Our Morning Offering – 2 June – Month of the Sacred Heart – Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus By St Gertrude the Great
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 Saviour,
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
Thought for the Day – 31 May – The Last Day of Mary’s Month and the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary from St Bede the Venerable
Writing in the early 8th century, St Bede explains why the Magnificat, Mary’s prayer on the occasion of her Visitation of Elizabeth, is used daily in the liturgy of the hours (a.k.a the divine office) for Vespers or evening prayer. With Mary’s soul, our souls magnify the Lord and rejoice in God our Saviour.
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given. Then she recalls God’s universal favours, bestowed unceasingly on the human race.
REJOICE IN GOD’S GREATNESS
When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his saviour and delights in the mere recollection of his creator who gives him hope for eternal salvation.
These words are offered for all God’s creations but especially for the Mother of God. She alone was chosen and she burned with spiritual love for the son she so joyously conceived. Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her saviour, for she knew that He, who was the source of eternal salvation, would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord.
HOLY IS HIS NAME For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of the one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for He fills with greatness and strength the small and the weak who believe in Him.
She did well to add: and holy is his name, to warn those who heard and indeed all who would receive His words, that they must believe and call upon His name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation, according to the words of the prophet – and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the name she spoke of earlier – and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
VESPERS & THE MAGNIFICAT: AN EVENING CANTICLE
Therefore it is an excellent and fruitful custom of holy Church that we should sing Mary’s hymn at the time of evening prayer. By meditating upon the incarnation, our devotion is kindled and by remembering the example of God’s Mother, we are encouraged to lead a life of virtue. Such virtues are best achieved in the evening. We are weary after the day’s work and worn out by our distractions. The time for rest is near and our minds are ready for contemplation.
The great canticle by the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Magnificat, proclaimed by Mary during her Visitation to St Elizabeth, is celebrated and explained in this excerpt from a homily by Saint Bede the Venerable (Lib 1,4:CCL 122, 25-26, 30) which is used in the Roman Catholic Liturgy’s Divine Office of Readings for the Feast of the Visitation, 31 May, with the accompanying biblical reading being from Song of Songs 2:8-14 and 8:6-7. With Mary’s soul, we proclaim the greatness of the Lord and rejoice in God, her Saviour and ours, each evening in Vespers prayer.
St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father & Doctor of the Church
One Minute Marian Reflection – 31 May – The Last Day of Mary’s Month and the Feast of the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
And Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour”…Luke 1:46
REFLECTION – “THE VISITATION: MARY SINGS OF THE LOVE OF GOD – “God is interested in even the smallest events in the lives of His creatures – in your affairs and mine — and He calls each of us by name. This certainty that the faith gives, enables us to look at everything in a new light. And everything, while remaining exactly the same, becomes different, because it is an expression of God’s love. Our life is turned into a continuous prayer, we find ourselves with good humour and a peace that never ends and everything we do is an act of thanksgiving, running through all our day. ‘My soul magnifies the Lord,’ Mary sang, ‘and my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.'” …St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) – “To Jesus through Mary,” Christ is Passing By, 144 Let us offer to our Mother today: The Holy Rosary said with concentration and affection.
PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, You inspired the Blessed Virgin Mary, when she carrying Your Son, to visit Elizabeth. Grant that, always docile to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we may, together with our Lady, glorify Your Name and offer You our constant praise and thanksgiving. Through Christ, our Lord, with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 31 May – The Last Day of Mary’s Month and the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Magnificat, is Mary’s great gift to scripture, one of its most beautiful prayers. It is prayed every evening in the Liturgy of the Hours by millions around the world. With that, Mary’s great acclamation becomes the Church’s.
The Magnificat The Canticle of Mary Luke 1:46-55
My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour
He looks on His servant in her lowliness
Henceforth all ages will call me blessed:
The Almighty works marvels for me,
holy is his Name!
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear Him.
He puts forth His arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, His servant,
remembering His mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons forever.
Excerpt (18) from the Apostolic Exhortation “Marialis Cultus”
Blessed Pope Paul VI – 2 February 1974
“18. Mary is also the Virgin in prayer. She appears as such in the visit to the mother of the precursor, when she pours out her soul in expressions glorifying God and expressions of humility, faith and hope. This prayer is the Magnificat (cf. Lk. 1:46-55), Mary’s prayer par excellence, the song of the messianic times in which there mingles the joy of the ancient and the new Israel. As St Irenaeus seems to suggest, it is in Mary’s canticle, that there was heard once more, the rejoicing of Abraham who foresaw the Messiah (cf. Jn. 8:56)(48) and there rang out in prophetic anticipation the voice of the Church: “In her exultation Mary prophetically declared in the name of the Church: ‘My soul proclaims the glory of the Lord….'”
And in fact Mary’s hymn has spread far and wide and has become the prayer of the whole Church in all ages.”
Quote of the Day – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
In all our undertakings —
when we enter a place or leave it;
before we dress;
before we bathe;
when we take our meals;
when we light the lamps in the evening;
before we retire at night;
when we sit down to read;
before each new task —
we trace the Sign of the Cross on our foreheads.
One Minute Reflection – 27 May – The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…“…Matthew 28:19
REFLECTION – “The Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son. O adorable mystery which has been from eternity! I adore You. O my incomprehensible Creator, before whom I am an atom, a being of yesterday or an hour ago! Go back a few years and I simply did not exist, I was not in being and things went on without me but You are from eternity and nothing whatever from one moment could go on without You. O adorable mystery! In the name of God, the Omnipotent Father, who created me! In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Son of the living God, who bled for me! In the name of the Holy Spirit, who has been poured out on me!”…Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
PRAYER – God our Father, You revealed the great mystery of Your Godhead to men, when You sent into the world, the Word who is Truth and the Spirit who makes us holy. Help us to believe in You and worship You, as the true faith teaches, three persons eternal in glory, one God, infinite in mystery. We make our prayer through Jesus our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with you forever amen.
Wishing you all a Blessed and Holy Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity – Trinity Sunday – 27 May 2018
HISTORY AND LITURGY
ORIGIN — The greatest dogma of the Christian faith is the mystery of the Holy Trinity. (Mystery, in this connection, means a supernatural fact revealed by God which in itself transcends the natural power of human reasoning.) During the first thousand years of Christianity there was no special feast celebrated in honour of this mystery but, as Pope Alexander II (1073) declared, every day of the liturgical year was devoted to the honour and adoration of the Sacred Trinity.
However, to counteract the Arian heresy, which denied the fullness of divinity to the Son, a special Mass text in honour of the Holy Trinity was introduced and incorporated in the Roman liturgical books. This Mass was not assigned for a definite day but could be used on certain Sundays according to the private devotion of each priest. (Such Mass texts which are not prescribed but open to choice on certain days are now known as “votive Masses.”) From the ninth century on, various bishops of the Frankish kingdoms promoted in their own dioceses a special feast of the Holy Trinity, usually on the Sunday after Pentecost. They used a Mass text that Abbot Alcuin (804) is said to have composed.
Thus the custom of observing a special feast in honour of the Trinity became increasingly popular in the northern countries of Europe. Several synods prescribed it for their respective territories in France, Germany, England and The Netherlands. In the thirteenth centur, the orders of the Benedictines and Cistercians adopted the annual celebration of the feast. It was kept on different Sundays in different places, until in 1334 Pope John XXII accepted the festival into the official calendar of the Western Church and ordered that henceforth it should be held everywhere on the Sunday after Pentecost.
A new Mass text was written and published. It is interesting to note that the beautiful Preface of the Trinity as read today is the same one that appeared in the first text of the Sacramentary of Saint Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) Father and Doctor of the Church. Most of the other prayers are of later origin. The Divine Office in its present form, was arranged under Pope Saint Pius V (1572). It is one of the most sublime offices of the breviary.
The Feast of the Holy Trinity, now belongs among the great annual festivals of Christianity. Although it is not observed with additional liturgical services outside the Mass, its celebration quickly took root in the hearts and minds of the faithful and in all countries of Europe popular traditions are closely associated with this feast.
SIGN OF THE CROSS — The making of the sign of the cross, which professes faith both in the redemption of Christ and in the Trinity, was practised from the earliest centuries. Saint Augustine (431) mentioned and described it many times in his sermons and letters. In those days Christians made the sign of the cross (Redemption) with three fingers (Trinity) on their foreheads. The words (“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost”) were added later. Almost two hundred years before Augustine, in the third century, Tertullian had already reported this touching and beautiful early Christian practice:
“In all our undertakings — when we enter a place or leave it; before we dress; before we bathe; when we take our meals; when we light the lamps in the evening; before we retire at night; when we sit down to read; before each new task — we trace the sign of the cross on our foreheads.” Tertullian (160-220)
DOXOLOGY — The ancient Christian doxology (prayer of praise) “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost” was used in the Oriental Church. The second part (“as it was in the beginning…”) seems to have been added at the time of Emperor Constantine. During the fifth century this beautiful short prayer came into the Western Church and spread very quickly. Since then it has been in constant use in both liturgical and private devotions. Finally, the Council of Narbonne (589) prescribed that it should be added after every psalm and hymn in the Divine Office. It is an ancient tradition that in poetical hymns of the liturgy the Gloria Patri is rendered in a paraphrase (free version) within the last stanza.
EASTERN RITES — The churches of the Byzantine Rite do not celebrate the Feast of the Holy Trinity. Instead, they observe the Sunday after Pentecost as the Feast of All Saints (Kyriake Ton Hagion Panton). The official calendar of the Greek Church announces this feast with the interesting words “Today, on the first Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the festive day of all Saints everywhere in the world: in Asia, Lybia, in northern and eastern Europe.” As may be seen from the territories mentioned, the term “whole world” applies only to the countries of that rite. The Uniate Armenians keep the Feast of the Holy Trinity on the same day as the Latin Church.
FOLKLORE
SYMBOLS — During the first centuries of the Christian era the Holy Trinity was sometimes represented in paintings by three young men of identical shape and looks. By the sixth century, however, it had become an accepted practice that only the Father and Son should be shown in human form; the Holy Spirit is represented by the figure of a dove.
In medieval times there were many imaginative and symbolic pictures, as well as designs, to indicate the great mystery of the faith. The Church has not officially accepted any of them, has tolerated some, forbidden others. One of the best-known symbols of this kind is the trefoil (shamrock). A second plant to which this symbolism is attached is the pansy (viola tricolor), which even today is called “Trinity flower” in many parts of Europe. In Puerto Rico a delicately perfumed white flower with three petals is called Trinitaria. Another symbol is the figure of a triangle (Trinity) surrounded by rays (divinity) with the picture of an eye inside the triangle (omniscience and providence). This design became very popular and may be found all over Europe in homes, on wayside shrines and even in churches. An interesting version of this symbol may be seen in the Great Seal of the United States (reproduced on every one-dollar bill).
Centuries ago, architecture made use of many and sometimes strange, symbols to indicate the Trinity, like three animals (hares, stags, birds) in a circle, or three interlocked rings, or a candle with three flames. Some churches display an architectural number symbolism in honour of the Trinity. One of the most remarkable examples of this kind is the Holy Trinity Church of Stadl-Paura, Austria, built in 1722 – see below. It has three aisles, three towers, three doors, three windows on either side, three altars, three bells, and three rows of pews.
SHRINES AND COLUMNS — From the fourteenth century on, the Holy Trinity was generally invoked for help against the dreaded epidemics of the Black Death. Hundreds of Trinity churches in Europe owe their existence to public vows made in time of pestilence and cholera. In subsequent ravages of those terrible diseases, these churches became much-frequented pilgrim shrines. Later, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, public columns in honour of the Holy Trinity were placed in the main squares of cities and towns in central Europe. Sculptured in marble or granite, they carry the traditional image of the Trinity and statues of the saints who were patrons against epidemics. Many of these columns are outstanding examples of late baroque art. The city of Vienna alone has eleven such Trinity columns which were erected during the epidemics of 1679 and 1713.
Plague Column, Vienna, AustriaThe Holy Trinity Column, Olomouc, Czech Republic, a World Heritage Site
POPULAR CELEBRATION — During the late Middle Ages and up to the eighteenth century, the Feast of the Holy Trinity was celebrated with popular manifestations of solemnity, special honour and joy. As an example may serve the festival at the Trinity column of downtown Vienna, in 1680, where the famous Augustinian preacher Abraham a Santa Clara (1709) delivered a sermon before many thousands in the festively decorated square. At the end he appealed to the choir band to express with their instruments the honour, adoration and gratitude of all to the Holy Trinity, “upon which the whole group of many trumpets and kettle-drums right joyfully broke out in a ringing fanfare.”
A proof of the great devotion to the Trinity was the Holy Trinity Confraternities, which flourished to such a degree during the seventeenth century that they surpassed most of the other similar organisations both in the number of local groups and in membership…
Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs by Francis X. Weiser, S.J., Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York, 1958.
COLLECT PRAYER
God our Father, who by sending into the world the Word of truth and the Spirit of sanctification made known to the human race your wondrous mystery, grant us, we pray, that in profession the true faith, we may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory and adore your Unity, powerful in majesty. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Glory and honour be to God in the Unity of the Trinity; to the Father and to the Son with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
Follower of Artus Wolffort, 17th century.Master of the Lille Adoration, 1530s.Ribera, c. 1635.El Greco, 1577-79.
SCRIPTURAL READING “Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each one of us hear them in his own native language?”…(Acts 2, 5-8)
MEDITATION “Jesus said to them: ‘The times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority and it is not for you to know when they will be. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”…(Acts 1, 7-8)
PRAYER
Lord Holy Spirit,
come down upon Your sons and daughters
who proclaim the message of salvation.
Perform miracles in the sky above
and wonders on the earth below.
That people of every race and nation
will believe in Christ Jesus, our Savior.
Come, Holy Spirit, we plead;
make us holy as Our Father.
Guide us in our pilgrim way,
for without You no fruits will be gathered,
with You all things come true.
Eternal Holy Spirit,in Your mercy,
please grant my special petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
Almighty and Everlasting God, by the profession of the true faith, You have given us, Your servants, grace to acknowledge the glory of the Eternal Trinity and in the power of Your Divine Majesty, to worship the Unity. We beg You to grant that, by our fidelity in this same faith, we may always be defended from all dangers. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURAL READING “They went about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to where ever they heard He was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside He entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch only the tassel on His cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.”...(Mk. 6:55-56)
MEDITATION “Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom, and healing people who had all kinds of diseases and sickness. The news about Him spread through the whole country of Syria, so that people brought to Him all those who were sick, suffering from all kinds of diseases and disorders: people with demons and epileptics and paralytics – Jesus healed them all.”…(Mt. 4, 23-24)
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ,
You showed Your love and compassion
for the poor and the sick,
curing everyone who came to You in faith, or in hope.
No one who appealed to You, was ever disappointed,
be they believers or not – both saints and sinners.
Please pour down Your mercies upon us
who are sick and wounded in the struggles
we face in life.
Have mercy on us Lord,
on our infirmities caused by human frailty and sinfulness.
Touch Lord, our aching bodies and spirits
with Your merciful love.
Bless me through the love with which You plead for us
before the throne of God,
bless me in the Blessed Sacrament
with which You give Yourself to us in Holy Communion.
Grant that all this love and bitter pain,
may not be lost on me.
Eternal Son,in Your mercy, grant my petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
DAY SEVEN GOD The Provider (Father) “Gives us this day our daily bread”
SCRIPTURAL READING When Jesus had said this, He raised His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You. Just as You gave Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all You gave Him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God and the one whom You sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that You gave Me to do. Now glorify Me, Father, with You, with the glory that I had with You before the world began. “I revealed Your name to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They belonged to You and You gave them to me and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything You gave Me, is from You, because the words You gave to Me I have given to them and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from You and they have believed that You sent Me.”…(Jn. 17:1-8)
MEDITATION “So do not start worrying: Where will my food come from? Or my drink? Or my clothes? These are the things the pagans are always concerned about. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead be concerned about everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what He required of you and He will provide You with all those other things. So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the trouble each day brings.”… (Mt. 6:31-34)
PRAYER
We praise and thank You, Father
for Your unfailing gift of Divine Providence.
You feed the birds of the air
and clothe the lilies of the field.
But You provide so much more generously
for Your sons and daughters, who obey and follow Your will.
Bless we pray, the poor and the needy,
not only with spiritual gifts
but also with food, to sustain body
and soul and with their other earthly needs.
Eternal Father in Your mercy,
please grant my special petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my actions be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations and by faith,
may I come at last to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You forever in heaven.
Amen
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, amen.
DAY FOUR GOD THE CREATOR (Father) “In the beginning, when God created the universe”
SCRIPTURAL READING
In the beginning, when God created the Heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland and darkness covered the abyss, while the mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Thus evening came, and the morning followed – the first day.
Then God said: “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from another.” And so it happened: God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it. God called the dome “the sky.” Evening came, and morning followed – the second day.
Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear.” And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into a basin, and the land appeared…Genesis 1:1-9
MEDITATION “And so the whole universe was completed. By the seventh day, God finished what He had been doing and stopped working. He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as special, because by that day He had completed His creation and stopped working and that is how the universe was created.” ...Genesis 2:1-4
PRAYER
God Eternal Father,
bless me through the love,
with which You have begotten Your only Son
from all eternity and shared with Him,
the fullness of Your Divinity.
Bless me through the love, which has adopted us as children
and made us partakers, of the treasures of Your Divinity.
Bless me through the love, which sent us Your Son
and the Holy Spirit to work the miracles of Your power
and mercy in us.
Grant that I may always revere and honour You
as my great God
and love You with my whole heart
as the best of fathers.
Eternal Father, please grant my petition:
…………………….(mention your petition)
Godhead indivisible, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us after Your own image and likeness.
Grant that all the thoughts of my mind,
all the words of my mouth,
all the affections of my heart
and all my action, be always conformed to Your holy Will.
After having seen You here below in Your manifestations
and by faith, may I come at last,
to see You face to face,
in the perfect possession of You
forever in heaven. Amen.
Moses said: “The Lord, the lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, continuing His kindness for a thousand generation, and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin; yet not declaring the guilty, guiltless, but punishing children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for their fathers’ wickedness!” (Ex. 34, 6-7)
Our Morning Offering – 21 May 2018 “Mary’s Month!” – The First Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church
Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of our Faith
By our Holy Father, Pope Francis
Mother, help our faith! Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognise His voice and call. Awaken in us a desire, to follow in His footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive His promise. Help us to be touched by His love, that we may touch Him in faith. Help us to entrust ourselves fully to Him and to believe in His love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature. Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One. Remind us that those who believe are never alone. Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that He may be light for our path. And may this light of faith, always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day, which is Christ Himself, your Son, our Lord! Amen
Prayer to Mary at the conclusion of the Encyclical Lumen Fidei (29 June 2013) Image of Mary – Our Lady of the Column in St Peter’s Basilica
Our Morning Offering – 20 May – Pentecost Sunday, Alleluia!
Veni Sancte Spiritus – The Golden Sequence
Before the Alleluia, proclamation of the Gospel, the ancient sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit) is recited or sung on each day of Pentecost week. This hymn appeared first in liturgical books around the year 1200. It has been variously ascribed to Pope Innocent III (1216), to King Robert of France (1031) and even to Saint Gregory the Great (604). Most probably, however, its author was Cardinal Stephen Langton (1128), Archbishop of Canterbury. The poem has been known from medieval times as the “Golden Sequence” because of its richness in thought and expression. Each one of the short stanzas is a sentence in itself, thus facilitating meditation. Below is one of the many translations used today.
Prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit and bring from above
The splendour of Thy light.
Come, father of the poor, come, giver of graces,
Come, light of our hearts.
Best of Consolers, sweet guest of the soul,
And comfort of the weary.
Thou rest in labour, relief in burning toil,
Consoling us in sorrow.
O blessed light, fill the innermost hearts
Of those who trust in Thee.
Without Thy indwelling there is nothing in man,
And nothing free of sin.
Cleanse what is sordid, give water in dryness,
And heal the bleeding wounds.
Bend what is proud, make warm what is cold,
Bring back the wayward soul.
Give to the faithful who trustingly beg Thee
Thy seven holy gifts.
Grant virtue’s reward, salvation in death,
And everlasting joy. Amen. Alleluia.
Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts Day Nine – 19 May 2018
DAY NINE Thou, on those who evermore Thee confess and Thee adore In Thy sevenfold gifts, descend. Give them comfort when they die, Give the life with Thee on high, Give them joys which never end. Amen
THE FRUITS of the HOLY SPIRIT
The gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the supernatural virtues, by enabling us to
practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the
knowledge and love of God, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, our service becomes
more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue becomes more perfect. Such acts of
virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the
Holy Spirit. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and
become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts, in the service of God, to serve
Whom is to reign.
Prayer
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Your heavenly fruits, Your charity, joy,
peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness and temperance, that I may
never weary of the service of God but by continued faithful submission, to Your
inspiration, may merit to be united eternally with You, in the love of the Father and
the Son. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts Day Eight – 18 May 2018
DAY EIGHT Bend the stubborn heart and will; Melt the frozen, warm the chill; Guide the steps that go astray!
THE GIFT OF WISDOM
Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is
the most perfect of the gifts. Of Wisdom it is written “all good things come to me with her, and innumerable riches through her hands.” It is the gift of Wisdom that
strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity and promotes the practice of
virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things
divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savour, whilst the Cross
of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Saviour: “Take up thy cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light.”
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Wisdom and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things,
their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond
all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess
them for ever. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
Marian Thought for the Day – 16 May “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Simon Stock (1165-1265)
The brown Scapular of the Carmelite Order has gained considerable popularity and use among those devoted to the Blessed Mother. The following prayer, addressed to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, prays for her continued protection and grace for those who wear the scapular:
Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
O all-blessed, immaculate Virgin,
ornament and glory of Mount Carmel,
you who looks, with most gracious countenance,
on those who have been clothed,
with your venerable livery,
look kindly also on me
and take me under the mantle
of your maternal protection.
Strengthen my weakness with your might;
enlighten the darkness of my heart,
with your wisdom;
increase in me,
the virtues of faith, hope and charity.
So adorn my soul with graces
and virtue of our God,
by your prayers,
that it may always be dear
to your divine Son
and to you.
Assist me during life,
comfort me in death
with your most sweet presence
and present me as your child
and faithful servant,
to the most Holy Trinity,
that I may be enabled to praise
and extol you in heaven forever.
Amen
In 1322, Pope John XXII issued a document known as a Papal Bull in which he included a promise from Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In his document, the Pope revealed that he had received an apparition of Our Blessed Mother, during which she made a promise to all mankind.
Her “Sabbatine Privilege” was as follows:
“on the First Saturday after the death of one of the faithful, Our Blessed Mother would free from Purgatory her Scapular children who have fulfilled certain conditions. She stated to Pope John XXII: “I, the Mother of Graces, shall descend on the Saturday after their death, and as many as I find in Purgatory I shall free.”
The Church has since formalised the Sabbatine Privilege, based on this revelation. Containing three conditions, those who follow and practice true devotion, will be released from Purgatory by Our Lady’s intercession on the Saturday after their death. As set forth by the Church, the three conditions include:
1)Wear the brown scapular devoutly, once you’ve been enrolled in the Scapular Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel;
2) Observe chastity according to your state in life;
3) Recite daily the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Given the length of this beautiful prayer, with permission of a priest you can substitute five decades of the rosary, abstinence from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays or another approved good work).
His Holiness, Pope Pius XII, wrote concerning the Sabbatine Privilege,“Certainly, this most gentle Mother will not delay to open as soon as possible, through Her intercession with God, the gates of Heaven for children expiating their faults in Purgatory.”
Once one has been enrolled in the Scapular Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel, one shares in the daily prayers and other spiritual benefits of the Carmelite Order. Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s scapular promise of salvation to Saint Simon Stock and the Carmelites applies to the enrollee as well! http://ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/confraternities
The short form of the investiture is as follows:
Receive this Scapular, a sign of your special relationship with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, whom you pledge to imitate. May it be a reminder to you of your dignity as a Christian, in serving others and imitating Mary. Wear it as a sign of her protection and of belonging to the Family of Carmel, voluntarily doing the will of God and devoting yourself to building a world true to His plan of community, justice and peace.
Many popes and other religious figures over the centuries have extolled the virtues of the brown scapular devotion. Pope Pius XII went so far as to say: “The Scapular is a practice of piety which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone, and has spread widely among the faithful of Christ to their spiritual profit.”More recently, Pope Paul VI said: “Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin … the Rosary and the Scapular of Carmel.”Still, they caution that, although our Lady of Mount Carmel promised that the scapular would protect us from eternal fire, wearing it in itself doesn’t guarantee our salvation.
The scapular is not to be worn as a substitute for leading a devout life of love and obedience to our Lord. The Most Reveren. Kilian Lynch, former prior general of the Carmelite Order, warned that the scapular was not “endowed with some kind of supernatural power which will save us no matter what we do or how much we sin.”He said, “Fidelity to the commandments is required by those seeking ‘the special love and protection of Our Lady.”
The immeasurable benefits of the Scapular result from the fact that the wearing of “the armour of Mary” is not merely an external act of devotion– it is a sign of our internal consecration to the Immaculate Virgin. The scapular recommends us to her endless grace and generosity. At Fatima in 1917, the Mother of God encouraged all people to consecrate themselves to Her Immaculate Heart. And in the final Fatima vision on 13 October, the Blessed Virgin appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, wearing the robes of the Carmelite Order, holding aloft the Brown Scapular. On that occasion, Our Blessed Mother reminded us that the devoted living of the Brown Scapular consecration, paired with daily prayer of the Holy Rosary, is a necessary part of the amendment of life– the random of a sinful world– for which she so earnestly pleaded.
Pope Pius XII stressed this important truth: “May the Scapular be a sign to them (all who wear it) of their consecration to the Most Pure Heart of the Immaculate Virgin.” In wearing the brown scapular devoutly, in living in love and obedience to God, we join our hearts to Mary’s and thus, to her divine Son’s Sacred Heart as well!
Father, You called St Simon Stock to serve You in the brotherhood of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Through his prayers, help us like him, to live in Your presence and to work for man’s salvation. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen
Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts Day Six – 16 May 2018
DAY SIX If Thou take Thy grace away, Nothing pure in man will stay; All his good is turned to ill.
THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING
Understanding, as a gift of the Holy Ghost, helps us to grasp the meaning of the
truths of our holy religion. By faith we know them but by Understanding, we learn to
appreciate and relish them. It enables us to penetrate, the inner meaning of revealed
truths and through them, to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be
sterile and inactive but inspires a mode of life, that bears eloquent testimony, to
the faith that is in us, we begin to “walk worthy of God in all things pleasing, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Prayer
Come, O Spirit of Understanding and enlighten our minds, that we may know and
believe all the mysteries of salvation and may merit at last, to see the eternal
light of Thy Light and in the light of glory, to have a clear vision of Thee and the
Father and the Son. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts Day Five – 15 May 2018
DAY FIVE Light immortal! Light Divine! Visit Thou these hearts of Thine, And our inmost being fill!
THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE
The gift of Knowledge enables the soul to evaluate created things at their true worth
in their relation to God. Knowledge unmasks the pretence of creatures, reveals their
emptiness and points out their only true purpose as instruments in the service of
God. It shows us the loving care of God even in adversity and directs us to glorify
Him in every circumstance of life. Guided by its light, we put first things firs,
and prize the friendship of God beyond all else. “Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it.”
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the
Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realise their vanity
and use them only for Your glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to
You and Your eternal rewards. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts
Day Three – 13 May 2018
Thou, of all consolers best, Visiting the troubled breast, Dost refreshing peace bestow.
THE GIFT OF PIETY
The gift of Piety begets in our hearts a filial affection for God as our most loving
Father. It inspires us to love and respect for His sake, persons and things
consecrated to Him, as well as those who are vested with His authority, His Blessed
Mother and the Saints, the Church and its visible Head, our parents and superiors,
our country and its rulers. He who is filled with the gift of Piety, finds the
practice of his religion, not a burdensome duty but a delightful service. Where
there is love, there is no tabor.
Prayer
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein, such a love for
God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service and for His sake lovingly
submit, to all legitimate authority. Amen.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory be to the Father (seven times)
Act of Consecration
Prayer for the Seven Gifts
Our Lady of Fatima 101st Anniversary of the First Apparition
Our Lady of Help: Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under this title began in Palermo, Sicily in the 14th century, and has since spread throughout the Augustinians. It began when Father Nicola Bruno, who suffered from severe and long-term pains in his side, prayed to Our Lady for healing while meditating on a painting of Mary in which she used a stick or club to chase away the dragon and protect the infant Jesus; the artist was making reference to passages in Genesis and Revelations that referred to the eternal enmity between The Woman and the serpent. That night, Father Nicola received a vision of Mary and was healed. The painting received the title “Our Lady of Help” and the devotion began. Since 1804 the celebration has had its own liturgy.
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament: The title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament was first given to Mary by St Peter Julian Eymard in May 1868, while speaking to his novices. A few years later he described what her statue should look like: “The Blessed Virgin holds the Infant in her arms and He holds a chalice in one hand and a Host in the other.” He exhorted them to invoke Mary: “Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us who have recourse to thee!”
Dedication of Saint Mary of the Martyrs: Commemorates and celebrates the dedication of Minor Basilica of Saint Mary of the Martyrs, formerly a temple of all the pagan Roman gods called the Pantheon, in Rome, Italy by Pope Boniface IV in 609.
St Abban of Abingdon
St Agnes of Poitiers
St André-Hubert Fournet
St Anno of Verona
St Argentea of Cordoba
St Euthymius the Illuminator
Bl Fortis Gabrielli
Bl Gerard of Villamagna
Bl Gemma of Goriano
St Glyceria of Trajanopolis
St John the Silent
Bl Julian of Norwich
St Lucius of Constantinople
St Mael of Bardsey
Bl Magdalen Albrizzi
St Merewenna of Rumsey
St Mucius of Byzantium
St Natalis of Milan
St Onesimus of Soissons
St Servatus of Tongres
St Valerian of Auxerre
—
Martyrs of Alexandria: A group of Catholic Christians martyred in the church of Theonas, Alexandria, Egypt by order of the Arian Emperor Valens. Their names have not come down to us. 372 in Alexandria, Egypt.
Our Morning Offering – 11 May “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide
Alma Redemptoris Mater Loving mother of the Redeemer Prayers of the Church from the Breviary
Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen,
yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature
you bore your Creator,
Yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,
have pity on us poor sinners.
Alma Redemptoris Mater,
quae pervia caeli porta manes,
et stella maris, succurre cadenti,
surgere qui curat, populo:
tu quae genuisti, natura mirante,
tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius,
Gabrielis ab ore,
sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.
This is one of four Marian antiphons, with following versicles and prayers, traditionally said or sung after night prayer, immediately before going to sleep. It is said from the beginning of Advent (from night before the fourth Sunday before Christmas) through 1 February.
Our Morning Offering – 10 May “Mary’s Month” and Thursday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide
Easter Act of Consecration Prayers of the Church
Mary,
We sing our Alleluias today, for Jesus is risen.
Our souls proclaim the greatness of God,
Our spirits rejoice in our Risen Saviour.
May your song be sung in our lives
At every moment of this day, so that God’s power,
Which can do far more than we can ask or imagine,
May continue to call life from death
and light from darkness,
Transforming our meager efforts
Into your Son’s victory over death.
Holy Mother of God,
Mary ever Virgin,
intercede for us with the Lord our God.
Amen
Our Morning Offering – 8 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide
Easter Act of Consecration (Prayers of the Church)
Mary,
We, your sons and daughters
Look to you as we treasure and ponder
The Rising of Jesus,
your Son and our brother.
Teach us how, that marvelous moment,
can topple the proud,
Elevate the lowly,
feed the hungry,
And mission the rich,
even today.
Confident in God’s power and love,
Trusting in the Risen Lord,
Relying on the Promised Advocate,
The Spirit of Life and of Truth,
We dedicate our lives,
in your name and for your honour
To the transforming power of Easter.
Holy Mother of God,
Mary ever Virgin,
intercede for us with the Lord our God.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 27 April – Friday of the Fourth Week of Eastertide and the Feast of Our Lady of Montserrat – Gospel today John 14:1-6
“Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.“…John 14:1
REFLECTION – “I will not mistrust Him, Meg, although I shall feel myself weakening and on the verge of being overcome with fear. I shall remember how St Peter at a blast of wind, began to sink, because of his lack of faith and I shall do as he did: call upon Christ and pray to Him for help. And then I trust He shall place His holy hand on me and in the stormy seas hold me up from drowning.”…St Thomas More (1478-1535)
PRAYER – “[Lord God] I believe in You, increase my faith. All my hopes are in You, secure my trust. I love You, teach me to love You more each day… I adore You as my first beginning, I long for You as my final end. I praise You as my constant helper and call on You as my loving protector. Guide me by Your Wisdom, correct me with Your Justice, comfort me with Your Mercy, protect me by Your Power… Lord, enlighten my understanding, enflame my will, purify my heart, sanctify my soul. Help me to repent of my past sins and to rise above my human weaknesses and to grow stronger as a Christian…”(from the Universal Prayer by Pope Clement XI (1649-1721))
Our Morning Offering – 15 April – The Third Sunday of Easter Year B
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary Before Holy Mass
O most blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of tenderness and mercy,
I, a miserable and unworthy sinner,
fly to you with all the affection of my heart
and I beseech your motherly love,
that, as you stood by your most dear Son,
while he hung on the Cross,
so, in your kindness,
you may be pleased to stand by me, a poor sinner,
and all Priests who today are offering the Sacrifice
here and throughout the entire holy Church,
so that with your gracious help
we may offer a worthy and acceptable oblation
in the sight of the most high and undivided Trinity.
Amen.
(This prayer is adapted from the Priests’ Prayers Before each Mass)
The beautiful ancient Easter sequence Victimae Paschali Laudes can be said or sung before the Gospel every day during the Octave:
Victimae Paschali Laudes
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended
in that combat stupendous:
The Prince of Life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
Bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;
To Galilee He goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen,
our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia!++
One Minute Reflection – 29 March – Holy Thursday 2018
...And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”..1 Corinthians 11:24-25
REFLECTION – “In the Mass the blood of Christ flows anew for sinners.”….St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – Lord God, since for Your glory and our salvation, You willed Christ Your Son, to be the eternal High Priest, grant that the people He gained for You by His blood, may be strengthened by His cross and Resurrection, when they take part in His memorial service, through Christ in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Devotion of The Seven Last Words of Christ – The Third Word – 28 March – Wednesday of Holy Week 2018
The Seven Last Words of Christ
The Seven Last Words of Christ refer, not to individual words but to the final seven phrases that Our Lord uttered as He hung on the Cross. These phrases were not recorded in a single Gospel but are taken from the combined accounts of the four Gospels. Greatly revered, these last words of Jesus have been the subject of many books, sermons and musical settings. For centuries The Seven Last Words have been built into various forms of devotion for the consideration and consolation of the Christian people.
“…As we are under great obligations to Jesus, for His Passion endured for our love, so also are we under great obligations to Mary, for the martyrdom which she voluntarily suffered, for our salvation, in the death of her Son”.
St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Doctor of the Church
The Third Word
“Woman, behold, your son.”… “Behold, your mother.” John 19:26-27
Gospel: When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home…Jn 19:26-27
Reflection: Sinful man, behold the sorrowful face of Our Blessed Mother. She, who through her acceptance of God’s will brought the Son of God into the world, now sees Him stretched between heaven and earth suffering unbearable torments for your sake. This Mother, who accepted God’s Gift to the world with great joy, is now overcome with great sorrow to see Him who is Innocent put to death for our sakes. Weep. o sinful man, for you and your sinful habits are the cause of her sorrow.
Looking down on His Most Holy Mother, the Saviour of the world gives her a parting gift: sinful mankind. With four words He gives us who have crucified Him into her care, so that she may care for us with the same kindness and dedication as she had for Him. The sorrow at losing her only Son is replaced with the sorrow of a mother who is forced to watch as her children blindly go down the path to destruction.
But Our Saviour is not finished. Turning to St John and speaking through him to us, He reminds and warns us to honour His mother. How can we return to sin when we remember that our sin hurts Our Blessed Mother twice? First, we hurt her when our sin adds to Our Lord’s suffering. Second, just like any other mother, Our Blessed Mother is saddened to the point of tears when we turn from the narrow path that leads to Salvation and instead take the wide path that leads to Eternal Damnation.
O, Most Blessed Mother,
I beg that you forgive me
for all that I have done to offend you
and your Most Holy Son.
I beg you further to intercede with your Son on my behalf.
I deserve Eternal Punishment for my continual offenses
against both you and your Son.
Take me by the hand so that I may never again offend you
and help me to grow in virtue,
that I may make reparation for my offences.
Amen.
Prayer of Abandonment to God’s Providence
My Lord and my God:
into your hands I abandon the past and the present and the future,
what is small and what is great,
what amounts to a little and what amounts to a lot,
things temporal and things eternal.
Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.
Our Morning Offering – 21 March – The Memorial of St Nicholas of Flue (1417-1487)
My Lord and my God St Nicholas of Flue (1417-1487)
My Lord and my God,
take from me everything
that distances me from You.
My Lord and my God,
give me everything
that brings me closer to You.
My Lord and my God,
detach me from myself
to give my all to You.
Amen
The above prayer of St Nicholas, is cited in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in paragraph #226. CCC 226 – It means making good use of created things: faith in God, the only One, leads us to use everything that is not God only insofar as it brings us closer to Him and to detach ourselves from it insofar as it turns us away from Him.
AnaStpaul 
You must be logged in to post a comment.