The Beauty of Life

February 2

2011-02-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

CANDLEMAS DAY

PURIFICATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE

Forty Days after the birth of Christ, Mary, according to the Mosaic law, was purified by the prayer of Simeon in the presence of Anna the prophetess in the temple where she redeemed her first-born Jesus and was accompanied by St. Joseph.

The Blessing of Candles and procession represents Jesus, who is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD, into the Temple of Jerusalem.

Ave Maria!

2011-01-21T17:05:00.000-08:00

SAINT AGNES

Today is the feast of Saint Agnes.

Patron of the Children of Mary

Saint Agnes was a Roman girl who was only thirteen years old when she suffered martyrdom for her Faith.

POPE BENEDICT - FEAST OF SAINT AGNES

Pope Benedict XVI, following a centuries-old tradition, blessed several lambs whose wool will be used to make the palliums bestowed on new metropolitan archbishops on the June 29 feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles. The ceremony was held on January 21, the feast of St Agnes – a martyr of the fourth century of Christianity.

The pallium is a narrow band of white lamb’s wool that is draped around the neck of the bearer, and is meant to call to mind his duty as a pastor or shepherd of Christians in remembrance of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The garment was originally worn only by the Pope. In Eastern Christianity, it is worn as the omophor by bishops of the Orthodox Church and bishops of Eastern rites of the Catholic Church.

The pallium consists of a loop in the centre resting on the shoulders over the chasuble and two dependent lappets, fore and aft, that make it resemble the letter Y. On it are six crosses, four on the loop and one at the end of each lappet. It is doubled on the left shoulder and sometimes is garnished, back and front, with three jewelled gold pins. The two latter characteristics seem to be survivals of the time when the Roman pallium was a simple scarf doubled and pinned on the left shoulder.

In a 1978 document, "Inter Eximina Episcopalis," Pope Paul VI restricted use of the pallium to the Pope and to metropolitan archbishops. In 1984 John Paul II decreed that the pallium would be conferred on the metropolitans on June 29.

The custom of blessing the lambs takes place every year on liturgical commemoration of St. Agnes, a virgin who suffered martyrdom about the year 305 and whose symbol is a lamb. She is buried in the basilica named after her on the Via Nomentana in Rome, and it is there that the lambs are taken after the papal blessing.

The lambs are raised by the Trappist monks – a Cistercian order of the rule of St. Benedict - of the Abbey of the Three Fountains ‘Tre Fontane’, while the palliums are made by the Sisters of St. Cecilia from the newly-shorn wool.

While in Christian iconography St. Agnes is represented by a lamb because of the similarity of her name to the Latin word for lamb (agnus), her name is derived from the Greek word 'agni', which means 'chaste', 'holy' or 'saint.' She is revered by Christians of Anglican Communion, the Roman Catholic Church, and Orthodox Churches. Known as St. Agnes of Rome, she is also known as St. Juma and St. Ines or Inez.

Speroforum editor Martin Barillas is a former US diplomat, who also worked as a democracy advocate and election observer in Latin America. He is also a freelance translator.

2011-01-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

BAPTISM OF OUR LORD

by Giotto

2011-01-10T13:01:00.000-08:00

EPIPHANY

Dear brothers and sisters, let us allow ourselves to be guided by the star, which is the Word of God, let us follow it in our life, walking with the Church, where the Word has pitched its tent. Our way will always be illumined by a light that no other sign can give us. And we too will be able to become stars for others, reflection of that light that Christ made to shine over us. Amen.

Benedict XVI Homily for Feast of the Epiphany 2011

2011-01-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

Pope Benedict XVI prayer Intentions for January 2011

"That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society."

2011-01-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

This new family of God begins at the moment when Mary wraps her first-born in swaddling clothes and lays him in a manger.

Let us pray to him:

Lord Jesus, who wanted to be born as the first of many brothers and sisters, grant us the grace of true brotherhood.

Help us to become like you. Help us to recognize your face in others who need our assistance, in those who are suffering or forsaken, in all people, and help us to live together with you as brothers and sisters, so as to become one family, your family. At the end of the Christmas Gospel, we are told that a great heavenly host of angels praised God and said: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!”

2010 Christmas Mass Homily — Pope Benedict XVI

Ave Maria!

(Lk 2:14).

Mary Gardens

2010-07-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

Do you need a fun and enjoyable activity to do with your children in the yard besides going to the swimming pool? Well, we are suggesting that you and your children get your hands a little dirty and plant your very own Mary Garden. The purpose: “The Mary Garden is an act of faith. It is first of all an envisioning of the Flowers of Our Lady with which it is to be composed, with loving reflection on their meanings. That garden is an appeal to the heart. May it be that, as you read the names and descriptions of the Flowers of Our Lady, they may bloom spiritually within your interior life. Then, with your garden stewardship, foliage, buds, blooms will come of God's creatures the seeds, in due season and according to his established order.” Each of the flowers that you can choose for your Mary Garden has a biblical story connected to Mary. This fun activity will illustrate to the young children responsibility and care for something, as well as teach them a little more about the faith in an exciting and interactive way.

In addition to this fun summer activity, the Children of Mary will be hosting our very first summer camp with some of the neighborhood children in August. We look forward to spending time with these children by doing arts and crafts, swimming, and attending church every afternoon.

We are very excited with all these activities and events that we have planned.

2010-05-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

CONFIDENCE

Edel Quinn

Venerable

Legion of Mary Envoy to Africa

Born September 14, 1907

Died May 12, 1944

Cause for the Canonization opened in 1952

"In regard to Mary,

I must preserve the attitude of

a child to its mother.

Total confidence!"

Edel Quiin

PRAYER FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF

EDEL QUINN

Eternal Father, I thank Thee for the grace

Thou didst give to Thy servant, Edel Quin,

of striving to live always in the joy of Thy presence,

for the radiant charity infused into her heart

by Thy Holy Spirit,

and for the strength she drew from the Bread of Life

to labour until death for the glory of Thy name,

in loving dependence on

Mary, Mother of the Church.

2010-05-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

On the 47th World Day of Prayer for Vocations

"The First Form of Witness That Awakens Vocations Is Prayer"

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 25, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the public address Benedict XVI gave today before praying the midday Regina Caeli with the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

* * *
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, which is called "Good Shepherd Sunday," the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is celebrated, which has as its theme this year "Witness Awakens Vocations," a theme that is "closely linked to the life and mission of priests and consecrated persons" ("Message for the 47th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, April 25, 2010"). The first form of witness that awakens vocations is prayer (cf. ibid.), as is shown to us by the example of St. Monica, who, supplicating God with humility and persistence, obtained the grace of seeing her son Augustine become Christian. St. Augustine wrote: "Without a doubt I believe and affirm that through her prayers, God granted me the intention not to propose, not to want, not to think, not to love anything else but the attainment of truth" ("De Ordine," II 20, 52; CCL 29, 136).

Therefore, I invite parents to pray that the heart of their children open to listening to the Good Shepherd, and "each tiny seed of a vocation ... grow into a mature tree, bearing much good fruit for the Church and for all humanity" ("Message"). How can we hear the voice of the Lord and recognize it? In the preaching of the Apostles and their successors: In it there resounds the voice of Christ, who calls us to communion with God and to the fullness of life, as we read today in St. John's Gospel: "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never be lost and no one will take them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28). Only the Good Shepherd leads his flock with immense tenderness and defends them from evil, and only in him can the faithful place absolute confidence.

On this special day of prayer for vocations I especially exhort the ordained ministers, so that, inspired by the Year for Priests, they are moved to "a stronger and more incisive witness to the Gospel in today's world" ("Letter Proclaiming a Year for Priests"). May they remember that the priest "continues the work of the Redemption on earth;" may they know how to "stop frequently before the tabernacle;" may they remain "completely faithful to [their] own vocation and mission through the practice of an austere asceticism;" may they be available to listen and forgive; may they form the people entrusted to them in a Christian way; may they cultivate with care "priestly fraternity" (cf. ibid.). May they take wise and zealous pastors as an example, as St. Gregory Nazianzus, who wrote to his dear friend and bishop, St. Basil: "Teach us your love for your sheep, your solicitude and your capacity for understanding, your vigilance ... the austerity in sweetness, the serenity and meekness in activity ... the combats in defense of the flock, the victories ... achieved in Christ" (Oratio IX, 5, PG 35, 825ab).

I thank everyone who is present and those who with prayer and affection support my ministry as the Successor of Peter, and upon everyone I invoke the heavenly protection of the Virgin Mary, to whom we now turn in prayer.

[After the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the Holy Father greeted the pilgrims in various languages. In Italian he said:]

This morning, in Rome and in Barcelona respectively, two priests were beatified: Angelo Paoli, a Carmelite, and José Tous y Soler, a Capuchin. I will speak about the latter shortly. In regard to Blessed Angelo Paoli, who was from Lunigiana and lived between the 17th and 18th centuries, I would like to recall that he was an apostle of charity in Rome and was called "Father of the Poor." He dedicated himself especially to the sick of the Hospital of St. John, also caring for the convalescents. His apostolate drew strength from the Eucharist and from devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, and from an intense life of penance as well. In the Year for Priests I gladly propose his example to all priests, in a special way to those who belong to religious institutes of the active life.

[In English he said:]

I am happy to greet all the English-speaking visitors present for today's Regina Caeli prayer. This Sunday the Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. As we rejoice in the new life that the Risen Lord has won for us, let us ask him to inspire many young people to center their hearts on the things of Heaven (cf. Col 3:1-2) and to offer themselves joyfully in the service of Christ our Good Shepherd in the priesthood and religious life. Confidently entrusting this petition to Mary, Queen of Heaven, I invoke upon you God's abundant blessings of peace and joy!

[The Pontiff concluded in Italian:]

I direct a special greeting to the Meter Association, which, for the past 14 years, has promoted the national day for children who are victims of violence, exploitation and indifference. On this occasion I would like above all to thank and encourage those who dedicate themselves to prevention and education, especially parents, teachers, many priests, sisters, catechists and leaders who work with the young people in the parishes, schools and associations. I greet the faithful from Brescia, Cassana near Ferrara, from parishes in Umbria and Toronto, Canada; the young people of the parishes in Valposchiavo, in Switzerland, and those from Francavilla al Mare; and the group of engaged couples from Altamura. I wish everyone a good Sunday.

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

2010-05-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

Never forget me, because if I thought you would,

I'd never leave.

A. A. Milne

2010-05-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

JOY

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness; but still will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

John Keats

2010-04-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

FRIENDSHIP

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than

true friendship.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

2010-04-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY

“…may the beauty you pass on

to generations still to come

be such that it will stir them to wonder!”

Pope John Paul II, Letter to Artists, 16, 1999

2010-04-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY

“With the arrogance of youth, I determined to do

no less than to transform the world with Beauty.

If I have succeeded in some small way,

if only in one small corner of the world,

amongst the men and women I love,

then I shall count myself as blessed,

and blessed, and blessed,

and the work goes on.”

William Morris

2010-04-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

LOVE

"A year ago I had the grace of visiting the Holy Land

and praying before the Lord's empty tomb.

There, echoing the witness of the Apostle Peter,

I proclaimed that Christ, by rising to new life,

has taught us:

"that evil never has the last word, that love is

stronger than death, and that our future, and

the future of all humanity, lies in the hands

of a faithful and provident God."

In every time and place, the church is called to proclaim

this message of hope and to confirm its truth by her

practical witness of holiness and charity."

Pope Benedict XVI

April 2010 to members of the Papal Foundation

2010-04-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

If you live to be a hundred

I want to live to be a hundred

minus one day,

so I never have to live without you.

A. A. Milne

Winnie the Pooh

2010-04-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

And by and by

Christopher Robin came to an end of things,

and he was silent,

and he sat there,

looking out over the world,

just wishing it wouldn't stop.

A. A. Milne
The House at Pooh Corner

2010-04-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!

Dear Risen Jesus

I didn't write to You on Easter day but I want to write

to You today and I want it to be a beautiful letter.

Dear Jesus my heart is bursting with love for You

and I love You so much.

Dear Jesus I want to do what You want me to do.

I want to abandon myself in Your hands oh Jesus,

dear Jesus. Let me get well so that I can go

to school, dear Jesus save a lot of souls and convert

a lot of sinners, dear Jesus tell God the Father

that I entrust myself to Him too to get well, tell Him I

love Him so much dear Jesus tell the Holy Spirit to

enlighten me and to fill me with Grace

and let It bless me.

(Nennolina letter 151 of the 30th of March 1937-she herself signed it)

2010-04-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Virgin my dear Virgin Mary

You who are so pure, make me pure as You are.

You who have suffered so much in these days,

I want to bear my Cross with You.

Dear Virgin Mary tell Jesus I love Him so much,

my dear Virgin Mary help me confess well,

and let me remember all my sins and help me so that

   I can commit them no more and I want to

   correct my faults to become better so

   Jesus and You my dear Virgin Mary can like me.

My dear Virgin Mary I love You so much

   and tell the Holy Spirit to enlighten

   and bless me.

My dear Virgin Mary tell God the Father

   that I entrust myself to Him

   and that I love Him so much

Dear Virgin Mary bless the Church and

   the Clergy and especially my father confessor

   and help him in everything he has to do,

   bless my family and all the world

My dear Virgin Mary lots of greetings and kisses

   and tell Jesus I kiss all His Wounds.

Antonietta and Jesus
(letter 145 of the 17th of March 1937- she herself signed it)

Lamentation

by Giotto

2010-04-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

HOLY SATURDAY

Angel

Giotto's Lamentation

"Dear child, evil is so insidious that it often passes for good. The simple and pure of heart alone can detect
the difference. Many good works and many a good person or persons are thwarted and destroyed by apparently good people who are manipulated by the powers of evil because they do not possess that finer sense of being able to detect a false spirit from a true one."

Our Lady of America - Holy Saturday (4/18/91)

Beloved daughter, to many the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass no longer has meaning. These have lost that spiritual sensitivity of reaching out and touching the wounded hand of my son. In a special way, during the Holy Sacrifice Jesus comes in close contact with those who meet Him in a profound act of faith in a deep sense of His Divine and human presence. It is a great loss when one loses the spiritual sight of the Son that the Father sent to guide us into the Eternal Vision."
Our Lady of America - April 3, 1981

2010-04-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

GOOD FRIDAY

LETTER TO SCOURGED JESUS

Dear Scourged Jesus

dear Jesus You who suffered so much for us

   in the Scourging, oh Jesus You didn't deserve

   to suffer and I admit all my sins and I ask

   Your forgiveness.

Dear Jesus we have been really bad and I ask

   Your forgiveness for my sins and for all the sins

   of the others and You who are so good forgive them

   and let them go to Paradise.

Dear Jesus You have suffered so much during the

   Scourging with patience and I want to learn that

   if someone gives me a slap or teases me I mustn't

   give it back but I have to be kind with him

   in the name of Your love.

(Antoinetta Meo - letter 146 of the 26th of March 1937 - 6 years old)

2010-04-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Jesus I offer to You all my sacrifices for all

   the sins the sinners will commit and are committing,

   but help me because I can do nothing without

   Your help.

Dear Jesus I love You so much and I want to stay with

You forever.

Dear Jesus I want to be Your lamp that burns of a

   love flame near You and Your lily which decorates

   Your altar and adores You.

Dear Jesus this Holy Week I want to pray all the time

and make acts of mortification.

Dear Jesus I don't think I've been naughty today and

   I offer You the acts of mortification I've done and let

   me do more and more of them during this week so that I'll

   really decorate the altar when Easter comes oh Jesus and

   You'll have risen from the dead, and love must rise

   again with You in our hearts.

Dear Jesus this week I want to write a letter to You every

   night and on Easter day I want to write a letter more

   beautiful than the others.

Dear Jesus I say good-bye to You and I kiss Your

Wounds Antonietta and Jesus

( Antonietta Meo - letter 146 of the 26th of March 1937)

2010-03-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

EDEL QUINN

Our Mother's most precious gift

to her children

the Cross.

-- edel quinn

2010-03-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

LETTER OF ANTONIETTA OF JESUS

CALVARY

Dear Jesus the Crucified I love You so much

   I love You so I want to stay with You on the

   Calvary and I suffer with joy because I know I'm on

   the Calvary.

Dear Jesus. I thank You for having sent me this illness

   because it is a means to get to Paradise.

Dear Jesus tell God the Father that I love Him, too.

Dear Jesus I want to be Your lamp and Your lily

   dear Jesus.

Dear Jesus give me the strength to bear this pain I offer

   You for the sinners.

Dear Jesus tell the Holy Spirit to enlighten me with love

   and fill me with Its seven gifts.

Dear Jesus tell sweet Virgin Mary that I love Her so

   much and I want to stay with Her on the

   Calvary because I want to be Your victim of love

   dear Jesus.

Dear Jesus I entrust my father confessor to You and

   grant him every necessary favour.

Dear Jesus I entrust my parents and my sister

   Margherita to You.

Dear Jesus

Greetings and kisses Antonietta of Jesus

(letter 162 of the 2nd of June 1937)

2010-03-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

LITTLE NENNOLINA

Dear Jesus the Crucified I love You oh dear Jesus.

Dear Jesus tell God the Father that I love Him so much.

Dear Jesus I'm so glad Easter is coming.

Dear Jesus I know You suffered a lot on the Cross and I want to suffer with You during this week of Passion, I want to suffer for the souls who need it, so that they can be converted

Dear Jesus I love You so much, really very much Jesus, and I want to be Your lamp and Your lily, the lily that represents the purity of the soul and the lamp that represents the flame of love which never leaves You.

Dear Jesus bless the Church, the Clergy and especially my confessor my family my teacher, and all the world.

Dear Jesus I send You a lot of kisses and greetings Your Antonietta and Jesus

(letter 144 of the 16th of March 1937-she herself signed it)

2010-03-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

Little Nennolina

Dear Jesus Eucharist! . . .

I want to suffer a lot to redeem also the sins of men,

especially of the very bad ones.

Dear Jesus Eucharist

I say good-bye to You and I kiss You.

Your Antonietta.

Good night Jesus good night Mary."

1936

December 20, 2007

Pope Benedict XVI Speaks of Nennolina

Words of the Holy Father

It pleased me that, a moment ago, you quoted a little girl, Antonia Meo, called Nennolina. Just three days ago I decreed the recognition of her heroic virtues and I hope that her cause of beatification may be brought quickly to a happy conclusion. What a luminous example has this little member of yours left us! (Note: Nennolina was enrolled in the "Benjamins" section of the Italian Catholic Action Movement.)

Nennolia, a child of Rome, in her very short life — only six and a half years —demonstrated a faith, a hope, a special charity, and other Christian virtues as well. Though she was a frail little girl, she succeeded in giving a strong and robust witness to the Gospel and has left a deep impression in the diocesan community of Rome. Nennolina belonged the Catholic Action Movement; today she would certainly be inscribed in the A.C.R. (Childrens' Catholic Action)!

For all of you can consider her your friend, a model to inspire you. Her existence, so simple and, at the same time, so important, demonstrates that holiness is for every age; for little children and young people, for adults and for the elderly. Every season of our existence can be good for us to decide seriously to love Jesus and to follow Him faithfully. In a few years, Nennolina reached the summit of Christian perfection that we are, all of us, called to ascend, she ran quickly the "highway" that leads to Jesus. And so, as you yourselves recalled, Jesus is the true "way" who leads us to the Father and to our permanent home, which is Paradise. You know that Antonia now lives in God, and from heaven, she is close to you; you sense that she is present with you, in your groups. Learn to know her and follow her examples. I think that she also will be happy about this: to be involved still in Catholic Action.

--to Italian Catholic Action Movement

2010-03-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

O JESUS LIVING IN MARY

O Jesus, living in Mary,

come and live in thy servants,

in the spirit of thy holiness,

in the fullness of thy might,

in the truth of thy virtues,

in the perfection of thy ways,

in the communion of thy mysteries.

Subdue every hostile power

in thy spirit,

for the glory of the Father.

Amen.

st. louis de montfort

2010-03-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

MAGNIFICAT

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He hath regarded the humility of His handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His Name.

And His Mercy is from generation unto generations upon them that fear Him.

He hath shewed might in His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.

He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away.

He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy.
As He spoke to our Fathers, Abraham and His seed forever.

Annunciation Fresco
Laferte Loupiere , France

2010-03-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

SAINT GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL

O God,

who from among all your angels

chose the Archangel Gabriel

to announce the mystery of the Incarnation,

mercifully grant that we

who solemnly remember him on earth

may feel the benefit of his patronage in heaven,

who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Amen.

Heaven's Messenger

A beautiful polychromed stone statue of the archangel Gabriel,

who is bringing news of the world's salvation to the Virgin Mary.

San Esteban, Salamanca, Spain.

source: flicker - lawrence op

2010-03-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

A PRAYER TO BE SAID BY CHILDREN

Sweetest Jesus, who, being subject as a child to Mary and

Joseph at Nazareth, didst leave to children an excellent

pattern of affection and obedience to parents,

and of wondrous reverence for all men, grant,

I most earnestly beseech Thee, that I may strive

to see Thee always and in all things,

so that as my years increase,

I too may increase in Thy grace and love:

Who livest and reignest world without end.

Amen.

An indulgence of 300 days

(Apostolic Brief, June 25, 1924; S.P. Ap., May 20, 1937)

2010-03-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

FORM OF DEDICATING A CHILD TO MARY

O holy Mary, Mother of God, and our dear Mother also,

behold we have come to dedicate this child (here name the child)

to thy maternal care. We choose thee this day for his/her Mother,

Patroness and Advocate; and we beseech thee to take him/her

under thy powerful protection.

O most tender and loving Mother, we most earnestly entreat thee,

through the infinite merits of Thy divine Son Jesus,

that thou wilt watch over this child and obtain for him/her

the grace of guarding faithfully all his/her actions,

so that he/she may never displease thy divine Son,

nor thee, His blessed Mother;

but that all the faculties and powers of his/her soul,

all the senses and members of his/her body

-- his/her whole being -

may be offered a holocaust of praise and honor

to the divine Majesty during his/her whole life,

and at the hour of his/her death.

And in that awful hour, come, O holy Mother, to assist thy child,

protect him/her from his/her infernal enemies,

and conduct his/her soul out of this miserable world

to see and enjoy God, and to love and bless thee,

in the company of the blessed in heaven.

Amen.

Recite three Hail Marys, and "O Mary, conceived without sin," etc.

2010-03-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

VESPERS

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,

Droops on the little hands little gold head.

Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!

Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

God bless Mummy. I know that's right.

Wasn't it fun in the bath tonight?

The cold's so cold, and the hot's so hot.

Oh! God bless Daddy - I quite forgot.

If I open my fingers a little bit more,

I can see Nanny's dressing gown on the door.

It's a beautiful blue, but it hasn't a hood.

Oh! God bless Nanny and make her good.

Mine has a hood and if I lie in bed,

And put the hood right over my head,

And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small,

And nobody knows that I'm there at all.

Oh! Thank you God, for a lovely day.

And what was the other I had to say?

I said "Bless Daddy," so what can it be?

Oh! Now I remember. God bless Me.

a.a. milne

1882-1956
written in 1925

2010-03-20T05:19:00.000-07:00

MOTHERS PRAYER TO SAINT ROSE OF LIMA

St. Rose, devout Virgin, fragrant rose in the garden of God,

sweetly blooming amid the thorns of distressing tribulation

and severe mortification,

white as snow in the immaculate innocence of thy heart,

glowing in the love of God that consumed thee.

Thy devotedness to thy parents was so great

that thou didst labor night and day to relieve their poverty,

and most tenderly cared for them in their sickness.

Most grateful, most humble daughter,

have pity on me and my children.

Teach me, by conduct truly Christian,

to deserve the warmhearted gratitude of my children.

Teach my children to appreciate my love and the numerous sacrifices

that I cheerfully make for their sake,

teach them to repay the same filial love and obedience,

chiefly by fervant prayers for me.

Bless me and my entire family.

May our hearts be intimately united in adversity.

Let us not place our happiness in temporal prosperity,

but rather in the hope of a future, eternal blessedness.

Pray, likewise, O sainted patroness of America,

for all Christian mothers in particular,

that Christian life and sentiments may

everywhere be awakened among them.

May these sentiments spread far and wide,

uniting all families into the one great family of God,

in which Jesus Christ may live and rule

with God the Father and the Holy Ghost.

Amen.

SAINT JOSEPH PATRON OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

2010-03-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

March 19

St. Joseph

Photos: Lawrence OP photostream flickr

“The Holy Father need have no fear, for I have been appointed his special protector. As God chose me to be the special guardian of His Son, so has He chosen me as the special guardian of him who in Christ's Name is head of the Mystical Body of that same Son on earth.

"My special protection of the Holy Father and the Church should he made known to him. God wishes to make this known to him that he may receive thereby renewed consolation and encouragement.

"During the war, little daughter, it was I who saved him from death at the hands of his enemies. Continually I watch over him and the Church, and I desire this to be acknowledged for the greater glory of God and the good of souls.

"Lovely child, precious to the heart of your spiritual father, I will come again on the last Sunday of this month. Jesus and Mary will come also in a special visit. Receive my blessing,"

As I knelt down to receive it I felt his hands on my head and heard the words:

“May Jesus and Mary through my hands bestow upon you eternal peace."

--St. Joseph

to Sister Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil)

Nihil Obstat: Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.
Imprimatur: †Paul F. Leibold, V.G.
Cincinnati, OH – January 25, 1963
Messages of Our Lady of America, March 1958

SAINT JOSEPH

2010-03-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

St. Joseph

O Saint Joseph, Guardian of Jesus, most pure Spouse of Mary, who spent your life in the perfect fulfilment of your duties, providing for the Holy Family of Nazareth with your work, protect us who trustfully turn to you. You know our wishes, our worries and our hopes, we turn to you because we confide in your protection. You too have experienced trials, hard work and fatigue, but your soul, full of peace, was filled with joy for your intimacy with the Son of God, entrusted to you, and with Mary, His most sweet Mother. Help us to understand that we are not working alone, to learn how to discover Jesus near to us, to welcome him with the help of grace and to keep him faithfully as you did.

Grant also that in every family, wherever a Christian may be working, all may be made holy in charity, patience and justice, and in seeking what is good. Pope John XXIII

This window of St Joseph is by Mayer of Munich, c..1899 and is in Dorchester Abbey, Oxfordshire.
Photo by Bro. Lawrence, OP
flickr

Ave Maria!

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY

2010-03-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

MARCH 17

SAINT PATRICK (+464)

THE MADONNA OF IRELAND (1697)

OUR LADY OF KNOCK

http://www.knock-shrine.ie/

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY

Prayer to Our Lady of Knock

Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland,
you gave hope to our people in a time of distress and comforted them in sorrow.
You have inspired countless pilgrims to pray with confidence to your divine Son,
remembering His promise: "Ask and you shall receive, Seek and you shall find".
Help me to remember that we are all pilgrims on the road to heaven.
Fill me with love and concern for my brothers and sisters in Christ,
especially those who live with me.
Comfort me when I am sick or lonely or depressed.
Teach me how to take part ever more reverently in the holy Mass.
Pray for me now, and at the hour of my death.

Amen.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE

AS WE UPDATE OUR SITE

AVE MARIA!

2010-03-16T08:52:00.001-07:00

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE

AS WE UPDATE OUR SITE!

2010-03-08T04:18:00.000-08:00

MARCH

The Month of St. Joseph

March 8

Mosaic, St. Joseph Westminster Cathedral

Lawrence OP's photostreamhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/

Sister, Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil):In early October, 1956, about a week after Our Lady's first appearance, St. Joseph, though I did not see him at this time, spoke to me the following words:

"It is true my daughter, that immediately after my conception, I was, through the future merits of Jesus and because of my exceptional role of future Virgin-Father, cleansed from the stain of original sin.

“I was from that moment confirmed in grace and never had the slightest stain on my soul. This is my unique privilege among men.

"My pure heart also was from the first moment of existence inflamed with love for God. Immediately, at the moment when my soul was cleansed from original sin, grace was infused into it in such abundance that, excluding my holy spouse, I surpassed the holiness of the highest angel in the angelic choir.

“My heart suffered with the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Mine was a silent suffering, for it was my special vocation to hide and shield as long as God willed, the Virgin Mother and Son from the malice and hatred of men.

“The most painful of my sorrows was that I knew beforehand of their passion, yet would not be there to console them.

"Their future suffering was ever present to me and became my daily cross. I became, in union with my holy spouse, coredemptor of the human race. Through compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and Mary I co-operated, as no other, in the salvation of the world."

***

PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our tribulation,
and having implored the help of your most holy spouse,
we confidently invoke your patronage also.

Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.
O most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ;
O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence;
O our most mighty protector, be propitious to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness; and, as once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God¹s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die holily, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.

The purpose of Pope Leo XIII's encyclical [Quamquam Pluries] was to implore divine help by means of prayer, joining to the intercession of Mary that of St. Joseph, that God might be more willing to grant our petitions and that he might aid his Church more promptly and generously. Leo XIII therefore attached to his encyclical a special Prayer to St. Joseph ordering that it be added to the recitation of the rosary every year in perpetuity, during the month of October. To this prayer he attached an indulgence, which is fittingly preserved in the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum. He also recommends dedicating to the holy Patriarch the month of March, with daily exercises of piety in his honor, and to observe at lest a triduum of prayers preceding the Feast of St. Joseph.

--www.ewtn.com

AVE MARIA!

2010-03-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your patience
as we are updating our site
Ave Maria!

2010-02-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

February 23

Our Lady of America

"On February 23, 1959, Our Lady came to me and admonished me to work on the “message'' as soon as possible so that it might be placed in the hands of the Bishops who would be responsible for its fulfillment.

In a very serious manner Our Lady warned me that I must not delay any longer to do this, as the time is now."

Our Lady to Sister, Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil)

http://www.ourladyofamerica.com/

***

Apparition of OUR BELOVED LADY OF VICTORY

(Wangen/Wigratzbad, Germany, 1938), (devotion authorized by the local bishop)

Wigratzbad: I Shall Crush the Serpent's Head (I)

In 1919, after Antonie Radler (1899-1991) contracted the Spanish influenza, the Blessed Virgin appeared to her, laid her hands on her, and healed her. Between 1927 and 1936, Antonie worked as a manager in one of her father's butcher shops, in Lindau near Lake Constance. One day the Gestapo arrived and ordered her to replace the painting of the Virgin by that of the Führer. She was ordered to salute him in the Nazi fashion: "Heil Hitler" instead of the usual Bavarian greeting of "Grüss Gott." Antonie disobeyed those orders and as a result barely escaped several attempts to murder her, notably by drowning. She said that a mysterious cyclist protected her, whom she called her "guardian angel on a bike."

To express their gratitude, her parents erected a small Lourdes grotto in their garden, which was blessed by Father Basch, pastor of their parish, on October 11, 1936, feast day of the Maternity of Mary. The following month, the statue "smiled" at her. She received this prayer in a message: "Our Beloved Lady of Victory, conceived without sin, pray for us!" On December 15, 1936, the day in the octave of the Immaculate Conception, as she was reciting the third sorrowful mystery of the rosary in front of the Lourdes grotto, Antonie heard "angelic choirs" singing: "O Mary! Immaculate, conceived without sin, Beloved Lady of Victory, pray for us."

Patrick Sbalchiero, Wigratzbad,
in: René Laurentin and Patrick Sbalchiero,
Dictionnaire encyclopédique des apparitions de la Vierge. Fayard, Paris 2007.

Ave Maria!

2010-02-12T07:18:00.000-08:00

February 12

Our Lady of Argenteuil (Paris, 501)

built by Clovis I containing a portion of the Seamless Garment

The Immaculate Conception

***

Sr. Mary Ephren's diary regarding Our Lady of America,
February 11, 1981

What I detect most strongly in some of the messages, especially the latest ones, is the shortness of time allotted to us to pray and make the necessary sacrifices to bring about world peace. There is an urgency about Our Lady and when she speaks which leaves no doubts as to the closeness of the terrible purification that is about to fall upon all nations. Everyone of us knows, in a personal way, the sacrifices expected of us. This is a responsibility to be decided upon by each individual and carried out in a manner with love and trust in God's mercy. God never fails those who put all their love and trust in Him. We have nothing to fear then if we do our part. But we must begin now because time is running out.

If possible, the family rosary should be prayed every day with as many members of the family who may be present.

The prayer, Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States should be prayed once a day perhaps more than once if this can be done.

It is evident that the Forces of Evil are enveloping the world. Their hatred, however, is now particularly focused on theUnited States because of the Divine Mandate given to it to lead the world to peace.

Prayer to the Immaculate Conception

O Immaculate Mother, Queen of our Country, open our hearts, our homes, and our Land to the coming of Jesus, your Divine Son. With Him, reign over us, O heavenly Lady, so pure and so bright with the radiance of God's light shining in and about you. Be our Leader against the powers of evil set upon wresting the world of souls, redeemed at such a great cost by the sufferings of your Son and of yourself, in union with Him, from that same Savior, Who loves us
with infinite charity.

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that
would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.

We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen, that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.

We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of our lives according to your desire.

Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your children of America, as your instruments in bringing peace among men and nations. Work your miracles of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed, and sanctifies us.

May your valiant Spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in "renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as King. Amen (200 days)

Ave Maria!

2010-02-11T06:34:00.000-08:00

February 11

Our Lady of Lourdes (France), 1858

Our Lady of America

Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of America

The next day Our Lady spoke again:

“My child, nothing is accomplished without pain. Prepare to suffer much. You see the sword in the Heart of your Mother. Suffering completed the work of divine grace in my soul. He who refuses to suffer will never abide in the Spirit of Christ, will never be formed into His image.

“My sweet child, the Father will never recognize a soul as His own unless He sees in it the likeness of His beloved Son. Souls must attain to the perfection of the Father through the Spirit of the Son.

"Beloved daughter, you wonder at the sword and the deep wound it has made in my Heart. It is the sword of grief plunged therein by my children who refuse to let me teach them the true way. There is only one true way to the Father, my child, only one way to eternal union. It is the way of the divine humanity. It is through my Son, the Only-begotten of the Father, that souls attain perfect union with the Divinity, as perfect as human nature is capable of, aided by divine grace.

“But my children will not heed; they will not listen. Every other way they will take, but not this one.

“I ask greater sacrifices of the most favored and beloved of my children. I ask in the Name and for the love of my Son, Who so desires this.

"If I ask for reform of life, it is first from the chosen that I look for it. They must by the example of a sacrificial life lead the way for souls to union with Christ, honoring the Father by putting on His Spirit and His likeness in all things.

"O my small one, beloved of my Son's Heart, prepare yourself by prayer, penance, and suffering for what is to come.

“Your Mother has many more things to tell you, but this is enough for now. Take your rest now. I wish it. Good night, sweet child."

Towards evening of February 11, I heard these words addressed to me by Our Lady:

“I am the Mother of the sacred humanity, and it is my special work as co-redemptrix of the human race to help souls reach the sanctity of the Father in eternal union by showing them how to put on Christ, to imbibe His Spirit, and thus become one with Him.''

Prayer to Our Lady of America

O Immaculate Mother, Queen of our Country, open our hearts, our homes, and our Land

to the coming of Jesus, your Divine Son. With Him, reign over us, O heavenly Lady, so pure and so bright with the radiance of God's light shining in and about you. Be our Leader against the powers of evil set upon wresting the world of souls, redeemed at such a great cost by the sufferings of your Son and of yourself, in union with Him, from that same Savior, Who loves us with infinite charity.

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our
beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.

We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen,
that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.

We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and
we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of our lives according to your desire.

Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine
Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your
children of America, as your instruments in bringing peace among men and nations. Work your miracles of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed, and sanctifies us.

May your valiant Spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in
"renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother, and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as King. Amen (200 days)

Written at the behest of Our Lady, October 5, 1956.
Nihil Obstat:-Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.
Imprimatur:-†Paul F. Leibold, V.G.
Cincinnati, January 25, 1963

Ave Maria!

2010-02-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

February 10

Our Lady of the Dove (Bologna, Italy)
Our Lady of America

Our Lady of America

On the eve of February 11, 1958:

“My Immaculate Heart
will win in the end,
and the Spirit of Christ
will dwell in the hearts of men.

Those in whom this Spirit is not found
will be condemned to eternal hell-fire."

Our Lady to Sister, Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil)

Beloved daughter, you wonder at the sword and deep wound it has made in my Heart. It is the sword of grief plunged therein by my children who refuse to let me teach them the true way. There is only one true way to the Father, my child, only one way to eternal union. It is theway of the divine humanity. It is through my Son, the Only-begotten of the Father, that souls attain perfect union with the Divinity, as perfect as human nature is capable of, aided by divine grace.

But my children will not heed; they will not listen. Every other way they will take, but not this one. (Diary, pg. 23)

Prayer to Our Lady of America

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that

would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.

We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen, that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.

We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of our lives according to your desire.

Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your children of America, as your instruments in bringing peace among men and nations. Work your miracles of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed, and sanctifies us.

May your valiant Spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in "renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother, and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as King. Amen

(200 days)

Written at the behest of Our Lady, October 5, 1956.

Nihil Obstat:-Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.

Imprimatur:-†Paul F. Leibold, V.G.
Cincinnati, January 25, 1963

Ave Maria!

feb 8

2010-02-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

February 8

Our Lady of Casimir (Poland, 1411)

Pope John Paul II at Lourdes

Prayer to Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes

Before thee, O Mother of Christ, before your Immaculate Heart, I lift my heart today to join our Redeemer who wholly devoted himself to mankind, in order to regenerate us with his forgiveness and feed us with his Life. You united yourself, more than anyone else, to his offering for the salvation of the world. And you ask us, through the voice of Saint Bernadette, to accept this invitation to repentance, conversion, and prayer. May we not follow our own inclinations and forget your call.

Mother of mankind and nations, you who know all our sufferings and hopes, you who maternally knows our struggles between good and evil, between light and darkness, hear our prayer, come to the aid of your children in need. Now I will renew in Lourdes for the Church the prayer that I love to address to you in the great Marian shrines throughout the world.

You yourself allowed Bernadette Soubirous to experience your gentle presence by giving her a message that echoes the words God has entrusted to the Church. The offering we make of ourselves before you, O Our Lady, should be the personal initiative of each individual, every family, every ecclesial community, and it is good to renew it in every generation, in the way that best expresses this offering of ourselves.

O Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, obtain for our brothers and sisters the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in order to renew the faith of these Christians and their communities, which I entrust to your Immaculate Heart, to your motherly love. Amen.

Excerpt of the Prayer of John Paul II, Lourdes, August 14, 1983

Ave Maria!

2010-02-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

February 4

Our Lady of Fire (Forli, Italy)

Flight into Egypt

Giotto

Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt

After returning to Bethlehem, the Holy Family is visited by the Magi. Shortly after their departure, Joseph is warned by an angel to "take the Child and His Mother and flee into Egypt." Already, jealous Herod's soldiers seek the Child. Joseph and Mary hurry a few blocks from their temporary home to a nearby cave, where Mary nurses her Babe in what has since become known to the local people as the "Milk Grotto." As they continue their journey out of town and head towards the Egyptian border, the terrible sounds of the slaughter ring in Mary's ears. Even Rachel mourns from her grave the Innocents of Bethlehem. Mary wonders: "Is this to be His time, at this age?" The only alternative is to flee quickly to the unfriendly Egyptians, the former captors of her people. Is it possible that only the Sphinx looks down in silent approval as they pass into Pharoah's land? Jeremia the Prophet speaks for Mary: "Bitterly she weeps at night, tears upon her cheeks, with not one to console her of all her dear ones; her friends have all betrayed her and become her enemies. 'Look, O Lord, upon my distress: all within me is in ferment, my heart recoils within me from my monstrous rebellion. In the streets the sword bereaves, at home death stalks. Give heed to my groaning; there is no one to console me.' " And yet, through this trial Mary still has Emmanuel with her. She knows that all will be accomplished in God's time. This gives her the security of peace in her sorrow. The Scripture will be fulfilled: "I have called My Son out of Egypt, that salvation may come to Israel."

O, Mary, help me to stay close to your Divine Son when I feel most abandoned.

Meditation on the Seven Sorrows of Mary

By Donald Fantz, Angelus Magazine

Ave Maria!

2010-02-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

February 3

Our Lady of Saideneida, Damascus, Syria

Our Lady of America, 1957

Our Lady of America

Our Lady, on the morning of February 3, 1957:

"My Son asks of souls love, that true love willing to sacrifice itself for the One loved. Man fears to sacrifice himself because he is selfish. If souls would place themselves into my keeping, I would teach them the way of true love. If men truly loved my Son, they would not quarrel with each other and they would have peace in their own hearts.

“Peace is from within, not from without. If mankind were at peace with itself, there would be peace in the world. Man will only have peace if he has in his heart that true love of neighbor that springs from a whole-hearted love for my Son.

"My sweet child, if love does not have its roots implanted deeply within the soul, it will die out or be rooted up by the first storm that besets it.

"O child of my Pure Heart, tell my children to come to me and learn this true love of my Son, which is so necessary for their peace of soul."

Some time later the same day, Our Lady spoke again:

"Reform of life is what I ask as the sign and proof of my children's love for me. God looks at the heart, and if it resembles the Heart of His Divine Son, it is with the greatest pleasure He regards it.

""But to make your hearts grow more and more like to the Heart of the Son, you must go to the Mother, whose heart is most like His. From this Pure and Immaculate Heart you will learn all that will make you more pleasing to the Divine Heart of the Son of God. The Holy Trinity looks down with infinite delight upon such souls and makes them Its heaven upon earth.

“Come to me, my children, come to me and learn. There is much I would teach you. It is for your own happiness and eternal salvation. Do not disregard the voice of your Mother. It is the voice of love trying to save you from eternal ruin."

Sister, Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil)

Nihil Obstat: Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.

Imprimatur: †Paul F. Leibold, V.G
Cincinnati, OH – January 25, 1963

Ave Maria!

2010-02-02T03:05:00.000-08:00

February 2

PURIFICATION OF OUR LADY (First celebrated in 544)

Presentation by Andrea Mantegna c. 1460

The First Sorrow: Simeon's Prophecy

Every life has elements of mixed joy and sorrow. Certainly Mary and Joseph are filled with joy as they travel the day's journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to offer Mary's First-Born to the service of His Father. According to Jewish custom, they "ransomed" Him back by offering two turtle doves as sacrifices to Almighty God. The joy of Mary seems to overflow as the aged Simeon receives her in the Temple and, taking the Child from her arms, looks heavenward with praise to the Almighty for sparing him until he saw the salvation "prepared before the faces of all peoples: a light of revelation to the Gentiles and a glory for Thy people Israel."

From the height of her joy, Mary's heart suddenly sinks, as Simeon glances first to the Child, then straight into her eyes. "This Child is set for the rise and the fall of many ... a sign of contradiction . . . thine own soul a sword shall pierce . . ." Mary knows that her Son is to suffer. She knows that He will be lifted up. Simeon makes it painfully clear, as he reminds her of her Son's mission. "She pondered these things in her heart."

O, Mary, help me to understand the purpose of suffering in my life.

Meditation on the Seven Sorrows of Mary

By Donald Fantz, Angelus Magazine

Ave Maria!

2010-02-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

February 1

Vigil of the Feast of the Purification

Weeping Statue in Italy, 1995

Simeon's Song of Praise

by Aert de Gelder c. 1700

It was Simeon to whom Mary presented Jesus, and in his prophecy to her, he told Mary her heart would be pierced with a sword, a prophecy found in the second chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke 2:34-35:

And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.

This prophecy and the sorrows that befell the Virgin during her time on earth are why depictions of the Immaculate Heart almost always show her or her heart itself being pierced by a sword. Depictions of Our Queen as the Mother of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa) often show her being pierced by seven swords, one for each of her Seven Sorrows.

Now, before Simeon gave this prophecy to Our Lady, he referred to her Infant Son as the Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and because of this, light and candles play an important role before and during the Mass, hence the most common name for this Feast -- "Candlemas."

(fisheaters)

You Tube meditation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUJTunbv7w0

***

Weeping Statue In Italy

In February 1995, a phenomenon occurred in Civitavecchia, Italy, that could be said to be paranormal: a little five-year old girl, named Jessica Gregori noticed tears of blood on the face of a statue of the Virgin Mary, bought in a store at the shrine of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The statue cried 13 times in the presence of many people who have given sworn testimony before a Theological Commission.

The city's bishop, Monsignor Grillo, admitted he was initially skeptical when he first heard Gregori's story. He took custody of it to clarify the case, and the statue wept while he held it in his hands. Bishop Grillo reported that an average of 3,500 pilgrims a week visit the church which houses the statue and at his request, the Vatican congregation is allowing the faithful to venerate the Madonna of Civitavecchia.

Adapted from March 20, 2001 Zenit.org - ROME

Ave Maria!

2010-01-31T06:20:00.000-08:00

January 31

SAINT JOHN BOSCO

The Dream of the Pergola of Roses (I)

One day in the year 1847, while I deeply pondered on how to do good, especially for the benefit of the youth, the Queen of Heaven appeared to me and led me to a delightful garden. There I saw a sort of rustic, yet beautiful gallery, built like a hallway. Creeping ornamental plants covered its pillars with their thick leafy branches and flowers. This gallery opened onto a stunning pergola, bordered and covered with marvellous roses in full bloom. The ground also was strewn with roses. The Blessed Virgin said to me: "Take off your shoes! This is the path you should take."

I was glad to take off my shoes, because I would have felt sorry about treading on the roses. I started to walk; but all at once I realized that the roses hid very sharp thorns. I had to stop and go back.

"I need my shoes here," I told my guide.

"Certainly," she answered, "you need good shoes."

So I put on some shoes and went back to the path with a few companions who had appeared in the meantime, asking to join me.

Many branches draped down from the top of the gallery like festoons, but I only saw the roses beside, above, and in front of me. My legs kept getting entangled in the lower branches and scratched by them; so I removed a side branch. I poked my hands, which were bleeding like the rest of my person. A great quantity of thorns lay hidden beneath the roses. Nevertheless, encouraged by the Blessed Virgin, I pushed on.

All the numerous people who were watching me walk under the pergola were saying: "Oh! look at the way Don Bosco keeps walking over the roses: he moves calmly as if everything's fine for him." But they couldn't see the thorns that were tearing my poor limbs.

Don Bosco

Story told in 1864. (Passed on by Don Lemoyne, published in 1903)

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.

Amen.

Ave Maria!

2010-01-30T08:58:00.000-08:00

January 30

Our Lady of the Rose

Church of St. Peter and Paul, Lucca Italy

Nuestra Señora de la Rosa

‘Like a rose among thorns, so is my darling among the maidens’

(Song of Songs 2:2).

This feast of 'Rosa Mystica'

This claim was supported by Jesuit historian Fr. Pedro Murillo in his Historia de la Provincia de Filipinas de la Compania de Jesus: “Your most holy image of the Nuestra Señora de la Rosa has on her breast a most precious treasure, greater than those which Tharsis had in is opulence, or Ophir with his most valuable metals can offer. This is the strand of hair of her most holy head, whose authenticity I read with great admiration.

Unfortunately, the reliquary together with the ivory hands and head of the image were collateral damages of the Revolution of 1899. An oval cavity in the breast remains empty where the reliquary must have been placed while the hand and head have been replaced with wooden replicas.

The Virgen de la Rosa was brought to the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul by the Jesuit Fr. Juan Delgado from Acapulco. The image depicts the Lady holding the infant Jesus in one arm and holding three roses on the other hand.
Lourdes Policarpio explains that the Virgin’s title was derived from the Our Lady as the Mystical Rose or “Rosa Mystica.” In Lucca, Italy, the feast of the Our Lady of the Rose is celebrated on January 30. It is believed that three roses were found in the arms of Our Lady on January. http://traveleronfoot.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/sampiro-de-makati/

Three roses were found in the month of January, in the arms of the Lady statue there, according to a Latin chronicle.

***

"Eve was a thorn, wounding, bringing death to all; in Mary we see a rose, soothing everybody's hurts, giving the destiny of salvation back to all. Mary was a rose, white for maidenhood, red for love; white in body, red in soul; white in her seeking after virtue, red in treading down vice; white in cleansing her affections, red in mortifying her flesh; white in her love of God, red in compassion for her neighbor" Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

The Name of Mary (II)

If the winds of temptations surge, if you run aground on the shoal of troubles, look to this star, call upon Mary!

If you are tossed by the winds of pride or ambition or detraction or jealousy, look to this star, call upon Mary!

If anger or greed or the allurements of the flesh dash against the boat of your mind, look to Mary!

And if you are troubled by the enormity of your sins, confused by the foulness of your conscience, terrified by the horror of the Judgment, so that you begin to be swallowed up by the pit of sadness, the abyss of despair, think of Mary!

In dangers, in straits, in perplexity, think of Mary, call upon Mary.

Let her name be always in your mouth and in your heart, and, if you would ask for and obtain help of her prayers, do not forget the example of how she lived.

If you follow her, you will not go astray.
If you pray to her, you will not despair.
If you think of her, you will not be lost.
If you cling to her, you will not fall.
If she protects you, you will not fear;
if she is your guide, you will not tire;
if she is favorable to you, you will reach your goal.
Thus you will experience personally how rightly it was spoken: "And the virgin's name was Mary."
Excerpt from Bernard of Clairvaux, Super missus est 2, 17; PL 183, 70-71

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen.

Ave Maria!

2010-01-28T11:38:00.000-08:00

January 28

Our Lady of Good Succor. Near Rouen, France

OUR LADY OF AMERICA

From January 1957 to 1958, Our Lady's warnings came to me again and again. These are her words spoken in January 1957:

"The hour grows late. My Son's patience will not last forever. Help me hold back His anger, which is about to descend on sinful and ungrateful men. Suffering and anguish, such as never before experienced, is about to overtake mankind. It is the darkest hour. But if men will come to me, my Immaculate Heart will make it bright again with the mercy which my Son will rain down through my hands. Help me save those who will not save themselves. Help me bring once again the sunshine of God's peace upon the world."

To my spiritual director I was asked to send this message:

“Hurry, my son, for the time is short but the punishment will be long, and for many, forever.

"Tell the Bishops of the United Stares, my loyal sons, of my desires and how I wish them to be carried out. Through him who is head over you, make known the longings of my Immaculate Heart to establish the reign of my Divine Son in the hearts of men and thus save them from the scourge of heaven, both now and hereafter."

Our Lady, again addressing herself to me, spoke sadly yet hopefully:

"My daughter, will my children in America listen to my pleadings and console my Immaculate Heart? Will my loyal sons carry out my desires and thus help me bring the peace of Christ once again to mankind?

'Pray and do penance, my sweet child, that this may come to pass. Trust me and love me; I so desire it. Do not forger your poor Mother, who weeps over the loss of so many of her children."

***

Prayer to Our Lady of America

O Immaculate Mother, Queen of our Country, open our hearts, our homes, and our Land to the coming of Jesus, your Divine Son. With Him, reign over us, O heavenly Lady, so pure and so bright with the radiance of God's light shining in and about you. Be our Leader against the powers of evil set upon wresting the world of souls, redeemed at such a great cost by the sufferings of your Son and of yourself, in union with Him, from that same Savior, Who loves us with infinite charity.

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.

We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen, that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.

We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of our lives according to your desire.

Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your children of America, as your instruments in bringing peace among men and nations. Work your miracles of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed, and sanctifies us.

May your valiant Spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in "renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother, and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as King. Amen (200 days)

Written at the behest of Our Lady, October 5, 1956.

Nihil Obstat:-Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.

Imprimatur:-†Paul F. Leibold, V.G.

Cincinnati, January 25, 1963

Ave Maria!

2010-01-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

January 20

Apparition of the Miraculous Medal to Ratisbonne (Rome, 1842)

A Catholic friend gave Alphonsus Ratisbonne, a Jew, a medal to wear and asked him to pray a simple prayer to Mary. He complied out of friendship, not really understanding its meaning. While at a Catholic Church arranging for a funeral, our Lady appeared to him and brought about his conversion. He later became a priest and together with his converted priest brother, founded the institute of our Lady of Sion. They also have a sister community attached to their institute as well. After this apparition, the Pope would later inaugurate the feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on November 27th each year.

http://www.amm.org/shrine/alphon18.htm

The Miraculous Medal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2pF5XhNSJk

Ave Maria!

2010-01-19T08:53:00.000-08:00

Notre Dame de Gimont

Citeaux, France Cistercien monastery.

From the beginning of time, every prophency, every vision, throughout the centuries, will have it's fulfillment in Our Lady of America and her messages of the Indwelling Trinity living in every soul, which will renew the whole world and destroy Lucifer and all the evil spirits in the fight he is making against the Indwelling Trinity. This will eventually destroy him.

August 27, 1995 Our Lady to Sr. Mildred Mary Ephrem Neuzil

Prayer to Our Lady of America

O Immaculate Mother, Queen of our Country, open our hearts, our homes, and our Land

to the coming of Jesus, your Divine Son. With Him, reign over us, O heavenly Lady, so pure
and so bright with the radiance of God's light shining in and about you. Be our Leader against
the powers of evil set upon wresting the world of souls, redeemed at such a great cost by the
sufferings of your Son and of yourself, in union with Him, from that same Savior, Who loves us
with infinite charity.

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our
beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that
would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.

We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen,
that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.

We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and
we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of
our lives according to your desire.

Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine
Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your
children of America, as your instruments in bringing peace among men and nations. Work your
miracles of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed,
and sanctifies us.

May your valiant Spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in
"renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother,
and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as King. Amen (200 days)

Written at the behest of Our Lady, October 5, 1956.
Nihil Obstat:-Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.
Imprimatur:-†Paul F. Leibold,

Ave Maria!

2010-01-15T07:54:00.000-08:00

January 15

Our Lady of America, January 1957

Our Lady of Banneux (Belgium, 1933)

OUR LADY OF AMERICA

To my spiritual director I was asked to send this message:

“Hurry, my son, for the time is short but the punishment will be long, and for many, forever.

"Tell the Bishops of the United Stares, my loyal sons, of my desires and how I wish them to be carried out. Through him who is head over you, make known the longings of my Immaculate Heart to establish the reign of my Divine Son in the hearts of men and thus save them from the scourge of heaven, both now and hereafter."

Our Lady, again addressing herself to me, spoke sadly yet hopefully:

"My daughter, will my children in America listen to my pleadings and console my Immaculate Heart? Will my loyal sons carry our my desires and thus help me bring the peace of Christ once again to mankind?

'Pray and do penance, my sweet child, that this may come to pass. Trust me and love me; I so desire it. Do not forger your poor Mother, who weeps over the loss of so many of her children."

***

Prayer to Our Lady of America

O Immaculate Mother, Queen of our Country, open our hearts, our homes, and our Land

to the coming of Jesus, your Divine Son. With Him, reign over us, O heavenly Lady, so pure
and so bright with the radiance of God's light shining in and about you. Be our Leader against
the powers of evil set upon wresting the world of souls, redeemed at such a great cost by the
sufferings of your Son and of yourself, in union with Him, from that same Savior, Who loves us
with infinite charity.

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our
beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that
would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.
We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen,
that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.
We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and
we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of
our lives according to your desire.

Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine
Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your
children of America, as your instruments in bringing peace among men and nations. Work your
miracles of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed,
and sanctifies us.

May your valiant Spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in
"renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother,
and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as
King. Amen (200 days)

Written at the behest of Our Lady, October 5, 1956.
Nihil Obstat:-Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.
Imprimatur:-†Paul F. Leibold,

***

Our Lady of Banneux

Virgin of the Poor

"Believe in me, and I will believe in you!"

OUR LADY TO MARIETTE BECO AT BANNEUX, FEBRUARY 15, 1933

BANNEUX IS AN unremarkable village on the edge of the Ardennes Mountains. In 1933 the Beco family were living there in a small house built by the father, Julien, an unemployed wire maker. There were seven children and the family was poor, living mainly on produce from their little vegetable garden. They were nominally Catholic and not conspicuously devout.

Mariette was the oldest of the children, aged eleven. On the evening of January 15 she was looking after two of her brothers who were ill, and at the same time watching out for their father to return. She was nervous and did not like the long dark winter evenings.

As she peered through the curtains she suddenly became aware of a bright light hovering in the middle distance. After a few minutes the light formed itself into a human figure-----"a beautiful lady," as Mariette later reported. The woman was dressed in white and blue and was holding a rosary. Mariette looked again and then called to her mother, Louise, "A beautiful lady in our garden is smiling at me!" Her mother looked out but saw only a vague form. "Perhaps it's the Virgin Mary!" she exclaimed, not unkindly.

Litany of Our Lady of Banneaux, Virgin of the Poor

For Private Use Only.

Blessed Virgin of the Poor,

Lead us to Jesus, Source of grace.

Blessed Virgin of the Poor,

Save all nations.

Blessed Virgin of the Poor,

Relieve the sick.

Blessed Virgin of the Poor,

Alleviate suffering.

Blessed Virgin of the Poor,

Pray for each one of us.

Blessed Virgin of the Poor,

We believe in thee.

Blessed Virgin of the Poor,

Believe in us.

Blessed Virgin of the Poor,

We will pray hard.

Blessed Virgin of the Poor,

Bless us.

Blessed Virgin of the Poor, Mother of the Saviour, Mother of God,

We thank thee.
Let Us Pray.

Our Lady of Banneux, Mother of Our Saviour, Mother of God, Virgin of the Poor, since thou hast promised to believe in us if we believe in thee, I put all my trust in thee.

Deign to listen to the prayers that thou hast asked be addressed to thee; have pity on all our spiritual and temporal miseries. Restore to sinners the treasure of Faith, and give to the poor their daily bread. Deign to relieve suffering, to heal the sick and to pray for us, so that thus through thy intercession, the reign of Christ the King may extend over all nations.

R. Amen.

More information on Our Lady of Banneux

http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/approved/appariti/banneux.html

http://www.banneux-nd.be/indexuk.html

Ave Maria!

2010-01-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

January 14

Our Lady of Speech (the Word). Near Montserrat, Spain. 1514

Our Lady restored speech to a dumb man, in the year 1514

2010-01-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

January 13

Our Lady of Victory. Prague. 1620

Church named in honor of Austrian Emperor Ferdinand II's victory of a Protestant army near Prague. The church now holds the Holy Infant of Prague statue, the world's most famous statue of the infant Jesus.

Pope Benedict Crowns the Infant Jesus of Prague

October 1st, 2009 by ACN-USA
On the first stage of his apostolic journey to the Czech Republic, Pope Benedict XVI visited the celebrated image of the Infant Jesus of Prague. There, in the Church of Our Lady of Victories in the nation’s capital, he solemnly crowned this world famous image.

International Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reported that, during the ceremony, Pope Benedict XVI pronounced the following prayer:

O my Lord Jesus,
we gaze on You as a child
and believe that You are the Son of God,
who became Man through the working of the Holy Spirit
in the womb of the Virgin Mary.
Just as in Bethlehem,
we, too, adore You, with Mary, Joseph,
the angels and the shepherds,
and acknowledge You
as our only Savior.
You became poor
to enrich us with Your poverty.
Grant that we may never forget the poor
and all those who suffer.
Protect our families,
bless all the children of the world
and grant that the love You have brought us
may always reign amongst us
and lead us to a happier life.
Grant, O Jesus, that all
may recognize the truth of Your birth,
so that all may know
that You have come to bring
to the whole human family
light, joy and peace.
You are God, who live and reign with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Our Lady of America

Our Lady appears to Sr. Mildred

From January 1957 to 1958, Our Lady's warnings came to me again and again. These are her words spoken in January 1957:

"The hour grows late. My Son's patience will not last forever. Help me hold back His anger, which is about to descend on sinful and ungrateful men. Suffering and anguish, such as never before experienced, is about to overtake mankind. It is the darkest hour. But if men will come to me, my Immaculate Heart will make it bright again with the mercy which my Son will rain down through my hands. Help me save those who will not save themselves. Help me bring once again the sunshine of God's peace upon the world."

To my spiritual director I was asked to send this message:

"Hurry, my son, for the time is short but the punishment will be long, and for many, forever.

"Tell the Bishops of the United States, my loyal sons, of my desires and how I wish them to be carried out. Through him who is head over you, make known the longings of my Immaculate Heart to establish the reign of my Divine Son in the heart of men and thus save them from the scourge of heaven, both now and hereafter"

www.ourladyofamerica.com

Ave Maria!

2009-12-21T08:45:00.000-08:00

December 21

Notre-Dame de Saint-Acheul, Cathédrale d'Amiens, France

Infant of Prague

History of the Infant Jesus of Prague

The Infant Jesus of Prague originally came from Spain. The legend tells that the Infant Jesus appeared miraculously to a certain monk, who modelled the statue based on the appearance of the apparition. According to another legend the statue belonged to St. Teresa of Avila, the founder of the Discalced Carmelites, who was aflame with a great love for the Child Jesus. She is said to have given the statue to a friend of hers, whose daughter was setting out to travel to Prague.
When the Duchess Maria Manrique de Lara came to Bohemia to marry a Bohemian nobleman in 1556, she received the statue from her mother as a wedding gift. When her daughter Polyxena of Lobkowicz was widowed, she gave the precious statue to the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites attached to the church of Our Lady of Victory in 1628.

The Carmelites placed the statue in the novitiate chapel, so that the young monks could learn from the virtues of the Child Jesus. At that time the Thirty Years' War was raging through Europe and even the Infant Jesus was not spared when the Saxon army occupied Prague in 1631. It was only after his return to Prague in 1637 that Father Cyril of the Mother of God, originally from Luxemburg, discovered the statue, abandoned in a corner. To his sorrow, however, he found that the Infant Jesus had had both hands broken off. At this moment it seemed to him that the Infant Jesus was saying to him:

“Have mercy on me and I will have mercy on you.

Give me hands and I will give you peace.

The more you honour me, the more I will bless you.”

Eventually Father Cyril had new hands made for the Infant Jesus. The gold coin invested in this was returned many times over, as the Child Jesus began to bless the monastery, the local people, and the whole of Prague. Miraculous healings were attributed to him, as was the protection of Prague when it was laid siege to by the Swedes in 1639. In 1651 the statue was carried as a pilgrim round all the churches in Prague and in 1655 it was solemnly crowned by the Bishop of Prague. This event is still remembered today on the anniversary feast-day, falling on the first Sunday in May.
(http://www.pragjesu.info/en/history_infant_jesus.htm)

Vienna Boys Choir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC1GfEXjaBU&feature=related

Ave Maria!

2009-12-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

December 14

End of the Apparitions at Ile Bouchard (France, 1947)

Our Lady of I'le Bouchard

Give Me Your Hand to Kiss

The Lady slowly motioned the children to approach, with her right index finger raised chin-high under the right side of her face. Then she slowly gestured to them to come forward and stretched her hand, lowering the arm that she had lifted, palm up. "Give me your hand to kiss," she said.

The young girls weren't afraid anymore. Jacqueline was the first to draw closer, on her tippy toes. The Lady turned her hand over her hand and held it out flat. The oldest girl touched her index finger with her fingertips.

Very slowly, the Lady bent her head down as she lifted the girl's fingers to her lips. Toward the second phalanx of the index, middle-finger and ring-finger, she gently placed a silent kiss.

Then it was Nicole's turn. The Lady bent down a little lower. Laura and Jeannette were too short. Spontaneously, Jacqueline picked them from under their arms and held them up, effortlessly, one after the other. All four in their emotion felt both the softness of the skin and the warmth of the Lady's lips from the contact on their right hands.

(...)

While leaving the church, first Jacqueline then Laura and Jeannette, realized that a white oval spot remained on their fingers. It was the trace of the kiss. "Let's hurry and show the good sister," said the eldest girl, "she will have to believe us this time." Sadly enough, although they kept looking at the marks on their hand until they reached the school, upon their arrival, the marks faced away one after the other.

Mgr. Fiot, L'Ile-Bouchard (December 8-14, 1947), 1951

The Mysterious Events of L'Ile-Bouchard
http://www.ilebouchard.com/archives/fiot/brochure-fiot.htm

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.theotokos.org.uk/images/jpg/lilebouc.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/approved/appariti/lilebouc.html&usg=__6oBBDNOspWDH5TFnGta2dyiifnM=&h=198&w=146&sz=8&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=_gULyM7cw8L50M:&tbnh=104&tbnw=77&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dour%2Blady%2Bof%2Bl%2527ile-bouchard%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Ave Maria!

dec 11

2009-12-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

December 11

Our Lady of the Angels (forest of Livry, near Paris, 1212)

Consecration of Our Lady of Victories to the Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary (France, 1836)

Mary in the Midst of Israel's Waiting (II)

"All nations on earth will be blessed in your descendants" (Gen 22:18)

The Virgin Mary, in the midst of Israel's waiting, also pondered ancient prophecy received by Balaam:

"I see him but not in the present. I perceive him but not close at hand: a star is emerging from Jacob, a scepter is rising from Israel" (Num 24:17).

She examined

"the promise He made to our ancestors" (Lk 1:55), "of his mercy to Abraham" the believer. "All nations on earth will be blessed in your descendants" (Gen 22:18) in favor of his son Jacob - "The scepter shall not pass from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute be brought him and the peoples render him obedience" (Gen 49:10) and the great promise made to Moses, "The Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me; you will listen to him" (Deut 18:15).

Ave Maria!

2009-12-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

December 10

Transition of the Holy House of Loreto (Italy, 1294)

Our Lord and Lady to Lucia of Fatima (1925) Five First Saturdays

Immaculate Heart of Mary

On the evening of Thursday, December 10, after supper, the young postulant Lucua — who was only eighteen years old — returned to her cell. There she was visited by Our Lady and the Child Jesus. Our Lord spelled out to Sister Lucia what form the reparation should be. The Child Jesus stood at His Mother's side enthroned in a cloud of light, displaying His Sacred Heart saying;

"Have pity on the heart of your most Holy Mother. It is covered with thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment and there is no one to remove them by an act of reparation."

Our Lady then held out her thorn-wreathed Heart and said;

"See, my daughter, my heart, surrounded by thorns with which ungrateful men wound it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Do you at least console me and announce that I promise to assist at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for salvation, to all those who on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, confess, receive Holy Communion, recite 5 decades of the rosary, and keep me company for 15 minutes while mediating on the mysteries of the rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me."

Ave Maria!

2009-12-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

December 3

Notre Dame of Victories (Paris, 1836)

Our Lady of Victory, Paris

***

I saw the Angel standing before me towards the left. He was dressed in a white robe or garment, which was perfectly plain and perfectly white. The whiteness of his robe stood out against the darkness about him. It was like a light in the midst of darkness. He was holding a green palm and a drawn sword in his left hand, the tips of both palm and sword resting against his left shoulder. I saw all this at a glance.

The Angel said to me, "Receive the palm of victory.”

He spoke again, "You do not believe me. Will you accept the cross?"

For me this struck more nearly home. I said, "Yes, I will accept the cross."

To this he replied, "Then you will accept the palm and the sword. With the sword the saints conquered themselves, the world, and the devil. I am the Angel of Peace. I come to those whose hearts are attuned to the Voice of God. To such as these I remain a perpetual light through blinding darkness. I was sent by Him Who said, 'I am the Light of the world.' "

Later it was made known to me that the Angel of Peace was St. Michael.

Flower (tree) of the Day

Palm

Symbolizes Victory

Ave Maria!

see more information on Our Lady of Victories in Paris

http://www.piercedhearts.org/treasures/shrines/our_lady_of_victories.htm

dec 2

2009-12-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

December 2

Our Lady of Consolation and Providence (1749)

Fraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at Notre Dame of Victories Church (Paris, 1836)

Flower (fruit) of the Day

Lemon blossom

Citrus limonia
A symbol of the Virgin's fidelity in love

***

PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Immaculate Mother, Queen of our Country, open our hearts, our homes, and our Land to the coming of Jesus, your Divine Son. With Him, reign over us, O heavenly Lady, so pure and so bright with the radiance of God's light shining in and about you. Be our Leader against the powers of evil set upon wresting the world of souls, redeemed at such a great cost by the sufferings of your Son and of yourself, in union with Him, from that same Savior, Who loves us with infinite charity.

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.

We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen, that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.

We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of our lives according to your desire.

Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your children of America, as your instruments in bringing peace among men and nations. Work your miracles of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed,and sanctifies us.

May your valiant Spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in "renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother, and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as King. Amen (200 days)

Written at the behest of Our Lady, October 5, 1956.
Nihil Obstat:-Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.
Imprimatur:-†Paul F. Leibold, V.G.
Cincinnati, January 25, 1963

Ave Maria!

jesse tree
ttp://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=545

2009-12-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

December 1

Our Lady of Ratisbon (Bavaria, Germany)
1842

Alte Kapelle Regensburg
Bavaria, Germany

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Flower (Fruit) of the Day

Orange

Citrus sinensus

The orange symbolizes Mary's Purity

Ave Maria!

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PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.

We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen, that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.

King. Amen (200 days)

Written at the behest of Our Lady, October 5, 1956.
Nihil Obstat:-Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.
Imprimatur:-†Paul F. Leibold, V.G.
Cincinnati, January 25, 1963