Saintly Advice from Blessed John XXIII - Imitating Christ

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"Jesus, when his teaching is distorted and he is slandered as a seducer, taunted with ignorance  exposed to the mockery and scorn of all, is meekly silent; he does not confound his slanderers  he lets himself b struck, spat upon, scourged, treated as a madman, and never loses his clam or breaks his silence.

So, I will let people say whatever they will about me, assign to me the lowest pl;ace, misunderstand my words and my actions, without ever trying to justify myself or find excuses, accepting cheerfully even the rebukes of my Superiors, without saying a word..."

Journal of a Soul by Pope John XXIII

Feast of the Epiphany - Blessing

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Your yearly reminder.

Just a reminder to have your blessed chalk ready.

0 C + M + B 13
May Christ bless this House…
All who dwell and pray in it…
And All Whom they Welcome in His Name
....................

BLESSING OF A HOME AT EPIPHANY

Let us pray, In the name of + The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.

V. On entering the house, the Magi found the Child Jesus with Mary his mother.
R. They did Him homage and presented to Jesus symbolic gifts: gold to the great King, incense to the true God, and myrrh as a foreshadowing of his suffering and death.

Let us pray, God, our Father, by the guidance of a star, You revealed Your only Son as the Savior of all nations. Grant that we who already know You by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of Your glory in our heavenly home. We ask this through Christ your Son, Our Lord. Amen.

All may recite the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary (The MAGNIFICAT) by which Mary praised God at the time of her Visitation to the house of Elizabeth found in St. Luke's Gospel Chapter 1, verses 46-55.

V. Be enlightened, O Jerusalem, and shine forth …for Your light has come!
R. And upon you is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
V. All nations shall walk in Your light and kings in the splendor of Your birth.
R. And upon You is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
Now, a Reading of the Gospel for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord
from St. Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 2, verses 1 to 12.
V. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, has appeared and been revealed to the nations.
R. The prophets foretold His coming, and the angels and shepherds adored Him.
V. The Magi rejoiced to find Him and they lay their treasures before Him.
R. All you nations and peoples, …come and adore Him!

All recite The OUR FATHER as all the rooms of the house are sprinkled with holy water …and also if possible with blessed salt.

Let us pray, Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through Your goodness we have received all benefits. Come, visit and bless + this house so that it may be a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, - and thanksgiving to God, + The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

May the love and blessings of God, + The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit, descend upon this house, all those who reside within it, and upon all those whom they welcome in the Sacred Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and may God's grace and peace remain with all of them forever. Amen.

NOTE: The initials of the names ascribed by tradition to the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar), and the numerals of the current year are to be written with the blessed chalk above all the entry doors of the house in the following manner:
20 C + M + B 13

(Some interpret the letters to stand for Christus Mansioni Benedicat! May Christ bless this house!

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The Most Holy Name of Jesus

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"The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31).  The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer.  Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: '...at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth' (Phil. 2:10).  By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name."

ACT OF REPARATION FOR BLASPHEMIES UTTERED AGAINST THE HOLY NAME  

O Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer,

Son of the living God,

behold, we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation;

we would make amends for all the blasphemies uttered against

Thy holy name,

for all the injuries done to Thee in the Blessed Sacrament,

for all the irreverence shown toward Thine immaculate Virgin Mother,

for all the calumnies and slanders spoken against Thy spouse,

the Holy Catholic and Roman Church.

O Jesus, who hast said:  'If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you," we pray and beseech Thee

for all our brethren who are in danger of sin;

shield them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith;

save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss;

to all of them give light and knowledge of the truth,

courage and strength for the conflict with evil,

perseverance in faith and active charity!

For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus,

in Thy name, unto God the Father, with whom Thou

livest and reignest in the unity of the Holy Ghost 

world without end. Amen.

The Prayer Book

Mary, Queen and Mother and the Second Vatican Council

Above picture courtesy of Pinterest.

The following was written in May, 1979 by +John Cardinal Krol, Archbishop of Philaldelphia as a forward to Mary, Queen and Mother : Marian Pastoral Reflections by John J. Cardinal Carberry.  As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council as well as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God this date, it is good to know what the Second Vatican Council really proclaimed regarding the most holy mother of God.

"Following the Second Vatican Council, some individuals and groups attributed to the Council things that were not said in or by the Council.  A classical example of misreading and misinterpreting the Council was provided by those who alleged that the role of Mary and devotion to Mary were somehow downgraded by the Council.

The fact is that never before in the history of the Church did any Ecumenical Council bring together in a single extensive body of doctrine, Mary's role in the mystery of Christ and His Church as fully as did the Second Vatican Council.  Pope John XXIII called for the the renewal of Christianity 'in a concentrated transport of Marian devotion.'  Practically all the significant dates of opening and closing of the Council sessions occurred on the feasts of the Blessed Virgin.  In the Council, Pope Paul VI proclaimed Mary as the Mother of the Church, expressing the 'trust that the Christian people will be sure to call upon the most Blessed Mother, with greater confidence and more fervent devotion.'

Faithful to the authentic teaching of the Council, the bishops of the United States on November 21, 1973, issued a pastoral letter on the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Behold Your Mother - Woman of Faith.  To enhance devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mother, Pope Paul VI issued on February 2, 1974, an Apostolic Exhortation for the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary..."

Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

"Madonna and Child" by Francesco Granacci, c. 1520

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Happy New Year dear friends!  May our Blessed Mother watch over you and your families and may she keep you  always close to her loving son, and our Savior, Jesus.

December 31 - pray the TE DEUM

"Holy Trinity" by Murillo

Shared by Mary Jane:

public recitation on the last day of the year as an act of thanksgiving may earn a plenary indulgence -  click on link for explanation:

QUAERITUR: “free from attachment to sin” for plenary indulgence | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?

 

TE DEUM 

O God, we praise Thee, and acknowledge Thee to be the supreme Lord.
Everlasting Father, all the earth worships Thee.
All the Angels, the heavens and all angelic powers,
All the Cherubim and Seraphim, continuously cry to Thee:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.
The glorious choir of the Apostles,
The wonderful company of Prophets,
The white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.
Holy Church throughout the world acknowledges Thee:
The Father of infinite Majesty;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When Thou tookest it upon Thyself to deliver man,
Thou didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Having overcome the sting of death, Thou opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all
believers.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou willst come to be our Judge.
We, therefore, beg Thee to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy
Precious Blood.
Let them be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.

V.  Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance!
R.  Govern them, and raise them up forever.

V.  Every day we thank Thee.
R.  And we praise Thy Name forever, yes, forever and ever.

V.  O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
R.  Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

V.  Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.
R.  O Lord, in Thee I have put my trust; let me never be put to shame.