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Someone added to my keywords yesterday.

Here are the ones posted for today.

KEYWORDS: catholic; mt23; ordinarytime; prayer;

From: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17

The Coming of the Lord

[1] Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to
meet him, we beg you, brethren, [2] not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited,
either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that
the day of the Lord has come. [3] Let no one deceive you in any way[.]

The Need for Steadfastness

[14] To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. [15] So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions
which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.

[16] Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us
and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, [17] comfort your
hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-2. The main theme of the letter is given here—the timing of the second coming
of the Lord. Some people had been unsettling the minds of the Thessalonians
by saying that the Parousia was about to happen.

The phrase “by spirit” is a reference to people claiming to have a charismatic gift
of prophecy from the Holy Spirit who were spreading their own ideas as if they
came from God. Others preferred to pass off what they had to say as coming
from St. Paul (orally or in writing).

Those who try to mislead the people of God by teachings contrary to Christian
faith often use methods of the same sort. By twisting the meaning of Sacred
Scripture (cf. Mt 4:6) they not infrequently promote wrong teaching as if it were
a revelation from the Holy Spirit. The Second Vatican Council has reminded us
how to identify subjective interpretation of that kind: “The task of giving an au-
thentic interpretation, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has
been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority is
exercised in the name of Jesus Christ” (”Dei Verbum”, 10).

Even in our own day there are sects and impressionable people who put a lot of
effort into working out when the second coming will take place, sometimes ma-
king specific predictions which the passage of time disproves. They are missing
the main point, which is that we should be always on the watch, always ready
to joyfully meet the Lord.

“To the effect that the day of the Lord has come”: this is literally what the Greek
says — or “as if the day of the Lord is here”, in the sense of “about to come any
minute now”. The New Vulgate [and the Navarre Spanish: trs.] translate it as “as
if the day of the Lord were imminent”, which is faithful to the tenor of the text and
reads more clearly.

3-4. Our Lord’s second coming is not imminent, for two things must happen first
— the “rebellion” and the advent of the “man of lawlessness”. It is extremely diffi-
cult to make any definite predictions as to the nature of these events because
the Apostle says very little about them—and nothing to indicate WHEN they may
occur.

The “rebellion” or apostasy seems to suggest that a massive flight from God, af-
fecting a substantial part of the world’s population, will signal that time is coming
to an end. When speaking about the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the
temple (events prefiguring what would happen at the end of the world) Jesus him-
self predicted (cf. Mt 24:11-13) that this would happen. He said that most peo-
ple’s love would grow cold (cf. Mt 24:12), to such as extent that they would lose
all knowledge of God; when their rebellion had run its course, the End would
come and the general judgment would take place.

“The man of lawlessness”: it is not clear whether this refers to a particular indivi-
dual, someone uniquely evil, or whether this is a literary device indicating a mul-
titude of people given over to sin and actively hostile to Christ’s work in the world.
It is more likely to refer to all the forces of evil taken together as a tool used by
Satan to pursue his ends. “Man of lawlessness” and “son of perdition” are Semi-
tic expressions indicating that these people have a particularly close connection
with sin and with eternal perdition.

The “man of lawlessness” is a declared enemy of God who is systematically hos-
tile to everything to do with the service of God. The Apostle stresses that he is
so brazen that “he takes his seat in the temple of God”, that is, insists on divine
honors. He will go to great lengths to induce people to rebel against God before
the end of the world, just as false prophets tried to lead people astray prior to the
fall of Jerusalem (cf. Mt 24:4-5, 11, 23-24).

The description of this adversary of God is very like that of the “antichrist” whom
St. John speaks of (cf. 1 Jn 2:18 and note on same).

13-14. Although there may be some people who refuse to accept the truth, the
Apostle feels moved to thank God for his readers’ “sanctification by the Spirit”
and their “belief in the truth”. This will bring them to salvation. The brethren too
should thank God for choosing them, for the election shows that they are “belo-
ved by the Lord”. (On the meaning of the expression “beloved by God”, see the
note on 1 Thess 1:4).

The mention of the three divine Persons reminds us that salvation is the joint
work of the Blessed Trinity: “God the Father” chooses the person to obtain the
glory of our “Lord Jesus Christ” through the sanctifying action of the “Spirit”. Man,
who is submerged in sin and unable to free himself by his own efforts, is offered,
by the entire Trinity, the means to attain faith, salvation and sanctification: “There
was no power great enough to raise us and free us from such a catastrophic and
eternal death. But God, the Creator of the human race, who is infinitely merciful,
did this through his only-begotten Son. By his kindness, man was not only re-
stored to the position and nobility whence he had fallen, but was adorned with
even richer gifts. No one can express the greatness of this work of divine grace
in the souls of men. Because of it, men, both in Sacred Scripture and in the wri-
tings of the Fathers of the Church, are described as being reborn, new creatures,
sharers in the divine nature, sons of God, deified” (”Divinum Illud Munus”, 9).

For the fifth time in these two short letters to the Thessalonians we find the verb
“to give thanks” (cf. 1 Thess 1:2; 2:13; 5:18: 2 Thess 1:3 and 2:13). It is good to
realize that in these two earliest New Testament texts there is evidence of fre-
quent, spontaneous thanks to God for his fatherly kindness. It is not a matter of
a minion thanking his master for benefits received; rather it is an expression of fi-
lial, heartfelt, joyful gratitude (cf. Jn 11:41).

“From the beginning”: as the RSV note says, “other ancient authorities read “as
the first converts”, that is, as the first fruits—probably a reference to the fact that
the church as Thessalonica was one of the first churches founded by St. Paul in
Europe.

15. To avoid being led astray by unsound or unreliable teaching the thing to do is
to hold fast to the faith one received and to apostolic tradition.

“Tradition”: this term (cf. also 2 Thess 3:6) seems to refer to the Christian tea-
ching St. Paul himself received which he preached to them. Elsewhere the Apo
stle uses a term with a more specific meaning, the “paratheke” (”deposit”) of
teachings concerning the Christian faith (cf. 1 Tim 6:20 and 2 Tim 1:14 and
notes on same). He makes the point a number of times (cf. 1 Cor 11:23; 15:1-3)
that he was not preaching his personal opinions but rather passing on truths gi-
ven him as revealed doctrine. That is why he cannot allow his message to be
tampered with.

“It is obvious”, St. Thomas Aquinas observes, “that many things which are not
written down in the Church were taught by the Apostles and therefore should be
followed” (”Commentary on 2 Thess, ad loc.”). Thus, the truth revealed by God is
passed on through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. The Second Vatican
Council teaches that both “are bound closely together, and communicate one
with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring,
come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same
goal [...]. Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been en-
trusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to
the successors of the apostles so that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they
may faithfully preserve, expound and spread it abroad by their preaching. Thus
it comes about that the Church does not draw her certainty about all revealed
truths from the Sacred Scriptures alone. Hence, both Scripture and Tradition
must be accepted and honored with equal feelings of devotion and reverence”
(”Dei Verbum”, 9).

*********************************************************************************************
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: Matthew 23:23-26

Jesus Indicts the Scribes and Pharisees

(Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees,) [23] “Woe to you, scribes and Phari-
sees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the
weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have
done, without neglecting the others. [24] You blind guides, straining out a gnat
and swallowing a camel!

[25] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside
of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity.” [26]
You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the
outside also may be clean.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

23. Mint, dill (aniseed) and cummin were herbs the Jews used in cooking or to
perfume rooms. They were such insignificant items that they were not covered
by the Mosaic precept on paying tithes (Leviticus 27:30-33; Deuteronomy 14:
22ff); the precept did not apply to domestic animals and the more common ag-
ricultural products such as wheat, wine and olive oil. However, the Pharisees,
being so intent on showing their scrupulous observance of the Law, paid tithes
even of these herbs. Our Lord does not despise or reject the Law; He is simply
telling people to get their priorities right: there is no point in attending to secon-
dary details if one is neglecting what is really basic and important—justice, mer-
cy and faith.

24. The Pharisees were so scrupulous about not swallowing any insect which
the Law declared to be unclean that they went as far as to filter drinks through
a linen cloth. Our Lord criticizes them for being so inconsistent—straining mos-
quitos, being so scrupulous about little things, yet quite happily “swallowing a
camel”, committing serious sins.

25-26. After reproaching the Pharisees for their hypocrisy in religious practice,
our Lord now goes on to indict their two-facedness in matters of morality. The
Jews used to perform elaborate washings of plates, cups and other tableware,
in line with the regulations on legal cleansing (cf. Mark 7:1-4).

The example He chooses suggests a deeper level of meaning—concern for that
moral purity which should characterize man’s interior life. What is of prime im-
portance is cleanliness of heart, an upright intention, consistency between what
one says and what one does, etc.

*********************************************************************************************
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.

I forgot to add saints to that list. It is there now.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3,14-17 ©

To turn, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived. Never let anyone deceive you in this way.

It cannot happen until the Great Revolt has taken place and the Rebel, the Lost One, has appeared. Through the Good News that we brought he called you to this so that you should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who has given us his love and, through his grace, such inexhaustible comfort and such sure hope, comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.

Responsorial Psalm	Psalm 95:10-13 ©

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’

The world he made firm in its place;

he will judge the peoples in fairness.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,

let the sea and all within it thunder praise,

let the land and all it bears rejoice,

all the trees of the wood shout for joy

at the presence of the Lord for he comes,

he comes to rule the earth.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

With justice he will rule the world,

he will judge the peoples with his truth.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Gospel Acclamation	cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or	Heb4:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of God is something alive and active:

it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.

Alleluia!

Gospel
Matthew 23:23-26 ©

Jesus said, ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, without neglecting the others. You blind guides! Straining out gnats and swallowing camels!

‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well.’

Pray for Pope Francis.

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Pray the Rosary!

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Jesus, High Priest

We 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.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

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Jubilee of Mercy, But With the Confessionals Empty
If You Don't Know the Bad News, the Good News is No News -- A Meditation on the Coming Year of Mercy
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POPE FRANCIS FOR YEAR OF MERCY GRANTS THAT SSPX PRIESTS CAN VALIDLY ABSOLVE!
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Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

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.

6. 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.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

(Tuesdays and Fridays)

1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]

St. Michael the Archangel

~ PRAYER ~

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 - Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.

August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. 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

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Sacred Heart Of Jesus image

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary image

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen.

....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439

From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power.
Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669

The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary

An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart

Beads to the Sacred Heart

Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Exaltation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.

The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.

This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?

How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?

— St. John Eudes

Today: Immaculate Heart of Mary [DEVOTIONAL]

The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary