Category: PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY NINE –22 JUNE

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY NINE –22 JUNE

By St Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Published in 1758 from THE HOLY EUCHARIST

MEDITATION IX.
The Faithful Heart of Jesus.

Oh, how faithful is the beautiful heart of Jesus towards those whom He calls to His love: He is faithful Who hath called you, Who also will perform.’ [1 Thess. v. 24].

The faithfulness of God gives us confidence to hope all things, although we deserve nothing.   If we have driven God from our heart, let us open the door to Him and He will immediately enter, according to the promise He has made:  If anyone open to Me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him. [Apoc. iii. 20].   If we wish for graces, let us ask for them of God, in the name of Jesus Christ and He has promised us that we shall obtain them: If you shall ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it you. [John xvi. 23].   If we are tempted, let us trust in His merits and He will not permit our enemies to strive with us beyond our strength:  God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able. [1 Cor. x. 13].

Oh, how much better it is to have to do with God than with men!   How often do men promise and then fail, either because they tell lies in making their promises, or because, after having made the promise, they change their minds:  God is not as man, says the Holy Spirit, that He should lie; or as the Son of Man, that He should be changed. [Num. xxiii. 19].   God cannot be unfaithful to His promises, because, being Truth itself, He cannot lie; nor can He change His mind, because all that He wills is just and right.    He has promised to receive all that come to Him, to give help to him that asks it, to love him that loves Him;  and shall He then not do it? Hath He said, then, and will He not do it? [Ibid.].

Oh, that we were as faithful with God as He is with us!   Oh, how often have we, in times past, promised Him to be His, to serve Him and love Him and then have betrayed Him, and, renouncing His service, have sold ourselves as slaves to the devil!   Oh, let us beseech Him to give us strength to be faithful to Him for the future!  Oh, how blessed shall we be if we are faithful to Jesus Christ in the few things that He commands us to do; He will, indeed, be faithful in remunerating us with infinitely great rewards and He will declare to us what He has promised to His faithful servants:  Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. [Matt. xxv. 21].

DAY NINE - NOVENA SACRED HEART

LET US PRAY – DAY NINE

Oh, that I had been as faithful towards You, my dearest Redeemer,
as You have been faithful to me.
Whenever I have opened my heart to You,
You have entered in, to forgive me and to receive me into Your favour.
Whenever I have called You, You have hastened to my assistance.
You have been faithfu1 with me
but I have been exceedingly unfaithful towards You.
I have promised You my love and then have many times refused it to You,
as if You, my God, Who has created and redeemed me,
were less worthy of being loved than Your creatures
and those miserable pleasures for which I have forsaken You.
Forgive me, O my Jesus. I know my ingratitude and abhor it.
I know that You are infinite goodness;
Who deserves an infinite love, especially from me,
whom You have so much loved,
even after all the offences I have committed against You.
Ah, no, my Love, have pity on me;
suffer me not to forsake You again
and then to damn myself, as I should deserve, to Hell.
O loving and faithful heart of Jesus, inflame, I beseech You, my miserable heart,
so that it may burn with love for You, My Jesus.
It seems to me that now I love You but I love You but little.
Make me love You exceedingly
and remain faithful to You until death.
I ask of You this grace, together with that of always praying to You for it.
Grant that I may die, rather than ever betray You again.

O Mary, my Mother, help me to be faithful to your Son. Amen.

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY EIGHT –21 JUNE

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY EIGHT –21 JUNE

By St Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Published in 1758 from THE HOLY EUCHARIST

MEDITATION VIII.
The Despised Heart of Jesus.

There is not a greater sorrow for a heart that loves, than to see its love despised: and so much the more when the proofs given of this love have been great, and, on the other hand, the ingratitude great.

If every human being were to renounce all his goods and to go and live in the desert, to feed on herbs, to sleep on the bare earth, to macerate himself with penances and at last give himself up to be murdered for Christ’s sake, what recompense could he render for the sufferings, the Blood, the life that this great Son of God has given for his sake?   If we were to sacrifice ourselves every moment unto death, we should certainly not recompense in the smallest degree the love that Jesus Christ has shown us, by giving Himself to us in the most Holy Sacrament.   Only conceive that God should conceal Himself under the species of bread to become the food of one of His creatures!

But, O my God, what recompense and gratitude do men render to Jesus Christ?   What but ill-treatment, contempt of His laws and His maxims, —– injuries such as they would not commit towards their enemy, or their slave, or the greatest villain upon earth.   And can we think of all these injuries which Jesus Christ has received and still receives every day and not feel sorrow for them?   And not endeavour, by our love, to recompense the infinite love of His Divine heart, which remains in the most Holy Sacrament, inflamed with the same love towards us and anxious to communicate every good gift to us and to give Himself entirely to us, ever ready to receive us into His heart whenever we go to Him?   Him that cometh to Me, I will not cast out. [John vi. 37].

We have been accustomed to hear of the Creation, Incarnation, Redemption, of Jesus born in a stable, of Jesus dead on the Cross. O my God, if we knew that another man had conferred on us any of these benefits, we could not help loving him.   It seems that God alone has, to to say, this bad luck with men, that, though He has done His utmost to make them love Him, yet He cannot attain this end, and, instead of being loved, He sees Himself despised and neglected. All this arises from the forgetfulness of men of the love of God.

DAY EIGHT - NOVENA SACRED HEART

LET US PRAY – DAY EIGHT

O Heart of Jesus, abyss of mercy and love,
how is it that, at the sight of the goodness You hast shown me and of my ingratitude, I do not die of sorrow? You, O mv Saviour, after having given me my being,
have given me all Your Blood and Your life, giving Yourself up for my sake, to ignominy and death;
and, not content with this,
You have invented the mode of sacrificing Yourself every day for me in the Holy Eucharist,
not refusing to expose Yourself to the injuries which You receive, and which You foresaw,
in this Sacrament of love.
O my God, how can I see myself so ungrateful to You without dying with contrition!
O Lord, put an end, I pray You, to my ingratitude,
by wounding my heart with Your love and making me entirely Yours.
Remember the Blood and the tears that You shed for me, and forgive me.
Oh, let not all Your sufferings be lost upon me.
But though You have seen how ungrateful and unworthy of Your love I have been,
yet You didst not cease to love me even when I did not love You.
Grant that this day may be the day of my thorough conversion;
so that I may begin to love You and may never cease to love You, my sovereign good.
Make me die in everything to myself,
in order that I may live only for You and that I may always burn with Your love.

O Mary, your heart was the blessed altar
that was always on fire with Divine love:
my dearest Mother, make me like you;
obtain this from your Son,
Who delights in honouring and pleasing you,
by denying you nothing that you ask of Him. Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY SEVEN –20 JUNE

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY SEVEN –20 JUNE

By St Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Published in 1758 from THE HOLY EUCHARIST

MEDITATION VII.
The Grateful Heart of Jesus.

The heart of Jesus is so grateful, that it cannot behold the most trifling works done for the love of Him —–our smallest word spoken for His glory, a single good thought directed towards pleasing Him—–without giving to each its own reward. He is besides so grateful, that He always returns a hundredfold for one: You shall receive a hundredfold.
[Matt. xix. 29] Men, when they are grateful, and recompense any benefit done to them, recompense it only once; they, as it were, divest themselves of all the obligation, and then they think no more of it. Jesus Christ does not do thus. with us; He not only recompenses a hundredfold in this life every good action that we perform to please Him, but in the next life He recompenses it an infinite number of times throughout eternity. And who will be so negligent as not to do as much as he can to please this most grateful heart?

But, O my God, how do men try to please Jesus Christ? Or rather, I will say, how can we be so ungrateful towards this our Saviour? If He had only shed a single drop of Blood, or one tear alone for our salvation, yet we should be under infinite obligation to Him; because this drop and this tear would have been of infinite value in the sight of God towards obtaining for us every grace. But Jesus would employ for us every moment of His life. He has given us all His merits, all His sufferings, all His ignominies, all His Blood, and His life; so that we are under, not one, but infinite, obligations to love Him.

But alas! we are grateful even towards animals: if a little dog shows us any sign of affection, it seems to constrain us to love it. How, then, can we be so ungrateful towards God? It seems as if the benefits of God towards men change their nature, and become ill-usage; for, instead of gratitude and love, they obtain nothing but offences and injuries. Do Thou, O Lord, enlighten these ungrateful ones, to know the love that Thou bearest them.

DAY SEVEN - NOVENA SACRED HEART

LET US PRAY – DAY SEVEN

O my beloved Jesus,
behold at Your feet an ungrateful sinner.
I have been grateful indeed towards creatures
but to You, alone I have been ungrateful, Who died fur me
and have done the utmost to oblige me to love You.
My dearest Jesus, I have in times past offended You
but now I love You more than everything —–more than myself.
Tell me what You would have me to do;
for I am ready to do everything with Your help.
I believe that for my sake You dost remain in the Blessed Sacrament;
I thank You for it, O my love.
Oh, permit me not to be ungrateful in future for so many benefits and proofs of Your love.
Oh, bind me, unite me to Your heart
and permit me not, during the years that remain to me,
to offend You or grieve You any more.
O my Jesus, it is time that I should love You now.
Oh, that those years that I have lost would return!
But they will return no more
and the life that remains for me may be short;
but whether it be short or long, my God, I desire to spend it all in loving You,
my sovereign good, Who deserves an eternal and infinite love.

O Mary, my Mother, let me never again be ungrateful to your Son. Pray to Jesus for me. Amen.

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY SIX – 19 JUNE

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY SIX – 19 JUNE

By St Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Published in 1758 from THE HOLY EUCHARIST

MEDITATION VI.
The Generous Heart of Jesus.

It is the characteristic of good-hearted people to desire to make everybody happy and especially those most distressed and afflicted.   But who can ever find one who has a better heart than Jesus Christ?   He is infinite goodness and has therefore a sovereign desire to communicate to us His riches:   With Me are riches, that I may enrich them that love Me. [Prov. viii. 18, 21]

He for this purpose made Himself poor, as the Apostle says, that He might make us rich: He became poor for your sakes, that through His poverty you might be rich. [2 Cor. viii. 9].   For this purpose also He chose to remain with us in the most Holy Sacrament, where He remains constantly with His hands full of graces, to dispense them to those who come to visit Him.   For this reason also He gives Himself wholly to us in Holy Communion, giving us to understand from this that He cannot refuse us any good gifts, since He even gives Himself entirely to us:  How hath He not also, with Him, given us all things? [Rom. viii. 32]

For in the heart of Jesus we receive every good, every grace that we desire: In all things you are made rich in Christ. . . so that nothing is wanting to you in any grace. [1 Cor. 1. 5, 7].   And we must understand that we are debtors to the heart of Jesus for all the graces we have received —–graces of redemption, of vocation, of light, of pardon, the grace to resist temptations and to bear patiently with contradictions;  for without His assistance we could not do anything good:  Without Me you can do nothing. [John xv. 5].   And if hitherto, says our Saviour, you have not received more graces, do not complain of Me, but blame yourself, who has neglected to seek them of Me:   Hitherto you have not asked anything; . . . ask, and you shall receive. [John xvi. 24].   Oh, how rich and liberal is the heart of Jesus towards everyone that has recourse to Him!   Rich unto all that call upon Him. [Rom. x. 12].   Oh, what great mercies do those souls receive who are earnest in asking help of Jesus Christ. David said, For Thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild, and plenteous to all who call upon Thee. [Ps. lxxxv. 5].   Let us therefore always go to this heart, and ask with confidence, and we shall obtain all we want.

DAY SIX NOVENA SACRED HEART

LET US PRAY – DAY SIX

Ah, my Jesus,
You have not refused to give me Your Blood and Your life
and shall I refuse to give You my miserable heart?
No, my dearest Redeemer, I offer it entirely to You.
I give You all my will – will You accept it and dispose of it at Your pleasure?
I can do nothing and have nothing
but I have this heart which You have given me
and of which no one can deprive me.
I may be deprived of my goods, my blood, my life but not of my heart.
With this heart I can love You;
with this heart I will love You.
I beseech You, O my God, teach me a perfect forgetfulness of myself.
I feel in myself a determination to please You
but in order to put my resolve iinto execution,
I expect and implore help from You.
It depends on You, O loving heart of Jesus,
to make my poor heart entirely Yours.
Oh, grant that my heart may be all on fire with the love of You,
even as Yours is on fire with the love of me.
Grant that my will may be entirely united to Yours
and from this day forth Your holy will may be the rule of all my actions,
of all my thoughts and of all my desires.
I trust, O my Saviour, that You will not refuse me Your grace,
to fulfill this resolution which I now make prostrate at Your feet,
to receive with submission whatever You may ordain for me, as well in life, as in death.

Blessed art you, O Immaculate Mary,
who had your heart always and entirely united to the heart of Jesus;
obtain for me, O my Mother,
that in future I may wish and desire that which Jesus wills and you will. Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY FIVE – 18 JUNE

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY FIVE – 18 JUNE

By St Alphonsus Liguo
(1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Published in 1758 in “THE HOLY EUCHARIST”

MEDITATION V.
The Compassionate Heart of Jesus.

Where shall we ever find a heart more compassionate or tender than the heart of Jesus, or one that had a greater feeling for our miseries?

This pity induced Him to descend from Heaven to this earth;  it made Him say that He was that good shepherd Who came to give His life to save His sheep.   In order to obtain the pardon of our sins, He would not spare Himself but would sacrifice Himself on the Cross, that by His sufferings He might satisfy for the chastisement that we have deserved. This pity and compassion makes Him say even now:   Why will ye die, O house of Israel? return ye, and live. [Ezek. xviii. 31].  O men, He says, my poor children, why will you damn yourselves by flying from Me?   Do you not see that by separating yourselves from Me you are hastening to eternal death?   I desire not to see you lost;  do not despair; as often as you wish to return, return and you shall recover your life:  Return, and live.

This compassion even makes Him say that He is that loving Father Who, though He sees Himself despised by His son, yet, if that son returns a penitent, He cannot reject him  but embraces him tenderly and forgets all the injuries He has received: I will not remember all his iniquities. [Ibid. 22].  It is not thus that men behave;  for though they may forgive, yet they nevertheless retain the remembrance of the offence received and feel inclined to revenge themselves and even if they do not revenge themselves, because they fear God, at least they always feel a great repugnance against conversing and entertaining themselves with those persons who have vilified them.

O my Jesus, You pardon the penitent sinners and never refuse in this world to give them everything in Holy Communion during their life and everything in the other world, even in Heaven, with eternal glory, without retaining the slightest repugnance towards being united to the soul that has offended You, for all eternity.   Where, then, is there to be found a heart so amiable and compassionate as Yours, O my dearest Saviour?

DAY FIVE NOVENA TO THE SACRED HEART

LET US PRAY – DAY FIVE

O compassionate heart of my Jesus, have pity on me:
“Most sweet Jesus, have mercy on me.”
I say so now and beseech You to give me the grace always to say to You,
“Most sweet Jesus, have mercy on me.”
Even before I offended You, O my Redeemer,
I certainly did not deserve any of the favours You bestowed upon me.
You created me,
You have given me so much light and knowledge
and all without any merit of mine.
But after I had offended You. I not only did not deserve Your favour
but I deserved to be forsaken by You and cast into Hell.
Your compassion has made You wait for me
and preserve my life even when I had offended You.
Your compassion has enlightened me and offered me pardon;
it has given me sorrow for my sins and the desire of loving You
and now I hope from Your mercy to remain always in Your grace.
O my Jesus Your mercy which I implore of You
is that You would grant me light
and strength to be no longer ungrateful towards You.
No, my Jesus; I love You and I will always love You
and this is the mercy which I hope for and seek from You
“Permit me not to be separated from You, permit me not to be separated from You.”

And I beseech you also, O Mary my Mother,
help me not to be ever again separated from my God.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, POETRY, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 18 June 2017 – The Feast of Copus Christi

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 18 June 2017 – The Feast of Copus Christi

ADORO te DEVOTE – HIDDEN GOD
St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor
and its most famous English translation
by Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

Hidden God, devoutly I adore Thee,
Truly present underneath these veils:
All my heart subdues itself before Thee,
Since it all before Thee faints and fails.

Not to sight, or taste, or touch be credit,
Hearing only do we trust secure;
I believe, for God the Son hath said it–
Word of Truth that ever shall endure.

On the Cross was veiled Thy Godhead’s splendour,
Here Thy manhood lieth hidden too;
Unto both alike my faith I render,
And, as sued the contrite thief, I sue.

Though I look not on Thy wounds with Thomas,
Thee, my Lord, and Thee, my God, I call:
Make me more and more believe Thy promise,
Hope in Thee, and love Thee over all.

O Memorial of my Saviour dying,
Living Bread that givest life to man;
May my soul, its life from Thee supplying,
Taste Thy sweetness, as on earth it can.

Deign, O Jesus, pelican* of heaven,
Me, a sinner, in Thy Blood to lave,
To a single drop of which is given
All the world from all its sin to save.

Contemplating Lord, Thy hidden presence,
Grant me what I thirst for and implore,
In the revelation of Thine essence
To behold Thy glory evermore.

ADORO te DEVOTE - ST THOMAS AQUINAS TRANSLATE G M HOPKINS SJ

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES of the SAINTS

Blessed and Holy Feast of Corpus Christi! 18 June 2017

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Blessed and Holy Feast of Corpus Christi! 18 June 2017

come let us adore him- 18 june 2017

“The solemnity of Corpus Christi originated within a very precise cultural and historical context.   Its aim was to proclaim openly the faith of the People of God in Jesus Christ’s real, living presence in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist.”

CC_homeCorpusChristiProcession

Pope Benedict XVI explains the history of this feast, which dates back to the 13th century, as follows:

St Juliana of Cornillon had a vision which “presented the moon in its full splendour, crossed diametrically by a dark stripe.   The Lord made her understand the meaning of what had appeared to her.   The moon symbolised the life of the Church on earth, the opaque line, on the other hand, represented the absence of a liturgical feast (…) in which believers would be able to adore the Eucharist so as to increase in faith, to advance in the practice of the virtues and to make reparation for offences to the Most Holy Sacrament. (…)

Jacques Pantaléon of Troyes was also won over to the good cause of the Feast of Corpus Christi during his ministry as Archdeacon in Lièges.   It was he who, having become Pope with the name of Urban IV in 1264, instituted the Solemnity of Corpus Christi on the Thursday after Pentecost as a holiday of obligation for the universal Church.

Until the end of the world

Detail of the reliquary containing the corporal with traces of the Eucharistic miracle that occurred in Bolsena in 1263. It is kept in the Cathedral of Orvieto, Italy.

Detail of the reliquary containing the corporal with traces of the Eucharistic miracle that occurred in Bolsena in 1263. It is kept in the Cathedral of Orvieto, Italy.

In the Bull of its institution, entitled Transiturus de hoc mundo, (11 Aug. 1264), Pope Urban even referred discreetly to Juliana’s mystical experiences, corroborating their authenticity.   He wrote: “Although the Eucharist is celebrated solemnly every day, we deem it fitting that at least once a year it be celebrated with greater honour and a solemn commemoration.

“Indeed we grasp the other things we commemorate with our spirit and our mind but this does not mean that we obtain their real presence.   On the contrary, in this sacramental commemoration of Christ, even though in a different form, Jesus Christ is present with us in his own substance.   While he was about to ascend into Heaven he said ‘And lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age’ (Matthew 28:20).”
The Pontiff made a point of setting an example by celebrating the solemnity of Corpus Christi in Orvieto, the town where he was then residing.   Indeed, he ordered that the famous Corporal with the traces of the Eucharistic miracle which had occurred in Bolsena the previous year, 1263, be kept in Orvieto Cathedral — where it still is today.

While a priest was consecrating the bread and the wine he was overcome by strong doubts about the Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist.   A few drops of blood began miraculously to ooze from the consecrated Host, thereby confirming what our faith professes.

Texts that move the heart

Urban IV asked one of the greatest theologians of history, St Thomas Aquinas — who at that time was accompanying the Pope and was in Orvieto — to compose the texts of the Liturgical Office for this great feast.   They are masterpieces, still in use in the Church today, in which theology and poetry are fused.   These texts pluck at the heartstrings in an expression of praise and gratitude to the Most Holy Sacrament, while the mind, penetrating the mystery with wonder, recognizes in the Eucharist the Living and Real Presence of Jesus, of His Sacrifice of love that reconciles us with the Father and gives us salvation.

In the words of St. Thomas:

“How inestimable a dignity, beloved brethren, divine bounty has bestowed upon us Christians from the treasury of its infinite goodness!   For there neither is nor ever has been a people to whom the gods were so nigh as our Lord and God is nigh unto us.

“Desirous that we be made partakers of His divinity, the only-begotten Son of God has taken to Himself our nature so that having become man, He would be enabled to make men gods.  Whatever He assumed of our nature He wrought unto our salvation. For on the altar of the Cross He immolated to the Father His own Body as victim for our reconciliation and shed His blood both for our ransom and for our regeneration. Moreover, in order that a remembrance of so great benefits may always be with us, He has left us His Body as food and His Blood as drink under appearances of bread and wine.

“O banquet most precious!   O banquet most admirable!   O banquet overflowing with every spiritual delicacy!   Can anything be more excellent than this repast, in which not the flesh of goats and heifers, as of old, but Christ the true God is given us for nourishment?   What more wondrous than this holy sacrament! In it bread and wine are changed substantially, and under the appearance of a little bread and wine is had Christ Jesus, God and perfect Man.   In this sacrament sins are purged away, virtues are increased, the soul is satiated with an abundance of every spiritual gift.   No other sacrament is so beneficial.   Since it was instituted unto the salvation of all, it is offered by Holy Church for the living and for the dead, that all may share in its treasures.

“My dearly beloved, is it not beyond human power to express the ineffable delicacy of this sacrament in which spiritual sweetness is tasted in its very source, in which is brought to mind the remembrance of that all-excelling charity which Christ showed in His sacred passion? Surely it was to impress more profoundly upon the hearts of the faithful the immensity of this charity that our loving Savior instituted this sacrament at the last supper when, having celebrated the Pasch with His disciples.   He was about to leave the world and return to the Father.   It was to serve as an unending remembrance of His passion, as the fulfillment of ancient types — this the greatest of His miracles.   To those who sorrow over His departure He has given a unique solace.”

“Eucharistic springtime”

I would like to affirm with joy that today there is a “Eucharistic springtime” in the Church.   How many people pause in silence before the Tabernacle to engage in a loving conversation with Jesus!   It is comforting to know that many groups of young people have rediscovered the beauty of praying in adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament.
John Paul II said in his Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia: “In many places, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is also an important daily practice and becomes an inexhaustible source of holiness. The devout participation of the faithful in the Eucharistic procession on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is a grace from the Lord which yearly brings joy to those who take part in it. Other positive signs of Eucharistic faith and love might also be mentioned” (no. 10).

In remembering St Juliana of Cornillon let us also renew our faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.   As we are taught by the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in a unique and incomparable way.   He is present in a true, real and substantial way, with his Body and his Blood, with his Soul and his Divinity.   In the Eucharist, therefore, there is present in a sacramental way, that is, under the Eucharistic Species of bread and wine, Christ whole and entire, God and Man” (no. 282).

Dear friends, fidelity to the encounter with Christ in the Eucharist in Holy Mass on Sunday is essential for the journey of faith but let us also seek to pay frequent visits to the Lord present in the Tabernacle!   In gazing in adoration at the consecrated Host, we discover the gift of God’s love, we discover Jesus’ Passion and Cross and likewise his Resurrection.

Source of joy
It is precisely through our gazing in adoration that the Lord draws us towards Him into His mystery in order to transform us as He transforms the bread and the wine.

The Saints never failed to find strength, consolation and joy in the Eucharistic encounter. Let us repeat before the Lord present in the Most Blessed Sacrament the words of the Eucharistic hymn Adoro te devote, “Devoutly I adore Thee: Make me believe ever more in you, Draw me deeply into faith, into Your hope, into Your love”.

BENEDICT XVI, General Audience, November 17, 2010

corpus christi 3

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY FOUR – 17 JUNE

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY FOUR – 17 JUNE

By St Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Published in 1758 from THE HOLY EUCHARIST

MEDITATION IV.
The Sorrowful Heart of Jesus.

It is impossible to consider how afflicted the heart of Jesus was for love of us and not to pity Him.   He Himself tells us that His heart was overwhelmed with such such sorrow, that this alone would have sufficed to take His life away and to make Him die of pure grief, if the virtue of His Divinity had not, by a miracle, prevented His death:  My soul is sorrowful even unto death. [Mark xiv. 34]

The principal sorrow which afflicted the heart of Jesus so much was not the sight of the torments and infamy which men were preparing for Him but the sight of their ingratitude towards.   His immense love.   He distinctly foresaw all the sins which we should commit after all His sufferings and such a bitter and ignominious death.   He foresaw, especially, the horrible insults which men would offer to His adorable heart, Which He has left us in the Most Holy Sacrament as a proof of His affection.   O my God, what affronts has not Jesus Christ received from men in this Sacrament of love?   One has trampled Him under foot, another has thrown Him into the gutters, others have availed themselves of Him to pay homage to the devil!

And yet the sight of all these insults did not prevent Him from leaving us this great pledge of His love.   He has a sovereign hatred of sin;  but still it seems as if His love towards us had overcome the hatred He bore to sin, since He was content to permit these sacrileges, rather than to deprive the souls that love Him of this Divine food.   Shall not all this suffice to make us love a heart that has loved us so much?

Has not Jesus Christ done enough to deserve our love?   Ungrateful that we are, shall we still leave Jesus forsaken on the altar, as the majority of men do?   And shall we not unite ourselves to those few souls who acknowledge Him and melt with love more even than the torches melt away which burn round the ciborium?   The heart of Jesus remains there, burning with love for us;  and shall we not, in His Presence, burn with love for Jesus?

DAY FOUR - 17 JUNE - SACRED HEART NOVENA

LET US PRAY – DAY FOUR

My adorable and dearest Jesus,
behold at Your feet one who has caused
so much sorrow to Your amiable Heart.
O my God, how could I grieve this Heart,
Which has loved me so much
and has spared nothing to make Itself loved by me?
But console Yourself, I will say, O my Saviour,
for my heart having been wounded, through Your grace,
with Your most holy love, feels now so much regret
for the offences I have committed against You,
that it would die of sorrow.
Oh; who will give me, my Jesus,
that sorrow for my sins which You felt for them in Your life!
Eternal Father, I offer You the sorrow
and abhorrence Your Son felt for my sins;
and, for His sake, I beseech You to give me so great a sorrow
for the offences I have committed against You,
that I may lead an afflicted and sorrowful life
at the thought of having once despised Your love.
And You, O my Jesus, do You give me, from this day forth,
such a horror of sin, that I may abhor even the lightest faults,
considering that they displease You,
Who does not deserve to be offended much or little,
but deserves an infinite love.
My beloved Lord, I now detest everything that displeases You
and in future I will love only You
and that which You love.
Oh, help me, give me the strength,
give me the grace to invoke Youo constantly, O my Jesus
and always to repeat to You this petition:

My Jesus, give me Your love. give me Your love, give me Your love.

And you, most holy Mary,
obtain for me the grace to pray to you continually
and to say to you, O my Mother, make me love Jesus Christ.
Amen

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

Our Morning Offering – 17 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 17 June

Be my Strength, O Sacred Heart!
By St Margaret Mary Alacoque

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
I fly to You,
I unite myself with You,
I enclose myself in You!
Receive my call for help, O my Saviour,
as a sign of my horror of all within me
contrary to Your holy love.
Let me die rather a thousand times,
than consent to sin against You!
Be my strength, O God –
defend me,
protect me.
I am Yours and desire forever to be Yours!
Amen

be my strength, o sacred heart - st margaret mary alacoque

 

Posted in MORNING Prayers, NOVENAS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY THREE – 16 JUNE

Posted on by AnaStpaul

NOVENA in honour of the SACRED HEART of JESUS – DAY THREE – 16 JUNE

By St Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Published in 1758 from THE HOLY EUCHARIST

MEDITATION III.
The Heart of Jesus Christ Panting to be Loved.

Jesus has no need of us; He is equally happy, equally rich, equally powerful with or without our love; and yet, as St. Thomas says, [Opusc. 63, c. 7] He loves us so, that He desires our love as much as if man was His God, and His felicity depended on that of man. This filled holy Job with astonishment: What is man that Thou shouldst magnify him or why dost Thou set Thy heart upon him? [Job vii. 17]

What! Can God desire or ask with such eagerness for the love of a worm? It would have been a great favour if God had only permitted us to love Him. If a vassal were to say to his king, “Sire, I love you,” he would be considered impertinent. But what would one say if the king were to tell his vassal, “I desire you to love me”? The princes of the earth do not humble themselves to this; but Jesus, Who is the King of Heaven, is He Who with so much earnestness demands our love: Love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart. [Matt. xxii. 37] So pressingly does He ask for our heart: My son, give Me thy heart. [Prov. xxiii. 26] And if He is driven from a soul, He does not depart but He stands outside of the door of the heart and He calls and knocks to be let in: I stand at the gate and knock. [Apoc. iii. 20] And He beseeches her to open to Him, calling her sister and spouse: Open to Me, My sister, My love. [Cant. v. 2] In short, He takes a delight in being loved by us, and is quite consoled when a soul says to Him, and repeats often, “My God, my God, I love Thee.”

All this is the effect of the great love He bears us. He who loves necessarily desires to be loved. The heart requires the heart; love seeks love: “Why does God love, but that He might be loved Himself,” [In Cant. s. 83] said St. Bernard; and God Himself first said, What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but that thou fear the Lord thy God, . . . and love Him? [Deut. x. 12] Therefore He tells us that He is that Shepherd Who, having found the lost sheep, calls all the others to rejoice with Him: Rejoice with Me, because I have found My sheep that was lost. [Luke xv. 6] He tells us that He is that Father Who, when His lost son returns and throws himself at His feet, not only forgives him, but embraces him tenderly. He tells us that he that loves Him not is condemned to death: He that loveth not abideth in death. [l John iii. 14] And, on the contrary, that He takes him that loves Him and keeps possession of him: He that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him. John iv. 16] Oh, will not such invitations, such entreaties, such threats, and such promises move us to love God, Who so much desires to be loved by us?

DAY THREE - NOVENA SACRED HEART 16 JUNE

LET US PRAY – DAY THREE

My dearest Redeemer,
I will say to You, with St. Augustine,
You command me to love You
and threaten me with Hell if I do not love You;
but what more dreadful Hell, what greater misfortune,
can happen to me than to be deprived of Your love!
If, therefore, You desire to frighten me,
You should threaten me only that I should live without loving You;
for this threat alone will frighten me more than a thousand hells.
If, in the midst of the flames of Hell, the damned could burn with Your love,
O my God, Hell itself would become a paradise;
and if, on the contrary, the blessed in Heaven could not love You,
Paradise would become hell. Thus St. Augustine expresses himself.

I see, indeed, my dearest Lord,
that I, on account of my sins, did deserve to be forsaken by Your grace
and at the same time condemned to be incapable of loving You;
but still I understand that You continue to command me to love You
and I also feel within me a great desire to love You.
This my desire is a gift of Your grace and it comes from You.
Oh, give me also the strength necessary to put it into execution
and make me, from this day forth, say to You earnestly
and from the bottom of my heart
and to repeat to You always,
“My God, I love You, I love You, I love You.”
You desire my love; I also desire Yours.
Blot out, therefore, from Your remembrance, O my Jesus.
the offences that in past times I have committed against You;
let us love each other henceforth forever.
I will not leave You and You will not leave me.
You will always love me and I will always love You.
My dearest Saviour, in Your merits I place my hope;
oh, make Yourself my beloved forever
and be loved greatly,
by a sinner who has offended You greatly.

O Mary, Immaculate Virgin,
help me and beseech Jesus for me. Amen

 

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

Our Morning Offering – 16 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 16 June

Be the Heart of my heart
By St John Eudes

O Heart all lovable
and all loving of my Saviour,
be the Heart of my heart,
the soul of my soul,
the spirit of my spirit,
the life of my life
and the sole principle of all my thoughts,
words and actions,
of all the faculties of my soul
and of all my senses,
both interior and exterior. Amen

be the heart of my heart

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

Our Morning Offering – 15 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 15 June

Daily Offering to the Sacred Heart
By St Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897)
Doctor of the Church

O my God!
I offer You all my actions of this day
for the intentions and for the glory
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart,
my every thought,
my simplest works,
by uniting them to His infinite merits;
and I wish to make reparation for my sins
by casting them into the furnace
of His Merciful Love.
O my God! I ask of You for myself
and for those whom I hold dear,
the grace to fulfill perfectly Your Holy Will,
to accept for love of You
the joys and sorrows of this passing life,
so that we may one day be united together
in heaven for all Eternity. Amen

daily offering to the sacred heart - st therese of lisieux.2

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

Our Morning Offering – 14 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 14 June

Come, Lovable Heart of Jesus!
By St Claude de la Colombiere

O God, what will You do to conquer
the fearful hardness of our hearts?
Lord, You must give us new hearts,
tender hearts, sensitive hearts,
to replace the hearts that are made of
marble and of bronze.
You must give us Your own Heart, Jesus.
Come, lovable Heart of Jesus.
Place Your Heart deep in the centre of our hearts
and enkindle in each heart a flame of love
as strong, as great, as the sum of all the reasons
I have for loving You, my God.
O Holy Heart of Jesus, dwell hidden in my heart,
so that I may live only in You and only for You,
so that, in the end, I may live with You
eternally in heaven. Amen

come, lovable heart of jesus - st claude de la colombiere

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 13 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 13 June

O God, send forth Your Holy Spirit
By St Anthony of Padua

O God,
send forth Your Holy Spirit into my heart
that I may perceive,
into my mind that I may remember,
and into my soul that I may meditate.
Inspire me to speak with piety,
holiness, tenderness and mercy.
Teach, guide and direct my thoughts
and senses from beginning to end.
May Your grace ever help and correct me,
and may I be strengthened now
with wisdom from on high,
for the sake of Your infinite mercy. Amen

o god send forth your holy spirit

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

Our Morning Offering – 12 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 12 June – (June the Month of the Sacred Heart)

MOST SACRED, MOST LOVING HEART
By Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman

Most Sacred, most loving Heart of Jesus,
You are concealed in the Holy Eucharist,
And You beat for us still.
Now, as then, You say: “With desire I have desired.”
I worship You with all my best love and awe,
With fervent affection,
With my most subdued, most resolved will.
For a while You take up Your abode within me.
O make my heart beat with Your Heart!
Purify it of all that is earthly,
All that is proud and sensual,
All that is hard and cruel,
Of all perversity,
Of all disorder,
Of all deadness.
So fill it with You,
That neither the events of the day,
Nor the circumstances of the time,
May have the power to ruffle it;
But that in Your love and Your fear,
It may have peace. Amen

most sacred, most loving heart - cardinal joh henry newman

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 9 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 9 June

O Lord and Master of my life
By St Ephrem of Syria (306-373) Doctor of the Church

O Lord and Master of my life,
grant not unto me a spirit of idleness,
of discouragement,
of lust for power
and of vain speaking.
But bestow upon me, Your servant,
the spirit of chastity,
of meekness,
of patience
and of love.
Yea, O Lord and King,
grant that I may perceive
my own transgressions
and judge not my brother,
for blessed are You unto ages of ages. Amen

o lord and master of my life - prayer by st ephrem of syria

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

Our Morning Offering – 8 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 8 June

O make my heart beat with Your Heart!
By Bl Cardinal John Henry Newman

Most Sacred,
most loving Heart of Jesus,
You are concealed in the Holy Eucharist,
And You beat for us still.
Now, as then, You say:
“With desire I have desired.”
I worship You
with all my best love and awe,
With fervent affection,
With my most subdued,
most resolved will.
For a while, You take up Your abode within me.
O make my heart beat with Your Heart!
Purify it of all that is earthly,
All that is proud and sensual,
All that is hard and cruel,
Of all perversity,
Of all disorder,
Of all deadness.
So fill it with You,
That neither the events of the day,
Nor the circumstances of the time,
May have the power to ruffle it;
But that in Your love and Your fear,
It may have peace. Amen

o make my heart beat with your heart!-bl john henry newman

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

Our Morning Offering – 7 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 7 June

Prayer to the Sacred Heart
by Saint Francis De Sales (1567-1622) Doctor of Charity

May Your heart dwell always in our hearts!
May Your blood ever flow in the veins of our souls!
O sun of our hearts, You give life to all things by the rays of Your goodness!
I will not go, until Your heart has strengthened me, O Lord Jesus!
May the heart of Jesus be the king of my heart!
Blessed be God.  Amen

prayer to the sacred heart by st francis de sales

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 5 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 5 June

Eternal God, our Refuge
By St Boniface

Eternal God,
the refuge and help of all Your children,
we praise You for all You have given us,
for all You have done for us,
for all that You are to us.
In our weakness, You are strength,
in our darkness, You are light,
in our sorrow, You are comfort and peace.
We cannot number Your blessings,
we cannot declare Your love:
For all Your blessings we bless You.
May we live as in Your presence,
and love the things that You love,
and serve You in our daily lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

eternal god our refuge-st boniface

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 4 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 4 June

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

By St Bonaventure

We beg the all-merciful Father through You,
His only-begotten Son made man for our sake,
crucified and glorified for us,
to send upon us from His treasure-house,
the Spirit of sevenfold grace,
who rested upon You in all His fullness:

the spirit of wisdom:
enabling us to relish the fruit of the tree of life,
which is indeed Yourself;

the gift of understanding: to enlighten our perceptions;
the gift of prudence, enabling us to follow in Your footsteps;

the gift of strength: to withstand our adversary’s onslaught;

the gift of knowledge: to distinguish good from evil
by the light of thy holy teaching;

the gift of piety: to clothe ourselves with charity and mercy;

the gift of fear: to withdraw from all ill-doing
and live quietly in awe of Your eternal majesty.

These are the things for which petition.
Grant them for the honour of Your Holy Name,
to which, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
be all honour and glory,
thanksgiving, renown and lordship for ever and ever. Amen

prayer for the seven gifts of the holy spirit - st bonaventure

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 2 June

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 2 June

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit
By St Augustine

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
That I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
To defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
That I always may be holy.

breathe in me o holy spirit - st augustine

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 31 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 31 May

ARISE MARY, MOTHER OF GOD!
Blessed Cardinal JOHN HENRY NEWMAN (1801-1890)

It is the time for your Visitation.
Arise Mary, and go forth in your strength
into that north country,
which once was your own,
and take possession of a land
which knows you not.
Arise, Mother of God,
and with your thrilling voice,
speak to those who labour with child,
and are in pain,
till the babe of grace leaps within them!
Amen

arise mary, mother of god - bl john henry newman

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 29 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 29 May

Mary, Full of Grace!
By St ATHANASIUS (c296-373) Doctor of the Church

It is becoming for you, O Mary,
to be mindful of us,
as you stand near Him
who bestowed upon you all graces,
for you are the Mother of God and our Queen.
Come to our aid for the sake of the King,
the Lord God and Master who was born of you.
For this reason you are called “full of grace.”
Be mindful of us, most holy Virgin,
and bestow on us gifts
from the riches of your graces,
O Virgin full of grace. Amen

mary full of grace - st athanasius

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, JESUIT SJ, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 28 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 28 May

O Holy Mary, My Mother
St Aloysius Gonzaga
(1568-1591)

O Holy Mary, my mother,
into your blessed trust and custody,
and into the care of your mercy
I this day, every day,
and in the hour of my death,
commend my soul and my body.
To you I commit
all my anxieties and miseries,
my life and the end of my life,
that by your most holy intercession
and by your merits
all my actions may be directed
and disposed
according to your will
and that of your Son.
Amen

o holy mary my mother -st aloysius gonzaga

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 27 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 27 May

Give us a Heart like Yours
By St Mother Teresa of Calcutta

O Holy 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.

give us a heart like yours-st mother teresa

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 26 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 26 May

Mary, I Love You
by St Philip Neri

Mary, I love you.
Mary, make me live in God,
with God and for God.
Draw me after you, holy mother.
O Mary, may your children persevere in loving you.
Mary, Mother of God and mother of mercy,
pray for me and for the departed.
Mary, holy Mother of God,
be our helper.
In every difficulty and distress,
come to our aid, O Mary.
O Queen of Heaven,
lead us to eternal life with God.
Mother of God,
remember me,
and help me always to remember you.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
Pray for us,
O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray to Jesus for me.
Amen

mary i love you - st philip neri

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 25 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 25 May

O Christ, our Morning Star
By St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Doctor of the Church

O Christ, our Morning Star,
Splendour of Light Eternal,
shining with the glory of the rainbow,
come and waken us
from the greyness of our apathy,
and renew in us Your gift of hope.
Amen

o christ our morning star - st bede

And, as May is still with us, let us greet our Mother!

A Salutation to Mary (adaped)
By St John Eudes

Hail Mary, Daughter of God the Father;
Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son;
Hail Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit;
Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Holy Trinity.
Hail Mary, white Lilly of the resplendent and ever
unchanging Trinity.
Hail Mary, red Rose of Paradise.
Hail Mary, Virgin full of sweetness and humility,
from whom the King of Heaven willed to be
born and to suckle at the breast.
Hail Mary, Virgin of virgins.
Hail Mary, Queen of martyrs, who spent
Thy life for Heaven while on this earth.
Hail Mary, Queen of my heart, my sweetness,
my life and my entire hope.
Hail Mary, Mother most amiable.
Hail Mary, Mother most admirable.
Hail Mary, Mother of fair love.
Hail Mary, Mother of mercy.
Hail Mary, conceived without sin.
Thou art full of grace,
the Lord is with Thee;
blessed art Thou among all women,
and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus.
Blessed be the Eternal Father who elected Thee.
Blessed be Thy Son, who has loved Thee.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, who has espoused Thee.
And blessed forever be those who love Thee and bless Thee.
O Blessed Virgin, bless us all, in the Name of Thy dear Son.\
Amen

a salutation to mary by st john eudes

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 24 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 24 May

Our Lady, Help Of Christians
By St. John Bosco

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 intercessions 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

OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS PRAYER BY ST JOHN BOSCO

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 23 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 23 May

MARY, I BEG YOU
By St Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)
Magnificent Doctor
Marian Doctor

Mary, I beg you,
by that grace through which
the Lord is with you
and you will to be with him,
let your mercy be with me.
Let love for you always be with me,
and the care for me be always with you.
Let the cry of my need,
as long as it persists,
be with you,
and the care of your goodness,
as long as I need it,
be with me.
Let joy in your blessedness
be always with me,
and compassion for my wretchedness,
where I need it,
be with you.
Amenmary-i-beg-you-st-anselm-23 may 2017

Posted in MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 21 May

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 21 May

O Mary!
By St John XXIII

O Mary, your name has been on my lips
and in my heart from my early infancy.
When I was a child I learned to love you as a Mother,
turn to you in danger and trust your intercession.
You see in my heart the desire to know the truth,
to practice virtue, to be prudent and just, strong and patient, a brother to all.
O Mary, help me to keep to my purpose of living as a faithful disciple of Jesus,
for the building up of the Christian society and the joy of the holy Catholic Church.
I greet you, Mother, morning and evening;
I pray to you as I go on my way;
from you I hope for the inspiration and encouragement
that will enable me to fulfill the sacred promises of my earthly vocation,
give glory to God, and win eternal salvation.
O Mary! Like you in Bethlehem and on Golgotha,
I too wish to stay always close to Jesus.
He is the eternal King of all ages and all peoples.
Amen

o mary - st john XXIII