Why pray the Rosary every day for a year?


Each time the Blessed Virgin has appeared-- whether it be to Saint Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes; to Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco at Fatima; or to Mariette Beco at Banneux-- she has asserted the importance, saving grace, and power of praying the Holy Rosary on a daily basis. Based upon her words, the Rosary is penance and conversion for sinners, a pathway to peace, an end to war, and a powerful act of faith in Jesus Christ. Pope Paul VI presented the Rosary as a powerful means to reach Christ "not merely with Mary but indeed, insofar as this is possible to us, in the same way as Mary, who is certainly the one who thought about Him more than anyone else has ever done."

To show us how this is done, perhaps no one has been more eloquent than the great Cardinal Newman, who wrote: "The great power of the Rosary consists in the fact that it translates the Creed into Prayer. Of course, the Creed is already in a certain sense a prayer and a great act of homage towards God, but the Rosary brings us to meditate again on the great truth of His life and death, and brings this truth close to our hearts. Even Christians, although they know God, usually fear rather than love Him. The strength of the Rosary lies in the particular manner in which it considers these mysteries, since all our thinking about Christ is intertwined with the thought of His Mother, in the relations between Mother and Son; the Holy Family is presented to us, the home in which God lived His infinite love."

As Mary said at Fatima, "Jesus wants to use you to make Me known and loved. He wishes to establish the devotion to My Immaculate Heart throughout the world. I promise salvation to whoever embraces it; these souls will be dear to God, like flowers put by Me to adorn his throne."



January 16, 2013: Saint Fursey, Bishop of Ireland

Posted by Jacob


Today, January 16, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Fursey (575-650, also known as Saint Fursa, Fursy, or Furseus), Bishop of Ireland, visionary, missionary in East Anglia, and founder and abbot of monasteries.  Saint Fursey is remembered not only for his missionary work, but also for his ecstasies and visions of the afterlife, including clear visions of Purgatory.  Much of his life was recorded by the Venerable Bede, who wrote of him with the highest esteem.
Saint Fursey was born on the island of Inisguia en Lough Carri, Ireland.  Born into a noble family, his brothers, Saints Foillan and Ulan, were also called to the faith early in life.  Fursey left home at a young age, and went to the monastery built by Saint Meldan, located on Quinn Island. “He was of very noble Irish blood!” writes Venerable Bede, "but was much more noble in mind than by birth… He gave himself very much to reading holy Writ and following the monastic life even from his boyhood; and he did everything that he learned ought to be done as is befitting holy men!” 
Following his studies at the monastery on Quinn Island, Saint Meldan sent Fulsey to build a monastery at Eathmat.  This he did, also preaching and traveling on mission work throughout Ireland.  He converted many, drawing more and more into the faith.  However, Fursey felt called to leave Ireland and spread the faith beyond her borders. ''Fursey,” wrote Venerable Bede, “after having preached the Word of God for many years in Ireland, being unable to bear the crowds that flocked about him, leaving everything, went away from his country, and came with a few brethren through the country of the British into the country of the East-Angles. This holy man, famous for his words and works and for his wonderful goodness, wishing to live as an exile for our Lord, came out of Ireland at the time that Saeberht was King, (a.d. 633.) When he had come to the country of the East-Angles he was welcomed and treated with great honour by the King. He at once gave himself to the holy work of preaching the Word of God, and by his great holiness of life and by his sermons, he brought many unbelievers into the sheepfold of Jesus Christ, and strengthened the faithful in the Faith and in the love of God.”
Saint Fursey eventually fell ill, worn out by his tireless preaching and evangelization.  He was not expected to life long, but rather than succomb, he continued praying and undertook the construction of a monastery on land given to him by the king.   He also began experiencing visions and ecstasies, the Lord gifting him with knowledge of the afterlife.  The Venerable Bede wrote, “Fursey built the monastery in order to give himself more freely to the study of heavenly things. He fell sick whilst living there, and being in a swoon, and out of his body, was found worthy to behold the choirs of the Angels and to hear the hymns that are sung in heaven. He beheld three days afterwards the happiness of the Blessed: the Devils who strove to hinder him reaching heaven, and the Angels who shielded him from their attacks. He heard the Devils accusing him of his deeds, words, and thoughts, as if they were written in a book: and he also heard wonderful things, both woeful and gladsome, from the Angels and from the Blessed!”
“When he was borne up aloft he was told by the Angels who were by his side to look downwards towards the earth.  He looked, and beheld beneath him a darksome valley and four fires blazing near each other. He asked the Angels to tell him what these fires meant, and they said: ‘These fires shall burn the earth to ashes: one is Falsehood and the breaking of the promise made at Baptism to renounce the Devil and his works; the other is Covetousness and the preferring worldly wealth to heavenly things: the other is Discord and offending fellow-men: the fourth is Wickedness and robbery of the weak.' He then beheld the four fires mingle and become a great blaze. An Angel made a pathway through it, and an Angel flying with outstretched wings on each side of him warded off the flames. He saw devils flying through the fire. He then got a glimpse of heaven. As Fursey, led by Angels, was going through the pathway in the fire on his way back to earth a Devil laying hold of a person whom he was torturing in the fire, threw him at him and burned him on his shoulder and cheek; but the Angel threw him back into the fire. The Devil said to Fursey: “Do not reject him whom you before received, for as you accepted the goods of this sinner, so you should have a share in his punishment!” The Angel answered: “He did not receive it through avarice, but to save his soul!” and turning to Fursey, the Angel said: “That which you enkindled burned in you: for had you not received the money of this man who died in his sins, his punishment would not burn in you.’  Fursey bore the wound of the fire on his shoulder and cheek for the remainder of his life: the flesh showing outwardly what the soul had hiddenly endured. He ever strove both by word and example to persuade everyone to lead a holy life, but he would tell his visions only to those who wished to hear them and a desire of conversion.”
“An elderly Monk of our monastery is still alive who is wont to say that a very truthful and holy man had told him that he had seen Fursey in the province of the East Angles, and had heard those visions from his mouth, and added that Fursey when telling them, perspired, as if it were a very hot summer day, although it was very cold and frosty winter weather, and he was clothed with a thin garment!”  
Saint Fursey continued his life, surviving his illness, and lived to preach for many years from his new monastery.  He moved freely amongst the peoples, preaching the Word of God, praying, meditating, and celebrating Mass. Eventually, the toil of his work led him to seek refuge as a hermit, and he left the monastery to his faithful brothers and priests, and took up refuge as an anchorite, living in silence and contemplation for a year.
Despite his wish to remain in isolation, the world was changing, and the faith was threatened by invasions of non-believers.  Abandoning all, Saint Fursey sailed to France where he bolstered the faith of those living there, and built a monastery at Lagny.  Saint Fursey followed the invading heathens, blessing the dead, bringing joy and hope to those who suffered across East Agnlia, Austrasia, and Europe.  Back at the monastery at Lagny, he worked many miracles of health and healing, and was so enjoined to build another monastery at Peronne.  It was while traveling between that monastery and the monastery in East Anglia that an angel visited him, telling him that his time on earth was at an end.  Receiving the Sacraments, he died peacefully, and was buried at the monastery in Peronne.  Needing to be moved some time later, to be enshrined in the church alter, Saint Fursey’s body was found to be incorrupt. “The merits of St. Fursey," writes Venerable Bede, "have been made known by many miracles."
Monastery at Peronne

Hymn to Saint Fursey
Send back the hymn from Erin's Isle
That echoes from Peronne's blest pile,
While joyful choirs in solemn rite
With Fursey’s praise dispel sad night.
Tis here he builds his far-famed cell,
Tis here his brethren calmly dwell:
The water glances from his rod,
Though planted in the thirsty sod.
And yet that graceless woman rails,
And deems that silver nought avails,
If spent with large and generous hand
To raise high temples through the land
Lamp! Star that gleamest bright,
Saint Fursey shine upon our fight!
Keep up our strength, and take our part,
When death shall strike us with his dart.
May Jesus born of spotless Maid,
Sole fount of hope to all displayed,
With Father and with Holy Ghost,
Make Fursey's sons a heavenly host.


Prayer to Saint Fursey
The arms of God be around my shoulders,
The touch of the Holy Spirit upon my head,
The sign of Christ’s cross upon my forehead,
The sound of the Holy Spirit in my ears,
The fragrance of the Holy Spirit in my nostrils,
The vision of heaven’s company in my eyes,
The conversation of heaven’s company on my lips,
The work of God’s church with my hands,
The service of God and my neighbour in my feet,
And a home for God in my heart,
And to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit my entire being.
Amen.





Throughout 2013, I will be posting the prayer requests received from the previous week on Sundays.  Please join me in lifting these intentions to Our Lord, through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother.

Prayer requests, 2013: Week 2:
Health and healing for a sick aunt (B, USA-CA);  Successful employment (E, Tanzania);  Healthy relationship, financial security (S, India); Resolution to legal situation (M, USA-TX); For the return home of a son (M, USA-MA); Health and healing for a family (M, USA-OR);  For a husband battling mental illness (M, USA-MN);  For an estranged son (J, USA-OH);  For healing and health, for financial security (F, Cameroon); Healing of a husband, blessings upon a family (S, India); For successful employment and financial security (J, USA-CA); Hope and healing, financial security, blessings upon a family (G, USA-CA); For employment for a daughter, for blessings upon a new career, for financial security (B, Canada);  For healing and hope for a mother and son (A, Denmark);  Healing and recovery (M, USA-OH); Reconciliation of a family, forgiveness, (M, India); For guidance in academic careers for children (S, South Africa); Occupational success, health and healing (F, United Kingdom);  Healing, strength, and hope (A, USA-LA); For successful return of fiancé in military (E, Australia);.

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January 4, 2013: Blessed Angela of Foligno, "Mistress of Theologians"

Posted by Jacob

“God is the one who leads me and elevates me to that state. I do not go to it on my own, for by myself I would not know how to want, desire, or seek it. I am now continually in this state. Furthermore, God very often elevates me to this state with no need, even, for my consent; for when I hope or expect it least, when I am not thinking about anything, suddenly my soul is elevated by God and I hold dominion over and comprehend the whole world. It seems, then, as if I am no longer on earth but in heaven, in God.”

Today, January 4, we celebrate the feast day of Blessed Angela of Foligno (1248-1309).  Blessed Angela was born into a wealthy Italian family. In her own words, she lived a “mortally sinful” life for her first 40 years, proud and comfortable in her wealth and privilege. Angela was reportedly so embarrassed of her life, she made “false confessions” during the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that she could publicly receive the Eucharist and avoid the scrutiny of others. Following one such occasion, overcome with shame, she prayed in earnest for forgiveness and was visited by a vision of St. Francis of Assisi who offered help.

Shortly after this initial vision, Saint Angela’s remaining family members (husband, mother, and children) died, and she fully converted to Christ. Angela joined the Third Order of Saint Francis, and grew a large community committed to poverty, chastity, and obedience and serving the poor of the community. Throughout her life, Angela continued to experience mystical visions during her deep and reverent prayer. She came to record her conversion and visions in the Book of Visions and Instructions, and based on this work came to be known as the “Mistress of Theologians.”

For Angela “the whole world was filled with God,” and she was in almost constant communion with Him. Angela herself tells us that at times she was overcome with grief because she could see nothing but the extraordinary goodness of God and, in contrast, the vanity of earthly things and the ingratitude of creatures. The sight of a crucifix produced in Saint Angela torrents of tears.

Angela’s incorruptible remains repose at the church of Saint Francis in Foligno. Numerous miracles are reported to have occurred at her tomb.

Today we look to Saint Angela’s life, inspiring us to sincerely and contritely ask the Lord for forgiveness for our worldly “mortally sinful” lives. We pray for all of us, struggling with temptations that distract our hearts and minds from the goodness of the Lord. We pray for those who are afraid to ask for forgiveness.


Almighty God, 
You caused blessed Angela to excel 
in contemplating the mysteries of Your Son. 
Through he merits and prayers 
may we share in the same mysteries on earth 
and rejoice exultantly in the revelation of Your glory.
Amen.


Quotations of Blessed Angela of Foligno:


"Humility exists only in those who are poor enough to see that they possess nothing of their own."

"O my soul, how can you refrain from plunging yourself ever deeper and deeper into the love of Christ, who did not forget you in life or in death, but who willed to give Himself wholly to you, and to unite you to Himself forever?"

"It is the Sacrament of Love that excites the soul to ardent prayer. It stirs up the virtue of impetration and, as it were, forces God to grant our petition. It deepens the abyss of humility, above all it enkindles the flame of love in the heart; hence the Sacrament is the Gift of gifts, and the Grace of graces."

“Our condition is most noble, being so beloved of the Most High God that He was willing to die for our sake- which He would not have done if man had not been a most noble creature and of great worth.”

“Our perfection certainly consists in knowing God and ourselves.”

“By virtue of love is the lover transformed in the beloved and the beloved transformed in the lover.”

“No one can be saved without divine light. Divine light causes us to begin and to make progress, and it leads us to the summit of perfection. Therefore if you want to begin and to receive this divine light, pray. If you have begun to make progress and want this light to be intensified within you, pray. And if you have reached the summit of perfection, and want to be super-illumined so as to remain in that state, pray.”

”This embrace of God sets ablaze a fire within the soul with which the whole soul burns for Christ. It also produces a light so great that the soul understands the fullness of God's goodness, which it experiences in itself, and which is, moreover, much greater than the soul's experience of it. The effect then of this fire within the soul is to render it certain and secure that Christ is within it. And yet, what we have said is nothing in comparison to what this experience really is.”

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November 25: Saint Catherine Labouré

Posted by Jacob

Today, November 25, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Catherine Laboure (1806-1876), member of the Daughters of Charity, striker of the Miraculous Medal, and visionary. Saint Catherine lived her life simply, in service to those who lived with, never revealing until late in life that she was the recipient of heavenly visions and missions from Our Blessed Mother. Saint Catherine’s faith and humility led to the universal devotion to the Miraculous Medal, and continues to inspire us today.


Zoé Labouré was born in Fain-les Moutiers, a small village of France. The daughter of a wealthy and pious farmer, Zoé was raised devoutly in the faith. Her father, who had at one time in his life desired to become a priest, married a devout woman— Zoé’s mother—who raised her daughter strong in the faith during her early life. However, Zoé lost her mother when she was just nine years old. Her father, unable to support his eleven children (Zoé was the ninth), was forced to send his daughter and her younger sister to live with an aunt. For two years, Zoé abandoned her education, and lived with her devout aunt, until she was recalled to take charge of her father’s household upon the departure of her elder siblings.

Zoé’s older sister had entered the convent of the Daughters of Charity, the community of Saint Vincent de Paul. Zoé yearned to follow her, but had never selected a community to enter. From a young age, she had made a vow of virginity, and desired nothing more than to imitate Our Blessed Mother, whom she had devoted herself to upon the death of her mother. Ardent longing to see the Blessed Virgin filled her, and prayed simply for the grace of that meeting. When her work and household duties allowed her, she spent all her free time in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin in a nearby village.

Still torn and undecided regarding which religious community to enter the novitiate in, Zoé had a dream one night in which she saw a venerable priest in a dream, saying Mass in her little village church. In her dream, the priest—who she later learned to be Saint Vincent de Paul-- turned to her and gestured for her to come to speak with him. However, she retreated, and he said to her: “Now you flee me, but later you will be happy to come to me; God has plans for you.” Eventually, Zoé saw a picture of Saint Vincent, and realized the dream was calling her to enter the Daughters of Charity. When her younger sister was old enough to take over the household duties, she received permission from her father, and entered the novitiate at the Daughters of Charity convent, as her sister had done, taking the name Catherine. As a postulant, Catherine assisted in the translation of Saint Vincent de Paul’s relics to a church in Paris.

As a member of the religious community, Saint Catherine was graced by the Lord with frequent visions of Christ. She frequently saw Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, oftentimes appointed as Christ the King. Soon thereafter, in July of 1830 when Catherine was just 24 years old, Our Blessed Mother appeared to her as she had always wished. For the next 46 years, Saint Catherine would be blessed to commune with the Blessed Virgin, receiving messages and the mission of the Miraculous Medal. The Feast of the Miraculous Medal occurs on November 27—in just two days—and I will write more about this devotion then.

The medal, which Our Blessed Mother instructed to be struck, was the first task given to Catherine. She obeyed without hesitation, and with the assistance of her confessor. On one side it has the image of Our Lady, and the words, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” On the other are the hearts of Jesus and Mary. Our Lady told Catherine that wearers of the medal would receive great graces, it has become known as the Miraculous Medal, and its wearing and devotion has spread worldwide.

Saint Catherine, at the request of Mary, prayed incessantly for peace for 46 years. She also took a vow of silence, sharing only the instructions of the Blessed Mother with her confessor. He at first did not believe her, and she spent her days suffering that she could not complete her tasks. Eventually, her confessor (and then the bishop of Paris) were convinced, the medals struck, and miracles began occurring through their power. However, no one else was told who the recipient of the visions was. Even the Mother Superior at Saint Catherine’s convent did not know that the miraculous visions were occurring within her own convent walls.

Saint Catherine’s days were spent in prayer, contemplation, and devotion to Our Blessed Mother through prayer of the Rosary. As no one knew of her special relationship with Mary, she received no special treatment. Catherine worked obediently in the most menial kitchen and farming jobs, and cared for the elderly at a hospice near the convent. She further wrote about her visions of Our Blessed Mother, in one entry saying:

"Oh, how beautiful it will be to hear it said: Mary is Queen of the universe. That will be a time of peace, joy and happiness which will be long... She will be borne like a banner and will make a tour of the world.” The Virgin foretold that this time would come only after “the entire world will be in sadness... Afterwards, peace.”

Catherine suffered much during this time, and eventually died at the age of 70. Many miracles have been reported at her tomb. When her body was exhumed over fifty years later, in 1933, it was found completely fresh and supple, her blue eyes bright and clear. Saint Catherine’s incorrupt body is now encased in glass beneath the side altar at 140 Rue du Bac, Paris, beneath one of the spots where our Lady appeared to her.


Prayer of Saint Catherine Labouré

Whenever I go to the chapel,
I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and I say to him
"Lord, I am here.
Tell me what you would have me do."
If he gives me some task,
I am content and I thank him.
If he gives me nothing,
I still thank him
since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that.
And then, I tell God
everything that is in my heart.
I tell him about my pains and my joys,
and then I listen.
If you listen, God will also speak to you,
for with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen.
God always speaks to you
when you approach him plainly and simply.




Year 2: Day 328 of 365
Prayer Intentions: Faith. Humility. The grace of Our Blessed Mother.
Requested Intentions: Blessings on overseas employment (M); Healing of mother (L); Successful employment for husband (G); Successful employment, personal fulfillment (C); Health and recovery of ill sister (A);  Resolution of legal issues; Grace and protection (E); Successful and meaningful employment (S); Restoration of a marriage (A); Peace and tolerance in a family, support for those with Parkinson’s Disease (M); For the restoration of a daughter’s marriage, end to debt (S); Employment and continued strength (K); Successful examinations for a son (J); Employment and blessings of a child (S); Employment and financial security (F); Successful work placement, continued health (A); Grace and healing for a family (P); Healing of a father (M); Academic success for son, employment for husband and brother (B); Freedom from anxiety and panic attacks (R); Health and healing in preparation for surgery (C); Healing of a chronic illness (P); Safety of a family during storms (A); Successful home ownership (P); Healing of a marriage (M); Employment for a husband, blessings for a marriage (E); Successful examinations for a daughter, healing of a relationships (V).

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November 16: Saint Gertrude the Great

Posted by Jacob

"Lord, you have granted me your secret friendship by opening the sacred ark of your divinity, your deified heart, to me in so many ways as to be the source of all my happiness; sometimes imparting it freely, sometimes as a special mark of our mutual friendship. You have so often melted my soul with your loving caresses that, if I did not know the abyss of your overflowing condescensions, I should be amazed were I told that even your Blessed Mother had been chosen to receive such extraordinary marks of tenderness and affection"

Today, November 16, we also celebrate the feast day of Saint Gertrude the Great (also known as Gertrude of Helfta, 1256-1302), mystic, writer, visionary, Virgin of the Church, and Abbess. Saint Gertrude is referred to as "the Great" because of her single-hearted love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus, her numerous writings and exercises for the faithful, and her tireless compassion and prayer for the souls in purgatory.

Little is known about the early life of Gertrude, other than that she was born in Eisleben in Saxony. Her parents were either deceased or incapacitated, and by the age of five, Gertrude had been placed in the care of a cloister of Benedictine nuns in Rodalsdorf. When she completed her studies, she was moved to the monastery at Helfta (although it isn’t clear why). The sisters of the Helfta monastery kept records, describing the child, Gertrude, as loveable, quick-witted, and gracious. She progressed through her studies with ease, demonstrating clarity of thought and depth of understanding far beyond her years. While she excelled at all subjects—including grammar, rhetoric, logic, and Latin—Gertrude was most adept at theology and divinity studies. She also studied and excelled at music.

When she reached the age of admission, sometime around 16, Gertrude took the veil at Helfta monastery, entering the community there, and committing herself completely in service to the Lord. As a novice, she continued her studies in liturgy, scripture, and spiritual writing. A voracious reader, she became fluent in Latin and German. However, as much as she excelled at her studies, her sisters believed her to be neglecting her spiritual calling. And by her own admission, by the age of 24, Gertrude had grown tired of the monastic routine, and fallen into a deep depression.

However, that would soon change. Just after she reached her 25th year, Gertrude was confronted by a mystical encounter with Christ—an event she referred to as her “conversion.” In her experience, she heard Christ (deep within her heart) say: "Do not fear. I will save you and set you free." She wrote: "in a happy hour, at the beginning of twilight, thou O God of truth, more radiant than any light, yet deeper than any secret thing, determined to dissolve the obscurity of my darkness." What followed was a series of mystical visions and ecstasies, which drew her into contemplative, mystical prayer, transformed her life, increased her devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and led her to pen her exercises. Gertrude gave up her literary studies completely, spending all of her time in prayer, study of Scripture, and contemplation.

Saint Gertrude prayed that she, and her sisters, might have more time to pray and fewer distractions and requirements. During one encounter, Jesus answered "It does not matter to me whether you perform spiritual exercises or manual labor, provided only that your will is directed to me with a right intention. If I took pleasure only in your spiritual exercises, I should certainly have reformed human nature after Adam's fall so that it would not need food, clothing or the other things that man must find or make with such effort."

Saint Gertrude was especially devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well to the suffering of the souls in Purgatory. In one Vision, Our Lord told Gertrude that He longs for someone to ask Him to release souls from purgatory, just as a king who imprisons a friend for justice's sake hopes that someone will beg for mercy for his friend. In her text, Gertrude recorded the Lord’s words: "I accept with highest pleasure what is offered to Me for the poor souls, for I long inexpressibly to have near Me those for whom I paid so great a price. By the prayers of thy loving soul, I am induced to free a prisoner from purgatory as often as thou dost move thy tongue to utter a word of prayer."

At another time, Gertrude was given the following Prayer, which Our Lord told her would release 1000 Souls from Purgatory every time it is said with love and devotion. "Eternal Father, I offer You the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus Christ, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, those in the Universal Church, in my home, and in my family." From that moment, Gertrude prayed incessantly for the souls of Purgatory.

Gertrude’s mystical encounters with the Lord continued, and when she turned 33, Jesus asked her to record in writing an account of her experiences. Out of humility, she resisted, but eventually acquiesced so that her experiences might encourage others. Gertrude penned a short biography, entitled “The Herald of God’s Loving-Kindness,” to which her sisters added all the information they knew about her. In her text, Gertrude carefully described her own “conversion” and awakening to Christ, and her complete unconditional surrender to the grace and beauty of the Lord.

Gertrude later wrote another text, her “Spiritual Exercises,” to inspire and encourage her sisters with prayers, hymns, and reflections. Saint Gertrude’s exercises remain important, grounded in themes and rites of Church liturgy for occasions of Baptism, conversion, commitment, discipleship, union with God, praise of God, and preparation for death. They continue to be practiced by those who are interested in deepening their spirituality through prayer and meditation.

Saint Gertrude’s visions continued until the end of her life. When it was her time, the Lord called her to Him, saying: "Come, my chosen one, and I will place in you My throne." Her relics remain at the Abbey in Helfta, where they are venerated today. Though she was never formally canonized, Pope Clement XII in 1677 directed that her feast be observed throughout the Church.

Saint Gertrude's understanding of God's love continues to inspire us today. For her, the love of the Lord is anchored in the mystery of the mutual love between the Persons of the Blessed Trinity, which is forever directed toward all creation. But for Gertrude, the focus on the mystery of Jesus was less about history and more about the humanity He shares with us. Her emphasis was not that we should imitate Jesus, but that we are invited to participate in a human-divine union that already exists, based upon His creation. In prayer and sacrament, we encounter this blessed union. Gertrude lived this love every day, throughout her activities and the Liturgy, where she found Christ. Her life is a reminder to each of us that the heart of the Christian life is prayer, through which we unite with Our Lord in a deeply personal way.

From the Revelations by Saint Gertrude:

“May my soul bless you, O Lord God my Creator, may my soul bless you. From the very core of my being may all your merciful gifts sing your praise. Your generous care for your daughter has been rich in mercy; indeed it has been immeasurable, and as far as I am able I give you thanks. I praise and glorify your great patience which bore with me even though, from my infancy and childhood, adolescence and early womanhood, until I was nearly 26, I was always so blindly irresponsible. Looking back I see that but for your protecting hand I would haven been quite without conscience in thought, word or deed. But you came to my aid by giving me a natural dislike of evil and a natural delight in what is good, and provided me with necessary correction from those among whom I lived. To make amends for the way I previously lived, I offer you, most loving Father, all the sufferings of your beloved Son, from that first infant cry as he lay on the hay in the manger, until that final movement when, bowing his head, with a mighty voice, Christ gave up his spirit. I think, as I make this offering, of all that he underwent, his needs as a baby, his dependence as a young child, the hardships of youth and the trials of early manhood. To atone for all my neglect I offer, most loving Father, all that your only-begotten Son did during his life, whether in thought, word or deed. And now, as an act of thanksgiving, I praise and worship you, Father, in deepest humility for you most loving kindness and mercy. Though I was hurrying to my eternal loss, your thoughts of me were thoughts of peace and not of affliction, and you lifted me up with so many great favors. Finally, you drew me to yourself by your faithful promises of the good things you would give me from the hour of my death. So great are these promises that for their sake alone, even if you had given me nothing besides, my heart would sigh for you always and be filled with a lively hope.”



The Prayer of Saint Gertrude for the Souls in Purgatory

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus Christ, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, for those in my own home and within my family. Amen.


Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is aflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.




Father,
you filled the heart of St. Gertrude
with the presence of your love.
Bring light into our darkness
and let us experience the joy of your presence
and the power of your grace.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.



Year 2: Day 320 of 365
Prayer Intentions: Deep Union with the Lord; Improved Prayer Lives
Requested Intentions: Blessings on overseas employment (M); Healing of mother (L); Successful employment for husband (G); Successful employment, personal fulfillment (C); Health and recovery of ill sister (A);  Resolution of legal issues; Grace and protection (E); Successful and meaningful employment (S); Restoration of a marriage (A); Peace and tolerance in a family, support for those with Parkinson’s Disease (M); For the restoration of a daughter’s marriage, end to debt (S); Employment and continued strength (K); Successful examinations for a son (J); Employment and blessings of a child (S); Employment and financial security (F); Successful work placement, continued health (A); Grace and healing for a family (P); Healing of a father (M); Academic success for son, employment for husband and brother (B); Freedom from anxiety and panic attacks (R); Health and healing in preparation for surgery (C); Healing of a chronic illness (P); Safety of a family during storms (A); Successful home ownership (P); Healing of a marriage (M); Employment for a husband, blessings for a marriage (E); Successful examinations for a daughter, healing of a relationships (V).

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September 18: Saint Joseph of Cupertino

Posted by Jacob

"Clearly, what God wants above all is our will which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own. When a man trains himself to acts of virtue, it is with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come that he does this. The will is what man has as his unique possession."


Today, September 18, we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663), Franciscan brother, spiritual mystic, and patron saint of aviation due to his tendency to levitate in spiritual ecstasy. Known as “the reluctant saint,” Saint Joseph’s spiritual connection to the Lord oftentimes caused him great difficulty on earth, leading him before the Inquisition, forcing him to be shuttled from monastery to monastery, convent to convent so as not to disrupt his brothers. Throughout his struggles, Saint Joseph maintained a faithful focus on the Lord, offering prayer and penance in perpetual Lent.

Joseph was born in 1603 as Joseph Desa at Cupertino, Italy. Joseph’s father, a poor carpenter, passed away before his son was born, and creditors drove his mother from her home. As a result, Joseph was born in a stable, like his Lord and Savior. As early as eight years old, he began experiencing ecstatic visions that left him vacantly staring into space, and unable to be roused. His mother was greatly concerned, and punished him for what she interpreted as willful disobedience. Joseph also demonstrated a vicious temper, which through strict discipline and obedience, his mother helped him overcome during his adolescence. He was sickly and often at death's door during his childhood, and at age seven he developed a gangrenous ulcer which was later cured by a religious man. He was always despised by his companions who called him a fool. Even his mother wearied of him and repudiated him for his lack of any human value.

Due to the family’s poverty, Joseph went to work as a shoemaker’s apprentice at an early age. Drawn to the religious life, he applied for admittance to the Friars Minor Conventuals at age 17, but was refused due to his lack of education (for he had not attended school, so he could work to support his mother). That same year, Joseph accepted as a Capuchin lay-brother, but his ecstasies made him unsuitable for work, and he was quickly dismissed. Eager to leave home, due to constant abuse by his family, Joseph prayed in earnest, and was eventually accepted as a Franciscan oblate in the convent near Cupertino. Assigned to work in the stable, and care for the monastery’s donkey, Joseph gradually won over the superior of the order through his cheerfulness, humility, and willingness to work. However, he continued to struggle with anything related to academics, and only through divine intervention managed to become ordained at age 25. Despite the fact that he had little education, and could barely read or write, Joseph was graced with a profound gift of spiritual knowledge and discernment, which he used to solve intricate questions and provide direction to those who sought his counsel.

During this period of his life, while he was struggling to be ordained, the spiritual consolations he had enjoyed since his childhood abandoned him. Later he wrote to a friend about that difficult time: “I complained a lot to God about God. I had left everything for Him, and He, instead of consoling me, delivered me to mortal anguish.”

He continued: “One day, when I was weeping and wailing in my cell, a religious knocked on my door. I did not answer, but he entered my room and said: ‘Friar Joseph, how are you?’


‘I am here to serve you,’ I answered.


‘I thought you did not have a habit,’ he continued.


‘Yes, I have one, but it is falling apart,’ I responded.


Then, the unknown religious gave me a habit, and when I put it on, all my despair disappeared immediately. No one ever knew who that religious was.”

Despite his spiritual gifts, he seemed to lack every other natural ability. His ecstasies were so frequent that he was incapable of passing a test, maintaining a conversation, taking care of a house, or even touching a dish without breaking it. During service at the monastery, he would frequently slip into a trance and drop all the dishes he was carrying. As penance, broken bits of plates were fastened to his robes, to remind him of his need to pay attention to his earthly chores. He was called “Brother Ass” by his companions in the monastery.

Saint Joseph’s daily routine was unconventional, and could be interrupted at any time by visions and ecstasies. These spiritual gifts-- triggered any time or place by the sound of a church bell, church music, the mention of the name of God or of the Blessed Virgin or of a saint, any event in the life of Christ, the sacred Passion, a holy picture, the thought of the glory in heaven, any many others—were completely disruptive to whatever community he found himself in. They could occur while he was celebrating Mass, quietly praying in his cell, working in the community. Nothing, save the voice of his superior, could pull him from his ecstatic trances. His brothers tried yelling, beating, pinching, burning, piercing with needles, all to no avail. While entranced, Saint Joseph would often levitate and float and reportedly could hear heavenly music.

Saint Joseph’s ecstasies in public caused both admiration and disturbance in the community. Because of the attention he drew, his superiors decided that he would not be allowed to attend choir, go to the common refectory, walk in procession, or say Mass in church. To prevent making a spectacle, he was ordered to remain in his room with a private chapel, which he obediently did for nearly 35 years. Despite these restrictions, Joseph retained his joyous spirit, submitting to Divine Providence, keeping seven Lents of 40 days each year, never letting his faith be shaken.

Joseph is also remembered for his miraculous intercessions. Whenever there was a need for food Joseph would pray, place his hands upon what little there was to eat, and the food would be multiplied. At other times he simply called upon his Lady to intercede and behold, food miraculously increased. He restored the sight of the blind by placing his cap on their head, or healed the crippled and lame by offering them a Crucifix to kiss. During the plague which claimed many lives, he blessed those infected by making a sign of the cross on their foreheads, healing many, and raising some from the dead. An arrogant nobleman contemptuously challenged Joseph:

"Impious hypocrite, it is not you, but the religious habit you wear that I respect and because of it, I trust that if you make the sign of the Cross on my wound, it will heal."

Cheerfully, Saint Joseph humbly agreed, continuing that the nobleman’s words were absolutely true and wise. He then blessed his wound, whereupon it was completely healed.

In August 1663, Joseph became ill with a fever, but the experience filled him with joy. When asked to pray for his own healing he said, "No, God forbid.” He experienced ecstasies and flights during his last Mass which was on the Feast of the Assumption. In early September, Joseph could be heard mumbling, "The jackass has now begun to climb the mountain!" (referring to himself, of course). After receiving the last sacraments, a papal blessing, and reciting the Litany of Our Lady, Joseph peacefully died. He was buried two days later in the chapel of the Immaculate Conception before great crowds of people. His body is venerated today at a marble alter in the Church of Saint Francis is Osimo.

Saint Joseph of Cupertino reminds us that all are called to the Lord, even when they don’t necessarily appear to meet the demands of earthly society. Saint Joseph was the child that everyone laughed at, the young man who couldn’t hold a job or complete his education, and the adult who was mocked and derided. However, he approached every task—even the most menial ones—with cheer and humility. The Lord filled him with purity and goodness, so much so that he emitted a sweet perfume wherever he went. While in the world’s eyes he was nothing, in the Lord’s eyes, he was the one who was most spiritually gifted. We are reminded that the smaller and more insignificant we may appear, the closer we are to God and the more powerfully He can work through us!


God, our Father, your wisdom disposed that your only-begotten Son, when lifted above the earth, should draw all things to himself. May the merits and example of Saint Joseph help us to rise above earthly desires and become perfectly conformable to your Son. Amen.

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