The Bishop's Visit

The Bishop came to our parish today. I think he was an imposter. He never once moved diagonally.

Thanks to another member of Catholic Answers Forum's Water Cooler.

JPII Quote

As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the world in which we live.- Pope John Paul II

Holy Souls - Anointing the dying - Apostolic Pardon

With our own parents getting older and friends passing away expectantly, I was fortunate enough to come across the following:


Why it is important to call for a priest early on to administer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick to a loved one who is near death?

Here are some of the most important reasons :

1. The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick takes away all mortal and venial sins, even if the person is unconscious. To hear the person's last confession and to provide them with the Viaticum ( Holy Eucharist ), prepares them for their journey to Our Lord. In addition, the apostolic pardon takes away any temporal punishment(purgatory time) that remains for the soul. Apostolic Pardon: (to be given by a priest only): " By the authority granted me by the Holy See, I hereby grant you full pardon and remission of all your sins: In the Name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

2. The devil at the time of death tempts the soul to despair by accusing it of its sins. Among other reasons, Our Lord instituted the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to drive him away at this time.

3. To restore the dying person to health. Although this is not a primary reason for the last sacrament, God sometimes allows a dying person to become fully recovered after receiving this sacrament, when the healing of the body is of spiritual benefit to the soul.

4. To save the soul of a person who is estranged from God by being in an unrepentant state of mortal sin. I have personal knowledge of such a case where a priest was called in to administer the last sacrament,where the dying person became repentant as a result of prayers from his family, especially the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

5.To give the dying person the courage and strength to withstand their sufferings, knowing that they are fully prepared to meet Our Divine Savior. If a person is unconscious or apparently dead, should you call the priest?Yes ! The priest will administer a conditional anointing which will take away all mortal and venial sins, and if he gives the apostolic pardon, all purgatory time will be removed. Theologians differ as to when exactly the soul departs. Many teach that the soul remains for several hours in the vicinity of its body and can be conditionally anointed and given the apostolic pardon during this time.
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Please register your souls and prayer requests for perpetual masses at: http://www.holysouls.com/enter.htm

Promises - Divine Mercy Sunday

The following is an excerpt from St. Faustina's Diary:

A Special Promise of Mercy

Our Lord's promise to grant complete forgiveness of sins and punishment on the Feast of Mercy is recorded three times in the Diary of Saint Faustina, each time in a slightly different way:

"I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy" (1109).

"Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment" (300).

"The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment" (699).

Prayer for Trust in Jesus

This prayer is very appropriate during the week we prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday.

O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and
helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to You, we shall see
Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things. -
St. Ignatius of Loyola

Look at the Crucifix

I have a friend...an elderly priest...Fr. Edwin Duffy. He always says that if you want to learn to be patient...Look at the Crucifix. Well, this following prayer reminded me of him.

If you would like to know God ... Look at the crucifix.
If you would like to love God ... Look at the crucifix.
If you want to serve God ... Look at the crucifix.
If you wonder what you are worth ... Look at the crucifix.
If you wonder how much God loves you ... Look at the crucifix.I
f you want to know the need for self-denial and sacrifice ... Look at the crucifix.
If you wonder how much you should forgive others ... Look at the crucifix.
If you wonder how much you should do for others ... Look at the crucifix.
If you wonder how much your faith demands ... of you in humility, poverty, charity in every virtue ... Look at the crucifix.
If you want to know what unselfishness and generosity are ... Look at the crucifix.
If you wonder how far your own unselfishness should go to bring others to Christ ... Look at the crucifix.
If you wish to live well ... Look at the crucifix.
If you wish to die well ... Look at the crucifix.
When was the last time you really thought about how much suffering Jesus went through for you?
Next time you think your pain and suffering is too much to bear ...Look at the
crucifix and say: JESUS UNDERSTANDS!

17th Century Nun's Prayer

I am not sure of the source but this is good advice!

Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older And someday will be old.


Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject on every occasion.

Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs. 

Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful but not bossy. 

With my vast store of wisdom it seems a pity not to use it all, But thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end. Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; Give me wings to get to the point! 

Seal my lips of my aches and pains - they are increasing and the love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. 

Keep me reasonably sweet; but know that I do not want to be a saint just yet - Some of them are so hard to live with. 

Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people. And give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.

Amen.

How to Live Without Guile

Christian brethren, if there be times in store for the already afflicted Church of Jesus Christ, in the midst of which, with fear and trembling, we, her children, are to work out our salvation, to whom can we turn with more confidence than to His "divine" Mother whom the Church has never invoked in vain...


But what will prayer, alms, fasting, even the life-giving sacraments avail, if we listen not to the warning of Our Savior; if we do not avoid the occasions of sin? "He that loves the danger shall perish in it" (Eccl 3:27) is a maxim of Our Redeemer which no change of fashion can affect; a gracious admonition which should never be absent from our thoughts; above all in times and circumstances like the present. Fly, therefore, from all evil company...


Frequent the church and not the taverns. Banish from your homes dangerous books, the bane of purity in every age, the scourge of modern society. Watch over the children whom God has confided to you...


And since the Church in the United States has solemnly chosen the Mother of Our Lord as its special patroness and protector, setting apart the Feast of her Immaculate Conception to be our national festival, ...first devoutly learn, and then teach your children from their earliest ears, to cultivate true, filial piety towards her, letting no day pass without respecting the Archangel's salutation.

St. John Neumann