Friday, May 24
Veneration 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Mass 5:00 PM
Saturday, May 25
Mass 8:00 AM
Veneration 8:45 AM – 12:00 Noon
On the Catholic Priesthood
Friday May 31, 2019
Novena for Priests for Pentecost (From May 31st to June 8th)
Jesus, Good Shepherd, You sent us the Holy Spirit to guide Your Church
and lead her faithful to You through the ministry of Your priests.
Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, grant to Your priests wisdom in leading,
faithfulness in teaching, and holiness in guarding Your sacred Mysteries.
As they cry out with all the faithful, "Abba, Father!" may Your priests be ever
more closely identified with You in Your divine Sonship and offer their own lives
with You, the one saving Victim. Make them helpful brothers of one another,
and understanding fathers of all Your people.
On this Pentecost Sunday, renew in Your priests deeper faith, greater trust in You,
childlike reliance on our Mother Mary, and unwavering fidelity to the Holy Father and his bishops.
Holy Mary, intercede for your priests.
St. Joseph, protect them.
St. Michael, defend them.
St. John Vianney, pray for them.
Amen.
Source: Curé d'Ars Prayer Group
Posted at 10:41AM May 31, 2019 by VP in Prayers | Comments [0]
Thursday May 30, 2019
ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST
«He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.” — Apostles’ Creed.
The only Son of God was made man, and became like unto us in all things, sin alone excepted. He died on the cross for the salvation of the world. His body was placed in a tomb; His soul descended into Limbo to deliver the holy souls who were waiting there until the blood of our Savior should wash away and blot out the sins of the world; which was necessary before they could enter into glory. The third day after the painful and cruel torments of the cross, Christ came forth gloriously from the grave, as He had foretold. Behold, my Brethren, what I explained to you in my last instruction.
Now, let us turn our attention to the sixth article of our creed, an article which will make the subject of this day’s instruction. Christ rises from the dead, ascends into heaven, and seats himself at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. Listen, my Brethren, , to the account which the Evangelist St. Luke furnishes us, concerning the wonderful Ascension of our Savior, Jesus Christ, into heaven. After His resurrection, our divine Redeemer remained during forty days on earth, showing himself frequently to His Apostles and disciples, instructing them in many very important things; such as the establishment of His Church, the propagation of the Gospel, all that regarded the reign of God in the hearts of men, and every thing calculated to bring souls to the happiness of heaven. At last, when all the Apostles and disciples were assembled at Jerusalem, Jesus appears to them for the last time. He takes a seat at their table, eats and drinks with them. During the repast, He reproaches them, but with great benignity, for their want of faith in His resurrection, of which He had now come to give them still another evident and palpable proof; He imposes upon them the mission of preaching His word to every creature, and commands them to travel the whole world, propagating His religion and spreading His divine doctrine among all nations. To inspire them with courage and penetrate their hearts with a generous confidence, He bestows upon them the divine power of working miracles, thus to give greater force to the truths which they were to announce, and which the world, converted at the sight of these prodigies of the omnipotence of God, might embrace and practice.
Our divine Lord then rises, and, followed by His Apostles and disciples, goes out from the city, and proceeds to the mount of Olives. There His agony had commenced; thence too, will He take His flight into glory. He gives His Apostles and disciples the most consoling assurance that He would never cease to protect them; recommends them to remain at Jerusalem, until they should receive the Holy Ghost, the Comforter whom He had promised to send them; He speaks to them with all the tenderness of a father addressing his children, whom he is about to leave; raises His hand, blesses them, recommends them to the favor and protection of His heavenly Father; and then, full of glory and majesty, elevates himself in the air, and mounts gradually toward heaven. For some time the Apostles gaze on the form of their departing Master; but at length, the clouds of heaven conceal Him from their view. Jesus continues His ascent into heaven, seats himself at the right of hand of the Almighty Father, to whom He is perfectly equal, and is from whom He receives, as man, the first place in heaven, above every creature.
Jesus ascends into heaven; He goes to take possession of the glory which was due to Him. He had come down from the bosom of His Father, to take, on earth, the form of a slave, to live in poverty and disgrace,— to die in torments, to pour out His blood on the cross for the redemption of the human race. All has been consummated, the mission of the Man-God has been accomplished, and behold, “from the height of the cross, He shall draw all unto Him. The Son of man has crushed the serpents head; sin has been blotted out; the empire of the devil annihilated; error cheeked and light diffused; and the God of heaven and earth shall be adored in spirit and in truth. Yes, Jesus hath glorified His Father among men, it was just that He should receive from His Father infinite glory in the eternal mansions. But before quitting the earth, He said to us: “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many mansions ... I go to prepare a place for you. And if I shall go, and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself; that where I am, you also may be.” (St John, xiv : 1, 2, 3.)
Christ ascended into heaven, to prepare a place for us there; He himself has said: “Where I am, you also may be.” A day will come, when it will he permitted us to participate in the glory of our divine Savior. It will be so if we place ourselves among the number of the true servants of Jesus Christ; if we preserve in our hearts and manifest in our conduct, the holy commandments which He has given us; if, in fine, we endeavor to render ourselves like to Jesus Christ, our Savior and our model, “A faithful saying,” says St. Paul to Timothy; “if we be dead with Christ, we shall live also with Him. If we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us.” (2 Timothy, ii : 1, 2.) Where Christ is, there also must His servants be.
O! divine Jesus, let me dwell with Thee in eternity, in the tabernacles of Thy Father! But, O my Savior, I am so weak, and I fall into so many sins! Must not the splendor of Thy glory over- whelm the unhappy sinner, who would dare aspire to the happiness of heaven? This fear would fill my soul with desolation, did I not know that Thou hast ascended into heaven to be our advocate and mediator with Thy Father. “My little children,” writes St. John to the first Christians; “these things I write to you, that you may not sin. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just. And He is the propitiation for our sins.”(Epistle of St. John, ii : 1, 9.) Yes, my Brethren, Jesus Christ is our advocate in heaven; He who destroyed sin, is our Mediator with God; He is there under the eyes of His Father, as a constant victim and perpetual sacrifice for our sins. Should not this saving truth fill our souls with sweet and consoling hope! Jesus intercedes for us! God the Father did not spare His only Son, but delivered Him up for us, and how, after having bestowed upon us this gift, can He refuse us any thing which this divine Savior asks for us? Oh! we have an advocate whose influence over the heart of God is infinite, we can, therefore, reach heaven.
My Brethren, heaven is our country, and it is there only we can find happiness. We are only passengers on earth, and we see here only empty baubles, vanities, deceptions and sufferings. Let us not allow our hearts to be foolishly attached to the things of this world; let us remember that we live not for time, but for eternity. Let us seek the things that are in heaven, where Jesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of God; let us taste the things that are of heaven, and not the things of earth. When Jesus Christ shall appear. He who is our life, we too shall appear with Him in glory, if we walk in His footsteps, follow the example He has given us, obey the roles and precepts which He has imposed upon us, and love God and our neighbor as He has commanded. We shall reap in eternity what we have sown in time. Let us, therefore, keep our hearts raised up to heaven; let us have God always before our eyes, let us glorify Him, by advancing in the practice of good works, and then as vigilant and faithful servants, we shall deserve to ascend to the mansions of our divine Master. — Amen.
Source: One hundred short sermons, The Most Rev. Martin John Spalding Archbishop of Baltimore
Posted at 12:20PM May 30, 2019 by VP in Books | Comments [0]
Novena for Those Preparing for Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood
Heavenly Father, source of all fatherhood on earth, we humbly beseech
you to abundantly bless David Miller and Noe Ramirez you have called
to the share in the sacred priesthood of Your Son.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be configured to Christ the one
High Priest and thus be your instrument for the salvation of the world:
“This is my body, which will be given up for you.”
Through their total gift of self in celibacy, inspire David Miller and Noe
Ramirez to perfectly imitate Jesus and to lay down their lives for His
Bride,the Church.Thus may they bear witness that God must be loved
above all things.We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Holy Mary, Mother of priests, pray for us!
Raleigh Diocese Candidates for 2019
Source: Curé d'Ars Prayer Group.
Posted at 12:00AM May 30, 2019 by VP in Prayers | Comments [0]
Wednesday May 29, 2019
Rogation Days, Prayer without Ceasing
Prescribed days of prayer and penance in
spring. Two sets of rogation days were kept since early Christian
times: the Major Rogation on April 25, the Feast of St. Mark; and the
Minor Rogations on the last three days before Ascension Thursday. They
were instituted to appease divine justice, ask for protection, and
invoke Godʼs blessing on the harvest. (Catholic Dictionary, Catholic
Culture)
Rogation is simply an English form of the Latin rogatio, which comes
from the verb rogare, which means "to ask". The Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday before Ascension day, were called Rogation days or days of solemn supplication and prayer. On these days the priest and people went
in procession, singing the litanies, to beg God’s blessing upon the
fruits of the earth, and be preserved from pestilence, famine, etc.
(Right Rev. Dr. Challoner)
Litany of the Saints
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of Virgins, pray for us.
St. Michael, pray for us.
St. Gabriel, pray for us.
St. Raphael, pray for us.
All ye holy Angels and Archangels, pray for us.
All ye holy orders of blessed spirits,
St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
All holy Patriarchs and Prophets, pray for us.
St. Peter, pray for us.
St. Paul, pray for us.
St. Andrew, pray for us.
St. James, pray for us.
St. John, pray for us.
St. Thomas, pray for us.
St. James, pray for us.
St. Philip, pray for us.
St. Bartholomew, pray for us.
St. Matthew, pray for us.
St. Simon, pray for us.
St. Thaddeus, pray for us.
St. Matthias, pray for us.
St. Barnabas, pray for us.
St. Luke, pray for us.
St. Mark, pray for us.
All holy Apostles and Evangelists, pray for us.
All holy Disciples of the Lord, pray for us.
All Holy Innocents, pray for us.
St. Stephen, pray for us.
St. Lawrence, pray for us.
St. Vincent, pray for us.
SS. Fabian and Sebastian, pray for us.
SS. John and Paul, pray for us.
SS. Cosmas and Damian, pray for us.
SS. Gervase and Protase, pray for us.
All holy Martyrs, pray for us.
St. Sylvester, pray for us.
St. Gregory, pray for us.
St. Ambrose, pray for us.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
St. Jerome, pray for us.
St. Martin, pray for us.
St. Nicholas, pray for us.
All holy Bishops and Confessors, pray for us.
All holy Doctors, pray for us.
St. Anthony, pray for us.
St. Benedict, pray for us.
St. Bernard, pray for us.
St. Dominic, pray for us.
St. Francis, pray for us.
All holy Priests and Levites, pray for us.
All holy Monks and Hermits, pray for us.
St. Mary Magdalen, pray for us.
St. Agatha, pray for us.
St. Lucy, pray for us.
St. Agnes, pray for us.
St. Cecilia, pray for us.
St. Catherine, pray for us.
St. Anastasia, pray for us.
All holy Virgins and Widows, pray for us.
All holy Saints of God, intercede for us.
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.
From all evil, deliver us, O Lord.
From all sin, deliver us, O Lord.
From Thy wrath anger, deliver us, O Lord.
From sudden and unprovided death, deliver us, O Lord.
From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Lord.
From anger, and hatred, and all ill will, deliver us, O Lord.
From the spirit of fornication, deliver us, O Lord.
From lightning and storms, deliver us, O Lord.
From the scourge of earthquake, deliver us, O Lord.
From plague, famine, and war, deliver us, O Lord.
From everlasting death, deliver us, O Lord.
Through the mystery of Thy holy Incarnation, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy Coming, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy Nativity, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy Baptism and holy Fasting, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy Cross and Passion, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy Death and Burial, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy holy Resurrection, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy admirable Ascension, deliver us, O Lord.
Through the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, deliver us, O Lord.
In the day of Judgment, deliver us, O Lord.
We sinners, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst spare us, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst pardon us, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst bring us to true penance, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst govern and preserve Thy holy Church, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst preserve our Holy Pope and all orders of the Church,
in holy Religion, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst humble the enemies of holy Church, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant peace and unity to all Christian people, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst recall all who have wandered from the unity of the Church,
and lead all unbelievers to the light of the Gospel, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst confirm and preserve us in Thy holy service, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst lift up our minds to heavenly desires, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst give eternal blessings to all our benefactors, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst deliver our souls, and the souls of our brethren, relations,
and benefactors from eternal damnation, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst give and preserve from harm the fruits of the earth, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously hear us, Son of God, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Our Father, who art in heaven, ....
Psalm 69
O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me.
Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul.
Let them be turned backward, and blush for shame that desire evils to me.
Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame that say to me: ‘tis well, ‘tis well.
Let all that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee. And let such as love Thy salvation say always: The Lord be magnified.
But I am needy and poor; O God, help me.
Thou art my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, make no delay.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
V. Save thy servants.
R. Who hope in Thee, O my God.
V. Be unto us, O Lord, a tower of strength.
R. From the face of the enemy.
V. Let not the enemy prevail against us.
R. Nor the son of wickedness have power to hurt us.
V. O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins.
R. Neither requite us according to our iniquities.
V. Let us pray for our Sovereign Pontiff N....
R. The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon
the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.
V. Let us pray for our benefactors.
R. Vouchsafe, O Lord, for Thy Name’s sake, to reward with eternal life all those who do us good. Amen.
V. Let us pray for the faithful departed.
R. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
V. For our absent brethren.
R. Save thy servants who hope in Thee, O my God.
V. Send them help, O Lord, from thy holy place.
R. And from Sion protect them.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
Prayer
Let us pray.
O God, whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, receive our
humble petition: that we, and all Thy servants who are bound by the
chain of sin, may be the compassion of Thy goodness mercifully be
absolved.
Graciously hear, we beseech Thee, O Lord the prayers of Thy
suppliants, and forgive the sins of those that confess to Thee: that, in
Thy bounty, Thou mayest grant us pardon and peace.
In Thy clemency, O Lord, show Thine unspeakable mercy to us: that
Thou mayest both loose us from all the punishments which we deserve for
them.
O God, who by sin art offended, and by penance pacified, mercifully
regard the prayers of Thy people making supplication to Thee, and turn
away the scourges of Thine anger, which we deserve for our sins.
Almighty, everlasting God, have mercy upon Thy servant N, Our
Sovereign Pontiff, and direct him according to Thy clemency into the way
of everlasting salvation, that by Thy grace he may both desire those
things that are pleasant to Thee, and perform them with all his
strength.
O God, from Whom are all holy desires, right counsels, and just
works, give unto Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give:
that both our hearts, given over to Thy commands, and our times, the
fear of our foes removed, may by Thy protection be peaceful.
Inflame, O Lord, our reins and hearts with the fire of the Holy
Ghost: that we may serve Thee with a chaste body and please Thee with a
clean heart.
O God, the Creator and redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the
souls of Thy servants departed the remission of all their sins: that
through pious supplications they may obtain that pardon which they have
always desired.
Prevent, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy inspirations,
and further them by Thy assistance: that every word and work of ours may
begin always from Thee, and by Thee be likewise ended.
Almighty, everlasting God, who hast dominion over the living and the
dead, and art merciful to all, of whom Thou fore-knowest that they will
be Thine by faith and good works: we humbly beseech Thee, that they for
whom we intend to pour forth our prayers whether this present world
still detain them in the flesh, or the world to come hath already
received them out of their bodies, may, through the intercession of all
Thy Saints, by the clemency of Thy goodness, obtain the remission of all
their sins, Through our Lord Jesus Christ Who liveth and reigneth with
Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us. Amen
And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in Peace.
Source: Curé d'Ars Prayer Group
Posted at 12:21PM May 29, 2019 by VP in Prayers | Comments [0]
Monday May 27, 2019
Rogation Days
Today is the beginning of three days of prayers and fasting that
were traditionally known as Rogation Days. Below you will find
historical information I gathered from different sources:
"Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Thursday were
instituted by the Church to appease God's anger at man's
transgressions, to ask protection in calamities.
These Rogation Days are of French origin, coming about in the 5th
c., when St. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne, Dauphiné instituted them
after a series of natural calamities. Rogation is simply an
English form of the Latin rogatio, which comes from the verb
rogare, which means "to ask". The Rogation Days were marked by the
recitation of the litany of the Saints which would normally begin
in or at a church.
After Saint Mary was invoked, the congregation would proceed to
walk the boundaries of the parish, while reciting the rest of the
litany (and repeating it as necessary or supplementing it with
some of the penitential or gradual Psalms). Thus, the entire
parish would be blessed, and the boundaries of the parish would be
marked. The procession would end with a Rogation Mass, in which
all in the parish were expected to take part.
If your parish does not celebrate the Rogation Days, there's
nothing to stop you from celebrating them yourself. You can mark
the days by reciting the Litany of the saints.
We could also pray the Litany to obtain Holy Priests:
Finish it all off by attending daily Mass and praying for good
weather and a fruitful harvest."
sources:
Ember & Rogation Days ~ Fr Ripperger
Ember & Rogation Days ~ Fr Ripperger
The Kingdom of Heaven: An
Instruction in the Catholic Faith for Children
By Hazel Gillmore Alden Rogation Days
By Hazel Gillmore Alden Rogation Days
Posted at 10:19AM May 27, 2019 by VP in Prayers | Comments [0]
Thursday May 23, 2019
Heart of a Priest: Relic Pilgrimage of St. Jean Vianney's Incorrupt Heart
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Raleigh NC
Posted at 12:00AM May 23, 2019 by VP in Prayers | Comments [0]
Wednesday May 22, 2019
Honor the Priesthood
“He who would truly honor the priesthood must do so by helping priests.
I would rather have a hand in getting one priest back to the altar of God
than to write a thousand books on the priesthood,
or to preach a million sermons on the glory of the priesthood,
for neither the sermons nor the books
can hold Christ in their hands and offer Him to the Father.”
– Very Rev. Gerald Fitzgerald, s.P.
Source: A True Prophet for the Priesthood
Posted at 11:10AM May 22, 2019 by VP in Quotes | Comments [0]
Tuesday May 21, 2019
A Priest’s Prayer to Our Lady
By whose unworthy hands and trembling breath
The Victim-Priest renews His mystic death;
Whose functions bind him to thy highest care,
While conscience cries: “Presumptuous man, beware!”
O Glorious Queen, thy lamp was kindled bright
In thy Conception; yet, through all the night,
Waiting the King of kings, thy prudent toil
Trimmed and replenished it with purest oil:
My priestly lamp burns dim; oh! Pray thy Spouse
Within my sluggish spirit to arouse
The grace the priestly character demands,
Pledged by the Pontiff’s venerable hands.
Source: Lyra Hieratica: poems on the priesthood / collected from many by Fr. Thomas Edward Bridgett, 1829-1899.
Posted at 10:27AM May 21, 2019 by VP in Poetry | Comments [0]
Tuesday May 14, 2019
Refusing to Share in the Priesthood of Christ
What would happen to a priest already sharing in the priesthood of Christ by reason of his ordination, if he refused to share in Christ’s condition of victim? He would certainly be falling away from the priestly ideal: his life would become disordered, disturbed, and confused. He would remain a minister of Christ but without a sincere love for his affectionate Master. No longer a man of God but a man of the world, a man whose life has become vain, superficial, barren. This deplorable state of sterility reveals in an even better light the fruitfulness of a genuine apostolate, just as it is easier to appreciate the value of justice when we see the suffering resulting from injustice. Every priest should ask for the grace to be a victim in the way God wants him to be, to suffer patiently whatever God has willed for him from all eternity, so that he takes up his cross each day not simply as a faithful follower of Christ but as a priest standing in the place of Christ himself. He must undergo a mystical death before his physical death.
Source: The Priest in Union with Christ, Father Reginal Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
Posted at 01:29PM May 14, 2019 by VP in Quotes | Comments [0]
Monday May 13, 2019
Commemoration of a Faithful Priest
Quantis micas boneribus
Good Priest, where art thou hid from human eyes
in calm Repose,
Haply to tread the marble-shining skies
after life’s woes;
Where God’s Own Presence hath His People blest,
Himself their happy Guerdon, and their rest.
Those Virtues, in whose steps thou here didst toil,
and strive to go,
Are not put off with this thy fleshly coil,
and left below;
They now are turned to rays of Light Divine,
and glorious Crowns, which on thy temples shine.
And they for whom thou toilest in second birth,
with many a sigh,
Are with thee, like thy children, fled from earth,
and through the sky
They share thy victory the blest Choirs among,
and lift with thee the new mysterious Song.
Thou here below, dim-veiled from earthly eyes
in shadows dread,
Didst offer up th’Unbloody Sacrifice,
on Christ to feed;
He now Himself, with unveiled Deity,
of Spirits Immortal the Repast shall be.
And as a daily Sacrifice may we
Be lifted up,
Bearing our daily Cross, and share with thee
Thy Master’s Cup;
We press, like shipwrecked sailors on the wave,
To Shores where Christ doth stretch His Arms
to save.
To Him, Who governs His own Priestly Host,
Himself their Crown;
To Him with Father and with Holy Ghost,
be all renown:
All praise to Him as hath been heretofore,
All praise to Him both now and evermore.
Source: Lyra Eucharistica : hymns and verses on the Holy Communion, ancient and modern ; with other poems by Shipley, Orby, 1832-1916
Posted at 12:24PM May 13, 2019 by VP in Poetry | Comments [0]
Sunday May 12, 2019
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Litany to St. John Vianney for Vocations
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, endowed with grace from thine infancy, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney., model of filial piety, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, devoted servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, spotless lily of purity, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney., faithful imitator of the sufferings of Christ, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, abyss of humility, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, seraphim in prayer, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, faithful adorer of the Most Blessed Sacrament, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, ardent lover of holy poverty, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, tender friend of the poor, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, penetrated with the fear of Godʼs judgment, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, fortified by Divine visions, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, who wast tormented by the evil spirit, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, perfect model of sacerdotal virtue, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, firm and prudent pastor, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, inflamed by zeal, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, faithful attendant on the sick, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, indefatigable catechist, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, who didst preach in words of fire, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, wise director of souls, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, specially gifted with the spirit of counsel, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, enlightened by light from Heaven, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, formidable to Satan, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, compassionate with every misery, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, providence of the orphans, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, favored with the gift of miracles, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, who didst reconcile so many sinners with God, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, who didst confirm so many of the just in the way of virtue, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, who didst taste the sweetness of death, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, who dost now rejoice in the glory of Heaven, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, helpful to all those who invoke thee, pray for us.
Saint John Vianney, patron of the clergy, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
V. Pray for us, Blessed John Marie,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Almighty and merciful God, who didst make Saint John Vianney admirable
in his pastoral zeal and in his constant love of penance, grant us the
grace, we implore Thee, to win for Christ, by his example and
intercession, the souls of our brethren, and to attain with them
everlasting glory.
O, Saint John Vianney, incomparable laborer in the field confided to
thee, obtain for the Church the realization of Jesusʼ desire. The
harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few. Pray to the Master of the
harvest to send faithful laborers into His vineyard. O, Saint John
Vianney! Intercede for the clergy. May thy patronage, and thy prayer
multiply the real vocations to the priesthood. May the Holy Ghost grant
thee emulators; may He give us Saints! Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Source: Curé d'Ars Prayer Group
Posted at 12:00AM May 12, 2019 by VP in Prayers | Comments [0]
Wednesday May 08, 2019
Thoughts of the Curé of Ars
After God, the priest is all! . . . Leave a parish twenty years without a priest, and the people will adore beasts.
Posted at 12:00AM May 08, 2019 by VP in Quotes | Comments [0]
Saturday May 04, 2019
Priests' First Saturday
Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, Who hast entrusted the whole work of Thy
redemption, the welfare and salvation of the world, to priests as Thy
representatives, through the hands of Thy most holy Mother and for the
sanctification of Thy priests and candidates for the priesthood I offer
Thee this present day wholly and entirely, with all its prayers, works,
sacrifices, joys, and sorrows.
Give truly holy priests who,
inflamed with the fire of Thy divine love, seek nothing but Thy greater
glory and the salvation of our souls.
And thou, Mary, good
Mother of priests, protect all priests in the dangers of their holy
vocation and, with the loving hand of a Mother, also lead back to the
Good Shepherd those poor priests who have become unfaithful to their
exalted vocation and have gone astray.
In addition to the above make it a point also to recite frequently the following:
Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, Who Hast entrusted the weal and woes of
Thy Holy Church to priests, with all the fervor of my heart I recommend
to Thee the wants of my pastor and all priests. Enrich them more and
more with true priestly sanctity. Give them generous, all embracing,
apostolic hearts, full of love for Thee and for all Thy souls, so that
they, being themselves sanctified in Thee, may sanctify us who are
confided to their care, and may lead us safely to heaven. Bestow upon
them in rich abundance all Thy priestly graces!
Let them ever
give us a glowing example of love and fidelity towards Holy Mother
Church, towards the Pope, and bishops, and grant that by word and
example they may shine as models of every virtue.
Most loving
Jesus, bless all their priestly labors and sacrifices! Bless all their
prayers and words at the altar and in the confessional, in the pulpit,
and in school, in confraternities, and at the bedside of the sick!
Protect and preserve them in all dangers from within and from without.
Divine Savior, give to Thy Church priests who abound in true holiness!
Call many good boys and young men to the priestly and religious state!
Aid and sanctify all those who are to become Thy priests! And to the
souls of departed priests grant everlasting rest.
But to me
give a true spirit of faith and humble obedience, in order that in my
pastor I may ever behold the representative of God and willingly follow
all his teachings. Amen
Source: Curé d'Ars Prayer Group
Posted at 11:25AM May 04, 2019 by VP in Prayers | Comments [0]
Thursday May 02, 2019
If the Church...
Truly, if the Church is the Spouse of Jesus Christ, the Popes, bishops and priests are her guardians. If the Church is an army ranged in battle, the Popes, the bishops and priests are her generals. if the Church is a vessel steering across the storms of persecutions, the Popes, the bishops, and priests are her pilots. If the Church is the Mystic Body of Christ, and if the faithful are its members, the Popes, the bishops, and priests are the principal members of this Body; by their eyes, Jesus Christ watches over His flock; by their feet, He carries to every nation the Gospel of peace; by their hearts, He diffuses everywhere the life of that divine charity without which all is dead. If the Church is the people of acquisition, bought at a great price, the Popes, the bishops, and priests are the leaders, the teachers, the princes of that chose generation. If the Church is that sacred edifice built up by the Divine Wisdom Itself for the children of God, the Popes, the bishops, and priests are the administrators of this palace; they are the columns of the Church upon which the whole world rests.
God the Father has created the world without the Popes, the bishops and priests, but it is only through them that he saves it. God the Son redeemed the world without the Popes, the bishops and priests, but it is only by them that He applies His Blood to the souls of men, and secures the fruits of His copious Redemption.
And you can hardly name a single blessing of the Holy Ghost, without beholding by the side of that blessing the priest as the instrument through which that Divine Spirit communicates His blessing.
Yes, if St. Bernard is right in saying that all comes to us through Mary, we are also right in saying that all comes to the people through the Popes, the bishops and the priest: yes, all happiness, every grace, every heavenly gift.
All the other gifts of God would avail us nothing without the Popes, the bishops and priest. What would be the use of a house full of golf, if there were no one to open the door for you?
Now the Popes, the bishops and priests have the key of all the treasures of heaven; it is they who open the door. They are the stewards of the Lord, the administrators of His goods. Without them, the Passion of our Lord would profit us nothing. Look at the poor heathen - of what benefit is our Lord's death tho them? Alas! they can have no share in the Redemption, so long as they have no priests to apply His blood to their souls.
No on understands this better than the devil, and his associates in this world. When they wish to destroy religion, they begin by attacking the Popes, the bishops, and priests: for where there is no priest there is no sacrifice, and where there is no sacrifice there is no religion. What should we do in the Church? the people would say; there is no Mass now, our Lord is no longer there; we may as well pray at home.
Source: The Catholic Priest, Rev. Michael Muller C.S.S.R
Posted at 12:00AM May 02, 2019 by VP in Books | Comments [0]
Wednesday May 01, 2019
Prayer to Saint Joseph for the Church
Saint Joseph, God has appointed you
patron of the Catholic Church because you were the head of the Holy
Family, the starting-point of the Church. You were the father,
protector, guide and support of the Holy Family. For that reason you
belong in a particular way to the Church, which was the purpose of the
Holy Familyʼs existence.
I believe that the Church is the family
of God on earth. Its government is represented in priestly authority
which consists above all in its power over the true Body of Christ,
really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, thus continuing
Christʼs life in the Church. From this power, too, comes authority over
the Mystical Body of Christ, the members of the Church -- the power to
teach and govern souls, to reconcile them with God, to bless them, and
to pray for them.
You have a special relationship to the
priesthood because you possessed a wonderful power over our Savior
Himself. Your life and office were of a priestly function and are
especially connected with the Blessed Sacrament. To some extent you were
the means of bringing the Redeemer to us -- as it is the priestʼs
function to bring Him to us in the Mass -- for you reared Jesus,
supported, nourished, protected and sheltered Him.
You were
prefigured by the patriarch Joseph, who kept supplies of wheat for his
people. But how much greater than he were you! Joseph of old gave the
Egyptians mere bread for their bodies. You nourished, and with the most
tender care, preserved for the Church Him who is the Bread of Heaven and
who gives eternal life in Holy Communion.
God has appointed you
patron of the Church because the glorious title of patriarch also falls
by special right to you. The patriarchs were the heads of families of
the Chosen People, and theirs was the honor to prepare for the Saviorʼs
incarnation. You belonged to this line of patriarchs, for you were one
of the last descendants of the family of David and one of the nearest
forebears of Christ according to the flesh. As husband of Mary, the
Mother of God, and as the foster-father of the Savior, you were directly
connected with Christ. Your vocation was especially concerned with the
Person of Jesus; your entire activity centered about Him. You are,
therefore, the closing of the Old Testament and the beginning of the
New, which took its rise with the Holy Family of Nazareth. Because the
New Testament surpasses the Old in every respect, you are the patriarch
of patriarchs, the most venerable, exalted, and amiable of all the
patriarchs.
Through Mary, the Church received Christ, and
therefore the Church is indebted to her. But the Church owes her debt of
gratitude and veneration to you also, for you were the chosen one who
enabled Christ to enter into the world according to the laws of order
and fitness. It was by you that the patriarchs and the prophets and the
faithful reaped the fruit of Godʼs promise. Alone among them all, you
saw with your own eyes and possessed the Redeemer promised to the rest
of men.
Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being
the Patron of the Church. As a token of your own gratitude to God,
obtain for me the grace to live always as a worthy member of this
Church, so that through it I may save my soul. Bless the priests, the
religious, and the laity of the Catholic Church, that they may ever grow
in Godʼs love and faithfulness in His service. Protect the Church from
the evils of our day and from the persecution of her enemies. Through
your powerful intercession may the church successfully accomplish its
mission in this world -- the glory of God and the salvation of souls!
Amen.
Source:Curé d'Ars Prayer Group
Posted at 12:00AM May 01, 2019 by VP in Prayers | Comments [0]