Prayer for the Bishop of Honolulu - His Excellency Larry Silva

Photo courtesy of The Honolulu Advertiser

The Diocese of Honolulu has been blessed with a good bishop. Because of him, our diocese has been consecrated to Divine Mercy.

The following is a prayer for Bishop Silva and all the other bishops around the world.

PRAYER FOR THE BISHOP

Lord Jesus Christ,
You sent Your apostles to proclaim the Good News
with Peter at their head
and you strengthened them with the Holy Spirit.

Remind us that our bishops are appointed by the same spirit
and are the succesors of the Apostles
as pastors of souls.

Together with the Pope and under his authority
they have been sent throughout the world
to continue your work.

Help our bishop to teach all members of his diocese,
to sactify them in the truth,
and to give them your nourishment.

Make us obey his teachings and love him
as the Church obeys and loves You.

May we remain united with him,
grow in faith and love,
and attain eternal life with you.

Amen.

From New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book., Catholic Book Publishing Co. New York.

Prayer for Our Holy Father

Lord Jesus Christ,

You willed to build Your Church on Peter the Rock
and the Popes who have succeeded him through the ages.
Pour forth Your grace on our Holy Father Benedict XVI
that he may be a living sign and an indefatigable promoter of the unity of the Church.

Help him to proclaim Your message to all people
and to listen to the message that comes to him from the consensus
of all its members and from the world that You made.

Make him serve others after Your example and in accord with his traditional title:
"Servant of the servants of God."

Unite us closely to him and make us docile to his teachings.

And, Lord, please protect our Holy Father in this time of danger.

Amen.

Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows

Today at daily Mass, the celebrant priest simply recited the Stabat Mater instead of giving the homily. It was so touching.

English:
At the cross her station keeping,
Mary stood in sorrow weeping
When her Son was crucified.

While she waited in her anguish,
Seeing Christ in torment languish,
Bitter sorrow pierced her heart.

With what pain and desolation,
With what noble resignation,
Mary watched her dying Son.

Ever-patient in her yearning
Though her tear-filled eyes were burning,
Mary gazed upon her Son.

Who, that sorrow contemplating,
On that passion meditating,
Would not share the Virgin's grief?

Christ she saw, for our salvation,
Scourged with cruel acclamation,
Bruised and beaten by the rod.

Christ she saw with life-blood failing,
All her anguish unavailing,
Saw him breathe his very last.

Mary, fount of love's devotion,
Let me share with true emotion
All the sorrow you endured.

Virgin, ever interceding,
Hear me in my fervent pleading:
Fire me with your love of Christ.

Mother, may this prayer be granted:
That Christ's love may be implanted
In the depths of my poor soul.

At the cross, your sorrow sharing,
All your grief and torment bearing,
Let me stand and mourn with you.

Fairest maid of all creation,
Queen of hope and consolation,
Let me feel your grief sublime.

Virgin, in your love befriend me,
At the Judgment Day defend me.
Help me by your constant prayer.

Savior, when my life shall leave me,
Through your mother's prayers
receive me
With the fruits of victory.

Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine

Let me, to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of your dying Son divine.

Wounded with His every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In His very Blood away.

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In His awe-full judgment day.

Savior, when my life shall leave me,
Through your mother's prayers
receive me
With the fruits of victory.

While my body here decays
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally. Amen Alleluia.

The Collegeville Hymnal
Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1990.

Latin:
Stabat Mater dolorósa
Juxta Crucem lacrimósa,
Dum pendébat Filius.

Cujus ánimam geméntem,
Contristátam et doléntem,
Pertransivit gladius.

O quam tristis et afflicta
Fuit illa benedicta
Mater Unigéniti!

Quae maerébat, et dolébat,
Pia Mater, dum vidébat
Nati poenas inclyti.

Quis est homo, qui non fleret,
Matrem Christi si vidéret
In tanto supplicio?

Quis non posset contristári,
Christi Matrem contemplári
Doléntem cum Filio?

Pro peccátis suae gentis
Vidit Jesum in torméntis,
Et flagéllis súbditum.

Vidit suum dulcem natum
Moriéndo desolátum,
Dum emisit spíritum.

Eja mater, fons amóris,
Me sentíre vim dolóris
Fac, ut tecum lúgeam.

Fac, ut árdeat cor meum
In amándo Christum Deum,
Ut sibi compláceam.

Sancta Mater, istud agas
Crucifixi fige plagas
Cordi meo válide.

Tui nati vulneráti,
Tam dignáti pro me pati,
Poenas mecum dívide.

Fac me tecum pie flere,
Crucifixo condolére,
Donec ego víxero.

Juxta Crucem tecum stare,
Et me tibi sociáre
In planctu desídero.

Virgo vírginum praeclára,
Mihi jam non sis amára:
Fac me tecum plángere.

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,
Passiónis fac consórtem,
Et plagas recólere.

Fac me plagis vulnerári,
Fac me Cruce inebriári,
Et cruó re Fílii.

Flammis ne urar succénsus,
Per te, Virgo, sim defénsus
In die judícii.

Christe, cum sit hinc exíre
Da per Matrem me veníre
Ad palmam victóriae.

Quando corpus moriétur,
Fac, ut ánimae donétur
Paradísi glória. Amen. Allelúja.

Missale Romanum
Cincinnati: Benziger Brothers, 1956.

Conference Photos - Part II

Eucharistic Procession to the Chapel of Adoration



"Blessed Are The Merciful painting by Tommy Canning

Conference Photos - Part I

The theme of the Divine Mercy Conference was Apostles of Mercy. It was hosted by the Eucharistic Apostles of the Divine Mercy - The Hawaii Cenacles.

The Apostles of Divine Mercy are:

Blessed Father Damien

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Blessed Marianne Cope

St. Maximilian Kolbe

Pope John II the Great



The statue in front of the Hawaii Convention Center



St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy Image

Why Go to Church?

Hat tip to my friend Cc.

Photo of St. Augustine, Waikiki courtesy of P Base

Why Go To Church? A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a
newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife
had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.

Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

Submitted to Prayer_Call by Phil Howard

Our God

Hat tip to Sue.

I presume that portions of the video were used with permission. Otherwise, it will be removed.

Our God

REMEMBERING ROBERT L. SCANDOLE

Robert L. Scandole

(Rob)

Died at the age of 36 on September 11th, 2001

"Adoring husband of Sheila (nee O'Grady). Greatest dad of Emma and Katie. Dear son of Robert and Peggy Scandole. Wonderful brother of Chris. Cherished grandson of Patrick Madden. Also survived and adored by uncles, aunts, nieces. nephew, cousins, in-laws and all the friends that loved him so. "

This tribute that I am posting will in no way come close to the tribute Robert's family or friends could offer. However, I ask that you accept it as it comes from the heart. Although I never knew him, I did want to honor him as best I could.

In searching guestbooks I found an entry that was very touching. It was posted by Teresa Jahn of Dixon, Illinois:

AMERICA CRIES

We see your sorrow-
and our hearts cry....
We can not erase your pain
but you do not have to face the anguish alone-for we-
-the American people-
are beside you.
We so desperately want to have the touch that brings you comfort,
the strength that gives you courage,
and the words to lighten your spirits.
And when we are left speechless
may the silence of our nation weave love into your hearts
to ease your sorrow.
May you find healing through our nation's strength as we-
-the American people-
face this difficult time together. Our hearts are with you.

SAFELY HOME

I am home in Heaven, dear ones; Oh so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.
All the pain and grief is over,
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in Heaven at last.
Did you wonder I so calmly
Trod the valley of the shade?
Oh! but Jesus' love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.
And He came Himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
And with Jesus' arm to lean on
Could I have one doubt or dread?
Then you must not grieve so sorely
For I love you dearly still:
Try to look beyond earth's shadows,
Pray to trust our Father's Will.
There is work still waiting for you,
So you must not idly stand;
Do it now, while life remaineth---
You shall rest in Jesus' land.
When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you Home;
Oh, the rapture of that meeting,
Oh, the joy to see you come!

--author unknown

Who was Robert Scandole?

Well, he was a man certainly loved by his dear family and friends. In the research I did, I sensed that right away.

He was a graduate of St. John's University. He received his CBA in 1987 and his MBA in 1990.
He was a vice-president at Cantor Fitzgerald at the time of his passing.
He was a regular guy, a proud American and one who did not deserve to die so early in life.

September 11th Memorial in Robert's hometown of Pelham Manor, New York

The following is from Memorial Bench

Michael Cawley, Suzanne Geraty and Robert Scandole were counselors at the Esopus Summer Camps when they were in high school and college. After graduation from college, they worked in the financial district and were killed in the 9/11 attack. Their remains were never found. This bench stands as a memorial to them. The families attended the dedication Mass which was held on this site in a peaceful grove on the Esopus property.

Eternal Life Grant to Robert O Lord and may Your perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.
Amen.

"Because I live, ye shall live also."--Jesus, (John 14:19)

America the Beautiful

America the Beautiful

Two years ago, angry men with bland faces and hateful eyes boarded planes with the intent to make a misguided statement. Their goal was to show the democratic capitalistic United States and inevitably the world that our self serving, greedy policies should be changed. Our support of Israel, our decadent ways, our avarice for money, our childish hunger for celebrities and their day to day activity or whatever the reason caused these young men to hate America so much. Their hate culminated with a well planned attack designed to make the world take notice that US ideologies will no longer be tolerated. They did this by burning alive and crushing men and women whose only crime that day was going to work. But something good, I mean very good came out of out the situation.

Like a flower sprouting out of a crack in the sidewalk on a deserted street, hope was reborn.

For weeks our petty bickering ended. No longer were we White, Hispanic, Asian, Black, Arab, Jew, Gentile, upper class, lower class, white collar, blue collar - no, we were American and damn proud of it. We placed American flags on our doors, our cars and our lapels. We were a patriotic country again. People started smiling to strangers. I heard "thank you" much more and I saw overt acts of courtesy by my fellow citizens; this in a major metropolitan area where rush-rush is the rule of the day. I remember basking in this patriotic glow. In the midst of it, I hoped it would never end. I enjoyed the smiles and I enjoyed watching people literally stopping to smell the roses. People were capturing the moment of the day. I had hoped this feeling would last forever. Alas, it didn't.

Can't we bring back that patriotic feeling without having our hard working men and women perish by fire? We live in the greatest country ever. Opportunities abound for anyone who works at it. If you have a dream, America can provide you with the resources to fulfill it. If you want an education, it's attainable. If you want to start a business, the opportunity is waiting for you. Anything is possible in America.

We have wonderful citizens. We have fire fighters, policemen and women, store clerks, farmers, truck drivers, teachers; we have a wonderful mosaic. Let's make our differences the cement that brings us all together. It can be as easy as smiling to a stranger. We have to remain patriotic, that's how our country grew in the first place. If we do, our country will continue to grow and prosper. We're only 227 years old and look how far we've come. In the process, we'll all become happier, friendlier citizens of the greatest country in the world.

America IS beautiful.

Rafael Miranda, NJ USA

9/11/03