The Golden Rose
by VP
Posted on Sunday December 14, 2025 at 12:00AM in Meditations
"The lights of hope and joy, the shadows of despondency and sorrow are ever flitting over the surface of human life, teaching the heart the solemn lesson of detachment from earth and giving it glimpses of heaven, that city of perpetual brightness whose "light is the Lamb," the uncreated splendor of the Father. We need this succession of light and shade; continual prosperity would make us love the world, and we would forget that the days of our pilgrimage are few and evil, whilst lasting adversity would deaden the elasticity of the heart and drive it to despair. The Church knows the requirements of our nature in this respect and provides for them. The penitential seasons of Advent and Lent are succeeded by the joys of Christmas and the glories of Easter. The sorrows of Holy Week are interrupted by the Gloria of Holy Thursday, and then again the last notes of the Angelic Hymn die away in the wail of the Miserere of Tenebrae and the Improperia of Good Friday.
Advent has its Gaudete Sunday,
when the Church bids her children rejoice in the Lord always, because
He is near, because He is soon to be manifested to the world as the Babe
of Bethlehem; so too on the fourth Sunday of Lent a cry of joy resounds
through the office, Rejoice O! Jerusalem! Rejoice thou barren that
bearest not. The time for the reconciliation of the penitents is
approaching; the children that were dead in sin will come to life and be
restored to the arms of their mother, and in anticipation her heart
beats high with gladness. Then her eye turns to Palestine, ranges the
dark sky that overhangs the scenes of the Passion and rests on the
horizon just reddening with the first faint streaks of light from the
Easter Sun. Sorrow and penance yield for a moment to the exultation of
triumphant love and from her lisp breaks forth an anthem of gladness
Laetare, Laetare, Rejoice, Rejoice."
The Sacramentals of the Holy Catholic Church; Or, Flowers from the Garden of the Liturgy By Rev. William James BARRY, 1858
Third Sunday of Advent: The Character of the Messias
by VP
Posted on Sunday December 14, 2025 at 12:00AM in Sermons
Saint John the Baptist Sees Jesus from Afar (Saint Jean-Baptiste voit Jésus de loin) - James Tissot
1. St. John the Baptist causes the character of the Messias to be revealed.
2. How blessed are we to know Him so well.
3. Christ's dealings with men all mercy and love.
"The prophets had foretold and partially described the Messias that was to come. But was it not most appropriate that the most explicit testimony of Him and revelation of His character should be given us by and through means of the Baptist? Therefore we find in Advent that St. John is brought before us in the gospels. His preaching, his works had led men to think that he himself was perhaps the Messias. But "he confessed, I am not the Christ," to the priests and levites, who had been sent to question him. "And the next day,' says the gospel," John saw Jesus coming to him and he saith: "Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who taketh away the sins of the world." "And John gave testimony, saying: "I saw the Spirit coming down as a dove from heaven, and He remained upon Him. and I saw and gave testimony that this is the Son of God" (John 1.).
Moreover, the Baptist later on, when cast into prison by Herod, sent two of his disciples to our Lord, and by his questions causes our Blessed Lord to reveal Himself openly to us — the character and description of our divine Lord given us by Himself! What excuse can man have not to know Him; and knowing Him, not to love Him and follow Him? John's disciples gave his message, "Art Thou He that art to come, or look we for another?" "And Jesus making answer, said to them: "Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in Me" (Matt. 11. 3). Thus the Baptist drew from Christ the description of the character by which He would be known by man. The God of Truth made Man gave testimony of Himself.
How blessed are we, preparing to celebrate the anniversary of the coming of that divine Redeemer, to look upon Him portrayed so clearly by His own Blessed Self! As in those days, so now, there are countless ones that need Him. And He comes to us with the same benevolence, the same readiness, the same power to do us good. Have we not ourselves been amongst the crowds, and have we not ourselves felt the divine touch of His mercy? Perhaps we were blind, and He opened our eyes to the Faith! We may have been lying helpless on the road to heaven, powerless to proceed, and the lame have been made to walk. Lepers in sin, more than once - yea, many a time - have we been cleansed and forgiven. Alas! perhaps for years, our souls, dead to God through sinful habits, have been raised to life again by His grace. And our hard, laborious lives have been sweetened and filled with hope of eternal joy in heaven, because we poor have had the Gospel preached to us.
It is well for us to realize this merciful character of the Savior. It was not always thus. Formerly, under the old Law, the Almighty was the God of justice. His wrath flamed out; His vengeance overtook the wicked. But now with the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, how different! And this is why the Baptist gave testimony of Him and our Lord revealed Himself, so that no one could mistake the object of His coming, and no one feel that he was too utter an outcast not to be forgiven.
Then why did the Redeemer thus come, filled with compassion, ready and longing to befriend and forgive? Becoming Man Himself, He wished to be one with us, to dwell amongst us, to share our sorrows, to take upon Himself our sins and miseries: for He remembered that we were but the dust of the earth-poor, weak, and helpless creatures. He had in His mercy created us for Himself, and He came to restore us, to re-establish us, that we once again might be "the sons of God and heirs with Christ.' He is the Savior, who "loves the souls of men."
And again, He came pitying us, ready to help us, for He knew the enemies that would plot our ruin. He could not leave us helpless amidst such perils. It was through spite and hatred against Himself that the devil would never cease from trying to work our ruin. The envy of the evil one is our constant danger. Envy because the Redeemer came to raise us up and fit us for the thrones left empty by the fallen angels. To know that we are meant through the Redemption of Christ to reign in glory, whilst the fallen spirits pine in the abyss of misery, is the cause of the enmity, which can never cease, between the devils and the souls of men.
The Blessed Redeemer came to do all that even an Almighty and all-loving God could do to save poor mankind from eternal death. He came to save His people from their sins."Will it not, then, be all our own sad, miserable fault if the evil one prevails against us? Shall we not, then, welcome Him at this holy time, and offer Him loyalty and loving obedience? Trust in His goodness, for He came " to seek and to save that which was lost." Short Sermons on the Epistles and Gospels of the Sundays of the Year by Fr. Francis Paulinus Hickey
St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr, A.D.304
by VP
Posted on Saturday December 13, 2025 at 04:00AM in Saints
"She was a holy virgin. Pray for all who live in the profession of that state. She obtained leave of her mother to sell what was settled for her portion, and gave it to the poor. Pray for all that are under the temptations of their youthful age; when vanity, self-love, curiosity, prodigality, levity, and the immoderate desire of being admired and esteemed, press with greatest violence upon them, and the solicitude of pleasing themselves diminishes the compassion due to their neighbours. Pray for remedy against all the indiscretions and follies of that unsettled age; that they may ever remember that they are but dust and clay; that they are made for another world, and not for this; that a little given to the poor, is much more to the purpose than all they lay out upon themselves; while all this expense is only to court the world, which ought to be forsaken, and the other is to purchase everlasting rest.
St. Lucy, being accused for believing in Christ, and commanded to be carried to a place of infamy, God was pleased to deliver her, by rendering her immoveable, so that all the strength of man and beasts was unable to remove her from the place where she stood. Have you not reason to beg of God to manifest his power in you, that you may be more firm and immoveable than you generally are? Consider how easily you are prevailed upon to forsake your duty and good purposes. How little is sufficient to draw you off from your prayers, and to make you transgress the rules of order, temperance, and good discipline? As much then as you want of Christian steadiness, pray for this day; and see that the fervour of your prayers be proportioned to your wants.
Thus by the divine assistance, St. Lucy withstood all the attempts of her enemies, outlived the flames with which they had encompassed her, and at length finished her martyrdom by the sword. Examine your daily practice, and see how little of your inclinations you are willing to leave for God: How then will you give your life? How will you stand against torments, when petty flatteries make you yield, and you cannot yet bear an ordinary self-denial, or contradicted passion. Pray, then, and practise something this day: try if St. Lucy's flames will give you any courage." The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John GOTHER
PRAYER TO ST. LUCY: We admire, O glorious virgin and martyr, St. Lucy, that light of lively faith which it pleased the most merciful God to infuse into thy beautiful soul; enlightened by which thou didst despise the vain and trifling things of this miserable earth, keeping thine eyes fixed upon that heaven for which alone we have been created. The riches and the pleasures which the seductive world held out to thee, to the prejudice of faith and of divine grace, never clouded thy mind, nor allured thy heart. Hence, far from consenting to the proposals of thy wicked persecutor, thou didst show thyself bold and resolute to encounter even death itself, rather than be unfaithful to thy heavenly Lord. What cause of confusion for us, who, not less enlightened by faith and strengthened by grace, still do not know how to resist our guilty passions, nor to despise the evil maxims or repel the flattery of the infernal enemy. Ah! obtain for us, dear saint, from God greater light, by which we may come to know that we were not made for things here below, but for those of heaven.
V. Pray for us, St. Lucy.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Hear us, O God of salvation, that, as we rejoice in the heroic constancy of blessed Lucy, Thy virgin and martyr, so we may be filled with the spirit of devotedness to duty and of fidelity in Thy services.
The Catholic Girl's Guide: Counsels and Devotions for Girls in the Ordinary walks of life edited by Francis Xavier Lasance
13. Hope. (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Saturday December 13, 2025 at 12:00AM in Advent Sermons
"1. Advent is essentially a time of hope. It is not in itself a time of joy except so far as hope of joy to come brings with it a present gladness. It is an exact representation of our life on earth. We are in a place of exile and a valley of tears, but yet our hope amid all the darkness should be lighted up and rendered joyous by the prospect of future joy. The motto of our life is our Lord’s farewell words to his disciples : “You indeed shall have sorrow, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” This must be my consolation in all sorrow. I must try and forget my present troubles in the happy thought of joy to come.
2. Why have we so little hope ? Generally because we seek to have our happiness here, and so forfeit the right to it hereafter, or at least forfeit the right to look forward to it with confidence and joy. We cannot eat our cake and keep it. If I seek my satisfaction in money, or comforts, or praise, or applause, or affection of others, I have my reward here and cannot expect to get any reward hereafter. I have no crown of justice to hope for if already I have had the crown of satisfied ambition, or pockets filled with money, or a tickled palate, or the buzzing applause of a crowd.
3. Our hope is also marred by our self-will, which prevents our will from being in complete conformity with the will of God. We are conscious of a sort of barrier between ourselves and Him which sadly interferes with our hope. We have assumed a sort of independence of God which renders it impossible for Him to pour into our hearts that hope which is in exact proportion to our conformity to His will. If I were humble and more resigned in all things, I should be more full of hope. "
Meditations for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891 Digitized by google
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them, and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they shepherded on earth. Amen.
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more
December 12th Our Lady of Guadalupe
by VP
Posted on Friday December 12, 2025 at 12:00AM in Prayers
Wikipedia
"Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mystical Rose, make intercession for the Holy Church, protect the Sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke thee in their necessities, and since thou art the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from thy most holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, burning charity and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen."
Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary, 1938. prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope Pius X August 18, 1908.
Our Lady of Guadalupe.
America does not lack the right to rejoice in a miraculous visit on the part of the Ever Blessed Virgin Mother. The spot sanctified by apparitions of Mary Immaculate is called Guadalupe, a few miles away from the city of Mexico.
At a time when Guadalupe was but a barren mountainous wilderness, on December 9, 1531, a pious Catholic Indian by the name of Juan Diego was making his way through this wilderness for the purpose of attending Mass in the city. Juan Diego was a truly Christian man and extremely devout to Our Blessed Lady. This may in a measure account for the appearance before him - there in the midst of the lonely mountain country - of a beautiful lady, one whose beauty was such that he felt no doubt whatever when she told him that she was the Mother of God, and bade him go to Bishop Zumarraga in the city and advise the Bishop that she wished a church in her honor to be built on the very spot her feet were then touching. Juan Diego obeyed Our Lady's command. But the Bishop, unconvinced, unwilling to act on the word of an Indian unknown to him, instructed him to ask a sign, a proof of her identity, from the lady who had described herself as the Mother of God.
A few days later, on December 12, Juan again went to the city in order to fetch a priest for his uncle who was sick. Unwilling to meet the lady again - because he disliked the idea of asking her for a sign, according to the Bishop's directions, he turned from the path he usually traveled. Nevertheless, Our Lady once more appeared. She assured him that he need not make haste to go for a priest, as-through her intercession-his uncle was even now restored to health. And she repeated her desire that on this spot should be built a church in her honor, where she should be invoked as "Our Lady of Guadalupe." Then she sent him to some neighboring rocks, telling ing him to gather the roses he would find there. It was not the season of the year when roses bloom in that part of Mexico, and Juan had never known roses to grow in these barren mountains, but he did as he was told and found a bush covered with beautiful red roses. These he gathered and placed within the cloak or blanket that he wore. When he had brought them to Most Holy Mary, she arranged them herself, and folding the cloak over them so that it acted as a basket, commanded Juan not to show its contents to anyone, but to carry it to the Bishop, without delay.
The pious Indian's obedience was faultless. He presented himself at the Bishop's house, and when the prelate received him, opened the cloak he carried, whereupon the beautiful roses fell to the floor. To the humble Indian's great astonishment, the Bishop and his attendants were kneeling with every appearance of fervent faith. No sooner, however, had he glanced at the cloak he was holding than he understood why the Bishop knelt down, for, imprinted on the poor blanket-cloak, he beheld a life-size picture of the Mother of God, done in rarely beautiful colors. It was Our Lady's "sign" given the Bishop and all the world.
Of course, there was no further room for doubt. The church was built and is today one of the earth's great sanctuaries. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of Mexico, and at her shrine hundreds and thousands of miracles, testifying to Mary's boundless mercy and tenderness, have been performed.
Over the main altar of that great church is seen today, as it has been seen for several centuries, the miraculous picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The cloak on which a divine agency imprinted this picture, the poor Indian's blanket-cloak, consists of two pieces of rough, common material somewhat like sacking, some seventy inches long by eighteen inches wide. Artists and chemical experts who have examined it, declare the cloak's material utterly unfit for painting, and say that the coloring of the picture is not due to oil colors, nor to water colors, nor to any coloring known to man. Also, the nearly five hundred years which have passed since Our Lady gave back his cloak to Juan Diego have not dimmed the mysterious colors of the miraculous picture in the least.
Patroness of America.
A chapter dealing with the devotion of Our Blessed Lady would be unsatisfactory if it did not remind Catholics of the United States that they are not only simply but doubly under the patronage of God's Ever Blessed Virgin Mother. In the first place, Most Holy Mary is our patroness because her Son, Our Lord, made her the mother of all men truly believing in Him, by saying to St. John from His Cross: "Behold thy Mother"! and to Mary: "Behold Thy Son"! And in the second place, she is again our patroness because Holy Church, in the early part of the last century, placed the United States under the special protection of Mary, Conceived Without Sin. Wherefore it would seem that each one of us American Catholics should be particularly zealous in the service of Mary Immaculate and in the defense and spread of her cult. (...)"
Source: Our Faith and the Facts (Religion's
Story, what Catholics Believe and Practice, Answers to Charges Made
Against the Church , what We Have Done and are Doing, a Busy Person's
Reference Work, a Home Library) P.L. Baine, 1927 -
Anniversary of the Raleigh Diocese (Dec. 12, 1924 - Dec. 12, 2025)
by VP
Posted on Friday December 12, 2025 at 12:00AM in Tradition
Priest's principal role is that of a teacher:
"We are teaching whether in the parlor, in the pulpit or walking down the street. We are teaching people to know the teachings of Christ and His Church. For if we want people to be good, we must show them how to be good. Our principal task in the priesthood then is to teach. We are all missionaries and we must go and teach the truth which Christ intended that all possess." Bishop Vincent S. Waters Feb. 8, 1954 at Priests' Institute of the Raleigh Diocese's Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
Prayer for the Bishop:
O Jesus, Prince of Pastors, Shepherd and
Bishop of our souls, give our bishop Luis Rafael all those
virtues, which he need for his sanctification! May he watch over
himself and the entire flock, with which the Holy Spirit has
entrusted him! Fill his heart with Thine own Spirit! Give him faith,
charity, wisdom and strength! Send him faithful co-laborers in
the great work of saving and guiding souls! Make him shepherd after
Thine own heart, living only for his holy office, fearing nobody but
Thee, and hoping for nothing but Thee, in order that when Thou shalt
come, to judge shepherds and flocks, he may obtain the unfading reward
of eternal life! Amen
Patron of the Raleigh Diocese: The Immaculate Conception
North Carolina Catholic, 1964, used with permission
"The Raleigh Diocese (...) was formally established on December 12, 1924 by Pope Pius XI. In the Bull, Omnium Ecclesiarum Sollicitudo, which erected the Diocese, the parish church of the Sacred Heart was elevated to the rank of Cathedral. Although the Diocese was thus established in 1924, the designation of the first Ordinary was not made until April 6, 1925. Prior to that date all the faithful residing in North Carolina were under the jurisdiciton of the Vicar Apostolic, Rt. Rev. Leo Haid, O.S.B.
Bishop William J. Hafey took possession of the See of Raleigh on July 1, 1925. Having previously served as the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Bishop Hafey was the youngest member of the U.S. Hierarchy at the time of his consecration.
He found less than six thousand Catholics in his new diocese. There were only twenty-six priests laboring in the territory; twenty parishes had a resident pastor, and six of the parishes had schools in which eighty-eight sisters taught no more than eight hundred pupils." (North Carolina Catholic, Dec. 13 1964)
Raleigh Diocese Bishops:
1. William J. Hafey (1925–1937)
2. Eugene J. McGuinness (1938–1944)
3. Vincent S. Waters (1945–1974)
4. Francis J. Gossman (1975–2006)
5. Michael Francis Burbidge (2006–2016)
6. Luis Rafael Zarama (2017–present)
50th Anniversary:
Centennial:
- Centennial Prayer for the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh: Lord God, you alone are the source of
every good gift, of the vast array of our universe, and the mystery of
each human life. We praise you and we thank you for your tender,
faithful love. As the Diocese of Raleigh celebrates the 100th
Anniversary of its founding, we stand before you with gratitude and joy
for the many gifts and blessings you have bestowed upon the faithful of
this Diocese.
In imitation of Christ, your Son, you raised up courageous individuals, such as Servant of God, Father Thomas Frederick Price, and Saint Katharine Drexel, and through the countless efforts of its bishops, clergy, and the women and men who tirelessly gave of their wisdom and generosity, you have shaped a Diocese capable of bearing the fruit of compassion and charity in service to the needs of others.
Send forth now, we pray, your Spirit upon the faithful of the Diocese of Raleigh who look forward to another hundred years of the presence of Christ burning in our hearts. As we recall the great events, which enabled the flourishing of our Diocese, fill our minds with Christʼs truth and our hearts with His love.
As we look forward to the future may we be bonded together by the Holy Spirit and commit ourselves once again to grow as credible witnesses of the Gospel of Christ so that, as we walk your ways with faith and hope, we may never tire of bringing Christʼs joy into this world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina
12. The Forerunner’s Office. (Advent Meditations)
by VP
Posted on Friday December 12, 2025 at 12:00AM in Advent Sermons
"1. St. John was something more than a herald. He had to prepare the way for the King, to make the crooked ways straight, and the rough places smooth. His office was that which is intrusted to us all in our own sphere : to try and make the way in which the followers of Christ have to tread straight and easy. What a privilege if we can by our charity and our edifying life make the path of life more easy for those whose lot it is to tread the way of the cross and to walk over rough or stormy paths f Is this your endeavor in your daily life, or do you place obstacles in the path of others by your bad example, want of charity and consideration, impatience, etc.?
2. St. John, as the herald or forerunner of Christ, had to proclaim the coming of the King. He himself expresses this by his description of himself as the voice of One Who cries in the desert; that is, Christ spoke through his mouth. So He speaks through the mouths of all His servants just in proportion to their devotion and singleness of purpose. How poor an echo are my words of the whispers of Christ to the faithful soul! How mixed with the discordant notes of self-will and worldliness!
3. St.John’s estimate of himself in comparison with Him Whom he announced was that he was not worthy to stoop down and untie the latchet of His sandal. This was the duty of the lowest slaves. It meant that he was unworthy to serve Christ, even in the capacity of a slave, and by doing the work that many slaves would consider beneath them. Am I willing to undertake the humblest and most menial duties in the service of Christ ? Do I consider it a privilege to do so ? "
Meditations for Advent . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891 Digitized by google
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena:
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born
Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the
piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear
my prayer and grant my desires, [here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. (15 times)
Jesus, Divine Infant, I bless and thank Thy most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by Thee as Thou were sent by the Father. To them Thou entrusted the treasures of Thy doctrine, of Thy Law, of Thy Grace, and souls themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, to listen to them, and to let myself be guided by them in Thy ways. Jesus, send good laborers into Thy harvest. May priests be the salt that purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed after Thy own Heart. And in heaven may they be surrounded by a joyous throng of those they shepherded on earth. Amen.
Glory Be (three times).
Infant Jesus, make me love Thee more and more
St. Damasus, Pope and Confessor A.D. 384
by VP
Posted on Thursday December 11, 2025 at 04:00AM in Saints
"He served in the Church of St. Laurence at Rome, and always lived in a perfect state of continence. On the death of Pope Liberius in 366, St. Damasus was chosen bishop of Rome. When St. Jerome went to Rome, the holy pope detained him near his person, till his own death, three years after, employing him as his secretary, and to answer consultations. St Jerome calls him an excellent man, an incomparable person, learned in the Scriptures, a virgin doctor of the virgin Church, who loved chastity, and heard its praises with pleasure. Theodoret says, that he was illustrious by his holy life, and ready to preach, and to do all things in defence of the apostolic doctrine. The ancients particularly commend his constancy in maintaining the purity of our holy faith, the innocence of his manners, his Christian humility, his compassion for the poor, his piety in adorning holy places, especially the tombs of the martyrs, and his singular learning. Having sat eighteen years and two months, he died on the 10th of December, in 384, being near fourscore years of age.
Pray for the present pope, that, like this, his holy predecessor, he may be eminent in all virtue, and the careful discharge of all duties which belong to his state. Pray for the reformation of all those errors, by which the doctrine of the Gospel is at this day corrupted. It is in your power to help your neighbour to the truth by your example. See whether you have not, by your disorders, given scandal to many, and made the enemies of God blaspheme. What satisfaction can you now make, but by the exemplarity of a regular and well disciplined life? Pray this day for all who have taken a dislike to the truth from your scandalous life, or have been drawn into sin by your example or authority, that you may make some amends for the injury done to them." Source: The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John Gother
#20 Acts of Adoration Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament in reparation for all the offenses committed against Him by mankind [Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament]
by VP
Posted on Thursday December 11, 2025 at 01:00AM in Thursday Reparation
20. We adore Thee, true Bread of Angels! And to make reparation for the sins committed against Thy command of abstinence, we offer up to Thee the fasts and temperance of the holy Anchorets. Eternal praise and thanksgiving be to the Most Holy and Most Divine Sacrament.
O Queen of heaven and earth, hope of mankind, who adores thy Divine Son incessantly! We entreat thee, that, since we have the honor to be of the number of thy children, thou would interest thyself in our behalf and make satisfaction for us, and in our name, to our Eternal Judge, by rendering to Him the duties which we ourselves are incapable of performing. Amen.
CAPGIncense
by VP
Posted on Thursday December 11, 2025 at 12:00AM in Quotes
Incense, which ever mounts in clouds of perfume up to heaven, is symbolical of prayer: "Let my prayer, O Lord, be directed as incense in Thy sight." The fire, without which incense cannot be used, is the symbol of the Holy Ghost, of Jesus Christ, without whom we cannot pray and gain access to God. The altar is incensed because it represents the divinity of Jesus Christ; and the priest, the ecclesiastics, and the congregation are incensed to honor Jesus Christ, who dwells within the members of His Church in order to render them participants in His eternal life; and the priests are incensed a second time to honor also the Divine Priesthood of Our Lord, in which they share by their sacred character. During this time all should recollect themselves, and renew their resolutions to be ever worthy of their holy vocation.
