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From: Colossians 3:1-11

Seek the Things That Are Above

[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Avoid Sin

[2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
[3] For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ
who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. [5] Put to
death therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and covetousness, which is idolatry. [6] 0n account of these the wrath of God
is coming. [7] In these you once walked, when you lived in them. [8] But now
put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth.
[9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its
practices [10] and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in
knowledge after the image of its creator. [11] Here there cannot be Greek and
Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but
Christ is all, and in all.

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

1-4. The more ethical and exhortatory part of the letter begins at this point. It is
a practical application of the teaching given in the earlier chapters, designed to
suit the circumstances that have arisen in the Colossian church.

By His death and resurrection the Son of God frees us from the power of Satan
and of death. “By Baptism men are grafted into the paschal mystery of Christ;
they die with him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him” (Vatican II,
“Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 6). In other words, Christians have been raised to
a new kind of life, a supernatural life, whereby they share, even while on earth,
in the glorious life of the risen Jesus. This life is at present spiritual and hidden,
but when our Lord comes again in glory, it will become manifest and glorious.

Two practical consequences flow from this teaching—the need to seek the
“things that are above”, that is, the things of God; and the need to pass
unnoticed in one’s everyday work and ordinary life, yet to do everything with
a supernatural purpose in mind.

As regards the first of these the Second Vatican Council has said: “In their
pilgrimage to the Heavenly city Christians are to seek and relish the things
that are above (cf. Colossians 3:1-2): this involves not a lesser, but a greater
commitment to working with all men to build a world that is more human”
(”Gaudium Et Spes”, 57). Work, family relationships, social involvements—
every aspect of human affairs—should be approached in a spirit of faith and
done perfectly, out of love: “The true Christian, who acts according to this
faith”, Monsignor Escriva comments, “always has his sights set on God. His
outlook is supernatural. He works in this world of ours, which he loves
passionately; he is involved in all its challenges, but all the while his eyes
are fixed on Heaven” (”Friends of God”, 206).

Ordinary life, everyday interests, the desire to be better and to serve others
without seeking public recognition of one’s merits—all this makes for holiness
if done for love of God. A simple life “hid with Christ in God” (verse 3) is so
important that Jesus Himself chose to spend the greater part of His life on
earth living like an ordinary person: He was the son of a tradesman. “As we
meditate on these truths, we come to understand better the logic of God.
We come to realize that the supernatural value of our life does not depend
on accomplishing great undertakings suggested to us by our over-active
imagination. Rather it is to be found in the faithful acceptance of God’s will,
in welcoming generously the opportunities for small, daily sacrifice” ([St] J.
Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 172).

This means that those who try to seek holiness by imitating Jesus in His
hidden life will be people full of hope; they will be optimistic and happy
people; and after their death they will share in the glory of the Lord: they
will hear Jesus’ praise, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been
faithful over a little; I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your Master”
(Matthew 25:21).

On the value of the hidden life, see the note on Luke 2:15.

5-17. The Christian, who in Baptism has risen with Christ, should not live for
himself but for God. This means that every day he needs to put off his old
nature and put on the new.

The “old nature”, the “old man”: one who lets himself be led by disorderly
passions (cf. Rom 7:8), who lets his body do evil in the service of sin (v. 5;
cf. Rom 6:12f). With the help of grace the old nature is being more and more
broken down, while the new nature is constantly being renewed (cf. 2 Cor
6:16). Impurity and the other vices need to be uprooted so as to make room
for goodness and its train of Christian virtues (vv. 12-13), especially charity
(v. 14), which are features of the new nature.

Christ’s disciple, who has been made a new person and who lives for the Lord,
has a new and more perfect knowledge of God and of the world (v. 10). Thanks
to this he see things from a more elevated viewpoint; he has a “supernatural
insight”. This enables him to love and understand everyone without distinction
of race, nation or social status (v. 11), and to imitate Christ, who has given
himself up for all. “The Only-begotten of the Eternal Father vouchsafed to become
a son of man, that we might be made conformable to the image of the Son of God
and be renewed according to the likeness of him who created us. Therefore let all
those who glory in the name of Christians not only look upon our divine Savior as
the most sublime and most perfect model of all virtues, but also, by the careful
avoidance of sin and the unremitting practice of holiness, so reproduce in their
conduct his teaching and life, that when the Lord appears they may be like to him
in glory, seeing him as he is (cf. 1 Jn 3:2)” (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”, 20).

*********************************************************************************************
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: Luke 6:20-26

The Beatitudes and the Curses

[20] And He (Jesus) lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said: “Blessed are
you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. [21] Blessed are you that hunger now,
for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.
[22] Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile
you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! [23] Rejoice
in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in Heaven; for so their
fathers did to the prophets. [24] But woe to you that are rich, for you have received
your consolation. [25] Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. Woe to
you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. [26] Woe to you, when all men
speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”

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

20-49. These thirty verses of St. Luke correspond to some extent to the Sermon
on the Mount, an extensive account of which St. Matthew gives us in Chapters
5 to 7 in his Gospel. It is very likely that in the course of His public ministry in
different regions and towns of Israel Jesus preached the same things, using dif-
ferent words on different occasions. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit each
evangelist would have chosen to report those things which he considered most
useful for the instruction of his immediate readers—Christians of Jewish origin in
the case of Matthew, Gentile converts in the case of Luke. There is no reason
why one evangelist should not have selected certain items and another different
ones, depending on his readership, or why one should not have laid special
stress on some subjects and shortened or omitted accounts of others.

In this present discourse, we might distinguish three parts—the Beatitudes and
the curses (6:20-26); love of one’s enemies (6:27-38); and teaching on upright-
ness of heart (6:39-49).

Some Christians may find it difficult to grasp the need of practising the moral
teaching of the Gospel so radically, in particular Christ’s teaching in the Sermon
on the Mount. Jesus is very demanding in what He says, but He is saying it to
everyone, and not just to His Apostles or to those disciples who followed Him
closely. We are told expressly that “when Jesus finished these sayings, the
crowds were astonished at His teaching” (Matthew 7:28). It is quite clear that
the Master calls everyone to holiness, making no distinction of state-in-life, race
or personal circumstances. This teaching on the universal call to holiness was
a central point of the teaching of (Blessed) Monsignor Escriva de Balaguer. The
Second Vatican Council expressed the same teaching with the full weight of its
authority: everyone is called to Christian holiness; consider, for example, just
one reference it makes, in “Lumen Gentium”, 11: “Strengthened by so many and
such great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state—
though each in his or her own way—are called by the Lord to that perfection of
sanctity by which the Father Himself is perfect.”

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is not proposing an unattainable ideal, useful
though that might be to make us feel humble in the light of our inability to reach
it. No. Christian teaching in this regard is quite clear: what Christ commands, He
commands in order to have us do what He says. Along with His commandment
comes grace to enable us to fulfill it. Therefore, every Christian is capable of
practising the moral teaching of Christ and of attaining the full height of his calling
—holiness—not by his own efforts alone but by means of the grace which Christ
has won for us, and with the abiding help of the means of sanctification which He
left to His Church. “If anyone plead human weakness to excuse Himself for not
loving God, it should be explained that He who demands our love pours into our
hearts by the Holy Spirit the fervor of His love, and this good Spirit our Heavenly
Father gives to those that ask Him. With reason, therefore, did St. Augustine
pray: `Give Me what Thou command, and command what You please.’ As, then,
God is ever ready to help us, especially since the death of Christ our Lord, by
which the prince of this world was cast out, there is no reason why anyone should
be disheartened by the difficulty of the undertaking. To him who loves, nothing is
difficult” (”St. Pius V Catechism”, III, 1, 7).

20-26. The eight Beatitudes which St. Matthew gives (5:3-12) are summed up in
four by St. Luke, but with four opposite curses. We can say, with St. Ambrose,
that Matthew’s eight are included in Luke’s four (cf. “Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lu-
cam, in loc.”). In St. Luke they are in some cases stated in a more incisive, more
direct form than in the First Gospel, where they are given with more explanation:
for example, the first beatitude says simply “Blessed are you poor”, whereas in
Matthew we read, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, which contains a brief expla-
nation of the virtue of poverty.

20. “The ordinary Christian has to reconcile two aspects of this life that can at
first seem contradictory. There is on the one hand “true poverty”, which is obvious
and tangible and made up of definite things. This poverty should be an expression
of faith in God and a sign that the heart is not satisfied with created things and
aspires to the Creator; that it wants to be filled with love of God so as to be able
to give this same love to everyone. On the other hand, an ordinary Christian is
and wants to be “one more among his fellow men”, sharing their way of life, their
joys and happiness; working with them, loving the world and all the good things
that exist in it; using all created things to solve the problems of human life and
to establish a spiritual and material environment which will foster personal and
social development [...].

“To my way of thinking the best examples of poverty are those mothers and
fathers of large and poor families who spend their lives for their children and who
with their effort and constancy—often without complaining of their needs—bring up
their family, creating a cheerful home in which everyone learns to love, to serve
and to work” (St. J. Escriva, “Conversations”, 110f).

24-26. Our Lord here condemns four things: avarice and attachment to the things
of the world; excessive care of the body, gluttony; empty-headed joy and general
self-indulgence; flattery, and disordered desire for human glory—four very common
vices which a Christian needs to be on guard against.

24. In the same kind of way as in verse 20, which refers to the poor in the sense
of those who love poverty, seeking to please God better, so in this verse the “rich”
are to be understood as those who strive to accumulate possessions heedless of
whether or not they are doing so lawfully, and who seek their happiness in those
possessions, as if they were their ultimate goal. But people who inherit wealth
or acquire it through honest work can be really poor provided they are detached
from these things and are led by that detachment to use them to help others, as
God inspires them. We can find in Sacred Scriptures a number of people to
whom the beatitude of the poor can be applied although they possessed consi-
derable wealth—Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, Job, for example.

As early as St. Augustine’s time there were people who failed to understand po-
verty and riches properly: they reasoned as follows: The Kingdom of Heaven be-
longs to the poor, the Lazaruses of this world, the hungry; all the rich are bad,
like this rich man here. This sort of thinking led St. Augustine to explain the
deep meaning of wealth and poverty according to the spirit of the Gospel: “Listen,
poor man, to my comments on your words. When you refer to yourself as Laza-
rus, that holy man covered with wounds, I am afraid your pride makes you de-
scribe yourself incorrectly. Do not despise rich men who are merciful, who are
humble: or, to put it briefly, do not despise poor rich men. Oh, poor man, be poor
yourself; poor, that is, humble [...]. Listen to me, then. Be truly poor, be devout,
be humble; if you glory in your ragged and ulcerous poverty, if you glory in like-
ning yourself to that beggar lying outside the rich man’s house, then you are only
noticing his poverty, and nothing else. What should I notice you ask? Read the
Scriptures and you will understand what I mean. Lazarus was poor, but he to
whose bosom he was brought was rich. `It came to pass, it is written, that the
poor man died and he was brought by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.’ To where?
To Abraham’s bosom, or let us say, to that mysterious place where Abraham was
resting. Read [...] and remember that Abraham was a very wealthy man when he
was on earth: he had abundance of money, a large family, flocks, land; yet that
rich man was poor, because he was humble. `Abraham believed God and he was
reckoned righteous.’ [...] He was faithful, he did good, received the commandment
to offer his son in sacrifice, and he did not refuse to offer what he had received to
Him from whom he had received it. He was approved in God’s sight and set before
us as an example of faith” (”Sermon”, 14).

To sum up: poverty does not consist in something purely external, in having or not
having material goods, but in something that goes far deeper, affecting a person’s
heart and soul; it consists in having a humble attitude to God, in being devout, in
having total faith. If a Christian has these virtues and also has an abundance of
material possessions, he should be detached from his wealth and act charitably
towards others and thus be pleasing to God. On the other hand, if someone is
not well-off he is not justified in God’s sight on that account, if he fails to strive to
acquire those virtues in which true poverty consists.

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

Readings at Mass

First reading

Colossians 3:1-11 ©

Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.

That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; all this is the sort of behaviour that makes God angry. And it is the way in which you used to live when you were surrounded by people doing the same thing, but now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language and dirty talk; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.

Psalm

Psalm 144:2-3,10-13 ©

How good is the Lord to all.

I will bless you day after day

and praise your name for ever.

The Lord is great, highly to be praised,

his greatness cannot be measured.

How good is the Lord to all.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

and declare your might, O God.

How good is the Lord to all.

To make known to men your mighty deeds

and the glorious splendour of your reign.

Yours is an everlasting kingdom;

your rule lasts from age to age.

How good is the Lord to all.

Gospel Acclamation

1Jn2:5

Alleluia, alleluia!

Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

Alleluia!

Or	Lk6:23ab

Alleluia, alleluia!

Rejoice and be glad:

your reward will be great in heaven.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Luke 6:20-26 ©

Fixing his eyes on his disciples Jesus said:

‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.

Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.

Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.

Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.

‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.

Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.

Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.

‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’

The Light of Faith (Lumen Fidei)[Catholic Caucus]

Year of Faith: Does God Command Evil Actions in the Bible? Part II (Part I linked
Francis "Lights" Up – Pope's First Encyclical Due Friday
Pope: Homily at Mass for Evangelium Vitae Day [full text]
Adoration with Pope energizing Catholics worldwide
Parishes Worldwide Prepare for Eucharistic Adoration Hour (June 2 at 11 am ET)
Pope [Francis] at Pentecost: Newness, harmony and mission
Audience: Do not be ‘part-time’ Christians
Pope Francis: Regina caeli
Pope to welcome 70,000 youths, confirm 44 (this Sunday) [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Francis’ General Audience focused on women. Feminists aren’t going to be happy

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's "Letter On the Year of Faith" (Crossing Threshold of Faith)
Pope Francis – the real deal – has Audience with Cardinals
Benedict XVI's Final General Audience
On Ash Wednesday
On God As Creator of Heaven and Earth
On Abraham's Faith
On Christ As Mediator Between God and Man
On the Incarnation
On God the Almighty Father
Year of Faith: Indulgences and Places of Pilgrimage [Ecumenical]
On the Identity of Jesus

On the Faith of Mary, the Virgin Mother of Christ
Father Cantalamessa's 1st Advent Sermon (Catholic Caucus)
On The Unfolding of God's Self-Revelation
On the Beauty of God's Plan of Salvation
On Bearing Witness to the Christian Faith
On the Splendor of God's Truth
On the Knowledge of God
Archbishop Chaput says Year of Faith holds solution to relativism
Following the Truth: The Year Of Faith – 10 Things You Should Know [Catholic Caucus]
Papal Encyclical on Faith Announced

On the Desire for God
On the Ecclesial Nature of Faith
On the Nature of Faith
Catechism's benefits explained for Year of Faith (Catholic Caucus)
A Life of Faith: Papal Theologian Speaks on the Grace of Faith
ASIA/LAOS - "Year of Faith" amid the persecutions of Christians forced to become "animists"
From no faith to a mountain-top of meaning: Father John Nepil (Catholic Caucus)
Living the Year of Faith: How Pope Benedict Wants You to Begin [Catholic Caucus]
Share Your Faith in This Year of Faith: Two keys to help you do it.
On A New Series of Audiences for The Year of Faith

Pope will deliver year-long teaching series on restoring faith
Pope Benedict XVI Grants Plenary Indulgence to Faithful [Catholic Caucus]
Pope, at Marian shrine, entrusts Year of Faith, synod to Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Catholic Church Calls for Public Prayers in Offices on Fridays
Highlights in the Plan for Year of Faith: Traditional Events Will Take on Special Perspective
Catholic Church calls for public prayers in offices on Fridays
Vatican Unveils Logo for Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
Miami Prelate Recalls Pope's Visit to Cuba, Looks to Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
The World-Changing Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
Vatican to Issue Recommendations for Celebrating Year of Faith

Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

Prayers for The Religion Forum (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, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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 Spirit (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
+

A Prayer for our Free Nation Under God
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.

Our Blessed Lady's Sorrows

Sea of Sorrow

Oh! on what a sea of sorrow
Was the Virgin-Mother cast,
When her eyes with tears o'erflowing
Gazed upon her Son aghast,
From the bloodstained gibbet taken,
Dying in her arms at last.

In her bitter desolation,
His sweet mouth, His bosom too,
Then His riven side beloved,
Then each hand, both wounded through,
Then His feet, with blood encrimsoned,
Her maternal tears bedew.

She, a hundred times and over,
Strains Him closely to her breast
Heart to Heart, arms arms enfolding,
Are His wounds on her impressed:
Thus, in sorrow's very kisses,
Melts her anguished soul to rest.

Oh, dear Mother! we beseech thee,
By the tears thine eyes have shed,
By the cruel death of Jesus
And His wounds' right royal red,
Make our hearts o'erflow with sorrow
From thy heart's deep fountainhead.

To the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Now we bend on equal knee:
Glory, sempiternal glory,
To the Most High Trinity;
Yea! perpetual praise and honor
Now and through all ages be.

Novena Prayer To Our Sorrowful Mother

Most Blessed and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, who didst stand generously beneath the cross, beholding the agony of thy dying Son; by the sword of sorrow which then pierced thy soul, by the sufferings of thy sorrowful life, by the unutterable joy which now more than repays thee for them; look down with a mother's pity and tenderness, as I kneel before thee to compassionate thy sorrows, and to lay my petition with childlike confidence in thy wounded heart. I beg of thee, O my Mother, to plead continually for me with thy Son, since He can refuse thee nothing, and through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death, together with thy own sufferings at the foot of the cross, so to touch His Sacred Heart, that I may obtain my request,
For to whom shall I fly in my wants and miseries, if not to thee, O Mother of mercy, who, having so deeply drunk the chalice of thy Son, canst most pity us poor exiles, still doomed to sigh in this vale of tears? Offer to Jesus but one drop of His Precious Blood, but one pang of His adorable Heart; remind Him that thou art our life, our sweetness, and our hope, and thou wilt obtain what I ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hail Mary
Virgin Most Sorrowful, pray for us
(Seven times each)

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy Heart, pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please Our Lord to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that: every thought of my mind and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to thy Divine Son, Jesus; keep me in His grace and assist me in my last agony, so that I may be able to meet thee in Heaven and sing thy glories.

Most holy Virgin and Mother, whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy Divine Son, and who in His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never ending joy at His triumph, obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy Church and the Sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany of the Seven Sorrows

For private use only.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,
Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, etc.
Mother crucified,
Mother sorrowful,
Mother tearful,
Mother afflicted,
Mother forsaken,
Mother desolate,
Mother bereft of thy Child,
Mother transfixed with the sword,
Mother consumed with grief,
Mother filled with anguish,
Mother crucified in heart,
Mother most sad,
Fountain of tears,
Abyss of suffering,
Mirror of patience,
Rock of constancy,
Anchor of confidence,
Refuge of the forsaken,
Shield of the oppressed,
Subduer of the unbelieving,
Comfort of the afflicted,
Medicine of the sick,
Strength of the weak,
Harbor of the wrecked,
Allayer of tempests,
Resource of mourners,
Terror of the treacherous,
Treasure of the faithful,
Eye of the Prophets,
Staff of the Apostles,
Crown of Martyrs,
Light of confessors,
Pearl of virgins,
Consolation of widows,
Joy of all Saints,

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Look down upon us, deliver us, and save us from all trouble,
in the power of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let Us Pray.
Imprint, O Lady, thy wounds upon my heart, that I may read therein sorrow and love
--- sorrow to endure every sorrow for thee, love to despise every love for thee. Amen.

Conclude with the Apostles Creed, Hail Holy Queen, and three Hail Marys,
in honor of the Most Holy Heart of Mary.

Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Stabat mater dolorosa
iuxta Crucem lacrimosa,
dum pendebat Filius.

Cuius animam gementem,
contristatam et dolentem
pertransivit gladius.

O quam tristis et afflicta
fuit illa benedicta,
mater Unigeniti!

Quae maerebat et dolebat,
pia Mater, dum videbat
nati poenas inclyti.

Quis est homo qui non fleret,
matrem Christi si videret
in tanto supplicio?

Quis non posset contristari
Christi Matrem contemplari
dolentem cum Filio?

Pro peccatis suae gentis
vidit Iesum in tormentis,
et flagellis subditum.

Vidit suum dulcem Natum
moriendo desolatum,
dum emisit spiritum.

Eia, Mater, fons amoris
me sentire vim doloris
fac, ut tecum lugeam.

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
in amando Christum Deum
ut sibi complaceam.

Sancta Mater, istud agas,
crucifixi fige plagas
cordi meo valide.

Tui Nati vulnerati,
tam dignati pro me pati,
poenas mecum divide.

Fac me tecum pie flere,
crucifixo condolere,
donec ego vixero.

Iuxta Crucem tecum stare,
et me tibi sociare
in planctu desidero.

Virgo virginum praeclara,
mihi iam non sis amara,
fac me tecum plangere.

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,
passionis fac consortem,
et plagas recolere.

Fac me plagis vulnerari,
fac me Cruce inebriari,
et cruore Filii.

Flammis ne urar succensus,
per te, Virgo, sim defensus
in die iudicii.

Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
da per Matrem me venire
ad palmam victoriae.

Quando corpus morietur,
fac, ut animae donetur
paradisi gloria. Amen.

Prayer To Our Lady of Sorrows, by St. Bridget

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a martyrdom of love and grief beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus! Thou didst cooperate in the benefit of my redemption by thine innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His only begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to save me, a sinner. Oh, make use of the unfailing intercession of thy sorrows with the Father and the Son, that I may steadfastly amend my life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins, and that, persevering till death in His grace. I may obtain eternal life through the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.

Mother of love, of sorrow and of mercy, pray for us.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori's Prayer To The Mother Of Sorrows

O, my Blessed Mother, it is not one sword only with which I have pierced thy heart, but I have done so with as many as are the sins which I have committed. O, Lady, it is not to thee, who art innocent, that sufferings are due, but to me, who am guilty of so many crimes. But since thou hast been pleased to suffer so much for me, by thy merits, obtain me great sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of this life, which will always be light in comparison with my demerits; for I have often deserved Hell.
Amen.

Stabet Mater Dolorosa (catholic/orthodox caucus)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] Spirituality: Our Lady of Sorrows
The Seven Swords Rosary Of Our Lady Of Sorrows [Catholic Caucus] Prayer and Meditation
The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows [Catholic Caucus] Prayer/Devotion
Our Lady of Sorrows, part I: "Her Martyrdom was longer and greater than that of all the martyrs"

Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 7 Sorrows (Dolours) and 7 Joys of Our Lady
The Seven Dolors (Sorrows) of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Devotional]
Apparition in Africa: Our Lady of Sorrows [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary [Catholic Caucus Devotional]
Feast of Our Lady/Mother of Sorrows
Homilies on Our Lady of Sorrows
Starkenburg:Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows Shrine
Our Mother of Sorrows
ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, OF THE DOLOURS OF MARY, The Glories [Sorrows] of Mary
Our Lady of Sorrows - Sep 15

September 2013

Pope's Intentions

Value of Silence. That people today, often overwhelmed by noise, may rediscover the value of silence and listen to the voice of God and their brothers and sisters.

Persecuted Christians. That Christians suffering persecution in many parts of the world may by their witness be prophets of Christ's love.

Daily Gospel Commentary

Wednesday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Saint Leo the Great (?-c.461), Pope and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 95 ; PL 54, 461

“Blessed are you who are poor"

Blessed, he says, are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5,3). It would perhaps be doubtful what poor he was speaking of, if in saying “blessed are the poor” he had added nothing which would explain the sort of poor: and then that poverty by itself would appear sufficient to win the kingdom of heaven which many suffer from hard and heavy necessity. But when he says “blessed are the poor in spirit”, He shows that the kingdom of heaven must be assigned to those who are recommended by the humility of their spirits rather than by the smallness of their means.

Yet it cannot be doubted that this possession of humility is more easily acquired by the poor than the rich: for submissiveness is the companion of those that want, while loftiness of mind dwells with riches. Notwithstanding, even in many of the rich is found that spirit which uses its abundance not for the increasing of its pride but on works of kindness, and counts that for the greatest gain which it expends in the relief of others' hardships. It is given to every kind and rank of men to share in this virtue, because men may be equal in will, though unequal in fortune: and it does not matter how different they are in earthly means, who are found equal in spiritual possessions. Blessed, therefore, is poverty which is not possessed with a love of temporal things, and does not seek to be increased with the riches of the world, but is eager to amass heavenly possessions.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Commemoration of 9/11

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

Colossians 3:1-11
Psalm 145:2-3, 10-13
Luke 6:20-26

I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

-- Apoc. xxi. 2

Just A Minute (Listen)
Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click.

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among 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.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

Information: Sts. Protus and Hyacinth

Feast Day: September 11

Born: 3rd century AD

Died: mid 3rd century AD, Rome

Major Shrine: San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, as well as the chapel of the Propaganda College. Both in Rome.

Interactive Saints for Kids

Blessed Louis of Thuringia

Feast Day: September 11
Born: (around) 1180 / Died: 1227

Louis was a German prince who married St. Elizabeth of Hungary when he was twenty-one and she was just fourteen. Their parents had arranged the marriage, as this was the custom.

But they both loved God, and he gave them great love for each other so that they were very happy together. Their joy increased when God gave them their three children. The youngest was Blessed Gertrude.

Louis helped his wife in her many works of charity for the poor. He also joined her in prayer each day. The people often saw their handsome prince and his lovely wife helping the poor.

Once Elizabeth brought a leper into their castle and looked after him in their bed. For a moment, when Louis saw that, he was angry. Then, suddenly, instead of the leper, he saw our crucified Lord lying there. This was proof of how much Jesus loved Elizabeth's charity. Then Louis built a big hospital for lepers.

One long, bitter cold winter, Louis was called away from his land to deal with some trouble. When he returned, Elizabeth was overjoyed. But the next year when Louis left on a Crusade to free the Holy Land from the Muslims he caught malaria on his way there, and soon was dying.

Because he had always been close to Jesus, the brave ruler was not frightened to die. He received the Last Sacraments and died peacefully in 1227.