Saturday, June 30, 2018

Day 4 – St. Maria Goretti Novena

O St. Maria Goretti, beautiful model of chastity, you guarded your virginity with such fervor. Even at the age of 11, you knew the value of the virtue of chastity.

Please pray that I will become better at practicing chastity in my own life.

Pray that I will learn to live a life in which desire is subservient to reason. Please pray that I will be able to love as Jesus does: selflessly.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Amen.

Friday, June 29, 2018

Day 3 – St. Maria Goretti Novena

O St. Maria Goretti, beautiful model of forgiveness, pray for me.

Even at the age of 11, you did not withhold forgiveness from your attacker. You didn’t wish him unwell. On the contrary, you wanted Heaven for him. You loved him in that way. Pray for me, that I, too, will be able to love my enemies like you did. Pray that I will want Heaven for them.

Please pray that it will become easier and easier to forgive those who have hurt me and those who will hurt me.
Please pray for my own healing from these past hurts so that I can move forward and offer forgiveness.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Amen.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Day 2 – St. Maria Goretti Novena

O St. Maria Goretti, beautiful model of love, your love for God was so clear in how you cared for your family during such hardships and in how you loved your enemies — even while you were dying.
Even at the age of 11, you understood what it meant to love the Lord and to love your neighbor as yourself. 

Pray for me, that I may be able to do the same.
Please pray that I will truly be able to serve my family joyfully, and others who need my help and love. And most of all, pray that our Lord will come first in my heart.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
Amen.

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Day 1 – St. Maria Goretti Novena

Novena to St. Maria Goretti

O St. Maria Goretti, beautiful model of purity, you defended your virginity unto your death. Even at the age of 11, you held dear to your heart what is dear to our Lord’s heart: your purity. Pray for me that I may do the same, especially when I am tempted.
Please pray that God will give me the strength to avoid sin and say, “yes” to a life which will lead to eternity in Heaven with you and our Lord.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here). Amen.

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist*
nativity of Saint John the Baptist
The Church observes the birth of John as a hallowed event. We have no such commemoration for any other fathers; but it is significant that we celebrate the birthdays of John and Jesus. This day cannot be passed by. And even if my explanation does not match the dignity of the feast, you may still meditate on it with great depth and profit.
John was born of a woman too old for childbirth; Christ was born of a youthful virgin. The news of John’s birth was met with incredulity, and his father was struck dumb. Christ’s birth was believed, and he was conceived through faith.
Such is the topic, as I have presented it, for our inquiry and discussion. But as I said before, if I lack either the time or the ability to study the implications of so profound a mystery, he who speaks within you even when I am not here will teach you better; it is he whom you contemplate with devotion, whom you have welcomed into your hearts, whose temples you have become.
John, then, appears as the boundary between the two testaments, the old and the new. That he is a sort of boundary, the Lord himself bears witness, when he speaks of the law and the prophets up until John the Baptist [cf Luke 16:16]. Thus he represents times past and is the herald of the new era to come. As a representative of the past, he is born of aged parents [Zechariah and Elizabeth]; as a herald of the new era, he is declared to be a prophet while still in his mother’s womb. For when yet unborn, he leapt in his mother’s womb at the arrival of blessed Mary. In that womb he had already been designated a prophet, even before he was born; it was revealed that he was to be Christ’s precursor, before they saw one another. These are divine happenings, going beyond the limits of our human frailty. Eventually he is born, he receives his name, his father’s tongue is loosened. See how these events reflect reality.
Zechariah is silent and loses his voice until John, the precursor of the Lord, is born and restores his voice. The silence of Zechariah is nothing but the age of prophecy lying hidden, obscured, as it were, and concealed before the preaching of Christ. At John’s arrival Zechariah’s voice is released, and it becomes clear at the coming of the one who was foretold. The release of Zechariah’s voice at the birth of John is a parallel to the rending of the veil at Christ’s crucifixion. If John were announcing his own coming, Zechariah’s lips would not have been opened. The tongue is loosened because a voice is born. For when John was preaching the Lord’s coming he was asked: Who are you? [John 1:19] And he replied:
I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.[John 1:23]
The voice is John, but the Lord in the beginning was the Word [John 1:1]. John was a voice that lasted only for a time; Christ, the Word in the beginning, is eternal.
 
* From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop and Doctor of the Church (Sermo 293, 1-3: PL 38, 1327-1328) as found in the Second Reading today, Office of Readings, Liturgy of the Hours.

Friday, June 22, 2018

Novena for USA begins June 25, 2018

Please join us in praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the nine days leading up to July 4, specifically imploring God's mercy on our country.

And, on July 4, join the Marian Fathers for Holy Mass at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. If you can’t be there, you can still send your intentions.


Send your intentions
See more about PRAY4USA

Pray4USA

Marian army chaplain, Fr. Donald Van Alstyne, invites you:
'This novena is very important'


Watch now!


Tuesday, June 19, 2018

First Thursday Talk June 2018, Anne, a lay apostle

This talk from Anne the Lay Apostle and the movement she is creating for Mothers could well be the most important work for the future of the world. The Holy Trinity and the Mother of God have begun so many apostolates but this one is so near and dear to all of us it can not be over looked. Women Espoused to Purity has a main devotion to pray and suffer for the Priesthood. God will save the world through the Priesthood. I learned more about this and will write on it soon.

However in Anne's talk she covers the need for children to be raised by their biological mothers for their emotional well being. We need to get back to the meaning of life as God created it to be and it appears that Anne's new apostolate for mothers, ( Maternal Love) mentoring mothers is a very important piece of the tapestry that God is using to recreate and resurrect the world. I may look into how this can be promoted in my area in North Carolina.

God is with us in this battle for Souls and God always wins, I know longer think in terms of the 30 minute sitcom or the happily ever after fairy tale, this work of bringing all of mankind to its original state of created purpose is a long process. We must all pay attention to what God is asking from us and just do it remembering that this is for eternity.

God's love is always with us,
Margaret of Souls for Jesus


Dear friends,

This is a short note encouraging you to listen to Anne's June First Thursday Talk below. If you have already listened, I would say, listen again and pass it along to someone who may not encounter it in their usual email traffic.

There is so much in this talk about the present situation in the Church and in the world. Anne captures a hope for how the Church can look in the future, in which we each play a crucial role. Have you been wondering about the times in which we live? Have you been feeling worried or confused about which direction to take? You will find in this talk practical information on how we, Apostles of the Returning King can conduct ourselves during this time.

The role of women in the Church has sometimes been an elusive one. Anne outlines for each woman how to serve the needs of God's children in the Church, modelled after Our Blessed Mother during her life.

We feel energised and inspired by our work here. We are all connected and in need of this same formation. Please be sure to follow us on Facebook and Youtube so that we can stay as connected with you as possible.

God bless us all,
Fr. Darragh Connolly
Chaplain
Apostolate of the Returning King



First Thursday Talk June 2018, Anne, a lay apostle from dfotmedia on Vimeo.

Friday, June 8, 2018

24 Quotes About Purity That Every Young & Old Catholic Should Know


Impurity is plastered everywhere today: Movies, TV, billboards, music, entertainment, books, and magazines.


We must fight back.
To that end the following collection of quotes -- many of which are authored by Doctors of the Church -- will provide you with the support and encouragement you need to stand your ground and fight for purity.
1.  "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
-- Matthew 5:8
2.  “Holy Purity, the queen of virtues, the angelic virtue, is a jewel so precious that those who possess it become like the angels of God in heaven, even though clothed in mortal flesh.”
-- Saint John Bosco
3.  “We must be pure. I do not speak merely of the purity of the senses. We must observe great purity in our will, in our intentions, in all our actions.”
-- Saint Peter Julian Eymard
4.  “Those whose hearts are pure are the temples of the Holy Spirit.”
-- Saint Lucy
5.  “We must practice modesty, not only in our looks, but also in our whole deportment, and particularly in our dress, our walk, our conversation, and all similar actions.”
-- Saint Alphonsus Liguori
6.  “In the realm of evil thoughts none induces to sin as much as do thoughts that concern the pleasure of the flesh.”
-- Saint Thomas Aquinas
7.  "In temptations against chastity, the spiritual masters advise us, not so much to contend with the bad thought, as to turn the mind to some spiritual, or, at least, indifferent object. It is useful to combat other bad thoughts face to face, but not thoughts of impurity.”
-- Saint Alphonsus Liguori
8.  “Lust indulged became habit, and habit unresisted became necessity.”
-- Saint Augustine
9.  “More souls go to hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason.”
-- Our Lady of Fatima
10.  "Filthy talk makes us feel comfortable with filthy action. But the one who knows how to control the tongue is prepared to resist the attacks of lust."
-- Saint Clement of Alexandria

11.  “The man of impure speech is a person whose lips are but an opening and a supply pipe which hell uses to vomit its impurities upon the earth.”
-- Saint John Vianney
12.  "Either we must speak as we dress, or dress as we speak. Why do we profess one thing and display another? The tongue talks of chastity, but the whole body reveals impurity."
-- Saint Jerome
13.  “A pure soul is like a fine pearl. As long as it is hidden in the shell, at the bottom of the sea, no one thinks of admiring it. But if you bring it into the sunshine, this pearl will shine and attract all eyes. Thus the pure soul, which is hidden from the eyes of the world, will one day shine before the Angels in the sunshine of eternity.”
-- Saint John Vianney
14.  “The pure soul is a beautiful rose, and the Three Divine Persons descend from Heaven to inhale its fragrance.”
-- Saint John Vianney
15.  “Chastity is the lily of virtues, and makes men almost equal to Angels. Everything is beautiful in accordance with its purity. Now the purity of man is chastity, which is called honesty, and the observance of it, honor and also integrity; and its contrary is called corruption; in short, it has this peculiar excellence above the other virtues, that it preserves both soul and body fair and unspotted.”
-- Saint Francis de Sales
16.  “Humility is the safeguard of chastity. In the matter of purity, there is no greater danger than not fearing the danger. For my part, when I find a man secure of himself and without fear, I give him up for lost.  I am less alarmed for one who is tempted and who resists by avoiding the occasions, than for one who is not tempted and is not careful to avoid occasions. When a person puts himself in an occasion, saying, I shall not fall, it is an almost infallible sign that he will fall, and with great injury to his soul.”
-- Saint Philip Neri
17.  “Your good resolutions must not make you proud, but humble and diffident; you carry a large sum of gold about you, take care not to meet any highwaymen. In this life there is nothing certain: we are in a continual warfare, and, therefore, ought to be on our guard day and night. We sail in a tempestuous sea that threatens us on every side, and in a poor leaky vessel: the devil, who aims at nothing less than our destruction, never ceases to increase the storm, to overwhelm us thereby, if he can; hence it was that the Apostle gave this precaution, even to the virtuous: ‘Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall’ (1 Cor. x.12).”
-- Saint Jerome, Epistle to Saint Eustochium
18.  “The state of grace is nothing other than purity, and it gives heaven to those who clothe themselves in it. Holiness, therefore, is simply the state of grace purified, illuminated, beautified by the most perfect purity, exempt not only from mortal sin but also from the smallest faults; purity will make saints of you! Everything lies in this!”
-- Saint Peter Julian Eymard
19.  “Chastity, or cleanness of heart, holds a glorious and distinguished place among the virtues, because she, alone, enables man to see God; hence Truth itself said, ‘Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.’”
-- Saint Augustine
20.  “There is no remedy so powerful against the heat of concupiscence as the remembrance of our Savior’s Passion. In all my difficulties I never found anything so efficacious as the wounds of Christ: In them I sleep secure; from them I derive new life.”
-- Saint Augustine
21.  “God bestows more consideration on the purity of the intention with which our actions are performed than on the actions themselves.”
-- Saint Augustine

22.  “He alone loves the Creator perfectly who manifests a pure love for his neighbor.”
-- Saint Bede the Venerable
23.  "You carry your snare everywhere and spread your nets in all places. You allege that you never invited others to sin. You did not indeed, by your words, but you have done so by your dress and your deportment.”
-- Saint John Chrysostom
24.  "Let your modesty be a sufficient incitement, yea, an exhortation to everyone to be at peace on their merely looking at you."
-- Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

The evolution of the Catholic Church into oblivion

Over the past fifty years, many of the Catholic faithful have been extremely scandalized, and even traumatized, by the willingness of so many Church leaders, including myself, to be incrementally drawn into a moral capitulation to the tyranny of progressive secularism. While, through the gracious fidelity of the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church is to both be and act as the pillar and foundation of truth (I Tim 3:15), many of us in the hierarchy have been more than willing to abdicate our responsibility to proclaim the whole truth of God for the sake of trying to make the Gospel more relevant to the defective and desecrating premises of secular society.
This tendency to value popularity over fidelity and expediency over integrity is nothing new. It was clearly manifested in Aaron’s capitulation to the Israelites’ consensus that a golden calf had to be forged and worshipped at the base of Mt. Sinai. And it was again manifested when Pilate conceded to the demand of the Sanhedrin, supported by the Jewish mob in the praetorium, that Jesus be crucified. Fifty years ago, its seductive seeds were again planted among the People of God, when a number of theologians, dissenting against Humanae Vitae’s reaffirmation of the need to respect God as the absolute Lord of Life , asserted the supremacy of conscience over this objective moral truth.

And sadly, when Cardinal Patrick O’Boyle sought to clearly reassert the fact that one’s personal conscience must be brought into conformity with objective moral truth, he was denied decisive backing by the Vatican. Since then, the alleged “supremacy of conscience” has been further expanded to justify an ever-expanding list of sins. And whereas a sincere conscience must be rooted in truth, the dissenters have asserted that a sin-seared conscience, continually being morphed to conform to one’s emotions, convenience and agenda, must be reverenced and never challenged by the revealed truth of God. Relevance, apparently, is to be given higher regard than Revelation.

Thus it is that we have witnessed Church leadership in a tailspin. It  is no wonder, then, that on June 29, 1972, Pope Paul VI sadly noted that from some fissure, the smoke of Satan had entered the sanctuary of the Church. Note, for example, how the handling of the clergy sex abuse scandal has apparently been guided by expediency, rather than by integrity. At first, expediency seemed to demand that those who dared to “slander good priests” and to “create scandal” by reporting these serious sins be castigated and bullied into silence. But then, as the fear of the lawsuit did what the fear of the Lord was not allowed to do, those same “scandalmongers” and “slanderers” received apologies and were praised for their heroism. Note also how the compounding of sin by those same abusive unrepentant clergy was largely ignored.

Apparently the sacrilege of offering Mass and receiving Holy Communion in a state of serious unrepented sin by such abusive clergy has not been taken very seriously by the hierarchy. If it was, we would have had at least a month of Masses of reparation and serious reparational fasting. But, sadly, the impression that was given, guided by the demands of secularist expediency, that the desecration of the Blessed Sacrament is not to be considered a serious sin. As a consequence of this, is it any wonder that so many in the state of objectively serious unrepented sin feel free to follow the dictates of their sin-seared consciences, and approach the Eucharistic Christ with a sense of entitlement, rather than humble reverent gratitude.

The prioritizing of popularity and expediency over the integrity of truth is also manifest in other liturgical changes. For example, Communion in the hand was initiated as an act of disobedience to the liturgical discipline of the Church. The pseudo-sophistication of those who asserted, “As adults, we can feed ourselves,” tended to reject the basic spiritual truth that we all must approach God as repentant, humble and grateful beggars. When Church leaders finally capitulated to their demands, they established clear norms for this practice. But these norms have rarely been fully implemented. And those priests who do seek to respect and fully implement them are often treated as being either too strict or as lacking pastoral sensitivity.

The demands of expediency also have guided many of us Church leaders into a pandering to sinners, rather than calling them to conversion. The cry, “All are welcome” tends to ignore why they are welcome. They are welcome to join us into ingoing repentance and renewal in God’s gracious love and mercy. In a good doctor’s office, all are welcome, but they are welcome for a purpose - to enter into a discipline of healing and healthy living, not to abide in sin. In contrast to such a therapeutic welcome, many in the Church have become so caught up in welcoming, that they are afraid to call people to accountability. Convenience, not accountability to our covenantal commitments, is seen as the standard for good pastoral practice.

And so we relax Church discipline. We allow corn beef and cabbage dinners when St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday in Lent, we transfer to Sunday the celebrations of Ascension and of Corpus Christi, and we carefully avoid telling parishioners that the Third Commandment does not say, “Keep holy the Lord’s Day, if you feel like it.”

Thus thousands of Catholics, who have missed Mass without a serious reason, feel free to receive Holy Communion in the state of objectively serious sin. And while the discipline of truth without the discipleship of love can be experienced as tyranny, it is also true that the discipleship of love without the discipline of truth leads to spiritual anarchy. Jesus Himself pointed out, “If you love Me, keep My commandments”. (Jn 14:15, 15:10)
All this points to a basic paradigm shift, into which many in the Church have been seduced. Whereas, for centuries, the Church has proclaimed the Kingdom of God to the world, we have been more recently seeing the Church proclaiming the New World Order and its ever-changing dictates of political correctness. The Kingdom of God is rooted in a dynamic of evocation. For God is always calling us forth into a greater intimacy with Himself, His love, His truth and each other. The word, evocation, affirms a personal call of God to intimacy with Himself. And this redemptive and regenerative call goes out to all dimensions of our humanity, forming us anew in His image and likeness.

Having such a common call, we have a common destiny and common point of reference in His Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. Sadly, though, in recent years, this paradigm has been largely eclipsed, as so many in the Church have come to embrace the secularist paradigm of self-fulfillment indicated by the word, evolution. Evolution, unlike evocation, is an intrinsically impersonal dynamic (Note, for example, the secular excitement over the recent development of sex robots, which offer sexual gratification with no need for personal commitment or intimacy). Unlike covenantal love, which has as its source, sustenance and summit reverence for the mystery of Divine Intimacy, evolution is rooted in accumulating power and control. It values survival over integrity, and thus is willing to desecrate the sacred whenever such desecration is expedient for one’s survival.

That is one reason why we so rarely hear the secular world use the word, virtue. For virtue is  based on accountability to truth and reverence for the sacred. Instead, even among the hierarchy today, we are more likely to hear the word, values. Unlike virtues, values are amenable to subjective agendas and moral ambiguity. Virtues incarnate truth. Values mutilate the truth. Note. for example, how many of the Jewish leaders had become so accustomed to mutilating the Word of God to make themselves look righteous that, when the Word of God became flesh, they were not content until they had desecrated and mutilated that Word on a cross in order to vindicate their own self-righteousness. As indicated above, they tragically made the mistake of valuing expediency over integrity (Jn 11:49-50).

Thus it is that we need to remember that words do matter. They establish the basic premises for human communication. If words are desecrated, human relationships become desecrated. As long as Christians uncritically capitulate to the secular agenda of establishing desecrating words such as expediency and evolution as the linchpins of human development, the secularists, silently snickering with condescending cynicism, will gladly acclaim our sychophancy as enlightenment. But if, by the gracious fidelity and mercy of God, we firmly assert anew our accountability to the splendor of truth and the sacredness of the human word, we will witness in even more glorious ways the reality of a basic truth of our Faith - the Word becoming flesh was not only an event in history, but also a profoundly transcendent Mystery, which wondrously transforms all time and all dimensions of our common humanity.
May God, in His gracious and compassionate mercy, deliver us from the quagmire of confusion and bring to fruition the graces He has so faithfully bestowed on us in spite of our sins and negligence.

Rev. Thomas R. Collins is a Catholic priest in the service of the people of Virginia.

Medjugorje message to Ivan 6-4-18

June 4, 2018 Our Lady’s Message to Ivan: “Pray for my plans, My plans that I want realized soon through my coming to you.”
Ivan’s prayer group met at the Blue Cross at 9:00 pm, Monday, June 4, 2018. Our Lady came to Ivan at about 10:00 pm. Ivan shared his experience of Our Lady’s coming this way:

June 4, 2018

Tonight Our Lady came to us very happy and joyful She greeted us all with her motherly greeting of “Praised be Jesus, my dear children.” After this she pray over us with extended hands. She especially prayed for all the priests who were present and for all the sick.

After this Our Lady said:

"Praised be Jesus. my dear children! Also today I wish to call you during this time to pray especially for my plans. My plans that I want realized soon through my coming to you. In a special way, dear children, I want to encourage you to pray for the family, for the youth. Pray, my dear children, and be untiring in prayer. For all of you I intercede before my son. Thank you my dear children for having responded to my call."

After this she blessed us all with her motherly blessing, and she blessed everything that we brought to be blessed. I recommended all of you, your needs, your intentions, your families and especially the sick. And after this Our Lady continued to pray over all of us and during that prayer she went with the sign of light and Cross with the words, “Go in peace, my dear children.”

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Medjugorje: June 2, 2018 Message to Mirjana

“Dear children, I am calling you to accept my words which I am speaking to you as a mother, with a simplicity of heart, so that you may set out on the way of complete light and purity, of the singular love of my Son, man and God.

A joy—a light indescribable in human words—will penetrate your soul and the peace and love of my Son will take hold of you. I desire this for all of my children. Therefore, you, apostles of my love, you who know how to love and forgive, you who do not judge, you whom I encourage, you be an example to all those who are not going on the way of light and love or who have diverted from it.

By your life show them the truth. Show them love because love overcomes all difficulties, and all of my children thirst for love. Your unity in love is a gift to my Son and me. But, my children, remember that to love also means to desire the good for your neighbor and to desire conversion of your neighbor’s soul.

As I am looking at you gathered around me, my heart is sad, because I see so little brotherly love, merciful love. My children, the Eucharist—my Son alive among you—His words will help you comprehend, because His word is life, His word makes the soul breathe, His word brings about cognition of love. Dear children, anew, I am imploring you as a mother who desires the good for her children: love your shepherds, pray for them. Thank you.”


Friday, June 1, 2018

Direction for our Times

We continue our cycle of monthly messages for 2018 with the message from June 1, 2010 for our prayer groups and personal reflection. 
June 1, 2010
Jesus
Dearest apostles, are you weary? Do you wonder why My service requires such holiness? I know that you do not always understand the relationship between your suffering and the graces I am sending to others. This is not clear to you when you are carrying heavy crosses that require great trust. When you are with Me for eternity, you will understand this connection and you will rejoice that you were willing to remain in My service despite the demands made upon your will. I ask and I ask and again I ask, and you answer, and you answer, and again, you answer. My dear apostles, you are in such a habit of saying yes to Me, that you continue on, day after day. The days are passing, are they not? One after another, days are completed and you have claimed grace for the world. This is how it has been arranged for you, dearest children of the Father. You are asked to be good and holy and in return, the Father cooperates by keeping your intentions close to His heart. In this moment, where you have been placed, there is grace. Do you feel it? Do you trust Me? I am with you. I have not abandoned you. Will you resist the temptation to leave Me when I press on your commitment? If you ask Me for the grace of perseverance, I will give this to you. This is My gift. But you must ask for and then accept this gift. If you feel like you are failing and yet you are trying to serve as best you can, then you must spend time with Me and examine the concept of failure from heaven’s view. You may find that you are a success in My eyes, even while the world dismisses your contribution. All is well. Do not fear fatigue. Only fear a decision to abandon Me. Remember, I will never leave you. Never.