Posted in MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

7 October – Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory of the Most Holy Rosary

7 October – Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory of the Most Holy Rosary.

Can you imagine a hostile foreign navy just a few miles off the Italian coast, threatening not only to destroy Rom, but to wipe out Christianity in Italy and perhaps in all of Europe? This was the situation facing Pope Pius V in the autumn of 1571.Word had come that a huge navy from Turkey was on its way to try to add Italy to the Ottoman Empire and to make all Christians into Muslim slaves.

On 7 October, the Rosary Confraternity of Rome met at the Minerva, the church that served as Dominican headquarters, to recite the Rosary for a Christian victory over the Turkish navy. Meanwhile, in Venice, a Christian navy with ships from Venice, Naples, Genoa and Spain assembled under the leadership of Don John of Austria. They engaged the Turkish fleet on 7 October and routed the enemy in a sea battle near Lepanto, on the Greek coast. The Holy Father attributed the victory to Our Lady’s intercession after the campaign to pray the Rosary in Rome. 

The Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory with Pope Pius V and St Dominic

St Pope Pius V introduced in 1572, the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory.
In 1573, his successor, Pope Gregory XIII, changed this title to “Feast of the Holy Rosary” to be celebrated on the first Sunday of October. The privilege to celebrate this feast was granted to all those churches which had a Rosary altar. Pope Clemens XI extended it to the whole Church.

The Blessed Virgin Mother of Victory with St Pope Pius V by Cosali

Under St Pope Pius X, the Feast was again scheduled for 7 October; it changed name in 1960 and became “Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary.” This appellation was changed again in 1969 to “Our Lady of the Rosary” and it is now a mandatory memorial.

The Blessed Mother of Victory of Lepanto by Paolo Veronese Girelli

The reference to victory or Our Lady of Victory was maintained in titles and for sanctuaries the world over, in particular in Spain, Italy, France and Germany. The title frequently commemorates, even before Lepanto, the victory over heresy and paganism. Already Gregory Pisides (c 600-650) sees in Mary, the only and unique victor over nature (miraculous birth of Christ and unarmed victory over the Avares in 626).

One of the most famous sanctuaries dedicated to Our Lady of Victories is in Paris (Notre Dame des Victoires, The sanctuary is intimately connected with the Miraculous Medal and the Archconfraternity devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This devotion had its origin at the Basilica of Notre Dame des Victoires in Paris and expanded during the latter half of last century over much of the Catholic world.

Our Lady of Victory in the Basilica of Notre Dame des Victoires in Paris
Posted in MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary/Our Lady of Victory and Memorials of the Saints – 7 October

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary/Our Lady of Victory (Memorial) – (Commemorating the Victory of Lepanto – 1571 [Mandatory Memorial):
On Sunday 7 October 1571 the combined Christian fleets under Don John of Austria achieved a significant naval victory over the Turks in the Straits of Lepanto. Thousands of Christians were liberated, the Turkish fleet was destroyed and they suffered their first great defeat at sea. In gratitude to God and Our Lady, Pope Saint Pius V ordered an annual commemoration to be made of Our Lady of Victory. In 1573 Pope Gregory XIII transferred the feast to the first Sunday of October with the title Feast of the Most Holy Rosary since the victory was won through invocation of Our Lady of the Rosary. In 1716 Pope Clement XII extended the feast to the whole Latin Rite calendar, assigning it to the first Sunday in October. Saint Pope Pius X changed the date to 7 October in 1913. In 1969 Pope Paul VI changed the name of the feast to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

More here:
https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/10/07/saint-of-the-day-7-october-our-lady-of-the-most-holy-rosaryour-lady-of-victory/

St Adalgis of Novara (Died c 850) Bishop
St Apuleius of Capua
St Augustus of Bourges
St Canog ap Brychan
St Dubtach of Armagh
St Gerold of Cologne
St Helanus
St Libaire the Great (Died 362) Martyr
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/07/saint-of-the-day-7-october-st-libaire-the-great-died-362/
Bl Jean Hunot Martyr of the French Revolution
St Julia the Martyr
St Justina of Padua
St Marcellus of Capua (Died Third or Fourth Century) Martyr
St Pope Mark (Died 336)
St Pope Mark’s Life:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/10/07/saint-of-the-day-7-october-st-pope-mark-died-336/
St Martin Cid
Bl Matthew Carreri
St Osith
St Palladius of Saintes
St Quarto of Capua
St Rigaldo

Martyrs of Arima: Eight lay people Japan who were martyred together in the persecutions of Christianity in Japan:
• Blessed Hadrianus Takahashi Mondo
• Blessed Ioanna Takahashi
• Blessed Leo Hayashida Sukeemon
• Blessed Martha Hayashida
• Blessed Magdalena Hayashida
• Blessed Didacus Hayashida
• Blessed Leo Takedomi Kan’Emon
• Blessed Paulus Takedomi Dan’Emon
They were martyred on 7 October 1613 in Arima, Hyogo, Japan and Beatified on 24 November 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Mercedarian Nuns of Seville: Five Mercedarian nuns at the monastery of the Assumption in Seville, Spain noted for their piety – Sisters Agnese, Bianca, Caterina, Maddalena and Marianna.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War
• Blessed José Llosá Balaguer

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, NOVENAS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Nine – 6 October

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Nine – 6 October

Day Nine: We Pray for the Virtue of Wisdom
and for our private intentions

At the end of this journey of prayer together,
Let us today, turn to Our Divine Father
and pray, so that we may be granted
the gift of wisdom and discernment,
to enable us to
Understand,
Distinguish,
Separate
and Decide between the good and evil.
We pray for the ability
to make the right judgement for
and about others, as well as for ourselves,
according to God’s Will.
Amen

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace
.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, NOVENAS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Eight – 5 October

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Eight – 5 October

Day Eight: We Pray for the Virtue of Faith
and for our private intentions

Thank You, Jesus
You our Great Mystery,
For Your life
that transcends our understanding,
For Your presence
from which we can never flee,
for Your Resurrection
which is never defeated
and for the gift of faith
that enables us to trust
even in the midst of our doubts
and fears.
Amen

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in "Follow Me", MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on JUSTICE, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SELF-DENIAL, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on WEALTH/RICHES, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Thought for the Day – 5 October – The Third Joyful Mystery – The Birth of Jesus

Thought for the Day – 5 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The Third Joyful Mystery
The Birth of Jesus

“When God became man in order to instruct and redeem the lost and erring human race, the gesture would have been deprived of it’s real significance if He had chosen to be born in a palace, surrounded by the splendour of worldly glory and wealth.

It would have been meaningless, not only for God but also, for us, if He had abandoned the imperishable glory of Heaven and the infinite wealth of everlasting happiness, in order to assume the kind of earthly grandeur which, in His eyes is but a vanishing cloud.
What we needed, was to learn the way of humility and of detachment from worldly things, which can so easily lead us to forget the supernatural.
We needed someone to come and sanctify suffering, which purifies and elevates the soul.
We needed someone to appease divine justice on our behalf and to teach us, that the way of the cross, is the only one which can lead to Heaven.
This was why the Eternal Word of God became a poor and lowly infant, choosing a stable, rather than a palace and the little village of Bethlehem in Judea, in preference to the imperial city of Rome.
He wished His extreme poverty and deprivation, to be His first lesson to mankind
.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Seven – 4 October

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Seven – 4 October

Day Seven: We Pray for the Virtue of Fortitude
along with our private intentions.

Holy Spirit,
may we be granted today,
the virtue by which
we do the right thing,
even in the midst of hardship.
We ask Thee to consider our need
for courage and bravery,
so that we may stay strong,
to do what is good.
You alone know how often,
in our lives, many situations arise
in which it becomes difficult
to do the right thing,
even when we know what it is.
We ask this through Jesus Christ,
Our Lord

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, NOVENAS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Six – 3 October

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Six – 3 October

Day Six: We Pray for the Virtue of Meekness
along with our private intentions.

O Jesus,
our pride, stubbornness
and lack of faith labelled each thorn
as it pierced Your Sacred Head.
Our exclusion of spiritual realities
tightened the branches around Your Head.
Our lack of confidence in Your Mercy
and the lukewarmness of our love,
braided torture into a wreath of unspeakable pain.
O Jesus, let us NEVER forget Your love for us all
and the reparation You offered the Father for our sake.
Let our soul magnify the Lord by humility of heart,
purity of mind
and a gentle spirit,
so that we may overcome pride, vainglory and resentments
and look forward for an increase in faith.
Send Your beloved Mother and ours, O Lord,
to teach us meekness and humility.
Make us like unto Yourself, O Lord,
“for I am meek and humble of heart.”
Amen

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace
.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, NOVENAS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Five – 2 October

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Five – 2 October

Day Five – We Pray for Purity of Heart
and our personal intention:

The Ever-Virgin Mary was
and remains pure in charity,
chastity and love of truth and orthodoxy of faith.
And that purity is divine
because it is inspired by God!
Each of us benefits from the purity of Mary,
regardless of how difficult it is
to be pure in charity, chastity
and right belief,
IT IS POSSIBLE… We WILL be pure
when we adopt the attitude of Our Blessed Lady
and seek the divine purity
that even yet radiates from Her.
By abandoning ourselves to God as She did,
we open ourselves to fresh opportunities of achieving purity.
(The Virtue of Purity: An Undivided Heart by Msgr Charles M Mangan)

To Our most holy Mother.
To you do we pray first with heartfelt thanks
for your YES to the Father.
Grant us your guidance
and assistance to become as pure as you are.

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, NOVENAS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Four – 1 October

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Four – 1 October

Day Four – We Pray for the Virtue of Humility
and our personal intention:

May Almighty God
give us compassion
and humility in our hearts.
Let us be kind, gentle, generous,
loving, giving and forgiving
wherever we may go.
Allow pride to never get the best of us
as You fulfill our dreams.
Help us not to have a boastful tongue
against our brothers.
Let humility invade our souls…
Amen

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Devotion for October, The Month of the Holy Rosary

October, The Month of the Holy Rosary

AVOIDING DESTRACTION WHILE PRAYING THE ROSARY

Use various approaches, depending on disposition and degree of concentration.
Overall principle – don’t let yourself float and slide, carried away by your imagination.
Keep it in check at all times, as much as possible.

When tired and without much focus, “concentrate” on the peaceful repetition of the Hail Marys, entering its rhythm and imaging to be in the company of Mary. Leave it at that.
If in somewhat better disposition, try to focus on images, one or more of Christ, Mary or scenes of their lives as mentioned in the Mysteries.
Look at and contemplate what you see, while saying the different decades.
Don’t even attempt to enter into a more intellectual mood exploring only the imagery.

A different and more demanding mode will lead you to a reflection on the deeper meaning of each one of the Mysteries:
What is their meaning regarding salvation history then and now?
What is the Mystery’s immediate significance for my personal spiritual life?
Entertain some of these considerations while reciting the decade.

Also, don’t forget to make of the Rosary, a prayer of praise and thanksgiving, once in a while at least because it is in the Rosary that we summarise and remember our redemption and the great things God did for Mary and through her.

In a special manner, try to develop a personal habit to say the Rosary in company with Mary.
The Mysteries are stations of a beautiful journey leading to eternal happiness.
Mary leads the way and is our traveling companion.

Be self-critical enough to shift gears when needed.
It may well happen, that all the various modes are methods which need to be applied during one and the same Rosary Prayer.

May your Rosary Prayer be perseverant. Amen

PS – don’t forget to add the “Sub Tuum praesídium” and the St Michael Prayer after the final prayers.

We fly to Thy protection,
O Holy Mother of God.
Do not despise our petitions in our necessities
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.

Saint Michael Archangel,
defend us in battle,
be our protection
against the wickedness
and snares of the devil,
may God rebuke him,
we humbly pray
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
cast into hell Satan
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl throughout the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, NOVENAS

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Two – 29 September

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day Two – 29 September

Day Two – We pray for the Persecuted Church
and our personal intention:

The joy of the Spirit, which was in the heart of Jesus and Mary, is ours in the experience of sincere prayer.

  1. We pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit for the leaders of the Church and all the baptised, that we may walk faithfully the way of Jesus Christ.
  2. We pray for a deep devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus
    and in our prayer to her know that we are primarily opening our hearts to the God of love.
  3. We pray for those who are oppressed by war and poverty,that they
    may take courage from God who loves us constantly and unconditionally.
    Let us pray to the Lord.

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena: ………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, NOVENA, NOVENAS, OCTOBER - The HOLY ROSARY and The HOLY ANGELS

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day One – 28 September

Novena to Our Lady of the Rosary – Day One – 28 September

Day One – We pray for the Holy Church
and our personal intention:

To Mary, Mother of God and our Mother,
who sees how the Catholic Faith
is assailed by the devil and the world,
To Thy protection, we entrust ourselves .
Kindly offer to Thy Divine Son our resolutions and
obtain from Him the graces necessary for us
to keep them unto the end.
Amen

Daily Prayer along with our Daily Rosary:

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you, for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offences committed against your Immaculate Heart and for this special favour which I earnestly request in my Rosary Novena:

………………………….. (Mention your request).

I beg you to present my petition to your Divine Son.
If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused.
I know, dearest Mother, that you want me
to seek God’s holy Will concerning my request.
If what I ask for should not be granted,
pray that I may receive that which will be of greater benefit to my soul.

I offer you this spiritual Bouquet of Roses because I love you.
I put all my confidence in you,
since your prayers before God are most powerful.
For the greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus,
your loving Son, hear and grant my prayer.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.

Our Lady of the Rosary,
pray for our Holy Mother Church
and for our country.

Our Lady of Fatima,
obtain for humanity a lasting peace.

Sweet Heart of Jesus,
be my love.

Sweet Heart of Mary,
at the hour of my death,
lead me home.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Santa Maria del Rosario / Our Lady of the Rosary, San Nicolás, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1983) and Memorials of the Saints – 25 September

Santa Maria del Rosario / Our Lady of the Rosary, San Nicolás, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1983) – 25 September:

An ordinary housewife, a mother and grandmother who had no formal education and no knowledge of the Bible or theology claimed that she was visited by the Blessed Mother daily for a period of over 6 years. She reportedly additionally received 68 messages from Jesus Christ. Numerous healings, including the cure of a boy with a brain tumour, have been documented.

Every 25 September, the city of San Nicolás hosts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and faithful who meet to venerate and honour the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary of St Nicholas. In 2003, on the twentieth anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady, the second largest group ever congregated – 400,000 faithful. Pilgrims came from all the provinces of Argentina, with a group of more than 1,000 people from Buenos Aires who travelled the whole 240 km distance on foot – a distance three times greater than that from Buenos Aires to the national Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. On 25 September 2013, thirty years after the first apparition of Our Lady, 500,000 people gathered surpassing the record of 2004 when the greatest number of pilgrims visited.

In a decree signed on 22 May 2016 and made public a few days later, Héctor Cardelli, Bishop of the Diocese of San Nicolás, declared that the apparitions that took place in city of San Nicolás were supernatural in origin. The devotion is thus approved at the Diocesan level within the Catholic Church.

St Anacharius of Auxerre
St Aurelia of Macerata
St Caian of Tregaian
St Ceolfrid
St Cleopas
St Egelred of Crowland
St Ermenfridus of Luxeuil
St Finbar (c 550– 623) Bishop and Abbot
St Firminus of Amiens
St Fymbert
St Herculanus the Soldier
Bl Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple (1013–1054)
His Amazing Life and Works:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/25/saint-of-the-day-blessed-herman-of-reichenau-the-cripple-osb-1013-1054-the-wonder-of-his-age/

Bl Marco Criado
St Mewrog
St Neomisia of Mecerata
St Paphnutius of Alexandria
St Principius of Soissons
St Sergius of Moscow
St Solemnis of Chartres
St Vincent Strambi CP (1745-1824)
Biography here:

https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/23731/
AND MORE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/25/saint-of-the-day-25-september-st-vincent-strambi-c-p-1745-1824/

Martyrs of Damascus: A Christian family of six who were tortured to death in a persecution by Roman authorities. They were: Eugenia, Maximus, Paul, Rufus, Sabinian and Tatta. They were tortured to death in Damascus, Syria, date unknown.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Jose María Bengoa Aranguren
• Blessed Josep Maria Vidal Segú
• Blessed Juan Agustín Codera Marqués
• Blessed Julio Esteve Flors
• Blessed Pedro Leoz Portillo
• Blessed Rafael Pardo Molina
• Blessed Tomás Gil de La Cal

Feast of the Holy Bishops of Milan – a 1st Century Diocese!

Imagine being part of a diocese in which 37 of your past bishops are saints and some are also Doctors of the Church and Popes (and others being considered for sanctity)! The latest addition to this illustrious role-call, is Pope Paul VI.
Today, the Church in Milan commemorates these holy bishops.
They are:
• Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster
• Blessed Andrea Carlo Ferrari
• Pope Pius XI
• Saint Ambrose of Milan
• Saint Ampelius of Milan
• Saint Anathalon of Milan
• Saint Antoninus of Milan
• Saint Auxanus of Milan
• Saint Benedict Crispus of Milan
• Saint Benignus of Milan
• Saint Calimerius of Milan
• Saint Castritian of Milan
• Saint Charles Borromeo
• Saint Datius of Milan
• Saint Dionysius of Milan
• Saint Eugene of Milan
• Saint Eusebius of Milan
• Saint Eustorgius II of Milan
• Saint Eustorgius of Milan
• Saint Gaius of Milan
• Saint Galdinus of Milan
• Saint Geruntius of Milan
• Saint Glycerius of Milan
• Saint Honoratus of Milan
• Saint John Camillus the Good
• Saint Lazarus of Milan
• Saint Magnus of Milan
• Saint Mansuetus of Milan
• Saint Marolus of Milan
• Saint Martinian of Milan
• Saint Mirocles of Milan
• Saint Mona of Milan
• Saint Natalis of Milan
• Saint Pope Paul VI
• Saint Protasius of Milan
• Saint Senator of Milan
• Saint Simplician of Milan
• Saint Venerius of Milan

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes / Our Lady of Mercy/Our Lady of Ransom, Our Lady of Walsingham/Virgin of the Sea – 24 September and Memorials of the Saints

Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes / Our Lady of Mercy/Our Lady of Ransom, Barcelona, Spain (1218) – 1 August, 10 August – The Founding of the Mercedarian Order and 24 September:

Commemorates the foundation of the Mercedarian Order and the apparition of Our Lady of Ransom. In this appearance she carried two bags of coins for use in ransoming Christians imprisoned by Moors. On 10 August 1218, the Mercedarian Order was legally constituted at Barcelona, Spain by King James of Aragon and was approved by Pope Gregory IX on 17 January 1235. The Mercedarians celebrated their institution on the Sunday nearest to 1 August because it was on 1 August 1218 that the Blessed Virgin showed Saint Peter Nolasco the white habit of the Order. This custom was approved by the Congregation of Rites on 4 April 1615. On 22 February 1696 it was extended to the entire Latin Church and the date changed to 24 September. St Peter Nolasco (1189-1256) was the Founder of the Mercedarian Order – Memorial 28 January.
Patronages – Bahía Blanca, Argentina, archdiocese of, Barcelona, Spain, Dominican Republic.

Our Lady of Walsingham / Virgin of the Sea (1061) – 24 September:
In 2012 the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter for Anglicans joining the Church was given its Patron as the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of Walsingham. Patronages – England,East Anglia, England, diocese of, Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter.

St Anathalon of Milan
St Andochius of Autun
St Anthony Gonzalez
Blessed Anton Martin Slomsek (1800-1862)
Biographical details here:

https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/saint-of-the-day-24-september-blessed-anton-martin-slomshek-1800-1862/
AND:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/24/saint-of-the-day-24-september-blessed-anton-martin-slomsek-1800-1862/

St Chuniald
Bl Colomba Matylda Gabriel
St Coprio
St Erinhard
St Felix of Autun
St Gerard Sagredo OSB (980-1046) Bishop and Martyr, “The Apostle of Hungary”
St Geremarus
St Gislar
St Isarnus of Toulouse
St Lupus of Lyons
St Pacificus of Severino OFM (1653-1721)
His Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/24/saint-of-the-day-24-september-saint-pacificus-of-severino-ofm-1653-1721/
St Paphnutius of Egypt
Bl Robert Hardesty
St Rusticus of Clermont
St. Rupert of Salzburg
St Terence of Persaro
St Thyrsus of Autun
St Ysarn of Saint Victor
Bl William Spenser

Martyrs of Chalcedon – (49 saints): Forty-nine Christian choir singers of the church in Chalcedon in Asia Minor who were martyred together in their persecutions of Diocletian in 304.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Antonio Pancorbo López
• Blessed Esteban García y García
• Blessed José María Ferrándiz Hernández
• Blessed Juan Francisco Joya Corralero
• Blessed Luis de Erdoiza Zamalloa
• Blessed Manuel Gómez Contioso
• Blessed Melchor Rodríguez Villastrigo
• Blessed Pascual Ferrer Botella
• Blessed Rafael Rodríguez Mesa
• Blessed Santiago Arriaga Arrien

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 15 September – Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Sorrows

The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day Nine
Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Sorrows

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Let intercession be made for us,
we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ,
now and at the hour of our death,
before the throne of Thy mercy,
by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother,
whose most holy soul
was pierced by a sword of sorrow
in the hour of Thy bitter Passion.
Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world,
Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost
lives and reigns, world without end.
Amen

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
Consider the meeting of the Son and the Mother,
which took place on this journey. Jesus and Mary looked at each other and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly. My most loving Jesus, by the sorrow Thou didst experience in this meeting, grant me the grace of a truly devoted love for Thy most holy Mother. And thou, my Queen, who wast overwhelmed with sorrow, obtain for me, by thy intercession, a continual and tender remembrance of the Passion of thy Son.

Closing Prayers
V/. Pray for us, O Virgin most sorrowful
R/. That we may be made be worthy of the promises of Christ.

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
O afflicted Virgin!
O soul, great in virtues and great also in sorrows!
for both arise from that great fire of love
thou hast for God;
thou “whose heart can love nothing but God”;
O Mother, have pity on me,
for I have not loved God
and I have so much offended Him.
Thy sorrows give me great confidence to hope for pardon.
But this is not enough;
I wish to love my Lord
and who can better obtain this for me than thou,
thou who art the Mother of fair love?
O Mary, thou dost console all, comfort me also.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, QUOTES on PATIENCE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 15 September – Mary’s Patience 2

Thought for the Day – 15 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Mary’s Patience 2

“We also have our share of suffering and humiliation.
It is useless to try and escape from it, useless to rebel against it.
If we embrace the cross patiently and lovingly, a Jesus and Mary did, it will seem lighter, even welcome.
If we attempt to cast it from us, it will weigh more heavily on our shoulders.
There are two kinds of men, those who bear their cross, patiently and embrace it because they wish to be like Jesus and, those who do not want to suffer and rebel.
The former may stagger beneath their daily burden but, they have peace of soul because they are putting into practice, the great Gospel precept: “By your patience, you will win your souls” (Lk 21:19).
They know that they are on the path to Heaven and this thought is consolation, which cannot be taken from them.
The second group of men, rebel against the cross and, therefore, suffer doubly, in body and in soul.
“The senseless man,” the Holy Spirit says, “loves not to be reproved” (Prov 15:12).

To which of these two categories do we belong?
Do we love our cross, or do we carry it patiently, at least?
Anyone who does not want the cross, does not want Jesus.
Let the example of Mary and of the Saints inspire us.
They always bore their burden patiently, they even looked for suffering and humiliation.
If we cannot reach such heroic heights, let us at last, accept, from the hands of Our Lord, the cross which He offers us.
Let us accept the sufferings which we meet on the way of life.
If we are not heroic enough to seek to be unknown and mortified, let us resolve to accept, patiently, the inevitable sorrows of life.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, CONFESSION, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, INCORRUPTIBLES, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DIVINE PROVIDENCE, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The PASSION

Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – Our Lady of Sorrows and of St Catherine of Genoa

Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows and of St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

‘By the cross of our salvation
Mary stood in desolation
While the Saviour hung above
All her human powers failing,
Sorrow’s sword, at last prevailing,
Stabs and breaks her heart of love…
Virgin Mary, full of sorrow,
From your love I ask to borrow
Love enough to share your pain.
Make my heart to burn with fire,
Make Christ’s love my own desire,
Who for love of me was slain.’

Stabat Mater

“The spear which opened His side
passed through the soul of the Virgin,
which could not be torn
from the heart of Jesus.”

St Bernard (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

“Whoever you are, who love the Mother of God,
take note and reflect
with all your innermost feelings,
upon her, who wept for the Only-Begotten as He died…
The grief she felt in the Passion of her son,
goes beyond all understanding.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159)

“Near the cross stood His mother, speechless;
living she died;
dying she lived.

St Alphonsus (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

More Sorrowful Mother here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/15/quote-s-of-the-day-15-september-the-memorial-of-our-lady-of-sorrows/

+++++++++++++

“Any time spent before the Eucharistic presence,
be it long or short,
is the best-spent time of our lives.”

“We must not wish anything other
than what happens from moment to moment,
all the while, however, exercising ourselves in goodness.”

“And when I hear it said,
that God is good and He will pardon us
and then see, that men cease not from evil-doing,
oh, how it grieves me!
The infinite goodness
with which God communicates with us,
sinners as we are,
should constantly make us love and serve Him better
but we, on the contrary,
instead of seeing in His goodness
an obligation to please Him,
convert it into an excuse for sin,
which will, of a certainty,
lead in the end,
to our deeper condemnation.”

“The one sole thing, in myself,
in which I glory,
is that I see in myself,
nothing, in which I can glory.”

“Oh, what peril attaches to sin, wilfully committed!
For it is so difficult for man to bring himself to penance
and without penitence,
guilt remains and will ever remain,
so long as man retains unchanged,
the will to sin,
or is intent upon committing it.”

“I see clearly with the interior eye,
that the sweet God loves, with a pure love,
the creature that He has created
and has a HATRED for nothing but SIN,
which is more opposed to Him,
than can be thought or imagined.”

St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on SACRIFICE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS, The REDEMPTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 15 September – “Behold your mother.”

One Minute Reflection – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, Readings: 1 Corinthians 12:12-1427-31,Psalms 100:1-2345John 19:25-27 

“Near the cross of Jesus, there stood his mother…” … John 19:25

REFLECTION – “Mary, the mother of the Lord, stood by her Son’s cross. No-one has taught me this but the holy Evangelist John. Others have related how the earth was shaken at the Lord’s passion, the sky was covered with darkness, the sun withdrew itself and how the thief was, after a faithful confession, received into paradise. John tells us what the others have not told, how the Lord, while fixed on the cross called to His mother. He thought it was more important that, victorious over His sufferings, Jesus gave her the offices of piety, than that He gave her a heavenly kingdom. For, if it is the mark of religion to grant pardon to the thief, it is a mark of much greater piety, that a mother is honoured with such affection by her Son. “Behold,” He says, “your son.” “Behold your mother.” Christ testified from the cross and divided the offices of piety, between the mother and the disciple.

Nor was Mary below what was becoming of the mother of Christ. When the Apostles fled, she stood at the cross and with pious eyes beheld her Son’s wounds. For she did not look to the death of her offspring but to the salvation of the world. Or perhaps, because that “royal hall” knew that the redemption of the world would be through the death of her Son, she thought that by her death, she also might add something to that universal gift. But Jesus did not need a helper for the redemption of all, who saved all without a helper. This is why He says, “I am counted among those who go down to the pit. I am like those who have no help.” He received indeed the affection of His mother but sought not another’s help. Imitate her, holy mothers, who in her only dearly beloved Son, set forth so great an example of maternal virtue. For neither have you sweeter children, nor did the Virgin seek the consolation of being able, to bear another son.” … St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father and Doctor of the Church – Letter 63

PRAYER – Our Father, when Jesus Your Son, was raised up on the Cross, it was Your will that Mary, His Mother, should stand there and suffer with Him in her heart. Grant that in union with her, the Church may share in the passion of Christ and so be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Be our intercessor and our consolation, Our Lady of Sorrows, amen.

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 15 September – O Mother of Sorrows

Our Morning Offering – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

O Mother of Sorrows,
Stand by Me in My Last Agony
By St Gabriel Francis Possenti
of Our Lady of Sorrows (1838-1862)

O Mother of Sorrows,
by the anguish and love
with which thou did stand at the Cross of Jesus,
stand by me in my last agony.
To thy maternal heart
I commend the last three hours of my life.
Offer these hours to the Eternal Father
in union with the agony of our dearest Lord,
in atonement for my sins.
Offer to the Eternal Father
the most precious blood of Jesus,
mingled with your tears on Calvary,
that I may obtain the grace of receiving Holy Communion
with the most perfect love and contrition
before my death
and that I may breathe forth my soul
in the adorable presence of Jesus.
Dearest Mother,
when the moment of my death has at last come,
present me as your child to Jesus.
Ask Him to forgive me for having offended Him,
for I knew not what I did.
Beg Him to receive me into His kingdom of glory
to be united with Him forever.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, MYSTICS, SAINT of the DAY, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Memorial of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the Saints – 15 September

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memorial)
About this Sorrowful Memorial:

https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/09/15/memorial-of-our-lady-of-sorrows-15-september/
AND here:
https://anastpaul.com/2018/09/15/memorial-of-our-lady-of-sorrows-15-september-2/

St Aichardus
St Albinus of Lyon
Bl Anton Maria Schwartz
St Aprus of Toul
St Bond of Sens
St Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

Bl Camillus Constanzo
St Emilas of Cordoba
St Eutropa of Auvergne
St Hernan
Bl Jacinto de Los Ángeles and Bl Juan Bautista
St Jeremias of Cordoba
St Joseph Abibos
St Mamillian of Palermo
St Melitina
St Mirin of Bangor
St Nicetas the Goth
St Nicomedes of Rome
Blessed Paolo Manna PIME (1872-1952) “A Burning Soul” Priest, Missionary
His Life:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/15/saint-of-the-day-15-september-blessed-paolo-manna-pime-1872-1952-a-burning-soul/

St Porphyrius the Martyr
St Ribert
St Ritbert of Varennes
Bl Rolando de Medici
Bl Tommasuccio of Foligno
St Valerian of Châlon-sur-Saône
St Valerian of Noviodunum
St Vitus of Bergamo
Bl Wladyslaw Miegon

Martyrs of Adrianopolis – 3 saints: Three Christian men martyred together in the persecutions of Maximian – Asclepiodotus, Maximus and Theodore. They were martyred in 310 at Adrianopolis (Adrianople), a location in modern Bulgaria.

Martyrs of Noviodunum – 4 saints: Three Christian men martyred together, date unknown – Gordian, Macrinus, Stratone and Valerian.
They were martyred in Noviodunum, Lower Moesia (near modern Isaccea, Romania).

Mercedarian Martyrs of Morocco – 6 beati: A group of six Mercedarians who were captured by Moors near Valencia, Spain and taken to Morocco. Though enslaved, they refused to stop preaching Christianity. Martyrs. – Dionisio, Francis, Ildefonso, James, John and Sancho. They were crucified in 1437 in Morocco.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
Bl Antonio Sierra Leyva
Bl Pascual Penades Jornet

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, ON the SAINTS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY CROSS

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 14 September – Day Eight

Day Eight
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Opening Prayer

V/. O God + come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Sweet Mother of Sorrows,
Providence wished that Saint Helena,
like you the mother of a king,
find the Cross of your Son
and lavish honours on this relic of relics.
Grant, me Sorrowful Queen and Mother
that, like Saint Helena,
I always honour the symbol of our salvation, the Cross.
And like the Church,
may I hold it high, display
and wear it with gratitude and pride.
Above all, may I unite my sufferings
to that of Jesus on the Cross
and carry my crosses not in shame
but in faith, love and patience as He did.
I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful,
for the pangs that wrenched
thy most loving heart at the death of your Son, Jesus.
Dear Mother,
by thy heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation,
obtain for me the virtue of patience in suffering
and the gift of zeal for the salvation of souls
and this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
Consider how, after the death of our Lord, two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, took Him down from the Cross and placed Him in the arms of His afflicted Mother, who received Him with unutterable tenderness and pressed Him to her bosom.

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
O Mother of Sorrows,
for the love of this Son,
accept me for thy servant
and pray to Him for me.
And Thou, my Redeemer,
since Thou hast died for me,
permit me to love Thee,
for I wish but Thee and nothing more.
I love Thee, my Jesus
and I repent of ever having offended Thee.
Never permit me to offend Thee again.
Grant that I may love Thee always
and then do with me what Thou will.
Amen

Note: As St Alphonsus has only done the Seven Sorrows, Day 8 has been adapted and included from his Stations of the Cross. However, Day 9 is from his reflections and prayers on our Mother of Sorrows.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY NAME of MARY

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 13 September – Day Seven

The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day Seven – The Seventh Sorrow
Jesus is Placed in the Tomb

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
Hastily the Body is wrapped in a clean linen cloth. Nicodemus has brought myrrh and aloes and the Body is bound in the Shroud with them. Nearby is a new tomb, belonging to Joseph of Arimathea and there they lay Jesus. Mary and John and the holy women follow them and watch as the great stone to the sepulchre is rolled. It is the end.

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful,
for the pangs that wrenched
thy most loving heart at the burial of Jesus.
Dear Mother,
by thy heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation,
obtain for me the virtue of diligence
and the gift of wisdom.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
My afflicted Mother,
I will not leave thee alone to weep;
no, I wish to keep thee company with my tears.
This grace I ask of thee to-day –
obtain for me a continual remembrance
of the passion of Jesus
and of thine also
and a tender devotion to them,
that all the remaining days of my life,
may be spent in weeping for thy sorrows, O my Mother
and for those of my Redeemer,
I hope that these dolors
will give me the confidence and strength
not to despair at the hour of my death,
at the sight of the offences
I have committed against my Lord.
By these must I obtain pardon,
perseverance, paradise,
where I hope to rejoice with thee
and sing the infinite mercy of my God
through all eternity –
thus I hope, thus may it be.
Amen, amen.

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, NOVENAS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 12 September – Day Six

The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day Six – The Sixth Sorrow
Mary Receives Jesus

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
It is over. Dark clouds have appeared in the sky and upon the world. Jesus is dead. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus take down the Body from the Cross. and Mary receives It in her arms. She is filled with a sadness that no human heart has known. This is her Son. Once she had cradled Him in her arms. listened to His voice, watched Him working at the carpenter’s bench. Now He is dead. She does not weep, her grief is too great for tears.

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful,
in the wounding of thy compassionate heart,
when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance
and His Heart was pierced
before His Body was removed from the Cross.
Dear Mother, by thy heart thus transfixed,
obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity
and the gift of understanding.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
O afflicted Virgin!
O soul, great in virtues and great also in sorrows!
for both arise from that great fire of love thou hast for God;
thou “whose heart can love nothing but God;
O Mother, have pity on me,
for I have not loved God
and I have so much offended Him.
Thy sorrows give me great confidence to hope for pardon.
But this is not enough;
I wish to love my Lord
and who can better obtain this for me than thou,
thou who art the Mother of Fair Love?
O Mary, thou dost console all,
comfort me also.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Hail MARY!, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on DOUBT, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on HOPE, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, The HOLY NAME of MARY

Quote/s of the Day – 12 September – The holy name of Mary!

Quote/s of the Day – 12 September – The Most Holy Name of Mary

“The name of Mary
is the key
to the gates of Heaven.”

St Ephrem (306-373)
Father and Doctor of the Church

“Your name, O Mary, is a precious ointment,
which breathes forth the odour of Divine grace.
Let this ointment of salvation
enter the inmost recesses of our souls.”

St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor

“Your name, O Mother of God,
is filled with Divine graces and blessings.”

St Methodius of Sicily (c 788-c 847)

“O great, O gentle, O most lovable Mary,
thy Holy Name cannot be spoken
without inflaming the heart.
To those who love thee,
it is unspeakable consolation
and joy even to think of thee;
thou art a sweet memory
to those who honour thee.”

“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties,
think of Mary, call upon Mary.
Let not her name depart from your lips,
never suffer it to leave your heart.
And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer,
neglect not to walk in her footsteps.
With her for guide, you shall never go astray;
while invoking her, you shall never lose heart;
so long as she is in your mind,
you are safe from deception;
while she holds your hand, you cannot fall;
under her protection you have nothing to fear;
if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary;
if she shows you favour, you shall reach the goal.”

“If the hurricanes of temptation rise against you,
or you are running upon the rocks of trouble,
look to the star – call on Mary!”

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

“She was called Mary, that is, star of the sea,
in the foreseeing purpose of God,
that she might declare by her name,
that which she manifests more clearly in reality. (…)
… For those who sail upon the sea of the present age
and call on her with complete faith,
she rescues from the breath of the storm
and the raging of the winds
and brings them, rejoicing with her,
to the shore of their happy country.”

St Amadeus of Lausanne O.Cist (1110-1159)

“Glorious indeed and admirable is thy name, O Mary;
for those who pronounce it at death
need not fear all the powers of hell.
Men do not fear a powerful hostile army
as much as the powers of hell,
feal the name and protection of Mary.”

St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Seraphic Doctor

“When I pronounce the name of Mary,
I feel myself inflamed with such love and joy,
that between the tears and happiness
with which I pronounce this beautiful name,
I feel as though my heart might leave my breast.
For this sweet name is like a honeycomb
dissolving in the innermost recesses of my soul.”

Bl Henry Suso (1290-1365)

More here:
https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/12/quote-s-of-the-day-12-september-marys-name/

Posted in Hail MARY!, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on GOSSIP, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PURITY, QUOTES on SANCTITY, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 September – ‘… Perfume is not to be found in mud…’

One Minute Reflection – 12 September – Saturday of the Twenty Third week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22Psalms 116:12-1317-18Luke 6:43-49 and The Memorial of The Most Holy Name of Mary

“A good person, out of the store of goodness in his heart, produces good” … Luke 6:45

REFLECTION – “Those who conceal their hypocrisy beneath feigned love, bless outwardly with their mouths but curse inwardly.
Those who have acquired love, endure patiently the injuries and sufferings that their enemies inflict on them.
Love alone harmoniously joins all created things with God and with each other.
A person who does not tolerate suspicion or disparagement of others, possesses true love.
Someone who does nothing to dispel love, is precious in the sight of God and the world.
True words from a pure conscience betoken unfeigned love.
If you tell your brother how someone else is denigrating him, you conceal your own envy under the guise of goodwill. (…)
Guard yourself from hatred and dissipation and you will not be impeded at the time of prayer.
Perfume is not to be found in mud nor the fragrance of love in the soul of a rancorous person. (…)
Anyone who does not envy the spiritually mature and is merciful to the wicked, has attained an equal love for all. (…)
Do not trust a thought that would judge your neighbour: for it is the person who is a store of evil who thinks evil thoughts (Mt 6:21; 12:35).” … St Thalassios the Libyan (5th Century) – Priest and Abbot in Libya (see a little biography of him below).

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, assist us at all times we pray, to obtain a spirit of worthy penance, for our sins and that of all the world. To the invocation of Your Divine Son, Jesus, we call on the intercession of His holy Mother, to aid us on our pilgrimage. With great affection and confidence, we honour the Holy Hearts and invoke the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, to be our constant source of pure assistance and succour that we might bear fruits worthy of their Names. Blessed be the Name of Mary! Amen

Saint Thalassius the Libyan undertook the call of God to life as a hermit in the fifth century.
Thalassius is recorded to have entered into solitude at a young age near a village named Targala in Byzantine Syria. He is dwelt there living the ascetic life with no shelter for nearly forty years.
His was a soul filled with humbleness, simplicity and a gentle nature. God manifested in the saint the gifts of powerful intercession and healing for which he gained considerable renown.
In time, many came to join Thalassius in the eremitic life and he welcomed them as he would welcome Christ, building them cells with his own hands.
Saint Thalassius, Hermit of Syria is said to have died peacefully and is commemorated on 22 February.

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

The Most Holy Name of Mary and Memorials of the Saints – 12 September

The Most Holy Name of Mary – 12 September (Optional Memorial): Feast of the entire Latin Church. It was first observed at Cuenca, Spain in 1513, then extended to the universal Church and assigned to its present place and rank by Pope Innocent XI in 1683 in thanksgiving to God and the Blessed Virgin for the liberation of Vienna, France and the signal victory over the Turks on 12 September 1683. It is the titular feast of the Society of Mary (Marianists) and of the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

Blessed Mother:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/09/12/blessed-memorial-of-the-most-holy-name-of-mary-12-september/

St Ailbe (Died 528) Bishop “The Patrick of Munster”
Bl Apolinar Franco
St Autonomous
St Curonotus
St Dominic Magoshichi
St Eanswida
St Francis of Saint Bonaventure
St Franciscus Ch’oe Kyong-Hwan
St Guy of Anderlecht (c 950–1012)
Biography:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/12/saint-of-the-day-12-september-saint-guy-of-anderlecht-c-950-1012/

St Juventius of Pavia

Bl Maria Luisa Angelica/Gertrude Prosperi (1799-1847)
St Mancius of Saint Thomas
St Paul of Saint Clare
Bl Pierre-Sulpice-Christophe Faverge
St Sacerdos of Lyon
St Silvinus of Verona
St Tomás de Zumárraga Lazcano

Martyrs of Alexandria – 6 saints: A group of Christians martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian. We know little more than their names – Hieronides, Leontius, Sarapion, Seleusius, Straton and Valerian. They were drowned c 300 at Alexandria, Egypt.

Martyrs of Phrygia – 3 saints: Three Christians who were martyred for destroying pagan idols. We know little more than their names – Macedonius, Tatian and Theodolus. They were burned to death in 362 in Phrygia (modern Turkey).

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Fortunato Arias Sánchez
• Blessed Francisco Maqueda López
• Blessed Jaume Puigferrer Mora
• Blessed Josep Plana Rebugent
• Blessed Julián Delgado Díez

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 11 September – Day Four

The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day Five – The Fifth Sorrow
Jesus Dies on the Cross

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
With John, Mary stands at the foot of the Cross. “A sword shall pierce thy soul,” Simeon told her. Truly her heart is pierced with sorrow. Her beloved Son is dying and she shares in His suffering. She does not ask God to take away this agony. She is His Mother, so close to Him that His pain is hers, too. And now He speaks from the Cross: “Woman, behold thy son.” Jesus give His Mother to John, and to us. For all eternity she is our Mother.

I grieve for thee O Mary, most sorrowful,
in the martyrdom which thy generous heart endured
in standing near Jesus in His agony.
Dear Mother, by thy afflicted heart,
obtain for me the virtue of temperance
and the gift of counsel.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
O Mother, the most afflicted of all mothers,
thy Son, then, is dead;
thy Son so amiable
and who loved thee so much!
Weep, for thou hast reason to weep.
Who can ever console thee?
Nothing can console thee
but the thought that Jesus,
by His death, hath conquered hell,
hath opened paradise which was closed to men
and hath gained so many souls.
From that throne of the Cross
He was to reign over so many hearts,
which, conquered by His love,
would serve Him with love.
Do not disdain, O my Mother,
to keep me near to weep with thee,
for I have more reason than thou to weep
for the offences that I have committed against thy Son.
O, Mother of mercy,
I hope for pardon and my eternal salvation,
first through the death of my Redeemer
and then through the merits of thy dolors.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ANGER, QUOTES on ENVY, QUOTES on HYPOCRISY, QUOTES on JUDGING, QUOTES on LOVE, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on PURITY of INTENTION, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 September – The log and the speck – Luke 6:39-42

One Minute Reflection – 11 September – “Month of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Friday of the Twenty Third week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b-27, Psalms 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12, Luke 6:39-42

“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye and then you will see clearly, to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” … Luke 6:42

REFLECTION – “The Lord in this passage warns us against rash and unjust judgement. He wants us to act with a heart that is single and intent on God alone. Because there are many things about which, it would be rash to pass judgement, since we do not know with what kind of a heart they are done. For the most part, those who readily judge and condemn, are those who love to find fault and to condemn rather than to reprove and correct – and this is the vice of pride or envy. (…)

So if, for instance, someone sins through anger, you would reprove him through hatred. There is as much difference between anger and hatred, as there is between a speck and a beam. For hatred is an inveterate anger which, in time, has come to such a pitch that it may aptly be called a beam. Even though you are angry with someone, you may nevertheless wish them to amend. But if you hate someone, you cannot wish them to change for the better (…) First rid yourself of hatred, and then you will immediately be able to correct the person you love.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of Grace – Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, 19,63

PRAYER – Lord God, in Your wisdom, You created us, in love. By Your providence, You rule us, in love. Penetrate our inmost being with the holy light of Your Son. Penetrate our hearts with the overwhelming love for Your love, so that we may weep in consolation. May the Light that is Jesus Christ our Lord, enlighten our hearts that we may see clearly the way we should tread. May the prayers of Your holy Angels, Martyrs, Saints and our Sorrowful Martyr Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, be our guiding inspiration. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever amen.

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, NOVENAS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

The Seven Sorrows Novena By St Alphonsus Liguori – 10 September – Day Four

The Seven Sorrows Novena
By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor

Day Four – The Fourth Sorrow
Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary

Opening Prayer

V/. O God +, come to my assistance
R/. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Gloria Patri …

Reflection (St Alphonsus de Liguori)

Meditation:
Mary has known fear and sorrow but none so great, as seeing her beloved Son stumbling under the weight of the Cross. She hears the jeering shouts from the crowd and has no power to help Him. Pity and love are in her eyes as she gazes at His blood-stained face. To many around her, He is no better than a criminal and her heart is breaking as she follows Him to Calvary or Golgotha.

I grieve for thee, O Mary most sorrowful
in the consternation of thy heart
at meeting Jesus as he carried His Cross.
Dear Mother,
by thy heart so troubled,
obtain for me the virtue of patience
and the gift of fortitude.
And this my special intention
……………………. (mention your intention)
Amen

Ave Maria …

Prayer of St Alphonsus:
My sorrowful Mother,
by the merit of that grief
which thou did feel
at seeing thy beloved Jesus led to death,
obtain for me the grace also to bear with patience,
those crosses which God sends me.
Happy me, if I also shall know
how to accompany thee with my cross until death.
Thou and Jesus, both innocent,
have borne a heavy cross
and shall I a sinner,
who have merited hell, refuse mine?
O, Immaculate Virgin,
I hope that thou will help me
to bear my crosses with patience.
Amen

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, SAINT of the DAY

Beata Vergine Maria della Vita/Our Lady of Life and Memorials of the Saints – 10 September

Beata Vergine Maria della Vita/Our Lady of Life:
Celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary as patroness of the Our Lady of Life Hospital in Bologna, Italy, and as depicted in a painting in a sanctuary dedicated to her c 1375 in the hospital. Patronage – hospitals in the diocese of Bologna, Italy.

St Agapius of Novara
St Alexius Sanbashi Saburo
St Ambrose Edward Barlow OSB (1585-1641) Martyr
His Life and Death:

https://anastpaul.com/2019/09/10/saint-of-the-day-10-september-saint-ambrose-edward-barlow-osb-1585-1641-martyr/

St Autbert of Avranches
St Barypsabas
St Candida the Younger
St Clement of Sardis
St Finnian of Moville
St Frithestan
Bl Jacques Gagnot
St Nicholas of Tolentino OSA (1245-1305)
Biography
:
https://anastpaul.com/2017/09/10/saint-of-the-day-10-september-st-nicholas-of-tolentino-patron-of-holy-souls/

Blessed Oglerio O.Cist (c 1136-1214)
St Peter Martinez
St Pulcheria
St Salvius of Albi
St Sosthenes of Chalcedon
St Theodard of Maastricht
St Victor of Chalcedon

Martyrs of Bithynia – 3 sister saints: Three young Christian sisters martyred in the persecutions of emperor Maximian and governor Fronto: Menodora, Metrodora, Nymphodora. They were martyred in 306 in Bithynia, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey).

Martyrs of Japan – 205 beati: A unified feast to memorialise 205 missionaries and native Japanese known to have been murdered for their faith between 1617 and 1637.

Martyrs of Sigum – 8 saints: A group of Nicomedian martyrs, condemned for their faith to be worked to death in the marble quarries of Sigum. There were priests, bishops and laity in the group but only a few names have come down to us: Dativus, Felix, Jader, Litteus, Lucius, Nemesian, Polyanus, Victor. They were worked to death c 257 in Sigum.

Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Félix España Ortiz
• Blessed Leoncio Arce Urrutia
• Blessed Tomàs Cubells Miguel