Posted on 05/15/2013 8:04:37 PM PDT by Salvation
From: Acts 22:30, 23:6-11
Speech before the Sanhedrin
[6] But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Phari-
sees, he cried out in the council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees;
with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial.” [7] And
when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sad-
ducees; and the assembly was divided. [8] For the Sadducees say that there is
no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
[9] Then a great clamor arose; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party
stood up and contended, ‘We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit of
an angel spoke to him?” [10] And when the dissension became violent, the tri-
bune, afraid that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers
to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the bar-
racks.
[11] The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as
you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at
Rome.”
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Commentary:
30. This does not seem to have been a regular session of the Sanhedrin; it is an
informal one arranged by Lysias (Acts 23:26) to enable documentation to be pre-
pared, now that “evidence” cannot be extracted from Paul by torture.
6-9. From St Luke’s Gospel (cf. 20:27) we know that the Sadducees, unlike the
Pharisees, did not believe in a future resurrection of the dead. This is the only
place in the New Testament where it says that they also denied the existence
of angels and spirits; however, this is confirmed by Jewish and secular sources.
In the course of his trial, Paul brings up a subject which sets his judges at each
other. Personal advantage is not his main reason for doing this. He is obviously
very shrewd, but he really does not expect to get an impartial hearing from the
Sanhedrin. Therefore he tries to stir their consciences and awaken their love for
the truth and thereby elicit some sympathy for Christians. Although Christian be-
lief in the Resurrection was not the same thing as the Pharisees’ belief, the two
had this in common: they believed in the resurrection of the dead.
9. They are referring to his vision on the road to Damascus. They are not going
as far as to say that it was Jesus who spoke to Paul, but they do not rule out
the possibility that he had a genuine spiritual experience.
11. The Lord is Jesus. These words of consolation to Paul show him that God
will guide him all along, right up to his court appearance in Rome.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: John 17:20-26
The Priestly Prayer of Jesus (Continuation)
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
20-23. Since it is Christ who is praying for the Church His prayer is infallibly effec-
tive, and therefore there will always be only one true Church of Jesus Christ. Uni-
ty is therefore an essential property of the Church. “We believe that the Church
founded by Jesus Christ and for which He prayed is indefectibly one in faith, in
worship and in the bond of hierarchical communion” (Paul VI, “Credo of the Peo-
ple of God”, 21). Moreover, Christ’s prayer also indicates what the basis of the
Church’s unity will be and what effects will follow from it.
The source from which the unity of the Church flows is the intimate unity of the
Three Divine Persons among whom there is mutual love and self-giving. “The Lord
Jesus, when praying to the Father ‘that they may all be one...even as we are one’
(John 17:21-22), has opened up new horizons closed to human reason by imply-
ing that there is a certain parallel between the union existing among the Divine
Persons and the union of the sons of God in truth and love. It follows, then, that
if man is the only creature on earth that God has wanted for its own sake, man
can fully discover his true self only in a sincere giving of himself” (Vatican II,
“Gaudium Et Spes”, 24). The unity of the Church is also grounded on the union
of the faithful with Jesus Christ and through Him with the Father (verse 23). Thus,
the fullness of unity — “consummati in unum” — is attained through the superna-
tural grace which comes to us from Christ (cf. John 15:5).
The fruits of the unity of the Church are, on the one hand, the world believing in
Christ and in His divine mission (verses 21, 23); and, on the other hand, Chris-
tians themselves and all men recognizing God’s special love for His faithful, a
love which is a reflection of the love of the Three Divine Persons for each other.
And so, Jesus’ prayer embraces all mankind, for all are invited to be friends of
God (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4). “Thou hast loved them even as Thou hast loved Me”:
this, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, “does not mean strict equality of love but
similarity and like-motivation. It is as if He were saying: the love with which You
have loved Me is the reason and the cause of Your loving them, for, precisely be-
cause You love men do You love those who love Me” (”Commentary on St. John,
in loc.”). Besides noting this theological explanation, we should also ponder on
how expressively Christ describes His ardent love for men. The entire discourse
of the Last Supper gives us a glimpse of the depth of Jesus’ feelings — which infi-
nitely exceeds anything we are capable of experiencing. Once again all we can
do is bow down before the mystery of God-made-man.
20. Christ prays for the Church, for all those who, over the course of centuries,
will believe in Him through the preaching of the Apostles. “That divine mission,
which was committed by Christ to the Apostles, is destined to last until the end
of the world (cf. Matthew 28:20), since the Gospel, which they were charged to
hand on, is, for the Church, the principle of all its life for all time. For that very rea-
son the Apostles were careful to appoint successors in this hierarchically consti-
tuted society” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 20).
The apostolic origin and basis of the Church is what is termed its “apostolicity”,
a special characteristic of the Church which we confess in the Creed. Apostoli-
city consists in the Pope and the Bishops being successors of Peter and the A-
postles, holding the authority of the Apostles and proclaiming the same teaching
as they did. “The sacred synod taught that the bishops have by divine institution
taken the place of the Apostles as pastors of the Church, in such wise that who-
ever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises them despises
Christ and Him who sent Christ (cf. Luke 10:15)” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”,
20).
21. Union of Christians with Christ begets unity among themselves. This unity of
the Church ultimately redounds to the benefit of all mankind, because since the
Church is one and unique, she is seen as a sign raised up for the nations to see,
inviting all to believe in Christ as sent by God come to save all men. The Church
carries on this mission of salvation through its union with Christ, calling all man-
kind to join the Church and by so doing to share in union with Christ and the
Father.
The Second Vatican Council, speaking of the principles of ecumenism, links the
Church’s unity with her universality: “Almost everyone, though in different ways,
longs for the one visible Church of God, a Church truly universal and sent forth to
the whole world that the world may be converted to the Gospel and so be saved,
to the glory of God” (”Unitatis Redintegratio”, 1). This universality is another cha-
racteristic of the Church, technically described as “catholicity”. “For many centu-
ries now the Church has been spread throughout the world, and it numbers per-
sons of all races and walks of life. But the universality of the Church does not de-
pend on its geographical distribution, even though this is a visible sign and of mo-
tive of credibility. The Church was catholic already at Pentecost: it was born ca-
tholic from the wounded heart of Jesus, as a fire which the Holy Spirit enkindled.
“In the second century the Christians called the Church catholic in order to distin-
guish it from sects, which, using the name of Christ, were betraying His doctrine
in one way or another. ‘We call it catholic’, writes St. Cyril, ‘not only because it
is spread throughout the world, from one extreme to the other, but because in a
universal way and without defect it teaches all the dogmas which men ought to
know, of both the visible and the invisible, the celestial and the earthly. Likewise
because it draws to true worship all types of men, governors and citizens, the
learned and the ignorant. And finally, because it cures and heals all kinds of sins,
whether of the soul or of the body, possessing in addition — by whatever name it
may be called — all the forms of virtue, in deeds and in words and in every kind
of spiritual life’ (”Catechesis”, 18, 23)” (St. J. Escriva, “In Love with the Church”,
9).
Every Christian should have the same desire for this unity as Jesus Christ expres-
ses in His prayer to the Father. “A privileged instrument for participation in pursuit
of the unity of all Christians is prayer. Jesus Christ Himself left us His final wish
for unity through prayer to the Father: ‘that they also may be in us, so that the
world may believe that Thou hast sent Me’ (John 17:21).
“Also the Second Vatican Council strongly recommended to us prayer for the uni-
ty of Christians, defining it ‘the soul of the whole ecumenical movement’ (”Unitatis
Redintegratio”, 8). As the soul to the body, so prayer gives life, consistency, spi-
rit, and finality to the ecumenical movement.
“Prayer puts us, first and foremost, before the Lord, purifies us in intentions, in
sentiments, in our heart, and produces that ‘interior conversion’, without which
there is no real ecumenism (cf. “Unitatis Redintegratio”, 7).
“Prayer, furthermore, reminds us that unity, ultimately, is a gift from God, a gift
for which we must ask and for which we must prepare in order that we may be
granted it” (Bl. John Paul II, “General Audience”, 17 January 1979).
22-23. Jesus possess glory, a manifestation of divinity, because He is God, equal
to the Father (cf. note on John 17:1-5). When He says that He is giving His disci-
ples this glory, He is indicating that through grace He makes us partakers of the
divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Glory and justification by grace are very closely united,
as we can see from Sacred Scripture: “Those whom He predestined He also cal-
led, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He
also glorified” (Romans 8:30). The change grace works in Christians makes us
ever more like Christ, who is the likeness of the Father (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4; He-
brews 1:2-3): by communicating His glory Christ joins the faithful to God by gi-
ving them a share in supernatural life, which is the source of the holiness of Chris-
tians and of the Church: “Now we can understand better how [...] one of the prin-
cipal aspects of her holiness is that unity centered on the mystery of the one and
triune God. ‘There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one
hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and
Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all’ (Ephesians 4:4-6)” (St.
J. Escriva, “In Love with the Church”, 5).
24. Jesus concludes His prayer by asking that all Christians attain the blessed-
ness of Heaven. The word He uses, “I desire”, not “I pray”, indicates that He is
asking for the most important thing of all, for what His Father wants—that all may
be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4): which is
essentially the mission of the Church—the salvation of souls.
As long as we are on earth we share in God’s life through knowledge (faith) and
love (charity); but only in Heaven will we attain the fullness of this supernatural life,
when we see God as He is (cf. 1 John 3:2), face to face (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:9-12).
Therefore, the Church has her sights fixed on eternity, she is eschatological: that
is, by having in this world all the resources necessary for teaching God’s truth, for
rendering Him true worship and communicating the life of grace, she keeps alive
people’s hope of attaining the fullness of eternal life: “The Church, to which we are
all called in Christ Jesus, and in which by the grace of God we acquire holiness,
will receive its perfection only in the glory of Heaven, when will come the time of
the renewal of all things (Acts 3:21). At that time, together with the human race,
the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which attains its desti-
ny through him, will be perfectly reestablished in Christ (cf. Ephesians 1:10; Co-
lossians 1:20; 2 Peter 3:10-13)” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 48).
25-26. God’s revelation of Himself through Christ causes us to begin to share in
the divine life, a sharing which will reach its climax in Heaven: “God alone can
give us right and full knowledge of this reality by revealing Himself as Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, in whose eternal life we are by grace called to share, here below
in the obscurity of faith and after death in eternal light” (Paul VI, “Credo of the
People of God”).
Christ has revealed to us all we need to know in order to participate in the mutual
love of the Divine Persons—primarily, the mystery of who He is and what His mis-
sion is and, with that, the mystery of God Himself (”I made known to them Thy
name”), thus fulfilling what He had announced: “No one knows the Father except
the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27).
Christ continues to make known His Father’s love, by means of the Church, in
which He is always present: “I am with you always, to the close of the age”
(Matthew 28:20).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | Acts 22:30,23:6-11 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 15:1-2,5,7-11 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | cf.Jn16:7,13 |
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Or | Jn17:21 |
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Gospel | John 17:20-26 © |
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Jesus, High PriestWe thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
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Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
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1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
PLEASE JOIN US -
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May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary
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Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Toward the end of the eighteenth century a zealous Jesuit priest, Father Lalomia, started among the students of the Roman college of his Society the practice of dedicating May to Our Lady. The devotion, which others had promoted in a small way, soon spread to other Jesuit Colleges and to the entire Latin church and since that time it has been a regular feature of Catholic life.
INVOCATIONS
Thou who wast a virgin before thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
Thou who wast a virgin in thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
Thou who wast a virgin after thy delivery, pray for us. Hail Mary, etc.
My Mother, deliver me from mortal sin.
Hail Mary (three times).
Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.
Remember, O Virgin Mother of God, when thou shalt stand before the face of the Lord, that thou speak favorable things in our behalf and that He may turn away His indignation from us.
Roman Missal
Thou art my Mother, O Virgin Mary: keep me safe lest I ever offend thy dear Son, and obtain for me the grace to please Him always and in all things.
FOR THE HELP OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
May we be assisted, we beseech Thee, 0 Lord, by the worshipful intercession of Thy glorious Mother, the ever-Virgin Mary; that we, who have been enriched by her perpetual blessings, may be delivered from all dangers, and through her loving kindness made to be of one heart and mind: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal
THE SALVE REGINA
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus! O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Roman Breviary
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
O blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay thee thy just dues of praise and thanksgiving, thou who by the wondrous assent of thy will didst rescue a fallen world? What songs of praise can our weak human nature recite in thy honor, since it is by thy intervention alone that it has found
the way to restoration? Accept, then, such poor thanks as we have here to offer, though they be unequal to thy merits; and, receiving our vows, obtain by thy prayers the remission of our offenses. Carry thou our prayers within the sanctuary of the heavenly audience, and bring forth from it the antidote of our reconciliation. May the sins we bring before Almighty God through thee, become pardonable through thee; may what we ask for with sure confidence, through thee be granted. Take our offering, grant us our requests, obtain pardon for what we fear, for thou art the sole hope of sinners. Through thee we hope for the remission of our sins, and in thee, 0 blessed Lady, is our hope of reward. Holy Mary, succour the miserable, help the fainthearted, comfort the sorrowful, pray for thy people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God; may all who keep thy holy commemoration feel now thy help and protection. Be thou ever ready to assist us when we pray, and bring back to us the answers to our prayers. Make it thy continual care to pray for the people of God, thou who, blessed by God, didst merit to bear the Redeemer of the world, who liveth and reigneth, world without end. Amen.
Saint Augustine
PETITION TO MARY
Most holy Virgin Immaculate, my Mother Mary, to thee who art the Mother of my Lord, the queen of the universe, the advocate, the hope, the refuge of sinners, I who am the most miserable of all sinners, have recourse this day. I venerate thee, great queen, and I thank thee for the many graces thou hast bestowed upon me even unto this day; in particular for having delivered me from the hell which I have so often deserved by my sins. I love thee, most dear Lady; and for the love I bear thee, I promise to serve thee willingly for ever and to do what I can to make thee loved by others also. I place in thee all my hopes for salvation; accept me as thy servant and shelter me under thy mantle, thou who art the Mother of mercy. And since thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or at least obtain for me the strength to overcome them until death. From thee I implore a true love for Jesus Christ. Through thee I hope to die a holy death. My dear Mother, by the love thou bearest to Almighty God, I pray thee to assist me always, but most of all at the last moment of my life. Forsake me not then, until thou shalt see me safe in heaven, there to bless thee and sing of thy mercies through all eternity. Such is my hope. Amen.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori
Magnificat Prayer
My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my savior,
For he has looked upon his servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call me blessed.
God who is mighty has done great things for me,
holy is his name; His mercy is from age to age on those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm; he has confused the proud in their inmost thoughts. He has deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. The hungry he has given every good thing, while the rich he has sent empty away. He has upheld Israel his servant, ever mindful of his mercy; Even as he promised our fathers, promised Abraham and his descendants forever.
(Lk 1:46-55)
TO MARY, REFUGE OF SINNERS
Hail, most gracious Mother of mercy, hail, Mary, for whom we fondly yearn, through whom we obtain forgiveness! Who would not love thee? Thou art our light in uncertainty, our comfort in sorrow, our solace in the time of trial, our refuge from every peril and temptation. Thou art our sure hope of salvation, second only to thy only-begotten Son; blessed are they who love thee, our Lady! Incline, I beseech thee, thy ears of pity to the entreaties of this thy servant, a miserable sinner; dissipate the darkness of my sins by the bright beams of thy holiness, in order that I may be acceptable in thy sight.
FOR THE GRACE OF LOVE
O Mary, my dear Mother, how much I love thee! And yet in reality how little! Thou dost teach me what I ought to know, for thou teachest me what Jesus is to me and what I ought to be for Jesus. Dearly beloved Mother, how close to God thou art, and how utterly filled with Him! In the measure that we know God, we remind ourselves of thee. Mother of God, obtain for me the grace of loving my Jesus; obtain for me the grace of loving thee!
Cardinal Merry del Val
TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY FOR MAY
O most august and blessed Virgin Mary! Holy Mother of God! glorious Queen of heaven and earth! powerful protectress of those who love thee, and unfailing advocate of all who invoke thee! look down, I beseech thee, from thy throne of glory on thy devoted child; accept the solemn offering I present thee of this month, specially dedicated to thee, and receive my ardent, humble desire, that by my love and fervor I could worthily honor thee, who, next to God, art deserving of all honor. Receive me, 0 Mother of Mercy, among thy best beloved children; extend to me thy maternal tenderness and solicitude; obtain for me a place in the Heart of Jesus, and a special share in the gifts of His grace. 0 deign, I beseech thee, to recognize my claims on thy protection, to watch over my spiritual and temporal interests, as well as those of all who are dear to me; to infuse into my soul the spirit of Christ, and to teach me thyself to become meek, humble, charitable, patient, and submissive to the will of God.
May my heart bum with the love of thy Divine Son, and of thee, His blessed Mother, not for a month alone, but for time and eternity; may I thirst for the promotion of His honor and thine, and contribute, as far as I can, to its extension. Receive me, 0 Mary, the refuge of sinners! Grant me a Mother's blessing and a Mother's care, now, and at the hour of my death. Amen.
TO OUR LADY
Saint John Vianney, better known as the Cure of Ars, when asked how long he had loved Mary, said: "I loved her almost before I could know her." In this prayer he expresses that love.
O thou most holy virgin Mary, who dost evermore stand before the most holy Trinity, and to whom it is granted at all times to pray for us to thy most beloved Son; pray for me in all my necessities; help me, combat for me, and obtain for me the pardon of all my sins. Help me especially at my last hour; and when I can no longer give any sign of the use of reason, then do thou encourage me, make the sign of the cross for me, and fight for me against the enemy. Make in my name a profession of faith; favor me with a testimony of my salvation, and never let me despair of the mercy of God. Help me to overthrow the wicked enemy. When I can no longer say: "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I place my soul in your hands," do thou say it for me; when I can no longer hear human words of consolation, do thou comfort me. Leave me not before I have been judged; and if I have to expiate my sins in purgatory, oh! pray for me earnestly; and admonish my friends to procure for me a speedy enjoyment of the blessed sight of God. Lessen my sufferings, deliver me speedily, and lead my soul into heaven with thee: that, united with all the elect, I may there bless and praise my God and thee for all eternity. Amen.
Saint John Vianney
ACT OF REPARATION
O blessed Virgin, Mother of God, look down in mercy from heaven, where thou art enthroned as Queen, upon me, a miserable sinner, thine unworthy servant. Although I know full well my own unworthiness, yet in order to atone for the offenses that are done to thee by impious and blasphemous
tongues, from the depths of my heart I praise and extol thee as the purest, the fairest, the holiest creature of all God's handiwork. I bless thy holy name, I praise thine exalted privilege of being truly Mother of God, ever virgin, conceived without stain of sin, co-redemptrix of the human race. I bless the Eternal Father who chose thee in an especial way for His daughter; I bless the Word Incarnate who took upon Himself our nature in thy bosom and so made thee His Mother; I bless the Holy Spirit who took thee as His bride. All honor, praise and thanksgiving to the ever-blessed Trinity, who predestined thee and loved thee so exceedingly from all eternity as to exalt thee above all creatures to the most sublime heights. 0 Virgin, holy and merciful, obtain for all who offend thee the grace of repentance, and graciously accept this poor act of homage from me thy servant, obtaining likewise for me from thy divine Son the pardon and remission of all my sins. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
Memorare of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
Remember O Most Gracious Virgin Mary!
That never was it known
That anyone who fled to thy protection,
Implored thy help or sought thy intercession
Was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto Thee!
O Virgin of virgins, My Mother!
To Thee I come before Thee I stand,
Sinful and Sorrowful,
Oh Mother of the Word Incarnate,
Despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy,
Hear and answer me.
Amen
Mariaphobic Response Syndrome: Part Two
Mariaphobic Response Syndrome: Part One
A Mothers Love, The Blessed Virgin Mary Saying YES To God
Chesterton on devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary [Ecumenical]
The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary
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Magnificat: The Hymn of the Blessed Virgin Mary [Catholic Caucus]
The Blessed Virgin Mary's Role in the Celibate Priest's Spousal... (Pt 2) (CATHOLIC CAUCUS)
The Blessed Virgin Mary's Role in the Celibate Priest's Spousal and Paternal Love (CATHOLIC CAUCUS)
Discovering Mary [Excellent New Book For Converts]
Beginning Our Lady's Month [Catholic Caucus]
Give it all to Mary [Catholic Caucus]
JESUS LIVING IN MARY: HANDBOOK, SPIRITUALITY OF ST. LOUIS DE MONTFORT, ROSARY [Ecumenical]
Mary, Tabernacle of the Lord By Archbishop Fulton Sheen(Catholic Caucus)
Mary is our Mother and Queen of the New Davidic Kingdom (Scriptures Agree With Catholic Church)
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Holy Water Silhouette (Virgin Mary -video))
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Mary, the Mother of God (a defense)
Calling Mary Mother of God Tells Us Who Jesus Is
The Holy Spirit And Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Mary, Our Cause of Rejoicing
Mary in Byzantine Doctrine and Devotion (Catholic / Orthodox Caucus)
Radio Replies First Volume - Devotion to Mary
The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Catholic Discovery of America(Catholic Caucus)
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The Efficacy and Power of One Hail Mary [Ecumenical]
When Did Belief in the Virgin Birth Begin?
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On Mary, Mother of Priests
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Radio Replies First Volume - Mary
Mary and the Sword Continued Part #2 by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
Mary and the Sword by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen(Catholic Caucus)
Why Did Mary Offer a Sin Offering? [Ecumenical]
Mary and Intercessory Prayer
Mary: Holy Mother
Mary not just for Catholics anymore
Pope concludes Month of Mary in the Vatican Gardens
Consecration to Mary(Catholic Caucus)
Marys Marching Orders
Praying the Hail Mary Like Never Before [Ecumenical]
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Catholic Caucus: The Catechism of St. Thomas Aquinas - THE HAIL MARY
Our Roots: The Immaculate Conception [Ecumenical]
The Blessed Virgin in the History of Christianity [Ecumenical]
Archbishop Sheen Today! -- Mary and the --------
Mary Immaculate: Patroness of the United States [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
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Catholic Devotional: Feast of the Holy Name of Mary
A Homily on the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary
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Catholic Caucus: Mary, The Power of Her Name [The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary]
May 2013
Pope's Intentions
Administrators of Justice. That administrators of justice may act always with integrity and right conscience.
Seminaries. That seminaries, especially those of mission churches, may form pastors after the Heart of Christ, fully dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel.
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