For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

Alleluia Ping!

If you aren’t on this ping list NOW and would like to be,

please Freepmail me.

From: Acts 9:26-31

Barnabas and Paul in Jerusalem

[26] And when he had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples; and
they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. [27] But
Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how
on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he
had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. [28] So he went in and out among
them at Jerusalem, [29] preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke
and disputed against the Hellenists; but they were seeking to kill him. [30] And
when the brethren knew it; they brought him to Caesarea, and sent him off to
Tarsus.

The Growth of the Church

[31] So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and
was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy
Spirit it was multiplied.

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

26. This is the first time Paul presents himself in Jerusalem after his conversion.
He went up to see Peter, with whom he spent fifteen days (cf. Gal 1:18), and put
himself at Peter’s disposal; and to check that his teaching was in line with that
of the Apostles.

Barnabas (see note on 4:36) dispelled the Jerusalem community’s initial under-
standable suspicion of their one-time persecutor. They had been only too well
aware of his determination to suppress the Church and had not yet heard about
his preaching in Damascus.

During his short stay in Jerusalem Paul preached boldly his faith in the divinity of
Jesus and met the same kind of opposition as he did in Damascus.

30. For the second time St Paul has to flee for his life. Commenting on this epi-
sode, St John Chrysostom explains that, in addition to grace, human resourceful-
ness has a part to play in apostolic activity. “The disciples were afraid that the
Jews would do to Saul what they had done to St Stephen. This may be why they
sent him to preach the Gospel in his homeland, where he would be safer. In this
action of the Apostles you can see that God does not do everything directly, by
means of his grace, and that he frequently lets his disciples act in line with the
rule of prudence” (”Hom. on Acts”, 20).

Chrysostom also sees in Paul’s earlier flight from Damascus an example of pru-
dent conduct: “Despite his great desire to be with God, he first had to carry out
his mission for the salvation of souls. [...] Jesus Christ does not preserve his
Apostles from dangers: he lets them confront them, because he wants men to
use the resources of prudence to escape from them. Why does he arrange things
in this way? In order to have us understand that the Apostles are also men and
that grace does not do everything in its servants. Otherwise, would people not
have seen them as inert and lifeless things? That is why the Apostles did many
things by following the dictates of prudence. Let us follow their example and use
all our natural abilities to work with grace for the salvation of our brethren” (”ibid.”).

31. St Luke breaks his narrative to give an overview of the steady progress of the
Church as a whole and of the various communities that have grown up as a result
of the Christians’ flight from Jerusalem (cf. Acts 2:40, 47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:1, 7; 11:21,
24; 16:5). He emphasizes the peace and consolation the Holy Spirit has brought
them. This note of justified optimism and trust in God confirms that God is with
his Church and that no human force can destroy it (cf. 5:39).

*********************************************************************************************
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: 1 John 3:18-24

Loving One Another

[18] Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. [19]
By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him
[20] whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he
knows everything. [21] Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confi-
dence before God; [22] and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we
keep his commandments and do what pleases him. [23] And this is his com-
mandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love
one another, just as he has commanded us. [24] All who keep his command-
ments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us,
by the Spirit which he has given us.

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

16-18. From Jesus the Christian learns what love is and what demands it makes
not only through his sublime teaching (like that about the Good Shepherd in John
10:1ff or his discourse at the Last Supper) but above all by his example: “he laid
down his life for us”, by dying on the cross. We “ought” to do the same; the
Greek word St John uses implies a duty. That is, the precept of brotherly love im-
poses an obligation for two reasons—by the very nature of things, since all men
are brothers and children of God; and because we are indebted to Christ and
must respond to the infinite love he showed by giving his life for us.

Using an example very like that in the Letter of St James (cf. Jas 2:15-16), he
shows that true love expresses itself in actions: anyone who “closes his heart”
when he sees others in need does not truly love. The saints have constantly re-
minded us of St John’s teaching: “what the Lord desires is works. If you see a
sick woman to whom you can give some help, never be affected by the fear that
your devotion will suffer, but take pity on her: if she is in pain, you should feel
pain too; if necessary, fast so that she may have your food, not so much for her
sake as because you know it to be your Lord’s will. That is true union with his
will. Again, if you hear someone being highly praised, be much more pleased
than if they were praising you” (St Teresa of Avila, “Interior Castle”, V, 3,11).

19-22. The Apostle reassures us: God knows everything; not only does he know
our sins and our frailties, he also knows our repentance and our good desires,
and he understands and forgives us (St Peter, on the Lake of Tiberias, made the
same confession to Jesus: “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you”:
Jn 21:17).

St John’s teaching on divine mercy is very clear: if our conscience tells us we
have done wrong, we can seek forgiveness and strengthen our hope in God; if
our conscience does not accuse us, our confidence in God is ardent and bold,
like that of a child who has loving experience of his Father’s tenderness. The
love of God is mightier than our sins, Bl. John Paul II reminds us: “When we
realize that God’s love for us does not cease in the face of our sin or recoil be-
fore our offenses, but becomes even more attentive and generous; when we rea-
lize that this love went so far as to cause the Passion and Death of the Word
made flesh who consented to redeem us at the price of his own blood, then we
exclaim in gratitude: ‘Yes, the Lord is rich in mercy’, and even: ‘The Lord is mer-
cy”’ (”Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia”, 22).

This confidence in God makes for confidence in prayer: “If you abide in me, and
my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you” (Jn
15:7; cf. 14:13f; 16:23, 26-27).

23-24. The commandments of God are summed up here in terms of love for
Jesus and love for the brethren. “We cannot rightly love one another unless we
believe in Christ; nor can we truly believe in the name of Jesus Christ without
brotherly love” (St Bede, “In I Epist. S. Ioannis, ad loc.”). Faith and love cannot
be separated (cf. Gal 5:6); our Lord himself told us what would mark his disci-
ples out—their love for one another (Jn 13:34-35).

Keeping the commandments confirms to the Christian that he is abiding in God:
“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (Jn 15:10). Moreover,
it ensures that God abides in his soul, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit: “If you
love me you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will
give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever” (Jn 14:15-16).

“May God be your house and you God’s; dwell in God that God may dwell in you.
God dwells in you to support you; you dwell in God in order not to fall. Keep the
commandments, have charity” (”In I Epist. S. loannis, ad loc.”).

********************************************************************************************
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 15:1-8

The Vine and the Branches

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [1] “I am the vine, and My Father is the vinedresser
[2] Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that
does bear fruit He prunes that it may bear more fruit. [3] You are already made
clean by the word which I have spoken to you. [4] Abide in Me, and I in you. As
the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you,
unless you abide in Me. [5] I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides
in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do
nothing. [6] If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and wi-
thers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. [7] If you
abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be
done for you. [8] By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so
prove to be My disciples.”

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

1. This comparison of the chosen people with a vine was used in the Old Testa-
ment: Psalm 80 speaks of the uprooting of the vine in Egypt and its re-planting
in another land; and in Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard (5:1-7) God complains that
despite the care and love He has lavished on it, His vineyard has yielded only
wild grapes. Jesus previously used this imagery in His parable about the murde-
rous tenants (Matthew 21:33-43) to signify the Jew’s rejection of the Son and the
calling of the Gentiles. But here the comparison has a different, more personal
meaning: Christ explains that He Himself is the true vine, because the old vine,
the original chosen people, has been succeeded by the new vine, the Church,
whose head is Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:9). To be fruitful one must be joined to
the new, true vine, Christ: it is no longer a matter of simply belonging to a com-
munity but of living the life of Christ, the life of grace, which is the nourishment
which passes life on to the believer and enables him to yield fruits of eternal life.
This image of the vine also helps understand the unity of the Church, Christ’s
mystical body, in which all the members are intimately united with the head and
thereby are also united to one another (1 Corinthians 12:12-26; Romans 12:4-5;
Ephesians 4:15-16).

2. Our Lord is describing two situations: that of those who, although they are still
joined to the vine externally, yield no fruit; and that of those who do yield fruit but
could yield still more. The Epistle of St. James carries the same message when
it says that faith alone is not enough (James 2:17). Although it is true that faith
is the beginning of salvation and that without faith we cannot please God, it is al-
so true that a living faith must yield fruit in the form of deeds. “For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through
love” (Galatians 5:6). So, one can say that in order to produce fruit pleasing to
God, it is not enough to have received Baptism and to profess the faith externally:
a person has to share in Christ’s life through grace and has to cooperate with
Him in His work of redemption.

Jesus uses the same verb to refer to the pruning of the branches as He uses to
refer to the cleanness of the disciples in the next verse: literally the translation
should run: “He cleanses him who bears fruit so that he bear more fruit”. In other
words, He is making it quite clear that God is not content with half-hearted com-
mitment, and therefore He purifies His own by means of contradictions and diffi-
culties, which are a form of pruning, to produce more fruit. In this we can see an
explanation of the purpose of suffering: “Have you not heard the Master Himself
tell the parable of the vine and the branches? Here we can find consolation. He
demands much of you for you are the branch that bears fruit. And He must
prune you ‘ut fructum plus afferas”: to make you bear more fruit’.

“Of course: that cutting, that pruning, hurts. But, afterwards, what richness in
your fruits, what maturity in your actions” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 701).

3. After washing Peter’s feet Jesus had already said that His Apostles were
clean, though not all of them (cf. John 13:10). Here, once more, He refers to that
inner cleansing which results from accepting His teachings. “For Christ’s word in
the first place cleanses us from errors, by instructing us (cf. Titus 1:9) [...]; se-
condly, it purifies our hearts of earthly affections, filling them with desire for Hea-
venly things [...]; finally, His word purifies us with the strength of faith, for ‘He
cleansed their hearts by faith’ (Acts 15:9)” (St. Thomas Aquinas, “Commentary
on St. John, in loc.”).

4-5. Our Lord draws more conclusions from the image of the vine and the bran-
ches. Now He emphasizes that anyone who is separated from Him is good for
nothing, like a branch separated from the vine. “You see, the branches are full of
fruit, because they share in the sap that comes from the stem. Otherwise, from
the tiny buds we knew just a few months back, they could not have produced the
sweet ripe fruit that gladdens the eye and make the heart rejoice. Here and there
on the ground we may find some dry twigs, lying half-buried in the soil. Once they
too were branches of the vine; now they lie there withered and dead, a perfect im-
age of barrenness: ‘apart from Me, you can do nothing’” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends
of God”, 254).

The life of union with Christ is necessarily something which goes far beyond one’s
private life: it has to be focused on the good of others; and if this happens, a fruit-
ful apostolate is the result, for “apostolate, of whatever kind it be, must be an over-
flow of the interior life” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 239). The Second Vatican
Council, quoting this page from St. John, teaches what a Christian apostolate
should be: “Christ, sent by the Father, is the source of the Church’s whole apos-
tolate. Clearly then, the fruitfulness of the apostolate of lay people depends on
their living union with Christ; as the Lord Himself said: ‘He who abides in Me, and
I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing’. This
life of intimate union with Christ in the Church is maintained by the spiritual helps
common to all the faithful, chiefly by the active participation in the Liturgy. Lay-
men should make such a use of these helps that, while meeting their human ob-
ligations in the ordinary conditions of life, they do not separate their union with
Christ from their ordinary life; but through the very performance of their tasks,
which are God’s will for them, actually promote the growth of their union with
Him” (”Apostolicam Actuositatem”,4).

6. If a person is not united to Christ by means of grace he will ultimately meet
the same fate as the dead branches—fire. There is a clear parallelism with other
images our Lord uses—the parables of the sound tree and the bad tree (Matthew
7:15-20), the dragnet (Matthew 13:49-50), and the invitation to the wedding (Mat-
thew 22:11-14), etc. Here is how St. Augustine comments on this passage: “The
wood of the vine is the more contemptible if it does not abide in the vine, and the
more glorious if it does abide....For, being cut off it is profitable neither for the
vinedresser nor for the carpenter. For one of these only is it useful—the vine or
the fire. If it is not in the vine, it goes to the fire; to avoid going to the fire it must
be joined to the vine” (”In Ioann. Evang.”, 81, 3).

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

Mass Readings

First reading	Acts 9:26-31 ©

When Saul got to Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him: they could not believe he was really a disciple. Barnabas, however, took charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul and spoken to him on his journey, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Saul now started to go round with them in Jerusalem, preaching fearlessly in the name of the Lord. But after he had spoken to the Hellenists, and argued with them, they became determined to kill him. When the brothers knew, they took him to Caesarea, and sent him off from there to Tarsus.

The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm	Psalm 21:26-28,30-32 ©

You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

or

Alleluia!

My vows I will pay before those who fear him.

The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.

They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.

May their hearts live for ever and ever!

You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

or

Alleluia!

All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord,

all families of the nations worship before him;

They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust.

You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

or

Alleluia!

And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him.

They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,

declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn:

‘These things the Lord has done.’

You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.

or

Alleluia!

Second reading	1 John 3:18-24 ©

My children,

our love is not to be just words or mere talk,

but something real and active;

only by this can we be certain

that we are children of the truth

and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence,

whatever accusations it may raise against us,

because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.

My dear people,

if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,

we need not be afraid in God’s presence,

and whatever we ask him,

we shall receive,

because we keep his commandments

and live the kind of life that he wants.

His commandments are these:

that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ

and that we love one another

as he told us to.

Whoever keeps his commandments

lives in God and God lives in him.

We know that he lives in us

by the Spirit that he has given us.

Gospel Acclamation	Jn15:4,5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.

Whoever remains in me bears fruit in plenty.

Alleluia!

Gospel	John 15:1-8 ©

Jesus said:

‘I am the true vine,

and my Father is the vinedresser.

Every branch in me that bears no fruit

he cuts away,

and every branch that does bear fruit

he prunes to make it bear even more.

You are pruned already,

by means of the word that I have spoken to you.

Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.

As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,

but must remain part of the vine,

neither can you unless you remain in me.

I am the vine,

you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me, with me in him,

bears fruit in plenty;

for cut off from me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me

is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers;

these branches are collected and thrown on the fire,

and they are burnt.

If you remain in me

and my words remain in you,

you may ask what you will

and you shall get it.

It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,

and then you will be my disciples.’

April 11 Audience: On Easter's Spiritual Joy
When did the Resurrection become truly the Faith, and the official teaching of the Church?
What are they thinking? (The Easter and Christmas only Church-goers, that is!)

The Resurrection Appearances Chronologically Arranged
Are There Discrepancies in the Resurrection Accounts? If so, Can They be Resolved?
URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI - EASTER 2012
Saint Gregory the Great’s Sermon on the Mystery of the Resurrection
Pope Benedict XVI warns of moral 'darkness' as he celebrates Easter Mass
Easter Changes Everything
New Catholics a sign of Easter blessing for church (in Oregon)
On Easter Joy -- General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI
The Christ of the Folded Napkin
Reflection on Hope and New Life After the Easter Feasts (Thomas Rosica, CSB)

Easter Time [Eastertide or Easter Season]
Risen Christ opens for a us a completely new future says the Pope at Easter Mass
Man Who "Died" 5 Times Is Becoming Catholic (Thousands to Enter Church at Easter)
On the Resurrection-Pope Benedict XVI
Octave of Easter, Pope Benedict XVI
The Double Alleluia
Easter Sunday
Eastertide Overview
Our 'Great Sunday' (Season of Easter) [Editorial Column]
Happy Easter: The Tomb is Empty! The Warrior of Love has conquered!

Homily Of His Holiness Benedict XVI (Holy Saturday Easter Vigil, Saint Peter's Basilica)
Pope to Baptize Prominent Muslim
Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil)
The Exultet
The Dark before Dawn
Easter and the Holy Eucharist(Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
Holy Saturday and the Easter Vigil
Easter Day and Easter Season
THE EASTER LITURGY [Easter Vigil] (Anglican and Catholic Rites)

Holy Saturday and the Easter Vigil
Poles visit symbolic Christ's Graves on Holy Saturday
Easter Vigil tonight
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER FOR EASTER VIGIL FROM 2002-2005
2 Paschal Candles; Lights On at Vigil And More on Washing of the Feet
RCIA and Holy Saturday
The Time Of Easter or Eastertide -- Easter Seasosn
Easter Day and Easter Season
Easter Reflections -- 50 Days of the Easter Season
The Blessed Season of Easter - Fifty Days of Reflections

PRAYERS AFTER

HOLY MASS AND COMMUNION

Leonine Prayers

Complete Prayer to St. Michael

Prayer Before the Crucifix

Anima Christi Prayer

Prayer for Vocations

Leonine Prayers
Following are the Prayers after Low Mass which were prescribed by Pope Leo XIII who composed the Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel, and were reinforced by Pope Pius XI and Pope Pius XII to pray for the conversion of Russia. These prayers were in effect until after Vatican II. A decade later Paul VI said, "satan has entered the sanctuary." Could the elimination of these powerful prayers with a ten year indulgence have played a huge part in allowing the devil such easy access? The answer is obvious. Below the normal Leonine Prayers is the longer version of the Prayer to St. Michael, composed by His Excellency Pope Leo XIII to defend against The Great Apostasy.

Latin
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructis ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
(Said 3 times)
    Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae. Ad te suspiramus gementes et fientes in hac lacrymarum valle. Eia ergo, Advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis, post hoc exilium, ostende. O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
    Oremus. Deus, refugium nostrum et virtus, populum ad te clamantem propitius respice; et intercedente gloriosa, et immaculata Virgine Dei Genitrice Maria, cum beato Joseph, ejus Sponso, ac beatis Apostolis tuis Petro et Paulo, et omnibus Sanctis, quas pro conversione peccatorum, pro libertate et exaltatione sanctae Matris Ecclesiae, preces effundimus, misericors et benignus exaudi. Per eundum Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio; contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae Caelestis, satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.
Cor Jesu sacratissimum. Miserere nobis.
Cor Jesu sacratissimum. Miserere nobis.
Cor Jesu sacratissimum. Miserere nobis.

Vernacular
   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 at the hour of our death. Amen.
(Said 3 times)
   Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee to we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mouring and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this 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.
   Let us pray.
O God, our refuge and our strength, look down with mercy upon the people who cry to Thee; and by the intercession of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Saint Joseph her spouse, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in Thy mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners, and for the liberty and exaltation of the Holy Mother the Church. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
   Saint 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, thrust into hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.

Complete Prayer to Saint Michael
The following is the longer version of the vital prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1888 after his startling vision as to the future of the Church. This prayer was dedicated for the Feast of St. Michael 1448 years from the date of the election of the first Leo - Pope Saint Leo the Great. Everyone is familiar with the first prayer below which was mandated by His Holiness as part of the Leonine Prayers after Low Mass. After Vatican II, in legion with the devil Giovanni Montini outlawed this necessary prayer and then one wonders how "the smoke of satan" got into the sanctuary? The conciliarists wanted to make sure the words in bold below would never see the light of day again for in it Leo foretold what would happen: The shepherd would be struck, the sheep scattered. Below are both the short and longer versions of this poignant prayer which should never be forgotten.

    Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou, O heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

O glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of our Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the Name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay, and cast into eternal perdition, souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. That wicked dragon pours out. as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on Her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.
V: Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
R: The Lion of the Tribe of Juda has conquered the root of David.
V: Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
R: As we have hoped in Thee.
V: O Lord hear my prayer.
R: And let my cry come unto Thee.
V: Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as suppliants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin, immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of our souls. Amen.

Prayer Before the Crucifix
   Look down upon me, O good and gentle Jesus, while before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul pray and beseech Thee to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment; the while I contemplate with great love and tender pity Thy five most precious wounds, pondering over them within me, calling to mind the words which David Thy prophet said of Thee, my good Jesus: "They have pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones."
Indulgence of ten years; a plenary indulgence if recited after devout reception of Holy Communion, Raccolta 201)
Anima Christi - Soul of Christ
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds, hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me.
And bid me come to Thee, that with
Thy saints I may praise Thee for ever and ever. Amen.
Indulgence of 300 days; if recited after devout reception of Holy Communion, seven years Raccolta 131)
Prayer for Vocations
   O Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst take to Thyself a body and soul like ours, to teach us the glory of self-sacrifice and service, mercifully deign to instill in other hearts the desire to dedicate their lives to Thee. Give us PRIESTS to stand before Thine Altar and to preach the words of Thy Gospel; BROTHERS to assist the priests and to reproduce in themselves Thy humility; SISTERS to teach the young and nurse the sick and to minister Thy charity to all; LAY PEOPLE to imitate Thee in their homes and families. Amen.

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

Continue to Pray for Pope Benedict [Ecumenical]

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.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

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. 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 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.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

~ 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
+

God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

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.

May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary

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)

Seen above is the Blessed Virgin Mary, portrayed as Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
It was she who was chosen by God, to provide His Son with His Sacred Humanity.
She did so in humble and total cooperation with the Holy Spirit and the Divine will of the Holy Trinity; providing God's Son with the Blood He shed for us on the Cross.

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

Image Detail

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

A Mother’s Love, The Blessed Virgin Mary Saying YES To God
Chesterton on devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary [Ecumenical]
The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary
A Comparison is Instituted Between the Disobedient and Sinning Eve and the Virgin Mary..

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)
A Protestant Discovers Mary
Mary is our Mother and Queen of the New Davidic Kingdom (Scriptures Agree With Catholic Church)

Hail Mary
Holy Water Silhouette (Virgin Mary -video))
How could Mary be the Mother of God?
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)

Mary is the star that guides us to holiness, says Holy Father during Angelus [Catholic Caucus]
The Efficacy and Power of One Hail Mary [Ecumenical]
When Did Belief in the Virgin Birth Begin?
Mary, Motherhood, and the Home BY Archbishop Fulton Sheen
On Mary, Mother of Priests
Benedict reflects on Mary and the priesthood [Catholic Caucus]
Radio Replies First Volume - Mary
Scholar says Baptists neglect lessons from Virgin 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)
Mary’s Marching Orders
Praying the Hail Mary Like Never Before [Ecumenical]
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament [Catholic Caucus]
Catholic Caucus: The Catechism of St. Thomas Aquinas - THE HAIL MARY

Our Jewish Roots: The Immaculate Conception [Ecumenical]
The Blessed Virgin in the History of Christianity [Ecumenical]
Archbishop Sheen Today! -- Mary and the Moslems
Mary Immaculate: Patroness of the United States [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
"The Woman He Loved": Fulton Sheen and the Blessed Mother(Catholic Caucus)
September 12: The Most Holy Name of Mary and Militant Islam
Catholic Devotional: Feast of the Holy Name of Mary
A Homily on the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary
May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary
Catholic Caucus: Mary, The Power of Her Name [The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary]

May 2012

Pope's intentions

General Intention: The Family. That initiatives which defend and uphold the role of the family may be promoted within society. .

Missionary Intention: Mary, Guide of Missionaries. That Mary, Queen of the World and Star of Evangelization, may accompany all missionaries in proclaiming her Son Jesus.

Arlington Catholic Herald

Losing the landloper

By Fr. Paul Scalia

In the Rule of St. Benedict, the founder of Western monasticism established a new and important vow: stability. When a man enters a Benedictine monastery he vows stability of life — to remain with that particular community until death. By requiring this vow, St. Benedict sought to exclude the “landloper” — the monk who bounced from one monastery to another, “always roving and never settled.” Such instability was simply an avoidance of problems. Rather than allow a monastery to reveal his faults or challenge him, the landloper would pull up stakes and leave.

With this vow, St. Benedict addressed not only a matter of religious life but also a profoundly important spiritual principle for everyone. To go deep into conversion of life (another Benedictine vow), you must drop anchor and remain where you are for a good long time. You must learn stability. Of course, St. Benedict learned this principle from Our Lord. “Remain in me,” He says to the apostles, “as I remain in you” (Jn 15:4).

First: Remain. Some translations have this as, “Abide.” It expresses an ongoing, stable presence. And the basic command challenges our fundamental weakness of instability. There is a little bit of the landloper in each of us. The human heart is fickle and erratic. We make resolutions … and we make them again, because we quit so quickly. We fall away from good practices when they become too difficult or (more likely) too boring for us. Our culture may have more commitment phobia than others, but the desire to escape has always afflicted the human heart. Genuine change and growth can come only if we have stability, if we remain.

Second: Remain in me. Our Lord makes a personal summons. He does not command simple perseverance in a task or duty. He desires and calls us to make our abode in Him, to dwell within Him. This means to set our roots deep into that relationship with Him. Nor should we think that this is limited to times of prayer. We are to remain in Him in all tasks throughout the day, at every moment having a steadfast knowledge of our union with Him. In short, that we not allow any person, object or event to break our union with Him.

Finally — and most important — as I remain in you. St. John tells us, “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us” (1 Jn 4:10). In a similar way, we are able to remain in Him because He first remains in us. By grace Jesus makes His abode within our souls. We should not fear, then, that the abiding He desires of us is somehow impossible or beyond us. He has placed Himself in our hearts first, granting to us already a sort of stability — His stability. The greater awareness we have of Him abiding in us, the more inspired we will be to abide in Him.

In God’s providence we hear these words during Easter … when, perhaps, we have become landlopers. The fervor of Lent has grown cold and resolutions once fervently made are now far removed. It is precisely now, when the rigor of Lent is no longer in our minds, that we need to hear this summons to remain, to stability. His dwelling within us is not seasonal. Neither should ours within Him. He is no landloper. Neither, then should we be.

Fr. Scalia is pastor of St. John the Beloved Parish in McLean.

The Work of God

Year B

- Fifth Sunday of Easter

I am the true vine

John 15:1-8

1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Fifth Sunday of Easter - I am the true vine

I am the tree of life that my Father has planted in the world, he who wants to become part of me eternally, must become part of this tree, he must convert into one of my branches and take sap from me. My Father and I touch the hearts of all human beings and call them to come, because I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one can come to my Father except through me.

My Father has prepared eternal life for all those who listen to me, this is why my words are the guide for the faithful but also the condemnation for the disobedient.

Those who do not listen, those who reject the voice of the Spirit and break the commandments without caring for the divine truth, do not produce any fruit, this is why my Father cuts those branches and allow them to whither and die without any hope of everlasting life.

Those who listen to me receive gifts, and in the same way that the vinedresser prunes his vine to embellish it, life is full of frustrations and crosses that my Father sends to the soul in order to prune it of self love, egoism, vanity and pride. These sufferings produce wisdom and bring perfection to the soul in humility.

My words are purifying life for the soul that remains in me, they allow it to produce much fruit. He who integrates himself in my body, becomes part of me and I, part of him.

My Church is my mystical body, in which I am the head and you are my members, my blood is the Holy Eucharist that brings life to all cells, my word is the wisdom that brings the soul to perfection, he who listens to me, listens to the spirit, he who follows my word is walking in my way.

My heart beats incessantly, sending hope and life to those who listen to me, because I am the bridge between humanity and divinity. He who is not with me, separates and gets lost eternally in darkness, he who is humble understands that without me he is nothing.

He who remains in me, is in my Presence, I convert him into my disciple so that he may learn more of me and I make him my apostle so that he becomes my instrument; his prayer is always listened to.

The Glory of my Father is that all who are with me, produce much fruit for the prosperity of his Kingdom here on earth and for His Glory in all eternity.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Archdiocese of Washington

If You Ever Leave Me, I’m Going With You. A Reflection on the Gospel for the 5th Sunday of Easter

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

In this Easter Season we continue to reflect on how the risen Lord Jesus minsters to us and supplies our needs. Last week we considered him as our Shepherd. This week we learn of how he is the Vine, and we are branches on the Vine, wholly dependent on remaining with him for everything.

The Lord presents us with five basic principles that emerge from our relationship to him as the vine. Lets look at them each in turn.

I. Purpose - The text says, I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit - The purpose of a vine is to bear fruit. And what are the fruits that the Father seeks? Surely Justice, righteousness and holiness are chief among them. The Letter to the Galatians speaks of them in this way: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:23). Surely we can add virtues and fruits such as generosity, chastity, mercy and forgiveness, zeal for God and His kingdom and so forth. These are among the fruits God seeks and which are the purpose of the Vine, his Son Jesus, who he sent to nourish us so that these fruits would come to pass.

And yet, there are some branches, that though they take nourishment from the vine, do not bear fruit. And not only do they fail to bear fruit, but they often harm the vine by drawing away strength from the fruit-bearing branches.

I know little of grapes, but for many years, I have grown tomatoes and, as the plant grows, I have learned to identify small shoots that emerge base of the vine branches. These are usually called “suckers” since they draw away strength from the main branch where the tomatoes are growing. These suckers are to be plucked for the health and vigor of the plant and the best development of the fruit.

And thus God will often do the same. In our modern age, with our stress on individualism, hearing that God cuts off unfruitful branches strikes us as unmerciful and harsh. But God has in mind not just the individual, but the strength and fruitfulness of the whole vine. Failing to bear the fruit spoken of above, does not just affect the individual, it affects the whole vine. So God, as a loving vine dresser, cuts away the harmful branches. Your life is not just about you. My life is not just about me. We exist in a complex set of relationships wherein God has to have the care of all in mind.

Since the purpose of the vine is to bear fruit, God tends the vine with that in mind.

II. Pruning – The text says, and every [branch] that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.

Most of us who have cared for roses know how important pruning is. Without this careful and necessary cutting, the rose bush grows long and gnarly. The rose bush expends its strength more on the branches, than the flowers. Little by little the flowers become smaller and less beautiful, the leaves too loose their beauty, shape and color and become smaller and more light green. Eventually the rose bush looks little better than a weed.

Now, I suppose if a rose bush could talk it would protest and cry in pain every November, as I descend upon it and cut back its growth to one foot above the ground. But here in May the gorgeous roses in the front yard are a masterpiece, and all the pain of November is forgotten.

But pain and pruning are part of the Christian journey and God knows what he is doing. We often do not, and like the roses in November which cry out in pain and protest, we too look for answers. And yet, no more than I can explain to roses my purpose (they are only rose bushes after all), can God explain to us what he is about (we are but mere mortals with minds too small to see the whole picture).

But just the same, our November pruning gives way to May glory and God the vine dresser knows what he is doing.

Note too that the Lord says his Word “prunes” us. For if we let the Word enter us uncompromised and unabridged we read: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Heb 4:12). Yes God’s word can humble our pride, cut to the quick our distorted and wrongful thinking, and hold us accountable. It can cut away error and debreed the decayed wounds of sin.

But we must allow the Word of God to be what it is. Too many of us seek a filtered and watered down version of God’s Word. No! Let the undiluted Word go to work of which Scripture itself says: Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? (Jer 23:29).

A pruned vine bears abundant fruit. None of us like pruning, but nothing is more necessary.

III. Persistence – The Text says: Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.

In this short Gospel, the word “remain” occurs seven times. Do you get the point? Remain! The Greek word is μείνατε (meinate) is the plural imperative of the verb meno, meaning, more richly, “to abide.” To abide means to habitually remain or stay somewhere. It speaks of a stability and a persistence.

It is a clear fact that a branch must always and without fail, stay attached to the vine or it is doomed. Absolutely nothing is possible to a branch (except to wither and die) unless it is 24/7/365 attached to the vine. Nothing could be clearer in this analogy that this truth.

And yet, it seems very unclear to the average disciple of Jesus who so easily walks away, and finds abiding both tedious and difficult. And then we puzzle as to why our spiritual life is tepid, and its fruits lackluster. We can’t have a mediocre spiritual life apart form Christ, the text says we can’t do anything at all but be scattered.

How do we abide with and in the Lord. Scripture distinguishes four ways. We abide and experience union with the Lord through:

HIS WORD – If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. (Jn 15:7) And again: Anyone who loves me will be true to my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him. (Jn 14:22)
HOLY COMMUNION - He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. (Jn 6:56)
PRAYER (especially communal prayer) - For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matt 18:20).
KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS – Those who keep his commandments abide in him and He in them. (1 John 3:22)

Yes, abiding is accomplished through prayer, scripture, Sacraments, fellowship and walking uprightly. And this Gospel could not be more clear, abide, abide, abide, abide, abide, abide, abide. Seven times the word is used.

Do you get it? Abide. Persistently abide.

IV. Protection - the text says Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.

The text here indicates, in a negative way, the kind of protection we have in the Lord if we abide. For what happens to those who do not abide? Note that the text says they wither and that “people” will gather them and throw them into the fire.

The simple fact is that, if I don’t know who I am and whose I am, any one can name me and carry me off. Yes, with out the stability of abiding on the vine, I get all carried away by worldly things, I wither, and die spiritually and the slightest breeze can blow me about. Walk away from Jesus and you get burned.

Only by abiding on the vine and staying connected to Jesus am I protected by this stability. Only with Jesus holding me close can I withstand the winds of this world and avoid the fire that burns. Unless Christ carries me and sustains me, I am carried away by others who cast me into the fire.

Abide, remain, stay, and be protected by Christ.

V. Produce – The text says, If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

Attached to and abiding in the vine we will produce abundant fruit. Note that this is linked to a kind of fruitfulness in prayer that comes from the Father’s good pleasure.

And why is he pleased to answer our prayers if we abide? Because he can trust us with his blessings. In effect He can say, here is someone who is close to my Son, who habitually remains with Him, abides with him. Yes, here is someone I can trust with blessings, here is a wise steward who is in union with my Son. Scripture speaks often of the correlation of wise stewardship and blessings:

Luke 16:10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
Matt 25:21 His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Luke 12:48 From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

You want more? Use well what you already have. Be someone whom the Father can trust because you stay close and abide with his Son. Be like those who can say with Mother Ruth: Where ever you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay (Ruth 1:16). And be like the man who said to his wife, “If you ever leave me, I’m going with you.”

Abide, Abide, Abide.

Sunday Gospel Reflections

5th Sunday of Easter
Reading I: Acts 9:26-31 II: 1 John 3:18-24

Gospel
John 15:1-8

¹ "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
² Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
³ You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you.
⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
⁶ If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.
⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.

Interesting Details

Context: This passage begins a long monologue (Ch. 15-17) in the farewell discourse that Jesus delivered to the disciples in the Last Supper on the eve of His death.
(v.1) In the Old Testament, the vine often symbolizes the image of Israel (Is 5:1-7, Jer 2:21, Ezek 15:1-6). John used the word "true" in the context of a replacement as "true" bread (Jn 6:32) to replace manna. Jesus is the true vine, the vine that was planted, pruned and cared by His Father, the vine that carries life into the branches so that they can bear fruit. Jesus is the source of life, the fulfillment of all that Israel promised.
(v.3) The Greek verb "kathairein" has two meanings: to prune and to cleanse. The fruit-bearing followers have been cleansed by the word so that they can bear more fruit.
(vv.4-7) The expression "remain with" or "abide in" is repeated no less than 6 times in this passage. The demand for the intimate unity between his followers and Jesus is so urgent and necessary. This unity also establishes the confidence in prayer (v.7) .
(v.5) No purely human act can have any value for eternal life, unless it is done under the influence of grace.

One Main Point

Jesus demanded his followers to remain with Him since He is the source of life. Without Jesus one can do nothing but withered. Together with Jesus whatever one asks will be granted, whatever one does the Father will be glorified.

Reflections

Where do I need to be pruned to bear more fruit? Am I bearing the fruit?
How do I abide in Jesus and He in me? What spiritual nourishment do I need in everyday life to remain with Him?
Where is the real bond between me and other people of the Church? Where is that unity missing? How do I strengthen these bonds?

May 6, 2012

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Reading 1 Acts 9:26-31

Responsorial Psalm Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32

Reading 2 1 Jn 3:18-24

Gospel Jn 15:1-8

Mass Readings

Year B

I am the true vine

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

If You Ever Leave Me, I’m Going With You. A Reflection on the Gospel for the 5th Sunday of Easter