PRAYER TO ONE'S GUARDIAN ANGEL

 A Prayer to One's Guardian Angel 

O my good Angel, whom God, by His Divine mercy, hath appointed to be my guardian, enlighten and protect me, direct and govern me (this day). Amen.

NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH

This prayer is traditionally said for the nine days preceding the Feast of Saint Joseph (March 19th), however it can be prayed at any time during the year.

Novena to Saint Joseph

Glorious Saint Joseph, foster-father and protector of Jesus Christ!  To you I raise my heart and my hands to implore your powerful intercession.  Please obtain for me from the kind Heart of Jesus the help and the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.  I ask particularly for the grace of a happy death and the special favour I now implore.

[Mention your request here.]

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel animated with confidence that your prayers on my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

 (The following is to be said seven times in honor of the seven joys and seven sorrows of Saint Joseph.)

V.  O glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ, and for the glory of His Name.

R.  Hear my prayers and obtain my petitions.

Amen.

IF SEXUAL IMMORALITY SEEMS TO BE TAKING OVER THE WORLD, REMEMBER -- GOD HAS ALREADY WON!

http://www.virtualholyrosary.com/theGloriousMysteries.html

Every now and then, if we listen carefully, God speaks to us while praying the Rosary.

Tonight I received a call from a mother who's daughter is pregnant out of wedlock.
Thus, as I was trying to meditate on the First Glorious Mystery, the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus, my mind wandered onto the sexual immorality so pervasive in today's society. 
So often it seems like the Church has lost  --  that immorality is being accepted and normalized around the world.  Marriage is continually under attack.  The making and consuming of pornography is a way of life for many.  The twin evils of contraception and abortion are even accepted by some church-going Catholics.
All seems lost ...

Then one considers The Resurrection.
All seemed lot.
Jesus was killed, suffering a torturous and humiliating death on a Roman cross.
Jesus, however, is God.
Although truly dead Jesus rose from death and walked this earth in His glorious and resurrected body until He ascended into heaven in that same body.
God still rules.

No matter how lost things seem to be God is still in control.
Our main role to play?
Personal holiness.  Pray and fight for what is right ... and never loose hope.

Dominus vobiscum,
- Reg

http://gods411.blogspot.ca/2013/11/god-always-wins.html

For Holy Week: THE ROSARY CHANTED IN LATIN.

PASSIONTIDE ~ REFLECTIONS OF SUFFERING

http://luke2-14.blogspot.ca/2014/04/passiontide-and-my-lenten-moment.html

 Passiontide - 
 
Two weeks to consider suffering, both Christ's suffering and our own.

Wikipedia has a good summary: 

Passiontide (in the Christian liturgical year) is a name for the last two weeks of Lent, beginning on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, long celebrated as Passion Sunday, and ending on Holy Saturday.

In the Roman Catholic Church, and in Anglo-Catholic churches, all crucifixes and images may be covered in veils (usually violet, the color of vestments in Lent) starting on Passion Sunday: "The practice of covering crosses and images in the church may be observed, if the episcopal conference decides. The crosses are to be covered until the end of the celebration of the Lord's passion on Good Friday. Statues and images are to remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil."^[1] (Specifically, those veils are removed during the singing of the Gloria.) The veiling was associated with Passion Sunday's Gospel (John 8:46-59), in which Jesus "hid himself" from the people.^[2]

 From Gloria in Excelsis Deo

 This veiling of the statues and icons stems from the Gospel reading of Passion Sunday (John 8:46-59), at the end of which the accusers take up stones to cast at Jesus, Who hides Himself away. The veiling also symbolizes the fact that Christ's Divinity was hidden at the time of His Passion and death, the very essence of Passiontide.

I usually follow the traditional calendar even though my local parish follows the modern calendar and celebrates the "Novus Ordo"/ "Ordinary Form" Mass only.  When possible I make the trek the the city to assist in a Tridentine Mass.
Since 1969 Passion Sunday and Palm Sunday have been combined into one, making Holy Week also Passiontide.

Mass readings beginning on the fifth Sunday of Lent concentrate on the idea of suffering, particularly Christ's suffering for us.

How do we suffer?
We have to willingly accept ALL THE LITTLE things that cause us any irritation or suffering, be it physical, mental, or spiritual.

We are not animals.  An animal does not possess an immortal soul nor the ability to reflect on life.  When an animal suffers it is living in the moment.  Humans however can reflect back on how things used to be or how we though things were going to be.  We can also be afraid of how our suffering may change our future.

Think of Our Lord's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He struggled but willingly accepted the Father's will for Him:

• He accepted the physical suffering to come.
• He accepted the horrifying idea that He was to take our sins upon His sinless Self.
• He accepted being abandoned by his friends and followers ... even to being abandoned by God the Father as he suffered and died a tortuous death on the cross.
• He did all this with the full knowledge that people would mock his sacrifice then and down through the centuries.

http://www.zazzle.ca/jesus_christ_agony_in_the_garden_of_gethsemane_photosculpture-153335356698085618

How can we refuse to willingly accept this cold spring?
The toe we just stubbed?
Our inability to meet a deadline?
Our headaches?  Our occasional moodiness?  Monotony? Fatigue?
I know I have trouble accepting these and more.  I much prefer to grumble rather than quietly and willingly accept these small sufferings.

But that is what we are called to do, especially in the coming two weeks.
Suffer with Our Lord.  Offer up a prayer that your suffering may be combined with Jesus' for the salvation of souls.

Dear Lord, I offer you (whatever your concern or problem here) For the conversion of sinners For the forgiveness of sins In reparation for sins and For the salvation of souls. Amen.

From http://christhecomrade.blogspot.ca/2012/08/first-friday-of-august-pope-benedict.html

MARCH 19th, THE FEAST of SAINT JOSEPH ought not be overshadowed by St. Patrick's Day ... for most.

I always find it a shame that the feast day of Our Lord's foster father is overshadowed by the St. Patrick's Day festivities of two days before.

March is the Month of St. Joseph March 19th is the Feast Day of St. Joseph.
St. Joseph was chosen by God the Father to be the 'foster father' of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity Incarnate. God's servant Joseph was charged with bringing up God-Made-Man from a baby into manhood. Joseph is a mighty saint ... the one I picked as my patron after converting to the Catholic Church many years ago.

http://www.catholiccompany.com/

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/

http://images.monstermarketplace.com

 http://www.saintanneshelper.com/

SO MANY PEOPLE DYING DAILY ... WHAT IS THEIR ETERNAL DESTINATION?

Today there was a horrific collision between a city bus and a passenger train about a half an hour north of me.  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-bus-train-crash-kills-6-in-commuting-horror-1.1858868


For the last year or two, as I listen to/read the news, my mind keeps turning to the immortal souls of those who die.  Everyday we have tragedies and people dying natural deaths.

Obviously we are concerned about those who are mourning their deaths, but far more important than that is whether or not they died in a state of grace! 

 Jesus gave many warnings about how hard it is to enter the kingdom of heaven.  We need to enter through the narrow gate.  He warns, through the parable of the ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom, that those who do not stay prepared (in the parable by bringing enough oil for their lamps) that he will 'not know them'. Matthew 25:1-13:
[1] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. [2] And five of them were foolish, and five wise. [3] But the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them: [4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps. [5] And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept.
[6] And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him. [7] Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. [8] And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. [9] The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. [10] Now whilst they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.
[11] But at last come also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. [12] But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not. [13] Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.[ Douay-Rheims Bible]
 Jesus separates the 'lambs' from the 'goats' per their deeds.  For the 'goats' there is no entrance into heaven.  (Matthew 25:31-46)

The Holy Spirit, speaking through His holy Catholic Church, has warned us that to die in a state of mortal sin means a decent into hell ... for eternity.
[ In order for a sin to be mortal, it must meet three conditions:

• Mortal sin is a sin of grave matter
• Mortal sin is committed with full knowledge of the sinner
• Mortal sin is committed with deliberate consent of the sinner ]

 We, of course, have no idea the condition of any person at the moment of death.  We cannot even comprehend the limitlessness of God's Mercy and His Justice ... and His Love.  

Even if our spiritual leaders fail to mention it.  Even though the media never goes near the idea.  Even though it makes us uncomfortable to consider that any individual may be choosing hell over eternity with God, WE MUST REMEMBER THE SOULS OF EVERYONE WHO DIES.  

Never, ever, assume that someone is going to heaven.  We only know for sure that the saints are in heaven.  
For everyone who is destined for heaven, unless they are already pure in every way, they have to head to purgatory for to be purified from the stains of their sins.

We need to pray, pray and pray.

(From http://kbpipes.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/purgatory.jpg)

Prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Have mercy, dear Jesus, on all the poor souls in purgatory, and especially for
(Mention the name[s] here...)
Grant them (him/her) eternal rest, and may perpetual light shine upon them (him/her).
Amen. 

See also: purgatory.ca

Why love God?

Why love God?  Because He loved us first and even became one of us to give all and die as a mortal.

Image from http://uploads0.wikipaintings.org/images/jacopo-bellini/the-crucifixion.jpg


I must say, the longer I am a Catholic the more I am "blown away" (as said 'back in the day'...) by what our Lord has done for us, especially through the Church He established.

Not only did he create the entire universe and time itself, he chose to become one of us for our salvation.  God has never been an angel.  He has never been any of the other heavenly hosts.  But he became a human being, and after his death his human body was glorified and ascended into heaven.  The Word of God has a human body in heaven.

Can you imagine that?  God himself thinks so highly of us, who he created in his image, that the Second Person of the Holy Trinity sits on his throne with his crucified then glorified human body!

God condescended to become a humble man, born of a virgin, and mixed with us sinners.

Although sinless, he took our sins upon him and suffered and died for us. He died for us sinners.  Wow.

In 1996, at the age of 38, I came home to the Catholic Church.  I grew up as an Anglican and in university I had a lot of contact with evangelical Christians.  What I began to realize was that Jesus did not leave us a bible.  He established a Church.  He left the deposit of faith with his Church.  
This Church is a Church that teaches with Divine Authority.  There is no 'wiggle room' in the Church established by God!
His Church wrote the books of the New Testament and eventually, through the Holy Spirit, compiled the Canon of Scripture.

The early Christians had the Jewish scriptures and the oral teachings of the Apostles.   The written teachings and the oral teachings/traditions are what the Holy Spirit uses to communicate Truth to the Body of Christ.  Never scripture alone.  That idea is a somewhat 'modern' invention, largely thanks to a former disobedient priest named Martin Luther.

Since we have both the Scriptures and Tradition the Holy Spirit has taught us more.
We now know that God crowned a mere human as the Queen of heaven.  
Oh how God loves us!!! 

Image from:  https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmM7-6ffKfgmG7h-DF_wi_F0S7q-uko_D1iSfHN-phPQbRKabw0Yeoh6jBaix7nhk5wPDFbriVz0k0Gz48eb4ff4UJOCCrMFVUGopkiwcrkN-4xr8Cuv2y1bVk-DLYzsNzEFTmOPi0Ls/s1600/CoronationMary.jpg

Through Apostolic succession, this Church, the Body of Christ, has as its earthly head the successor of Peter, the Pope.  Jesus did not leave us alone.  Through the succession of his Apostles the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is still offered every day on all Catholic and Orthodox altars.  Jesus is still present in his Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity here on earth.

God gave the power to his Apostles and their successors to forgive sins.

When I assist at Mass I witness a genuine miracle.  A time where God intervenes with nature.  Mere bread and wine, through the power of the Holy Spirit and by the actions and words of the successors of the Apostles, become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and Saviour.  We are "re-present" and the one sacrifice that Jesus made for us at Calvary.

Image from my computer; originally from somewhere on the Internet ...

We have so much to be thankful for.  So many reasons to love God with all our hearts, souls, and with all our actions.
The saints learned to hate sin ... to prefer death to committing even one mortal sin.

Let us remember daily to direct all our thoughts, words and actions heavenward.

To start your day you can use the 'morning offering' that I've been using for years:

Most Holy and adorable Trinity, One God in three Persons, I adore You with the most profound humility.  I praise you and give you thanks for the favours you have bestowed on me.
Your goodness has brought me safely to the beginning of this day.

Behold, O Lord, I offer you my whole being, together with such crosses and contradictions as I may meet with in the course of this day.
Give them, O Lord, Your blessing.  May Your Divine Love animate them, and may they tend to the greater honour and glory of your Holy Name.   

   [One of the things I love about this prayer is the line "May Your Divine Love animate them".]

God be with you!

Dominus vobiscum, Reg. 

Catholic Ejaculations or Aspirations

Short Ejaculations

These short "mini-prayers," also called "aspirations" or "invocations," are to be said throughout the day to keep our minds focused on Heavenly things and to consecrate our efforts. It is good to adopt one of these as your own so that in times of stress, words that can focus your attention back to the holy come easily. These are all indulgenced prayers.

• Domine Iesu Christe, Filius Dei, miserere me peccatorem! (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!) Variations: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner!"; "God, have mercy on me, a sinner!"; "O God, be merciful to me a sinner!". This prayer is known as the "Jesus Prayer." It is the cry of the publican of Luke 18:13.
• Sit nomen Dómini benedíctum! (Blessed be the Name of the Lord!) This prayer is a reparation for blasphemy. If one hears someone take the Name of the Lord in vain, it is good to say this prayer. The response to this prayer is "ex hoc nunc, et usque in sæculum!" ("from this time forth for evermore!") or "per ómnia saecula saeculórum" ("unto ages of ages").
• We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee; because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. (Roman Breviary)
• May the Holy Trinity be blessed. (Roman Missal)
• Christ conquers! Christ reigns! Christ commands!
• O Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, inflame our hearts with love for Thee.
• O Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee.
• O Heart of Jesus, all for Thee.
• Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
• My God and my all.
• O God, have mercy on me, a sinner. (Luke 18:13)
• Grant that I may praise thee, O sacred Virgin; give me strength against thine enemies. (Roman Breviary)
• Teach me to do Thy will, because Thou art my God. (Psalm 142:10)
• O Lord, increase our faith. (Luke 17:5)
• O Lord, may we be of one mind in truth and of one heart in charity.
• O Lord, save us, we are perishing. (Matthew 8:25)
• My Lord and my God. (John 20:28)
• Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. (Roman Missal)
• Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
• Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, may I sleep and rest in peace with you. (Roman Ritual)
• May the Most Blessed Sacrament be praised and adored forever.
• Stay with us, O Lord. (Luke 24:29)
• Mother of Sorrows, pray for us.
• My Mother, my Hope.
• Send, O Lord, labourers into Thy harvest. (see Matthew 9:38)
• May the Virgin Mary together with her loving Child bless us. (Roman Breviary)
• Hail, O Cross, our only hope. (Roman Breviary)
• All you holy men and women of God, intercede for us. (Roman Ritual)
• Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. (Roman Ritual)
• Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit. (Luke. 23:46; Psalm 30:6)
• Merciful Lord Jesus, grant them everlasting rest. (Roman Missal)
• Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us. (Roman Ritual)
• Holy Mother of God, Mary ever Virgin, intercede for us. (Roman Breviary)
• Holy Mary, pray for us. (Roman Ritual)
• Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16)
• Blessed be God!
• All for thee, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
• Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine! (Roman Ritual)
• My Jesus, mercy!
• Thanks be to God! (Deo gratias!)
• O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
• Hail Mary! (Ave Maria!)
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee!
• Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come!
• Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love!
• Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us!
• From all sin deliver me, O Lord!
• As the Lord wills!
• Thy will be done! (Fiat voluntas tua!)