Feast of Sts Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

Devotion to Sts Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

 

Editor’s note: Today we present a short treatise on devotion to the holy archangels adapted from “Devotion to the Nine Choirs of Holy Angels”, published in 1869 as an English translation of the French, and written by Henri Marie Bouden (1624 – 1702), an archdeacon of Évreux, a spiritual director, and a preacher to Discalced Carmelites.

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It was St Michael who took up the defense of the honor of God against Lucifer, in the epic cause of the Incarnation of the Word; and St John Chrysostom is of opinion, that he was also one of the first to pay his homage to Him in the crib of Bethlehem, on the day of His humble Birth. It is he who is the tutelary Archangel of the Church, and it is not without good reasons that he is believed to be the special guardian also of France. The signal aid which this kingdom has at times received from him is a strong proof of it. This great prince of Paradise has even chosen to have a place specially consecrated to him in this kingdom, within the diocese of Avranches, which at this day is popularly called Mont Saint-Michel, a place famous for the concourse of people who flock to it from all quarters, to honor this holy Archangel.

It is he who assists souls at the dreadful hour of death, and who, according to the doctrine of St Augustine and St Bonaventure, not only assists them at that moment which decides their eternal lot but also introduces them after death into Heaven. It is well here to remark, that he awaits the command of the august Mother of God to assist in a more especial manner those souls which she peculiarly favors: such is the opinion of St Bonaventure; and fitly, indeed, has the will of Heaven reserved this grace to the Queen of Heaven. Oh, how sweet it is to live and die under the protection of a patroness so loving and so worthy of love!


It is St Michael, in fine, who is held to be the first of all the angels in glory and the most exalted of the Seraphim. If then, we love the interests of God only, we must love him; for he is the great saint of the cause of God, and of God Incarnate. If we love the Church, if we love ourselves, if we have any care for our salvation, if we desire to be succored at the last moment of life, we must honor him greatly in all the necessities of the Church: for the destruction of schisms and heresies; for the establishment of ecclesiastical discipline in all its vigor; for holiness of life in its prelates, and specially in the Sovereign Pontiff; for the preservation and increase of the faith in those countries where it already exists; and for the promulgation of the gospel in heathen lands.

St Gabriel is also one of the highest of the Seraphim, and when, like St Michael, he is styled an Archangel, we must not understand it to be meant thereby that he belongs only to the eighth choir of angels; for this title of Archangel is common to all those who are highest in eminence among the princes of Heaven, just as the name of angel is applied indifferently to all these blessed spirits, of whatever order they may be, as well to the Seraphim as to the Angels of the ninth and lowest choir. It is St Gabriel who was chosen by God to negotiate the mystery of the Incarnation; and those who believe that the Queen of Heaven had a special angel-guardian consider that it was to this glorious prince that the care of her was entrusted. And even according to the opinion of those doctors who think that the Mother of God had no angel-guardian, but was attended by troops of ministering angels, St Gabriel was one of the chiefs of these blessed bands appointed to serve her to whom God did not disdain to subject Himself.

St Raphael is also one of the seven great princes who stand before the throne of the Divine Majesty, as Scripture teaches us (Tobit 12:15): on this point, there is no room for doubt. We have but to read in Scripture of the services he rendered to Tobias, to love with a holy fervor this spirit of Heaven. It is hard, indeed, not to experience a sweet tenderness in one’s heart at the recital of the charitable assistance which he gave him. When the father of Tobias sent him to the city of Ragae, and enjoined him to seek a faithful guide to go with him on his journey, St Raphael appeared to him visibly under the form of a young man of great beauty, and accompanied him during his whole journey, consoling and instructing him, delivering him from great perils, and rendering him unnumbered services. At first meeting he salutes him, saying, “Joy be to thee always”; he delivers him from the sea monster who was about to devour him; he procures him wealth, and obtains for him a wife; he hinders the devils from injuring him; he restores sight to his father; he bestows upon him and his whole family benedictions of heavenly peace, a joy of Paradise, and abundance of all good things, both for this life and the next. He conducted, as we have already observed, St Macarius the Roman during three years, in a visible form, far into the desert, having continued to bear him company from the time of his quitting Rome, whence he had fled, leaving his wife on the day of his marriage while the guests were dancing. He cured a novice of the Order of St Dominic from the falling sickness, on condition of his preserving perfect chastity. He delivered a French pilgrim who was on his road to St James of Compostella from the hands of robbers; in fine, it needs only to be devout to him to experience the favors which he dispenses with a wonderful liberality…

St Michael, treading Lucifer underfoot, bears in his left hand a green palm, and holds in his right a lance, at the end of which is a standard white as snow, with a crimson cross in the center.

St Gabriel appears with a torch enclosed in a lantern, which he holds in his right hand, the left being engaged in displaying a mirror of green jasper sprinkled with hues of divers colors.

St Raphael is represented with a fish issuing from his mouth, holding in his left hand a box, and with his right leading the young Tobias …

It is an assured truth that there are seven princes who stand before the God of all greatness, since Scripture teaches this; and that they have a special power to assist men, since, at the beginning of Revelation (1:4), grace and peace are given in the name of these sublime Intelligences.
Nothing remains for us, then, but to honor them devoutly, and to implore their assistance in the ways of salvation.
Self-love is our greatest enemy: now it has been revealed that St Michael is deputed by God to destroy it, as St Gabriel, in like manner, is appointed to establish the love of God. Here, then, are the two great points necessary to salvation:

1. hatred of ourselves*, and
2. love of God.

In order to attain to these, we must be rid of all sin, and have acquired the virtues. We must have recourse to these seven princes of Paradise, that they may obtain for us the grace to avoid the seven deadly sins, and may enrich us with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Those who travel should often recommend themselves to St Raphael; and, in the order of Providence, it appears that it is the will of God to employ this angel to assist pilgrims and wayfarers.
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*This was a common expression when it was written. In our day and age, we might express it as hating our sins and our sinfulness.
~ http://www.spiritualdirection.com

Devotional for Sunday Sept. 25, 2016 - Twentysixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2016 - TWENTYSIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Gospel - Lk 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

633 Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell” — Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek—because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God. Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into “Abraham’s bosom”: “It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.” Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.

1021  Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ. The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith. The parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts speak of a final destiny of the soul—a destiny which can be different for some and for others.

From “The Door to Heaven” Testimony of Catalina Rivas (DH-11:1-9)

1) … Tolerate offences against you for the love of Me, the love of your brethren and the love of yourselves because all the good or bad you do is done for yourselves or against

yourselves.

2) All of you, have pity for those who hurt you, have compassion for their sins; if they behave well, offer it to Me, if they behave badly, pray for them and try to help them. When someone tries to compete with you, lose if you want to win. The road to salvation is the road that leads you to lose in this life. … If someone offends you, bear it with patience for My love and for the forgiveness of your sins. Do not offend anybody else, but bear it patiently without complaint!

3) You are blessed; do not expect rewards on earth. … Remember that saints do good and suffer evil. It is much better to suffer and bear an offence with patience than to fast and to be mortified. What merit would there be in fasting and later to ask justice for an offence, whether it be true or false?

4) … Look at yourselves and work continuously within you, on you and for you, looking for spiritual consolation. … In the same way that good can turn into evil, evil can also turn into something good.

5) Therefore, do not look for justice or to be compensated when someone has committed an injustice or offence against you. They have sinned and have the right to be purified. The sooner you accept patience, the less you will suffer and you will be saved. Do not look for compensation or consolation from anyone under Heaven.

6) The enemies of the soul try hard to upset you when you bear things patiently or act by fighting insults with kindness. You are being saved and they want you to live in their own displeasure. Anything that men do, they do to themselves; so be compassionate with those people.

7) …My Father does not bestow His graces upon the proud, but upon the humble! To be

revered, you will be accused, and you must first achieve humility, which is what destroys evil and is the enemy of sin.

8)… Pray, endure, fight against vices; make a conscious effort to not look for answers in your favor. Look to Heaven so that I may defend you through My humility. Prayer is the beginning and the fulfillment of goodness.

9)… I humble Myself permanently before My Father to teach you the truth! At times My words may seem harsh to you, but remember that My Life is your pathway. I am your crown and it is only through patience that you walk towards Me…

Our Lady of America 60th Anniversary

Newsletter 9.26.2016

Sixty years ago today the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Sister Mary Ephrem and proclaimed these words:  "I am Our Lady of America. I desire that my children honor me, especially by the purity of their lives." By these words she acknowledged our nation's long and historical dedication to her as the Immaculate Conception, manifested by our nation’s consecration to her and our response to that Dogma which proclaims that she is without sin.   With these  words she invites all of us to imitate her as the perfect model of purity. Just the day before (September 25, 1956) she had appeared to Sr. Mary Ephrem as Our Lady of Lourdes.  You may recall the apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes was Heavenly confirmation of the dogma of Mary’s immaculate nature proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854.  When she appeared to Sr. Ephrem as Our Lady of Lourdes she said: "I am pleased, my child, with the love and honor my children in America give to me, especially through my glorious and unique privilege of the Immaculate Conception. I promise to reward their love by working through the power of my Son’s Heart and my Immaculate Heart miracles of grace among them. I do not promise miracles of the body, but of the soul… For it is mainly through these miracles of grace that the Holy Trinity is glorified among men and nations. Let America continue and grow in its love for me, and I in return, in union with the Heart of my Son, promise to work wonders in her. My child, I desire that this be known." As Our Lady of Lourdes she promises the graces necessary to follow her towards a life of purity.   As Our Lady of America she teaches us to seek purity and live life in a state of sanctifying grace through openness to grace,  prayer, works and the Sacraments.   Please pray that our bishops will soon fulfill her request and  acknowledge her as Our Lady of America, the Immaculate Virgin.  By their acts Our Lady promises an outpouring of graces for America and the world.

"By thy Holy and Immaculate Conception, Oh Mary, deliver us from evil"

Did you know that the messages of Our Lady of America are available for free download?

Spiritual Direction and Confession

Dear Father John, While I agree in consistency in spiritual direction, I would like to hear your “take” on spiritual direction and its connections to Confession. I do have a spiritual director I see once a month, but a confessor I see weekly. There are aspects of reconciliation that are spiritual direction, and I’ve shared some of those with my SD, who is also a priest, but since I strongly desire Reconciliation weekly and my confessor is diocesan, local, and extremely busy, I do not feel comfortable asking for more than 10 min. of his time per week, while my SD can usually give me an hour, but is too far away to meet weekly. Your thoughts?

What you describe sounds like an excellent combination: A short confession weekly, and a long spiritual direction monthly. As you mention, the exchange between priest and penitent that happens during confession can sometimes overlap, as regards specific spiritual issues/questions, with the content of the conversation that occurs in spiritual direction. This depends on the confessor, and how much spiritual advice he feels comfortable giving during confession. In fact, in past centuries it was common practice, especially for members of religious congregations, to have one priest to go to for confession on a regular basis. This person was your “confessor.” And this relationship, though it unfolded within the sacrament, took on many characteristics of what we now describe as spiritual direction. In some places and contexts, I am sure this is still the case.

On the other hand, the nature of the exchange that happens in confession is not intrinsically the same as what happens in spiritual direction. Confession is primarily about our sins, faults, and imperfections. We bring those to the Lord in a spirit of contrition and repentance, in order to receive his forgiveness and renewed spiritual strength to continue our journey of faith. Confession has a sacramental grace (the forgiveness and the strength) that spiritual direction doesn’t have. Spiritual direction, in contrast, is primarily a conversation about what God is doing in my life – what he is asking of me, what he is giving me – and how I am responding. Much of the conversation that occurs in spiritual direction is focused around discerning God’s will, as well as discerning what factors are affecting my response to God’s will. A wise confessor can often detect and comment on those types of issues in the context of a confession. And when that happens, it can be very useful to do what you describe: mention in your next spiritual direction the advice or comments from confession that really resonated with you.

So, to sum up, the nature of confession differs from the nature of spiritual direction in their essential characteristics, but they can and often do overlap. In fact, sometimes finding a good confessor can be a way to identify a good spiritual director. I hope this helps.
God bless you! Fr. John

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Art for this post on Spiritual Direction and Confession: Signaletics for Confession [Lourdes Sign for Confession], photographer Jean-noël Lafargue, August 9th, 2005, Free Art License; Confession of Bern Cathedral, Bernardine Cathedral In Lviv Church Of Saint Andrew, Vodnik, January 2007, CCA-SA 3.0 Unported; both Wikimedia Commons.

About Fr. John Bartunek, LC

Fr. John Bartunek, LC, S.Th.D, received his BA in History from Stanford University in 1990. He comes from an evangelical Christian background and became a member of the Catholic Church in 1991. After college, he worked as a high school history teacher, drama director, and baseball coach. He then spent a year as a professional actor in Chicago before entering the religious Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in 1993. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 2003 and earned his doctorate in moral theology in 2010. He provided spiritual support on the set of Mel Gibson’s "The Passion of the Christ" while researching the 2005 Catholic best seller, "Inside the Passion"--the only authorized, behind-the-scene explanation of the film. Fr. John has contributed news commentary regarding religious issues on NBC, CNN, Fox, and the BBC. He also served as the English-language press liaison for the Vatican’s 2005 Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist. His most widely known book is called: "The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer". His most recent books are "Spring Meditations", "Seeking First the Kingdom: 30 Meditations on How to Love God with All Your Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength", and "Answers: Catholic Advice for Your Spiritual Questions". Fr. John currently splits his time between Michigan (where he continues his writing apostolate and serves as a confessor and spiritual director at the Queen of the Family Retreat Center) and Rome, where he teaches theology at Regina Apostolorum. His online, do-it-yourself retreats are available at RCSpirituality.org, and he answers questions about the spiritual life at SpiritualDirection.com.

A Prayer from Helene for Families

Dear Lord, have mercy on all families today whose priorities are not

aligned with Your will. Place the desire in the hearts of all but

especially parents and families, to want to know you better and draw closer

to You, that the Light of the Holy Spirit break through our hardened

hearts, granting us new hearts, willing to honor and serve you with joy!

Please help us to be open...prepare the way, as You place along our faith

journey strong people of faith so that together, we may always have a

willingness to learn and to seek Your truth and Your holy will in each

"present moment" of our days. Jesus, we trust in you! St. Mother Teresa,

pray for us! St. Joseph, pray for us! Mother Angelica, pray for us!

World Famous Exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth Dies at 91

Father Gabriele Amorth.

The outspoken Pauline priest had performed over 70,000 exorcisms over the past 30 years.

The renowned exorcist, Pauline Father Gabriele Amorth, has died at the age of 91. A priest of the diocese of Rome, Father Amorth was admitted to hospital a few weeks ago suffering from pulmonary complications, according to Italian media reports. His death was announced by the San Paolo group which has published many of his books.

Born in Modena on May 1, 1925, Gabriele Amorth entered the Pauline congregation in Alba in 1947,  five years after meeting its founder, Blessed Giacomo Alberione.  Ordained in 1951, he was  appointed exorcist of the diocese of Rome in 1985 by Cardinal Ugo Poletti.

Often sought out by media around the world for his views on exorcism and understanding the sturggle against evil, Father Amorth once confirmed to the Register that he thought Hitler and Stalin were “certainly” possessed by the devil, but denied that that fact removed their own personal responsibility for their actions.

They followed “the promptings of the devil and they have done so willingly,” Father Amorth said in a 2006 interview. “Therefore they are guilty, completely responsible.”

When asked if there were any leaders today who could be similarly possessed, the exorcist said there are “many who listen to the temptations of Satan and follow him.” Because of that, he said, “the world goes bad.” Instead of leading others “towards peace and well-being, the world moves towards war and unease,” he said.

Last year, at a conference in Rome, he said “ISIS is Satan” in reference to the so-called Islamic State which has been brutally murdering Christians and other minorities in the Middle East in an effort to create a worldwide caliphate. Members of the terrorist group have since been trying to spread their atrocities to the West.

Father Amorth said at the time only two spiritual realms exist, “the Holy Spirit and the demonic spirit,” and that the demonic enters in “because evil is disguised in various ways: political, religious, cultural.” The demonic spirit has one source of inspiration: “the devil”, and as a Christian, he said he fights “the beast spiritually.”

He noted that the political world, “which today seems to lack a response in face of the massacre of Christians, will also have to fight ISIS and it will do it in a different way. If it advances as it seems to be doing, we ask ourselves what has the West done over the course of the last decades.”

In one of his last interviews published at the end of last year, Father Amorth told the magazine FaithfulInsight that “today the world does not turn from God because it is idolatrous; rather it pursues pure atheism, so as to put science on the altar.” But by turning away from the Lord, he said its breakthroughs “are put to disastrous use” and that without the Lord, “progress too is misused.” 

“We see it in laws that go totally against nature such as divorce, abortion, 'gay marriage',” he said. “We have forgotten God! Therefore, God will soon admonish humanity in a very powerful manner, He knows how to remind us of His presence.”

A firm believer that the Pope still needs to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart, as requested by the Blessed Virgin, in order to usher in a period of world peace, Father Amorth underlined in the same interview the importance of the family.

“Divorce has been a disaster; abortion has been a disaster,” he said. “Each year 50 million children are murdered by abortion. And euthanasia, the broken family, cohabitation ... It is all destruction!”
“The Lord gave us sex for a purpose,” he said. “One thing is sexual fun; another is love. Today there is much talk of love, but there truly is none!

Precisely in Fatima did Our Lady say to the young, seven-year old, Jacinta: ‘the sin that brings the most souls to hell is the impure sin,’ the sin of the flesh. She said this to a young girl, who did not even know what it was! We must listen to that which Our Lady says.”

By 2015, Father Amorth had performed over 70,000 exorcisms over 29 years. In 1990, he founded the International Association of Exorcists and was president until he retired, in 2000. On Sept. 8 this year, he was awarded the "Medal of Liberation" by the prefect of Rome, in the presence of Italy’s Minister of Defense, for the “important role” he played in the partisan struggle against the Nazis in 1943.

As well as an exorcist, Father Amorth also held several positions in the Society of St. Paul, including forming young religious, and serving as a teacher, spiritual director, and journalist. For many years, he was director of Madre di Dio, an Italian monthly, and a longtime contributor to another Italian Catholic monthly, Famiglia Cristiana. He also published a number of books on subjects that included exorcism, good and evil, the power of the media, freemasonry and sects.

 by Edward Pentin 09/16/2016

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross Sept. 14, 2016

How do we stand for truth in a culture steeped in lies?? Because i lived in a time when we prayed in school and respected the flag and the Ten Commandments I know the change and it was not for the betterment of our culture. We now have the freedom to kill off the children of God in so many ways. Perhaps as lethal as abortion and birth control pills is the awakening of the legal use of mind controlling drugs.

When in Poland for World Youth Day our Pope Francis began two of his talks by telling the youth that the merchant of smoke was stealing there dreams and ultimately there lives. One of my five children's life is still very much at stake due to the legalization of Marijuana, the gate way drug. Four
out of my five sons believe that if the federal government says it is ok and no more dangerous than alcohol than it must be ok.

Planned Parenthood took over the teaching of perverse sexual behavior on my watch about 25 years ago. I have fought there presence in the schools from the beginning but to no avail as most people think it is not only harmless but beneficial. Now as a senior citizen who like so many will never be able to retire because my income is being taxed to pay for all the diseases and unwanted or unplanned pregnancies. The child care in the high school and on and on and on. Our children are taught not to hold back on there hormonal drive but explore the possibilities.

Planned Parenthood is insuring there future by not only encouraging, but actually teaching our children and promoting sexual exploration and what to do when you do not like the outcome. You can have and abortion and donate the body parts. We know this is the truth. Unless you have had a bag over your head for the past few years you know our babies are being chopped up for use in the laboratories. Nothing has been done to stop this. Who is in charge of this God forsaken country.

I begin to say, "how in good conscience can we let this happen but who in our world is, "in good conscience?"  The conscience is so blackened with lies and half truths we will only respond to a tragic happening in our own lives and many times not then. The human brain can not be taught right and wrong at the same time. The mind of a young person will traverse to were ever there peers are going and were ever they feel accepted.

Our country is the example to the world, we have fooled most of the world into thinking we are doing great, taking care or the poor by giving them health care and food stamps as well as cell phones and tattoos.

Change can begin when each of us looks deep into the heart for truth, recognizing that we will have to make an account when we close our eyes one final time and they are opened by the most beautiful and loving eyes of Jesus. If you don't believe in Jesus it doesn't matter because He exist for you, for me, for all of us.  I don't want to meet Him and feel that I did not do everything I could possibly do to save His children. The truth saves, lies kill. It is as simple as that.

I have no idea how crooked our election process is but please do the right thing and vote. Vote for Truth and Life. Everything about the United States of America needs changing. It is going to take time. If I were raising my children now they would be home schooled and encouraged to only the holiest of colleges.

"Take up your cross and follow me, says the Lord." My cross is the loss of my children to the culture of death. Jesus and I want them back. To this end I will suffer and pray and speak truth in season and out of season.

God give use courage, God give us strength, God give us understanding.
~Margaret of souls for Jesus

Happy Birthday, Mother Mary!

Your birth, O Blessed Virgin Mary, fills the whole world with a sweet consolation and a holy joy, because of you was born our Jesus, our God, who has taken away from us the curse in which we were plunged by the sin of our first parents, and filled us with all kinds of blessings. 
~ St. John Vianney

“The Immaculate Virgin…invites us not to fix our eyes on her but to pass beyond, and as much as possible, to enter into the mystery in which she was conceived: the mystery of God who is One and Three, full of grace and fidelity.” 
~ Pope St. John Paul II

The Catholic Church celebrates the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on its traditional fixed date of September 8, nine months after the December 8 celebration of her Immaculate Conception as the child of Saints Joachim and Anne.

History of this feast day

The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the oldest of the Marian solemnities, was mentioned by the Church Fathers in the early fifth century.  Like other Marian feasts, it began to be celebrated at the local level without any major solemnity. As the feast began to spread throughout the Byzantine world in the sixth and seventh century, it was celebrated with greater solemnity. The solemnity of the feast spread to Rome in the seventh century, and in the following centuries, it spread throughout the whole Western Church. In the eighth century, at the time of St Andrew of Crete (+740), the feast of Mary’s nativity was already observed and celebrated in the same way as that of other major liturgical feasts of the Byzantine Church. The feast was established on September 8, because it was on that day that St. Helen, Emperor Constantine’s mother, dedicated the basilica she built in Jerusalem to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Significance of this feast day

Each Year, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 8. Usually the church celebrates the feast day of a saint on the date of their death, which is actually the day remembered as their birth into everlasting life. Mary, however, was conceived without sin as a special grace because God had selected her to become the Mother of His Son. Her birth is a cause for great joy as it is considered the "dawn of our salvation" (Pope Paul VI, Marialis Cultus, 1972.)

Saint Augustine described the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary as an event of cosmic and historic significance, and an appropriate prelude to the birth of Jesus Christ. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley,” he said.

Although there is no reference to Mary's birth in the Sacred Scriptures, the names of Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, appear in the Protoevangelium of James (5:2), which is an apocryphal writing from the late 2nd century. According to this account, Joachim and Anna were also beyond the years of child-bearing, but prayed and fasted that God would grant their desire for a child.

The primary focus of this feast day is that the world had been enslaved in the darkness of sin and with the arrival of Mary begins a glimmer of light. Living in our current culture of death, we rejoice in Mother Mary who shows us the way to the culture of life by drawing us closer to the Heart of her Son. As St. Louis de Montfort says, "She is an echo of God, speaking and repeating only God. If you say 'Mary' she says 'God'." There is a bond of love between Mary and God like no other.

As the Mother of God, Mary is radiantly beautifully. She is totally pure, modest, chaste, humble, obedient. Her soul is immaculate -- free from the stain of original sin. Mary is often referred to as the "New Eve." Through her fiat -- her obedience to the will of God -- she opened the doors of redemption and salvation to all her children which had been closed by Eve in her disobedience to the will of God. Because of God's eternal design, she became a necessary element for our redemption from the bondage of sin. As St. Jerome wrote: "Death through Eve, life through Mary." And, in the words of St. Louis de Montfort, "Mary alone gives to the unfortunate children of unfaithful Eve entry into that earthly paradise where they may walk pleasantly with God and be safely hidden from their enemies. There they can feed without fear of death on the delicious fruit of the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They can drink copiously the heavenly waters of that beauteous fountain which gushes forth in such abundance."

Today, let us celebrate with joyful hearts the miraculous birth of God's Mother and our Mother.

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

"Heart of Jesus, may Thy Kingdom come by means of Mary!"

Novena for Marriage and Family Day 9

In this novena, we will be praying for greater holiness in marriage and the family! The family is so very important in our lives and in our society! So, we are going to pray that the sacrament of marriage is strengthened and that families are sanctified.

Novena Prayers for the Nativity of Our Lady

Prayer for Marriage and Family
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your love into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your mercy into my family.
Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages.
Amen.

Day 9
Mother Mary, you pray for me as your child. Thank you for welcoming me into the Holy Family. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul that I may increase my devotion to the Holy Family.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me and for these my intentions…
(State your intentions)
Hail Mary…

Find the Original Here: http://www.praymorenovenas.com/nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-novena/#ixzz4IpQaubtA

Novena for Marriage and Family Day 8

In this novena, we will be praying for greater holiness in marriage and the family! The family is so very important in our lives and in our society! So, we are going to pray that the sacrament of marriage is strengthened and that families are sanctified.

Novena Prayers for the Nativity of Our Lady

Prayer for Marriage and Family
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your love into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your mercy into my family.
Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages.
Amen.

Day 8
Heavenly Mother, your birth gave great joy to all the world because it signaled the coming of Jesus Christ, who would save the whole world by His life, death and resurrection. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul that I may be exceedingly patient with my family and loved ones.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me and for these my intentions…
(State your intentions)
Hail Mary…

Find the Original Here: http://www.praymorenovenas.com/nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-novena/#ixzz4IpQCQ0W2

Novena for Marriage and Family Day 7

In this novena, we will be praying for greater holiness in marriage and the family! The family is so very important in our lives and in our society! So, we are going to pray that the sacrament of marriage is strengthened and that families are sanctified.

Novena Prayers for the Nativity of Our Lady

Prayer for Marriage and Family
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your love into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your mercy into my family.
Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages.
Amen.

Day 7
Holy Mother, your birth caused great joy to the angels, because they saw your holiness caused by your Son’s resurrection. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul that your graces may rain down on all married couples.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me and for these my intentions…
(State your intentions)
Hail Mary…

Find the Original Here: http://www.praymorenovenas.com/nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-novena/#ixzz4IpNy5Xr5

Novena for Marriage and Family Day 6

In this novena, we will be praying for greater holiness in marriage and the family! The family is so very important in our lives and in our society! So, we are going to pray that the sacrament of marriage is strengthened and that families are sanctified.

Novena Prayers for the Nativity of Our Lady

Prayer for Marriage and Family
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your love into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your mercy into my family.
Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages.
Amen.

Day 6
Oh holy Mother, St. Joachim and St. Anne were delighted to love and care for so holy a child. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul that I may show greater charity to my parents and grandparents in word, prayer and deed.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me and for these my intentions…
(State your intentions)
Hail Mary…

Find the Original Here: http://www.praymorenovenas.com/nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-novena/#ixzz4IpNaGrix

Novena for Marriage and Family Day 5

In this novena, we will be praying for greater holiness in marriage and the family! The family is so very important in our lives and in our society! So, we are going to pray that the sacrament of marriage is strengthened and that families are sanctified.

Novena Prayers for the Nativity of Our Lady

Prayer for Marriage and Family
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your love into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your mercy into my family.
Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages.
Amen.

Day 5
Most holy Mary, the Holy Spirit preserved you from sin so that our Lord would have a fitting vessel to enter the world. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul that I may remain faithful to your Son until the end.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me and for these my intentions…
(State your intentions)
Hail Mary…

Find the Original Here: http://www.praymorenovenas.com/nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-novena/#ixzz4IpMUa38S

Novena for Marriage and Family Day 4

In this novena, we will be praying for greater holiness in marriage and the family! The family is so very important in our lives and in our society! So, we are going to pray that the sacrament of marriage is strengthened and that families are sanctified.

Novena Prayers for the Nativity of Our Lady

Prayer for Marriage and Family
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your love into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your mercy into my family.
Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages.
Amen.

Day 4
Oh most holy daughter of the line of King David, the Redeemer of the world loves you with the singular love of a Child for His mother. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul that I may have a greater love and devotion to my Mother and Father.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me and for these my intentions…
(State your intentions)
Hail Mary…

Find the Original Here: http://www.praymorenovenas.com/nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-novena/#ixzz4IpJvTQLr

Jesus, Pope Francis and Divine Mercy

 "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." ~ Matthew 19:26

On the morning of August 31, I was deep in prayer when suddenly a flood of understanding came to me about the depth of God's Mercy.

Several months ago Jesus showed me Himself as an eagle soaring over the earth healing and saving His people.  He told me that legalism and fundamentalism were the greatest deterrents to His work of saving the world.  He showed me a spire spinning swiftly but softly. This is how He heals, by making us well rounded as we are meant to be. He looks at each individual person and graciously pours out to them all that they need as Joseph did while feeding the people of Egypt and ultimately his brothers who once tried to kill him.

I believe that I was under the impression as most of us are, that we have to do something to deserve this healing love and restoration.  This is not true.  Why? ... because God knows his creation much differently than we know ourselves. God knows that if you remove the 10 commandments and replace them with lies we will believe and respond to the lies. We have done exactly this.  Our children have been lied to by their parents,  their piers, their teachers, the church and the government. Some have risen above the lies after much pain, sin and suffering.  This is not how God intended us to learn and live.  He wants all healed and saved.

I was born in 1951, taught properly by parents, teachers, government and the church. Before I graduated high school everything began to change.  The point is my generation was taught properly as a result we recognize truth much more easily than our children.

When we see Pope Francis asking forgiveness from prostitutes for not making a world where they would not have to be treated as objects rather than persons  who are loved and cherished we begin to understand the meaning of Mercy.

There is  more to this lesson on Mercy,  "judge not lest you be judged," "forgive and you will be forgiven."

Our generation has work to do, both on our knees in prayer and thanksgiving to a God Who will forgive and heal those harmed deeply by our sins and faults.

Only God can unravel this mess, He fully intends to.  Be grateful,  humble and get out of the way.

Most sincerely and with love,
~Margaret of Souls for Jesus

Novena for Marriage and Family Day 3

In this novena, we will be praying for greater holiness in marriage and the family! The family is so very important in our lives and in our society! So, we are going to pray that the sacrament of marriage is strengthened and that families are sanctified.

Novena Prayers for the Nativity of Our Lady

Prayer for Marriage and Family
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your hope into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your love into my family.
Jesus, I trust in You. Please grant through Your mother’s intercession that I may always bring Your mercy into my family.
Our Lady, on this feast of your birth, please pray for stronger and holier marriages.
Amen.

Day 3
Immaculate daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne, you are the door to the Eternal Word who made you the source of His Sacred Blood. You are a model for all Christian sons and daughters. Pray for me today that the feast of your birth may give great joy to my soul and that I may have a greater devotion to your Son’s Precious Blood.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me and for these my intentions…
(State your intentions)
Hail Mary…

Find the Original Here: http://www.praymorenovenas.com/nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-novena/#ixzz4IpLVoccP