Epiphany Home Blessing

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Just a reminder to have your blessed chalk ready.

0 C + M + B 11
May Christ bless this House…
All who dwell and pray in it…
And All Whom they Welcome in His Name
....................

BLESSING OF A HOME AT EPIPHANY

Let us pray, In the name of + The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.

V. On entering the house, the Magi found the Child Jesus with Mary his mother.
R. They did Him homage and presented to Jesus symbolic gifts: gold to the great King, incense to the true God, and myrrh as a foreshadowing of his suffering and death.

Let us pray, God, our Father, by the guidance of a star, You revealed Your only Son as the Savior of all nations. Grant that we who already know You by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of Your glory in our heavenly home. We ask this through Christ your Son, Our Lord. Amen.

All may recite the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary (The MAGNIFICAT) by which Mary praised God at the time of her Visitation to the house of Elizabeth found in St. Luke's Gospel Chapter 1, verses 46-55.

V. Be enlightened, O Jerusalem, and shine forth …for Your light has come!
R. And upon you is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
V. All nations shall walk in Your light and kings in the splendor of Your birth.
R. And upon You is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
Now, a Reading of the Gospel for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord
from St. Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 2, verses 1 to 12.
V. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, has appeared and been revealed to the nations.
R. The prophets foretold His coming, and the angels and shepherds adored Him.
V. The Magi rejoiced to find Him and they lay their treasures before Him.
R. All you nations and peoples, …come and adore Him!

All recite The OUR FATHER as all the rooms of the house are sprinkled with holy water …and also if possible with blessed salt.

Let us pray, Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through Your goodness we have received all benefits. Come, visit and bless + this house so that it may be a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, - and thanksgiving to God, + The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

May the love and blessings of God, + The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit, descend upon this house, all those who reside within it, and upon all those whom they welcome in the Sacred Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and may God's grace and peace remain with all of them forever. Amen.

NOTE: The initials of the names ascribed by tradition to the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar), and the numerals of the current year are to be written with the blessed chalk above all the entry doors of the house in the following manner:
20 C + M + B 11

(Some interpret the letters to stand for Christus Mansioni Benedicat! May Christ bless this house! )

How to be Alone

I think you will enjoy this video. Please be sure to read the blog post that accompanied it.

Crossing Nineveh: In Praise of Being Alone- Tanya Davis.

Thanks to Sue Cifelli for sharing.

Solemnity - Mary, the Mother of God

"Christ was in all things and above all things, and at the same time He was existing in the womb of the Holy Mother of God, but He was there by the operation of the Incarnation. And so He was made flesh and took from her the first fruits of our clay, a body animated by a rational and intellectual soul, so that the very Person of God the Word was accounted to the flesh . . . And so we confess that even after the Incarnation He is the one Son of God, and we confess that the same is the Son of Man, one Christ, one Lord, the Only-begotten Son and Word of God, Jesus our Lord. And we venerate His two begettings
-----one from the Father before the ages and surpassing cause and reason and time and nature, and one in latter times for our own sake, after our own manner, and surpassing us."

- St. John Damascene

Quotation source

Prayer in Honor of Mary, Mother of God

Hail Mary, Mother of God,
venerable treasure of the whole universe,
lamp that is never extinguished,
crown of virginity,
support of the true faith,
indestructible temple,
dwelling of him whom no place can contain,
O Mother and Virgin!

Through you
all the holy Gospels call blessed
the one who comes in the name of the lord.

Hail, Mother of God;
you enclosed under your heart the infinite God
whom no space can contain.
Through you
the Most Holy Trinity is adored and glorified
the priceless cross is venerated
throughout the universe.

Through you
the heavens rejoice,
and the angels and archangels are filled with gladness.
Through you
the demons are banished,
and the tempter fell from heaven.
Through you
the fallen human race is admitted to heaven.

Hail, Mother of God;
through you
kings rule,
and the only=begotten Son of God
has become a star of light
to those who were sitting in darkness
and in the shadow of death.

- St. Cyril of Alexandria
Bishop and Doctor

- New Saint Joseph People Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing

January: Month of the Holy Name of Jesus

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Gospel Reading: Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.

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The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31). The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we have received through our Holy Redeemer. Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: "...at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name.

"Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!"

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Act of Reparation for Blasphemies Uttered Against the Holy Name

O Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer, Son of the living God,
behold, we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation;
we would make amends for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy holy name, for all the injuries done to Thee int he Blessed Sacrament,
for all the irreverence shown toward Thine immaculate Virgin Mother,
for all the calumnies and slanders spoken against Thy spouse,
the holy Church and Roman Church. O Jesus,
who hast said:
"If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you,"
we pray and beseech Thee for all our brethren who are in danger of sin;
shield them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith;
save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss;
to all of them give light and knowledge of truth, courage and strength
for the conflict with evil, perseverance in faith and active charity!
For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus, in Thy name, unto God the Father, with whom Thou livest and reignest
in the unity of the Holy Ghost world without end. Amen.

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Dear Jesus,
be not my judge but my Savior.

Jesus, my God,
I love you above all things.

Jesus,
for you I live;
Jesus, for you I die;
Jesus I am Yours in life and in death.

Lord Jesus Christ,
You alone are holy,
You alone are Lord,
You alone are most high.

Prayer of Petition

O Jesus,
Your Name means "Savior."
Be my Savior,
dear Lord.
Your adorable Name is the joy of heaven,
]the terror of hell,
the consolation of the afflicted,
and the solid basis for my unlimited confidence.
Through this glorious Name,
mercifully grant all the petitions
which I make in this prayer.

Prayers and invocations from The Prayer Book, Catholic Book Press, Inc. and New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing.

Happy New Year!

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Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Prayer on New Year's Day

Jesus, you are the Lord of history,
and Your wonderful redemption comes to us
in a cycle of time - year after year.
Now another year has passed
and a new one is ready to begin.
A backward glance tells us that last year
had its good points as well as its bad.

May the new year hold many more good things
in store for me
and make me a better person:
kinder and more willing to help,
more thoughtful and more loving.
May I fulfill my allotted task in life
and come closer to You
while looking forward to an eternity with You.
thank You, Lord, for this extended time
that you so graciously allow me
on my journey toward Your heavenly kingdom.

- New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing

Salve Regina: Hail Holy Queen

Shared by Sue Cifelli.

Father Steven Scheier's Near Death Conversion

Father Steven Scheier and Mother Angelica

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Thanks to Sue Cifelli for reminding me of this incredible story.

Father Tommy Lane's Homily: Fr. Steven Scheier and the Parable of the Fig Tree

Please be sure to watch the video of Father when he appeared on the Mother Angelica Live show on EWTN.

The following is what Father Scheier said about priests:

"A priest without prayer is dead.
A priest without the Blessed Sacrament is dead.
A priest without the Blessed Mother is dead."

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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"There is in the Sacred Heart the symbol and express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love in return." -- Pope Leo XIII

Recommended Movie - The Miracle of the Bells

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On Sunday I was watching this movie by myself. Next thing I noticed, my husband had joined me. Then we called our son over to join us. He checked it out, liked what he was seeing and stayed. We all proclaimed it to be a terrific movie.

Briefly, Fred MacMurray is a press agent accompanying the coffin of an actress whose last wish was to be buried in her hometown. Frank Sinatra is very endearing (at least he was to me) as the priest of the poorer church.

You can read more about it over here.

10th Anniversary of the Death of Father John A. Hardon, S.J.

Father John A. Hardon, S.J.

A big mahalo to Diane of Te Deum Laudamus for reminding us that today is the 10th Anniversary of the death of Father John Hardon. As you know, we at this blog are praying for his canonization.

New Year's Resolution Suggestions

Hawaiian Snow on top of Mauna Kea

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This morning before Mass, I sat praying for some ideas to improve my spiritual life.  Actually, I know very well the areas in my life that need improvement. Therefore, it was not too difficult to focus on those areas to tackle.

I am sharing the following because I think they are both good places to start in resolving to become better Christians.

The first one came from the Anchoress yesterday:

1. A 2011 Gift to Self & the World

"...For 2011, resolve to be here now, and to serve yourself, but do it in this most excellent way: by cultivating silence and overcoming time within one of the classic disciplines of daily prayer—where the pulse of the psalms calms the breath, the pockets of silence center the spirit, and the liturgical calendar frees us from the shackles of time...."

Secondly, my friend Father Gordon MacRae posted today about gossip.

2. Psst! Spread This Around – My New Year’s Resolution About Gossip

The bigger scandal in the Catholic Church is the way pop culture has drawn us into a climate of gossip and ruined reputations. Is it time to stem that tide?

Father John F. Harvey, OSFS RIP

Father John F. Harvey OSFS

Father Harvey was the founder of Courage, a Catholic apostolate to help people of same-sex attractions lead chaste and holy lives.

Eternal rest grant unto Father Harvey, O Lord, and may Your perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.

In Memoriam.

A Reminder in Honolulu: Jesus is the Reason for the Season

On Christmas my family walked around downtown Honolulu enjoying the Christmas  "City lights". We were hopeful that someone would remember that it was indeed Jesus' birthday we were celebrating. We saw the lights, honus (sea turtles) Shaka Santa and the missus, Rudolph, snowmen, Christmas trees and wreaths. We noticed that the area where previous displays from various organizations and religious denominations once stood, was now empty.

Finally we noticed that recessed beyond the lights and huge displays, were a few humble displays. The following is what we found:

"Come over to see the Real Gift of CHRISTmas"

"Jesus is the Reason for the Season"

"For God so loved the world..."

Credit and the City's disclaimer

At least a few remembered.

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!

Just in Time for New Year - Saints Name Generator

Jennifer of Conversion Diary has made it super easy to get a patron saint for the new year. Be sure to check out her Saints Name Generator.

And, in case you were curious about my saint, it is Blessed Alexandrina da Costa whose feast day is October 13th. I am very happy with her!

The Feast of the Holy Innocents

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The following is today's meditation from The Word Among Us. It is a very good meditation for us to remember the Holy Innocents who die daily in the world today.

Rachel weeping for her children. (Matthew 2:18)

What a hard life Rachel had! Both she and her sister, Leah, were married to Jacob, and while Leah gave Jacob many sons, Rachel just couldn’t get pregnant. One day, in her distress, Rachel cried out to Jacob: “Give me children or I shall die!” (Genesis 30:1). Jacob, too, was frustrated because he knew that only God could give life. But God answered Rachel’s prayer. She named her first child Joseph, which means, “May the Lord add another son” (30:24). God heard that prayer as well and gave her another child years later. However, it was a complicated labor, and Rachel ended up dying in childbirth. Before she passed, however, she named the baby Benoni, which means “Son of my sorrow.” But Jacob—who loved Rachel deeply—called him Benjamin, “Son of my right hand” (35:18).

For centuries, Rachel’s tomb was honored by the people of Israel. Her sad story touched them, and they held a special place for her in their hearts. In fact, when the prophet Jeremiah saw the Babylonian soldiers marching the children of Israel—descendants of Rachel—into exile, he said it was like he was feeling Rachel’s anguish all over again (Jeremiah 31:15).

In today’s Gospel, King Herod’s order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem reminds Matthew of Jeremiah’s prophecy. In the death of these helpless, innocent children, Matthew sees Rachel weeping over her children once more. He sees mothers grieving their horrible loss.

Rachel continues to weep today, this time over the millions of children who are victims of abortions. Who could not be moved by this assault on innocent lives? But even as we mourn with Rachel, we must have hope. We must believe that God will have the final word and that it will be a word of triumph. We need to pray for an end to abortion. We need to work for an end to abortion. But we also need to remember God’s words to Jeremiah: “Wipe the tears from your eyes… . There is hope for your future… . Your sons will return” (Jeremiah 31:16,17). God will turn this horrible situation around. He is the Lord of Life and he will have the victory!

“Father, teach us how to build a culture of life on the earth. May every child be loved and welcomed into life!”