Prayer and Sacrifice Today - For Sanctity of Marriage

from American Needs Fatima

Suggested Intentions for the June 17 prayer warriors are:

(Note: As practicing Catholics, we are filled with compassion and pray for those who struggle against violent temptation to homosexual sin. We pray for those who fall into homosexual sin out of human weakness, that God may assist them with His grace.)

1. That Americans who still defend a moral law be victorious in their efforts to protect marriage from the attacks of the homosexual revolution and its secularist allies.

2. That America resist the imposition on our country of “morals” opposed to those of Christ.

3. That our resistance be accompanied by sincere, ardent, and persevering trust, since, as the Savior admonished us, “without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

4. That since the legalization of homosexual “marriage” is a public sin that can draw God’s punishment upon our country, we sacrifice and do penance, for God does not despise “a contrite and humbled heart.” (Ps. 50:19)

5. That by taking energetic and faithful action in this struggle, we can heed the Blessed Mother’s maternal warning at Fatima, recognize and correct our failings, and rightly be one nation under God.

6. That Our Lady help us all to do our duty, in full and faithful compliance with the perennial and immutable teaching of Holy Mother Church on the intrinsic evilness of homosexual acts.

Mortifications - One Way of Avoiding Purgatory

In the last couple of days, we have learned that mortifying ourselves is a good way of avoiding or lessening our time in Purgatory. Providentially, I found that Sue of Half the Kingdom has posted a list of examples of mortifications we can do daily.

See below. I have made bold certain parts that I think need emphasizing:

1 - Close your eyes always and above all to every dangerous sight, and even - have the courage to do it - to every frivolous and useless sight. See without looking; do not gaze at anybody to judge of their beauty or ugliness.

2 - Keep your ears closed to flattering remarks, to praise, to persuasion, to bad advice, to slander, to uncharitable mocking, to indiscretions, to ill disposed criticism, to suspicions voiced, to every word capable of causing the very smallest coolness between two souls.

3 - If the sense of smell has something to suffer due to your neighbor’s infirmity or illness, far be it from you ever to complain of it; draw from it a holy joy.

4 - In what concerns the quality of food, have great respect for Our Lord’s counsel: “Eat such things as are set before you.” “Eat what is good without delighting in it, what is bad without expressing aversion to it, and show yourself equally indifferent to the one as to the other. There,” says St. Francis de Sales, “is a real mortification.”

5 - Offer your meals to God; at table impose on yourself a tiny penance: for example, refuse a sprinkling of salt a glass of wine, a sweet, etc.; your companions will not notice it, but God will keep account of it.

6 - If what you are given appeals to you very much, think of the gall and the vinegar given to Our Lord on the cross: that cannot keep you from tasting, but will serve as a counterbalance to the pleasure.

7 - You must avoid all sensual contact, every caress in which you set some passion, by which you look for passion, from which you take a joy which is principally of the senses.

8 - Refrain from going to warm yourself, unless this is necessary to save you from being unwell. (comment by me: I try to remind myself and to picture how much colder or hotter it may be in Purgatory...or even Hell).

9 - Bear with everything which naturally grieves the flesh, especially the cold of winter, the heat of summer, a hard bed and every inconvenience of that kind. Whatever the weather, put on a good face; smile at all temperatures. Say with the prophet: “Cold, heat, rain, bless ye the Lord.” It will be a happy day for us when we are able to say with a good heart these words which were familiar to St. Francis de Sales: “I am never better than when I am not well.”

10 - Mortify your imagination when it beguiles you with the lure of a brilliant position, when it saddens you with the prospect of a dreary future, when it irritates you with the memory of a word or deed which offended you.

11 - If you feel within you the need to day dream, mortify it without mercy.

12 - Mortify yourself with the greatest care in the matter of impatience, of irritation or of anger.

13 - Examine your desires thoroughly; submit them to the control of reason and of faith: do you never desire a long life rather than a holy life, wish for pleasure and well-being without trouble or sadness, victory without battle, success without setbacks, praise without criticism, a comfortable, peaceful life without a cross of any sort, that is to say a life quite opposite to that of Our Divine Lord?

14 - Take care not to acquire certain habits which, without being positively bad, can become injurious, such as habits of frivolous reading, of playing at games of chance, etc…

15 - Seek to discover your predominant failing and, as soon as you have recognized it, pursue it all the way to its last retreat. To that purpose, submit with good will to whatever could be monotonous or boring in the practice of the examination of conscience.

16 - You are not forbidden to have a heart and to show it, but be on your guard against the danger of exceeding due measure. Resist attachments which are too natural, particular friendships and all softness of heart.

Ember Days

The following is something new I learned from Seminarian Matthew of a Catholic Life

For those who are able to do so, I highly encourage you to observe the ancient practice of fasting and partial abstinence on these days - this coming Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The following information is from Fish Eaters:

These times are spent fasting and partially abstaining (voluntary since the new Code of Canon Law) in penance and with the intentions of thanking God for the gifts He gives us in nature and beseeching Him for the discipline to use them in moderation. The fasts, known as "Jejunia quatuor temporum," or "the fast of the four seasons," are rooted in Old Testament practices of fasting four times a year:

Zacharias 8:19:

"Thus saith the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Juda, joy, and gladness, and great solemnities: only love ye truth and peace."

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Gaudete Sunday (3rd Sunday of Advent) are known as "Advent Embertide," and they come near the beginning of the Season of Winter (December, January, February). Liturgically, the readings for the days' Masses follow along with the general themes of Advent, opening up with Wednesday's Introit of Isaias 45: 8 and Psalm 18:2 :

"Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior. The heavens show forth the glory of God: and the firmament declareth the work of His hands"

One More Mass: The Great Novena

I picked up a little pamphlet entitled "The Redeeming Power of the Mass". The following excerpt really spoke volumes to me, me a person who is not a big fan of novenas because I don't think my prayers have ever been answered by them...at least not yet. I hope it speaks to you too.

"How often have I head young ladies say to me: 'Father, we are making novena after novena for certain conversions, but to no avail.' Do you know what I reply? I do not blame that: That is all right, but instead of annoying the saints with novena after novena, why do you not make a novena of Masses? THAT IS THE GREAT NOVENA. After all the saints will applaud you, for they realize the greatness of Holy Mass. I do not blame your novenas to the saints but I say, transform your novenas into something divine, omnipotent...the Chalice...one more Mass...two...three or four more Masses..if possible, daily Mass. You are asking for a miracle; I approve. But I tell you that you must pay the ransom for the conversions you make. You have a right to ask for such miracles. Do you know what a conversion is? It is the resurrection of a soul. It is far greater to see the resurrection of a soul than the resurrection of a corpse. Oh, one more Mass! Please..one more Mass! Pay the ransom with the Chalice. One more Mass! If you have anyone at home sick or dying, oh pay the ransom with the Chalice..one more Mass!"

Words form Fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC