure served his community as a brother until the age of thirty-six, at which time he was elected General of the Order. Always humble, he attempted to avoid this honor, stating himself to be unworthy, but after pressure from the community, reluctantly agreed. As General, he continued to preach humility: <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">“Let Ministers always receive the religious with gentleness and charity, so that each one can approach them and express his sentiments... The Ministers must be the servants of all the Brothers. This is the mandate of Christ: ‘Let the one who would be first among you be your slave.’”</span></strong><br />
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Pope Greogory X resolved to make him a Cardinal, dispatching messengers to bring him to Rome. On his reluctant way, he stopped at a convent of his Order, and there the messengers found him washing the dishes in service to his brothers. Only when he had finished his menial tasks would he accompany the Papal messengers to the Holy Father. He was promptly appointed as the Cardinal of Albano, one of the six holy Sees of Rome. As the right hand of Pope Gregory X, Saint Bonaventure presided over all sessions at the Council of Lyons, reforming the morals of the Church, assessing the needs of the Holy Land, and cementing the union of the Greeks with the Roman Church. The piety and eloquence of Saint Bonaventure won over the Greeks to Catholic union. He died the day after the closure of the council, and was buried in Lyons. From Pope Benedict’s General Audience: <em><span style="color: #e06666;">“An anonymous papal notary composed a eulogy to Bonaventure which gives us a conclusive portrait of this great Saint and excellent theologian. ‘A good, affable, devout and compassionate man, full of virtue, beloved of God and human beings alike.... God in fact had bestowed upon him such grace that all who saw him were pervaded by a love that their hearts could not conceal.’”</span></em><br />
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Saint Bonaventure’s reflections on Holy Scripture:<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">"The source of sacred Scripture was not human research but divine revelation. This revelation comes from the Father of Light from whom the whole concept of fatherhood in heaven and on earth derives. From him, through Jesus Christ his Son, the Holy Spirit enters into us. Then, through the Holy Spirit who allots and apportions his gifts to each person as he wishes, we receive the gift of faith, and through faith Christ lives in our hearts. So we come to know Christ and this knowledge becomes the main source of a firm understanding of the truth of all sacred Scripture. It is impossible, therefore, for anyone to achieve this understanding unless he first receives the gift of faith in Christ. This faith is the foundation of the whole Bible, a lamp and a key to its understanding. As long as our earthly state keeps us from seeing the Lord, this same faith is the firm basis of all supernatural enlightenment, the light guiding us to it, and the doorway through which we enter upon it. What is more, the extent of our faith is the measure of the wisdom which God has given us. Thus, no one should overestimate his wisdom; instead, he should soberly make his assessment according to the extent of the faith which God has given him.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">The outcome or the fruit of reading holy Scripture is by no means negligible: it is the fullness of eternal happiness. For these are the books which tell us of eternal life, which were written not only that we might believe but also that we might have everlasting life. When we do live that life we shall understand fully, we shall love completely, and our desires will be totally satisfied Then, with all our needs fulfilled, we shall truly know the love that surpasses understanding and so be filled with the fullness of God. The purpose of the Scriptures, which come to us from God, is to lead us to this fullness according to the truths contained in those sayings of the apostles to which I have referred. In order to achieve this, we must study holy Scripture carefully, and teach it and listen to it in the same way.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">If we are to attain the ultimate goal of eternal happiness by the path of virtue described in the Scriptures, we have to begin at the very beginning. We must come with a pure faith to the Father of Light and acknowledge him in our hearts. We must ask him to give us, through his Son and in the Holy Spirit, a true knowledge of Jesus Christ, and along with that knowledge a love of him. Knowing and loving him in this way, confirmed in our faith and grounded in our love, we can know the length and breadth and height and depth of his sacred Scripture. Through that knowledge we can come at last to know perfectly and love completely the most blessed Trinity, whom the saints desire to know and love and in whom all that is good and true finds its meaning and fulfillment.”</span><br />
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The life and writings of Saint Bonaventure inspire us in our own lives to grow closer to the Lord—through devotion, simple service to others, humility and obedience, prayer, and study of the Holy Scripture. We beg the intercession of Saint Bonaventure today, on his feast day, that we may live the tenets of our faith, and flourish in the divine love of Our Lord.<br />
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<em><span style="color: #e69138;">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 supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #e69138;">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.</span></em><br />
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<em></em><br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-37418765069101512922013-07-15T11:56:00.004-07:002013-07-15T11:56:45.995-07:00Prayer Requests: June and (early) July<br />
This summer has been incredibly busy with travel, and as such, it has been difficult to keep up with posting prayer requests. While I read them all as they arrived in my inbox, I haven't had the time to list them until now. Please join me in praying for these more than 100 requests that arrived during the month of June and early July.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Prayer Requests: June and early July</span></b></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #45818e;">During this month, please join me in lifting the following intentions submitted through this blog, to Our Lord and Savior, through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother:</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Healing of a brother-in-law (E, Canada); For a granddaughter
experiencing mental health challenges (A, Canada); Healing of a father and
father-in-law (R, Philippines); Peace and continued productivity (P, India);
Success for a recently employed son (S, USA-NE); Health and success for
children (E, Oman); Successful training and employment (R, Liechtenstein);
Healing and protection for a family (K, USA-MD); Grace and conception (J,
Nigeria); Successful employment (S, USA-TX); Healing and protection (J, USA-NY); Confidence, joy, trust, peace, and healing
in the Lord (A, USA-MA); Successful employment (A, India); Healing, end to
addiction, successful studies, occupational success (M, Australia); Successful
employment (R, India); Health and healing, successful studies and employment,
financial security (B, Nigeria); Health and healing (T, USA-NY); True
conversion (J, United Arab Emirates); Improved family relationships, successful
studies for children (A, Philippines); Healing and good health (T, USA);
Successful employment (K, USA-MI); True conversion, end of suffering and
addiction, healing and health, repose of souls (J, USA-NY); Successful
sponsorship for travels (J, Philippines); Healing, health, prosperity, luck (D,
Canada); Health, healing, end to suffering (C, USA-MO); Reconciliation of
relationship, conception (B, Canada); Successful employment (B, Australia);
Successful employment (P, Australia); Financial security (D, India); Safety,
security, success, peace, hope, love for a family (M, United Kingdom); Reconciliation
of relationship (K, India); Protection, safety, health, and prosperity (H,
Philippines); Financial security (P, Sri Lanka); Healing of a chronically ill
son, financial security (K, USA-NY); Successful employment for husband, peace
and protection for family (B, USA-IL); Occupational success for son (S, India);
Blessings upon children and family (B, USA-NY); Successful employment, blessed
relationships, healing of depression (Z, Canada); Healing and deliverance (K,
USA-FL); Relationship blessed by God (B, India); Occupational success and
continued employment (C, USA-FL); Marriage blessed by the Lord (I, Australia);
Successful employment for a daughter (M, USA-SC); Employment for a husband (N,
Philippines); Healing and success in occupational endeavors (L, Canada); For
the repose of the departed, for peace in the world (D, USA-HI); Health for a
family (S, India); Healing and peace (O, Nigeria); Successful employment for
husband (S, USA-FL); Healing, grace, education, and guidance (L, USA-CT); Successful
employment for friend abroad, safety, protection (A, India); Protection and
safe return of a husband (J, USA-CA); For guidance during faith journey and
conversion (K, USA-MI); End to an abusive relationship (D, USA); Successful
employment (G, USA-CA); Blessings, prosperity, health, security (S, Indonesia);
Healing and comfort (I, USA-CA); Blessings upon a family, healing and good
health (M, Philippines); True conversion (R, India); Blessings upon a pregnant
daughter (R&C, USA-NC); Protection and guidance for son (L, USA-IL);
Recovery of lost articles, occupational success (R, India).</span></div>
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Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-87972104147420143922013-06-09T12:31:00.003-07:002013-06-09T12:31:53.186-07:00May (and early June) Prayer Requests<br />
While I have been travelling, it has been difficult to keep up with posting prayer requests. While I read them all as they arrived in my inbox, I haven't had the time to list them until now. Please join me in praying for these more than 100 requests that arrived during the month of May.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">Prayer Requests: May & early June</span></b></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">During this month, please join me in lifting the following intentions submitted through this blog, to Our Lord and Savior, through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother:</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #45818e;">To find a loving, Catholic life partner (E,
Nigeria); Healing of a husband,
approval of a visa, reunification (K, Philippines); Blessings upon a marriage
(D, India); For successful job search, for respect in work (K, USA-IA);
Blessings upon children, parents, and staff of school facing closure due to
insufficient funding (M, USA-NY); Relief and healing from chronic headaches (C,
Taiwan); Healing of eyesight (G, Australia); For ordained priests celebrating
the anniversary of their ordination (E, USA-IA); For a solution to problems (B,
Germany); For healing of a mother (K, Australia); In praise for the return of a
lost son (D, USA-MA); For the repose of a mother’s soul, for peace from grief,
for restoration of sibling relationships, for success in real estate, for all
those in need (J, USA-WI); For success as a teacher (M, England); Conversion of
loved ones, repose of a departed brother’s soul (I, USA-CT); Resolution to a
financial and legal situation (E, USA-WI); Safety while traveling (C, Hong
Kong); Peace, blessings, and healing on family and loved ones (A, Philippines);
Finding a loving, blessed mate (T, USA-IL);
Thanksgiving for blessings upon a family (M, United Kingdom); Successful
employment, completion of dissertation, healing of heart, blessings upon family
(C, USA-TX); Healing of breast cancer (H, USA-PA); Employment for a son,
understanding, conversion (S, USA-CO); Healing of a son, vocational discernment
(J, Nigeria); Successful employment for a son (M, USA-NY); Reconciliation with
husband (M, Canada); Blessings and spiritual guidance upon a son (B,
Nigeria); Blessings upon a son seeking
vocation (M, USA); For a sister unable to conceive (T, USA-AK); Employment of
son, real estate success (D, India); Repose of souls (R, USA-CA); Blessings
upon a parish fundraising project (S, Philippines); Financial security, good
health, repose of departed souls (F, Philippines); Healing, protection, and
blessings upon a family (C, USA-MA); Blessings and increased devotion (R,
USA-TX); Career direction for a son (P, Australia); Successful employment and
freedom from addiction (A, India); Successful conception, healing (R, Kuwait);
For a daughter’s growth in the Lord (E, USA-FL); Blessings and spiritual growth
for a family, children, and grandchildren (N, Belize); For love, prosperity,
business success (O, Kenya); Successful occupational progression Q, USA-NJ);
Healing of depression and anxiety, for those suffering from mental illness (I,
Ireland); For a grandson with behavioral and emotional challenges (M, USA-AK);
Peace and return to vocation for a seminarian (M, Philippines); Mothering that
mirrors Our Blessed Mother, successful employment (M&JP, Ireland); Grace,
mercy, success in occupation (F, USA-FL); Children’s’ return to faith,
successful employment (J, Ireland); Successful employment for a husband (E,
Switzerland); Successful immigration (P, Australia); Approval of visas to
travel (K, India); Successful visa acquisition (M, Belarus); For successful
ministry, return of sons to the Church, health of friend (P, Canada); Healing
and deliverance (C, Italy); Successful employment, freedom from affliction and
poverty (E, Nigeria); Successful employment, health of a mother (C, USA-FL);
Successful employment (B, India); Conversion of a sister (S, USA-NJ); Healing
and recovery of an ill daughter (P, France); Reunification with a friend (E,
USA-NY); Blessings and healing (W, United Arab Emirates); Successful
employment, finding a Catholic wife (B, Uganda); Divine healing (J, Nigeria);
Blessings, healing, protection, dignity and respect (R, India); Successful
employment for a husband, for unborn child (M, USA-LA); For security and safety
of a sister, for health of a brother caregiver (C, USA-NJ); Successful studies
for son, healing of a mother (M, India); Guidance in actions and
decision-making (C, Ireland); Healing of a husband, successful employment for husband
and wife, blessings upon son (A, South Africa); Successful employment (A,
India); For a school and family (P, Kenya); Physical healing, confidence,
successful employment (N, England); For financial and housing security (C,
India).</span></span></div>
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Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-56100080779268358012013-05-08T11:32:00.000-07:002013-05-08T11:32:00.531-07:00May 8, 2013: Saint Victor Maurus (Victor the Moor)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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May 8 marks the feast day of <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint Victor Maurus</span></strong>, also known as Victor the Moor (died 303), saint and martyr of the early Church. Little is known about the majority of Saint Victor’s life, but much is known about his passion and martyrdom, given a well-recorded account included below, believed to be written by Saint Gregory of Tours. It is firsthand accounts such as this which the Church maintains and utilizes in the beatification and canonization process.<br />
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Saint Victor was born and raised in Mauretania in a Christian household. He is reported to have served in the Roman Army throughout his life, likely as a praetorian guard. Though he was a practicing Christian throughout the time of persecution, he was not discovered until late in life, when he is believed to have been quite elderly, following his destruction of several pagan alters. As his passion describes, he was arrested, brutally tortured—including being basted with molten lead—imprisoned, and eventually decaptitated for his faith. Throughout, he steadfastly refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, asserting his belief in the one true faith—a faith he was happy to confess he had practiced since his youth, stating: <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"I certainly am a Christian, and I adore Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God who was born of the Virgin Mary. I believe in my heart, and I never stop praising him with my mouth."</span></strong><br />
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The Emperor, Maximianus, knew Victor, as he had served long in the guard. He gave him every opportunity to recant his faith, hoping that torture would at long last convince him. In the midst of his pain—being stretched on the rack, beaten, having molten lead poured on his body—Victor held true to his belief in Christ. He stated, <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"Christ is my salvation and my strength. I am nourished by the spirit of him who I have received into my body."</span></strong> The Emperor, not giving up, offered Saint Victor status and riches, should he sacrifice to the pagan gods, similar to the temptations of Jesus by the Devil in the desert. Victor replied, <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">"All the gods of the nations are demons, but our God made the heavens: if, therefore, they are called demons from the start, how will I worship them? I have already said, and will say it again: I will not sacrifice to the demons but I offer myself as a sacrifice of praise to God: because it is written ‘everyone who sacrifices to demons and not to God willbe destroyed.’ I do not accept the rewards promised by you, but I accept strength from my God every day."</span></strong><br />
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Unable to convince him, Victor was beheaded on May 8. The local bishop received permission to bury the body, which remained guarded by wild beasts for 6 days until he could retrieve it. Later a church was erected over his grave. According to St. Gregory of Tours, many miracles occurred at the shrine. In 1576, Victor's relics were transferred to a new church in Milan established by the Olivetan monks. The church still bears Saint Victor's name today.<br />
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The life of Saint Victor Maurus is remarkable in its simplicity. He was a lay person—a soldier—who held fast to his faith throughout his life, during a time of growing distrust and eventual persecution of Christians. His death, in contrast, is remarkable for its solidarity with heaven. Saint Victor, at the end of his days, did not fear torture and death, but welcomed it willingly as a testament to his faith and confidence in the Lord. He endured six days of inhuman pain, never losing sight of the glory of God and the love and grace of Our Blessed Mother. His steadfast faith reminds us of how easily distracted we are today, in our own lives, from our faith by seemingly trivial matters. Imagine our response to torture and pain for our beliefs, for the Lord. How might we incorporate Saint Victor Maurus’ single-minded focus on Christ into our daily lives?<br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><strong>The Passion of St. Victor</strong> </span><br />
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</span><span style="color: #a64d79;">1. When the impious Maximianus was ruling as emperor there was a great persecution of Christians in the city of Milan. There was there a certain soldier by the name of Victor, Moorish by race, who was very well known to the emperor. Then his ministers made a report to the emperor saying, "O Most Clement Lord and Emperor, Victor the Moor has become a Christian and blasphemes against our gods, saying that they are demons. The emperor was angered and ordered that Victor be brought before him; and he said to him, "Victor my soldier, what do you think that you are lacking that you have become a Christian?" Victor responded, "I have not become a Christian just recently, but have been one since my youth." The emperor Maximianus said, "You are a Christian, then, so you clearly say?" Victor replied, "I certainly am a Christian, and I adore Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God who was born of the Virgin Mary. I believe in my heart, and I never stop praising him with my mouth." Then the emperor Maximianus was filled with anger and ordered that he be thrown into the prison which was near the Circus and on the route to the Ticinese Gate, and that he be closely guarded, saying to him, "Go Victor, think to yourself how you can escape those terrible tortures which will viciously rip you unless you offer sacrifice". Thus he was sent to prison and spent six days there, and the emperor ordered that neither bread nor water were to be given to him. On the seventh day the emperor Maximianus ordered a platform to be readied for him in the hippodrome of the Circus, and that Saint Victor be brought to him. He said to him, "What is it, Victor, what have you decided about your salvation?" Saint Victor replied, "Christ is my salvation and my strength. I am nourished by the spirit of him who I have received into my body."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">2. Then the emperor Maximianus was filled with anger and ordered that clubs be brought, and that Victor be stretched out in his sight and beaten. He commanded that the torturers should go beyond the third mark of the rack, and should shout at him, "Sacrifice to the Gods whom the emperor and everyone worship." When Victor had been beaten the emperor ordered that he be set up straight, and said to him, "Victor, hear my advice, yield to and serve those gods: because no-one can better serve them than you, especially since you are distinguished by your grey hairs". Saint Victor replied, "Blessed David, king and prophet, teaches, "All the gods of the nations are demons, but our God made the heavens: if, therefore, they are called demons from the start, how will I worship them?" Then the emperor Maximianus said to him, "Behold I give to you the rank of magister militum, much gold and silver, retinues and property, only sacrifice to the gods whom we worship". Victor replied, "I have already said, and will say it again: I will not sacrifice to the demons but I offer myself as a sacrifice of praise to God: because it is written "everyone who sacrifices to demons and not to God will be destroyed."" The emperor's consiliarius Anolinus said, "Victor, rewards have been promised to you by the most clement emperor: why don't you sacrifice to the gods whom the emperor adores, those to whom he bows his neck?" Saint Victor replied, "I do not accept the rewards promised by you, but I accept strength from my God every- day."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">3. Then, angered, the emperor Maximianus ordered that he be thrown into prison again, the prison near the Roman Gate. When he was there for three days the emperor ordered that he be brought forth from the prison, and said to him, "Victor, sacrifice to those gods whose real divinity proves them to be gods". Saint Victor replied, "I do not sacrifice to the gods of the pagans: for it would be shameful for me to desert what I learned in the sanctification of my baptism, even if in a situation of necessity and under the compulsion of an evil man, you. I will not. Do what you will do, for I know that he who fights on my behalf is stronger than you." Then the emperor Maximianus and his Consiliarius Anolinus ordered clubs to be brought, and Victor to be stretched out. They ordered that the torturers should go beyond the fifth mark of the rack, and should shout at him, "Sacrifice to the gods whom the emperor and everyone worship." Then Saint Victor, although he was in the middle of his punishment, did not show any feeling of pain but prayed thus to the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus Christ by whose bread I am nourished today, my king and my God, help me in the midst of these tortures." Then the emperor Maximianus said to him, "Victor, take thought for your life and sacrifice to the gods whom all adore. For I swear by the gods, by my welfare and by the government of the state, that unless you sacrifice through various punishments I will make you breathe your last breath. And do not hope that if you are punished by me that the Christians will make my servant one of their martyrs: for I will order that you be flung where your body will never be found." Saint Victor replied, "I am not sacrificing: do what seems best to you: you will not make a servant of yours breathe his last as you said, but a servant of Christ." Then the emperor Maximianus, angered because Victor had replied in this manner, ordered that he be thrown into the prison near the Roman Gate again, and that his legs be stretched apart on a slab.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">4. When Victor had been let out from there, the Consiliarius Anolinus sent messengers to him saying, "Go and say to Victor "Fellow, you have badly given up hope of your life, take thought for your safety, and do not further provoke your emperor to anger. Hear my advice, sacrifice to our gods and seek from the emperor whatever honour you wish: for by the gods and the welfare of the emperor you are readying many torments for yourself."" Saint Victor said to those who came to him, "Go and tell Anolinus. I do not sacrifice to the gods of the pagans because scripture teaches us that all those who worship idols and glory in their statues will be destroyed. I worship the living and true God that I may live forever." When this had been reported to Anolinus it was reported to the emperor also. Both were extremely angry. On the next day the emperor Maximianus ordered him to be led out of prison, and Anolinus said to him, "Is your heart so stubborn that you will not listen to the commands of the emperor and sacrifice?" Saint Victor replied, "I do not sacrifice to gods which are unclean and senseless. "Then the emperor ordered that all kinds of instruments of torture be brought before him, and he said to him, "Do you see, Victor, what great torments await you if you do not sacrifice?" Saint Victor replied, "Those torments which you wish to inflict upon me are nothing: but greater torments will be prepared for you by my god on the day of righteous judgement." Then </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">the emperor Maximianus, taking it badly that Victor had openly insulted him, ordered lead to be brought forward, melted, and poured over the whole of Victor's body. And when he was being covered in this way, Victor prayed thus to the Lord, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, for whose name I endure these things, help me and free me, just as you freed unharmed the three boys from the midst of the burning furnace, and confounded the tyrant: send an aide now in that manner, and free your servant to the embarrassment of Maximianus and his lackeys." And there immediately appeared an angel of the Lord who made the lead as cold as springwater and it did not burn any part of Victor's body. Then, stretching out his hands, Blessed Victor gave thanks to the Lord, saying, "I thank you, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, that you deigned to pity your servant, and sent your holy angel who cooled the lead and soothed with the ointment of your mercy the wounds which the wicked Maximianus inflicted upon me." Then Maximianus and all those who were present were amazed that Victor's body had not been burned. Then Saint Victor said, "I thank you, Lord God, Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, you who cooled the lead and enabled me to overcome the terrible tortures; do not allow me, I beg you, to be overcome by those men."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">5. Then the emperor Maximianus ordered that he be led to the Vercelline Gate: and while they awaited the emperor's commands they paused there. Then the soldiers who were guarding Saint Victor fell asleep, and rising Victor fled and hid himself in a stable in front of the theatre. Then the soldiers rose and pursued him, and finding a lone woman they questioned her, asking, "Did you not see a white-haired man with torn clothing come this way?" The woman replied, and said, "I did see a white-haired man with torn clothing flee this way." Then the soldiers continued their pursuit along the road which was named after the stables, and they arrived in front of the theatre; and entering the stables they found Saint Victor hidden in front of the horses. Then the soldiers assaulted him and brought him outside. When Maximianus heard that Victor had fled he was furious with his soldiers, and he ordered other soldiers to take them outside the city to a place called </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">the Garden of Philippus. The emperor himself strolled about in the hippodrome of the circus, and sent runners to Victor, saying "Go and tell Victor "you have despaired for your life, and you are not willing to offer sacrifice: by the gods, if you do not sacrifice I will sentence you to capital punishment."" To these Victor replied, "Go and tell your emperor "do quickly what you are about to do because I want to receive my reward from God, the reward for which I suffer these things, and because it is time: if it should please him who has given me my soul and spirit."" Then the emperor Maximianus ordered his servants to be called, and he told them that Victor was to be led to a small wood named The Elms, where he the emperor had a garden, and that he was to be beheaded there. And when Saint Victor was being brought there, he said to the soldiers who were bringing him, "Tell the emperor Maximianus that he will die this year, and that when he is dead no grave will accept him unless his legs are broken." When he had said these things they reached the place, and Victor made a speech, saying, "I thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, that you have not separated me from your saints, my fellow citizens, Nabor and Felix. I bless and thank you forever. Amen." When the speech was complete his head was cut off by a servant.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">6. Then the emperor ordered that no one should bury his body in order that it might be eaten by the wild animals. And after six days the emperor sent his quaestor with soldiers in order to see if it had been eaten by the beasts and serpents. They went and found Victor's body intact, in no part damaged, and two beasts guarding it, one at his head and the other at his feet. They returned and reported to the emperor. Then the emperor ordered that the body should be buried. After permission had been given to bury the martyr the saintly and most blessed bishop Maternus went for it, and found two beasts, one guarding his head and the other guarding his feet. The body itself was as it had been left at the very hour of execution. But the beasts, when they saw the saintly bishop Maternus, gave way; as long as they had stood there the body had been protected. Maternus wrapped the corpse in linen, brought it not far from the little wood, and buried it in peace. Then Anolinus the consiliarius ordered all the exceptores in the palace to be</span><span style="color: #a64d79;">seized, and made them swear by their gods that if any of them had any written record no one would conceal it. Then they all swore by the gods and by the safety of the emperor that no one would conceal such, and all the papers were brought forward, and Anolinus had them burned before him by a servant. This greatly pleased the emperor. Saint Victor was beheaded on 8 May, and buried by the bishop Saint Maternus on 14 May, during the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. (Act. Sanct. Mai II, 288-90)</span><br />
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<em><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span></em>Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-91916506892875208522013-05-07T11:31:00.000-07:002013-05-07T11:31:00.737-07:00May 7, 2013: Saint Rosa Venerini<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On May 7, we celebrate a recently canonized saint, <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint</span></strong> <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Rosa Venerini</span></strong> (1656-1728), who Pope Benedict XVI referred to as an “example of a faithful disciple of Christ, ready to give up all in order to do the will of God.” Saint Rosa is a model of obedience and service, dedicating her life to the education, care, and Christian formation of young women in service of Our Lord.<br />
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Rosa was born in Viterbo, Italy, the daughter of a talented and prestigious doctor. At age seven, she declared her intentions to consecrate her life to God. Her desire was nourished by her family faith life, and she matured into an educated and sensible young woman with a heart of service and deeply felt spirituality. At age 20, with her father’s encouragement, Rosa entered the Dominican Monastery of Saint Catherine but remained only a few months. Upon the sudden death of her father, Rosa returned home to care for her mother. Tragedy did not stray from the family, with first her brother dying, followed by her mother succumbing to grief and eventual death.<br />
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While Rosa nursed her mother, she established a small community of local women whom she invited over each day to recite the Holy Rosary to Our Blessed Mother. In the conversations that took place before and after prayer, Rosa realized that the vast majority of women at that time had little education or knowledge, especially in regards to the formative teachings of the Church. Rosa began instructing these women, under the spiritual direction of a Jesuit priest, Father Ignatius Martinelli. <br />
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Upon her mother’s death, Rosa felt called to remain “in the world,” teaching and forming young Christian women, rather than returning to a contemplative monastic life. Her spiritual director encouraged her vocation, understanding it to be the will of the Lord, and with permission from the Bishop of Viterbo, Saint Rosa opened her first school for girls. With her typical grace and sensibility, there was little fanfare—only a small humble sign which read “Public School for Girls in Italy.” Saint Rosa structured her school according to an innovative plan that had matured in prayer and her search for the will of God. Her primary objective was to provide the “girls of the common people” a complete Christian formation and prepare them for life in society. <br />
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Following the papal visit, Rosa’s schools were in high demand, requested across the country, and the communities she taught in became her biggest supporters and advocates. From her devotion to the Blessed Mother, Rosa understood herself, as a woman, to be the carrier of a plan of love, like Mary. She never strayed from her obedient love of the Lord, and her focus on fulfilling His mission for her on earth. <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;"><em>“Educate to save”</em></span></strong> became the motto that urged the Venerini Teachers (<em>Maestre Pie Venerini</em>) to continue the Work of the Lord intended by their Foundress and radiate the charism of Rosa to the world: to free from ignorance and evil so that the project of God which every person carries within can be visible. </div>
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In addition to her difficult labors in creating schools and converting communities, Rosa ministered to the sick and discouraged, oftentimes healing through prayer. She spent countless hours in mental prayer and communion with the Lord, which she referred to as <span style="color: #0b5394;"><em>“essential nourishment for the soul.”</em></span> Saint Rosa stated, “<strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">I feel so nailed to the Will of God that nothing else matters, neither death nor life. I want what He wants; I want to serve Him as much as pleases Him and no more.” </span></strong>She united with love the sufferings, hard work and joys of her own life to the sufferings of Jesus Christ, concerned that His Precious Blood would not be shed in vain. <br />
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Saint Rosa died a saintly death in the community of St. Mark’s in Rome on the evening of May 7, 1728. She had opened more than forty schools over her lifetime. Her remains were entombed in the nearby Church of the Gesù, so loved by her. In 1952, on the occasion of her Beatification, they were transferred to the chapel of the Generalate in Rome. In 2006, she was formally canonized by Pope Benedict XVI. During his homily, he stated:<br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">“Saint Rose Venerini is another example of a faithful disciple of Christ, ready to give up all in order to do the will of God. She loved to say: "I find myself so bound to the divine will that neither death nor life is important: I want to live as he wishes and I want to serve him as he likes, and nothing more." </span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">From here, from this surrender to God, sprang the long-admired work that she courageously developed in favor of the spiritual elevation and authentic emancipation of the young women of her time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Saint Rose did not content herself with providing the girls an adequate education, but she was concerned with assuring their complete formation, with sound references to the Church's doctrinal teaching. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Her own apostolic style continues to characterize the life of the Congregation of the Religious Teachers Venerini which she founded. And how timely and important for today's society is this service, which puts them in the field of education and especially of the formation of women.”</span><br />
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Today, the <em>Maestre Pie Venerini</em> continue to serve and transmit the apostolic concern and charism of their founder, Saint Rosa. The community can be found in Italy, as well as the United States, Switzerland, India, Brazil, Cameroon, Romania, Albania, Chile, Venezuela and Nigeria. In each location, preference is always given to the poor, with both their educational and spiritual needs attended to. <br />
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The life of Saint Rosa demonstrates to each of us the call that the Lord gives and our need to be willing to listen and obey. Rosa’s life changed dramatically, and she accomplished great works for the glory of the Lord, because she was willing to listen to Him, to persevere through hardship and opposition, and remain steadfast to her mission and His will. Saint Rosa’s life touched countless souls, and her community continues to do so today. What could each of us accomplish if we courageously submitted to the plan of the Almighty? What radical change in the world are we preventing by failing to do so?<br />
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<br />Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-58845710841451525652013-05-05T11:31:00.000-07:002013-05-05T11:31:00.148-07:00May 5, 2013: Saint Hilary of Arles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, May 5, we remember <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Saint Hilary of Arles</span></strong> (400-449), a saint called to holiness at a young age, who suffered persecution from within the church late in life for his obedience to the Lord. The life of Saint Hilary suggests to us that even the holiest of men and women struggle with their callings, require assistance and support in prayer and encouragement from their friends and families, and despite their sanctity, are slaves to their human weaknesses. <br />
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Hilary was born into a noble family in France, a relative of Saint Honoratus, Archbishop of Arles. Hilary was raised with an extraordinary education, wealth, and privilege, and seemed poised to make his mark on the secular world when Saint Honoratus came to him, urging his entrance into the Abbey at Lerins. Saint Hilary was torn, as the monastic life was not what he had planned, nor had he felt called to completely. He wrote, <em><span style="color: #0b5394;">"On one side, me-thought I saw the Lord calling me; on the other the world offering me its seducing charms and pleasures. How often did I embrace and reject, will and not will the same thing! But in the end Jesus Christ triumphed in me. And three days after Honoratus had left me, the mercy of God, solicited by his prayers, subdued my rebellious soul."</span></em> <br />
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Following his visit with Saint Honoratus, Hillary entered the Abbey at Lerins, eager to embark on his spiritual mission alongside his relative. <em><span style="color: #0b5394;">"What floods of tears," he wrote about Saint Honoratus, "did this true friend shed to soften the hardness of my heart! How often did he embrace me with the most tender and compassionate affection, to obtain of me that I would take into serious consideration the salvation of my soul! Yet, by an unhappy victory, I still remained conqueror."</span></em> Honoratus, finding his endeavors to wean him from the charms of a deceitful world not completely effective, turned to prayer, saying to our soon-to-be-Saint, <span style="color: #674ea7;">"I will obtain of God, what you will not now grant me."</span><br />
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At the young age of 29, Hilary was chosen as Archbishop of Arles—an appointment he resisted in humility-- succeeding Honoratus. He became known for his austerities, despite his appointed role, his mortification and penance, and for the love he showed to his community of faith—the “congregation” as he referred to them (possibly the first to do so). He spent his days in manual labor, raising money for the poor, and was quick to sell church property in ransom for captives. He traveled everywhere on foot, preaching, and converting many through the gift of persuasive oration provided to him by the Lord. Able to easily tailor his language to the education level of the listener, Saint Hilary was fond of saying phrases similar to, <em><span style="color: #0b5394;">“You will not so easily get out of hell, if you are once unhappily fallen into its dungeons!" as warning to sinners.</span></em><br />
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Upon his appointment, Saint Hilary sold all the property he had inherited, distributing the money raised to the poor and to financially struggling monastic communities. He became a model of prayer, fasting, charity, and virtue. His zeal for the holy life raised the attention and anger of others in leadership roles in the Church, to whom Hilary’s zeal appeared hasty and disobedient. In his exuberance to spread the word of God, he occasionally made powerful governmental adversaries in a time when the power of the pope had not yet been fully established. Indeed, in speaking out on many issues, Saint Hilary—in his humanity-- made mistakes which led to his eventual reprimand by Pope Leo, and the stripping of his title. Eventually, through this time of trial, Saint Hilary refined his virtue, furthering his humility, patience, submissiveness, and obedience. After some time, he was restored by the patient pope, and served the Lord until his death at age 49. While some doubted his methods, none had ever doubted his piety and holiness.<br />
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Not only was Saint Hilary a gifted orator, he also wrote several treatises on God, some of which survive today. <strong><em><span style="color: #0b5394;">"We are all equal,"</span></em></strong> he wrote, "<em><span style="color: #0b5394;">in Jesus Christ; and the highest degree of our nobility is to be of the number of the true servants of God. Neither science, nor birth, according to this world, can exalt us, but in proportion to our contempt of them."</span></em><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><em>“The Lord taught by way of example that the glory of human ambition must be left behind when he said, “The Lord your God shall you adore and him only shall you serve.” And when he announced through the prophets that he would choose a people humble and in awe of his words, he introduced the perfect Beatitude as humility of spirit. Therefore he defines those who are inspired as people aware that they are in possession of the heavenly kingdom. Nothing belongs to anyone as being properly one’s own, but all have the same things by the gift of a single parent. They have been given the first things needed to come into life and have been supplied with the means to use them.”</em></span><br />
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The life of Saint Hilary is one of struggle to be obedient. His plans for his life were not what the Lord had in mind, and he struggled to obey—relying not only on his own merit but on the prayers and support of his family. At age 29, Saint Hilary resisted his appointment as Archbishop, but eventually was obedient to the Lord’s will and served with zeal. Even in his older age, Saint Hilary struggled with submissiveness to the pope, but through prayer and penance was able to again overcome his human weakness. <br />
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Oftentimes we think of the lives of the saints as perfect and smooth. Saint Hilary’s life reminds us that human struggles are part of the Lord’s plan for us, part of His calling to us, part of our refining process. Through prayer, penance, and fasting, Saint Hilary overcame his human weakness, increasing his obedience, and submitting himself to the will of God—but it wasn’t easy, and it took his entire life! We are encouraged by Saint Hilary when we, ourselves, struggle—that while we work to understand and follow the Lord’s will, our time on earth (while never smooth and easy) will yield holy fruit if we strive for virtue!<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #a64d79;">A Prayer for the Virtue of Obedience</span></strong><br />
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<em><span style="color: #a64d79;">Jesus, Almighty King of kings, You Who obeyed Your Father to the end, Teach me the meaning of obedience. My soul burns to comply to Your Will, Striving to charm Your Divinity. While my worldly nature seeks one way, My spiritual nature seeks another. Bless me with the strength to obey, That my soul may subdue both natures, Blending them as a fair aromatic bloom. I always seek favor in Your eyes, To always obey You until my last breath! </span></em><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span></strong>Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3629496915770061641.post-54076031099349258152013-05-04T11:29:00.000-07:002013-05-04T11:29:00.610-07:00May 4, 2013: Our Lady of Laus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In 1647, in Saint-Etienne, France—located at the foot of the Alps in the vale of Laus, a young peasant girl was born into poverty. Benoite Rencurel, a humble girl chosen as a visionary and pupil to Our Blessed Mother-- <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Our Lady of Laus</span></strong>-- grew up in a small town that was nestled in the green valleys of Dauphine. While the family was poor, they were rich in spirit, and Benoite’s mother taught her to pray the Rosary at a young age—an activity which she undertook faithfully every day. When Benoite was approximately seven years old, her father died, which forced Benoite to leave school and take two jobs shepherding the sheep of nearby farmers to help her mother pay the household bills. It was in the fields, with her sheep, that Benoite would meet the Mother of God and undertake her holy mission. <br />
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In May of 1664, when Benoite was seventeen, she was praying the Rosary in the fields when Saint Maurice appeared to her, in the guise of an old and venerable man. He directed her to move her flocks to another pasture, further up the mountain, toward the town of Laus, saying <span style="color: #b45f06;">"Go to the valley above Saint-Étienne. That is where you will see the Mother of God."</span> Benoite answered, <span style="color: #cc0000;">"But Sir, She is in Heaven. How can I see Her there?"</span> Saint Maurice assured her, <span style="color: #b45f06;">"Yes, She is in Heaven, and on earth too when She wants."</span> The following morning, Benoite hurried to the area he described, and upon reaching it, discovered a small grotto. There, she was graced by the appearance of a radiantly beautiful lady leading a child by the hand. Benoite, despite having been told by Saint Maurice that it was Our Blessed Mother, did not realize who she was. Instead, she was content-- overjoyed—to sit in her presence. By the reports of her family and neighbors, Benoite’s face changed overnight, overcome with serenity and grace, which she freely distributed to others with a cheerful humility and simplicity.<br />
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The Blessed Virgin continued to appear to Benoite for approximately 4 months without revealing her name or speaking. In her own time, when Benoite was ready for his mission, Our Holy Mother began to teach her, preparing her for her mission. She instructed Benoite on how to say the Litany of Loreto, encouraging her to teach it to her friends and recite it nightly in the town chapel. She also revealed to Benoite that she had been given a powerful gift by the Lord, that of exhortation—Benoite was given the charism of reading hearts. This gift, however, was accompanied by the heavy burden of correcting souls and disclosing the sad condition of souls to those who possessed them.<br />
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Now, word of the apparitions had begun to spread, and following the witness of Benoite’s employer who had converted after overhearing the conversation of the Blessed Virgin and Benoite, local church authorities intervened. They instructed Benoite—an unschooled, uncultured shepherdess—to inquire as to the identity of the beautiful lady. Benoite begrudgingly did as she was instructed, asking Mary at her next visit, <span style="color: #cc0000;">"My good Lady, I and all the people in this place are hard put to know who You are. Might You not be the Mother of our good God? Please be so kind as to tell me, and we will build a chapel here to honor You."</span> Our Blessed Mother replied with a gentle smile that there was no need to build anything on that site as she had chosen a more pleasant spot. Then she added, <strong><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">"I am Mary, the Mother of Jesus. You will not see me here any more, nor for some time."</span></strong> After a month’s time, during which Benoite fell ill due to her sorrow of separation from the Blessed Mother, she again was graced with an appearance. Mary, Mother of God, informed her: "<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><strong>From now on, you will see Me only in the chapel that is in Laus,"</strong></span> and she showed her the path that went up and over the hill toward Laus-- a small village that Benoite had heard about but never visited. <br />
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In the village of Laus, a small chapel—little more than a hut with a straw roof—had been built by the farmers, for those occasions in which they couldn’t make the journey to church. It was in this tiny chapel—a new stable of Bethlehem—that Benoite found the Blessed Virgin, surrounded by a most intoxicating and beautiful heavenly scent. The Blessed Mother instructed Benoite, <strong><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">“Soon nothing will be lacking here-----neither vestments nor altar linens nor candles. I want a large church built on this spot, along with a building for a few resident priests. The church will be built in honor of my dear Son and Myself. Here many sinners will be converted. I will appear to you often here." </span></strong><br />
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But Benoite was troubled. She had already been questioned by church authorities, who did not believe her account of the visions, and despite her limited education, knew that this request would not be met eagerly. <span style="color: #cc0000;">"Build a church?"</span> she exclaimed. <span style="color: #cc0000;">"There's no money for that here!"</span> <br />
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<strong><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">"Do not worry,”</span></strong> Mary gently answered. “<strong><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">When the time comes to build, you will find all you need, and it will not be long. The pennies of the poor will provide for everything. Nothing will be lacking."</span></strong> And so it was to be. During the long winter of 1664, Benoite made the four kilometer trek to the little chapel, wrapped in little more than a wool shawl. During this time, Our Blessed Mother encouraged her to give up her shepherding job to focus more fully on her mission. She also stated, consistent with all of Our Heavenly Mother’s appearances, <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><strong>“Pray continuously for sinners.”</strong></span> <br />
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In 1665, the Blessed Virgin told Benoite, <strong><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">“I asked My Son for Laus for the conversion of sinners, and He has granted it to Me."</span></strong> While church authorities allowed the celebration of Mass in the tiny chapel, they made no definitive pronouncement regarding the veracity of the apparitions. <br />
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Following a visit by the Vicar General, during which he threatened to close the chapel, and demanded a miracle, a local woman who had been crippled since birth was miraculously healed. Based upon this miracle, the Vicar General assigned permanent priests and authorized construction of the church, declaring,<span style="color: #b45f06;"> "There is something extraordinary occurring in that chapel. Yes, the hand of God is there!"</span> Over the next four years, a large church was miraculously built, mostly by volunteers. All who worked on the building reported being surrounded by the ‘scent of heaven’—sometimes so powerful that it would spill from the building and envelop the surrounding countryside. It was the perfume of the holy. At that time, Benoite took the veil as a Dominican Tertiary, known thereafter as Sister Benoite.<br />
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As for the sweet perfume of heaven, Sister Benoite breathed in these fragrances from their source. The manuscripts of Laus report, <span style="color: #b45f06;">"Every time the Blessed Virgin honored her with Her visit, people smelled a heavenly fragrance that pervaded the entire church. Sometimes the shepherd girl's clothing was deeply permeated with the heavenly scent for up to eight days; these supernatural fragrances were so sweet and delightful that they lifted up the soul and surpassed all other fragrances on earth."</span> Whenever Benoite returned from being with her good Mother, her face would seem to be ablaze, like that of Moses coming down from Sinai; she would kneel, recite the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, and then for the rest of the day she would be unable to eat.<br />
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In 1665, the Blessed Virgin instructed Sister Benoite that those pilgrims traveling to the church in hopes of healing need only to apply some oil from the sanctuary lamp to their affected limbs and be cured. A great number of miraculous physical and mental cures were recorded, and continue to be today.<br />
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For fifty-four years, the Blessed Virgin continued to appear to Benoite in the church at Laus, at least once each month. For her part, Benoite continued to spend each day in prayer, suffering, and exhortation. She, according to the mission given to her by her Holy Mother, kept watch over the priests, encouraging them in their confessions, exhorting their sins when necessary, and praying for the conversion of sinners. Benoite stated that she could see the state of a person’s soul<span style="color: #cc0000;"> “all at once”</span> like <span style="color: #cc0000;">“looking in a mirror.”</span> She would lead those not in a state of grace away from the alter rail at Holy Eucharist, gently encouraging their conversion and purification. All of this was done with profound humility, stating, <span style="color: #cc0000;">"The Mother of God commands me to do it in such a mild manner that I don't believe She absolutely wants it. And when I fail, my good Mother corrects me without getting angry. So because of the shame I feel on admonishing others, I often wait for a second command, and then I obey."</span><br />
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Sister Benoite prayed before the Crucifix every day. Kneeling down, she would gaze at our Savior on His Cross, and her heart would melt with love and compassion at the thought of all He has done for the salvation of men. To reward her, she witnessed Him crucified, bleeding and in agony, with the wounds in His hands, feet and side, and red gashes from the scourging covering His Body. The Crucifix, itself, bled.<br />
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Overcome with sadness, Benoite exclaimed, <span style="color: #cc0000;">"Oh, my Jesus, if You remain like this another instant, I will die!"</span> The sight of His sufferings caused her such great distress that one day her Guardian Angel came to assure her, saying, "<span style="color: #674ea7;">Do not be troubled, my Sister. Although our Divine Master has appeared to you in this condition, He is not suffering anything; it is solely to show you what He suffered out of love for the human race." </span><br />
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After that, Christ Himself spoke to Benoite, stating, <span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong>"My daughter, I am showing Myself to you in this condition so that you may participate in the sorrows of My Passion."</strong></span> For fifteen years, every week, she experienced the pain and wounds of a mystical crucifixion after that moment until her ecstasies attracted so much attention she prayed they stop, saying, “"<span style="color: #cc0000;">May my sufferings be even more cruel if such is God's good pleasure, but let them be less visible!"</span> The Blessed Virgin appeared to her and said, <span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><strong>"You will no longer have the Friday sufferings, but you will have many others."</strong></span><br />
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Throughout her life, Benoite followed the instructions of the Blessed Virgin without exception. She was persecuted and criticized first by men, and later tormented by demons and the Devil. Throughout all, she clung to her Good Mother, stating, <span style="color: #cc0000;">"I would rather die a thousand times forsaken by Mary, than forsake Her for a single moment!"</span> Before her death, her guardian angel, who appeared throughout her life to pray with her and open the door to the church for her, stated, <span style="color: #674ea7;">“The Laus devotion is the work of God which neither man nor the devil can destroy. It will continue until the end of the world, flourishing more and more and bearing great fruit everywhere." </span><br />
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Sister Benoite, having predicted the time of her death, passed away peacefully on December 28, 1718, dying in the odor of sanctity. She was declared Venerable in 1871 and beatified in 1984. During exhumation of her body, her skeleton was found to be miraculously preserved, and her habit like new. It is said that a workman inadvertently dropped a stone on her skeleton, which miraculously bled.<br />
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As with other moments in history when Our Blessed Mother has graced humanity with a message, she picked the most humble and lowly of servants to deliver that message and undertake her mission on earth. Through the guidance and tireless obedience of Sister Benoite, a grand basilica has been built in Laus, and countless sinners called to Christ. The Blessed Mother’s constant guidance and instruction of Benoite—the most uneducated of servants—reminds us that Mary is never far from us, praying for us and interceding for us. She encourages the Church in times of difficulty, and lights the way in times of darkness. She is our maternal caregiver throughout our lives. We are reminded that as a people we are never alone, guided by Our Heavenly Father, Our Blessed Mother, Our Savior, and the Holy Spirit. <br />
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The Blessed Mother again encourages us to hold to our faith, find joy in our suffering in this world (for our reward will be greater in the next), and to pray for sinners. <br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong><em>Queen of Laus, kind and loving Mother, hear our pious pleas. Your son always hears your prayers, and you always hear your children. </em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong><em>O pure Virgin, ceaselessly watch over our hearts from heaven. Let no dirt tarnish the heavenly whiteness.</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong><em>Be our support in virtue, all-powerful Virgin, and guide our feeble steps. If we fall, Compassionate Mother, kindly embrace us in your arms.</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong><em>Give us shelter under your wings when the storms burst with fury, spare us from cruel agony, and may the sinner repent with true remorse.</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong><em>Leave us not at our last hour, but let us sleep in peace at your maternal breast. And once awakening, drawing back the veil, we will see you in the splendor of heaven.</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong><em>Our Lady of Laus, Refuge of sinners, pray for us who have recourse to thee.</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong><em>Amen.</em></strong></span>Jacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447933459851261218noreply@blogger.com1