Prayer, Exodus 17:8-13, Psalms 121:1-8, Luke 18:1-8, Pope Francis's Angelus, Inspirational Hymns - Gregorian Chants, Our Lady of Medjugorje Monthly Message, Feast Day of Saint Gerard of Majella, 99th Anniversary of Fatima Miracle of the Sun, Acts of Reparation, Devotion to Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mystical City of God Book 2 Chapter 2 Mary's First Years in the Temple, Catholic Catechism - Part Three - The Life of the Christ - Chapter 2 Ten Commandments Article 2 Third Commandment, RECHARGE: Heaven Speaks to Young Adults
JESUS I TRUST IN YOU (Year of Mercy). "Always Trust in Jesus, He the beacon of light amongst the darkest clouds" ~ Zarya Parx 2016
JESUS I TRUST IN YOU (Year of Mercy). "Always Trust in Jesus, He the beacon of light amongst the darkest clouds" ~ Zarya Parx 2016
"Where There is a Will, With God, There is a Way", "There is always a ray of sunshine amongst the darkest Clouds, the name of that ray is Jesus" ~ Zarya Parx 2014
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge, reason and free will, make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in Heaven. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe (fear of the Lord) , counsel, knowledge, fortitude, and piety (reverence) and shun the seven Deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony...Its your choice whether to embrace the Gifts of the Holy Spirit rising towards eternal light or succumb to the Seven deadly sins and lost to eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes from this earth to the Darkness, Purgatory or Heaven is our Soul...it's God's perpetual gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...~ Zarya Parx 2013
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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2016 - YEAR OF MERCY
Pope Francis has declared an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. This Holy Year of Mercy began December 8, 2015, the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council. It will close November 20, 2016, the Feast of Christ the King. This year’s motto is “Merciful Like the Father.”
Sometimes, when we think of the word mercy, we picture someone throwing themselves on their knees before a cruel villain, pleading to be spared some punishment. This is not our understanding of God’s mercy. We do not ask for God’s mercy because we are afraid of incurring his wrath as punishment for our sins. Rather, when we call on God to have mercy, we are calling on God in the only way we know him—as one who responds with compassion to those in need. When we show mercy to others, we are responding as God responds, with compassion.
Liturgical Cycle: C - Gospel of Luke - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Daily Rosary
(MON, SAT) - Joyful Mysteries
(TUES, FRI) - Sorrowful Mysteries
(WED,SUN) - Glorious Mysteries
(THURS) - Luminous Mysteries
(MON, SAT) - Joyful Mysteries
(TUES, FRI) - Sorrowful Mysteries
(WED,SUN) - Glorious Mysteries
(THURS) - Luminous Mysteries
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Inspirational Hymns
Contents
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Our Lady of Medjugorje Monthly Messages
October 2, 2016 message from Our Lady of Medjugorje:
Dear children,
The Holy Spirit, according to the Heavenly Father, made me the mother — the mother of Jesus — and by this alone, also your mother. That is why I am coming to hear you, that I may open my motherly arms to you; to give you my heart and to call you to remain with me, because from the top of the cross my Son entrusted you to me. Unfortunately, many of my children have not come to know the love of my Son; many of them do not want to come to know Him. Oh, my children, how much bad is done by those who must see or interpret in order to come to believe. That is why, you, my children, my apostles, in the silence of your heart, listen to the voice of my Son, so that your heart may be His home, that it may not be dark and sad, but that it may be illuminated with the light of my Son. Seek hope with faith, because faith is the life of the soul. Anew I am calling you: pray, pray to live faith in humility, in spiritual peace, and illuminated by the light. My children, do not strive to comprehend everything immediately, because I also did not comprehend everything immediately; but I loved, and I believed in the divine words which my Son spoke — He who was the first light and the beginning of redemption. Apostles of my love — you who pray, sacrifice yourselves, love and do not judge — you go and spread the truth, the words of my Son, the Gospel, because you are the living Gospel; you are the rays of the light of my Son. My Son and I will be with you to encourage you. My children, always implore the blessing of those, and only of those whose hands have been blessed by my Son, of your shepherds. Thank you. ~ Blessed Mother Mary
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Papam Franciscus
(Pope Francis)
Pope Francis Angelus:
October 16, 2016
2016-10-16 Vatican Radio
On the morning of Sunday, October 16, Pope Francis presides over Holy Mass for the canonization of seven new Saints.
Two of the new Saints are martyrs: José Sánchez del Río, a 14-year-old boy who was killed in 1928 in Mexico during the “Cristero” struggle which opposed the government's anti-Catholic and anticlerical policies. Under torture José refused to disown his faith; a handwritten note addressed to his mother and found on his dead body read: “I promise that in heaven I will prepare a place for all of you. Your José dies defending the Catholic faith for the love of Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe”.
The first martyr belonging to the La Salle Order, killed in 1792 during the French Revolution. His name is Salomone Leclercq; he too chose to die in the defense of his faith.
Then there is “Cura Brochero” (José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero), an Argentinean priest “’who smelt of sheep’ and travelled enormous distances on the back of a mule during the 19th century to bring consolation and Jesus' message of salvation to the poorest of the poor.
The Spanish Bishop of Palencia Manuel González García, founder of the Congregation of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth, the Disciples of Saint John, and the Children of Reparation. He was known for his strong devotion to the Eucharist and became known as the "Bishop of the Tabernacle". He died in 1940.
Father Lodovico Pavoni of the Italian city of Brescia, founder of the religious congregation ‘Sons of Mary Immaculate’ or ‘Pavonians’. During the industrial revolution of the 19th century he set up an Oratory for Christian education and together with his ‘labourer brothers’ he taught the poor and the marginalized trades and religious education in the belief that improving social conditions would improve the spiritual life, and improving the spiritual life would improve social conditions..
Alfonso Maria Fusco, a priest from the southern Italian city of Salerno, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, commonly known as Baptistine Sisters. Their mission was to evangelize, educate and promote youth, especially those who were most poor, abandoned and at risk. He was particularly close to the impoverished and neglected farmers of the South of Italy after the unification of Italy in 1861.
Finally the French Discalced Carmelite mystic and writer Elizabeth of the Trinity who died aged just 26 in 1906 from Addison's disease, which in the early 20th century had no treatment with which to cure or allieviate the suffering of its victims. Even though her death was painful, Elizabeth gratefully accepted her suffering as a gift from God. Her last words were: "I am going to Light, to Love, to Life!"
On the morning of Sunday, October 16, Pope Francis presides over Holy Mass for the canonization of seven new Saints.
Two of the new Saints are martyrs: José Sánchez del Río, a 14-year-old boy who was killed in 1928 in Mexico during the “Cristero” struggle which opposed the government's anti-Catholic and anticlerical policies. Under torture José refused to disown his faith; a handwritten note addressed to his mother and found on his dead body read: “I promise that in heaven I will prepare a place for all of you. Your José dies defending the Catholic faith for the love of Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe”.
The first martyr belonging to the La Salle Order, killed in 1792 during the French Revolution. His name is Salomone Leclercq; he too chose to die in the defense of his faith.
Then there is “Cura Brochero” (José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero), an Argentinean priest “’who smelt of sheep’ and travelled enormous distances on the back of a mule during the 19th century to bring consolation and Jesus' message of salvation to the poorest of the poor.
The Spanish Bishop of Palencia Manuel González García, founder of the Congregation of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth, the Disciples of Saint John, and the Children of Reparation. He was known for his strong devotion to the Eucharist and became known as the "Bishop of the Tabernacle". He died in 1940.
Father Lodovico Pavoni of the Italian city of Brescia, founder of the religious congregation ‘Sons of Mary Immaculate’ or ‘Pavonians’. During the industrial revolution of the 19th century he set up an Oratory for Christian education and together with his ‘labourer brothers’ he taught the poor and the marginalized trades and religious education in the belief that improving social conditions would improve the spiritual life, and improving the spiritual life would improve social conditions..
Alfonso Maria Fusco, a priest from the southern Italian city of Salerno, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, commonly known as Baptistine Sisters. Their mission was to evangelize, educate and promote youth, especially those who were most poor, abandoned and at risk. He was particularly close to the impoverished and neglected farmers of the South of Italy after the unification of Italy in 1861.
Finally the French Discalced Carmelite mystic and writer Elizabeth of the Trinity who died aged just 26 in 1906 from Addison's disease, which in the early 20th century had no treatment with which to cure or allieviate the suffering of its victims. Even though her death was painful, Elizabeth gratefully accepted her suffering as a gift from God. Her last words were: "I am going to Light, to Love, to Life!"
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2016 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed - 10/16/2016
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Today's Word - Prayer [prair]
Origin: 1250-1300; Middle English preiere < Old French < Medieval Latin precāria, noun use of feminine of precārius obtained by entreaty, equivalent to prec- (stem of prex) prayer + -ārius -ary; cf. precarious
Noun
1. a devout petition to God or an object of worship.
2. a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.
3. the act or practice of praying to God or an object of worship.
4. a formula or sequence of words used in or appointed for praying: the Lord's Prayer.
5. prayers, a religious observance, either public or private, consisting wholly or mainly of prayer.
6. that which is prayed for.
7. a petition; entreaty.
8. the section of a bill in equity, or of a petition, that sets forth the complaint or the action desired.
9. a negligible hope or chance: Do you think he has a prayer of getting that job?
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Exodus 17:8-13
8 The Amalekites then came and attacked Israel at Rephidim.9 Moses said to Joshua, 'Pick some men and tomorrow morning go out and engage Amalek. I, for my part, shall take my stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.'
10 Joshua did as Moses had told him and went out to engage Amalek, while Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 As long as Moses kept his arms raised, Israel had the advantage; when he let his arms fall, the advantage went to Amalek.
12 But Moses' arms grew heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him and on this he sat, with Aaron and Hur supporting his arms on each side. Thus his arms remained unwavering till sunset,
13 and Joshua defeated Amalek, putting their people to the sword
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Today's Epistle - Psalms 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
1 [Song of Ascents] I lift up my eyes to the mountains; where is my help to come from?2 My help comes from Yahweh who made heaven and earth.
3 May he save your foot from stumbling; may he, your guardian, not fall asleep!
4 You see -- he neither sleeps nor slumbers, the guardian of Israel.
5 Yahweh is your guardian, your shade, Yahweh, at your right hand.
6 By day the sun will not strike you, nor the moon by night.
7 Yahweh guards you from all harm Yahweh guards your life,
8 Yahweh guards your comings and goings, henceforth and for ever
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Today's Gospel Reading - Luke 18:1-8
A real prayer:
the widow’s example
Luke 18:1-8
the widow’s example
Luke 18:1-8
1. Opening prayer
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.
2. Reading
a) A key to the reading:
This Sunday’s liturgy
presents us with a text from Luke’s Gospel concerning prayer, a theme
dear to the heart of Luke. This is the second time that this Evangelist
quotes the words of Jesus to teach us how to pray. The first time (Lk
11:1-13), introduces the text of the Our Father and, by means of
comparisons and parables, teaches us that we must pray always
tirelessly. Now, the second time (Lk 18:1-4), Luke has recourse once
more to parables taken from every day life to teach us how to pray: the
parable of the widow and the judge (18:1-8) and that of the Pharisee and
the Publican (Lk 18:9-14). Luke tells the parables in quite a didactic
form. Each parable begins with a brief introduction as a key to its
reading. There follows the parable and, lastly, Jesus himself applies
the parable to life. This Sunday’s text only narrates the first parable
of the widow and the judge (Lk 18:1-8). While reading, it would be good
to keep in mind the following: “What is the attitude of each person
involved in this parable?”
b) A division of the text to help us in our reading:
Luke 18:1: A key given by Jesus for an understanding of the parable
Luke 18:2-3: The contrast between the Judge and the Widow
Luke 18:4-5: The change in the judge and the reason for this change
Luke 18: 6-8a: Jesus applies the parable
Luke 18: 8b: A final provocative statement
Luke 18:2-3: The contrast between the Judge and the Widow
Luke 18:4-5: The change in the judge and the reason for this change
Luke 18: 6-8a: Jesus applies the parable
Luke 18: 8b: A final provocative statement
c) The Gospel:
1 Then he told them a
parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. 2
'There was a judge in a certain town,' he said, 'who had neither fear of
God nor respect for anyone. 3 In the same town there was also a widow
who kept on coming to him andsaying,
"I want justice from you against my enemy!" 4 For a long time he
refused, but at last he said to himself, "Even though I have neither
fear of God nor respect for any human person, 5 I must give this widow
her just rights since she keeps pestering me, or she will come and slap
me in the face." ' 6 And the Lord said, 'You notice what the unjust
judge has to say? 7 Now, will not God see justice done to his elect if
they keep calling to him day and night even though he still delays to
help them? 8 I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done
speedily. But when the Son of man comes, will he find any faith on
earth?'
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) What pleased you most in this text?
b) What is the attitude of the widow? Or what strikes you most in what she does and say?
c) What strikes you most in the attitude and words of the judge? Why?
d) How does Jesus apply this parable?
e) What does this parable teach us concerning our manner of looking at life and people?
b) What is the attitude of the widow? Or what strikes you most in what she does and say?
c) What strikes you most in the attitude and words of the judge? Why?
d) How does Jesus apply this parable?
e) What does this parable teach us concerning our manner of looking at life and people?
5. A key to the reading
for a deeper understanding of the theme.
a) The historical context:
When analysing the
historical context of Luke’s Gospel, we must always keep in mind this
dual dimension: the time of Jesus in the 30’s, and the time of those for
whom the Gospel is written in the 80’s. These two times influence, each
in its own way, the writing of the text and must be present as we try
to discover the meaning Jesus’ parables have for us today.
b) The literary context:
The immediate literary
context presents us two parables on prayer: praying insistently and
perseveringly (the widow and the judge) (Lk 18:1-8); praying humbly and
realistically (the Pharisee and the Publican) (Lk 18:9-14). Although
they are different, these two parables have something in common. They
tell us that Jesus saw the things of life in a different way. Jesus saw
God’s revelation where others saw something negative. For instance, he
saw something positive in the Publican, who all said: “He does not know
how to pray!” And in the poor widow of whom it was said: “She is so
insistent that she even troubles the judge!” Jesus was so united to the
Father that for him everything was transformed into a source of prayer.
Many are the ways we can express ourselves in prayer. There are those
who say: “I do not know how to pray”, yet they speak to God all day.
Have you come across anyone like this?
c) A commentary on the text:
Luke 18:1: The key to an understanding of the parable
Luke introduces the parable thus: “Then he told them a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart”. The words “to pray and not lose heart” appear frequently in the New Testament (1 Thes 5:17; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; etc). This was a feature of the spirituality of the early Christian communities. It is also a point on which Luke insists both in the Gospel and in Acts. If you are interested in discovering this dimension in Luke’s writings, carry out this exercise: read the Gospel and Acts and write down all the verses where Jesus or others are praying. You will be surprised!
Luke introduces the parable thus: “Then he told them a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart”. The words “to pray and not lose heart” appear frequently in the New Testament (1 Thes 5:17; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; etc). This was a feature of the spirituality of the early Christian communities. It is also a point on which Luke insists both in the Gospel and in Acts. If you are interested in discovering this dimension in Luke’s writings, carry out this exercise: read the Gospel and Acts and write down all the verses where Jesus or others are praying. You will be surprised!
Luke 18:2-3: The contrast between the widow and the judge
Jesus presents us with two persons from real life: a judge who neither respects God nor persons, and a widow who will not stop fighting for her rights before the judge. The simple fact that Jesus presents these two persons reveals that he knows well the society of his time. Not only does the parable present poor people fighting in court to have their rights recognised, but it also shows us the violent contrast among social groups. On the one hand, an insensitive and irreligious judge, and on the other, the widow who knows which door to knock on to get what is owed to her.
Jesus presents us with two persons from real life: a judge who neither respects God nor persons, and a widow who will not stop fighting for her rights before the judge. The simple fact that Jesus presents these two persons reveals that he knows well the society of his time. Not only does the parable present poor people fighting in court to have their rights recognised, but it also shows us the violent contrast among social groups. On the one hand, an insensitive and irreligious judge, and on the other, the widow who knows which door to knock on to get what is owed to her.
Luke 18:4-5: The change in the judge and the reason for the change
For a long time, asking the same thing every day, the widow gets nothing from the insensitive judge. Finally the judge, even though “he had neither fear of God nor respect for man” decided to pay attention to the widow and give her justice. The reason is: to be free of this constant nuisance. A rather self-interested reason! However, the widow gets what she wants! This is a fact of daily life and Jesus uses it to teach us how to pray.
For a long time, asking the same thing every day, the widow gets nothing from the insensitive judge. Finally the judge, even though “he had neither fear of God nor respect for man” decided to pay attention to the widow and give her justice. The reason is: to be free of this constant nuisance. A rather self-interested reason! However, the widow gets what she wants! This is a fact of daily life and Jesus uses it to teach us how to pray.
Luke 18:6-8: An application of the parable
Jesus applies the parable: “You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them?” Then he adds that God well see justice done speedily. Were it not Jesus speaking, we would not have the courage to compare God to a judge in their moral attitude. What is important in the comparison is the widow’s attitude who, thanks to her insistence, finally gets what she wants.
Jesus applies the parable: “You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them?” Then he adds that God well see justice done speedily. Were it not Jesus speaking, we would not have the courage to compare God to a judge in their moral attitude. What is important in the comparison is the widow’s attitude who, thanks to her insistence, finally gets what she wants.
Luke 18:8b: A statement on faith
At the end, Jesus expresses some doubt: “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?” Will we have the courage to wait, to be patient, even if God takes time to answer us? We need much faith to go on insisting and acting when we see no result. Anyone who expects immediate results will disappointed. Many of the psalms speak of this hard and difficult insistence before God until he sees fit to respond (Ps 71:14; 37:7; 69:4; Lm 3:26). When quoting Psalm 80. Saint Peter says that one day for God is like a thousand years (2Pt 3:8; Ps 90:4).
At the end, Jesus expresses some doubt: “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?” Will we have the courage to wait, to be patient, even if God takes time to answer us? We need much faith to go on insisting and acting when we see no result. Anyone who expects immediate results will disappointed. Many of the psalms speak of this hard and difficult insistence before God until he sees fit to respond (Ps 71:14; 37:7; 69:4; Lm 3:26). When quoting Psalm 80. Saint Peter says that one day for God is like a thousand years (2Pt 3:8; Ps 90:4).
d) A deepening: Prayer in Luke’s writings
i. Jesus prays in the Gospel
The Gospels present us
with a Jesus who prays, who live in continuous contact with the Father.
Jesus’ only wish is to do the will of the Father (Jn 5:19). Luke is the
one who speaks most of the prayer life of Jesus. He shows us a Jesus
who prays always. Jesus prayed much and insistently, so that people and
his disciples too would do the same. It is when facing God in truth that
the person sees him/herself in its reality and humility. Here are some
of the moments when Jesus is praying in Luke’s Gospel:
Lk 2:46-50: When he is twelve, he goes to the Temple, his Father’s house
Lk 3:21: He prays at his baptism and when he takes on his mission
Lk 4:1-2: At the beginning of his mission he spends forty days in the desert
Lk 4:3-12: When he is tempted, he faces the devil with texts from Scripture
Lk 4:16: On Saturdays, Jesus goes to celebrate in the synagogue
Lk 5:16; 9:18: He seeks solitude in the desert to pray
Lk 6:12: He spends the night in prayer before choosing the Apostles
Lk 9:16; 24:30: He prays before meals
Lk 9:18: He prays before speaking the his passion
Lk 9:28: In a crisis, on the Mountain to pray, he is transfigured during prayer
Lk 10:21: When the Gospel is revealed to little ones he says: “Thank you, Father...”
Lk 11:1: As he prays, he inspires the apostles the desire to pray
Lk 22:32: He prays for Peter, that he may have faith
Lk 22:7-14: He celebrates the Paschal meal with his disciples
Lk 22:41-42: He prays and sweats blood in the Garden of Olives
Lk 22:40.46: In his agony, he asks his friends to pray with him
Lk 23:34: When he was being nailed to the cross, he asks pardon for his torturers
Lk 23:46; Ps 31:6: At the moment of death he says: “Into your hands I commend my spirit”
Lk 23:46: Jesus dies with the cry of the poor on his lips
This list of quotations shows us that for Jesus prayer was intimately connected with life, with concrete fact, with decisions to be taken. To be faithful to the Father’s plan, he sought to be alone with him, to listen to him. In difficult and decisive moments of his life, Jesus prayed the Psalms. Like every other devout Jew, he knew them by heart. Saying the Psalms did not quench his creative spirit. Rather, Jesus invented a Psalm, that is, the Our Father. His life was a constant prayer: “At all times I do what the Father asks me to do!” (Jn 5:19.30). That which the Psalm says applies to Jesus: “... all I had done was pray for them!” (Ps 109:4)
Lk 2:46-50: When he is twelve, he goes to the Temple, his Father’s house
Lk 3:21: He prays at his baptism and when he takes on his mission
Lk 4:1-2: At the beginning of his mission he spends forty days in the desert
Lk 4:3-12: When he is tempted, he faces the devil with texts from Scripture
Lk 4:16: On Saturdays, Jesus goes to celebrate in the synagogue
Lk 5:16; 9:18: He seeks solitude in the desert to pray
Lk 6:12: He spends the night in prayer before choosing the Apostles
Lk 9:16; 24:30: He prays before meals
Lk 9:18: He prays before speaking the his passion
Lk 9:28: In a crisis, on the Mountain to pray, he is transfigured during prayer
Lk 10:21: When the Gospel is revealed to little ones he says: “Thank you, Father...”
Lk 11:1: As he prays, he inspires the apostles the desire to pray
Lk 22:32: He prays for Peter, that he may have faith
Lk 22:7-14: He celebrates the Paschal meal with his disciples
Lk 22:41-42: He prays and sweats blood in the Garden of Olives
Lk 22:40.46: In his agony, he asks his friends to pray with him
Lk 23:34: When he was being nailed to the cross, he asks pardon for his torturers
Lk 23:46; Ps 31:6: At the moment of death he says: “Into your hands I commend my spirit”
Lk 23:46: Jesus dies with the cry of the poor on his lips
This list of quotations shows us that for Jesus prayer was intimately connected with life, with concrete fact, with decisions to be taken. To be faithful to the Father’s plan, he sought to be alone with him, to listen to him. In difficult and decisive moments of his life, Jesus prayed the Psalms. Like every other devout Jew, he knew them by heart. Saying the Psalms did not quench his creative spirit. Rather, Jesus invented a Psalm, that is, the Our Father. His life was a constant prayer: “At all times I do what the Father asks me to do!” (Jn 5:19.30). That which the Psalm says applies to Jesus: “... all I had done was pray for them!” (Ps 109:4)
ii. The praying communities in the Acts of the Apostles
As in the Gospel, so
also in the Acts, Luke often speaks of prayer.The first Christians are
those who continue the prayer of Jesus. Here is a list, which in one way
or another, speak of prayer. If you look carefully, you will find other
texts again:
Act 1:14: The community perseveres in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus
Act 1:24: The community prays so as to know who will take the place of Judas
Act 2:25-35: Peter quotes from the Psalms in his homily
Act 2:42: The first Christians are faithful in prayer
Act 2:46-47: They go to the temple to praise God
Act 3:1: Peter and John go to the temple to pray at the ninth hour
Act 3:8: The healed lame man praises God
Act 4:23-31: The community prays under persecution
Act 5:12: The first Christians stay at Solomon’s gate (temple)
Act 6:4: The apostles devote themselves to prayer and the service of the word
Act 6:6: They pray before imposing hands on the deacons
Act 7:59: When he is dying, Stephen prays: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”
Act 7:60: Then Stephen prays: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”
Act 8:15: Peter and John pray that the converts may receive the Holy Spirit
Act 8:22: The sinner is told: Repent and pray that you may be forgiven
Act 8:24: Simon says: “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves so that none of the things you have spoken about may happen to me”
Act 9:11: Paul is praying
Act 9:40: Peter prays for the healing of Tabitha
Act 10:2: Cornelius prayed constantly to God
Act 10:4: Cornelius’ prayers are heard in heaven
Act 10:9: At the sixth hour, Peter prays on the roof of the house
Act 10:30-31: Cornelius prays at the ninth hour, and his prayer is heard
Act 11:5: Peter tells the people of Jerusalem: “I was praying”!
Act 12:5: The community prays when Peter is in jail
Act 12:12: Many people are gathered in prayer in Mary’s house
Act 13:2-3: The community prays and fasts before sending Paul and Barnabas
Act 13:48: The pagans rejoice and glorify the Word of God
Act 14:23: The missionaries pray to appoint the coordinators of the communities
Act 16:13: At Philippi, near the river, there is a place of prayer
Act 16:16: Paul and Silas were going to prayer
Act 16:25: At night, Paul and Silas sing and pray in prison
Act 18:9: Paul has a vision of the Lord at night
Act 19:18: Many confess their sins
Act 20:7: They met to break bread (the Eucharist)
Act 20:32: Paul commends to God the coordinators of the communities
Act 20:36: Paul prays on his knees with the coordinators of the communities
Act 21:5: They kneel on the shore to pray
Act 21:14: Before the inevitable, the people say: God’s will be done!
Act 21:20: They glorify God for all that Paul has done
Act 21:26: Paul goes to the temple to fulfil a promise
Act 22:17-21: Paul prays in the temple, he has a vision and speaks with God
Act 23:11: In the prison in Jerusalem, Paul has a vision of Jesus
Act 27:23ff: Paul has a vision of Jesus during the storm at sea
Act 27:35: Paul takes the bread, gives thanks to God before arriving in Malta
Act 28:8: Paul prays over Publius’ father who had a fever
Act 28:15: Paul gives thanks to God on seeing the brethren in Pozzuoli
This list tells us two important things. On the one hand, the early Christians kept the traditional liturgy of the people. Like Jesus, they pray at home among the family, in community and in the synagogue and together with the people of the temple. On the other hand, apart from the traditional liturgy, there appears a new way of praying among them in community and with a new content. The root of this new prayer comes from the new experience of “God in Jesus and from a clear and deep awareness of the presence of God in midst of the community: “In him we live, move and are!” (Acts 17:28)
Act 1:14: The community perseveres in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus
Act 1:24: The community prays so as to know who will take the place of Judas
Act 2:25-35: Peter quotes from the Psalms in his homily
Act 2:42: The first Christians are faithful in prayer
Act 2:46-47: They go to the temple to praise God
Act 3:1: Peter and John go to the temple to pray at the ninth hour
Act 3:8: The healed lame man praises God
Act 4:23-31: The community prays under persecution
Act 5:12: The first Christians stay at Solomon’s gate (temple)
Act 6:4: The apostles devote themselves to prayer and the service of the word
Act 6:6: They pray before imposing hands on the deacons
Act 7:59: When he is dying, Stephen prays: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”
Act 7:60: Then Stephen prays: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”
Act 8:15: Peter and John pray that the converts may receive the Holy Spirit
Act 8:22: The sinner is told: Repent and pray that you may be forgiven
Act 8:24: Simon says: “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves so that none of the things you have spoken about may happen to me”
Act 9:11: Paul is praying
Act 9:40: Peter prays for the healing of Tabitha
Act 10:2: Cornelius prayed constantly to God
Act 10:4: Cornelius’ prayers are heard in heaven
Act 10:9: At the sixth hour, Peter prays on the roof of the house
Act 10:30-31: Cornelius prays at the ninth hour, and his prayer is heard
Act 11:5: Peter tells the people of Jerusalem: “I was praying”!
Act 12:5: The community prays when Peter is in jail
Act 12:12: Many people are gathered in prayer in Mary’s house
Act 13:2-3: The community prays and fasts before sending Paul and Barnabas
Act 13:48: The pagans rejoice and glorify the Word of God
Act 14:23: The missionaries pray to appoint the coordinators of the communities
Act 16:13: At Philippi, near the river, there is a place of prayer
Act 16:16: Paul and Silas were going to prayer
Act 16:25: At night, Paul and Silas sing and pray in prison
Act 18:9: Paul has a vision of the Lord at night
Act 19:18: Many confess their sins
Act 20:7: They met to break bread (the Eucharist)
Act 20:32: Paul commends to God the coordinators of the communities
Act 20:36: Paul prays on his knees with the coordinators of the communities
Act 21:5: They kneel on the shore to pray
Act 21:14: Before the inevitable, the people say: God’s will be done!
Act 21:20: They glorify God for all that Paul has done
Act 21:26: Paul goes to the temple to fulfil a promise
Act 22:17-21: Paul prays in the temple, he has a vision and speaks with God
Act 23:11: In the prison in Jerusalem, Paul has a vision of Jesus
Act 27:23ff: Paul has a vision of Jesus during the storm at sea
Act 27:35: Paul takes the bread, gives thanks to God before arriving in Malta
Act 28:8: Paul prays over Publius’ father who had a fever
Act 28:15: Paul gives thanks to God on seeing the brethren in Pozzuoli
This list tells us two important things. On the one hand, the early Christians kept the traditional liturgy of the people. Like Jesus, they pray at home among the family, in community and in the synagogue and together with the people of the temple. On the other hand, apart from the traditional liturgy, there appears a new way of praying among them in community and with a new content. The root of this new prayer comes from the new experience of “God in Jesus and from a clear and deep awareness of the presence of God in midst of the community: “In him we live, move and are!” (Acts 17:28)
6. Prayer: Psalm 63 (62)
A longing for God expressed in prayer
God, you are my God, I pine for you;
my heart thirsts for you, my body longs for you,
as a land parched, dreary and waterless.
Thus I have gazed on you in the sanctuary,
seeing your power and your glory.
Better your faithful love than life itself;
my lips will praise you.
my heart thirsts for you, my body longs for you,
as a land parched, dreary and waterless.
Thus I have gazed on you in the sanctuary,
seeing your power and your glory.
Better your faithful love than life itself;
my lips will praise you.
Thus I will bless you all my life,
in your name lift up my hands.
All my longings fulfilled as with fat and rich foods,
a song of joy on my lips and praise in my mouth.
On my bed when I think of you,
I muse on you in the watches of the night,
for you have always been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice;
my heart clings to you,
your right hand supports me.
in your name lift up my hands.
All my longings fulfilled as with fat and rich foods,
a song of joy on my lips and praise in my mouth.
On my bed when I think of you,
I muse on you in the watches of the night,
for you have always been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice;
my heart clings to you,
your right hand supports me.
May those who are hounding me to death
go down to the depths of the earth,
given over to the blade of the sword,
and left as food for jackals.
Then the king shall rejoice in God,
all who swear by him shall gain recognition,
for the mouths of liars shall be silenced.
go down to the depths of the earth,
given over to the blade of the sword,
and left as food for jackals.
Then the king shall rejoice in God,
all who swear by him shall gain recognition,
for the mouths of liars shall be silenced.
7. Final Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank
for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the
Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength
to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary,
your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word. You who live
and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and
ever. Amen.
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Feast Day : St. Gerard Majella
Feast Day: October 16
Patron Saint: children (and unborn children in particular); childbirth; mothers (and expectant mothers in particular); motherhood; falsely accused people; good confessions; lay brothers; and Muro Lucano, Italy
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| Saint Gerard Majella |
Born in Muro, about fifty miles south of Naples, in April, 1726; died 16 October, 1755; beatified by Leo XIII, 29 January, 1893, and canonized by Pius X, 11 December, 1904. His only ambition was to be like Jesus Christ in his sufferings and humiliations. His father, Dominic Majella, died while Gerard was a child. His pious mother, owing to poverty, was obliged to apprentice him to a tailor. His master loved him, but the foreman treated him cruelly. His reverence for the priesthood and his love of suffering led him to take service in the house of a prelate, who was very hard to please. On the latter's death Gerard returned to his trade, working first as a journeyman and then on his own account. His earnings he divided between his mother and the poor, and in offerings for the souls in purgatory. After futile attempts first to become a Franciscan and then a hermit, he entered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1749. Two years later he made his profession, and to the usual vows he added one by which he bound himself to do always that which seemed to him more perfect. St. Alphonsus considered him a miracle of obedience. He not only obeyed the orders of superiors when present, but also when absent knew and obeyed their desires. Although weak in body, he did the work of three, and his great charity earned for him the title of Father of the Poor. He was a model of every virtue, and so drawn to Our Lord in the tabernacle that he had to do violence to himself to keep away. An angel in purity, he was accused of a shameful crime; but he bore the calumny with such patience that St. Alphonsus said: "Brother Gerard is a saint". He was favoured with infused knowledge of the highest order, ecstatsies, prophecy, discernment of spirits, and penetration of hearts, bilocation, and with what seemed an unlimited power over nature, sickness, and the devils. When he accompanied the Fathers on missions, or was sent out on business, he converted more souls than many missionaries. He predicted the day and hour of his death. A wonderworker during his life, he has continued to be the same since his death.
Early Years
Majella was born in Muro Lucano, Basilicata. He was the son of a tailor who died when Gerard was twelve, leaving the family in poverty. His mother then sent him to her brother so that he could teach Gerard how to sew and help the business. During this time, he was abused by a man whom his uncle sent to help him. He kept silent, but soon his uncle found out and the man who taught him resigned from the job. He loved to be like Jesus Crucified and tried at all costs to suffer. He tried to join the Capuchin order, but his health prevented it. He joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1749. When falsely accused by a pregnant woman of being the father of her child, he retreated to silence. She later recanted and cleared him, and thus began his association as patron of all aspects of pregnancy. He was reputed to have bilocation and read consciences. His last will consisted of a small note on the door of his cell saying, "Here the will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills." He died on October 16, 1755 in Caposele, Campania, of tuberculosis, aged 29.Miracles of Last Year and Death
The last brief year of Gerard’s life was spent a Caposele, with a few short sojourns to Naples where he assisted the Procurator General of the Order. He also began a tour of the Archdiocese of Conza at the request of the Archbishop, but illness brought him back to Materdomini – to die.Caposele and Naples won the favor of his wonders, as did Iliceto a year before. At Naples, great scholars came to him seeking advice. People begged his blessing in the streets. One morning, the Duchess of Maddaloni approached him as he entered the Cathedral, begging him to cure her little daughter who was ill. Gerard pointed to the altar, saying it was not he but God who wrought such miracles. But the mother persisted until Gerard promised to pray for her little one. An hour later, a liveried footman came to fetch the Duchess, bringing news that the little girl had suddenly recovered.
One day when Gerard was in Naples, one of those summer storms blew up, bringing lowering clouds and a chill wind from the Appenines. At once the fishing fleet hauled in traps and sail and made for shore. They well knew the damage a squall wrought. Off the rocks of Pietra del pesce the sea was leaping in huge bursts of spray, tossing a hapless boat like a stick. Fearing shipwreck, the panicky rowers signaled shore, but not a soul would dare put out to their rescue.
At the moment, Brother Gerard happened along and saw the little fishing smack pitching helplessly among the whitecaps. Walking down to the shore, he made the sign of the cross, threw his cloak back over his shoulder and without more ado, began to walk across the churning breakers till he came alongside the boat. Then while the crowds on shore shielded their eyes to watch, he grasped the prow and pulled the boatload of fishermen in the harbor. “Santo! Santo!” screamed the people. They mobbed around him . . . so that he had to dart away and hide in a shop, as though hunted by the police. By evening, all Naples was talking of Brother Gerard.
The crops had been meager that fall, and by winter famine stalked the hills round Caposele. Gerard had been appointed porter there in November and was delighted: he had thus to care for the poor. Every morning, several hundred peasants came to the monastery for clothing and warm food. No matter how many came, there was always plenty. Food seemed to double and triple in his hands.
However, to the brother who baked the bread, this lavish charity of Gerard seemed imprudent. He had filled the pantry with fresh loaves that very morning . . . and there was not a loaf left. Hearing of this, the Rector reprimanded Gerard. There was nothing left for the community! Nothing for dinner! Gerard looked so dumbfounded that Rector and baker went down to the pantry to show him his folly. The baker threw open the cupboard, and . . . it was loaded with fresh baked bread.
When spring came in 1755, Gerard was extremely frail. Several times he had to take to his bed. But he recovered and accompanied a group of missionaries to Calitri, where his presence brought many back to the practice of the Faith. The mission was an outstanding success. That summer he made his last trip on business for the monastery, visiting a dozen towns and in many working wonders.
At the town of Senarchia, they were repairing the church roof. Workmen had felled great trees in the nearby woods. They were so heavy that a whole gang could not pull a single tree over the rough terrain to the church. Gerard heard of the problem and promised to help. The workmen followed him into the woods where he tied a stout rope to the largest log. “I command you to follow me.” He then pulled the huge trunk as though it were a child’s sled. The workmen, at his bidding did likewise, and the logs slid along at the slightest tug.
In the same town, a young mother was in danger of death after an extremely difficult birth. Gerard assured her friends that he would pray for her. Later, he told them the woman would recover. Both mother and child survived as he had predicted.
Auletta, Vietri da Potenza, San Gregorio, Buccino . . . Gerard visited town after town. At Buccino, he fell ill and the doctor advised that he go to Oliveto where the climate would be better for his lungs. Here he wrote to his Rector at Caposele, “Tell me what to do, I beg your Reverence. If you wish me home, I shall come at once. If you wish me to continue the tour, send me an emphatic obedience, and all will be well . . .” His superior wrote him to wait at Oliveto until he had strength enough to come home.
But Gerard’s strength was waning. He must set out for
Caposele to spend his last days at Materdomini. On the way, he paid a
brief visit to the Pirofalo family, telling them to watch for a white
flag flying from the house at Materdomini. As long as they saw the flag,
he would be alive. As a matter of fact, even on a clear day it was all
but impossible to see that distance. But the family could see the
monastery plainly, and the white flag flew all the days of September,
and for half the following month.
Gerard had already left the house, when one of the Pirofalo girls called after him, telling him he had left his handkerchief. “Keep it,” he told her. “You may need it someday.” Long years after, when married and all but dying in childbirth, she remembered the words of Brother Gerard. She asked that the handkerchief be applied to her. Almost at once, her pain abated and she gave birth to her child.
The Rector of Materdomini was heartbroken that last day of August when Brother Gerard came back. He was so worn and emaciated! “Cheer up, Father. It is God’s Will,” said Gerard with a smile. “We must do His Will with gladness.” He scarcely stopped speaking of union with the Will of God. When Doctor Santorelli, the house physician, asked him if he wished to get well or to die, Gerard looked up from bed and answered simply, “I wish only what God wants.” His one last request was that a small white placard be tacked to his door with the inscription:
Here the Will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills.
On September fifth, the acting Rector gave Gerard an obedience to get well. The Will of God! At once all trace of his malady vanished. He got out of bed, ate with the community, walked in the garden, and was present at all the religious exercises. For a full month, he was well again. Then on October fourth, he said to the doctor, “I should have died a month ago, but for obedience. Now my time is near. Tomorrow, I go to bed.” And so it was. For the next ten days, he grew steadily worse. The afternoon of October fifteenth, he tried to sit up, crying to his confreres, “Look! Look! It is the Madonna!” and fell into a sudden ecstasy of love. That evening at seven-thirty, he died. He was twenty-nine years, six months, and nine days old. For six years, he had been in religious life.
To recount the happening after his death in 1755 would demand a large book. Because of the numerous miracles performed through the saint’s intercession, proceedings for his canonization were instituted shortly after his death. In 1893, he was beatified. Eleven years later on December the eleventh, 1904, Pope Pius X proclaimed his solemn canonization at St. Peter’s in eternal Rome. Brother Gerard of Muro and Materdomini was now Saint Gerard of heaven and the whole world.
In 1977, St. Gerard's chapel in St. Lucy's Church (Newark, New Jersey) was dedicated as a national shrine. Each year during the Feast days which include October 16, there are the traditional lights, music, food stands and the street procession, it is apparent that this Feast is a spiritual exercise with all of the essential activity centered around the ‘Saint’ and the Chapel. Devotees visit the Shrine also throughout the year to pray to and petition the help of this Miraculous Wonder Worker.
The League of St Gerard (Redemptorists, Clapham, London) provides spiritual support and prayers for all expectant mothers and families. Two towns in Quebec, Canada, are named in his honour: one in the Montérégie region and another in the Lanaudière region.
The Novena consists of 10 sessions a day, with the first session starting at 7am, running all day until the last session at 10pm, when the mass is conducted by candlelight. Prayers and Petitions are offered up daily by members of the public and are read out during each session. Due to the increasing numbers attending the Novena each year extra seating is added to the hallways, monastery rooms, side altars and the parish hall, where each session is shown live on large television screens.
One memorable event of the Novena from years past was the trumpet players that performed at each of the sessions on the last day of the Novena. The last days of the Novena also see an increase in attendance as those who are unable to make it throughout the Novena usually attend the last three days.
Strive each day to practice in the virtue indicated in the petition.
Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us Pray
O Almighty and everlasting God, who didst draw to thyself Saint Gerard, even from his tenderest years, making him conformable to the Image of Thy Crucified Son, grant we beseech Thee, that imitating his example, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Gerard had already left the house, when one of the Pirofalo girls called after him, telling him he had left his handkerchief. “Keep it,” he told her. “You may need it someday.” Long years after, when married and all but dying in childbirth, she remembered the words of Brother Gerard. She asked that the handkerchief be applied to her. Almost at once, her pain abated and she gave birth to her child.
The Rector of Materdomini was heartbroken that last day of August when Brother Gerard came back. He was so worn and emaciated! “Cheer up, Father. It is God’s Will,” said Gerard with a smile. “We must do His Will with gladness.” He scarcely stopped speaking of union with the Will of God. When Doctor Santorelli, the house physician, asked him if he wished to get well or to die, Gerard looked up from bed and answered simply, “I wish only what God wants.” His one last request was that a small white placard be tacked to his door with the inscription:
Here the Will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills.
On September fifth, the acting Rector gave Gerard an obedience to get well. The Will of God! At once all trace of his malady vanished. He got out of bed, ate with the community, walked in the garden, and was present at all the religious exercises. For a full month, he was well again. Then on October fourth, he said to the doctor, “I should have died a month ago, but for obedience. Now my time is near. Tomorrow, I go to bed.” And so it was. For the next ten days, he grew steadily worse. The afternoon of October fifteenth, he tried to sit up, crying to his confreres, “Look! Look! It is the Madonna!” and fell into a sudden ecstasy of love. That evening at seven-thirty, he died. He was twenty-nine years, six months, and nine days old. For six years, he had been in religious life.
To recount the happening after his death in 1755 would demand a large book. Because of the numerous miracles performed through the saint’s intercession, proceedings for his canonization were instituted shortly after his death. In 1893, he was beatified. Eleven years later on December the eleventh, 1904, Pope Pius X proclaimed his solemn canonization at St. Peter’s in eternal Rome. Brother Gerard of Muro and Materdomini was now Saint Gerard of heaven and the whole world.
Veneration
Gerard Majella was beatified in Rome on January 29, 1893, by Pope Leo XIII. He was canonised less than twelve years later on December 11, 1904, by Pope Saint Pius X. St Gerard's Church in Wellington, New Zealand, built in 1908, was the first church to be dedicated to Gerard Majella. The feast day of Saint Gerard Majella is October 16. He was featured on an Italian 45-euro postage stamp in May 2005. The St. Gerard Majella Annual Novena takes place every year in St. Josephs Church, Dundalk, Ireland. This annual nine-day novena is the biggest festival of faith in Ireland.In 1977, St. Gerard's chapel in St. Lucy's Church (Newark, New Jersey) was dedicated as a national shrine. Each year during the Feast days which include October 16, there are the traditional lights, music, food stands and the street procession, it is apparent that this Feast is a spiritual exercise with all of the essential activity centered around the ‘Saint’ and the Chapel. Devotees visit the Shrine also throughout the year to pray to and petition the help of this Miraculous Wonder Worker.
The League of St Gerard (Redemptorists, Clapham, London) provides spiritual support and prayers for all expectant mothers and families. Two towns in Quebec, Canada, are named in his honour: one in the Montérégie region and another in the Lanaudière region.
Quotations
Some quotations attributed to Gerard Majella include:- "The Most Blessed Sacrament is Christ made invisible. The poor sick person is Christ again made visible."
- "I see in my neighbor the Person of Jesus Christ."
- "Consider the shortness of time, the length of eternity and reflect how everything here below comes to an end and passes by. Of what use is it to lean upon that which cannot give support?"
- "Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?"
The Redemptorists Annual Nine Day Novena
St. Joseph's Parish Church,a redemptorist House in Dundalk, welcomes thousands of people from all over Ireland to the Annual Festival of Faith in Honour of St. Gerard Majella. After Bro. Gerard's Beatification in 1893, a triuum in his honour was preached in St. Joseph's by Fr. Hall, widely regarded as one of the greatest preachers of his day. The people of Dundalk took St. Gerard into their hearts after this sermon and continued to pay devotion to him on a regular basis. However during the 1930s, Fr. John Murray, started what has become the biggest festival of faith in Ireland, the Annual Nine Day Novena to St. Gerard Majella, beginning on 8 October and finishing on his feast day, 16 October. Fr. Hugo Kerr erected a shrine to St. Gerard in the church in 1939. Today the Novena continues to grow with over 10,000 people attending the Novena on a daily basis.The Novena consists of 10 sessions a day, with the first session starting at 7am, running all day until the last session at 10pm, when the mass is conducted by candlelight. Prayers and Petitions are offered up daily by members of the public and are read out during each session. Due to the increasing numbers attending the Novena each year extra seating is added to the hallways, monastery rooms, side altars and the parish hall, where each session is shown live on large television screens.
One memorable event of the Novena from years past was the trumpet players that performed at each of the sessions on the last day of the Novena. The last days of the Novena also see an increase in attendance as those who are unable to make it throughout the Novena usually attend the last three days.
Highlights of the Novena
- Communal Celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (usually on the 5th Day)
- Healing Mass with the Anointing of the Sick and the Elderly (held on the Saturday)
- The Blessing of Babies (2.30pm service held on the Sunday)
- The Novena of All Nations (4.30pm on the Sunday)
- Taize Mass - Candlelight Session. Nightly at 10.30pm
- Guest Speaker - lay people sharing their experience of life situations.
Prayer to St. Gerard Majella
Almighty and Eternal God, we thank you for the gift of St. Gerard and the example of his life. Because St. Gerard always had complete faith and trust in you, you blessed him with great powers of help and healing. Through him, you showed your loving concern for all those who suffered or were in need. You never failed to hear his prayer on their behalf. Today, through St. Gerard’s powerful intercession, you continue to show your love for all those who place their trust in you. And so, Father, full of faith and confidence, and in thanksgiving for all the wonderful things you have done for us, we place ourselves before you today. Through the intercession of St. Gerard, hear our petitions, and if it is your holy will, grant them. Amen.Nine Day Novena
Novena to Saint GerardStrive each day to practice in the virtue indicated in the petition.
1st Day
Saint Gerard, ever full of faith obtain for me that , believing firmly all that the Church of God proposes to my belief, I may strive to secure through a holy life the joys of eternal happiness.Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us Pray
O Almighty and everlasting God, who didst draw to thyself Saint Gerard, even from his tenderest years, making him conformable to the Image of Thy Crucified Son, grant we beseech Thee, that imitating his example, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
2nd Day
Saint Gerard, most generous saint, who from thy tenderest years didst care so little for the goods of earth, grant that I may place all my confidence in Jesus Christ alone, my true Treasure, who alone can make me happy in time and in eternity.Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
3rd Day
Saint Gerard, bright seraph of love, who despising all earthly love, didst consecrate thy life to the service of God and thy neighbor, promoting God’s glory in thy lowly state, and ever ready to assist the distressed and console the sorrowful, ob5tain for me, I beseech thee, that loving God the only God and my neighbor for His sake, I may be hereafter united to Him for ever in glory.Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
4th Day
Saint Gerard, spotless lily of purity, by the angelic virtue and thy wonderful innocence of life thou didst receive from the Infant Jesus and His Immaculate Mother, sweet pledges of tenderest love, grant, I beseech thee, that I may ever strive in my life-long fight, and thus win the crown that awaits the brave and the true.Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
5th Day
Saint Gerard, model of holy obedience, who through thy life didst heroically submit the judgment to those who represent Jesus Christ to thee, thus sanctifying thy lowliest actions, obtain for me from God cheerful admission to His Holy Will and the virtue of perfect obedience, that I may be made comfortable to Jesus, my Model, who was obedient even to death.Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
6th Day
Saint Gerard, most perfect imitator of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, do thou whose greatest glory was to be humble and lowly, obtain that I too, knowing my littleness in God’s sight, may be found worthy to enter the kingdom that is promised to the humble and lowly of heart.Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
7th Day
Saint Gerard, unconquered hero, most patient in suffering, do thou who didst glory in infirmity, and under slander and most cruel ignominy didst rejoice to suffer with Christ, obtain for me patience and resignation in my sorrows, that I may bravely bear the cross that is to gain for me the crown of everlasting glory.Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
8th Day
Saint Gerard, true lover of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, do thou who didst kneel long hours before the Tabernacle, and there didst taste the joys of the Paradise. Obtain for me, I beseech thee, the spirit of prayer and an undying love for the Most Holy Sacrament, that thus receiving frequently the Body and Blood of Jesus, I may daily grow in His holy love and merit the priceless grace of loving Him even to the end.Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
9th Day
Saint Gerard, most favorite child of heaven, to whom Mary gave the Infant Jesus in the day of thy childhood, to whom she sweetly came before thou didst close thine eyes In death, obtain for me I beseech thee, so to seek and love my Blessed Mother during life, that she may be my joy and consolation in this valley of tears, until with thee, before the throne of God, I may praise her goodness for all eternity. Amen.Then say Nine Hail Marys, with the following Versicle and Prayer.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Gerard.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
References
- a b Patron Saints Index: St. Gerard Majella
- ^ a b J. Magnier (1913). "St. Gerard Majella". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06467c.htm.
- ^ "St Gerard's Church". Register of Historic Places. New Zealand Historic Places Trust. http://www.historic.org.nz/TheRegister/RegisterSearch/RegisterResults.aspx?RID=226&m=advanced. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
- ^ St. Lucy's Church, Newark, NJ.
- St Gerard.com. http://www.saintgerard.com
- "St. Gerard Majella." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 16 Oct. 2012 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06467c.htm>.
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Snippet I: 99th Anniversary Fátima Miracle of the Sun
Our Lady of Fátima (Portuguese: Nossa Senhora de Fátima, European Portuguese: [ˈnɔsɐ sɨˈɲoɾɐ dɨ ˈfatimɐ])
is a title for the Virgin Mary due to her reputed apparitions to three
shepherd children at Fátima, Portugal on the thirteenth day of six
consecutive months in 1917, beginning on May 13. The three children were
Lúcia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto.
The title of Our Lady of the Rosary
is also sometimes used to refer to the same apparition (although it was
first used in 1208 for the reputed apparition in the church of Prouille),
because the children related that the apparition called herself the
"Lady of the Rosary". It is also common to see a combination of these
titles, i.e.
Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima (Portuguese: Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Fátima). The
events at Fátima gained particular fame due to their elements of
prophecy and eschatology, particularly with regard to possible world war
and the conversion of Soviet Russia. The reported apparitions at Fátima
were officially declared "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church.
History
Page from Ilustração Portuguesa,
29 October 1917, showing the people looking at the miracle of the sun
during the Fátima apparitions attributed to the Virgin Mary.
On
May 13, 1917, ten year old Lúcia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and
Francisco Marto were herding sheep at a location known as the Cova da
Iria
near their home village of Fátima, Portugal. Lúcia described seeing a
woman "brighter than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and
stronger than a crystal ball filled with the most sparkling water and
pierced by the burning rays of the sun."
Further appearances were reported to have taken place on the thirteenth
day of the month in June and July. In these, the woman exhorted the
children to do penance and Acts of Reparation
as well as making personal sacrifices to save sinners. The children
subsequently wore tight cords around their waists to cause themselves
pain, performed self-flagellation using stinging nettles,
abstained from drinking water on hot days, and performed other works of
penance. According to Lúcia's account, in the course of her
appearances, the woman confided to the children three secrets, now known
as the Three Secrets of Fátima.
Thousands of people flocked to Fátima and Aljustrel in the following
months, drawn by reports of visions and miracles. On August 19, 1917,
the provincial administrator and anticlerical Freemason, Artur Santos
(no relation to Lúcia Santos), believing that the events were
politically disruptive, intercepted and jailed the children before they
could reach the Cova da Iria that day. Prisoners held with them in the
provincial jail later testified that the children, while upset, were
first consoled by the inmates, and later led them in praying the rosary.
The administrator interrogated the children and tried unsuccessfully to
get them to divulge the contents of the secrets. In the process, he
threatened the children, saying he would boil them in a pot of oil, one
by one unless they confessed. The children refused, but Lúcia told him
everything short of the secrets, and offered to ask the Lady for
permission to tell the Administrator the secrets.
That month, instead of the usual apparition in the Cova da Iria on the
13th, the children reported that they saw the Virgin Mary on 15 August,
the Feast of the Assumption, at nearby Valinhos.
Photograph taken during the reputed "Dance of the Sun" at Fátima on 13 October 1917.
As
early as July 1917 it was claimed that the Virgin Mary had
promised a miracle for the last of her apparitions on October 13, so
that all would believe. What happened then became known as "Miracle of
the Sun". A crowd believed to number approximately 70,000,
including newspaper reporters and photographers, gathered at the Cova
da Iria. The incessant rain had finally ceased and a thin layer of
clouds cloaked the silver disc of the sun. Witnesses said later it could
be looked upon without hurting the eyes.
Lúcia, moved by what she said was an interior impulse, called out to
the crowd to look at the sun. Witnesses later spoke of the sun appearing
to change colors and rotate like a wheel. Not everyone saw the same
things, and witnesses gave widely varying descriptions of the "sun's
dance". The phenomenon is claimed to have been witnessed by most people
in the crowd as well as people many miles away.
While the crowd was staring at the sun, Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta
said later they were seeing lovely images of the Holy Family, Our Lady
of Sorrows with Jesus Christ, and then Our Lady of Mount Carmel. They
said they saw Saint Joseph and Jesus bless the people. The children were aged 10, 9, and 7 at the time.
Columnist Avelino de Almeida of O Século (Portugal's most influential newspaper, which was pro-government in policy and avowedly anti-clerical),
reported the following: "Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, whose
aspect was biblical as they stood bare-headed, eagerly searching the
sky, the sun trembled, made sudden incredible movements outside all
cosmic laws - the sun 'danced' according to the typical expression of
the people." Eye specialist Dr. Domingos Pinto Coelho, writing for the newspaper Ordem
reported "The sun, at one moment surrounded with scarlet flame, at
another aureoled in yellow and deep purple, seemed to be in an exceeding
fast and whirling movement, at times appearing to be loosened from the
sky and to be approaching the earth, strongly radiating heat". The
special reporter for the October 17, 1917 edition of the Lisbon daily, O Dia,
reported the following, "...the silver sun, enveloped in the same gauzy
purple light was seen to whirl and turn in the circle of broken
clouds...The light turned a beautiful blue, as if it had come through
the stained-glass windows of a cathedral, and spread itself over the
people who knelt with outstretched hands...people wept and prayed with
uncovered heads, in the presence of a miracle they had awaited. The
seconds seemed like hours, so vivid were they."
Chapel of Apparitions, built at the place where the Fátima apparitions were reported
No movement or other phenomenon of the sun was registered by scientists at the time.
According to contemporary reports from poet Afonso Lopes Vieira and
schoolteacher Delfina Lopes with her students and other witnesses in the
town of Alburita, the solar phenomenon was visible from up to forty
kilometers away. Not all witnesses reported seeing the sun "dance". Some
people only saw the radiant colors, and others, including some
believers, saw nothing at all.
Since no scientifically verifiable physical cause can be adduced to
support the phenomenon of the sun, various explanations have been
advanced to explain the descriptions given by numerous witnesses. A
leading conjecture is a mass hallucination possibly stimulated by the
religious fervor of the crowds expectantly waiting for a predicted sign.
Another conjecture is a possible visual artifact caused by looking at
the sun for a prolonged period. As noted by Auguste Meessen, a professor
at the Institute of Physics, Catholic University of Leuven, looking directly at the Sun can cause phosphene
visual artifacts and temporary partial blindness. He has proposed that
the reported observations were optical effects caused by prolonged
staring at the sun. Meessen contends that retinal after-images produced
after brief periods of sun gazing are a likely cause of the observed
dancing effects. Similarly Meessen states that the colour changes
witnessed were most likely caused by the bleaching of photosensitive
retinal cells.
Meessen observes that solar miracles have been witnessed in many places
where religiously charged pilgrims have been encouraged to stare at the
sun. He cites the apparitions at Heroldsbach in Germany (1949) as an
example where exactly the same optical effects as at Fátima were
witnessed by more than 10,000 people.
There is no evidence that people who came to Fátima, even those
expecting a miracle, were staring at the sun before Lúcia spoke. Most
would have been focused on the tree where the children said the
apparition appeared. Some onlookers reported other phenomena, including
luminous mist and the showers of flower petals seen around and above the
tree during previous visitations.
In addition to the Miracle of the Sun, the seers at Fátima indicated
that the apparition prophesied a great sign in the night sky which would
precede a second great war.
On January 25, 1938, bright lights, an aurora borealis appeared all
over the northern hemisphere, including in places as far south as North
Africa, Bermuda and California. It was the widest occurrence of the
aurora since 1709 and people in Paris and elsewhere believed a great fire was burning and fire departments were called.
Lúcia, the sole surviving seer at the time, indicated that it was the
sign foretold and so apprised her superior and the bishop in letters the
following day. Just over a month later, Hitler seized Austria and eight months later invaded Czechoslovakia.
Three Secrets of Fátima
First two secrets
The first secret was a vision of hell, which Lúcia describes in her Third Memoir, as follows:
- "Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repulsive likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror."[20]
The second secret included Mary's instructions on how to save souls
from hell and convert the world to the Christian faith, also revealed by
Lúcia in her Third Memoir:
- "I
have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them,
God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If
what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be
peace. The war is going to end: but if people do not cease offending
God, a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pius XI.
When you see a night illuminated by an unknown light, know that this is
the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world
for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church
and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the
consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of
reparation on the First Saturdays.
If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be
peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing
wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy
Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated.
In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will
consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of
peace will be granted to the world."
Third Secret
The third secret, a vision of the death of the Pope and other religious figures, was transcribed by the Bishop of Leiria and reads:
- "After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of
Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his
left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they
would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the
splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand:
pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud
voice: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!' And we saw in an immense light that
is God: ‘something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they
pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White ‘we had the impression
that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, Religious men and
women going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big
Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before
reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins
and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he
prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached
the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he
was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him,
and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops,
Priests, Religious men and women, and various lay people of different
ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two
Angels each with a crystal aspersorium
in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and
with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God."
Controversy around the Third Secret
The Vatican
withheld the Third Secret until 26 June 2000, despite Lúcia's
declaration that it could be released to the public after 1960. Some
sources, including Canon Barthas and Cardinal Ottaviani,
said that Lúcia insisted to them it must be released by 1960, saying
that, "by that time, it will be more clearly understood", and, "because
the Blessed Virgin wishes it so."
When
1960 arrived, rather than releasing the Third Secret, the Vatican
published an official press release stating that it was "most probable
the Secret would remain, forever, under absolute seal." After this
announcement, immense speculation over the content of the secret
materialized. According to the New York Times,
speculation over the content of the secret ranged from "worldwide
nuclear annihilation to deep rifts in the Roman Catholic Church that
lead to rival papacies."
Some
sources claim that the four-page, handwritten text of the Third Secret
released by the Vatican in the year 2000 is not the real secret, or at
least not the full secret. In particular, it is alleged that Cardinals
Bertone, Ratzinger and Sodano
engaged in a systematic deception to cover-up the existence of a
one-page document containing the so-called words of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, which some believe contains information about the Apocalypse and a
great apostasy. These sources contend that the Third Secret actually
comprises two texts, where one of these texts is the published four-page
vision, and the other is a single-page letter allegedly containing the
words of the Virgin Mary which has been concealed.
The Vatican has maintained its position that the full text of the
Third Secret was published in June 2000. According to a December 2001
Vatican press release (subsequently published in L'Osservatore Romano),
Lúcia told then Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone in an interview that the
secret had been completely revealed and published - that no secrets
remained. Bertone, along with Cardinal Ratzinger, co-authored The Message of Fátima,
the document published in June 2000 by the Vatican that allegedly
contains a scanned copy of the original text of the Third Secret.
During
his apostolic visit to Portugal between May 11 and 14, 2010 on the
occasion of the 10th anniversary of the beatification of Jacinta and
Francisco Marto, Pope Benedict XVI
explained in a rare conversation with reporters that the interpretation
of the third secret did not stop with the interpretation of a
prediction of the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in Saint Peter's Square in 1981. The Third Secret of Fátima,
said Benedict XVI, "has a permanent and ongoing significance" and that
"its significance could even be extended to include the suffering the
Church is going through today as a result of the recent reports of
sexual abuse involving the clergy".
Fate of the three children
Sister
Lúcia reported seeing the Virgin Mary again in 1925 at the Dorothean
convent at Pontevedra, Galicia (Spain). This time she said she was asked
to convey the message of the First Saturday Devotions. By her account a
subsequent vision of Christ as a child reiterated this request.
Sister
Lúcia was transferred to another convent in Tui or Tuy, Galicia in
1928. In 1929, Sister Lúcia reported that Mary returned and repeated her
request for the Consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart.
Sister
Lúcia reportedly saw Mary in private visions periodically throughout
her life. Most significant was the apparition in Rianxo, Galicia,
in 1931, in which she said that Jesus visited her, taught her two
prayers and delivered a message to give to the church's hierarchy.
In
1947, Sister Lúcia left the Dorothean order and joined the Discalced
Carmelite order in a monastery in Coimbra, Portugal. Lúcia died on
February 13, 2005, at the age of 97. After her death, the Vatican,
specifically Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (at that time, still head of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith),
ordered her cell sealed off. It is believed this was because Sister
Lúcia had continued to receive more revelations and the evidence needed
to be examined in the course of proceedings for her possible
canonization.
Sister
Lúcia's cousins, the siblings Francisco (1908–1919) and Jacinta Marto
(1910–1920), were both victims of the Great Spanish Flu Epidemic of
1918-20. Francisco and Jacinta were declared venerable by Pope John Paul
II in a public ceremony at Fátima on May 13, 1989. He returned there on
May 13, 2000 to declare them 'blessed' (a title of veneration below
that of sainthood; see Canonization). Jacinta is the youngest
non-martyred child ever to be beatified.
In 1936 and again in 1941, Sister Lúcia claimed that the Virgin Mary
had predicted the deaths of two of the children during the second
apparition on June 13, 1917. Besides Lúcia's account, the testimony of
Olímpia Marto (mother of the two younger children) and several others
state that her children did not keep this information secret and
ecstatically predicted their own deaths many times to her and to curious
pilgrims.
In
fact, it was the first thing Jacinta told her mother when she spoke to
her after the initial apparition.According to the 1941 account, on 13
June, Lúcia asked the Virgin if
the three children would go to heaven when they died. She said that she
heard Mary reply, "Yes, I shall take Francisco and Jacinta soon, but you
will remain a little longer, since Jesus wishes you to make me known
and loved on Earth. He wishes also for you to establish devotion in the
world to my Immaculate Heart."
Exhumed
in 1935 and again in 1951, Jacinta's face was found incorrupt or immune
to decay. Francisco's body, however, had decomposed.
Consecration of Russia
Statue of Pope Pius XII in Fátima, Portugal.
According
to Sister Lúcia, the Virgin Mary promised that the Consecration of
Russia would lead to Russia's conversion and an era of peace.
Pope Pius XII, in his Apostolic Letter Sacro Vergente of 7 July 1952, consecrated Russia to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pius XII wrote,
- Just as a few years ago We consecrated the entire human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, so today We consecrate and in a most special manner We entrust all the peoples of Russia to this Immaculate Heart...
In
1952 the Pope said to the Russian people and the Stalinist regime that
the Virgin Mary was always victorious. "The gates of hell
will never prevail, where she offers her protection. She is the good
mother, the mother of all, and it has never been heard, that those who
seek her protection, will not receive it. With this certainty, the Pope
dedicates all people of Russia to the immaculate heart of the Virgin.
She will help! Error and atheism will be overcome with her assistance
and divine grace."
Popes
Pius XII and John Paul II both had special relations to Our Lady of
Fátima. Pope Benedict XV began Pacelli's church career, elevating him to
archbishop in the Sistine Chapel
on May 13, 1917, the date of the first reported apparition. Pius XII
was laid to rest in the crypt of Saint Peter's Basilica on October 13,
1958, the Feast of Our Lady of Fátima.
Pope
John Paul II again consecrated the entire world to the Virgin
Mary in 1984, without explicitly mentioning Russia. Some believe that
Sister Lúcia verified that this ceremony fulfilled the requests of the
Virgin Mary. However, in the Blue Army's Spanish magazine, Sol de Fátima,
in the September 1985 issue, Sister Lúcia said that the ceremony did
not fulfill the Virgin Mary's request, as there was no specific mention
of Russia, and "many bishops attached no importance to it." In 2001,
Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone issued a statement, claiming that he had met
with Sister Lúcia, who reportedly told him, "I have already said that
the consecration desired by Our Lady was made in 1984, and has been
accepted in Heaven." Sister Lúcia died on February 13, 2005, without
making any public statement of her own to settle the issue.
Some maintain that, according to Lúcia and Fátima advocates such as Abbe Georges de Nantes, Fr. Paul Kramer and Nicholas Gruner,
Russia has never been specifically consecrated to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary by any Pope simultaneously with all the world's bishops, which
is what Lúcia in the 1985 interview had said Mary had asked for.
However, by letters of August 29, 1989 and July 3, 1990, she stated
that the consecration had been completed; indeed in the 1990 letter in
response to a question by Rev. Father Robert J. Fox, she confirmed:
I come to answer your question, "If the consecration made by Pope John Paul II on March 25, 1984 in union with all the bishops of the world, accomplished the conditions for the consecration of Russia according to the request of Our Lady in Tuy on June 13 of 1929?" Yes, it was accomplished, and since then I have said that it was made. And I say that no other person responds for me, it is I who receive and open all letters and respond to them.
In the meantime, the conception of
Theotokos Derzhavnaya Orthodox Christian venerated icon points out that
Virgin Mary is considered actual Tsarina of Russia by the religious
appeal of Nicholas II thus Consecration of Russia may refer to return of
Russian monarchy.
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima is one of the largest Marian shrines in the world. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima (also known as the Fátima Shrine, the Sanctuary of Fátima or Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary)
is a Roman Catholic Marian basilica in Fátima, Portugal. Its
construction began in 1928 and it was consecrated in October 1953.
The basilica is built at the site of the
Marian apparitions reported by three Portuguese children in 1917 and
known as Our Lady of Fátima. The tombs of Blessed Francisco Marto,
Blessed Jacinta Marto and Sister Lúcia, the three children, are in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. Scenes of the Marian apparitions are shown in stained glass.
The fifteen church altars are dedicated to the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary.
The large church organ was installed in 1952 and has about twelve
thousand pipes. Four statues of the four great apostles of the Rosary
and to the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary are at the four
corners of the Basilica: Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Saint Dominic, Saint John Eudes and Saint Stephen, King of Hungary.
The shrine attracts a large number of Roman Catholics,
and every year pilgrims fill the country road that leads to the shrine
with crowds that approach one million on May 13 and October 13, the
significant dates of the Fátima apparitions. Overall, about four million pilgrims visit the basilica every year.
The Chapel of Apparitions is at the very heart of the
basilica. The exact location of the apparitions is marked by a marble
pillar which holds a statue of the Virgin Mary.
The Paul VI Pastoral Center was inaugurated on May 13, 1982, by Pope John Paul II,
as a center for study and reflection on the message of Fátima. It can
seat over two thousand people and has accommodation for four hundred
pilgrims.
The treasury of the sanctuary holds the Irish Monstrance
considered to be one of the most significant works of religious art
from Ireland. The monstrance was gifted to the basilica in 1949.
The entrance to the Fátima Sanctuary,
which is to the south of the rectory, is a segment of the Berlin Wall
intended to emphasize the belief that the Rosary prayers influenced the
fall of the Berlin Wall related to the Consecration of Russia based on
the Our Lady of Fátima messages.
The large statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which stands in the niche
above the main entrance of the basilica, was sculpted by American priest
Thomas McGlynn, O.P. Father McGlynn spent considerable time with the
visionary Sister Lúcia
as she described for him in detail how Mary looked during her
appearances to the children. The statue is not what Father McGlynn had
in mind when he approached Sister Lúcia, but is more accurately
described as a collaboration between visionary and sculptor, producing
perhaps the most accurate representation of Our Lady of Fátima ever to
be sculpted. The statue was presented as a gift from the Catholic people
of the United States to the Sanctuary of Fátima in 1958.
Fátima Prayers and Reparations
Many
Roman Catholics
recite prayers based on Our Lady of Fátima. Lúcia later said that, in
1916, she and her cousins had several visions of an angel calling
himself the "Angel of Portugal" and the "Angel of Peace" who taught them
to bow with their heads to the ground
and to say "O God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love you. I ask
pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do
not love you." Lúcia later set this prayer to music and a recording
exists of her singing it. It was also said that sometime later the angel
returned and taught them a eucharistic devotion now known as the Angel
Prayer.
Lúcia said that the Lady emphasized Acts of Reparation
and prayers to console Jesus for the sins of the world. Lúcia said that
Mary's words were "When you make some sacrifice, say 'O Jesus, it is
for your love, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins
committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'" At the first
apparition, Lúcia wrote, the children were so moved by the radiance they
perceived that they involuntarily said "Most Holy Trinity, I adore you!
My God, my God, I love you in the Most Blessed Sacrament."
Lúcia also said that she heard Mary ask for these words to be added to
the Rosary after the Gloria Patri prayer: "O my Jesus, pardon us, save
us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in
most need."
In
the tradition of Marian visitations, the "conversion of sinners" is not
necessarily religious conversion to the Roman Catholic Church,
for that would be the "conversion of heretics or apostates who are
'outside the church and alien to the Christian Faith' according to Pope
Leo XIII in his encyclical on the Unity of the Church, Satis Cognitum".
Conversion of sinners refers to general repentance and attempt to amend
one's life according to the teachings of Jesus for those True Catholics
who do profess the faith truly, but are fallen into sins. Lúcia wrote
that she and her cousins defined "sinners" not as non-Catholics but as
those who had fallen away from the church or, more specifically,
willfully indulged in sinful activity, particularly "sins of the flesh"[53]
and "acts of injustice and a lack of charity towards the poor, widows
and orphans, the ignorant and the helpless" which she said were even
worse than sins of impurity.
Pilgrimage
Statue depicting the Immaculate Heart of Mary as described by Sister Lúcia of Fátima.
An estimated 70,000 people assembled to witness the last of the promised appearances of the Lady in the Cova da Iria
on October 13, 1917. The widely reported miracle of the sun was a
factor that led to Fátima quickly becoming a major centre of pilgrimage.
Two million pilgrims visited the site in the decade following the
events of 1917. A small chapel - the Capelinha
- was built by local people on the site of the apparitions. The
construction was neither encouraged nor hindered by the Catholic Church
authorities. On May 13, 1920, pilgrims defied government troops to
install a statue of the Virgin Mary in the chapel,
and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
was first officially celebrated there in January 1924. A hostel for the
sick was begun in that year. In 1927 the first rector of the sanctuary
was appointed and a set of Stations of the Cross were erected on the
mountain road. The foundation stone for the present basilica was laid
the next year.
1930 was the year both of official church recognition of the
apparition events as "worthy of belief" and the granting of a papal indulgence to pilgrims visiting Fátima.
In 1935 the bodies of the visionaries Jacinta and Francisco were
reinterred in the basilica. The coronation of the statue of Our Lady of
Fátima there in 1946 drew such large crowds that the entrance to the
site had to be barred.
Today pilgrimage to the site goes on all year round and additional
chapels, hospitals and other facilities have been constructed. The
principal pilgrimage festivals take place on the thirteenth day of each
month, from May to October, on the anniversaries of the original
appearances. The largest crowds gather on 13 May and 13 October, when up
to a million
pilgrims have attended to pray and witness processions of the statue of
Our Lady of Fátima, both during the day and by the light of tens of
thousands of candles at night.
Political aspects
From
the French Revolution onwards the Catholic Church had adopted an
increasingly embattled world view and from the pontificate of Pius IX
the Church had been waging war against the so-called twin enemies of
liberalism and socialism. At the same time religion had become
predominantly a female activity by the early twentieth century.
The
numerical predominance of women within the Catholic Church went
alongside a corresponding development of female divine symbols. Dramatic
affirmations of feminine power were given in the apparitions of the
Virgin Mary which occurred all over Western Europe from the 1840s. The
Virgin, usually in the form of the Immaculate Conception, revealed
herself to female seers, often children. When Our Lady appeared to
Catherine Labouré, Bernadette Soubirous, Lúcia Santos at Fátima, or to
the children at Beauraing later, in 1932, and Mariette Beco in 1933,
these dramatic affirmations of divine power in an increasingly
irreligious/secular age, a transformation more strongly felt in the
Western world, offered 'proof' of the power of heaven against "the
onslaughts of secularizing governments".
"The Marian militancy of the Jesuit congregations divided the world
into two camps, those who would defend the Virgin and those who would
defile her. In the wake of the apparitions at Fatima in Portugal such a
view of the world appeared to be shared by the Virgin herself. The
'secrets of Fatima' revealed periodically by the seer Lucia showed
Mary's concern with the apostacy of Soviet Russia and the threat of communist anticlericalism.
Our
Lady of Fatima presented a vision of a world divided. Rome, and
Mary, were ranged against the Soviet Union in a struggle between the
redeemed and the fallen. With the advent of the Spanish Second Republic,
the Virgin Mary [would be] seen on Spanish soil at Ezquioga. Ramona
Olazabal insisted Mary had marked the palms of her hands with a sword.
Seers gained much credence in Integrist and Carlist
circles. The visions at Ezquioga were widely covered in the press, as
were the sixteen other visitations of the Virgin to Spain in 1931. There
was also the Fatima story, an officially sanctioned apparition, the
cult of which, far from being condemned, was actively encouraged by the
Church. As the forces of the Republic gathered strength in Spain, the
Virgin Mary was to be found leading the armies of the faithful ranged
against the Godless."
The
Blue Army of Our Lady is made up of Catholics and non-Catholics who
believe that by dedicating themselves to daily prayer (specifically, of
the Rosary) they can help to achieve world peace and put an end to the
error of communism. In 1952, a feature film, The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, was released. Critics held that the film overplayed the role of socialist
and other leftist elements in Portuguese government as the
"adversaries" of the visions. They state that since the government was
controlled not by socialists but by Freemasons at the time,
most government opposition to the visions would have been motivated by
concern for separation of church and state, not by atheistic,
antitheistic or Communistic ideology. Other critics have stated that
only the enemies of the message propose such a belief.
Official position of the Catholic Church
Inside the Basilica of the Rosary
Private revelations do not form part of the deposit of faith of the Catholic Church,
and its members are not bound to believe in any of them. However, as a
matter of prudence, assent would normally be expected of a Catholic
based on the discernment of the Church and its judgment that an
apparition is worthy of belief.
After a canonical enquiry, the visions of Fátima were officially
declared "worthy of belief" in October 1930 by the Bishop of
Leiria-Fátima.
Ecclesiastical
approbation does not imply that the Church provides an
infallible guarantee on the supernatural nature of the event.
Theologians like Karl Rahner argued however, that Popes, by
authoritatively fostering the Marian veneration in places as Fátima and
Lourdes, motivate the faithful into an acceptance of divine faith.[65] Popes Pius XII, Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI
all voiced their acceptance of the supernatural origin of the Fátima
events in unusually clear and strong terms. After the local bishop had
declared that (1) the visions of the three children are credible and (2)
the veneration of the Blessed Virgin is permitted, the Portuguese
bishops approved and declared the genuine supernatural nature of the
event. The Vatican responded with granting indulgences and permitting
special Liturgies of the Mass to be celebrated in Fátima.[15]
In 1939, Eugenio Pacelli, who was consecrated bishop on May 13,
1917—the day of the first apparition—was elected to the papacy as Pius
XII, and became the Pope of Fátima.
One year after World War II had started, Sister Lúcia asked Pope Pius
XII to consecrate the world and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
She repeated this request on December 2, 1940, stating in the year 1929,
the Blessed Lady requested in another apparition the consecration of
Russia to her Immaculate Heart. She promised the conversion of Russia
from its errors.
On May 13, 1942, the 25th anniversary of the first apparition and the
silver jubilee of the episcopal consecration of Pope Pius XII, the
Vatican published the Message and Secret of Fátima. On October 31, 1942,
Pope Pius XII,
in a radio address, informed the people of Portugal about the
apparitions of Fátima, consecrating the human race to the Immaculate
Heart of the Virgin with specific mention of Russia. On December 8, 1942, the Pontiff officially and solemnly declared this
consecration in a ceremony in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. On May 13,
1946, Cardinal Masalla, the personal delegate of Pius XII, crowned in
his name Our Lady of Fátima, as the Pope issued a second message about
Fátima:
- "The faithful virgin never disappointed the trust, put on her. She will transform into a fountain of graces, physical and spiritual graces, over all of Portugal, and from there, breaking all frontiers, over the whole Church and the entire world".
On 1 May 1948, in
Auspicia Quaedam, Pope Pius XII requested the consecration to the
Immaculate Heart of every Catholic family, parish and diocese.
- "It is our wish, consequently, that wherever the opportunity suggests itself, this consecration be made in the various dioceses as well as in each of the parishes and families."
On May 18, 1950, the Pope again sent a message to the people of
Portugal regarding Fátima: "May Portugal never forget the heavenly
message of Fátima, which, before anybody else she was blessed to hear.
To keep Fátima in your heart and to translate Fátima into deeds, is the
best guarantee for ever more graces". In numerous additional messages, and in his encyclicals Fulgens Corona (1953), and Ad Caeli Reginam (1954), Pius XII encouraged the veneration of the Virgin in Fátima.
At the end of the Second Vatican Council Pope Paul VI
renewed the consecration of Pius XII to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
and, in an unusual gesture, announced his own pilgrimage to the
sanctuary on the fiftieth anniversary of the first apparition. On May
13, 1967, he prayed at the shrine together with Sister Lúcia. This
historic gesture further cemented the official support for Fátima. Pope John Paul II
credited Our Lady of Fátima with saving his life following the
assassination attempt on Wednesday, May 13, the Feast of Our Lady of
Fátima, in 1981.
He followed the footsteps of Paul VI, on May 12, 1987, to express his
gratitude to the Virgin Mary for saving his life. The following day, he
renewed the consecration of Pius XII to the Immaculate Heart of the
Virgin.
On May 12 and 13, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima
and strongly stated his acceptance of the supernatural origin of the
Fátima apparitions. On the first day, the Pope arrived at the Chapel of
Apparitions to pray and gave a Golden Rose to Our Lady of Fátima "as
a homage of gratitude from the Pope for the marvels that the Almighty
has worked through you in the hearts of so many who come as pilgrims to
this your maternal home". The Pope also recalled the "invisible hand" that saved John Paul II and said in a prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary that "it
is a profound consolation to know that you are crowned not only with
the silver and gold of our joys and hopes, but also with the 'bullet' of
our anxieties and sufferings".
On the second day, Pope Benedict's homily pronounced in front of more
than 500,000 pilgrims a reference to the Fátima prophecy about the
triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and related it to the final
"glory of the Most Holy Trinity".
References
- Alonso, Joaquín María (1976) (in Spanish). La verdad sobre el secreto de Fatima: Fátima sin mitos. Centro Mariano "Cor Mariae Centrum". ISBN 978-84-85167-02-9. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
- Alonso, Joaquin Maria; Kondor, Luis (1998). Fátima in Lucia's own words: sister Lucia's memoirs. Secretariado dos Pastorinhos. ISBN 978-972-8524-00-5. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
- Cuneo, Michael. The Vengeful Virgin: Studies in Contemporary Catholic Apocalypticism. in Robbins, Thomas; Palmer, Susan J. (1997). Millennium, messiahs, and mayhem: contemporary apocalyptic movements. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-91649-3. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
- De Marchi, John (1952). The Immaculate Heart. New York: Farrar, Straus and Young
- Ferrara, Christopher (2008). The Secret Still Hidden. Good Counsel Publications Inc.. ISBN 978-0-9815357-0-8
- Frère François de Marie des Anges (1994). Fatima: Tragedy and Triumph. New York, U.S.A
- Frere Michel de la Sainte Trinite (1990). The Whole Truth About Fatima, Volume III. New York, U.S.A.
- Kramer, Father Paul (2002). The Devil's Final Battle. Good Counsel Publications Inc.. ISBN 978-0-9663046-5-7
- Joe Nickell: Looking for a Miracle: Weeping Icons, Relics, Stigmata, Visions & Healing Cures: Prometheus Books: 1998: ISBN 1-57392-680-9
- Nick Perry and Loreto Echevarria: Under the Heel of Mary: New York: Routledge: 1988: ISBN 0-415-01296-1
- Sandra Zimdars-Swartz: Encountering Mary: Princeton: Princeton University Press: 1991: ISBN 0-691-07371-6
- Walsh, William:Our Lady of Fatima: Image: Reissue edition (October 1, 1954): 240 pp: ISBN 978-0385028691
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Today's Snippet II : Acts of Reparation
Reparation is a theological concept closely connected with those of atonement and satisfaction. In ascetical theology, reparation is the making of amends for insults given to God through sin, either one’s own or another’s. The response of man is to be reparation through adoration, prayer, and sacrifice. In Roman Catholic tradition, an Act of Reparation is a prayer or devotion with the intent to expiate the "sins of others", e.g. for the repair of the sin of blasphemy, the sufferings of Jesus Christ or as Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary.
Duty of Reparation
In the encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor Pope Pius XI said:- "The creature's love should be given in return for the love of the Creator, another thing follows from this at once, namely that to the same uncreated Love, if so be it has been neglected by forgetfulness or violated by offense, some sort of compensation must be rendered for the injury, and this debt is commonly called by the name of reparation".
Theological perspective
According to Thomas Slater, reparation is a theological concept closely connected with those of atonement and satisfaction, and is considered a sacred mystery in Roman Catholicism. It is the teaching of that faith that man is a creature who has fallen from an original state of grace in which he was created, and that through the incarnation, Passion, and death of Jesus Christ, he has been redeemed and restored again in a certain degree to the original condition. Although God might have condoned men's offences gratuitously if He had chosen to do so, yet in divine providence He did not do this; He judged it better to demand satisfaction for the injuries which man had done Him. It is better for man's education that wrongdoing on his part should entail the necessity of making satisfaction. This satisfaction was made adequately to God by the suffering, passion, and death of Jesus Christ, made Man for us. By voluntary submission to His passion and death on the cross, Jesus Christ atoned for man's disobedience and sin. He thus made reparation to the offended majesty of God for the outrages which the Creator so constantly suffers at the hands of His creatures.Man is restored to grace through the merits of Christ's death, which grace enables him to add his prayers, works, and trials to those of Our Lord "and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24). Man can thus make some sort of reparation to the justice of God for his own offences against Him, and by virtue of the Communion of the Saints, the oneness and solidarity of the mystical Body of Christ, he can also make satisfaction and reparation for the sins of others.
The idea of reparation is an essential element in the Roman Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
History
In the seventeenth-century, Christianity had seen some great profanations of the Blessed Sacrament, which renewed attention to the atonement dimension of adoration and gave rise to various societies for the Blessed Sacrament. In 1654 Catherine de Bar founded the Order of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament in Paris.Some Catholic organizations whose focus was reparation included the Archconfraternity of Reparation for blasphemy and the neglect of Sunday, founded by Bishop Pierre Louis Parisis in 1847; and the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face, founded by Venerable Leo Dupont in 1851. In 1886 Pope Leo XIII authorized the formation of the Archconfraternity of the Mass of Reparation in Rome.
Methods
The Mass, the representation of the sacrifice of Calvary, is specially suited to make reparation for sin. One of the ends for which it is offered is the propitiation of God's wrath.Prayers of reparation
A number of prayers such as the Act of Reparation to the Virgin Mary appeared in the Raccolta, a collection of Catholic prayers and good works with attached indulgences. The Raccolta included a number of diverse prayers for reparation. The Raccolta was deprecated in 1968.- the Chaplet of the Holy Wounds (which does not include the usual rosary mysteries) focuses on specific redemptive aspects of Christ's suffering in Calvary, with emphasis on the souls in purgatory.
- the Act of Reparation to Jesus Christ and for the reparation of blasphemy is The Golden Arrow Holy Face Devotion (Prayer) first introduced by Sister Marie of St Peter in 1844. This devotion (started by Sister Marie and then promoted by the Venerable Leo Dupont) was approved by Pope Leo XIII in 1885.[6]
- the Act of Reparation to The Holy Trinity is based on the messages of Our Lady of Fatima and is usually called the Angel Prayer.
Rosary of The Holy Wounds
Marie Martha Chambon (March 6, 1841 – March 21, 1907) was a lay Roman Catholic nun known for introducing the Rosary of the Holy Wounds. Françoise Chambon was born March 6, 1841 to a poor farming family in the village of Croix Rouge, near Chambéry, in Savoy. Her first reported vision occurred when she was nine years old. As she was attending Good Friday services with her godmother, in the parish church of Lémenc, Françoise saw the crucified Jesus covered in wounds and blood. She said that later that year, when she received First Communion, she saw the baby Jesus,who told her, ""Child, my favorite, so it will be every time you go to Holy Communion." At the age of twenty-one, she joined the Monastery of the Visitation Order in Chambéry, France as a lay sister, and was given he name Marie-Marthe. She died on March 21, 1907, and the cause for her beatification was introduced in 1937.She began to report visions of Jesus in 1866, telling her to contemplate the Holy Wounds. These were visions of Jesus Christ appearing to her and teaching her specific prayers and meditations on His wounds. She reported that she was told to pray to and invoke the Holy Wounds unceasingly.
Her mother superior kept a chronicle of her life which was published in 1923 and sold widely. The next year the Vatican granted an indulgence to those who said the following prayer, based on her reported visions: "Eternal Father I offer the wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to heal those of our souls." She reported that Jesus asked her to unite her sufferings with His in the Rosary of the Holy Wounds as an Act of Reparation for the sins of the world. She reported that Jesus told her that "[w]hen you offer My Holy Wounds for sinners, you must not forget to do so for the souls in Purgatory, as there are but few who think of their relief... The Holy Wounds are the treasure of treasures for the souls in Purgatory."
According to Ann Ball, Chambon was told to revive the Holy Wounds devotion. Part of this devotion can be a Chaplet of Mercy of the Holy Wounds of Jesus, which was based on Chambon's private revelations. This chaplet was approved for the Institute of Visitation in 1912, and was extended to all the faithful at large by the Sacred Penitentiary in 1924. According to Liz Kelly, the Rosary of the Holy Wounds was revealed to Chambon and is prayed on a standard five decade rosary.
Format of the Holy Wounds Chaplet
The chaplet consists of three prayers that are said on specific portions of the rosary beads as follows:[1]- The following prayers are said on the crucifix and first three beads:
- O Jesus, Divine Redeemer, be merciful to us and to the whole world. Amen.
- Holy God, Mighty God, Immortal God, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen
- Grace and Mercy, O my Jesus, during present dangers; cover us with Your Precious Blood. Amen.
- Eternal Father, grant us mercy through the Blood of Jesus Christ, Your only Son; grant us mercy we beseech You. Amen, Amen, Amen.
- The following prayer is said on the large beads of the rosary chain:
- Eternal Father, I offer You the Wounds of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, to heal the wounds of our souls.
- The following prayer is said on the small beads of the rosary chain:
- My Jesus, pardon and mercy, through the merits of Your Holy Wounds.
The Golden Arrow Holy Face Devotion
The Golden Arrow Holy Face Devotion is a prayer associated with a Roman Catholic devotion.[1] The prayer and the devotion are based on reports of visions of Jesus by Sr. Marie of St Peter, a Carmelite nun of Tours, in 1843. The prayer is an Act of Praise and Reparation for Blasphemy. It is also a reparation for the profanation of Sunday and the Holy Days of Obligation.On March 16, 1844 Jesus reportedly told Sr. Marie: "Oh if you only knew what great merit you acquire by saying even once, Admirable is the Name of God, in a spirit of reparation for blasphemy."
Sister Mary stated that Jesus told her that the two sins which offend him the most grievously are blasphemy and the profanation of Sunday. He called this prayer the "Golden Arrow", saying that those who would recite it would pierce Him delightfully, and also heal those other wounds inflicted on Him by the malice of sinners. Sr. Mary of St. Peter saw, "streaming from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, delightfully wounded by this 'Golden Arrow,' torrents of graces for the conversion of sinners.
This prayer is part of the Catholic devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus and appears in the book “The Golden Arrow”, the autobiography of Sr. Marie of St Peter. In her book she wrote that in her visions Jesus told her that an act of sacrilege or blasphemy is like a "poisoned arrow", hence the name “Golden Arrow” for this reparatory prayer.
Golden Arrow prayer:
- May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable,
- most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God
- be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored
- and glorified in Heaven, on earth,
- and under the earth,
- by all the creatures of God,
- and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
- in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
- Amen.
Acts of Reparation to The Holy Trinity
Roman Catholic tradition include specific prayers and devotions as Acts of Reparation for insults and blasphemies against the Holy Trinity and the Blessed Sacrament. Similar prayers as Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary and Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ also exist.Fatima prayer to the Holy Trinity
This prayer is based on the 20th century apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, and is attributed to an angel who appeared to the visionaries. It is sometimes called the Angel Prayer. The apparitions of Fatima have been approved by the Holy Catholic Church, thus deemed worthy of belief.In Catholic tradition, Saint Michael is the prince of the church of Jesus Christ and also the defender of Israel. Having revealed the Chaplet of Saint Michael to a Portuguese nun in the 18th Century, Saint Michael is often associated with being the angel that prepared the children shepherds for the visit of the Blessed Mother of God in Fatima, and thus to him it is attributed the prayer.
The words of the prayer are as follows:
- O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary I beg the conversion of poor sinners.
First Friday Devotion - Communion of Reparation
Receiving Holy Communion as part of a first Friday devotion is a Catholic devotion to offer reparations for sins through the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the visions of Christ reported by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century, several promises were made to those people that practiced the first Friday devotions, one of which included final perseverance.The devotion consists of several practices that are performed on each first Friday of nine consecutive months. On these days, a person is to attend Holy Mass and receive communion. In many Catholic communities the practice of the Holy Hour of meditation during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament during the First Fridays is encouraged.
First Saturdays Devotion
(Act of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Blessed Virgin Mary)
The First Saturdays Devotion (also called the Act of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Blessed Virgin Mary) is a Catholic devotion which, according to Lúcia of Fátima, was requested by the Virgin Mary in an apparition at Pontevedra, Spain in December 1925. This devotion has been approved by the Roman Catholic Church.History
The pious practice of honoring the Blessed Mother on Saturday is an ancient custom, derived from the tradition that Jesus appeared to her on Holy Saturday. The liturgical observation of venerating Mary on Saturday is attributed to Mary was largely the Benedictine Alcuin (735-804), "Minister of Education" at the court of Charlemagne, composed a Votive mass formulary for each day of the week. Alcuin assigned two formularies to Saturday in honor of Our Lady. The practice was quickly embraced by both clergy and laity.The First Saturdays devotion had already been an established custom in the Catholic Church. On July 1, 1905, Pope Pius X approved and granted indulgences for the practice of the First Saturdays of twelve consecutive months in honor of the Immaculate Conception. This practice greatly resembled the reported request of Mary at the Pontevedra apparitions.
Pontevedra apparitions
At the age of 14, Lúcia Santos, one of the purported visionaries of Our Lady of Fátima was admitted as a boarder to the school of the Sisters of St. Dorothy in Vilar, near the city of Porto. On October 24, 1925, she entered the Institute of the Sisters of St. Dorothy as a postulant in the convent in Tui, Spain, just across the northern Portuguese border.Sister Lucia later reported that on December 10,1925, the Virgin Mary appeared to her at the convent in Pontevedra, Spain, and by Her side, elevated on a luminous cloud, was the Child Jesus. According to Lucia, Mary requested the institution of the Devotion of the Five First Saturdays in reparation to her Immaculate Heart.
- Look, my daughter, at my Heart encircled by these thorns with which men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, strive to console me, and so I announce: I promise to assist at the hour of death with the grace necessary for salvation all those who, with the intention of making reparation to me, will, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, say five decades of the beads, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary.
The Act of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Blessed Virgin Mary
When Lúcia Santos experienced the Pontevedra apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she heard her promise to grant great graces, especially at the hour of death, in particular the salvation of the soul, for the believer who for Five Consecutive First Saturdays of Month (5 Saturdays in 5 months) receives Holy Communion and practices the following exercises as an Act of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Heaven:- Sacramental confession
- To receive Holy Communion
If a person has a valid reason not to attend Mass (Masses not available on Saturdays, difficult mobilization, other major event), the devotee may consult a priest about receiving Communion privately or on another day with the intention of making this Communion as part of the devotion.
- A 5-Decade Rosary is recited
A 15-Minute Meditation is made on the Mysteries of the Rosary
This Meditation should also be done in an Act of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Rosary Meditations can be done on all 15 of the mysteries or fewer but must last for 15 minutes. This meditation is in addition to the recitation of the Rosary. It can be done alone or in a group and with or without the aid of sacred scripture.
The activities of the Five First Saturdays devotions are different from similar devotions on other days in that all should be done with the specific intention in the heart of making reparation to the Blessed Mother for blasphemies against her, her name and her holy initiatives.
Act of Reparation for blasphemy against the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Most glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, turn thine eyes in pity upon us, miserable sinners; we are sore afflicted by the many evils that surround us in this life, but especially do we feel our hearts break within us upon hearing the dreadful insults and blasphemies uttered against thee, O Virgin Immaculate. O how these impious sayings offend the infinite Majesty of God and of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ! How they provoke His indignation and give us cause to fear the terrible effects of His vengeance! ...We desire, O most Holy Mother, to love thee and to honor thee with all our hearts, since this is the Will of God. And just because we love thee, we will do all that is in our power to make thee honored and loved by all men. In the meantime do thou, our merciful Mother, the supreme comforter of the afflicted, accept this our act of reparation which we offer thee for ourselves and for all our families, as well as for all who impiously blaspheme thee, not knowing what they say. Do thou obtain for them from Almighty God the grace of conversion, and thus render more manifest and more glorious thy kindness, thy power and thy great mercy. May they join with us in proclaiming thee Blessed among women, the Immaculate Virgin and most compassionate Mother of God.(Racccolta, 1950)
- Recite Hail Mary three times.
References
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Reparation". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton.
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Snippet IV: Devotion to The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
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| Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Scapular |
The Sacred Heart (also known as Most Sacred Heart of Jesus) is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of his divine love for humanity.
This
devotion is predominantly used in the Catholic Church and among some
high-church Anglicans and Lutherans.
The devotion especially emphasizes the unmitigated love, compassion,
and long-suffering of the heart of Christ towards humanity. The origin
of this devotion in its modern form is derived from a French Roman
Catholic nun, Marguerite Marie Alacoque, who said she learned the
devotion from Jesus during a mystical experience. Predecessors to the
modern devotion arose unmistakably in the Middle Ages in various facets
of Catholic mysticism.
In
the Roman Catholic tradition, the Sacred Heart has been closely
associated with Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ. In his encyclical Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI stated: "the
spirit of expiation or reparation has always had the first and foremost
place in the worship given to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus". The Golden Arrow Prayer
directly refers to the Sacred Heart. Devotion to the Sacred Heart is
sometimes seen in the Eastern Catholic Churches, where it remains a
point of controversy and is seen as an example of Liturgical
Latinisation.
The Sacred Heart is often depicted in
Christian art as a flaming heart shining with divine light, pierced by
the lance-wound, encircled by the crown of thorns,
surmounted by a cross and bleeding. Sometimes the image shown shining
within the bosom of Christ with his wounded hands pointing at the heart.
The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus' death,
while the fire represents the transformative power of divine love.
The
Feast of the Sacred Heart has been in the Roman Catholic liturgical
calendar since 1856, and is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. As
Pentecost is always celebrated on Sunday, the Feast of the Sacred Heart
always falls on a Friday.
History of Devotion
Early devotion
 |
| Sacred Heart of Jesus Ibarrará, 1896 |
From the time of John the Evangelist and Paul of Tarsus
there has always been in the Church something like devotion to the love
of God, but there is nothing to indicate that, during the first ten
centuries of Christianity, any worship was rendered to the wounded Heart
of Jesus.
It is in the eleventh and twelfth centuries that the first indications
of devotion to the Sacred Heart are found. It was in the fervent
atmosphere of the Benedictine or Cistercian monasteries, in the world of Anselmian or Bernardine
thought, that the devotion arose, although it is impossible to say
positively what were its first texts or who were its first devotees. It
was already well known to St. Gertrude, St. Mechtilde, and the author of the Vitis mystica (previously ascribed to St. Bernard, now attributed to St. Bonaventure).
From
the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries, the devotion was
propagated but it did not seem to have developed in itself. It was
everywhere practised by individuals and by different religious
congregations, such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, Carthusians,
etc. It was, nevertheless, a private, individual devotion of the
mystical order. Nothing of a general movement had been inaugurated,
except for similarities found in the devotion to the Five Wounds by the
Franciscans, in which the wound in Jesus's heart figured most
prominently.
In the sixteenth century, the devotion
passed from the domain of mysticism into that of Christian asceticism.
It was established as a devotion with prayers already formulated and
special exercises, found in the writings of Lanspergius (d. 1539) of the
Carthusians of Cologne, the Louis of Blois (Blosius; 1566), a
Benedictine and Abbot of Liessies in Hainaut, John of Avila (d. 1569)
and St. Francis de Sales, the latter belonging to the seventeenth
century.
The historical record from that time shows an
early bringing to light
of the devotion. Ascetic writers spoke of it, especially those of the
Society of Jesus. The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was everywhere
in evidence, largely due to the Franciscan devotion to the Five Wounds
and to the habit formed by the Jesuits of placing the image on their
title-page of their books and the walls of their churches.
Nevertheless,
the devotion remained an individual, or at least a private, devotion.
Jean Eudes (1602–1680) made it public, gave it an Office, and
established a feast for it. Père Eudes was the apostle of the Heart of
Mary; but in his devotion to the Immaculate Heart
there was a share for the Heart of Jesus. Little by little, the
devotion to the Sacred Heart became a separate one, and on August 31,
1670, the first feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated in the Grand
Seminary of Rennes. Coutances followed suit on October 20, a day with
which the Eudist
feast was from then on to be connected. The feast soon spread to other
dioceses, and the devotion was likewise adopted in various religious
communities. It gradually came into contact with the devotion begun at
Paray, and resulting in a fusion of the two.
Visions of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
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| St Margaret Mary Alacoque, Giaquinto 1765 |
The most significant source for the devotion to the
Sacred Heart in the form it is known today was Visitandine Saint
Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690), who claimed to have received visions
of Jesus Christ.
There is nothing to indicate that she had known the devotion prior to
the revelations, or at least that she had paid any attention to it. The
revelations were numerous, and the following apparitions are especially
remarkable:
- On December 27, probably 1673, the feast of St. John, Margaret Mary reported that Jesus permitted her, as he had formerly allowed St. Gertrude, to rest her head upon his heart, and then disclosed to her the wonders of his love, telling her that he desired to make them known to all mankind and to diffuse the treasures of his goodness, and that he had chosen her for this work.
- In probably June or July, 1674, Margaret Mary claimed that Jesus requested to be honored under the figure of his heart, also claiming that, when he appeared radiant with love, he asked for a devotion of expiatory love: frequent reception of Communion, especially Communion on the First Friday of the month, and the observance of the Holy Hour.
- During the octave of Corpus Christi, 1675, probably on June 16, the vision known as the "great apparition" reportedly took place, where Jesus said, "Behold the Heart that has so loved men ... instead of gratitude I receive from the greater part (of mankind) only ingratitude ...", and asked Margaret Mary for a feast of reparation of the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi, bidding her consult her confessor Father Claude de la Colombière, then superior of the small Jesuit house at Paray. Solemn homage was asked on the part of the king, and the mission of propagating the new devotion was especially confided to the religious of the Visitation and to the priests of the Society of Jesus.
A few days after the "great apparition", Margaret Mary reported
everything she saw to Father de la Colombière, and he, acknowledging the
vision as an action of the Spirit of God, consecrated himself to the
Sacred Heart and directed her to write an account of the apparition. He
also made use of every available opportunity to circulate this account,
discreetly, through France and England. Upon his death on February 15,
1682, there was found in his journal of spiritual retreats a copy in his
own handwriting of the account that he had requested of Margaret Mary,
together with a few reflections on the usefulness of the devotion. This
journal, including the account and an "offering" to the Sacred Heart, in
which the devotion was well explained, was published at Lyons in 1684.
The little book was widely read, especially at Paray. Margaret Mary
reported feeling "dreadful confusion" over the book's contents, but
resolved to make the best of it, approving of the book for the spreading
of her cherished devotion. Outside of the Visitandines, priests,
religious, and laymen espoused the devotion, particularly the Capuchins,
Margaret Mary's two brothers, and some Jesuits. The Jesuit Father
Croiset wrote a book called The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
a book which Jesus is said to have told Margaret to tell Fr. Croiset to
write, and Fr. Joseph de Gallifet, also a Jesuit, promoted the
devotion.
Papal Approvals
The Blessed
Mary of the Divine Heart was a nun from Sisters of the Good Shepherd
Congregation who requested, in the name of Christ Himself, to Pope Leo
XIII that he consecrate the entire World to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The
death of Margaret Mary Alacoque on October 17, 1690, did not
dampen the zeal of those interested; on the contrary, a short account of
her life published by Father Croiset in 1691, as an appendix to his
book "De la Dévotion au Sacré Cœur", served only to increase it. In
spite of all sorts of obstacles, and of the slowness of the Holy See,
which in 1693 imparted indulgences
to the Confraternities of the Sacred Heart and, in 1697, granted the
feast to the Visitandines with the Mass of the Five Wounds, but refused a
feast common to all, with special Mass and Office. The devotion spread,
particularly in religious communities. The Marseilles plague,
1720, furnished perhaps the first occasion for a solemn consecration
and public worship outside of religious communities. Other cities of the
South followed the example of Marseilles, and thus the devotion became a
popular one. In 1726 it was deemed advisable once more to importune
Rome for a feast with a Mass and Office of its own, but, in 1729, Rome
again refused. However, in 1765, it finally yielded and that same year,
at the request of the queen, the feast was received quasi-officially by
the episcopate of France. On all sides it was asked for and obtained,
and finally, in 1856, at the urgent entreaties of the French bishops,
Pope Pius IX
extended the feast to the Roman Catholic Church under the rite of
double major. In 1889 it was raised by the Roman Catholic Church to the
double rite of first class.
After the letters of Mother Mary of the Divine Heart (1863–1899) requesting, in the name of Christ Himself, to Pope Leo XIII
consecrate the entire World to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy
Father commissions a group of theologians to examine the petition on the
basis of revelation and sacred tradition. This investigation was
positive. And so in the encyclical letter Annum Sacrum
(on May 25, 1899) this same pope decreed that the consecration of the
entire human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus should take place on June
11, 1899. In this encyclical letter the Pope attached Later Pope Leo
XIII encouraged the entire Roman Catholic episcopate to promote the
devotion of the Nine First Fridays and he established June as the Month
of the Sacred Heart. Leo XIII also composed the Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart and included it in Annum Sacrum.
Pope
Pius X decreed that the consecration of the human race, performed by
Pope Leo XIII be renewed each year. Pope Pius XI in his encyclical
letter Miserentissimus Redemptor (on May 8, 1928) affirmed the
Church's position with respect to Saint Margaret Mary's visions of Jesus
Christ by stating that Jesus had "manifested Himself" to Saint Margaret and had "promised her that all those who rendered this honor to His Heart would be endowed with an abundance of heavenly graces." The encyclical refers to the conversation between Jesus and Saint Margaret several times[2] and reaffirmed the importance of consecration and reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Finally, Venerable Pope Pius XII,
on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Pope Pius IX's institution
of the Feast, instructed the entire Roman Catholic Church at length on
the devotion to the Sacred Heart in his encyclical letter Haurietis aquas
(on May 15, 1956). On May 15, 2006, also Pope Benedict XVI sent a
letter to Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach, the Superior General of the
Society of Jesus, on the 50th Anniversary of the encyclical Haurietis Aquas,
about the Sacred Heart, by Pope Pius XII. In his letter to Father
Kolvenbach, Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed the importance of the devotion
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Worship and Devotion
The
Roman Catholic acts of consecration, reparation and devotion were
introduced when the feast of the Sacred Heart was declared. In his Papal
Bull Auctorem Fidei, Pope Pius VI praised devotion to the Sacred Heart. Finally, by order of Leo XIII, in his encyclical Annum Sacrum
(May 25, 1899), as well as on June 11, he consecrated every human to
the Sacred Heart. The idea of this act, which Leo XIII called "the great
act" of his pontificate, had been proposed to him by a religious woman
of the Good Shepherd from Oporto (Portugal) who said that she had supernaturally received it from Jesus. Since c.
1850, groups, congregations, and States have consecrated themselves to
the Sacred Heart. In 1873, by petition of president Gabriel García
Moreno, Ecuador
was the first country in the world to be consecrated to the Sacred
Heart, fulfilling God's petition to Saint Margaret Mary over two hundred
years later.
Peter Coudrin of France founded the
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary on December 24,
1800. A religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, the order is best
known for its missionary work in Hawaii. Mother Clelia Merloni from
Forlì (Italy) founded the Congregation of the Apostles of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus in Viareggio, Italy, May 30, 1894. Worship of the Sacred
Heart mainly consists of several hymns, the Salutation of the Sacred
Heart, and the Litany of the Sacred Heart. It is common in Roman
Catholic services and occasionally is to be found in Anglican services.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart is a solemnity in the Roman Catholic
liturgical calendar, and is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost. As
Pentecost is always celebrated on Sunday, the Feast of the Sacred Heart
always falls on a Friday.
The Enthronement
of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic ceremony in which a priest or
head of a household consecrates the members of the household to the
Sacred Heart. A blessed image
of the Sacred Heart, either a statue or a picture, is then "enthroned"
in the home to serve as a constant reminder to those who dwell in the
house of their consecration to the Sacred Heart. The practice of the
Enthronement is based upon Pope Pius XII's
declaration that devotion to the Sacred of Jesus is "the foundation on
which to build the kingdom of God in the hearts of individuals,
families, and nations..."
Alliance with the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The
Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary is based on the historical,
theological and spiritual links in Catholic devotions to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The joint devotion to
the hearts was first formalized in the 17th century by Saint Jean Eudes
who organized the scriptural, theological and liturgical sources
relating to the devotions and obtained the approbation of the Church,
prior to the visions of Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque.
In
the 18th and 19th centuries the devotions grew, both jointly and
individually through the efforts of figures such as Saint Louis de
Montfort who promoted Catholic Mariology and Saint Catherine Labouré's
Miraculous Medal depicting the Heart of Jesus thorn-crowned and the
Heart of Mary pierced with a sword.
The devotions, and the associated prayers, continued into the 20th
century, e.g. in the Immaculata prayer of Saint Maximillian Kolbe and in
the reported messages of Our Lady of Fatima which stated that the Heart
of Jesus wishes to be honored together with the Heart of Mary.
Popes
supported the individual and joint devotions to the hearts through the
centuries. In the 1956 encyclical Haurietis Aquas, Pope Pius XII
encouraged the joint devotion to the hearts. In the 1979 encyclical
Redemptor Hominis Pope John Paul II explained the theme of unity of
Mary's Immaculate Heart with the Sacred Heart. In his Angelus address on September 15, 1985 Pope John Paul II coined the term The Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and in 1986 addressed the international conference on that topic held at Fátima, Portugal.
The Miraculous Medal
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| The Miraculous Medal |
The Sacred Heart has also been involved in (and been
depicted) in saintly apparitions such as those to Saint Catherine
Labouré in 1830 and appears on the Miraculous Medal.
On the Miraculous Medal, the Sacred Heart is crowned with thorns. The Immaculate Heart of Mary
also appears on the medal, next to the Sacred Heart, but is pierced by a
sword, rather than being crowned with thorns. The M on the medal
signifies the Blessed Virgin at the foot of the Cross when Jesus was being crucified.
Religious imagery depicting the Sacred Heart is frequently featured
in Roman Catholic, and sometimes Anglican and Lutheran homes. Sometimes
images display beneath them a list of family members, indicating that
the entire family is entrusted to the protection of Jesus in the Sacred
Heart, from whom blessings on the home and the family members are
sought. The prayer "O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee"
is often used. One particular image has been used as part of a set,
along with an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In that image, Mary too
was shown pointing to her Immaculate Heart,
expressing her love for the human race and for her Son, Jesus Christ.
The mirror images reflect an eternal binding of the two hearts.
The Scapular of the Sacred Heart and the Scapular of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary are worn by Roman Catholics.
In Eastern Catholicism
Devotion to the Sacred Heart may be found in some Eastern Catholic Churches,
but is a contentious issue. Those who favour purity of rite are opposed
to the devotion, while those who are in favour of the devotion cite it
as a point of commonality with their Latin Catholic brethren.
Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Jesus Christ, in his appearances to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque,
promised these blessings to those who practice devotion to his Sacred
Heart. This tabular form of promises was not made by Saint Margaret Mary
or her contemporaries. It first appeared at 1863. In 1882, an American
businessman spread the tabular form of the promises profusely throughout
the world, the twelve promises appearing in 238 languages. In 1890,
Cardinal Adolph Perraud deplored this circulation of the promises in the
tabular form which were different from the words and even from the
meaning of the expressions used by St. Margaret Mary, and wanted the
promises to be published in the full, authentic texts as found in the
writings of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:
- I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
- I will give peace in their families.
- I will console them in all their troubles.
- I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
- I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
- Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
- Tepid souls shall become fervent.
- Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
- I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
- I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
- Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.
- In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.
The last promise has given rise to the pious Roman Catholic practice
of making an effort to attend Mass and receive Communion on the first
Friday of each month.
Great efficacy of converting people has been attached to the use of the image of the Sacred Heart.
"Even at the hour of death, incredulous, indifferent, hardened souls have been converted by simply showing them a picture of the Sacred Heart, which sufficed to restore these sinners to the life of hope and love, in a word, to touch the most hardened. It would, indeed, be a great misfortune to any apostolic man to neglect so powerful a means of conversion, and in proof of this I will mention a single fact which will need no comment. A religious of the Company of Jesus had been requested by the Blessed Margaret Mary to make a careful engraving of the Sacred Heart. Being often hindered by other occupations, there was much delay in preparing this plate. ' This good father,' writes the saint, 'is so much occupied by Mon- signor d'Autun in the conversion of heretics, that he has neither time nor leisure to give to the work so ardently desired by the Heart of our Divine Master. You cannot imagine, my much-loved mother, how greatly this delay afflicts and pains me. I must avow confidently to you my belief that it is the cause of his converting so few infidels in this town. I seem constantly to hear these words : ' That if this good father had acquitted himself at once of his promise to the Sacred Heart, Jesus would have changed and converted the hearts of these infidels, on account of the joy He would have felt at seeing Himself honoured in the picture He so much wishes for. As, however, he prefers other work, even though to the glory of God, to that of giving Him this satisfaction, He will harden the hearts of these infidels, and the labours of this mission will not be crowned with much fruit.'
Scapular of the Sacred Heart
The
devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus also involve the Scapular of the
Sacred Heart. It is a Roman Catholic devotional scapular that can be
traced back to Saint Margaret Marie Alacoque who herself made and
distributed badges similar to it.
In 1872 Pope Pius IX
granted an indulgence for the badge and the actual scapular was
approved by the Congregation of Rites in 1900. It bears the
representation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on one side, and that of the
Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Mother of Mercy on the other
side. Prayer, Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy
well-beloved
Son and upon the acts of praise and satisfaction which He renders unto
Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, in Thy great goodness, grant
pardon to them who seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Thy Son,
Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, world without end.
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Snippet V: Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
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| Immaculate heart of Mary Scapular |
The Immaculate Heart of Mary (also known as The Sacred Heart of Mary)
is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections,
and, above all, her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love
for her son Jesus, and her compassionate love for all persons.
The consideration of Mary's interior life and the beauties of her soul,
without any thought of her physical heart, does not constitute the
traditional devotion; still less does it consist in the consideration of
the heart of Mary merely as a part of her pure body. In 1855 the Mass of the Most Pure Heart
formally became a part of Catholic practice. The two elements are
essential to the devotion, just as, according to Roman Catholic
theology, soul and body are necessary to the constitution of man.
Eastern
Catholic Churches
occasionally utilize the image, devotion, and theology associated with
the Immaculate Heart of Mary. However, this is a cause of some
controversy, some seeing it as a form of liturgical instillation. The
Roman Catholic view is based on Mariology, as exemplified by Pope John
Paul II's Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae which builds on the total Marian devotion pioneered by Louis de Montfort.
Traditionally, the heart is pierced with seven wounds or swords, in homage to the seven dolors of Mary.
Consequently, seven Hail Marys are said daily in honor of the devotion.
Also, roses or another type of flower may be wrapped around the heart
Veneration and devotion
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| Immaculate Heart Mary, Seven Dolors |
Veneration of the Heart of Mary is analogous to worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
It is, however, necessary to indicate a few differences in this
analogy, the better to explain the character of Roman Catholic devotion
to the Heart of Mary. Some of these differences are very marked, whereas
others are barely perceptible. The Devotion to the Heart of Jesus is
especially directed to the "Divine Heart" as overflowing with love for
humanity, presented as "despised and outraged".
In the devotion to the Mary, on the other hand, the attraction is the
love of this Heart for Jesus and for God. Its love for humans is not
overlooked, but it is not so much in evidence nor so dominant.
A second difference is the nature of the devotion itself. In devotion
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Roman Catholic venerates in a sense
of love responding to love. In devotion to the Heart of Mary, study and imitation
hold as important a place as love. Love is more the result than the
object of the devotion, the object being rather to love God and Jesus
better by uniting one's self to Mary for this purpose and by imitating
her virtues. It would also seem that, although in the devotion to the
Heart of Mary the heart has an essential part as symbol and sensible
object, it does not stand out as prominently as in the devotion to the
Heart of Jesus; devotion focuses rather on the thing symbolized, the
love, virtues, and sentiments of Mary's interior life.
The
Immaculate Heart has also been involved in (and been depicted) in
saintly Marian apparitions such as those to Saint Catherine Labouré in
1830 and appears on the Miraculous Medal. On the Miraculous Medal, the
Immaculate Heart is pierced by a sword. The Sacred Heart of Jesus
also appears on the medal, next to the Immaculate Heart, but is crowned
with thorns, rather than being pierced by a sword. The M on the medal
signifies the Blessed Virgin at the foot of the Cross when Jesus was
being crucified.
Our
Lady of Fatima asked that, in reparation for sins committed against her
Immaculate Heart, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months the
Catholic:
- Go to Confession (within 8 days before or after the first Saturday)
- Receive Holy Communion
- Recite five decades of the Rosary
- Keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary
She promised that, whoever would ever do this, would be given at the hour of his death, the graces necessary for salvation.
History of devotion
The
history of the devotion to the Heart of Mary is connected on many
points with that to the Heart of Jesus. The attention of Christians was
early attracted by the love and virtues of the Heart of Mary. The
gospels
recount the prophecy delivered to her at Jesus' presentation at the
temple: that her heart would be pierced with a sword. This image (the
pierced heart) is the most popular representation of the Immaculate
Heart. The St. John's Gospel further invited attention to Mary's heart
with its depiction of Mary at the foot of the cross at Jesus'
crucifixion. St. Augustine
said of this that Mary was not merely passive at the foot of the cross;
"she cooperated through charity in the work of our redemption".
Statue depicting the Immaculate Heart of Mary as described by Sister Lucia of Fátima.
Another
Scriptural passage to help in bringing out the devotion was the
twice-repeated saying of Saint Luke,
that Mary kept all the sayings and doings of Jesus in her heart, that
there she might ponder over them and live by them. A few of Mary's
sayings, also recorded in the Gospel, particularly the Magnificat (the
words Mary is reported to have said to describe the experience of being
pregnant with Jesus), disclose new features in Marian psychology. Some
of the Church Fathers also throw light upon the psychology of Mary, for
instance, Saint Ambrose, when in his commentary on The Gospel of Luke he
holds Mary up as the ideal of virginity, and Saint Ephrem, when he
poetically sings of the coming of the Magi and the welcome accorded them
by the humble mother. Some passages from other books in the Bible are
interpreted as referring to Mary, in whom they personify wisdom and her
gentle charms. Such are the texts in which wisdom is presented as the
mother of lofty love, of fear, of knowledge, and of holy hope. In the
New Testament Elizabeth proclaims Mary blessed because she has believed
the words of the angel who announced that she would become pregnant with
Jesus, although she was still a virgin; the Magnificat
is an expression of her humility. In answering the woman of the people,
who in order to exalt the son proclaimed the mother blessed, Jesus
himself said: "Blessed rather are they that hear the word of God and
keep it." The Church Fathers
understood this as an invitation to seek in Mary that which had so
endeared her to God and caused her to be selected as the mother of
Jesus, and found in these words a new reason for praising Mary. St. Leo
said that through faith and love she conceived her son spiritually, even
before receiving him into her womb, and St. Augustine tells us that she
was more blessed in having borne Christ in her heart than in having
conceived him in the flesh.
It is only in the twelfth,
or towards the end of the eleventh century, that slight indications of a
regular devotion are perceived in a sermon by St. Bernard (De duodecim stellis), from which an extract has been taken by the Church and used in the Offices of the Compassion and of the Seven Dolours. Stronger evidences are discernible in the pious meditations on the Ave Maria and the Salve Regina,
usually attributed either to St. Anselm of Lucca
(d. 1080) or St. Bernard; and also in the large book "De laudibus B.
Mariae Virginis" (Douai, 1625) by Richard de Saint-Laurent, Penitentiary
of Rouen in the thirteenth century. In St. Mechtilde (d. 1298) and St.
Gertrude (d. 1301) the devotion had two earnest adherents. A little
earlier it had been included by St. Thomas Becket in the devotion to the
joys and sorrows of Mary, by Blessed Hermann (d.1245), one of the first
spiritual children of Saint Dominic, in his other devotions to Mary,
and somewhat later it appeared in St. Bridget's "Book of Revelations".
Johannes Tauler (d. 1361) beholds in Mary the model of a mystical soul,
just as St. Ambrose perceived in her the model of a virginal soul. St.
Bernardine of Siena
(d.1444) was more absorbed in the contemplation of the virginal heart,
and it is from him that the Church has borrowed the lessons of the
second nocturn for the feast of the Heart of Mary. St. Francis de Sales
speaks of the perfections of this heart, the model of love for God, and
dedicated to it his "Theotimus."
During this same
period one finds occasional mention of devotional
practices to the Heart of Mary, e.g., in the "Antidotarium" of Nicolas
du Saussay (d. 1488), in Julius II,
and in the "Pharetra" of Lanspergius. In the second half of the
sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth, ascetic authors
dwelt upon this devotion at greater length. It was, however, reserved
to Saint Jean Eudes (d. 1681) to propagate the devotion, to make it
public, and to have a feast celebrated in honor of the Heart of Mary,
first at Autun
in 1648 and afterwards in a number of French dioceses. He established
several religious societies interested in upholding and promoting the
devotion, of which his large book on the Coeur Admirable (Admirable Heart), published in 1681, resembles a summary. Jean Eudes'
efforts to secure the approval of an office and feast failed at Rome,
but, notwithstanding this disappointment, the devotion to the Heart of
Mary progressed. In 1699 Father Pinamonti (d. 1703) published in Italian
a short work on the Holy Heart of Mary, and in 1725, Joseph de Gallifet
combined the cause of the Heart of Mary with that of the Heart of Jesus
in order to obtain Rome's approbation of the two devotions and the
institution of the two feasts. In 1729, his project was defeated, and in
1765, the two causes were separated, to assure the success of the
principal one.
Alliance with the Sacred Heart
The
Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary is based on the historical,
theological and spiritual links in Catholic devotions to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The joint devotion to
the hearts was first formalized in the 17th century by Saint Jean Eudes
who organized the scriptural, theological and liturgical sources
relating to the devotions and obtained the approbation of the Church,
prior to the visions of Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque.
In
the 18th and 19th centuries the devotions grew, both jointly and
individually through the efforts of figures such as Saint Louis de
Montfort who promoted Catholic Mariology and Saint Catherine Labouré's
Miraculous Medal depicting the Heart of Jesus thorn-crowned and the
Heart of Mary pierced with a sword.
The devotions, and the associated prayers, continued into the 20th
century, e.g. in the Immaculata prayer of Saint Maximillian Kolbe and in
the reported messages of Our Lady of Fatima which stated that the Heart
of Jesus wishes to be honored together with the Heart of Mary.
Popes
supported the individual and joint devotions to the hearts through the
centuries. In the 1956 encyclical Haurietis Aquas, Pope Pius XII
encouraged the joint devotion to the hearts. In the 1979 encyclical
Redemptor Hominis Pope John Paul II explained the theme of unity of
Mary's Immaculate Heart with the Sacred Heart. In his Angelus address on September 15, 1985 Pope John Paul II coined the term The Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and in 1986 addressed the international conference on that topic held at Fátima, Portugal.
Feast days
Fatima Statue of Pope Pius XII, who consecrated Russia and the World: Just
as a few years ago We consecrated the entire human race to the
Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, so today We
consecrate and in a most special manner We entrust all the peoples of
Russia to this Immaculate Heart...
In 1799 Pius VI, then in captivity at Florence, granted the Bishop of Palermo the feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary
for some of the churches in his diocese. In 1805 Pius VII
made a new concession, thanks to which the feast was soon widely
observed. Such was the existing condition when a twofold movement,
started in Paris, gave fresh impetus to the devotion. The two factors of
this movement were, first of all, the revelation of the "miraculous
medal"
in 1830 and all the prodigies that followed, and then the establishment
at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, which spread rapidly throughout the
world and was the source of numberless alleged graces. On 21 July 1855,
the Congregation of Rites finally approved the Office and Mass of the
Most Pure Heart of Mary without, however, imposing them upon the
Universal Church.
During the third apparition at Fátima, Portugal on 13 July 1917, the
Virgin Mary allegedly said that "God wishes to establish in the world
devotion to her Immaculate Heart" in order to save souls from going into
the fires of hell and to bring about world peace, and also asked for
the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Pope Pius XII, in his Apostolic Letter of 7 July 1952, Sacro Vergente consecrated Russia to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.
On 25 March 1984, Pope John Paul II fulfilled this request again,
when he made the solemn act of consecration of the world, and implicitly
Russia, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary before the miraculous statue of
the Virgin Mary of Fatima brought to Saint Peter's Square in the
Vatican for the momentous occasion. Sister Lucia, OCD,
then the only surviving visionary of Fatima, confirmed that the request
of Mary for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
was accepted by Heaven and therefore, was fulfilled. Again on 8 October
2000, Pope John Paul II made an act of entrustment of the world to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary for the new millennium.
Roman Catholic feast days
Pope
Pius XII instituted the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1944
to be celebrated on 22 August, coinciding with the traditional octave
day of the Assumption.
In 1969, Pope Paul VI moved the celebration of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary to the day, Saturday, immediately after the Solemnity of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus. This means in practice that it is now held on the day
before the third Sunday after Pentecost.
At the same time as he closely associated the celebrations of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Paul VI
moved the celebration of the Queenship of Mary from 31 May to 22 August,
bringing it into association with the feast of her Assumption.
Those
who use the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal or an earlier one (but not
more than 17 years before 1962) observe the day established by Pius
XII.
References:
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.
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St Anne and St Joachim Education of Mary Notebooks
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FEATURED BOOK
THE MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD
Mystical City of God, the miracle of His omnipotence and the abyss of His grace the divine history and life of the Virgin Mother of God our Queen and our Lady, most holy Mary expiatrix of the fault of eve and mediatrix of grace. Manifested to Sister Mary of Jesus, Prioress of the convent of the Immaculate Conception in Agreda, Spain. For new enlightenment of the world, for rejoicing of the Catholic Church, and encouragement of men. Completed in 1665.
THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD
Venerable Mary of Agreda
Translated from the Spanish by Reverend George J. Blatter
1914, So. Chicago, Ill., The Theopolitan; Hammond, Ind., W.B. Conkey Co., US..
IMPRIMATUR: +H.J. Alerding Bishop of Fort Wayne
Translation from the Original Authorized Spanish Edition by Fiscar Marison (George J. Blatter). Begun on the Feast of the Assumption 1902, completed 1912.
This work is published for the greater Glory of Jesus Christ through His most Holy Mother Mary and for the sanctification of the Church and her members.
Book 2, Chapter 2
INSTRUCTION
GIVEN BY THE QUEEN CONCERNING RELIGIOUS VOWS
HER FIRST YEARS
IN THE TEMPLE
My dear daughter, I will not deny
thee the instruction thou askest of me with the desire of putting it
into practice; but do thou receive it with an appreciative and devout
mind, ready to follow it in deed. The wise man says “My son, if
thou be surety for thy friend, thou hast engaged fast thy hand to a
stranger, thou art ensnared with the words of thy mouth, and caught
with thy own words” (Prov. 6, 12). Accordingly he who has made
vows to God has bound his own will ; so that he has no freedom of
acting except according to the will and direction of Him to whom he
has bound himself; for he is chained down by the words of his own
month uttered in the profession of his vows Before taking his vows,
the choice of his ways was in his own hands; but having once bound
and obliged himself, let him know that he has entirely lost his
liberty and had delivered himself up to God in his superiors. The
whole ruin or salvation of souls depends upon the use of their free
will; but since most men use it ill and damn themselves, the Most
High has established religious life under the sacred vows. Thus the
creature, by once using its liberty to make a perfect and prudent
choice, can deliver up to his Majesty that very liberty, which so
many pervert, if it remains free and unhampered in its choice.
By these vows the liberty to do evil
is happily lost, and the liberty for doing good is assured. It is
like a bridle, which leads away from danger and directs into the
smooth and sure road. The soul is freed from the slavery and
subjection of the passions, and acquires a new power over them,
resuming her place as mistress and queen in the government of her
kingdom and remaining subject only to the law of grace and the
inspirations of the Holy Ghost. If she thus applies her whole will
solely to the fulfillment of all that she has promised to God, the
holy Spirit will govern and direct all her operations. The creature
thereby passes from the condition and state of a slave to that of a
child of the Most High, from an earthly to an angelic life, while the
corruption and evil effects of sin cannot exert their full power. It
is impossible that thou ever be able in this earthly life to
calculate or comprehend, what and how many are the blessings and
treasures those souls gather for themselves, who with all their
powers and affection strive to fulfill perfectly the vows or their
profession. For I assure thee, my dearest, that those who are perfect
and punctual in their religious obligations can equal and even
surpass the martyrs in merit.
The order which religious souls
should maintain in their desires should be: that they strive to be
punctual in fulfilling the obligations of their vows and all the
virtues, which are connected with them. Afterwards and secondarily
they may engage in voluntary practices, such as are called
supererogatory. This order some of the souls, who are misled by the
devil to entertain an indiscreet zeal for perfection are wont to
invert; thus, while they fail seriously in the obligations of their
state. they are eager to add other voluntary exercises and practices,
which are usually of small use or benefit, or arise from a spirit of
presumption and singularity. They secretly desire to be looked upon
as distinguished in zeal and perfection, while in truth they are very
far even from the beginning of perfection. I do not wish to see in
thee a fault so reprehensible: but first fulfill all the duties of
thy vows and of community life, and then thou mayest add what thou
canst, according to thy ability and the inspiration of divine grace.
This together will beautify thy soul and will make it perfect and
agreeable in the eyes of God.
The vow of obedience is the principal one in
religion; for it implies a total renunciation and denial of one’s
will. By it the religious renounces all jurisdiction or right to say
for himself: I will or I will not, I shall or I shall not act: all
this he throws aside and renounces by obedience, delivering himself
into the hands of his superior. In order to fulfill this obligation
it is necessary for thee not to be wise in thy own conceit, not to
imagine thyself still mistress of thy likings, thy desires, or thy
opinion; for true obedience must be of the quality of faith, so that
the commands of the superior are esteemed, reverenced and put into
execution, without any pretense of examination or criticism.
Accordingly, in order to obey, thou must consider thyself without
opinion, without life of thy own, without right of speech; but thou
must allow thyself to be moved and governed like a corpse, alive only
in order to execute devotedly all that the superior desires. Never
discuss within thyself whether thou shouldst fulfill his commands or
not, but only consider how thou canst best execute that which is
commanded.
Remember that the most perfect manner
of obeying is to avoid offending the superior by showing that you
disagree with him. He should find a willing obedience, convincing him
that his commands are obeyed promptly, without objection or murmur,
either in words or by any other signs. The superiors take the place
of God, and he who obeys his superiors, obeys the Lord himself, who
is in them and governs them and enlightens them, so their commands
will be for the salvation of souls. The contempt shown to superiors
passes on to God himself who through them manifests and makes known
his will (Luke 10, 16). Thou must persuade thyself, that the Lord
moves them to speak, and that it is the word of the Omnipotent
himself. My daughter, strive to be obedient in order that thou mayest
speak of victories (Prov. 21 28); do not fear to obey, for that is
the secure path; so secure, that God will not bring to account the
errors the obedient on the day of judgment, but He will rather blot
out other sins in consideration of the sacrifice made in obedience.
My most holy Son offered his precious sufferings and death in special
love for the obedient, and procured for them special rights in regard
to mercy and grace, and special privileges toward the success and
perfection of all that is due under obedience. Even now, in order to
appease Him, He reminds the eternal Father his obedience unto death
and unto the cross (Phil. 2, 8), and so the Father is placated toward
men.
The vow of poverty is a generous
renunciation and detachment from the heavy burden of temporal things.
It is an alleviation of the spirit, it is a relief afforded human
infirmity, the liberty of a noble heart to strive after eternal and
spiritual blessings. It is a satiety and abundance, in which the
thirst after earthly treasures is allayed, and a sovereignty and
ownership, in which a most noble enjoyment of all riches is
established. All this, my daughter, and many other blessings are
contained in voluntary poverty, and all this the sons of the world
are ignorant and deprived of, precisely because they are lovers of
earthy riches and enemies of this holy and opulent poverty. They do
not consider, although they feel and suffer, the heavy weight of
riches, which pins them to the earth and drives them into its very
bowels to seek gold and silver in great anxiety, sleeplessness,
labors and sweat as if they were not men, but wild beasts that know
not what they are suffering and doing. And if they are thus weighed
down before acquiring riches, how much more when they have come into
their possession? Let the countless hosts that have fallen into hell
with their burden, proclaim it; let their incalculable anxieties of
preserving their riches, and much more, let the intolerable laws,
which riches and those that possess them have foisted upon the world,
testify what is required to retain them!
If, on the one hand, possessions throttle the
spirit and tyrannically oppress it in its weakness, if they suppress
the soul’s most noble privilege of following eternal goods and
God himself: it is certain on the other hand, that voluntary poverty
restores to man the nobility of his condition and, liberating him
from vile servitude and reinstating him his noble freedom and mastery
of all things. The soul is never more a mistress than when she
despises them, and only then has she the more firm possession and
makes the more excellent use of riches, when she gives them away or
leaves them of her own free will; only then her appetite for them is
best satiated, when she does not care to possess them. Then above all
is the heart set free and made capable of the treasures of the
Divinity, for which it is furnished by the Creator with almost
infinite capacity.
The temporal goods are created by the
Most High for the sole purpose of sustaining life; having attained
this end, the need of them ceases. And as this need is limited, soon
and easily satisfied, there is no reason that the care for the
immortal soul should be only fitful and temporary, while the hunger
after riches should be so perpetual and unintermitting, as it has
come to be among men. It is the height of perverseness for man to mix
up the end and the means in an affair so important and urgent, that
he devote all his time, all his care, all the exertion of his powers
and all the alertness of his mind to the life of his body, of which
he knows not the duration nor the end, and that on the other hand, in
many years of his existence he spare for his poor soul only one hour,
and that very often the last and the worst one of his whole life.
The vow of chastity includes purity
of body and soul; this is easily lost, and it is difficult,
sometimes. according to the manner of losing it, even impossible to
repair. This great treasure is deposited in a castle, which has many
portals and openings, and if these are not all well guarded and
defended, the treasure is without security. My daughter, in order to
preserve perfectly this vow, it is necessary to make an inviolable
pact with thy senses, not to use them, except for what is according
to the dictates of reason and for the glory of the Creator. After
once the senses are mortified, it will be easy to overcome thy
enemies, for only through them can they conquer thee; for no thoughts
can recur, or be awakened to activity, unless fomented and excited by
the images and impressions admitted through the exterior senses.
Although no virtue should be wanting
in her, who professes herself, and is entitled to call herself, a
spouse of Christ; yet it is the virtue of chastity which makes her
most worthy and like to her Spouse. For it is chastity, which makes
her spiritual and withdraws her from earthly corruption, elevating
her to angelic life and to a certain resemblance of God himself. This
virtue beautifies and adorns all the rest, raises the body to a
higher existence, enlightens the mind and preserves in the soul a
nobility above all that is corruptible. Because this virtue was in an
especial fruit of the Redemption, merited by my Son on the Cross,
where He paid for the sins of the world, therefore holy Scripture
expressly mentions that virgins accompany and follow the Lamb (Apoc.
14, 4).
The vow of enclosure is the wall of
chastity and of all virtues, the preserve where they are nourished
and expanded: it is a privilege granted by heaven to the spouses of
Christ in religion, dispensing them from the burdensome and dangerous
tribute, which the freedom of the world pays to the ruler of its
vanities. By this vow the religious live as in a secure port, while
other souls navigate and are tossed about in the storms of a
dangerous sea. With so many advantages enclosure cannot be considered
as a confinement in a narrow space, for in it are offered to the
religious the spacious fields of virtue, of the knowledge of God, of
his infinite perfections, of his mysteries, and of his benefits
conferred on man. On such spacious grounds can a nun, recreate and
enjoy herself; and only when she fails in this enjoyment, does she
begin to feel narrow confinement in this, the greatest freedom. For
thee, my daughter, let there be no other playground, nor do I wish to
see thee confine thyself to so narrow limits as even the whole
visible world. Rise up to the height of the knowledge and love of
God, where there are no limits or confines to hold thee, and where
thou canst live in unbounded liberty. From that eminence thou wilt
see how small, vile and despicable is all that is created, and how
much too narrow it is to hold thy soul.
I will relate that, which the Most
High explained to me on one occasion in his own words:
“The works
of Her, who was to be the Mother of the Godman, were altogether and
in every way most perfect, and even to understand them exceeds the
capacity of all human creatures and of the angels. Her interior acts
of the virtues were so precious and of such great merit and favor,
that they surpass all that the seraphim can do; and thou, my soul,
wilt much better understand, than be able to explain them with words
of thy tongue. But it is my will, that during thy pilgrimage in thy
mortal body thou place most holy Mary as the beginning of thy joy,
and that thou follow Her through the desert of renunciation and
abnegation of all that is human and visible. Follow Her by a perfect
imitation according to the measure of thy strength and of the light
which thou receivest. Let Her be thy guiding star and thy Directress:
She will manifest to thee my will and will let thee find my holy law
which is written in Her by the power of my right hand: meditate upon
it day and night. She by her intercession will strike the rock of
Christ’s humanity (Num. 220, 11), in order that in this desert
may abound the waters of divine grace and light, so that thy thirst
may be quenched, thy understanding enlightened, and thy will
inflamed. She will be a pillar of light to illuminate thy path (Exod.
12, 21) and a cloud to afford thee shade and refreshment against the
ardors of thy passions and the fierceness of thy enemies.
“Thou wilt
have in Her an angel, who will guard and guide thee, and (Exod. 13,
21) lead thee away from the dangers of Babylon and of Sodom, so that
my punishment shall not reach thee. Thou wilt have in Her a Mother to
love thee, a Friend to counsel thee, a Mistress to direct thee, a
Protectress to shield thee and a Queen whom thou canst serve and obey
as a handmaid. In the virtues, which this Mother of the Onlybegotten
exercised in the temple, thou wilt find a summary of all the highest
perfections according to which thou shouldst arrange thy life; an
exact and reliable copy of all her sanctity; the beauty of virginity,
the loveliness of humility, the utmost promptness in devotion and
obedience, the stead fastness of faith, the certitude of hope, the
fire of love and the most complete outline map of all the wonders of
my right hand. According to this rule thou must regulate thy life, by
this mirror thou must arrange and adorn it, adding to the beauty and
grace of a bride that wishes to enter into the chamber of her Spouse
and Lord.”
“If the
nobility and condition of the teacher are a spur to the disciple and
make his doctrine more amiable acceptable, who can attract thee more
powerfully than thy Instructress, who is the Mother of thy Spouse,
chosen as the most pure and holy among women, and without blemish of
sin, being at the same time a Virgin and the Mother of the
Onlybegotten of the eternal Father, the splendor of his Divinity in
his own essence? Hear then this sovereign Mistress; follow Her in
close imitation, and meditate without ceasing upon her admirable
excellence and virtues. Remember, that the life and conversation She
led in the temple is the original, which all the souls, that
consecrate themselves after Her as spouses of Christ, must copy
within themselves.” The above is the explanation and
instruction, which the Most High gave me in outline concerning the
life and conduct of the most holy Mary in the temple.
But let us proceed now to a more
particular description of her actions. After the vision of the
Divinity, described in the second chapter, after She had offered
Herself entirely to the Lord and delivered up to her instructress all
that She possessed, being thus deprived of all, entirely bound over
to obedience, and hiding, beneath the veil of these virtues,
treasures of grace and wisdom greater than that of the seraphim, She
requested the priest and her teacher to prescribe for Her an order of
life and to direct Her in the occupations, which She was to assume.
The priest and her instructress, having together considered her
petition with the aid of a special enlightenment from on high and
desiring to regulate from now on the exercises of this heavenly Child
of only three years, called Her to their presence. The Princess of
heaven remained kneeling before them during this interview and,
although they bade Her rise, She begged most humbly be allowed to
remain in this reverent position in the presence of the minister and
priest of the Most High and her teacher, on account of their office
and dignity.
The priest spoke
to Her and said: “My Daughter, as a very young Child the Lord
has drawn Thee to his house and holy temple; be thankful for this
favor and seek to profit by it by striving hard to serve Him in truth
and with an upright heart. Acquire all the virtues, in order that
thou mayest return from this holy place prepared and fortified
against the troubles and the dangers of this world. Obey thy Mistress
Anne and commence early to bear the sweet yoke of virtue, in order
that thou mayest find it more easy to bear during the rest of thy
life” (Thren. 3, 27). The
sovereign Child answered: “I thou, my master, who art the
minister and priest of God; and holdest his place, and thou my
Mistress together with him, command and instruct me in whatever I am
to do that I may not commit any fault: this I beg of you, wishing to
obey you in all things.”
The priest and her teacher Anne felt
within themselves a great enlightenment and a divine impulse to
attend especially to this heavenly Child and to care for Her more
than the other maidens. Conferring with themselves about this great
esteem, with which they had been inspired, though ignorant of the
mystery by which it came to them, they resolved to devote particular
attention to her guidance and assistance. But as their care could
extend only to the exterior and visible actions, they were far from
suspecting the interior acts and inspirations of her heart, for over
these the Most High watched with singular protection and favor. Thus
the pure heart of the Princess of heaven remained free to advance and
grow in interior vision, without losing one instant, in which She did
not reach what is highest and most excellent in virtue.
The priest also gave Her a rule for her
occupations and said: “My Daughter thou wilt assist at the
exercises of divine praise and song in honor of the Lord with all
reverence and devotion, and always pray to the Most High for the
necessities of his holy temple and of his people, and for the coming
of the Messias. At eight 0’ clock thou wilt retire for sleep
and at the beginning of dawn thou wilt arise in order to praise the
Lord until the third hour (this hour corresponds to our nine o’clock
in the morning). From the third hour until evening thou wilt occupy
thyself in some manual works, in order that thou mayest be instructed
in all things. At meals, of which thou wilt partake after thy
exercise, observe befitting moderation. Then thou wilt go to hear the
instructions of thy teacher; the rest of the day thou wilt engage
thyself in the reading of holy Scriptures, and in all things be
humble, affable, and obedient to the commands of thy instructress,”
The most holy Child remained on her
knees, while She listened to the words of the priest and then asked
his blessing; having kissed his hand and the hand of her mistress,
She proposed in her heart to observe the order of life assigned Her
during her stay in the temple and as long as they should not command
her otherwise. And She, who was the Mistress of sanctity, fulfilled
their orders as if She were the least of all the scholars. Her
desires and her most ardent love impelled Her to many other external
exercises, which they had not included in their orders; but with
regard to these She subjected Herself to the minister of the Lord,
preferring the sacrifice of perfect and holy obedience to the high
dictates of her own fervor. She knew, as Mistress of all perfection,
that the divine will is more surely fulfilled by the humble
acquiescence of obedience, than in following the highest aspirations
to other virtues. By this rare example let souls, and especially
those in the religious state, learn not to follow their own
effervescences and whims contrary to obedience and the will of their
superiors; for in the latter God make known to us his desire and
pleasure, whereas in the former we seek only our own fancies; in the
superiors God himself operates, in ourselves (if we work contrary to
their orders), temptations, blind passion and deceit is active.
In the performance of works not
commanded Her our Queen and Lady distinguished Herself from other
maidens by asking her teacher to be allowed to serve them all and be
engaged in the humble occupation of scrubbing and cleaning the rooms
and of washing the dishes. Although this seemed extraordinary,
especially in one of the firstborn children, who were treated with
greater consideration and respect, yet the incomparable humility of
the heavenly Princess could not be restrained or confined by any
consideration of what was due to her position, but reached out for
the most humble occupations. With such an eager humility She knew how
to gain time and opportunity for doing such work, that She was
beforehand in assuming the tasks of others. By means of her infused
science She understood all the mysteries and ceremonies of the
temple; but She was anxious to learn them also by study and practice,
as if She were ignorant of them, nor did She ever fail in any
ceremony or duty, no matter how small. She was most eager for
humiliation and most submissive in her selfcontempt; every morning
and evening She asked the blessing of her teacher and kissed her
hand, and the same She did whenever She was ordered or was permitted
to perform works of humility. Sometimes, when it was allowed Her, She
kissed her feet with profound humility.
The sovereign Princess was so docile,
so sweet and friendly in her actions, so ready to serve and so eager
and diligent in humbling Herself, so anxious to show kindness and
esteem toward all the maidens in the temple, obeying them as if each
had been Her Mistress, that She ravished all the hearts. By Her
ineffable and heavenly prudence She proceeded in all her actions in
such a manner, that She never lost an occasion for engaging in lowly
work, in humble service of her companions, and in the fulfillment of
the divine pleasure.
But what shall I, most vile creature,
and what shall all faithful children of the Catholic Church think,
when describing and considering such a vivid example of humility? It
seems to us great virtue, when the inferior obeys the superior, the
lowly yields to the exalted; and we esteem it a great humility, that
the equal submit to his equal. But when the inferior commands and the
superior obeys, when the Queen humbles Herself before her slave, when
the most holy and the most perfect of all creatures submits to a mere
wormlet, the Queen of heaven and earth to the least of women, and
when this is done with all her heart and in all sincerity: who is not
astonished and confounded in his vapid pride? Who will not see, as in
a clear mirror, his unhappy presumption? Who can convince himself,
that he knows what true humility is, much less exercise it, when he
sees it exhibited, in its reality and in its own element, the most
holy Mary? Let us souls, who live under the vow of obedience,
approach this light in order to perceive and correct the disorders,
which show themselves, whenever obedience to our god–given
superiors requires renouncement of our whims and therefore becomes
hard and troublesome. Here let our hardness be crushed, let the
proudest humiliate herself and be confounded in her shameful pride;
let her banish all presumption and let her not account herself
obedient and humble, because on certain occasions she has yielded to
the superiors, for she is yet far from thinking herself inferior and
beneath her companion, as Mary did, who is superior to all.
The beauty, grace, elegance and
courteousness or our Queen were incomparable; for all the natural
graces and gifts, which were hers in a most perfect degree. were
re–enforced by the splendor of supernatural or divine grace,
and effected a marvelous union of grace and beauty in all her being
and activity, enthralling all in love and admiration of Her. Divine
Providence moderated the outward demonstrations of this affection,
which those who conversed with Her, would have shown, if they had
been left to the natural force of their spontaneous love of the
Queen. In eating and in sleep, as in all other virtues, She was most
perfect: She observed the measure dictated by temperance; never did
She exceed, nor could She, rather She deducted from the necessary.
Although her curtailed sleep did not interrupt her high
contemplation, as I have said before, yet She would have gladly
omitted it altogether; in virtue of obedience however, She retired to
rest at the time appointed, and on her humble and poor couch, strewn
with the flowers of virtue (Cant. 1. 13) and surrounded by the
seraphim and the angelic host who guarded and assisted Her, She
enjoyed more exalted contemplation (outside of beatific vision), and
more ecstasies of love, than all of them together.
She divided her time and applied it
with rare prudence so as to give to each of her actions and
occupations its proper share. She read much in the sacred writings of
the ancients and, by means of her infused science, She was so well
versed in them and in all their profound mysteries, that none of them
was unfamiliar to Her; for the Most High made known to Her all their
mysteries and sacraments; She treated and conversed about them in her
conferences with the holy angels of her guard, familiarizing Herself
with them and asking about them with incomparable intelligence and
great acuteness. If this sovereign Mistress had written what She
understood, we would have many other additions to the sacred
Scriptures; and we would be able to draw out of them a perfect
understanding of those writings and the deep meanings and mysteries
of all those preserved in the Church.
WORDS OF THE QUEEN
The Virgin Mary
speaks to Sister Mary of Agreda, Spain
My daughter, human nature is
imperfect and remiss in practicing virtue, and easily weakens in its
exercise; for it continually seeks rest and evades labor with all its
might. When the soul listens to and extemporizes with the animal and
carnal part of its nature this latter will engross and overcome the
forces of reason and of the spirit, and will reduce them to a
dangerous and shameful slavery. This disorder is abominable and much
to be feared by all; but God abhors it without comparison more in his
ministers and in religious: they, as a matter of course, are supposed
to be perfect, and therefore are injured so much the more seriously,
if they do not come out victorious in the conflict of the passions.
By remissness in battle and by their frequent defeats they live
themselves into a paralyzing and self–satisfied conviction of
false security, content with the performance of certain easy outward
practices of virtue, at the same time imagining (without the least
real advancement) that they are moving mountains. The demon then
introduces other distractions and temptations, and on account of
their small appreciation of the rules and practices of religion, they
begin to weaken in all of them, esteem them as light and unimportant
matter, and, living on in their false security, come to lose the very
perception of true virtue.
I desire that thou, my daughter,
guard against this error. Remember, that a voluntary remissness in
regard to one imperfection prepares and opens the way for others:
these facilitate the commission of venial sins, these again of mortal
sins. Thus the descent is from one abyss to another, until the bottom
is found in the disregard of all evil. In order to prevent such a
misfortune it is necessary to intercept from afar the current of sin,
for the practice or ceremony, which seems but small, is an outwork
which keeps the enemy at a distance, while the precepts and laws
concerning more important matters are the fortress walls of
conscience. If the demon can break through and gain the outer
defenses, he is in better position to gain the inner ones. If then an
opening is made in the bulwarks by the commission of sin, although it
may not be a very grievous one, he already has a better opportunity
to make an assault on the interior reign of a soul. As the soul finds
herself weakened by vicious acts and habits and without strength of
grace, she does not resist the attack with fortitude, and the devil,
acquiring more and more power over her, begins to subject and oppress
her without opposition.
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Catholic Catechism
PART THREE - THE LIFE OF THE CHRIST
SECTION TWO - TEN COMMANDMENTS
CHAPTER ONE
"YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND"
ARTICLE 3
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT
2168 The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the sabbath: "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD."92
2169 In speaking of the sabbath Scripture recalls creation: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."93
2170 Scripture also reveals in the Lord's day a memorial of Israel's liberation from bondage in Egypt: "You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with mighty hand and outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day."94
2171 God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant.95 The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on behalf of Israel.
2172 God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and should let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed."96 The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.97
2173 The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day.98 He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath."99 With compassion, Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing.100 The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God.101 "The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."102
II. THE LORD'S DAY
2174 Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week."104 Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath,105 it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) Sunday:
2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:107
The Sunday Eucharist
2177 The Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life. "Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church."110
"Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension of Christ, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christi, the feast of Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, the feast of Saint Joseph, the feast of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and the feast of All Saints."111
2178 This practice of the Christian assembly dates from the beginnings of the apostolic age.112 The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful "not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another."113
2180 The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass."117 "The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day."118
2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.
2182 Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. The faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together they testify to God's holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
2183 "If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in the parish church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families."120
A day of grace and rest from work
2184 Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,"121 human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.122
2185 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.123 Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.
2187 Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord's Day. Traditional activities (sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services, etc.), require some people to work on Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure. With temperance and charity the faithful will see to it that they avoid the excesses and violence sometimes associated with popular leisure activities. In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure citizens a time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers have a similar obligation toward their employees.
2188 In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as legal holidays. They have to give everyone a public example of prayer, respect, and joy and defend their traditions as a precious contribution to the spiritual life of society. If a country's legislation or other reasons require work on Sunday, the day should nevertheless be lived as the day of our deliverance which lets us share in this "festal gathering," this "assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven."125
"YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND"
ARTICLE 3
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT
- Remember the sabbath day, to keep it
holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh
day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work.90The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.91
2168 The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the sabbath: "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD."92
2169 In speaking of the sabbath Scripture recalls creation: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."93
2170 Scripture also reveals in the Lord's day a memorial of Israel's liberation from bondage in Egypt: "You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with mighty hand and outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day."94
2171 God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant.95 The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on behalf of Israel.
2172 God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and should let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed."96 The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.97
2173 The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day.98 He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath."99 With compassion, Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing.100 The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God.101 "The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."102
II. THE LORD'S DAY
- This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.103
2174 Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week."104 Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath,105 it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) Sunday:
- We all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the Jewish sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead.106
2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:107
- Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.108
The Sunday Eucharist
2177 The Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life. "Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church."110
"Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension of Christ, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christi, the feast of Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, the feast of Saint Joseph, the feast of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and the feast of All Saints."111
2178 This practice of the Christian assembly dates from the beginnings of the apostolic age.112 The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful "not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another."113
- Tradition preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to Church early, approach the Lord, and confess your sins, repent in prayer. . . . Be present at the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its prayer and do not leave before the dismissal. . . . We have often said: "This day is given to you for prayer and rest. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."114
- You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests.116
2180 The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass."117 "The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day."118
2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.
2182 Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. The faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together they testify to God's holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
2183 "If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in the parish church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families."120
A day of grace and rest from work
2184 Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,"121 human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.122
2185 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.123 Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.
- The charity of truth seeks holy leisure- the necessity of charity accepts just work.124
2187 Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord's Day. Traditional activities (sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services, etc.), require some people to work on Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure. With temperance and charity the faithful will see to it that they avoid the excesses and violence sometimes associated with popular leisure activities. In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure citizens a time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers have a similar obligation toward their employees.
2188 In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as legal holidays. They have to give everyone a public example of prayer, respect, and joy and defend their traditions as a precious contribution to the spiritual life of society. If a country's legislation or other reasons require work on Sunday, the day should nevertheless be lived as the day of our deliverance which lets us share in this "festal gathering," this "assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven."125
IN BRIEF
2189 "Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Deut 5:12). "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord" (Ex 31:15).
2190 The sabbath, which represented the completion of the first creation, has been replaced by Sunday which recalls the new creation inaugurated by the Resurrection of Christ.
2191 The Church celebrates the day of Christ's Resurrection on the "eighth day," Sunday, which is rightly called the Lord's Day (cf. SC 106).
2192 "Sunday . . . is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church" (CIC, can. 1246 § 1). "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass" (CIC, can. 1247).
2193 "On Sundays and other holy days of
obligation the faithful are bound . . . to abstain from those labors and
business concerns which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the
joy which is proper to the Lord's Day, or the proper relaxation of mind
and body" (CIC, can. 1247).
2194 The institution of Sunday helps all "to be allowed sufficient rest and leisure to cultivate their amilial, cultural, social, and religious lives" (GS 67 § 3).
2195 Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord's Day.
90 Ex 20:8-10; cf. Deut 5:12-15.
91 Mk 2:27-28.
92 Ex 31:15.
93 Ex 20:11.
94 Deut 5:15.
95 Cf. Ex 31:16.
96 Ex 31:17; cf. 23:12.
97 Cf. Neh 13:15-22; 2 Chr 36:21.
98 Cf. Mk 1:21; Jn 9:16.
99 Mk 2:27.
100 Cf. Mk 3:4.
101 Cf. Mt 12:5; Jn 7:23.
102 Mk 2:28.
103 Ps 118:24.
104 Cf. Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1.
105 Cf. Mk 16:1; Mt 28:1.
106 St. Justin, I Apol. 67:PG 6,429 and 432.
107 Cf. 1 Cor 10:11.
108 St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Magn. 9,1:SCh 10,88.
109 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II,122,4.
110 CIC, can. 1246 § 1.
111 CIC, can. 1246 § 2: "The conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See."
112 Cf. Acts 2:42-46; 1 Cor 11:17.
113 Heb 10:25.
114 Sermo de die dominica 2 et 6:PG 86/1,416C and 421C.
115 CIC, can. 515 § 1.
116 St. John Chrysostom, De incomprehensibili 3,6:PG 48,725.
117 CIC, can. 1247.
118 CIC, can. 1248 § 1.
119 Cf. CIC, can. 1245.
120 CIC, can. 1248 § 2.
121 Gen 2:2.
122 Cf. GS 67 § 3.
123 Cf. CIC, can. 120.
124 St. Augustine, De civ. Dei 19,19:PL 41,647.
125 Heb 12:22-23.
2194 The institution of Sunday helps all "to be allowed sufficient rest and leisure to cultivate their amilial, cultural, social, and religious lives" (GS 67 § 3).
2195 Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord's Day.
90 Ex 20:8-10; cf. Deut 5:12-15.
91 Mk 2:27-28.
92 Ex 31:15.
93 Ex 20:11.
94 Deut 5:15.
95 Cf. Ex 31:16.
96 Ex 31:17; cf. 23:12.
97 Cf. Neh 13:15-22; 2 Chr 36:21.
98 Cf. Mk 1:21; Jn 9:16.
99 Mk 2:27.
100 Cf. Mk 3:4.
101 Cf. Mt 12:5; Jn 7:23.
102 Mk 2:28.
103 Ps 118:24.
104 Cf. Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1.
105 Cf. Mk 16:1; Mt 28:1.
106 St. Justin, I Apol. 67:PG 6,429 and 432.
107 Cf. 1 Cor 10:11.
108 St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Magn. 9,1:SCh 10,88.
109 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II,122,4.
110 CIC, can. 1246 § 1.
111 CIC, can. 1246 § 2: "The conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See."
112 Cf. Acts 2:42-46; 1 Cor 11:17.
113 Heb 10:25.
114 Sermo de die dominica 2 et 6:PG 86/1,416C and 421C.
115 CIC, can. 515 § 1.
116 St. John Chrysostom, De incomprehensibili 3,6:PG 48,725.
117 CIC, can. 1247.
118 CIC, can. 1248 § 1.
119 Cf. CIC, can. 1245.
120 CIC, can. 1248 § 2.
121 Gen 2:2.
122 Cf. GS 67 § 3.
123 Cf. CIC, can. 120.
124 St. Augustine, De civ. Dei 19,19:PL 41,647.
125 Heb 12:22-23.
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RE-CHARGE: Heaven Speaks to Young Adults
To all tween, teens and young adults, A Message from Jesus: "Through you I will flow powerful conversion graces to draw other young souls from darkness. My plan for young men and women is immense. Truly, the renewal will leap forward with the assistance of these individuals. Am I calling you? Yes. I am calling you. You feel the stirring in your soul as you read these words. I am with you. I will never leave you. Join My band of young apostles and I will give you joy and peace that you have never known. All courage, all strength will be yours. Together, we will reclaim this world for the Father. I will bless your families and all of your relationships. I will lead you to your place in the Kingdom. Only you can complete the tasks I have set out for you. Do not reject Me. I am your Jesus. I love you...Read this book, upload to your phones/ipads.computers and read a few pages everyday...and then Pay It Forward...
Reference
- Recharge: Directions For Our Times. Heaven Speaks to Young Adults. recharge.cc.
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