Happy Father's Day!

 Prayer to Saint Joseph for Fathers

Saint Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary, you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty. You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands. Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you. You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes. They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them. You too knew trial, labor and weariness. But amid the worries of material life, your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with God's Son entrusted to you and with Mary, his tender Mother. Assure those you protect that they do not labor alone. Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over Him faithfully as you have done. Amen.

Miracles Happen

A miracle happened yesterday! 

For our graduation, all the graduates sang "Be Thou My Vision" as our Graduates Prayer.  I played the piano.  Now, I usually get pretty nervous when I perform on the piano, hands shake, legs shake and I generally mess up once or twice.  I was playing Be Thou My Vision through 6 times, so I figured I would be fine by the end - but I was worried about my introduction verse. 

Then I walked up there and sat down, everyone got ready and then one of the graduates played a verse on her tin whistle.  While she played, I was slightly nervous, but then it was my turn, and the nervousness was gone.  I played that piece 6 times through PERFECTLY.  I have NEVER EVER in my 8 years of piano experience played a piece perfectly, not even at home by myself.  And I played it perfectly six times.  Not only that, but I was able to sing along to all the verses.  At the practice, I could only sing the few lines here an there that I had memorized, because I was concentrating on playing and couldn't read the words.  But then, it was almost as if someone else was playing the piano for me (I think there was...) and I was able to read the notes and the words and sing the whole song, something I had really wanted to do, but I didn't think I'd be able to since I didn't have the song memorized.

At one point, about half way through, I realized how well I was doing, and I almost got scared, but I knew that if I thought about what I was doing, I would mess up, and so I kept on going.  Kind of like Peter walking on water... but I didn't drown.

So Praise God and a huge thank you to everyone who prayed for me!  It really worked!

The Feast of Corpus Christi

My Jesus,

I believe that You

are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love You above all things,

and I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment

receive You sacramentally,

come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace 

You as if You were already there and 

unite myself wholly to You. 

Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

Memorial Day Weekend

Say a prayer today for those who have fallen, and those who were left behind.

Happy Feast Day!

Today is Father Damien of Molokai's first feast day as a Saint!  A fact, I believe, worthy of mention.  So Happy Feast Day... SAINT Damien!

Prayer to St. Damien

Damien, brother on the journey,

happy and generous missionary,

who loved the Gospel more than your own life.

who for love of Jesus left your family, your

homeland, your security and your dreams.

Teach us to give our lives

with a joy like yours,

to be in solidarity with the outcasts of the world,

to celebrate and contemplate the Eucharist

as the source of our own commitment.

Help us to love to the very end

and, in the strength of the Spirit, to persevere in

compassion

for the poor and forgotten

so that we might be

good disciples of Jesus and Mary.

Amen.

Happy Mother's Day!

 A Prayer to Mary

Mothers Day is a time to stop and reflect on all the love
our mothers have shown us through our lives. Sweet and
Blessed Mother, guide our mothers that they too may lead us
to Your Son, just as you show us. May they imitate Your
love and devotion. May we in return also be loving,
patient, understanding and supportive to our mothers.

Blessed Mother, we pray for all mothers - our own mums, our
aunts, our grandmothers... the living and the departed.

Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed art
thou amongst women, Blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

A Scriptural Journey Through Holy Week

A dear friend of mine sent me an e-mail today with a list of all the readings from the Gospel's that pertain to each day of Holy Week.  Reading the events for each day in the Bible sounded like a great idea, so I'm sharing the list with you!

Palm Sunday*: Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-48; John 12:12-50 (not clear split of days here)

Monday: Matthew 21:18-46, 22, 23 (approx); Mark 11:12-19; Luke 20 & 21 (not clear split between Monday and Tuesday); John (see above)

Tuesday: Matthew 24-26:13 (approx); Mark 11:20-33, 12, 13, 14:1-9 (approx); Luke 20 & 21 (see above); John (see above)

Spy Wednesday: Matthew 26:14-15; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:1-6; John (see above)

Holy Thursday: Matthew 26:16-75; Mark 14:12-72; Luke 22:7-71; John 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18:1-27

Good Friday: Matthew 27:1-61; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 18:28-40, 19:1-42

Holy Saturday: Matthew 27:62-66; Luke 23:56

Easter Sunday: Matthew 28; Mark 16:1-13; Luke 24:1-49; John 20:1-23

In Your Prayers Today

Please remember to pray that the Health Care Reform Bill does NOT get passed today!  While yes, some of the wording has been changed, there are still loopholes that would protect and allow the funding of abortion.  We need to pray that this bill gets defeated. 
Especially pray for the intercession of St. Gianna Molla - an Italian wife, mother and doctor who refused to have an abortion so that the doctors could treat her cancer and thus sacrificed her life for her child.  

Happy Feast of Saint Joseph!

St. Joseph Protector of Virgins

O Blessed St. Joseph, faithful guardian and protector of virgins, to whom God entrusted Jesus and Mary, I implore you by the love which did bear them, to preserve me from every defilement of soul and body, that I may always serve them in holiness and purity of love. Amen

All Souls Day

Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great for the Souls in Purgatory
It was promised that each time this prayer was recited,
1,000 souls would be released from Purgatory into Heaven.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

Happy Feast of All Saints!

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, Pray for us.
Saint Michael, Pray for us.
Saint Gabriel, Pray for us.
Saint Raphael, Pray for us.
All ye holy angels and archangels, Pray for us.
All ye holy orders of blessed spirits, Pray for us.
Saint John the Baptist, Pray for us.
Saint Joseph, Pray for us.
All ye holy patriarchs and prophets. Pray for us.
Saint Peter, Pray for us.
Saint Paul, Pray for us.
Saint Andrew, Pray for us.
Saint James, Pray for us.
Saint John, Pray for us.
Saint Thomas, Pray for us.
Saint James, Pray for us.
Saint Philip, Pray for us.
Saint Bartholomew. Pray for us.
Saint Matthew, Pray for us.
Saint Simon, Pray for us.
Saint Thaddeus, Pray for us.
Saint Matthias, Pray for us.
Saint Barnabas, Pray for us.
Saint Luke, Pray for us.
Saint Mark, Pray for us.
All ye holy apostles and evangelists, Pray for us.
All ye holy disciples of our Lord. Pray for us.
All ye holy Innocents, Pray for us.
Saint Stephen, Pray for us.
Saint Lawrence, Pray for us.
Saint Vincent, Pray for us.
Saints Fabian and Sebastian, Pray for us.
Saints John and Paul, Pray for us.
Saints Cosmas and Damian, Pray for us.
Saints Gervase and Protase, Pray for us.
All ye holy martyrs, Pray for us.
Saint Sylvester, Pray for us.
Saint Gregory, Pray for us.
Saint Ambrose, Pray for us.
Saint Augustine. Pray for us.
Saint Jerome, Pray for us.
Saint Martin, Pray for us.
Saint Nicolas, Pray for us.
All ye holy bishops and confessors, Pray for us.
All ye holy doctors, Pray for us.
Saint Anthony, Pray for us.
Saint Benedict, Pray for us.
Saint Bernard, Pray for us.
Saint Dominic, Pray for us.
Saint Francis, Pray for us.
All ye holy priests and levites, Pray for us.
All ye holy monks and hermits. Pray for us.
Saint Mary Magdalen, Pray for us.
Saint Agatha, Pray for us.
Saint Lucy, Pray for us.
Saint Agnes, Pray for us.
Saint Cecily, Pray for us.
Saint Catherine, Pray for us.
Saint Anastasia, Pray for us
All ye holy virgins and widows, Pray for us.

All ye holy men and women, Saints of God, Make intercession for us.
Be merciful, Spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

From all evil, O Lord, deliver us.
From all sin, O Lord, deliver us.
From Thy wrath, O Lord, deliver us.
From a sudden and unprovided death, O Lord, deliver us.
From the snares of the devil, O Lord, deliver us.
From anger, and hatred, and all ill will, O Lord, deliver us.
From the spirit of fornication, O Lord, deliver us.
From lightning and tempest, O Lord, deliver us.
From the scourge of earthquake. O Lord, deliver us.
From pestilence, famine and war, O Lord, deliver us.
From everlasting death, O Lord, deliver us.
Through the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy coming, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy nativity, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy baptism and holy fasting, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy Cross and Passion, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy death and burial, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thy holy Resurrection, O Lord, deliver us.
Through Thine admirable Ascension, O Lord, deliver us.
Through the coming of the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, O Lord, deliver us.
In the day of judgment, O Lord, deliver us.

We sinners, We beseech Thee, hear us,
That Thou wouldst spare us, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst pardon us, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bring us to true penance, We beseech Thee,
hear us.
That Thou wouldst govern and preserve Thy holy Church We beseech Thee, hear us.,
That Thou wouldst preserve our Aposto-lie Prelate, and all ecclesiastical orders in holy religion, We beseech Thee,
hear us,
That Thou wouldst humble the enemies of Thy holy Church, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant peace and unity to all Christian people, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bring back to the unity of the Church all those who have strayed away, and lead to the light of the Gospel all unbelievers, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst confirm and pres-erve us in Thy holy service, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst lift up our minds to heavenly desires, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst render eternal blessings to all our benefactors, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst deliver our souls, and the souls of our brethren, relations and benefactors, from eternal damnation, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst give and preserve the fruit of the earth, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst give eternal rest to all the faithful departed, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously hear us We beseech Thee, hear us. Son of God, We beseech Thee, hear us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Our Father.. (silently)…. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Psalm 69

Deign, O Lord, to rescue me; O Lord, make haste to help me Let them be put to shame and confounded who seek my life. Let them be turned back in disgrace who desire my ruin. Let them retire in their shame who say to me, "Aha, aha!" But may all who seek Thee exult and be glad in Thee, And may those who love Thy salvation say ever, "God be glorified!" But I am afflicted and poor; O God, hasten to me! Thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, hold not back!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Save Thy servants.

Who trust in Thee, O my God.

Be a tower of strength for us, O Lord,

Against the attack of the enemy.

Let not the enemy prevail against us.

And let not the son of evil dare to harm us.

O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins.

Neither requite us according to our iniquities.

Let us pray for a true Sovereign Shepherd

The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

Let us pray for our benefactors.

Deign, O Lord, for Thy name's sake, to reward with eternal life all those who do us good. Amen.

Let us pray for the faithful departed.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord;
and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace.

Amen.

V. For our absent brethren.

R. Save Thy servants, who trust in Thee, my God.

V. Send them help, O Lord, from Thy sanctuary.

R. And sustain them from Zion.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

V. The Lord be with Thee.

R. And with Thy spirit.

Let us pray.
O God, Whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, receive our petition, that we, and all Thy servants who are bound by the chains of sin, may, by the compassion of Thy goodness, be mercifully absolved.

Graciously hear, we beg Thee, O Lord, the prayers of Thy suppliants, and pardon the sins of those who confess to Thee, that in Thy bounty Thou may grant us both pardon and peace.

In Thy clemency, O Lord, show us Thy ineffable mercy, that Thou may both free us from all our sins, and deliver us from the punishments which we deserve for them.

O God, Who by sin are offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy suppliant people, and turn away the scourges of Thy anger, which we deserve for our sins.

Almighty, everlasting God, have mercy upon Thy servant N., our Sovereign Pontiff, and direct him according to Thy clemency into the way of everlasting salvation, that by Thy grace he may desire those things that are pleasing to Thee, and perform them with all his strength.

O God, from Whom are holy desires, good counsels, and just works, give to Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts be set to keep Thy commandments, and that, being removed from the fear of our enemies, we may pass our time in peace under Thy protection.

Burn our desires and our hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit, O Lord, that we may serve Thee with a chaste body, and with a clean heart be pleasing to Thee.

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy servants and handmaids the remission of all their sins, that, through devout prayers, they may obtain the pardon which they always desired.

Direct, we beg Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy inspirations, and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may begin always with Thee, and through Thou be happily ended.

Almighty and everlasting God, Thou hast dominion over the living and the dead, and Thou art merciful to all who Thou foreknowest will be Thine by faith and good works; we humbly beg Thee that those for whom we intend to pour forth our prayers, whether this present world still detain them in the flesh, or the world to come has already received them out of their bodies, may, through the intercession of all Thy Saints, by the clemency of Thy goodness, obtain the remission of all their sins. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

V. May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us. R. Amen.

V. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. R. Amen

Feast Day!

Today is the feast day of one of my closest Saint friends... Saint Jude Thaddeus. I first really discovered and came to know Saint Jude about two years ago. My theatrical group I am with was preparing for our first production of "The Seven Last Words of Christ", and in addition to being given the part of one of the angry mob, I was also made one of the apostles at the Last Supper. Our directoress randomly assigned all of us an apostle - I was given Saint Jude. I wanted to really get to know him, so I could do better with my part... and the rest, as they say, is history!

He really is an amazing saint. Saint Jude was the brother of Saint James the Lesser and a blood relative of Jesus. He is reported to have resembled Our Lord greatly in looks - hence the reason Saint Jude is sometimes pictured holding a medal of Our Lord.

Saint Jude is traditionally venerated as the patron saint of lost or impossible causes. This stems from the fact that his name is very similar to Judas Iscariot, the traitor. (A variant of Jude often used in the Bible is Judas.) Because of this similarity, people would confuse the two. They did not ask for Saint Jude's intercession, basically rendering him "a lost cause". (Things have improved since then. ;) )

Here are two of my favorite prayers to Saint Jude.

Saint Jude Prayer in the Morning
Saint Jude, giver of hope, let the promise of this new day fill me with wonder. Goodness surrounds me this morning. The sun rising to greet the earth recalls the joy of Easter morning, when Christ's light burst forth, showing the world His glory. St. Jude, place a spark of hope in my heart and ignite in me a fire burning with the love of God. Help me in my work today. Help me to forgive readily and to know and do God's holy and true will. May everything I am bring glory to God, and lead me closer to you, my ever-loving friend. Amen.

Saint Jude Prayer at Night
Come St. Jude, dearest companion. Quiet my heart and free my spirit. Help me to recognize the gifts of this day. I go now to rest. Refresh me this night with peacful sleep. Hold me and my loved ones close to you, keep us safe, and protect us from the evil one. Guide and heal my tired mind and body. Bring me safely to another day, that I may live to serve Jesus and walk with you in hope toward my heavenly reward. Amen

Saint Jude... pray for us!

ACT

Just asking for prayers for tomorrow! I'll be taking the ACT, starting at 8 in the morning. I'm pretty confident about it (all but the Math section =P ) but prayers would be great none the less! Especially since I got a sore throat this morning... ick.

So remember me in your prayers, please!

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

In honor of today being the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, I would like to share with you this article by Fr. William Saunders about the history of the Rosary.

The rosary is one of the most cherished prayers of our Catholic Church. Introduced by the Creed, the Our Father, three Hail Marys and the Doxology ("Glory Be"), and concluded with the Salve Regina, the rosary involves the recitation of five decades consisting of the Our Father, 10 Hail Marys and the Doxology. During this recitation, the individual meditates on the saving mysteries of our Lord's life and the faithful witness of our Blessed Mother.

Journeying through the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries of the rosary, the individual brings to mind our Lord's incarnation, His passion and death and His resurrection from the dead. In so doing, the rosary assists us in growing in a deeper appreciation of these mysteries, in uniting our life more closely to our Lord and in imploring His graced assistance to live the faith. We also ask for the prayers of our Blessed Mother, who leads all believers to her Son.

The origins of the rosary are "sketchy" at best. The use of "prayer beads" and the repeated recitation of prayers to aid in meditation stem from the earliest days of the Church and has roots in pre-Christian times. Evidence exists from the Middle Ages that strings of beads were used to count Our Fathers and Hail Marys. Actually, these strings of beads became known as "Paternosters," the Latin for "Our Father."

The structure of the rosary gradually evolved between the 12th and 15th centuries. Eventually 50 Hail Marys were recited and linked with verses of psalms or other phrases evoking the lives of Jesus and Mary. During this time, this prayer form became known as the rosarium ("rose garden"), actually a common term to designate a collection of similar material, such as an anthology of stories on the same subject or theme. During the 16th century, the structure of the five-decade rosary based on the three sets of mysteries prevailed.

Tradition does hold that St. Dominic (d. 1221) devised the rosary as we know it. Moved by a vision of our Blessed Mother, he preached the use of the rosary in his missionary work among the Albigensians, who had denied the mystery of Christ. Some scholars take exception to St. Dominic's role in forming the rosary. The earliest accounts of his life do not mention it, the Dominican constitutions do not link him with it and contemporaneous portraits do not include it as a symbol to identify the saint.

In 1922, Dom Louis Cougaud stated, "The various elements which enter into the composition of that Catholic devotion commonly called the rosary are the product of a long and gradual development which began before St. Dominic's time, which continued without his having any share in it, and which only attained its final shape several centuries after his death." However, other scholars would rebut that St. Dominic not so much "invented" the rosary as he preached its use to convert sinners and those who had strayed from the faith. Moreover, at least a dozen popes have mentioned St. Dominic's connection with the rosary, sanctioning his role as at least a "pious belief."

The rosary gained greater popularity in the 1500s, when Moslem Turks were ravaging Eastern Europe. Recall that in 1453, Constantinople had fallen to the Moslems, leaving the Balkans and Hungary open to conquest. With Moslems raiding even the coast of Italy, the control of the Mediterranean was now at stake.

In 1571, Pope Pius V organized a fleet under the command of Don Juan of Austria the half-brother of King Philip II of Spain. While preparations were underway, the Holy Father asked all of the faithful to say the rosary and implore our Blessed Mother's prayers, under the title Our Lady of Victory, that our Lord would grant victory to the Christians. Although the Moslem fleet outnumbered that of the Christians in both vessels and sailors, the forces were ready to meet in battle. The Christian flagship flew a blue banner depicting Christ crucified. On October 7, 1571, the Moslems were defeated at the Battle of Lepanto. The following year, Pope St. Pius V established the Feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7, where the faithful would not only remember this victory, but also give thanks to the Lord for all of His benefits and remember the powerful intercession of our Blessed Mother.

The fact that our Church continues to include the Feast of the Holy Rosary on the liturgical calendar testifies to the importance and goodness of this form of prayer. Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, "The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description."

~ Courtesy of EWTN

Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for us!

Respect Life Sunday

Prayer for Reverence of Life

All mighty God, giver of all that is good. We thank you for the precious gift of human life.

For life in womb, coming from your creative power
For the life of children, making us glad with their freshness and promise
For the life of young people, hoping for a better world
For the life of the handicapped and disabled, teaching us humility
For the life of the elderly, witnessing the ageless values of patience and wisdom.

Like Blessed Mary, may we always say yes to your gift. May we defend it and promote it from conception to it's natural end and bring us at last oh Father to eternal life, in Jesus Christ our lord. AMEN

International Day of Blasphemy

Yes, you read the title right. Today is the first International Day of Blasphemy, complete with art exhibits and a contest.

How far will people push God?

I was able to find Prayers of Reparation for Blasphemy, that I thought I would share with you all. I encourage you to pray them, as well as pray for the conversion and repentance of all those who are involved with this.


Golden Arrow

May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most mysterious and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in heaven on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
Imprimatur - T. J. Toolen, Archbishop of Mobile-Birm

Praise to the Holy Name of Jesus

May the Holy Name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!
May the Holy Name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!
May the Holy Name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!
May the Holy Name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!
May the Holy Name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!


Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, animated with a desire to repair the outrages unceasingly offered to Thee, we prostrate before Thy throne of mercy, and in the name of all mankind, pledge our love and fidelity to Thee.

The more Thy mysteries are blasphemed, the more firmly we shall believe them, O Sacred Heart of Jesus!

The more impiety endeavors to extinguish our hope of immortality, the more we shall trust in Thy Heart, sole Hope of mankind!

The more hearts resist Thy Divine attractions, the more we shall love Thee, O infinitely amiable Heart of Jesus!

The more unbelief attacks Thy Divinity, the more humbly and profoundly we shall adore It, O Divine Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy holy laws are transgressed and ignored, the more we shall delight to observe them, O most holy Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy Sacraments are despised and abandoned, the more frequently we shall receive them with love and reverence, O most generous Heart of Jesus!

The more the imitation of Thy virtues is neglected and forgotten, the more we shall endeavor to practice them, O Heart, model of every virtue!

The more the devil labors to destroy souls, the more we shall be inflamed with desire to save them, O Heart of Jesus, zealous Lover of souls!

The more sin and impurity destroy the image of God in man, the more we shall try by purity of life to be a living temple of the Holy Spirit, O Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy Holy Church is despised, the more we shall endeavor to be her faithful children, O Sweet Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy Vicar on earth is persecuted, the more will we honor him as the infallible head of Thy Holy Church, show our fidelity and pray for him, O kingly Heart of Jesus!

O Sacred Heart, through Thy powerful grace, may we become Thy apostles in the midst of a corrupted world, and be Thy crown in the kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

Nihil Obstat - John J. Clifford, S.J. Censor Liborum
Imprimatur - + Samuel A. Stritch, December 17, 1943 Archbishop of Chicago.

September 25th

Today I was searching through the documents in the library when I came across two beautiful prayers. The manuscript was old and faded, but and though I could not see who they were written by, I could see that a person named Tolkien translated them into elvish. It's is very odd... here they are below.

Átaremma

Átaremma i ëa han ëa · Our father who art in heaven, na airë esselyana aire esselya · hallowed be thy name, aranielya na tuluva · thy kingdom come, na carë indómelya cemendë tambë Erumandë : thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven ámen anta síra ilaurëa massamma · Give us this day our daily bread, ar ámen apsenë úcaremmar sív' emmë apsenet tien i úcarer emmen. and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Álamë tulya úsahtienna mal ámë etelehta ulcullo : And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

násië - Amen.

Aia María

Aia María quanta Eruanno
Hail Mary full of grace,
i Héru as elyë
the Lord is with thee.
aistana elyë imíca nísi
Blessed art thou among women
ar aistana i yávë mónalyo Yésus
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.
Airë María Eruo ontaril
Holy Mary mother of God,
á hyamë rámen úcarindor
pray for us sinners
sí ar lúmessë ya firuvammë
now and in the hour of our death.
násië
Amen.

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Litany of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows

by Pope Pius VII

V. Lord, have mercy on us.
R. Christ, have mercy on us.
V. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
R. Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of the Crucified, [etc.]
Sorrowful Mother
Mournful Mother
Sighing Mother
Afflicted Mother
Foresaken Mother
Desolate Mother
Mother most sad
Mother set around with anguish
Mother overwhelmed by grief
Mother transfixed by a sword
Mother crucified in thy heart
Mother bereaved of thy Son
Sighing Dove
Mother of Dolors
Fount of tears
Sea of bitterness
Field of tribulation
Mass of suffering
Mirror of patience
Rock of constancy
Remedy in perplexity
Joy of the afflicted
Ark of the desolate
Refuge of the abandoned
Shiled of the oppressed
Conqueror of the incredulous
Solace of the wretched
Medicine of the sick
Help of the faint
Strength of the weak
Protectress of those who fight
Haven of the shipwrecked
Calmer of tempests
Companion of the sorrowful
Retreat of those who groan
Terror of the treacherous
Standard-bearer of the Martyrs
Treasure of the Faithful
Light of Confessors
Pearl of Virgins
Comfort of Widows
Joy of all Saints
Queen of thy Servants
Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled

V. Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, Who lives and reigns world without end. Amen.

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Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Chaplet for Priests

Just letting you know about a new, awesome product from Handmaid For The Lord !

Chaplet for Priests

As a response to the declaration for this the Year for Priests, and as a personal commitment to praying for vocations, we have designed a beautiful, yet masculine, prayer tool: the Chaplet for Priests.

The chaplet is composed of 3 very special intentions:

• an increase in vocations,
• an increase of Faith, Hope, and Love for priests, and
• a return to fidelity for priests who have lost their way
  

The chaplet invokes the intercessions of St. John Vianney, Patron of Priests, and the Mary, Mother of the High Priest. We've used 6mm black matte glass beads for the Hail Mary's and larger opaque 8mm glass beads, hugged in pewter caps, for the Our Fathers. The center is St. John Vianney, with St. Philomena (Vianney had a very special love and devotion to her) on the reverse. The silver-tone crucifix is 1-1/2". Our Chaplet for Priests ships with a satin drawstring pouch and instructions on how to pray the chaplet. It arrives gift boxed.

$19.95 - Buy It

While you're over there, be sure and check out their lovely Bracelet of the Month as well!