Feast of the Visitation

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My soul doth magnify the Lord
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him
throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel
as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.

Enthronment of Our Homes to the Two Hearts

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Since this is the Feast of the Sacred Heart, and since this blog's purpose is to help families become more like the Holy Family, I thought this would be a good devotion to write about:

This is your Guide to Doing the Enthronement in Your Home

1. Frame your pictures of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart
of Mary, after selecting the “place of honor” in your home where the
family spends time together. This could be the living, dining, family room or
even the kitchen. Then, arrange the time for the enthronement.

2. When all is ready, gather together and recite the prayers from the Enthronement Scroll and put the pictures in the place of honor. You may add personal prayers, and then, using your own words, “speak from the heart” to ask Jesus and Mary to watch over you and your family.

3. Sign your name on the bottom of the Enthronement Scroll, including the place and date. Please keep your Scroll in a safe place for future get-togethers and information.

Suggestions for “Living Out” the Enthronement and Consecration
• Cut out and give an Enthronement Prayer Card to each family member to use every day. This little prayer is so powerful because it unites all that we do with Jesus and Mary and their intentions.

O my Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for sins, for the intentions of my family and friends, for the Holy Father, the Church and
the souls in purgatory.

Thank you Lord for all Your gifts and blessings. Please keep us safe today in Your love and grace, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary and all the angels and saints. Amen.

• Arrange for your next get-together. Set aside at least 15 quiet minutes a week when you can gather as a family to pray and share “what the Lord is doing” in your life. Try your own format, adding time and ideas, as you gather and grow. What is important is that everyone continue the prayers and good work begun in the
Consectration to Jesus and Mary as a source for many graces.

• Other suggestions for prayer and devotion:

1. Select one of the Twelve Great Promises each month to reflect on, and discuss its meaning in your lives.

2. Pray the Rosary as asked by Our Blessed Mother at Fatima for peace in the world and blessings for your family. Saying the Rosary as a family is especially powerful.

3. Try to start making the First Friday and First Saturday Devotions as soon as you can.

• Remember to turn to Jesus and Mary and talk with them as your Best Friends.
Lastly, we pray every day that all will be blessed abundantly.
May the Love of Jesus and Mary guide and care for you always. — The Enthronement Team

Why the Enthronement and Consecration Are so Important and History:
The Enthronement is more than a blessing of the Sacred Heart picture for the home.
It is the dedication of a person and family to the Divine Heart of Jesus, for us to live in union with Him by love, grace and obedience to His Commandments. The Enthronement brings countless graces and blessings, as enumerated in the Twelve Great Promises He made to St. Margaret Mary.

What does it mean?
The word enthronement means to put upon a throne. In effect when we enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus as King and head of our home, we are turning our life and hearts over to Him to bless, guide, and protect us always. Through the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary we are asking Mary as our spiritual Mother to extend
her mantle of love, comfort and protection over to us and to lead us into a deeper relationship with her son Jesus.

What does it mean?
The word enthronement means to put upon a throne. In effect when we enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus as King and head of our home, we are turning our life and hearts over to Him to bless, guide, and protect us always. Through the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary we are asking Mary as our spiritual Mother to extend her mantle of love, comfort and protection over to us and to lead us into a deeper relationship with her son Jesus.

Why is it so important?
It is a way for our families to obtain special graces and blessings. Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary, “I will bless the homes in which an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored”. To invite Jesus and Mary into our homes takes on even greater meaning in these troubled times and can be a source of great comfort through our faith and prayers.

History of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has existed throughout much of the history of the Church. However, in France in June 1675, Jesus instructed St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that He wished devotion to His Sacred Heart to be made known to the world. Through the efforts of St. Margaret Mary and St. Claude La Colombiere, and with the grace of God, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus did spread throughout the world. Jesus conveyed to St. Margaret Mary, Twelve Great Promises for those devoted to His Sacred Heart. The modern day version of the devotion, whereby the Sacred Heart of Jesus is enthroned into homes, was started by Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey of the Sacred Heart Fathers in Chile in the early 1900’s. Pope Pius X directed Father Mateo to make it his life’s work to bring the “entire world, home by home, family by family to the SacredHeart.”

History of Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary has been practiced through the years in the Church. However, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary came into world prominence when the Blessed Mother appeared to three young shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. On June 13, 1917 our Blessed Mother said to Lucia, one of the
three, “…God wishes to use you to make Me known and loved, to establish throughout the world, devotion to My Immaculate Heart. To all those who embrace it, I promise salvation, and their souls will be loved by God as flowers placed by Me before His throne”. In our own time, Pope John Paul II consecrated the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and placed us all under her loving care. For more information, contact The Enthronement Ministries

Telephone: 610.783.7828
Email: info@enthronement.org
Visit: www.enthronement.org

All information was taken directly from the website above.

Litany of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

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In honor of the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have decided to post the following litany. The video is in Latin, and some history anda English traslation is also posted below:

In 1899 Pope Leo XIII approved this Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for public use. This litany is actually a synthesis of several other litanies dating back to the 17th century. Father Croiset composed a litany in 1691 from which 17 invocations were used by Venerable Anne Madeleine Remuzat when she composed her litany in 1718 at Marseille. She joined an additional 10 invocations to those of Father Croiset, for a total of 27 invocations. Six more invocations written by Sister Madeleine Joly of Dijon in 1686 were added by the Sacred Congregation for Rites when it was approved for public use in 1899. This makes a total of 33 invocations, one for each year of life of our Lord Jesus Christ. A partial indulgence is attached to this litany. (Taken from the EWTN website).



Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, (response is: have mercy on us)
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God, the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, One God,
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father,
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother,
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God,
Heart of Jesus, of Infinite Majesty,
Heart of Jesus, Sacred Temple of God,
Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the Most High,
Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven,
Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity,
Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love,
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love,
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues,
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise,
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts,
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fullness of divinity,
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased,
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received,
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills,
Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful,
Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke Thee,
Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness,
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins,
Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium,
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses,
Heart of Jesus, obedient to death,
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance,
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation,
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection,
Heart of Jesus, our peace and our reconciliation,
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in Thee,
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee,
Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints,

Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, spare us O Lord.
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.

V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart.
R. Make our hearts like to Thine.
Let us pray;

Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Thy most beloved Son and upon the praises and satisfaction which He offers Thee in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Thy mercy, in Thy great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee forever and ever. Amen.

Saint Philip Neri

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PHILIP was one of the noble line of Saints raised up by God in the sixteenth century to console and bless His Church. After a childhood of angelic beauty the Holy Spirit drew him away from Florence, the place of his birth, showed him the world, that he might freely renounce it, led him to Rome, modelled him in mind and heart and will, and then, as by a second Pentecost, came down in visible form and filled his soul with light and peace and joy. He would have gone to India, but God reserved him for Rome. There he went on simply from day to day, drawing souls to Jesus, exercising them in mortification and charity, and binding them together by cheerful devotions; thus, unconsciously to himself, under the hands of Mary, as he said, the Oratory grew up, and all Rome was pervaded and transformed by its spirit. His life was a continuous miracle, his habitual state an ecstasy. He read the hearts of men, foretold their future, knew their eternal destiny. His touch gave health of body; his very look calmed souls in trouble and drove away temptations. He was gay, genial,
and irresistibly winning; neither insult nor wrong could dim the brightness of his joy.

Philip lived in an atmosphere of sunshine and gladness which brightened all who came near him. "When I met him in the street," says one, "he would pat my cheek and say, 'Well, how is Don Pellegrino?' and leave me so full of joy that I could not tell which way I was going." Others said that when he playfully pulled their hair or their ears, their hearts would bound with joy. Marcio Altieri felt such overflowing gladness in his presence that he said Philip's room was a paradise on earth. Fabrizio de Massimi would go in sadness or perplexity and stand at Philip's door; he said it was enough to see him, to be near him. And long after his death it was enough for many, when troubled, to go into his room to find their hearts lightened and gladdened. He inspired a boundless confidence and love, and was the common refuge and consoler of all. A gentle jest would convey his rebukes and veil his miracles. The highest honors sought him out, but he put them from him. He died in his eightieth year, in 1595, and bears the grand title of Apostle of Rome.

Reflection.—Philip wished his children to serve God, like the first Christians, in gladness of heart. He said this was the true filial spirit; this expands the soul, giving it liberty and perfection in action, power over temptations, and fuller aid to perseverance.

Taken from Lives of the Saints p. 193, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894], at sacred-texts.com

Corpus Christi Porcession

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In honor of the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, I have decided to post the following YouTube video:

Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, especially ...(special intention).

We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer. We trust to your gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever.
Amen.

This novena is taken from the EWTN website:

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

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V. Blessed be the holy Trinity and undivided Unity;
R. We will give glory to Him, because He hath shown His mercy to us.

V. O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is Thy Name in all the earth!
R. O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God!

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy
Blessed Trinity, hear us. Adorable Unity, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Father from Whom are all things, Have mercy on us.
Son through Whom are all things, Have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost in Whom are all things, Have mercy on us.
Holy and undivided Trinity, Have mercy on us.
Father everlasting, Have mercy on us.
Only-begotten Son of the Father,
Spirit Who preceedeth from the Father and the Son, Have mercy on us.
Co-eternal Majesty of Three Divine Persons, Have mercy on us.
Father, the Creator, Have mercy on us.
Son, the Redeemer, Have mercy on us.
Holy Ghost, the Comforter, Have mercy on us.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, Have mercy on us.
Who art, Who was, and Who art to come, Have mercy on us.
God Most High, Who inhabits eternity, Have mercy on us.
To Whom alone are due all honor and glory, Have mercy on us.
Who alone doest great wonders, Have mercy on us.
Power infinite, Have mercy on us.
Wisdom, incomprehensible, Have mercy on us.
Love unspeakable, Have mercy on us.

Be merciful, Spare us, O Holy Trinity.
Be merciful, Graciously hear us, O Holy Trinity.

From all evil, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
From all sin, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
From all pride, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
From all love of riches, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
From all uncleanness, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
From all sloth, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
From all inordinate affection, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
From all envy and malice, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
From all anger and impatience, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
From every thought, word, and deed contrary to Thy holy law, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
From Thine everlasting malediction, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
Through Thy plenteous loving kindness, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
Through the exceeding treasure of Thy goodness and love, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
Through the depths of Thy wisdom and knowledge, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.
Through all Thy unspeakable perfections, Deliver us, O Holy Trinity.

We sinners,
Beseech Thee, hear us.

That we may ever serve Thee alone, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That we may worship Thee in spirit and in truth, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That we may love Thee with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That, for Thy sake, we may love our neighbor as ourselves, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That we may faithfully keep Thy holy commandments, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That we may never defile our bodies and souls with sin, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That we may go from grace to grace, and from virtue to virtue, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That we may finally enjoy the sight of Thee in glory, We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to hear us, We beseech Thee, hear us.

O Blessed Trinity, We beseech Thee, deliver us.
O Blessed Trinity, We beseech Thee, save us.
O Blessed Trinity, Have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father (silently);
Hail Mary (silently).

V. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, in the firmament of Heaven,
R. And worthy to be praised, and glorious, and highly exalted forever.


Let Us Pray:
Almighty and everlasting God, Who hast granted Thy servants in the confession of the True Faith, to acknowledge the glory of an Eternal Trinity, and in the power of Thy majesty to adore a Unity: we beseech Thee that by the strength of this faith we may be defended from all adversity. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen. (Taken from EWTN's website). ******************************************
Fatima: THE ANGEL'S PRAYER
(Given to the three children by the angel who preceded Our Lady's first appearance to them.)

And O most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles
of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences by which He is offended. through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
(say 3 times)

Corpus Christi Novena

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Today the Corpus Christi Novena begins. Here is one from the EWTN website:

Novena Honoring the Body and Blood of Christ
I thank You, Jesus, my Divine Redeemer, for coming upon the earth for our sake, and for instituting the adorable Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in order to remain with us until the end of the world. I thank You for hiding beneath the Eucharistic species Your infinite majesty and beauty, which Your Angels delight to behold, so that I might have courage to approach the throne of Your Mercy. I thank You, most loving Jesus, for having made Your- self my food, and for uniting me to Yourself with so much love in this wonderful Sacrament that I may live in You. I thank You, my Jesus, for giving Yourself to me in this Blessed Sacrament, and so enriching it with the treasures of Your love that You have no greater gift to give me. I thank You not only for becoming my food but also for offering Yourself as a continual sacrifice to Your Eternal Father for my salvation. I thank You, Divine Priest, for offering Yourself as a Sacrifice daily upon our altars in adoration and homage to the Most Blessed Trinity, and for making amends for our poor and miserable adorations. I thank You for renewing in this daily Sacrifice the actual Sacrifice of the Cross offered on Calvary, in which You satisfy Divine justice for us poor sinners. I thank You, dear Jesus, for having become the priceless Victim to merit for me the fullness of heavenly favors. Awaken in me such confidence in You that their fullness may descend ever more fruitfully upon my soul. I thank You for offering Yourself in thanksgiving to God for all His benefits, spiritual and temporal, which He has bestowed upon me. In union with Your offering of Yourself to Your Father in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, I ask for this special favor: (Mention your request).If it be Your holy Will, grant my request. Through You I also hope to receive the grace of perseverance in Your love and faithful service, a holy death, and a happy eternity with You in Heaven. Amen.

O Lord, You have given us this Sacred Banquet, in which Christ is received, the memory of His Passion is renewed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.
You have given them bread from Heaven.
Having all sweetness within.

Let us pray. God our Father, for Your glory and our salvation You appointed Jesus Christ eternal High Priest. May the people He gained for You by His Blood come to share in the power of His Cross and Resurrection by celebrating His Memorial in this Eucharist, for He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever. Amen.

O Jesus, since You have left us a remembrance of Your Passion beneath the veils of this Sacrament, grant us, we pray, so to venerate the sacred mysteries of Your Body and Blood that we may always enjoy the fruits of Your Redemption, for You live and reign forever. Amen.

+JMJ+

In Fatima's Cove

Refrain: Ave, Ave, Ave Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave Maria!

1. In Fatima's cove on the thirteenth of May;
the Virgin Maria appeared at mid-day.

2. The Virgin Maria surrounded by light;
God's Mother is ours for she gives us this sight.

3. The world was then suffering from war, plague, and strife,
and Portugal mourned for her great loss of life.

4. To three shepherd children the Virgin then spoke
a message so hopeful, with peace for all folk.

5. With sweet Mother's pleading, she asked us to pray,
do penance, be modest, the Rosary each day.

6. All Portugal heard what God's Mother did say,
converted it sings of that Queen to this day.

7. We all must remember Our Lady's request,
do all that she asks for, obey her bequests.

8. She warned of behavior from which we must turn,
of thoughts, words, and actions which Christians must spurn.

9. To her sad, sweet pleading our promise is made,
that God's Law in all things be strongly obeyed.

10. From nation to nation her fair name is praised,
as souls from sin's bondage are contritely raised.

11. Our thanks to the Godhead, whose ways are so sure,
for giving us Mary, our Mother Most Pure.

12. Our hearts, overflowing with kindness and love,
thank her for God's graces bestowed from above.

13. Hail, Refuge of sinners! Hail, Star of the Sea!
Hail, Queen of Creation! Our hope is in thee.

14. All hail, Virgin Mary! This Star guides our way,
our country's Protectress, America's Way!

Pentecost Sunday

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Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
And in our souls take up your rest;
Come with your grace and heavenly aid
To fill the hearts which you have made.
O Comforter, to you we cry,
O heavenly gift of God Most High,
O fount of life and fire of love,
And sweet anointing from above.

You in your sevenfold gifts are known;
You, finger of God's hand we own;
You, promise of the Father, you
Who do the tongue with power imbue.

Kindle our senses from above,
And make our hearts overflow 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 your peace instead;
So shall we not, with you for guide,
Turn from the path of life aside.

Oh, may your grace on us bestow
The Father and the Son to know;
And you, 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 you, O holy Comforter,
Henceforth by all in earth and heaven.
Amen.

For more information regarding the celebration of Pentecost, check out the Vatican website

Blessed Damien de Veuster

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The Leper Priest, the Hero of Molokai. Born in Tremelo, Belgium, on January 3, 1840, he joined the Sacred Hearts Fathers in 1860. He was bom Joseph and received the name Damien in religious life. In 1864, he was sent to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he Was ordained. For the next nine years he worked in missions on the big island, Hawaii. In 1873, he went to the leper colony on Molokai, after volunteering for the assignment. Damien cared for lepers of all ages, but was particularly concerned about the children segregated in the colony. He announced he was a leper in 1885 and continued to build hospitals, clinics, and churches, and some six hundred coffins. He died on April 15 , on Molokai. Slandered by a Protestant minister, Mr. Hyde, Damien was defended by Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote an impassioned defense of Damien in 1905. He was declared venerable in 1977. Pope John Paul II declared him beatified on June 4, 1995.

Taken from Catholic Online.








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Holy Spirit Novena Ninth Day Thou on those who evermore, Thee confess and thee adore, In they sevenfold gift descend.

Give them comfort when they die Give them life with thee on high, Give them joys which never end.

Let us pray

Send down upon us, we beseech thee, O Lord, the Holy Spirit, that, inspired and encouraged by him, we may comply with the duties of our state, carry our daily crosses patiently, and grow daily in Christian perfection. Grant us, we beseech thee through the same Divine Spirit, the intentions of this novena or what is most conducive to our eternal salvation and they glory. Amen

Pentecost Novena - Day 8

+JMJ+Bend the stubborn heart and will, Melt the frozen, warm the chill, Guide the steps that go astray.

Let us pray

Holy Spirit, Spirit of Truth, come into our hearts; give to all peoples the brightness of they light, that they may be well pleasing to thee in unity of faith. Amen

Pentecost Novena - Day 7

+JMJ+Heal our wounds, our strength renew; On our dryness pour thy dew; Wash the stains of guilt away.

Let us pray

Burn up, O Lord, our reins and our hearts in the fire of the Holy Spirit; that chaste of body and clean of heart, our service may be well pleasing to thee. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen

Pentecost Novena - Day 6

+JMJ+ If thou take thy grace away, Nothing pure in man will stay; All his good is turned to ill.

Let us pray

Send down, we beseech thee, O Lord, the Holy Spirit in his might, to the merciful purifying of our hearts and to our sure deliverance from all danger. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen

Bella and Pentecost Novena - Day 5

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Since today is the day that Bella comes out on dvd, I decided to post the trailer here:



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Holy Spirit Novena Fifth Day Light immortal, light divine, Visit thou these hearts of thine And our inmost being fill.

Let us pray

May the Paraclete, who proceedeth from thee, enlighten our minds, we beseech thee, O Lord; and even as thy Son hath promised, may he lead us into all truth. Amen

Pentecost Novena - Day 4

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Thou in toil art comfort sweet, Pleasant coolness in the heat, Solace in the midst of woe.

Let us pray

O God, who didst give the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, grant to they people the effect of their pious prayers, that on those to whom thou hast given grace, thou mayest also bestow peace. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen

Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost Novena - Day 3

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Here is a song that our choir sang for the Feast of the Ascension:

Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise
Hail the day that sees Him rise, Alleluia!
To His throne above the skies, Alleluia!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!
Reascends His native heaven, Alleluia!

There the glorious triumph waits, Alleluia!
Lift your heads, eternal gates, Alleluia!
Christ hath conquered death and sin, Alleluia!
Take the King of glory in, Alleluia!

Circled round with angel powers, Alleluia!
Their triumphant Lord, and ours, Alleluia!
Conqueror over death and sin, Alleluia!
“Take the King of glory in! Alleluia!”

Him though highest Heav’n receives, Alleluia!
Still He loves the earth He leaves, Alleluia!
Though returning to His throne, Alleluia!
Still He calls mankind His own, Alleluia!

See! He lifts His hands above, Alleluia!
See! He shows the prints of love, Alleluia!
Hark! His gracious lips bestow, Alleluia!
Blessings on His church below, Alleluia!

Still for us His death He pleads, Alleluia!
Prevalent He intercedes, Alleluia!
Near Himself prepares our place, Alleluia!
Harbinger of human race, Alleluia!

Master, (will we ever say), Alleluia!
Taken from our head to day, Alleluia!
See Thy faithful servants, see, Alleluia!
Ever gazing up to Thee, Alleluia!

Grant, though parted from our sight, Alleluia!
Far above yon azure height, Alleluia!
Grant our hearts may thither rise, Alleluia!
Seeking Thee beyond the skies, Alleluia!

Ever upward let us move, Alleluia!
Wafted on the wings of love, Alleluia!
Looking when our Lord shall come, Alleluia!
Longing, gasping after home, Alleluia!

There we shall with Thee remain, Alleluia!
Partners of Thy endless reign, Alleluia!
There Thy face unclouded see, Alleluia!
Find our heaven of heavens in Thee, Alleluia!

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739, page 211.
Music: Llan­fair, Ro­bert Will­iams, 1817; har­mo­ny by John Ro­berts, 1837 ********************************************
Holy Spirit Novena Third Day:

Thou of all consolers best, Visiting the troubled breast, Dost refreshing peace bestow.

Let us pray

O Divine Consoler, and of all Comforters the best, to thee do we come in trouble and distress. Do thou, in the all-powerful name of Jesus, our Redeemer, and out of love for Mary, our sorrowful Mother and they chaste Spouse, come to our assistance and comfort us in all our trials and tribulations. Amen

May Crowning and Pentecost Novena - Day 2

Note: This picture is not from our May Crowning!

+JMJ+

Today my parish had its May Crowning! This took place during the homily at Mass. Traditionally, we invite all the first communicants to dress up their first communion clothes. However, only one showed up this year, and she wasn't the one who crowned Our Lady. Oh, well. The following is the typical song that we sing for the crowning:

Bring Flowers of the Fairest

Bring flowers of the rarest, bring flowers of the fairest
From garden and woodland and hillside and vale;
Our full hearts are swelling, our glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest Rose of the vale.

Refrain:
Oh Mary, we crown you with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.:

Our voices ascending, in harmony blending,
Oh, thus may our hearts turn, dear Mother, to you.
Oh, thus shall we prove you how truly we love you;
How dark without Mary life's journey would be. (Ref.)

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Holy Spirit Novena Second Day:

Come thou father of the poor, Come with treasures which endure, Come thou light of all that live.

Let us pray
O Holy Spirit, thou father of the poor, come fill my poverty-stricken soul out of the plenty of they eternal riches. Warn me, I beg thee, of every opportunity in my daily round of duty, to lay up treasures where no thief approacheth nor moth corrupteth, that I may enjoy them together with thee forever. Amen

Saint Athanasius and Pentecost Novena - Day 1

+JMJ+

May 2.—ST. ATHANASIUS, Bishop.
ATHANASIUS was born in Egypt towards the end of the third century, and was from his youth pious, learned, and deeply versed in the sacred writings, as befitted one whom God had chosen to be the champion and defender of His Church against the Arian heresy. Though only a deacon he was chosen by his bishop to go with him to the Council of Nicæa, in 325, and attracted the attention of all by the learning and ability with which he defended the faith. A few months later, he became Patriarch of Alexandria, and for forty-six years he bore, often well-nigh alone, the whole brunt of the Arian assault. On the refusal of the Saint to restore Arius to Catholic communion, the emperor ordered the Patriarch of Constantinople to do so. The wretched heresiarch took an oath that he had always believed as the Church believes; and the patriarch, after vainly using every effort to move the emperor, had recourse to fasting and prayer, that God Would avert from the Church the frightful sacrilege. The day came for the solemn entrance of Arius into the great church of Sancta Sophia. The heresiarch and his party set out glad and in triumph. But before he reached the church, death smote him swiftly and awfully, and the dreaded sacrilege was averted. St. Athanasius stood unmoved against four Roman emperors; was banished five times; was the butt of every insult, calumny, and wrong the Arians could devise, and lived in constant peril of death. Though firm as adamant in defence of the Faith, he was meek and humble, pleasant and winning in converse, beloved by his flock, unwearied in labors, in prayer, in mortifications, and in zeal for souls. In the year 373 his stormy life closed in peace, rather that his people would have it so than that his enemies were weary of persecuting him. He left to the Church the whole and ancient Faith, defended and explained in writings rich in thought and learning, clear, keen, and stately in expression. He is honored as one of the greatest of the Doctors of the Church.

Reflection.—The Catholic Faith, says St. Augustine, is more precious far than all the riches and treasures of earth; more glorious and greater than all its honors, all its possessions. This it is which saves sinners, gives light to the blind, restores penitents, perfects the just, and is the crown of martyrs.

(Taken from Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894], at sacred-texts.com)
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Today starts the Novena to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, starting today,. I will post one novena Prayer each day until Pentecost:

The Novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the original novena, of which all other novenas are only imitations. Our Lord Himself instituted this novena when, on the day of His ascension, He sent His Apostles back to Jerusalem to pray for nine days that they might be ready on the tenth day, which was Pentecost, to receive the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, Lord of light, From they clear celestial height, Thy pure beaming radiance give.

Let us pray
O God who hast taught the hearts of thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Marian Hymns and Poems for May

+JMJ+ I have listed below some songs, hymns, and activities for Mary during her month of May.

'TIS SAID OF OUR DEAR LADY

Here is the text to a beautiful hymn to Our Lady, that can be sung on any of her feast days. This is an old invocation when one is on a pilgrimage to Our Blessed Lady. The text and melody are from the hymn book of Nikolaus Büttner, 1602.

DIRECTIONS
1. 'Tis said of Our dear lady, a holy dream had she:
Beneath her heart unspotted there grew a lovely tree. Kyrie eleison.

2. Then Our most Blessed Lady a tiny Child did bear,
So let us now with singing our happiness declare. Kyrie eleison.
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Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–89). Poems. 1918.

The May Magnificat


MAY is Mary’s month, and I
Muse at that and wonder why:
Her feasts follow reason,
Dated due to season—

Candlemas, Lady Day; 5
But the Lady Month, May,
Why fasten that upon her,
With a feasting in her honour?

Is it only its being brighter
Than the most are must delight her? 10
Is it opportunest
And flowers finds soonest?

Ask of her, the mighty mother:
Her reply puts this other
Question: What is Spring?— 15
Growth in every thing—

Flesh and fleece, fur and feather,
Grass and greenworld all together;
Star-eyed strawberry-breasted
Throstle above her nested 20

Cluster of bugle blue eggs thin
Forms and warms the life within;
And bird and blossom swell
In sod or sheath or shell.

All things rising, all things sizing 25
Mary sees, sympathising
With that world of good,
Nature’s motherhood.

Their magnifying of each its kind
With delight calls to mind 30
How she did in her stored
Magnify the Lord.

Well but there was more than this:
Spring’s universal bliss
Much, had much to say 35
To offering Mary May.

When drop-of-blood-and-foam-dapple
Bloom lights the orchard-apple
And thicket and thorp are merry
With silver-surfèd cherry 40

And azuring-over greybell makes
Wood banks and brakes wash wet like lakes
And magic cuckoocall
Caps, clears, and clinches all—

This ecstasy all through mothering earth 45
Tells Mary her mirth till Christ’s birth
To remember and exultation
In God who was her salvation.

St. Joseph, the Worker

+JMJ+
In 1955, Pope Pius XII decreed May 1 to be the feastday of Saint Joseph, the Worker. This was in response to the Communist labor day and their sectarial views that people worked for the state, and that employers did not have to provide benefits to their employees. Pope Pius XII stated that human work came from God and it was for our own benefit; therefore, the state cannot manipulate people to work against their own dignity. The following is a novena prayer in honor of St. Joseph the Worker.

GLORIOUS ST. JOSEPH,
Model of all who are devoted to toil,
Obtain for me the grace to toil
In the spirit of penance,
In order thereby to atone
For my many sins;

To toil conscientiously,
Putting devotion to duty
Before my own inclinations;
To labor with thankfulness and joy,
Deeming it an honor
To employ and to develop by my labor
The gifts I have received from Almighty God;

To work with order,
Peace, moderation and patience,
Without ever shrinking
From weariness and difficulties;

To work, above all,
With a pure intention
And with detachment from ourselves,
Having always before my eyes
The hour of death
And the accounting
Which I must then render
Of time ill-spent,
Of talents unemployed,
Of good undone
And of empty pride in success,
Which is so fatal to the work of God.

All for Jesus,
All through Mary,
All in imitation of you,
O Patriarch Joseph!

This shall be my motto
In life and in death.

Amen.