Marian Thought for the Day – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians
Mary is the “Consolatrix Afflictorum,” the Consoler of the Afflicted
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
St PAUL says that his Lord comforted him in all his tribulations, that he also might be able to comfort them who are in distress, by the encouragement which he received from God. This is the secret of true consolation: those are able to comfort others who, in their own case, have been much tried and have felt the need of consolation and have received it. So of our Lord Himself it is said: “In that He Himself hath suffered and been tempted, He is able to succour those also that are tempted.”
And this, too, is why the Blessed Virgin is the comforter of the afflicted. We all know how special a mother’s consolation is and we are allowed to call Mary our Mother from the time that our Lord from the Cross established the relation of mother and son between her and St John. And she especially can console us because she suffered more than mothers in general. Women, at least delicate women, are commonly shielded from rude experience of the highways of the world but she, after our Lord’s Ascension, was sent out into foreign lands almost as the Apostles were, a sheep among wolves. In spite of all St John’s care of her, which was as great as was St Joseph’s in her younger days, she, more than all the saints of God, was a stranger and a pilgrim upon earth, in proportion to her greater love of Him who had been on earth, and had gone away. As, when our Lord was an Infant, she had to flee across the desert to the heathen Egypt, so, when He had ascended on high, she had to go on shipboard to the heathen Ephesus, where she lived and died.
O ye who are in the midst of rude neighbours or scoffing companions, or of wicked acquaintance, or of spiteful enemies and are helpless, invoke the aid of Mary by the memory of her own sufferings among the heathen Greeks and the heathen Egyptians.
Mary “Consolatrix Afflictorum,”Consoler of the Afflicted – Help of Christians
Quote of the Day – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians
“This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace, continues uninterruptedly, from the consent, which she loyally gave, at the Annunciation and which she sustained, without wavering beneath the Cross, until the eternal fulfilment of all the elect.
Taken up to heaven, she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession, continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. By her maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her Son, who still journey on earth, surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led into their blessed home.
Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress and Mediatrix. This, however, is so understood, that it neither takes away anything from, nor adds anything to, the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator.”
Lumen Gentium, 62
Blessed Pope Paul VI (1897-1978)
One Minute Marian Reflection – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians
He said to the disciple, “there is your mother.”...John 19:27
REFLECTION – “MARY: HELP OF CHRISTIANS – “Yes, we are still pilgrims but our Mother has gone on ahead, where she points to the reward for our efforts. She tells us that we can make it. If we are faithful, we will reach home. Not only is the Blessed Virgin our model but she is also the Help of Christians. And as we besiege her with our petitions — ‘Show that you are our Mother’ – she cannot help but watch over her children with motherly care.” … St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Cause of our Joy,” Christ is Passing By, 177. Let us offer to our Mother today: In addition to the mysteries of the day, one more part (five decades) of the Holy Rosary.
PRAYER – Have pity on us Mother and heal the wounds of our souls, remove the sorrow and worries of our souls. Console us in our day of suffering and enlighten us by your wisdom. Show us your mercy, Mother and pray for us, turn our sadness into true joy. Fill our hearts with your sweetness and make us forget the miseries of this life. Be gracious to your children and do not allow them to be overcome in their temptations. For Hail Mary, full of grace, our Mother and Mother of our Lord, He is with thee! Amen
Our Morning Offering – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians
Our Lady, Help Of Christians By St John Bosco (1815-1888)
Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Help of Christians,
how sweet it is to come to your feet
imploring your perpetual help.
If earthly mothers cease not
to remember their children,
how can you,
the most loving of all mothers forget me?
Grant then to me, I implore you,
your perpetual help in all my necessities,
in every sorrow and especially in all my temptations.
I ask for your unceasing help
for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak,
cure the sick,
convert sinners.
Grant through your intercession,
many vocations to the religious life.
Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians,
that having invoked you on earth
we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.
Amen
Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians – 24 May – Also known as Auxilium Christianorum.
The tradition of this advocation goes back to 1571, when the whole of Christendom was saved by Our Lady, Help of Christians when Catholics throughout Europe prayed the Rosary. The great battle of Lepanto occurred on 7 October 1571. For this reason, this date has been chosen as the feast of the Holy Rosary. In 1573 Pope Pius V instituted the feast in thanksgiving for the decisive victory of Christianity over Islamism.
Near the end of the 17th century, Emperor Leopold I of Austria took refuge in the Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians at Pasau, when 200,000 Ottoman Turks besieged the capital city of Vienna but a great victory occurred thanks to Our Lady, Help of Christians, on 8 September, Feast of Our Lady’s Birthday, plans were drawn for the battle. On 12 September, Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, Vienna was finally freed through the intercession of Mary, Help of Christians. All Europe had joined with the Emperor crying out “Mary, Help!” and praying the Holy rosary.
In 1809, Napoleon’s men entered the Vatican, arrested Pius VII and brought him in chains to Grenoble and eventually Fontainbleau. His imprisonment lasted five years. The Holy Father vowed to God that , if he were restored to the Roman See, he would institute a special feast in honour of Mary. Military reverses forced Napoleon to release the Pope and on May 24th 1814, Pius VII returned in triumph to Rome. Twelve months later, the Pope decreed that the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, be kept on 24 May.
St John Bosco (1815 – 1888) was a dynamic priest who founded the Salesian Order in the XIX century in Italy. His many prophetic dreams, beginning at age nine, guided his ministry and gave insights on future events.
On 14 May 1862, Don Bosco dreamed about the battles the Church would face in the latter days. In his dream, the Pope of those days anchors the ‘ship’ of the Church between two pillars, one with a statue of Our Lady ( the Auxilium Christianorum or ‘Help of Christians’) and the other with a large Eucharistic Host.
St John Bosco wrote about his congregation, the Salesians: “The principal objective is to promote veneration of the Blessed Sacrament and devotion to Mary, Help of Christians. This title seems to please the august Queen of Heaven very much.”
The Salesian Sisters of St John Bosco or Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, are the sister order of the Salesians of Don Bosco.
St John Bosco, himself, on 9 June1868, dedicated to Our Lady Help of Christians, the mother church of his congregation at Turin (Italy). The Salesian Fathers and their Sisters have carried the devotion to their numerous establishments all over the world.
More info here: https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/05/24/saint-of-the-day-24-may-the-feast-of-mary-help-of-christians/
SCRIPTURAL READING While meeting with them, He enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized you with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim…(Acts 1:4-5, 2:3-4)
MEDITATION “It is best for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send Him to you. And when He comes, He will prove to the people that they were wrong about sin and about what is right and about God’s judgement. They are wrong about sin because they did not believe in Me; they are wrong about what is right because I am going to the Father.”…(Jn. 16:7-8)
PRAYER
Come, Holy Spirit, we need You.
Come, Holy Spirit, we pray.
Come with Your strength and Your power,
come with Your loving care.
Come like a spring in the desert,
come to the weary of soul.
Let Your sweet healing power,
come in Your powerful way!
Come, Holy Spirit, we love You.
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
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
Marian Thought for the Day – 23 May “Mary’s Month” – Wednesday in the 7th Week of Ordinary Time Year B
Mary is the “Vas Honorabile,” the Vessel of Honour
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
ST PAUL calls elect souls vessels of honour: of honour, because they are elect or chosen; and vessels, because, through the love of God, they are filled with God’s heavenly and holy grace. How much more then is Mary a vessel of honour by reason of her having within her, not only the grace of God but the very Son of God, formed as regards His flesh and blood out of her!
But this title “honorabile,” as applied to Mary, admits of a further and special meaning. She was a martyr without the rude dishonour which accompanied the sufferings of martyrs. The martyrs were seized, haled about, thrust into prison with the vilest criminals and assailed with the most blasphemous words and foulest speeches which Satan could inspire. Nay, such was the unutterable trial also of the holy women, young ladies, the spouses of Christ, whom the heathen seized, tortured and put to death. Above all, our Lord Himself, whose sanctity was greater than any created excellence or vessel of grace—even He, as we know well, was buffeted, stripped, scourged, mocked, dragged about, and then stretched, nailed, lifted up on a high cross, to the gaze of a brutal multitude.
But He, who bore the sinner’s shame for sinners, spared His Mother, who was sinless, this supreme indignity. Not in the body, but in the soul, she suffered. True, in His Agony she was agonised; in His Passion she suffered a fellow-passion; she was crucified with Him; the spear that pierced His breast pierced through her spirit. Yet, there were no visible signs of this intimate martyrdom, she stood up, still, collected, motionless, solitary, under the Cross of her Son, surrounded by Angels and shrouded in her virginal sanctity from the notice of all who were taking part in His Crucifixion.
Mary “Vas Honorabile,” Vessel of Honour – Pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 23 May – Wednesday in the 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Readings: James 4:13-17, Psalm 49:2-3, 6-11, Mark 9:38-40
Speaking of: Living and Preaching the Gospel
But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name, will be able, soon after, to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us, is for us.
Mark 9:39-40
“The Christian should be an Alleluia! from head to foot”
St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor
“Cook the truth in charity, until it tastes sweet.”
St Francis de Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity
“We must speak to them with our hands, before, we try to speak, with our lips.”
St Peter Claver S.J. (1580-1654)
“If I’m not willing, to change my schedule, so that I can, spend time with Jesus, than I’m not really, a disciple of His.”
“If you follow Jesus, you’re going to get into some trouble!”
One Minute Marian Reflection – 23 May “Mary’s Month” Wednesday in the 7th Week of Ordinary Time Year B
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together...Acts 2:1
REFLECTION – “MARY: QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES – “If we take our Lady’s hand, she will make us realise more fully that all men are our brothers – because we are all sons of that God, whose daughter, spouse and mother she is. Our neighbours’ problems must be our problems. Christian fraternity should be something very deep in the soul, so that we are indifferent to no one. Mary, who brought up Jesus and accompanied Him through His life and is now beside Him in heaven, will help us recognise Jesus as He crosses our path and makes Himself present to us, in the needs of others.”… St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “To Jesus through Mary,” Christ is Passing By- 145. Let us offer to our Mother today: A kind word, a friendly conversation, a helping hand to persons with whom we live or work.
PRAYER – Almighty God, we offer our thanks for the great gift of the Mother of Your Divine Son, for as she was a Mother to His apostles, so still is she a Mother to us all. Grant we pray, that by her intercession, we may learn to recognise Jesus in all our neighbours and serve them as we would Him. Through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
SCRIPTURAL READING He has provided us a mighty Saviour, a descendant of His servant David. He promised through His holy prophets long ago, that He would save us from our enemies, from the power of all those who hate us. He said He would show mercy to our ancestors and remember His sacred covenant. With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham, He promised to rescue us from our enemies and allow us to serve Him without fear, so that we might be holy and righteous before Him all the days of our life in His presence...(Lk. 1:69-75)
MEDITATION
“Do not be afraid Mary, God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘ I am a virgin, how then can this be?’ The angel answered: ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you and God’s power will rest upon you. For this reason, the holy Child will be called the Son of God.”…(Lk. 1:30-35)
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ,
You gave us the Eucharist
as a memorial of Your suffering and death,
may our worship of the Sacrament of Your Body and Blood,
help us to experience the salvation You won for us
and the peace of the kingdom
where You live with the Father
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Bless me through the marvellous goodness
of Your Sacred Heart, which chose death to bring us life.
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 me 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
Our Morning Offering – 22 May “Mary’s Month!” Tuesday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time Year B
Hail, O Mother! By St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church
Hail, O Mother!
Virgin, heaven, throne,
glory of our Church,
its foundation and ornament.
Earnestly, pray for us to Jesus,
your Son and Our Lord,
that through your intercession
we may receive mercy
on the day of judgment.
Pray that we may receive
all those good things
which are reserved for those who love God.
Through the grace
and favour of Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
to whom,
with the Father
and the Holy Spirit,
be power, honour and glory,
now and forever.
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)
Marian thought for the Day – 21 May 2018 “Mary’s Month!” – The First Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church
“Mary Mother of the Church, Mater Ecclesiae
our new Universal Memorial today!
Blessed Pope Paul VI explicitly proclaimed Mary Mother of the Church and asked that she be honoured and invoked with this title by all the Christian people.
The title “Mother of the Church” thus reflects the deep conviction of the Christian faithful, who see in Mary not only the mother of the person of Christ but also of the faithful. She who is recognised as mother of salvation, life and grace, mother of the saved and mother of the living, is rightly proclaimed Mother of the Church.
Pope Paul VI would have liked the Second Vatican Council itself to have proclaimed “Mary Mother of the Church, that is, of the whole People of God, of the faithful and their Pastors”. He did so himself in his speech at the end of the Council’s third session (21 November 1964), also asking that “henceforth the Blessed Virgin be honoured and invoked with this title by all the Christian people” (AAS 1964, 37).
In this way, my venerable Predecessor explicitly enunciated the doctrine contained in chapter eight of Lumen gentium, hoping that the title of Mary, Mother of the Church, would have an ever more important place in the liturgy and piety of the Christian people.” – St Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)
“We need to meditate frequently on the fact that the Church is a deep, great mystery, so that we never forget it. We cannot fully understand the Church on this earth. If men, using only their reason, were to analyse it, they would see only a group of people who abide by certain precepts and think in a similar way. But that would not be the Church.
In the Church we Catholics find our faith, our norms of conduct, our prayer, our sense of fraternity. Through it we are united with all our brothers and sisters who have already left this life and are being cleansed in Purgatory—the Church suffering—and with those who already enjoy the beatific vision and love forever the thrice holy God—the Church triumphant. The Church is in our midst and at the same time transcends history. It was born under the mantle of our Lady and continues to praise her on earth and in heaven as its Mother (“The Supernatural Aim of the Church,” 28 May 1972).
If we become identified with Mary and imitate her virtues, we will be able to bring Christ to life, through grace, in the souls of many who will in turn become identified with him through the action of the Holy Spirit. If we imitate Mary, we will share in some way in her spiritual motherhood. And all this silently, like Our Lady; without being noticed, almost without words, through the true and genuine witness of our lives as Christians, and the generosity of ceaselessly repeating her fiat, which we renew as an intimate link between ourselves and God.” – St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975) – Friends of God, 281-283
“….We have spoken about Mary, about Jesus. What about us? We who are the Church? What kind of love do we bring to others? Is it the love of Jesus that shares, that forgives, that accompanies, or is it a watered-down love, like wine so diluted that it seems like water? Is it a strong love, or a love so weak that it follows the emotions, that it seeks a return, an interested love? Another question: is self-interested love pleasing to Jesus? No, it is not because love should be freely given, like His is. What are the relationships like in our parishes, in our communities? Do we treat each other like brothers and sisters? Or do we judge one another, do we speak evil of one another, do we just tend our own vegetable patch? Or do we care for one another? These are the questions of charity!
And briefly, one last aspect: Mary as the model of union with Christ. The life of the Holy Virgin was the life of a woman of her people: Mary prayed, she worked, she went to the synagogue… But every action was carried out in perfect union with Jesus. This union finds its culmination on Calvary, here Mary is united to the Son in the martyrdom of her heart and in the offering of his life to the Father for the salvation of humanity. Our Lady shared in the pain of the Son and accepted with Him the will of the Father, in that obedience that bears fruit, that grants the true victory over evil and death.
The reality Mary teaches us, is very beautiful: to always be united with Jesus. We can ask ourselves: do we remember Jesus only when something goes wrong and we are in need, or is ours a constant relation, a deep friendship, even when it means following him on the way of the Cross?
Let us ask the Lord to grant us His grace, His strength, so that the model of Mary, Mother of the Church, may be reflected in our lives and in the life of every ecclesial community. So be it!”...Pope Francis 23 October 2013
One Minute Marian Reflection – 21 May 2018 “Mary’s Month!” – The First Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church
And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart….Luke 2:19
REFLECTION – “MARY’S PRAYER – “Let us ask the Blessed Virgin to make us contemplatives, to teach us to recognise the constant calls from God at the door of our heart. Let us ask her now: Our Mother, you brought to earth Jesus, who reveals the love of our Father God. Help us to recognise Him in the midst of the cares of each day. Stir up our mind and will so that we may listen to the voice of God, to the calls of grace.” …St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975) – “Cause of Our Joy,” Christ is Passng By, 174. Let us offer to our Mother today: A visit to Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
PRAYER – Lord God, You bestowed the Holy Spirit on Your Apostles while they were at prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Fill us too with the gift of Your grace in the Holy Spirit, that we may live our lives both in prayer and action and grant, that by Mary’s prayer, we may give You faithful service and spread abroad the glory of Your name, by word and example. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, Your divine Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, amen.
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
DAY THREE GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT “I will send you the Holy Spirit”
SCRIPTURAL READING But when He comes, the Spirit of Truth, He will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on His own but He will speak what He hears and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is Mine; for this reason I told you that He will take from you what is Mine and declare it to you...John 16:13-15
MEDITATION “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the Gift I told you about, the Gift my Father promised. John baptised with water but in a few days, you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1, 4-5) “Baptise all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt. 28, 19) Now this is the abiding presence of the Blessed Trinity.
PRAYER
Come Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of Thy faithful
and enkindle in them, the fire of Thy love.
Send forth Thy Spirit
and they shall be created,
and Thou shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray:
O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit,
did instruct the hearts of the faithful,
grant that through the same Holy Spirit
we may be ever truly wise
and enjoy His consolation,
Eternal Holy Spirit,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
Spirit of God in the clear running water. Blowing to greatness the trees on the hill. Spirit of God in the finger of morning. Fill the earth, bring it to birth and blow where you will, blow, blow, blow, till I be, a breath of the Spirit blowing in me.
Quote/s of the Day – 20 May – The Solemnity of Pentecost, Alleluia!
“A fiery sword, barred of old, the gates of Paradise, a fiery tongue, which brought salvation, restored the gift.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-387) Doctor of the Church (Catechetical Lectures: Lecture 17 no. 15)
“O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there, Your cheerful beams.”
St Augustine (354-430) Doctor of Grace
“A soul, that possesses the Holy Spirit, tastes such sweetness, in prayer, that it finds the time, always too short, it never loses, the holy presence of God.”
“The Holy Spirit forms thoughts and suggests words, in the hearts of the just.”
“The Holy Spirit is like a gardener, cultivating our souls.”
St John Vianney (1786-1859)
“Pentecost is the moment when a heart of stone is shattered and a heart of flesh takes its place.”
Fr Raneiro Cantalamessa (Preacher to the Papal Household)
O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy creatures…Psalm 104:24
REFLECTION – “…the Holy Spirit who came down on the Apostles is the same Spirit who fashioned the world. Pentecost should also be for us a festival of thanksgiving for creation, a cause for reflection on the creative Reason, who is is also manifested in the beauty of the world, as a creative Love.”…Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) 1985
PRAYER – Lord God, pour out the gifts of the Holy Spirit on all mankind and fulfil now, in the hearts of Your faithful, what You accomplished at the beginning of the world, every second of every day and when the Gospel was first preached on earth. Come, O Holy Spirit, come! We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
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.
And when the days of Pentecost were drawing to a close, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind coming and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as of fire, which settled upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues, even as the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak... (Acts 2, 1-4).
After Jesus had ascended to heaven, the apostles and disciples returned to the Holy City. They remained together in the Upper Room or Cenacle, the place where Jesus had appeared to them and which may well be called, the first Christian church. About a hundred and twenty persons were assembled there. They chose Matthias as an apostle in place of the unhappy Judas; they prayed and waited for the Paraclete.
The Cenacle
Ten days had passed, it was Sunday, the seventh Sunday after the resurrection. At about nine o’clock in the morning, as they were together praying fervently, the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Note how all the great theophanies in Christ’s life occurred during the course of prayer. After His baptism, for instance, when Jesus was praying the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove; likewise, it was during prayer at night, that the transfiguration took place on Tabor. Surely too, it was while Mary was praying, that Gabriel delivered his message and the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. Pentecost followed precedent. The small community of Christians had prepared themselves through prayer for the coming of the Paraclete. The same is true at Mass today, every day; through prayer we ready our souls for the advent of the Spirit.
The descent upon the apostles was internal and invisible in nature although accompanied by certain visible phenomena. There came a mighty roar, like the onrush of a violent wind. It came suddenly, from heaven but unlike storms that strike a structure from without, this one penetrated and filled the room where the disciples were gathered. Therefore it was not a natural wind, it was a miracle peculiar to the occasion. A second visible sign consisted in tongues of fire, that descended upon each one present. These fiery tongues gave visible evidence that the Holy Spirit had descended upon them.
Louis Galloche – The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Today at Mass, particularly at holy Communion, the power of the Holy Spirit will come down upon us, fiery tongues will not be seen but invisible tongues of fire will not be absent. There was still another external manifestation of the Holy Spirit, the apostles and disciples were enabled to speak various languages.
After the roar of the wind many of Jerusalem’s pilgrims hurried to the Cenacle. Pentecost was one of the three festivals which obliged all Jews to be present in Jerusalem. Jews from distant lands and Jewish converts from paganism too, attended these feasts. As a result, a colourful crowd, speaking a variety of languages, surrounded the house. Now the apostles, who so shortly before had hid in fear behind locked doors, came forth and courageously walked among the multitude, speaking to each in his native tongue. It was indeed amazing! Galileans, and multilingual?
But the malicious too were present, they had the answer. Nothing marvellous at all! Those Galileans were simply drunk and their drunken babble sounded like a foreign language! Peter showed no hesitation in answering the charge. None of their number, he said, were intoxicated, it was but nine o’clock in the morning and at that hour men usually are sober. What the multitude saw was, in fact, the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy: In those days (of the Messiah), God will pour forth His Spirit upon men and they will prophesy. . . . Then the apostle pointed his words more directly against the accusers, they had killed Jesus, had nailed Him to the Cros; but God had awakened Him and after His departure to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit.
BEN63198 St. Peter Preaching in Jerusalem (detail of 63197) c.1427 (fresco) by Masolino da Panicale, Tommaso (1383-c.1447) Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy Italian, out of copyright
The pilgrims who had heard Peter give this first Pentecostal sermon “were pierced to the heart and said, Brethren, what shall we do? But Peter said to them, Repent and be baptised and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Three thousand responded.
One final question, why the miracle of tongues? In answer, recall the story regarding the tower of Babel. Puffed up by pride, men attempted to build a tower that would touch the heavens. To punish their sin, God confused their speech. Sin causes confusion and division. Now Christ came to gather all men into His Church and thereby to unite them to Himself. This should result in creating but one family of nations again. To this blessed state the miracle of tongues points.
Yes, even we as individuals have a gift of tongues which all men can understand. It is the gift of love infused into us by the Holy Spirit. Love unites, love is a common language, by means of love we can speak to all nations…Excerpted from The Church’s Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Wishing Holy Mother Church and
you all a Blessed, Holy and love-filled Pentecost! Alleluia!
DAY TWO GOD THE SON “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”
SCRIPTURAL READING
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through Him and without Him nothing came to be. What came to be through Him was life and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it…John 1:1-5
MEDITATION
At the Baptism of Jesus and at the Transfiguration, the Father’s words were heard: “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased, listen to Him”: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life.”; “So that all who will honour the Son, in the same way as they honour the Father. Who does not honour the Son, does not honour the Father, who sent Him.” (Jn. 5,23)
PRAYER
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day, He rose again.
He ascended into Heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
From thence He shall come, to judge the living and the dead.
Bless me through the marvelous goodness
of Your Sacred Heart, which chose death to bring us life.
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
“None of us lives for himself only, none of us dies for himself only; if we live, it is for the Lord that we live and if we die, it is for the Lord we die. Whether we live or die, then, we belong to the Lord. For Christ died and rose to life in order to be the Lord of the living and the dead.”…(Romans 14:7-9)
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
Marian Thought for the Day – 19 May “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
Mary is the “Vas Insigne Devotionis,” The Most Devout Virgin
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
TO be devout is to be devoted. We know what is meant by a devoted wife or daughter. It is one, whose thoughts centre in the person so deeply loved, so tenderly cherished.,, She follows Him about with her eyes; she is ever seeking some means of serving Him and, if her services are very small in their character, that only shows, how intimate they are and how incessant. And especially if the object of her love be weak, or in pain, or near to die, still more intensely does she live in His life and know nothing but Him.
This intense devotion towards our Lord, forgetting self in love for Him, is instanced in St Paul, who says. “I know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” And again, “I live, [yet] now not I, but Christ lives in me; and [the life] that I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself for me.”
But great as was St Paul’s devotion to our Lord, much greater was that of the Blessed Virgin, because she was His Mother and because she had Him and all His sufferings actually before her eyes and because she had the long intimacy, of thirty years with Him and because she was from her special sanctity, so ineffably near to Him in spirit. When, then, He was mocked, bruised, scourged and nailed to the Cross, she felt as keenly as if every indignity and torture inflicted on Him, was struck at herself. She could have cried out in agony at every pang of His.
This is called her compassion, or her suffering with her Son and it arose from this that she was the “Vas insigne devotionis.”
Mary, “Vas Insigne Devotionis,” The Most Devout Virgin
One Minute Marian Reflection – 19 May “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”…John 2:3
REFLECTION – “MARY: HER FAITH – “If our faith is weak, we should turn to Mary. St John tells us, that it was because of the miracle that Christ performed, at his mother ‘s request, at the marriage feast at Cana, that ‘his disciples learned to believe in him.’ Our Mother is always interceding with her Son, so that he may attend to our needs and show Himself to us, in such a way, that we can cry out, ‘You are the Son of God!'”...St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 285 Let us offer to our Mother today: The “Memorare” for the person in our family who most needs the help of our Lady.
PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, Your ways are not our ways, teach us to willingly agree to them, for You know which way we should go. Help us to say “yes” always to Your plan and to render ourselves, as a sacrament of Your divine love to all we meet. Fill us with the grace to be your tools, to bring glory to Your kingdom. Our Father, who art in heaven, may Your Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Mary Mother of God, pray for us! Through our Our Lord Jesus Christ with You, in the union of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 19 May “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
Mother of my God and my Lady Mary By St Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Mother of my God and my Lady Mary,
as a beggar, all wounded and sore,
presents himself before a great Queen,
so do I present myself before you,
who are Queen of heaven and earth.
From the lofty throne on which you sit,
disdain not, I implore you,
to cast your eyes on me,
a poor sinner.
God has made you so rich
that you might assist the poor,
and has made you Queen of Mercy
in order that you might relieve the miserable.
Behold me then and pity me,
behold me and abandon me not,
until you see me changed
from a sinner into a saint.
Amen
Our Morning Prayer – 18 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide
O Mary, Give us a Heart like Yours By St Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
O Mary, give us a heart as beautiful, pure,
and spotless as yours.
A heart like yours,
so full of love and humility.
May we be able to receive Jesus
as the Bread of Life,
to love Him as you loved Him,
to serve Him
under the mistreated face of the poor.
We ask this through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
DAY ONE GOD THE FATHER “Our Father who art in heaven”
SCRIPTURAL READING
“This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as 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 the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”...Matthew 6:9-15
MEDITATION
In the New Testament, Jesus spoke about the Father and to the Father 170 times. From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus would say: “I was sent by the Father,” “Your God and my God,” “the Father and I are one.” “I do only the things told by my Father,” “Father, not my will but Yours be done,” etc.
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, 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
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
On the Anniversary of the Birth of St John Paul, Karol Wojtyla, we send him our love and ask for his intercession.
Vatican Official Prayer to St John Paul II
Oh, St John Paul, from the window of heaven, grant us your blessing! Bless the church that you loved and served and guided, courageously leading it along the paths of the world, in order to bring Jesus to everyone and everyone to Jesus. Bless the young, who were your great passion. Help them dream again, help them look up high again, to find the light that illuminates the paths of life here on earth. May you bless families, bless each family! You warned of Satan’s assault against this precious and indispensable divine spark that God lit on earth. St John Paul, with your prayer, may you protect the family and every life that blossoms from the family. Pray for the whole world, which is still marked by tensions, wars and injustice. You tackled war by invoking dialogue and planting the seeds of love: pray for us so that we may be tireless sowers of peace. Oh St John Paul, from heaven’s window, where we see you next to Mary, send God’s blessing down upon us all. Amen
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