Saint Louis of France

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 I love learning of a saint's virtue or mortification. Example today I learned from Father Tony at Mass this morning: Saint Louis of France: "He had a good sense of humor and enjoyed a joke, but refrained from humor on Fridays out of respect for the Passion of the Lord. He wore a hair shirt under his royal robes. He forbade any kind of profanity or vulgarity, and punished it severely in courtiers. During Advent and Lent, he himself would personally wait on and feed the hungry and indigent". (Diocese of Wichita) Happy Feast Day!

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Santa Rosa de Lima

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Novena for the intercession of St. Rosa de Lima in Spanish can be found here. You can have it translated at that site.

Santa Rosa de Lima, ora por el Perú!

Prayer given by Our Blessed Mother to Blessed Anna Maria Taigi

from Esther's prayer card collection

Source: The Living Rosary

Prostrate at thy feet,
O Great Queen of Heaven,
we venerate thee with
the deepest reverence and
we confess that thou art the
Daughter of the Father,
the Mother of the Divine Word,
the Spouse of the Holy Ghost.
Thou art the storekeeper
and the almoner of the Divine Mercies...
For this reason,
we call thee Mother of Divine Compassion.
Behold us here in affliction and anguish.
Deign to show us thy true love.
We beg thee to ask the Holy Trinity
most fervently to grant us the grace
ever to conquer the devil,
and the world and our evil passions;
the efficacious grace that sanctifies the just,
converts, sinners,
destroys heresies,
enlightens infidels and
brings all men to the true faith.

Obtain for us this great gift that all the world may form but one people united in the One True Church.

Mary, Mother of Holy Hope.
Pray for us.

The Queenship of Mary

Pope Pius XII originally proclaimed May 31st as the Feast day of the Queenship of Mary.

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"...8. From early times Christians have believed, and not without reason, that she of whom was born the Son of the Most High received privileges of grace above all other beings created by God. He "will reign in the house of Jacob forever,"[5] "the Prince of Peace,"[6] the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords."[7] And when Christians reflected upon the intimate connection that obtains between a mother and a son, they readily acknowledged the supreme royal dignity of the Mother of God.

9. Hence it is not surprising that the early writers of the Church called Mary "the Mother of the King" and "the Mother of the Lord," basing their stand on the words of St. Gabriel the archangel, who foretold that the Son of Mary would reign forever,[8] and on the words of Elizabeth who greeted her with reverence and called her "the Mother of my Lord."[9] Thereby they clearly signified that she derived a certain eminence and exalted station from the royal dignity of her Son..."

Pope Pius XII's Encyclical: Ad Caeli Reginam

"Mary, then, is a Queen; but for our common consolation, be it known that she is a Queen so sweet, clement, and so ready to help us that Holy Church wills that we salute her as Queen of Mercy.  Mary is Queen of Mercy as Jesus is King of Justice."

St. Alphonsus de Liguori - Glories of Mary

Basilica of Fatima, Portugal

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"The purpose of the universal feast of the Queenship of Mary which we again happily observe and welcome this week is to stir up in our souls renewed love and devotion to our Mother and Queen and to invite all to rededicate themselves to her Immaculate Heart.  These are indeed days of tension and worry throughout the world with talk of total destruction to mankind by nuclear weapons.  Mary, however, our Queen and our Mother, has come to the rescue of civilization in the centuries that have passed. She will do it again if we but turn to her and beseech her for true peace throughout the world.  Would that the prayer of Pope Pius XII to Mary our Queen be realized in the minds and wills of all.

'Reign over the minds of men, that they may seek only what is true; over their wills, that they may follow solely what is good; over their hearts, that they may love nothing but what you yourself love.'"

Homily of John J. Cardinal Carberry given on the occasion of the Queenship of Mary, May, 1959. Source:  Mary Queen and Mother:  Marian Pastoral Reflections by John J. Cardinal Carberry

Saintly Quote - Trust

Pope St. Pius X - Encyclical on the Separation of Church and State

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"...4. Recourse to God, so infinitely good, is all the more necessary because, far from abating, the struggle grows fiercer and expands unceasingly. It is no longer only the Christian faith that they would uproot at all costs from the hearts of the people; it is any belief which lifting man above the horizon of this world would supernaturally bring back his wearied eyes to heaven. Illusion on the subject is no longer possible. War has been declared against everything supernatural, because behind the supernatural stands God, and because it is God that they want to tear out of the mind and heart of man. 5. The war will be bitter and without respite on the part of those who wage it. That as it goes on harder trials than those which you have hitherto known await you is possible and even probable. Common prudence calls on each of you to prepare for them. And this you will do simply, valiantly, and full of confidence, sure that however fiercely the fight may rage, victory will in the end remain in your hands..."

UNE FOIS ENCORE

THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY

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by Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.

            The Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary is a feast that traces its origin to the earliest ages of the Church. Tied to this feast are themes of Mary as Mother of the Church and model for the Church. In her the Church witnesses the fullness of the effects of the saving death and resurrection of Christ for humanity. The Preface for the feast’s Eucharistic Liturgy attests to this.

                        Today the Virgin Mother of God

                        was taken up into heaven

                        to be the beginning and the pattern of the Church

                        in its perfection,

                        and a sign of hope and comfort for your people

                        on their pilgrim way.

            The themes of the Mass prayers and readings, and those of the Liturgy of the Hours, reflect the basis of the Church’s teaching about Mary and the many titles accorded her in popular Christian devotion.

            The feast of Mary’s Assumption honors her Dormition, as the feast is called in the East, her falling asleep in the Lord and being taken body and soul to heaven when her earthly life was completed.  Mary’s Assumption is analogous to Jesus’ Ascension.

            The similarity between the privileges of Christ and those of his Mother is in no way identity.  Christ has his prerogatives by his very nature as God Incarnate.  Mary receives hers by a free gift from God.  “He who is mighty has done great things for me.”

            We understand that Mary is a creature only, dependent on Christ for everything. 

  She is a woman and a mother, and her grace is adapted to her own nature and to her own special function.  Christ exists for God.  Mary exists for Christ.  God made Christ our unique Redeemer.  Mary exercises her role as Cordemptrix only through union with Christ, and she herself had to be redeemed by him.  Christ is our necessary advocate with the Father.  Mary is our advocate with Christ and through Christ.  So it is with all the privileges of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

            This analogy is the work of the filial piety of the Son of God for his Mother.  This was understood by the faithful from earliest times, even though it was not formulated until later.   In the eighth century St. John of Damascus  explained in regard to the Assumption: “It was necessary that the Mother should have entered into the possession of all the goods of her Son, and that she should have been venerated by all creation as the Mother and Handmaid of God.  It is a customary practice that the wealth of the parents pass to their children.  But here . . . the springs of the sacred waters flow toward the height.  The Son has submitted the entire creation to the dominion of his mother.”    Centuries later St. Louis de Montfort wrote:  “All that is proper to God Incarnate by nature is proper to Mary by grace.”

            Around 1930 the renowned Marianist Mariologist and author, Father Emile Neubert, S.M., expressed this principle of analogy with theological exactness: “To the various privileges of the humanity of Jesus there correspond analogous privileges in Mary, in the manner and in the degree required by the difference between her condition and that of her Son.”

            Finally Pope Pius XII solemnly defined Mary’s Assumption as a dogma and an article of faith in Munificentissimus  Deus more than six decades ago on November 1, 1950. 

           

             In many countries this feast is a holyday of obligation.  In Lebanon, August 15 is also a national holiday observed by peoples of all faiths.

            What meaning and message does Mary’s Assumption have for us today?  This doctrine and feast remind us of our eternal destiny, that we are made for everlasting life with God.  This feast honoring Mary points us to our future and reminds us to live accordingly so as to achieve our goal.  The Assumption of Mary also teaches us respect for life and for the sacredness of the human body.

            Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us!

St. Maximilian Kolbe

“The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers.” (St. Maximilian Kolbe)

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Broadcasting in Japan via Ham radio

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Immaculate One, Virgin Mother, to Thee I turn in humble prayer: "Grant that I may praise Thee, O holy Virgin; give me strength against Thine enemies!" (Bl. John Duns Scotus)

The Immaculate One appears in this world without the least stain of sin, the masterpiece of God's hands, full of grace. God, the Most Holy Trinity, beholds the lowliness (that is, the humility, the root of all Her other virtues) of His Handmaid, and does great things for Her, He the Almighty (cfr. Lk. 1,49). God the Father gives Her His own Son to be Her Son; God the Son descends into Her womb; and God the Holy Spirit forms the body of Christ in the womb of this pure Virgin. And the Word was made flesh (Jn. 1,14). The Immaculate One becomes the Mother of God. The fruit of the love of God in his Trinitarian life and of Mary the Immaculate One is Christ the God-Man. (Sketches for a Book, SK 1295)

Who is the Immaculate One? To this abrupt question it is not possible to give a satisfactory answer because this mystery transcends our human intelligence. She is the Mother of God, and Her name is the Immaculate One. When God showed Himself to Moses, He said of Himself: I am the One who is (Ex. 3,14)—in other words, I am Being itself. When St. Bernadette asked the most blessed Mother Her name, Mary replied: I am the Immaculate Conception. Such is the Immaculate One defined by Her own words.

But what does the expression Immaculate Conception mean? The word conception tells us that She is not eternal, that She had a beginning. Immaculate tells us that from the first instant of Her existence there never was in Her the least conflict with God's will. The Immaculate One is the most perfect of all creatures...She was immaculate because She was to become the Mother of God; She became the Mother of God because She was immaculate.

Mother of God! The human mind cannot grasp what God is. Neither can we comprehend the dignity of the Mother of God. It is easier to understand a title like servant of God; daughter of God is more difficult to grasp; but Mother of God transcends our minds completely.

God calls creatures into being when He creates them. Then, in their movement of return to God, these creatures draw near to Him and come to resemble their Creator more and more. God comes to this most perfect Creature, the Immaculate One; and the fruit of Their love is Jesus Christ, the Mediator between the Creator and all creatures...

True knowledge of the Immaculate One can only be acquired in prayer. The purer a soul is, the greater efforts it makes to avoid sin; and if it does happen to sin, it tries its best to rise from sin and to make up for its fault by love. The more humble it is, and the more spirit of penance it shows, the more and better it will get to know the Immaculate. (Conference 26.VII.39)

Source of the excerpt of St. Maximilian Kolbe's writings on the Immaculata, EWTN

EWTN Global Catholic Network's Family Celebration Comes to Phoenix

EWTN Global Catholic Network's
Family Celebration Comes to Phoenix

Highlights include a 'Don't Miss' Panel Discussion on Religious Liberty with Phoenix
Bishop Thomas Olmstead, EWTN President Michael Warsaw & Others, Moderated by
EWTN News Anchor Raymond Arroyo, & a Special Q&A

Irondale, AL (EWTN) – It's fun, it's free, and it could change your life! The EWTN Global Catholic Network comes to the Phoenix Convention Center Sept. 8-9 for its annual Family Celebration – and this year, one of the highlights will be a special panel on religious liberty, which will include a Question and Answer session for the audience and media who attend.

Panelists on the Religious Liberties Panel will include Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, EWTN President & CEO Michael P. Warsaw, Arizona Catholic Conference Executive Director Ron Johnson, Alliance Defending Freedom CEO & General Counsel Alan Sears; Phoenix Physician and Catholic Medical Association President Dr. Marci Moffit, and EWTN News Anchor and Panel Moderator Raymond Arroyo. The program will begin at 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time, Saturday, Sept. 8.

EWTN was the first religious entity to file suit against the federal government after the HHS mandate was finalized. The mandate requires religious employers and people of faith to provide coverage for abortions, contraception, and sterilization, which is against their faith – or face crippling fines. Hear more about pending lawsuits and learn about all the ways that religious freedom is being threatened in our own country.

But that's definitely not all. The two-day celebration will include a roster of well-loved speakers, including "World Over" Anchor (and Mother Angelica biographer) Raymond Arroyo; "Journey Home" Host Marcus Grodi, "EWTN Live" Host Fr. Mitch Pacwa, and the former Rosalind Moss, now Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God.

In addition to this stellar lineup, Saturday night attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the live taping of a special "Life on the Rock."

Warsaw will provide the welcome and will join the Friars for the always popular "Family Talk." Bookmark Host Doug Keck will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Mass will be celebrated by the Friars on Saturday and, on Sunday, EWTN is honored to announce that Bishop Olmsted has agreed to serve as our celebrant.

Throughout the weekend, fans will have opportunities to get books signed at the "Meet the Author" booth, meet EWTN's hosts and the Friars at the "Family Corner" booth, and browse the EWTN Religious Catalogue shop.

Doors will open at 8 a.m. As always, there will be plenty of opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation as well as Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It's a day no fan of EWTN will want to miss – and, best of all, it's free!

For more information, please visit: http://www.ewtn.com/
familycelebration.

EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 30th year, is available in over 200 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM " FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com, electronic and print news services, and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world.

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Postulant Edith Stein

It was the custom for a postulant to wear a wedding gown.  Later the white silk was reworked into a vestment.

Perpetual profession document in Edith Stein's own handwriting

It was the custom in Carmel to place this document in the coffins of the deceased nuns.  However, Edith Stein's document was preserved.

"I am confident that the Lord has accepted my life for everyone.  I am reminded repeatedly of Queen Esther who was taken from her people precisely to stand before the king for the people.  I am a very poor and powerless Esther, but the King who has chosen me is eternally great and compassionate." - Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Source Edith Stein: Her Life in Photos and Documents by Maria Amata Neyer, O.C.D.