Day: November 29, 2023

Posted in LITANIES, MARIAN Aspirations and Ejaculations, MARIAN NOVENAS

Novena in Honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – DAY ONE – 29 November

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Novena in Honour of the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary

THE FIRST DAY – 29 November
Predestination of the Blessed Virgin Mary

To All the Faithful who, by themselves or with others, in Church or at home, with at least contrite hearts and devotion, shall make this novena:
(1) 300 days Indulgence for each of the nine days;
(2) a Plenary Indulgence on one day of the novena or of the eight days following it. (Pius IX, 5 January 1849.) Conditions – Confession, Communion and prayer, according to the intentions of the Holy Father.
Whenever, in the following pages, an Indulgence is said to be granted “under the usual conditions,” these conditions are the same as above.
*Note – The above Indulgences may also be gained by making the novena at any other time of the year and are not attached to any prescribed formula of prayer. The same applies to all other Novenas in honour of the Blessed Virgin.

[A simple short Novena here AND REMEMBER * ABOVE APPLIES:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/29/immaculate-conception-novena-day-one-29-november/ ]

PREPARATORY PRAYER:
In thy conception, O Virgin Mary,
thou wast immaculate;
pray for us to the Father, Whose Son Jesus,
conceived in thy womb by the Holy Ghost,
thou didst bring forth.

Indulgence. 200 days, every time. (Pius VI, 21 November 1793).

MEDITATION:
Holy Church, our Mother, purposely gathered into the Season of Advent, everything which might contribute to assist us in preparing for the coming of the Redeemer. Purity of heart is the most necessary and helpful requirement for receiving God worthily and for participating in the fruits of our Redemption through Christ. To remind us of this, Holy Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this primary Feast of purity, in Advent.

The Church, moreover, intends to remind us that the coming of Christ, our promised Redeemer, depended on the consent of the Blessed Virgin. The Redeemer could not appear before she was born, of whom He was to be born. The aurora must precede the rising sun. Thus also, Mary, the spiritual aurora, had to be conceived and born, before the appearance of the Sun of Justice in this world.

PRACTICE:
In Mary appeared the woman who was to crush the serpent’s head, who was to repair, by her willing co-operation with God’s designs, the damage wrought by the disobedience of our first parents and who was to become our Mother and mighty Advocate with God.

The designs of God concerning Mary were fully accomplished. God also has designs concerning us. Our life was planned by Him from all eternity and we were destined to co-operate with Him harmoniously and conscientiously, in working out our salvation. Have we corresponded with God’s designs? Did we not oppose them by yielding to our evil inclinations and passions? What a disparity between God’s intentions concerning us and our own co-operation, between His merciful designs and our cowardly resistance to them!

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH:
O God, Who through the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin didst prepare a worthy dwelling-place
for Thy Divine Son; grant that, as in view of Thy Son,
Thou didst preserve her from all taint,
so Thou wouldst vouchsafe unto us
that cleansed from all sin by her intercession,
we too may arrive at Thine eternal glory.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER:
Behold, Virgin Immaculate,
at thy sacred feet I bow,
while my heart overflows with joy
in union with thine own
because, from eternity,
thou wast the Mother-elect
of the eternal Word
and was preserved stainless
from the taint of Adam’s sin.
Forever praised, forever blessed
by the Most Holy Trinity,
Who, in thy conception,
poured out upon thy soul,
the riches of that matchless privilege.
I humbly pray thee, most gracious Mother,
obtain for me the grace,
to overcome the bitter results of original sin.
Make me victorious over them
that I may never cease to love my God.
Amen

Hail Mary, Glory Be …

LITANY of LORETO:

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 Ghost,
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.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Saviour, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honour, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the Covenant, pray for us.
Gate of Heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of Confessors, pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of Peace, pray for 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.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God,
unto us Thy servants
that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body
and, by the glorious intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin,
may be delivered from present sadness
and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Aspiration: O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Indulgence. 100 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, 25 March 1884).

Posted in JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on FEAR, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on JOY, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on PERSECUTION, The BEATITUDES, The HOLY NAME

Thought for the Day – 29 November – The Blessedness of Those Who Suffer Persecution

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Thought for the Day – 29 November – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Blessedness of Those
Who Suffer Persecution

“Let us implore the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and to grant us this serene joy which is a reflection of the happiness of Heaven.
Oh by Thy Name we shall live in peaceful and fearless anticipation!”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/12/06/thought-for-the-day-6-december-the-blessedness-of-those-who-suffer-persecution/
PART TWO:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/29/thought-for-the-day-29-november-the-blessedness-of-those-who-suffer-persecution/

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on THE VOICE OF GOD, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, The KINGDOM of GOD / HEAVEN, The PASSION, The WORD

Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – “What are you looking for?”

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Quote/s of the Day – 29 November – Vigil of St Andrew Apostle – Ecclesiasticus 44:25-27; 45:2-4; 45:6-9; John 1:35-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“Jesus turned and saw them following Him
and said to them, “What are you looking for?”

John 1:38

“Then, let us run with Him as He presses on to His Passion.
Let us imitate those who have gone out to meet Him,
not scattering olive branches
or garments or palms in His path
but spreading ourselves before Him as best we can,
with humility of soul and upright purpose.
So may we welcome the Word as He comes (Jn 1:9);
so may God, Who cannot be contained within any bounds,
be contained within us.
For He is pleased to have shown us this gentleness,
He, Who is gentle and who “rides upon the setting sun”
(Ps 56:12) which refers to our extreme lowliness.
He is pleased to come and live with us
and to raise us up or bring us back to Himself.”

St Andrew of Crete (660-740)
Bishop, Father of the Church

“But seek first the Kingdom of God
and His righteousness
and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33

“But, [you will tell me],
there is so much to do, so many household jobs,
so much business in town, in the fields –
work everywhere! Do we have to abandon it all, then,
so as to think of nothing but God?”
No – but these occupations have to be sanctified
by seeking God in them and doing them
to find Him in them, rather than, to see them done.
What our Lord wants, is for us to seek His glory,
His Kingdom, His righteousness, before all else
and, for this, to make our foundation the interior life,
faith, trust, love, religious exercises…, labours and sufferings,
with God our Sovereign Lord in view…
Once we are firmly set in the search for God’s glory,
we can be assured that the rest will follow.”

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)

Posted in "Follow Me", AUGUSTINIANS OSA, CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS, The HEART, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 29 November – ‘… Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 29 November – The Vigil of St Andrew Apostle – Ecclesiasticus 44:25-27; 45:2-4; 45:6-9; John 1:35-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying and they stayed with Him that day.” – John 1:39

REFLECTION – “John was there and two of his disciples with him.” John was such “a friend of the Bridegroom” that he did not seek his own glory, he simply bore witness to the truth (Jn 3:29,26). Did he dream of keeping back his disciples and preventing them from following the Lord? Not in the least. He, himself, showed them the One they were to follow … He declared: “Why cling to me? I am not the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God … Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.”

At these words the two disciples who were with John, followed Jesus. “Jesus turned and saw that they were following Him and said to them: ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to Him: ‘Rabbi, where are you staying?” As yet they were not following Him definitively, as we know, they joined themselves to Him, when He called them to leave their boat … when He said to them: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). That was the moment they joined Him definitively, no longer to leave Him. But for now they wanted to see where Jesus was living and put into practice the words of Scripture: “If you see an intelligent man, seek him out at daybreak; let your feet wear away his doorstep! Learn from him the precepts of the Lord” (cf. Sir 6:36). So Jesus showed them where He was living, they went and stayed with Him. What a happy day they spent! What a blessed night! Who can say what it was they heard from the Lord’s mouth? Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts, construct a house where Christ can come to teach and converse with us.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel No 7).

PRAYER – Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto all Thy servants that they may remain continually in the enjoyment of soundness, both of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, always a Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness.Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST the PHYSICIAN, GOD is LOVE, Holy Name PRAYERS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for the SOULS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on STRENGTH, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST, The BEATITUDES, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 28 November – Daily Prayer to the Most Holy Name

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Our Morning Offering – 28 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”

Daily Prayer to the Most Holy Name
By St Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
Apostle of the Most Holy Name

Jesus,
Name full of glory, grace, love and strength!
Thou art the Refuge of those who repent,
our Banner of warfare in this life,
the Medicine of souls,
the Comfort of those who mourn,
the Delight of those who believe,
the Light of those who preach the true faith,
the Wages of those who toil,
the Cure of the sick.
To Thou, our devotion aspires;
by Thee, our prayers are received;
we delight in contemplating Thee.
O Name of Jesus,
Thou art the glory
of all the Saints for eternity.
Amen.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint/s of the Day – 29 November – Saint Saturninus of Rome, Priest Martyr and Saint Sisinius of Rome, Deacon Martyr (Died c304)

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Saint/s of the Day – 29 November – Saint Saturninus of Rome (Died c304) + Priest and Martyr and Saint Sisinius of Rome (Died c304) + Deacon and Martyr. Both our Saints were born in Carthage and died by being finally beheaded in c304 on the Via Nomentana, 2 miles outside Rome, during the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian and after years of slave labour and horrific tortures. Saturninus is also known as – Saturninus of Carthage, Saturninus the Elderly. Sisinius is also known as Sysinnius. Their Feast is celebrated on the day of the final translation of their Relics – 29 November. NB – (not to be confused with Saint Saturninus of Toulouse, a Bishop and Martyr in France, whose Feast is also today).

The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Rome, on the Salarian road, the birthday of the holy Martyr Saturninus, an aged man and the Deacon Sisinius, in the time of the Emperor Maximian. After a long imprisonment, they were, by order of the Prefect of the City, placed on the rack, distended with ropes, scourged with rods and whips garnished with metal, then exposed to the flames, taken down from the rack and beheaded.”

According to legend, Saturninus came from Carthage in North Africa and served as a Priest in Rome. He is described as an old man. Together with his Deacon Sisinnius, he was arrested and tortured during Christian persecutions. They were buried in the Cemetery of Saint Thraso on Via Salaria.

From the 1640 ‘General Legend of the Saints’ we read their story as follows:

“When the Emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (284-305) perceived that no torture or capital punishment could exterminate the Christians, nay, that the blood of the Martyrs was like seed, in which the life of one victim was in turn a hundred new believers, they invented a new way to oppress the Christians with long and painful tortures.

They had to carry stones and dig sand and do all the work necessary for the construction of public buildings. It was officially forbidden to sentence members of the nobility and soldiers to slave labour. But, precisely to humiliate the Christian faith even more, all Christians were sentenced, without respect to persons, to the slave labour of construction.

For example, Saturninus was among those in Rome who contributed to the construction of the bathhouses which Emperor Maximian had built for Diocletian because he had made him equal in rank to himself. Saturninus was already an elderly man and he was simply unable to do the heavy workwhich the overseers imposed on him. That is why he was helped by fellow Christians, especially by the Deacon Sisinnius. In his zeal, in addition to the burden imposed on himself, he also shouldered the burden of Saturninus. So he trudged to and fro, happily singing his Psalms to the Lord.

The imperial officials watched with great amazement at the great love and joy radiating from Sisinnius during his painful labours. They reported it to their Commander Espurius, who in turn, reported it to Emperor Maximian. He had Sisinnius and Saturninus brought before him. In vain he tried to have them sacrifice to idols under threats. When this came to nothing, he entrusted them to the Commander Landicius, with orders to force them to make sacrifices or else put them to death with his own hands. The Ruler threw them into prison. There they sat for several days, converting many pagans who came to visit them to the Christian faith. After thirty-three days the superior had them appear before him with their hands shackled and their feet bare. He perceived that they were still as steadfast and that they would rather die a thousand deaths, than deny Jesus Christ. He had an idol set up for them to worship. But Saturninus said, raising his voice:
“May the Lord put to shame the gods of the heathen.”
Immediately the statue fell to smithereens on the ground. At the same time two soldiers, named Papias and Maurus, began to shout that the Jesus Christ whom Saturninus and Sisinnius worshiped must be the true God!

The superior condemned the two Saints to the rack – then he had them lifted up, beaten with sharp scourges and torn their bodies apart with the instrument of torture, called the scorpion. But they sang with great joy, “Glory to Thee, Jesus Christ because Thou hast given us part in the glory of Thy servants.” When Papias and Maurus saw all this, they too began to long for the Martyr’s crown. They flew into a holy rage against the executioners and shouted, “How is it possible that the devil has such great power over you that he makes you so cruel to these two holy men?”

This angered Commander Landicius. He had them struck in the mouth with stones and then thrown into prison. In the days following, they were subjected to all kinds of torture. Meanwhile, he had the sides of Saturninus and Sisinnius scorched with flaming torches. But when he saw that this did nothing to their perfect faith either and that they were undergoing all this with joy, praising the Lord, he decided to have them taken half a mile outside Rome, to be beheaded along the road to Nomentana.

Their bodies were recovered by a rich, powerful and very devoted man named Thrassus; he spent all his possessions to support the Christians and assist the workers at the bathhouses. He buried them in his own yard. That happened on the twenty-ninth day of November. The Catholic Church has commemorated them on this day ever since. They were Martyred five years after the start of work on the construction of the bathhouses.‘”

The Altar of St Saturinus at the Basilica of Sts John and Paul

The only definitive information which can be said with historical certainty is that Saturninus is a Martyr of the first Centuries of Christianity and that his feast was traditionally celebrated on 29 November at his grave on Via Salaria. On their grave stood a Church that fell into ruins in the Middle Ages.

Their Relics were re-enshrined in the Church of Saints John and Paul (the ones mentioned in the Roman Canon). Finally, on 29 November 1987, most of the Relics were moved to the Church of St Gregory the Great and St Saturninus, in Rome, to an Altar newly dedicated in his honour. The image above resides above the Altar where some his Relics remain at Sts John and Paul.

The Church of St Gregory the Great and Saturinus in Rome
Posted in franciscan OFM, MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Vigil of the Feast of St Andrew, Notre Dame au Coeur d’Or / Our Lady of the Golden Heart of Beauraing, Belgium (1932) and Memorials of the Saints – 29 November

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Vigil of the Feast of St Andrew

The First Day of the Immaculate Conception Novena

Notre Dame au Coeur d’Or / Our Lady of the Golden Heart of Beauraing, Belgium (1932) – 29 November:
HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/29/notre-dame-au-coeur-dor-our-lady-of-the-golden-heart-of-beauraing-belgium-1932-and-memorials-of-the-saints-29-november/

All Saints of the Seraphic Order (Franciscan): the Church celebrates the many Franciscan Saints who followed in the footsteps of St Francis. It is a special day for all Franciscans to celebrate the Feast of ‘All the Saints of the Seraphic Order.’
Also on this day in 1223, the final Rule of life for Franciscan Friars was approved. To commemorate this and all the saintly examples produced in the Franciscan Order, on this day all the Saints of the Seraphic order are remembered at Franciscan Churches throughout the world.

Blessed Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos Seña SJ (1711-1735) Priest of the Society of Jesus, Mystic, Apostle of the Sacred Heart.
Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/11/29/saint-of-the-day-29-november-blessed-bernardo-francisco-de-hoyos-sj-1711-1735/

St Blaise of Veroli

St Brendan of Birr (Died c573) Abbot, known as “Prophet of Ireland,” Founder of the Monastery at Birr in Central Ireland. Brendan is one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and a friend and disciple of Saint Columba.
St Brendan’s Biography:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/11/29/saint-of-the-day-29-november-saint-brendan-of-birr-died-c-573/

St Demetrius of Veroli
Blessed Denis of the Nativity OCD (1600-1638) Priest Martyr

St Francesco Antonio Fasani OFM Conv (1681 – 1742) Priest and Friar of the Order of Conventual Friars Minor, Teacher, Confessor, Preacher, Mystic.
His story:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/11/29/saint-of-the-day-29-november-st-francesco-antonio-fasani-1681-1742-29-november/

Bl Frederick of Ratisbon
St Hardoin of Brittany
St Illuminata of Todi
St James of Saroug
Bl Jutta of Heiligenthal
St Paphnutius of Heracleopolis
St Paramon
St Philomenus of Ancyra
St Radbod of Utrecht

Blessed Redemptorus of the Cross OCD (1598-1638) Martyr,, Portugeuse Lay Brother of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Missionary. Died by torture in 1638, aged 40, on the Malay Archipelago.
Beatified on 10 June 1900 by Pope Leo XIII together with Blessed Denis of the Nativity, who was Martyred with Redemptorus.
His Life and Death:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/11/29/saint-of-the-day-29-november-blessed-redemptorus-of-the-cross-ocd-1598-1638-martyr/

St Sadwen of Wales
St Saturninus of Rome (Died c304) + Priest and Martyr
St Saturninus of Toulouse
St Sisinius of Rome (Died c304) + Deacon and Martyr
St Walderic of Murrhardt