Visits From the Holy Souls

The January and February Issue of The Friends of the Holy Souls Newsletter has been posted. Mary Ann shares intriguing stories by a friend "John" regarding visits from Souls in Purgatory.

Also remember that the best thing you can do for your family members who have died, is to pray for the repose of their souls and to have Masses said often for this intention. If they are already in Heaven, then I believe that the Masses will be applied to the souls in purgatory that are in need of them. The Masses and prayers will not go to waste.

I've mentioned this before but I can't stress it enough...it is better to have Masses said for us now than after we are dead. Why not consider offering Masses for your loved ones, friends, and/or yourself as a gift for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. If you need help with the Masses, you can check out Mary Ann's blog as she has priests who offer Masses for people.

A Liturgical Biography of Jesus

Father Stephanos has posted a Liturgical Biography of Jesus which is a good resource and reference to have. Mahalo Father!

St. Elizabeth of Hungary

Today St. Elizabeth of Hungary officially takes over as my patron saint. So long for now St. Michael the Archangel. You have been a good patron saint for the year and I will miss you.

I am a little familiar with this saint because she was the patroness of my sister's old convent, The Franciscan Sisters of St. Elizabeth. But I want to learn more so it is my goal to read more about her and I will share it here.

The following is from The Book of Saints: A Dictionary of Persons Canonized or Beatified by the Catholic Church, complied by the Benedictine Monks of St. Augsutine's Abbey, Ramsgate, 1966, Nihil Obstat Francisuc M. Mildner, O.S.M. and Imprimatur Patritius Casey.

Elisabeth of Hungaray (St.) Queen, Tert. OFM. RM. Nov 19

1207-1231
Born at Presburg, the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary and a niece of St. Hedwig. At the age of fourteen she was married to Louis IV, landgrave of Thuringia, and bore him three children. Hers was a very happy married life until 1227 when her husband went to the crusade and died at Otranto. She now became a Franciscan tertiary and devoted herself to the relief of the destitute, living a life of voluntary poverty until death at twenty-four.
She was canonized three years later (1235).

I am glad she is a Franciscan. I have a deep love for St. Francis and the Capuchins.

Happy New Year - Solemnity Mary, the Mother of God

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou Everyone!

Even though it is not a Holy Obligation in Hawaii, I know there will be many people at all our Masses to tomorrow in honor of our Blessed Mother.

We fly to thy patronage,
O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

from this Site

Saintly Quote

Only a few hours more, and this year too will come to an end and pass into history. I too finish the year and await the new dawn of joy. I go down on my knees before my God and, recalling His kindnesses to me this year, I humble myself in the dust and thank Him with all my heart.

Blessed Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

Thank you Sue for sharing it.

Mary, the Mother of God

Before this Solemnity is over, I wanted to share with you what Brother John, a Marianist brother, shared with me:

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and Octave of Christmas

May we always profit from the prayers of the Virgin Mother Mary.
May her prayer, the gift of a mother's love, be our joy throughout this new year.

We proclaim the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of Christ and the Mother of the Church.

* * *

The birth of Christ is the source of life for the Christian people, and the birthday of the head is the birthday of the body.

--Pope St. Leo the Great

That's the Way to Honor Our Lady on Her Solemnity!

..and the entire Holy Family... I would post it here but it looks so much more dramatic over at Fr. Daren's Mahalo Father!

New Year's Resolutions

I've been thinking a lot about my New Year's resolutions. Mostly, they involve spiritual improvements. It really helps when you examine your conscience nightly to see the areas where improvements can be made. I was tempted to ask my family members and very close friends to let me know what about me bothers or irritates them so I can improve that way. But I think I would only be looking for trouble if I did that.

The best thing I can do is to practice dying to self, and with that hopefully will come humility. I hope that I will not impose my will on others but do God's Will instead, in everything.

The other day for example many little things occurred, one after another, where I was either humiliated, or wrongly judged. Usually, this would bother me beyond belief but by the grace of God, this time I remembered to offer it up and unite it with Jesus' sufferings. What a difference that made! With this new year, I hope to be able to practice more and more humility.

It will take a lot of practice but my resolutions are:

1. To be more patient. To look at the crucifix and focus on Jesus' patience when I am about to lose my patience. This was the advice of two good priests in Hawaii.

2. To not take things others may say or do, personally or jump to conclusions. In order to not do that, I have to learn not to judge anyone because I do not know what's in their heart. This is advice from another good priest in Hawaii.

3. I will live for the day as if it were my last day on earth. By doing so I will try to avoid offending God by sinning in even the slightest way.

4. To be silent more often like our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. To not engage in frivolous conversations or God forbid, gossip.

Reading the Imitation of Christ helped me with numbers 3 and 4.

5. To follow the example of our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph in their parenting ways...loving their child with a quiet and dignified manner.

6. To pray the Litany of Humility daily...especially the following:

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

8. To be patient and kind to the members of my family as I am with those outside my family.

9. To read more books that will help me grow spiritually.

10. To knit more :-)

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

New Year Indulgences

The following is from A Catholic Life. So nice to have Seminarian Matthew posting again.

December 31 Indulgence: A PLENARY INDULGENCE is granted when the Te Deum is recited publicly on the last day of the year. Otherwise a partial indulgence is granted to those who recite the Te Deum in thanksgiving.

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.

January 1 Indulgence: A PLENARY INDULGENCE is granted when the Veni, Creator Spiritus is recited on the first of January or Pentecost.

From EWTN

Come, Holy Ghost

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest,
Vouchsafe within our souls to rest;
Come with Thy grace and Heav'nly aid
And fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

To Thee, the Comforter, we cry,
To Thee, the Gift of God Most High,
The Fount of life, the Fire of love,
The soul's Anointing from above.

The sev'nfold gifts of grace are Thine,
O Finger of the Hand Divine;
True Promise of the Father Thou,
Who dost the tongue with speech endow.

Thy light to evr'y thought impart,
And shed Thy love in evr'y heart;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.

Drive far away our wily Foe
And Thine abiding peace bestow;
If Thou be our protecting Guide,
No evil can our steps betide.

Make Thou to us the Father known,
Teach us the eternal Son to own,
And Thee, whose name we ever bless,
Of both the Spirit, to confess.

Glory to Thee, Father and Son
And Holy Spirit, with them One;
And may the Son on us bestow
The gifts that from the Spirit flow!

From Adoremus

Feast Day of the Holy Family

Prayer for a Family

God of goodness and mercy,
to your fatherly protection we recommend our family,
our household, and all that belongs to us.
Fill our home with your blessings
as you filled the holy house of Nazareth
with your presence.
Keep us from sin.
Help each one of us to obey your holy laws,
to love you sincerely, and to imitate your example,
the example of Mary, your mother and ours,
and the example of your holy guardian, St. Joseph.

Lord, preserve us and our home
from all evils and misfortunes.
May we ever be resigned to your divine will
even in the crosses and sorrows
which you allow to come to us.
Finally, give all of us the grace to live in harmony and love toward our neighbor.
Grant that each of us may deserve by a holy life
the comfort of your Sacraments at the hour of death.

Bless this house,
God the Father, who created us,
God the Son, who suffered for us on the Cross,
and God the Holy Spirit, who sanctified us at Baptism..
May the one God in three divine Persons
preserve our bodies,
purify our minds,
direct our hearts,
and bring us all to everlasting life.

Amen.

From the New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing