In Search of
The Authentic Life
As usual, there are a variety of activities, one of which is a virtual Pro-Life Advocacy Workshop. “Marching 101” is from 11:00-12:00, January 18th, ET. This is a great learning opportunity for young people. You can register at: marchforlife.org/marching-101
Don’t forget, the babies still need us!
Fr. Alfred Delp
Please click on the image for a link to the book, where you will get more info and several links on this lesser-known martyr. This is an extraordinary book, which I highly recommend and it is so relevant to our own times. It can also be used as a family Advent meditation. From the publisher’s notes:
"Fr. Alfred Delp, S.J., was a heroic German Jesuit priest who was imprisoned and martyred by the Nazis in a Nazi death camp in 1945. At the time of his arrest, he was the Rector of St. Georg Church in Munich, and had a reputation for being a gripping, dynamic preacher, and one who was an outspoken critic of the Nazi regime. He was an important figure in the Resistance movement...
His approach to Advent...is what Fr. Delp called an Advent of the heart. More than just preparing us for Christmas, it is a spiritual program, a way of life. He proclaimed that our personal, social and historical circumstances, even suffering, offer us entry into the true Advent, our personal journey toward a meeting and dialogue with God. Indeed, his own life, and great sufferings, illustrated the true Advent he preached and wrote about..."
Karl Kreuser, S.J., from the Foreword:
"As one of the last witnesses who knew Fr. Alfred Delp personally, I am very pleased this book will make him better known...The more one reads his writings, the more one clearly recognizes the prophetic message for our times! Like his contemporary, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Delp ranks among the great prophets who endured the horror of Nazism and handed down a powerful message for our times."
A dear friend of our family’s was visiting her aunt in Mexico. This past Friday, the First Friday of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, both of them were killed in a car accident. Our friend’s name was Virginia and her aunt’s name was Rosa. Both names can be seen as connected with the Blessed Mother. “Virginia,” invoking her perpetual virginity and “Rosa,” may refer to Our Lady’s association with roses, or her title “Rosa Mystica.” This title was given by a 20th century Italian visionary, Pierina Gilli. These apparitions are still under investigation.
Virginia and Rosa had a bond of love in life and a bond in death. Please pray for their dear souls and their loved ones. If you have any of your own intentions, you may email us and we will post them.
Please drive safely! Sacred Heart Auto League
“Triduum of Death” is a term we don’t hear too much anymore, perhaps because people think it sounds too negative. However, we must realize that this triple feast is one of great joy! Satan and his minions have taken over “Halloween” and made it an occasion for occult rituals, darkness and gruesome decor. True to form, Satan takes something good and holy and perverts it. Let us teach our children the true meaning of these great Catholic feasts. We honor those who have succeeded in winning the Heavenly reward, just as we hope to. The Holy Souls have also won it, though they remain in Purgatory, in need of our prayers. Surely, on All Souls Day, due to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in addition to prayers all over the world, many souls pass through that glorious Gate to behold the Triune God! What a truly wonderful day! What a wonderful triduum we now celebrate!
Let us pray for those involved in the occult.
Following are some quick excerpts of prayer, from the book, A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies, compiled by Fr. Albert J. Hebert. Its my favorite prayerbook. You can get it HERE.
“All ye holy angels and archangels, all ye holy orders of blessed spirits, all ye holy patriarchs and prophets, all ye holy Apostles and Evangelists, all ye holy disciples of Our Lord, all ye Holy Innocents, all ye holy martyrs, all ye holy Bishops and confessors, all ye holy Doctors, all ye holy priests and levites, all ye holy monks and hermits, all ye holy virgins and widows, all ye holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us!”
“O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy departed servants the remission of all their sins, that through our pious supplications they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.”
“Be mindful, O Lord, of Thy servants and handmaids, (name your loved ones), who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of grace. To these, O Lord, and to all who rest in Christ, grant, we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, light and peace, through the same Christ Our Lord.”
“O Lord, grant eternal rest to all the souls of the faithful departed, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.”
“The 31st annual International Week of Prayer and Fasting for our nation, leaders, families, and the Church will take place Oct. 20–28…” READ MORE from Catholic News Agency
This devotional week overlaps with the National Eucharistic Revival. It is exactly 9 days, so praying a novena would be most appropriate. If you are not participating in a structured event, please consider how you may celebrate and honor the Most Holy Eucharist in this penitential week for our Church and our world so much in need.
Don’t worry if you’re a bit late in the novena, God understands!
Light a candle and pray with your family, sometime this week…
O Most Holy Trinity, we light this candle for all the victims of that terrible day, 22 years ago. We pray for those at the World Trade Center, including the 2 planes, those at the Pentagon, including the plane, and those on the plane in Pennsylvania. We pray for the first responders who gave their lives. We give to Thee all those who died or suffered in any way, along with their loved ones. We remember also, those who continue to live with physical and mental disability. May they all be healed and brought close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May we never forget them. We also lift up to Thee, those responsible for these horrific crimes against God and humanity. May they be brought to repentance and mercy.
God bless the United States of America, and may we become once again, a nation respecting the laws of God, the sanctity of life and all human rights. Lord have mercy upon us.
Amen.
and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly minded,
for, with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
our full homage to demand.
King of Kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth He stood,
Lord of Lords, in human vesture,
in the Body and the Blood.
He will give to all the faithful
His own Self for heav'nly food.
Rank on rank the host of Heaven
spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of Light descendeth
from the realms of endless day,
that the pow'rs of Hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six-winged seraph,
cherubim with sleepless eye,
veil their faces to the Presence,
as with ceaseless voice they cry,
(Picardy/Moultrie)
And Jesus being come out of the temple, went away. And his disciples came to shew him the buildings of the temple. And he answering, said to them: Do you see all these things? Amen I say to you there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone that shall not be destroyed…Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows…And this gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come…For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be…And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors…Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord will come…Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family, to give them meat in season…Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing.
Matthew 24
On that day 22 years ago, 2,996 people died and many more suffered, as Our Lady of Sorrows looked on from Heaven. She continues to watch over her children with the love and compassion of her Immaculate Heart. She understands the Foot of the Cross. And she leads us to the joy of the Resurrection. Death is never the end of the story.
The “candle” Saint Francis refers to is the soul illumined by the Light of Christ. As the hymn states: “…the Light of Light descendeth from the realms of endless day, that the pow'rs of Hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.”
Our Lord’s prophecy in this Gospel chapter refers to the End of Time. We do not know where we are in that timeline, but it is clear that the world is changing. Even if we are not at “The End,” the words above are still relevant to our times. We are seeing unprecedented sorrows, the global reach of the Gospel and unnatural endeavors which have never been attempted before. We are told to be watchful. We are told to prepare and provide for those in our care. If we heed these commands, we will be deemed “blessed” and win our heavenly reward!
Saints of September 11th, Protus, Hyacinth, Paphnutius and Adelphus…pray for us!
Image from Pinterest
In Part 1, the image from The Divine Mercy website states:
Why did Our Blessed Lord give us His Mother (through Saint John), from the Holy Cross, as He suffered so terribly? Why has Holy Church given her the title “Our Lady of Sorrows?” It is to honor her, of course, and her grievous pain. It is also for the purpose of ministering to us, the Body of Christ. Suffering is part of life. During these unprecedented times, the trials of humanity are unique in history. We know not what the future holds, but we do know it will be greatly challenging, and in fact, already is. Our Blessed Mother teaches us the way to suffer in peace. It seems a contradiction, but all is possible with God’s grace. Even through the worst of Our Lord’s Passion, she never despaired, trusting in God’s plan for salvation. We can do the same. Emulate her surrender.
On the above link, there is an article by the late Stephen LaChance. He brings out a great insight on the “Pieta” sculpture…
Michelangelo has carved into his Pieta an element as profound as it is subtle. Off to one side, almost hidden behind the lifeless body of Christ, Mary's left hand lies open in a sign of surrender to God. This gesture symbolizes her entire life.
In the Scriptures, starting with the words of her fiat, "Be it done unto me according to your word," to her patient waiting for the descent of the Holy Spirit, we see Mary living in complete acceptance of the will of God. Tradition has developed this surrender as epitomized in seven of Mary's sorrows:
He goes on to discuss the feast of the Triumph (Exaltation) of the Holy Cross…
Standing by the cross of her Son, she offers all these pains for our benefit. Standing with her, we see the solution to the problem of evil. We look at the all-powerful, all-good God and see Him suffer and die, in the Person of Christ.
This seeming contradiction has led the Church to celebrate a feast called the Triumph of the Holy Cross (Sept. 14). This triumph is the paradox of the cross, which St. Paul calls "a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
This feast is celebrated the day before the Sorrows of Mary. It makes sense that these two feasts are so connected, but it is surprising that the Triumph comes before the Sorrows. Where else in the world does triumph come before sorrow, or when does victory come before the battle? Yet the inspired wisdom of the Church does not fail us in this regard. For it is only in light of the Triumph of the Cross that the Sorrows of Mary and our sorrows have any meaning.
Take a look at The Divine Mercy site for the full article and much more. Their shrine is in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is a beautiful place. I will be there with my family in 2 weeks!
Our Lady of Sorrows, or the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, is celebrated September 15th. We will post the prayers from the Tridentine Mass on that day. Though this month has a sad cast to it, remember we also honored Mary’s joyful nativity on the 8th and will honor the Most Holy Name of Mary on the 12th.
Some other feasts of note are: The Ember Days of Autumn (prayer and penance for the coming season), starting on the 20th, Saint Matthew on the 21st, Saint Padre Pio on the 23rd and the Archangels on the 29th. For the full traditional calendar, please see: calefactory.org
“It’s not only about the economy. You got mentally deranged people in charge in a country near you…If we don’t stop where we’re going, we are going to be annihilated in a nuclear war. We have demonic, evil people in charge…I fight for peace and so I’m telling everybody out there, you better put your money where your heart is and do something to support peace because if we don’t, this thing is finished.”
“Frari Assumption” by Tiziano Vecelli, altarpiece in Venice, 1518
Beautiful prayers from the Tridentine Mass of the Assumption:
A great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Ps. 97: 1) Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: because He hath done wonderful things. 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. A great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Almighty everlasting God, who hast taken body and soul into heaven the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Thy Son: grant, we beseech Thee, that by steadfastly keeping heaven as our goal we may be counted worthy to join her in glory. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear: and the King shall greatly desire thy beauty. All beautiful is the King’s daughter as she comes in, robed in cloth of gold.
Alleluia, alleluia. Mary has been assumed into heaven: the angelic host rejoices. Alleluia.
I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed.
May our offering of due service rise unto Thee, O Lord: and through the prayer of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, assumed by Thee into heaven, may our hearts be set on fire with love and ever yearn for Thee. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation that we always and everywhere give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God: and that we should praise and bless, and proclaim Thee, in this feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ever Virgin: Who also conceived Thine only-begotten Son by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, and the glory of her virginity still abiding, gave forth to the world the everlasting Light, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy majesty, the Dominations adore, the Powers tremble: the heavens and the hosts of heaven, and the blessed Seraphim, together celebrate in exultation. With whom, we pray Thee, command that our voices of supplication also be admitted in confessing Thee saying:
All generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me.
Through the merits and prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Thee assumed into heaven, may we, O Lord, who have received the sacraments of salvation, come to the glory of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
The following commentary on the Mariology of the Assumption, is from a wonderful resource which I have used a lot: extraordinaryform.org
“Among the feasts of the Blessed Virgin that of the Dormitio Sanctae Mariae, or of her bodily Assumption into heaven, was from very early times the most solemn and the most widely observed. In the time of Pope Sergius I a solemn procession proceeded to St. Mary Major, where Mass was celebrated. It was customary to carry images of the Savior and of His Blessed Mother in this procession; outside of Rome a similar ceremony was observed. It should, however, be borne in mind that though the divine maternity of theBlessed Virgin Mary may be regarded as the immediate reason of her Assumption into heaven, yet the first and formal reason of this privilege is to be sought in her Immaculate Conception. It is true, indeed, that the dignity of the Mother of the Incarnate Word was the primary reason for which God preserved the Immaculate Conception of Mary from all stain of original sin – and in this sense the Gregorian Sacramentary rightly attributes the reason of the bodily resurrection of the Blessed Virgin to her prerogative as Mother of the Word – but in order to express this truth with perfect accuracy, it is necessary to say that the formal reason for the preservation of her body from corruption was precisely her immunity from all stain of original sin.”
Image from Wikipedia entry about this extraordinary painting.
This month, we celebrate the Mother of God’s Immaculate and most loving Heart. In June, we prayed for our hearts to be conformed to the Heart of Jesus, now we pray for the same grace regarding Our Lady. Think about how you will honor her most pure heart during the month of August.
August also brings us the first month of what might be called the “Marian Triad of the Months.” These are 3 months in a row, which Holy Church dedicates to Our Lady. September honors Our Lady of Sorrows and October, the Holy Rosary. It is an interesting theological pondering, to see how these 3 dedications might interrelate. During this Triad would be a wonderful time to engage in Marian reading and devotions, to deepen your relationship with the Queen of Heaven.
As for some notable feasts this month, we have: Saint Dominic, seer of the Holy Rosary, on the 4th and 8th (we look at both old and new feasts)…Our Lady of the Snows on the 5th…the Transfiguration of Our Lord, one of the Luminous Mysteries, on the 6th…Santa Chiara (Clare) on the 11th and 12th…the Vigil of the Assumption on the 14th and the Assumption, Holy Day of Obligation on the 15th…Saint Joachim, father of Mary, the very next day, the 16th…on the 22nd, a double Marian feast, the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin and the traditional celebration of the Immaculate Heart…we honor 2 patron saints of gardening on the same day, Saint Rose of Lima and Saint Fiacre, on the 30th…the Passion of Saint John the Baptist on the 29th.
Here is the Roman Catholic traditional calendar for the month of August: Calefactory
Image from Catholic News Agency
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