Saintly Quote - Praying for the Dead

Shared by Sue of Half the Kingdom

It is an important duty of ours to pray for the dead because although they may have died in grace and in friendship with God, they may still be in need of a last purification in order to enter into the joy of heaven. Prayer for the souls of the dead can be expressed in various ways, including a visit to the cemetery. Going to these sacred places provides an auspicious occasion to reflect on the meaning of earthly life and to nourish, at the same time, hope in the blessed eternity of paradise.

Pope John Paul II (All Souls Day Nov. 2, 2003)

To Find The Grace Of God, We Must Discover Mary

Shared by Sue

6. It all comes to this, then. We must discover a simple means to obtain from God the grace needed to become holy. It is precisely this I wish to teach you. My contention is that you must first discover Mary if you would obtain this grace from God.

7. Let me explain: (1) Mary alone found grace with God for herself and for every individual person . No patriarch or prophet or any other holy person of the Old Law could manage to find this grace.

8. (2) It was Mary who gave existence and life to the author of all grace, and because of this she is called the "Mother of Grace".

9. (3) God the Father, from whom, as from its essential source, every perfect gift and every grace come down to us , gave her every grace when he gave her his Son. Thus, as St Bernard says, the will of God is manifested to her in Jesus and with Jesus.

10. (4) God chose her to be the treasurer, the administrator and the dispenser of all his graces, so that all his graces and gifts pass through her hands. Such is the power that she has received from him that, according to St Bernardine, she gives the graces of the eternal Father, the virtues of Jesus Christ, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to whom she wills, as and when she wills, and as much as she wills.

11. (5) As in the natural life a child must have a father and a mother, so in the supernatural life of grace a true child of the Church must have God for his Father and Mary for his mother. If he prides himself on having God for his Father but does not give to Mary the tender affection of a true child, he is an impostor and his father is the devil.

12. (6) Since Mary produced the head of the elect, Jesus Christ, she must also produce the members of that head, that is, all true Christians. A mother does not conceive a head without members, nor members without a head. If anyone, then, wishes to become a member of Jesus Christ, and consequently be filled with grace and truth , he must be formed in Mary through the grace of Jesus Christ, which she possesses with a fullness enabling her to communicate it abundantly to true members of Jesus Christ, her true children.

13. (7) The Holy Spirit espoused Mary and produced his greatest work, the incarnate Word, in her, by her and through her. He has never disowned her and so he continues to produce every day, in a mysterious but very real manner, the souls of the elect in her and through her.

14. (8) Mary received from God a unique dominion over souls enabling her to nourish them and make them more and more godlike. St Augustine went so far as to say that even in this world all the elect are enclosed in the womb of Mary, and that their real birthday is when this good mother brings them forth to eternal life. Consequently, just as an infant draws all its nourishment from its mother, who gives according to its needs, so the elect draw their spiritual nourishment and all their strength from Mary.

15. (9) It was to Mary that God the Father said, "Dwell in Jacob", that is, dwell in my elect who are typified by Jacob. It was to Mary that God the Son said, "My dear Mother, your inheritance is in Israel", that is, in the elect. It was to Mary that the Holy Spirit said,"Place your roots in my elect". Whoever, then, is of the chosen and predestinate will have the Blessed Virgin living within him, and he will let her plant in his very soul the roots of every virtue, but especially deep humility and ardent charity.

16. (10) Mary is called by St Augustine, and is indeed, the "living mould of God" . In her alone the God-man was formed in his human nature without losing any feature of the Godhead. In her alone, by the grace of Jesus Christ, man is made godlike as far as human nature is capable of it.

from: The Secret of Mary, by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

Jack Chick and Jimmy Akin

It has slipped my mind what I actually was searching when I came up with the following interview. It must be an old blog post but it was new to me. Usually, a blog post of this length would not keep my attention as riveted word for word. But this one sure did. As soon as I read the words "Jack Chick Tracts" it brought back memories from my childhood of those evil minded cartoons that would tell such horrible lies about the Catholic church.

I hope you take the time to read Jimmy Akin's incredible interview with the infamous Jack Chick:

Meet Jack Chick

How to Help the Holy Souls

H/T to Sue


Source: How to Help the Holy Souls

To him therefore who knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin (James 4:17)

There are a variety of ways to help the Holy Souls. We have listed them in order of effectiveness (i.e. the methods which gain the most grace with the least effort).

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

The Holy Sacrifice is the greatest help we can offer, because its effect depends on itself, and not on the piety of the priest who offers it...If we cannot have a Mass said, we should at least hear Mass for our dear departed. A Mass has infinite merit...(My Catholic Faith; 1949-1954; Sealed)

In addition to the Requiem Mass following death, a Mass for the departed may be arranged for just about any day of the year. The following are days of traditional significance for Masses for the Departed:

1. All Souls Day

2. Third (Christ's time in the tomb); Seventh (symbolic of eternal repose; St. Ambrose) and 30th (St. Ambrose)from death or burial

3. Yearly anniversary day from death or burial

4. Gregorian Mass: 30 consecutive Masses following the repose (burial) popularized by 6th Century Pope St. Gregory the Great

5. Purgatorian Society Masses: daily masses said for souls those enrolled.

Indulgences

Indulgences are very effective in relieving the Suffering Souls in purgatory.

Feast of the Holy Relics

If it weren't for Barbara of Praying for Grace I would not have realized today was the feast of the Holy Relics. Click here to learn more about this feast day

This is interesting for two reasons:

1) The ironies in my daily life. Today I finally decided to just toss a souvenir we received when the Relics of the Passion tour that made its way to Hawaii. Yes, I fished it out of the trash. This is a good reminder NEVER to toss out anything remotely Catholic. You will regret it. Yuck!

With regard to the relics of the Passion tour, for more information, please check out their website

"For over a thousand years, the faithful have gone on pilgrimage to venerate the relics of Christ's Passion and Death, and this tour has been designed to make such a pilgrimage possible to the people of the Twenty-first century America..."

-Relic of the True Cross
-Relic of the Crown of Thorns
-Relic of the Holy Nails
-Relic of the Burial Shroud
-Relic of the column of flagellation
-Relic of St. Longinus
-Relic of the Veil of Veronica
-Relic of the Table of the Last Supper
To view photos taken in Hawaii, Here

2) I have been meaning to post on our modest little relics because I found another one the other day.


I found a relic of St. Jacinta to add to our display of relics which include:
-Relic of John Paul the Great
-Relic of St. Padre Pio
-Relic of St. Faustina

These relics are displayed in a frame along with a portrait of our Holy Father Benedict XVI given by him to Fr. Eugene Palumbo for us and a miraculous medal blessed by our Holy Father at the request of my dear mom through Fr. Palumbo.

Online Book - Handbook for Altar Guild

When I posted on caring for the Altar Linens people left comments requesting information on making altar linens. That is how I found the following online book. It is a complete handbook and should be a valued resource for parish churches, sacristans, altar servers, etc.

Handbook for Altar Guild Episcopal Diocese of Texas

3000 Days of Indulgences

for the relief of the Poor souls in Purgatory to be obtained by saying the following ejaculations/aspirations:

1. The sign of the cross.
(50 days each time. Pius IX, July 28, 1863)

2. The sign of the cross if made with holy water.
(100 days each time. Pius IX. March 23, 1866)

3. May the Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere.
(100 days once a day, Pius IX, Pr. Ma., Sept. 23, 1860).

4. Praised be Jesus Christ forevermore.
(50 days each time. Clement XIII, Sept. 5, 1759)

5. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart unto Thine.
(300 days each time, Pius IX, Pr. Ma. Jan 25, 1868, Pius X, Sept. 15, 1905)

6. Sweet Heart of my Jesus, make me love Thee ever more and more!
(300 days each time, Plenary, once a month, Pius IX, Nov. 26, 1876)

7. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God, of Hosts, earth is full of Thy glory, Glory be to the Father, Glory be to the Son, Glory be to the Holy Ghost.
(100 days once a day, and three times on Sunday, and during the octave of the Holy Trinity, Clement XIV, June 6, 1769)

8. Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love.
(300 days once a day. Leo XIII, May 21, 1892)

9. Sweetest Jesus, be to me not a judge but a Savior.
(50 days each time. Pius IX, Aug. 11, 1851)

10. My Jesus, mercy!
(100 days each time, Pius IX Sept. 24, 1846)

11. O Jesus, my God, I love Thee above all things.
(50 days each time. Pius IX, S Pr. Ma. May 7, 1854)

12. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!
(300 days each time, Pius IX, Sept. 30, 1852)

13. Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.
(300 days each time. Leo XIII, B. Sept. 10. 1878)

14. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for us.
(100 days each time, Pius X, Br. July 9, 1904)

15. Blessed and praised every moment be the most holy and divine Sacrament.
(100 days once a day, three times on Thursday, and during the octave of Corpus Christi, Pius VI, Mem. May 24, 1776)

16. May the Heart of Jesus, in he most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the Tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.
(100 days once a day. Pius IX, Pr. Ma. Feb. 23, 1868)

17. The Cross is my sure salvation. The Cross I ever adore. The Cross of my Lord with me. The Cross is my refuge.
(300 days once a day. Pius IX, Pr. Ma. Jan. 21, 1874)

18. O Mary, who didst enter the world free from stain, do Thou obtain for me from God, that I may pass out of it free from sin.
(100 days once a day. Pius IX Bfs. March 27, 1863)

19. Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in satisfaction for my sins, and for the wants of the Holy Church.
(100 days each day. Pius VII. Res. Sept. 22, 1817)

20. May the most just, most high, and most adorable will of God be in all things done, praised and magnified for ever.
(100 days once a day. Pius VII, May 19, 1818)

21. Eternal Father, we offer Thee the Blood, Passion, and Death of Jesus Christ, and the sorrows of the most holy Mary and St. Joseph, in payment for our sins, in suffrage for the holy Saints in Purgatory, for the wants of our holy Mother the Church, and for the conversion of sinners. Amen.
(100 days once a day. Pius IX, Pr. Ma. April, 1960)

22. Angel of God, my Guardian dear! to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
(100 days each time. Pius Vi., Br. Oct. 2, 1795)

23. My loving Jesus, out of the grateful love I bear Thee and to make reparation for my unfaithfulness to grace, I (INSERT NAME)give Thee my heart, and consecrate myself wholly to Thee; and with Thy help I propose never to sin again.
(100 days once a day Pius VII, Mem, June 9, 1807)

24. St. Joseph model and patron of those who love the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
(100 days once a day. Leo XIII, Dec. 19, 1891)

25. Dear Lord Jesus, grant them (him or her) eternal rest.
(300 days each time. Pius X. Off. March)

From Novena for the Relief of the Poor Souls in Purgatory by a Missionary of the Sacred Heart, Rev. J.F. Durin, 1980.

How Can We Love Jesus as We Ought?

The following is an excerpt from the Nocturnal Adoration Society's February 2006 newsletter.

To love the Lord Our God with all our heart, and with all our strength as He commanded us we need to do the following:

1. Keep in the state of grace and foster a hatred for all sins and affections for them. If we have the misfortune to fall into any grievous sin make all efforts to go to Confession as soon as possible. St. Alphonsus says that if we entertain any affection for a certain sin, we will fall.

2. Attend daily Mass and receive Holy Communion.

3. Never omit morning and night prayers.

4. Have recourse to the Blessed Virgin Mary by the daily recitation of the Holy Rosary.

5. Do not neglect the practice of the virtues. In this you will be imitating Our Divine Savior, Jesus Christ.

6. Respond to all holy inspirations to grace and especially those that come to us through the instructions given us in the Holy Scriptures, the writings of the Saints and the teachings of Holy Mother Church.

7. Adjust the priority of your daily schedule to include all we can for the love of Jesus Christ.

Sir Stephen's Manor

As I was organizing my bookmarks, I came across a website I had saved. It looks like a lot of fun for Catholic boys and girls.

Sir Stephen's Manor Be sure to explore the manor thoroughly. The archived question area is also a lot of fun. How many answers to you know?

This site will be posted on the Catholic Homeschooling in Hawaii website

Prayer for Our Young People

God,
We pray for our young people,
growing up in an unsteady and confusing world.
Show them that your ways give more life
than the ways of the world,
and that following You is better
than chasing selfish goals.
Help them to take failure,
not as a measure of their worth,
but as a chance for a new start.
Give them the strength to held heir faith in you
and to keep alive their joy in Your creation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.