Dec. 31 plenary indulgence pray the TE DEUM

Thanks again to Mary Jane!

December 31 - pray the TE DEUM

public recitation on the last day of the year as an act of thanksgiving may earn a plenary indulgence 

 

1. What is a Plenary Indulgence?

    A Plenary Indulgence is the full remission of temporal punishment
    due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after
the sinner has confessed and received absolution. Indulgences draw on the Treasury of Merit
accumulated by Christ's superabundantly meritorious sacrifice on the cross and the virtues and
penances of the saints. They are granted for specific good works and prayers.

 

2. Who Can Gain A Plenary Indulgence?

To be capable of gaining an indulgence for oneself, it is
required that one be baptized, not excommunicated, in the state of grace at least at the completion of
the prescribed works, and a subject of the one granting the indulgence.

3. Who Can I get a Plenary Indulgence for?

You can gain a Plenary Indulgence for yourself or for a
deceased person (or a holy soul in purgatory) But not for another living person, they have to get it for themselves. 

 

Here are the usual conditions for obtaining one:

1. Receive Holy Communion on Dec, 31

2. Go to Confession (within 8 Days)

3. Have no attachment to sin.
4. Pray for the Intentions of the Pope one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be

 Te Deum - in English and Latin (below) 

 

O God, we praise Thee, and acknowledge
Thee to be the supreme Lord.
Everlasting Father, all the earth worships Thee.
All the Angels, the heavens and all angelic powers,
All the Cherubim and Seraphim, continuously cry to Thee:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.
The glorious choir of the Apostles,
The wonderful company of Prophets,
The white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.
Holy Church throughout the world acknowledges Thee:
The Father of infinite Majesty;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When Thou tookest it upon Thyself to deliver man,
Thou didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Having overcome the sting of death, Thou opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou willst come to be our Judge.
We, therefore, beg Thee to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood.
Let them be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.

V.  Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance!
R.  Govern them, and raise them up forever.

V.  Every day we thank Thee.
R.  And we praise Thy Name forever, yes, forever and ever.

V.  O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
R.  Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

V.  Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.
R.  O Lord, in Thee I have put my trust; let me never be put to shame.
 

Te Deum laudamus: te Dominum confitemur.
Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur.
Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi caeli et universae Potestates;
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.
Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Patrem immensae maiestatis:
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

V.  Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.
R.  Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.

V.  Per singulos dies benedicimus te.
R.  Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.

V.  Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
R.  Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri.

V.  Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te.
R.  In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.
 

Jan. 1 Veni Creator Spiritus – plenary indulgence if recited publicly

A big thanks to Mary Jane!

Veni Creator Spiritus – plenary indulgence can be obtained for Jan. 1 if recited publicly - print out & bring to Mass - recite with fellow parishioners and/or family  (Latin and English below)

  

 

1. What is a Plenary Indulgence?

    A Plenary Indulgence is the full remission of temporal punishment
    due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after
the sinner has confessed and received absolution. Indulgences draw on the Treasury of Merit
accumulated by Christ's superabundantly meritorious sacrifice on the cross and the virtues and
penances of the saints. They are granted for specific good works and prayers.

 

2. Who Can Gain A Plenary Indulgence?

To be capable of gaining an indulgence for oneself, it is
required that one be baptized, not excommunicated, in the state of grace at least at the completion of
the prescribed works, and a subject of the one granting the indulgence.

 

3. Who Can I get a Plenary Indulgence for?

You can gain a Plenary Indulgence for yourself or for a
deceased person (or a holy soul in purgatory) But not for another living person, they have to get it for themselves. 

 

Here are the usual conditions for obtaining one:

1. Receive Holy Communion on January 1

2. Go to Confession (within 8 Days)

3. Have no attachment to sin.
4. Pray for the Intentions of the Pope one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be

 

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

 

O comforter, to Thee we cry,
O heavenly gift of God Most High,
O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.

 

Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;
Thou, finger of God's hand we own;
Thou, promise of the Father, Thou
Who dost the tongue with power imbue.

 

Kindle our sense from above,
and make our hearts o'erflow with love;
with patience firm and virtue high
the weakness of our flesh supply.

 

Far from us drive the foe we dread,
and grant us Thy peace instead;
so shall we not, with Thee for guide,
turn from the path of life aside.

 

Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow
the Father and the Son to know;
and Thee, through endless times confessed,
of both the eternal Spirit blest.

 

Now to the Father and the Son,
Who rose from death, be glory given,
with Thou, O Holy Comforter,
henceforth by all in earth and heaven.
Amen.
---------------------------------------------------
Veni, Creator Spiritus,
mentes tuorum visita,
imple superna gratia
quae tu creasti pectora.

 

Qui diceris Paraclitus,
altissima donum Dei,
fons vivus, ignis, caritas,
et spiritalis unctio.

 

Tu, septiformis munere,
digitus paternae dexterae,
Tu rite promissum Patris,
sermone ditans guttura.

 

Accende lumen sensibus:
infunde amorem cordibus:
infirma nostri corporis
virtute firmans perpeti.

 

Hostem repellas longius,
pacemque dones protinus:
ductore sic te praevio
vitemus omne noxium.

 

Per te sciamus da Patrem,
noscamus atque Filium;
Teque utrisque Spiritum
credamus omni tempore.

 

Deo Patri sit gloria,
et Filio, qui a mortuis
surrexit, ac Paraclito,
in saeculorum saecula.
Amen.
 

"My Merry Christmas Song" - Merry Christmas Mary

A big mahalo nui loa to Father Khanh who told us about this beautiful song by Johnny Cash, this morning at the Misa de Gallo.


Merry Christmas Mary,
thank you for the Child.
Thank you for Lord Jesus.
Thank you for the Child.
Christmas time is here again,
peace on Earth good will to men.
The air is filled with joyful sounds,
merry wishing all around.
Giving and receiving gifts,
stopping by to thank all of our friends.
And we thank you Mary,
for helping give God's greatest gift to man.
Merry Christmas Mary.
Thank you for the Child.
Thgank you for Lord Jesus.
Thank you for the Child.
Merry Christmas Mary,
to often we forget.
To thank you for your part in giving the greatest Christmas present yet.
Merry Christmas Mary.

Year of Mercy Reflections

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Spiritual Guidance from Saint John of the Cross

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The following is from Magnifcat's Meditation of the day.  It will be shared in a list form for easy reference.   If we read this every day it will remind us how we can actually become holy.

- "Do not commit a mortal sin for all there is in the world, or any deliberate venial sin, or any known imperfection.

- Endeavor to remain always in the presence of God, either real, imaginative, or unitive insofar as is permitted by your works.

- Do nothing nor say any notable word that Christ would not have done or said were He in the state I am, as old as I, and with the same kind of health.

- Strive for the greater honor and glory of God in all things.

-  Do not omit mental prayer for any occupation, for it is the sustenance of your soul.

-  Do not not omit examination of conscience because of any of your occupations.

-  For any fault do some penance.

-  Be deeply sorry for any time that is lost or that passes without your loving God.

-  In all things, both high and low, let God be your goal, for in no other way will you grow in merit and perfection.

-  Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason.  God often desires to see what love your soul has, and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction.

-  In heaven and on earth, always take the lowest and the last place and office.

-  Never interfere in what you are not ordered to do, nor be obstinate about anything, even though you may be right.

-  And if, as the saying goes, they give you an inch, do not take a mile.  Some deceive themselves in such matters and think they have an obligation of doing that which, if they reflect upon it well, in no way obliges them.

- Pay no attention to the affairs of others, whether they be good or bad, for besides the danger of sin, this is a cause of distractions and the lack of spirit.

-  Strive always to confess your sins with a deep knowledge of your own wretchedness and with clarity and purity."

Jubilee Year of Mercy

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Pope Francis opened wide the doors to usher in the Year of Mercy.

Jesus told Saint Faustina:

 "My heart is a sea of Mercy.  All who glorify and spread my Mercy will not have terror at the hour of death.  I will defend them as My own glory.  Every soul that says this Chaplet or when others say it for a dying person, the pardon is the same. My Mercy will shield them from My Just Hands.  If sinners run away from my Merciful Heart, they will fall into My Just Hands..."

Pope Francis is calling us to do  these corporal and spiritual acts or mercy regularly during this great Jubilee Year. Our holy father is giving Catholics, and non-Catholics too, an opportunity to become more compassionate towards one another but especially towards those in need.

THE ACTS OF MERCY

CORPORAL ACTS:

To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To give shelter to the homeless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.

SPIRITUAL ACTS:
To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offenses willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead

Remember that charity begins at home.  If we don't have love and compassion or show mercy to those in our own family, how can we be expected to show compassion and mercy to strangers?

Militia Immaculata's Daily Renewal of Total Consecration

Picture source:  Pinterest

Immaculata,

Queen and Mother of the Church,

I renew my consecration to you this day

and for always,

so that you may use me for the 

coming of the Kingdom of Jesus

in the whole world.

To this end I offer you all my prayers,

actions, and sacrifices of this day.

DAILY MIRACULOUS MEDAL PRAYER OF ST. MAXIMILIAN

O Mary, conceived without sin,

pray for us who

have recourse to you,

and for all those who do not have recourse to you,

especially the enemies of Holy Church

and all those recommended to you.

WHY TOTAL CONSECRATION:

As the Son of God entrusted Himself to the womb of the Virgin Mary to come into the world,

so we imitate Jesus and entrust ourselves to the Immaculate Virgin Mary on our journey to heave, for personal sanctification and the conversion of the world to Christ.

WHY SHOULD I JOIN THE MILITIA IMMACULATE?

The Militia of the Immaculate (MI) is a world-wide ecclesial movement founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe in 1917.  The MI has the full approval of the Vatican and canonical statues, and is dedicated to bringing the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through consecration to the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

www.consecration.com Marytown

Solemnity - The Immaculate Conception

ACT OF CONSECRATION

O, Mary Star of the Sea,

Mother of God,

accept my entire consecration to you.

Standing before you, 

I offer your Immaculate Heart my feelings,

my thoughts, my actions, my sufferings, 

my death, 

all I can do,

all that I have,

all that I am.

I wish to love you,

to honor you,'

to defend your titles, 

especially that of your Immaculate Conception,

and to strive to imitate your virtues.

Grant that I may act in everything only through love

for the Heart of Jesus and for you,

Our Lady Star of the Sea.

The Confraternity of Our Lady Star of the Sea

Central Headquarters

PO Box 609

100-265 Morgan City, LA 70381

Fatima Message: On the Sixth Commandment

Fatima Message - On Priests

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Fatima Message - On Matrimony

Fatima Messages - On Fashions

Fatima Message - On War

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Solemnity Feast of the Immaculate Conception - December 8th Hour of Grace; Year of Mercy

Picture source. I would recommend you reading Kim's blog post.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is one of two holy days of obligations in Hawaii.

Tuesday, December 8th, 2015 will open the Year of Mercy as proclaimed by our Holy Father Pope Francis.

Vatican's Jubilee of Mercy website

It is imperative that we participate as much as we can during this jubilee year. This is an opportunity to practice the corporal and spiritual acts of mercy and to evangelize. Take advantage of God's forgiveness and mercy by going to confession regularly.  There will also be many opportunities of gaining plenary indulgences even if you cannot make it to the Vatican.

Reminder: on December 8th, there is also the Hour of Grace.

THE REQUEST OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER FOR THE HOUR OF GRACE :

1. Day and time of the Hour of Grace: December 8th, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, to be started at 12:00 noon and continuing until 1:00 p.m. for one full hour of prayer.

2. During this hour, the person making the "Hour of Grace" either at home or at Church must put away all distractions (do not answer the telephones, or answer any doors, or do anything but totally concentrate on your union with God during this special Hour of Grace).

3. Begin the Hour of Grace by praying three (3) times the 51st Psalm with out-stretched arms. (Psalm 51 appears below)

4. The rest of the Hour of Grace may be spent in silent communication with God meditating upon the Passion of Jesus, saying the Holy Rosary, praising God in your own way, or by using favorite prayers, singing hymns, meditating upon other psalms, etc.

Please copy and distribute this message. Remember to pray for your country during this hour. The Blessed Virgin has requested that her important message be sent throughout the entire world. Please help her Mission: that all souls be drawn to GOD, and that JESUS will be loved in every heart. This is the perpetual song of her heart. Let it also be ours.

PSALM 51

Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense.
Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.
For I know my offense; my sin is always before me.
Against you alone have I sinned; I have done such evil in your sight That you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn.
True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
Still, you insist on sincerity of heart; in my inmost being teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, make me whiter than snow.
Let me hear sounds of joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my guilt.
A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit.
Do not drive me from your presence, nor take from me your holy spirit.
Restore my joy in your salvation; sustain in me a willing spirit.
I will teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you.
Rescue me from death, God, my saving God, that my tongue may praise your healing power.
Lord, open my lips; my mouth will proclaim your praise.
For you do not desire sacrifice; a burnt offering you would not accept.
My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart.
Make Zion prosper in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with proper sacrifice, burnt offerings and holocausts; then bullocks will be offered on your altar.

The Christmas Anticipation Novena or St. Andrew Christmas Novena Begins Today

Prayer can be found here.

You pray it 15 times a day until Christmas, asking for your personal intentions.

 Happy Advent!

How Peace Can Reign in the World

"Our Divine Savior is ready to bestow innumerable graces through this Sacrament, which are lost in consequence of the ignorance and indifference of men.  When the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is not revered and loved, scandals will abound, faith will languish and the Church mourn. On the other hand, if this Sacrament be worthily frequented, peace will reign in Christians hearts, the devil will lose power and souls will be sanctified..." - The Blessed Sacrament:  Our Greatest Treasure

Wednesday Prayer for the Holy Souls

O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood of Thy divine Son Jesus that was shed in the streets of Jerusalem whilst He carried on His sacred shoulders the heavy burden of the Cross,
deliver the souls in purgatory and especially that one which is richest in merits in Thy sight, so that, having soon attained the high place n glory to which it is destined, it may praise Thee triumphantly and bless Thee for ever.  Amen.

from The Raccolta, 594-595

SAINT JOHN PAUL II Beyond Doctrine and Politics

SAINT JOHN PAUL II

 Beyond Doctrine and Politics

Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.

            Karol Wojtyla (1920-2005) served as Pope John Paul II (1978-2007) in a lengthy, whirlwind, and remarkable papacy.   He passed to eternity April 2, 2005.  In 2011 he was beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.  October 22, the date of his installation as pope in 1978, has been assigned as his festival day in the liturgical calendar.  And now our current Holy Father, Pope Francis, has raised him to sainthood.

            What do you recall about this remarkable pontiff? 

            Saint John Paul II was born to lead and to inspire, to bridge the human and the divine.  More than one observer characterized him as “man of the century” during his lifetime.  And even before his passing to eternity some commentators were assigning to him the encomium “John Paul the Great.”

            But John Paul II also drew a considerable share of criticism

and a wide variance of opinion.  Then what can we say with certainty, in the absolute, about the 264th successor of St. Peter.  Looking beyond doctrine and politics we see a truly extraordinary person.

            Above all, he mattered in his period of history.  He changed the face of Europe, stopped several wars and protested others, traveled the equivalent of three-and-a-half times to the moon.  He has been seen in person by more people than anyone else in history.  John Paul II most certainly must be numbered among the titans of his time.  This pope was a magnet for humanity.

            As a “sign of contradiction” and one who mattered in human and church arenas, he also divided.  The wide range of varying opinions might be the most convincing sign of his impact.  John Paul II made over 100 trips outside Italy, canonized about 500 saints, beatified about 1400, and authored more than a dozen landmark encyclicals and numerous other instructions.  He worked to bring together East and West .   The list of his activities seems endless.  He exhibited boundless energy for work and for engaging people.  All of this made him famous, but it also made him controversial.  His was a bruising, polarizing pontificate.

            In the final analysis, we can confidently say that John Paul, deeper than his politics and his Polish Catholic cultural formation, was an extraordinary person of sterling character, a genuine mensch. He was a strong, intelligent, caring human being.  His integrity and dedication to duty present a standard by which other leaders can be measured.

            Above all, John Paul was a selfless human being in a me-first world.  Cardinal Roberto Tucci, who planned the pope’s trips and briefed him hundreds of times on trips long and short, observed that never did the pope ask what conveniences or creature comforts to expect.  That indifference to himself was noticeable every time he entered the public stage.   The very motto of this dedicated apostle of Mary indicated this: “Totus tuus” (I am all yours).

            This is the key to his personal magnetism that drew enormous crowds everywhere, even in places where his political or doctrinal stands were unpopular.  Deeper than either secular or religious concerns was his personal integrity -- goodness and holiness, the qualities we prize most highly in others.  A person may be regarded as liberal or conservative, avant-garde or traditional, but let that person be decent, and that suffices.

            John Paul II’s authentic humanity was the source of his appeal.  The most important lesson he offered is the coherence of his own life.   When he urged Christians, in the words of Jesus, “duc in altum” (set off into the deep), that resonated even with those who sought different shores.

            Saint John Paul’s admirers and critics alike can say of him what Shakespeare’s Hamlet said of his father: “He was a man.  Take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.”

First Saturday Devotion Requirements

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Quote by St. Therese of Lisieux

In honor of the upcoming Year of Mercy which will be heralded in on December 8th, I will be sharing spiritual quotes by holy men and women, on God's mercy.  Today the church celebrates the feast of the Little Flower so I think it is fitting that we share one of her quotes since her whole life proclaimed love of God and His infinite mercy.

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The Spiritual Life - The Confidence of a Simple Soul

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SL3

JUNIPERO SERRA, APOSTLE OF CALIFORNIA

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JUNIPERO SERRA, APOSTLE OF CALIFORNIA

“I want to be a missionary.”

Brother John Samaha, S.M.

            Saint Junipero Serra (1713-1784), the first apostle and colonizer of Alta California was a model evangelizer and is a benchmark for the missionary spirit for spreading and renewing the faith.  The church celebrates his feast on July 1.

          When Pope Francis visited the USA in September 2015 he canonized him at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

          A native of Petra on the Spanish island of Majorca and baptized Miguel Jose, he followed in the footsteps of his early educators, the Franciscans, and took the name of Junipero, who was a disciple of St. Francis himself.  After a decade of service as a noted preacher and professor of philosophy, he rekindled his early desire to be a missionary and requested to be sent to Mexico in the new World.  In 1749 at the age of 36 he wrote a formal petition to his provincial superior: “All my life I have wanted to be a missionary.  I have wanted to carry the Gospel teachings to those who have never heard of God and the kingdom he has prepared for them.” 

          Fray Junipero was missioned to the New World in Mexico, where he served the native populations for twenty years.  When Spain decided to complete the occupation of California, he and other specially trained Franciscan missionaries accompanied the military and the colonists.  During the ensuing fifteen years in Alta California, he founded the first nine of the twenty-one missions.  In this period Serra was compelled to confront the military and civil authorities concerning the mistreatment of the Native Americans.  He drafted a statement of thirty-two grievances which he personally presented to the Viceroy in Mexico.  Some of his recommended improvements were implemented and some were overlooked.

          Though afflicted with an ulcerated leg wound, Padre Serra frequently visited his missions, often walking rather than riding horseback because St. Francis al Assisi had always walked.  Records show that he baptized and confirmed thousands of natives without neglecting the colonists and the soldiers.  He was beloved by all.  While concentrating on the spiritual needs of the neophytes and catechumens, he and his collaborators did not forget their material welfare.  The natives were taught methods of farming, cattle raising, along with arts and crafts.  The native peoples were educated to shift from an unsettled lifestyle to a stable domestic way of life.  Serra’s extensive written reports filed with government and religious authorities reveal a saintly man who loved and served his people as an adept teacher, organizer and manager.

          Although some Spaniards were guilty of abusive treatment, Padre Serra had never been guilty of mistreatment.  On the contrary, he defended them from harm.   In 1784 Father Serra died at Mission San Carlos Borromeo, and later he was buried in the sanctuary of its church. When St. John Paul II beatified Junipero Serra on September 25, 1988, he praised the Apostle of California as “an exemplary model of the selfless evangelizer, a shining example of Christian virtue and the missionary spirit.”  These are the traits we are challenged to exhibit.

          A statue of Junipero Serra represents California in the National Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.  Imposing statues of the colonizer of California also grace Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and are also prominently placed in many other cities throughout the state.  His name has been adopted by the international lay organization of men and women known as the Serra Club, which is dedicated to fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life. 

          Saint Junipero Serra witnessed to the holiness of the Church and its concern for all people.  As an extraordinary missionary and an exceptional example of the Church’s apostolic calling to preach and exemplify the Gospel to everyone, he personifies the spirit of the new evangelization that characterizes our times.

         

                                        A  Junipero Serra Vignette

          November 24 is the feast day of Saint Junipero Serra, Apostle of California.  The son of Antonio and Margarita Ferrer, he was baptized Miguel Jose and took the name Junipero as a Franciscan.

          Pope Saint John Paul II beatifed him in 1988.  Pope Francis canonized him in 2015.

          This is part of the documented legacy of Blessed Junipero Serra to the Church in California.

·       He walked an estimated 4,000 miles in California on his missionary journeys with an injured leg.

·       He baptized 98% of the adult converts at Mission San Carlos Borromeo in Carmel.

·       He confirmed 4,076.

·       The records of The Early California Population Project indicate that his efforts supporting the 21 missions, the Los Angeles Plaza Church, and the Santa Barbara Presidio resulted in 101,000 baptisms, 28,000 marriages, and 71,000 burials.

The Spiritual Life - Jesus the Friend

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Reflections for a Spiritual Life - Cooperating with the Holy Spirit

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Fatima Messages - from the Angel of Peace

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Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows - The Seven Sorrows of Mary as seen through Art

TO THE MOTHER OF SORROWS

Most holy Virgin and Mother,

whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow

in the Passion of thy divine Son,

and who in His glorious Resurrection

was filled with never-ending joy at His triumph; 

obtain for us who call upon thee,

so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church

and the sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff,

as to be found worthy to rejoice 

with them in the consolations

for which we pray,

in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Prayer Book.


1.  The Prophecy of Simeon.

"The Presentation of Jesus" by Fra Angelico

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2.  The Flight into Egypt.

"The Flight into Egypt" by Vittore Carpaccio

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3.  The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple.

"The Loss of Jesus in the Temple" Christ the King Chapel, Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Belleville, Illinois

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4.  The Meeting of Mary and Jesus at the Way to Calvary.

by Andrea di Bartolo

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5. The Crucifixion.

by Giotto

  Picture source

6.  The Descent from the Cross.

Master of St. Bartholomew Altar

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7.  The Entombment.

by Peter Paul Rubens

Messages from Our Lady of Fatima

We will be sharing the message on Fatima in a format that can be pinned on Pinterest or shared on social networks.  Our Lady's message has never been more urgent.  Please help us to save souls by sharing Our Lady's messages. 

Originally posted to World Apostolate of Fatima - Diocese of Honolulu Blog

The Most Holy Name of Mary

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Mary was a common name among the Hebrews because it recalled the memory of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. For this reason some scholars think this name is related to an old Egyptian word meaning beloved. This understanding certainly fits Mary of Nazareth. She was so beloved by God that she was always in the right relationship with Him. Out of love God chose her to be the mother of Jesus. Love is about the whole person, the entirety of her being, one whose very name is beautiful.

 Every September 12 we honor the Holy Name of Mary in our liturgical calendar. St. Bonaventure prayed, “Your name, Mary, cannot be spoken devoutly without bringing with it some grace." We honor Mary’s name because it is a sacrament of the person. To know Mary’s name is to know her. To speak her name with reverence is to be familiar with her who was most familiar with God. In some Asian countries she is known by names that mean one who hears our cries.

May we always honor the name of Jesus’ mother and our spiritual mother. When in need, call on Mary.

 -- Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.

The Danger of Abortion to the Family by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Today on the feast day of Mother Teresa, I share her prophetic words regarding the family.

"If there is so much disturbance in the world today, if there is so much sadness, so much killing and anxiety, it is because the family is no longer united...
father against mother, children against children...
a mother committing a murder in her own womb,
a mother who is afraid of her own child,
afraid to have to love one more child,
so afraid that she must kill that child-
the child must die so that she may live,
so that she may be free.
If a mother can kill her own child, what is there to stop others from killing one another?"

- from The Best Gift is Love.

Prayer of Saint Augustine (after Receiving Holy Communion)

"Death of Saint Monica" by Juan Barba

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O Lord Jesus, let me know myself, let me know You, 

and let me desire nothing but You alone.

Let me hate myself and love You, 

and do all things for the sake of You.

Let me humble myself and exalt You, 

and think of nothing but You alone.

Let me die to myself and live in You, 

and take whatever

happens as coming from You.

Let me forsake myself and walk after You, 

and ever desire to follow You.

Let me flee from myself and turn to You, 

that thus I may

merit to be defended by You.

Let me fear for myself, let me fear You, 

and be among those who are chosen by You.

Let me distrust myself and trust in You,

 and ever obey for love of You.

Let me cleave to nothing but only to You, 

and ever be poor for the sake of You.

Look upon me that I may love You.  

Call me that I may see You and forever possess You.  Amen.

-Treasury of Prayer by Rev. Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D.

WHY THE DECREASE IN CHRISTIAN POPULATIONS IN THE EAST?

The attached article on the timely topic of Christians emigrating from the Holy Land was published in SOPHIA, Summer 2015, pages 17 and 19.

Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.

            Christians are becoming an ever smaller minority in the Holy Land countries of Jesus Christ’s time.

            At the beginning of the twentieth century Christians accounted for a quarter of the population in the countries of the Near East and Middle East.  Muslims have been the majority.  One hundred years later in the second decade of the third millennium the number of Christians has decreased to less than five per cent, except in Lebanon.

            Why is the Christian population shrinking in these Muslim-dominated countries?    Researchers in Beirut and in Rome identify three reasons based on their observations.  The causes of shrinking Christian population are demographic changes, emigration, and sterner Islamization.

Demography

            Muslims multiply faster than Christians.  This is due partially because of Muslim polygamy, a fairly common practice in rural areas.

            Another contributing factor is improved hygiene and health care.  Until a half-century ago, before the use of antibiotics and advanced medical care, infant mortality in these areas was higher in Muslim communities than among the more educated Christian families.  Now Muslim families are no longer plagued by that handicap. 

            In the socio-cultural realm, Christians place strong emphasis on the education of their children, and this accounts for a somewhat lower birth rate.  World statistics indicate that groups with a greater educational and cultural achievement, in this case Christians, have fewer children.  Christian families used to average three or four children, and Muslims eight to ten.  The figures are lower now, and the gap continues to grow.

Emigration

            Worsening social and political factors have caused increased Christian emigration.  Christians occupy an inferior position in Islamic society.  This is stipulated both in the Qur’an and in historical tradition. 

            According to Islam a Christian is one who pays taxes and is tolerated, but in a position subordinate to Muslims.  The Qur’an actually calls for the “humiliation” of Christians (sura IX, verse 29), although the term has been interpreted differently throughout history by various Muslim rulers.  In most, but not all, Muslim countries Christians have been allowed to worship freely, but were subject to diverse humiliations.  In times past they had to cede to Muslims passing by, or travel on foot while Muslims were permitted to ride horses.

            In the modern era Christians in Muslim lands have worked for equal rights.  In fact, in nineteenth century Egypt under Mehmed Ali Pasha, and in Turkey after Ataturk’s revolution of 1923, Christians were trusted with important roles in the modernization of Muslim countries. 

            While some Muslim and Israeli political leaders pay lip service to equal rights for Christians, the reality is often the opposite.

Islamization

            Re-Islamization and intolerance have sprung up again and been re-fueled with the current crisis in the Arab world caused by the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.  In this era it must be understood objectively that Israel was not founded in a just and equitable manner.  For the first time in world history a state was born from nothing at the expense of another people, whose identity was cancelled as its territory was confiscated.  Because of a troubled conscience following the Shoah, the West facilitated the population of a new state with Jews from outside the area, mostly from Europe.  Consequently the Muslim world perceived Israel as a Western and Christian creation.  Unfortunately the identification of “Western” with “Christian” persists in Muslim society.

AN IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARY OVERLOOKED

by Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.

The 1,700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan came and went with hardly a notice.

         A most important event in Church history, promulgated February 3, 313, the Edict of Milan granted Christians freedom from three centuries of persecution.  Thereafter the Christian faithful, for the first time, enjoyed the same religious liberties that other religious groups had.  The Christians gained legal protections that allowed them to build houses of worship and had their confiscated possessions restored.

        The signing of the Edict of Milan by Emperor Constantine heralded the official recognition of Western Christian civilization and the free societies we enjoy today.

        The extent and severity of the persecution suffered by the early Christians are practically incomprehensible to the modern mind.  Countless Christians were tortured and killed under the emperors Nero (who had Peter crucified in 64), Domitian, Marcus Aurelius, and Septimus Severus.  The atrocities abated under Severus Alexander (208-235) who was sympathetic to Christians, only to flare up again under the emperors Maximus Thracian, Decius, and Valerian (253-260).

        With Diocletian (299-311) and his contemporaries, Galerius and Maximian, the persecutions peaked.  Under Diocletian alone an estimated half million Christians were killed.  The last persecution occurred under Licinius (308-324), but the move toward greater liberty had begun.  In 311 an Edict of Tolerance was issued. Although property was being confiscated, this was corrected by Licinius and Constantine, then Roman emperors of East and West respectively, with the Edict of Milan in 313.

        Diocletian's intent was to transform society following years of ineffective leaders, wars, foreign attacks, and deep-seated economic problems.  However, he was criticized by the Christian author Lactantius for assuming monarchical powers not granted him by the Roman constitution.

        Diocletian's persecution of Christians began after his pagan priests blamed Christian court officials for making the Sign of the Cross in a court ceremony.  Then the emperor ordered all Christians in government and military service to sacrifice to pagan gods or be dismissed.  Ordinary civilians were excluded.

        Eventually the death penalty was inflicted against Christian bishops and priests.  Churches and Bibles were confiscated and burned.  Then ordinary citizens were forced to violate their Christian beliefs or suffer martyrdom. 

        Life in the post-Constantine Church was not all smooth sailing. but it was not subject to the corruption myths that emerged during the Renaissance and Reformation and Enlightenment.

        Questions about whether the Roman Empire surrendered to Christianity, or whether Christianity prostituted itself to the empire have long been disregarded by competent historians, except in fictitious potboilers like Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code.

        Constantine was far from perfect, but neither was he a corrupter of the Church nor an intolerant zealot who obliterated all worship that was not Catholic.  Paganism was not rapidly stamped out by state repression, but gradually disappeared as people abandoned the pagan temples in response to the superior appeal of Christianity. 

        Constantine conferred secular powers and privileges on bishops, but this was in the interests of justice and liberty.  The bishops had reputations for honesty and resistance to bribery.

        In later times close involvement between State and senior Church officials led to abuses, but the blame for this can hardly be laid on Constantine.

        Constantine is to be remembered for being the protagonist in fostering the advent of Christian civilization in the West.  The path for Christians was never smooth.  Persecutions continued.  But the liberty Constantine won allowed the Church to flourish for centuries to come.  Actually the Christians were the first to develop the notion of religious liberty.

        As society becomes increasingly secular, will future 

anniversaries of the Edict of Milan -- and similar important events -- be so blithely overlooked?

        

Marriage

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The world continues to cry out in victory.  Man's laws have made homosexual marriage the law of the land.  God's laws have been altered to suit misguided people.  It is a triumphant day for the world because they believe marriage equality has been achieved.

Is God weeping or is He seething in anger?  One wonders what is in store for us.  Will God punish such a personal attack?  God is the only one who knows but one thing is certain, He is still in control.

Those of us who follow Him are troubled and trying hard to make sense of this chaotic world turned upside down.  The warning signs were ignored by the majority it seems.  Civil unions were never enough to satiate a lust for control.  It was marriage that was the intended target.

It does appears the world has gone mad or drunk with power.

Christians, especially Catholics are now being targeted.  The world will not rest until the Christians are punished or wiped out.  Christians will continue to be intimidated, falsely accused of intolerance, bigotry and hate.  Ironically, that is exactly how the world reacts to those who do not agree with them or who do not blindly follow like lemmings. The world is very intolerant of those who oppose their wicked ways.  God help you if  one has deep held beliefs or try to defend God's laws.

This persecution has begun.

Churches are in danger of losing their tax-exempt status.  Pastors are being forced to perform so-called "same-sex marriages" or be punished by fines or lawsuits.  Marriage will become a free-for-all for those who want to marry as they please such as multiple spouses, marriage to animals or even inanimate objects.  And, it is frightening to think of the consequence that it will have on children.

Something good may come out of this darkness.  This mockery of marriage may make Christians  appreciate their own marriage vows.   We will see how precious this sacrament that we share with our spouse really is.  How many of us have foolishly taken our marriage for granted!  How many of us go through the motions of every day life without really working on strengthening our marriage?  Why is it that we start appreciate something when it is threatened?

Christians,  and all people of good-will, continue to fight for the sanctity of marriage with prayer, especially as a couple or as a family, by sharing inspirational quotes when emailing or on social networks, and by speaking out respectfully when needed, to defend what God has created and which the world cannot change, no matter what dubious laws they pass.

"We must never forge that only when love between human beings is put to the test can it's true value be seen." - St. John Paul II