First Saturday Devotion to Mary

Thank you Sue.

The First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The observance of the first Saturday in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is intended to make reparation to it for the sins of mankind. This devotion was revealed by the Blessed Virgin to three children, Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia to whom she appeared at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. On June 13, 1917, Our Lady specifically stated in speaking to Lucia: "Jesus wants to make use of you to make me known and loved. He wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.

Our Lady repeated this in the July 13th apparition when, after the vision of Hell that was granted to the three children, she said: "You 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." Our Lady asks for reparation. "There are so many souls whom the Justice of God condemns for sins committed against me, that I have come to ask reparation."

"O my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. (Sacrifice Prayer)

The following First Saturday devotions are efficacious in honoring the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

1. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
2. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
3. Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
4. Act of Reparation
5. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
6. The Sacrament of Reconciliation

"I promise to help at the hour of death, with the graces needed for salvation, whoever on the First Saturday of five consecutive months shall:

1. Confess and Receive Holy Communion.
2. Recite five decades of the Holy Rosary.
3. Keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me."

Beatitudes for Nurturing Church Vocations in the Family

Picture Courtesy of The Catholic Sun

While visiting a sick friend, I found a little pamphlet near the Chapel that contained the following beatitudes courtesy of Blessed Marianne Cope Sisters of St. Francis email: yesGodislove@juno.com

CLICK HERE FOR WEBSITE

Blessed are the children of parents who...

1. Witness love for their spouse, their children, their neighbor, and the world.

2. Talk freely about the presence of God in the joys and sorrows of their lives.

3. Remind their children that they are loved by God and have been given gifts to serve others.

4. Lead their family in prayer.

5. Speak positively about priests, sisters, brothers, and deacons.

6. Participate in the lay ministries and activities of their parish and community.

7. Invite a deacon, brother, sister or priest to their home.

8. Encourage their children to consider priesthood and religious life, as well as marriage.

Questions to Ask Women Priests

I visited a new blog today, Bonfires of the Vanities, and found these very interested questions posed by Fr. Martin Fox

"It would be appropriate, in my judgment, for the media to ask a lot tougher questions of these ladies and their movement:

* Is this only about women's ordination? Does that mean you aren't seeking any change in Church teaching on, say, divorce-and-remarriage, contraception, homosexual behavior, or other areas that are controversial?"

Click Fr. Fox's name above to read the rest.

Basics of Modesty in Dress

Living in Hawaii and walking to church used to mean me attending daily Mass in shorts. When I knelt in front of the Blessed Sacrament and asked myself if Jesus would approve, I kind of figured the answer to that would be NO. As my dear mom would remind us, if we were going to see the President of the United States, we would make sure we were dressed in the very best of our clothing.


Bishop Yanta's Pastoral Letter on Modesty.

Feast Day of Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula

Feast Day: August 2nd

When I was in my teens, we belonged to a parish run by Franciscan Capuchin Friars. It was a tradition to celebrate this feast day by attending Mass at our parish church. We would also gain plenary indulgences for that day, for attending Mass at a Franciscan church, when accompanied by the other requirements such as praying for the intentions of our Holy Father and going to confession as soon as possible.

New Advent

"A town and parish situated about three-quarters of a mile from Assisi. The town, numbering about 2000 inhabitants and officially known as Santa Maria degli Angeli, has grown up around the church (basilica) of Our Lady of the Angels and the adjoining Franciscan monastery. It was here that on 24 Feb., 1208, St. Francis of Assisi recognized his vocation..."

To learn more about this feast day and the indulgences requirement, click above.

Humor Break - Confession

Hat tip to Sts. Peter and Paul Church for this one.

A man with a nagging secret couldn't keep it any longer. In the confessional he admitted that for years he had been stealing building supplies from the lumberyard where he worked.

"What did you take?" his priest asked.

"Enough to build my own house and enough for my son's house. And houses for our two daughters and our cottage at the lake."

"This is serious," the priest said. "I shall have to think of a far reaching penance. Have you ever done a retreat?"

"No, Father, I haven't," the man replied. "But if you can get the plans, I can get the lumber."

THE REQUESTS OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA

Source: 2 Hearts Network

Picture: Unknown source: Portugese

1. THE DAILY ROSARY FOR PEACE:

“Pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace in the world . . . for she alone can save it.” (Our Lady—July 13, 1917)

“God has placed peace in her hands, and it is from the Immaculate Heart that men must ask it." (Jacinta—shortly before her death)

“When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: ‘O Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.' " (June 13, 1917)

(Every Rosary increases Mary’s power to crush the head of the Serpent and to destroy his evil power in the world.)


2. DEVOTION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY:

"Jesus wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world. I promise salvation to those who embrace it." (June 13, 1917)

3. FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTIONS, which include:

reception of Holy Communion, and Confession (within 8 days before or after) pray five decades of the Rosary spend 15 minutes in meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary.
(All the above to be offered up in reparation for sins and ingratitude against the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady.)

4. OFFERING IN REPARATION THE SACRIFICES, TRIALS AND CROSSES OF LIFE
especially those sacrifices involved in keeping God’s Commandments, and in fulfilling the duties of one’s state in life — offering them through the Immaculate Heart of Mary in reparation to the Divine Majesty so offended by sin, and for the conversion of sinners.

“Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say often whenever you make a sacrifice: ‘O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.' " (Our Lady—July 13, 1917)

“Pray much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to make sacrifices for them." (Our Lady—August 19, 1917)

5. CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. Any formula may be used which expresses a sincere confiding of oneself without reserve.

Are We Actually Doing What She Requests?

1. Are you offering up your daily tasks as a sacrifice in reparation?

2. Are you praying the Rosary daily?

3. Are you wearing the Brown Scapular as a sign of personal consecration--and making acts of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary?

4. Are you fulfilling Our Lady's First Saturday's Communion request?

5. Are you making frequent visits to church--adoring Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament? Mass--Communion?

6. Are you making a Holy Hour at least once a week in reparation for the sins of the world and for the conversion of sinners?

The Mass

Today our family got up for early Mass again. No big enthusiasm on our part. We won't admit it but we were all probably looking forward to going back to sleep when we got home.

What we didn't expect was to hear the homily given by a visiting priest today. Father looks like a kindly priest, whose age is hard to gauge. Although I don't recall the beginning of his homily, I do remember listening a little closer when he started talking about how we don't appreciate the Eucharist or the celebration of Mass like we should. He started talking about some people who went to Saturday evening Mass just to get it over with. He also mentioned those of us who come to Mass late or leave early just to beat the parking crowd.

The Saturday evening mass reference made me squirm in my seat. There have been many times when we did just that.

He went on about how we just don't make time for Christ. That some of us will attend Mass if it fits into our schedule.

Listening to Father really made me ashamed of myself. Oh no, we are never late for mass nor do we leave early but do we...rather, do I really appreciate what the Mass is? Probably not. If I did, I would look forward to it with all my heart and soul. Instead I find myself yawning or thinking about what to make for dinner.

Thankfully, I do realize the sacredness of the Consecration so I do pay full attention then.

Anyway, Father finished the homily by telling us a little story of a Maryknoll priest who had to travel two days by mule with a companion, in order to get to a little town in Mexico. When they arrived they found a little house with swept floors and nothing else. The floors had been swept clean by the villagers in preparation of their arrival.

They were greeted enthusiastically by all the people of the village. And one of them told the priest that their prayers had been answered with his arrival. The priest asked him how many months they had prayed for a priest to be send to their village. "Months Father?" responded one of them. "We have been praying for thirty years!".

Father went on to tell us how reverently these humble people attended Mass with such love and awe.

One day the priest found a list of women's names on a paper on the church door. One of the women explained to him that all the women had signed up for turns to keep our Lord company in adoration. They would never let Him be alone. They would do this in so that they would not ever lose the gift of having a priest there.

That is faith!

Criticism of Priests

Although I post entries about liturgical abuses, one thing I am trying not to do is to openly criticize any priest. I realize they are human too but since they represent Christ, the Devil does seem to attack them more than usual with temptations to mislead the flock. 


I am therefore reminding myself by posting the following which is found in the Pieta Prayer booklet. This is Our Lord's revelations to Mutter Vogel.

"One should NEVER attack a priest, even when he's in error, rather one should pray and do penance that I'll grant him My grace again. He alone fully represents Me, even when he doesn't live after My example!"

"When a Priest falls we should extend him a helping hand through prayer and not through attacks! I Myself will be his judge, no one but I!"

"Whoever voices judgment over a priest has voiced it over me; Child, never let a priest be attacked, take up his defense."
(Feast of Christ the King 1937)

"Child, Never judge your confessor, rather pray much for him and offer every THURSDAY, through the hands of My blessed Mother, Holy Communion [for him]. (18.6. 1939)

"Never again accept an out-of-the-way word about a Priest, and speak no unkind word (about them) EVEN IF IT WERE TRUE! Every Priest is My Vicar and My heart will be sickened and insulted because of it! If you hear a judgment [against a Priest] pray a HAIL MARY."
(28. 6. 1939)

"If you see a Priest who celebrates the Holy Mass unworthily then say nothing about him, rather tell it to Me alone! I stand beside Him on the alter!"

"Oh pray much for my priests, that they'll love purity above all, that they'll celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with pure hands and heart. Certainly the Holy Sacrifice is one and the same even when it's celebrated by an unworthy priest, but the graces called down upon the people is not the same!" (28. 2. 1938)


The Cure' D' Ars said:

"One ought to pray earnestly, especially at the Ember Seasons, that God will give us good priests. If they are saints, what good they are able to do! But, whatever they are, never speak against them."

The Devil's Beatitudes

or should we refer to them as his baditudes.
Mahalo to Marcella for sharing these.

If the Devil were to write his Beatitudes, they would probably go something like this:

Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians in Church -- they are my best workers.

Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked -- I can use them.

Blessed are the touchy, with a bit of luck they may stop going to church -- they are my missionaries.

Blessed are those who are very religious but get on everyone's nerves -- they are mine forever.

Blessed are the troublemakers -- they shall be called my children.

Blessed are those who have no time to pray -- they are easy prey for me.

Blessed are the gossiper -- for they are my secret agents.

Blessed are those critical of church leadership -- for they shall inherit a place with me in my fate.
Blessed are the complainers -- I'm all ears for them.

Blessed are you when you read this and think it is about other people and not yourself -- I've got you.


Author unknown.