Catholic, President, Martyr

President Gabriel Garcia Moreno

Picture source

Oh, if only he had been president of our own United States of America!

The following is from the Universal Rosary:


Gabriel Garcia Moreno was a Catholic, a President and a Martyr. He valued his precious Faith more than anything in his life and, in his youth, he formed a program of spirituality that he kept all the days of his life in spite of the horrendous demands made upon his time and energies. He lived in times violent and corrupt, and is a wonderful ideal of father, husband and soldier of Jesus Christ.

The continual realization of the greatness of God filled his soul with a sovereign contempt for earthly things and, hence, his absolute disinterestedness: His joy at being able to give to the poor, the sick, the widows and the orphans. His patience in trials was most edifying and no complaint was ever heard to pass his lips.

The RULE of life he wrote in his own hand was kept until his death:

1. Every morning when saying my prayers, I will ask especially for the virtue of humility.
2. Every day, I will hear Mass, say the Rosary, and read a chapter from the Imitation of Christ.
3. I will take care to keep myself as much as possible in the presence of God, especially in conversation, so as not to speak useless words. Before beginning any action, I will offer my heart to God.
4. I will say to myself continually: "I am worse than a demon and deserve Hell"; when I am tempted, I will ask myself: "What will you think of this in the hour of your last agony?"
5. In my room, I will never sit to pray when I can do so on my knees or standing. I will practice little acts of humility, like kissing the ground for example, and desire all kinds of humiliations, while taking care at the same time not to deserve them, I will rejoice when my actions or my person are abused or censured.
6. I will never speak of myself, unless it be to own my defects or faults.
7. I will make every effort, through the thought of Jesus and Mary, to restrain my impatience and contradict my natural inclinations, striving to be patient and amiable even with people who bore me. Never will I speak evil of my enemies.
8. Every morning, before beginning my work, I will write down what I have to do, being very careful to distribute my time well, to give myself only to useful and necessary business and to continue it with zeal and perseverance. I will scrupulously observe the laws of justice and truth, and have no intention in my actions save the greater glory of God.
9. I will make a particular examine, twice a day, on my exercise of different virtues, and a general examination every evening. I will go to Confession every week.
10. I will avoid all familiarities, even the most innocent, as prudence requires. I will never pass more than an hour in any amusement and, in general, never before eight o'clock in the evening.

Those who knew him, bear witness to his scrupulous fidelity to this Rule of life. No matter what the demands of office, home or war obliged, he lived up to the Rule. He never omitted any pious practice, in camp or on a hurried journey; he would kneel in some hut or corner of the tent, or in the woods, and say the Rosary with his aide or anyone else who was present.

When it drew time for Holy Mass, he would often prepare the vestments for the priest and serve Mass. In the evening surrounded by his family, servants and aides-de-camp, he would read night prayers, read from pious books and express to all his love and confidence in God.

The one ambition of his noble soul was the reign of God in the souls of men. He had a great and tender love for Our Blessed Mother. He restored the shrine of the Lily of Quito. He would ask his people, visitors or workers, "Do you love the Blessed Virgin Mary? If they answered, "Oh! YES, with all our hearts," he would say, "Well then, my children, let us kneel down all together and pray Her Rosary that we may persevere in loving and serving God."

The Catholic Church universally applauds this President of Ecuador, Gabriel Garcia Moreno. Honor and glory be to him who dared to say:

"A Catholic People Cannot Socially Deny Jesus Christ!"

The secret society of Freemasonry seeks to unite itself with the devil to destroy the reign of Jesus Christ upon earth, to destroy Christianity. It is the great enemy. Their rage against Garcia Moreno was universal and all Freemasonic newspapers throughout the world held him up for execution and he was solemnly condemned to death by their Great Council. At the opportune moment, the assassins attacked him, cutting off his arm and his hand and inflicting deadly wounds to his body. He was laid at the feet of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows where he expired.

The body of Garcia Moreno was placed in a secretly and provisionally unknown grave in order to protect it from the risk of sacrilegious profanation.

While we may not have the courage today to die for the faith, let us begin simply with the Rule of life set out by Garcia Moreno in his youth. Faithful to this Rule, with the strength of God, we will rise to the height of martyrdom, if and when we are called.

A LITTLE WHILE LONGER, AND THEN ETERNITY!

Redemptive Suffering - Short Video

Feast of St. Francis de Sales - Saintly Guidance on Anxiety

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The following is from Introduction to the Devout Life, the classic spiritual book written by our beloved saint of the say.

"Anxiety is not only a temptation, but a source from which and by which many temptations arise.  I will therefore say something concerning it.  Sadness is nothing else but that grief of mind which we have over an evil that we experience against our will, whether it be exterior, like poverty, sickness, or contempt, or interior  like ignorance  aridity  discontent, or temptation.  When the souls perceives that some evil has fallen her, she is displeased at having it and hence sadness follows.  Immediately she desires to be free of it and to have a  way of ridding herself o fit. Thus far she is right, for everyone naturally desires to embrace good and flies from what he thins to be evil.

"If out of love for God the soul seeks a way to be freed from her troubles, she will seek it with patience, meekness, humility, and tranquility.  She will expect deliverance more from the providence of God than from her own labor, industry, or diligence.  If she seeks her deliverance from a motive of self-love, then will she excite and fatigue herself in search of this means, as if the success depended more on herself than on God.  I do not say that she thinks so, but that she acts as if she thought so.  Now, if she does not succeed immediately according to her wishes, she falls into great anxiety and impatience.  Instead of removing the evil, she increases it.  It involves her in an excessive anguish and distress, with so great a loss of courage and strength that she imagines her evil incurable.  You see, the, that sadness, which is justified in the beginning produces anxiety.  Anxiety again produces an increase of sadness, and this is extremely dangerous.

Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall the soul, sin only excepted.  The seditious and intestine troubles of a commonwealth ruin it completely and prevent it from being able to resist a foreign invasion   So, also, when our heart is troubled and disturbed within itself, it loses the strength necessary to maintain the virtues it had acquired.  At the same time it loses the means to resist the temptations of the enemy, who then uses his utmost efforts to fish, as they say, in troubled waters.

Anxiety proceeds from an inordinate desire of being delivered from the evil that we feel or of acquiring the good that we hope for.  Yet there is nothing that tends more to increase evil and to prevent the enjoyment of good than inquietude an anxiety.  Birds remain caught in nets and traps because when they find themselves ensnared, they eagerly flutter about and struggle to extricate themselves and in that way entangle themselves all the more.  Whenever you are pressed with a desire to be freed from some evil or to obtain some good, before all else be careful both to settle your mind in repose and tranquility and to compose your judgement and will. Then gently and meekly procure the accomplishment of your desire taking in regular order the means that may be most convenient.  When I say gently, I do not mean carelessly  but without hurry, trouble or anxiety.  Otherwise, instead of obtaining the effect you desire, you will mar all and embarrass yourself the more.

'My soul is continually in my hands, O Lord, and I have not forgotten Thy law,' said David.  Examine frequently during the day, or at least in the morning and evening, whether you have your soul in your hands, or whether some passion or anxiety has not robbed you of it. Consider whether yo have your heart at your command, or whether it has not escaped out of your hands to engage itself to some disorderly affection of love, hatred, envy, covetousness, fear, uneasiness, or joy.  If it has gone astray, seek after it before you do anything else and bring it back quietly into the presence of God, subjecting all your affections and desires to the obedience and directions of His divine will.  They who are afraid of losing anything which is precious hold it fast in their hands.  So also, in imitation of this great kind, we should always say, 'O my God! my soul is in danger, and therefore I carry it always in my hands; and in this manner I have not forgotten Thy holy law."

Do not permit your desires, however small or trivial they may be, to to disquiet you.  For after the little ones, those which are grater and more important may find your heart involved in trouble and disorder.  When you perceive that anxiety begins to affect your mind, recommend yourself to God. Resolve to do nothing that your desire demands until it is restored to tranquility, unless it should be something that cannot be deferred.  In that case, you must with a meek and tranquil effort hold back the current of your desires, restraining and moderating them as much as possible.  Where upon, perform the action, not according to your desire, but according to reason.

If you can disclose the cause of your anxiety to your spiritual director, or at least to some faithful and devout friend, be assured that you will quickly find ease... Saint Louis the king gave this counsel to his son:  'If thou hast any uneasiness in thy heart, tell it immediately to thy confessor or to some good person.  Thus thou shalt be enabled to bear thy evil very easily by the comfort he will give thee."

St. Mother Marianne Cope

"The Beloved Mother of the Outcasts"

Today is the feast of our beloved saint and one of the Church's newest saints recently canonized. Today would also have been her 175th birthday.  The following are excerpts pertaining to Mother Marianne's death from the late Sister Mary Laurence Hanley, OSF's biography of St. Marianne Cope entitled A Song of Pilgrimage and Exile.

"Although her body's strength was failing, Mother Marianne's consideration for others continued until she drew her last breath.  She still thought first of her daughters, just as they found comfort in taking care fo her.  All too well acquainted with the exactions of Sister Death, they did not grieve for their Mother, soon to be released from pain and suffering.  They sorrowed for themselves knowing that soon they would be left without the leader who, as the instrument of God's Will, had given meaning to their lives..."

"Now came the time of greatest anguish of the body. The torment was more than ever Mother Marianne could endure in silence."...During those sleepless nights,...she used to cry out loud, 'Sweet Heart of Jesus, pity me.  Pity me.'  She used to say it so pleadingly."

"And now, for her too, as St. Francis had promised his brothers, 'when death draws near the storm will cese, and there will be a great peace.'"

"As soon as she was anointed all fear left her...."

St. Agnes

Image courtesy of Pinterest

Via Mary Jane.

PRAYER TO
SAINT AGNES

 

O glorious St. Agnes,
you served God in humility and confidence on earth
and are now in the enjoyment of His beatific Vision in heaven
because you persevered till death
and gained the crown of eternal life.
Remember now the dangers
that surround me in the vale of tears,
and intercede for me in my needs and troubles.

 

(mention your intentions)

 

Amen.

 

 

 

PRAYER TO ST. AGNES

 

Let us gain courage

for our own battle

by honoring the martyrdom

of the glorious virgin Agnes,

  St. Agnes, vessel of honor,

flower of unfading fragrance,

beloved of the choirs of Angels,

you are an example to

the worth of virtue and chastity.

O you who wear a Martyr's

palm and a virgin's wreath,

pray for us that, though

unworthy of a special crown,

we may have our names

written in the list of Saints.

AMEN

40 Years - Remembering Roe

Remembering Roe is tomorrow - register TODAY!

Remembering Roe is an opportunity for our nation to come together to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the insidious U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

As we mourn the lives destroyed by Roe, YOU are invited to join together in solidarity on January 22, 2013 for a national day of prayer and fasting to end the violence of abortion. From 3:00-4:00 p.m. EST you can pray with the National Pro-Life Religious Council* in a very special “hour of prayer webcast.

Please sign up today to show your commitment to join with the Body of Christ in prayer as we go to our knees together to end abortion.

Remembering Roe

The first day of the U.S. bishops’ novena for life!

Today is the first day of the novena for life. I will not be posting the novena every day. You can however, find the entire novena here.

Day one

Pope John Paul II - Batting Practice

Wonderful video of our dear Holy Father so young and active!

 

H/T to Catholic Association Facebook Page

The Altar Server

Please share with all altarservers and or your parish.


 

Sunday Night Prime - 2013-01-13 - How Should One Behave When One is Suffering for Christ.