Prayer for Our Deceased Servicemen

As we commemorate the sacrifice of our military on this Memorial Day, let's remember to offer a prayer for those who have offered the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives for our freedom.

Thou art all-powerful, O God, and livest forever in light and joy. Look with pity and love, we beseech Thee, upon those men and women who have bravely fought and gallantly died for our country. By laying down their lives, they have showed supreme love for others. We implore Thee to accept their sacrifice and their belief in the justice of the cause for which they died.

May their offering not be in vain.

Deign to forgive any sins or misdeeds they may have committed. Bring them quickly, we implore Thee, into Thine august presence, where fear, sadness, mourning and eath no longer exist. Have pity, in Thy living kindness, on those they leave behind. In Thine own inscrutable ways, make good their absence, and lavishly bestow Thy love and consolations upon those deprived of their presence.

This we ask of Thee in the name of Jesus Christ, Our King.

Amen.

From Purgatory by Fr. F. X. Schouppe, S.J. and published by Tan Books

The Feast of Pentecost

Picture source Mary Your Mother

The following is from St. Michael's Center for the Blessed Virgin Mary Please visit their site for prayers, novenas, etc. to the Holy Spirit.

The Catholic community honors the Pentecost Sunday on May 27. This is one of the greatest feast of Christianity which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the Disciples; the completion of the work of redemption; the fullness of grace for the Church and its children; and the gifts of faith for all nations. It is celebrated fifty days after the resurrection of Christ.

The descent upon the apostles was internal and invisible in nature although accompanied by certain visible phenomena. There came a mighty roar, like the onrush of a violent wind. It came suddenly, from heaven; but unlike storms that strike a structure from without, this one penetrated and filled the room where the disciples were gathered. Therefore it was not a natural wind, it was a miracle peculiar to the occasion. A second visible sign consisted in tongues of fire that descended upon each one present. These fiery tongues gave visible evidence that the Holy Spirit had descended upon them.

The celebration of Pentecost Sunday reminds us of the reality that we are all God-breathed with the unifying Spirit that was poured out upon the First Church. It is a reminder that we are co-heirs with Christ, to suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him; that the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good; that we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body and the Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead lives inside believers. This gift of the Holy Spirit that was promised and given to all on the first Pentecost is promised for you and your children and for all who are far off whom the Lord our God will call.

All The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Thanks Sue!

There is a general rule concerning all special graces granted to anyhuman being.
Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace,or to accept a lofty vocation,God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Spirit needed
to fulfill the task at hand.

Saint Bernardine of Siena (from a sermon on Saint Joseph)

Pentecost Sunday

H/T to the Generator Blog

Indulgences

"An indulgence is the remission of God of a temporal punishment to to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. The faithful... can acquire this remission through the Church..."

Partial indulgences free one from part of the temporal punishment due to sin.

Plenary indulgences free one from the whole of the temporal punishment due to sin.

"In order to gain a plenary indulgence, one must perform the prescribed work and also fulfill three conditions: sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Supreme Pontiff."

Also, all attachment to sin, even venial sin, must be absent. If any of these prescribed conditions have not been met, then the individual will gain a partial indulgence.

The following are the most common ways of earning a partial indulgence:

1. Acts of faith, hope, charity, and contrition, according to any good formula.

2. A Visit of adoration to the Blessed Sacrament.

3. "We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen."

4. Reciting the Prayer to Our Guardian Angel.

5. Recitation of the Angelus or (the Regina Caeli during Easter Time).

6. Recitation of the Anime Christi.

7. For visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed. This is applicable only to the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

8. Spiritual Communion, according to any devout formula.

9. Devout recitation of the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed.

10. For teaching or studying Christian Doctrine.

11. For reciting the Prayer before a Crucifix.

12. Pious recitation of the Act of Reparation.

13. Pious recitation of the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Christ the King. A Plenary indulgence is gained if recited publicly on the Feast of Christ the King.

14. For each of the following litanies: The Most Holy Name of Jesus, The Sacred Heart of Jesus, The Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and the Litany of the Saints.

15. Recitation of the Magnificat.

16. Recitation of the Memorare.

17. For devoutly making use of an object of piety (sacramentals) properly blessed by any priest.

18. For spending some time in devout mental prayer.

19. "V: Let us pray for our Sovereign Pontiff.N
R: The Lord preserve him and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies."

20. For devoutly and attentively being present at a sermon.

21. "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let your perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace." This is applicable to the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

22. Recitation of the Holy Rosary privately, outside of a Church or public oratory.

23. For reading Sacred Scripture as spiritual reading, with the veneration and devotion due to the word of God.

24. Recitation of the Salve Regina.

25. For devoutly making the Sign of the Cross, saying the words "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

26. Devout recitation of Tantum Ergo.

27. "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love."

28. For renewing one's baptismal vows, using any customary formula. A Plenary indulgence is granted if done during the Paschal vigil or on the anniversary of one's baptism.

From Purgatory by Fr. F. X. Schouppe, and published by Tan Books.

9th Day of the Novena for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Can be found at EWTN. Just make sure to scroll down a bit.

8th Day of the Novena for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Can be found at EWTN.com

More on the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Michelle of Rosetta Stone, whose blog link I also forgot to add to my sidebar (but that has been corrected), left me a about a little book, on a previous posting regarding Maria Simma. The little book is entitled The Amazing Secret of the Souls in Purgatory: An Interview with Maria Simma. My mom happened to have the book in her Catholic library. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who would like to help the holy souls and in turn help their living loved ones and themselves avoid a long stay in purgatory.

Sister Emmanuel interviewed the late Maria Simma, an Austrian women who had souls appear to her for help. The entire book which is not long at all, is very hard to put down once you start. The following is just one excerpt:

Are there priests in purgatory?

..."Yes, there are many. They didn't promote respect for the Eucharist. So faith overall suffers. They are often in Purgatory for having neglected prayer-which has diminished their faith. But there are also many who have gone straight to Heaven!

What would you say, then, to a priest who really wants to live according to the heart of God?

I would advise him to pray much to the Holy Spirit- and to say his Rosary every day.

The 7th Day of the Novena for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Can be found at EWTN. However, the link will take you to the 4th day and you will have to scroll down to the 7th day.

Children's Mass

Every Wednesday, the morning Mass is moved to 8:30 a.m. instead of the usual 7:30 a.m. so that the parochial school children have an opportunity to attend Mass. This was the idea of the parish priest Fr. Patrick. From my observations and listening to his homilies, he seems to be a priest who really loves the Eucharist.

This is evident when you see the children approach the altar for Holy Communion. You will see many receive on the tongue, even the youngest of them. They will then proceed back to their pews with their little hands folded in prayer.

I remember one of Father's homilies about the time he went to Cardinal Ratzinger's installation as our pontiff. He arrived close to the time everyone had to take their seat, if they wanted a good seat. But instead of going to his seat, Father asked someone, where the Blessed Sacrament was. The young man who guided him to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel told him, he as the only one who had gone to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel FIRST.

I might as well share his story about why Father was so intend on attending the installation. Seems that when he was in Rome one time, he had difficulty finding a certain tomb or grave. He saw a priest approach and he asked him where it was. The priest led him to the place personally. When the priest bend over, a bit of red poked out of his coat. He then realized it was Cardinal Ratzinger! I don't recall all the details but I think that was the gist of it.