2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence 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 will be forever. 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.

The Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

~ 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 evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+

Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life

Change Worth Praying For

[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries

June Devotion: The Sacred Heart

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion." These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.

INVOCATION

O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART

Devotion to the Sacred Heart was the characteristic note of the piety of Saint Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), Benedictine nun and renowned mystic. She was, in fact, the first great exponent of devotion to the Sacred Heart. In our efforts to honor the Heart of Jesus we have this prayer as a model for our own:
Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, 0 my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.
Saint Gertrude

FOR THE CHURCH

O most holy Heart of Jesus, shower Thy blessings in abundant measure upon Thy holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the holy souls in purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen.

A PRAYER OF TRUST

O God, who didst in wondrous manner reveal to the virgin, Margaret Mary, the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart, grant that loving Thee, after her example, in all things and above all things, we may in Thy Heart find our abiding home.
Roman Missal

ACT OF LOVE

Reveal Thy Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus, and show me Its attractions. Unite me to It for ever. Grant that all my aspirations and all the beats of my heart, which cease not even while I sleep, may be a testimonial to Thee of my love for Thee and may say to Thee: Yes, Lord, I am all Thine;
pledge of my allegiance to Thee rests ever in my heart will never cease to be there. Do Thou accept the slight amount of good that I do and be graciously pleased to repair all m] wrong-doing; so that I may be able to bless Thee in time and in eternity. Amen.
Cardinal Merry del Val

MEMORARE TO THE SACRED HEART
Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought it mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushes beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Hear. of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests.

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

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Devotion to the Sacred Heart Today
The Biblical Foundation of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Heart to Heart (Sacred Heart of Jesus Devotion) [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]

(June) The Month of the Sacred Heart {Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]
The Heart of the World (On the Sacred Heart of Jesus) (Catholic Caucus)
The Sacred Heart Is The Holy Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)
The Origin of the Sacred Heart Badge

Importance of Devotion to the Sacred Heart
An Awesome Homily on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Father Edmond Kline
Catholic Prayer and Devotion: June the Month of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Devotions: Sacred Heart of Jesus
Pope Urges Jesuits to Spread Sacred Heart Devotion

Homilies preached by Father Altier on the Feast of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Meditation and Devotion: The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Daily Recomendation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus powerful prayer!
The Sacred Heart and the Eucharist
The Love of the Sacred Heart

On the Sacred Heart - "We Adore God's Love of Humanity"
HAURIETIS AQUAS (On Devotion To The Sacred Heart) - Encyclical by Pope Pius XII
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sacred Heart a Feast of God's Love, Says John Paul II
The Sacred Heart of Jesus: Symbol of Combativity and the Restoration of Christendom

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus-The Early Church, Middle Ages up to St. Margaret Mary
See this Heart
‘God Will Act and Will Reign’
About Devotion To The Sacred Heart:The Story Of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
Rediscover Feast of Sacred Heart, John Paul II Tells Youth

Holy Father's Prayer Intentions For June 2009

General: That international attention towards the poorer countries may give rise to more concrete help, in particular to relieve them of the crushing burden of foreign debt.

Mission: That the particular Churches operating in regions marked by violence may be sustained by the love and concrete closeness of all the Catholics in the world.

From: Acts 12:1-11

Persecution by Herod. Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance

[1] About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to
the church. [2] He killed James the brother of John with the sword; [3] and when
he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was
during the days of Unleavened Bread. [4] And when he had seized him, he put
him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending
after the Passover to bring him out to the people. [5] So Peter was kept in prison;
but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

[6] The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping
between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were
guarding the prison; [7] and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light
shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up
quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. [8] And the angel said to him, “Dress
yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your
mantle around you and follow me.” [9] And he went out and followed him; he did
not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a
vision. [10] When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to
the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they
went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him.
[11] And Peter came to himself, and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent
his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish
people were expecting.”

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

1-19. This is an account of persecution of the Church by Herod Agrippa (37-44),
which took place before the visit of Paul and Barnabas to the Holy City(cf. 11:30).

The information given in this chapter about the latest persecution of the Jerusalem
community—more severe and more general than the earlier crises (cf. 5:17; 8:1) —
gives an accurate picture of the situation in Palestine and describes events in
chronological sequence. Prior to this the Roman governors more or less protected
the rights of the Jerusalem Christians. Now Agrippa, in his desire to ingratiate
himself with the Pharisees, abandons the Christians to the growing resentment
and hatred the Jewish authorities and people feel towards them.

This chapter brings to an end, so to speak, the story of the first Christian com-
munity in Jerusalem. From now on, attention is concentrated on the church of
Antioch. The last stage of the Palestinian Judeo-Christian church, under the di-
rection of James “the brother of the Lord”, will not experience the expansion
enjoyed by other churches, due to the grave turn which events take in the Holy
Land.

1. This Herod is the third prince of that name to appear in the New Testament. He
was a grandson of Herod the Great, who built the new temple of Jerusalem and
was responsible for the massacre of the Holy Innocents (cf. Mt 2:16); he was also
a nephew of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee at the time of our Lord’s death.
Herod Agrippa I was a favorite of the emperor Caligula, who gradually gave him
more territory and allowed him to use the title of king. Agrippa I managed to ex-
tend his authority over all the territory his grandfather had ruled: Roman governors
had ruled Judea up to the year 41, but in that year it was given over to Herod. He
was a sophisticated type of person, a diplomat, so bent on consolidating his
power that he had became a master of intrigue and a total opportunist. For largely
political motives he practiced Judaism with a certain rigor.

2. James the Greater would have been martyred in the year 42 or 43. He was the
first Apostle to die for the faith and the only one whose death is mentioned in the
New Testament. The Liturgy of the Hours says of him: “The son of Zebedee and
the brother of John, he was born in Bethsaida. He witnessed the principal miracles
performed by our Lord and was put to death by Herod around the year 42. He is
held in special veneration in the city of Compostela, where a famous church is
dedicated to his name.”

“The Lord permits this death,” Chrysostom observes, “to show his murderers that
these events do not cause the Christians to retreat or desist” (”Hom. on Acts”, 26).

5. “Notice the feelings of the faithful towards their pastors. They do not riot or rebel;
they have recourse to prayer, which can solve all problems. They do not say to
themselves: we do not count, there is no point in our praying for him. Their love led
them to pray and they did not think along those lines. Have you noticed what these
persecutors did without intending to? They made (their victims) more determined to\
stand the test, and (the faithful) more zealous and loving” (”Hom. on Acts”, 26).

St Luke, whose Gospel reports our Lord’s words on perseverance in prayer (cf.
11:13; 18:1-8), here stresses that God listens to the whole community’s prayer for
Peter. He plans in his providence to save the Apostle for the benefit of the Church,
but he wants the outcome to be seen as an answer to the Church’s fervent prayer.

7-10. The Lord comes to Peter’s help by sending an angel, who opens theprison
and leads him out. This miraculous freeing of the Apostle is similar to what hap-
pened at the time of Peter and John’s detention (5:19f) and when Paul and Silas
are imprisoned in Philippi (16:19ff).

This extraordinary event, which must be understood exactly as it is described,
shows the loving care God takes of those whom he entrusts with a mission. They
must strive to fulfill it, but they will “see” for themselves that he guides their steps
and watches over them.

*********************************************************************************************
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: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

The Crown of Righteousness

[6] For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure
has come. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept
the faith. [8] Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me
but also to all who have loved his appearing.

[17] For the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the word fully,
that all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. [18]
The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for his heavenly kingdom.
To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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

6-8. Conscious of his closeness to death, St Paul writes in poetic strain about
his life in the service of the Gospel, about the meaning of death and his hope of
heaven. The imagery he uses shows how he interprets his experience in the light
of faith. “On the point of being sacrificed”: literally “poured out in sacrifice”: death
is an offering to God, like the libations of oil poured on the altar of sacrifices.
Death is the beginning of a journey: “the point of my departure has come”, the
anchor is being weighed, the sails unfurled.

The Christian life is like magnificent Games taking place in the presence of God,
who acts as the judge. In Greece the Games had close connections with religious
worship; St Paul presents the Christian life as a type of spiritual sport: “races”
indicates the continuous effort to achieve perfection (cf. Phil 3:14); training for
athletics indicates the practice of self-denial (cf. 1 Cor 9:26-27); fighting stands
for the effort required to resist sin even if that means death, as can happen in the
event of persecution (cf. Heb 12:4). It is well worthwhile taking part in this compe-
tition, because, as St John Chrysostom points out, “the crown which it bestows
never withers. It is not made of laurel leaves, it is not a man who places it on our
head, it has not been won in the presence of a crowd made up of men, but in a
stadium full of angels. In earthly competitions a man fights and strives for days
and the only reward he receives is a crown which withers in a matter of hours
[. . .]. That does not happen here: the crown he is given is a glory and honor
whose brilliance lasts forever (”Hom. on 2 Tim, ad loc”.).

All Christians who “have loved his appearing”, that is, who stay true to Christ,
share St Paul’s expectation of eternal life. “We who know about the eternal joys
of the heavenly fatherland should hasten to reach it by the more direct route” (St
Gregory the Great, “In Evangelia Homiliae”, 16).

9-18. In his letters St Paul often asks people to do things for him; his messages
here are particularly moving, given as they are on the eve of his martyrdom. He
is following the example of Christ: he puts his trust in God even though his friends
desert him (vv. 10-12, 16); his enemies harass him more than ever, yet he for-
gives them (vv. 14, 16); in the midst of his sufferings he praises the Lord (v. 18).
His mention of Thessalonica, Galatia, Dalmatia, Ephesus, Troas, Corinth and
Miletus show how warmly he remembers places which were very receptive to the
Christian message. These few verses constitute a mini-biography.

His generosity of spirit is shown by the fact that he mentions so many disciples
by name; to all he gave of his best; some of them fell by the wayside but most
of them stayed faithful; some are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles or in
other letters, but for others this is the only mention in the New Testament. How-
ever, all without exception must have been very present to the Apostle who be-
came “all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor 9:22).

16-17. St Paul points to the contrast between the way men treat him and the way
God does. Because of the hazards involved in staying with Paul or defending him,
some of his friends, even some of his closest friends, have deserted him; whereas
God stays by his side.

“You seek the company of friends who, with their conversation and affection,
with their friendship, make the exile of this world more bearable for you. There
is nothing wrong with that, although friends sometimes let you down. But how is
it you don’t frequent daily with greater intensity the company, the conversation,
of the great Friend, who never lets you down?” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 88).