Category: The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Our Morning Offering – 14 October – Saturday Devotion to our Mother
Our Morning Offering – 14 October – Saturday Devotion to our Mother
Mary, let me love your Jesus
By St Ildephonsus (607-667)
Virgin Mary, hear my prayer:
through the Holy Spirit
you became the Mother of Jesus;
from the Holy Spirit may I too have Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit
your flesh conceived Jesus;
through the same Spirit
may my soul receive Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit
you were able to know Jesus,
to possess Jesus,
and to bring Him into the world.
Through the Holy Spirit
may I too come to know your Jesus.
Imbued with the Spirit,
Mary, you could say:
“I am the handmaid of the Lord,
be it done unto me according to your word”;
in the Holy Spirit,
lowly as I am,
let me proclaim the great truths about Jesus.
In the Spirit you now adore Jesus as Lord
and look on Him as Son;
in the same spirit,
Mary, let me love your Jesus.
Amen
Thought for the Day – 13 October – “The Miracle of the Sun”
Thought for the Day – 13 October – “The Miracle of the Sun”
Those who are very familiar with the apparitions of Fatima and those whose only knowledge is a fleeting memory from a long ago viewing of the 1952 movie are both familiar with the “Miracle of the Sun.” This miracle took place on 13 October 1917, five months after Our Lady first appeared to the three young visionaries. Our Lady had promised the children that a miracle would occur and approximately 40,000 of the devout and/or curious stood in a field outside of Fatima to await it. The sun changed colours, whirled about and at times appeared to be zooming toward the earth. A few people in the crowd claimed to have seen nothing but most were awestruck by the supernatural event that took place.
Rather than dwell on the possibility of secrets not thoroughly revealed or consecrations not properly done and other hot items of Catholic ‘gossip’, this 13 October is a good day to dwell on the coincidences that lead us to repentance and conversion. The coincidences which point directly to that nucleus of the Gospel message. And do remember the words of Paul’s letter to the Romans: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
The message of Fatima is simple: Pray. Unfortunately, some people—not Sister Lucia—have distorted these revelations, making them into an apocalyptic event for which they are now the only reliable interpreters. They have, for example, claimed that Mary’s request that the world be consecrated to her has been ignored. Sister Lucia agreed that Pope John Paul II’s public consecration in St Peter’s Square on March 25, 1984, fulfilled Mary’s request. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prepared a 26 June 2000, document explaining the “third secret.”
Mary is perfectly honoured when people generously imitate her response “Let it be done to me as you say” (Luke 1:38). Mary can never be seen as a rival to Jesus or to the Church’s teaching authority, as exercised by the college of bishops united with the bishop of Rome.
Our Lady of Fatima, ora pro nobis!
Feast of Our Lady Aparecida, Our Lady of the Pillar and Memorials of the Saints – 12 October
Our Lady Aparecida: Also known as – Our Lady Who Appeared
In October 1717, Dom Pedro de Almedida, Count of Assumar passed through the area of Guarantinqueta, a small city in the Paraiba river valley. The people there decided to hold a feast in his honour and though it was not fishing season, the men went to the waters to fish for the feast. Three of the fishermen, Domingos Garcia, Joco Alves and Felipe Pedroso, prayed to the Immaculate Conception and asked God’s help. However, after several hours they were ready to give up. Joco cast his net once more near the Port of Itaguagu but instead of fish, he hauled in the body of a statue. The three cast their net again, and brought up the statue’s head. After cleaning the statue they found that it was Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Naming their find Our Lady Aparecida, they wrapped it in cloth and continued to fish; now their nets were full.
While we do not know why the statue was at the bottom of the river, we do know who made it. Frei Agostino de Jesus, a carioca monk from Sao Paulo known for his sculpture. The image was less than three feet tall, was made around 1650 and must have been underwater for years. It is a dark brown colour, is covered by a stiff robe of richly embroidered thick cloth and wears an imperial crown which was added in 1904. Only her face and hands can be seen. Pope Pius XII proclaimed her principal patroness of Brazil in 1930. The statue was vandalised by being broken into several pieces just prior to a visit by St Pope John Paul II but a group of dedicated artists and artisans carefully pieced it together again.
Patronages: • Aparecida, Brazil, diocese of • Brazil • World Youth Day 2013
Our Lady of the Pillar: Tradition says that in the early day of the Church, Saint James the Greater was spreading the Gospel in Spain but making very little progress. He was dejected and questioning his mission. About 44, the Virgin Mary, who was still living in Jerusalem at the time, bi-located and appeared to him in a vision to boost his morale. In it, she was atop a column or pillar, which was being carried by angels. That pillar is believed to be the same one venerated in Zaragoza, Spain today. Miraculous healings reported at the scene.
PatronageS: • Imus, Philippines, diocese of • Tagbilaran, Philippines • Zamboanga, Philippines, archdiocese of • Zamboanga City, Philippines • Zaragoza, Spain.
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St Amelius of Mortara
St Amicus of Mortara
St Cyprian
St Domnina of Anazarbus
St Edisto
St Edistius of Ravenna
St Edwin of Northumbria
St Evagrius the Martyr
St Felix
St Felix IV, Pope
St Fiace
St Herlindis
St Juan Osiense
St Maximilian of Celeia
St Meinards
St Monas of Milan
St Pantalus of Basle
St Priscian the Martyr
St Relindis
Bl Roman Sitko
St Salvinus of Verona
Bl Thomas Bullaker
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Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Bartolomé Caparrós García
• Blessed Eufrasio of the Child Jesus
• Blessed José González Huguet
• Blessed Pedro Salcedo Puchades
• Blessed Rafael Lluch Garín
Quote/s of the Day – 10 October – The Memorial of St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572) and St Daniel Comboni (1831-1881)
Quote/s of the Day – 10 October – The Memorial of St Francis Borgia SJ (1510-1572) and
St Daniel Comboni (1831-1881)
“I am very sorry to lose the company of a man of your merit,
a shining light of counsel, a model in the exercise of the highest offices of State and,
because of your virtue and piety, a factor of edification for all my court.
But I recognise that it would be unreasonable to dispute over you with the Master you have chosen to serve.
It is, therefore, with sorrow that I grant you the permission you are requesting.
I authorise you to renounce your fiefs and titles in favour of your firstborn son.
The number of those who will envy you, will be greater than those who will imitate you, since it is easy to admire beautiful examples but difficult to follow them.
I recommend myself to your prayers and I count upon you,
to attract divine blessings over me, my States, and all Christendom.”
(King Charles V of Spain when he granted permission to St Francis to enter the novitiate of the Jesuits.)
“When you pray, hear Mass, sit at table, engage in business
and when at bedtime you remove your clothes—
at all times crave that by the pain which He felt when He was stripped
just before His crucifixion, He may strip us of our evil habits of mind.
Thus, naked of earthly things, we may also embrace the cross.”
“I have great doubts about the salvation of those
who do not have special devotion to Mary.”
St Francis Borgia (1510-1572)
“The same terrible crosses that oppress me
are also the greatest consolation
because Jesus suffered,
Jesus is a Victim
Jesus chose the Cross….
(therefore) I am happy with the Cross,
tbat borne willingly for the love of God,
generates triumph and eternal life.”
St Daniel Comboni (1831-1881)
9 October – Our Lady of Good Help and Memorials of the Saints
St Denis of Paris (Optional Memorial)
St John Leonardi (Optional Memorial) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykk3IFk3_7Y
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Our Lady of Good Help: “I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners.” Such is the way the Mother of God introduced herself to a twenty-eight-year-old Belgian immigrant, Adele Brise, on October 9, 1859. The pious young woman was on her eleven mile walk home to Robinsonville (now Champion), Wisconsin, after attending Mass in Bay Settlement. Adele was traveling at the time with two companions, her sister and another woman, as well as a male guardian who was working for the Holy Cross Fathers at the Settlement. Our Lady had appeared earlier to Adele the day before and, again, that same morning at the same spot, but she had not spoken. Her companions did not see or hear anything. The young woman was told by Heaven’s Queen that she must pray for the conversion of sinners, and warn them, for if they do not convert, her Son was going to punish them. She was told to gather together the children in this remote area and teach them the truths they must know for their salvation; teach them the catechism; teach them how to bless themselves with the Sign of the Cross; and teach them how to approach the sacraments. Our Lady ended by telling Adele, whose faith was strong but simple, to fear nothing and be confident in her help. For the next thirty-seven years of her life, until her death in 1896, Sister Adele Brise was faithful to this mission. – Sr Adele’s life and mission here: http://catholicism.org/first-approved-marian-apparition-in-the-us-champion-wisconsin.html
Bl Aaron of Cracow
St Abraham the Patriarch
St Alfanus of Salerno
St Andronicus of Antioch
St Athanasia of Antioch
Bl Bernard of Rodez
St Demetrius of Alexandria
St Deusdedit of Montecassino
St Domninus
St Dorotheus of Alexandria
St Donnino of Città di Castello
St Eleutherius
St Geminus
St Gislenus
St Goswin
Bl Gunther
Bl John Henry Newman
St Lambert
St Louis Bertrand
St Publia
St Rusticus
St Sabinus of the Lavedan
St Valerius
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Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War – Martyrs of Astoria – (9 saints): Also known as Martyrs of Turon: A group of Brothers of the Christian Schools and a Passionist priest martyred in the persecutions during the Spanish Civil War. They are –
• Aniceto Adolfo
• Augusto Andrés
• Benito de Jesús
• Benjamín Julián
• Cirilo Bertrán
• Inocencio de la Immaculada
• Julián Alfredo
• Marciano José
• Victoriano Pío
They were martyred on 9 October 1934 in Turón, Spain and Canonised on 21 November 1999 by St Pope John Paul II.
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Martyrs of Laodicea – (3 saints): Three Christians martyred together in Laodicea, but no other information about them has survived but their names – Didymus, Diodorus and Diomedes. They were martyred in Laodicea, Syria.
Thought for the day – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary
Thought for the day – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary
The purpose of the rosary is to help us meditate on the great mysteries of our salvation. Pius XII called it a compendium of the gospel. The main focus is on Jesus—his birth, life, death and resurrection. The Our Fathers remind us that Jesus’ Father is the initiator of salvation. The Hail Marys remind us to join with Mary in contemplating these mysteries. They also make us aware that Mary was and is intimately joined with her Son in all the mysteries of his earthly and heavenly existence. T he Glory Bes remind us that the purpose of all life is the glory of the Trinity.
The rosary appeals to many. It is simple. The constant repetition of words helps create an atmosphere in which to contemplate the mysteries of God. We sense that Jesus and Mary are with us in the joys and sorrows of life. We grow in hope that God will bring us to share in the glory of Jesus and Mary forever..(Fr Don Miller OFM)
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary
Quote/s of the Day – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary
THE SEVEN BLESSINGS OF THE ROSARY
“The Rosary, recited with meditation on the mysteries, brings about the following marvelous results:
1. It gradually gives us a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ;
2. It purifies our souls, washing away sin;
3. It gives us victory over all our enemies;
4. It makes it easy for us to practice virtue;
5. It sets us on fire with love of Our Blessed Lord;
6. It enriches us with graces and merits;
7. It supplies us with what is needed to pay,
all our debts to God and to our fellow men
and finally, it obtains all kinds of graces for us from Almighty God.”
St Louis Marie Grignion De Montfort (1673-1716)
The Rosary, when it is prayed in an authentic way,
not mechanical and superficial but profoundly,
it brings, in fact, peace and reconciliation.
It contains within itself the healing power
of the Most Holy Name of Jesus,
invoked with faith and love,
at the centre of each “Hail Mary”.
Pope Benedict XVI
Our Morning Offering – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary
Our Morning Offering – 7 October – The Memorial of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary
Queen of the most Holy Rosary
O Queen of the most holy Rosary,
in these times of brazen impiety,
show again your power,
with the signs which accompanied your victories of old
and from the throne where you are seated,
dispensing pardon and grace,
in pity watch over the Church of your Son,
His Vicar and every order of the clergy and laity,
suffering in grievous warfare.
Hasten, O most powerful destroyer of heresy,
hasten the hour of mercy,
as the hour of judgment is daily challenged
by innumberable offences.
Obtain for me, the lowest of men,
kneeling suppliant in your presence,
the grace which may enable me
to live a just life on earth
and reign with the just in Heaven,
whilst with the faithful throughout the world,
O Queen of the most holy Rosary,
I salute you and cry out:
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us! Amen.
Saint of the Day – 7 October – Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary/Our Lady of Victory
Saint of the Day – 7 October – Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary also known as Our Lady of Victory – Patronages – Rosary, United States, 9 diocese, 8 cities. The Feast of the Holy Rosary, is celebrated on 7 October, the anniversary of the decisive victory of the combined fleet of the Holy League of 1571 over the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto.
Our Lady of Victory
In 1571, Pope St. Pius V organized a coalition of forces from Spain and smaller Christian kingdoms, republics and military orders, to rescue Christian outposts in Cyprus, particularly the Venetian outpost at Famagusta which, however, surrendered after a long siege on 1 August before the Christian forces set sail. On 7 October 1571, the Holy League, a coalition of southern European Catholic maritime states, sailed from Messina, Sicily and met a powerful Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Lepanto. Knowing that the Christian forces were at a distinct materiel disadvantage, the holy pontiff, Pope Pius V, called for all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory and led a rosary procession in Rome.
After about five hours of fighting on the northern edge of the Gulf of Corinth, off western Greece, the combined navies of the Papal States, Venice and Spain managed to stop the Ottoman navy, slowing the Ottoman advance to the west and denying them access to the Atlantic Ocean and the Americas. If the Ottomans had won then there was a real possibility that an invasion of Italy could have followed so that the Ottoman sultan, already claiming to be emperor of the Romans, would have been in possession of both New and Old Rome.
Pius V instituted “Our Lady of Victory” as an annual feast to commemorate the victory at Lepanto, which he attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Dedications to Our Lady of Victory preceded this papal declaration. In particular, Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester built the first shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Victory in thanks for the Catholic victory over the Albigensians at the Battle of Muret on 12 September.
In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the title of the “Feast of Our Lady of Victory” to “Feast of the Holy Rosary” Dominican friar Juan Lopez in his 1584 book on the rosary states that the feast of the rosary was offered “in memory and in perpetual gratitude of the miraculous victory that the Lord gave to his Christian people that day against the Turkish armada”.
In 1671 the observance of this festival was extended by Clement X to the whole of Spain, and somewhat later Clement XI, after the victory over the Turks gained by Prince Eugene in the Battle of Petrovaradin on 6 August 1716 (the feast of Our Lady of the Snows), commanded the feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the universal Church, assigning it to the first Sunday in October.
A set of “proper” lessons in the second nocturn were conceded by Benedict XIII. Leo XIII raised the feast to the rank of a double of the second class and added to the Litany of Loreto the invocation “Queen of the Most Holy Rosary”. On this feast, in every church in which the Rosary confraternity has been duly erected, a plenary indulgence toties quoties is granted upon certain conditions to all who visit therein the Rosary chapel or statue of Our Lady. This has been called the “Portiuncula” of the Rosary.
In 1960 Pope John XXIII changed the title to “Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary”.
Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary and Memorials of the Saints – 7 October
Our Lady of the Rosary (Memorial) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IvhoSNf6Ls
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St Adalgis of Novara
St Apuleius of Capua
St Augustus of Bourges
St Canog ap Brychan
St Dubtach of Armagh
St Gerold of Cologne
St Helanus
Bl Jean Hunot
St Julia the Martyr
St Justina of Padua
St Marcellus of Capua
St Pope Mark
St Martin Cid
Bl Matthew Carreri
St Osith
St Palladius of Saintes
St Quarto of Capua
St Rigaldo
Martyrs of Arima: Eight lay people Japan who were martyred together in the persecutions of Christianity in Japan:
• Blessed Hadrianus Takahashi Mondo
• Blessed Ioanna Takahashi
• Blessed Leo Hayashida Sukeemon
• Blessed Martha Hayashida
• Blessed Magdalena Hayashida
• Blessed Didacus Hayashida
• Blessed Leo Takedomi Kan’Emon
• Blessed Paulus Takedomi Dan’Emon
They were martyred on 7 October 1613 in Arima, Hyogo, Japan and Beatified on 24 November 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Mercedarian Nuns of Seville: Five Mercedarian nuns at the monastery of the Assumption in Seville, Spain noted for their piety – Sisters Agnese, Bianca, Caterina, Maddalena and Marianna.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War
• Blessed José Llosá Balaguer
Prayers to accompany the Holy Rosary By Blessed Bartholomew Longo
Prayers to accompany the Holy Rosary
By Blessed Bartholomew Longo
First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation.
O Mary, immaculate lily, through the joy you felt when at the Angel’s message you became the Mother of God: obtain for me the virtue of purity and of humility, that I may become your worthy son/daughter and the brother/sister of Jesus.
Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation.
O Mary, Mother of grace and of charity, through the joy you felt when, upon visiting Elizabeth, you brought joy to the home of Zechariah and the Baptist was sanctified at the sound of your voice: visit my soul, let it hear your Motherly voice and fill it with love of God and love of neighbour.
Third Joyful Mystery: The Birth of Jesus.
O Mary, mirror of humility and of poverty, through the joy you felt when, turned away by the inhabitants of Bethlehem and forced to take refuge in a stable from the cold and darkness, you gave birth to the Divine Redeemer: grant that by accepting scorn and poverty I remain faithful to grace and gain the reward of eternal salvation by means of good works.
Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Presentation.
O Mary, the perfect model of obedience and of sacrifice, you who offered Jesus to the Eternal Father on our behalf: place your Child upon my bosom, that, together with you, I may offer Him the sacrifice of my passions and of my whole being.
Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Finding in the Temple.
O Mary, a shining example of patience, through the joy you felt when, after three days of anxiously searching, you found Jesus in the Temple: grant that I too, seeking Jesus with love in every moment of my life in imitation of you, may find Him at last in your arms at the hour of my death, never to lose Him again.
First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden.
O Grieving Virgin, through the anguish of that saddest of nights in which Jesus in agony in the garden sweat blood at the sight of my sins and, betrayed, was tied as a criminal: obtain for me the perfect sorrow of my sins and perseverance in prayer, that I may never again betray His most loving Heart.
Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar.
O most grieving Mother, through the pain you felt in knowing that your innocent and holy Son had been publicly stripped and bloodily scourged with biting whips: obtain for me the spirit of true repentance and the virtue of chastity and of the mortification of the senses.
Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns.
O Mother of sorrows, through the atrocious torment which pierced your heart when you saw Jesus, the King of glory, then become the King of suffering, crowned with thorns and shame, with a reed in His hands, derided by the crowd: ah!, encircle my intellect and my heart with these very thorns, that I may never offend Him again with evil thoughts and sentiments; and obtain for me pureness in my thoughts and the right intentions in my actions.
Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross.
O grieving Mother, through the martyrdom of your heart, when you met your Son weighed down beneath the heavy cross, staining the road to Calvary with His blood: grant that I, clinging to Jesus’ cross, follow behind, daily carrying the cross of my troubles with meekness and with perfect conformity to the will of God.
Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord.
O Queen of the Martyrs, through the extreme spasm of your heart when you witnessed Jesus dying on the cross in the midst of a thousand torments, forsaken and without comfort: grant that I die to myself, to the world and to sin, and live in the heart of Jesus alone, having abandoned myself in His most holy arms.
First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection.
O Most Holy Mother of God, through the joy you felt in seeing Jesus risen from the dead and surrounded in glory: obtain for me that I too rise from the death of sin to a life of grace and of faith and may persevere in it till my very last breath.
Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension.
O Queen of the Heavens, through the joy you experienced in seeing Jesus rising to Heaven triumphant as King of the Universe and as our Advocate by His Father: obtain His blessing for me also, so that I be changed by Him from a sinner into a saint; moreover, by separating me from all earthly affection, through the virtue of hope may He kindle in me the desire of paradise.
Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit.
O Queen of the Universe, through the joy you felt when the Holy Spirit descended on you and on the Apostles: grant that He come into my soul and fill it with His holy gifts and the heavenly fruits of charity, of joy, of patience and of peace.
Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption.
O Queen, Lady of the Angels, through the joy you experienced when you were taken into heaven body and soul: come with Jesus to assist me at the hour of my death and lead me with you to everlasting happiness.
Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
O Queen of all the Saints and the honour and delight of humankind, through the joy you felt when the Most Holy Trinity crowned you as Queen of Heaven and Earth: inflame me with your love and with the love of God, that I may love and serve you on earth and glorify you, O Queen of my heart, in heaven.
Thought for the Day – 5 October – The Memorial of Blessed Bartholomew Longo – Apostle of the Holy Rosary
Thought for the Day – 5 October – The Memorial of Blessed Bartholomew Longo – Apostle of the Holy Rosary
Before entering the Shrine to recite the Holy Rosary with you, I paused briefly before the tomb of Bl Bartolo Longo and, praying, I asked myself: “Where did this great apostle of Mary find the energy and perseverance he needed to bring such an impressive work, now known across the world, to completion? Was it not in the Rosary, which he accepted as a true gift from Our Lady’s Heart?” Yes, that truly was how it happened! The experience of the Saints bears witness to it: this popular Marian prayer is a precious spiritual means to grow in intimacy with Jesus and to learn at the school of the Blessed Virgin always to fulfil the divine will. It is contemplation of the mysteries of Christ in spiritual union with Mary as the Servant of God Paul VI stressed in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis cultus (n. 46) and as my venerable Predecessor John Paul II abundantly illustrated in his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae that today I once again present in spirit to the Community of Pompeii and to each one of you. You who live and work here in Pompeii, especially you, dear priests, men and women religious and lay people involved in this unique portion of the Church, are all called to make Bl. Bartolo Longo’s charism your own and to become, to the extent and in the way that God grants to each one, authentic apostles of the Rosary.
To be apostles of the Rosary, however, it is necessary to experience personally the beauty and depth of this prayer which is simple and accessible to everyone. It is first of all necessary to let the Blessed Virgin take one by the hand to contemplate the Face of Christ: a joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious Face. Those who, like Mary and with her, cherish and ponder the mysteries of Jesus assiduously, increasingly assimilate his sentiments and are conformed to him. In this regard, I would like to quote a beautiful thought of Bl Bartolo Longo: “Just as two friends, frequently in each other’s company, tend to develop similar habits”, he wrote, “so too, by holding familiar converse with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin, by meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary and by living the same life in Holy Communion, we can become, to the extent of our lowliness, similar to them and can learn from these supreme models a life of humility, poverty, hiddenness, patience and perfection” (I Quindici Sabati del Santissimo Rosario, 27th edition, Pompeii, 1916, p. 27: cited in Rosarium Virginis Mariae, n. 15). POPE BENEDICT XVI – 19 October 2008
Queen of the Holy Rosary, Pray for us!
Blessed Bartholomew Longo, Pray for us!
Quote/s of the Day – 5 October – The Memorial of Blessed Bartholomew Longo – Apostle of the Holy Rosary
Quote/s of the Day – 5 October – The Memorial of Blessed Bartholomew Longo – Apostle of the Holy Rosary
“You, what have you done by taking Christ out of the schools?
You have produced enemies of social order, subversives.
On the contrary, what have we gained by putting Christ
into the schools of the children of criminals?
We have transformed these unfortunate ones into honest
and virtuous young people that you wanted to abandon
to their sad fate or toss into insane asylums! “
“The Rosary is the prayer dearest to Mary,
most loved by the Saints,
most frequently used by Christian peoples,
most honoured by God with astounding wonders,
most enriched with great promises,
by the Virgin.”
Blessed Bartholomew Longo
Saint of the Day – 5 October – Blessed Bartholomew Longo (1841-1926)
Saint of the Day – 5 October – Blessed Bartholomew Longo (Italian – Bartolo Longo) (1841-1926) Lawyer, Dominican Tertiary, Confessor, Apostle of the Rosary, Apostle of Marian Devotion, Papal Knight of the Holy Sepulchre.
Bartolo Longo was born into a wealthy family on February 10, 1841 in the small town of Latiano, near Brindisi, in southern Italy. His parents were devout Roman Catholics. In 1851, Longo’s father died and his mother remarried a lawyer. Despite Longo’s stepfather wanting him to become a teacher, Longo was set on becoming a lawyer. In 1861, Longo succeeded in convincing his stepfather and was sent to the University of Naples to study law.
In the 1860s, the Catholic Church in Italy found itself at odds with a strong nationalistic movement. General Giuseppe Garibaldi, who played a key role in Italian unification, saw the Pope as an antagonist to Italian nationalism and actively campaigned for the elimination of the papal office altogether. The Catholic Church in Europe was also competing with a growing popularity in Spiritualism and Occultism. Because of this, many students at the University of Naples took part in demonstrations against the pope, dabbled in witchcraft and consulted Neapolitan mediums. Longo became involved with a movement that he claimed led him into a Satanist cult. After some study and several “spiritual” experiences Longo said that he was ordained as a satanic priest.
In the following years, Longo’s life became one of “depression, nervousness and confusion”. Bothered by paranoia and anxiety, he turned to a hometown friend, Vincenzo Pepe, for guidance. It was Pepe who convinced him, in Longo’s account, to abandon Satanism and introduced him to the Dominican Father Alberto Radente who led him to a devotion to the rosary. On October 7, 1871, Longo became a Dominican tertiary and took the name “Rosario”. Around this time, he reportedly visited a séance and held up a rosary, declaring, “I renounce spiritualism because it is nothing but a maze of error and falsehood.” He also came to know some Franciscans with whom he helped the poor and incurably ill for two years. Bartolo also kept up his law practice, which took him to the nearby village of Pompei. He went to Pompei to take care of the affairs of Countess Marianna Farnararo De Fusco.
In Pompei, Longo later recounted, he was shocked at the erosion of the people’s faith. He wrote, “Their religion was a mixture of superstition and popular tradition. … For their every need, … they would go to a witch, a sorceress, in order to obtain charms and witchcraft.” Through talking to the citizens, Bartolo came to recognise their severe lack of catechesis. When he asked one man if there was only one God, the fellow answered, “When I was a child, I remember people telling me there were three. Now, after so many years, I don‘t know if one of them is dead or one has married.”
Longo wrote of his personal struggles with mental illness, paranoia, depression and anxiety. At one point, he noted struggling with suicidal thoughts but rejected them by recalling the promise of Saint Dominic, “he who propagates my Rosary will be saved.” Longo wrote that this promise is what convinced him to encourage public devotion to the rosary.
With the help of Countess Mariana di Fusco, he inaugurated a confraternity of the Rosary and in October 1873 started restoring a dilapidated church. He sponsored a festival in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary. In 1875, Longo obtained as a gift a painting portraying Our Lady of the Rosary, with Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena. Sister M Concetta de Litala of the Monastery of the Rosary at Porta Medina had been holding it for the Dominican priest Alberto Radente. Radente had acquired it from a junk-shop dealer in Naples for a very small sum. The painting was in bad condition and Longo wrote of his immediate distaste of the poor artistic quality when he first saw it. However, he accepted the gift to conserve funds and to not insult the Sister Concetta. Longo raised funds to restore the image and placed it in the church in an effort to encourage pilgrimages. Miracles began to be reported and people began flocking in droves to the church. Longo was encouraged by the Bishop of Nola to begin the construction of a larger church—the cornerstone being laid on May 8, 1876. The church was consecrated in May 1891 by Cardinal La Valletta (representing Pope Leo XIII). In 1939, the church was enlarged to a basilica, known today as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Pompei.
At the suggestion of Pope Leo XIII, Bartolo Longo and the Countess Mariana di Fusco were married on April 7, 1885. The couple remained chaste and continued to do many charitable works and provided for orphaned children and the children of prisoners which for its time was revolutionary.
In 1906 they donated the entire property of the Pompeii shrine to the Holy See. Longo continued promoting the Rosary until his death on October 5, 1926, at the age of 85. The piazza on which his basilica stands has since been named in memory of Longo. His body is encased in a glass tomb and he is wearing the mantle of a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, a papal order of knighthood.
On October 26, 1980 he was beatified by Pope John Paul II, who would call him the “Apostle of the Rosary” and mentioned him specifically in his apostolic letter “Rosarium Virginis Mariae” (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary).
On October 7, 2003 Pope John Paul II prayed for world peace at the Basilica. More than 30,000 people were waiting to greet him as he flew in by helicopter.
OCTOBER – The Month of the HOLY ROSARY
OCTOBER – The Month of the HOLY ROSARY
The Feast of the Rosary is celebrated on 7 October and the month of October is traditionally the month of the rosary. Without having to say, this is the month to commit to praying the rosary more regularly and if you can, every day.
Why did our Mother Mary ask us to pray the rosary at many of her approved apparitions such as at Fatima? Why should we pray at all?
The rosary is a powerful prayer and weapon and can affect and benefit us significantly each time we pray it. The most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the Rosary according to Pope John Paul II is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery; the life of Jesus and Mary’s role in Salvation. Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus.
The rosary is not only a vocal prayer but also a meditative prayer.
The Devotion:
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Pope Leo XIII personally started the practice of devoting October to the Rosary devotion. In a letter of 1 September 1883, mindful of the Rosary’s power to strengthen faith and foster a life of virtue, he outlined the triumphs of the Rosary in past times and admonished the faithful to dedicate the month of October to the Blessed Virgin through the daily recitation of her Rosary in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, in order to obtain through her intercession the grace that God would console and defend His Church in her sufferings.
Never mind if you’re a bit rusty, or if it’s been ages since you last prayed your rosary. It’s never too late to begin again and everyone deserves to experience the power of the rosary.
Pope Benedict XVI in an address at the Basilica of St Mary Major where he prayed the rosary with the faithful said:
Today, together we confirm that the Holy Rosary is not a pious practice banished to the past, like prayers of other times thought of with nostalgia. Instead, the Rosary is experiencing a new Springtime.
Without a doubt, this is one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and his Mother, Mary.
In the current world, so dispersive, this prayer helps to put Christ at the centre, as the Virgin did, who meditated within all that was said about her Son and also what he did and said. When reciting the Rosary, the important and meaningful moments of salvation history are relived. The various steps of Christ’s mission are traced. With Mary the heart is oriented toward the mystery of Jesus. Christ is put at the centre of our life, of our time, of our city, through the contemplation and meditation of his holy mysteries of joy, light, sorrow and glory.
May Mary help us to welcome within ourselves the grace emanating from these mysteries, so that through us we can “water” society, beginning with our daily relationships and purifying them from so many negative forces, thus opening them to the newness of God.
The Rosary, when it is prayed in an authentic way, not mechanical and superficial but profoundly, it brings, in fact, peace and reconciliation. It contains within itself the healing power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, invoked with faith and love at the centre of each “Hail Mary”.
Feast of Our Lady of San Nicolás, Argentina and Memorials of the Saints – 25 September
Our Lady of San Nicolás, Argentina: An ordinary housewife, a mother and grandmother who had no formal education and no knowledge of the Bible or theology claimed that she was visited by the Blessed Mother daily for a period of over 6 years. She reportedly additionally received 68 messages from Jesus Christ. Numerous healings, including the cure of a boy with a brain tumour, have been documented.
—
St Anacharius of Auxerre
St Aurelia of Macerata
St Caian of Tregaian
St Ceolfrid
St Cleopas
St Egelred of Crowland
St Ermenfridus of Luxeuil
St Finbar
St Firminus of Amiens
St Fymbert
St Herculanus the Soldier
Bl Herman the Cripple
Bl Marco Criado
St Mewrog
St Neomisia of Mecerata
St Paphnutius of Alexandria
St Principius of Soissons
St Sergius of Moscow
St Solemnis of Chartres
St Vincent Strambi
—
Holy Bishops of Milan: Commemorates all the holy men who have served as the bishop of the ancient diocese, and sometimes city-state, of Milan, Italy. They include –
• Blessed Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster
• Blessed Andrea Carlo Ferrari
• Pope Pius XI
• Saint Ambrose of Milan
• Saint Ampelius of Milan
• Saint Anathalon of Milan
• Saint Antoninus of Milan
• Saint Auxanus of Milan
• Saint Benedict Crispus of Milan
• Saint Benignus of Milan
• Saint Calimerius of Milan
• Saint Castritian of Milan
• Saint Charles Borromeo
• Saint Datius of Milan
• Saint Dionysius of Milan
• Saint Eugene of Milan
• Saint Eusebius of Milan
• Saint Eustorgius II of Milan
• Saint Eustorgius of Milan
• Saint Gaius of Milan
• Saint Galdinus of Milan
• Saint Geruntius of Milan
• Saint Glycerius of Milan
• Saint Honoratus of Milan
• Saint John Camillus the Good
• Saint Lazarus of Milan
• Saint Magnus of Milan
• Saint Mansuetus of Milan
• Saint Marolus of Milan
• Saint Martinian of Milan
• Saint Mirocles of Milan
• Saint Mona of Milan
• Saint Natalis of Milan
• Saint Protasius of Milan
• Saint Senator of Milan
• Saint Simplician of Milan
• Saint Venerius of Milan
—
Martyrs of Damascus: A Christian family of six who were tortured to death in a persecution by Roman authorities. They were: Eugenia, Maximus, Paul, Rufus, Sabinian and Tatta. They were tortured to death in Damascus, Syria, date unknown.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Jose María Bengoa Aranguren
• Blessed Josep Maria Vidal Segú
• Blessed Juan Agustín Codera Marqués
• Blessed Julio Esteve Flors
• Blessed Pedro Leoz Portillo
• Blessed Rafael Pardo Molina
• Blessed Tomás Gil de La Cal
Feasts of the Blessed Virgin and Memorials of the Saints – 24 September
Our Lady of Mercy/Our Lady of Ransom:
Commemorates the foundation of the Mercedarian Order and the apparition of Our Lady of Ransom. In this appearance she carried two bags of coins for use in ransoming Christians imprisoned by Moors. On 10 August 1218, the Mercedarian Order was legally constituted at Barcelona, Spain by King James of Aragon and was approved by Pope Gregory IX on 17 January 1235. The Mercedarians celebrated their institution on the Sunday nearest to 1 August because it was on 1 August 1218 that the Blessed Virgin showed Saint Peter Nolasco the white habit of the Order. This custom was approved by the Congregation of Rites on 4 April 1615. On 22 February 1696 it was extended to the entire Latin Church and the date changed to 24 September.
Patronages –
• Bahía Blanca, Argentina, archdiocese of
• Barcelona, Spain
• Dominican Republic
Our Lady of Walsingham/Virgin of the Sea: In 1061 Lady Richeldis de Faverches, lady of the manor near the village of Walsingham, Norfolk, England, was taken in spirit to Nazareth. There Our Lady asked her to build a replica, in Norfolk, of the Holy House where she had been born, grew up, and received the Annunciation of Christ’s impending birth. She immediately did, constructing a house 23’6″ by 12’10” according to the plan given her. Its fame slowly spread, and in 1150 a group of Augustinian Canons built a priory beside it. Its fame continued to grow, and for centuries it was a point of pilgrimage for all classes, the recipient of many expensive gifts.
In 1534 Walsingham became one of the first houses to sign the Oath of Supremacy, recognizing Henry VIII as head of the Church in England. Dissenters were executed, and in 1538 the House was stripped of its valuables, its statue of the Virgin taken to London, England to be burned, its buildings used as farm sheds for the next three centuries.
In 1896 Charlotte Boyd purchased the old Slipper Chapel and donated it to Downside Abbey. In 1897 Pope Leo XIII re-founded the ancient shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, and pilgrimages were permitted to resume. The statue of Our Lady was re-enshrined in 1922, beginning an era of cooperation at the shrine between Catholics and Anglicans. In 1981 construction began on the Chapel of Reconciliation, a cooperative effort between the two confessions, and located near the shrine. The feast of Our Lady of Walsingham was reinstated in 2000. In 2012 the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter for Anglicans joining the Church was given its patron as the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of Walsingham.
Patronages –
• England
• East Anglia, England, diocese of
• Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter
—
St Anathalon of Milan
St Andochius of Autun
St Anthony Gonzalez
Bl Anton Martin Slomsek – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY5fi5lh0vQ
St Chuniald
Bl Colomba Matylda Gabriel
St Coprio
St Erinhard
St Felix of Autun
St Gerard Sagredo
St Geremarus
St Gislar
St Isarnus of Toulouse
St Lupus of Lyons
St Pacificus of Severino
St Paphnutius of Egypt
Bl Robert Hardesty
St Rusticus of Clermont
St. Rupert of Salzburg
St Terence of Persaro
St Thyrsus of Autun
St Ysarn of Saint Victor
Bl William Spenser
—
Martyrs of Chalcedon – (49 saints): Forty-nine Christian choir singers of the church in Chalcedon in Asia Minor who were martyred together in their persecutions of Diocletian in 304.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Antonio Pancorbo López
• Blessed Esteban García y García
• Blessed José María Ferrándiz Hernández
• Blessed Juan Francisco Joya Corralero
• Blessed Luis de Erdoiza Zamalloa
• Blessed Manuel Gómez Contioso
• Blessed Melchor Rodríguez Villastrigo
• Blessed Pascual Ferrer Botella
• Blessed Rafael Rodríguez Mesa
• Blessed Santiago Arriaga Arrien
Quote/s of the Day – The Memorial of St Padre Pio (1887-1968)
Quote/s of the Day – The Memorial of St Padre Pio (1887-1968)
“Do not be daunted by the cross.
The surest test of love consists in suffering for the loved one
and if God suffered so much for love,
the pain we suffer for Him becomes as lovable as love itself.”
“The greater your sufferings, the greater God’s love for you.”
“Do not fear! Jesus is more powerful than all hell.”
“In all the free time you have,
once you have finished your duties of state,
you should kneel down and pray the Rosary.
Pray the Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament
or before a crucifix.”
“Do you not see the Madonna always beside the tabernacle?”
“When you gossip about a person it means
that you have removed the person from your heart.
But be aware, when you remove a man from your heart,
Jesus also goes away from your heart with that man.”
St Padre Pio (1887-1968)
One Minute Reflection – 19 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of La Salette
One Minute Reflection – 19 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of La Salette: Special Readings for the Feast of Our Lady of La Salette (First Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God….2 Corinthians 5:20
REFLECTION – “Conversion to Christ, believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this: to exit the illusion of self-sufficiency in order to discover and accept one’s own need — the need of others and God, the need of His forgiveness and His friendship.”…Pope Benedict XVI (2010)
PRAYER – Holy Virgin of Reconciliation, do not reject our prayers but intercede for us, obtain for us the grace to love our Lord Jesus above all else. May we console you by a holy life and so come to share the eternal life Christ gained by his cross. Our Lady of La Salette, pray for us, amen.
Feast of Notre-Dame de la Salette / Our Lady of La Salette – 19 September
Feast of Notre-Dame de la Salette / Our Lady of La Salette – 19 September (French: Notre-Dame de La Salette) is a Marian apparition reported by two children, Maximin Giraud and Mélanie Calvat to have occurred at La Salette-Fallavaux, France, in 1846.
The shepherd children Maximin and Melanie
On 19 September 1851, Pope Pius IX formally approved the public devotion and prayers to Our Lady of La Salette, referring to its messages of apparition as “secrets”. On 24 August 1852, Pope Pius IX once again mentioned the construction of the altar to La Salette. The same papal bull granted the foundation of the Association of Our Lady of La Salette, formalised on 7 September.
On 21 August 1879, Pope Leo XIII formally granted a Canonical Coronation to the image at the Basilica of Our Lady of La Salette. A Russian style tiara was granted to the image, instead of the solar-type tiara used in its traditional depictions of Virgin Mary during her apparitions.
La Salette is celebrated as the place where, the Blessed Virgin appeared to two little shepherds and each year is visited by a large number of pilgrims. On 19 September, 1846, about three o’clock in the afternoon in full sunlight, on a mountain about 5918 feet high and about three miles distant from the village of La Salette-Fallavaux, it is related that two children, a shepherdess of fifteen named Melanie Calvat, called Mathieu and a shepherd-boy of eleven named Maximin Giraud, beheld in a resplendent light a “beautiful lady” clad in a strange costume. Speaking alternately in French and in patois, she charged them with a message which they were “to deliver to all her people”. After complaining of the impiety of Christians and threatening them with dreadful chastisements in case they should persevere in evil she promised them the Divine mercy if they would amend.
Finally, it is alleged, before disappearing she communicated to each of the children a special secret. The sensation caused by the recital of Melanie and Maximin was profound, and gave rise to several investigations and reports. Mgr. Philibert de Bruillard, Bishop of Grenoble, appointed a commission to examine judicially this marvellous event; the commission concluded that the reality of the apparition should be admitted. Soon several miraculous cures took place on the mountain of La Salette, and pilgrimages to the place were begun. The miracle, needless to say, was ridiculed by free-thinkers but it was also questioned among the faithful and especially by ecclesiastics. There arose against it in the Dioceses of Grenoble and Lyons a violent opposition, aggravated by what is known as the incident of Ars. As a result of this hostility and the consequent agitation, Mgr. de Bruillard (16 November 1851) declared the apparition of the Blessed Virgin as certain and authorised the cult of Our Lady of La Salette. The first stone of a great church was solemnly laid on the mount of La Salette, 25 May, 1852, amid a large assembly of the faithful. This Church, later elevated to the rank of a basilica, was served by a body of a religious called Missionaries of La Salette – who were founded in 1852 by Bp. Philbert de Bruillard, Bishop of Grenoble, France, and presently serve in some 25 countries.. In 1891 diocesan priests replaced these missionaries, driven into exile by persecuting laws.
As said above, the Blessed Virgin confided to each of the two children a special secret. These two secrets, which neither Melanie or Maximin ever made known to each other, were sent by them in 1851 to Pius IX on the advice of Mgr. de Bruillard. It is unknown what impressions these mysterious revelations made on the pope, for on this point there were two versions diametrically opposed to each other. Maximin’s secret is not known, for it was never published. Melanie’s was inserted in its entirety in brochure which she herself had printed in 1879 at Lecce, Italy, with the approval of the bishop of that town.
” If my people do not wish to submit themselves, I am forced to let go of the hand of my Son. It is so heavy and weighs me down so much I can no longer keep hold of it.”
“I have suffered all of the time for the rest of you! If I do not wish my Son to abandon you, I must take it upon myself to pray for this continually. And the rest of you think little of this. In vain you will pray, in vain you will act and you will never be able to make up for the trouble I have taken over for the rest of you.” – Our Lady of La Salette
Maximin Giraud, after an unhappy and wandering life, returned to Corps, his native village, and died there a holy death (1 March, 1875). Melanie Calvat ended a no less wandering life at Altamura, Italy (15 December, 1904). (From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright © 1913 by the Encyclopedia Press, Inc)
The message of the visionaries of La Salette focuses on the conversion of all humanity to Christ. St John Vianney, St John Bosco and writer Joris-Karl Huysmans were all influenced by La Salette. The spirit of La Salette is said to be one of prayer, conversion, and commitment.
Pope John Paul II stated: “As I wrote on the occasion of the 150th anniversary, ‘La Salette is a message of hope, for our hope is nourished by the intercession of her who is the Mother of mankind.”
Our Morning Offering – 19 September – Feast Day of Our Lady of La Salette
Our Morning Offering – 19 September – Feast Day of Our Lady of La Salette
MEMORARE to OUR LADY of LA SALETTE
Remember, Our Lady of La Salette,
true Mother of Sorrows,
the tears you shed for us on Calvary.
Remember also the care you have taken
to keep us faithful to Christ, your Son.
Having done so much for your children,
you will not now abandon us.
Comforted by this consoling thought,
we come to you pleading,
despite our infidelities and ingratitude.
Virgin of Reconciliation, do not reject our prayers
but intercede for us,
obtain for us the grace to love Jesus above all else.
May we console you by a holy life
and so come to share the eternal life
Christ gained by His cross. Amen
Invocation:
Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners,
pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to you.
Feast of Our Lady of La Salette and Memorials of the Saints – 19 September
St Januarius of Naples (Optional Memorial) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RvJpplJIFg
Our Lady of La Salette: Mary appeared to two small children, Melanie Mathieu and Maximin Giraud, on the mountain of La Salette in the French Alps. She was crying, and around her neck was a crucifix, with a hammer and pincers on either side – 19 September 1846. Approved by the diocesan bishop in 1851.
—
St Alonso de Orozco Mena
St Arnulph of Gap
St Carolus Hyon Song-Mun
St Constantia of Nocera
St Desiderius of Pozzuoli
St Emily de Rodat
St Eustochius of Tours
St Felix of Nocera
St Festus of Pozzuoli
St Goeric of Metz
Bl Mary de Cerevellon
St Pomposa
St Sequanus
St Sosius of Puzzuoli
St Theodore of Canterbury
St Trophimus of Synnada
—
Martyrs of Antioch – (3 saints): Christians imprisoned, tortured and executed in various ways in the persecutions of Emperor Probus; some names have come down to us – Dorymedon, Sabbatius and Trophimus. c 277 at Antioch (in modern Turkey).
Martyrs of Phunon – (4 saints): Four bishops in Egypt who were sentenced to forced labour in a rock quarry and martyred in the persecution of Diocletian. Noted for celebrating Mass in prison. – Elias, Nilus, Patermuzio and Peleus. They were burned to death in 310 at Phunon, near Petra in Palestine.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War:
• Blessed Consuelo Aguiar-Mella Díaz
• Blessed Herman José Fernández Sáenz
• Blessed Juan Pérez Rodrigo
• Blessed Lucas Martín Puente
• Blessed María de La Encarnación de La Yglesia de Varo
• Blessed María Dolores Aguiar-Mella Díaz
• Blessed Miguel Faúndez López
• Blessed Sebastián Obeso Alario
Quote/s of the Day – September, the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows
Quote/s of the Day – September, the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows
“When she was asked to become the mother of the Messiah,
Mary’s faith enabled her to give a humble and generous response….
Mary’s faith was frequently tested during the public life of Jesus,
especially when she witnessed the rejection of her son.
At the foot of the cross, her pilgrimage of faith had its moment
of most severe testing. Mary continued to believe that,
because Jesus was the Son of God,
His sacrifice would bring salvation to humanity.”
“From Mary we learn to surrender to God’s Will in all things.
From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone.
From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God!”
St Pope John Paul
“From the nature of His work, the Redeemer
ought to have associated His Mother with His work.
For this reason we invoke her under the title of
Co-redemptrix. She gave us the Saviour,
she accompanied Him in the work of redemption,
as far as the Cross itself, sharing with Him the
sorrows of the agony and of the death in which
Jesus consummated the redemption of mankind.”
Pope Pius XI
Our Morning Offerings – 16 September
Our Morning Offerings – 16 September
MARY, LET ME LOVE YOUR JESUS
By St ILDEPHONSUS OF SPAIN – 677
Virgin Mary, hear my prayer:
through the Holy Spirit
you became the Mother of Jesus;
from the Holy Spirit may I too have Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit your flesh conceived Jesus;
through the same Spirit may my soul receive Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit you were able to know Jesus,
to possess Jesus,
and to bring Him into the world.
Through the Holy Spirit may I too come to know your Jesus.
Imbued with the Spirit,
Mary, you could say:
“I am the handmaid of the Lord,
be it done unto me according to your word”;
in the Holy Spirit,
lowly as I am,
let me proclaim the great truths about Jesus.
In the Spirit you now adore Jesus as Lord
and look on Him as Son;
in the same spirit,
Mary, let me love your Jesus. Amen
Thought for the Day – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Thought for the Day – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
“Jesus came into the world to learn how to be a man and by being a man, walk with men. He came into the world to obey and He obeyed. But He learned this obedience from suffering. Adam left Paradise with a promise, a promise that lasted for so many centuries. Today, through this obedience, this self-abnegation, this humiliation, through Jesus, that promise becomes hope. And the people of God walk with sure hope. Even the Mother, ‘the New Eve’, as Paul himself calls her, in order to participate in her Son’s journey, learned, suffered and obeyed. And thus she becomes Mother”.
The Gospel shows us Mary at the foot of the Cross. Jesus says to John, “Behold your mother.” Mary – the Pope said – “is anointed Mother.
And this is our hope. We are not orphans, we have Mothers: Mother Mary. But the Church is Mother and the Mother Church is anointed when it takes the same path of Jesus and Mary: the path of obedience, the path of suffering and when she has that attitude of continually learning the path of the Lord. These two women – Mary and the Church – carry on the hope that is Christ, they give us Christ, they bring forth Christ in us. Without Mary, there would be no Jesus Christ; without the Church, we cannot go forward.
“Two women and two mothers” – continued the Pope Francis – “and next to them our soul, which in the words of Isaac, the abbot of Stella, is “feminine” and is like “Mary and the Church.
Today, looking at this woman by the Cross, steadfast in following her Son in His suffering to learn obedience, looking at her we see the Church and look at our Mother. And also, we look at our little soul that will never be lost, if it continues to be a woman close to these two great women who accompany us in life: Mary and the Church. And just as our fathers left Paradise with a promise, today we can go forward with a hope: the hope that our Mother Mary, steadfast at the Cross and our Holy Mother, the hierarchical Church, give us.” (Pope Francis 15 September 2014 “Santa Marta”)
Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady our Mother, Our Lady our Consoler, pray for us all!
Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Quote/s of the Day – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
“When a woman is in travail, she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world’ (Jn. 16:21). The first part of Christ’s words refer to the “pangs of childbirth” which belong to the heritage of original sin; at the same time these words indicate the link that exists between the woman’s motherhood and the Paschal Mystery. For this mystery also includes the Mother’s sorrow at the foot of the cross – the Mother who through faith shares in her Son’s amazing “self-emptying”: ‘This is perhaps the deepest ‘kenosis’ of faith in human history.”
St John Paul
“While other martyrs suffered by sacrificing their own lives, the Blessed Virgin suffered by sacrificing her Son’s life, a Life that she loved far more than her own; so that she not only suffered in her soul all that her Son endured in His Body but moreover, the sight of her Son’s torments, brought more grief to her heart, than if she had endured them all in her own person”.
St Anselm
‘By the cross of our salvation
Mary stood in desolation
While the Saviour hung above
All her human powers failing,
Sorrow’s sword, at last prevailing,
Stabs and breaks her heart of love…
Virgin Mary, full of sorrow,
From your love I ask to borrow
Love enough to share your pain.
Make my heart to burn with fire,
Make Christ’s love my own desire,
Who for love of me was slain.’
Stabat Mater
“If you want to assist at Mass, with devotion and with fruit, think of the sorrowful Mother at the feet of Calvary.”
St Padre Pio
One Minute Reflection – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
One Minute Reflection – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Near the cross of Jesus, there stood his mother…..John 19:25
REFLECTION – During the entire course of her life, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, never deviated in the slightest from the precepts and examples of her Divine Son.
This was true both in the most sweet joys Mary experienced and in the cruel sufferings she underwent, which made the the Queen of Martyrs…..Pope Pius XII
PRAYER – Our Father, when Jesus Your Son, was raised up on the Cross, it was Your will that Mary, His Mother, should stand there and suffer with Him in her heart. Grant that in union with her, the Church may share in the passion of Christ and so be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Be our intercessor and our consolation, Our Lady of Sorrows, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Morning Offering – 15 September – The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Traditional Prayer to our
SORROWFUL MOTHER
O Mother of Sorrows, you, who beneath the Cross of Jesus
were given to us as our Mother, look down with pity on us,
your children, who weep and mourn in this vale of tears.
By that sword of sorrow which pierced your Heart
when you looked upon the Face of your dead Son,
obtain for us that comfort we so sorely need in our sufferings.
You were given to us, as our Mother, in the hour of your greatest grief
that you might be mindful of our frailty and the evils that press upon us.
Without your aid, O Sorrowful Mother, we cannot gain the victory
in this struggle against flesh and blood.
Therefore, we seek your help, O Queen of Sorrows,
lest we fall prey to the wiles of the enemy.
We are orphans in need of the guiding hand of our Mother
amid the dangers that threaten our destruction.
You whose grief was boundless as the sea,
grant us by the memory of those sorrows the strength to be victorious.
Intercede further, O Mother of Sorrows, for us
and all who are near and dear to us,
that we may ever do the Will of your Son
and may direct all our actions to His honour
and to the furtherance of devotion to your sorrows. Amen
Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us.
Memorial of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 15 September
Memorial of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary – 15 September – also known as: • Septem Dolorum • Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens• Beata Vergine Addolorata• Dolorosa• Maria Santissima Addolorata• Mater Dolorosa• Mother of Sorrows• Our Lady of the Seven Dolours• Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows• Sorrowful Mother. Patronages – Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers, Congregation of the Holy Cross, Slovakia, Mississippi, USA, 13 cities. Attributes – • heart surrounded by a wreath of roses and transfixed by a sword• heart with seven swords, emblematic of the Seven Sorrows.
This feast is dedicated to the spiritual martyrdom of Mary, Mother of God and her compassion with the sufferings of her Divine Son, Jesus. In her suffering as co-redeemer, she reminds us of the tremendous evil of sin and shows us the way of true repentance. May the numerous tears of the Mother of God be condusive to our salvation; with which tears Thou, O God, art able to wash away the sins of the whole world. This feast dates back to the 12th century. It was especially promoted by the Cistercians and the Servites, so much so that in the 14th and 15th centuries it was widely celebrated throughout the Catholic Church. In 1482 the feast was added to the Missal under the title of “Our Lady of Compassion.” Pope Benedict XIII added it to the Roman Calendar in 1727 on the Friday before Palm Sunday. In 1913, Pope Pius X fixed the date on September 15. The title “Our Lady of Sorrows” focuses on Mary’s intense suffering during the passion and death of Christ. “The Seven Dolors,” the title by which it was celebrated in the 17th century, referred to the seven swords that pierced the Heart of Mary. The feast is an octave for the birthday of Our Lady on September 8th. 
The Seven Sorrows:
• The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus (Luke 2:34)
• The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family (Matthew 2:13)
• The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days (Luke 2:43)
• The Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross (Luke 23:26)
• The Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross (John 19:25)
• The Descent from the Cross, where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms (Matthew 27:57)
• The Burial of Jesus (John 19:40)
The day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Holy Mother Church has us look at Christ’s Mother beneath the Cross. The voice of the liturgy invites us to consider her sorrow: “Ó all ye who pass by the way, attend and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow.” Above all, this solemn day shows us Mary on Calvary and reminds us of that supreme sorrow among all the sorrows that ran through the life of Our Lady. The Church gave this feast the title of Seven Sorrows because this number (seven) expresses the idea of totality and universality.
As the octave of the Nativity of Our Lady ends, the consideration of her suffering would not normally come to the mind of the faithful. But if someone would ask about the future of this child, we would recall that before being proclaimed blessed by all nations, Mary would suffer with her Son for the salvation of the world.
The sorrow of Our Lady is a work of God. He was the One who destined her to be the Mother of His Son. Therefore, He indissolubly united her to the Person, life, mysteries and sufferings of Jesus in order to make her His faithful companion in the work of Redemption. Suffering has to be a great gift, because God gave it to His Son and to the creature He loves more than any other after Him, Our Lady. He gave it as a most precious gift.
For Mary the suffering did not start at Calvary, but with Jesus, “that incommodious child,” as Bossuet called Him, because wherever He went, He entered with His Cross and with His thorns which He distributes to those He loves.
The prophecy of the aged Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the Divine Child in Jerusalem, to see her Son carrying the Cross, His Crucifixion, the taking down from the Cross, and the burial of Jesus: these are the seven mysteries into which are grouped the almost infinite sufferings which made Our Lady the Queen of Martyrs, the first and loveliest rose in the garden of the Spouse.
To understand the extent and intensity of the suffering of Our Lady, we need to understand the extent and intensity of her love for Jesus because her love increased her suffering. Nature and grace concurred to produce in Mary’s heart profound impressions. Nothing is stronger by nature than the love a mother has for her son, and by grace the love one has for God.
St. Bernard ((1090-1153)) wrote, “Truly, O Blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart…. He died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since His”. (De duodecim praerogatativs BVM).
Focusing on the compassion of our Blessed Mother, St Pope John Paul II, reminded the faithful, “Mary Most Holy goes on being the loving consoler of those touched by the many physical and moral sorrows which afflict and torment humanity. She knows our sorrows and our pains because she too suffered, from Bethlehem to Calvary. ‘And they soul too a sword shall pierce.’ Mary is our Spiritual Mother and the mother always understands her children and consoles them in their troubles. Then, she has that specific mission to love us, received from Jesus on the Cross, to love us only and always, so as to save us! Mary consoles us above all by pointing out the Crucified One and Paradise to us!” (1980).
Therefore, as we honour our Blessed Mother, our Lady of Sorrows, we honour her as the faithful disciple and exemplar of faith. Let us pray as we do in the opening prayer of the Mass for this feast day: Father, as your Son was raised on the cross, His Mother Mary stood by Him, sharing His sufferings. May your Church be united with Christ in His suffering and death and so come to share in His rising to new life. Looking to the example of Mary, may we too unite our sufferings to our Lord, facing them with courage, love and trust.
AnaStpaul 
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