Posted on 09/01/2012 7:05:48 AM PDT by Mad Dawg
Clearly we need to seek, to beg God's help in the coming election. I invite all to join in a "Novena" -- a LONG one -- with just such an intention.
If you start on 9/11 (!) and pray for 56 days, you end the day before election day.
If you start on 9/13 and pray for 54 days... you do the math. :-)
I am asking us to consider ADDING something to our daily prayers. I know you all are busy and I suspect many of you spend a good deal of time in prayer anyway. I do not seek to bind burdens on anyone's back. Though prayer sometimes involves teeth-gritting, that should not be the main theme! The main themes should always be hope, joy, and gratitude, IMHO.
But the prayer of a just man avails much, and we are justified in Jesus! So let us pray! Please consider adding ONE thing -- an act of charity and mercy, a little extra time in prayer and/or with Scripture, maybe a little fast -- or a even little extra physical exercise! But add just one thing to the Glory of our loving God and with a petition that He do HIS will in the coming election.
[Boring technical stuff for non-Catholics. The term "novena" refers to a period of prayer. It derives from, so to speak, riffing on the nine days of prayer between the Ascension and the Pentecost. Hence the name, which pretty much means "niney-thing" -- Mad Dawg translation.
[ Not so long ago, in our tradition, somebody was instructed to pray a novena of 6 novenas -- 3 of petition and 3 of thanksgiving. Good stuff ensued. Thus arose the 54 day novena. With JPII's change of the Rosary, a figure divisible by four is tidier for those who pray the Rosary. Hence my suggestion of 56 days.]
Salvation, you are amazing!
Y’all? Bear down! We’re all tired. Our ancient enemy is doing his worst. If it were against our strength, we would lose. But it is against God that he contends.
Look! In the blasted field of battle, a shoot has broken the earth. It opens its cotyledons to the sun and turns light into food.
Now it could be swayed by the least air. But it will be a strong tree in a short time, as God counts time. So I see it: Now the shoot,then the tree; now the earnest money, then the entire sum; now the scent of food in the oven, then the feast.
The wine is open. Let it breathe. There will be time enough to enjoy it.
My prayers are with yours. From yesterday’s morning devotional:
Psalm 7
Plea for Help against PersecutorsA Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjaminite.
1 O Lord my God, in you I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,
2 or like a lion they will tear me apart;
they will drag me away, with no one to rescue.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this,
if there is wrong in my hands,
4 if I have repaid my ally with harm
or plundered my foe without cause,
5 then let the enemy pursue and overtake me,
trample my life to the ground,
and lay my soul in the dust.
Selah
6 Rise up, O Lord, in your anger;
lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
awake, O my God;* you have appointed a judgement.
7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you,
and over it take your seat* on high.
8 The Lord judges the peoples;
judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
and according to the integrity that is in me.
9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous,
you who test the minds and hearts,
O righteous God.
10 God is my shield,
who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
and a God who has indignation every day.
12 If one does not repent, God* will whet his sword;
he has bent and strung his bow;
13 he has prepared his deadly weapons,
making his arrows fiery shafts.
14 See how they conceive evil,
and are pregnant with mischief,
and bring forth lies.
15 They make a pit, digging it out,
and fall into the hole that they have made.
16 Their mischief returns upon their own heads,
and on their own heads their violence descends.
17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
and sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
Fantastic post, MD!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today’s Rosary of THANKSGIVING is done. God is in control for our ultimate joy and good!
Wow! This really resonates:
14 See how they conceive evil,
and are pregnant with mischief,
and bring forth lies.
15 They make a pit, digging it out,
and fall into the hole that they have made.
16 Their mischief returns upon their own heads,
and on their own heads their violence descends.
17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
and sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
______________________________
Let us all THANK and PRAISE our Mighty GOD for being in charge! :-)
It really does and I have been getting very similar readings from the Bible daily. I listen for the Holy Spirit and He leads me to these chapters daily. It is awesome!! I have a fellowship which meets once a week and we have been praying for this election and for revival. One of our members got an impression to not listen to the mess in the media. I’m with you that God is in control. :-)
Amen! Amen! Amen!!
4 more rosaries to go
As I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries today:
“Could you not watch one hour with Me?”
“What is truth?”
“Behold the Man”
“We have no king but Caesar”
“Weep not for Me but for yourselves and for your children”
“I thirst”
“Son, behold your mother”
“Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit”
Lord, graciously hear our prayers in this time of our need.
We should remember with prayer those who do not pray the Rosary. It is SUCH a huge gift!
Bless you for (and IN) your prayers!
We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.or
All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens and all the powers therein.
To thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabbaoth,
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles: praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets: praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs: praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world: doth acknowledge thee;
The Father of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honorable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heritage.
Govern them, and lift them up for ever.
Day by day we magnify thee, and we worship thy Name ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.
Te Deum laudamus: te Dominum confitemur.
Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur.
Tibi omnes Angeli, tibi Caeli et universae Potestates:
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant:
Sanctus: Sanctus: Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.
Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus:
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus:
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia:
Patrem immensae maiestatis:
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium:
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,
non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu devicto mortis aculeo,
aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus. (Kneel)
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni,
quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac cum Sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.
Salvum fac populum tuum Domine,
et benedic haereditati tuae.
Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.
Per singulos dies, benedicamus te.
Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum,
et in saeculum saeculi.
Dignare Domine die isto,
sine peccato nos custodire.
Miserere nostri Domine, miserere nostri.
Fiat misericordia tua Domine super nos,
quemadmodum speravimus in te.
In te Domine speravi:
non confundar in aeternum.
Eternal Rest
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace. Amen.
Requiem Æternam
Réquiem ætérnam dona eis, Dómine,
et lux perpétua lúceat eis.
Requiéscant in pace. Amen.
I have been noting that Christians have been getting the same inspirations of the Holy Spirit all around the globe. There are even many good people who are from other countries who are praying for our election. They SEE clearly. The Holy Spirit is inspiring people to pray as never before.
I have also been feeling lately that we must NOT stop praying together once the election is over....because THAT is when the really hard work begins. The Light of Christ must overcome the darkness in every corner of our culture so that the American people can fully understand the difference between temporary pleasure/happiness and the profound, infinite joy and peace that come only from God.
I noticed that Mad Dawg is encouraging us to pray the Te Deum for nine days (novena)after the election. If I remember correctly, this is a great early hymn of praise (Latin) to God...often sung by martyrs as they marched to their death. I have a link that I’ll share on his Novena thread later today, where one can listen to the monks chant this hymn. It is beautiful beyond words. EVERY time I hear it....it moves me mightily with love and praise for our God! I’ll also try to provide a translation in English.
Thank you, DarthVader for your faithfulness to this prayer thread. It has been something I have looked forward to each day. :-)
Te Deum laudámus (We praise You, O God!)
Lol! I didn’t realize that your post was on THIS thread. I like your thread for prayer and this one as well. I look forward to both threads. ;-)
“I have also been feeling lately that we must NOT stop praying together once the election is over....because THAT is when the really hard work begins. The Light of Christ must overcome the darkness in every corner of our culture so that the American people can fully understand the difference between temporary pleasure/happiness and the profound, infinite joy and peace that come only from God.”
I can confirm this for you and that is the reason I was inspired by God to start the Lighthouse Fellowship for the work afterwards. The first objective is to clean the trash out in DC.
This is a WONDERFUL idea! It is absolutely amazing to me just how often the Te Deum has come to my attention lately. I see that you have the English for it. :-)
Here is where one can listen to it chanted by the monks. It is sooooo beautiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqwV9l-U8ds
Thank you again, Mad Dawg, for this prayer thread. I am with you for the nine days of the Te Deum!!!!
“...that is the reason I was inspired by God to start the Lighthouse Fellowship for the work afterwards.”
_______________________________
Speaking of the Fellowship...Did you notice these words of the Te Deum:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabbaoth,
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles: praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets: praise thee.
You have to listen to this hymn chanted by the monks. It is truly anointed in my opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqwV9l-U8ds
Rosary of Thanksgiving for today is done. Thank you, Lord!
Glorious Sunday!! Rosary is done...can’t wait for the Te Deum!
;-()
Troops.
The last breath before the battle.
We need to get our expectations AND our virtues in order.
Our enemy loathes freedom. In recent years he has mounted, among many assaults, an assault on the election process. SO we can reasonably expect that it WON'T be over when it's over. It is in our enemy's interest to make the demos (NOT the party, I mean the Δημος, the people of the polity) hold the election process in doubt and contempt. So be ready to be frustrated.
It is good to distinguish what we can control from what we cannot, and to hold the loving Will of Providence in the forefront of our minds when the dice are rolling.
We also, IMHO, should be humbly grateful for such moral clarity as we may have. Certainly to the extent we have any at all, it is by divine gift without which we would stumble about bumping into things.
There are two battles: One is being waged in polling places. The other is being waged throughout the cosmos. One is fought for control of the polity; the other for the salvation of souls. Remember which is more important.
Many of those who oppose us are struggling to do what they think to be right. We must honor that aspect of their intentions even as we deplore the error in their thinking. We must continually pray for that charity without which all virtue is empty.
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in,..." remembering that each particular soul is precious in God's sight, and that the obligation to live evangelical lives will end neither with our victory nor with our defeat.
Whatever happens in the next day and half -- and in the following weeks, the song of the chorus will not be silenced: He SHALL reign forever and ever.
Ooops!
See how tired I am? I’m getting stupid(er)!
ping to 318 above.
Whatever happens in the next day and half — and in the following weeks, the song of the chorus will not be silenced: He SHALL reign forever and ever.
__________________________
AMEN! ....and Alleluia!
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